My Haunted House Chandelier

Many months ago I spotted a chandelier in a local boutique. There was no price tag on it, and the salesgirl didn't know how much it was. She took my name and number and said she'd call me with more information. I never heard from her.

I assumed it was out of my price range and forgot about it.

Fast forward several months. I am sitting by the pool, checking Facebook. I see that the boutique is having an online auction to clear out merchandise and make room for new items. I start scrolling through the auction items, and what do I see?

My chandelier!

The auction is ending in a couple of hours and I don't have time to go back to the store and look at it in person again. I nervously place the minimum bid and hope that my memory serves me and I still like it as much as I did when I first spotted it.

Guess who wins the auction with the minimum bid?

Of course instead of being thrilled, I immediately started freaking out. Why didn't anyone else bid on it? Do I really want it? Did the excitement of the auction push me into making a rash decision? I usually take a year to make up my mind about things like this... aaaahhhh...

To make matters worse, when I showed it to my mother, she said, "I hope you didn't pay very much for  that thing. It looks like it belongs in a haunted house."  Thanks, mom. Just the reassurance I needed.

I started googling the chandelier to find out more about it. First, I learned that it was the Manoir Chandelier by Canopy Designs Ltd. Second, I realized that I would never have been able to purchase this chandelier at its regular retail price. (Okay. Blood pressure going back down.)

Third, I discovered that my design idol, Sarah Richardson, had chosen the exact same chandelier for her farmhouse dining room...

HA! Do you see that, Mom?? If it's good enough for Sarah....

Now that it's finally hanging up in my dining room, my initial doubts have dissipated. I'm loving the chandelier.

And I'm not just saying that because my husband and father risked their lives hanging it during a horrible thunderstorm and my husband received a pretty big shock before he agreed that turning off the power was a good idea. Mmmm hmmmm....

So, what do you think? Nice chandelier ... or awesome Halloween decoration? :)

Latest from the Tween Scene

Good Monday morning! How was your weekend? Ours was busy with kids' sporting events, but I did manage to make a little progress in my son's tween bedroom.

I found some inexpensive buffalo check curtains at Walmart. They are rod pocket panels, but I chose to hang them from rings, because I prefer that look. Also, it gave them a bit more length. At only 84" long, the curtains don't quite reach the floor. That's not a look I'd normally recommend, but they are pretty well hidden behind the bed and the night table/suitcases, so it's not too obvious.


I chose the PB Essential Drape Rod from Pottery Barn, because I wanted the rod to return to the wall.

I like the way the curtain wraps around the window with this rod.

You may have noticed the paint swatches on the wall. I had all but one of these colors in my stash of sample paints.

I've decided to go with BM Revere Pewter.

It was the one I didn't have in my stash. Go figure.


Of course, I couldn't start painting til I remove this...

seashell wallpaper in the sink area of the bedroom. I know, I know... most 12 year old boys would kill for seashell wallpaper, but not my son. Weird.

Anyhoo, in between soccer and football games and cross country meets, I peeled paper off the walls. I have a bad case of tennis elbow, so it was slow-going as I tried to avoid using my right arm. I finally did get it all done.

Now, I just need to figure out how I'm going to paint left-handed...

Guest Bathroom Reveal

Stick a fork in the guest bathroom.

Now that I finally installed the cabinet hardware, this room is done!

New faucets would be nice, wouldn't they? But I'd want the widespread ones, which would mean drilling new holes, and then I'd need a new countertop. You know how that goes...

(It didn't dawn on me until now that perhaps a crab picture isn't best placed near a toilet.)

Source list (in case you're interested):

Wall paint: BM Hale Navy
Cabinet paint: Martha Stewart Fieldstone
Mirrors: HomeGoods
Crab Picture: HomeGoods (I know y'all are gonna go grab one of those for your bathroom now.)
Towel ring, towel hook and tissue paper holder: Delta Victorian in champagne bronze
Cabinet hardware: Shaub and Company Empire Series in brushed bronze
Pendants: Mini Nautical pendant from Home Depot
Shower Curtain: World Market


To learn more about this bathroom makeover than you ever wanted to know, check out the process here and here and here.

