Disclosure: This post was a collaboration with Astrobrights Papers, however all opinions and love of bright colors for Easter decorating are 100% mine….and the Circus’. If we’re being honest – and we’re always honest around here – my Valentine’s Day wreath just came off my front door three days ago. The Circus proclaimed that “The Easter Bunny…
How to Paint a Plaid Pattern for Lazy Gals
This post is sponsored by Velvet Finishes, however all opinions are 100% mine. You guys. You guys. You guys. No. Really. You guys. I did something. I did something I wasn’t sure I could do at all. I was sure it would be an utter failure. I held my breath with each brushstroke and removal…
My Favorite Green Decorating Moves
I make no bones about my love of the color green in decorating. I will fully own up to the fact that I use it often and maybe too much for some people. I don’t care though. I’m not a quitter. Meg from Green with Decor emailed me a couple months back and asked if I wanted…
Snazzy Painted Planter Pots
I am willing spring to come with this project. Willing the cold cold cold air of yesterday to go away and the warmth that we enjoyed just on Monday to return. Living in the Tennessee valley, you literally never know what the weather may bring. And now, I just realized I sound like an old…
Finding the Good Stuff on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace
Lately, I’ve been stalking thrift stores, Craigslist, Close5, Facebook yard sale pages and every other second-hand selling outlet known to mankind.
Ok, let’s be honest, I’m always stalking those places. But the 70’s Landing Pad has given me a more valid excuse to stalk and buy more. Yea, so there’s that. P.S. You can see some of my new purchases here.
Anywho, there tends to be a lot of crap out there that people want to get rid of – particularly on Craigslist. Now, I’m a believer in the “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” motto, but really I just don’t need your passenger side car door from a 1997 Nissan Altima or your used hairbrush. Yep, I saw a hairbrush for sale on the Craigslist yesterday, folks. Now, I’m sure both the Altima car door and hairbrush could be very valuable to many people. However, I’m not one of them. While I would love to have enough time everyday to just scroll through all the newly listed for sale items on places like Craigslist, Facebook yard sale pages, etc., and find that little gem among all the other crap, I don’t. What I do have time for though is to search for specific keywords that help me find what I’m looking for – or what I suddenly realized I was looking for when I find it.
How I Never Do It All Every Single Day
In the survey responses, there were a couple of people who asked me how I managed my time and said they would love to see one of the “day in the life” posts. Y’all, everyday is a whole new ballgame around here. I try to plan out my time wisely, but it never fails that when…
How to Start a Fire Fast
I didn’t fall in love with Grunt Labor on a fire pit night. But he definitely got a few brownie points the first time we set around a fire pit.
There are many things that seem to be imprinted on your DNA when you are born in the country. One of those things is a love for fire pit nights. There aren’t many things better than a weekend night spent around a fire pit with good friends, good drinks and good music. In fact, I feel I should also write you a fire pit playlist now that I think about it. But I digress. A good fire is imperative though to the night’s success. You need it big, but not too big and you don’t want to have to waste too much time starting it. So let me introduce you to the coolest new fire lighting tool you have ever seen…
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DIY Painted and Patterned Doors
After you complete a project and you look at it and say, “Hello, lover,” you know it’s good.
For example, “Hello, lover” doesn’t exactly fit with removing popcorn ceilings or ripping out tile. But it does fit perfectly for closet doors…when they look like these…
Click the link below to see how to paint doors like this!
How to Coordinate Paint Colors Throughout Your House
I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve attempted to select a paint color and it has ended in either tears, drinking or both.
Usually both.
Throwing of hands in the air, slamming of fists on tables and/or walls is typical as well.
Obviously, buying sample pots of paint and testing those out on your walls is the way to go, but if I bought a sample pot of paint for every color I thought may work, I would have a closet full of sample paint pots.
One of my biggest challenges is often coordinating paint colors throughout my house – thus why there is a lot of black and white in my home.
Click the link below to find out about this super easy trick for coordinating paint colors!
When in doubt…go polka dots.
I’m ashamed to tell you how long I’ve had this chair sitting in the garage ready to be made over. I’ll say it’s been the better part of a year at the least. It was one of those purchases that went like this:
It’s $10! I can’t pass it up for $10!
But you don’t need it Jenna.
I know that. But it’s $10!!!
You don’t need it.
$10.
Make a smart decision, Jenna.
Ok. I’m buying it.
Said conversation was between myself and myself of course.
So since I really had no clue what to do with it or where I would put it, it just sat for a while. And then one day, I got a wild hair and decided I would attempt to paint the upholstery on this piece rather than re-upholstering it since I’d never tried painting it before. I only had $10 to lose. Here’s how it turned out…
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How to Install Nucore Flooring
YOU GUYS.
