Dining Room Decorating Ideas

I really have to say a big, HUGE "Thank You!" to all of you who gave me ideas for what to do with my dining room. I did have some ideas of my own going into this Dining Room Makeover, but as the saying goes, sometimes "two heads are better than one", and I really wanted to hear what you all had to say! It was so much fun to read through your creative suggestions, and imagine all of the possibilities!! So, Thanks! :)

This is an inspiration board I made up to share the "feel" of the new space:

Here's what I'm going for:

The look in my home is what I've termed "Fresh Classic". A more modern, clean, updated look with traditional bones. Add in a little dash of vintage and coastal and garden elements, and you have my style!

I really gravitate toward neutrals with pops of fun & seasonal color.

Wood floors and table will contrast nicely with light creamy colored walls and white slipcovers/clean-lined skirts on the chairs.

Full curtain panels with trim at the inside edges will hang floor to ceiling. Bamboo shades will also be used.

Add in color and texture with a possible sisal rug, artwork of pressed ferns, colorful fabrics & table linens, accessories & flowers.

Find a vintage/antique sideboard & paint (black? a color? who knows??), and hang a large mirror above with artwork and sconces flanking.

A new chandelier (still narrowing down) & lamps will go in the room too.


There you have it!

I can't wait to get started!!!

******************************************

{oh, and if you're wondering what happened with the dropcloth project experiment....let's just say it didn't quite work! bummer. i was hoping to save a lot of money with this one, but hey --

as thomas edison said,

"I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward."

so....guess i'll be trying something different & coming up with a NEW project for that dropcloth!!}

:)
Have a great day!

Why Blogging Is Fun!

Wanna know one of my favorite things about blogging?

It's getting to meet other bloggy friends in real life!

Yesterday I had the best time meeting Jennifer Rizzo from Sanctuary Art! We met for coffee and talked and talked (and talked some more!), and even scored a couple of fun things at the thrift store next door, too! We had such a good time & I loved getting to meet another friend! :)

I've been lucky to meet several other amazing bloggers over the past couple of years, & have found that bloggers are friendly, welcoming, fun people! It's so easy to get along when you know you already have things in common, and have already "met" each other through visiting each other's blogs. I have met bloggers from all over the country, and feel lucky to have these wonderful friends!

Love y'all!

What do YOU love about blogging?

Is it the friendships?
Expressing your creative side?
Finding new inspiration?

Share with us in the comments!

**************************************************************************

...and stay tuned...

I've got a project planned for this little guy, the canvas drop cloth...
...come back tomorrow to see if my little experiment worked or not!
{let's really hope that it works!}

Time For A Dining Room Makeover!

Haaa-loooo! Time to say, "Buh-Bye!" to the 1980's in this Dining Room!!!

First up on the agenda:

Paint

Hubby rolled on some of Mr. S. Williams's "Medici Ivory" for a fresh, creamy look on the walls. I think I really like it! I say think, because the ,um, love-er-ly chandelier in here is casting weird shadows on the walls.

But our goal was to get rid of the cave like feel in here, and make this room feel much bigger than it actually is.

Goal accomplished!

(Oh, and ignore the microwave in the corner...that's until we get our new microwave put in the kitchen soon!)

Next up:

Choosing a new light fixture & window treatments!

Ok, here's the deal....

I would really really really like to know what you would do with this space if it were your room to make over!

Leave me lots of comments with your suggestions!

Get creative!

I'd love to hear your ideas!!!

This Color Is Back in a Fresh, New Way!

Have you spotted it yet? The color that is making it's way back "in"? Some of you are always in love with this color, and some of you have erased it from your homes by now in favor of another. Have you noticed? I'm predicting it's gonna be "back" in a big way soon.

What am I talking about? Why, R E D, of course! Don't believe me? Take a look around!!



The neutral backdrop that we've all created in our homes is perfect for POPS of R E D used as an accent color! Red looks great & classic & fresh with creamy whites, but is also lovely with sand, tobacco, greys, blues, greens..... the list could go on!

