Painting the Closets and Office Trim

August 24, 2011 by 55 Comments

How's your week going? I've had so much fun reading the comments you left about your past excursions to IKEA. One tip I wanted to share about the best times to visit IKEA to avoid crowds:  try to go on a week day, if possible.  If you do need to go on a Saturday, get there early, as soon as they open, or late in the day like around 5:00 PM.  I noticed it was a lot less crowded come evening/dinner … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Organization and Storage, DIY Repairs and Fixes, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , , , ,



Chaos, Progress and Mario Buatta

August 20, 2011 by 37 Comments

Today my house is completely topsy turvy. If you rang my door bell and I invited you in, you'd be here for about 30 seconds before you would suddenly remember you had a pressing engagement elsewhere.  And I wouldn't blame you, I'd run, too.  But I live here. You know how something prays on your mind...something you've been putting off.  The weekends are filled with friends and activities, places to go … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Closets & Pantries, My Nest Tagged With: , ,



Pressure Washing the House and Porch

July 20, 2011 by 20 Comments

On your last visit to the porch, it looked like this... All decorated for the 4th. Today it looks like this... And this.  Stripped down...no cushions. The view out the breakfast window... The view from the office. So, that's what color the pergola really is.  Clean and shiny! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: , , ,



After the Party

July 5, 2011 by 59 Comments

If this is your first visit to this blog, skip this post now...quickly, before you change your mind and never come back. ;) Pictures in this post may have you running away, never to return. Max had a big day yesterday. He partied hard, as you can see.   In the spirit of keeping it real, (are you tired of that phrase yet?) here's how my kitchen looks today after running the dishwasher once and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, Laundry Room Tagged With:



Patriotic Porch for the 4th of July

July 4, 2011 by 115 Comments

Welcome to the 128th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Independence Day weekend! Hope your weekend has been going great! I'm having a little cookout tomorrow so I've been busy with preparations. Did you already have your 4th of July celebration or will you be celebrating tomorrow? I'm excited to share big changes I've made out on the porch over the last week. I've been busting to decorate the porch in a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,



Another Piece of the Puzzle

June 20, 2011 by 97 Comments

Welcome to the 126th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Met Monday! Hope you've had a wonderful weekend and a great Father's Day! This Metamorphosis Monday I'm excited to share an important addition to my home office.   Have you ever searched and searched for a particular piece of furniture for your home and being unable to find it, gave up, only to have it immediately appear the next day?  If so, I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , , ,



Designing and Creating a Home Office: The Journey

June 6, 2011 by 125 Comments

Welcome to the  124th Metamorphosis Monday! This was my office, if you could call it an office. It was really just a dressing room off my master bedroom with a built in dressing table that I was using as a desk. After several months working in this space, I began to have neck pain and tingling pain down my arms. It turned out my makeshift desk was about 4 inches shorter than a real desk. I decided it was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Son's), Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: ,



Pottery Barn Bedford Office Update

May 16, 2011 by 106 Comments

Welcome to the 121st Metamorphosis Monday! Hi Everyone! Hope you've had a wonderful weekend! I'm excited to share some significant additions/improvements I've recently made to the office. You may remember in a past post I mentioned I had decided to move my craft/wrapping center from behind the shutter. I had originally placed it there so I could wrap gifts on that end of the desk, within easy reach of … [Read more...]

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Tole Chandelier for the Office

May 9, 2011 by 74 Comments

Welcome to the 120th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Metamorphosis Monday! Things are about to get cranking once again with the home office. I'm still waiting on a component that's backordered, but the chandelier is here. Unfortunately, the contractor who will install it (along with the crown molding) is currently out of town. He is supposed to be back in town this week, so hopefully I'll have some neat … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , ,



9 Great Features For Your Screened Porch

April 26, 2011 by 119 Comments

A little over three years ago I was faced with a big decision. I had a badly deteriorating deck and I knew if I didn't replace it then, I would surely have to replace it before I ever listed my home to sell it one day. How often do we do that--wait until it's time to move before we fix things or make improvements we've dreamed of for years? Then it's the next homeowner who gets to enjoy our hard work. If … [Read more...]

Filed Under: My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,



A New Market Umbrella for the Deck

April 19, 2011 by 60 Comments

It's that time of year--the time when we go outside, look around and take stock. Mother Nature has a way of taking her toll on our outdoor furniture and my green market umbrella had definitely seen better days. When I first bought this huge, 9-ft umbrella for my patio furniture, I was so proud of it I never left it outside. Back then the deck wasn't a very fun place to entertain or to spend any time. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: , ,



A Behind the Scenes Tour

April 15, 2011 by 53 Comments

Sometimes the most fun stuff to see in a room redo are the things that are hidden from sight. So though I haven't hung this bulletin board, yet... Or, this cute shelf... Or, this wrapping center I shared HERE, I have been busy with a few other little things in the office. Come take a peek. Remember the steps I found for Max for only $10 at an indoor flea market HERE? I had Home … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Organization and Storage, For the Love of Birds, Gardening & Birding, My Nest, Nature, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , , , ,



