Fall Decor Ideas

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Megan

Fall is quickly going to be upon us. How crazy is that?!? I feel as though “Fall” is the most difficult season to decorate for. You don’t want to make it too Thanksgiving-y when its early in the season and Halloween just throws that whole color scheme for a whirl right in the middle of it all! I have decided that I will start to decorate for the season soon as I feel it is a forgotten opportunity for decor but I needed some inspiration. I of course headed to Pinterest… where else would I go??

Much to my sadness… I did not find the millions of ideas I expected to. Many of the decor ideas I found were geared towards Thanksgiving. However, as I sifted through the Thanksgiving overload… I found some great simply fall decor ideas and I wanted to share!

This first one is a great DIY tutorial for a bookpage covered pumpkin. Really, what could be better?

{via Urban Daisies}

My favorite part in this next one is the brown paper flowers…

{via A Place for Us}

You all know my love of burlap…

{via Sweet Something Designs}

Wood and twigs are a great addition to any fall decor. Brings the outdoors in, doesn’t it?

{via Guyer Family Blog}

White pumpkins and galvanized buckets? I’m sold.

{via Decor Chick}

And back to some burlap…

{via Love of Family and Home}

What did you think? Anything strike your fancy? I now have a clearer idea of what I am hoping to accomplish in our fall decor. I even have plans for a DIY outdoor mat!

Be on the lookout for how it all turns out!

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The Key to Organizing

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Megan

In the spirit of organization, I’ve been trying to find solutions for the things that just get thrown on the coffee table when we walk in the door…keys, mail etc etc. Well, I have come up with some fun solutions that have been working for us so far and wanted to share!

While at my parent’s house recently, I found an unfinished wood holder that I knew would be perfect.

It was little and simple. Just right!

I decided to paint it a pale blue color. I used one from Martha Stewart’s craft paint line that I already had on hand. It took a few coats because the wood really soaked up the paint. After I painted it, I decided it needed a little bit more pizzazz, if you will..

And in came the yellow stripes…

I made stripes using painters tape and painted the uncovered areas in some yellow craft paint I had. I didn’t measure the stripes… just winged it!

The yellow paint came out brighter than I was hoping… so out came the sand paper! I sanded down the front until it looked worn and weathered.

Much better, don’t you think?? Once it was done, just hung it up and my keys were already looking better!

I am happy with how it turned out! Be on the lookout for more posts regarding organizing soon!

Have you been on an organizational kick lately? Any great tips you want to share??

DIY Burlap-Wrapped Vase

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Megan

Burlap is all the rage these days.. and I am so jumping on that trend. I love burlap because it is rustic but can be chic and is really inexpensive to buy. I have this problem where I will be out shopping with people and they will pick up something they love and go to buy it. Most friends would say “how cute!” or “I need one too!”. Instead I typically talk them out of buying it and explain how I could make it. This happened at a recent trip to Pottery Barn…

They had candles wrapped in burlap that were really cute. We were with Brett’s sister and I explained how she could make the same thing for about a dollar. Well this burlap-wrapped candle got me thinking about the burlap I had at home. And well, that brings us to today…

A burlap-wrapped vase! The vase I used is actually a dollar store contraption I made. I bought a vase and a candle stick from the dollar store and then used some gorilla glue to adhere them together. Yay for cheap and easy projects!

Other than the vase, I used spray adhesive, some burlap and scissors. It was a really simple project. I just cut out a piece of burlap and trimmed it down to size to fit the vase. Then I put the burlap on some newspaper and sprayed it with the adhesive. From there (as I sure you would guess) I just put the burlap around the vase. And I was done. Yes… that simple.

I opted just to create a band of burlap rather than cover the whole thing… just in case I fill it with something one day. Maybe shells in the summer… and candy corn in the fall??

Let me know if you try it! And as always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

Just a Little Break

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Megan

Why hello! I haven’t blogged in a few weeks as Brett and I were on vacation and just trying to grasp to the end of this summer weather… which as of yesterday had us with tornado warnings. In the Northeast… that is not very common, at all.

I do have some DIYs and recent purchases I want to share with you guys but first I thought I would just let you know what I have been up to! Our recent vacation started with exploring Hartford, Connecticut. There was a jazz festival going on and they have an old Carousel… so of course I was sold. What can I say, I am a child at heart.

A few days later we went to Newport, Rhode Island for the day. Brett’s mother took the trip with us which was really nice. I hadn’t ever been to Newport before so I was overly excited. So many great little shops. I was determined to find a little trinket to take home but I didn’t have much luck with something I was in LOVE with. So we headed to the water…

Really beautiful, huh? I found some sea glass and some small shells which I was excited about! I have a project that I will share with you guys closer to the holidays that these little sea treasures will be perfect for. It is how I remember what fun things we did each year Be on the lookout!

After getting back from Newport, RI we trekked to my parents house on the South Shore of Massachusetts. The best thing about going home is that it always feel like home. I wish I was closer sometimes but I am only a few hours drive away. I feel lucky for that. While I was home, I had the absolute joy of seeing some of the most influential people in my life. Before I moved to Connecticut last year, I was a dance teacher. I’m pretty sure I will never find a job I loved more than that. I was so lucky to be able to teach so many incredible students over the years. Really words don’t do it justice. However, there was one group of girls that I began teaching when they were in 1st grade and I was in middle school and starting as an assistant teacher. Well I ended up teaching them pretty much every year after that (minus when I was in Florida for college before transferring back up to Massachusetts). These girls are now graduating high school or juniors and seniors. It is really crazy to me that they are this old. It is probably how a parent feels… when they watch their children grow up right before their eyes. Well long story short, I was able to meet up with some of them for ice cream after not seeing them for a year. I am so lucky to still talk with them often. They really impacted who I became growing up.

The picture isn’t the best quality as it was taken with an iPhone and it was super humid out. But the pictures make me so happy… even if they are all taller than me now…For all of you that were not there with us, I miss you more than you know!

The next day Brett and I went to Provincetown in Cape Cod. What a fun place. So beautiful and really eclectic. My parents went with us which was great. I am incredibly lucky to have parents that I can look to as friends.

We had the most incredible breakfast at this little place called Edwidge… It was so good…

We also were strolling along the pier when a boat came in with a gigantic tuna. I had never seen anything like it… It created quite the crowd.

Yeah… crazy. Overall we had a wonderful vacation and it was good to get out of Connecticut and work for a while. But now I am back and excited to show you some of the projects I have been working on.

Anyone take any time away recently? Go anywhere good? Let me know!