happy thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a blessed day with your loved ones!

Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Psalm 100:4

 country living 

pottery barn

project::office backward books

yesterday i posted about the antique show that my mom and i visited last week,

 and how i gained so much inspiration from this display.

today i am going to show you how one display further helped me decorate the shelves

in hubby's office transformation.  

here i showed you how i initially chose to decorate them,

but the following display motivated me to try something a little reversed...

{i apologize for the glare and bad photos...they were taken with my phone}

i instantly fell in love with those backward books.

it's much more eye-catching than just the usual spine.

and of course i came home and tried it.

turning around a handful of books doesn't make the same impact,

but it does give the shelves more visual interest.

just won't be real helpful when i'm looking for a specific read...

contact

I appreciate you visiting Peace of Home and would love to hear from you!  

If you have any questions, thoughts, or feedback I invite you to email me

littlepeaceofhome (at) gmail (dot) com

I hope you've received chic. thrifty. practical. inspiration!

I look forward to hearing from you.

liz

antique show inspiration

on friday, my mom and i had a fabulous day together!

our first stop was the kappa alpha theta antique show in downtown.

antique dealers from across the country (even some from europe!) set up their booths,

and we spotted quite a few incredible pieces! the stories behind some were fascinating.

i even spotted this antique royal dalton plate for hubby's office.

it fits in perfectly with the decor and looks ship shape on the transplanted bookshelf

at the entrance to the show some local antique shops had set up displays,

and this one captured my style. exactly.

rustic french decor, fresh white flowers, a touch of animal print, natural jute rug,
gorgeous mirror, pops of orange color, bright greenery, and
the miniature lit Christmas trees on the credenza.
i gained so much inspiration from this display!

however, i'm pretty sure i don't have the $$ to pick it up tomorrow,

so i'll just keep this picture and use it as inspiration!

we spent the rest of the day Christmas shopping-'til-we-dropped & eating delicious food.

it was so refreshing to spend some quality girl time with my mom.

i am so thankful for you, mom. love you.

and while mom and i were having girl time,

this is what my two boys were up to...cruising on da-da's boat.

they just make me melt. 

bye, bye brass knobs

 cheap, brass, builders-grade knobs are gross.

lowe's 

i have despised these ever since we moved in, & finally found some lovely replacements
for the doors in our bedroom.

a few months ago we were at a habitat for humanity restore, and i found the knobs of my dreams...

but they were attached to old doors. 

each door was only $15.00, but i didn't want the doors. so i asked if I could just buy the knobs. 

the manager was super friendly, and agreed to it. he even took the knobs off for us! 

i walked out with two sets of antique glass knobs for $5/ ea!

 truth is, i would have bought the whole door, removed the knobs, 

and then re-donated the doors if he had said "no"...

but i'm sure glad that he saved me from going to all of that trouble time!

so it's time to say "buh-bye" to the brass, and hello to the glass!

but not before encountering a slight bump in the road...
the brass knob plates covered a larger area than the glass ones do,

so instead of using the door plates from the antique knobs,
we spray painted the brass ones white.

this wasn't my first choice, but i think it turned out great!
a lot better than nail holes on either side of the knobs.

love laying in bed and looking at them...

 

by them i mean my pic of hubby and the glass knobs ;)


linking up at twice owned tuesdays, domestically speaking popp, show and tell

project::office i'm moving in

after all this talk about "hubby's" office,

it turns out that i'm going to be moving in and taking over one of the corners.

 i promised to be a friendly and easy going tenant.

after rearranging the furniture in some other rooms & trying to fit my work space there,

 this spot just made the most sense for my desk.

he's such a sweety to share his office with his wifey.

which gives me even more incentive to get this place decorated!

first thing to go was this big, bulky desk in the corner.

it stuck out too far into the room,  wasn't real attractive, had strange drawer insides,

and stuck out in front of the window...it just bugged me.

  ignore the mess - we're just in the middle of rearranging!

it was hubby's desk through HS and college and served him well,

but just doesn't work with the look we want in this space.

so, it's outta here! 

and that lovely box is full to the brim with all the paraphernalia that used to fill the desk. 

which means more organizing for me! 

what's coming in to fill that space?

that is for me to know and you to find out. hehe

 but i'll just say it's super cute, practical, and will fit in that spot perfectly!

cork it

we've been collecting wine corks for the last few years.

we try & remember to write the occasion, date, and have everyone present sign each one.

whether its 4 or 14 people, it's a fun way to remember special times with the ones we love.

we had been collecting them here

but began running out of room...what can i say, we like wine!

so i'd had my eye out for another cork collection container,

and the other night at home goods i found something just right...

 i had been looking for a clear glass lamp, but i love the details on this one!

