Redecoration Nation

We have lived in this house for three years.
For the first two and a half {more or less},
we didn't really talk to our neighbors
{largely because of a small bit of misinformation from neighbors who actually no longer live in our neighborhood}
and I actually seriously prefer to keep to myself. 
Don't get me wrong -- I'm nice, I'm cordial, and maybe even friendly,
but for the most part, I'm happy being at home crafting and blogging and being a homebody.
But such was not necessarily in the cards for me,
and recently, my husband has become acquainted with the neighbors, 
and naturally, I have been drug into this mix {though I wasn't exactly kicking and screaming as much as you may imagine.}


The point is, in the first few years of our stay here,
my home decor has catered more to the function rather than the aesthetics of living.
I have been, to say the least, slow at decorating or decisions to make anything pretty in the house.
My home style has been insipid.
Of course, after the loss of our girls and my now emphatic drive to keep busy, the decor inspiration has finally come.


First, I attacked what used to be a boring wall above our built-in entertainment center in our family room. 
My boss just so happened to be clearing out their storage unit and I asked if they could give me some extra picture frames. I then spray painted the frames in teal, yellow, and white and had some of our favorite wedding photos printed in black and white. Then I asked J to help me hang them.

This wall is actually curved, and at first, I was afraid that the frames would look funny, but they were just fine!
I also used this B monogram that I found at Home Goods last year and used as a prop for our wedding...

Then I took some hanging lanterns I found at Ikea and added some vintage cobalt bottles also found at Home Goods. The paper peony was a special order from Etsy and was part of our wedding centerpieces last year. I swear, I keep finding newer uses for these flowers all the time.

I thought that these would really compliment the wooden sign we got from J's cousin for the wedding.

Next thing I tackled was the backdrop wall in our dining room. For the longest time, it was just decorated with a poster that we had from when we first moved in together in our old condo.

I bought an unfinished wooden shelf from Michaels. J painted it black and then white so that it would look a little distressed.

I then hung up an aluminum farmhouse style star that I got from Home Goods.

and a burlap and lace bunting banner I made myself (soon to be on custom order sale at Benchmarks & Babies on Etsy)

I had some extra burlap from the banner, so I added it as an anchor for a mason jar flower vase that I made:

I also bought a small birdhouse from Michael's and painted it:

And my mom bought me some vintage keys from Tapers and Petals on Etsy {one of my newest favorite stores on Etsy!}.

These keys are just about my newest favorite item in my house!

I also put on some stoneware robins and a courting candle that I bought from a cute little boutique in McCall, Idaho called Something to Crow About.

The story of the courting candle is as follows: In the 1600's to the 1800's, courting candles were used by the man of the home to set boundaries for his daughter. When the daughter's suitor came calling, the father lit the candle in a sitting room where the couple conversed. When the candles burnt to the metal at the top of the candle holder, it was time for the suitor to promptly leave. However, the father could change the height of the candle based on how comfortable he felt about the suitor. Also, the father could immediately snuff out the candle or add a second candle depending on what he deemed necessary. The courting candle served as a quiet, yet firm reminder to the suitor to end his date. {source: Timeless Wrought Iron}

Here's the finished product:

These first two rooms have been fun, but I am still in the process of replacing our coffee table in the family room, getting a new dining set, and a new china hutch that match my decor scheme. I guess if you could imagine a California farmhouse on the beach, that's the look we're going for.

I can't wait to put together more of the house! I'll be sure to post more items as the days go by...