I want to take you home

I saw this Accordion lamp a week and a half ago at the Potterybarn outlet in Dawsonville, GA for $130 and have been thinking about it ever since.

click the picture to go to the PB page

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Last Minute Decorating Ideas

...because I'm late this year.

I think I'll try wrapping our presents in burlap this year. Seems easy enough. Burlap + brown ribbon + cute tag. I think I can find burlap at Michael's, definitely at a fabric store. Hopefully I can add the Naughty or Nice tag below.

1. Wrap with a Natural Look
2. Fruit and Greenery Arrangement
3. Top the Tree with Bells
4. Wrap Gifts in Burlap


THESE Christmas present tags are so cute. Tomorrow I'm headed out to see if I can buy a stamp at hobby lobby or Michael's to make them. I could buy them online, maybe even in get them in time for Christmas, but I think I'll try to make them first.

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Love Quality at a Good Price

Before my family came in town, I looked everywhere for a frame for my favorite picture. Jay found an old print of Savannah, that depicts the first days of colonization. I love the picture, but it desperately needed to be re-framed. We looked everywhere for frames but none of them seemed like they were good quality. Seriously, we must have tried 8 stores. But then, the last store we tried came through. We ran into Hobby Lobby on a whim and found out that they have really quality wood frames. They have aisles and aisles of the frames. You pick out the look you want, then take it to the counter and pick out the glass and mat. They complete the order while you wait...cut the mat to fit and put it together, with hangers. It took less than 30 minutes for ours. It was also less than $100; I think it was about $75.

Side note: Because the frame is all wood and glass, it is really heavy. We used a 3-nail picture hanger that distributes the weight, which worked great.

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Creative Ideas

This magazine is awesome. My mom saw it for the first time this week and fell in love with it too. Looking through it with mom made me realize how many ideas I've pulled from their designers. I usually just pick it up in the grocery store, but since it has become such a regular fixture around the house I think it's time for a subscription.

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Home for the Holidays

So happy to have family in town for Thanksgiving this year!

I leave guest keys for everyone so they feel like they can leave if they want to shop or just run out for a minute. I also added small bottles of water so that our guests didn't have to go hunting in the middle of the night for something to quench their thirst.

I try to have fresh flowers, mints and water in the guest rooms when visitors come.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

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Finally

I've been working on one of our guest rooms for a while. I knew that I wanted to go clean and simple - that's the style that we feel the most comfortable in.

My parents had an extra bed and headboard last year, which they kindly gave us last year...and gave me a jump start for decorating. The headboard was gold, so I spray painted it black. I knew that I didn't want to spend too much money to finish off the rest. I found the chest & side table in different antique stores, and printed pictures we already had from a trip for the collage over the bed. I picked out the fabric from Outrageous Bargains, and had pillows and the side table cover made by a seamstress. The side decorations all came from the outlets. I think each item was about $10. The lamps were only $30 on closeout from Target, a total steal. Finally ..the room is done...now it's ready for our Thanksgiving guests!

**The paint color is Stone by Restoration Hardware.

I love the way the paint on the chest looks in this picture.

This is a guest water bottle and glass (on the top). It's a great idea to have ice water waiting for guests after they've traveled all day.

One last thing...this is my trick with old furniture. Drawer liners and soap. You can make any old chest smell great after a couple of weeks.

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