Porch Decorated for Valentine’s Day

January 22, 2013 by 52 Comments

Today I played hooky and it was soooo much fun.  I highly recommend it!  ;)  I guess it wasn't really hooky since I snapped some fun pics and garnered some great Valentine's Day decorating ideas to bring back and share with you. Such a great way to spend a cold January day.  I had lunch with my friend, Marie, followed by a fun day of shopping.  We visited all our favorite shopping haunts around town and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Tours, The Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Decor, Valentine's Day Holiday Home Tagged With: , ,



A New Year’s Eve Table Setting

January 17, 2013 by 57 Comments

Welcome to the 228th Tablescape Thursday! Every year I plan to create a New Year's Eve table setting to share here on BNOTP and every year, time gets away from me and I never seem to get one done.  I've had an idea brewing in the back of mind forever.  Even though I didn't have a New Year's party this year, I decided to go ahead and put a table together just for fun.  Before I share my New Year's Eve … [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: , , , , , , , , , , , ,



A New Year’s Table Setting with Pottery Barn Clock Plates

January 10, 2013 by 33 Comments

Welcome to the 227th Tablescape Thursday! My friend, Bonnie, rang in the New Year with a wonderful dinner party.  Bonnie said, "The day started out on a beautiful note.... with snow!"   What a gorgeous view! Let's go inside where it's nice and warm.  The table is all ready, even the chandelier is decorated for this celebration.  And look!  It's the Blue Hour! Bonnie's dining room is so … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New Year's Holiday Home, New Year's Table Settings, New Year's Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , , ,



The Christmas Tree Post: 23+ Themed Christmas Trees

January 8, 2013 by 57 Comments

Though Christmas is behind us now, I couldn't end this wonderful tour without putting together a Christmas Tree Tour post showcasing ALL the Christmas trees we saw while visiting Governor Roy and Marie Barnes beautiful home.  Marie told me she puts up 16 trees, 14 artificial and 2 live but there are lots of little ones all throughout the home and on the veranda, too.  Plus, there's the Christmas forest on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Mardi Gras Decor, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,



A Fabulous Gift-Wrapping and Craft Room

January 7, 2013 by 56 Comments

Welcome to the 207th Metamorphosis Monday!   The last few weeks I've been sharing the amazing metamorphosis that happens each Christmas in the home of Governor and Marie Barnes.  It's been a joy to share their home decorated for this special holiday. This will be our last post, although I may put one together showing all the trees.  Marie decorates 16 trees and I don't think that's counting the fairyland … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, DIY Organization and Storage, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , ,



3 Party Table Settings with Coca-Cola Dishware and Coke Memorabilia

January 3, 2013 by 38 Comments

Welcome to 226th Tablescape Thursday! Greetings!  How is your week going?  I've been dragging my feet taking down my Christmas decorations.  I decided this year to not rush things and just enjoy them a little longer. The last few weeks we've been touring the wonderful home of Governor and Marie Barnes decorated for the Christmas season. Today we're going down these stairs for a tour of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Children's Tablescapes, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,



Tour a Beautiful Victorian Home Decorated for Christmas, Part VI

January 1, 2013 by 66 Comments

We're back today to tour the absolutely adorable room Marie Barnes, wife of Governor Roy Barnes, created for her four precious granddaughters.  I was thinking this would be the last post but I may have one more to share with you showing their terrace level with a wonderful "gifting wrapping station."  I had serious envy over that gift-wrapping room! As you enter this whimsical, delightful room Marie … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , ,



A Cabin Renovation & Restoration on the Russian River

December 31, 2012 by 56 Comments

Welcome to the 206th Metamorphosis Monday! Recently I shared a wonderful Christmas table setting created by Julio who blogs at Beaux Mondes Design.  It was all I could do to not spill ALL the beans last Tablescape Thursday because I was dying to show you more of this wonderful cabin. When Julio and Dan bought their "Russian River Dacha" it was in need of some serious restoration love.  The previous … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,



