Susan — Page 29

Spring Easter Table Setting with Daffodil and Moss Centerpiece

March 29, 2012 by Susan 59 Comments

Welcome to the 187th Tablescape Thursday! Greetings! Hope it's as beautiful where you are as it is here in Georgia. This has been such a wonderful spring! As I looked through the photos for this post, I noticed the background is changing with each week's table setting here on the porch. It's getting green and woolly out there...love this time of year! For this Tablescape Thursday, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Easter Holiday Home, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Daffodil Centerpiece, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Metlox Poppy Trail Sculptured Daisy Dishware, Spring Table Settings, spring tablescape

Make Heart-Shaped Sugar Cubes for Parties: A Tutorial

March 28, 2012 by Susan 50 Comments

Recently while reading a Country Living magazine, I came across the cutest heart-shaped sugar cubes. The magazine shared where they could be ordered but I decided to try making my own. I thought they would be fun for parties, especially tea parties or to offer guests with coffee after dinner. Instead of white cubes as shown in the article, I decided to color mine. Since it's so close to Easter, I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Decor Knock-offs, Recipes, Tablescapes Occasion, Tea Party Tablescapes, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Recipes, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes Tagged With: Colored Sugar Cubes, Heart-Shaped Sugar Cubes, Make your own sugar cubes, Making Sugar Cubes, Party Recipes, Sugar Cubes for Tea Parties, Sugar Cubes in Fun Shapes, Tea Parties, Valentine's Day Tablescapes

Beautiful Curbside Transformations on a Budget

March 26, 2012 by Susan 63 Comments

Welcome to the 166th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings! Hope you had a fabulous weekend! I spent most of mine indoors with brief forays onto the porch. The pollen has been crazy here but we got a little rain two days in a row which seems to have helped calm down the attack of the yellow stuff. This week, for Metamorphosis Monday, I'm sharing three amazing exterior transformations. If you are living … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Porches Tagged With: Before and Afters, Curb Appeal, Exterior Home Renovations, Front Porch Update, Landscape Transformation, Landscaping, Porch Renovations, Ranch Home Transformation, Update Home Exterior, Victorian Home Renovation

Spring Easter Table Setting with Wisteria Centepiece

March 22, 2012 by Susan 36 Comments

Welcome to the 186th Tablescape Thursday! Greetings! Hope your week is going great. Spring is in full swing here; everything is blooming up a storm! For this week's Tablescape Thursday, I did something I've always wanted to do in a table setting. I've always wanted to use Wisteria in a centerpiece. It's just so beautiful and fragrant and it grows wild here in the south. Each spring … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Easter Holiday Home, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes Tagged With: Easter Holiday Home, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Wisteria, Wisteria and Bunny Centerpiece

Porch Fever

March 21, 2012 by Susan 40 Comments

Springtime = Porch Fever, and I have the cure. Just one question...screened-in or open today? You decide. Oh, and could you pass me a lemon for my sweet tea? Just feel those breezes! Source This is one of my very favorite houses in Grant Park in Atlanta. It has multiple porches...as in porches on ALL. FOUR. SIDES! Love! There are three porches just on the front of the home...enough to make this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Porches Tagged With: Great Porches

Scents: Do You Have a Favorite?

March 20, 2012 by Susan 100 Comments

A few weeks ago I posted about "20+ Things I Can't Live Without" I've gotten so many great emails (and comments) about that post, I think they'll be a "Part II" coming up in the future. At the end of that post I asked for your favorite "can't-live-without" products. The comments were awesome! I'm still going back periodically to reread them, trying out the fab ideas/products you mentioned, as well as … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fashion & Beauty, Favorite Fashions & Home Goods Tagged With: Aromatherapy, Favorite Perfumes, Favorite Scents

You Made That from What?

March 19, 2012 by Susan 55 Comments

Welcome to the 165th Metamorphosis Monday! For this Metamorphosis Monday, I'm sharing some neat little transformations you can make right at home. I was inspired by this wood tray I saw in a local Ballard Designs Outlet recently on a shopping trip. Come a bit closer and take a look. Not the greatest pics since they were taken with my camera phone and it's dark inside Ballard Designs...but I think … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing Tagged With: DIY Crafts & Sewing, Trash to treasure crafts

My Image Inspiration: What Inspires You?

March 16, 2012 by Susan 28 Comments

A few weeks ago I shared My Colortopia, a fun site created by Glidden Paint to help take the scary guesswork out of choosing a paint color. Using the tool, My Life, My Colors, you answered 7 fun questions to reveal colors you would enjoy having in your home. Often when we freshen up a space in our home with new paint, we'll have an item that's serving as our inspiration. It could be a particular … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Repairs and Fixes

A St. Patrick’s Day Table Setting on the Porch

March 15, 2012 by Susan 79 Comments

Welcome to the 185th Tablescape Thursday! Spring officially arrives on March 20th, but it's already here in Georgia. The temps have been in the upper 70's; they even went above 80° today. It was so beautiful out the day I captured these pics. I'm looking forward to seeing green leaves filling out the trees real soon. I don't think it will be long now. The sheers were dancing in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: St. Patrick's Day Holiday Home, St. Patrick's Day Table Settings, St. Patrick's Day Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Frog Glasses Stemware, Hanging Sheer Curtains on a Porch, Screened-in Porch, Shamrock Centerpiece, Shamrock Plates, St. Patrick's Day, St. Patrick's Day Table Setting, St. Patrick's Day Tablescape

Shopping IKEA and Ballard Designs

March 14, 2012 by Susan 49 Comments

Recently I took a shopping trip to IKEA in Atlanta and to the Ballard Design Outlet in Alpharetta. Today, I'm taking you along with me. These stores are very different. It's hard to believe IKEA was here for several years before I ever visited. I had this idea in my head that it was all super modern furniture...far from the truth. IKEA carries a lot more than just furniture. I can see why folks plan … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

IKEA PJÄS Basket Closet Additions

March 12, 2012 by Susan 50 Comments

Welcome to the 164th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings! Hope you had a fabulous weekend! Last Friday I met a friend for lunch in Atlanta. We lunched in a restaurant by the name of Osteria del Figo. I think most folks just call it, Figo Pasta. After lunch I headed over to IKEA. You may remember after my last visit to IKEA, the closet went from looking like this... ...to looking like this. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Organization and Storage, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: Closet organization and storage, IKEA Expedit, Pjas Baskets