A Paint Panic Attack

April 9, 2011 by 116 Comments

Update: Home Depot has changed the paint formulas again so ignore the formula further down in this post: You'll find the correct formulas in this post now:  My Fave Yellow Paint Colors: Duron Sugar Cookie & Duron Tea Biscuit Does this ever happen to you? You finally decide on a paint color, go to the paint store, buy the paint, come home, start painting and then, PANIC! It happens to me every. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Repairs and Fixes, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , ,



Candlelier Silhouetted Against a Blue Hour Sky

March 22, 2011 by 25 Comments

From time to time I've shared this deck that's located to the left of the screened-in porch. This deck area is underneath a pergola and has a large candlelier hanging above. I really love this outdoor fixture. I bought it right after I added the porch and decks HERE a few years ago. It came from a store (Smith & Hawken) that has unfortunately gone out of business. You can still buy some of their … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Photography, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: , ,



Repairing Damaged Walls from Wallpaper Removal

March 21, 2011 by 25 Comments

While we continue enjoying all the wonderful links for yesterday's Met Monday, I thought I would share some of the progress I made in the office, today. I covered everything up.   I put "you-know-who" on the screened-in porch so he wouldn't be breathing in all the sanding I'd be doing. He wasn't too thrilled about Mom staying inside while he was out, but he eventually found a big puddle of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Decorating, DIY Repairs and Fixes, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , , ,



Spring Sprucing on the Porch

March 21, 2011 by 87 Comments

Welcome to the 113th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings!  Hope your weekend was fabulous! I had plans to start working on the walls in the office, sanding and patching, sanding and more patching. But Mr. Max had other plans. I couldn't get him to abandon his perch on the desk and I don't think sanding while he's in the room would be such a great idea. Tomorrow, I'll try again and I may have to just lock him … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor Tagged With: ,



A Dovecote in the Garden

February 25, 2011 by 32 Comments

A Dovecote in the Garden Landscape Recently, I posted about a kind soul who came to my "rescue." That post contained lots of photos of the large dovecote in my perennial garden that runs along my driveway. I received several e-mails from readers asking for more information about this bird house and where I found it. My interest in a dovecote for my garden came from years of going on garden tours. Often, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For the Love of Birds, Garden, Gardening & Birding, Home Tours, In the Garden, My Nest, Nature Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,



Pottery Barn Bedford Office Renovation

February 21, 2011 by 89 Comments

Welcome to the 109th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? It's been unbelievably gorgeous weather here in Georgia. I should have been out working in the yard but instead I've been inside working on the office. Office Changes: There have been a lot changes in the office this week. I'm working on removing the rest of the wallpaper a little at the time. My arms get tired from scraping so I've … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , , ,



Pottery Barn Bedford Home Office Update

February 14, 2011 by 76 Comments

Welcome to the 108th Metamorphosis Monday! "Life is what happens when we're busy making other plans." Isn't that how the saying goes? This certainly wasn't how I planned it when I noodled out the creation of a home office. If you look at the list on my sidebar, "Strip off wallpaper" was much, much higher on the list than "Move furniture into office" and "Move computer, printer, etc...to office." But … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With:



Pottery Barn Bedford Office Progress

February 7, 2011 by 71 Comments

Welcome to the 107th Metamorphosis Monday! How has your weekend been going? We had a rare, gorgeous February day...it even got into the 60's. I spent the day inside, once again attacking the wallpaper in the soon-to-be-office. But before I take you there, since the report isn't very good, here are a couple of inspiration pics to remind us what the goal is. Inspiration pic #1: The baskets for the open … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: ,



Installing Hard Wood Floors: Final

January 28, 2011 by 19 Comments

With the sanding complete... It was time to evaluate the stain. The wood I always have installed is white oak (not red oak) so I can get a nice amber or yellow sunshine color. Last time a mix of equal parts Natural and Puritan Pine stain worked well to get the color I like. (These are Minwax colors, I believe.) This is the view standing in the hallway looking into the room. The Natural and PP combo is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , ,



Installing Hard Wood Floors: Part 3

January 28, 2011 by 6 Comments

Floor is in... Closet is done, too. Sanding has begun. If you missed them, you can view Part 1, HERE and Part 2, HERE. Several folks have emailed and asked what company I am using for my flooring. I love A.L. Thomas out of Buford, GA. (678-546-6970) They have installed/finished flooring in my home before and always do a wonderful job. Plus, they have been in business 65 years! Wow! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , ,



Installing Hard Wood Floors: Part 2

January 28, 2011 by 11 Comments

Things are moving quickly. If you missed Part 1, you can see it HERE.   … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , ,



Installing Hardwood Floors: Part 1

January 28, 2011 by 9 Comments

Come along for the journey. Here's the room this morning. This was my son's baseball-themed bedroom and I removed all the furniture recently to create a home office since he's all grown up and has flown the nest. Bye-bye old carpet... Wish blogs had sound and smell-a-vision. Imagine the sound of saws, air compressors and the smell of fresh wood. Sounds and smells like … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , ,