Tour a Beautiful Victorian Home Decorated for Christmas, Part V

December 29, 2012 by 71 Comments

Happy Weekend!  I don't always post on the weekend but we're smack-dab in the middle of touring this beautiful Victorian home belonging to Governor Roy and Marie Barnes, so I didn't want to leaving you hanging for too long.  If you missed any of the previous posts, you’ll find links to those at the end of this post. Today we'll be touring some of the upstairs bedrooms, but before we head up I'll share a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,



Tour a Beautiful Victorian Home Decorated for Christmas, Part IV

December 28, 2012 by 17 Comments

This week we’re continuing our tour inside the beautiful Victorian home belonging to Governor Roy and Marie Barnes.  If you missed any of the previous posts, you’ll find links to those at the end of this post. The Barnes home is perfect for entertaining and family gatherings.  The kitchen/breakfast area is open to this beautiful great room.  I love the coffered ceiling!  See the doorway on the left?  The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,



Dinner In A Cabin On The Russian River

December 27, 2012 by 31 Comments

Welcome to the 225th Tablescape Thursday! This week you are in for a special treat.  Julio who blogs at Beaux Mondes Designs created a beautiful tables setting in his wonderful cabin in Russian River, California.  I'm absolutely mad about plaid so when I saw this setting, I couldn't wait to share it for Tablescape Thursday. Julio's dining room is amazing, even without a wonderful table setting.  What … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Romantic Tablescapes, Seasonal Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home, Winter Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,



Tour a Beautiful Victorian Home Decorated for Christmas, Part III

December 26, 2012 by 51 Comments

This week we’re continuing our tour inside the beautiful Victorian home belonging to Governor Roy and Marie Barnes.  If you missed any of the previous posts, you'll find links to those at the end of this post. The Barnes' have a dream kitchen!  The red accents really pop against the cream/ivory cabinets and the black island.  The island is distressed and has red tones showing through in the distressed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,



Tour a Beautiful Victorian Home Decorated for Christmas, Part II

December 24, 2012 by 29 Comments

Welcome to the 205th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Holidays!  All this week we'll be continuing our tour inside this beautiful Victorian home belonging to Governor Roy and Marie Barnes.  If you missed any of the previous posts, I'll link to them at the end of this post. This beautiful home has been transformed for the holidays.  Marie starts the metamorphosis in August so everything is ready in time for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , ,



A Christmas Dinner Party

December 20, 2012 by 72 Comments

Welcome to the 224th Tablescape Thursday! Three or four weeks ago I posted this tablescape below for a Tablescape Thursday.  Sunday I had a little dinner party and at first I set the table with my Lenox, Winter Greetings pattern.  At the last minute, I decided the table was feeling a bit more formal than I wanted for this gathering.  I wanted our party to feel more cozy and casual.  So I decided to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Fall Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Winter Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,



Tour a Beautiful Victorian Home Decorated for Christmas

December 19, 2012 by 48 Comments

Last week for Tablescape Thursday,  I took you inside the beautiful Victorian home of Governor Roy and Marie Barnes.  If you missed that post where I shared four beautiful tablescapes Marie created for Christmas, you'll find it here: Four Beautiful Table Settings, One Gorgeous Victorian Home. I have so many wonderful rooms to share with you, it's going to take several posts to share them all.  I want to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, The Holiday Home



Decorating the Porch with Cedar Garland and a Snowflake Wreath

December 17, 2012 by 100 Comments

Welcome to the 204th Metamorphosis Monday! For this Met Monday, I'm sharing my front porch decor for the holidays. Once again I used my Pottery Barn Knock-off Garland along with fresh cedar around the door.  (Pottery Barn Knock-off Garland tutorial can be found here: Pottery Barn Inspired Garland Tutorial: Make Your Own for 1/3 the cost.)   One change this year...the cedar garland has … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Porches, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , ,



Preparations for a Christmas Dinner Party

December 15, 2012 by 76 Comments

I'm having a little dinner party for eight this Sunday evening.  I've been busy decorating, cooking and cleaning, decorating, cooking and cleaning.  And, occasionally I've been doing some decorating, cooking and cleaning.  Did I mention I'm having a blast!  I love getting ready for a party, be it big or small. The porch is looking festive.  I'll share more of it with you on Monday for our Metamorphosis … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , ,



