Fall Mantle -Yes, I'm decorating for Fall!

Hi Everyone! Well, I'm crazy, but you all knew that, anyway, and I've begun to decorate for Fall!

 I'm getting an early jump on it this year and I sure had fun today tweaking and playing with different arrangements. =)

I got the candle holders at Michael's last week, 50% off!  I love a good deal, don't you?  The large one was $4.99 and the smaller one was $3.99.

Today, at Safeway, I picked up two Curly Willow bundles and planked each side of the mantle with them.

I added a leaf garland to the mantle and started placing pumpkins and pine cones down upon it...then ran a berry garland up and over the pumpkins.

I sat two twig pumpkins on top of the Tuscan candle holders and varied them at different heights.

I will be adding the final touches to this soon. 

The photos below are some "sneak peeks"...so I hope you like what you see so far! 

 I  L  O  V  E ~*~ F  A  L  L!!!

Thanks for stopping by! When will you start the fall transformation? 

Happy Decorating! 

xoxo ~Liz

Chalkboard Project - FINISHED!

What a project! 
 Are you ready for the lessons learned?  
Pull up a chair! ;)

After watching the video above, I was psyched and decided  to find myself some "Bistro Chalk Markers" and the only place I found them was at HOBBY LOBBY.  The markers were $11.99, pricey to me for only 4 markers per pack, but I was able to use the 40% off any "regular priced item" so I was able to get them discounted which was good. 

Ladies, do not do what I did and use these markers on a wall or door that you used"chalkboard paint" on....the markers will NOT COME OFF!!  It's too bad the packaging didn't warn me of this.  These markers can only be used on  a chalkboard with a "GLOSS" finish.  So, if you decide to use chalkboard paint, do not get the matte finish, get the gloss if you want to use these chalk markers.  These markers are awesome, I will admit, but I had to repaint the door all over again to get rid of the marks. 

After painting I "seasoned" the board by running chalk over the whole thing.

My little one tested it out for me! ;)

So, back to the original plan of using good ol' chalk! 

The door looked unfinished to me, so I decided to add a little pizzazz! I ran to Home Depot and picked up some rope trim, came home and we primed and painted it. We painted the trim to match the wall, which is a green color.

I even got the kids involved in the project and each one took turns painting!

Here is the door with the rope trim installed.

We used E-6000 to stick the trim to the door, and it worked like MAGIC!! 

Here is the finished look.

The trim is subtle, but it add's just enough detail to make me happy!

The "chalk-markers" are now being used to leave notes to the kids...on the microwave of all places! 

Lessons learned.....don't do what LIZ DID! Ha! ;)

Have a great week!

XOXO ~Liz
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Linking up with:
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Chalkboard Paint

How many of you have wanted to try Chalkboard Paint in your home?  Well, whether you are curious about the product, have tried it in the past, or want to learn how to get started, pull up a chair! =)

Chalkboard paint has been popular for a number of years now, and I am about to experiment with it in 

my kitchen.  Would you like to see the process?

This is my pantry door.  As my life gets busier, I find myself needing to leave myself notes as a reminder to get something done, or to perhaps pick something up at the store later.  Well, this chalkboard is going to help me tremendously, especially when school starts back up. NO MORE scatter-brained MOM. ;) 

 Join me and I will show you the simple process.

 This is the door before I started.

These are the products I used.

 I love FROGTAPE, because it keeps the paint from seeping out and it keeps the lines straight.

Here you can see where I taped everything off.  

 I primed my door with spray primer.  Yes, spray paint in the house is a no-no, but I did this with good air circulation and ventilation, fan on/windows open.

I taped off the area that I wanted painted.

In the photo above, you can see where the door has been primed.  I let the paint dry for 30 minutes.

At this point, I was ready to get painting.  I got all my supplies at Wal-Mart.

Paint ready to go!

~FIRST COAT~

 ~SECOND COAT~

 ~THIRD COAT~

~FOURTH COAT~

 ~*FINISHED*~

So, what do you think?

Would you believe, the one thing I forgot to buy was, you guessed it, CHALK!!

So, I am "chalking" this story up to my forgetfulness, thus the reason for a....

CHALKBOARD! ;)

I will show you what I do with it tomorrow! 

Thanks for stopping by! xo ~Liz

Create Your Own Faux Library

Hello!  Today, I would like to share how to create your own Faux Library using book boxes and few other odds and ends! 

Book boxes are fabulous for a number of reasons:

 (1) They are great to use to stagger things at different heights when decorating.

(2) They come in all different shapes, sizes, and styles.

(3) You can store things in them.

(4) You can use them interchangeably throughout the seasons.
(5) You can also hide items in them and no one would ever know what's inside when mixed with a bunch of others books.  
(SEE BELOW)

 The book above is just an ordinary book box, right? WRONG!!!

 See, you can hide your stash of $$$$, or even jewelry, if you must! ;)

  Shhh, don't tell hubby...that's where I keep my decorating stash! Ha!
(Not really, it's the left over money from our garage sale.) =)

 Some book boxes are made to mimic old classic books.

 Since I am into "old world" decor, these book boxes go really with that look and feel.

 In the family room cabinet, I used one book box on the bottom and sat three little plants on each shelf.

Below the cabinet, I hung two old world beveled mirrors and created a simple vignette.

 Here sits my old world orbs and a little topiary sitting on a candle holder.

 I love rustic looking pottery.

I love this vase and sat it next to a big deco ball.

Here is a look from a few steps back. ;)

This is the family room.  I can't wait for our shutters to be installed, the room still feels a bit NAKED without window treatments ;)

One last look!  

I hope you enjoyed our little faux library.

Thanks for stopping by! xoxo ~Liz
Linking up with:
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