2012 ~ What a year!

My 2012 got off to a very rocky start. I started having computer issues in January and after several trips to a geeky tech and days, weeks, and months without a computer I was losing all hope. My blog hadn't been touched in months. I thought I would need therapy!!

I was also having some personal issues in that time frame and throw in another move. Have I mentioned this was our 8th move in 7 yrs. My hubby is lucky I love him is all I have to say. Moving isn't over yet, pssttt....we are moving in June, AGAIN!!!! I'd like to think of it as our last but I have a feeling we may put off buying a house until next year after hubby gets his Master's degree.

ANYWAYS, enough of that. Long story short I had to break down and buy a new laptop in August. And, was so happy to see that many of my faithful readers welcomed me back. I love my bloggy community.

So, it's not a full year but this is what I was up to...If you missed them, then go check them out!

Memory boxes made out of gift boxes. You can see the whole tutorial on this post.

Making home journals and eliminating magazine clutter. You can read the easy tutorial on this post.

This is one of my favorite projects. It's a joy to look at everyday sitting at my desk. You can read the tutorial on this post to create your own vision board. 

{Wow does my desk look different now}

My best tutorial was my greeting card decor. You can read it on this post. So don't throw those Christmas cards away. 

Then there was this trashy little treasure. You can read the easy make-over on this post. 

This post will show you how to turn that $15 desk set into a real beauty for your home. 

My most popular post of 2012 was my mesh wreath tutorial, you can read it at this post. 

You can read about my Christmas Tree centerpiece at this post. And, my holiday candle tablescape at this post.

I hope that "2013" is going to be a great year for all of us (13 is my lucky number so I'm hoping this is my year). Next year I will have the best review of 2013 and I can't wait. I may have gotten off to a rough 2012 start but I ended pretty darn well. 

I have lots in the works for the New Year and I can't wait to share it!!! 

Happy New Year to all my bloggy friends.

Friday Pinspiration

Welcome to Friday "Pinspiration"...

We could all use a little pinspiration inspiration, especially around the holidays. Here are a few of my favorite holiday pins. If you want to see all the other great pinning I have done, please stop on over and visit my PINTEREST  page and follow along. Psstt....I follow back!

Beautiful white luminaries.

{Ginger Snap Crafts}

Turn your dining chairs into fabulous decorations with tulle fabric, ribbon, pretty flowers and glittered fruit.

{Living Locurto}

Display cute lil gift boxes made out of Kleenex boxes, yarn and ribbon. 

{No Place Like Home}

Wine bottle decor using primer, spray adhesive and Epsom salts. (We all have wine bottles in the house)

{Cleverly Inspired}

And, let's not forget yummy cupcakes!!!

{Glorious Treats}

I hope you were pinspired by these great finds. Now go bake some cupcakes, craft and decorate for the Holidays, then share it with me on Pinterest. Or you could be like me and go spend hours on Pinterest and get no crafting or decorating done ;-)

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Christmas Countdown designed by Christmas Gifts.org

About as Halloween as I get!!!

It's that time of the year...

HALLOWEEN!!!

~Not a fan~

I love fall and all the warm decor' that goes with it...but, I am not a fan of "Halloween" and never have been...sometimes I feel like I miss out when I see all the fun adult parties and the cute costumes...than I realize just cause I don't like halloween doesn't mean I am a complete party pooper!!!

I went in search online of some cute "Halloween" ideas that even I would like and since I don't do anything creative myself  for "Halloween"...I wanted to share with you all the cute ideas in blogland!!!

~Sassy Sites~

~Blue Painted Pumpkins~

~The Witch is in~

~Pinterest~

(If these are your's let me know so I can link to your site...Love them)

~Halloween Wreath~

~Trick-or-Treat Mantle~

~Too Boo Cute~

~Bedazzled Pumpkin~

I hope you were able to get some really cute "Halloween" ideas to decorate your home...

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE HALLOWEEN DECOR TO SHARE?

When things don't work...

When things don't work...What do you do???

You find a way to make them work..

We downsized this summer from a 2400 sq ft house to a 1400 sq ft house...Even though I love the smaller house (less to clean)...I still have unused rooms...

I have always had rooms in my homes that you can look at just DO NOT enter...You know the ones that have the pretty furniture and all the crystal....or how about that dining room that has all the dishes sitting on the table waiting for someone to eat on it...

