Unique wall coverings part 2

I hope your week is going well. It is busy around here as we are in full swing with all of the start up of fall activities. I can hardly find time to visit all of my favorite blogs, much less comment on them.(bad blogger here I know). 
I wanted to share with you a bit more in my series of unique wall coverings. It seems the more I research the more information I find. We all know that you can cover your walls with just about anything you put your mind to. We have seen walls done in your typical wallpaper and many of us have seen walls covered in fabric,slate, and as we talked about previously in grasscloth, but did you know that treatments for the walls are now being done in various forms of crushed stone, glazed clay, shells, and even sand? In the Sept issue of House Beautiful there is a whole page dedicated to just this:

Photo from house beautiful magazine

Stay tuned for more info on this in the days ahead. In the meantime you can visit House Beautiful magazine for  a better view and website info to finding these treatments.
Off to visit Ezra for a day or two and attend a class for my business.

EDITED to add that there was a knock at the door just now and a sweet lady was standing there with a dozen red roses from my hubby. It is not our anniversary and not my birthday, they were just because....he loves me.  Just had to share that. Have a blessed day!!

WALL COVERING SERIES PART 1: Grasscloth

With the resurgence of wall coverings in home decorating today, many designers are trying to come up with a "new and improved" take on this trend. From grasscloth to stone treatments , the offerings are unlimited. This is not your mother's wall paper. 
I am starting a 3-4 part series over the next week or so on the various options out there. 
Today Let's talk about Grasscloth:
First of all what is it?
Grasscloth has been around for ages but the patterns and colors have changed. Grasscloth wallpaper is made from natural grasses, reeds, and  a variety of fibers, including arrowroot, bamboo, cattail, jute, reed, rush, seagrass and sisal.
It usually grown in Asia, or the caribbean and is usually assembled by hand, making it more costly than other wallpapers. Because these grasses and fibers are abundant, sustainable, and renewable, grasscloth is an environmentally friendly option for walls. The colors, designs, and textures it comes in today, make it a great choice when you just want a little something different.
Here are some benefits:
Grasscloth brings a natural feeling to your room, bringing a bit of the outdoors inside.
Absorbs noise and adds texture and dimension to your room
Grasscloth can, because of it's fibers and fabric,  cover any slight imperfections in walls.
Grasscloth other natural fiber wall coverings are eco friendly
Depending on your decor, grasscloth and natural fiber wallpapers can lend an exciting backdrop to  your own decor.


Natural grass and reed wallcoverings are beautiful and unique given their natural materials - but are not always so great in areas with high moisture, or high traffic areas where they are likely to be brushed against or touched. Keep this in mind when selecting the room you want to use it in.
Take a peek at the photos below to get a feel for what it is all about, and how it looks in a room setting

Some examples of Printed grasscloth  below All images from google images

New Day

Enjoy the blessing of this Fall day!! Smile at a stranger, let someone get ahead of you in the grocery line, save the "close"parking space for the car behind you, make dinner for a new mom, Pay for the car behind you in the drive through.
Send a card to someone just because. Do something nice for a neighbor and for yourself. Take time to sit and bask in the beauty around you and always thank God for all that He has done for you. Have a great Weekend!

~SALE~ Over at the Hip Hostess

My friends over at Hip Hostess are having a sale!!
They have the cutest aprons ever!!  Buy one for yourself or a friend. Great girlfriend Christmas gift ideas too!!
 Here's what they have to say:

Making room for upcoming new designs, we're doing a Clean Sweep with Super Savings we think you're going to find irresistible! 

Click on photos below for more info

Little Girl's Sweet Petites... SALE Price $22

Select Sheath Style Aprons... SALE Price $29

        

All Cafe Style Aprons... SALE Price $24  

Tea Towels... SALE Price $7

Matching Magnet Sets... SALE Price $7

Hurry over to get these goodies while we've still got them!

Sale Ends OCT 15

Head on over and take a peek and tell them I sent you : )

Football Season with Ezra

It's been a while since I posted a picture of Ezra(my darling 5 month old Grandson), so when I saw this one of him and his sweet daddy watching football, I knew I had to share. Is this not the cutest little smile ever?

Happy Football season to all of you sports fans out there.

Quatrefoil... It is all the rage!

