curtains and a new rug

Hello, friends!

In my last post I showed you how I was getting the guest bedroom put back together. But before I forget, a couple of people had asked me the name of this paint color that we used. I'm ashamed to admit that I don't remember! All I remember is that it was Behr paint that has primer in it. I looked on the paint can and the name is not on there. We used this color in our kitchen and in Brian's office, too, so you'd think I'd remember. If I eventually find out, I promise I will let you all know.

I finally got the curtains hung in this room. I still need to have Brian hang the iron "chandelier" in the corner above the dresser and we might possibly hang a heavy mirror on the other side of the room. And I found some pretty contact paper on Amazon for the closet shelf which came in the mail today, so that will be another small project to work on. Slowly, but surely.

I wanted some kind of tie backs for the curtains to hold them together in the middle. Previously, I used pieces of ribbon I had lying around. I wanted something nicer-looking this time. I went looking on Amazon and found these magnetic curtain clips.

 Aren't they pretty? They were easy to use and look much nicer than a piece of ribbon.

Here's the other window in the room where I have my desk.

I liked these magnetic curtain clips so much that I ordered another style for our bedroom curtains. I always had the gray curtains pulled to the side (closed at night ~ they're blackout curtains) and just the sheers hanging down over the blinds, but I like this new look. I would've taken a photo of the entire window ~ the curtains look the same on the other side ~ but I have a standing fan in front of the window and a pile of clean, folded on Brian's nightstand, so I left that reality out of the photo. 😉 The two framed photographs on the wall are our son's work.

I finally found a new rug for Brian's office! I've been looking for about six months. I've looked online and in stores. I've even purchased various rugs and ended up returning them because they didn't look good. This is a small room and we didn't want a rug taking up the entire space. We also didn't want a thick rug, as Brian's desk chair needs room to roll back without getting caught on a rug. His desk and desk chair are to the immediate left as you look into this room. You can see a peek of his desk chair wheel in the photo, if you look closely.

 I was at TJ Maxx the other other day and was not even looking for rugs. I happened to walk by a display stand with folded rugs on it and this cotton one caught my eye. I unfolded it and thought it might work. Brought it home, laid it on the floor and thought, "I think this is it." Brian got home from work, took one look at it and said, "Yes!" So it's a keeper.

As always, thank you for visiting and for your kind comments. They are much appreciated. 

Be well and safe.
💓

easy way to lighten up a room for summer

I've been wanting a new living room rug for awhile, but that was something that was put on the back burner. The dark brown rug that we currently had made the entire living room look too dark. The rug was also starting to pill. The living room needed a lighter look, especially for the warmer months. With Wayfair's Summer at Home campaign, I figured this was the perfect time for that new rug. 

(Disclaimer: As a member of the Wayfair Homemaker program, I have been compensated for this post. All ideas and opinions are completely my own.)

I was tired of all the beige and brown going on in this room with all the main elements: walls, couch, coffee table, rug.

Sure, I used lighter colored decor and even some white, but still...

I was ready for a new, lighter feature in this room.

 I was looking for an ivory rug with an unobtrusive, neutral pattern. Wayfair has a huge array of rugs to choose from. I ended up choosing this plush ivory area rug and I couldn't be more pleased!

It lightens up the room just as I had hoped.

I'm also super impressed with the quality of this rug. It's plush and well made and feels wonderful underfoot. We are loving this rug so much, we are thinking about ordering the same one for the second spare bedroom!

There'll be some other changes going on in my living room...slowly but surely. Have you changed any of your decor for the warmer months?

great weekend, changing some things around, and a hot, sticky mess

 Hello, friends! I hope those of you in the US had a wonderful, long holiday weekend.

It was a quiet Memorial Day weekend around here. One of my aunts visited

on Saturday for a few hours and then Tim came home on Sunday. Brian grilled

fresh bratwurst sausages from the butcher and I made potato salad. It was just the

three of us and it was perfect. Monday was hot and humid and our AC wasn't working

so we hung out in the basement family room and watched movies. Then we went out

to dinner and sat there for two hours having a great conversation. It is so cool to

be at the point in your life where you can have an adult conversation with your child

on a variety of topics. I'm so thankful we have such a close relationship.

 I moved some side tables in the house. I had a black cabinet next to this ladder

bookshelf, under the home sign. I replaced it with a lighter arrangement. Not too

sure what I think of this yet...you know me, constantly rearranging things! It might

be different later this week. Sometimes I just have to play with things and live

with it awhile to see how I like it. Other times, I know immediately if an arrangement

doesn't work.

 

I put the black cabinet next to the couch as an end table.

 And then the black spindle table that used to be the end table, got 

moved into Tim's room.

