Florida Living and Coastal Decor
Christmas has quickly become my favorite holiday to decorate for. which is why I'm super excited to be hosting this Cheerful Christmas Home Tour along side of some very talented bloggers, who will also be sharing their homes with you! There's something about sparkling lights casting a warm glow on everything that makes the house feel cozy and more inviting than ever! I can't wait to show you around!
If you caught my post a few weeks back, you know that I finallyyy found the perfect bar cart to DIY. You can see the transformation from dark and drab to bright and beautiful, here. Although I've already decorated quite a few rooms for Christmas, I decided to keep just a bit of Thanksgiving decor throughout my home since we are hosting dinner this year at our house!
I accidentally decided I would turn my throw pillows into "presents" when I laid some ribbon down on my sofa and realized I did an impeccable job of picking out my latest lumbar pillow from HomeGoods. I just knew that clearance find had "holidays" written all over it!
One of my absolute favorite parts of Christmas decorating is putting up the Christmas tree, or trees - plural - now that I've bought more than one! Up until two years ago, I didn't own a single tree that I was proud of. My artificial tree was as basic as it gets and I didn't put a lot of effort into my seasonal decor until my husband and I purchased our first home together.
When I first became aware of Starfish Project, I was intrigued by their beautiful and unique pieces of jewelry. But once I read their story and realized the purpose behind Starfish Project, I was moved by the amazing impact one company has had, and continues to have, on women and girls who have never truly experienced freedom of choice, or sometimes, even love.
Aren't we all glad to live in a world where there are Octobers? ;) This quote finally resonates with me, as the days are still warm and the beach is still calling my name. I want to reflect that light and warmth of October in Northeast Florida throughout my home, including my newly DIY'd bar cart! You can see how I completely transformed the look of it here.
Bar cart, bar cart, everyone wants a bar cart! Including me! I've looked for over a year at all kinds of fabulous carts - brass, glass, bamboo, wooden, metal, two-tiered, round, square, you name it! Through all those choices, I had my heart set on a vintage bamboo cart. But have you seen those price tags!? Even the informed sellers of Craigslist knew they had a rare gem that could easily be refurbished, and the price tag was proof of that knowledge.
I hope you're ready to be amazed! I'm totally running the risk of sounding like an infomercial here, but SERIOUSLY, you're not going to believe some of these price slashes! This is what gets me excited and why I NEVER pay full price for anything, because I know I can get it on sale, if I'm just patient enough. Finally, the time has come to reap the rewards of patience, friends, and I'm so glad you're here to join me! Now, let's start shopping (and saving)!
Never had I dreamed of welcoming fall with such open arms! But here I am, a Florida resident, loving the heck out of my sweet, Southern fall! I believe the key to this phenomenon lies within the "Florida resident" part of that sentence. You see, I am from Michigan, where it could require a snowsuit to go trick-or-treating, and where October seems to have the last of the sunshine you'll see until April. There are certainly plenty of folks up north that love fall, I have just never been one of them! So back to the "Florida resident" part again...
While I didn't want to do a full bathroom remodel, I did want to get rid of the brown wood cabinet stain that seemed to darken our guest bathroom. Since I was feeling lazy, er, efficient, I decided to try out chalk paint on the cabinets in hopes of skipping the whole sanding step that wasn't very appealing to me. I'm happy to report that it worked and I haven't seen a single scratch or chip in the year since it's been painted!
If you follow me on Instagram, you're probably already privy to my need for always getting the best deal ever. So, you may notice this is a recurring theme with each of my blog posts, as well. Since I really enjoy online window shopping (is that a thing?), I'm already aware of what certain items are priced at, from high end stores to bargain shops. Knowing what a "good deal" actually is, is key to getting one. Secondly, patience is most definitely a virtue, especially when it comes to decorating on a budget. I should also mention that this "budget" I keep referencing is usually all in my head.
Our dining room has come a long way from the dark and bland cave that it was when we moved in! (Want to see a great "before and after"? Click here.) As far as I'm concerned, it's not a finished project, but an evolving work in progress that morphs with the seasons - or a rainy Saturday when I get the itch to switch things up.
I pinned it, I stalked it, I envisioned it. Now, I just had to find it!! An over-sized, round mirror, that is, to go above the console table in our foyer. For months I sifted through online sales, perusing every round mirror that ever existed. The moment I thought I had found "the one", I would read the details only to discover that the mirror was puny.