IKEA Expedit Hack: How I Made It Work

March 9, 2012 by Susan 50 Comments

A few days ago I pulled a Houdini in the renovation of the office closet. Here's a view of the "Before" and "After" below. You can view this closet renovation project here: IKEA Expedit for Closet Storage. The Houdini part was getting an IKEA Expedit shelving unit, which measures 58 5/8 inches wide, into in a closet that is only about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wider than the Expedit itself. The closet … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Decorating, DIY Organization and Storage, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: IKEA Expedit, Office Closet

IKEA Expedit Closet Makeover

March 5, 2012 by Susan 106 Comments

Welcome to the 163rd Metamorphosis Monday! A while back I wrote about how on a recent visit to the Atlanta IKEA with a friend, I repeatedly decided and un-decided to buy an Expedit shelving unit. I really wanted to buy one for my office closet but there was one big problem. The Expedit measures 58 5/8 inches wide and my closet measures 57 1/2 inches wide and 47 1/2 inches deep. With the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Organization and Storage, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: Closet Storage and Organization, IKEA Expedit, Office Organization

Academy Awards Table Setting

March 1, 2012 by Susan 29 Comments

Welcome to the 183rd Tablescape Thursday! Each year my friend, Bonnie creates the most wonderful table setting for the evening of the Academy Awards. I can hardly wait to see what she is going to do each year! This year Bonnie placed her tablescape where the action was...on the front row. You don't mind rubbing elbows with Meryl and George, do you? I love the "theater lighting." Such a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Academy Awards Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Occasion Tagged With: Academy Awards Table Settings, Academy Awards Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday

Decorate Bottles with Shells for Summer Beach Themed Decor

February 29, 2012 by Susan 28 Comments

Yesterday, we went spring shopping in some of my fave haunts in THIS post. On our shopping trip, we spied these cuties at Big Lots. I could so see these in a summertime tablescape. Actually, they would look great almost anywhere. Imagine three lined up across a kitchen window sill with the sun lighting them up from behind. Add them to a pretty spring/summer vignette on an entry table. Or, tuck some … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beachy Tablescapes, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decor Knock-offs Tagged With: Beach Theme Table Decoration, Beach Themed Decorating, Craft, Decorating with Shells, Knock-off, Shell Craft

The Matterhorn, Switzerland in Winter

February 27, 2012 by Susan 69 Comments

Welcome to the 162nd Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings! Hope you had a wonderful weekend! For this Metamorphosis Monday, I have an outdoor "Before and After." Cornelia, who lives in Switzerland and sometimes shares a lovely tablescape for Tablescape Thursday, recently shared some amazing photos with me. They are of the mountain cabin she and her husband own in Switzerland. Cornelia told me during … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Travel Tagged With: Matterhorn, Rothorn Skiing, Skiing in Switzerland, Switzerland, Switzerland in Winter, The Matterhorn

Springtime Table with a Daffodil Centerpiece

February 23, 2012 by Susan 57 Comments

Welcome to the 182nd Tablescape Thursday! It was another warm day today so the pull of the porch won out again. All this warm weather we're having has me thinking spring. This table setting would work well as an Easter tablescape with its springtime colors. The breezes stirred the sheers on the porch as I photographed this setting. I couldn't resist snapping a pic through the wind swept … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Daffodil Centerpiece, spring table setting, Tablescape Thursday

Porches for Sleeping

February 22, 2012 by Susan 24 Comments

From time to time I visit a section of the Atlanta Journal & Constitution called "Private Quarters." They highlight homes of all types and give mini tours. Recently this home was featured. You can see the full tour HERE. My favorite "room" shown in the tour was the porch. I know that comes as no surprise since I have a thing for porches. This little piece of heaven especially caught my eye. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Tours, Porches, Seasonal Decor Tagged With: DG Porches, Outdoor Rooms, Porch Beds, Porch Swings, Sleeping Porches, Southern Decor, Southern Style

Getting Organized: Label it!

February 21, 2012 by Susan 28 Comments

I've been busy the last few days organizing and cleaning out some of the closets around my home. I've finally corralled most of my holiday centerpieces into one closet where I can find them when I need them. I do so love having everything neatly organized. It's such a great feeling when you can immediately put your hand on something you need, when you need it. Recently, I posted about 20 Things I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Organization and Storage Tagged With: Label maker, Organization, Storage

Photography Tips for Better Blog Photos

February 17, 2012 by Susan 68 Comments

One of these days I'm going to write a post and title it: The 10 Things I Wish I Had Known When I First Began Blogging." If I ever write that post, "master the manual setting on my camera" will be at the very top of the list. In fact, it will probably be #1 on that list. As proof, let me give you exhibit A, this picture of my guest room below. Not only did I share this photo of my guest room, this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging, DIY, DIY Photography Tagged With: Blog Photos Tips, Blogging Tips, DIY Blogging, Photography, Photography Tips, Take Better Photos

Valentine’s Day Table Setting: Candlelit and Romantic

February 16, 2012 by Susan 51 Comments

Welcome to the 181st Tablescape Thursday! It was another gorgeous day here...is this really February? Since the temps reached 67 degrees today, I headed for the porch for this Tablescape Thursday. I know Valentine's Day is behind us now, but I had to squeeze in one more Valentine's Day table setting before we say good-bye to that holiday for another year. I had envisioned this tablescape with red … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tablescape Thursday, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes Tagged With: Copeland Spode Tower, Dining on a Porch, Eyelet Napkins, Mercury-glass Candle Holders, Valentine's Day Dining, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes, Waterford Ruby Hock Steware

Eye Candy for Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2012 by Susan 85 Comments

Happy Valentine's Day! Did you get a chance to visit the wonderful Before and Afters posted for yesterday's Met Monday? I was once again blown away by all the wonderful talent and creativity in Blogland! I started to name today's post, "Hijacked" because this post started out with one topic and it kind of morphed into something else. You'll see what I mean in a sec. If you've been reading BNOTP for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Photography, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Crafts, Valentine's Day Decor, Valentine's Day Holiday Home Tagged With: Decorating for Valentine's Day, Ideas for Decorating for Valentine's Day, Nikkor Macro Lens, Valentine's Day Decorations

