Mantel and How to Clean Soot Easily

I wanted to join Donna’s Mantel Party at Funky Junk Interiors, but was embarrassed by all the soot inside my fireplace.  We have gas logs and we know how to use them!  We keep our fireplace on every day that we are home during the winter.  Home is our favorite place to be and in the winter we love to sit by the fire.  So I guess that is why it gets so dirty.   Yes it is about to be August and I have yet to clean it until today!  I know, I am lazy.

I decided to get out my dry sponges that remove soot.  It took me about 10 minutes to clean it up.  Why didn’t I do this in March???

Here is the before.

They look like this and I found mine online.  One is new and one is used. 

  I believe some hardware stores carry them.  This website here has some great info on how to use them. 

So back to my mantel.  I love the simplicity and symmetry of it.  I painted the mirror with rub on paint to make it look darker.  I am sure spray paint would work well too.  It use to be bright gold.  The only time I ever change it is Christmas.  I did add a wreath to the mirror not long ago, but got tired of it.  When I see all the beautiful mantels out there I do get tempted to change it up a bit so I just might someday.  The oak trim in here is on my to do list.  Gosh that list is long. 

Linking to

Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Pretty, cheap and smells good.

I made another reunion door prize.  This one took about 5 seconds.  I bought a candle from Walmart for $3.50. 

I peeled off the “Easy Peel” label and added a rub-on. 

Much better.

Then today at Target I found these.

And I placed them in this.

And this.

They are both in my entry and when I walk through my front door they make me do this.

Those crystals are some good smelling stuff.  I just love Walmart and Target.

Linking to

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Necklaces, Necklaces and more Necklaces

Making necklaces is something I love to do from time to time.  The mood has to hit me and then I will whip one up.  For some reason I like making them more than I like wearing them.  I thought I would share a few of my creations with you.  I will be doing a tutorial on how to make jewelry next week.

This is reunion door prize #3.

I love the colors in this one.

I had to make one of these for my sister because she loved all the colors and this necklace goes with anything. 

This is one of my favorites.  I like the smaller bead look for myself.

But of course everything is bigger in Texas including necklaces so I had to make one like this.  I got several requests for this one so I made a few of them.

I like the mixture of the turquoise and the crystals in this one.

This one has a pendant as a focal point. 

This is a necklace that I like to use with a removable pendant.   Here it is without the pendant.

Here it is with the pendant hooked onto the necklace.

This is the pendant I used on the necklace.  They are easy to make.

And here is a clear quartz stone pendant.

I hope you are looking forward to learning how to make some neck decor!  I am looking forward to showing you how.

Linking to

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Dining Area

I have been shopping online for a rug to place under my dining table.  I have found the best selection at CSN online stores.  It has been so  hard to decide which one to pick.  They have thousands to choose from.  While looking at their website I browsed their selection of dining room sets for inspiration. 

I loved this set.  If I had a different house or had the energy and money to totally redo my breakfast area and kitchen, then I would definitely be tempted to buy or simulate this look. 

This is probably more what I will have to do to make it work with what I already have going on in the space. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to just buy new and already done? 

I am going to buy a new rug.

When I finally decide on a one I will be sure to show you.  If you want to see my dining space as it is right now go here.  If you want to help me shop for a rug and make a choice then go here to browse all of CSN’s rugs.  Leave a comment if you have a suggestion.

Reunion Door Prize No. 2 and a Winner

I have been very busy this weekend.  I finished door prize number 2.  Our class graduated in 1988.  If you read my early post then you know we were slackers and didn’t have a 20th reunion so we are having a 22nd.  Our class grew up in the 70s and 80s.  All of our high school years were in the 80s.  So this bag is a tribute to the 80s.

  An

I used my Staz On Ink and clear letter stamps on the bag. 

  

I think this is such a fun bag.  I hope the winner likes it. 

And now for the winner of the earrings.

Kim at My Domestic Bliss.   Wow you are so lucky.  I have had only 4 giveaways and you have been the winner of 2 of them.  I will need your address again so I can mail the earrings to you.  Congrats.

Thanks to all that entered.  I will be doing a jewelry tutorial soon!

Linking to

Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On the Porch

Anything Related @ All Thingz Related

Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

Pots For The Window

When I was redoing the hutch decor I was also working on my kitchen window sill.  I removed a dated faux apple stained glass window that was leaning inside the blinds.  It was too bare after it was removed so I replaced it with these pots. 

I painted the pots with Basil Green acrylic paint and then added a brown glaze.  I let them dry overnight and added a stenciled number to them.  I am not sure what is going to go into pot #1 or 3.  Maybe nothing.  I already had the olive tree topiary.  I am changing the valance in the near future. 

This was before I added the numbers.  I can always turn the pots around if I get tired of them. 

Thanks for taking a look.  I hope you have a great week.

Linking to

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Weekend Wrap Up @ Tatertots and Jello

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Anything Related @ All Thingz Related

Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

Hutch Transformation Pt. 1

I really am going to paint my hutch.  Really I am.  This weekend I have been getting ready for my high school reunion and my 14th wedding anniversary is Monday so we went to dinner Friday night.  Want to hear something funny?  We bought each other the same exact card.  My husband has to work on Monday (24 hour shift) so we did our card exchange at dinner.   Anyway,with the reunion next weekend and a mountain trip the following weekend, the hutch will have to wait.   However, I did decide to play around with redecorating it.  See what you think.  It will be interesting to see how different it will look after I paint it.

Here is the before pic.

And the after.

I tried to make everything more cohesive.  I may still make some changes especially once the hutch is redone.  Feel free to make any suggestions with the decor.  I appreciate other’s ideas. 

I painted a basket I got from a garage sale that looked like this.  (I had to borrow a photo from ebay because I forgot to take a before.)

I painted it black and added some hydrangeas.

I painted another basket to add to the left side and filled it with artificial artichokes.

My father in law made the pig cutting board when he was in school.  He is now 80. 

 

I borrowed some plates from my tall black cabinet.  It doesn’t seem too bare even after taking almost half of the plates.

This copper pot was my mom’s and the pewter goblets were given to me by my father in law and his wife.

This was also my mom’s.  Have you ever noticed the detail on these?

See the daisy for Dazey?

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope to have more to show you soon.

Linking to

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on The Porch

Anything Related @ All Thingz Related