Restoring brass

Hey there all! Thanks for joining in on all the fun this week. :) It was a great one, thanks so much for all the birthday wishes! We’ll announce the winner to our birthday quiz tomorrow.

So last night the Bub, one of my BFFs and I took what has become an annual trip out to a local barn sale. The folks at Restyled host it every year (here in central Indiana) and it’s a fun fall event:

I only picked up a couple items and already did a little update to one. I found an old brass compote that just spoke to me – it was unique and a beautiful shape and I just loved it.

It had a patina to it but it was almost too much – I wanted it to look more like antique brass. And yes, I do like some brass. I can even handle some shiny brass in small doses. TINY doses.

It’s fairly quick and easy to get some of the original finish back! I’ve had this polish for years and it works great:

You apply it with a soft rag or if the finish is really stubborn you can use a scrubbing pad. I used both on this one.

Just be sure not to put the polish directly on the item, at least a big piece like this:

It works really well. :) (I spilled some in there.) But on something bigger like this there’s just not enough in the bottle to get the whole thing looking like that. (You’d have to put it directly on the entire thing.)

So put it on the rag or sponge and then buff like crazy, then rinse and dry. It’s really very easy, just takes some muscle. But eventually the original finish will start to come through:

I didn’t want it to be too crazy shiny so I tried not to scrub too hard.

Some parts are shinier because they had some more damage on the surface. To get rid of that I had to work harder with the scrubber:

I have found that the thinner brass shines up easier (the bowl part) and the thicker metal (the base/handles) keeps it’s patina a little more. So just watch for that if you don’t want too much shine.

The handles I barely touched:

Seriously, how cool is that? It’s a fish handle. The fish head is kind of angry looking but I still love it. ;) This is certainly a piece you’re not going to find just anywhere and that’s what makes decor interesting and unique. If you’re into unique that is. ;)

Of course I had to add some fall touches with the white pumpkins:

Who doesn’t love white pumpkins? Nobody, that’s who. (If you don’t don’t tell me.)

There you go – a quick fix to brighten up an old piece. Before (I forgot to take a pic) the finish was almost too dark, it looked dirty. A little polish brought back a little of it’s original glory. ;)

Fall is such a fun time for outdoor barn sales, festivals, all that good stuff. Do a search for your area and you may be surprised at how many you find this weekend! Have a great one!

Justa Thrifty Birthday

Well it’s here. The day you’ve been waiting for all week…my BIRTHDAY! Have I talked about it enough yet? ;) Thing is, I firmly believe, especially as we get…ahem…older, that we shouldn't ignore birthdays. We should celebrate them and enjoy and take advantage of a day that can be all about what YOU want to do. Or in this case…me.

All that being said I really don’t run around all week with arms flailing telling everyone it’s my birthday. I save that for you all here on the blog. ;)

Blogging has been a blessing in my life for more reasons than I can count, but one of the biggies right up there at the top is my friend Chris. She’s truly a best friend now – I have a few of them and they all come from different times of my life. This girl is from this “season.” Otherwise known as the OLD season.

She’s a blogger, teacher, momma, wife and to top it all off, an amazing decorator. I want to move in to her house:

Amazing right? I know.

This bathroom is one of my favorites:

And of course her daughter’s room is so fun and sweet:

The thing is, we have the same birthday. Sisters from another mother, in so many ways! But she’s 40 today (choke, gah, cough) and I’m only 38. Don’t worry Justa, age ain’t nothin’ but a number. As far as you know.

So today, just like last year, we celebrate by sharing how weird, yet boring we are:

Seriously, it took us like two months to come up with ten (somewhat interesting) things about ourselves. Coming up with ten last year hurt our brains so doing it again was nearly impossible.

The whole somewhat interesting part is relative, but we did come up with some. This year they’re true/false so even easier! We aim to please.

The person who gets the most/all right wins $100 to Tarjay from us:

I know…lots of giveaways on the blog this week. It’s my birthday so I can.

Just answer these five questions here and then visit her place and answer five more. We’ll pick a winner at the end of the week. Here’s the details:

Take the quiz here (remember your score!)
Take the other half of the quiz at Justa’s site here.
When you finish with her quiz, leave your score (out of 10) in the comments section of her blog. That will count as your entry for the giveaway.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Have fun and be sure to tell Chris hi for me! And remind her how old she is while you’re at it.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes all week, I really do appreciate it. You guys are so wonderful!

Quick mantel redo

Hey hey! Well, the birthday week continues with a little something for a couple of you. From HomeGoods. Whaaaat? (Said in minion voice.)

