a modern, native-american-inspired, intimate friendsgiving tablescape

I've been saving these Nate Berkus banded arrow dishes for thanksgiving and I finally got to use them!  I just thought the arrow motif was perfect for the holiday.  the black and white gives it a modern twist.

{click the photos to view available pieces for sale!}

likewise, I did a black and white arrow background for the place cards- which read grateful, peaceful, thankful, and blessed {instead of names}, and on one side of my reversible 'give thanks' banner {see below}. 

I used a vintage feather print scarf instead of a runner and antique silver trays as chargers, which I left patina-ed which gave them a more rustic look...

each place setting was a little different.  *most* place settings got a horn handled knife, which we are always collecting so if anyone has any leads...  all got a different feather.

my husband, the chef, cooked a perfect dinner...

I used 'feather' jewelry as embellishments... 

...and antler charms, too!

lastly, i recycled the banner i made last year- one side is craft paper and the other side is a different font with my arrow background, which can be viewed here 

happy thanksgiving, everyone!  feel free to leave {kind} comments!!

>>>><<<<

xoxo

British Colonial Chair Rescue

check out this great chair i rescued!!  the guy thought they were so awful that he wasn't even going to sell them at his yard sale!  i convinced him to sell them to me- there were 3 of them and now they're probably my favorite chairs {and i have a lot of them! ;) }

lastly, we added casters...

not only did this chair have good bones, the cushions are the most comfortable ones have in our house- all i had to do was recover them☺

p.s. i used high quality linen-colored bedsheets which was really easy to work with and feels super soft.

p.s.s.  i'd love to hear your comments below!

today's project was a monogrammed lampshade...tutorial to follow!

you know when you get an idea in your head and you just have to do it?  that was this project for me today.  and i just had to get these photos up...tutorial to follow when i have a bit more time!! ☺

DIY Tutorial on revamping a Louis XVI cane chair

i know, we didn't need yet another chair in our house to add to my chair obsession {where did that come from?}
and my husband had already said that for every new chair i brought into the house, one had to go.
but even he couldn't pass up the killer deal i got on the lovely, Louis XVI style cane chair.  and he knew i could make it cool.
here's what i did {click on photos below for larger view + to read my step-by-step instructions}:

after, close-up...

...now it's the perfect addition to my dressing room!

i just love it, do you?  feel free to comment below, i'd love to hear from you☺

DIY tutorial on recovering a chair using an eggcrate for foam!

as soon as i saw this thomas paul oceanic fabric*, i knew it was perfect for our florida coastal home!
i had learned that i could recover our beautiful, but now flattened, chippendale dining chairs using the eggcrate that my husband desperately wanted off our mattress.  perfect.
i got the fabric in "bark" and it worked perfectly with our color scheme.
plus, it was super easy- here's a tutorial showing how i did it:

*"In the United States, coastal areas of great wealth such as Palm Beach, New Orleans, and Rhode Island's Newport have a history of decorative objects graced by sea creatures...  {the creatures in this thomas paul print} are inspired by the historical prints of sea life seen in lithographs, wood engravings and copper etchings from the 1700s and 1800s." courtesy of gaslampantiques.com

{one of} our latest home projects- door headboard

we made a headboard using the original doors that came with our 1925 historic home.
we love these doors but we weren't using them and now we are!
...and we love it!
if you or your hubs is as handy as mine is, it will take you no time at all...

Tip of the day: frame an open book

frame an open book for instant gorgeous art that you can change as you fancy...  just turn the page to keep it fresh when you're ready for something different!

books are an excellent source of beauty + decor.  of course, you can even use an actual art book to frame something by your favorite artist that you wouldn't normally be able to afford to buy framed as a painting, print, or whatever...

what i did was double up 2 frames for extra drama.  then, we used ours to hide the ugly black cave that is the inside of our fireplace when we're not using it!  what do you think?

How to Sanitize your kitchen sponge and make your home smell good, too!

quick tip- lots of us already knew that you can sanitize your kitchen sponge by throwing it in the micro for about a minute.  but, next time, try dripping a few drops of anise on the sponge first.
you will have a lovely smelling home for the rest of the day that will remind you of being somewhere in the mediterranean {you pick the place}!
...it is recommended that you do this at least every 3-4 days- dont forget, it will be hot...

okay, so i'll give you a great little secret...‏

if you want to hang something somewhere, but it's not to scale for the space- whether it be a framed piece, a nicho or an object- all you have to do is hang a larger empty frame (no glass) around it!  

viola!  looks like a super interesting installation and super easy.

now you can enjoy your smaller items in a big way!  

tassels- not just for shoes anymore

okay, so what's the deal with tassels? such a relatively small decoration detail that instantly transforms whatever you put it on.
if you think about it, just putting a tassel on something instantly makes it seem regal.  we can all do it.  it's not like we can't afford tassels but they still just seem so fancy!
they probably date way back, too, and maybe that's part of it. 
you can adorn So many things with a tassel:
keys, chairs, doorknobs, frames, mirrors, lamps + chandeliers, armoires, windows...we even have some on our bar cart!
you can make a belt out of a tassel, a tassel fringe or garland, or a tassel necklace.
put a tassel on a xmas tree as an ornament...

and if your purse didn't come with a tassel, put one on it yourself for that boho chic look!

more pictures to come...  I have to go make something now...