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Decorating for Easter: To Satisfy Both Mom and Daughter #KmartEaster

christopher radko easter displayI love vintage style when it comes to most holiday decorating.  I have a few vintage Easter decorations, but not nearly enough to decorate my house.  Original vintage holiday decor is hard to find offline, and is both pricey, and often in poor condition, when you do find it online.  The Celebrations by Radko line available at Kmart has a great retro/vintage look to it, but still has the fresh look of new items.  The decorations from this line will blend in well with both contemporary decor, as well as more traditional styles.  This is perfect for my home, which is a Victorian, but the primary living area is contemporarily styled.radko easter decorationsAs you can see I decorated my dining table with a Christopher Radko duck candy dish, a few egg cups from the line, and spring flowers in an Easter basket, that I found on sale at Kmart for 50% off.  I skipped a table cloth, etc. since it will be displayed for several days before Easter.  My daughter does her ABA therapy at the table, and she and her therapists will be able to enjoy the decorations while working, and it won’t get in the way.  On Easter Sunday, all I will have to do is add place settings, and salt & pepper shakers.christopher radko egg holdersThe items above were from my first trip to Kmart.  I ended out going back to get a couple more items, since I kept thinking about the plates they had in this line.  When I got back, all 4 options were no longer available, so rather than using them as place settings, I picked up the duck plate, along with matching egg cup, and set up another small display.  This time I filled the cup with a small violet I dug up from my yard.  I think it looks cute.radko easter plate and egg cup ducksWhile I love the type of style I used above, the other member of my household is 4 1/2 years old.  Her design sensibilities are more toward  vivid colors and favorite TV characters.  Since it is just the two of us now, I try and figure her in more, when decorating.  I am taking her into account in more than a … “I better pass on that, because my kid will break it.” kind of way.

When it came to making a decision about a porch greeter.  She and I did not see eye-to-eye.  I wanted to assemble one from a large floppy stuffed duck, attach it to a post (to keep it upright) add a small shelf to post for a dish of candy & pop a tin pail of flowers beside it.  My daughter on the other hand, was entranced with the Dora the Explorer Porch Greeter.

easter decorating with kidspicking greeterEaster porch greeter Dora the Explorer at KmartI actually love Dora now.  She looks so cute in her little dress, and I managed to tie in the duck theme with the vintage look tin pail I also found at Kmart.  I have a Shop Your Way rewards card, so I got 5,000 rewards points for buying Dora, since they have a special rewards members only offer on branded porch greeters this week.

All the items seen in my displays were purchased at Kmart, except for the flowers in the indoor basket.  Dora’s tulips were purchased at Kmart during my second trip.  They had more flower options that day.  To see my complete shopping story, including more Radko items, and shots of sale items, that didn’t work for my particular design, but might be just what you are looking for follow this link: https://plus.google.com/photos/100455156656642801134/albums/5728280019695627089

Keep up to date on all the great deals at Kmart by following, Kmart on Twitter , as well as, Kmart on Facebook.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All experiences and opinions presented here are my own. #CBias

My Renuzit Fresh Accents Mini Living Room Makeover #FreshAccents #cbias

orange gold and red living room

renuzit makeover before pic

Before... blank wall, one measley pillow remained & rug had seen better days.

My living room was last fully done over about 9 years ago.  It has been showing it’s wear, and over the past couple years, the pillows have dwindled, the artwork above the sofa fell and the frame & glass broke (never to be replaced), the finish on the top of the side tables has worn, I have scrubbed out more stains than I could count with a ticker & always seem to be fighting odors from our dog.  Thus, I was very happy to participate in a Renuzit Fresh Accents mini-makeover.renuzit fresh accents makeover shopping

My goals for this makeover are to freshen up what we already have.  I don’t have the budget to buy any new furniture, and while I plan to repaint in here some time this year, I simply don’t have the time to tackle that yet.  I still want a  fresh look, something more modern and reflective of our new family dynamic.  Since it is just my daughter and I now, I think she should be reflected more in the design (and I don’t mean all the toys she loves to dump everywhere…lol).  A few simple DIY projects will be the cornerstones of the design project, and Renuzit Fresh Accents is in charge of the olfactory  aspects of the makeover.

decorate with child artwork

What could be more special than artwork done by your child. Give them a real canvas and let them go crazy on it!