And don't expect anyone to go painting red walls anytime again soon (still too reminiscent of the dining rooms of the last decade), but look for it in little touches. Pillows, books, a throw, fruit, flowers, fabrics, art, even a kitchen island! (Have you seen the HGTV Green Home 2010? They used a red countertop on their island....too much for the average homeowner, but there's that RED again!)

Good-bye stuffy, super traditional......HELLO FRESH, FUN, & GORGEOUS!


The red fabric on this white painted bench looks so fresh and cheery against the neutral, sandy painted walls. Paired with another accent of apple green and who wouldn't love this spot in their home?


Love love love love love red paired with gray here! (Can you tell I like this? LOL!!)

Red looks incredible paired with the soft blues and watery greens that we all adore right now, too! That makes it perfect to use as an accent color!

(Is this not the cutest artwork for a kid's room or playroom? How fun!)

Take away the red pillows from this room above and you have a nice room, but add that pop of color and the feel of the room goes from "lovely but ok" to.... "Wow, that's a great space!"

Neutral backgrounds (walls, major furniture pieces) mixed with updated colors as accents gives you an affordable & fun way to change the look of your home. Or even your outdoor spaces!

Again, paired with that blue....love that!

I'm planning to add some red accents in my home for fun!

What do you think of R E D?

How would you use red in your home?

Leave a little comment to say "Hello!" and let us know!

{bottom 2 photos: Pottery Barn, all others in this post: Country Living}

ps--If you have a home-based business, contact me about great, affordable advertising here at The Blessed Nest! theblessednest (at) gmail (dot) com

Simple Ways to Beautifully Fake a Roman Shade

I've found that there's more than one way to do a DIY Faux Roman Shade!

When a project needs to get done, I'm all about a great look for little work. You may call it lazy, but I call it working smart! I knew that I wanted a Roman Shade for over my kitchen sink, but according to Moi it had to be:

1) A Fake -- I don't need it for privacy, just for "pretty's sake", so there was no need for it to really work.
2) Simple to Make -- so many directions out there are crazy long with so many steps...ugh!
3) Looking Great When It Was Done -- 'nuff said!!!

I think I was able to accomplish my goals for my kitchen shade:

{please excuse the photos they were taken at night!}

Yay! I finally got my Fake Roman Shade done today!!

We're really happy with how it turned out!

Here's how I did it:

First measure your window & add a couple of extra inches to the width & several to the height. Since this is a stationary/fake roman shade (it will NOT be moving up & down) you can pretty much guesstimate this part. Easy, right?! :) Do the same for your liner if you want one.

Next, hem the sides (sew it, or with iron on hemming tape) so that they are even with the sides of your window. My shade is an exterior mount, so I went with the outside of the moulding (though if there were space, I'd go a couple inches beyond the moulding). If you have an interior mounted shade, then hem the sides of your shade to the interior of the moulding.

Fold up the bottom hem next, and do a nice 4 inch or so hem. Again, just eyeball what looks good to you.

No need to hem the top since it will just be hidden anyway!
Staple gun the top of the shade to a board (size depends on on whether it's interior or exterior hung -- I used a 1x3).


Here's where you can do several things:
(it's really up to you!)

* Fold it up & hand stitch at several points. Done.

* Add (hand stitch) little rings, (or fabric glue ribbon loop "rings") then take ribbon & thread through the rings, and staple it to the board at the desired height. Done. (I did this & it was easy to take out the staples if I wanted to adjust it more. I did 4 rings up & 4 rows across.)
* Fold it, and use a big ol' safety pin to pin it together (I've done that it the past). Easiest of all!
* Roll it up and tie with ribbon or coordinating fabric ties. (Technically a roman shade? Hmm...oh well, it's still super easy!)

Add L-brackets to your board, & hang, or just screw the board in the top of your window moulding.

Adjust the fabric & You're Done!!!

Big thanks to Hubby for hanging it for me!
:)

Making your own Faux Roman Shade really can be easy-peasy!