Wallpaper H-E Double Hockey Sticks

January 28, 2011 by 43 Comments

When you die, if you've been bad...instead of going to heaven, I believe they send you to a room covered in wallpaper where the walls were never primed or sized. Then, you spend an eternity removing wallpaper, one micro-shred at the time...because an eternity is exactly how long it's going to take. :( When the first product I bought didn't work AT. ALL., I returned to the big warehouse store and armed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With:



Valentine’s Day Breakfast

January 27, 2011 by 68 Comments

Welcome to the 127th Tablescape Thursday! A few months ago, I came across flavored chocolate "coffee spoons" at Marshalls. The flavors are: Hazelnut, Mocha, Mint, Irish Cream, French Vanilla and Amaretto. On a trip to Trader Joes I decided to try their gingerbread. Do these not sound like the perfect winter "comfort" foods? They also sound like the perfect ingredients for a Valentine's Day … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Master), Breakfast Tablescapes, My Nest, Tables for Two, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Recipes, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , ,



Pottery Barn Bedford Home Office Renovation

January 24, 2011 by 82 Comments

Welcome to the 105th Metamorphosis Monday! I hope your weekend has been fun and relaxing! I've made a bit of headway in the "bedroom to home office" project I've been working on. Last Met Monday, I left you with my son's old bedroom looking like this (see photo below.) I had worked about 6-7 hours straight taking apart his whole bedroom...you can see the "Before" in THIS post. Stop by that "Before" post … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , , , ,



Building a Home Office

January 17, 2011 by 100 Comments

Welcome to the 104th Metamorphosis Monday! Last week in THIS post, I shared a lot of pics of my son's old room and my plans to turn it into a home office. This is a bittersweet metamorphosis, because though I do need a place to work, I am having trouble letting go of this room.         I also shared some rooms that are acting as my inspiration for the office … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Son's), Before & After, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With: , , , , , , ,



Creation of a Home Office, Sewing, Craft Room

January 10, 2011 by 86 Comments

Welcome to the 103rd Metamorphosis Monday! It's freezing here in Georgia and it's about to get worse. The weather man is predicting freezing rain, sleet and snow up to 5 inches. So if you don't see me online tomorrow, you'll know it's because I am without power. Really hope that doesn't happen. Four months ago I gave my notice at work and left the field I had been working in for 8 years to work … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Son's), Before & After, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room Tagged With:



A Feather Christmas Tree in the Guest Room

December 19, 2010 by 46 Comments

I took a few pics this evening of the little tree I always place in the guest room at Christmastime. It's a feather tree I found at Michael's one year. I love having the tree already lit for my guests (family) when they enter the room. It's a little surprise that I hope feels warm and welcoming. All the lights are off in this pic and only the tree is lit. It looks like it's on fire, doesn't … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, My Nest, The Holiday Home Tagged With: ,



Decorate Your Porch for Christmas

December 6, 2010 by 109 Comments

Welcome to our Deck the Halls party and the 98th Metamorphosis Monday! I can't wait to see all the wonderful holiday decorating you've been doing in your home! A couple of weeks ago, I shared a Pottery Barn hack where I made and decorated my porch columns in garland very much like the PB ornament garland, but for less than half the price. (You can read that post HERE and you'll find the tutorial to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , ,



Pre-Christmas Preparations

November 5, 2010 by 44 Comments

My upstairs family room, "Before" And, now...Yikes! Scary, isn't it? Don't worry...I'm not getting out the Christmas decorations, just yet. Well, actually I am getting them out...but just to sort through them. It's time to get rid of some stuff that I just don't use anymore. I'm ready for a few new things this year. See those little storage doors... Halloween is on the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, DIY Organization and Storage, Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs), My Nest, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , ,



Fireplace for My Dream Library

October 25, 2010 by 92 Comments

Welcome to the 93rd Metamorphosis Monday! I need your help today...tell me what cha think! On a previous Met Monday, I took you into my living room that I am hoping to turn into a "library" some day. (You can read that post HERE .) I have plans to put floor-to-ceiling, built-in bookshelves all down the wall on the right side of the room. A few months ago, I found one of the main components for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest Tagged With: ,



Decorating for Halloween, Mice on a Staircase

October 10, 2010 by 110 Comments

Welcome to the 91st Metamorphosis Monday! I don't know if you've noticed, but there seems to be a mice/rat infestation going on around Blogland.   I bought these a few weeks ago but just had a chance this weekend to open them up and play today. My staircase has gone through an interesting metamorphosis.   With the light in the entry on...   Here's how the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Entry/Foyer, Halloween Crafts, Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home, My Nest, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , ,



Update to Autumn Basket

September 29, 2010 by 19 Comments

My Fall Basket: Well, I took everyone's combined advice and I: 1. Decided to keep the fall basket on the door since most of you liked it. I made it taller and skinner so I think it looks much better...less wide and overwhelming on the door. And 2. I cut the whiter flowers off the bunch of sunflowers they were attached to. I dispersed them throughout the arrangement. For some reason, they looked … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor Tagged With: , ,



