~a vintage sign reproduction 2 ways~

I have always loved this vintage sign:

A few years ago I made this one for our front porch, and have since sold it.

I kept going back to that original sign really wanting it again, so over the weekend I made another one.

This time  I used an old window frame and the same raspberry color that are in my pillows.

Yes, I took the flag down.

I love it, but when I brought back the pink pillows it clashed.

The beauty of it is, when I tire of this one, I can switch the pillows out again and put the flag back up!

So which look do you like better, the pink with the lake view sign or the flag with the more neutral pillows?

xoxo

~new art in our living room~

Have you ever heard of the $10 watercolors by Sarah Swanson?

Sarah is someone I follow on instagram and I have always admired her art.

She has the most gorgeous home and I am so excited I finally have some of her pieces for my own home!

Mine are slightly larger than her $10 ones, they were $20, nonetheless, still a steal.

I framed them in Ikea Ribba frames.

These frames are marked down from $19.99 to $14.99, another steal.

Sarah also has a great blog you can view here.

xoxo

~our newly painted living room~

It's not a huge change, the the Behr Swiss Coffee paint has really brightened up this room.

You can see before photos under our home tab at the top of this page.

It was previously painted Oatmeal by Ralph Lauren.

I attempted to paint a couple large canvas' to flank the fireplace.

I am no artist and hope to replace these with large family photos on canvas later.

I painted the joining dining room the same color and will show that next! 

xoxo

~decorating a room doesn't happen overnight~

When we first bought this house back in 1998, our living room had natural tongue and groove cedar walls and ceilings. I embraced this by decorating with a lodge feel using leather couches, pine furniture, deer heads and fish.

Then around the year 2008 I decided to paint the walls to lighten it up.

This change had me wanting more white so we bought a slipcovered couch from Ikea and I was on the hunt for the perfect coffee table.

I made some picture frames out of vintage chippy wood and hung a boat oar on the wall under them.

This picture just made a big debut on HGTV.

You can see the story here.

It got a ton of nasty comments.

Honestly, it bothered me at first, but in the end, I realize my house isn't for everyone.

How boring would it be if every house were the same?

Present day……

Today there is a bit more color in the room with the raspberry red pillows. I found a great $5 coffee table {trunk} at a garage sale that suits us just fine.

I hung rows of black and white photos of Crystal Lake {where we live} from the past, framed in Ikea Ribba frames.

We upgraded our sofa and now have one from Pottery Barn.

The lamps are a bit more substantial. A score from Home Goods.

I am a sucker for layers and a bit of animal print, so the jute rug and zebra rug are perfect.

Long story short, it takes time to create a comfortable look that represents you and your family.

If you pulled a room together overnight it would look like Pottery Barn page 127.

Who wants that?

Shop for the perfect accessories, and don't buy anything unless you love it.

If all you can afford at the present time is an Ikea couch, by all means, go for it!

There is nothing wrong with Ikea!

We live in this room.

Yes my carpet is a hideous brown that I'd rip up in a heartbeat and install hardwoods if I could, but money doesn't grow on trees and with 2 dogs and kids, it's perfect for where we are right now in life.

And for everyone afraid to get a white sofa, I can only say that you are missing out! They are the worlds easiest to keep clean! I cannot tell you how many spills we have had on this sofa and you just whip the cover off and throw it in the wash. So easy!

Good luck decorating the room of your dreams!

xoxo

~the great debate~{pottery barn sectional vs. ikea ektorp}

I thought I'd address this today since it is one of the most commonly asked questions I get.

"Where did you get your sectional?"

Well, years ago we had the Ikea Ektorp sectional with the svanby beige slipcover.

It was a big purchase in the sense that I had to talk my husband out of his beloved {and expensive I might add} leather sofa we currently had.

I was looking for a lighter look and I loved the idea of a slipcovered sofa because of the washability and a sectional seemed to fit perfectly in our space.

So, I brought him to Ikea, 

{a task in itself} 

to try out the Ektorp sectional.

He liked it OK.

He thought it wasn't too comfortable but for under $1000.00 you just couldn't beat the price.

So, I won and we bought it.

Before we go into this further I'd like to give my review on the Ikea sectional.

I liked it. For looks I give it a 9 out of 10 stars.

Durability~great.

The kids had spilled ketchup on it, soda, you name it, and the covers came off easily and washed right out. 

The cover we had, like I previously mentioned, was called the svanby beige, which I am not seeing online anymore. 

It was a cotton linen blend that recommended dry clean only.

However, I washed and dried mine.

It shrank in length a little but to tell you the truth, I thought it was a bit long to begin with , so this was a win win.

I also found the cover easy to get back on the couch after it came out of the dryer.

Comfort level I would give it a 7 out of 10. A little hard, but still comfortable.

Here are some photos of the Ikea Ektorp sectional.

Fast forward a couple years and after listening to my husband complain that it wasn't that comfortable, I started searching for another option with the same look.

That is where I stumbled upon a Pottery Barn sectional on Craigslist, too good of a deal to pass up.

So, we gave the Ikea sectional to my sister in law and brought in the new Pottery Barn sectional.

