Summer Living Room

There is no other time of year that I love more then summer!  I am a summer gal through and through.  I have been know to go outside and sit for short intervals on the porch even when it is 100 degrees or more outside. That's how much I love summer!  

I also adore decorating and changing up things around the house for summer.  I just returned from a long awaited week of vacation at the beach during which I was able to do a little thrifty shopping with my sister in laws.  Since I was chomping at the bit to change up a few things inside, I was thrilled to find out I had today off and was able to get started.  So, if you'd like to take a little tour of my den during one of "my" best times of the year....then come on in!  You are so welcomed!

Our den is quite large and long!  It's taken me years to accept that this is the best furniture layout for this space without breaking it up too much.  

The reason it's taken me years to accept this is that I love to rearrange furniture.  Try as I might and believe me I have, there is no other layout that I like better then what we have shown here.

Here is one of those thrifty finds that I picked up down at the beach last week.

Even the Mr. seems to like this boat.

I decided it would look great front on center on the mantle sitting on top of a few of the Mr's. old sailing books.

My old bamboo mirror always looks great this time of year.

I finally made some headway with the coffee table vignette again.

I liked this set up so much last year that I decided to just put it back the same way again this year.  So much for being unique, huh?

Honestly though, you really cannot beat a tray full of shells...

...and a large hurricane candle with sand and shells can you?

Personally, I would prefer to have a real fern here but I am sure it would not survive.  Most of my inside plants have been suffering greatly since I went back to work.  My ferns outside in the back yard are looking beautiful though.  That's where I've been spending most of my free time lately.  I've always thought of ferns as summer plants.  I love them!

My new lantern is all set and ready for the holidays now too!

How do you like my festive little Longaberger basket?  I've never owned one of those before.  My dept. manager at work gave this to me a few weeks ago.  Isn't it so cute?  I think so!

Thanks for taking the time to stop in for my most favorite time of the year.

I hope you enjoyed your visit.  What about you?  What is your favorite season?

I am joining; 

Tabletop Tuesday

Be sure and click the link above for more!

Have a wonderful week!

My Pool Noodle Project

Good Morning!  What a beautiful weekend it has been so far.  The weather has been just perfect with the sun shining brightly and the skies all clear. What a beautiful Father's Day today too!

 It's just the right kind of weather for spending time around the pool.  Since we put in a pool last year it has been such a joy!  So, I'm sure you can understand when I heard about a Pool Noodle Craft Party going on over at Debbiedoo's I had to find out a bit more.  I knew I was going to be all about this one!

The challenge was to create something using a pool noodle.  I am sure I won't be the only one who decided to make a wreath.  But...mines not just any old wreath, Oh no!!!  It's so much more!  So after spending only $3.00 at the DT I gathered up the rest of the supplies I already had on hand and went to work and here's my wreath!

What do you think?  Pretty cute and simple huh?

  Well, to be honest it wasn't quite that easy.  The first challenge I had was to find a way to make the noodle stay round.  The Mr. helped me out with that one.  He simply added a small rubber tube inside of both the holes on each end forcing them to connect together.  He's so smart like that!

  

Then, all I did next was add more of that white tulle ribbon that I already had along with some indoor/outdoor rope.  The noodle was item no.1 and the rope was item no.2  purchased from the DT. 

The sign was item no.3 purchased from the DT.  Unfortunately it didn't quite say what I wanted it to.  So, it had to undergo a little transformation.  Since it was the right size (and price), I thought it was worth effort.

I decided to keep the flip flops since they were already on the original sign and just worked around that.  I repainted the sign white because it was brown and added the words with a paint pen.

If you look closely you can see where the previous words originally were on the sign.  I did some light sanding but obviously not quite enough.   Oops! The original words ( Beach House) were glittery and textured.  I thought I got most of that off but not quite. 

Oh well!  To be honest I really didn't have a lot of time to invest in this but really wanted to get it done.  I was especially rushed this week because we are leaving for the beach ourselves today.  Whoo hoo!  Anyway, I think the sign looks just fine, don't you?  Sure you do, but there is just one little itty bitty problem.

You see, I can't in all good conciseness go out of town with a sign like this hanging on our pool.

Now a sign like this....I could live with!

That's right friends, flip the sign and were all set.

This side looks so much better without any previous wording showing through.  LOL!

So there you have it.

Pool Open!

Pool Closed!

I decided to hang it right there on the fence by the pool too!

The Mr. said, " Hey, we can use it as a life preserver too if we need too."  LOL!

Didn't I tell you it was so much more then just a wreath?

This was a fun project!  Thanks so much for the inspiration to create something fun with a pool noodle ladies.  I really enjoyed the challenge! 

I hope you enjoyed your visit here today too.  Please be sure and visit 

Debbiedoo's

 to see many more of those amazing noodle projects on the 20th.

I hope I am able to get this post to link up but am not sure I will have internet connections where we are going but I will try!

Have a great week everyone!

So what are you reading?

When was the last time you cracked open a book?

 You know... a real book, with a cover and everything.  I will be the first to admit I go through stages with reading.  I usually read several books a year at the very least.  Some years are full of reading, some not so much.  I think this is going to be a very good reading year.  I have found it helps me to settle down at night when I need to turn in early or if I've awakened in the middle of the night unable to sleep.  For me there is nothing more soothing and mind distracting from my own thoughts then to fall deeply into the plot of a novel.  Recently, I couldn't resist plundering through a huge clearance box of books at the grocery store of all places and pulled out this.

