Category: Home decor

Cleaning · evangelism · Fall · home · Home decor · Husband · Life

Things I’m Loving This Fall

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Fall brings some favorite things we don’t have the rest of the year.  I thought I’d share some of the things I’m especially loving this fall (though they’re not all seasonally related).  Look for the ARROW in the picture to see my favorite thing!

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This Kroger Washing Machine Cleaner is really reasonably priced and does a GREAT job getting any residue out of the washing machine.  The rubber gaskets don’t get completely clean, but it’s much better.  Look at that shine inside! My mom recommended it to me, and I’m recommending it to you!
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It’s the time of year for the great flavored creams!  This one reminds me of Christmas because in years past, it was the only time you could get it.  Now it comes out in the fall.  Mmmm, it’s so good in my morning cup of coffee!!
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Yankee Candles have me all  smiles.  I love all their products!  I especially love their fall scents.  This one is Sugar and Spice and it goes great with any pumpkin scent I may have in another part of the house.  I love the apple burner.  You set a container into the burner, turn it on, and it melts in the plastic container.  So easy and no open flame.

 

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I’m still chalkboard crazy!  I had a mirror over my mantle all summer, but  I decided to put the chalkboard up and do a picture.  What is it about chalkboard art that makes a space so cozy?  I don’t know, maybe just the opportunity it gives me to be a little creative.  It might be tacky to some, but I love it on the mantle!

 

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My last love isn’t a thing, it’s a person.  It’s the man you see talking to our sweet neighbors that we love.  That man, my husband…loves people.  He has a burden for people.  Everywhere he goes, he’s looking to pour into people the love of Jesus, and I love that about him!  I snapped this picture from my laundry room window.  I loved looking out and seeing him chatting with the children.  They love him, too!

What are you enjoying this fall?  A new product?  A place you’ve visited?  A person who’s been a blessing?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Have a refreshing weekend as you attend a church that preaches the Word of God in Truth!  Our church will be celebrating its 61st anniversary this Sunday, so it will be a special day, and I’m looking forward to it!

Lovingly,

Denise Signature 200 px

Kitchen Table Centerpiece Ideas
Fall · home · Home decor · refreshment at home · seasonal decor

Kitchen Table Centerpiece Ideas

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As a follow-up from my recent video on setting the table, I thought I’d share a few photos of simple centerpieces for your kitchen or dining room table!

Are you ever stumped at what you could put on your kitchen table as a centerpiece?  It doesn’t have to be an FTB bouquet to be pretty!  Sometimes we just need a few photos to inspire us to pull out what we already own and make a pretty embellishment.  Here are a few examples…

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The only thing purchased for this grouping was the fruit!  Included in my silver holder is a blue Mason jar with a battery operated candle, a glass gourd, copper strainer to hold the fruit, a glass acorn dish with a lid and some fall leaves.  Add a variety of heights for a good visual effect.

 

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These flowers were part of a $5.99 bouquet that I made into three separate bouquets!  A short, square glass  holder with a glass frog to keep the stems in place is holding the bouquet.  A charger under the bouquet adds another dimension to the centerpiece,

 

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Another part of the $5.99 centerpiece was placed into a mirrored holder, giving it a dressier and taller look.  I put a fabric runner under the arrangement to add softness to the table.
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A tiered stand makes a great centerpiece.  I layered different textured pumpkins, some fruit and silk fall leaves, then placed the stand on a fall fabric runner.

 

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This rustic bouquet was all gathered on my morning walk and put in a mason jar glass with a burlap ribbon tied at the top.  It’s perfect for the patio table.  When I edited the picture, I added some mini pumpkins to show what else you could add to make it even cuter!

Look around your house for items to use for the table.  Consider:

  • Taper candles
  • A basket
  • Cloth napkins or a charger for under the centerpiece
  • Trays – Wooden, silver, black
  • Fruit
  • Fresh vegetables
  • Stems of  tree branches
  • Silk leaves
  • Fabric pumpkins or real ones that are miniature
  • Tea pots, pretty jars or pitcher to hold the flowers or stems

I hope this inspires you to gather some of the things you already own and refresh your kitchen table!  Even if it takes days for your family to notice, you’ll see it and it just might bring a smile to your face!