Decorating for Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2012 by Susan 71 Comments

Welcome to the 160th Metamorphosis Monday! Valentine's Day is tomorrow. I love that holiday. How can you not love a day that's all about chocolate, romance and ♥ LOVE! ♥ It makes me smile when I remember bringing Valentine's Day cards to school. If I close my eyes, I can still see all the colorful construction-paper folders we made and decorated. They were strung along the wall where they … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), Before & After, Blue & White Design & Decor, My Nest, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Tablescapes Occasion, Tea Party Tablescapes, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Decor, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes Tagged With: Blue and White Bedroom, Daffodils in White Pitcher, Decorating for Valentine's Day, Decorating Guest Room for Valentine's Day, guest room, Heart Garland, Valentine's Day Cookies, Valentine's Day Decorating Ideas, Valentine's Day Tablescapes, Valentine's Day Tea, Valentine's Garland

Make Music-Covered Hearts for Valentine’s Day: A Tutorial

February 10, 2012 by Susan 39 Comments

Yesterday for our Tablescape Thursday, I shared a Valentine's Day table setting with a sweet, romantic easy-to-make centerpiece. I had been plotting thinking for some time about creating a willowy little "tree" with the River Birch branches I'm always picking up from my front yard. I decided to decorate my little birch tree with hearts so I checked several places online. During my search I came … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Crafts, Valentine's Day Decor, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes Tagged With: Decoupage, Decoupage Hearts, Heart Ornaments, Music Covered Hearts, Music Hearts, Valentine's Day Crafts, Valentine's Day Decorations, Valentine's Day Heart Tree, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes

Table Setting with Music & Mercury-Glass Heart Tree

February 9, 2012 by Susan 107 Comments

Welcome to the 180th Tablescape Thursday! Valentine's Day is just a few days away. Did you forward your Valentine's Day cards to the Valentine, Texas Post Master to have them postmarked with their famous stamp? Such a cute idea! We've been having spring-like weather for weeks here in Georgia. Even the daffodils are in full bloom. The porch was calling, begging me to come out and play. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Crafts, Valentine's Day Decor, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes Tagged With: Blue Hour Phototgraphy, Bridal Shower Table Setting, Decoupage, International Glenwood Dishware Pattern, Mercury-glass Hearts, Mother's Day Table Setting, Romantic Tablescape, Valentine's Day Decorations, Valentine's Day Heart Tree, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes, Waterford Araglin Stemware

Yummy Iced Coffee Recipe

February 8, 2012 by Susan 37 Comments

I'm not a big coffee drinker, which is too bad now that I think about it. It sure would have come in handy back in my college days when I had to occasionally pull an all-nighter to finish writing a paper. When I do drink coffee, it's always iced coffee. Actually, when I make iced coffee, it's end up being more like a milkshake that happens to be coffee flavored. I adore milk and can easily go through … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Iced Coffee Recipe, Yummy Iced Coffee

10 Fabulous Before and Afters

February 6, 2012 by Susan Leave a Comment

Welcome to the 159th Metamorphosis Monday! I was so inspired by the wonderful tutorials, renovations and "Before and Afters" linked up for last week's Metamorphosis Monday, I decided to highlight some of my faves for this Met Monday. Pssst: There's a fun little metamorphosis at the end of this post...one I captured with my camera phone in a parking lot recently. It made me laugh out loud when I saw … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After

20+ Products I Can’t Live Without

February 3, 2012 by Susan 117 Comments

I've been working on this post in my head for months. Every time I do or use something here in my home that I love or can't do without, I have thought about this post. It isn't written to endorse any particular brand, although that's invariably going to happen just because sometimes it's a particular brand that does the job just the way I want it done. If I really prefer that brand, I'll mention it in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Repairs and Fixes, Inspire

Dining in the Conservatory

February 2, 2012 by Susan 48 Comments

Welcome to the 179th Tablescape Thursday! Greetings! For this Tablescape Thursday, we've been invited to dine in the Conservatory. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Hope you have your passport handy because we'll be traveling to Switzerland this evening for dinner in Cornelia's beautiful home. Come on in...Cornelia has everything ready. Notice the gorgeous inlay around the apron of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Roses Centerpiece, Table Setting in the Conservatory

Clearing Out the Computer Graveyard

January 31, 2012 by Susan 42 Comments

What do you do with your old computer when you purchase a new one? When I began working from home and decided to purchase a workhorse "desktop" computer, my still functioning laptop became the downstairs/kitchen/screened-in porch computer. It's a handy place to quickly check e-mail, moderate blog comments or pull up the latest movie releases before heading out the door on a Friday night. Back in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging, DIY, DIY Organization and Storage Tagged With: Recycling computers, what to do with your old computer

9 Tips for Better Blog Photos

January 28, 2012 by Susan 102 Comments

Over the past year I've gotten a lot of emails/comments asking if I would share some information about taking photographs for blogs. I've been a bit reluctant to write this post because I'm totally an amateur in every sense of the word when it comes to the subject of photography. But I'm happy to share what I have learned. Just please keep in mind, I'm still learning, too. I'm writing this post as if … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging, DIY, DIY Photography Tagged With: Blogging Tips, How to Use the Exposure Bar on Camera, Photography, Photography Tips, Photography Tutorial, Rule of Thirds, Taking better pictures for blog

Children’s Party Table for Movie Night

January 26, 2012 by Susan 84 Comments

Welcome to the 178th Tablescape Thursday! I'm not exactly sure where this tablescape came from. One minute I was using a gift certificate to purchase napkins for a Valentine's Day table setting, and the next thing I knew, I was off to the movies. I think the shift may have had something to do with stumbling across these cute popcorn containers for $1 each at Dollar Tree. For the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Birthday Tablescapes, Children's Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Occasion Tagged With: creative napkin rings, movie night table setting, Table settings for or children's parties, Tablescape Thursday

Pottery Barn Bedford Office Additions

January 23, 2012 by Susan 133 Comments

Welcome to the 157th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Metamorphosis Monday! Thank you for all the supportive comments and e-mails I received about changing the start of our Met Monday party to Monday morning and our Tablescape Thursday party to Thursday morning. You guys are awesome! I'm so excited to share some fun tweaks and additions I've made in the office this week. (You can follow the full … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: bedroom becomes home office, Before and After, Home office renovation, Metamorphosis Monday