Speaking of Tim's room (that we're still updating), I found a red rug at IKEA...

 and ordered a masculine winter comforter from overstock.com. It's cotton

and very thick - great quality. But obviously too hot for the summer. So the red

and white checked thin cotton quilt will stay on the bed for the summer.

Back to moving tables around...this black table that you see in the corner of my

office was previously in front of the living room window topped with a lot of plants.

 I then moved those house plants out onto the front porch for the summer.

 So I mentioned at the beginning that it was hot and humid (my bare feet are sticking

 to the hardwood floors and even my kitchen cabinets are sticking to the frames!) 

and that our AC isn't working. We thought it was an electrical issue in the basement

 so we had an electrician come out to the house today. He did fix some loose wires in 

the basement light fixture that Brian recently put in and then we had him install a new

 outlet in Tim's room on a wall that didn't have an outlet. But the electrician said that 

our AC and furnace not working was not an electrical or circuit issue. The weird thing is,

 the furnace and AC stopped working exactly when Brian was installing that
replacement light fixture. We are crossing our fingers and praying that we don't need
 a new furnace or air conditioner - or both! But we also realize that we've been living
on borrowed time...

Both the furnace and central air conditioning unit are the original units of the house ~

25 years old! The electrician said it might be something as simple as that we need

a new thermostat - which is also original to the house. So now we have to have a 

heating and AC man come and check things out. Frustrating and nerve-wracking,

especially with having financial constrictions.

I am now heading out to my air-conditioned yoga class. Good thing I

don't practice hot yoga!

i need a word ~ and updates to my office

 I was thrilled when I got an email from Maureen of The Moksi Homes, informing

me that I won her giveaway! I get to pick a word made by Jane at Planet Joy. 

Jane makes words out of wire and then wraps them in fabric. Here's the word,

"wish" as an example from her etsy shop:

 I know exactly where I want my word. I want to place it over the canvas family

photo that I ordered right before Christmas. This was the last family photo taken

of the four of us while Phil was still alive. It was Phil's 21st birthday in July 2009.

We all went out to dinner at Maggiano's and my mom took this photo. When I 

found a deal on one of these canvas photos from Amazon Local, I went for it.

This is hanging in what was Phil's bedroom - now my office.

I will be hanging the word above the canvas, to the right. Not centered

because the chandelier is in the way. So, now ~ what word should I pick?

 Family? Always? Not love...I already have a pillow that says "love" on the 

chair below the canvas.

Another new thing in this room: the rug! Do you recognize this rug from my kitchen?

That's where it used to be. It looks so much better in this room.

I need to spray-paint that wicker stool. It's so faded and dirty from being

used outside in the summer.

I also hung the vintage yellow mirror that I found at the local antique

mall. Perfect in this room with the light yellow walls.

 Any of your brilliant ideas for "the perfect word" to go above the family
 photo would be greatly appreciated! Happy Monday, everyone.

new pizazz for the living room

 I had a thrifting adventure last week with my sweet friend, Penny from

 At Home in English Valley. I'd been looking for touches of gold for the living

room to give it a warmer look for the fall and winter. I used to be a strictly
 silver person, but after seeing gold accessories used in decorating on

several blogs, I realized what a warm touch this color could bring to a room.

I was especially crushing on these candlesticks from CB2 as seen on

the Inspired By Charm blog and was going to order them with a 15% off
promotion code, but when I went to order them, CB2 wasn't

offering them anymore! Doesn't that figure?

 All was not lost, however. While thrifting, I found something even better ~

and for half the price of the CB2 candlesticks. Aren't they lovely?

I also found this little gold guy (bottom left in the photo) ~ don't know "what" he is;

 Penny thought maybe an eagle? Whatever he is, he's kinda cool and adds a nice

 vibe to my plants.

 I struck more gold (no pun intended) with this great little chest that fits

perfectly under the black cabinet.

And...lucky me, I also found this gold tray that now has a home on the bookshelf.

The fall painting is a find from an antique store years ago.

On the other side of the living room, I placed a gold pear (not a thrifting find, but
 a HomeGoods one) under a cloche and added a gold kitchen utensil (at least
that's what I think it is - it's an older thrifted find and not sure exactly what it is...
all I know is that I liked it!) to the window shelf above the buffet. I also added two

pieces of fall art between the buffet and window shelf since that area needed a 

little something.

 Lastly, I know this isn't gold or thrifted, but here's another change I made

in the living room today. I was tired of the brown and white rug in this room;

just tired of all the brown, I guess. So I hauled the rug from the downstairs

family room up to the living room to see how I liked it. I do like it here, but I

think I like it better downstairs. I think I'd rather have a rug with some color

in the living room. In the meantime, it's not as boring as the brown rug!

Joining in this week with Tweak it Tuesday and Inspire Me Tuesday.