Category Archives: Decor

Get Your Color On! Yellows

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Get Your Color On blog series yellow buttercup lemon ochre gold schoolbus taxi cab dandelion psychology decorating tips home decor furniture accessories lantern vase fabric Greek key bees dandelions rug shower curtain frame dinnerware IKEA Pier 1 World Market Crate and Barrel Kohl's Threshold Rachael Ray Joann Fabrics Fabrics.com

Yellow is quite the powerful color. It’s inspired many songs in various music genres, is a color guaranteed to grab your attention, and is symbolic of wisdom and optimism.

My inspiration for this current post of Get Your Color On! is the abundance of sunshine and warmth we’ve had here in northwest Ohio. With summer on its way, it’s the perfect time to celebrate yellow by decorating with it.

Because yellow is a very stimulating hue, it can be tricky to decorate with. It comes in a spectrum of shades that can spark a variety of moods in our homes. Creamy, pale hues like buttercup evoke a sense of happy calmness, while saturated yellows like lemon or schoolbus yellow inject energy and cheer into a space.

Continue reading for my tips on using this color in your home, decor projects & tutorials from other bloggers, and my personal selections of yellow decor items.

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Work in Progress: IKEA Rast Dresser Makeover

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Note to self: cut yourself off from painting anything with drawers. Seriously. If you hear me talking about another dresser or desk to make over with paint, contact me, stat.

I started this project of painting two IKEA Rast dressers about a month ago. Almost every piece of furniture I’ve made with over with paint has had drawers.

Drawers=more planes=more sanding=more painting=more work=less fun.

Here’s a close-up shot of them so far:

IKEA Rast pine wood dresser furniture makeover latex paint Behr Premium Plus Ultra in Sterling Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover in flat white Minwax Polycrylic in semi-gloss light cool gray mid-century modern decor bowtie

My weapons of choice: Behr Premium Plus Ultra in Sterling (flat), Rustoleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover in White (flat), Minwax Polycrylic in Semi-Gloss.

This round of furniture painting has taught me a few lessons. Continue reading after the jump to see what I’ve learned through this process.

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Pretty in Pink: Patio Inspiration Board

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Pink Balcony Inspiration Board coral salmon flamingo patio outdoor decor brick quatrefoil terra cotta planter glass candle votive

Do you ever get ideas that seem to come to you from nowhere? I don’t believe in coincidences, so when these ideas appear to me “out of the blue,” I embrace them. I consider them a form of creative intuition.

However, my latest epiphany left me scratching my head: re-decorate the balcony with PINK.

Now, I’m not an anti-pinkite. Pink just isn’t a color that strongly appeals to me. So when this idea came to me, I was skeptical. I decided to entertain the idea and see how I could make this work. Read along to see what decor items I’m using for inspiration and some of the accessories I will include in my balcony makeover.

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Share the Light This Mother’s Day by Making these Easy DIY Soy Candles

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I’ve inherited many things from my mother: a corny sense of humor, a love of baking, her nite-owl nature, an appreciation for reading… and a love of candles.

If you’re looking for a thoughtful, practical gift for the mother in your life, consider setting a date with her and making some candles together. Or you could just make the candles yourself to give as a gift to that special mama.

easy DIY soy candles Swan Creek Candle Company refill wax glass containers thrifted glass tealight votive cotton wicks Mother's Day project gifts Fresh Bamboo Buttercream Vanilla Lilac Mist Amber Musk

A couple weeks ago, my mother and I spent the day together replenishing our arsenal of candles. It was great to share a creative experience with my her and I think she still enjoys teaching her daughter a thing or two.

Thanks to modern technology, candle-making is quite easy to do and can be a thrifty project. Continue reading for the tutorial on how to make these candles, plus my mother’s handy tips.

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How to be a Successful Thrift Store & Secondhand Shopper

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Happy Earth Day! In celebration of today, I’d like to share tips for a way we can all enjoy a greener lifestyle: using thrifted and secondhand items.

Earth Day how to be successful thrift store secondhand shopper

In my last post, Why Thrift Store Items, Like, Totally Rock… Plus My Secondhand Finds and Reincarnations, I discussed the various benefits to using secondhand items. One of those benefits is that used goods help decrease our carbon footprint. Less energy is expended to create additional items, less packaging is produced and disposed, and less garbage goes to the landfills.

