:: getting there

It's out, It's out. The first decoration of the Christmas season to be out in my home.  Not because I've had a chance to get up in the attic and pull everything down yet, but because somehow it never made it up after last Christmas and has been hiding out in my pantry ever since. It was so easy to pull this little guy out, now I've got to get myself in gear to bring out all of his buddies....and that's a job I'm not quite ready for.

I'm feeling like quite the slacker seeing all the lovely pictures of your beautiful holiday decorations and Christmas trees. My goal is to start pulling things out tomorrow, to get ready for the tree on Saturday. I'm trying really hard not to get frustrated with the fact that I'm not where I wanted to be in my decorating process {I still have pumpkins on my front porch for goodness sakes}. I really wanted to have it done last weekend, but after hosting Thanksgiving I just didn't feel ready.  Not to mention we had birthday parties and sleepovers last weekend and we just couldn't get everyone in the same place long enough to go pick out our tree.

Is anyone out there like me?  Are you struggling to find time to get it done? Please, please tell me I am not alone. Believe it or not, one year I had my house decorated for Christmas at Thanksgiving, and everyone actually got to see all the hard work I put into decorating my home. The next year, I went super simple on the decorations....this year I'm not sure what direction I'm going....I need a plan.

This year I think I'm going to try to hide things in the rooms where they belong after the holidays just like this little guy...then decorating for the holidays will be a breeze...now to find the space to do it.

Tomorrow the countdown begins.....

:: peace :: love :: hugs ::

Carrie

:: Oh Yay Cyber Monday

Happy Monday my sweet peeps. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This is a super quick post for me because I'm off now to spend the day shopping & chillin' with my bestie to celebrate her birthday. Happy Birthday KooKoo, you're the BEST bestie ever. LOVE YOU.

Just wanted to take this opportunity to pass on some savings of my own in all of my little ol' shops. So pop on over and see if anything catches your eye as the perfect gift.

{ the vintage wren }.... { the artful apple }.... { lily & lulu }

:: peace :: love :: hugs ::

Carrie

:: are you brave?

Not Me.

There's no way you'll find me out on Black Friday battling the crowds for the deals. I would much rather sit in my PJ's sipping a coffee and perusing the wonderful unique gifts on ETSY. So in honor of Black Friday, I thought I would share some photos of the lovely Black {and white} items I found on ETSY this morning....by the way I'm still in my PJ's, with bed head as I type....and I think you are so important that I haven't even had my morning coffee yet.

This is where you will find me today.....HOME.

{ says the tree }

My home is always on my mind...how about you?

{ The Little Chickadee }

I could really use this little lovely right now...my studio is freezing.

{ ixela }

These lovely bows would be perfect for holiday parties...don't you think?

{ Carrie n Ashley }

I think I could pair them with this adorable little clutch.

{ modernradar }

I wonder if I could get the hubs to wear these fun cuff links?

{ Urban Eye }

He might also like this cool piece of art....I know I do.

{ Black Baroque }

Maybe I should carry this little bag instead...

{ Southern Skirts }

Hmm, maybe I'll trade out neck bling for earrings.

{ sarathomas }

So, are you brave?  Were you out there in the crowds today, or were you like me and shopping from your computer?  

I love having the convenience of shopping in my PJ's.  Although sometimes you just can't beat a little retail therapy to get you in the Holiday gift giving spirit. Just not on BLACK Friday.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I sure did...it was one of the best ones yet.  Of course I had my few minutes of meltdown that is par for the course for me at least, my Mom and Sister just laugh at me thank goodness....cuz they know it's going to come at some point. I guess it's the price of {trying} to be perfect, and hosting a house full of people.  I wonder if Martha ever melts down before a big party.

:: peace :: love :: hugs ::

Carrie

:: happy thanksgiving

It's around the corner literally, and today I've been cleaning and getting my home ready for tomorrows festivities. I wanted to share some super simple decorating ideas with you that you can run outside and whip up in no time simply using natures bounty.  I love the simple beauty of this pinecone garland by Twig & Thistle

Or this door display by Country Living.  I wish I had seen this one sooner, as they would look so lovely on each of my french doors. This could just as easily be made for a Christmas decoration by changing out the ribbons, and maybe adding a little glitter to the pinecones {hmmmm, I think I'll add this idea to my project list}.  