Yes.

HomeGoods asked me and a few other bloggers to share how a few small changes can change up a space in our home. My challenge was in the bedroom – their survey found the bedroom is the No. 1 room in the home that negatively impacts people’s mood. Interesting! They challenged me to change up a spot in our bedroom just making small changes. This was hard for me – no spray paint, no tweaks. Just decorate.

Thing is, I love our bedding (from HomeGoods, shock) so I needed to focus on a different area in our master. I walked into the store and found my inspiration right away!

The space I wanted to focus on is the mantel – earlier this year I changed it up with some Goodwill art:

Soooo. I like it at first. It was dark and moody and it reminded me of a special place for my husband and I. But within a few weeks it just got…well, dark and moody. ;) And I love those floofy things off to the side but they were kind of weird up there.

Soooo. This is the spot I changed up. Instead of floofy things I went with classic candlesticks:

I saw that beautiful box with the navy blue accents and knew it was perfect. (You can see my navy blue lamps here.)

The other side is filled with items that were already up there – I just pulled in a navy blue book to bring some of that color to that side:

I changed out the orchid pot too to a darker one (just switched it with another orchid). By the way – see those blooms? Yes, I successfully grew an orchid that rebloomed. GOLD STAR for me. Although I have no idea how I did it, I just noticed one day it was blooming again. Soooo.

I’ve talked about my method for accessorizing a space before and I followed that here – variety in heights and pulling similar colors in throughout. It seems to work.

I also picked up a throw because I clearly don’t have enough throws as it is (that’s sarcasm if you can’t tell):

Isn’t that beautiful? It’s so soft! By the way, the settee and the pillow, both from the HG a while back.

Oh, and I almost forgot the most important part! The part that inspired the whole redo, the big mirror:

Ack! So much better! Eventually I’d like to place some DIY art above the settee but for now I just removed a few of the frames that were up there and love it simpler like this – it can breathe now. :)

By the way, a smart designer once told me not to use mirrors above fireplaces, (because they reflect the ceiling) and for years I fought hard to follow that advice. But I’ve since realized that they’re fine – quite lovely actually. It’s hard to fill that space above a mantel and sometimes a mirror is the very best thing for it. I take it all back – put a mirror up, it’s OK. :)

You’ll notice that these walls aren’t the new wall color yet. That’s because 1.) I’ve been lazy and painting the tall walls sounds as fun as walking on hot coals 2.) I’m still not 100 percent I’m going with the color I picked out.

So there’s my update with a few accessories – it took me all of 15 minutes to change it out. For me that’s a record.

The best part? Two of you get $50 to spend at HomeGoods. I’ve got them right here burning a hole in my desk. So to enter just comment here – have you been to HomeGoods? Did you hear singing the first time? (Every time?) What’s your favorite purchase? Answer any or all or none, just leave a comment (with your email address!). :)

AND if you are so inclined, you can repin from this link and if I get the most pins I’ll get another FIVE $50 cards to give to you all. YES. So there you go. HomeGoods happy, it’s a thing.

P.S. I am having issues with the photos on my blog – they are so crisp and clean for me and then I load them into Blogger and they get dark and blurry. Trying to figure out what the issue is, bear with me!

Disclaimer: I received a gift card to complete this redo. Love of the HG is my own.

October Before and After

Well hello! I’m just gonna start this out right – it’s my birthday week. Yep. ALLLLL week. That’s how I roll.

Also, I’ve been thinking for a while and I’m considering changing this party to once every two or three months instead of once a month. Thoughts? The linky parties just aren’t as popular as they used to be. My favorite part is that some of you get to share and find each other, and I love the highlighting blogs during this recap every month – so I would continue to do that in one way or another. I’m just thinking the linky is dying a slow death. ;) Let me know your thoughts.

OK, before we link up this month it’s time to share a few of the projects from last month! I picked some big ones and some simpler ones – all awesome! First up is Delia’s kitchen redo:

And when she says budget she means it – this was done with $65! She used gel stain to transform her cabinets and I am in awe! It’s a modern look with more contrast and I think she did a great job. It looks like a different room, for less than $100!

I have mud rooms on the brain (I’m starting ours, finally!!) so I was salivating over Brit’s beautiful built ins:

Seriously – this gets me so excited!