Four Beautiful Christmas Table Settings

December 13, 2012 by 64 Comments

Welcome to the 223rd Tablescape Thursday! One of the absolute best parts about blogging is meeting wonderful readers who share similar interests.   A few months back I received an e-mail from Marie Barnes, inviting me for a "visit to her porch."  Marie and her husband, Governor Roy Barnes, moved four years ago from Mableton to Marietta to be closer to their children and grandchildren.  Before moving they … [Read more...]

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



A Plaid Christmas & Lighting the Christmas Trees Via Remote

December 12, 2012 by 93 Comments

Lately I feel a bit like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.  I picture myself running around the house shouting, "I'm late, I'm late...for a very important date."  I've sort of gotten the cart before the horse this Christmas season.  I have all my gifts wrapped but one, yet I still haven't decorated around my front door. lol  Now what's wrong with that picture! I went shopping for fresh greenery late … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Crafts, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , ,



Make a Wintry Snow Globe

December 11, 2012 by 25 Comments

I've had so much fun checking out all the "Before and Afters" linked for yesterday's Metamorphosis Monday party! Yesterday for Met Monday, I posted a garden transformation.  The Atlanta Botanical Gardens is beautifully illuminated now for their Garden Lights, Holiday Nights event.  Today's post is about another transformation, one you can make and give for Christmas or use for an upcoming dinner … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Crafts, Christmas Holiday Home, DIY Crafts & Sewing, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes Tagged With: , , ,



A Christmas Tablescape on the Porch

December 6, 2012 by 76 Comments

Welcome to the 222nd Tablescape Thursday! Here we are, on the porch in December!  This is the very first tablescape I've ever created on the porch during the month of December.  With temps in the 70's, I couldn't resist.  Seems a little strange having a bottle tree in view while gazing at a Christmas table setting.   This regal-looking guy was the inspiration for this weeks tablescape.  I … [Read more...]

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



Christmas Home Tour by Candlelight

December 4, 2012 by 43 Comments

Saturday I went on a Christmas home tour with friends.  We did the "combination" tour which includes a daylight tour and a candlelight tour.  Each year when we go on the tour, it gives me an excuse to be a total goof ball (like I'm not the rest of the year) and decorate our Christmas chariot for the evening. I always add some faux garland to the cargo/luggage rack thingies on the top of the car.  The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Home Tours, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , ,



Don’t Throw Out Those Dead Christmas Tree Lights

December 3, 2012 by 90 Comments

Welcome to the 202nd Metamorphosis Monday! Georgia is a crazy place to live, weather-wise.  If you have a convertible you're pretty much guaranteed a few days every single month, even during the wintertime, when you'll be able to throw down the top and enjoy the warm breezes. We're in one of those periods right now.  This was the scene in my kitchen yesterday.  The door to the porch was wide open and it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Crafts, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, DIY, DIY Decorating, DIY Repairs and Fixes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , ,



Christmas Banister Decorations: Create a Fantasy in Lights

November 30, 2012 by 49 Comments

Comment Replies That Never Arrived Recently, I became aware that the hundreds of replies I've made to comments left on posts over the last few months were never delivered to the lovely person who left the comment.  After spending several hours the last few days trying to figure it out, I finally decided to check with my hosting company on the slight chance they could help.  Turns out, they had some box … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Crafts, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , ,



A Cozy, Woodland Setting

November 29, 2012 by 87 Comments

Welcome to the 221st Tablescape Thursday!  (Pssst:  The seasonal footer at the bottom of BNOTP is all decked out with Christmas and Holiday posts.) As I put this table setting together yesterday, I thought I was creating a Christmas tablescape.  Once I sat down and began writing my post, I realized this is really a great "transition" table, a table that's as much at home for a fall or Thanksgiving dinner … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, Fall Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Thanksgiving Holiday Home, Thanksgiving Table Settings, Thanksgiving Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , ,