Give it a try :)!!!

The simplest way to do a Faux Roman Shade?
Check out how I did it in my little girls' room here.

I really hope that this will inspire you that you CAN make a pretty roman shade & it can be EASY too!

I'm linking up with DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land.
and

{more kitchen makeover pics coming up next!}

Have a blessed day!
:)

ps.-- If you're a small business owner or a momtrepreneur, I currently have openings in my advertising section here at The Blessed Nest! Contact me for more info! :)

"Dishing It" With New Bloggy Friends!

Welcome to The Blessed Nest! My name is Stacey, and I'm so happy that you came over for a visit!! I'm joining Amanda at Serenity Now for her "Dishing It" bloggy party...

What a fun way to get to know each other better! Here's the Scoop....(for the Dish, of course!)...

I began The Blessed Nest back in mid 2008...
with the goal of encouraging other women to Create A Welcoming Home! I share about making a House into a HOME, decorating, gardening, organizing, and throw in some flea-ing, projects and recipes too. A little bit of everything all in one spot!



I began blogging...
as a way of sharing with other women and also to have a creative outlet for myself. While those things are still a big part of why I do what I do, now there is also a love for this wonderful community of friends that blogging has introduced me to! I truly have met so many wonderful people through blogging! Some I have met in "real life" :) and some I have still yet to meet (someday!).



The name "The Blessed Nest" came about because.....
I have had a fondness for birds and nests for years...goes with my love of gardening, I guess! LOL!! Plus it is another cozy word for HOME. I knew I wanted my blog's name to have the word "nest" in it, but the rest of it took some thought. Finally, Hubby helped me choose The Blessed Nest because it fit so well with the way I feel... About how thankful I am for God's blessings in my life, and also because we can take those blessings, large or small, and use them to bless others. I wanted to have an encouraging title for women so they would be inspired to Bless their family and friends with a Welcoming Home!


If I could pick one famous person to read my blog...
it would hands-down be Martha Stewart! I actually find her show very calming to watch. It's a stress reliever for me -- seriously! I'm probably the only person to say that! :) LOL! But Martha is probably too busy to read little ol' me, so I guess I'm hoping for Martha's young assistant, who would then love my blog and bring me on board when she starts her very own Martha-esque empire of "good things"!! Hey, a girl can dream, can't she? :)

Here's a peek at some things you'll see here at The Blessed Nest:

{some recent makeovers going on...& on... in our home:}

{to me, organizing is kinda FUN!}

{in the garden...}

{projects -- click on the "projects link under Inspiration on my left sidebar to check these out!}

{a couple of recipes... gluten-free version included!}

{and more decorating!}

Just click on the left sidebar under "Inspiration" to read more!

Leave a little comment so I know you came for a visit,
I'd love to meet you too!
:)

Thanks for coming by!!!

Fun Fabric Pennant Banner

Ok, I seriously had fun making my very first fabric pennant banner!

My daughter's teacher is having a surprise baby shower today at school and since I'm a room parent I am in charge of decorations. Perfect time to have fun and make a banner!

Baby Boy's nursery is decorated in shades of chocolates & browns & greens & blues. I chose to do an extra-long pennant banner filled with all kinds of different, fun fabrics!

Wouldn't this be fun hanging in a nursery or a playroom?

Or used for birthday parties and celebrations as baby grows up?

I love the modern, fresh fabrics so much! I actually think that this banner could be for boys or girls. That's why I'm making another like it for my girlie-girls!!

I've really missed being "crafty" & think this was the jumpstart I needed to get back to having fun and crafting new projects!!!

I really can't wait to make more of these!


I'm linking up with Kimba's DIY Day...


and also Just A Girl's Show and Share Day

Let me also give a big ol' warm "Welcome, Friends!" to all of the new Followers here at The Blessed Nest! You're so sweet!! I'm so glad to have you here, Welcome!!!

This post brought to you by my sponsor: Red Letter Words! Her artwork is so inspiring...check it out!