What I'm {Currently} Lovin' & Adding to my 'To-Do' List

Besides being Mommy....I've been totally making/cleaning up MY messes around here!!! It seems that I just get something where I like it, then I get a 'better' idea.

So I've made a to do list, and have decided to 'simplify' my life a little and focus on one room {as much as I can} for right now.

I am kinda laughing, I had recently posted pics of my dining room...and the next it looked completely different! I really like it now, and plan on keeping it that way. The re-arrange helped me decide on which color I would paint the DR table: white!!

My living room is the room I'm currently focusing on. This is my 'To Do' list to make it done to my "satisfaction".

1) Recover & Paint these things {I've got 2 of them}

2) I re-arranged this corner from this to the piano facing out...if you're playing it you'd be facing the rest of the living room/dining room instead of staring out the window {don't have an 'after pic yet...}But I need to make it feel more homey. I got a $6 fern {live} at the grocery store the other day...it looks awesome on the floor. The goal is to make something chippy, fern-y, french inspired floor vignette. Stay with me! I have a plan in my head...just gotta find the right things.

3) We found a ton of scrap wood, and some moulding trim that we will be making into a fireplace mantle...that hides the black and bright brassy look from ...well not a popular era {at least it's completely not my taste!!} The plan is to just prop it up against the wall with not attaching it to the wall {we can just take it with us someday when we buy a house}

**Something like this:

{Found here}

4) Paint the cedar chest {that I horribly stained a looooonnnnnngggg time ago} that is currently my coffee table/kids destroy center. I have something like this in mind:

**See the stripes...on a small chest/yet with a slight distressed finish and some antique-ing finish!!

5) hang a couple of canvases...that I've been saving...with a cool touch...on an empty wall...slightly botanical.

6)repaint all these (after looking at them hanging for a couple of weeks...they need to get a second coat of paint...}oh and the sofa table is gone and the two chairs are there...along with an 'imaginary table'

7) This is going to be a long way off..but this last winter we found a 'free' tufted antique rocker chair. It is unusable in the condition it's in now, but it needs to be recovered...with all the intricate lines, buttons and piping, I am 100% sure its well above my level of skill to re-upholster myself, so as soon as we win the lottery  {kidding...we don't play} I'm gonna get it re-done...and it will be a super addition to the room!!!

I dream of living spaces like this:

{all found here}

I think you've gotten the idea!!

Happy Weekend!!

Hugs

~*Jessica

My dining room & Some of my current {projects}

I was just randomly going through my blog, and realized I left you hanging!! With our current situation, about a month ago, we mentioned we were moving to a smaller place so we could afford the rent.

We didn't have to! Our landlord cut our rent in half till we are able to get back on feet financially!! It was such a blessing, let me tell you!

{My front door}

We really enjoy where we live. We love our neighborhood, location, the house is cute, and reasonable when we were both working (I expect to be able to go back to work when Maci is in remission, and in the maintenance part of her treatment).

While I haven't been working full time, I've been able to get a few things done around the house that have been on our To Do list for quite sometime.

I feel sometimes multiple personalities in my decorating styles...

I see something, I love it, and I try to incorporate it into my house, with my own twist. (sometimes scary!)

I've mentioned so many times that I have grown up around darker colors, and have decorated with them ever since I've been married and have had a place of my own. Lately, I've been craving the lighter color schemes, with touches of darker here and there.

I know I've shown these inspiration photos before, but I'll show you where we are going with our furniture and decor schemes.

{Source}

{Source for second and third pictures}

So in all my 'inspiration' I've weeded out all my reds that I had throughout the main living areas, lightened up my bedroom, tweaked the girl's bedroom....here are a few pictures of my house...I think posting them on here will help me finish all what I set out to accomplish, definitely I would say I'm about half there. The great thing about it is, I don't really have to spend any money! I already had most everything. I've been busy sewing slipcovers and pillows, re-purposing things, a lot of spray painting!!

**Picture disclaimer...I realized after I had taken all these photos, that I cock-eye the camera...a whole lot. I'm sorry! I'll work on that!!! I promise, not everything in my house is slanted!!

