The big switch...

So... we came home from our vacation... and instead of unpacking, I was rearranging my living room and dinning furniture... I realize this sounds crazy, but it's been bugging me for awhile... (please excuse last years Christmas eve photos... apparently they are the only ones that I have of my dinning and living room.  I wasn't thinking ahead, and didn't take before shots.)

The reason... was my dinning space...



The chairs on one side were tight against the wall...



And on the other side... you hit the fridge(although it's not seen in the pic), and couldn't get by if someones chair was out...

I did like how my couch and chair were set up, but they had to get switched up with everything else...



I can truthfully say not one thing was left in place(the desk is now in my sons room, and the windows behind it are going on the stair wall)... many thanks to my husband who's a good sport and just goes along with it...

Here is there new arrangement... so exciting!!!!


The old dinning space now holds the buffet...



Different view....



New dinning area where the buffet and couch use to be...



The wall the side table and chair are against is where the mantle use to be... it kind of made the hallway a tight squeeze too...

 

New spot for the mantle and couch...



To save on some space... this bookcase used to live against the stairs... but who new it would fit perfectly nested in the mantle...



Since I have more wall exposed now, I had to get creative... I've had these door plates and key for years... but never on the wall... I like it!

I just could not resist displaying these... One pair is mine and the other pair is my Dad's... To cute to leave in the box, they are now on display atop the book case...

 Well it has been a whorl wind of a week... but very rewarding (I can now walk around my entire dinning room table!)  Hope this inspires you to think out of the box... a dinning room doesn't have to be used to eat in.  Mine is now an entertaining space right off the kitchen... very convenient and people usually gather there anyway...  I think it could have also made a cozy reading area...  Do you have rooms you've re-purposed?
Happy swapping
***Jennifer
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Adding some color to my life...

OK... (Deep Breath)  Lets get this started!  I have done a lot of thinking, and I think the easiest way to start my journey into this blogging world would be to just share with you what I'm doing this week...  Adding color to my life...

 

***My first inspiration this week was a 70's retro scarf I purchased at Estate sale... I had so much fun playing around with it, knew instantly this was going to be my favorite accessory for this Fall...  

So what did I do?  I made my own pattern, and sewed some up!











I have a craft show coming up for Bits of Envy (one of my hobbies is making accessories out of vintage fabric and buttons), and I think these will be a fun addition...

Here are some of the different ways I came up with to wear the neck tie...



***My next inspiration came from a suitcase I got for free a couple months ago... It is blue with gold fleck.  I was so happy to add it to one I already had... making it the perfect end table for my beloved sectional couch... Over the weeks it has continually caught my eye, and brought a smile to my face... then the idea popped in my head...  I need to somehow recreate that affect on my living room walls.  

So this week I started stenciling 50's star bursts...  Here is how I created the look for under $10....

First I found a pattern I liked online.  I thought this plate was prefect!

Then I got a blank stencil (found at Walmart for $2.97) and traced the pattern onto it... (I pasted it into Microsoft publisher, and then cropped it to the size wanted)       

Next you need to cut out the stencil on a protected surface with a xacto knife...

I selected my paint colors (.97cents for the colors, and $1.47 for the metallic... also purchased at Walmart)  I got 2 blue, 2 metallic gold, one green, and one orange...

Now we are ready to Paint!

Because I wanted a layering affect I cut out two stencils... I started with the bottom layer first...

Then I added the second layer... I also dry brushed gold paint over both stencils to give it that gold fleck effect...

Both stencils done!  I LOVE IT!!!!

Well... that should be enough to keep me busy...  Your mission this week if you chose to accept, is to put some color in your life... It will lift your spirits, even if it's just a new color of lipstick!