Colonial Williamsburg Apple Tree Form: Make Your Own

November 28, 2012 by 35 Comments

Back in December 2008, just 3-4 months after I began blogging, I created this Colonial Williamsburg style centerpiece for a Christmas party I had coming up.  I also used it for our Christmas table that year.  I make this centerpiece almost every Christmas.   It has to be my all time favorite Christmas table centerpiece. Sorry about the awful photography.  The camera I was using back in 2008 couldn't … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Crafts, Christmas Holiday Home, Christmas Table Settings, Christmas Tablescapes, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decorating, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , ,



Decking the Windows with Christmas Wreaths

November 27, 2012 by 56 Comments

Hanging Wreaths on Exterior Windows Sometimes I think I have decorating ADD.  Is there such a thing?  I was out of town much of last week so I'm way behind on my Christmas decorating.  I awoke yesterday when one goal in mind: hang all the Christmas wreaths on the windows outside. When nighttime arrived, not only were the wreaths not up, I hadn't even pulled them out of the hidey hole where they live … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , ,



Christmas Decor and Holiday Parties

November 23, 2012 by 38 Comments

How was your Thanksgiving?  Are you in a turkey coma?  Are you heading out to brave the Black Friday crowds?  If you get a steal today, leave me a comment and tell me what it was?  I don't usually head out on BF.  If I do it's usually late in the day when the real frenzy is over and the early birds are back home in bed recovering! Lots of folks have already started decorating for Christmas big time.  If … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christmas Crafts, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , ,



Happy Thanksgiving!

November 21, 2012 by 33 Comments

Welcome to 220th Tablescape Thursday!  I'm posting Tabescape Thursday early this week since tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and it will be a busy day for everyone. I'm excited to share my friend, Bonnie's beautiful Thanksgiving table this week! Come a bit closer and soak up all the wonderful details. I love, love, love all the  rich fall colors in this setting.  Such a warm, inviting table for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fall Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Thanksgiving Holiday Home, Thanksgiving Table Settings, Thanksgiving Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , ,



Thanksgiving Tablescape, 2012

November 15, 2012 by 90 Comments

Welcome to the 219th Tablescape Thursday! I'd also like to welcome listeners from the Bekah, Lynne, Thursdays show!  Thanks so much for stopping by and thanks to Bekah and Lynne for the shout-out today on their mid-morning show!   If you're looking for the home tour of the adorable cottage in the movie, The Holiday, you'll find it here:  Tour Rosehill Cottage from the movie, The Holiday. Thanksgiving … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Dining Room, Fall Tablescapes, My Nest, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Thanksgiving Holiday Home, Thanksgiving Table Settings, Thanksgiving Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , , ,



Never Buy Place Cards for Your Tablescape Again

November 13, 2012 by 41 Comments

I've been working on my Thanksgiving table setting this week and I had it almost finished when I realized how much I didn't like the way the place cards I was using looked with the autumn colors in my tablescape.  The only place cards I have are some I purchased a few years ago and they are stark white. I hopped in the car and headed over to a couple of home stores thinking I might find something in more … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, Fall Tablescapes, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Thanksgiving Holiday Home, Thanksgiving Table Settings, Thanksgiving Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , ,



Two Whimsical Halloween Tablescapes

November 1, 2012 by 35 Comments

Welcome to the 217th Tablescape Thursday! What a night!  I had so many Trick-or-Treaters for Halloween.  Did you have many goblins and witches visiting your home last night?  Halloween is so different now than when I was a kid and out trick treating.  Back then (in the dark ages) the rule was you couldn't start until dark and we were always out really late.  Now, the kiddies start arriving early, usually … [Read more...]