An Autumn Basket for the Front Door

September 26, 2010 by 127 Comments

Welcome to the 89th Metamorphosis Monday! I need your help today...I can't see the forest for the trees, so tell me what you think. I have a pretty fall wreath I sometimes place on my door...but this year I thought I'd try a basket instead. Here's how my front door has looked all summer. Nice, but time to put this look away and welcome in the fall season... I found this large basket … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor, Thanksgiving Decor, Thanksgiving Holiday Home Tagged With: , , ,



Glass Front Cabinets for Your Kitchen

September 20, 2010 by 62 Comments

Welcome to the 88th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Met Monday! How was your weekend? I've had out of town company all weekend so mine was busy and fun. We did a little antiquing and I came across a wonderful basket that I think will be beautiful hanging on my front door for this fall. It's huge so it will be a challenge to fill...hope to be sharing it with you soon. Metamorphosis Monday: For this Met … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, My Nest Tagged With: , ,



The Endearing Art of Silhouette

August 25, 2010 by 39 Comments

Today, I thought I'd share a special moment in time, 21 years ago. One morning I read in the newspaper (remember those?) that a renown silhouettist by the name of K. Housel Bogue, was coming to Macy's to cut silhouette portraits. She would only be here for a couple of days and appointments were booking fast.I had previously had a silhouette of my son done by another artist and was disappointed when the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Entry/Foyer, Home Tours, My Nest Tagged With: ,



Knockout Rose Trees Knock Out Squirrels

August 7, 2010 by 60 Comments

In early spring, April to be exact, I went in search of "something" to fill the two tall urns that stand on one of my decks. The past two springs I had purchased tall hibiscus, but Mr. Squirrel, who lives in my backyard, tip-toed onto my deck every. single. day. and stole almost all the leaves off the two hibiscus, one leaf at the time.   I was not amused!   So, this year I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, For the Love of Birds, Garden, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, Nature



Alice In Wonderland Tea Party

August 5, 2010 by 69 Comments

Welcome to the 102nd Tablescape Thursday! A few months ago I stumbled upon a miniature Alice in Wonderland tea set...it was love at first site. We celebrated with an Un-Birthday Party out on the porch. This evening I've set up a tea party just for you in the guest room. Actually, there's room for two so, if you don't mind, I think I'll join you. Brought up a couple of the wicker … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), Children's Tablescapes, My Nest, Tables for Two, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Occasion, Tea Party Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,



Cleaning and Staining Decks

May 24, 2010 by 70 Comments

Welcome to the 71st Metamorphosis Monday! A few Met Mondays back, I shared this blue hour pic showing a candelier that hangs from a pergola over one of the decks off the porch. Well, something got ticked off with me and decided to take it out on my candelier. I've been bringing in the bird feeder that hangs off this deck area because something cleans it out every single night. And apparently, something … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Repairs and Fixes, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: ,



Knock-out Roses, Just in Time for Mother’s Day

May 8, 2010 by 41 Comments

I've planted pink Knock-out Roses in tall urns on my deck. I've been using hibiscus here for the past two summers, but the squirrels tip-toe onto the deck...yes, they tip-toe, they know they are doing a bad thing...and they completely strip off all the leaves on my hibiscus. After two summers in a row of that nonsense, it was time to try something new. So, this year, it's Knock-out Roses...and these … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Garden, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: ,



Hiding Ugly Swing Chains

April 26, 2010 by 97 Comments

Welcome to the 67th Metamorphosis Monday! Metamorphosis Monday: I don't have anything dramatic to share this week for Met Monday, but I thought I would show you some of the spring fluffing I've been doing out on the porch. A couple of weeks ago, I took the swing chain covers off the swing, tossed them into the hand wash basket of my ancient GE washing machine, poured in a smidgen of bleach and gave … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Decorating, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With:



A Chandelier for the Master Bedroom

April 12, 2010 by 131 Comments

Welcome to the 65th Metamorphosis Monday! A few weeks ago, I shared this pic of the fixture that has been hanging above my bed for the past 20 years...to my dismay. This was one sad ceiling fan. It was made of some really awful fake wood, so shortly after we moved in, I painted it hoping I could make it "go away." Didn't work, I could still see it.   Well, it only took me 20 years but I have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Master), Before & After, Favorite Fashions & Home Goods, My Nest Tagged With: , , , , , ,



A Little Addition to a Dormer Nook

March 15, 2010 by 83 Comments

Welcome to the 61st Metamorphosis Monday! Last week I shared a metamorphosis in my guest room. It went from this... ...to this, with the addition of a secretary between the windows. Recently, I made another small change (Mini-Met) that I'm sharing for this Met Monday. I had two little blue bird watercolor pictures hanging underneath the wall shelf on the right wall in that room (look at the pic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs), My Nest Tagged With: , , ,



Guest Room Addition

March 7, 2010 by 103 Comments

Welcome to the 60th Metamorphosis Monday! My metamorphosis this week is in my Guest room. Here's the way it normally looks.  Sorry about the dark photo...my photography skills were pretty sad back then.  The walls are NOT this yellow, either.   Do you see the change?   On our recent shopping trip to A Classy Flea, I saw this painted secretary. It was priced at $329...very … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), Before & After, Blue & White Design & Decor, My Nest



