Blue and White Chinoiserie Tree

There has been a little Christmas decorating progress.

It's a little progress because it's a little tree!

 It's in the black library that was my One Room Challenge last Spring.

So this is our first Christmas to decorate this room as a library.

 It's very cozy.

I posted a few ornament progress shots on Instagram.

They are simply inexpensive white glass ornaments and a blue Sharpie.

Yep, that's it.

Then sit down and doodle.

(There are tutorials and inspiration pics all over - check Google images or Pinterest)

I've done ornaments with Sharpie or paint in the past 

but these were super fast - no color decisions.

 It's a blue Christmas right here.

I'm pretty excited to have all of these ornaments finished and on a tree. 

Cause I bought the white ornaments last year!

#betterlatethannever

from my iphone 11/29/2016

We spent Thanksgiving Week here:

We were thankful to be at the beach with family and for so much more!

I posted about finding a pair of beautiful, vintage chinoiserie lamps.

Then I posted a PSA on IG about rewiring your vintage finds. My husband said these would have caused a fire if I had plugged them in - they were in terrible shape wiring-wise :(

So be sure to rewire. It's easy. There are step by step kits at places like Home Depot or ask a handy friend for help.

You'll be seeing them in their rewired beauty in upcoming Christmas decor photos, I'm sure. I love them!

My sister and I got up early on Tuesday of Thanksgiving Week

 to again join Charleston Basket Brigade in their tremendous effort 

to feed the hungry families of the Lowcountry.

 That is just a small portion of the over 1600 frozen turkeys we bagged and boxed!!

And a shout out to the Coast Guard squad that shows up every year to do the heavy lifting!!

And while on the subject of the biggest eating holiday and hunger:

I really liked that quote. So true!

And back to food: 
We went to the Darling Oyster House on King Street in Charleston.
I hate to be corny (not really) but it was darling and delicious.
 We all loved it! Highly recommend it!

This is the back wall of The Darling. I want it in my house!

I'm making some of these. Cause, you know, everyone else is.

They are fun and quick and I hope they make it onto a tree soon :)

Christmas decorating is definitely on slow speed around here!

And I'm watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix with Mollie cause, you know, everyone else is.

I hope my next post is about Christmas Decorations. 

At my house. Completed. We will see!

Christmas Painting Party!

A couple of weeks a go we had a little painting party at church.

 Just ladies, 6th grade and up. People brought friends, sisters, mothers, etc. 

We painted and chatted for 2 and 1/2 hours.

I offer a little instruction and guidance plus provide all the supplies 

and then they just get creative!

  There's always a glitter option when working with youth girls!

#pinterestsuccess

It's good to relax and be creative with a group of ladies!
Have you painted with friends lately?

I Could Not Make This Stuff Up. Really.

I promise this is a true story.

Last week I was running to Home Depot like a crazy person

 working on my One Room Challenge Master Bath Refresh

and I passed by one of my favorite thrift stores.

I tried to talk myself out of stopping because time was flying by.

I didn't convince myself. 

I stopped.

I found these: 

A pair!! Yay.

And I have a spot for them so I felt good about the whole thing.

 See? I was right to take a minute and stop by.

#validation

#enablingmyself

Well, there's a Goodwill between that stop and home. 

I told myself I had already stopped once and bought something

 so just get home and get stuff done.

And then, I am not making this up,

(#pinkyswear)

I said to myself, "What if my dream bamboo kitchen table is in there? I better stop in!"

And I walked in and saw this...

For real.

I cannot make this stuff up.*

It is sooo sturdy.

 Not a wiggle in any of the chairs. 

Some wear and tear but I'll get to work on that and getting those seats recovered.

So now the fabric hunt begins.

Oh, what fun!!

*This really happened!!

Fall 2016 One Room Challenge - Sources and Details

This room was definitely about creativity over cash.

It was a refresh not a remodel

Bathrooms can be big money projects. 

I would have loved to rip out the 80's garden tub, move the shower, put in new sinks and countertops... On and on. 

But this was not that project.

So, this is what I did to make the room more "us" and to work creatively with what was staying.

And none of these sources are sponsors ( Don't I wish?). They are just what I liked and used.

I love black and white floors. These have been in there for 20 plus years. They are a pain to clean but I chose them and I think every bathroom floor is a pain to clean.
 Or every one I've  ever cleaned anyway :)

The seagrass rug was less than $20.00 back in the Summer. 
I bought it at IKEA on a whim to see if it would fit and warm up the space. It fit like it was custom made. We have too many spots that would need a small rug: 2 sinks, shower door and garden tub area. Too many little rugs.

The zebra rug was purchased for the Black is Back Library ORC. It was on clearance on Overstock and was the splurge for that room. 
Then didn't make the cut when we found an indoor outdoor rug at Target 
and it was so right for the library. 
Its been hanging out looking for a home. This may be it.

