Changes in the Family Room and New Chandelier

Hello everyone!

Happy New Years Eve.......Eve!  Do you have any big plans?  One thing that is nice, now that my husband has retired from firefighting, is that he is home on all the holidays.  So, with that, you would think we would be out painting the town.  Nope!  We're old fuddy duds I guess.  We'll bring in the new year here at home in front of the television like we always do.  

Now that Christmas decorations have been taken down, I found myself wanting to make a few changes to my decor.  Don't you find that happening to you sometimes too?  Usually that means some new accessory placements etc.  But, this time, I went big!  I had my husband help me move some big pieces of furniture around.  

I think what sparked the changes was my new french style chandelier that I got over the holidays.  I shared it on Instagram already but haven't shared it here yet.  Here is the new look for my family room.

I moved the super gigantic grey painted armoire that used to sit in the corner beside the fireplace to my sitting room.  I will share that another day.  In it's place, I moved my french style clock in the corner.  I like how the brown color picks up the color in the chandelier.  

I also pushed the sofas up closer to the fireplace so they make the gap where the armoire was not so great.  The clock is much smaller than the piece of furniture that was there.  

I was lucky to have a lot of sun flooding this room when I took these pictures.  It had been raining and dark earlier this week.

Here is a close up of the chandelier that I got.  I love it so much!  It stands out nicely against the white furniture and white walls.  I got it from Overstock.com while on sale.  

I had to be careful not to get too big of a chandelier since my ceilings aren't vaulted.  So many of these types of chandeliers are huge.  This one is smaller in size and works well for the space.  

Now, we may need to downsize our TV cabinet to something smaller.  Not sure yet.  It seems a bit big compared to the clock on the other side.  I like how my fireplace is no longer squished between two big pieces of furniture though.  

I'll be sure to share the changes I've made in my sitting room with the armoire in there next.  I'll be sharing it on  INSTAGRAM  too.  

Hope you all have a safe and happy New Years Eve and Day!

~ Kelly ~

Share Your Style Party #98

Hi everyone!

Welcome to Share Your Style #98.

 I'm Des from Peeking Thru The Sunflowers and I'm your host this week. 

 

I'm Ready for Christmas

Hello everyone!

Are you ready for Christmas or are you still doing a few last minute things?  I think we're all doing a few last minute things at some point.  But, overall I'm ready.  I am still battling a cold but I'm much better now that I have a proper diagnosis and medicine.  Apparently, this one is a lengthy one.  I seriously would've been over the flu by now if I had gotten that instead!   Too bad that there aren't any "cold" vaccines out there.  I would be first in line!  I'm happy that the holidays are wrapping up.  It seems that my favorite time of the holidays is the week after Christmas leading up to New Years.  That's when everything is done and we can all just sit back and enjoy what we've all worked so hard for. 

In the meantime: 

The presents are wrapped.

The tree is decorated and lit.

The stockings are hung.

And just a few other fun decorations are scattered about.

I think our house is even lit up bright enough for Santa to find it.

So, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!  I hope that you have a safe and healthy one and may Santa bring you everything on your wish list.

~ Kelly ~

Share Your Style Party #97

Hello everyone!

How are you all doing finishing up getting ready for the holidays? It's hard to believe that it will be here in just a few days now!  I'm so glad that you found the time to join us again for another weekly Share Your Style party.  I'm Kelly from The Essence of Home and I will be your host this week. 

Share Your Style Party #96

So happy you've joined us, this December day, to exchange ideas on home decor, holiday decor, recipes, DIY projects and all related inspiration. 

There were so many inspiring ideas last week, that it was difficult for me choose the features. But, I'm excited to share them with you today... So keep reading!

New Kitchen Chairs

Hello everyone!  

Take a deep breath................because this is not a Christmas related post!  I know that is all you see out there right now, but I just wanted to share something with you that is not related to Christmas decor for a moment.  I recently got these new Madeleine chairs from Restoration Hardware.  I am using them at my kitchen table (which also came from there many years ago).  