Ready to shop? Now that you know the many benefits to secondhand shopping, arm yourself with my personal pointers for thrifting success. Continue reading →

7 Tips for Creating a Sacred Space in Your Home

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Create Sacred Space in Home

You look forward to yoga class every week because of the serenity it gives your mind and body. You come home feeling like you’re walking on air and nothing else matters… but that feeling goes away the next day as you take on the world again.

Each Sunday, you and your significant other enjoy the affirmation and renewal you receive at church. You leave feeling stronger and better equipped to handle life’s challenges. But somehow, that energy leaves your mind and spirit during the rest of your week.

You have one of the toughest jobs in the world: being a parent. It’s a very rewarding position, but you look forward to every chance you get to have peace and quiet. Those are your moments to unwind and give yourself some much needed attention…if you could find a place amidst all the toys and games scattered about.

Taking time out for our spirit is as necessary as eating well and keeping a peaceful mind. We have areas of our home designated for specific purposes: cooking, eating, sleeping, beautifying, creating… but how many of us make sure to include a sacred space for regular practice?

Read on for my tips on creating a sacred space or reviving the space you already have in your home.

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Get Your Color On! Pastels

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Get Your Color On Pastels square bubble-001

Welcome to another post of Get Your Color On! This edition is inspired by the arrival of spring, the Easter goodies and ideas currently out there in blogland, & my recent vacation in Florida.

These colors are commonly associated with Easter, children’s rooms, vintage or mid-century modern decor, and sweet treats. Because pastels tend to be used in a bright manner, they can be challenging to decorate with. However, these colors can be used in a multitude of ways and a variety of shades. Read along for my tips on decorating with pastels by using a scale of color dosage.

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Vote For Me!

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I finally received word that I’m a contestant in Apartment Therapy’s Bedroom Retreat contest—woooo!

DIY Beachy Zen Bedroom Makeover neutral pallette white cream brown black silver gray green faux bois foam headboard wood bamboo nature beach Zen Asian decor

Check out my entry on Apartment Therapy here or visit the URL below. If you dug my bedroom makeover, please select me as your favorite in this contest.

The link on AT only has a few pics, so come over to my previous blog post herefor more photos & details on how I made this room my sanctuary. Voting ends 4/1 at 12PM EST. Many thanks for your support!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/angelas-nature-inspired-bedroom-my-bedroom-retreat-contest-186558

My Beachy Zen Haven: a Bedroom Makeover

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EDIT: my bedroom has been selected in Apartment Therapy’s Bedroom Retreat contest! Vote for me here by selecting me as a favorite.

Imagine a place you can relax in, unwinding from the day’s stresses and challenges. This place envelopes you in crisp, clean white yet possesses an earthy, natural energy that calms your senses and mind. In this place, you can only do a few things—dress, sleep and some light reading—but this is perfect. You don’t want this space to encompass a lot of activities, because it’s where you detach from the world. This is your sanctuary, your haven to rest and renew yourself for the new day ahead.

This space is what I created with my bedroom makeover. Come check out how I transformed a blah bedroom into a beachy Zen haven:

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Get Your Color On! Jumpstart Spring by Decorating with Green

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Get Your Color On Spring Greens square bubble-001

Here in NW Ohio, we’ve had a pretty mild winter. And yet, I’m starting to get antsy for spring. The days are growing longer & the sun is shining more, making it even harder to accept it’s still winter for at least another month. Spring officially starts March 20th, but it’s not unusual to experience the last snow in April here in the Great Lakes.

So I’ve decided I’m going to start ushering in spring now— indoors. The first thing I think of when I hear the word “spring” is green: plants sprouting through the earth, new blankets of grass, trees starting their cycle of growth with tiny buds. There’s just no spring without green.

Green is a color of renewal, fertility, freshness, and health. Green symbolizes tranquility, yet it provides a burst of much-needed color after the whites and grays of winter. Read along for my hand-picked items and my tips on decorating with green to infuse the upcoming season into your space.

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