Ribbons & Bows

As I have been sharing for the past few weeks, I have been hard at work doing Christmas decorating jobs all over the Metroplex. I absolutely love doing this work! One of the best parts of the job is that I get to work with my friends. This year I have had the chance to work with both Judy and Sydney ~ I love this!!! Over the years I have also been blessed with the friendship of my clients.

When I first started holiday decorating the girls I worked with deemed me "The Queen of Bows". I just love to use ribbon and bows to add a festive touch of sparkle to almost anything. It's easy, fun and won't blow your budget. Check out some easy ideas for decorating with pretty ribbon. Tis the season!!

Fresh and Forever

Are you fearful of trying something new? Wow, I really am and about a year ago I put myself to the ultimate test on doing something new and different. As I said, about one year ago I received a phone call from a very nice lady who was frantically trying to find a floral arranger to do 20+ floral arrangement for her husbands medical office...... I proceeded to tell her that I was a silk/dried natural artist and have never really worked with fresh stems. She was so complimentary and insisted that I try to do the job. One catch, she needed them two days later to make the office look nice for a television interview with Inside Edition. I thought about it for about 5 seconds, took and deep breath and said.....yessss! The very minute I hung up the phone I proceeded to have a panic attack! Where would I buy the stems, keep them cool after arranging them and most importantly how will I work with flowers that don't have a wire in the stem? The answer to those questions are Central Market, my garage and lots of prayer!! Since then I have stayed with "faux" flowers, but never the less, I enjoyed the challenge and the opportunity.

Another DIY Idea

Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am a candle freak. At all times I have at least two drawers full of yummy candles. Now, that being said, it is also a conflict of interest for me as I am a Scentsy rep. (more on that later) Not only do I love the smell of candles I also love beautiful looking candles to decorate with on cool candle sticks. A couple of years ago I started decorating pillar candles with upholstery tacks and nail heads. It's a simple process, just choose a design whether that be simply outlining the top rim or around the bottom edge or get fancy and form a cross or harlequin design. One tip I have discovered is using a softer wax candle as opposed to the very shiny hard wax candles that are often found in 3-packs at Hobby Lobby. The firmer the wax the more prone to cracking when applying the nails. Who knows, maybe I will decorate one this weekend and post a pic. Have a great Saturday!!

Holiday Design on a Dime

It's that time of the year to start thinking of decorating our homes for the holidays!! If you have stepped foot in Hobby Lobby, Michaels or any other crafty type place since well, probably late August you have seen all types of sparkling ornaments, elaborate ribbons, wreaths and florals. This can be totally overwhelming when trying to put together a "Martha Stewart" or "Nate Berkus" (my fave) look!! haha I often see women standing in the aisles with a deer in the headlights look on their face thinking "where do I start and how do I keep from breaking the bank"!! I have been one of those women so ....here are a few easy ideas that might help!

Almost everyone has old or extra photo frames around the house. Spray paint the frames red, then purchase some ornaments with a flat back such as cute snow flakes for a whimsical look or beautiful gold crosses for a more elegant look and attach to a corner of the frame. Even a pretty bow placed in the corner on some and center of others is a nice look. After adorning the frames pull out current or vintage photos of Christmas past and fill the frames. This is a low cost project that makes a major impact especially in odd number groupings. Happy Holidays!

It's Only Paint

When we moved to this home about 17 years ago I painted over the hideous wallpaper in a goldish hue, put up a fruit border that was very stylish for the 90's and haven't touched it since. About three months ago I got the fever to re-do the kitchen. At first I came up with a grand plan which included moving walls, replacing floors and appliances, etc.....you get the picture, major $$$. Soon, very soon after getting the final bid for this fabulous make-over I came to my senses and came up with an alternative plan :) This plan basically involved paint! As I have told my friends and clients for years, paint is the easiest and least expensive way to make a huge change in your home. Choosing paint color can cause major anxiety for some people but as I always say "it's only paint" and it can be painted over when we make mistakes and believe me.....we ALL do!

While this project is still a work in progress, I am happy with how it's coming along and can't believe how much the paint has tranformed my kitchen.

Getting a Head Start on the Holidays!!

Just in case you are starting to get that holiday feeling, I wanted to share a few pics from my very first Christmas decorating job of this season! Yes, believe it or not, some people are already organized/motivated enough get their house "holiday ready"! This client is really fun to work with for multiple reasons. First of all, she has the most beautiful and unusual ornaments/decorations and ribbon ever and also, she has an incredibly beautiful home making for a no lose situation !! This is the second year for Judy and I to decorate this home so some of the decorations and pictures may be familiar. The client and her husband travel Europe extensively and her ornaments and mask collection spans the world. Enjoy the pictures and don't feel bad ~ I haven't even begun to think of decorating my house either!!! Ps ~ A HUGE thank you to Courtni for helping us with this job, it took the three of us over 6 hrs.

Pillow Fights

There are very few things that my hubby Bobby and I disagree on but one issue that stands out to me in particular is our difference in opinion on how many pillows are "necessary" on a bed. Many mornings I hear a low grumbling that usually goes "I've never in my life seen so many pillows, HOW could you need this many, etc." haha!!