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



A New Lamp for the Office & A Little Halloween Fun

October 30, 2012 by 43 Comments

Before I share something fun and lighthearted (a nice distraction on this day) I just wanted to say my heart and prayers go out to all effected by Hurricane Sandy. ♥ A Little Halloween Decorating & A New Lamp for the Office If you've been following the progress of the office, you know I've been hoping to find some new lamps better suited for this space than the polished brass lamps I'm currently … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , ,



Halloween Tablescape with Spider Cupcakes

October 25, 2012 by 70 Comments

Welcome to the 216th Tablescape Thursday! The Witching Hour: Ever since I made knock-off Pottery Barn clock plates, I've been eager to use them in a table setting.  They are finally making their appearance in a table  I'm dubbing, The Witching Hour, a term (per Wikipedia) first used in Washington Irving's short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, to signify midnight. When I read that in Wikipedia, I … [Read more...]

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



Elegant & Eerie Halloween Tablescape

October 18, 2012 by 56 Comments

Welcome to the 215th Tablescape Thursday!  I'm so excited to share a fabulously spooky table from my friend, Bonnie.  I must caution though, be sure to watch where you're walking.  Bonnie seems to have a bit of a bat and crow infestation in her home at the moment.  I think I see one now above that gorgeous mirror.  Shhh, if we're really quiet, maybe we won't disturb him.   Come have a seat, your … [Read more...]

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



Make Pumpkin Topiaries for an Autumn Porch

October 15, 2012 by 124 Comments

Welcome to the 195th Metamorphosis Monday! Right after I added a front porch onto my home around 4 years ago, I bought some faux topiaries from a local store here in Atlanta.  I would have loved real topiaries on the porch, but I knew I'd never remember to keep them watered and they probably wouldn't survive in the shade of the porch. The faux topiaries turned out to be an expensive mistake.  They … [Read more...]

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



A Fall Door Arrangement You Can Make in 5 Minutes (or less)

October 9, 2012 by 36 Comments

Earlier in the fall I made this arrangement for my front door.  It can be viewed in more detail in this post:  An Autumn Basket for the Front Door   For Halloween, there's some strange things happening on the front porch.  The earlier fall arrangement just wasn't working anymore.  It was a bit too dressy/formal for Halloween.   I decided to create  something a little more casual … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Decorating, Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home, Porches, Seasonal Decor Tagged With: , , ,



Make a Crow Tree Centerpiece for Halloween

October 8, 2012 by 66 Comments

Welcome to the 194th Metamorphosis Monday!  So, tell me!  How was your weekend?  It was really pretty here in Georgia, perfect fall weather.  I've been finishing up some last-minute decorating on my porch...I'll be sharing that soon. A few days ago for Tablescape Thursday, I shared a fun Halloween inspired table setting with a crow tree centerpiece.   For Metamorphosis Monday I'm sharing … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decor Knock-offs, Halloween Crafts, Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home, Halloween Table Settings, Halloween Tablescapes Tagged With: , , ,



Halloween Tablescape with a Crow Tree Centerpiece

October 4, 2012 by 54 Comments

Welcome to the 213th Tablescape Thursday! Last Valentine's Day I created a little "heart" tree for a Valentine's Day Tablescape. (Tablescape can be viewed here: Valentine's Day Tablescape)   Ever since, I've been itching to try that again.   Recently, I spied this spooky tree in a Pottery Barn catalog.   PB calls it a "Spooky Aspen Branch" and it can be found here where the two photos … [Read more...]

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



Decorating the Screened Porch for Fall & Halloween

October 1, 2012 by 97 Comments

Welcome to the 193rd Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings!  How was your weekend? If you follow BNOTP on Facebook, you know what I was up to this weekend and WOW, am I tired!  It's a good tired, though.  I spent much of the weekend decorating the porches for fall and Halloween. For this Met Monday, I'm sharing some fun changes I made to my favorite "room" in the house, the screened-in porch.  It was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home, Porches Tagged With: , , , , , ,



DIY Frosted Candlelit Lantern for Halloween

September 19, 2012 by 36 Comments

  I know Halloween is still a good distance off, but if I share this too close to Halloween, you may not be able to find one of the "ingredients" I used.  So, bear with me if I share some things with you a bit in advance. I've been itching to try my hand at making a frosted lantern with Krylon's Glass Frosting.  Have you ever used it? To make a Halloween lantern, you'll need a few basic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Crafts & Sewing, Halloween Crafts, Halloween Decor, Halloween Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , ,



