Decisions, decisions...

I've been wanting a pedestal table to cut down into a coffee table for awhile now.  Similar to these: 

Or this one: 

Or this: 

I found one on craigslsist earlier this month...already cut down. It was painted a color I didn't like but that's an easy fix. Logistically, it didn't work out and someone else ended up with my table. 

This weekend Jonathan and I went after a Beauty!  Price was right but it's really pretty and solid and antique and I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger on cutting the pedestal. :/

Here it is in pieces:

Look at that solid base! And those feet! I might be dying!,

And those are the leaves (2!) leaning up behind the couch. 

Here's the top: 

Imagine it not on the floor and a cushion not hanging off the couch....

It's really pretty wood...solid wood. The top is about 2" thick!

I have no space for it as dining room height table but I'm seriously struggling at the thought of making major changes to this piece. 

And look what I found on the bottom of the table top: 

It says "All my love, Mike"

To shorten or not to shorten...that is the question. What would you do?!?

Re-purposing a Christmas Card

I generally keep Christmas cards from special people or if I really like the message or picture or think I can re-purpose it some how. {Don't you know my husband loves that about me!} Actually, I don't think he minds.

Take a look:

Last year, we received this card from our Aunt Willie Sam and Uncle Louis. I loved that it was a shape card and beautiful! I knew my Stickles were going to glam it right up!!! (Apparently I was too excited to get started...I don't have a before picture...image the above without glitter...I know it's hard. Everything is better with glitter.)

Anyone have any tips on fussy cutting chipboard?

I loved Jonathan's Aunt Willie Sam instantly. She reminds me so so much of my Nana. Even her hand writing is similar so I knew I had to save and re-porpose the inside of the card too! Really, it's the way she makes her "L"s.

I cut a piece of patterned paper to fit the chipboard on the back of the card front and mod podge'd the pieces together with the inside of the card in the middle. A little Tim Holtz distress ink around the edges and I thought it turned out great!

I intend to lean it in my kitchen window at Christmas time this year. But it was dark when I finished it all up and got it dry enough to handle so I changed up the photo shoot.

I love that little shelf area in my bathroom...yes, I was taking pictures in the bathroom. :)

It's the bathroom right out side of my craft room. It has a cute pedestal sink and is just quaint. Our guests don't use it because there's a larger one across the hall...but I pretend they do. :)

So, do you save Christmas cards too?

Partying at Jennifer Rizzo's place. Check it out here.

Patio Furniture

I don't know about you, but I think patio furniture is horribly expensive!!! I've been looking around for furniture for our tall deck, the one Jj has been repairing. I'll show you progress pictures of the deck...pretty impressive, if I say so myself. That guy is super handy and talented.

Anyway, back to the fur other hunt. I had already decoded that I was going to have to wait for someone to discard their furniture either via garage sale, Craigslist or good ole estate auction!

Enter my sweet Momma and an Auction at Larry Petree Auctioneer in Tipton, MO. And check out this beauty!!!!!

I know! Just wait...it gets better!!!!!!! It was only $20!!!

A couple of weeks ago, on a routine Wal-Mart trip, I perused the spray paint and selected a color that was pretty to me. I didn't have a plan for the paint...I just knew that I liked it and it felt like the Beach to me. If you have been around here much this year, you know that I'm trying to add A little Beach to every room in our house. You can see my progress {here}. Anyway, here's the color I had...just waiting! And here's a sneak peak of the painting:

I only had one can of paint...so I'll have to finish another day. But! I'm liking up with Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Finds party. Check it out {here}.

Master Bathroom Decor

I knew I wanted to get to work on our master bathroom. It is just blah! But I didn't know quite what I wanted.

You can see the things I like by checking out my Pinterest board titled Master Bedroom.

Here's the picture that started it all!!!

SOURCE...as far as I can trace the pin.

I knew I wanted to use lanterns rather than bird cages so I set out chasing them down...and I'm still doing just that. However, I've made some other progress that I wanted to share. Just so you know, I'm probably not going to be putting barn wood on my walls anytime soon. Not that I can't appreciate the look; it's just not my thing...at least not right now.

I couldn't find a completely bare picture but this is pretty close!

I'd like to paint our whole bedroom/bathroom. I'd also like to have a different back splash. But for now, we are talking decorations.

I love that clock for a lot of reasons. One main one is that it doesn't have a second hand! This space is open to our bedroom and I knew from our old house that I did not want a clock, no matter how cool, with a second hand in my bedroom! I think the clock came from Jost & Main but I could be wrong.

I got this shelf from Celebrating Home when my friend, Leslie, had a party. There's nearly no natural light right here...or at least that's on what I'll blame the shadow.

Then, a little online shopping at Kohl's landed me these scones...which were bigger in person that I really thought they were going to be. However, I think I like them.

And I got that big shell at a junk store in Oak Grove, MO. I think this little area needs some more accessorizing but I haven't found just what, just yet.

That door opens into the commode and shower. Directly opposite, opens into our bedroom. Straight across is a double vanity...which is ugly...hence you didn't get to see it. :)

So on the other end of the tub...what shall we see?

There's the first of my lanterns. I want to get the second one and find a light before I do any hanging from the ceiling so...I tied to make it look like I intended for a random lantern to sit next to my bath tub. :)

Upon closer inspection, there's a lot of second hand and re-purposed junk in there. A liquor decanter to hold bubble bath, a fisherman's float Christmas ornament, old broken jewelry in a jar and a great little quote by Lucille Ball.

If you are still reading...THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad you are here.