12 Free Photo Editing Sites, Picnik Alternatives

January 22, 2012 by Susan 114 Comments

Update: This list has been expanded and updated. You'll find the latest list of 14 Free Photo Editing Sites that are great alternatives to Picnik HERE. I'm hearing good things about iPiccy and PicMonkey. Are you a long time user and fan of Picnik? If so, I'm sure you've heard the news that it's going away. Actually, the Picnik site says it's moving after April 19th to Google +. I have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: BE Funky, Blogging Tips, Create a Collage, Creative Kit, DIY Photography, Edit Pictures, Free photo editing programs, Free Photo Editing Sites, Gimp, How to Edit Pictures, iPiccy, Lunapic, Paint.net, Photo Editing, Photography Tips, Photoscape, Photoshop, PicMonkey, Picnik Alternative, Picnik Alternatives

10 Must-Haves on My Winter Survival List

January 17, 2012 by Susan 142 Comments

I love, love, love hot weather. When I used to work in an office environment, when my fellow office mates thought the temperature was just right, I was cold. If it felt just right to me in the office, everyone else was roasting. Cold weather is not my friend. Over the years I've found ways to deal with Old Man Winter. Today I thought I'd share a few things that are high on the "Susan's Winter … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Inspire Tagged With: Winter Must Haves, Winter Survival List

Dremel Deserves a Crown

January 16, 2012 by Susan 116 Comments

Welcome to the 156th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings Friends! I hope you've been having a marvelous weekend! I have a mini-metamorphosis to share for this Met Monday, but before I letcha see what I've been up to, I want to share a big change Blogger made recently, a change that made this girl very happy. Mini-Metamorphosis: I've been dremeling. Yep, I'm using that word as a verb today. You may … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Crafts & Sewing Tagged With: decorating with crowns, Dremel, dress form

A Wedding Reception, A Magical Evening

January 12, 2012 by Susan 35 Comments

Welcome to the 176th Tablescape Thursday! Recently, my friend Maree, who blogs at Tales from an OC Cottage, shared some wonderful photographs taken when her nephew, Joe (son of her sister, Bee) and his sweetie, Katie, were married back in November. The wedding reception was held in the backyard of Maree's sister (Kae's) home. Maree has posted pictures on her blog in past showing Kae's gorgeous gardens … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Shower Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Garden Wedding Reception, Party table settings, Tablescape Thursday, Wedding Reception

Photography Equipment: What I Use and Love

January 10, 2012 by Susan 53 Comments

Photography: That's a subject I never had much interest in until I began blogging. I think there are a lot of bloggers out there who could say that. Once you begin blogging and/or reading blogs, you become acutely aware of just how important the pictures you post really are, especially if your blog is about design, decorating or any topic where photographs are critical in conveying the topic and meaning … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Photography Tagged With: Blog Photography Tips, DIY Photography, Photography Equipment

Table Numbers for Wedding Reception

January 9, 2012 by Susan 67 Comments

Welcome to the 155th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings! Hope your weekend has been going great! I have a Before and After to share for this Met Monday that's near and dear to my heart. My son, Chip, and his sweetie, Nancy, will be getting married in May and they have been busy planning out all the details. I'm always telling Nancy she would be a great blogger and should have an Etsy shop because … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Crafts & Sewing, Shower Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Table numbers for Wedding Reception, Wedding Reception Decor, Wedding Reception Planning

Reforming My Faux Ways

January 6, 2012 by Susan 117 Comments

I've shared this view of my family room many times. Many, many, many years ago, when I put this room together, I seriously believed I needed something reallllly big over behind the burgundy wingback to balance the height of the armoire (which houses the TV) on the left. A nice, tall tree seemed just the answer. Not only would it provide the height I needed, it would add some much needed "greenery" to the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, Living Room (Downstairs), My Nest Tagged With: Artificial plants in the home, Family room update

Elegant New Year’s Eve Table Setting

January 5, 2012 by Susan 57 Comments

Welcome to the 175th Tablescape Thursday! Can you believe this is our 175th Tablescape Thursday? Wow! That's a lot of fabulous tablescapes when you consider how many are linked here each week. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all you talented ladies and gents who share your amazing eye for detail and beauty. It's so wonderful to visit your blogs. The world just melts away for a while as I lose … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Year's Holiday Home, New Year's Table Settings, New Year's Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: New Year's Dinner, New Year's Eve Party, New Year's Eve table setting, New Year's Eve Tablescape, Pottery Barn Clock Plates

Fun Stuff Worth Sharing: Part II

January 4, 2012 by Susan 43 Comments

Sometimes I think these are the most fun posts. I've accumulated all these tidbits and ideas to share with you, but somehow I just never found the right day or time to do so. So here they are, all lumped together. I dare say, there's something in here for everyone. Before Christmas I found this cute little deer door hanger at Lowes for $9.99. He ended up out here on the porch. I decided to leave … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Christmas Tree Lit with Real Candles

January 3, 2012 by Susan 43 Comments

I know Christmas is behind us, but I just had to share these wonderful photographs of Cornelia's, gorgeous tree. Cornelia lives in Switzerland and each year she decorates her tree in a traditional way, using real candles. Wait until you see the photos of it all aglow in candlelight! It truly is breathtaking!The decorating process takes Cornelia many hours, usually 15-16. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Tree, Switzerland, Using real candles on Christmas tree

Brumby Hall: Tour the Upstairs of This Historic Home

January 3, 2012 by Susan 13 Comments

In early December I had the opportunity to tour Brumby Hall while on a Christmas Historic Home Tour in Marietta, Georgia. One of the homes open during the tour was Brumby Hall. I previously shared a tour of the downstairs of this beautiful home HERE and a tour of the two dining rooms HERE. In case you missed those previous tours, here's a brief history of this historic home. In the previous posts, we … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, Historic Homes, Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Decorating, Historic Home Tour

Easy Key Lime Pie Recipe

January 2, 2012 by Susan 69 Comments

Welcome to the 154th Metamorphosis Monday! I'm sharing an edible "Before and After" for this Metamorphosis Monday. This past Christmas I decided to shake things up a bit. I made the traditional Coconut Cake and Ambrosia (recipe for Coconut Cake HERE) but I decided to make a pie, too. Years ago, I used to make a Lemon Meringue pie using a recipe from an old Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: Desserts, Key Lime Pie

