Bedroom Tour: Part 1

Hi There! I finally saw some sun in our bedroom and thought it was the perfect time for some updated photos. The bedroom is pretty small so I have to share the tour in three different parts since each corner of the room has different functions. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

 

Partying over at The Scoop, Savvy Southern Style & SNAP!

Anthropologie Inspired/DIY Valentine's Day Decorating

It makes me happy to decorate for holidays now after having our baby girl. Every holiday since October has been extra special with her in our lives, but Valentine's Day has a deeper meaning of love this year.

We all love a good craft project every now and then, but when you can add some holiday excitement to something you already own, it makes it look and feel even better than store bought! Right?!

I found this heart garland at Michael's craft store and thought it would look sweet placed somewhere in our home. After playing around with it for a few minutes, I found it a home wrapped around the wreath I recently hung in the living room.

Here are some hearts I have used to decorate with 2 Valentine's Days ago. I had the idea to use the leftover letters used from the Project Nursery post. Click HERE for Project Nursery post.

The letters are very Anthropologie like! I love them! They are stickers so I just placed them on the hearts and they stayed perfect.

The flowers and vase were another DIY project. I fancied up the red mason jar with the "C" for our last name and the roses were a sweet gift from the husband :)

Loving this twig bouquet! It added the perfect red color I was looking for without screaming "IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY!"
(Also a gift from my husband :)

Hoping you all your homes are filled with love this Valentine's Day.
xo
Alison

Partying over at My Pinterventures, The Dedicated House, Homestoriesatoz
The Scoop, SNAP

Living Room Makeover: A Peg Board with a Story

Happy 2015!!! I may be a little late but I have a good excuse being a new Mommy of a 2 month year old. : ) Our hearts are filled with joy and a new type of love this year with our new little one but I will save that for another post ; )

I have had enough sleep to get my creative itch back! I'm so ready to take on our home with new projects and style in 2015. I started with a small makeover in our living room as my first project. I wanted to stick with a neutral color palette with a splash of green for a hint of color. I love green and could have it in every room, but really enjoy it in the living room since that is where we spend most of our time.


When I start to think about projects, I overwhelm my brain. I start writing the list of shopping items to buy, the old items I need to look for at a thrift store, and the pieces of furniture I can give a quick makeover....but this chaotic mind is not my reality anymore after having a baby. Getting the store in this freezing cold weather with a tiny infant is not a smart choice for our family, so I decided to shop my closet. Once I opened the door to shelves of stored vintage items and décor, I was smacked in the face with the most perfect item to begin the living room makeover. A peg board. It was not JUST a peg board, but my Poppa's peg board. A board that was once filled with beat up old tools that were used every day by a talented skilled carpenter who happened to be my grandfather.

Poppa lived to work. His creativity was seen in many of his projects he tackled and loved to tell stories of all his accomplishments. I think I was lucky to get a portion of his "creativity gene." After Poppa passed away, I wanted a piece of him with me. I wanted a small item from his workshop that would remind me of him at every glance. The peg board where his tools hung stood out to me. I knew I can come up with somewhere in our apartment to incorporate this special piece.

The color was perfect for the living room. The rough texture, the perfect imperfections, and the white splash of paint (done by Poppa) is the perfect arrangement for the focal point of our living room. The room is coming together slowly, but I am happy with the way it is unfolding.

Stay tuned for the completion of the room (is it every really completed?) Thank you for letting me share my story of Poppa with you.

Cheers to a year full of inspiration and memories!
~Alison~

**You can find our BEFORE pictures of the living room HERE

Partying over at Savvy Southern Style, Adelightsomelife, Elizabeth & Co.,  &  Organized 31

Our Wedding

I have been blessed in so many ways this past year. I could have never imagined that I would have the opportunity to meet such a gentle soul in a man and be able to call him my husband.

We decided to chose 7.27.14 as our wedding day. Small and intimate is what we were aiming for since this was both our second marriages and we wanted this day to be about the love we have for each other...and nothing else. My wheels began spinning about all the vintage décor I wanted to incorporate in the ceremony and the small reception after. The anxiety of how am I going to "treasure hunt" all these amazing architectural pieces I had envisioned and painting projects I would take on....and then I remembered....the few hours of our celebration...was to focus on us and our love and nothing else.

Of course, I still got creative, but with simplistic ideas. I decided I wanted to do the flowers, including my bouquet, Joe's corsage, and the two center pieces that stood on the tables of our brunch celebration.

We both have a love for music and I had the idea to incorporate a violinist during our ceremony and brunch for a dash of serenity and class. It was the perfect touch to an unforgettable day.

The venue, violinist, photographer, my dress/shoes/jewelry, hair stylist/make up artist, and the choice to have our parents and siblings only, were all decided and planned in one day. The day was simple, elegant, and about our love for one another.

Can you even stand the architecture of the gazebo???? Love.

 

The vintage pins were found years ago at a flea market and was the perfect touch for this special day.

 

A vintage clutch I used as décor for a party last year. It added great texture as an accessory to my dress.

DIY Flowers

I fell in love with this headband from Anthropologie and was gifted to me by a friend. If you know be by now, I am not into the traditional element of things. I love that I can use this as an every day piece as well.



Thank you for sharing in the memories of this special time in our lives.
xo
Alison


Partying over at Savvy Southern Living & Liz Marie Blog

Before & After Tea Tray Makeover

Happy Monday!
Who doesn't look breakfast in bed?

I received this tea tray from Teavana as a gift last Christmas. It was a great gift idea along with an adorable tea set that just makes me smile when I use it.

However, the tray had one problem. The lacquer shiny finish would allow food or tea/coffee to slide all over the place causing spillage. You definitely do not want coffee spilling on your new white sheets! So, I had a plan.
I decided to give the tray a makeover. I used paint with a chalky finish to allow for resistance against the bottom of a cup or saucer and avoid the possibility of spilling. I used a stencil in the middle of the tray to add some colorful, yet calming design. After the makeover, the tray has a subtle warn look with a modern design. I am so happy with the "After" results.




Before

 

After

I'm also working on posts from yesterday's Nyack Street Fair. What a success! Stay tuned :)
~Alison~
Partying over at www.worthingcourtblog.com
 

Before & After: Ann Sloan Furniture Makeover

I live for a good piece of old furniture that needs a makeover. I stopped by my first local garage sale of the summer two weeks ago and found this gem.

The Before

It had great "bones" and just needed a small pick-me-up. I had some leftover Ann Sloan paint in "Olive" and new it would be a perfect match.

A few coats of paint and some burlap drawer lining...here is the After

I removed the old flower drawer liner and added burlap. It is more durable and love the unfinished edges.

xo

Alison

Partying over at www.thededicatedhouse.com

DIY Nursery Art

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

This project may be one of my most favorite DIY projects yet! I know I have been on DIY overload lately, but I am still unpacking from our move and keep finding old things for new projects. 

I had a bunch of old frames that I knew I could find a purpose for. I painted most of the frames for a mini makeover. I then added some craft paper of different patterns and texture that added some fun to the frames. I then used alphabet stickers to the craft paper. In twenty minutes, nursery art was created! 

Supplies I used:

Scissors

Alphabet stickers (or can use stencils)

Craft paper (or can use wrapping paper)

Old frames (paint/paintbrush if you want to update them or make them all one color)

Here is what the BEFORE looked like. 

"After"

Enjoy this day,

xo

Alison
Thrifty Decor Chick