Christmas Home Tour

 Just wanted to share a few more pictures of our home at Christmas time.
I love the handmade stockings my grandmothers dear friend made for my whole family.
Nothing like home made!!

 My little guy loves the camera. I got lucky and was able to get this pic of him next to the family tree.

 The adorable Christmas plates were a Walmart find. Just under 2.00 they are a great deal!

                                      Hot cocoa is great! Just not when it is 80 degrees outside!

               A few gingerbread men snuck into the kitchen this year again.
They are just so cute and cheery!!

Thank you for stopping by to visit.
Sharing on
196th Inspire me Tuesday.
Thank you Marty and Merry Christmas to all !!
Jenn~

Christmas in the den

Here are a few snapshots of some of my Christmas decor.We love this time of year!
Although it is hot in the south, the leaves are now falling.
There is always so much to do with the kids.
 We have visited a local musuem all decorated for Christmas, saw Santa, and this weekend we plan on
going to our towns Christmas on Main Street, and take the kids on a train ride through the park to Santa's workshop.
We are so excited about the holidays!!
Jenn

Move over fall....Winter here we come!

 We will be celebrating Thanksgiving at our house this year, and I really would like to decorate for Christmas after that. The kids have already started bugging about getting the tree up.
I am seriously thinking about it, but we just have so much going on right now.
I did put out a few things so far.

 I think they are more winter decorations then say Christmas.

Our tree will be going where the ladder is this year. I think I may leave the crates but not sure how much room we will have.
My dear hubby cut up some tree stumps for me and sliced up a small log that
I put in a glass jar.
He is having a lot of fun decorating the house with me.

This week I am sharing on
Marty's blog for 191st Inspire me Tuesday.
You can pop over and say hello to Marty right here
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/11/191st-inspire-me-tuesday.html

Also linking up to
http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/tuesdays-treasures-160/



Thanks for coming over for a visit!
Please feel free to leave us comments- we love them!!
Jenn~

Rustic bench and Star from hubby and daughter

Looks like my 8 year old daughter is a lot more like her Daddy then I thought.
She spent the weekend outside with him in the garage working on some projects for me.
I showed him my Pottery Barn catalog and the sweet bench from WI logs. Sure is a beauty, but for 700.00, I can pass!
So the two went out to the garage and brought me back this in a matter of hours!!
I love it so much and I am so proud of my daughter. She put so much love and dedication into this
project, just like her Daddy!!
She even thought of a name for their workshop,
Maddy and Daddy's Workshop!!
So cute!!
I love these guys so much!!
They also made for me the Star that I adored from the PB catalog as well. 

Be sure to pop over and say hello to Marty at
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
For her 190th Inspire me Tuesday!!
Wow!!! Thank you Marty!!
Jenn
Jenn

DIY growth chart and a cutie!

My little guy helped me show off the DIY growth chart we made this weekend.
It was super easy and the best part is I can move it around where ever we want.
We bought a 1x 6x 6 board from Lowes, stained it and marked it. I used the cricut for perfect numbers.
It was just under 10.00 in total.
We also made the knock off PB sawhorse table by putting together some stools and adding some wood boards I stained in Early American stain.  This is also can easily be moved around if need be.

I am in the process of doing faux butcherblock counters in my kitchen. I was hoping to have them done by Thanksgiving, but just not sure about that time frame now.
Wish me luck!
Jenn

Did I mention I LOVE Dollar Tree!!!

Pottery Barn has a lovely collection of plates that I have been drooling over for a long time. The Emma Dinnerware set is so pretty and delicate, but also hefty in price!

 At $142.00 for a 16 piece set, it would cost me $426.00 for 3 sets!! I could never justify spending that kind of money on dishes!! 

