Mason Jar Luminaries

Hello & happy Friday!

This weekend is filled with all sorts of goodness including some fast & furious courses at the Alt For Everyone. I'm taking away some great information, and am so excited to put it all to use on the blog soon!

But in between classes, I was busy working on a little project

Isn't he cute? Seeing all the Mason jars of late, I could resist no longer and was compelled to put my own spin on a Mason jar. With mine, I decided to create a fresh + modern dotted design. (don't you think he'd be handsome sitting on a round white kitchen table, or on a color block credenza.)

What you need is:

Glass jar
removable adhesive labels in design of your choice
Paint of your choice
glass floral beads
votive candle

I used labels from the office supply store to create my pattern, making sure they were securely attached.

Apply several light coats of paint (do as I say, not as I do and spray paint with the jar upside down to prevent overspray inside the jar - lesson learned).

With the modern dotted design, I opted to use Rustoleum's Universal in gloss white. But if you want a more rustic look, chalk paint would be a good alternative.

Once the paint is dry, very carefully remove the labels.

Then add glass floral beads or sand to the bottom. This helps protect the surface underneath from heat damage if the candle burns for a long period of time.

And here's my finished product. I love the graphic of the dotted design.

I can't wait to put this little puppy to good use - I think I have the perfect spot!

Happy weekend my friends!

CB2 & the Novigratz Brasil Giveaway - What's Not to Love? #CB2NovogratzBrasilSweepstakes

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CB2. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you seen the latest collaboration between CB2 and the design duo Bob & Cortney Novogratz? It's a beautiful partnership that offers an eclectic island design inspired by the duo's vacation home in Brazil. It's based on a colorful aesthetic of both modern and vintage that's full of personality with a twist of well-traveled {and you guys know how much I love that}.

The CB2 and Novogratz Collection is chic, stylish, and family friendly - true to the Novogtratz's style - while being at a price point that's attainable for most any budget. And I love the long-term commitment this collection offers with its versatile design allowing for plenty of mixing & matching. Here are a few of my favorites from this latest collection

i love the playfulness of the robert and cortney bookends (49.95)

Speaking of play, check out the playful Figueira Swing Chair (149). I totally want this!

And what's not to love about the modern lines of the Soneca Pendant lamp (149)

Oh, there is so much to love about this collection! But my biggest love is the sweepstakes that CB2 & the Novogratz's are hosting - a one week sleep-over at the Novogratz home in Transcoso, Brazil that you and three of your closest friends have a chance to win! Yep, it could be yours! Just go the the CB2 and Novogratz Brasil Sweepstakes to enter.

And if a slumber party isn't in the cards for you, don't dispair, because CB2 is also giving away $100 gift cards along with a personally signed copy of the book "Home by Novogratz"  to ten other lucky winners. Entering is easy - just enter via the cb2.com/sweeps @  CB2 and Novogratz Brasil Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes run May 2nd through June 3rd.

I've already entered. But if i don't win, I want it to be you!

Floral Arrangements from the Garden

Part of last weekend was spent catching up in the garden and reaping the rewards of all my hard work by bringing some blooms indoors.

This is what makes all the hard work worth it.

These simple stems of water iris are set behind a potted fern for a woodland display.

One of my favorite annual blooms are from our rhododendrons. So full and lush and so Southern. The grey chair is the perfect backdrop for this lavender blossom.

But this arrangement is my favorite only because a precious two & four year old helped to arrange it. Such talent! I can already see the gardening potential in them both and will do all in my power to encourage the tradition!

When trying to decide on a prominent spot for this bouquet, I was instructed by the girls to placed this arrangement in the kitchen window in front of the sink because they said I stand there all the time. I suppose that was so that I could enjoy it while doing one of my least favorite chores washing the dishes. Sweet little imps! ;)

What's blooming in your gardens?

linking to savvysouthernstyle

Sweet Revival - Upcycling the Better Half

Ha! Clever title, no? Wouldn't we all love to upcycle our other half at times? But I digress...

I was hanging at a local auction the other Saturday evening, 'cause that's just how we love to spend our Saturday nights now days. But that's, once again, another story. So, up came the decrepit upper half of a old secretary. It had nice lines, but was in awful shape and was painted in the darkest of brown. Still, I was intrigued and my mind began to whirl around ideas. Add legs to it & make it a bookshelf? Marry it to a lonely lower half? Oh! How about as a hanging potting shed - because I'm all about creating an interesting potting shed for myself right now. Yes! A hanging potting shed for my garage or back deck. Perfect!

{bid, bid, win}

And here's what I came home with

She is a dreaded mess, isn't she. No worries, a coat of paint is just the ticket to make her into an interesting workhorse. Since she was to be garden related, I was thinking a can of green would work nicely.

But she wasn't having any of it. She let out a heavy sigh as I contemplated my collection of brightly colored spray paints. No, she wasn't feeling a bright happy shade of green, so I went to the next easiest option - I slapped a coat of chalk paint in Paris grey, with the standard distressing.

Fitting. And because it would be in a semi-outdoor environment and I was too lazy to wax it it needed good protection, I applied a protective coating Rust-oleum clear coat.

I love my Rust-oleum!

But now that she's all painted, she's just too pretty for a utilitarian purpose such as housing dirty garden tools. {Wait a minute! Clever little secretary, she knew exactly what she was doing all along.} I think I've been dupped.

Okay, secretary, you win. But what to do with you now? I immediately thought of storage for my bathroom. I have a bare wall in dire need of embellishment. It might be perfect. So I lugged her indoors for a visual. 

Picture the piece on the left - attached to the wall on the right.

Just my luck, it's too deep to fit. Well, since I already had her indoors, I decided to have some fun and decorate her up a bit.

