Great Giveaway Day Over!!

YOU COULD WIN THIS TABLE!!
Congrats to Brittany on winning this cute table at Nesters giveaway day!!
The giveaway over at The Nesting Place his done. But if you did't win, you can purchase this beauty on a special deal.
I am offering a special through Sunday Oct 4th on this Darling Table.
$20.00 off.
So instead of 95.00 +s/h You can get it for $75.00 +s/h.
Hurry these won't last long.
Hop over to www.lovethedecor.com and get yours today!!
A special Thank You to everyone who entered the contest there was more than 1400 of you! I appreciate your interest and very sweet comments!!

Making Memories Make a House a Home

When I started this blog, My original intention was to share decorating and design tips as well as promote my website store. My motto is that home should be a place of refuge,turning houses into homes and my tag line is Creating homes of distinction one room at a time. As I have shared before, home is so much more than decorating. With that in mind my blog has morphed
( is this a word?) into the sharing of other ways to make a house a home beyond the decorating aspect. I will always share decorating tips and ideas but every now and then I will share the personal side of making a house a home. Hence the reason for this post.
My Hubby and son-in-law left at the crack of dawn for a backpacking trip. This is something they have done every Sept for 4 years now. Many times there is a group of men that go, but this year it is just the two of them. I know they are looking forward to conquering the mountain and having some quality time together. A tradition that has been a wonderful bonding time for the two of them.
My part of the tradition involves his wife (our daughter Tiffany) She is a Dental Hygienist and has Thurs afternoon and Fridays off. She will be traveling home to hang out with her three sisters and I while the men are gone. We always have such a fun girl time together
We don't have to cook, we stay in jammies til noon and eat way too much junk and laugh a ton. Some years we tackle a project like scrap booking or painting a room but mostly we just hang out. It has been a tradition that we all look forward to and laugh and talk about all through the year.
We have tried very hard to create a home filled with faith, love, laughter and lots of memory making that draw us all together. I believe that times together like this will strengthen a family and give home that feeling of refuge and a place people want to come to. As my children all are young adults now it is becoming more important for me to be a big part of their lives. I want them to remember that our house is a home and a place they are loved and cherished, A place of love and memories and a place where they belong and want to spend time. I guess I am feeling a bit nostalgic this morning as I know that soon these times will be harder to put together because of scheduling issues as the girls go on with their lives. We will purpose to keep as many "together traditions" as we can knowing that sometimes life can get in the way. Now don't misunderstand what I am saying here, we did not create the "perfect" home, we are human after all, We have made our share of mistakes and wishes for "do overs" just like everyone else.
Our children are not perfect either and we have faced many challenges over the years. Our middle daughter Andrea is mildly mentally retarded and my youngest daughters are twins. There were many days when they were all little that I wondered "Lord what were you thinking?" In spite of the challenges though we continue to laugh and make memories together.
So you see there is so much more to turning your house into a home than decorating, and it doesn't have to involve money.

Here are just a few random pictures of my family that have happy memories attached to them.
Kara & Kaitlyn (the twins)

Kaitlyn w/Me


Kaitlyn w/ Dad

Tiffany and Ryan


Andrea & Kaitlyn


Kara, Me and Tiffany at our spa day (totally 'unmakeuped' )ugh!

Ryan and Tiffany in their first home

If Momma ain't happy...

Okay ladies,
We all know that the Mom sets the tone for the household each day. Right now, you are probably wondering what this has to do with decorating or making a house a home. To that, I say, EVERYTHING!!
It is easy in this day and age to get caught up in the keeping up with the Jones's. I find it even true in the blogging world. Suddenly everyone is creating and making beauty from ashes and it makes you think that you should be doing it too. We see pictures of lovely tables and lovely rooms and suddenly all of our things pale in comparison. We begin to be discontent with things we loved even just a few days ago.
Our attitude towards all that life throws at us each day will determine the way our family will handle things also. If we are upbeat and positive about a situation, they will pick up on that. Conversely if we are grumbly or negative, they will sense that too.
I have felt at times a bit frustrated about all that I would like to get done in our home, as far as projects are concerned, causing me to only point out the negative. When that happens, it has a spiral affect.
I find that in my frustration I begin to be unhappy about everything. My family will sense my discontentment and feed off of it. If I on the other hand choose to find the good in all situations and point out the silver lining of a problem, they in turn will eventually see the good too. So moms, I encourage you to view your homes through fresh eyes. Eyes that see everything you like about it. Eyes that can see the hidden potential, not the problem. Purpose to be positive and look at the bright side of a "bummer" situation. I am not endorsing being a fake. If you are discouraged about something it is okay to admit it, but accent the possible positive side too. For example, You may have wanted new carpet this year but budget or time will not permit it. You could gripe and complain about it or you can enjoy the fact that you have more time to figure out what you really want. You can plan more family "picnic" dinners in the living room cuz you don't have to worry about soiling a new carpet. It is all in the perception of the situation, that gives" mom" a chance to turn lemons into lemonade so to speak. It really is true, "that when momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy"
However, when mom is content in her circumstances and willing to share that fact by her actions, creating a warm loving home, home becomes a place of peace and a refuge from the outside world and then "everybody is happy"

