Favorite Second Hand Finds

Those of you who know me and have followed me for awhile, know that I love getting the majority of my accessories and home decor second hand. I am an avid thrift store shopper and hit up flea markets and yard sales the minute the weather gets nice.

Church sales are actually my favorite places to shop because they often have the lowest prices, great hidden treasures…and sweet church volunteers who are happy to see you find good stuff! I occasionally shop on Craigslist as well and have scored some of my most loved pieces that way.

Here are some of my favorites along with the details of how I acquired them.

Rustic Tray Styling & Remembering Grandpa

Last week, I shared a little behind the scenes of how I hide our winter gear in a home with no coat closet or usable mudroom. One important piece to that, is the storage ottoman we keep in the living room. Today, I am showing how I have styled it on top, this winter, with a new rustic serving tray.

My mom gave me this wooden tray, with a blue plaid/flannel insert, for Christmas last year. After I opened it she said it was to remember Grandpa by. My heart ached for a moment, and I had to fight back the tears.

Organizing Winter Gear without a Closet or Mudroom

Even though this winter has been a mild one for us, there have still been plenty of cold days requiring getting all bundled up before heading out. Unfortunately, without having a coat closet on the first floor, we are limited for storage of all of our gear. Today, I am sharing some solutions that have worked to help keep it all organized.

Our home, thankfully, has decent sized closets upstairs, but not even one downstairs! We do have a small "mudroom", that leads to the basement, off the back of the house, but we never use that entrance. The space is in pretty rough shape and it's very tight, so it's not practical for our daily use.

The Bedroom Switch

I mentioned last week that my husband and I just recently swapped our large master bedroom for the kids' small shared room. We live in a 1300 square foot, two bedroom and this has been a project I had been wanting to tackle for well over a year. Don't you love when you finally knock something big off of your "list to do"? Today, I am giving a little sneak peek of how I quickly pulled it together in the interim, before it gets a full on makeover.

With so much "stuff" upstairs, I stalled on this project for such a long time. What finally got me motivated was decluttering. We literally donated two to three minivans full!

Simplifying my decor has breathed new life into our home. I highly encourage it, if you feel stuck with pulling your home together. I donated a painful amount of belongings, but even months later, I don't miss ANY of it. In fact, I am relieved it is gone. It can't weigh me down anymore.

Rustic Bohemian Thanksgiving Tablescape

I have received product from Raymour & Flanigan in exchange for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% my own. Full disclosure.

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching and devastating events taking place around the world, I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on all that I have to be grateful for. And there is so much. It is easy to get caught up in all of the "wish I had's" or "if only's" and lose sight of the blessings right in front of us. The beautiful real life I have right now. My little family, our health and the love we share.

That is what I plan to do this Thanksgiving:

See all of the big and little blessings in the here and now.

One blessing I had this past year, was the ability to give my dining room a mini redo thanks to the good folks at Raymour & Flanigan. If you have followed me for awhile, you may have seen my dining room before that only ever had thrift store and vintage finds.

That worked for awhile, but those pieces had definitely seen better days. I was really feeling it was time for some big changes furniture wise, which is when Josh and I headed out to see if we might find a brand new table that fit our style.

Natural Bohemian Fall Mantel

Last week, I showed my most recent mantel vignette in the second part of my fall home tour. Today, I am showing you more details of how I decorated it for fall this year. It has some similarities to last year's…natural with vintage finds, but this time around with more bohemian style thrown in.

Rustic Bohemian Light Fixtures {under $300}

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission from any sales made through them, but the cost to you does not change. Full Disclosure.

I have been trying to decide on a new light fixture for our living room for awhile now. The thing is…I am having a hard time nailing down exactly what style and finish I want. Eclectic? Rustic? Midcentury? Moroccan? Geometric? Wood? Beaded? Copper? Brass? Iron? There are so many options it almost feels impossible to decide some days. Then there is the factor of cost. Really beautiful and unique fixtures can be upwards of $2,000. Yikes! #aintnevergonnahappen.