Christmas in the Dining Room & Foyer

Hello everyone!

My Christmas home tour continues today in the dining room and foyer.  I kept everything very minimal but I think it still feels "Christmasy".   

This is the view from the kitchen walking into the dining room.  You can see the wreaths with red ribbon hanging on my windows on the front porch.  

Share Your Style Party #95

Welcome

 to the 95th Share Your Style party and to the most wonderful time of the year!  Thank you for so generously sharing your inspiration and time with us.  When you join the party your link is added to five different blogs, so lots of exposure.  Remember to please share our link in your post somewhere so others can find us.  Me, Lynn aka The Vintage Nest, is your host today.  I have the privilege of choosing the featured posts this week.  So let's go.  Happy Party.  

   

Christmas in the Sitting Room

Hello everyone!

I'm continuing my Christmas home tour in my sitting room.   I put our Christmas tree in here.  Our family room is pretty full, so this room always seems to be a better choice for it.  We use a table top Christmas tree each year.  We have enjoyed the ease of it and the fact that once you place it on a tall piece of furniture, it gives you the height you want.  Ever since we gave up our full size tree, we haven't looked back.  This tree doesn't have to be put together.  It can be stored easily in our basement with plastic over it.  I don't dread getting it set up or taking it down like I did with the full size tree.  We stopped buying real Christmas trees many years ago when it was discovered that I was allergic to the mold that is found in the trees on tree lots.  They are also a huge fire hazard (as my husband was a firefighter and saw several destroy a house in just a few minutes flat).  So...................a small artificial tree fits our situation the best.  Everyone is different though.  And trust me, we have had ALL kinds!  We just like this style the best for our family.  

Here is our quaint little tree.

Christmas in the Family Room

Hello everyone!

I want to thank all of you for your sweet comments regarding the death of my father last week. They were very much appreciated.  

Well, it's officially the Christmas season isn't it?  You know what that means!  Christmas decorations!  I didn't sway from my neutral color scheme either.  I chose golds, silvers, whites, creams and classic greenery.  I didn't have to make drastic changes to my mantel either since I felt like my candlesticks, crowns and crosses fit my scheme well.  

We have been enjoying cooler weather lately, so a fire in the fireplace takes place most nights.

Share Your Style Party #94

Hello everyone and welcome back to another Share Your Style Link Party! Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving last week. Can't believe we are now full swing into my favorite holiday of the year...Christmas. This week your party host is me, Barbara from 21 Rosemary Lane. 

My Thanksgiving Detour & Fried Turkey

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.  My Thanksgiving took a major detour.  My father passed away unexpectedly last Tuesday night.  My family drove into FL to be with him in the hospital before they took him off of life support.  We will eventually go back for a memorial service after his body is cremated. Unfortunately,  I'm starting to link holidays with deaths in the family now!  My FIL passed away on Halloween in 2014, my MIL passed away on Christmas Eve in 2015, and now my dad on Thanksgiving (almost) this year.  I've heard that bad things happen in three's right?  Hopefully, this is the last of it for a long time.  

I was supposed to host Thanksgiving at my house this year, but since everyone was scattered about from being in FL, that didn't happen.  So, we came back and cooked a ham and some other sides for our Thanksgiving.  But, my husband had planned on cooking some turkeys in his new Char Broil turkey fryer.  So, we decided to cook one of our turkeys last weekend instead.  It was very easy and very good. This unit cooks with hot air, NOT OIL!  So, it's a very healthy way to cook your turkey.  I thought I would share how it worked in case you were considering trying one of these.  It's nice to free up your oven by using one of these too!

We started out with a 12 lb fresh Butterball turkey.

Share Your Style Party #93

Welcome to  the 93rd Share Your Style party!

I'm Des from Peeking Thru The Sunflowers and I'm your host this week.