Home Library Design Ideas

February 15, 2010 by 79 Comments

Welcome to the 57th Metamorphosis Monday! On a previous Met Monday, I took you into my "formal" living room that really isn't a formal living room. It's actually been more of a storage room over the years...which is kind of sad since it's the very first room you see when you walk into my home. I have some big plans for it...one day. You can read about those HERE in this previous Met Monday … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Favorite Fashions & Home Goods, Library (Someday), My Nest Tagged With: , , , , ,



Dish & Flatware Storage

January 25, 2010 by 84 Comments

Welcome to the 54th Metamorphosis Monday! For this week's Met Monday, I'm sharing a small but fun little metamorphosis in my china closet. You may remember when I posted a while back about the little redo of this space...it was really being poorly utilized. It was being used to store deck cushions that were rarely used. After a little renovation, (you may read about HERE) it looked like … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Organization and Storage, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, My Nest Tagged With:



After-Christmas Shopping

January 4, 2010 by 69 Comments

Welcome to the 51st Metamorphosis Monday! Hope you've had a fabulous start to this new year, 2010! You've all given me a great start, filled with lots of smiles and giggles. I've been having soooo much fun reading your comments on Saturday's post, especially the ones where you shared some of your own 2009 bloopers.  That was such a fun post to create and since your responses were equally as fun, I think … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Entry/Foyer, My Nest Tagged With: ,



A Special Tablescape Filled with Memories

December 10, 2009 by 89 Comments

Welcome to the 68th Tablescape Thursday! A Tablescaping Story Once upon a time, long, long ago, a happy, young couple graduated from college...He from lawschool, She from undergraduate. A few days later they celebrated their 1 year wedding anniversary and as summer came to a close, the starry-eyed couple loaded up a U-haul, and along with their sweet kitty, headed off to a far-away land, all alone. He … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Inspire, Previous Nests, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , ,



Decorating Staircase Walls with Vintage Photos and Mirrors

November 11, 2009 by 83 Comments

I did a little post showing my problem stairway wall. Now that I have a better camera that takes in more "area," I thought I would take a few more pics to give you a little better idea of how it looks...just in case you have this same awkward stairway wall in your home and need a few ideas. When you walk in my front door, this is more or less the view...   As you come on into the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Entry/Foyer, Home Tours, My Nest Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,



Decorating English Country Style

September 20, 2009 by 101 Comments

Welcome to the 36th Metamorphosis Monday! To start this Met Monday off, I just want to say thank-you to everyone who left a comment yesterday. And, thanks so much for all the fabulous suggestions on how to fix my poor champagne bucket. I can't wait to try some of your suggestions...keep your fingers crossed! When I was looking for furniture for my family room many years ago, I just bought what I liked … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Baths, Before & After, Living Room (Downstairs), My Nest Tagged With: , , ,



Updates to My China Closet

September 13, 2009 by 84 Comments

Welcome to the 35th Metamorphosis Monday! Where in the world do you store all that china? I get that question a lot.  Since several folks have left comments or e-mailed recently asking about china storage, I'm pulling out an oldie but goodie post for this Met Monday. I'm also including a few more recent photos showing some of the changes I've made. And, I'm including a link to a post from December … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Organization and Storage, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, My Nest Tagged With: , , ,



Dreaming of a Home Library

September 6, 2009 by 116 Comments

Welcome to the 34th Metamorphosis Monday! There's a room in my home I've not taken you into, yet. I'm a little embarrassed to share, despite this room being just a few feet inside my front door and fully visible each time you enter or exit my home, it has remained for the 19 years I've live here.  It has always been in various stages of disarray, often acting as a storage room. If you read the post I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Tours, Library (Someday), My Nest Tagged With: , , , , ,



Built-in Book Shelves for the Upstairs Family Room

August 17, 2009 by 216 Comments

Welcome to the 31st Metamorphosis Monday! My Met Monday post is a little different this week. The "After" hasn't occurred yet, but I thought I'd share my "Before" and my "After Wish" with you, just in case it gives you some ideas for a similar area in your home. This is the view as you enter from the hallway into my Upstairs Family Room. (To see more of this room, click here:  Upstairs Family Room.) … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Organization and Storage, Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs), My Nest Tagged With: , , , ,



Decorating with Tassels Around the Home

August 5, 2009 by 45 Comments

Do you like tassels? I just love 'em!  Today, I'm sharing some of the tassels I have displayed around my home. I'm saving my favorite for last. You may remember seeing this one that hangs on the highboy in my bedroom. I found it at Bombay, before they closed their store. I have quite a few blue and yellow ones in the upstairs family room...this one hangs on the grandfather clock in that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Master), My Nest Tagged With:



Creating a Planter from a Chair

August 3, 2009 by 75 Comments

Welcome to the 29th Metamorphosis Monday! I don't have a before pic of this chair I found recently at A Classy Flea, but I was told the seat was in very bad condition and was not salvageable. So...what to do? Turn it into a lovely planter! The seller at A Classy Flea, attached a square wire planter container to the chair. I'm sorry, but I've forgotten where she said she found the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Decorating, Garden, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, My Nest, Nature Tagged With: , , , ,