How about the simple beauty of a wooden bowl and some fallen leaves to add a little bit of fall pop to your Thanksgiving decor.  It can't get much easier than this idea.

Nothing says fall and Thanksgiving to me like these lovely little pumpkins & gourds. I've seen this done with apples many times, but never really thought of using the little pumpkins & gourds, aren't they lovely.  Simply cut around a tea light and scoop out a little niche for your candle and you have the most lovely simple fall decoration. 

There you have it, some super easy Thanksgiving Holiday decorations that won't break the bank, or take a lot of time....Thanksgiving is tomorrow after all. I really can't believe it's here already.  Well, I better get back at it....I've got a house full of family coming tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy your time with family and friends tomorrow, eat lots of yummy goodness, and somewhere in there find some time to relax and enjoy.

:: peace :: love :: hugs ::

Carrie

P.S.  I'm so very thankful to for all of you who visit me here and comment on this silly little blog.

:: punky's apartment reveal

Good morning sweet peeps.  Sorry I've been awol for the past couple of days, but I've been up to my eyeballs in decorating and shopping for my sweet little Punky's room.  Before I share more about this though, I want to say thank you to you all for the sweet and supportive comments on my last post.  I had to share again, not because I wanted to go there so much as I hoped to touch and help someone else.  I also needed to give thanks out loud for where I am right now....I am sooooo HAPPY.  I do hope that it touches someone else and helps them if they are at all experiencing any of the things that I was. Know that you are not alone, please feel free to e-mail if you have more to say, you can find my e-mail in my profile.

Now, on to a fun subject I know we all enjoy.....d e c o r a t i n g.

Woo, hoo, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel with my Punky's apartment. So I thought I'd share with you how it's turned out.  Hold on to your hats, because this is a big change from where we were.

I'm starting with the photos of her bedroom area, because I honestly love this space. I find myself coming up here and just lounging around on her bed pretending I'm a kid again....I would have loved this kind of space when I was a kid. I'll share some details of where I found things as I go.  I had the chenille bedspread that I had found recently at my favorite little thrift store {love it}. The fun pillows all came from Pier 1 {Love, Love, them}. I was kinda going for an eclectic mix of fabrics, throwing in as much vintage as possible when I could. The mirror above the bed was a past purchase from Hobby Lobby, and was formerly in her bathroom {I had already painted over it's gold finish},  The frames are all thrift and antique store purchases I had on hand {spray painted ivory}, the mirrored laugh and love signs came from Hobby Lobby also, I loved the mirror finish on them, and lastly the curtains came from Ikea, and are the Matilda's, I love these they are so perfect in her room, and they are so vintagey sweet.

I brought the side table in from my bathroom, and the lamp was a past yard sale purchase for $1 which I had painted a long time ago...I think the colors worked out perfectly. I purchased the old rotary dial phone at another local thrift store, and it still works. I added the brown faux fur throw at the end of the bed to carry over some of the darker wood tones into the sleeping area for balance....and Punky loves to snuggle up with in it.

I just adore all the fun colors in her pillows, and all of the details are fantastic....much better than just a plain fabric pillow. I have to admit I was kinda going for an Anthropologie look, but on a budget of course.  These pillows really did the trick, and the price was reasonable.

Just showing you another angle, and the sweet vintage curtains {sheets} I used to hide all of the clutter on the shelves...this makes this area so much nicer for sleeping and relaxing, while she still has easy access to all of her toys. The sheet I had on hand from a thrifting adventure, and I simply purchased some cute cafe curtain rods from Target. I was so excited about how this turned out, and the fabric couldn't have been more perfect for her space, isn't it the sweetest?.