So, what have you been up to this week? I'm still detoxing from our trip to the wine country. I'll share my Napa photos soon. They're only slightly more breathtaking that my bathroom photos :)

Sharing at Tuesday's Treasures, Feathered Nest Friday

Campaign Decision

I'm so excited about my latest craigslist find...

It isn't easy being green, but this campaign desk pulls it off rather nicely. 

The paint is peeling though, so this piece will be getting a color makeover soon. The only decision now is... what color??

Campaign furniture is all the rage lately, and there's no shortage of color inspiration.

Source: littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com.br via Kéu on Pinterest

Source: materialgirlsblog.com via Karen on Pinterest

via Etsy

via societysocial.com

via littlecrowninteriors.com

via Lonny

via kcinteriors.wordpress.com

via Because I Like to Decorate

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The desk will be in my son's bedroom, so I probably won't go with fuchsia or yellow. I like the color of the dresser in this last pic. Smoky gray, perhaps?

Whatever it will be, it will have to wait a little while.

I am on a plane to San Francisco as I type this! My husband and I haven't been away without kids for 7 years, so this is a rare treat. We are heading to Napa with my sister and brother-in-law for the first time. Can't wait to relax and taste some great wine.

Of course, I'm a nervous flyer (especially without my kids to distract me) so I'm most looking forward to landing safely :)

Have a wonderful weekend, and if you have any suggestions on "can't miss" places in Sonoma or Napa, please let me know.

Decorating with Horseshoes

Feeling lucky? If not, perhaps you should hang a horseshoe above your door.

Source: whiteandgolddesign.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: takethesidestreet.com via Kate on Pinterest

Legend says that a horseshoe hung over a door invites luck into the home and keeps the devil away.

Source: blogs.mydevstaging.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Anna on Interest

I figured since we screwed up our "chi" by putting a bed in front of the window, I'd invite a little luck into our home with a horseshoe over our side entry door.

Plus, I like its rustic, farmhouse appeal. Good luck charming, I'd say!

Never Forget

God Bless America...

Mod Podge Letter

I am not typically a crafty girl, but every once in a while I see something for sale and think to myself, "I could make that."

That would explain why I've had three sets of windows in my basement for two years. (They were supposed to be used as doors in a cabinet-building project that never took place.) And, then there are the old stair balusters that were to be turned into lamps.

I'm nothing if not ambitious :)

But, last week I finally got to work on a craft project that was much more realistic. In fact, it was downright easy.

I'm sure if you're crafty, you've probably made one of these by now. But, if you're just dipping your toe into the craft pool, trust me... you can handle this.

Here's how to do it. Get yourself a craft letter.

 Mine was on sale for just a few cents at Hobby Lobby.

Next choose the paper you want to mod podge to it.

I photocopied a page out of our Atlas, but sheet music or book pages look great too.

Trace your letter on to the paper and cut it to fit.

 Set that aside, and get out your paint. I used ASCP in Old White to paint the back and sides of the craft letter.

Mod podge the paper to the front of your letter.

 Let it dry. Then apply more mod podge to seal it.

Voila!!

Easy. Peasy.

Now, that's my kind of craft project!

I don't think I've used Mod Podge since elementary school. What about you? Do you enjoy getting crafty?

Sweet Dreams: Alcove Beds

When I was a little girl one of my most beloved books was The Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter by Evelyn Scott.

If you aren't familiar with the book, it is a sweet story about a family of bears.

But, the reason I loved it so much was because the bears lived in charming tree houses, decorated to each bear's specific design taste.

The illustrator, Virginia Parsons, did a beautiful job depicting the style of each bear. I loved looking at the rooms, choosing the ones I liked best, and imagining what my house would be like someday. (Some things never change!)

One of my favorite rooms was the bedroom with the alcove bed.

I would daydream about how wonderful it would be to nestle into that soft, cozy little nook.

Like I said, some things never change.

I still like to daydream ...

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Source: google.com via Carolyn Loub {Sweet Chaos} on Pinterest

What do you think? Does an alcove bed seem like a good spot to hibernate?



BTW, if you have a little person in your life who would be interested in The Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter, you might want to check it out at your local library. Apparently the book is no longer in print, and sells online for upwards of 300 bucks... ouch!