Paparazzi

December 30, 2011 by Susan 45 Comments

Recently, a neighbor stopped by for a little sunbathing on the deck. Tanning the left side... Tanning the tummy... Tanning the right side... Life is good. Zzzzzzz.... Uhh?! Did you hear that? I'm pretty sure I heard something. Rats! The paparazzi found me again! Cat lover? You may like this post: Cat T.V. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Cats, Humor

Elegant Dining in Brumby Hall

December 29, 2011 by Susan 30 Comments

Welcome to the 175th Tablescape Thursday! Early this morning I posted a tour of the downstairs of beautiful Brumby Hall. If you missed that tour, you'll find it here: Brumby Hall. For Tablescape Thursday, I'm taking you into the dining rooms. Yep, Brumby Hall has two dining rooms, probably due to its function as a special events facility now. This dining area was at the very back of the home. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Historic Homes, Home Tours, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Home Tour, Christmas Table Setting, Historic Home Tour

Beautiful, Historic Brumby Hall: Take the Tour

December 28, 2011 by Susan 22 Comments

This week between Christmas and New Years is such a special time. In a way, it feels like time is standing still. For some, life may have returned to normal with normal working hours and schedules. But if your household is anything like mine, you're still reveling in all things Christmas with New Year's Eve/Day waiting in the wings. My family is still here visiting and the memories we're making are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, Historic Homes, Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Home Tour, Historic Home Tour

Top Projects for 2011

December 28, 2011 by Susan 11 Comments

Rhoda is having a Top Projects of 2011 Party and I am joining in with a few of the projects I worked on around the old homestead this year. There were lots of small ones, but I'm just linking to a few of my faves for this party.Bedroom becomes home office/craft room/sewing roomBefore:After: Project (from start to finish) can be viewed HERE.Screened-in Porch goes through a transformation for the 4th of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Upstairs Family Room Decorated for Christmas

December 26, 2011 by Susan 40 Comments

Welcome to the 153rd Metamorphosis Monday! Merry Christmas! I have just a quick "Before and After" to share for this Met Monday. I added a few holiday touches to the upstairs family room this year and never got around to sharing those. As always, I hung a little wreath on the grandfather clock. This year the armoire got a bit of lit greenery and I moved the feather tree from its … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs), My Nest, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Decorating, Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs)

Ice Chiller for Wine or Champagne: A Tutorial

December 23, 2011 by Susan 35 Comments

I shared how to make this wine chiller last year, but I thought it would be fun to share that post again in case you're looking for something fun for your Christmas table or for your New Year's eve celebration. It's easy to make...you'll just need a couple of containers, water and cranberries. Sliced lemons and limes would work, too. Tutorial: Make a wine chiller: Last year I received a catalog in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Duplicate Post, New Year's Recipes, New Year's Table Settings, New Year's Tablescapes Tagged With: DIY Wine Chiller, Make a Wine Chiller or Wine Cooler, Make an Ice Chiller for Wine, New Year's Day Party, New Year's Eve Party, Wine Chiller, Wine Cooler

Christmas Tablescape with a Lemon & Lime Centerpiece

December 22, 2011 by Susan 74 Comments

Welcome to the 174th Tablescape Thursday! Greetings! Hope you’ve been having a wonderful day! My day has been a little wacky. I had an eye exam this morning and I forgot when you go for an eye exam, they dilate your eyes. So, if these pics look a little blurry, you’ll know why. lol It was definitely a challenge taking photos and sorting them with partially dilated eyes. I love the “Colonial … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Decorating, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Colonial Williamsburg Apple & Lemon Tree Centerpiece, Colonial Williamsburg Christmas Table Setting, Lenox Winter Greetings China, Pierced Chargers, Towle King Richard Sterling Flatware, Waterford 12 Days of Christmas Crystal Champagne Glasses, Waterford Ruby Hock Stemware

Christmas Mice Ornaments or Present Toppers: A Tutorial

December 21, 2011 by Susan 29 Comments

Looking for an ornament or present topper? Christmas mice with candy cane tails make cute ornaments for the tree. They are also great little present toppers. This is a great craft for all ages. I have a faux candy cane tucked inside my little mouse below, but you'll probably want to use a real candy cane if you attach these to a Christmas present. The faux candy canes work great when making these to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Crafts, Christmas Holiday Home, DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Craft, DIY Christmas Ornament, DIY Present Topper

Beautiful Kitchen Renovation

December 19, 2011 by Susan 40 Comments

Welcome to the 152nd Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Met Monday! I'm so excited to share an amazing kitchen make-over today. Linn and her hubby did all the work themselves!. On their blog, The Home Project, Linn says their main goal was to just "clean up the area and make it a great place to cook and organize our pantry." The budget didn't allow for knocking down any walls or changing the area/size of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After Tagged With: Kitchen renovation, Metamorphosis Monday

Christmas Vacation

December 17, 2011 by Susan 43 Comments

Christmas Vacation: A Movie House Tour When Christmastime comes around each year, do you and your family have a favorite movie that you just have to watch? Mine without a doubt is the classic, Home Alone. Love the house, love the humor and I can't help but feel a little sentimental when I see it since my son was about Kevin's age when the movie first came out. Another movie that's become a favorite … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, Christmas Movies, Movie House Tours, Movie Houses, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Beverly D'Angelo, Chevy Chase, Christmas Movie, Movie House Tours

Tour the Historic Whitlock Inn

December 16, 2011 by Susan 25 Comments

Recently, a friend and I went on a Christmas historic home tour in Marietta, Georgia. Included in the tour was the beautiful Whitlock Inn. This Victorian home was built in 1900. A brief history found online states, "One hundred and ten years ago, the M.G. Whitlock House, the famous 150 room Marietta resort, burned to the ground. Before the Civil War, it was a popular showplace for tourists taking the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, Historic Homes, Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Bed and Breakfast, Christmas Home Tour, Historic Home Tour