Refresh your heart by being in a Gospel preaching church this Sunday.  Christ loves the church and gave Himself for it!  Ephesians 5:25  Since He loves it that much, we should, too!

Which centerpiece was your favorite?

Lovingly,

Denise Signature 150 px

Finishing Touches in My Home Decor
Home decor · refreshment at home

Finishing Touches in My Home Decor

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One project usually always leads to another, and then another, but the end result is so great it’s really worth the effort and the hard work!  After I finished the painting in my dining and living rooms, I wanted to make the color scheme more blue and white.  I set out to change the mantle’s decor, as well as the coffee table and my bookcase.

Then I looked at my kitchen table and my desk chair and knew they needed white slipcovers.  I looked at the fabric store, but didn’t find anything I like.  However, I was digging through looking at the clearance items at TJ Maxx when I found one beautiful white curtain panel, marked to $8.

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There was about three yards of fabric in the curtain, and I knew it would be the perfect fabric for my  slipcovers!

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Making a kitchen chair slipcover is super easy – you just hem the fabric, then sew up the three sides.

My desk chair was an easy fix, too.

I used a piece of newspaper to lay over the chair and draw out the pattern I would need for the seat and the back.  Then I added a seam allowance. I used the curtain hook holes already in the curtain to fasten the seat back together

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To make the seat cushion snug, I sewed a piece of elastic around the edge.

Some other changes in the living space will come in time.  I need a couple new chairs, but I’ll wait until the time and the price is just right!  I have purchased a new floor lamp from Kirkland’s but it’s being shipped to the store.  I’ve been looking a long time, and when I found this one on-line, I knew it was what I had been waiting for – and it was on sale with an extra 15% off!

So there you have it, my friends.  My downstairs make-over is nearly complete!  Well, until I get the urge to rearrange the furniture…again!

Thanks for stopping in to take a look.  I hope this has inspired you to refresh your home, even in some small way.  I think you’ve seen through my efforts, that it doesn’t have to break the bank to give your home an updated look!

Refresh your home, but also refresh your heart by participating in a Bible believing church this weekend!  I’ll see you Monday!

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home · Home decor · refreshment at home · seasonal decor

Painting an Open Floor Plan

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When we moved into our house four years ago, I was so thankful the walls weren’t painted white.  They’re a warm ecru.  It stands out nicely and every room looks great against the backdrop of that color.  I knew I’d want to wait a while before adding color, but this summer the day had arrived!  Yesterday I showed you the first room I painted – the dining room.  I painted all four walls, and really love it!

Yesterday I asked what room/wall you thought I painted next well…
In order to connect the dining room space to the living room, which is all open, I wanted to use color.  After the dining room paint was on the wall, I got to thinking about a gallon of paint I’d seen at Lowe’s on their mis-tinted rack.  It was marked to $9 and I was pretty sure it was a just a shade darker than what I’d put on these freshly painted walls and I felt sure it would look great on the fireplace wall of the living room.

I jumped in the car early the next morning and sure enough, that paint was the perfect shade to complement the color in the adjoining room.  And $9?!  What a great deal!  I always, always check the sale rack of mis-tinted paint before I pay full price for a gallon!  What someone else hated might be exactly what I need!

So, here’s what it looked like before it got painted:

Not bad, but…

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I like this even better!! I decided to only paint the fireplace wall.  I didn’t want to overpower the room with blue.  It was the perfect amount of color.

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Then aside from the paint, I also rearranged the room to open it up for summer.  In the winter months I enjoy having the couch facing the fireplace, but as I mentioned in a post here, I like to face the windows in the warmer months.  It also made the room look bigger.  Here’s the before and after:

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I angled my desk in the corner, again, so I can look outside while I’m working there.

I’m trying to add more whites and weed out the red in these rooms.  I’ve had red as an accent for many years, but it’s time for a change, which I’ll do gradually.

 

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The blue really freshened up the living room and made it feel calm and welcoming.  I’m so happy with this color choice and the room arrangement.

And what did it cost?  NINE DOLLARS!  Woo Hoo!

Do you have a room you’re wanting to paint?  Check out the discounted paints first and see if they have something that will work!  Does anyone else love to rearrange the furniture?

Refresh your living space!

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