Happy Fall Y'all - Kitchen Pumpkin Decor

This scarecrow is so cute.  I actually bought him for our backyard, but once I got him home, I propped him up in the corner that enters our kitchen... and I decided to keep him there :)

The Fall decor in my kitchen was really easy to throw together.  I just bought a few real pumpkins, then found the Burlap lined wire basket, the pie sign and the little wood pumpkin crate on sale at Michaels for under $20 total.

A major no no to many people are the use of silk flowers.  Oh no, no faux :)  Many swear that they will only use fresh flowers.  But that does get pretty expensive.  So yes, I did use silk flowers... Please don't hold it against me.  I am okay with them if they are a good quality.  Although I should mention that I do use only fresh flowers when they are at the dining table. When people sit close to them, it becomes obvious when they are faux!  I had gotten the silk Fall leaves, flowers and floral picks at an after season clearance sale and I like to be able to use and re-use them.  I put a mason jar in the back corner for the flowers.  I popped the floral picks into a few places (wherever I thought they looked good).  The scale I already had from a prior thrift store trip... and the chalkboard I had previously DIY'd for $3.

I did not take the time to do fancy chalk art (although I probably should).  For now I just put a cute little saying on it.

 I love the way the fall colors pop off of my dark backsplash wall.

How do you feel about the use of silk flowers?  I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Happy Fall Y'all...

Shared on the following sites:  Fox Hollow Cottage, Funky Junk Interiors, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

How to Pick the Right Paint Color

Have you ever had trouble picking paint colors for your walls?  Don't feel bad, because I think we all have!  Sometimes picking paint colors can be difficult even for the best decorators.  Trying to pick a color from a little paint chip is almost impossible to get right on the first try.  The lighting, furnishings and surroundings in a room can completely change the look of a color.  A paint chip is not a large enough representation of what a color will actually look like when it's up in an entire room.   

I admit that I've actually had my husband re-paint a room three times until I got it right.  Since then I've started painting samples on the wall in the room I am working on.  It helps me to get a much more accurate look at the color... It may cost a few dollars for samples, but ultimately it saves time and money, because you don't have to paint, paint and re-paint a room... (sorry honey!).   My wonderful husband, who does all of my painting, probably prefers that I get it right the first time from now on :)

I leave my painted samples on the wall for a few days, making sure to look at them several different times a day (since lighting changes throughout the day, it is best to look at them morning, noon and night) to see and know for sure which you like best.  If you decide you don't like any of them, then it's off to the store for a few more samples.  But at least this way you didn't paint an entire room before realizing that it is the wrong color for you. 

In case you were wondering, in the above posted picture, if I had painted my headboard?  No I did not.  That is not a real headboard.  It is a wall that is painted dark chocolate with trim moulding (casing) around the edge to make it look like a headboard.  Since I am re-doing my master bedroom, this faux headboard is going away... which made it a perfect place to sample these new colors.  

Most paint and home improvement stores now have sample jars available that can be mixed for most of their colors.  These samples are large enough to paint about a 3 foot square on your wall, which is much better to look at than a tiny paint chip!!!

I am working on re-doing my master bedroom.  So, yesterday I got a number of paint samples from Lowe's.  They are less than $3 each and are worth every penny!

The current color of my master bedroom is sort of a baby blue (it is more intense of a color than this picture is showing and it is a bit too blue for me).  I want something with a bit more grey in it.  I want the room to have a peaceful serene retreat feeling (not feel like a baby boy's room).  The top left sample color is "Light Silver Sage" from Restoration Hardware.  I've used this color once before (about 5 years ago) at a rental we used to live in.  I love the color!  The color on the right is called "Linen".  I am loving this color too but I'm thinking about using it elsewhere in our house.  The middle color is the one I've decided to use for our bedroom.  I actually mixed the light silver sage 50/50 with a lighter greyish white sample that I have.  I love the outcome of my mixed color.  I am going to go back to Lowe's to have them do a custom paint match of the color for me.  

Most paint stores have a computer that can take any color and match it for you and mix you custom paint.  Color matching is a free service and a good way to get a specific color that you can't necessarily find on a paint chip.  

Over the next couple of weeks our master bedroom will be undergoing some major transformations... A wood wall treatment, new paint, new mouldings, new beds (yes, I said beds, plural... I will explain that in the future).  Also, possibly new DIY headboards. some fun furniture changes, new lighting and more... I can't wait to share each step of it as we progress.