A Mercury-Glass Christmas Tree Table Setting

December 15, 2011 by Susan 57 Comments

Welcome to the 173rd Tablescape Thursday! Several months ago I was shopping in Marshall's and I came across a mercury-glass Christmas tree. It was very early in the season and the stores were just starting to get Christmas stuff in. The tree was only $12.99 so I purchased it with the idea of buying a few more for my Christmas table setting this year. I was envisioning a centerpiece filled with pretty, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Lenox Fair Lady, Mercury Glass Christmas Trees, Natural Cedar Greenery, Pottery Barn Mercury-glass, Reindeer Napkin Rings, Towle King Richard

Colonial Williamsburg at Christmas

December 14, 2011 by Susan 55 Comments

Recently, my friend, Mary, visited Colonial Williamsburg. While there she took photos of some of the wonderful outdoor Christmas decorations she saw on Duke of Gloucester Street, which is the main road through Colonial Williamsburg. I have never been there during the Christmas season, but I do so want to go. Have you ever been at Christmastime? Mary said, "The arrangements go up right after … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Historic Homes, Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Decorating, Christmas Door Decorations, Decorating with Wreaths, Exterior Christmas Decorating

Christmas Porch with Triple Wreaths

December 12, 2011 by Susan 70 Comments

Welcome to the 151st Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Holidays! Hope your weekend has been grand! I've been busy finishing the last bit of Christmas decorating for the front porch. Come a bit closer and check it out. I usually use pine garland around the door for Christmas, but last year I had to buy enough to go around the door twice because it was sort of skimpy looking. So this year I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, DIY, DIY Decor Knock-offs, DIY Decorating, Porches, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Decorating, Christmas Front Door Decoration, Decorate Front Porch for Christmas, Decorating with Wreaths, Grandinroad Knock-off, Pottery Barn Inspired Garland

Christmas Historic Home Tour in Marietta, Georgia

December 9, 2011 by Susan 33 Comments

Last Saturday I went on a Christmas (historic) home tour in Marietta, Georgia with a friend. We had so much fun! The weather was great...not too cold, just cloudy. I took a lot of exterior pics and was able to capture bunches of pics inside two beautiful homes included in the tour. I'll share the interior shots soon, but for now, here are the sights we saw along the way. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, Historic Homes, Home Tours Tagged With: Christmas Decorating, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tour, Cottage Home Tour, Historic Home Tour, Homes Decorated for Christmas, Victorian Home Tour

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

December 8, 2011 by Susan 63 Comments

Welcome to The 172nd Tablescape Thursday! Greetings and Happy Holidays! I've been working on a tablescape in the dining room this week, but I'm short one thing I need to complete it. So, last night I put together a totally different table setting in the breakfast room. While taking pics today, I played around a little with a setting on my camera called "effects." I've included a few pics taken in the … [Read more...]

Beautiful Christmas Banister

December 7, 2011 by Susan 48 Comments

Recently, my friend Joy sent me a few pics of her banister decorated for Christmas. When I saw the photos, I gasped! It's covered in hundreds of ornaments and took several hours to create...worth every moment! I asked Joy how she created this stunning look and she said, "It's two strands of garland wrapped in three strands of 100 lights. I work each strand individually and wrap it with the garland … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Banister Decorated for Christmas, Banister decorated with ornaments, Christmas banister, Christmas Decorating, Decorate a banister for Christmas, Decorate with Garland, Lit Garland for Banister, Using Ornaments on a Banister

Pottery Barn Christmas Garland Tutorial

December 5, 2011 by Susan 70 Comments

Welcome to the 150th Metamorphosis Monday! Hope you've had a wonderful weekend. I've been busy with more holiday decorating and today a friend and I took a local Christmas home tour. I took some pics on the tour and I'll be sharing those sometime soon. In the meantime, I'm sharing the start of my Christmas porch metamorphosis with a link to a tutorial in case it's one you would like to copy for your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, DIY, DIY Decor Knock-offs, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Garland, Decorating with Garland for Christmas, Make Your Own Pottery Barn Inspired Garland, Porch Decorated for Christmas, Pottery Barn Christmas Garland, Pottery Barn knock-off

Paula Deen "Street of Dreams" Home Tour

December 2, 2011 by Susan 32 Comments

Recently my friend Terry took a Street of Dream's home tour. Have you ever been on one of those tours before? They used to have them in my area frequently, not sure if they still do. I've been on a few and they are a great way to get ideas for your own home. That's how I found the wallpaper for my son's bath many years ago. This home has the most amazing outdoor room and wait until you see the dog wash! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours Tagged With: Street of Dreams Home Tour

Thanksgiving Table Setting with Nature Themed Centepiece

December 1, 2011 by Susan 44 Comments

Welcome to the 171th Tablescape Thursday! I'm a week late but for this Tablescape Thursday I'm sharing the Thanksgiving table setting I had been working on when my camera cat-astrophe occurred. All the pics in this post were taken with the new camera, a Nikon D5100. This camera is super, duper light sensitive, which is why it works so well in low lighting situations. It will take me a little while to get … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fall Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Thanksgiving Holiday Home, Thanksgiving Table Settings, Thanksgiving Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Acorn Soup Tureens, Antler Flatware, Araglin Waterford Crystal, Decorating with antlers, Mercury Glass Pumpkins, Pottery Barn Napkin Rings, Shed Antlers, Spode Woodland China, Thanksgiving Table Setting

How To Hang Wreaths on Exterior Windows for Christmas

November 30, 2011 by Susan 234 Comments

Greetings! Hope your week is going great! The porch isn't decorated, yet. This is an old pic from a past Christmas showing the wreaths across the front of the house. Wreaths hung on windows across the front of a home has to be my most favorite Christmas decoration of all. I've been hanging them on my home now for around 28 years, first at our old house and for the last 21 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Christmas Holiday Home, Decorate with Wreaths on Exterior Windows, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Tutorial, Wreaths

A Few Seasonal Updates Around the House

November 28, 2011 by Susan 46 Comments

Welcome to the 149th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings! How was your Thanksgiving? I hope it was wonderful and you got to spend lots of time with family. I drove 8 hours to Ohio to visit with my son and daughter-in-love-to-be. I miss them and cherish the time we get to spend together. I snapped this pic of a house near by. I loved this particular photo because you can clearly see the American flag … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Seasonal Decor, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Ballard Designs Bee Pillow, Christmas Mantel in Southern Living Idea House, Debutante Camellia