The 70’s Landing Pad is actually starting to not look like a construction zone.
Well, it’s starting to not look like a construction zone in the living room, dining room and hallway anyway.
After getting paint on the walls week before last, we’ve been putting down the new flooring in the hallway, living and dining rooms. This flooring will also go in the kitchen, stair landing and in the downstairs foyer as well, we just haven’t gotten that far yet. I’m finally moving past the point of “Oh my word, what have we gotten ourselves into?” to “Oh my word, it actually looks like a house and it’s pretty!” We still have quite a ways to go in the overall renovation, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, y’all.
The flooring we are using for the kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway and all those other places where there’s going to be a lot of foot traffic is NuCore from Floor & Decor.
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How to Clean Copper
I’m not even gonna lie – I had to google what copper was supposed to look like to make sure I was just cleaning it and not stripping it off this cookie jar.
That’s how bad it was.
Or how pathetic I am.
I picked up this sweet little cookie jar (that has never once housed cookies, only applesauce pouches and fruit snacks) on a Goodwill excursion a few years back. It was actually a half-off Goodwill day and I found it at the end of the day for a whopping $3 so not only was I shocked it was still there, but it was a great deal.
I had originally thought I might spray paint it in order to cover up all the spots on it. I’m not sure what all the “spots” were as it didn’t look like rust, but I figured it was beyond the point of no return. Not wanting to loose the copper feel though, I left it as is on my counter for the past three years.
I’m really glad I never went crazy with the spray paint on it. Because it looks like this now…
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More Favorite Southern Books
*Y’all, I am so sorry if you’ve had trouble accessing my site for the last few days. I have had some serious host issues that were out of my control causing my site to be down. Hopefully, it is all fixed now. On that note, I also saw in the survey where some of you noted slow load times – I’m working to resolve that as well. Thanks for sticking with me. 🙂
As I’ve told you before, there are fewer things in life better than a good southern book. Losing myself in a good book is by far, for me, the best way to relax. I am a go-go-go person. Being idle is not in my blood. Being wrapped up in a good book though – well that’s one of the few things that can make me actually sit down for a while.
Towards the end of the summer last year, I wrote about some of my favorite southern books. Well, I’ve read more since then and have a whole new list for you. And ya’ll – these are good.
Click the link below to read more…
Lighting for $300 or Less: Chandeliers, Flushmounts and Sconces
There are two things I’ve wanted to tear my hair out over with the renovation of the 70’s Landing Pad – the master bathroom renovation and lighting. Oh wait, I forgot about wallpaper removal. Make that three things. And then there was the paint color selections. Hell, let’s just go on and admit that this whole reno is going to send me to the looney bin sooner than I expected.
Anyway, this post is supposed to be about lighting. To date, I have bought one single light fixture for the 70’s Landing Pad – a lucite chandelier (just like this one) from a local antique store. You guys aided in that purchase by telling me to go ahead and just buy it when we were chatting about the kitchen plans. When I went to go buy it, it was marked down and I got an extra 10% off, so it ended up being $150. Thanks for enabling me, y’all. I am madly in love with it, but can’t decide the best place to put it. Entry? Dining Room? Kitchen?
And then I started looking for lighting for the rest of the house.
And that’s when I lost my shit and preceded to find the nearest corner to go into the fetal position and cry.
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Masculine Bedroom + Office Makeover Full Source List
I realize it’s been well over a month since I first showed you the masculine guest bedroom and office makeover – A.K.A. Bill’s room.
Essentially, Christmas threw up everywhere and this post kept getting pushed to the back burner.
This room is by far one of my favorites and really, I just pulled it together, Bill came up with the plan and he knocked it outta the park. We used a mix of new items with ones we already had, we DIYed a thing or two and of course, we mixed in a few yard sale and thrift store finds. Here’s the full source list for everything in the space – if something is no longer being made, I tried to find a similar version for ya.
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Christmas Home Tour: The Finale
Have you seen the Geico commercial where Europe is performing The Final Countdown?
It’s a fantastic commercial.
Well, I kind of feel like I should be doing a parody of Europe’s song with this post.
It’s the final Christmas tour.
This finale is filled with really simple holiday decor ideas, a few memories (because it wouldn’t be one of my Christmas home tours without them) and of course – some quirk.
Let’s start in the kitchen…
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DIY Agate Slice Lamp Finials
Y’all.
I’m kinda of really super duper especially excited about this project.