Pottery Barn Clock Plates, Make Your Own

September 3, 2012 by 134 Comments

Welcome to the 189th Metamorphosis Monday!   Back around New Years I posted a wonderful tablescape my friend, Bonnie put together for a New Year's Eve dinner party with friends.  I love vintage/antique clocks and this table was so perfect for a New Year's Eve gathering with its clock theme.   Bonnie used her Pottery Barn clock plates for this tablescape.   These plates were … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decor Knock-offs, New Year's Holiday Home, New Year's Table Settings, New Year's Tablescapes, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes Tagged With: , , ,



Deer Head with Rosemary Wreath

August 27, 2012 by 90 Comments

Welcome to the 188th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy Monday to you!   For this Metamorphosis Monday I'm sharing a couple of fun updates here in the office.  Okay,  here's the "before" picture for this little office tweak.   Do you see the changes?  Something has been added and something has been taken away.   The clock is gone for now.  I loved it but the shape felt wrong for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Christmas Decor, Christmas Holiday Home, My Nest, Office/Craft/Sewing Room, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , ,



How to Make Rose-Scented Sugar

August 20, 2012 by 59 Comments

Welcome to the 187th Metamorphosis Monday! One of my favorite books is Roses for the Scented Room by Barbara Milo Ohrbach.  In fact, I love all her books including Antiques at Home, The Scented Room and Tabletops.  I just ordered A Passion for Antiques this evening.   All her books are very affordable at Amazon, especially if you buy them used in "Good" or "Like New" condition, which is what I almost … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Easter Holiday Home, Easter Recipes, Recipes, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, Valentine's Day Holiday Home, Valentine's Day Recipes, Valentine's Day Table Settings, Valentine's Day Tablescapes Tagged With: , ,



How to Age, Antique or Distress Furniture, Signs or a Wood Flag

August 13, 2012 by 45 Comments

Welcome to the 186th Metamorphosis Monday! Recently, I was chatting via e-mail with Nancy,  a talented DIY reader of BNOTP.  Nancy was inspired by a tutorial I posted a while back detailing how I made a wooden flag for Independence Day. I had been inspired by this one in the Pottery Barn catalog.   Since I had a big cookout planned for the 4th, the flag was the finishing touch for my patriotic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decor Knock-offs, DIY Decorating, DIY Repairs and Fixes, Independence Day Crafts, Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , , ,



A Secret Message

August 6, 2012 by 49 Comments

Welcome to the 185th Metamorphosis Monday! I don't have a "home" related Before and After to share this week.   Well, actually I did but I couldn't wait and shared my mirror update a few days ago.  So for this Met Monday, I thought I'd share a very different kind of "Before and After."  It's a romantic "Before and After." Once upon a time there was a Bride and a Groom.    The morning of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, Inspire, Valentine's Day Crafts, Valentine's Day Holiday Home



Make Your Own Beverage Tags: A Ballard Designs Knock-Off

July 17, 2012 by 51 Comments

Recently, I received an "End of Season" Ballard Designs catalog in the mail.  Excuse me, but would someone please tell Ballard Designs to not rush my summer.  It's just mid July and here in the south summer lasts at least until the end of September, sometimes well into October. Max and I curled up in the green and white chair here in the office and had fun oohing and ahhing from one page to the next.  So … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decor Knock-offs, Halloween Crafts, Halloween Holiday Home, Halloween Recipes, Independence Day Crafts, Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,



A Magical 4th of July with Good Friends

July 6, 2012 by 50 Comments

Thanks so much for all the wonderful comments yesterday.  I'm so looking forward to another 200 Tablescape Thursdays! Lately I've been sticking near home a lot.  I'm determined to get all the posts at BNOTP categorized, tagged and labeled so I can make the switch to the new system to alleviate the issue some readers are having accessing posts via the category links.   So every free second when I'm not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , , , ,