  

it's obviously not quite full, but it's fun to have an ongoing "project" of filling up the lamp! 

we even kept some special corks from our trip to Napa last spring.
we had just finished touring the Schramsberg wine caves, which was extra romantic because
we celebrated with their sparkling wine at our engagement party & our wedding...

and i snatched up a handful corks and stashed them in my purse.

they weren't going to use them for anything, especially nothing as cool as filling up my lamp!

our home:: before and after :: breakfast room

in my post here you learned that when we moved into our house it was brown. 

all brown.

floors. walls. and most ceilings.

we have made some serious changes since then, but it's been gradual.

my sweet hubby gives me a decorating budget each month, 

but re-decorating is still a thrifty game! 

I personally think it's more fun than just having an unlimited amount of $$$. 

I love to come up with budget friendly, creative ideas that can transform a space. 

All of my new additions to the breakfast room have been posted,

and the room's updates are complete (for now) so

i wanted to show you the before, during, & after pics.

enjoy!

the original breakfast room.

b-fast room painted yellow (1st color we chose)

 with the newly painted red chandelier.

b-fast room painted "clothesline fresh" w/ newly painted chairs & table

addition of thrift store mirror and white plates

painting the corner hutch white

the addition of the credenza

painting the curtains 

the addition of my cali antique market rug 

drum roll please....

ta-da! 

our breakfast room ranks high on my list of favorites.

we've shared wonderful times as a family around that table, 

spent many evenings laughing with friends after dinner,

thanked the Lord for our abundant blessings,

and our little one has reached quite a few milestones in his chair.

i hope your breakfast room is a special place 

where you take the time to spend sweet moments with your loved ones, too.

{updated}
recent pictures as of 2/1/2011

the addition of rosemary topiaries & a burlap table runner

adds the perfect amount of natural elements and texture

fresh white roses with a pop of red hypericum berries

is a great wintertime centerpiece

now i don't usually prefer silk flower arrangements, but
this white hydrangea wreath hung on the church doors at our wedding.
love the wonderful memories it reminds me of!


sharing this space with miss mustard seed's 
copy me challenge

it's all in the details

last week i showed you the ::how to:: of transforming my corner hutch

but i didn't show you one of my favorite parts...

i love how our M knob subtly personalizes the piece!

and next week i'll show you the completed transformation of the decor in our breakfast room...

have a great weekend! 

::how to:: painting curtains

one of the first posts that i read at cottage and vine was about how she painted her curtains!

they looked fabulous, but i thought i'd never have the patience for that project.

turns out i got an extra dose a few weeks ago because that's just what i did!

i seem to get the most done around the house when hubby and little one are sleeping...

i had been thinking about painting curtains, so that night i just decided to go for it!

curtains down from the window

i totally lucked out that the curtains i wanted to paint already had vertical lines stitched into the fabric.

made it so, so much easier to tape.

no measuring needed.

these drapes are from IKEA...not sure of the name but I'm sure you can still find them.

{1}

then i taped, taped some more, and kept taping...

until all the sides of the stripes-to-be-painted were bordered by nice even lines of painters' tape

{2}

next up, deciding on the painting surface.

the painting actually took place the next day, not that night.

options

::1:: plywood

too many tiny pieces

::2:: cardboard

too many ridges

::3:: smooth wood

just right

::hint:: always choose the smoothest surface

{3}

tester stripe.

the last thing i wanted to do was paint the 5 stripes (x2) and then not like my results.

so, i painted a stripe and then hung the curtain over the window.

i'm so glad that i did because i realized:

::1:: the curtains need two coats of paint

::2:: i need to sew a curtain lining to block some of the light shining through

{4}

finish painting the stripes.

i used a sponge brush and loaded up the paint. 

the thicker the 1st coat, the easier the 2nd.

{5}

let the paint dry completely.

i set mine out to dry in the TX sun for an entire afternoon.

the last thing you want is a masterpiece ruined due to impatience!

{6}

re-hang the curtains.

{7} 

fall. madly. in. love.

from this,

see how my hutch turned white

to this!

and that's ::how to:: paint curtains! 

i hope you've been inspired to go out and paint your own.

if so, please link back here with your post so i can sneak a peek at your masterpiece!

sharing this ::how to:: with

Debbie Doo's newbie party

 domestically speaking's POPP ,someday craft, blue cricket design,
shabby chic cottage, knick knacks, shabby nest, fingerprints on the fridge, tidy mom, 
finding fabulous, cottage instincts **