Sometimes the Grass Really Is Greener on the Other Side

November 25, 2011 by Susan 63 Comments

A while back I set up a little cozy, fall 'scape out on the porch. A few weeks before creating that little tablescape, I had purchased some real acorns on Amazon. They were reasonably priced and perfect for fall. (You'll find more pics of this fall tablescape, HERE.) The funny thing is, I have a HUGE oak tree in my front yard. But for some crazy reason, 99.9% of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, Seasonal Decor, Thanksgiving Decor, Thanksgiving Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Decorating for Fall, Decorating the Porch for Autumn, Decorating with Acorns, Seasonal Decor

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 24, 2011 by Susan 41 Comments

Welcome to the 170th Tablescape Thursday! This past weekend I began putting together a table setting for Tablescape Thursday. On Sunday evening, as I was sitting at the computer finishing up my Metamorphosis Monday post, Max kitty walked across in front of the keyboard and onto the left side of my desk. I picked him up to put him down on the floor since I can't work very well with him in that spot. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Araglin Waterford Crystal, Ruby Hock Waterford Crystal, Spode Woodland China, Thanksgiving Centerpiece, Thanksgiving Table Setting, Thanksgiving Tablescape, Turkey Soup Tureens

Ummph! Martha Stewart Canceled, Again!

November 23, 2011 by Susan 55 Comments

As you're running around today preparing for the big day tomorrow, here's a little silliness to give you a giggle. Unfortunately, the source for this piece is unknown. Stop, take a few deep breaths today and know this: It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't even have to be edible. It just has to be about gathering together with the ones we care about and love. Dear Family & Friends, I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Thanksgiving Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Humor, Martha Stewart, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Thanksgiving Holiday Home

Thanksgiving Turkey Napkin Fold Tutorial

November 22, 2011 by Susan 9 Comments

Recently, for Tablescape Thursday, I posted a Thanksgiving tablescape with the little ones in mind. (Tablescape below can be viewed here: A Thanksgiving Tablescape for the Kids) It included a fun turkey napkin fold. Today I'm sharing a tutorial showing how it's made, in case you would like to incorporate it into your Thanksgiving table this year. To create your turkey … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fall Tablescapes, Napkin Folding Tutorials, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Thanksgiving Holiday Home, Thanksgiving Napkin Folds, Thanksgiving Table Settings, Thanksgiving Tablescapes Tagged With: Thanksgiving Turkey Napkin Fold, Turkey Napkin Fold

Kitchen Tweak: Updating my “It’s Complicated” Baking Center

November 21, 2011 by Susan 49 Comments

Welcome to the 148th Metamorphosis Monday! Hope you've been having a fabulous weekend! Have you been shopping for groceries in preparation of Thanksgiving? The stores have all been packed when I've been in. I don't have a big "Before and After" to share for this Met Monday--it's more like a little tweak. Last week I shared a change I made in my kitchen in this post: Baking Center in movie, It's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Organization and Storage, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, Movie Houses, My Nest, TV & Movie House Fun Tagged With: Baking Center for the kitchen, It's Complicated Baking Station

Thanksgiving Tablescape for the Kids

November 17, 2011 by Susan 37 Comments

Welcome to the 169th Tablescape Thursday! Thanksgiving is only one week away! Wow, this month has flown by. For this Tablescape Thursday I put together a tablescape with the little ones in mind. Do you set up a "kids" table each year for Thanksgiving? Sometimes I think sitting at the kids table would be more fun than the grown-ups table. Though this table was created with little ones in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fall Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Thanksgiving Holiday Home, Thanksgiving Table Settings, Thanksgiving Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Thanksgiving Holiday Home, Thanksgiving Table Setting for children, Thanksgiving Tablescape, Turkey Napkin Fold

Inspiration for Your Holiday Decorating and More!

November 16, 2011 by Susan 24 Comments

Greetings Dear Friends! How was your day? I've been working on all kinds of fun things today, including a tablescape for Tablescape Thursday. One bit of exciting news: the blue and white pumpkin I submitted in the Country Living Facebook Contest ended up winning the most "Like" votes. Thanks so much to everyone who took time to vote! Several folks have asked what prize the winner receives. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Baking Center in the Movie, It’s Complicated

November 14, 2011 by Susan 77 Comments

Hope your day is going great! It's been gorgeous here...in the 70's, so I've been spending some time out of the porch enjoying the fall colors. I know the cold is coming so I'm trying to fully enjoy these last warm days of fall. A while back I posted a tour of the house in the movie, It's Complicated, starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. (That movie house tour is available … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Organization and Storage, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, Movie Houses, My Nest, TV & Movie House Fun Tagged With: Baking Center, Baking Station, It's Complicated, Movie House Tours, Organization and Storage in the Kitchen, Storing Baking Products

Decorate with Wreaths Inside

November 11, 2011 by Susan 44 Comments

Although Thanksgiving is still two weeks away, I'm already thinking about Christmas. I have even started decorating a little inside. I want to start early this year so I can really enjoy the holiday season in full. There have just been too many years in the past where I felt I had just put the decorations up when it was time to take them back down. One of my favorite things to decorate inside with at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Decorating with Wreaths, Wreaths

Christmas Dollhouse

November 9, 2011 by Susan 40 Comments

Hello dear friends! How's your day going so far? I was hard at work yesterday and I'm one tired puppy this evening as I write this. The leaves are just beginning to fall off the trees in the backyard and every afternoon for an hour or so the sun has been streaming in so brightly, I can't really view the monitor or work at my computer. During the spring and summer months, it's not a problem. So, I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Crafts & Sewing, Home Tours Tagged With: Doll Houses, Dollhouse Decorated for Christmas, Dremel, Miniatures, Museum Wax, Yellow Farmhouse Dollhouse

Dreaming of Beautiful Beds

November 8, 2011 by Susan 44 Comments

A few months ago I went through a stack of old magazines I've been saving, some for several years. I tore out the pages I really loved and recycled the rest. This evening I was looking through them and noticed many were of beautiful beds. More fuel for my blue and white addiction. This is truly a timeless look that will never go out of style. from publication: Beautiful Bedrooms, 2001 I love the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After Tagged With: Beautiful Bedrooms, Beautiful Beds