Decorate Your Deck for Summer Parties and Cookouts

July 4, 2012 by 22 Comments

Happy 4th of July! Do you have any big plans for today? I'll be celebrating this evening with friends atop the Sundial in Atlanta.  Whooo, Hooo!  Really looking forward to seeing the fireworks from there!  Have you ever spent the 4th dining inside the Sundial?  Where's the highest spot from which you've ever viewed fireworks?  Any recommendations for a great fireworks show or is the best show going to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , ,



4th of July Table Setting

June 28, 2012 by 59 Comments

Welcome to the 199th Tablescape Thursday! Greetings! Hope your week is going great.   Look what I found on my front porch today.  A package!  I wonder what could be inside? Oh, there's a little note.  Let's take a closer look and see what it says.  The note says, "Enjoy!" and it's signed, Mary.   Any guesses what might be inside?   I'll give you a big hint.  Tucked inside this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Table Settings, Independence Day Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , ,



A Patriotic Celebration

June 21, 2012 by 40 Comments

Welcome to the 198th Tablescape Thursday!  Hope your week is going great!  It's 12:25 AM Thursday morn as I write this.  I am a bit late finishing up my tablescape post for this week because I've been hanging with my blog friends at Haven.  We all went out to dinner this evening after the kick off of the Haven Conference and I just got home around 11:30. So, that means the pictures I'm sharing this week … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Table Settings, Independence Day Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: , , ,



Easy 4th of July Centerpiece Table Decoration

June 15, 2012 by 30 Comments

Yesterday was flag day and that started me thinking about another patriotic holiday just a couple weeks away.  Last year I created this table setting for the 4th of July.     The centerpiece was so much fun to make.  I never got around to sharing just how I made it last year.   If you're looking for a festive, easy-to-make centerpiece or table decoration for an upcoming … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Independence Day Crafts, Independence Day Decor, Independence Day Holiday Home, Independence Day Table Settings, Independence Day Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,



Easter Table Setting with Floral Centerpiece

April 26, 2012 by 58 Comments

Welcome to the 191st Tablescape Thursday! Thanks so  much for all the wonderful comments left on yesterday's post.   I so appreciate each and every one.  Your encouragement is giving me the perseverance I need to finish the project. I know Easter has long since past but I'm still not quite done with bunnies. This time the bunnies are in a springtime breakfast table setting. Lately, I've been … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Easter Holiday Home, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday Tagged With: , , , , , ,



Table Setting with Spode, Chinese Rose

April 19, 2012 by 34 Comments

Welcome to the 190th Tablescape Thursday! Greetings!  For this week's Tablescape Thursday, we're stopping by Cornelia's beautiful home in Switzerland.  Recently, Cornelia prepared a wonderful table setting to share with friends and family for Good Friday. Cornelia said, "I set the table with Spode’s Chinese Rose.  Chinese Rose is the most popular and long-lived of all Spode patterns, and is derived … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Easter Holiday Home, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Tablescape Thursday, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,



Make Marshmallow Flowers for Cupcakes: A Tutorial

April 11, 2012 by 21 Comments

Last week's Tablescape Thursday included yummy cupcakes. Here's a wider view of the tablescape...   The cupcakes were decorated with little flowers in celebration of spring.   Today, I though I'd share how I made the little flowers.  It's soooo easy, you're gonna love this! To begin, take a hand full of miniature marshmallows and cut them in half on the diagonal.  It's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Easter Holiday Home, Easter Recipes, Recipes, The Holiday Home Tagged With: ,



Easter Spring Table Setting with Tulip Centerpiece

April 5, 2012 by 71 Comments

Welcome to the 188th Tablescape Thursday! Happy Spring and welcome to Tablescape Thursday, a party where we celebrate our love for entertaining and creating pretty table settings for our friends and loved ones.  A beautiful table setting is really just an expression of caring and love for those who'll gather there. Tulips make such a wonderful centerpiece for a spring or Easter table … [Read more...]

