To Photo Wall or Not To Photo Wall?

This is probably the single most hated feature of our current house. It's definitely in the top five. It's our staircase. Our staircase is positioned right at our front door and it is kind of closed it. It's narrow and I don't like how the ceiling drops down about midway the staircase. I also hate the fact that our painter totally ignored my request to use semi-gloss paint when the painted our house and used flat instead. I'm sure you can see all the dirt and smudges that my kids and their friends leave when going up and down the stairs.

See this is the drop down ceiling. I do thing this is the biggest reason why I hate the staircase.

We did update it when we moved in. We took the carpet off the stairs, painted and stained them. We also replaced the wooden spindles with iron ones that I totally love. These changes helped a lot, but not enough.

This is a shot from the top of the stairs looking down. The woman who grew up in the house and whose dad built the house came to see what changes we had made and she loved that we chose a door with glass in it because it was way too dark with just a solid wood door that they had when she was growing up. I can't imagine. It really is a dark entry and there aren't even any outlets to plug a lamp into. As you see I have a lamp, but I have a drop cord running to the plug outside. My husband LOVES that, not.

Now this is a shot of the hated drop down. I want to do a picture wall up the stairs and I don't know if I should extend it to the drop down part of the ceiling. I had a friend who has this and she put a cute picture that her soon had done at school. It looked really good, but she didn't have anything on the side wall. What do you think? I'll have to try it and see what looks the best and maybe have a lot of my families smiling faces to look at when I'm walking up the stairs will take my mind away from how much I hate the staircase.

Bathroom Essentials

My husband's aunt that lives in California is visiting this month and Sunday she asked if I could find some pretty things to put her bathroom essentials in. She wanted ones like I have in my bathroom and I was excited to help. I love decorating projects and this is a simple one. The hardest part is going to be for Aunt Linda to fly these glass apothecary jars back to California and not get them broken. Good luck with that.

I'm going to let her pick what combination she wants. They're all so cute and I was planning on taking back the ones she doesn't want, but I may end up keeping them.

I also love white dishes and bowls, so I like to add them into the mix.

I also think putting the apothecary jars on a white platter makes it more uniform and adds much needed texture.

So pretty.

Lamp Love

I love lamps. I don't know why, but I hate overhead lighting. My husband doesn't seem to mind, which really irritates me sometimes. Anyway, when I go to a yard sale I can't resist a cheap lamp. I found this big beauty at a yard sale last month and initially I got it because it was only $2. I didn't think I needed another one and I wasn't in love with the way it looked, but I couldn't just leave it there. It sat in my garage all month and then one day I decided to paint it.

Well after I painted it I feel in love. So much so I went to Wal-Mart as soon as my husband got home from work and spent $15 for a shade to go on it.  I know, crazy..right?  It's beautiful and I found the perfect spot for the lamp I didn't need:)

Pratical Use of My Decor

I just wanted to put this up to prove to my husband that my many decorations can have a practical use to them. He often fails to see them so I need to help him along.

See these sticks from the woods cute branches that I glittered up and hung some heart ornaments from, can help dry my babies mittens after a snowball fight. I knew all along they would come in handy.

Valentines Love

I'm posting some of the Valentines projects I've made recently from stuff I have around the house. This next project was super simple, but I made a few mistakes that I'll be sure to not make the next time.

First I started with an old picture I picked up for $1 at a yardsale. I always get these when they're only $1 because I think there are so many things that can be done with them. I'm sure it was really pretty back in it's prime, but now not so much.

Then I took a burlap sack that my mom gave me. She's allergic so anytime she gets any of this she comes across any burlap she gives it to me. Lucky me! I also used Gorilla Glue, that was my first mistake. I should have used my glue gun, but I couldn't find it at the time and I was anxious.

I took the frame and spray painted it black, took out the class, stapled the burlap to the old pic. and glued these glitter words that I got at Michael's after Christmas sale. They were 80% off so I paid .40 cents for both. My second mistake was not flipping the old pic. over to the cardboard side. It only shows through because of the flash so I'm not going to redo it. Project total $1.40. Can't beat that.

