Friday, May 22, 2015

Refresh Your Living Room With These Inexpensive Tips

As spring rolls in, many of us will be working hard to deep clean, declutter and freshen up our homes.  Light and airy spaces feel more relaxing.  I have a small living room that connects to my dining room, entry and kitchen.  To make the space feel bigger, I painted most of the rooms the same color( Revere Pewter ).   A fresh coat of paint can inexpensively refresh your room.

I love throw pillows, but easily get bored with them.  I switch them out seasonally for something new and different.

Although I chose neutral fabric, a set of 3 pillows makes a bold statement.

The sofa and pillows balance the strong pattern in the curtains.

New pillows on the sofa gave the room an instant makeover.

Fresh flowers add life and color to my living room.

Nothing freshens up a room more easily than fresh flowers.  I chose a simple glass vase and filled it to the brim with fresh tulips.

Light a candle!  I love burning candles.  It's something I do often to feel calm and relaxed.

At the end of a long day I just want to collapse on the sofa with cool drink and read through my magazine subscriptions.


There are many ways to refresh your living space for spring while on a budget.  You can rearrange your furniture or take a few minutes to wipe away finger marks and clean the baseboards. 


I hope you enjoyed these ideas to refresh your home for spring.  For other creative ideas please visit the blogs of these talented ladies below.  Thank you so much, Mary Ann and Cindy for inviting me to participate!!!



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Between Naps on the Porch

Monday, May 18, 2015

High School Graduation

My beautiful daughter graduated from high school Saturday morning in the top 10% of her class.  It was such a proud parenting moment for my husband and I.  

Seems like just yesterday she was starting Pre-K.  It felt surreal sitting in the packed auditorium watching her walk across the stage.  Time really does fly!


Jade age 18

Jade and Caleb

Jade with her father; my husband

My super supportive aunts

We felt incredibly blessed that so many of her friends and family were there to celebrate with us.

My brother flew from Philadelphia to attend the graduation.

It's always been his dream to become a pilot.

After years of dreaming, I watched him fly off with tears in my eyes.

My parents would have been so proud.

They're smiling from heaven.

Meticulous engine checks before take off.




All clear!

Then we watched him soar out of sight.  He did it! 



Sorry for the shaky video, but here's my brother taking off!

Monday, May 11, 2015

DIY Done Right/Customized Wood Planter Box



Hello Friends!  Interested in learning more about gardening and how to build your own planter box?  I shared a project on DIY Done Right.  Click here to see the results!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Hanging Art the Easy Way

Although I don't believe every wall in my house needs to be filled for a less cluttered look, I love beautifully decorated homes with unique artwork.

While shopping in Paper Source, I spotted this Constellation Wrapping Paper for only $4.95 and thought it would look great in my son's room.  The colors are perfect and my son recently became interested in learning more about the solar system.

I considered framing it, until I remembered the vintage pants hanger I purchased from Etsy last year.

Hanging it was quick, easy and inexpensive.


Simple makes me happy!

A great way to add character to your walls.


While shopping in an antique market I spotted a display of "vintage-looking" posters for sale.

I'm not sure when or how it happened, but I have a thing for birds!  I love bird decor, but in small doses.

The price was right, so I decided to buy it.

Unsure of how to frame it, a quick internet search led me to Chris Loves Julia's blog with instructions to frame a vintage poster.

I purchased and stained 4 wood slats, but ended up only using 2.

Next, I attached the poster to the slats using my staple gun.

Then, I added a metal bookplate cover.

Love that extra bit of detail!

I secured it to the wall using Command Strips.

I love my new art.  It's my new favorite thing in my home!


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