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



Double Bowl Hurricane Floral Centerpiece: Pottery Barn Knock-Off

April 3, 2012 by 49 Comments

I've been using a lot of fresh flowers in table settings lately.  Once those cold winter months are behind us, it's such a joy to bring fresh flowers into our homes.  One of my favorite flowers is the tulip.  It's almost impossible to think of spring and not think of beautiful tulips. Tulips are a wonderful flower to give or receive for a birthday or for Mother's Day.  I've been the happy recipient of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decor Knock-offs, Easter Crafts, Easter Decorating, Easter Holiday Home, Easter Table Settings, Easter Tablescapes, Gardening & Birding, In the Garden, Seasonal Tablescapes, Spring & Summer Tablescapes, Tablescapes Holiday Tablescapes Tagged With: , , , , , ,



Decorate Your Door for Easter

April 2, 2012 by 44 Comments

Welcome to the 167 Metamorphosis Monday! I have a fun, crafty metamorphosis to share for this Met Monday.   I don't have "before" pics but they would simply be the supplies you would buy to create this adorable bunny for your spring door.   I know that looks like a Christmas tree out on the porch.  It was a tree in an urn with dragonfly lights.   I had it out there for a while but eventually removed it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Before & After, DIY Crafts & Sewing, DIY Decorating, Easter Crafts, Easter Decorating, Easter Holiday Home Tagged With: , ,



Spring Easter Table Setting with Daffodil and Moss Centerpiece

March 29, 2012 by 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: , , , , ,



Make Heart-Shaped Sugar Cubes for Parties: A Tutorial

March 28, 2012 by 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: , , , , , , , ,



Spring Easter Table Setting with Wisteria Centepiece

March 22, 2012 by 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: , , , , ,



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

March 15, 2012 by 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: , , , , , , ,



Valentine’s Day Table Setting: Candlelit and Romantic

February 16, 2012 by 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: , , , , , , ,



Eye Candy for Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2012 by 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

February 13, 2012 by 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: , , , , , , , , , ,



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

February 10, 2012 by 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: , , , , , , , , ,



Table Setting with Music & Mercury-Glass Heart Tree

February 9, 2012 by 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: , , , , , , , , , , ,



Elegant New Year’s Eve Table Setting

January 5, 2012 by 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: , , , ,



Christmas Tree Lit with Real Candles

January 3, 2012 by 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: , ,



Brumby Hall: Tour the Upstairs of This Historic Home

January 3, 2012 by 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: ,



Easy Key Lime Pie Recipe

January 2, 2012 by 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: ,



Elegant Dining in Brumby Hall

December 29, 2011 by 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: , ,



Beautiful, Historic Brumby Hall: Take the Tour

December 28, 2011 by 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: ,



The Upstairs Family Room Decorated for Christmas

December 26, 2011 by 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: ,



Ice Chiller for Wine or Champagne: A Tutorial

December 23, 2011 by 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: , , , , , ,



Christmas Tablescape with a Lemon & Lime Centerpiece

December 22, 2011 by 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 Mice Ornaments or Present Toppers: A Tutorial

December 21, 2011 by 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 Vacation

December 17, 2011 by 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: , , ,



Tour the Historic Whitlock Inn

December 16, 2011 by 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: , ,



A Mercury-Glass Christmas Tree Table Setting

December 15, 2011 by 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: , , , , , , ,



Colonial Williamsburg at Christmas

December 14, 2011 by 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 Porch with Triple Wreaths

December 12, 2011 by 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 Historic Home Tour in Marietta, Georgia

December 9, 2011 by 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: , , , , , ,



Santa Claus is Coming to Town

December 8, 2011 by 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...]

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



Beautiful Christmas Banister

December 7, 2011 by 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: , , , , , , ,



Pottery Barn Christmas Garland Tutorial

December 5, 2011 by 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: , , , , ,



Thanksgiving Table Setting with Nature Themed Centepiece

December 1, 2011 by 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: , , , , , , , ,



How To Hang Wreaths on Exterior Windows for Christmas

November 30, 2011 by 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: , , , ,



A Few Seasonal Updates Around the House

November 28, 2011 by 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: , ,



Sometimes the Grass Really Is Greener on the Other Side

November 25, 2011 by 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: , , ,