(nice dead plant in the corner)

It's always fun to clean a room  that no one uses (NOT)...The kids are grown and it's hard to get everyone together for meals...and I'm tired of washing dishes that don't get used...

It's time to take the space and make it more usable for my lifestyle...

I have an office...

(taken when we first moved in)



Now I'm thinking of turning it in to a home studio...were I can paint and do any creating...basically where I can make a mess...

I just love these art/craft rooms...

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Now for the dining room...This room has been a dilemma for me for a while...I have been debating on keeping it a dining room or turning it into the home office...You can read about it here...

I received some wonderful suggestions...

It would be so much easier to keep it a dining room...BUT, if lucky it only gets used once year...I would love to entertain but it does not fit into my lifestyle right now...I think it's time to sell the dining room set...I can always get a NEW one in a couple years if I feel there is a need for it...

I have NO PROBLEM shopping for new furniture...lol

Here are some wonderful dining room/office inspirations...

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Your home should work for you...You should not work for your home!!!

Time to utilize the un-used space in my home....

I would love to hear any ideas or thoughts from all my "crazy friends"...

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT MAKING AN UNUSED ROOM FUNCTIONAL AGAIN???

**Don't forget to link up to my "Pick-a-Theme" party...

 

Flower Power...

Not what you think...REALLY it's not...you don't believe me??? Here take a look....

Now don't be GASPINGGGG!!! It does belong to me...No seriously it does...Ok!! You can gasp if you want...I know..WHAT was I thinking???  LOOK at all them FLOWERS....Well the year was 2000...Yep that furniture is 11 yrs old and has always been in a formal living room or sitting room...There is a lot to be said about the quality of furniture....(or maybe no one was allowed to sit on it...~snickering~) I'm sure my daughter will chime in...

You want to see it up close don't you???

This furniture has been through quite a bit of moves since 2000...Here's it's first home for 5 yrs...

Floral and Oak that is a classic "Victorian" early 2000's style...Yikes!! And what's funny is looking at this photo I still have every single thing in that room...Oh good grief!! ~bowing my head in shame~ (Big Sigh)

Now where was I?? Oh yeah!! So in 2005 we (me & my furniture that is) traveled from Erie, Pa to Fort Mill, SC and set up shop in my cute lil condo...It was perfect for just me!!!

Now here comes the CRAZINESS!!! I met my husband and moved in with him that summer...yep..do the math 6 MONTHS...

In 2007 we moved to the northside of Charlotte and bought our house...and I set up a sitting room...

In 2010 we sold our home (long...loonngggg...llloooonnngggg...story) anyways we moved into a townhome...

And in December 2010 my husband took a job in Maryland...Are you laughing yet or crying...cause I was doing both...so now here we are in Maryland...

No matter how you look at it...it's all the same...flowers-flowers & more flowers....Oh I left part of this journey out...there were 2 more moves in there....(OK...all I can do is laugh) and NO my hubby is not military (he was but not since 1999)



Want an even BETTER LAUGH!!!

WE ARE MOVING AGAIN...back to NC ...

Where the heck was I going with this story??? Oh I know my "Flower Power" furniture...I'm ready for a change but I can't afford really good quality furniture at this time...(you know with my 8th move in 6 yrs) Ok...Now I'm Crying and yes I invite you to cry with me...

Happy thoughts!!! Since I can't afford new furniture and mine is in such good condition I was thinking of getting it covered...Getting it reupholstered is going to be wayyyy too expensive...and "no' I would never attempt that one on my own (and I've done some crazy things)...like dyed my carpet one time (another story and one word DISASTER)...So I was thinking slipcovers (when I think slipcovers I think how my mom covered furniture with sheets...Holy Moly)...and this is what else comes to mind "stretch pants" for the couch...

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I can't even describe how that makes me feel...so hand me my anxiety medicine...that is awful...well maybe not awful but I just can't do it...

So I was looking around..there has to be a way to cover my furniture without breaking the bank and making it look like it wasn't covered in "spandex"...Look what I found...

It's perfect!!!...Don't you just love Pottery Barn...and for the low low price of $1698.00 + shipping I can have a new look..One word "CRAZY"....(I guess we are staying with flower power for a while longer)

I AM ACCEPTING HELP...DONATIONS OR JUST IDEAS!!!!