After just a few weeks of sporadic reading bouts I am almost finished with this book.   I bought it new for less then $3.00 and I've really enjoyed it quite a bit. The story is kind of a mix of romance fiction, (not the Harlequin kind) but also based on factual characters in History.  Somehow it's spurred me on to wanting to learn more about History again.  I was not a fan of History in school but this book makes me want to learn a bit more.  I also want to read some of this authors other books too.  Very enjoyable!

Today I made another little side trip after work and came home with this....

Yep!  That's a big old bag of books plunked down right where I hang my purse every night.  Can you guess why I would come home with such a big ole bag of books?  I'll give you a hint.  It's not because I am so overworked and need something to calm me down each night.  Though that would certainly not be too far fetched to guess.  LOL!   I'll give you a little time to think about it, okay?.  Meanwhile, let's take a look at what all I got.

While I would love to be able to walk into the book store and buy whatever I'd like at full price, I confess, I just cannot afford to do that.  Besides, my frugal side would be screaming at me anyway about why I didn't just go to the library.  However, if you can walk into a book store and buy new and used library books so cheap that your frugal side doesn't rare it's ugly head, you'd tend to go for it right?  I certainly do!  

As you can see, my tastes runs the gamut when it comes to fictional novels.  I enjoy reading everything, spanning from books on Palm Beach living, to mystery, to books about life on the plantations.

I especially love this lady's work.  She has written several time travel romance novels.  They are fantastic (get it?) and are really fun to read!

I'm hoping this one will also indulge my fantasy world even more.  I love thinking about unexplained mysterious things!  I don't dwell on them seriously, but do so enjoy the retreat into a world of fantasy and what if's.

But this one is "the one" that I am anxiously waiting to dive right in to.  I have read almost all of her books again just last summer.  I don't think I read this one though.  I certainly hope not anyway!  Do you ever forget what books you've read only to discover you've already read them after the first chapter.  I have!  LOL!    I would have loved to have bought her newest book entitled, Porch Living, but it's still too new and not anywhere near this price range yet.  

Have you guessed yet why I am stocking up on books?

There is nothing like a good book for a great escape wherever you may be. (Hint-Hint!)

Do you need one yet, an escape?

Do you have one planned?

I sure do!

So what are you reading these days?

What genre do you enjoy reading and why?

Which authors do you like?

Share your favorites please, I'd love to check out a few new authors this summer.

Thanks for dropping by!

Have a great day!

Too Little Color?

Seriously?  That's what I was thinking too!  Recently I was called out for having too little color in one of my displays.  Unfortunately I guess "they" failed to realize that was the look I was going for.  Let me just say in my defense most of the objects I was using were also of the neutral family so I went with it.  Hey, I know many of you would have done the same.  I guess the neutral look just has not reached many main steam retail stores as of yet.  And, while I am not a big fan of it in my house there are areas where I love it!  In fact I loved one of the items I was creating my neutral display with at work so much that I decided it was just going to have to come home with me to be fully appreciated.

Welcome home my new very LARGE lantern!  I have found just the perfect spot for you!

I have even decided to keep a neutral vignette going inside of you (for a bit) in honor of your well deserved escape from retail land.  Don't you think this lantern just screams neutral decor?  

Especially with it's grey tin roof...

...And pale greyish whitewashed wood.  Well, I certainly do!  But you ladies know I am not one to stay very neutral for long so enjoy it while it lasts okay?

I've set a little vignette here that speaks volumes about where my heart is right now.  I can hardly wait!  It won't be long now!

I am sure this little corner of the den is going to see lots of change with my newest addition.  It's going to be so fun changing this lantern out.  The Mr. said that is no lantern dear it is a BIG glass box.  LOL!  Oh well, if you haven't seen these this size then hop on over to your nearest Stein Mart.  We have lanterns in all shapes and sizes right now at some really great prices too.

I am joining Marty today over for her vignette linky party for

Tablescape Tuesday. 

Please follow the link to see more beautiful decor.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Have a great day!

Dreaming with Mood Boards

Hey Friends!  Things sure have been quite the whirlwind of activity around here lately.  I've not had much time to blog or keep up much at all lately.  My youngest son graduated from high school last week.  Woohoo!  Between getting ready for that, college preps, work, boating and preparing for  our upcoming vacation let's just say I am scattering my attentions everywhere lately.  I hope to get back to blogging soon as I've got quite a bit I want to share with you.


But before I get back to m usual blogging style I want to share something with you I found online.  I'm sure plenty of you probably already know about Olioboards.com but I just discovered them today.  It's where you can create your own mood boards.  You can also share them with other followers too.  I found Olioboards online before work this morning, created an account and then created my very first board after I came home from work.  This was so much fun!  I think it could be so addictive too.  Whew, like I really need another online addiction!  Seeeriousssslyy!!!   I've got  so much to learn about it yet but just couldn't wait to show you my first board.  So with further ado....

This is what I would love to incorporate into my bedroom if I were to have the means to make it all possible.  It really was so much fun creating this look which I think is very close to my own personal style indeed. I hope you enjoyed a little peek into my dreams here today!


Thanks for stopping by...
I'll be catching up with you soon!