Tea - Stained American Flag Buntings For July Fourth!

Over the weekend, I added some much-needed seasonal decor to my front yard. My porch railing is visible from the street and is really one of the first things you notice when you see my home. This quick (5 minute), easy (hammer and 12 nails), and colorful update made a huge difference!

This was my front porch railing - colorful, fun, and plant-y. But there's not a lot of oomph.

So, I added tea-stained flag buntings that I actually bought 4 months ago when I saw a great sale online. I got mine here, but they are no longer available. Note: there are a lot of different price points for items like this, but I paid about $5 per piece.

It was so easy; I just grabbed my handy-dandy hammer (that Grandpa gave me for Christmas almost 20 years ago) and added some nails to the railing. My buntings came with grommets already sewn in.

I think it makes a big difference in how my house looks, especially as you're coming up the walk (this view below). It's more inviting and summery. Now, I just need to add the chairs back to the porch (they're in the backyard for a party). 

What are your easy 4th of July decorating ideas?

Burlap Message Board For The Entryway

My entryway is sad. It wants art and color and LIFE, but since the artwork is still unpacked, it's sorely lacking. Luckily, my sister made me this very cool key holder, as a housewarming present. 

But it looked a little empty, all alone on the wall. 

I found this burlap message board at Home Goods for less than $20 and I think it's just what the space needed.

Now, I have a place for tickets to upcoming shows, workout reminders, and coupons I want to have handy, but don't want to carry around. 

Like the Getty Villa :)

The frame is a distressed, espresso color, and it pairs really nicely with my dark floors and the border of the key holder. 

Here's the new look!

I still need to add more (this is waaaaay too empty for my tastes), but it's a start! It makes me happy as soon as I walk in the door. :)

Using Succulents With Flea Market Finds

On Father's Day, my parents, sister, and I went to the Long Beach Antique Market for a morning of treasure-hunting. I found lots of fun items that I'll be posting about in the next few days, but I wanted to share with you two great decorating ideas I saw there.

This is so simple, and yet so pretty. An old muffin tin (easily found at thrift stores or garage sales), some pretty succulents and a few votives round out the look. You can fill the while thing, or leave a few blank. I also think it would be fun to try other fillers - maybe sea glass, Japanese fishing floats, or even sea urchins. 

This is another simple idea - succulents in a chipped enamelware basin. I'm a fan of enamelware anyway, but add some succulents and it's so fresh. I like that they're not planted, but still in their little store pots; it looks very casual and fun. Here are two options from Etsy: this one is $17, this one is $10. 

If you haven't been to the Long Beach Antique Market, you should! It's HUGE and has over 800 sellers. This picture only shows a portion of the market...

{photo via Food &Wine - who called it one of America's Best Flea Markets}

Do you enjoy antique markets? Have you found any good decorating ideas from displays before?

What To Do With An Empty Corner In The Bedroom

I need your help, friends! What should I do with this corner of my bedroom?

{I know you're jealous of my super-awesome drafting software, huh?}

Here are some real photos of the layout.

{entering from the hallway}

{the view of the bed. i'm sorry, i couldn't be bothered to make my bed when the rest of the room is still a mess. also, let's ignore the plastic on my box spring. }

{the closet doors are on the left, opposite the bed.}

So, when you enter my bedroom, the dresser is on the wall to the right of you. The wall to the left is taken up completely by closet doors. The bed pretty much takes up the rest of the space. So, there's this empty spot in the corner and I kind of hate it.

{the same corner, but in different light}

I don't really want to block the window, but I think SOMETHING needs to go there! I originally had this bookcase in there, but it looked way too crowded (sorry I don't have a picture of it IN the bedroom), and it blocked the window.

{this bookcase is now in the living room}

Right now, I have a cheapo floor mirror propped up in this corner (a future project - I'd like to add molding and put it behind the door).

I'd love to get the cable box off the dresser, so maybe a little console table with a mirror over it? Maybe a vanity table? The cats also like to sit in front of the window, so whatever is there needs to have a cat-friendly surface, otherwise they'll just knock everything over.

Note: the space between the window and the dresser is EXACTLY 36 inches, so I'd need something slightly smaller. That dresser weighs 321681 pounds and is immovable.

  I'm stuck! Help me!