Make a Pincushion Tutorial

November 7, 2011 by Susan 36 Comments

Welcome to the 146th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings! How has your weekend been? I hope you've had a fabulous one! I spent Saturday down in Macon, Georgia with my sister and niece at the Christmas Made in the South Fair. Mark Ballard was there and it was so good to stop by and chat with him a bit. Did anyone else go to Christmas Made in the South? It was packed with folks as you can see in this pic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing Tagged With: Make a pin cushion

October 2011: A Look in the Rear-View Mirror and Answering a Few of Your Questions

November 4, 2011 by Susan 8 Comments

October 2011: A Look in the Rear-view Mirror: Each month I share links to the prior month's posts, in case you missed one or just wish to revisit a particular post. To read any post below, click on the link found in the title of that post. Hope you enjoy this "look in the rear-view mirror." October was a fun month, for sure! We kicked off last month with a "Look in the Rear-view Mirror" … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Fall Dining on the Porch: Celebrating the Russet Shades of Autumn

November 3, 2011 by Susan 59 Comments

Welcome to the 167th Tablescape Thursday! It was a gorgeous day here so I spent some time playing outside on the porch. The leaves are changing and the fall colors are spectacular. I brought those colors to my table setting for Tablescape Thursday. I shopped the house and snagged a floral arrangement from the family room for my fall tablescape. I liked it, but ultimately I changed it out … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fall Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Autumn Table Settings, Fall Table Settings, Tablescape Thursday

Front Porch Decorated for Halloween

November 1, 2011 by Susan 40 Comments

Wow, what a fun night! I love, love, love Halloween. I have so many wonderful memories from my childhood of trick-or-treating with friends, so Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I decorated the porch pretty simply for Halloween this year. I covered the front door with the "creepy cloth" used as a tablecloth in THIS previous Halloween tablescape. (You can see the door minus the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home, Porches, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Front Porch Decorated for Halloween, Halloween Decor

Repairing String Lights on the Pergola

October 31, 2011 by Susan 57 Comments

Welcome to the 145th Metamorphosis Monday! A few years ago I purchased some outdoor string lighting from Hobby Lobby. It was perfect for my deck(s) because it was white and the decks are painted white. I spent several hours one afternoon, running it around the top of the pergola to the right of the screened-in porch and under the arm rail of the deck to the left of the porch. Within the year, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Repairs and Fixes Tagged With: Candlelier, Pergola, Squirrels, String Lights

Halloween Table and Mantel…Spooky!

October 29, 2011 by Susan 44 Comments

Happy Weekend! Are you making final preparations for all the goblins and ghouls who will soon be knocking on your door? I'll be heading out today to buy candy. Then I'll be trying hard to not eat it all by Monday! What's your tactic for not digging into the candy and eating it before Halloween arrives? Some folks purposely buy stuff they don't like, but where's the fun in that? lol My friend, Bonnie, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home, Halloween Table Settings, Halloween Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Halloween Decorating, Halloween Table Settings, Halloween Tablescapes

Decoupage a Blue and White Pumpkin

October 28, 2011 by Susan 52 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I posted about these wonderful découpaged pumpkins I found in the October issue of Country Living. That previous post contained a detailed tutorial I created showing how you could découpage a "craft" pumpkin. You find the full tutorial in this post: Country Living Inspired: Découpage a Pumpkin You may remember the pattern I chose for my pumpkin … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blue & White Design & Decor, DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decor Knock-offs, Halloween Crafts, Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Country Living Knock-off, Decoupage, Decoupage a Pumpkin, Decoupaged Pumpkin, Halloween, Halloween Craft, Halloween Decorating, Pumpkins

The Queen of the Ball

October 27, 2011 by Susan 60 Comments

Welcome to the 166th Tablescape Thursday! Happy Tablescape Thursday! This week I'm so excited to share a beautiful, whimsical party table created for a fun crafting event I was privileged to attend recently. You know those moments in life, those rare moments when you see something so wonderful your mouth flies opens and you just stand there in complete awe? I had one of those moments this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: Aqua, Event Planning, Queen of the Ball Party, Themed Party, Vintage Mason Ball Jars, Whimsical Tablescapes, white and pink party

Country Living Fair in Stone Mountain, Georgia

October 25, 2011 by Susan 50 Comments

I haven't been to a crafts fair in years. We used to go to them all the time, but after a while you begin to feel like there's nothing new under the sun. When I heard Country Living Magazine sponsors a fair at Stone Mountain Park each year, I knew I had to check it out. It definitely didn't sound like your typical crafts fair from years gone by and it really wasn't. There were crafted items for sale, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing Tagged With: Country Living Crafts Fair

How To Tighten a Screw in 15 Steps

October 24, 2011 by Susan 60 Comments

Welcome to the 144th Metamorphosis Monday! Sometimes the solution to a problem is right under your nose, but you just can't see it. Recently, I almost turned a super easy repair into an expensive repair. In the end, the home repair muses were watching out for me. In the family room... ...there's a door that leads out onto the screened-in porch. I rarely use that door. Instead, this door leading … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Tagged With: Baldwin Brass door knob repair, DIY Humor, Minwax stain touch-up pens, Repairing a loose door handle

Linzer Cookies for Halloween

October 21, 2011 by Susan 33 Comments

Beautiful and Halloween-festive tablescapes were linked for yesterday's Tablescape Thursday. Be sure to scroll on down and check them all out. How about a little something to put on top of those table settings? A couple of months ago I stopped by a local craft store to check out the Halloween stuff and I came across cookie cutters with a Halloween theme. They were especially made for making Linzer … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Halloween Holiday Home, Halloween Recipes, Recipes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Halloween Cookies, Linzer Cookies, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes

Halloween Tablescape with Mercury Glass Centerpiece

October 20, 2011 by Susan 59 Comments

Welcome to the 165th Tablescape Thursday! With only two Thursdays left between now and Halloween, I was itching to create a fun Halloween table setting. Since this table setting is all about candlelight, I didn't wait for nightfall to light the candles. I came across the large mercury-glass pumpkin candle holders recently in Marshall's and they inspired this table setting. They were only … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Halloween Holiday Home, Halloween Table Settings, Halloween Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: Halloween Table Settings, Halloween Tablescapes, Mercury Glass Pumpkins, Tablescape Thursday

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