glass menagerie

Recently, my friend Ashley over at pure + lovely wrote about the loveliness of glass pieces used as decor. Her post reminded me of how much I LOVE these old glass bottles I have around my house, so I decided to share them with you. These are who-knows-how-old bottles that my grandmother collected, and pulled out of storage when she moved here from Georgia. She didn't want them anymore...so naturally, I rummaged the collection and took as many as I could!

Our house has fantastically high ceilings in the entry/living rooms, and we have these great small windows up near the ceiling. These things can be fun, or they can be a pain. The best solution in the living room for energy effeciency/glareless TV viewing would be to install dramatic floor-to-ceiling drapes, but since I neglected to consider that option when we first moved in, the windows remained naked. That is, until I confiscated these lovely bottles that now sit nicely in the windowsills. Cuteness! I also have them in the window above our front door, and there are also miniature versions of some of the larger bottles. I just love these little treasures! And the best part is, they didn't cost me a dime!

{that blue bottle on the far left is shaped like a fish!}

{the purple bottle looks like it has a turkey foot holding a ball. And the blue one is a horseshoe shape!
How fun is that?}

{I'm pretty sure the bottle with the cross once held holy water. At least that's the story I prefer.}

{This interesting bottle has a "nubbin" with a metal screw or something in it.}


Thanks for reading!

take 2.

Almost there with the entry table. Not quite, but better. I feel like the color scheme isn't right...we'll see. I always have to set things up & then walk away for awhile & think about it more. This area is hard for me because it opens up to two different rooms with two different color schemes going on, so I'm trying to marry the two rooms with this area. And without spending any money. ;)

Thanks for all of the input! Still open to suggestions!


P.S. I take horrible pics of my house. I'm not even sure why the edge of the table is cut off. Also, in real life, the candlesticks & flowers are NOT the same color as the wall. And why does this pic look so yellow? Whatev.

I need help!

Sometimes I get the hankerin' to change up a nook in the house, but I don't have any money to buy new stuff. Generally that means two things: 1) moving stuff around that I already have, and 2) spray paint. This happened yesterday with our entry table. I decided it was just too blah, or maybe I was just bored with it, so I started tinkering. This table previously housed most of our family pics. Instead of scattering them all over the living room/dining room/entry/hallway, I put them all together on this one table, underneath the obligatory Olan Mills church directory photo of me & Baron, taken right after our honeymoon so we're all tan & junk. {I refused to take this pic down for the past almost-6-years because I look so tan & skinny. Livin' the glory days much?}

{helloooo, awkwardly placed light switch, outlet, & A/C closet...}

Well, I decided I wanted to brighten it up, and also get rid of some of the pics of just me & Baron. After all, we pretty much look the same in all the pics, with the exception of my ever-changing hairstyles, and my gradual decrease in golden tan as I quit going to the tanning bed. Anyway, I replaced some of the pics with prints, and I spray painted some of the frames white to brighten things up.

I also used some scrapbook paper & Mod Podge to brighten up this shadow box that houses some roses that Baron gave me while we were dating:
Anyway, here is the entry table now, but I'm not happy with it. Sometimes I get stuck when I'm changing things up, especially with arranging tables (and the mantle too, for that matter). It just looks awkward. So...suggestions? Anyone? Be honest!

{BTW, there is a print in that frame on the wall...it's just really light.
My camera does not take good pics indoors. :( }

feed your soul: fresh {free} art prints

I just found out about Feed Your Soul via Oh My! Handmade via Nesting Place. Feed Your Soul is an art project that features free downloadable prints from lots of artists. This is such a great idea, and I am lovin' some of these prints! Some of these would look fabulous in a nursery or kid's room! Go browse. NOW.

Here are a few of my faves:

{ I realized after I picked my faves that most of them feature birds. Yes, apparently I'm on THAT bandwagon right now. ;) }

flower bows

A couple of weeks ago, I got a hankerin' to make some bows for my daughter's headbands. Of course, I wanted her to wear one to church Sunday morning, and this was Saturday when I got the hankerin'. So I was looking for something in my house that I could use to make a bow. So, I found this green ribbon & went to town. Here's the how-to:

1. Cut up your ribbon into different sized pieces. I used wired ribbon, because it's easier to shape (you'll see later). I cut the edges all curvy-like in an effort to make it cuter.

2. Stack the pieces with the largest on bottom, and turn them every whichaway. (Is that how you spell "whichaway"?)


3. Sew a button in the middle to hold the pieces together, and to serve as the center of the flower.

4. Trim the edges to round out the flower.

5. Shape the flower to make it...flowery. Or whatever.

5. Spray the flower to keep the edges from unraveling. I used FolkArt Hi-Shine Glaze, because that's how I roll. I guess any kind of clear sealant will work. I put about 3 coats on & then let it dry before the next step.

6. Glue a ribbon to the back of the barrette you'll be using. (The back being the part that touches the head, not the part we're gluing to the flower later.) This step is optional. I did it because I have a baby & I'm overly protective of her scalp. No metal on my baby's head, please. :) Also...your choice as to what kind of barrette you want to use. This is the snappy-bendy kind, only because I was impatient at Hobby Lobby & they were out of the good kind so I just got these. Oh, and that glue...awesome. It's called Craft Goop & I love it.

7. Glue the barrette to the back of the flower. Again with the Craft Goop. Good stuff. Let dry.

8. Attach to your favorite headband or hat...or use alone as a barrette! Voila!

And here's my little model! I'm pretty sure she's in love with her flower. After all, green IS my - uh, I mean, her - favorite color.