Looking forward to next time,
Happy decorating!

Are You A No Reply Blogger? How to Fix the Problem...

Today I was contacted by a fellow blogger and she told me that I was a No Reply Blogger.  I was like... huh.. what the heck does that mean.  What is a "No Reply Blogger"?  It means that every time I left a comment or a question on someones blog they couldn't respond to me.  And to think, I thought I was just being ignored, I was so NOT popular and nobody liked me... (LoL).  I'm so glad I was wrong!

I promise I am not anti-social...  In fact it's quite the opposite.  I talk probably a bit too much. I love getting to know people and making new friends!  So of course I am thrilled that I was able to fix this problem.


I'm not sure exactly when or how it happened.  I think the problem goes back to when Google Plus was introduced.  It somehow changed some of the settings on my blog.  I stopped using Google Plus awhile back, but I didn't realize that some of my original settings on my Google account were changed.

I figure that I'm probably not the only one with this problem, so I thought I'd let all of you Blogger users how you too can fix it.

The problem is in the User Profile on Blogger.  Where it says "show my email address", this box was not checked which made me a no reply blogger.  I had my email address on my profile, it was just the box not being checked that made people unable to reply to me.  When someone would try to respond to my comments via their blog they got a message saying "No Reply Blogger".  So apparently I was being anti-social without even knowing it.  I'm really nice, I promise and now that it is fixed I hope to talk to many more of you.  

Fixing the problem is actually quite easy once you know how...

Here is an easy 5 step tutorial on how to fix it so people can reply to you... 

That is it.  If you followed these simple steps, the problem is fixed :)

Blessings,

Diana

Fun Fall Candles - Easy Peasy DIY

Check out this super easy DIY project to spruce up your candles for Fall...  Now that my mantle is decorated, I wanted to bring more Fall color to my kitchen table.  

I started with a hurricane candle trio that I've had for several years.  I am using faux battery operated candles that are made from real wax.  They have a realistic look without the danger of fire.

I used jute twine and faux Fall leaves to bring the look of Fall to these candles.

I put one leaf on each side of my candles (since they will be sitting in the center of my table I wanted a leaf to show from each side).  I held the leaves down while twisting the twine around the center of the candle three times.  Then I tied the twine in a knot centered on one of the leaves.  Last I cut the twine ends so it wasn't hanging too long.

I did the same process on all three of my candles.  Here is what they look like now.  I love how something so simple adds so much color and charm to these beauties!

I placed the glass hurricanes back over them and now they are ready to go.   The glass creates a glare on the photo, but you get the idea.  

I will be able to use these candles throughout the entire Fall season.  I will add pine cones, a few birch branches and more leaves down the center of the table for our Thanksgiving family gathering.  When I do, I will be sure to share more pictures :)

Blessings,
Diana

Linkin up to these fun parties -
Funky Junk Interiors

Fall Mantle Decor

I have a fascination with Fall and all of the amazing colors!  It's  probably because where I live in Southern California we don't see much Fall color.  So when fall finally arrives I love to decorate around the house with Fall colors and beautiful maple leaves. 

I just finished decorating my mantle for this Fall season.  I used a bunch of faux silk maple leaves, mixed with a few pumpkins that I painted, some burlap cloth ribbon and small pine cones.

I got an amazing deal on the burlap.  I got 300 feet of it on a roll for only $9.99.  You can get the same deal on Burlap Ribbon/Cloth Here.

I like the look of Fall on the mantle, but now I am thinking I need to find something different to hang above the mantle.  The colors in this picture don't look right with all of the fall decor.  It definitely needs something more rustic! 

I am thinking maybe an old vintage window or a rustic old frame would look good in place of the picture.  What do you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time,

Diana

Linkin up -
Funky Junk Interiors
Tatertots and Jello

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Fox Hollow Cottage

Pumpkin Painting - Fall Decorating Ideas

I spent yesterday painting a few pumpkins for my fall mantle.  I purchased some faux pumpkins from my local craft store so I could use them for more than one season.  I love the chevron pattern, but I didn't necessarily want to paint an entire pumpkin chevron, so I taped of the center of this pumpkin with masking tape in a zig zag pattern all the way around.

I painted the top half with Martha Stewart Metallic gold.  I applied the paint with a sponge brush.  The first coat of paint was pretty thin so I opted for a second coat after the first had dried.