It juuuuust fits. Just.

The white garden stool was marked down to less than $10.00 at Home Depot last year.

I went in for bug spray and came out with that. 

The blue and white chinoiserie planter was thrifted. $19 something. 

I wanted a board across the tub for magazines or a glass a wine or whatever 

if I actually ever soak in the tub. It's just a 1 x1 0 cut to size and gloss poly on it.

 I would like something bamboo or live edge or something 

but this works and we had the board in the basement.

The huge mirror on the back wall was once a deep coral (SW Rejuvenate) and was propped on the counter.
When I decided the cabinet was going to be Sherwin Williams Ravishing Coral I knew the mirror needed to take a step back. It was gorgeous but I wanted the china cabinet to really stand out.

So I primed the big mirror and painted it the soft blue of the ceiling 
mixed with white paint I had.
I wanted it to be just barely not white. It's the perfect size to check your outfit for the day.
I bought this mirror 3 or 4 years ago from one of Mollie's sorority sisters for $50.00.
It's massive and well made. I love it!

The banana palm fabric was a remnant left from a previous project. I decided at the last minute to make the cornices so I had to use something I had on hand. 

It really made a big difference in how the windows looked. 

The bamboo shades are from Home Depot. Less than $15.00 each. 

The mermaid painting, the bamboo mirror which is one of my favorites and the large seascape to the far right are all thrifted. The seashell mirror was $1.51 and the bamboo shelf was less than $20.00. I bought it a couple of years ago at a favorite shop.

The little hanging bamboo basket was a Goodwill find and I knew it would be great for a plant.
Plants love the humidity in a bathroom!

Both bamboo trays were thrifted. The one on the vanity was originally Pier 1.

The blue and white in the room was found thrifting as were the tortoiseshell glasses. 

They were originally Pier 1 (the one on the tub tray) and World Market (on the vanity.)

I found lots of wicker suitcases to use as storage in the china cabinet.

I found all of them at Goodwill for less than $5.00 each.

You may remember the gold pineapple. ( I just found another one - I may paint it white!)

And the best for last...

I found this cabinet about 1 hour after it had been listed on a thrifting app on my iphone. 

I couldn't believe my eyes. 

I messaged her that I wanted it - she still had it.

 I called my husband and said we needed to go get it before she changed her mind.

 It was too good to be true. 

About an hour later her husband helped us load it up. 

It weighs a zillion pounds. 

They didn't think it was all that special - lucky me!!

I purchase her in her former faded yellow-y state for...

Fifty dollars!!!!
I was doing the happy dance when I got that thing in my possession!!

I should have just said I found everything while out cruising thrift shops and GW.
Almost true. 
Everything was on sale, or hanging around the house or thrifted.
Very few things were even purchase in the last 6 weeks - 
this fabric is one thing that I did go looking for once the ORC began.
 Once I saw it! I was all in. 

But, true to form, it was on sale during the month of October for $18.25 a yard!!
Amazing!
So get creative, shop the house, paint things 
and you can make a room feel new and great with very little cost!

Fall 2016 One Room Challenge - The Reveal !!

If you want to see how fast time flies sign up for the One Room Challenge!!!

First, Thank you to Linda at Calling It Home Blog for providing us with the amazing motivator that is the One Room Challenge. Every time I do one of these I think to myself, "Why didn't I do something about this room sooner?"

I chose to refresh our neglected Master Bathroom.

It was not a remodel - nothing was removed, replumbed, etc.

I used more creativity (I hope) than ca$h!

Let's take a (brief 'cause it's not good!) moment to remember where we started.
A dingy, yellowed faux bamboo cabinet, mirrors and such stored in the 80's garden tub, and paint cans waiting and ready!

 

and, below,  the main inspiration photo from One Kings Lane

And here is where we ended up...

The yellow-y thrifted cabinet is now the Ravishing Coral beauty and the star of the room.
China cabinets - not just for dishes anymore.

 The same cabinets got a coat of glossy white paint and some new gold hardware.
The black and white tile floor stayed but I bought a seagrass runner from IKEA back in the Summer and it's fabulous. We have 2 sinks, a shower and a tub. That's too many little rugs. 
The zebra rug is an indoor/outdoor rug that I snagged online, on sale, for the Black is Back Library ORC and it didn't make the cut. Trying it out in here.

 Thrifted Chinoiserie lamp in my coral-y orange. Such a find. 

The fabric on the shower curtain was love at first sight. 

And a little Greek Key trim never hurt anything!

A vintage bamboo magazine rack holds necessities.

I'm not sure that painting is staying but for now... 

And the banana leaf fabric cornices weren't mentioned before

 because the day before I was supposed to post my reveal

 this is what they looked like -