More Makeovers

Hello everyone!

I've been enjoying giving some home accessories a makeover.  They were just sitting in my basement and not really wowing me with their current look.  So, I decided to get some craft paint out and give them a new look.  

The first "victim" was this large metal crown.  It started out in just a plain dark grey finish.  I forgot to take a before pic.  I decided to dry brush some white paint on it and then follow that with a dark wax.  It gave it an antique look and the paint brought out more details on the crown.  

Share Your Style Party #92

Hey all and a big welcome to the 92nd Share Your Style link party! Wow we are only one week away from the beginning of the holiday season and the creativity out there in bloggy land is definitely in overdrive. This week your host is me, Barbara from 21 Rosemary Lane, and I can't tell how pumped I am to be here. I am stepping in this week for Kelly from the blog The Essence of Home, as she was so gracious as to take over for me a few weeks ago as your party host.

(My official shout out)

Thank you Kelly!!

Sharing a Few Pretties

Hello everyone!

First, I want to wish all veterans a very happy Veterans Day.  With the recent election and turmoil expressed on the streets due to the outcome, I hope that we can take time to remember why we have this great country to live in with the freedom to elect our own president in the first place.  It is because of our veterans.  Never forget!

I recently did some shopping and mentioned in my last post that I would share what I bought.  I am just doing my part to help keep the economy alive and well.  Ha!!!  

At Scottsdale Farms, I purchased this beautiful French looking grain sack tea towel. It is so well made and thick.  I don't actually use it though.  I have it hanging on my oven door.  

Share Your Style Party #91

Welcome to the Share Your Style link-up party! 

Shopping at Scottsdale Farms, Milton GA

Hello everyone!

Last week, my mom and sister took me out for my birthday.  We went shopping and ate lunch at this cute place not too far from my house.  It's called Scottsdale Farms.  They sell plants, gardening supplies, jewelry, and home decor.  They also have a wonderful cafe.  After we ate lunch there, we browsed the store.  I took pics so you could come along with us.

source

Candlesticks Makeover

Hello Everyone!

As I mentioned in my last post, from the Country Living Fair, I bought some ornate candlesticks that weren't in the finish that I liked.  So, I decided to give them a makeover.  These candlesticks were the perfect size and style, just not the right color.  Also, the price was great!  I got both candlesticks for just $25.  Ornate candlesticks can get very pricey.  So, I snatched these up quickly!  

I knew I could use a little bit of paint and wax to give them the look I wanted.  

This is what the candlesticks looked like when I bought them.

Share Your Style Party #90

WELCOME

to the 90th Share Your Style party.  Each of us hostesses are so tickled to have you .....there are five of us so when you link with us, your blog will get lots of exposure and don't forget when you link to mention the SYS party with a link back on your blog.  Wow!  Last week we had almost 300 party goers and we are so appreciative of each and everyone one of you.  I personally tried two of your recipes and one of the Fall decorative projects.  Your Style and Inspiration are fabulous.  I am your host today, Lynn, of The Vintage Nest, so I get to choose the features for the week.......let's do it.

What I Brought Home from the Country Living Fair

Hello everyone!

Today, I'm sharing what came home with me from the Country Living Fair recently.  I first came across some ornate French style candlesticks.  They were not in the finish that I desired, but the size and shape were just what I was looking for.  So, I decided to buy them and bring them home and paint them.  

Country Living Fair 2016 - Part 2

Hello everyone!

Ok, as promised, here is the 2nd half of pics I took from the Country Living Fair last weekend.  It was held at Stone Mountain in GA.

Grain sacks and burlap were still big trends at this show.  

Share Your Style Party #89

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the 89th weekly Share Your Style Party.  I'm Kelly from The Essence of Home and will be your host this week.  I'm stepping in for Barbara from 21 Rosemary Lane due to a family emergency.  

Country Living Fair 2016 - Part 1

Hello everyone!