What would you add to that little shelf? Place in the scones? I'd love to know.

Sun Porch Eye Candy

Remember waaaayyyyyyy back when I told you about getting my sun porch together?? Well, I had to google to find it, myself! :)

Look {here}.

Ok, so it's not much...so far but...

I had this bird cage from our wedding. Mom bought it back then at an auction and spray painted it to match our decor.

I love this thing!! Jj thought it shouldn't make the move from our old house...obviously, it came with! :)

Oops, there's my shadow.

Here we are partially painted.

And here it is pretty much done.

Let me tell you! Painting the inside of there was a royal pain in the patoot!

I also rubbed it down with a little wax stuff to take the *glare* off. I'll show you that when I get the porch shaped up. I need to do some serious sewing!!

Reformed Big Ugly Mirror

Remember when I showed you that big ugly mirror I got at a yard sale for $10?? Click {here} to see that thing again...go ahead, I'll wait.

I know right?!?

Here's where we started. Sans beautiful tapestry and ready for some pretty.

I went to town with my favorite Heirloom White spray paint.

When I bought it originally, I had something like this in mind:

Source...as near as I know.

You can see the rest of my Master Suite inspiration photos {here}.

I have the giant ampersand but I haven't decided if I want it to say "you & me" or "mr & mrs) or if I want to use vinyl or cloth for the other letters...too many decisions.

BUT! I knew I wanted to use this frame, ASAP.

Enter our current Mantle decor:

I haven't had a great plan going on in here since I took the Christmas off there. This is ok at first glace but allow me to put this all in perspective for you...

Almost there:

I know. Where did my little vignette go????

So I started over with a bigger base: And I added some stuff from other places: Recognize that "Jones" sign from these pictures?? Click {here} to see the ones of which I speak.

I was trying to hold it up there to see what I thought...I got this great idea that I'd snap a picture and then I could "see" what it would look like. Note to self: Need longer arms. :)

I busted out my command hooks and it worked great!! I added a few accessories and here's what I came up with: And the whole effect, plus a Boxer.

I wasn't terribly in love with it but decided it would do just fine until I thought of something else.

Well, Jj didn't much care for the picture in a picture. He said, "that's weird. Do other people hang pictures inside frames that don't fit or did you just come up with something here?" I told him that I see it all over the internet and it's really quite normal. Alas, I agree with him...it's kind of akward.

So, I removed the "Jones" sign and put it back where it was.

Here's where we are now. I have a plan but I need a good coupon code to Mpix.com first. ;)

A little plain but like I said, I have a plan.

And about those cords that I tried to stuff in the basket...when we bought this house, we went ahead and had hook-ups for satellite TV added to this room. We have no idea if we want or exactly where we would put a TV in here. For now, I have the box and cords sort of piled into a basket...

Edited to include the following: Linked up to Jennifer Rizzo's Painted Project Party.

What's your go-to mantle decorating trick? I could use some assistance!

Big Ugly Frame, What??

This past weekend I went garage-saleing with my sister in law, Lara. (Side Note: She's my husband's bother's wife...so that makes us both La{u}ra Jones.)

Anyway, we went to Pleasant Hill, MO and found us a great little neighborhood and had a blast!!!

We walked up to a house...didn't look like much we were interested in until I saw this big Bertha leaning against the basketball goal!

I asked how much and the sale-keeper said $10. I didn't hesitate one single bit!!

100% better already without that stylish tapestry!

I'll show you what I did with it later. For now, I'm linking up with Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for her Thrifty Treasures Party.

Since you see my new frame lying on my drop cloth...you get the idea that I'm going to do some painting. What would you do with this Big Ugly?

Momogram J + Empty Frame = Pretty Eye Candy

I started with this wooden (MDF) letter that I got a couple of years ago at a shop in Rolla, MO while paper shopping with my Dad and Sister.

Side Note: For part of our Christmas, he took us to this local scrapbook store in Rolla. He gave us each money and let us pick out whatever we wanted. While we were shopping, he walked around and picked out stuff he thought we would like too. We had a blast making memories that day!

In that picture above, I had already used some Tim Holtz distress ink in Antique Linen around the edges. I tried Frayed Burlap but it was too dark and too green (like olive drab green).

I covered the letter in Mod Podge and pressed my paper on top. I decided it needed a bit more pressure so I turned it upside down.

That didn't seem to be heavy enough so I did what every girl would do...

I grabbed my knife block and sat it on top!

Fancy, I know. :)

I let it dry for a bit...like maybe an hour and then cut around the letter from the back. In hind sight, I think I would have let it dry a little longer.

I grabbed an old frame I had out in the garage (from a project that didn't go as planned). Now I have this in our entry.

I wish I could show you how ugly those frames were!!! They were all gold and had nasty water stained mats with stinky pictures that were all crinkly from water. I think I got 4 total and they were $2 each...I'm pretty sure I said "perfect" out loud! And I also got crop dusted by a 'gentleman' that day in Salvation Army. Nasty! But worth it for the frame deal I suppose.

Here's a farther back look:

I added a dainty little crocheted doily, about the size of a drink coaster after...but I didn't snap a picture...oops.

I'd like to add some more too..but I just don't know what yet.

See that green in the corner? It's this horse of an Elephant Ear plant my Mom gave us last summer when we bought this house.

So what else would you add in our entry? I'd love to hear.

Besides Murphy's oil soap and poly the baseboard and get rid of that DREADED green tile!!

I'm linking up with Rhoda @ Here's the Party at which I'm playing.

I also linked up with Jennifer Rizzo. Here's the link to the party at which I'm playing.