I decided to do some looking online to start narrowing down styles that appeal to me to get the ball rolling. I have no idea yet what direction I will go in, but today I am sharing with you ten chandeliers and pendant lights that I think would fit perfectly with a rustic bohemian interior style. Each is under $300 (not including any additional fees like shipping or tax). I hope you enjoy these! Let me know your favorite at the end!

Oh, hello fall {free printable}

Fall is is pretty much here in my book (except for the extremely hot weather we are experiencing right now in Western New York), so, for me, it's time to start bringing the warmth and beauty of autumn all throughout my home. Today, I am excited to usher in fall with several other talented bloggers as we share decorating vignettes, along with free printables, for you to enjoy all season long!

I love, love, love this time of year. I really can't say it enough. So much beauty to behold and comforts that bring me back to the best memories of childhood: jumping in leaves, going to pick out pumpkins, selecting a Halloween costume, good food, family get-togethers, the scent in the air. There is pretty much nothing that I don't love about fall expect maybe that it is too short. It always seems to go by in a flash. Oh if I could just hold onto it for a bit longer. 

25+ Ways to Decorate with Affordable Vintage Finds

I love decorating with vintage finds, mostly because they have charm and character but also because I am super thrifty. I love to find a bargain. Always have and likely always will. I scour thrift stores, flea markets, antique malls, garage sales and even the side of the road to find unique and affordable (or free!) pieces. Today, I am sharing a round-up of ways that I have decorated with and repurposed some of these vintage finds in my own home.

The majority of these images have appeared in previous blog posts, so be sure to click on the links beneath each for more details!

 

July Dining Room Mantel Vignette

It's no secret that I like to change out my mantel decor…a lot. If you visit here regularly, your probably know this. Today, I am sharing how I just recently redid it for the month of July. I kept it fairly simple with a mixture of vintage and eclectic pieces, hints of black, potted succulents and fresh cut flowers from the yard.
We bought this old mantel from a local salvage shop and gave it a makeover a couple of years ago. It used to have very chippy brown paint. It has lived in our dining room for the past several years. Sometimes, I want to move it back to the living room where I first put it, since in my mind, it seems that is where a mantel is "supposed" to go. But whenever I look at it with our antique chandelier above it, I know this is really where it belongs.

Eclectic Summer Porch

Even though our porch could use some improvements, I still enjoying changing out the decor season to season. I didn't do much with it this past spring, since it has been very rainy, but here is how I dolled it up for summer, just in time for the 4th of July.

I would ideally love to paint our siding gray and give the trim around the door a crisp coat of white. I'd also love to add some shutters and window boxes. At this point we aren't sure how long we plan on staying here, since it is getting pretty cramped inside, so we have held off on doing any work to the exterior for the time being.

Creative Bookshelf Styling

You might recall last week, when I talked about my obsession with shelf styling? I cannot get enough inspiration for it. I am constantly swooning over images I find on Pinterest and blogs, especially being fond of everything Emily Henderson and Joanna Gains do. I love the mixture of eclectic, flea market and one of a kind finds mixed in with inspiring reads.

I have a round up today will several examples of shelf styling ideas from my own blogging friends as well as some from my very own home. I hope you enjoy these!

Styling a Rustic Shelf {with kids in mind}

Hey everybody! Life has been busy with the little ones and my grandfather, whom I love and adore, is not doing well. I have been trying to visit as often as possible, and even though he is 96, saying goodbye is never easy. Prayers are welcomed that the rest of his days are as pain free as possible and filled with peace.

Today, I am sharing a guest post that I did last month for Jennifer Rizzo with some tips for styling shelves while keeping young children in mind. As you may know, I have two preschool/toddler age children, fifteen months apart, so my decorating has changed a lot in the past few years. I still love to decorate, but have found the need to make compromises to keep my home well styled, yet safe and fun for my children. I actually enjoy the challenge of combing both elements (most of the time – finding places for all of those toys in a tight space is a challenge all its own).