What is quatrefoil? Chances are you have seen it, you just didn't know what it is called. It seems to be all the rage in home decor and design. Quatrefoil means  "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts, a representation of a flower with four petals or of a leaf with four leaflets

In architecture and traditional Christian symbolism, a quatrefoil is a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially-overlapping circles of the same diameter.
Did you know that the Quatrefoil has been considered a sign of Good Luck for centuries?

It's in everything lately from rugs to wall coverings, it is found in shapes of mirrors, cutouts in furniture, patterns and colors in bedding and linens and more.

Ballard Designs recently had several different items in the quatrefoil venue such as this 

Metal cut out wall panel

How about this cute umbrella holder?

Another favorite from Ballard Designs, I love this green rug!





Look at the pattern in this Better Homes and gardens bedding from Walmart

Love this Quatrefoil Mirror from Lowe's too

I have seen it all over blog land too like in this great Pantry remodel  over at House of Smiths

Here is a cute project from Restorative Living blog

How  cute are these from Jen At Tatertot and Jello

You get the picture it is everywhere. So add a touch of "luck" to your home with a quatrefoil design. There is sure to be an item or color to suit you out there somewhere

  

It's Monday

Just a quick post for now. It's crazy busy at the moment. The open house went well. Here is a sneak peek of a portion of my Willow House display for my Launch party. Lots of ladies came and it was a great time. Several booked parties, so I feel like I am off to a great start. Would love a few more orders to really get the momentum going so,  click on the catalog link on my sidebar and come back and let me know what you would like to order.
Don't forget if you spend $39.96 you get to purchase another item $40.00 or less at 1/2 off. This is a great deal so go take a look.
Have a wonderful Monday!

Red Doors and a Guest Post

I have been wanting to do a post about the history of red doors for awhile now. I met a new blogger friend who did just that. So why should I reinvent the wheel? Let me introduce you to a sweet lady, Pam from Late to the Party. We met through a blog swap recently and I was fascinated by the fact that she has lost 107 pounds. Hooray for her!! Here is what is at the head of her blog:  After losing 107 pounds in just over a year, I have come to realize how very much I was missing. I may be Late to the Party, but I am doing my best to catch up in my own unique way! 
There is more to learn about her and you can visit her blog to do just that. She is a new blogger and would love to hear  from you!

Debbie, thank you for sharing  my blog with your followers on Love the Decor.  The world of blogging is fascinating to me and since I started mine just this year in June, I have had a wonderful time getting acquainted with people from all over.  It truly is a small world!
Red Doors

I

I can't say why, in particular, but I am partial to houses with red front doors.
   According to my research, red doors symbolize different things in different cultures.  In fung shei, a red door creates an atmosphere for prosperity, and in China, doors are painted red for the New Year to invite happiness and good luck into the home.  Ireland's red doors ward off evil spirits and ghosts.  For Catholics, red church doors embody the blood of Christ and the area beyond the door is holy, thus the symbol of sanctuary, a safe haven for all.  Lutheran churches have red doors which represent Martin Luther's posting of his 95 Thesis.  The red doors of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany is the site where Martin Luther forever changed the face of Christianity, thus beginning the Reformation.  In the American colonies, red doors symbolized hospitality.  There is also a tradition that a red front door means the mortgage has been paid off! 


   Red doors make me feel good.  Houses  with red doors make me want to see inside.  Who lives there, what do the owners do, how is it decorated?  I have been fortunate to own two homes with red doors... lucky in that the exterior colors of the houses look good with red doors.  Come to think of it, my first house and my current home share the common denominator of being painted gray and that makes the red front door just pop!  I wish I had a red door because my house is paid off, but alas, sadly, that is not and never has been the case.


   I hope that my red door conveys a welcome atmosphere.  I want people to feel comfortable and for guests to know that my house should be filled with laughter and fun and love.  When I wear red, it gives me a mental boost and I feel friendlier, more outgoing and less introverted.  My home should be the same.  
   I understand that all doors cannot be red doors.  Not all homes can sport a red door, nor would their owners be comfortable with a door that says, "hey, look at me!". Some people don't like the color red, period. But maybe if there were more red doors, our world would be a little less serious and a little more fun. 


  When I die, if the exit has a door, I hope that door is red or that heaven's door is red.  It would be a clear sign to me that crossing over to the other side isn't so bad, that there is fun and comfort and sanctuary there, too. 


    Have you given much thought to what color your front door is painted and why?  Let me know what color it is or what color you wish it were!  Most of all,  I hope you find lots of red doors in your life to, invite prosperity into your world, find sanctuary or hospitality, or just because you like red!  Whatever the reason, here's to red doors!

