Thursday, December 22, 2011

Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah!

We just sent out our company's Christmas cards to all our retailers & they turned out so cute I wanted to show you all. The little girl is a model that was used for the photo shoot...I don't actually know her...but she sure is adorable with her little teddy bear!

And here are a couple other pics from the photoshoot.




Now for my shamless plug....

You too can have a custom rug made, just visit us at www.creativecarpetdesign.com

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Rustic Winter Wonderland Tablescape

I was asked a couple months ago if I would host a table at our church's annual ladies christmas banquet and what fun it has been! This was right up my alley! I love being creative. I love decorating, I love shopping for decor, I love designing....
They said not to spend money, just to use items from your own home...well I could have gone with my christmas gold & white scheme, but wanted to do something different. So I cheated a bit. I bought some stuff. Nothing expensive though...most was bought at salvation army, garage sales, etc...
Oh and let me tell you about those fabulous white plates. I bought them at salvation army for $5 for not 1 but for all 7 plates! I LOVE a Bargain!! They were brand new!
I came home did some research and found they were china and sell for $56 a piece. Cha....Ching!! Gotta love when that happens!
Tonight was the night I decorated my table at church and have to say I think it came out great if I do say so myself.
Take a look.......

Thanks to my hubby for cutting the logs for me! The candle holders were bought at a gargae sale over the summer and we used them at our daughter's wedding reception. Burlap runner was also from the wedding. I bought a plaid scarf which is placed on top of the burlap....(wish you could see more of it)

The graniteware cups are new and by Coleman and so is the flatware.
Black napkins were bought from amazon and I made the napkin rings from supplies found at Hobby Lobby. Clear glasses were from the Dollar Tree.

Greenery was a garland I bought at Hobby Lobby



Thanks for stopping by to take a look!
Have a Blessed Christmas!
Darlene

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

I NEED YOUR VOTES, PRETTY PLEASE!!!!

I entered a decorated christmas tree contest...will you please vote for me! I'm #30 on the list. By the way you can vote everyday. The person with the most votes wins so please spread the word.
Thanks Bunches!!
Darlene

Saturday, December 3, 2011

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Have you decorated your home for Christmas yet? What used to take me a day now takes me a couple days....guess that's what happens when you get older, huh? Anyway, I just finished as much as I'm going to do the other day. Now on to enjoy the magical season!
Now for a little tour...














Friday, October 28, 2011

Animal Print Ornaments are BACK!

Just thought I would let you all know that the animal print glass ornaments are again available on my etsy site. I have been making & selling these for 4 or 5 years, and they are always a HIT!!





These ornaments have been extremely popular! Everyone over the past 4-5 years that we've been selling them has LOVED them! They are so sparkly...they catch the lights of the tree and sparkle like diamonds!



Available in Leopard & Zebra
All Ornaments are Jumbo sized to make a big statement on your tree!


If you are interested in the ornaments...you can find them in my ETSY store

Friday, October 21, 2011

Transforming a Bedroom into a Den

When our oldest daughter moved out we gained a bedroom. We didn't need another bedroom so decided to make it into a den. Just in case we have some overnight guests we decided on a sofa bed.

Here is the inspiration photo I fell in love with.
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I just loved the bookcase surrounding the sofa! It just makes me want to curl up on the sofa and read a good book! Here are a few more photos I found online of bookcases surrounding sofas.
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And here is what we have so far in the process.....
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We bought the sofa bed, side chair at the flea market. Ottoman was purchased from Amazon. Hubby installed the swing arm lamps and I used "Through the Looking Glass" spray paint on the antique window frame glass to make it look like an old mirror. We had the leopard border rug, which I like....just wish it was bigger. Pillows on sofa were purchased at a garage sale. Drapes are from Lowes.
Here's the other side of the room. We bought the dresser at the flea market too. A flat screen tv will be installed on the wall above the dresser soon. The vases and lamp on the dresser were even purchased at garage sales. My goal was to buy everything for this room at garage sales and/or flea markets.
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Hubby will be starting on the shelves around the sofa next weekend...yay! I hope it all comes out to my liking!
Any advice on what color to paint the base & crown molding and closet doors?? I just don't think white gives me the look I want. Photobucket

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

It's beginning to look a lot like Fall....in my Home!

I just decorated our home for fall a few days ago and thought I would share. Come on in and look around. Can you smell the warm cinnamon swirl bread I just took out of the oven?? Yum!!

Oh and please meet Bailey our 4 month old puppy (she's even enjoying fall)











Happy Fall Y'all!!!

Darlene

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Daughter is now a MRS....Yay!


Our oldest daughter got married on 9-10-11 (yes that was planned) They will never forget their anniversary date! LOL
It was a beautiful wedding! Can't believe my baby is a MRS. now!
The photographer posted some of the engagement photos & some of the wedding photos on her blog...so if you want to check them out,

Friday, September 30, 2011

Copy Cat Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table

~CLICK on PHOTO to Make it LARGER~

Do you remember a long time ago I asked if you all could help me find a coffee table for my daughter like pictured on the left??? Well, we found some but they were SUPER EXPENSIVE..like $2500 expensive!! Out of the budget totally!!!