We picked up the Renuzit Fresh Accents at Walmart, after the first store we tried didn’t carry them.  We also bought supplies for my daughter’s contribution to the living room makeover, a giant artwork on canvas (see the full  Google + shopping story). That evening, I covered a large ugly painting on canvas with flat white spray paint, so that it would be ready for my tiny artist to work on the next morning.  I explained to her that the picture would be going on the wall, and she seemed pretty excited about it. Operation wall art complete.

Hint: give your child art supplies in colors that won’t completely clash with your decor

new pillows for living roomNew pillows are another big part of the makeover.  The few we had left were not exactly “ready for prime time” anymore.  I grabbed some great upholstery remnants at the fabric outlet up the street, and dragged out my old sewing machine. I knew the mix of colors and textures in the fabrics would make for a more modern look.

Before I even finished the pillows, I knew the old rug had to go.  The crisply fresh fabric in the room, really brought out the ugly in it.  I have wanted to replace it for quite some time, but hadn’t gotten around to it.  A quick trip to the discount warehouse store on the other side of town, netted me a durable  rug with a cool circular textural design, that really brightened the room up.

renuzit makeover

The last project on my hit list was a quickie refinish of the top surface of the side tables.  I used a can of stain and polyurethane all-in-one, since I didn’t want to get into a major refinishing project.  The  sides and legs were fine, so I left well-enough alone there.

Renuzit Fresh AccentsI am happy with the results of the mini-makeover, and am relieved that it is done, since we will be having some super-terrific weather here next week, and I will be tackling outdoor projects then.  The Renuzit Fresh Accents air freshener not only had an attractive look, that tied in well with my decor, but the noticeable, yet not overpowering, raspberry scent it emitted sure boosted the ambiance of the room :)

The Fresh Accents air fresheners are reasonably priced to start with, and the printable coupon on their Facebook page, makes them even a better deal.

Ladies make sure to spoil yourself with some fine eye candy too.  Renuzit has made getting information about this new product all the more enjoyable, with the help of some hunky models, on their website and this special Facebook Page.  Now that got you attention didn’t it ;)

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All experiences and opinions presented here are my own. #CBias 

Vintage Roosters in the Kitchen

I thought I would share my collection of vintage roosters with you today…

Vintage Rooster and Hen tea pot

Vintage Rooster and Hen stacked tea pot set. I have seen this with a third bird, to serve as sugar bowl, but I find my incomplete set more aethetically pleasing.

While I don’t like to decorate with all of anything in particular, since I am not a fan of “matchy-matchy” decorating. Over the years, my kitchen has become a haven for old roosters. As they are spread throughout the kitchen and pantry, the proliferation of them is not obvious, but they certainly added up when I took the time to photograph them. There are 2 or 3 more hanging out in there too…lol

vintage rooster wall plaques

Vintage Rooster Wall Plaques: I love these. They are about 2 ft tall and really make the area above my stove. Probably date somewhere from the 50's-70's.

Holt Howard vintage rooster salt & pepper shakers

Holt Howard vintage rooster salt & pepper shakers, with a cute old plate I picked up at a yard sale. I need to get a new plant for the hook.

Vintage Holt Howard napkin holder, used as towel holder

Vintage Holt Howard napkin holder, used as towel holder (the towel is contemporary, but has the look of an old feedsack.

Papier Mache Rooster & Roses serving tray and retro rooster plates

Papier Mache Rooster & Roses serving tray, I got in an auction box lot, and a pair of retro rooster plates I bought off Ebay, years ago.

Holt Howard vintage rooster creamer

Holt Howard vintage rooster creamer, this is a less common line from this company.