It was one of those where I cooked it up in my head and I was like OMG. THAT IS AN AWESOME IDEA, JENNA.
And then I was like. Wait. Will it really work?
And then I tried it.
And I was like OH. MY. STARS. IT REALLY DID WORK. I CANNOT BELIEVE IT.
I really hope you can sense all this excitement I am feeling by my overuse of bolded capital letters.
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The Annual Christmas Party Comeback
When Grunt Labor and I first got together, he always threw an annual Christmas party.
Y’all, I had struck gold.
Not only was he good lookin’, but he hosted a Christmas soiree each year.
#howdidigetsolucky
Now, there was one catch to this Christmas party – one could only attend if they brought a toy for a kid who might not otherwise get a Christmas gift.
I know – and he has a heart!
When you come through the door with that toy though, you are entitled to all the booze and food you can handle – or until we run out.
I was on board with this party faster than a hot knife through butter.
So that year and each year after, we hosted an annual Christmas party.
And then the Circus came.
And a circus + a Christmas party don’t always add up very well.
This year though, I really wanted to have one more Christmas party in the beloved foreclosure before we pack it up and move to the 70’s Landing Pad.
And so we did.
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Decorating with Memories and Vintage Finds
If it wasn’t already apparent from round one of my Christmas home tour and my Christmas tree, I’m declaring this year’s Christmas theme as decorating with memories.
And also random items such as an Elvis bust.
Oh, and vintage things too – because vintage Christmas decor makes my heart go pitter patter.
These theme(s) have always been at the heart of my holiday decor, but this year I’m on a mission to get everyone to embrace their own holiday decor rooted in memories and good times – because that’s what Christmas is about.
So here’s part two of my Christmas tour – our living room – in all its (random) glory.
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Decorate with Memories…and Random Stuff
If you didn’t already figure it out from the post about my Christmas tree, we don’t do trendy Christmas decor around here.
In fact, some might consider some of our holiday decor tacky.
And I don’t know that I wouldn’t disagree with them – but that doesn’t mean I will part with my multi-colored-plastic-melted-together-christmas-tree. It was my Grannie’s – and I’m a bit of a sentimentalist…and a hoarder too.
So if you are following along on this Blogger Stylin’ Home Tours series and popping over from The White Buffalo Styling Co. or Craftberry Bush, welcome – I hope I’m not too much of a disappointment to you. I’m a bit of a different kind of holiday home tour – around here, we decorate with memories during Christmastime.
And also completely random items that aren’t meant to be Christmas decor.
Welcome to the freak show.
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The Christmas Tree Trend Everyone Should Embrace…
I’ve never been one to follow trends.
In fact, I think trends are overrated.
There. I said it. So sue me.
Yes, trends may be new and pretty, but after a while, once everyone is following the trend, it tends to loose its luster.
There is one trend though, one that in my personal, somewhat educated opinion, I think should make a comeback.
I’m calling it the Meaningful Decorated Christmas Tree Trend.
I should probably come up with a trendier name though.
You see, this trend is never overused and doesn’t lose its luster.
Never ever.
Because the ornaments you place on your tree with this trend are unique and meaningful to only a few people in the world – you and your family.
Now this does mean you will have to be comfortable with a few things…
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How to Make Ornament Clusters
I am a Christmas ornament whore.
Not all ornaments though – only vintage ball ornaments.
And they never go on my tree – the tree is reserved for really meaningful ornaments – instead, these ornaments get scattered throughout the house and in clusters. My favorite is the clusters though.
Now, these clusters could be nothing new to you. It may just be that I was living under a rock for a very long time and when this idea dawned on me awhile back, it just seemed like the best thing ever. So, if you already knew how to do this…then why the hell didn’t you tell me?! If you didn’t, here you go.
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My Favorite Things Gift Guide
This post is one of my most favorite ones to do all year long.
It’s my favorite things gift guide post, plus a huge giveaway.
I just wish I was rich like Oprah and could give each and every one of you one of my favorite things, instead of only showing you my favorite things and being able to give some away.
But ya know, I do kinda need to send my kids to college, rather than give each and every one of you a sarcastic coffee mug.
But it is a damn good mug.
Either way – I do get to giveaway THIRTEEN of my favorite things to THIRTEEN different people and in the process, you get some pretty stellar gift ideas for people on your gift list. Not a bad deal, eh?
Click the link below to read more and enter the giveaways!
DIY Wagons in 10 Minutes from Crates
Create your own “custom” wagons from crates in just minutes using this tutorial. It’s so simple and perfect for kids, holiday decorating and more! Find out how to make a wagon that can be used for all sorts of things below!