Thank you Pam for guest posting today!!
Just a note: This is Pam's very own door. It's so pretty

Great home Decor and More

Have you heard of Willow House? It is a wonderful company that has great merchandise for the home.
I recently became a consultant for Willow House and am having my Launch Party this weekend. I am asking for your help to get me off to a great start.  I promise not to beg like this often : ).  I am just really excited, and want to get off to a great start!! Please take a peek at the wonderful catalog and see if you can't find something you just have to have. Better yet, get a jump on your holiday gift shopping. Just come back and tell me what you would like to order and I will send you a paypal invoice. There is a great special going on now too. If you purchase and item for $39.96 or more, you get to buy an item equal or less at 1/2 price. How's that for a deal? Here are just a few of my favorite things (which is really hard to narrow down since I love everything!!) 

I think this could be the best thing ever! think of all the holiday decorating possibilities

Great for the Holiday Entertaining season

Just cute measuring cups!!

I think this green pottery is lovely too!!

They also have great deals on magazines too like right now you can Subscribe to Southern Living Magazine for $20.00 and get another year for free.
Go see what strikes your fancy and let me know what I can get ordered for you.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME GET STARTED WITH SUCH A GREAT COMPANY!!

Dont forget the promotion for ALL YOU magazine over at the Grocery shrink

Have a great Weekend

Fall is in the air

Touches of fall are showing up everywhere. I love the change of the season, the warm sunny days and the crisp cool nights. I love the color of the landscape, the rich oranges and reds. The smells of spiced pumpkin candles and yummy things baking help to create that warm cozy feeling unique to the fall season. Fall decorating is under way here at the "lovethedecor" home so I thought I would give you a peek:

I am busy getting ready for a huge home decor and Willow House open house this weekend at my home  so I gotta get this decorating done.

Have a great day and don't forget about the great deal on ALL YOU magazine here

Linking to tabletop Tuesday

A deal for your Monday

Have you heard of the Grocery Shrink? Her name is Angela and she is an amazing blogger who teaches us how to slash our grocery budgets and be frugal, all while having fun doing it.   She offers lots of money saving tips and recipes too. I think we could all learn so much from this woman. she even offers recipes for homemade cleaning products to help us save even more money!

 Angela says this : "Welcome to frugality with a purpose! Anyone can learn to be frugal. Frugality is not a talent but a way of thinking that can be taught. The biggest area of wasted spending in America is food! If you harness the power of your dollar in your food budget, you can redirect the spending power you already have. It’s time to use your hard earned money to make your dreams come true."

Head over to Angela's blog now for an amazing deal and lots of tips, recipes and so much more.She is hosting a Willow House blog party and is offering a bargin of a magazine that will help you start cutting that grocery budget from the very first issue. Magazines are great "girlfriend" gifts too because they "give" all year long!!(or for 1 1/2 years in this case) Everyone I have every given a magazine subscription too has LOVED IT!!!

Head over to the Grocery shrink and order this magazine today! You can't afford not to : )

I have also provided a pay now button to get 18 issues of this magazine for just $20.00 that's just $1.11 per issue and most issues have over $50.00 in coupon savings for things we really use everyday. Angela will get credit for this, so, please help her out with her Willow House Party!!

Bruschetta

I am hanging on to the last days of summer and using up all of the fresh tomatoes and basil to make this. Italian bruschetta (pronounced "brusketta") is a wonderful way to capture the flavors of ripe summer tomatoes, fresh garden basil, and garlic. 

I love it on toasted french bread or baguette

I don't really have a recipe but I will try to give you what I think use.

8-10 fresh tomatoes seeds removed and chopped ( any kind works)

10 basil leaves chopped

5 cloves of garlic chopped finely(I often use much more)

1/2 of a purple onion chopped

2 tbls  extra virgin olive oil (aprox)

1tbls balsamic vinegar

sea salt to taste

Mix all ingredients. Set aside. Toast slices of French bread or baguette. Serve tomato mixture, room temperature in bowl. Surround with bread slices. Can also set up a bit ahead of time, but it will get soggy quickly. 

I also add chopped fresh mozzarella to mine, then it becomes a "meal" on a hot summer night  ENJOY!! But beware it is addicting and it gives you horrible breath(but so worth it)

Linking to foodie Friday