This is the other side of her sleeping quarters. I picked up the table at Ikea the other day, as well as the little galvanized pots, paper holder, and the display wire {or curtain wire}.  I LOVE IKEA.  The table was so easy to put together, and only took me about 15 minutes to put together. I'm going to have a glass top made to protect it from marks, but right now that paper roll makes it easy to roll out a piece to protect the table top. The chairs are from Target, and I snagged them from our basement....Miss "P" wanted an area big enough for her and a friend to sit and draw. I love how this area turned out.

This is how her living room turned out.  I'm really pleased with it as well. I finally got all of the artwork hung in her room yesterday....I just adore those prints by Marisol Spoon. The frames are from Target, as well as the lamps.  The couch if you remember was a Goodwill purchase for $20, and I've decided to leave it as is {I think it works}. The rug came from TJ Maxx, and I was a little up in the air on whether it worked or not, but I've decided it does so we are keeping it {what do you think?}. The bird pillow, and the throw were also Pier 1 purchases, and the little green pillow was a Goodwill purchase.  The cute little creature was a gift from her aunt made by MorningLori on etsy.

So, what do you think? Do you think it turned out Okay? I still have some work to do in here, but overall I've gotten the major things done. I'll share her bathroom area with you when I have it completed, but for now I've gotta get my house ready for Thanksgiving, and then Christmas decorating.  Sheesh, the cleaning and decorating never ends around here.

:: peace :: love :: hugs ::

Carrie

P.S.  I read every one of your comments, and I promise to do my best to get back to you with answers to questions.  If I've missed commenting on your blogs or responding, it's because I'm up to my eyeballs in some kind of project and I can't find any time to get to my computer...please forgive me.

To answer Angela's question about my garden statue, It was a gift from my husband and children for mothers day a few years ago...it came from a local business that sells statuary.  I saw it when driving by one day and I hinted that I really wanted it,  I love it so much....especially the way she looks in the snow.

Thanks again for all of the sweet encouraging comments. HUGS.

Savvy Southern Style

At the Picket Fence

{ sneak peek }

Hallelujah!  The painting is all done....and I LOVE the color....it turned out perfectly.  At the last minute I made the decision to go with my lightest sample even though it was not exactly the color I wanted, but it worked out.  Those samples are pretty much worthless because Sherwin Williams only sells them in one finish....satin....and if you are using a different paint sheen, they just don't match up at all.  Anywhoo, that's a rant for another time.  I wanted to share a few sneak peeks of Miss "P's" room.  It's not completed yet, I still have some shopping and work to do.....but here's a teaser.

 

So now I'm off for a day of beauty at Bliss & Co., doesn't the name sound fabulous.  B L I S S, if only it were so. They would have to do a lot more than my hair for me to be in Bliss....now if a full body massage was included while my highlights processed...now that would be bliss.  

Hope you all are having a wonderful Thursday. Again, I can't believe how fast this week has gone by, and to think....next Thursday is Thanksgiving....isn't it just crazy.  When you are young, time can't go quickly enough....and when you're old, it just doesn't slow down.

:: peace :: love :: hugs ::

Carrie

{ are you here yet? }

{image}

I know, we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet, but everywhere you go you start seeing the signs of the holidays to come. I haven't really given it much thought until a trip to the library yesterday with my little wrens. We went in search of children's novels, and I came away with a stack of Christmas Decorating and Crafting books.  Needless to say, the wheels are beginning to turn.  As fast as time has been going lately, it will certainly be here before I know it. So I better get busy. For today though, I have a bigger project to tackle...painting my daughters room.  Wish me Luck.

Thanks to everyone for the great comments on my LOOT post.  I'll try to share some ways in which I use the things that I actually keep for myself in a future post.  Hope you all are having a wonderful Tuesday.

:: peace :: love :: hugs ::

Carrie

{ the loot }

It was such a beautiful fall day today. Perfect for getting out and hitting the yard sales and antique stores. Just thought I'd share some photos of the loot I scooped up today.  