By the way, love Brit’s amazing moldings around the window, right? Right. Cristina showed us how to do just this:

There are days I hold myself back from trying to rip out a window sill on a whim to do just this – trying to be patient. There’s a long list ahead of it. :)

Here’s an easier project for you – Rachel did a super cute redo on a dollar spot trash can:

Why didn’t I think of that? That’s what blogs are for. So stinking cute.

Laura’s beautiful, light bedroom redo (mostly just with paint) had me swooning:

Just lovely!

My friend Beckie made over her son’s room and made it a SUPER fun place to be:

Aren’t those beds the coolest? Seriously, so fun!!

Tracy took a $10 desk and transformed it with milk paint:

I am so digging that green lately – all greens actually. The top on that dresser turned out beautifully too, make sure to check that out.

And finally, another easy project – I love this one. Lisa made a plastic trophy look like an old vintage one: 

I couldn’t believe the difference! You can find these shiny trophies everywhere too – I see them all over thrift stores. Go here to see her tutorial!

OK, now it’s time to link up again! I can’t even believe it’s October people! If you’d like to be considered for the recap next month I would love a link back or you can use my cute button:

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.simplehomeinteriordesign.blogspot.com/" title="TDC Before and After" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/beforeAndAfterButton_thumb1.gif" alt="TDC Before and After" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

OK, have fun and link it up!

Antique Farm House

**This giveaway is now closed. Winners have been contacted via email.

 

Aww yeah. Whoohoo for the weekend! I’m off later on today to hit up a barn sale and then my sis and I are checking out a local winery in a cute area nearby. FUN stuff.

Today we’re kicking off the weekend with a little something for you guys courtesy of my friends at one of my favorite decor sites, Antique Farm House:

I LOVE their items because you’ll find such beautiful pieces that look like they’ve been collected over time from little shops and antique stores…but it’s all in one spot ready to go for you. :) And I always love finding pieces that not everyone has – their items are unique and fun.

I’ll share a few of the recent and upcoming finds that you’ll see on the site, starting with my favorite:

Ummm. Helloooo. Another one of my favorite sites sells this fixture for…let’s just say…a lot more. Gah. Where do I need this? Where??

I’m a sucker for the big glass demijohns – they fill up a space beautifully:

I have a thing for all things glass anyway, so I want to buy these every single time I see them.

These wire baskets are always useful:

I love their smaller accessories like this antique brass clock:

That would be perfect for a nightstand or bookcase.

I’ve been trying to find something cute to hold things like potatoes, peppers and onions – if I put them in the pantry I forget about them and there’s no room in the fruit bowl. Love this for the counter:

It would be cute for bread too!

And I love the dark sand in this hourglass:

See this is what I’m talking about – they all look like a find from the antique shop! Love.

Their current grain fabric sale is doing really well:

Of course this would be great for pillows or towels or art – but if you love this look the fabric would be so pretty as a tree skirt this Christmas too! You don’t even need to hem it – just pile it around the bottom of the tree (that’s what I do!). No one will even know. ;)

The great news this weekend is the folks at Antique Farm House are offering $50 to two of you to spend as you wish on their site!

Here’s how to win one of two $50 credits to Antique Farm House:

1. Leave a comment here. EASY. What do you have planned this beautiful fall weekend?

2. Visit the Antique Farm House site here and take a look around. Find an item you love and come back to let us know what it is.

3. Go to the Antique Farm House Facebook page and like it here. Let us know you did in another comment. (If you already do, just let us know!)

4. If you’d like to get the up-to-date info on new sales, sign up for the AFH newsletter here, then let us know you did. (Or if you’re already signed up!)

* You can enter using one, two or all methods – it’s up to you! All options are not mandatory to win.

* Remember if you comment anonymously or you have a private blog, please include your email address in each entry, and spell it out with “at” and “dot” to avoid any spammy emails coming your way. (I have turned anonymous comments back on for this giveaway!)

This giveaway is open to the US only. It will close this Monday, October 7 at 9 a.m. EST.

Hope you have a lovely, safe weekend!

Fall porch decor

Hey hey! It’s Thursday and I’m happy! I’ve always loved Thursdays. It’s the almost-weekend. LIKE.

Today we’re closing up our fall linky parties over at Rhoda’s outdoor fall decor shindig – whoot! It’s supposed to be warm again today and tomorrow but I’m sitting in my office with a blanket on so I don’t quite believe it. Or I just refuse to believe it. :) So bring on the fall outdoor ideas!

Last year I shared our patio dressed up for the season:

So this year I’m heading back out front. If you’ve been around a while you’ve seen my plan before – when I find something that works I do it again and and again and basically run it into the ground. :)

This year is no exception. I like sharing this though because I know I’m not the only one with a teeny tiny porch. And even a teeny tiny porch can look big and mighty this time of year.