Front Door Decoration to Welcome Guests

July 22, 2009 by 98 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I shared a sweet metamorphosis that was happening out on my front porch. right down here inside the basket of flowers on my front door. Remember these sweet babies...little house finches newly hatched. Well, I'm happy to report they grew up big and strong and flew the coop to do little birdie things. Some of you guys left comments on that post that had me a bit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks, Seasonal Decor Tagged With: , ,



Design a Room You Love

July 20, 2009 by 86 Comments

Welcome to the 27th Metamorphosis Monday! My Metamorphosis Monday post is a little different this week. I don't have an exciting metamorphosis to share; instead, I thought I'd share some ideas or tips I've learned decorating my own home over these many years. These "lessons learned" are responsible for the changes that were made to the rooms in my home, so in some ways this post is indeed all about … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Decorating, Living Room (Downstairs) Tagged With: , , , , ,



Tea in Bed

July 2, 2009 by 125 Comments

Welcome to the 45th Tablescape Thursday! It's Tablescape Thursday and I positively love this day! Thursdays are filled to overflowing with links to some of the most delicious eye candy to be found anywhere across the Blogasphere! Today, you are my guest. And, I'm so glad you are here! How was your journey? I know you must be tired after such a long drive.   I have your room all ready. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), My Nest, Tablescape Thursday, Tea Party Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , ,



A Photo Tour of the Porch and Decks…

May 24, 2009 by 123 Comments

I've been doing some fluffing on the porch today...even got out the froggy fountain.  Thought I'd share some some of the little details. So just make yourself at home.   Deck with pergola...   Lit up at night... More details back on the porch... Here's your tea. It's so nice out...why … [Read more...]

Filed Under: My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,



Frozen in Time…

May 16, 2009 by 59 Comments

Many, years ago, when my son was around 8 years old, I painted a very amateurish mural on one whole wall in his room. The mural is around 13 feet wide by 8 feet tall. He always loved baseball and played it Spring and Fall from 2nd grade all the way through high school.   Over the years, I never got around to painting over the mural, and my son never seemed to mind. So, though he is all grown … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Son's), Home Tours, My Nest Tagged With: , ,



Old Bound Newspapers Become End Table

May 11, 2009 by 84 Comments

Welcome to the 17th Metamorphosis Monday! Many, many years ago, The Macon Telegraph and News decided to dispose of all the old copies of their past publications/newspapers. Apparently, news organizations used to keep copies of their old papers by binding them into large "books." Each bound volume, shown below, had about three months worth of newspapers. I had six of these large books stored for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Decorating, Home Tours, Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs), My Nest Tagged With: ,



Deck Transformation, Winter to Spring

May 5, 2009 by 70 Comments

Since most everyone who visits Between Naps on the Porch has seen my two porches, I thought I'd share a different area today. There are decks off either side of my screened-in porch and one of those decks has a cozy little corner over near the grill. It's the perfect spot to sit if you want to be near the grill while you are cooking out. This is the winter view...pretty blah. And here's the summer … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With:



Humble Beginnings in Married Student Housing: Our First Home

May 4, 2009 by 117 Comments

Welcome to the 16th Metamorphosis Monday! For this Metamorphosis Monday, I'm sharing "Before" pics that are really, really old. These are the "before-est" pics I will EVER be able to show you for a Met Monday! It was 1978, I was 21 years old, my husband, 23, and we were newlyweds having just married a few weeks before. We were living in "married student housing" on the campus where we were attending … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Decorating, Inspire, My Nest, Previous Nests



Bonus Room Makeover: From Bonus Room to Family Room and Spill Over Space for Guests

April 20, 2009 by 63 Comments

Welcome to the 14th Metamorphosis Monday! Update: Sorry about the darkness of some of the photos in this post. I plead ignorance since these were taken during my early blogging days before I learned to take better photos. :) For this Metamorphosis Monday, we're going for another ride in the time machine, back again to 1991, just before we actually purchased and moved into our house. This time our time … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs), My Nest Tagged With: , ,



A Kitchen Renovation

April 13, 2009 by 90 Comments

Welcome to the the 13th Metamorphosis Monday! Time for another Metamorphosis Monday! I can't wait to see all the Before and Afters posted for this Met Monday...you'll find all the links at the end of this post. Hold on tight...we're going for another ride this week in my time machine. Did you take your Dramamine...you know this thing goes pretty fast. I'm setting the dial for 1991...destination: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, My Nest Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,



Building a Dish Closet

April 6, 2009 by 130 Comments

Welcome to the 12th Metamorphosis Monday...where it's all about "Before and Afters." I decided this weekend to tackle a project I've been putting off...the redo of a 35" x 24" coat closet in my kitchen/breakfast room. The previous owner of my home had a shell niche installed in the foyer/entry (Click to visit entry), where others houses in my neighborhood frequently have a coat closet. Then they took a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Organization and Storage, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, My Nest



