Thanks for sharing, my friends!

My sweet friend, Sunny, just shared a wreath she made for her front door.  She was "inspired" by one of the projects I posted a couple of weeks ago.  Thanks Sunny, for taking the idea and making it even cuter than the original!  Here's what she did:

Take an old picture frame (take out the glass & backing) and hot glue silk leaves to the front.  You can use any size frame!

I love that she used silk leaves that have a little "sparkle" (I'm such a girlie girl and anything sparkly just "has me at hello"!)  She attached a little blown glass acorn on a ribbon for extra cuteness.  Sunny, share where you got that cute ornament.

If you try out one of the ideas I post please share with me!  You can post on my Facebook, if we are friends there, or email me at kendall@digiteconline.com

OR, if you have a different, cute, easy and most of all CHEAPO decorating project, please share that as well.  I'm always hunting for new ideas to decorate without pawning jewelry!

I also want to share another blog with you that I absolutely HEART.  If you are looking for absolutely adorable and unique things for your next party, head over to my friend, Brandy's blog:

www.simplycreativeinsanity.blogspot.com

Is that not the cutest blog name ever?  Brandy is one of my dear friends from high school, now a stay-at-home Mom & entrepreneur party planner & consultant in the Dallas area.  Enjoy!

5 minute Halloween/Harvest decorations! Quick, easy, & no stress!

Here are some really quick & easy Halloween/Harvest decorations I found this morning.  These take 5 minutes MAX to put together!

(photo BHG)

Candy Corn in a clear glass container with ANY fresh flowers!  Easy and super cute!

(photo BHG)

Use simple construction paper shapes and tape to embellish a simple glass dish!

(photo BHG)

Cut a runner out of orange felt.  Cut the same size out of brown felt.  Cut small circles in the brown felt runner.  Layer on top of the orange.

(Photo BHG)

Use fluorescent green foam circles (craft store) Cut into crescent moon shapes.  Use double stick tape to secure them to a tree to look like creepy eyes!

(photo BHG)

Cut Halloween shapes out of black construction paper and tape to the inside of your windows.  When the room is lit, the shapes will glow!

(photo BHG)

Use strips of orange construction paper secured to a glass votive holder at top and bottom with tape, forming a pumpkin shape.  Add a leaf cut out of green construction paper.  Drop a votive candle in for instant cuteness!

More harvest decorating at Kendall's house

I've completed a few more updates and my home is ready for Halloween & Thanksgiving.


I have bookshelves in my entry, but didn't want to completely dismantle what I already had on the shelves.

Instead, I just added a few pumpkins and harvest items to the mix...

This is the arrangement I made last week with the little pumpkins and gourds I got at the pumpkin patch 6 for $3.  I already had the glass container.  I elevated it on orange and yellow books.  I already had the red coral, but thought it still worked with the colors.

I already had the white pearl vase, and just added some burnt orange silk flowers I found at Hobby Lobby for $2

I already had the Ethiopian basket (it usually holds rocks and small candles).  I arranged mini pumpkins & gourds and a few silk leaves and branches.

This is a fiber optic haunted house that I've had for years.  It changes colors and is super tacky but I love it!

Instead of removing things from the shelves, I just added in little pumpkins tied with raffia.

I've also had this little light up pumpkin "house" for a long time.  I just put it on the bottom bookshelf on top of a stack of books.

I spent a total of about $15 on this bookshelf arrangement!

Ssshhhh, don't tell Pottery Barn!

I just love Pottery Barn style, but I hate paying PB prices!  Look at the hurricane candle arrangement I "reinterpreted" for $7 a piece!

Here is the inspiration, courtesy of Pottery Barn...

And here is the Kendall "on the cheap" reinterpretation!

I found the hurricanes at Hobby Lobby for $5.99 a piece.  I layered river rocks in the bottom (PB used nuts or acorns).  I had the pillar candles already.  I used 2 silk Fall leaves layered on top of each other and tied in the middle of the candle with a piece of dark brown raffia.  I tucked a sprig of Fall berries on the side, and voila!  Cute fall arrangement "on the cheap"!  Pottery Barn is charging $59 for just each hurricane, without all the stuff inside!  Wow!

I added a wooden bowl full of gourds and mini pumpkins to the arrangement....

And the whole thing looks like this....

 

It sits on the sideboard in my formal dining room.

I also put together this little arrangement...

 

I used mini pumpkins and gourds to fill a tall footed glass container.  I filled in the holes with silk fall leaves and berry sprigs.  Total cost for this project?  $6, the cost of the pumpkins.  I already had the container & leaves.   By the way, find a local pumpkin patch to buy these mini pumpkins.  I got a great deal on mine at 6 for $3.  Also, Hobby Lobby is running 50% off their Fall decorations right now!

Project Pumpkin underway!

I finally made it over to the pumpkin patch and went NUTS buying pumpkins and gourds in all shapes and sizes.  I think the guy running the place thought I was completely batty!  Here's what I came home with...

