Fourth of July decorations

July is a weird month because I want to decorate for the Fourth of July but then I have to live with the stars and stripes for 27 days after the holiday is over. I do have some pretty cute decorations though.

Red white and blue tea towels.

Very patriotic mantelscape. See my own photobomb?

I love this little detail. I found this liberty bell bank at my Grandma's.

Not every holiday gets it's own pillows.

This looked cool for July Fourth but then I had to take it down. It kept getting twisted up and blown off.

On the doors.

We will see how long I make it before I break down and switch to a summer beach theme.

June decorating theme: boating

I have a totally new decorating theme for this June! Boating. We have the boat out of storage and out on the water so it's a good time to deck the house out with anchors and boat's wheels.

Can't have too many nautical themed dishtowels.

I had a lot of fun putting together the boating mantelscape. The "Welcome Sailors" plaque is for Aaron's benefit.

Weekend plans: Bathroom update

The weather is not cooperating with our Memorial Day weekend plans. Rain is in the forecast. That's okay because on our to-do list is updating the bathrooms. Picking out the color is the best part.

Aaron figured out a way to keep the roller ready for the second coat.

Look at this blue! It's going to feel like a tropical island getaway in here!

Aaron is also updating the lighting fixtures, the drawer pulls and going to retile the floor. Exciting!

Mountain mantelscape

Typically for May I go with a birthday decorating theme but this year I have something new. It's a "mountain theme" with a "Go to the mountains" sign and three laser cut wood displays.

We love the mountains and our stays at the family cabin hold such good memories.

So here's a little bit of that on our mantle.

Decorating for spring

Thank to an early Easter in March, I am left without a holiday to decorate for in April. The fallback is spring.

Spring themed decor is scarce. If I see it I grab it for just such an occasion.

And sometimes you are left to your own DIY crafty devices.

Shamrocks out. Bunnies in.

An early Easter always throws me for a loop. As soon as St. Patrick's Day is over I scurry to put away the Shamrocks and get the bunnies out.

How can you not love decorating for Easter? It's all bunnies and chick peeps.

For the Easter mantelscape this year I got out my bunny village.

Bunnyville.

Dollar Tree had cute signs again... with glitter.

Glitter!

Filing cabinet organization bliss

This past week I have been cleaning and organizing my craft room. Again.

This is a recurring event. I get everything put away and cleared...then I start a big project or get ready for a craft show and the next thing you know I can't even walk into the room.

I have a lot of stuff, no doubt. I tried the KonMari Method, but the problem is... I love all my stuff and it all brings me joy. Thus, very few items find themselves on the way out the door. I am not a minimalist. I am a self-admitted maximalist.

The one key thing I have found for someone that has a lot of stuff, is you gotta keep that stuff organized. I have a wide selection of shelves, bins, and containers to keep myself organized.

Then one day, the heavens parted and Aaron found this on Craigs List.

It's a metal office cabinet with 33 drawers sized for 8 1/2 x 11 papers. I had been looking for an old card catalogue but this was even better. 33 drawers for all my goodies and a spot to label each drawer. Organizing heaven!

I am able to stash away categories of tools, craft supplies and other various items in each drawer. I love sorting stuff. Here is a peek at some of the drawers.

Very exciting.

A bit o' the green

I know St. Patrick's Day isn't a major holiday, but I love green so I try to decorate for it as much as I can.

Hit up Dollar Tree again. Glitter!

I love these plush cushy dish towels. Not for actual using... no no no. We just look at these dish towels.

Even the chalkboard gets updated for St. Patrick's Day.

I have to say there is a serious lack of St. Patrick's Day kitchen accessories. Those were the only oven mitt and pot holder designs I could find.

St. Patrick's Day Mantelscape

I got a smidge lazy and swapped the hearts out for shamrocks for the St. Patrick's Day mantelscape.

When you unpack this much milkglass you like to get as much out of it as you can.

I have a new appreciation for sticky sided foam cut out shapes.

Work Table. Work it table.

A couple years ago, Aaron and I were traveling... I don't even know where we were... Las Vegas? San Diego?... and we went into a World Market. Have you ever been? They have lots of cool/fun housewares and decorative items. Well, Aaron fell for a table there. I liked it too... the industrial qualities and the swivel out seats. He even measured it to see if it would fit in our breakfast nook, but alas it was too large.

I thought he had forgotten about it but I was wrong. He must have been periodically dropping in on the table product page every once in awhile to see how it was doing, because suddenly he tells me "The TABLE is on sale!". We came up with a plan to put the table in the half of our living room we rarely use. The idea being that it would be a sort of work table.

Aaron was on a mission and even found a promo code to get addional $ off. Next thing I knew the table was delivered and in place. And it is doing it's job. We are definitely using that side of the living room more. I put my laptop there to do work and I've worked on two craft projects there.

Note that the pugs could care less about it.

Pink and Red and Hearts and Love

Valentine's Day is in my top five holidays to decorate for. The bright pinks and reds with hearts are just what you need in the middle of a long cold winter.

I was particularly pleased with my kitchen display.

These glittery signs came from the Dollar Tree! They make me smile every time I come home and am standing there fumbling with my keys.

Winter decorations

We got this star on clearance at Target after Christmas, so it became the January mantelscape. Aaron thought it looked a little lonely there by itself, so I picked out red lanterns from his collection and added them.

The winter kitchen decor is a little toned down with a lumberjack theme. I am ramping up for Valentine's Day decorations!

Kitchen upgrades & Helper pugs

Having the outside of the house painted inspired Aaron to do some upgrades inside too. After lots of grumping by me about our white linoleum that despite all the scrubbing in the world never looked clean, Aaron suggested we put in a new floor.

Helper pugs are ever so eager to help.

Of course if you are tearing up the floor you might as well pull down the wallpaper and paint as well. Here are two interesting things found while peeling off wallpaper... #1 - more ugly wallpaper #2 - a coupon for Calgon that expired in 1995