Surprise Party!

Roeshel over at the DIY Showoff Blog is having another one of her Surprise Parties! Head on over to see some great before and after furniture makeovers.  I submitted an earlier post showcasing our DIY mirrored nightstand.

Before:

After:

The Fleur De Lis Are Multiplying!!

I’m re-publishing parts of an old post from May to join up with the Multiples Party over at Vintage Junky. I apologize in advance for the poor photo quality, I took them when I was relatively new to blogging and hadn’t “perfected” my photography skills, and I’m too lazy to re-take them all!

I realized while hanging my newest piece of fleur de lis artwork that I really and truly am addicted to all things fleur de lis. While I know it may seem cliche to some, I have a connection to fleur de lis given that I am born and bred in Louisiana. It is such a unique symbol not only for our state, but for the city of New Orleans, where I lived for several years (and still miss). I guess my addiction really began during my days as a merchandise buyer for a tourist/gift shop in NOLA. Having access to tons of fleur de lis merchandise at wholesale prices only fueled the fire! Now I know this all may seem like overkill, but I've tried to keep it subtle and spread throughout the house so you don't walk in and become overwhelmed with fleur de lis. And while I have many pieces of fleur de lis artwork and decor items, each piece is meaningful and unique. I thought I would share a few of my favorites today.

 

Here is my most recent accquisition, a photograph collage by M. Palmer I hung in our office. You can't really see it in the photo, but it is actually several black and white photos of New Orleans landmarks:

This print I bought at the Red River Revel last fall, from Alexander Art Studio. This is by an incredible artist who does amazing fleur de lis designs, it is a tiger face:

Another print I bought at the Red River Revel a couple years ago, displayed in our kitchen, it is a fleur de lis made up of various Louisiana icons like crawfish and hot peppers:

Two more photographs by Joshua Lee, a gift from my best friend, displayed in our dining room:

Here's a collection of my favorite fleur de lis decor items:

My husband even made these nifty decals to hide the ugly fruit basket tiles on our backsplash (soon to be replaced with new glass tiles I hope!):

 

Although it can be fun to decorate in multiples, I try not to let it completely take over the house.  Hopefully they are all spread out enough that my house doesn’t look like a fleur de lis showroom!  But just when I think I’ll never buy another fleur de lis again, I’ll find one that I simply cannot live without! 

Be sure to head on over to Vintage Junky to see what else is multiplying!! Don’t forget to enter the great giveaway while you’re there.

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Please take a moment to check out my earlier post and give me your feedback on my “Blast From the Past” Decorating Party, I would appreciate it!

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If you have time today, head on over to the Kattilac Shack and visit some of the participants in the Pet Parade.  Just leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win a $100 gift certificate to Hobby Lobby!  Here’s a couple posts I did a while back of my pug, Gidget:

Gidget’s new dress

Another dress for Gidget

DIY Scrapbook Paper Art

Recently, my best friend and I got together to transform these flea market 8x10 frames ($4 each) into some cute artwork for her little girls’ bathroom:

Our first step was to purchase a pile of cute coordinating scrapbook paper at the craft store:

After deciding on a theme, we drew the shapes on the backside of the paper and cut them out:

We used glue dots to adhere the shapes to the paper and used a sharpie and stick-on crystals to embellish them further. Here’s a close-up of the butterfly:

And all three together:In the newly spray painted frames:

 We did this project for around $20 for all three.  I’ve seen similar ones for sale online for $30 or more each, so that’s quite a savings if you can do it yourself!  This project probably took us a couple hours while gossiping and chatting.

This artwork was the perfect finishing touch for just about the cutest little girls’ bathroom you have ever seen!! I can’t wait to show more in a future post, you are going to love it, I promise!

I’ll be linking up to these parties today, hop on over to see more great projects:

 

 

 

 

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Please take a moment to check out my earlier post and give me your feedback on my “Blast From the Past” Decorating Party, I would appreciate it!

More Fall Wreath Ideas

Last week I joined the Fall Festival over at the DIY Showoff Blog and showed you my quick and easy fall wreath.  This week I’m joining up again and showcasing a couple wreath more ideas.  The first is a fall door arrangement put together by my best friend, hanging on her front door.

I think she did a beautiful job of mixing textures and colors to create a stunning arrangement! I love the metal cone container, what a great alternative to the traditional grapevine wreath.

Just look at the lovely burnt orange, reds, and yellows (and a hint of purple of course). The frayed burlap ribbon mixed with the sheer tiger print is fabulous! 

It’s easy to recreate this yourself.  Simply choose any container (spray paint it if necessary), and mix and match floral elements to your heart’s content.  There’s no rhyme or reason, just play around with it, be creative, and have fun!

This next door decoration was made for me by my mother and now hangs on my back door.  I’ve had this wreath for several years now and it has held up well.

My mom was inspired by the huge Homecoming corsages that can be seen around this time of year at the local high schools.  I’m not sure if it’s more of a tradition in the south or what, but around here the corsages can get pretty large, adorned with silk mums, long ribbons, and various trinkets, and can often cost $100 or more if you buy them pre-made.  They usually end up looking something like this:

 

So the version my mom designed shows our team spirit for the LSU Tigers of course!  She used a small round cane wreath as a base and layered it with silk mums, ribbon, feathers, and a small stuffed tiger pin.  Here’s a view from the backside:

And a close-up of the center:

I thought the wreath needed a little something, so I added one of my tin signs.

Geaux Tigers, perfect! If you’re a football fan, this type of wreath is a great way to incorporate your team spirit into your fall decor.  Again, just be creative and mix and match elements in your favorite team’s colors.

I’ll also be linking up to the usual Monday Parties, be sure and visit all the wonderful projects being submitted.

       

Be sure and check out Met. Monday at BTNOP this week for a fabulous giveaway!

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I have been asked by Cheri at Its So Very Cheri to let you in on a big huge GIANORMOUS announcement. Be sure to MARK THIS DATE- Oct 1. All I know is that you need to head over to Its So Very Cheri on Oct 1 so you don’t miss out on this big event. She’s never done anything this big. So grab the button and place it on your side bar so you don’t forget, plus your friends will be glad you let them in on it too. Will you be there? I know I will.

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Please take a moment to check out my earlier post and give me your feedback on my “Blast From the Past” Decorating Party, I would appreciate it!

Kitchen Countertop Update

Well, guys, I bit the bullet and ordered the Giani Granite Paint for Countertops in Jet Black (see my original dillemma post here).  I decided to try it out on this part of the kitchen where there’s no backsplash first:

If we like it, we’ll continue on with the rest of the kitchen after tearing out the existing backsplash in the next couple of weeks.  Here’s a look at a quick before and after since I applied the first coat this morning:

So far, so good! I’m liking the black and I’m sure it will look even better once the two top coats are on.  Be sure and follow me on Twitter, I’ll be posting updated photos there!