This is a small section of wall, as you can see in my dining room. We've had a "small" collection of frames...(you will see later in this post) for quite sometime now, and these were spray painted antique white, and a black strip painted inside with craft paint. I then added a small piece of burlap backing and glued an antique fork and spoon for something different.

{My great-grandmother's lighted hutch that holds my little white dish collection}

{Shot in the other direction, facing the living room}

See that peek of black and white striped chair in the corner?? It's next on my dining room to do list. It's one of a pair purchased last year on craigslist for super cheap. I've just never got around to doing anything with them...but I've got a pretty good idea!!

Two things I'm 'struggling' with:

1) Don't know what to paint my dining table. It's currently black, in need of re-doing! I would like to paint it white...but don't know if it would get 'lost' in the rest of the room

2) If I paint my table, I would like to redo my grandmothers hutch (eeps) It needs some TLC around the base especially. If I painted the table white, I would like to paint the hutch...black?? I don't know we'll see. My LR and DR are pretty open, connected with a large pretty archway. I have a scrubbed pine armoir in the LR, and am definitely not changing that, so right now, the two clash. What do you think??

I am open to suggestions!!

Thank you for visiting today!!

DIY Kitchen Canisters!!

Wowzers!! I can't believe I'm actually posting a 'real' myself post!! It's been like a gazillion years. If you are reading this and wondering what I'm talking about, hop over here to find out where I've been!

Anyways, I've been wanting canisters for my kitchen counters for a super long time. The problem? I never seemed to find anything that I liked, or could afford. 

Now, I know these clear glass jars aren't new to anyone...but hey! I don't know why it finally dawned on me to check them out...

{via}

I got three of them at Target for less than 25.00!! 

Now they didn't come with the labels on them! They obviously came plain jane!

I was looking on etsy, just browsing around, and some how came across these decals!! You can find them here. They took about 3 minutes to attach all of them, and I love how they turned out. (In case you were wondering why the labels don't read English...I'm weird and love French words...so I chose to have the contents spelled out in French!!) 

And to top it off....I was re organizing my dining room closet...and came across an old tea set. I thought these little china tea cups were pretty cute scooper-outers!! (If I can keep from breaking them, as they are pretty delicate).

My kitchen is pretty small, with near zero counter space. It's kinda a fun challenge to find attractive, yet functional pieces. 

Linking up to:

Reasons To Skip the Housework's Tuesday Timeout Link Up

**Don't know if countertops count as tables ...but will try!!- (I guess you could totally incorporate something like this into a fancy 'vignette'!! Enjoy Marty's blog...she's such a sweet lady, and has a beautiful home!

A Stroll Thru Life: Tabletop Tuesday

Hope you all have a beautiful day!!

I hope to not be gone as long this time!

God Bless

Hugs

~*Jessica

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Giveaway!!

Are you a DIY enthusiast?? Do you enjoy {or like} to paint your own furniture? I do!! Have you every heard of chalk paint {all the rage in blogland??}

Examples:

{Source}

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If you would like to enter to receive all this:

1. Two quarts of paint...get this...you get to pick what colors you want...yippee!!
2. One can of wax.
3. One wax brush.
4. One clay tag...you can find these in her Etsy shop.
5. One clay knob...you can find these in her Etsy shop.

Head on over to Linda's blog & enter here! Hurry entries end tomorrow night!!

If you've read {or for the lack of posting...the last couple of posts}, I am now home for a long extended period of time taking care of my little girl...I am redecorating my house!!

BUT it's a fun challenge. I've been accused of hoarderizing for the past *ahem* well long time. I've thrifted, junked, garage saled, been given, 'borrowed', things that I've put up for a while now. 

Now that I'm home, I have been dragging myself and my hubby all around the house doing projects. 

I also mentioned in my last post or so that I thought we were going to have to move. 

Well, we don't!! The owner of our home graciously has reduced our rent in half, so we didn't move!! Thank you Jesus!!! 

Maci is doing pretty good, considering the circumstances. For her story, and updates you can visit her blog here.

Back to my decorating projects, I have been sewing, painting (not the walls), recovering, and hammering like crazy (well Josh has, but I've been directing!)

As soon as I get some more finished, I will post pictures for you to see! I am pretty excited about it!!

Don't forget head over to Linda's to enter that giveaway! 

Happy Weekend!!

~*Jessica