I start with a couple corn stalks – and apparently we’ve grown them big in Indiana this year:

These were each over 12 feet tall so I cut them down with my saw. I secure them next to the door with some cup hooks and hidden twine:

I changed out my yellow mums for these orange ones – I think these look better with the pumpkin wreath and door. The yellow mums will go back to the patio.

I got that big wide sisal rug from Target this spring and LOVE it. It’s hard to find one that wide:

See? Itty bitty porch and still festive. Yes I dream about a big wide porch with a swing, but it ain’t happening. So I embrace mine and make it work. :)

We have a big rock in our landscaping out front and I like to decorate around it for the fall. I pile pumpkins, kale, mums, whatever I can find around it:

I just leave them in their containers and hide the plastic with the pumpkins. Love how it looks!

This year I also planted some sub-zero pansies – I don’t usually plant anything out front but these have a guarantee that they’ll make it through the winter and will then bloom again in the spring:

I think I’m going back to get more to go all the way around the landscaping out front. (I only got enough to go around the rock.) I LOVE the colors – lots of different purples, reds and yellows. So pretty. :) Anyone ever planted these?

This is not my thriftiest decorating – the kale and pumpkins aren’t cheap but I just love them. And they always last well past Thanksgiving. Last year my kale was absolutely beautiful in the snow. It wasn’t until about February that they finally dried up.

I took down our window boxes (they were falling apart) earlier this year and still hope to get some new ones up before the holidays:

Weird timing maybe but I do love filling them with greenery at Christmas.

Now that the fall decor is up we’ll be pulling out the big spider, orange lights and blow up pumpkin for out front this weekend. :) Can’t wait to see your door and outdoor decor over at Rhoda’s today. Have a great almost-weekend!

Simple autumn tablescape

Hey all! How are ya? The cat pulled the cord out of my phone last night so we had a fun morning of running around trying to get to the bus on time. We did. ;)

Today I’m sharing my fall tablescape as we continue our fall link ups! If you’ve been following along over the years you know I got a wild hair a couple years ago and decided to get rid of our dining room and turn it into a library. It’s still in process but we LOVE it so far.

For a while this meant I really didn’t have a table to dress for the seasons (we had our round kitchen table). Not a big deal but I’m a decorating fiend and a blogger so I did miss that part a bit. But since I made our new, bigger table earlier this year, I’m able to join in on the festivities again. Whoot!

I started with a blank slate of the DIY tabletop:

I tried to use what I already had for the most part – I love our round IKEA chargers so those and my basic white plates were first:

I got the napkins at Pier 1 – LOVE them but they only had three and I needed four. So I ended up with two of the prints and two solids that matched. I like how it turned out.

The plates felt nekked when I was done so I added some gourds I picked up last weekend on each plate:

Like a smarty I only got three of the green and three of the orange – so I had to mix those up too. I was on a roll.

I created the whole table setting based around the pink flowers you see here:

I LOVE them – I can never remember what they’re called but I always see them in the fall. Any idea what they are? The bring pink is a wavy/felty feeling one and the longer ones are fuzzy and fun. They played perfectly with more hydrangeas from my pee gee trees. (You can see how I used those on the mantel here.)

I wanted to carry the flowers down the table a bit so I filled a Goodwill set with little bits of the flowers as well:

There’s a lot of Goodwill on this table – the little white creamer set, the copper sprayed candlesticks, the water goblets and glass hobnail votive holders are all from Goodwill over the years:

I love the glass aisle at Goodwill – it always draws me in. I can’t quit it.

At first I planned on putting a runner down the table, but I really wanted to see the table I worked so hard on. :)

My goal (like with the mantel) was to use more natural items and some items I already had. I didn’t want it to scream FALL – I wanted it to whisper. *Fallll.* 

I think it whispers:

Last night after I took pics the Bub asked why we were going to eat pumpkins. Love him.

This morning it was dark and rainy and I took the opportunity to light the candles again and take a few more shots:

It’s no fancy dining room but I love it. ;)

I think we’ll eat by candlelight tonight!:

This kind of thing is so fun for me – just puttering around and adding things, taking them away, arranging them just so. Hope it inspires you just a bit! :)

Do you have a dining room or just a kitchen table? I thought I would miss the dining room table more than I do – but I really don’t! It was a good choice for us for sure but wouldn’t be for everyone.