Valentine's Wreath

I've been wanting to make one of the many really cool Valentine crafts I've seen all over blog land and since it's been so cold out I've had to find activities for indoors. Perfect time to go through my craft stuff and try to find the supplies for a Valentine's craft. I thought I would show my Valentines wreath since it's is the first one I completed.

It was super simple. I started with 3 rolls of garland that I got for 75% off at Target's after Christmas sale. That's what I love about Christmas and Valentines Day sharing the color read, you can use some of the same things for both holidays. Then I had this heart shaped wreath that I got at Michael's for 40% off. All I needed then was my hot glue gun and some old ribbon that I used for my girls' hair bows. It was so simple and it turned out really pretty. I have very little things that are Valentines decor so this wreath was a cute addition. Now if I can just make the cup cake liner wreath that I've seen over at Tatertots and Jello my wreath collection will be complete. Have a nice Thursday.

My Christmas Home Tour

I'll start my Christmas Tour at the front door.  This huge stocking is from PB on clearance after Christmas about 4 years ago. 

We have two sets of stockings to that we put up.  One is more formal and these are more childlike.  And yes they both get filled by Santa.

This is our Santa tree.  It's located just inside the foyer by the front door and directly in front of the stairs.  It's one of four trees that I usually decorate.  However, due to a new baby I'm only putting up 3 trees this year.

This little shelf is in the foryer, across from the stairs, and I originally put it up to hide the thermostat.  I love the way it looks especially being able to change out the tassels with the seasons and add a few decorations to my family pics.

Now onto the dinning room, the lest used room in our whole house.  I love the cone trees from TDT and the .99 votive holders from Target.

This is my wedding china that's only been used twice.  It's Mikasa Lace, I think.  It really is beautiful.  It's a shame I don't bring it out more often.

Wreath I have hanging on my dinning room wall.

Our Christmas tree in the living room.  I love all the golds and burgandy colors along with a few punches of cream colored ornaments.

My kids collect snow globes.  We go to Target for the after Christmas sales and they get to pick two out.  At 75% off all four of my kids get one for the original price of just one.  I love decorating with them at Christmas and they're sentimental to me.  I write the kids name and the year on the bottom of the globe.  I collect mercury glass and I love displaying the two together.

Another snowglobe stacked atop a cake stand.

Since I didn't put up one of my trees this year I have a lot of bulbs left over.  My husbands loves it when I put them in containers like hurricane lanterns or mercury glass.

An up close shot of some silver balls and my favorite ornament from my teaching days, in a mercury glass container.

A shot of the mantel and fireplace from one side of the living room.  We have a really large living room so I divide it up like two seperate areas.

One half of the mantel.  I think Christmas decorating is perfect when there is a mantel involved.  I've lived in five houses and they've all had a fireplace with a mantel.  Our very first house was decided on because it had a fireplace.  I just think they make a home more cozy.

The other side of the mantel.

I love to put things in the greenery when I can.  Especially the most beautiful ornaments like this mercury glass pinecone.

On the right side of the fireplace I have a wreath hanger with s pinecone arrangement that I made with pinecones from my yard.  I just spray painted them white and hot glued them to some pretty ribbon.  Super simple and versitle.  Last year I hung them over the mirror on the mantel.  I try to change things up from year to year and not do the same thing.  That way it makes my decorations all seem new to me.

On the left side I have more ornaments in the greenery and a vase from Bombay that I've put glittered and sugared twigs in and then decorated with my small and special ornaments.

I love the twigs and as I was putting it out this year I was remembering that I didn't do it last year and couldn't decide why.  Unfortunately, now I know.  My kids have already broken about 10 of the tiny ornaments.  It's because they're too close to their stockings and I declare they check them several times a day to see if there is anything in them.

And finally, a shot of the entertainment center.  I love the nativity I got last year at an auction with my mom.  I got it for only $5.  What a steal.  I did add a coat of spray paint to it this year.  It was looking quite dull.

More mercury glass and ornaments.

Oh my, I almost forgot.  What kind of mom would I be if I didn't let the boys have their own tree?

I truly hope you all have the Merriest of Christmases.

I'll be linking up to Southern Hospitality Home for the Holidays Home Tour,
The Inspired Room: I'll Be Home For Christmas,  Hooked on Holiday Houses Tours,
Funky Junks Chrismas Trees Unite,