My sister and I went to the Country Living Fair in Stone Mountain Park, GA this past weekend.  We look forward to it every year!  It's always so crowded and is a long drive from our houses, but it's worth the trip!  We always come away with unique items at good prices and have fun memories to reflect back on afterwards. This year was no exception.  I took some pics to share with you so you could go with us "virtually".  This fair is held in different cities throughout the year, so you should look it up to see if it will be in a city near you next year.  This one was the last for 2016.  

Share Your Style Party #88

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the 88th Share Your Style party!

I'm Des from Peeking Thru The Sunflowers and I am your host this week.

Pillow Talk

Hello everyone!

As many of you know, that follow my blog, I love pillows.  I love pillows the way that Oprah loves bread!  I love pillows the way that Imelda Marcos loved shoes.  So, that means that I have WAY too many in my home.  Now, because I don't like a cluttered look when I decorate, I have a lot of them in storage.  My storage area (for pillows) is in my guest room closet.  God forbid anyone stay longer than one or two nights because I don't have a closet for your clothes.  Ha!  Since my pillow closet started filling up to the point where I could barely close the doors, I decided now might be a good time to re-think how I store my pillows.  And, a little cleaning out might be in order too.  

Here was the state of my pillow closet before I got started.

Share Your Style Party #87

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the 87th Share Your Style Party!  I'm Kelly from The Essence of Home and will be your host this week.  

A Model Home with Great Ideas

Hello everyone!

Since my husband and I plan on moving in the next few years, we like to look at new homes being built to get ideas of what we want in our next house.  It's also good to see what you can get for the money and an idea of good areas to live.  We found a new subdivision not far from our current home that was beautiful!  Unfortunately, the homes were a lot bigger than we need and were well above our budget.  But, it was fun to see what was out there and get ideas to incorporate into our current home or our next home.  I took some pics to share with you because I knew you would enjoy the tour as well!  This home wasn't huge on exquisite decor but huge on pretty architectural elements and other ideas to have built into your home.  Those are what I'm highlighting here.  I'm not sharing the entire house.  I"m only sharing rooms where I saw something that peaked my interest.  

Here is the home exterior.  Really gorgeous right?!

Share Your Style Party #86

Welcome to Share Your Style! 

I'm Julie from Little Farmstead, and I'm your host this week. Whether you're here to browse the party for inspiration, or whether you'll be linking up your recent projects with us, we're so happy to have you participate!

Decorating with Boo Pumpkins

Hello everyone!

How was your weekend?  I hope it was good.  Mine was uneventful.   I was finally able to enjoy some much cooler weather here though!  I heard it won't last long, but I was happy to feel the change. 

 October, here in GA,  usually is the turning point for Fall.  We should start seeing the leaves change color, cooler temps, and the night sky falling on us sooner. One of the best things about Fall is that daylight savings time will finally end!  That is the bogus time change that we no longer need anymore.  So, now the clock will reflect the true time of day that it is supposed to be.  Can you tell that I'm not a fan?  

Now that it's October, the pumpkins can officially come out!  For now, I only have a few boo pumpkins set about.  I have some on my mantel and in my kitchen.  I love how cute they are.  

Here is my mantel.  I don't go overboard with seasonal decorating.   I like just a touch.  

Here is a small boo pumpkin set on top of a preserved box wood wreath.  

Share Your Style Party #85

WELCOME

to our 85th Share Your Style blog party.  Autumn has officially arrived and I am seeing so much beautiful inspiration in your homes for decorating with a Fall flare, yummy (gotta try) recipes, life style suggestions, fashion and lots more.  A big thank you to all who join us.

Your hosts are a party of five so when you participate in the party you will get lots of exposure.

A Beautiful Southern Property Tour

Hello everyone!

