The Monogram of Monograms

If, like me, you love monograms, try to control yourself....because this is the MOTHER of all monograms. (Jenny, I thought of you when I saw this.)

When I ordered my wooden monogram from Southern Proper Monograms, I COULD NOT WAIT to receive it and I was not disappointed. Southern Proper Monograms cuts your personalized monogram from birch wood (mine is the 18-inch size.) It comes to you in the unfinished state, so that you can paint it yourself! I painted my monogram with several thin coats of white spray paint. I tied it to a moss wreath I made and hung it on my front door.

There are so many different ways you can use these monograms, and they have a variety of sizes at very reasonable prices. Southern Living featured Southern Proper Monograms in their December 2010 issue. They used some of the smaller sizes as present toppers as shown below. I LOVE this idea! The 6-inch size is only $10.00....you'll save on the cost of a bow (this IS the bow) and it's part of the gift!

via Domestically Speaking

I will definitely be ordering some more....with the holidays coming up, the decorating possibilities are boundless. (I'm thinking black paint with black glitter hung with orange ribbon for Halloween, red with green polka dot ribbon for Christmas, and I'm all over the present topper idea.)

Now, onto my moss wreath.

I made this wreath from Reindeer Moss I found at The Dollar Store in the floral section, a grapevine wreath from Michaels, and a hot glue gun.

I used loose moss (even though it's more time consuming and a little messy) instead of mesh backed moss because I thought it looked more natural.

I simply glued the moss onto the wreath and tied the monogram on. Easy and makes a personalized statement! I love the contrast of the formal monogram with the informal, natural wreath.

Go on over to Southern Proper Monograms!

Sweet Little Table-Big Storage

I have a very sweet, small piece of furniture from when I was growing up. Honestly, I'm not sure even what to call it.....it's a narrow table/chest with tons of drawers. I decided it was the perfect size for my guest bathroom, which was screaming for some storage. However, it needed some updating to be appropriate for the tiny space.

I painted it with Chalk Paint in Paris Grey, and dry brushed some Chalk Paint in Old White onto it for a little aging. The picture below is what it looked like. Of course, I remembered to take the picture after I started painting it, so this is a side shot of the piece.

I draped this cute little tea towel, some monogrammed soaps and other guest bath necessities, and voila! It's a perfect fit!

I am hoping to paint the room this week while my wonderful mother-in-law is in town helping me with the little man! Stay tuned for pics!

Painting Kitchen Cabinets

When we built our first home, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted the kitchen to look like. I wanted white cabinets, black granite counter tops, and espresso colored wooden floors. Unfortunately, the white painted cabinets offered by our builder were much more than we had planned to spend. So we decided to paint them ourselves. I know it seems crazy to paint BRAND NEW cabinets, but I was pretty stuck on getting the look I wanted, and my husband was pretty stuck on staying within budget. We chose maple cabinets so that the final look would be smooth and white after some elbow grease.

Steps to Painting Our Cabinets

1.We removed all of the doors and drawers. (We hadn't put the hardware on yet.)

2. We sanded everything, then applied two coats of primer. (I used Gripper primer. If you are going to paint your cabinets, make SURE that you paint the primer on very smoothly. Even though it will be covered in paint, this is crucial to a smooth finish.)

3. We applied two coats of white "Painter's Touch" by Rust-oleum paint. (With lots of dry time between all of these coats!) I used a foam roller brush for the larger areas and a very high quality synthetic brush for the detailed areas. Spend the money on good tools people....it will pay off!

4. I put two coats of Minwax Polycrylic on as a final step. (I waited for the paint to cure overnight before applying the Polycrylic.)

The paint on the walls is "Lauren's Surprise" by Sherwin Williams.

We fell in love with the Lansa handles at Ikea. Not the obvious choice for a "French Country" kitchen, but we loved them and they added lots of character.

I love to be in my kitchen. I only wish it always looked this clean!

Black and White Mudroom

What do you do when you have a collection of mismatched frames?
You break out the paint, that’s what you do. I had this small collection of frames, some that belonged to family and some that I found at ReStore (in Mooresville.)

I took out the glass and painted the backing in black paint. (I actually used Chalkboard Paint, even though I don’t plan to use chalk on it. I just love the finish it has!)

I was tempted to keep the Syroco frames gold, but painting them white just went better with the look that I was going for. I painted each frame white and "antiqued" them. I used a white paint marker to write out the letters to spell our name and hung them above our keys in the mudroom.

It's amazing what a little creative thinking will do!

Framed Feed Sack

I was searching high and low for an old feed sack. One day, when I stopped into one of my favorite thrift stores to burn a little time, I asked the owner if he had any. I expected him to say no, but he walked right over to a booth and casually pulled out an old sack printed with "Spanish Shelled Peanuts."

I had to mentally yell at myself to calm down so that he would not jack the price up.

I bought it, and in the same trip, I purchased a Syroco framed mirror. I took the frame off of the mirror, painted it white, and gave it some antiquing. I then "framed" the feed sack.

It's hanging in my kitchen!

Old Porch Spindle

I found this old front porch spindle at The Depot in Concord. When I got it, I wasn't sure where I planned to put it....I just knew it had to be mine.

And I found the perfect spot!

I put it on my bedroom dresser. Like the other items, it's white, but the chipping paint adds so much texture.

I'm loving the contrast of the old spindle next to the sleek vase. It makes it so much more interesting!

I bet this was two seconds away from being thrown out before someone saw the beauty in it. Just goes to show you...one man's trash really is another's treasure!

Pretty Things

My little guy, my husband, and I are ALL under the weather with a little bug going around. Nothing cheers me up like looking at beautifully decorated rooms, so I was flipping through some old "inspiration" photos and decided to share! Enjoy!