Small metal Cock & Bottle plaque

Small metal Cock & Bottle plaque, no idea on the age of this estate sale find.

Handpainted Rooster Box

This Handpainted Rooster Box is not old. It was made and painted by my mother for me.

Handpainted tin box with poultry

She also made me this handpainted tin box with poultry family. I use it to store my cookie cutters.

 

Hallway Makeover

 

hallway makeoverMy posts have been a bit sparse over the past week because I took on another renovation project.  My upstairs hallway was really bothering me, since I have recently redone my bedroom and my daughter’s playroom (which as of today, is serving as her bedroom, since the room she has been in is next on the renovation parade).

corroded tin ceilingWhile the hallway is a small space, it had a big problem.  When I had pulled down the drop ceiling and revealed an ornate tin ceiling, it was all good until I ran into a big patch of corroded ceiling.  Yuck!  I started to take off the tin crown molding, to put up a new ceiling, only to realize, that if I took it down, it would never make it back up.  I had no budget, nor inclination to purchase expensive molding to replace it with, and the thought of a plain old ceiling did not appeal to me at all.

drywall  over tin ceilingMy solution was to re-secure the small piece of molding I had partially removed, and cover the damaged ceiling with 1/4″ drywall, rather than the slightly thicker width I had originally planned to use. This would allow the egg & dart portion of the molding design to still show.  Since the 1/4″ drywall is considerably weaker, I made sure to remove all the corroded tin and broken plaster and used plenty of screws to keep it secure.  I cut the pieces as flush as possible, so that I would have less to fill in around the edges.

new ceiling over old tin ceilingAfter enduring nasty plaster down my bra, lots of plaster dust in my hair, and Egads! … two broken nails …. all signs of the ghastly old ceiling are gone.

Silver & Gold Decorations On Ev’ry Christmas Tree … #kmartholiday #cbias

gold holiday treeO.K.  I fully admit it, I have had Burl Ives going through my head for weeks now, ever since I decided to decorate my tree in Gold with accents of silver this year.  The double parlor, which houses the holiday tree, has walls which are painted orange…. great for Halloween decorating, but red, white and green, not so much.

gold bird ornamentI had wanted to go with a more neutral palette for quite some time, but when Christmas rolled around each year, it never seemed to happen.  The past few years, I didn’t even have a real tree, just a faux white one, I had picked up years ago.  This year heralded the return of the real tree in my house.

blown glass trumpet ornamentSince my husband and I are separated,  scheduling the tree pick up was easy.  I just went and got the one I wanted, while our daughter was in school.  I had it up in the stand, straight and ready for lights, by the time she got home.  I was looking forward to the finished look this year, because I had gotten all new tree trimmings the day before at Kmart.  The only items on this tree not from that $100 shopping trip, are the gold painted vine star at the top and a few of the strings of lights

gold bowsI think the matching tree topper bows and the smaller ones scattered about the tree, really add an elegant touch and complete the look.   The bead garland is change that I enjoy, as well.  I’d grown tired of the look of tinsel garland.  The big container of shatterproof gold ornaments I got,ensured the look was not sparse, and were a huge part of keeping the tree trimmings on budget and enabled me to select this lovely tree skirt to tie everything together.

tree topperI was easily able to decorate this large Fraser Fir for $100 in the Kmart Trim-A-Tree Department.  If you are decorating a smaller tree, you could spend less, or get more individual and figural ornaments.  Visit my earlier post: Gathering New Tree Trimmings for our New Life , to see all the items I actually purchased.

I look forward to creating new Yuletide memories with my daughter, around this tree.  We will add a few new decorations each year, but it feels good to have a fresh start.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias  All experiences and opinions presented here are my own.

Beautiful Alternatives for Those Without Space for a Christmas Tree

No room for a tree in your home? These beautiful alternatives to full size Christmas trees will put you and your guests into the festive spirit.  These are also great as secondary trees.  Click on the images to take you to the original articles and learn more.