So, my daughter's fiance (now husband) decided to make it instead. His grandpa had recently passed away and had a workshop with some woodworking tools and wood left in it. Reclaimed Walnut wood to be exact...WooHoo!!! Can you imagine how much this coffee table would sell for being walnut?! He even personalized the corner of the coffee table by carving a heart in it with A+C for their initials and on one side has their wedding date of 9-10-11. Such an awesome heirloom that should last forever....it's super heavy!!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Our Copy Cat

Have you seen this incredible buffet & shelves before? Sorry I can't remember who's blog it was from, but I saved the photo to my decor inspiration file on my computer. Well our oldest daughter had a long dining room wall that needed something and this was PERFECT! To see our version click on this link: http://ourcreativelife.blogspot.com/2011/09/tour-of-daughters-apartment-done.html

Saturday, September 17, 2011

A Tour of Daughter's Apartment done Pottery Barn Style

For those of you who still follow this blog you know that for about 1 year hubby & I went garage saleing for things for when our oldest daughter moved out. Well that time came in May when she graduated from college with a degree in Registered Nursing and moved out on her own. She got engaged in January so between finishing college, planning a wedding and moving out it has been a busy year! Last saturday she got married and is now honeymooning in Cancun, MX......so while they were away she asked me to go over there and arrange some of her new hubby's things & I went to their apartment to get some photos while it was clean. For the most part she keeps it clean...but like her mom before we leave for vacation our homes always have to be spotless! I mean, who wants to come home to a messy home...NOT ME or HER!

So....photo taking I did! (beware this post is photo heavy)

Most of the furnishings & decor were either bought from garage sales, flea markets or handmade. She did buy the sofas, tv cabinet & tv brand new though.

My daughter wanted a rustic wood coffee table and her then fiance' said he could make it for her...and that he did! It was made from old rough sawn walnut wood his grandpa had in his workshop. It's super heavy!!! He even personalized it with a heart & their initials in one corner & on one end has their wedding date (9-10-11) Now there is no excuse to ever forget their anniversary! This would cost a fortune if bought from Pottery Barn!!! Like around $2,000...yikes!


Awe, so sweet!

It's thick & chunky and probably indestructible!

She had a long wall in the dining room that needed a focal point, so I looked through my design file on my computer and found something very similar to this and knew it would be PERFECT!

So hubby & I with the help of daughter & her then fiance' built this! Looks FAB doesn't it!
Oh, and see that table....well she got that for FREE when she worked at Bath & Body Works. They were throwing it away. It had blue legs and the top was cracked. She sanded the legs and painted them white and we fixed the crack in the table top. It's perfect size for the two of them. Later when they buy a house, this can easily be used as a desk.





The look she is going for is "Pottery Barn" style. Use of neutrals throughout the home so that she can interject color during certain times of the year.When she gets home from the honeymoon she will remove the summery items and blues and add warm fall colors in her accessories. Oh and most of the accessories/decor you see was purchased at garage sales &/or flea markets

Those bar stools were purchased from a flea market
The sofa & loveseat she bought brand new.

Now for a look at the kitchen......


Even the brand new cookbook was bought at a garage sale for $4! As well as the cookbook iron stand and the owl salt & pepper shakers. Oh and she found the glass pasta container at Habitat for Humanity. Raised that daughter well...she knows how to find bargains!!

This was originally a ugly framed picture. We took the picture out, painted the frame white and added chicken wire for a place to hang up notes, calenders, etc...
Oh and this was a chalkboard we made for part of the wedding decor, it said, "Welcome to Our Wedding" and today decided to hang it up in their kitchen with a welcome home message to the new Mr & Mrs!!
My talented friend Laura who does amazing embroidery made this for my daughter as a house warming/wedding gift along with some monogrammed towels.
More garage sale finds...these are on top of the fridge for some added color. Don't worry...they are faux limes!
Daughter made this moss covered "H" with burlap bow for the wedding decor. But now it looks great in their apartment!


Ok, are ya still with me? Let's check out the bathroom...


See that oar in the corner? Well originally we were planning a lakeside wedding and my idea was to have guests sign a wooden oar instead of a guest book. Well plans changed to a garden wedding but daughter's finace' didn't want to give up the oar idea...so he made the oar (pretty talented that new son in law of mine is) and guests signed the oar with a silver pen. They plan to hang it up in the bathroom, but I'll leave that up to them. For now it's just propped up in the corner. Oh and there are those monogrammed towels from my friend Laura. Along with the burlap covered H that was also used at the wedding. That probably won't stay there, but for now that's the best place I could find for it.

On to the bedroom...






Oops, lets go back into the living room I forgot to show you something.



We found this table at the flea market and thankfully it was already painted white...YAY!
Daughter also bought this antique fan at the flea market & I bought that cool rattan mirror at a gargae sale.



Do you remember what this looked like when she found it at a garage sale??
If not, CLICK HERE


Hope you enjoyed the tour! I enjoyed showing you! Now I can't wait to show you wedding photos! 3 more weeks and we should have them back from the photographer. Stay tuned.

God Bless!
Darlene

The Family

The Family