Make a Lamp from Something You Love

March 30, 2009 by 77 Comments

Welcome to the 11th Metamorphosis Monday! Several years ago I was out antiquing and I came across this cute doggie. Ummm, the wheels started turning, and I thought he just might be the perfect size to... ...have made into a lamp. I'd been shopping for a small lamp to go on this table in my family room for some time. The room had/has a bit of a hunt/canine theme going on, so this little guy fit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decorating, Living Room (Downstairs), My Nest Tagged With: , ,



Renovation of the Entry Foyer

March 23, 2009 by 91 Comments

Welcome to the 10th Metamorphosis Monday! Ok, hold on to your seats.  We're going for another ride this week in my time machine...back once more to the year 1991. Yep, I've been at it again, playing with that ancient VHS tape that shows the interior of my home before we ever made an offer and bought it. I paused the tape, took some pics and this week I'm sharing a "before" glimpse of the Entry to my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Entry/Foyer, My Nest Tagged With: ,



A Princess and the Pea Master Bedroom

March 16, 2009 by 121 Comments

  Welcome to the 9th Metamorphosis Monday! When I first entered the foyer of this home, 18 years ago, it was pretty obvious why it had been on the market for over a year. The carpet throughout was a burnt orange color and the interior had not been painted in 8 years. On our second walk through, we videotaped many of the rooms so we could remember it as we shopped for a new house. Please bear … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Master), Before & After, My Nest Tagged With: , , , , , ,



Front Porch Addition

March 2, 2009 by 126 Comments

Welcome to the 7th Metamorphosis Monday! The metamorphosis I would like to share with you today, that of my front porch, was more than just a metamorphosis for my home...it was a dream of mine finally becoming a reality. For years I carried around a page I'd torn from an old issue of Southern Homes Magazine. The page showed a picture of a front porch I really, really liked. Periodically, I pulled it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Home Tours, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: , , , ,



Creating a Perennial Garden

February 23, 2009 by 113 Comments

Welcome to the 6th Metamorphosis Monday! My Metamorphosis for this Met Monday is a perennial garden I "built" many years ago.  I want to apologize in advance for the quality of these pics. They were taken many years ago, long before I'd ever heard of this thing called blogging. Plus, I had to take pictures of pictures to show you this transformation...but I think you will still be able to appreciate the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Garden, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, My Nest, Nature Tagged With: , , ,



A Kitchen Renovation

February 9, 2009 by 95 Comments

Wecome to the 4th Metamorphosis Monday! Welcome to my modest kitchen renovation.  Okay, if you have a weak stomach, you might want to look away at this point.  This was my kitchen before renovation...dark and dreary. This is the only "before" pic I have to share...but it really tells the story of what the kitchen looked like prior to renovation. You can't see it in this photo, but the genuine … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, My Nest Tagged With: , , , ,



Adding Curtains or Sheers to Your Porch

February 2, 2009 by 60 Comments

  Welcome to the 3rd Metamorphosis Monday! Not long after the screened-in porch was completed, I made a simple change that had a large impact on both the appearance and the "feel" of the porch. The total cost for this change was only around $100. Here's a pic of the porch before the change... And here's after...do you see the change? :-) Another before... And … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: ,



Painting Furniture: A China Hutch Transformation

January 26, 2009 by 103 Comments

When my screened-in porch was nearing completion, I happened across a little hutch for a great price: $95.  It was just what I had in mind for storing dishes for dining out on the porch. After getting it home, I got down to work. This was B.B. (Before Blogging) so taking pictures almost didn't happen. Somewhere in the midst of sanding the piece, it dawned on me that it might be nice to take a "before" … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Decorating, DIY Organization and Storage, DIY Repairs and Fixes, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: , , , , ,



Dreaming of the Outdoors

January 21, 2009 by 62 Comments

Ok, I know it's cold and you don't really want to venture outdoors a whole lot right now. After all, it's still January...or is it?  In Blogland it can be summer anytime we want. Just think of Blogland as a magical time machine. Ok, get your garden clogs or tennis shoes on...whatever you like to wear when you're out puttering around in the yard. Let's go see what's blooming in my garden on this Outdoor … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Garden, Gardening & Birding, Home Tours, In the Garden, My Nest, Nature Tagged With: ,



Building a Screened-in Porch

January 19, 2009 by 95 Comments

Welcome to the very first Metamorphosis Monday! When I moved into my home 18 years ago, I knew one day I would want to redo my deck. The previous homeowners had never properly cared for the existing deck, and it was in a sad state. I tried cleaning it with an incredibly strong deck cleaner and "painting" it with a solid color stain for decks, but the solid stain didn't hold up well. It was time to make a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: , , ,



Celebrating the Winter Blues

January 15, 2009 by 88 Comments

A little birdie told me you had the winter blues... So I was thinking...since Old Man Winter is here to stay for while, instead of fighting those winter blues, why don't we just embrace them. Come on over here; I have the perfect spot for you...a comfy blue chair... And a nice, hot cup of tea, served from a Blue Willow teapot... How about a fluffy, soft pillow... With a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), Blue & White Design & Decor, My Nest, Seasonal Decor, Tea Party Tablescapes, Winter Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,



Plantation Shutters: Versatile Window Treatment

January 10, 2009 by 113 Comments

My favorite, favorite window treatment has to be the plantation shutter. Don't get me wrong, I love other types of window treatments, too. I love the way drapes soften a room and would love to one day add gorgeous silk taffeta drapes to my dining room. But I'd still want plantation shutters underneath those drapes. Why do I love shutters so much? Well, there are a lot of reasons, one being their … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Decorating, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, My Nest Tagged With: , , ,



Welcome to the Porch!