So when I found these at Dollar Tree last year I was beyond happy! However I could only find a piece here and a piece there and was going to every Dollar Tree in my path looking for these plates. Imagine my surprise and happiness when I walked into my local Dollar Tree this morning and found all the pieces!! Best thing yet was the amount of money saved!! I have a set of 10 and with all four pieces, the dinner plates, salad bowl, soup bowls and mugs, in total I have spent 40.00!! That is an amazing amount of money to save!! Yes they are not exactly the same as Pottery Barn, but very very similar!! 

I love you Dollar Tree!!!

Sharing with Marty at
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/

For her 188th Inspire me Tuesday!!
Thank you for hosting another wonderful week, Marty!!
Jenn~

Always making changes around here

Been doing some fall decorating around here and it seems like I am always having to change things around.
I think I like something, but then I find out it may be better another way.
With 5 kids I need to find what works best for the little space we call home.
I would love to someday extend my kitchen into the dining room and move the dining room into the living room. Problem is- where would put the living room!?!? We have a playroom  but it is too small, but maybe we can extend it out a few feet. Then there is the garage, but we have so much stuff and would need to get rid of a lot to convert it to a living room. Although it is a possibility!
So until then, I will continue to move things around and see what works- or we can just put the house up for sale! LOL
Jenn

Pallet Coffee Table

Taking apart a wood pallet is not easy!! Trying not to damage any of the wood, sawing off the nails, it is such hard work!! My poor husband!!
I supervise, which let me tell you is not easy in the Florida heat!!
I have to make sure he is staying on task, bringing him an ice cold water, and giving him words of encouragement! I guess if I got rid of some stuff in my garage, then he'd actually be able to use the garage for projects!!
But nonetheless, dear hubby works hard to make me happy!!
I know he is loving this new wood pallet obsession I have, too. It is more his style as well. And considering what my home looked like a few years back.
I guess pink and frilly wasn't his thing!
But he is happy happy happy now and so am I !!
Jenn

I love burlap!!

 Something about burlap that just screams out to me! I love the texture, the smell, the look!
So many things can be made with some simple and inexpensive burlap.

 I have some fall touches to my home. This is just the beginning.
I wrapped some glass votives with old sweaters and found the cute little owl at Walmart for just a few
dollars.
Just wish it would cool down some!!

Sneak peak at my Free Pallet headboard

This weekend my dear hubby started building a headboard for me from some pallets.
The best thing is they are FREE!!

He worked so hard in the hot Florida sun

taking apart 2 pallets.

It is almost complete, but still not perfect!
I am also thinking about adding a pallet shelf to the wall opposite the bed.

I love the rustic look! Old wood, some burlap and candles and
I am all set!

I am linking to
Marty's 177th Inspire me Tuesday!

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/


Mondays are always so difficult, but thanks to Marty-
I look forward to Monday night and Inspire me Tuesday!!
Jenn

What's on my Mantle

 I am starting to get anxious about decorating for fall.
Maybe it is the HOT HOT summer, but I am ready!

 Now all I need is some fall colors like autumn leaves and acorns to get a more
fally feeling.

T I just love burlap!! So many things you can make with it and it is very cheap!
My favorite!!

One more week and it back to school. I am so excited about the new school year and I know
the kids are too!!

Jenn

Pottery Barn knock off sign

Guess what?!?
I think I figured out how to use my cricut!!
I know.. I know... it is pretty easy!!
I guess you can say I am a quitter. If I have a hard time learning something new,
I just give up. I do eventually get back to it!

I was given a Cricut for Christmas from my mother in law a couple of years ago, and played with
it a few times, then just got busy with the kids and such.
The kids and I put it on the kitchen table and just started playing with it.
I made a few numbers of various sizes, painted a piece of plywood with
spray chalkboard paint- and there it is!!
My Pottery Barn sign. A much smaller version of course!!
I love it on top of the pallet shelf!!

Sharing on
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2013/08/cool-side-tables.html

My Free Pallet shelf

I found pallet heaven!! All the pallets I want, for free!!
I am super excited and decided my first pallet I would use for a picture shelf.
There are so many ideas out there and next on our list is a
pallet fence and then a pallet sofa and coffee table for my back yard.