You know what I am talking about, the euros, the standards in shams, a couple of square decos, then maybe a round or neckroll AND the functional pillows that you actually sleep on....I admit this is a large number of pillows and it is high maintenance when making up the bed but I love the special touch pillows give. On our bed we currently have silk taffeta, burlap, flocking, zebra, floral and embroidery, jeweled brooches and chain link pillow belts....sounds crazy I know but it comes together very pretty. One day I may change my style and go for the ease of the simple, clean look (which is beautiful) but right now, as my son-in-law Justin says "I just don't see that happening"!! So, the pillow fights will continue.... :)

"Just a Little Somethin"

So many times when I am helping someone accessorize a bookshelf, end table or nightstand they will say "I just feel like it needs a little something". My advice/solution to the problem is usually a small floral arrangement similiar to the ones shown below.

Not only does a floral add color and texture, it also adds softness and can be designed to fill the space perfectly height and width wise. I usually design the florals on the simple side but I try to find fun/funky containers that add interest to the piece without breaking the bank! Group one of these with a small candle and maybe a picture frame for a great look.

The San Antonio Stroll

What a great weekend we had!! Bobby and I met Hailey in San Antonio on Friday so that the three of us could attend the wedding of Trent Konkle and Ashley Broll. It was a picture perfect weekend to be on the riverwalk! We had some great Mexican food, bar-bq and shopped a little bit too :) The wedding was on Saturday night at a beautiful Baptist church and the reception was at a great venue, The Republic, on a golf course. We had a wonderful time dancing and visiting with friends. Trent and Ashley are a beautiful couple and we wish them all the best ~ thanks for a great weekend!! Of course I cried when I had to say goodbye to Hailey but it was a wonderful time.

While we were gone some transformations were taking place in my kitchen so I could hardly wait to get back and see the change. For the past few weeks Bobby and I have been painting and glazing, painting and glazing, etc., etc. We had originally thought we would remodel the kitchen but after thinking that through and getting pricing on my over the top ideas, we decided on a more DIY plan and I am loving it. Last weekend we hired our great friend Emil to help with the texturing, painting and glazing of the kitchen. I am LOVING the results and I will post before and after pics soon.

I'm ready for a new week!!! Getting ready for a MASSIVE garage sale.....

Three Girls and a Paintbrush

Fall is my favorite time of the year and one of the reasons besides the great weather is that it's my peak crafting season! This is how a perfect day for me goes this time of year; both of my girls are home on a Saturday, we spread all our crafting supplies out in the kitchen, turn on a good movie and start painting crosses. It's really fun for me to see how each of us has a different decorating style. We started designing custom crosses a couple of years ago and we truly enjoy it as a hobby as well as a small business ~ it's also a great excuse to go to Canton Trade Days each month (to pick up supplies)!! :) haha Each one is different and unless we have a specific order for a baby cross or special color, we just grab a paintbrush and start randomly decorating. Using paint, paper, multiple smaller crosses, nailheads and old jewelry to decorate, amazingly, we've only had a few that just really didn't turn out that well. Lately, we have started painting frames and tissue boxes also. Ok, I have to admit I have tons of money in inventory and supplies but the way I see it is a Saturday at home painting is much cheaper than a Saturday at the mall !! Check out some of our work, Hailey recently painted the large one with cow hide being held by her friend Krina. Courtni did the cute pink cross that is monogramed and I did most of the others. My friend Jordin LePori sells them at her hair salon (Sean Lauren on Glade Rd. ). For a great stress relieving, therapeutic craft, grab a paintbrush and go to work or call me to order! Enjoy :)

Great Weekend!!!!

Typically my blog is all about fun decorating stuff but today I decided to do a 360 and talk about fun life stuff! I had an absolutely wonderful weekend! Starting on Friday afternoon, Courtni picked me and Sara up and we headed to Plano to dinner at Taco Diner and then to the Advocare Ladies Alive event. The event was a two day extravaganza thtat I really enjoyed! Wow, it's un-believable how much money the "Diamond" distributors make.....we are talking up to $200K per month ~ YES, you heard right, per month....amazing! The event was over at 5 pm Saturday and we were tired little puppies but it was really fun. I am so blessed to have daughters to enjoy fun "ladies events" with :) Today was a great day too, the message at church today was "Operation Wanderer" and it was awesome. If you get a chance go to our church website and listen ~ First Baptist Colleyville. After church we went to my mom's house (aka Honey's house) for lunch with her, Melanie and my nephew Brett the beast! We cooked steaks on her "real" charcoal grill and it was beyond delicious. Following the meal, Bobby and I took a ride on our Harley....love it! I am so happy and thankful for my family and all the wonderful people in my life ! Tomorrow, back to decorating, today I had to talk about the important stuff:)

Back to the Blog!!

After several months (11 to be exact), I decided to get back to my blog. This decision was not without a good bit of encouragement and prodding from my sweet daughter Courtni. A couple of weeks ago Courtni started writing a blog and it has been a complete hit. Court is a great writer, very creative and funny. My writing skills, eh well, not that great but I do love to talk about decorating and all things creative so that's what most of my blogs will be about!

Now that it's mid-September I am definitely in full swing working on Fall wreaths, centerpieces and just florals in general. I love this time of year, the warm colors and getting my clients and my home ready for the holidays! In the past couple of weeks I've been super busy so I thought I would post a couple of pics of my recent designs. The weather is supposed to turn much cooler this weekend so get out your Fall stuff and decorate your front porch......Enjoy!