Here is my review of the Pottery Barn sectional.

Looks I give it a 10 out of 10.

Comfort level I give it a 9 out of 10.

The slipcovers wash and wear great. 

However, they are a pain to put back on! 

These ones I wash and hang to dry.

It is a workout in itself to get the covers on.

The color we have is cream twill and it is exactly the same color as the svanby beige by Ikea. 

The cushions are wrapped in down which is a nice feature and makes it even more plush.

There is about a $3,000 price difference in the two sectionals, and I'd like to show you photos now of our Pottery Barn one to see if you can tell the difference.

 Can you tell the difference?

It's really hard huh?

When we got the new sofa no one even noticed.

I hoped that this helps a little if you are debating which sofa to buy.

They are both good in my opinion, and have a very similar look.

If you have the extra money to shell out, I am sure the Pottery Barn one will last a lot longer and it is a bit more comfortable in my opinion.

However, for the money, the Ikea one is just fine!

Link to Pottery Barn sectional here, 

and

Link to Ikea sectional here. 

xoxo

~color~{raspberry red}

I am so excited about my new pillows from the farm chicks, that I went back to the store to get another one. I also walked out of there with a blanket as well with the same raspberry red color.

I also brought back my zebra rug and added some colorful books.

~it feels so happy in here now~

Have a great fathers day weekend!

xoxo

~a new favorite fabric~{made into pillows}

I have been a longtime fan of Urban Grace Interiors for some time now. 

Erika and I both share a love for the color green and her kitchen in her old house was to die for if you ask me. Very homey, colorful, and cozy. 

Besides all the green, I fell in love with the fabric on her window treatments.

It's by Victoria Hagan and it's called Four Seasons, in the autumn color way.

I quickly went online and searched for this fabric. 

It was then that I found 6 Wilson's shop on Etsy.

She has fabulous pillows and other antiques. 

My friends all laugh at me because they think I have a pillow addiction, but oh my goodness, you would too if you saw these right?

Carol shipped these out to me so fast.

They have a hidden zipper so I can wash them, very important in my house.

Every time I walk into this room I smile.

The color makes me so happy!

xoxo

~create a gallery wall with Ikea Ribba frames~

Yesterday I received an email inquiring about the gallery wall in our living room.
I have had several questions about it, so I thought I would address it here today.

First of all, as with most things in our home, this wall has seen a lot of changes.
However, this is the one look I have been the happiest with, and it is the one that stays.

I used these inexpensive frames from Ikea.
I LOVE ribba frames. I have them everywhere in my house, they create the biggest bang for your buck.
No, Ikea did not pay me to say that~but if you are reading........ :)
So for $120.00 plus tax, I created a great statement wall!

In the frames, I printed out vintage photos from early Crystal Lake days.

{the neighborhood where we live}

These photos date back to the 1920's and are a great nod to the past.
There's fishing photos, photos of the lodge covered in snow, and pictures of little kids playing, some of who now are in their 90's
and still live here. I just love the history.

So there you have it, a easy and inexpensive way to create a big impact if you have a large wall!

xoxo

~adding easy color to neutral rooms~

I'm sure you all know by now that I love me some neutrals.
What you might not know is that I also love color, and every now and then I crave it.
Not wanting to do anything drastic or permanent, heres a easy way to add color to your neutral decor for next to nothing.

Colorful books. Here I mixed new decor books with colorful bindings with vintage books with a more toned down palette.

Look no further than nature for a little bit of color. My grandpa used to grow dahlias and every time I see them, I think of him and smile.

Here is my whole coffee table set up. Loving my new velvet pumpkins from here!

And lastly, pillows. I am a pillow hoarder. It's such an easy solution for updating a room on a dime. All of these pillows {grain sacks} are from my friend Maria at Dreamy Whites.

On the other side of the sectional there is a red striped grain sack. Love them all, and this little bit of color makes me so happy!

xoxo

~let there be light~{paint that paneling!}

There's always that big debate on whether to paint wood or not.We lived with cedar walls and ceilings in our living room for about 10 years before I talked my husband into letting me paint them. There were many debates back and forth and finally we agreed that if I painted the walls, the ceiling had to stay. In the end, I am actually happy we left the ceiling wood. Not only would it have been a huge pain to paint, but I like the contrast and it cozies up the room.
Once the walls were painted, all the lodge style furniture seemed really out of place. So, out went the leather couch and pine furniture. In came the slipcovered sofa, lots of lamps, and some lighter furnishings. I sold the chandelier to a neighbor and bought the Pottery Barn one to replace it.
The picture on the top was taken in 2008. The picture on the bottom was taken yesterday.
You can see what a difference the lighter walls make. By the way, the color is Oatmeal by Ralph Lauren.
The room feels so much brighter, even in the dead of winter.

What do you think? Do you prefer wood to be left alone, or painted?

Also, I wanted to let you know about 2 new courses that are available for the Creatively Made Summer Series! The first one you can view here, and

The second one you can find here!

I'm off to go soak up some sunshine!
Have a great day!
xoxo