Decorating with Baskets

I love baskets! They are a great way to fill in a space and help with organization. Baskets have been "in" and "out" in the world of decorating many times over the years. I am happy to say they are now "in" again. In my home, they have always been "in". I love the way they bring style and beauty as well as functionability (is this even a word) to any room. From vase like baskets to tray type baskets,wall hanging baskets to oversize baskets, there is sure to be an area in your home where a basket would look beautiful. The most recent Pottery Barn magazine has a beautiful assortment of baskets to choose from. Some are pictured above. They also have some online videos to give even more ideas and ways to use baskets. I also have noticed a resurgence in baskets at places like TJ Maxx, Ross, and other big box stores. There are so many styles and price ranges to choose from, that there really is something for everybody. Here are a few of my favorites from lovethedecor.com

Tables

Thought I would share with you some of my favorite accent tables from my website I have a thing for cute tables and probably have far too many of them. An accent table can fill in a hole in your room quite nicely and add a pop of color just where you need it. An accent table also gives yet another surface to display your treasures or can be used as plant stand too. I have picked out my favorites. They make me smile just looking at them. Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do. It would be fun to hear which are your favorites. If you are interested in purchasing any of these tables or for more styles, they can be found @ www.lovethedecor.com

Transform your Lamps

Looking for some thing new to perk up a tired room? Transform your lamps. Change out the shades on your old lamps to something fun and with color. Recover a lamp shade with a great new fabric. Add a fringe, tassels, or beads to the base of the shade to bring them up to date. Don't like the bases? Some of the new textured spray paints adhere to plastic as well as metal and can give that old lamp a great new look for just a few dollars. It is amazing how changing just one small thing on a lamp can give it a great new look. Amy over at Designing a life I love blog shows a wonderful example of how to transform an old not so pretty lamp into a new beautiful one. You should see what she did. It doesn't even look like the same lamp. If you aren't up for a project though, check out www.lovethedecor.com for great new lamps to work into any decor style

Follow up

I have just one thing to say about the Broadway Fiddler production. AH_MAZING. Okay maybe a few more things to say. The entire cast did a wonderful job and Topol has not lost his touch. It is incredible to see him at age 82 singing and dancing all over that stage. We read that he has performed in Fiddler 2500 times. Can you believe it? It was a very long musical but I was so sad when it was over. It is a captivating story. Entertaining from start to finish.
We met good friends for dinner and then went to the show. The other parts of the weekend (the play was about 100 miles from home) were spent with our daughter and her husband. It was a great weekend and a wonderful gift from my hubby.
Monday we plan to go on a hike in the mountains and enjoy the beauty of God's creation. Can you enjoy it when you are panting your way up a mountain? Just wondering :) I have a very busy week meeting with a few clients but I hope to get another decorating post out in a few days. Happy Labor Day everyone.

Fiddler on the Roof

This post had nothing to do with decorating and everything to do with tradition. I love the movie/play Fiddler on the Roof.
If you are not familiar with the play here is a little info.
Fiddler on the Roof is set in the small Jewish village of Anatevka, Russia, in 1905 and is concerned primarily with the efforts of Tevye, a dairyman, his wife, Golde, and their five daughers to cope with their harsh existence under Tsarist rule.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has been lauded by critics again and again, and won the hearts of people all around the world. Filled with a rousing, heartwarming score, which includes “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If I Were A Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is a timeless classic. No other musical has so magically woven music, dance, poignancy and laughter into such an electrifying and unforgettable experience.
It is a wonderful story of life and love and a papa that has a hard time accepting change.
I get to see the broadway production starring Topol tomorrow night and I am so excited. This play holds a special place in the hearts of my hubby and I. (He bought the tickets for me as a birthday gift) About the time were married, our local community theater was doing the Fiddler play ( this was a traditional spring event in our community to do a play and bring in a big name star to play the lead). My father had a large role in it and I would coach him with his lines so I got to know the story quite well.
As a surprise to hubby and I, at our reception, the entire cast showed up and san Sunrise,Sunset to us. It was very touching and we enjoyed it. It became more special to us as we started our family and have raised 4 daughters. We now have the video and watch it at least once a year. If you have never seen it I highly recommend renting it or better yet, go see the broadway musical. It will not disappoint.

FALL IS IN THE AIR

As we turn the calendar to September, (how did we get here so fast?) Bits of fall decor will be making its way into nooks and crannies around the house. I love fall and all that comes with it. The cooler nights and warm days. The turning of the leaves into an array of abundant color. The smell of wood stove smoke in the air. The urge to nest and make soups and homemade breads. Biting into the sweetness of a fresh crisp apple. Burning pumpkin spice candles. Oh I could go on and on.
All of these things tend to give us that cozy feeling of a simpler time we all long for.
The idea of changing your decor out for every season is also a way to bring that feeling to the inside of your home. It doesn't have to be a total transformation. Just a few things.
Put a Pumpkin candle in your kitchen window sill, drape a fall leaf garland over a mirror, Put a collection together of pumpkins or gourds and indian corn to make a small centerpiece on you table. You get the idea. Its all these fun little things that get your creative juices flowing and help you create a home of distinction one room at a time.