Oh, so pretty & such a tease - why don't you fit???

 See just how lovely it could be hanging in someone else's bathroom? And so functional, too - you guys know I love me some dual purpose furniture.

Yes, a potting shed would have been an injustice to this beautiful piece.

It's Good Being Home

Sunday was a special day - not only because it was Mother's Day, and not only because it was one extraordinarily beautiful day, but because I'm home after being away for an extended period.

It was so nice to spend Sunday morning on my own cushy sofa, sipping coffee & being served breakfast by one awesome guy! It's so calming to be home. The familiar scent as you enter, the comfort of having everything in the exact place you like it, and the pleasure of one's own bed.

But I am especially excited to be home to see my garden during this time of the year.

I've already missed many of my favorite springtime blossoms, such as the grand display of my Lady Banks roses that welcome as you come up the drive {I was sad to have missed her annual display}. But there's plenty more still in bloom, and I plan to soak up all the goodness while I'm here next week.

I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to share with you just how beautiful it was to come home after being away.

On Friday, we were welcomed by two little babes who spent the evening & next day with us.

On Saturday, in between crazy play, Barbies, and tea parties, we played outside.

At one point Charlotte insisted that Michelle & I get married so she could toss fallen rose petals into the air. It was a beautiful ceremony I wish I had captured!

Exhausting fun!

And while we were busy playing, Mr. H gave the lawns a much needed cutting.

Don't you love how a freshly mowed lawn sets the scene for the garden beds? So pretty.

And the summer vege garden was planted. These little seedlings will produce some fiery heat that will eventually turn into Mr. H's famous pickled jalapenos.

So pretty in the jar, but oh so wicked...

And here is one of my favorite resting spots:

Which is where you could find me with my favorite beverage once the babes were safely home. #Lovin' this weekend!

Oh, and one last thing - meet our naughty kitty, aptly named "Fritz:"

Yes, the poor snake was decapitated.

Mid-Century Remodel - Staging the kitchen in Vintage 50's

Are you guys ready for the weekend? As we speak, I'm headed home after being away for two full weeks! We're looking forward to getting back home; but there's much to catch up on, and we have a crazy weekend on schedule, so no rest for us just yet!

These past two weeks I've been very busy working on the remodel house. Lots and lots of work happening, but not a lot to show for it just yet. It's getting close, however; and I am beginning to see the light! I was so stinkin' excited to be able to stage a couple of rooms today, so I'm feeling upbeat. You know how it is when you work & work but have anything to show for it? That's the way it's been for the last couple of months -tons happening but no end in sight. Being able to have a couple of rooms completed feels so good. Actually seeing the benefits of all the hard work helps to keep me on track. Soon I'll get to show you lots of the before & afters, recap what was spent, and the number of (wo)man hours that were put into it. I am looking forward to looking back!

Today I'm going to show you how I staged the kitchen in prep for the listing. The kitchen was an easy fix - it just needed a fresh coat of paint - otherwise, all else stayed as is. Keep in mind that for the staging I'm basically using what we have on hand from estate in  addition to a few items I've picked up here & there from garage sales & thrift stores.

Earlier in the week I posted about some vintage finds for the remodel and the little yellow table I was hoping to use as a work station in the kitchen. That little table has a larger cousin, a hutch, which I'm also going to use. Here he is in his before stage - yes, as my luck would have it - wallpapered...{Sorry for the grainy pic}

And here he is now

Actually, I did very little to the hutch besides remove the wallpaper decals and change out the hardware. The bright yellow table was enough color in the kitchen, so I decided the hutch was best left white.

But those country-style brass knobs had to go.  I replaced them with what is probably a replica of its original knobs from the early 70's, chrome.  Amazing how much better it looks by just changing the hardware.

Love the old school chrome so much more! I would also love to paint the back of the piece, and may do so at a time when I'm not so "paint" exhausted from the non-stop painting that's been goin' on.  Right now, that hutch is lookin' pretty darn good as is!

And the yellow table ended up fitting perfectly as a small work table in the center. Yay for things working out when you don't expect them to!!!

As I set up the kitchen, I just went with the flow by using what I had on hand. Want to take a look at all the little finds I collected?  Let's recap.

I upcycled the two pieces of furniture from the estate {the table & hutch} and gave them new life with paint and hardware. In the basement, I found a blue rag rug that fits perfectly underneath the work table and helps tie in the color theme that spontaneously occured. Next, I raided the cabinets and came across a goldmine of vintage 50's kitchenalia. Do you see the retro chrome standing mixer under the table? To die! And sitting next to it is a little collection of handstitched napkins - so sweet!

But did you notice the interesting wall hanging in the second picture above? It's next to the hutch.

It's a vintage kitchen apron. I found this beautiful mint, never used, absolutely adorable pleated apron folded up in a drawer Fancy, to boot - with its blue florals and gold detailing all neatly pleated. A pleated kitchen apron, my oh my! I guess that's the one you greeted your hubby with when he walked in from a hard days work ;)

And more eye candy to admire within the hutch:

I can't wait to take these two vintage cookbooks to bed for a good read and a great laugh.

Here's a quick before shot of the other side of the kitchen:

And here's the after.

Decluttered and a fresh coat of paint. Some things are just that simple.

So there you have the kitchen. If I had had a budget, I would have taken this kitchen much more modern. But by simply working with what I had on hand, we have a great set-up perfectly appropriate for a mid-century home. I'm loving how the retro kitchen unintentionally came together!

So, all the hard work I've been doing is beginning to pay off, and the fun part has begun! You have no idea how happy I am to have made it through the drudgery and manual labor and to have made it to this stage! I'm pretty stoked!

Happy weekend!