January 7, 2009 by 182 Comments

Today I thought I'd share a little about the porch that is the namesake for this blog, Between Naps on the Porch.   First, take a look at the "Before" picture.  The deck shown below is what used to be, where the porch is now. It was an original deck that had been added onto by a previous homeowner. Unfortunately, the addition wasn't done properly and many more supports were used underneath than … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, My Nest, Porches, Porches & Decks Tagged With: , , ,



Adding Picture Molding to the Dining Room

January 2, 2009 by 106 Comments

A couple of months ago, I decided I was tired of my dining room being painted all red, above and below the chair rail. The room isn't overly large, so all that red made the room feel even smaller. This photo below is the only pic I have of how it looked when it was painted all red. I had just decorated the room for a birthday party I was having for a good friend.   Once I made the decision to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Dining Room, DIY Repairs and Fixes, Home Tours, My Nest Tagged With: , , , , , ,



Christmas in Miniature, A Sweet Dollhouse

December 8, 2008 by 93 Comments

While out antiquing in December two years ago, I came across a wonderful old doll house. The exterior was already decorated for Christmas with garland strung across the banister rails and wreaths on several of the windows. It stole my heart but it was priced at $250, so reluctantly, I walked away. All during Christmas I kept thinking about the house. I knew absolutely nothing about dollhouses, having … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), Christmas Crafts, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Home Tours, My Nest Tagged With: , , , , ,



China Storage: Wishing for a Butler’s Pantry

December 2, 2008 by 72 Comments

Welcome to the 15th Tablescape Tuesday! I often get questions about where in the world I store the china I've collected over these past 30 years.   Well the answer to that is easy. Everywhere! Unfortunately, I do not have a "butler's pantry" like Interior Designer, Bunny Williams, though I desperately want one! In her book, An Affair With a House, Bunny writes this about her pantry pictured below, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Organization and Storage, Laundry Room, My Nest, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With:



A Plate for All Seasons

November 29, 2008 by 59 Comments

In my kitchen, I have a little plate holder that for years held a red and white "rooster" plate. A while back I decided to make it more than just a plate holder with a decorative plate...now it's a fun way to mark the changing of the seasons, as well. So when February rolls around, it's time to think about cupid... And as it get closer to Easter... Once Easter has past, it's time to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Easter Decorating, Easter Holiday Home, Kitchen & Breakfast Area, My Nest, Seasonal Decor, Thanksgiving Decor, Thanksgiving Holiday Home, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Decor, Valentine's Day Holiday Home Tagged With: , ,



Blue and White Guest Room

October 15, 2008 by 98 Comments

My guest room was one of the first rooms I ever furnished/decorated after we moved in. I love blue and white so when I found this Ralph Lauren comforter set called, "Porcelain" I decided to go with a blue and white theme. In March 2010, I added a secretary to this room.  When I was working on adding some things to this room, I knew I wanted to mix it up a bit. I fell in love with this floral Sanderson … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bedroom (Guest Room), Blue & White Design & Decor, My Nest Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,



A Trip in my Time Machine: Here we come, 1921!

September 25, 2008 by 31 Comments

Remember these from my Bonus Room posting a few days ago? They are bound copies of old newspapers from the Macon Telegraph and News, the local newspaper in Macon, Georgia. My sister, Glenda, saved them from being destroyed when they were being discarded. I turned them into an end table for the bonus room. :-) Thought I'd share some of the advertisements and articles that were published in some of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Decorating, Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs), My Nest Tagged With: , ,



Bonus Room Becomes an Upstairs Family Room

September 18, 2008 by 55 Comments

A fter a little tease,  it's time for the reveal. A little background first... In Georgia, when a builder finishes the room above your garage, your home is said to have a "bonus" room. When I first walked through this house, that was to become my home, I was happy to see it did, indeed, have the oft desired bonus room. Then, surprisingly, the room sat almost empty for 3-4 years years while I stewed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Living Room/Bonus (Upstairs), My Nest Tagged With: , , ,



Feels like Home

September 11, 2008 by 73 Comments

Do you remember the day when you first stepped through the door of your home? Maybe you had just spent days trekking through house after house. Or perhaps it was the first home your realtor showed you. Either way, I bet as soon as you crossed the threshold, your heart said this is it--this is home. And sometimes there's a room that really seals the deal. I vividly remember the day I walked through … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Living Room (Downstairs), My Nest Tagged With: , , ,