{ awesome vintage mason jars, the large one is marked 1858 }

{ a lovely milk glass planter, this one will complete a set for me }

{ an old rustic cutting board, I just loved the patina on it }

{ one of my favorite finds this old ammo bag from WWII, isn't it awesome}

{ a couple of sweet vintage patterns, I would wear either of these if I could only find someone willing to sew them up for me }

{ a vintage tobacco can, this one reminds me of my parents because they have one like it in their mountain cabin }

{ an adorable set of mod sixties canisters, too cute to pass by...the orange on has a baby inside. }

{ vintage books from the 1920's,  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these old reading primers...so sweet } 

{ some hand picked vintage postcards, I love every one }

{ another very old reading book, it has the sweetest images }

{ in preparation for the holidays, an old red handled potato masher....love me some mashed potatoes }

{ biggest score of the day is this lovely antique side table, I love the scrollwork bars on the sides }

{ this is probably my second favorite find today, an old Kodak Vigilant Junior Six-20 camera }

Oh, and I almost forgot about the old white crate in the top picture. I'm gonna be able to find lots of uses for that guy....for right now though, he's still carrying all of my loot.  Woo Hoo for loot, and great friends who love to go out and find loot too.  Love ya Brit.

Happy Saturday

peace, love & hugs

Carrie

{ fall dining }

Thanksgiving is almost here, and though my pumpkins are still hanging around I thought I should take some photos of how I decorated with them before they fade away. I also thought I would like to look back and see that it was once pretty, because very soon pretty will give way to lots and lots of food. I have my entire family in my home for Thanksgiving {both sides}, and that's a lot of food...every available surface in my kitchen and dining area will be covered. Mmmm....thinking about all that delicious yumminess makes my mouth water.  So much for pretty.

Simply using what I had on hand aside from the pumpkins purchased at my local farmers market, my decor is super simple {I'm a simple girl}.  I've used my collection of vintage silver trays and cake stand for the centerpiece. I've added a few gourds, pumpkins and pinecones....love my big green pumpkin...sorry I have no idea what kind it is.  The pinecones I had my children collect from beneath a neighboring pine tree {I have a huge collection, and use them as fire starters in my outside fire place, best thing of all they're free}. I've used old cheese domes {cloches} collected from local thrift shops on each of the place settings....they formerly covered lovely green apples....now adorable little pumpkins. I'm thinking they will house some lovely pears for the Christmas holidays. I love the simplicity and look of the little cloches at each setting. I suppose I could have a few more things out on the table to dress things up like napkins and silverware, but I think I have the dustiest house on the planet and it would be impossible to keep it looking nice.  Maybe I'll have to play with a full table setting just for photography purposes.

  

I also love bringing in my lovely limelight hydrangeas as they dry on the vine in the fall months. They are a lovely way to add interest throughout every season....I have them everywhere....and I never tire of their beauty. On my sideboard I have a collection of glass decanters I've collected at thrift shops and yard sales. I wish I could say I had the brilliant idea of putting all the smaller bottles in the big apothecary jar, but I actually saw it somewhere out in blogland....wish I could share the source but I can't remember where it was {If it was you....let me know and i'll be happy to give you the credit you deserve}. I originally purchased the jar for my homemade laundry detergent, but it's huge so I had to get a smaller one....I love the way all the little bottles look inside of it, much nicer than detergent don't you think ; ).

Many months ago I shared my fabric choice for my dining room curtains with you. Well, there they are I've had them since summer, just never got around to shooting photos of them to share. I love them and think they turned out fabulously, they look great with the existing paint color too. I would still like to repaint, but until I do, I think they've pulled everything together nicely. I've also finally gotten a rug to go under the table, would you believe me if I told you I paid only 30 dollars for it. I was looking to purchase a sisal, possibly with a border, for hundreds of dollars and one day when I was at my local Goodwill, I turned the corner and there it was....I nearly had a heart attack, it was exactly what I was looking for. It's not perfect, and it is used, but with all of our animals including one who is an incontinent old lady it will do for a while. I just love the way it looks and the lovely texture it provides in the room.

Now that my Thanksgiving and Fall decorating is documented...

BRING ON THE TURKEY & PUMPKIN PIE.

Happy Friday...Wow has this week gone by quickly.

:: peace, love & hugs ::

Carrie