When my husband retired from the fire dept last Spring, he was given an extravagant gift to attend a class to build a custom bamboo fly fishing rod. Fly fishing is my husband's biggest hobby!  In the class,  he got the chance to meet many fine people.  After spending about 8 hrs a day together for 6 days, he became close to some of them.  One in particular happens to live near us.  So, when we received an invitation to his annual "pig roast" at his house, we were more than happy to attend.   

I thought I would share some pics of his beautiful home and property.  

Here is his house as we walked up to it.  It sits on several acres.

Share Your Style Party #84

Hi everyone and Happy Fall!

 Yes it is officially here, my absolute favorite season of the year! And what better way to usher it in than with another inspirational Share Your Style link party!

This week your host is me, Barbara from 21 Rosemary Lane.

Faux Fur

Hello everyone!

Since it hasn't felt like Fall yet, I've held off on putting out the traditional pumpkins etc. However, that hasn't stopped me from adding some cool weather accents to my home.  These can be used throughout the winter.  I love texture and soft materials, so faux fur fits that bill!  It has really warmed up my mostly white rooms.  

My most recent fur acquisition is this small brown sheepskin rug from Pottery Barn.  I decided to use it draped over my chair rather than on the floor.  

Searching for Fall

Hello everyone!

Are you one of the fortunate ones that is enjoying the crisp cooler weather that Fall brings?  Or, are you one (like me) that is still stuck in the heatwave of the summer?  I guess, it's a toss-up.  I endure hot long summers, but on the flip side mild to moderate winters.  No shoveling snow and dealing with blizzard warnings here very often.  So, with that in mind, I guess I will take that to heart while waiting on the weather to cool down here for Fall.  It will happen on it's own time.  

In the meantime, I thought I would highlight some great Fall decor ideas that have been shown around blog world lately.  I will live vicariously through them until it starts feeling like Fall here.  

A display of Fall leaves with paper leaves written with thank you messages on them from Ella Claire.

Share Your Style Party #83

Hi everyone!

Welcome to Share Your Style #83!
I'm Des from Peeking Thru The Sunflowers and I'm your host this week.

Decorating with Gold Accents

Hello everyone!

As I mentioned in my last post, I've begun the process of changing up some accessories around my home with Fall approaching.  I don't do traditional Fall decor with orange pumpkins and bittersweet inside, but I do like a neutral earth toned palette.  To enhance that a little more, I decided to bring in some metallic gold accents.  I placed some in my glass cabinet and above my mantel.  

The first thing I did was to paint the frame around my mirror in gold.  

My Sitting Room and Clock Makeover

Hello everyone!

With Fall just around the corner, I decided to start making some subtle changes around the house.  With that, came some color changes.  Around this time of year I always love earth tones.  I guess because they remind me of Fall.  They also transition nicely into the holidays.  I love neutral colors and find them very easy to live with.  So, some of the summer colors (lavender and blue) took a hiatus.  Now, I'm craving white, cream, grey, brown and a touch of metallic gold.  That may sound boring, but I love the mix.  It's both elegant and rustic at the same time.  

In my sitting room, I first painted my clock.  It was a cool blue and now it's a warm brown.  

Share Your Style Party #82

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the 82nd Share Your Style party!  I'm Kelly from The Essence of Home and will be your host this week. 

Furniture Shuffle in the Foyer

Hello everyone!

How is your Labor Day weekend going?  We are blessed with gorgeous weather here in North Ga.  It's still very warm, but the skies are blue and the humidity is lower.  So, I won't complain!  I thought I would share a small change I made recently in my foyer.  I decided to swap the chest of drawers with the bench.  It was an easy change that gave the foyer a new look.  I've had it like this before, years ago, so I knew it would work.

Share Your Style Party #81

Welcome to Share Your Style! 

I'm Julie from Little Farmstead, and I'm your host this week. Is it beginning to feel like fall where you live? Our three sons headed back to school this week, and the weather took its cue. Here in the Pacific Northwest, some of our leaves are already changing colors!

Whether you're enjoying these last few weeks of summer, or looking forward to fall, we're so glad you're here today!