After painting the pumpkin with two coats the gold was much more prominent.  

The gold was a bit too yellow for my preference so after removing the tape from the pumpkin I brushed a brown antiquing glaze over the entire surface.  I love the final look.  

I am working on a couple more pumpkins and decorating my mantle for fall.  I will share the finished mantle with you tomorrow...

Until next time...

I am sharing this post at the following parties -

  

Fox Hollow Cottage - Primp Your Pumpkin

DIY Showoff

One Year Blogiversary & Revisit Very First Post

Today is day 365 since I first started blogging and first started Anyone Can Decorate.  Happy Anniversary or should I say Blogiversary to me and ACD tomorrow... Woohoo!  I can't believe how fast this year has gone...  It seems to have flown by!

I thought it would be fun to revisit my very first blog post from day one of Anyone Can Decorate.  Since I didn't have any followers when I first started, most of you probably have never seen it.  So here it is, I hope you enjoy it :)

Baby Nursery - Under $500 Complete

This entire baby girls room was decorated for less than $500.  The crib and mattress were purchased new. The Bellini dresser/changing table was found at a garage sale for $60, to which I added furniture appliques and re-finished in an antique white.  The rocking chair was found at a vintage shop for $25 (it used to be a neon yellow).  I added the furniture appliques to the rocker then painted and distressed it.  The bedding set and mobile were purchased new from eBay.  The canopy I made with a half round piece of plywood and L-brackets, with sheer fabric and trim simply attached around the edging of the board with a staple gun. The chandelier was designed by me and assembled by my hubby.  The table lamp, wall shelves, bulletin board, wall hooks, wood organizer box and wall cherubs were all old vintage pieces from flea markets and garages sales that I refurbished/painted for the room. It is amazing to see how much can be done on a a limited tight budget.  We started with a completely empty room and when we were finished it looked like we had spent thousands.

The chandelier above is dripping with teardrop crystals and petite pink roses.  I designed it from scratch using a combination of both vintage and new lamp parts.  It is painted with Rustoleum satain spray paint in Heirloom White. My amazing hubby wired this beauty and hung it for me.  We added the ceiling medallion to add to the sweet cottage chic look.  We used silicone dipped light bulbs for a soft glow. The floral pillow on the rocking chair is from Target, from Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic line.  We later added a soft sage green, cream and rose colored area rug to the floor in front of the crib.
  
The bulletin memo board was made from a vintage frame, painted with the same Heirloom White spray paint, and has distressed edging.  I used a pretty pink floral girly fabric and lace ribbon in a criss crossing pattern across the front. This was an easy DIY project.  I had my hubby cut a piece of fiber board the size of the inner frame..  I added a layer of batting, wrapped the fabric around it and used a staple gun to fasten everything to the rear of the board.

Sweet Dreams Baby Girl !!!

So there you have it.  My first post as written 365 days ago.  The blogging community has been so supportive and loving.  Thank you all very much!  I have enjoyed getting to know many of you and I look forward to seeing what this next year brings.

Blessings,

Diana

Amazing Burlap Deal - 300 Feet - Under $10

This is one of the best deals I have ever found (and I am a major bargain shopper)!!!  Most of us that love to do DIY crafts and projects love burlap!  I was looking for burlap ribbon or garland for a few decorating projects that I want to do with my fall decorations.  The burlap garland at the craft stores was pretty expensive for the short lengths that they sell it in.  I usually found 10 yard (30 foot) rolls and it ran from $7 to $12.  

Then I found this 300 foot roll for only $9.99. Yes, 100 full yards of 4" wide burlap for under $10.  It bought it online and even with the shipping cost for the large roll the total was still under $20.  When I found 300 feet of burlap for this price, I immediately ordered it.   

I received my burlap in the mail and I'm so excited about it I so I wanted to share it with all of you.  Look how huge this roll is.  It does not have sewn edges like some of the fancy burlap ribbons do, but this works perfectly for my crafts!!!

I can't wait to stencil some, make garlands from some, decorate my mantle with it, and probably even my Christmas tree this year.  With 300 feet I will be able to make so many fun and creative things!

I was going to wait to share this with you until I got some of the crafts completed, but then I realized that some of you may want to order some for your fall crafts too.  So here is a link where you can get your Amazing Burlap Deal - HERE

Until next time,
Happy decorating!