fun fall project - felt flower wreath

i recently started a pinterest account and must say that i LOVE it! i have to limit my time since i easily get hooked searching for fun projects and before i realize it i’ve been looking for over an hour! 

recently i came across several pictures of wreaths that i liked.  i’ve never been a big fan of wreaths (other than the christmas tree wreaths that smell amazing :)) – but when i saw a wreath with felt flowers i decided that i had to give it a try :)

here are the supplies:

• wreath form - i couldn’t find a fabric form but straw worked great & will keep it’s shape over time
• 2 colors of yarn – or ribbon – or jute
• several different colors of felt
• hot glue gun
• felt glue
• string (for felt flowers)

i googled several different types of felt flowers and came up with a  couple on my own.  i did end up sewing a few of the flowers together since i felt like the glue wouldn’t dry as fast as i needed it to.

here’s the finished product…..

i love it!  it was fun to make and you can make several to use for different seasons.  starting my christmas wreath soon!!!

noelle

floor lamp project

for quite some time i was looking for the “perfect” floor lamp.  i was surprised at how difficult it was to find something that i actually liked, that went with our style and didn’t break the bank.  i was so thrilled when i found this lamp from pottery barn.

i was debating between this lamp and one other lamp, but unfortunately after calling seven (can you tell i wanted the lamp?) of their stores, i had no luck finding either one so i could actually see it in person.  so – I took a chance and ordered it.  i was so excited for it to arrive!  it finally came in – and it was just blah.  nothing special and really not even our style.  it looked more like italian marble, not shabby as i had hoped.  plus, even though they pictured the lamp next to a white couch in the catalog, it really didn’t work well with our white couch.  i was so disappointed.  i try to be pretty thrifty, and it was a bit of a splurge for me to spend that much on a lamp (which i really didn’t need) plus i had to pay for shipping since i couldn’t find it in the store.  i was torn with returning it since i had already spent the money to ship it ….so i decided to get out my paintbrush and paint it! 

i’ve painted quite a few of the pieces in our house, but had never had to paint a new piece of furniture – most were just pieces that i found at flea markets or on craigslist.

it was a bit of trial and error.  i wanted a grey lamp.  well let me tell you – there are a TON of different shades of grey.  i was driving my family mad asking them “this color or this one” and then when they would pick a color – i still wasn’t sold (and usually picked the opposite color from what they picked).  i did end up buying two different shades of grey since i wasn’t happy with the first color.  once i realized how little paint i really needed i was able to buy a small sample jar of the paint for only $2.50!!  i was so stoked to finally get a bargain :)

this project required a lot of sanding – since the lamp had almost a plaster like substance all over it to create the “worn” look.  to achieve a smoother look i would have had to sand quite a bit longer, but i was fine to have it look more distressed.

i went back & forth with the type of finish i wanted, but am really pleased with the results.  it works great with our other furniture and is a completely unique piece.

don’t be afraid to make something your own – by changing it up a bit!  we now have an one of a kind lamp that no one else has :)

decorating for the seasons

i love changing the decorations around the house to celebrate the change of season.  every year we try to get all of our fall decorations up by september 1st!  we aren’t big fans of knick knacks, so we only have a few decorations -  but something as simple as changing the pillow covers,  switching our bed duvet cover and displaying different dishes in my hutch – completely changes the feel of the house.

our main living area is tiny – so i always try to coordinate our “dining room” (too small to be an actual dining room :) ) with our living room style.

as with many southern california homes, our storage space is limited – which makes changing out the pillow covers and duvet covers perfect since neither require much space :)



summer time has my favorite colors - blue - yellow & green



just by switching out the pillows it makes such a big difference :)

 mantle decorations for fall :)

 i found these great owls at cost plus world market

 



it’s so easy to change things up for the seasons to make your whole house feel festive! 

happy fall everyone!

noelle