DIY flat christmas treeThis Flat Christmas Tree doesn’t take up any space.  All you need is an open wall.  Click on the image for detailed DIY instructions for this fun holiday project.

small tree in vintage tinThis sapling in a vintage holiday cookie tin is simple sublime.  The article has several other wonderful ideas.  A must see.

floating ball treesIf you lack floorspace, consider this DIY mobile tree from Not Martha.  Her instructions are very thorough, and as you can see the results are stunning.

wall holiday treeTake a bunch of little knick-knacks and create a wall tree.

branch holiday treeI love the clever usage of fallen branches to create a chandelier like effect over the table.  Certainly a great use of space, and inexpensive too.

lumen treeThis little oil lamp casts the shadow of a tree on your wall.  Christmas clean-up has never been easier…lol.

Master Bedroom Renovation: Ending the Power Tool Phase

The seemingly never ending saga of my bedroom renovation is finally about to move on to the interior decorating phase!  I am proud of  all I have managed to do by myself.  I laid the walnut laminate flooring last week.

cutting laminate flooring

My jig saw worked perfectly for cutting the flooring.

laying lamimate flooring

The Victorian architecture called for some weird cutting angles, but all went smoothly.

The baseboard heat covers went back in this weekend, and I touched up the paint.

taking a break from renovations

Reinstalling the baseboard heat was a royal pain, so I took a break with a nice glass of wine.

laminate flooring and baseboard heat installed

Ready for curtains and furniture... still waiting on ceiling fan issue to be resolved.

I’ve picked up some inexpensive curtain rods, so the drapes will be hung this week.  I am also picking up a new mattress set tomorrow. Dresser & night stand  makeovers and upholstered headboard project soon to come… I have already  set up a work area in the basement for these projects.

Oh, and I am already contemplating the next room to renovate…lol

Because I Can’t Leave Well Enough Alone: Bedroom Renovation Progress

bedroom paint colorRemember that soft blue-gray-green color I had painted in the bedroom… It’s  gone.  Not only had it become scuffed up in a few spots, but the color was quite light.  The ornate tin ceiling, which is my favorite part of the room, just wasn’t “popping”.   I grabbed a gallon of blue-gray paint a shade or two darker, and repainted.  It does make the room appear a little smaller, but the ceiling and trim work definitely stand out more now.  I also think it compliments the walnut flooring better.

bedroom paletteNow I am just waiting for the floor leveler to dry, so I can get to work on laying the flooring.  I made it a little wetter, since I was pouring it by myself and didn’t want to risk it starting to set before I could get it down properly.

floor leveler for laminate

Staircase and Landing Makeover

Although I haven’t been covering my home renovations here over the past few weeks, they have been ongoing.  We had a hurricane related power outage here for about 4 days, that stalled me the projects I was already working on, so I stripped the wallpaper in my staircase and landing.  This of course, led to skim coating the walls, since my Victorian Era home has old horsehair plaster walls.  By the time we got power back, I was fully invested in this new project.  Two tubes of caulking, a bit of wood putty & many hours wrangling odd trim corners and a stubborn tin ceiling rewarded me with a staircase I no longer loathe.

painted stairs

No more chippy paint and yucky wallpaper.

painted staircase

I brushed rather than rolled eggshell paint, to accentuate the texture of the walls. Reminiscent of Venetian Plaster.

staircase colors

Colors are more accurate in this pic.

painted cast iron bracket and railing

Rather than tackling disassembly, I painted these in place. Went with wall color on the back plates since I really didn't want to bring attention to them.

painted tin ceiling

I have painted all the other tin ceilings I have done with flat enamel paint. This time I didn't have any on-hand and the ceiling for the landing was small so I used semi-gloss. I won't do that again, coverage was a nightmare.

I wish I had gotten some before pics. It was a sad site before…lol  I still plan to make a custom graphic for above the railing, using a roll of art paper I have, but that will need to wait until the bedroom project and minor bathroom makeover I started are complete.   I just can’t seem to keep myself to just one project at a time.  Fresh paint can be addicting :)