Thrift Store Swap Makeover – #SwapItLikeItsHot 3

When I was invited to another round of Ciburbanity's #SWAPITLIKEITSHOT blog hop, I jumped at the chance. If there is one thing I love, it is the challenge of making over other people's unwanted stuff ;). Thirty-three bloggers went out and purchased items at thrift stores, flea markets, etc. for under $15 and sent them to another who then had the chance to give the item(s) a makeover or decorate with in some way. This round was especially fun, because I received my items from my friend Jennifer of Town and Country Living. I couldn't wait to see what she was going to send me!

If you are visiting from Jennifer's blog, welcome! Be sure to head back and visit her if you haven't! Today, is day four, so if you have missed any of the other bloggers' posts, you will find their links at the end. Loads of makeover goodness awaits you!

Spring Easter Bunny Free Printable – “Some Bunny Loves You”

Is spring ever coming? Some days it really doesn't feel like it around here, but that doesn't keep it off my mind! Today, I have a free printable that I made to celebrate Easter and start bringing bits of the season into our home. I am joining with several other bloggers sharing free printables and vignettes for spring, hosted by Ella Claire. Be sure to visit all the others at the end!

A few weeks ago, my children were drawing at the table, when I sketched a little bunny and wrote, "some bunny loves you" at the bottom. I shared this sketch on Instagram and people seemed to like it, so I decided to work with it a bit in Photoshop to make this printable.

White Christmas Home Tour with Sweet Biscuit Paper and Press

I am so thrilled to share an amazing holiday home tour with you today! My dear friend Tina Lowery of Sweet Biscuit Paper and Press has the most impeccable style and an amazing talent for filling her home with special touches. She is a creative genius. She doesn't have her own blog up and running yet, but in the meantime, she has graciously allowed me to share her home with all of you!

Tina and I have never met in person, but have been online friends for several years. I truly consider her one of my dearest friends and love that we have grown so close through emails, texting and social media even though she lives in Florida and I in New York. Whenever I make it down to Florida next, meeting her will be at the top of my "Must Do" list! I hope you enjoy this little "visit" into her home as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for you. Every detail is filled with charm and love. Her style is mainly white with whimsical touches, a good mix of vintage and modern and creativity at every turn.

Free Printable Fall Subway Art

I am back again this week with another free printable! If you came by yesterday, you would have seen that I am very much in the holiday spirit with my printable Christmas village. But way back at the beginning of September, I was swooning for fall, and shared a free printable over at Yellow Bliss Road. I am so bad at reposting my guest posts here on my own blog, so this one is a little over due. I figured better late than never, however, since somebody out there might just want to print it off to use this Thanksgiving. 

Outdoor Thanksgiving Table Ideas {Fall Back Patio Tour}

Last month, I shared a guest post over at Yellow Bliss Road with my never-gonna-happen-in-this-lifetime-unless-I-move dream of hosting a Thanksgiving dinner outdoors. It is already very chilly here in Western, NY, so we will be spending the day indoors, but I wanted to share the post here anyways, in case it might inspire some of you who live in a warmer climate than I!

Rustic Fall Table & Dining Room

Last month, I shared my fall home tour including a peek into my dining room decorated for the season. I am joining with several other talented bloggers today, sharing our Thanksgiving tablescapes, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to give you the full dining room tour. I am keeping things simple and the same this Thanksgiving. Be sure to visit the other talented bloggers at the end of this post for more inspiration and a big thank you to the very talented Bre of rooms FOR rent for hosting this event.
I don't think we will be having Thanksgiving at our house this year (it's kind of nice when you can leave the cooking and the mess to someone else, right? {grin}). But we have been enjoying meals as a family at the table every night, and I am reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and trying daily to find thanksgiving in everything around me. Even when the house is a mess, the kids won't sleep, and I have piles of laundry and dishes calling my name. There is still beauty to be found in each and every moment. They are harder to find some days, but I am learning that I can train myself to look for them, by recording them in my own journal of gifts.

Cozy Eclectic Fall Living Room

As promised, I am continuing to share more posts of my home decorated for fall. About a month ago, I revealed my fall home tour, but I wanted to share each space in individual posts throughout the rest of the season. Today, we are heading back into my living room for another look around at some of the details I didn't show previously. Hope you enjoy!