Holiday Half Bath

Hi, everyone!

Our tiny downstairs half bath needed a little holiday love!

There's a shabby metal cart that I keep in here because it fits the small space so well, so I just restyled the shelves.

I had this cute but plain crate and decided to have my friend stencil it to jazz it up a bit...much better!!

Then I filled it with some greens, candles, and old clock faces for something fun and different.

On the second shelf I added some rusty jingle bells to a chippy basket, and placed that beside an old bottle brush tree on a metal platter.

On the bottom shelf I use a shabby clam basket to hold extra toilet paper.  Hey, if you gotta be practical, at least you can make it look cute!  :)

Next I hung a repurposed metal lid that I found at a small shop last year.

I think it's unique, and adds an interesting industrial touch!

Then finally I drew a little 'tree' with words onto a barn wood chalkboard that hangs in a narrow space beside the commode.

And now my little powder room is dressed for the holidays!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a wonderful day  :)

Decking My Halls 2014

Hi, everyone!

I'm continuing to show you my front hall/living room that's decorated for Christmas.

This sweet stocking and Christmas pillow are among my gifts from my dear friend Kris (Junk Chic Cottage.)

I hung the stocking from the ladder leaning against the wall.

I placed the adorable pillow on Bo's favorite chair.  Love it!

I placed a tree inside the canvas bucket...

...and added these sweet deer that I've had awhile.  I love their retro vibe!

My large dough bowl got some greens added to the antlers...

...and that's some more of my 'hall decking'!  :)

Hope that you enjoyed.  Have a great day!

Simple Holiday Touches (Living Room 2014)

Hi, everyone!  I recently showed you my 'new' living room, here and here.

Now that I've dressed it up for the holidays, I'm showing it to you again-lol!

I'll start with the coffee table.

First I used an old chippy piece of barn wood as a tray.

Then I placed some branches that Keith collected for me in an old gas can...

...and hung a few brushed silver and white ball ornaments for some bling.

Next to that I placed a wicker cloche.  I took this 'jingle' ribbon and tied it on to add some whimsy!

I left the cotton and the apple picking basket hanging on the door behind the couch. I was going to fill the basket with greens, but I really like the continuity of white.

 I created a simple vignette on the drawer unit beside the couch with a candlestick, a lantern, and a tiny burlap-wrapped tree.

I love to use battery operated candles...they give a pretty glow, especially at night.

Here's a peek in the other direction, toward the table by the French doors that lead to the sunroom.

I've been playing around a little with the couch pillows, too.

I swapped in one with a touch of red and one with a holiday sentiment.  Not sure which way I like best...what do you think?

For another holiday touch, I filled the wire basket on the bench beside the loveseat with ornaments.

Well, I hope that you enjoyed the first part of my holiday living room!

Thanks so much for stopping by-enjoy your day! :)

Catching the Holiday Spirit

Hi, everyone!  Hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend!

I've finally caught the Holiday Spirit at home (my mom and I had to decorate the shop at the beginning of November!) so I thought I'd show you a little area that I started with.
This is part of our large front hall.

I hung this old barn wood shelf...

...and filled it with some of my white ironstone and these cute chippy wooden milk bottles.
(Part of an old game maybe?)

On top I propped a clock face and a small Madonna picture that captured my heart at an antique fair.

On a small bench underneath the shelves I placed an apple picking bucket and a Madonna statue that was a gift from my mom.  I added the rosary that she's prayerfully holding.

I just love Madonnas!  They're so peaceful and serene.

I filled the bucket with greens, and I like the pop of color that they add.

The bottom shelf of the bench holds my shabby tool box.

This is the one that I got in Chicago a couple of months ago, and I just love its rusty, crusty goodness!

I've kept things simple, as always, but I'm enjoying the simplicity.

So...that's your first peek at my holiday decor!

I hope that you enjoyed it!

I'll be back soon with more of my simple holiday touches.

Have a blessed day :)

Saturday Spotlight: Michele from Shelstring

Hi, everyone!   Kris from Junk Chic Cottage and I wanted to do a regular feature on our blogs, something unique that hasn't been done before.   So we came up with an idea to 'spotlight the real life behind the blogger' in a more personal way.

There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland, and we thought it would be fun to bring you a closer look at the person behind the blog.

Every week on Saturday we will spotlight a blogger and have them tell us a little bit about themselves and their blogs.  You will be able to see and read about each of the bloggers on both Kris's and my blog. 

      

This will be our last Spotlight of 2014!  We will be taking a break in December to let everyone enjoy time with their families throughout the holidays.  Kris will be resuming the Spotlight feature in January but I'll be doing some traveling so I'm taking January off as well.

I know that you'll enjoy today's Spotlight!

Today please help me welcome Michele from Shelstring!  I truly admire Michele as she's a busy mom (wait until you see all of her kiddos!) yet still shares lots of creativity on her blog including recipes, her home decor, and interesting projects.  She has such a sweet spirit and an amazing attitude!

Please sit back, relax, and enjoy getting to know Michele better.

 I'm so excited to be here today at Must Love Junk, one of my very favorite eye candy blogs!! My name is Michele and I blog over at Shelstring and am a contributor for Ask Anna

 I've been blogging for 8 years now, but started Shelstring 6 years ago when I made and sold my own jewelry (you can read about that HERE). 

Since then my blog has evolved from a jewelry site, to a home improvement, slash whatever ;) I've always enjoyed many hobbies and found myself creating things to do when there isn't anything to do. Are you like that? So when I do get the chance to watch T.V., I will refinish furniture, work on a craft, or fold laundry...anything to keep my hands busy. A few of my hobbies include

 sewing, 

Ruffle Trimmed Coffee Sack Valance

organizing, 

Garage Reveal

crafting,

Happy Wreath

cooking,

Caramel Apples 

decorating,

Fall Home Tour

but most of all painting and refinishing

The Perfect Pine Hutch

 and wood working.

Just Sittin'

I grew up in a hardworking family. My father owned a hardware store that was our family business. I worked from the time I was nine until I graduated from High school and moved away to Utah to go to cosmetology school and room with my sister and her roommates who were attending BYU.

During my last 2 months at school, I met my husband who graduated from BYU and was leaving for job training for G.E. in N.Y. We married 5 months later and moved around from state to state and Mexico while we had the opportunity, until we needed to settle down because our first 2 children were in school. Though we continued to move within the west, we have now been settled in Eugene Oregon for 10 years with our seven children.

This isn't where we expected to stay, but are thankful for the wonderful friendships and blessings we have been given along the way.

Our biggest event of the year was when I was diagnosed with colon cancer in July making it necessary to under-go my 4th abdominal surgery. This was a real wake-up call to our family and has helped me to re-evaluate what my priorities in life are. There are many times I have been tempted to give up blogging altogether because of the time consumption, but it is something I love and somewhat of a journal for me. Although I have felt like Shelstring hasn't had the kind of success I hoped for, it is now such a part of me that, for now, I'm not ready to give it up.

Thank you so much for letting me share my story with you all, I hope to learn more about each one of you as well. And thank you Susan for such an honorable opportunity!

Michele, thank you so much for sharing with us!!  You are truly an inspiration, and you have such a beautiful family!
Please visit Shelstring, then head to Kris's blog to read about Marie from Lost Bird Studio.
Have a wonderful day! :)