I immediately sat down and put together one of the projects I posted about last week.  Here it is...

 

Isn't that the cutest?!  It was super easy.  Here's the step by step:

1.  Use a medium to large pumpkin.  Wash off pumpkin with wet cloth.

2.  Tape a stencil on pumpkin (I used W for our last name.  You could also use 3 smaller pumpkins & spell out the word BOO.  I would use no smaller than 4" stencil).

3.  With a Sharpie, trace around the stencil.

4.  Use a pumpkin carving knife or paring knife (I used a paring knife) to cut the outline of the letter.

5.  Carefully cut out just the top layer of pumpkin skin inside the traced letter.  (Beware -- the pumpkin will be a little "juicy" so don't be wearing anything too nice!)

6.  Place pumpkin in a pot, urn or other fun container.

7.  Tuck in a sprig of Fall leaves, berries or branches.

8.  Tie a raffia or ribbon bow around the stem.

I absolutely love this project, especially because it can stay up through Thanksgiving.

More to come...check back!

Wipe the drool from your chin, please...

Hey there!  Well I'm happy to report that I have cleaned up my house and I'm on my way out to the pumpkin patch right after I submit this post!  Yeah, pumpkin projects here I come!

I'll leave you with some of my most favorite rooms ever.  I mean these are drool-wipin' rooms.  Someday, I'll be totally put together like this...

I'll start with living rooms.  Here is one that I'm so drawn to and can't quite pinpoint why.  Is it the dramatic "swoopy" curtains?  Those curved red sofas or the pillows?  I also like the way the formal pieces balance the cedar trim and the river rock fireplace.

I love this dining room.  It's a little cottage, a little beachy, a little Martha rolled into one.  I love the tall wainscoting, the built in hutches, the big barrel shade lighting, and the plates on the wall.  I love seeing dining rooms that don't have the traditional "set".  Slipcovered chairs and wicker chairs work together beautifully.  I also heart the paint color, but you know I have a thing for blue.

This room is just so self-explanatory!  Love the Indian-ish urns on top of the wire door hutch, the white serving pieces on the fridge and wall, the antique island...

 

Eclectic style at it's best...

This is such a peaceful master bedroom... (*she says wistfully*)

Our Spook-TACKY-ular Halloween Decor!

I was informed by my 8 year old that last year's Halloween decorations were just not scary enough!  Hmmm, a challenge, I hear??  So, presenting our new, GHOULISH, Halloween decor (just looking at it will frighten all you "Marthas" out there, but hey...we do it for the kids right?)

Sidenote -- The pumpkin patch is on my list this week, so I can complete some of those cute pumpkin projects I posted last week!  Check back!

Definitely not far from the truth!

 

Lighted skulls and a severed leg will welcome our trick-or-treaters this year.  Lucky them!

 

Some creepy claws...

 

I can't even explain this one!

 

Rest in peace, whoever you are...

 

And we had to have spiderwebs...

 

A warm welcome from the cackling, rattling caged grim reaper!

 

Creepy...

 

To complete the tackiness, one MUST have an inflatable angry jack-o-lantern!!

 

Mom in da house!!!

Snazzy little website I found!

I must rave about a new tool I found on line -- Polyvore!  It's geared toward fashion, but you can also bookmark images from other websites and create your own "mood board" for decorating.  Below is a contemporary bedroom "mood board" I created while playing around with this website.  You can also create things like this in Adobe Photoshop, if you have it.  I priced the software at the Mac store this weekend -- $600 (*huge gulp*)  Makes me love Polyvore even more now!  Have fun!

Sentimental things...

Most of you that know me, know that last year we lost a vacation home in Hurricane Ike.  Our little shack "on da beach" was a fun place to get away for the weekend with family.  We feel very fortunate that we did not lose our main residence, as so many others did.

When we went to see our property, it was leveled.  We combed the neighborhood looking for anything, ANYTHING from the house.  We found very little.


Here's what our little house looked like before the storm...

And here's what it looked like after Ike chewed it up!

 

Ouch!  Yeah, the pictures are much easier to look at now, one year later!

I have held on to a few things that are precious to me from that time in our life.  Seeing them in my home always makes me smile and think of many fun summers at the beach.

Do you have sentimental items that you just can't bear to part with?   Are they displayed prominently in your home?  No?

Bring them out of their hiding places, dust them off and give them a special spot so that everyone can enjoy them!





Here are some of the little reminders I have in my home in Katy of our "Beach House No More" at 1820 Pompano Drive in Crystal Beach, Texas...

Driftwood arranged casually on top of my kitchen cabinets...

Shells...

Beach Glass...

One of two pieces of our siding found strewn in the neighborhood.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet; perhaps I'll make it the background for a photo collage with some of my very favorite pictures from the beach...

Chance, cousin Ashton & Pierce

The View from our Deck

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