We are also working on a crate coffee table which is super cool to have!!
Summer is here now and it is hot.
Stay cool !


Linking to
Inspire Me Tuesday
Jenn

It's the Little Things

 Whenever I am browsing thru pinterest or blogs I look at the little things.
Not so much they way a room looks as a whole, but the details.
That is always what gets me.
There are so many different styles I like

s

 so in my home I like to pull it all together.
Make it comfortable and cozy.
Candles, lanterns,
pillows, blankets and such.

And just the little things that I like.
The way it all comes together
to get the look I want.

Happy weekend!
Jenn

174th Inspire me Tuesday

Thank you to Marty at
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/07/174th-inspire-me-tuesday.html#more

 for hosting another great Inspire me Tuesday! The 174th!!
I now love Tuesdays!!


I am constantly inspired and in awe of such talented people in the bloggy world.
In fact all my decorating has come from blogs I read.

I saw a beautiful flower box last week on a wonderful blog and set out to make my own.
Turns out my hubby is a lot better with these things then I am.
I guess it is hard to finish any projects when I am constantly being called upon by one of five children.
so my dear husband built this for me for my dining room table. It is large, but it looks great!
I am so happy with it.

Inspire me Tuesday

i

Marty over at
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/

is hosting her 172nd Inspire Me Tuesday!
Her home is so beautiful and so is her blog!!
Thank you, Marty!

Today for Inspire Me Tuesday I am posting about how much I love crates!!
Pinterest has inspired me to create this crate shelf in my dining room. It was super easy.
All I did was buy my crates from Michaels with my 40% off coupon and stained and stacked them.
I can move them anywhere in the house whenever I want or add to them.
Our hot chocolate area sits on the upper shelf.

I can't wait to hop on over and see what has inspired everyone else!!
So much fun and great ideas!
Have a wonderful week my friends!!
Jenn~

Curbside Dresser Makeover

I found an ad on craigslist for a free dresser.
I had my poor hubby get out of his pajamas on a lazy Sunday evening to go get a dresser I
had known nothing about.
The address was only a couple of miles away so it turned out to be nasty- we could just drive away!
 It was just what I was looking for- sorta!
We hauled it home and the next morning I painted it with a home made chalk paint recipe I found on pinterest.
The top drawers were not as nice as the others, so I had hubby put a piece of plywood down and I added the baskets, then add the new drawer pulls.
So in total I spent 26.00 on the dresser.
The end baskets were found at Walmart for 8.00 and the middle one I already had purchased from Ross a few months back. The pulls were found at Lowes around 1.00 a piece.
 We have such limited storage in the house and with 5 kids I need all the space I can find.
Even though this dresser is in my living room, it hides my sons clothes.
No one even knows!!

Jenn

Inspire Me Tuesday

 I am a big copy cat!! I really am. I see something I like and I try to recreate it in my own home.
I wish I had more time to think of things on my own, or was more creative... but I am not.
Maybe having 5 kids tagging behind me each day doesn't help with the creativity! But that is ok-
I love my life and enjoy the times I spend with the kiddos!
Enjoy while they are still little!!

 One of the blogs I find so inspiring is
http://junkchiccottage.blogspot.com/
She has such a beautiful home and her style is very much like mine!
With that I have created a space in my dining room area that looks very similar to Kris's space.

 I already had a huge collection of white dishes and such so I basically just had to shop my own house.
The table we created from an old sofa table, but my hubby replaced the legs for me and I painted it white. The big chalk board I already had as the white shelves.

 The faux cookies were a part of my collection of faux treats, they look so real!
I bought off of etsy a few years ago and they still look brand new!

I am linking to Marty's beautiful blog fir Inspire me Tuesday.
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/07/171st-inspire-me-tuesday.html#more
Thank you so much to all the lovely bloggers out there who inspire me each day to create
what I love in my home!

Jenn