Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Are Y'all Ready?

I've been pondering the move for some time and with the help of my dear friend Aimee of byaimee.com, Show Some Decor is moving and improving!  This little corner of the blogosphere has become about much more than just decor -- it's about sharing, trying out new ideas for the home, creating that space in which you and your family can thrive;  and it's been the re-birth of my love for redecorating and rethinking interiors to reflect what we love, what inspires us, and what works in our household.

Hence the birth of Decor & More...


Won't you join me HERE?  More decor inspiration, more DIY projects, more thoughts on making your house a home, more good stuff.  See you at heidimilton.com!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Changes :)

It's the time of year. The leaves and light are both changing, schedules have shifted. Much as I love summer, I do love fall! The other day I noticed the angle of the afternoon sunshine coming into my family room. This room is on the Northeast corner of my house and as the seasons shift, the light is hard to come by.



I love seeing things in a new light.  Literally and figuratively.

Changes are coming to Show Some Decor.  This little corner of the blogosphere has continued to grow.  I'm thrilled with every comment, every new follower (Welcome!), and I thought we both deserved a fresh look.  A new domain name. It's still me.  Just a space that's more reflective of me, my thoughts, my evolving style, my love of all things home and decor.  It's decor... and more. A new home for my ideas for making your house a home. I'm still finding my way with that myself.  It's a journey.  One I love being on and one I love to share.

 I hope you'll like the change as much as I do. 

Traveling this weekend, but I've got some new projects to share in the days ahead.

What's on your fall to-do list this weekend?

 See you soon!


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Easy Peasy Candy Corn Treat

It's my turn to cook lunch for the teachers at the preschool today and one of my tasks is dessert.  I almost went to my faithful Texas Sheet Cake (yum!) but thought it would be fun to try an easy candy corn treat instead.  I make a Christmas treat we call Reindeer Food that uses almond bark, pretzles, chex cereal or Cheerios, and red and green M&M's.  I was wondering if I could do a variation of that with candy corn since we're lovers of anything that combines sweet and salty.


I started with these ingredients but I also had Cheerios at the ready.  I melted the almond bark in my large saucepan.  You have to do this over low heat, stirring constantly so it doesn't scorch.  I forgot to take a pic of this step {bad blogger!}.

When it's all melted, remove it from the heat and dump in the pretzles and candy corn.


And stir like crazy until everything is coated!!  I used both bags in their entirety.  I didn't add the Cheerios, though I could have thrown in a cup or so in hindsight.

Then I dumped the whole thing out on my kitchen island that was covered with wax paper.  This is the easiest way for it to harden, and you just throw the paper away when you're done.


Sorry for the blurry photo!  I was trying to multitask before my treat hardened! :)


Here it is, spread out in all its glory. :)  NOTE:  do not leave unattended!!  Every time I walked by, I noticed another little piece gone.  The male teens and the hubs were "sampling" every time I turned my back!!

Once it's hardened, you can break it into serving size chunks.


Can I just say YUMMY!!!


Ready to serve it up!  Hope my fellow teachers like it.  It's sweet and salty yumminess IMO!

Since I pulled it together, I've found a few variations of this treat floating around the blogosphere... I may have to try all of them!
Linking Up!! Photobucket


Blue Cricket Design's Show and Tell
Somewhat Simple

Transformation Thursday


Happy Decorating!


Monday, October 10, 2011

Passion for Peacocks?

Monday again?  We had a super busy weekend with sports and my daughter home from UGA for the weekend (woo hoo!), so not a lot of progress was made on my project list.  But it was good family time and the list is certainly not going anywhere.  I did work a little towards my fall tablescape I'll be sharing soon, though. :)

So for today, I wanted to get your thoughts on peacocks.  I know you've seen owls in home decor all over the place... and I admit, I'm drawn to them too, though I have yet to purchase one!  But lately, I've seen quite a few peacocks as well, and I'm loving a fresher take on the bird motif for the home!


This dreamy peacock toile fabric from the Suzanne Tucker collection would make lucious drapes!


And wouldn't these metal peacocks from Studio Ten 25 be awesome perched on antique books?


Loving this peacock rug and these pillows...


both from Global Views {if you haven't checked out their products, do it!!  They're to the trade, but loaded with inspiration for us DIY-ers, and the diligent shopper can find them in select retail spaces!}

Even Martha Stewart is on the peacock band wagon...

Martha Stewart Flights of Fancy Ornament Collection




My friend Amy over at Positively Splendid shared THIS tutorial on a DIY peacock pillow that rocks!

And there's this for your walls, too...

on eBay {not a great pic, but I'm liking the bamboo frame!}

and this vintage print could definitely find a home in my abode.

So what's your take? Are you on board with the peacock trend?

Happy Decorating!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Pumpkin Pizzazz {Fall Decor} and a Dilemma

I'll confess: the nailhead pumpkins floating around the blogosphere this fall speak to me.  I first spied this one on Houzz several weeks ago.

Strictly Simple Style traditional dining room
by StrictlySimpleStyle

I added it to my Fall Decor Ideabook right away, (check out the entire ideabook in my sidebar), thinking this would be a cool and easy DIY.  I even went so far as to purchase and spray paint my victim pumpkin for the project.


Remember this larger pumpkin I scored at Wal Mart?

As the weeks ticked by though, I was seeing tons of monogrammed pumpkins all over the blogosphere.  I still liked the idea, but now I wanted something different.  This is where being a preschool teacher {with access to all kinds of die cuts and stencils} comes in handy. :)
Here's what I landed on, and I absolutely l-o-v-e it!


I used a die cut maple leaf, traced around it with a black pen and popped the silver upholstry tacks in place following my outline.  How simple is that?  At first I was worried the silver wouldn't show up against the caramel latte metallic paint, but it's the perfect amount of contrast.


I'm also loving the stem that I left as is: hints of green and a teeny bit of orange.  Try to ignore that little drip mark I missed somehow!


And here it is on it's perch, right at home. 


This little guy was part of set of three I scored at Target a few years back.  Only two have survived...actually one and a half.  This would be the one-- the only one that's fit to be seen at 360 degree angles.  One of the pitfalls of a house full of boys and men.  The antique books belonged to my grandmother.


The pedestal is a retired Southern Living at HOME product-- and a workhorse!  The silver tray was a gift from long ago.



My Fall coffee table vignette.  Simple but perfect.  Someday, I'll show you the whole room, but it's not quite there yet. :)

As for my next decor dilemma, enter my kitchen table.


 Speaking of workhorses!  I've had this table for almost 13 years.  It's the perfect size and shape for my breakfast are and it has a wonderful aged iron open bottom.   Sadly, the finish is in dire need of attention!



Yes, a certain little boy {who shall not remain nameless} practiced writing his name here.  With a somewhat sharp object.  He was also known as "Picasso" for a time when he was mastering his letter J with a crayon on the stairwell to the playroom.  Have one of those in your family? :-)


I've considered painting it, but I think I'll attempt a refinish first.  My kitchen wall color is about to change from a dated Tuscan gold to a nice neutral greige and I'm now thinking the (refurbished) wood finish will be perfect. 

I think a small part of me will miss the little gouges, initials, and craft paint smears.  I'm pretty sure there's some glitter embedded there, too.  A veritable scrapbook of the last 12 years in my kitchen. :)  What's your latest decor dilemma??

Linking UP!




The Girl Creative Tutorials and Tips Tip Junkie handmade projects
Happy Decorating!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Looky What I Found: Fall Inspiration at Casabella's

Do you ever head to your favorite home stores for decorating inspiration?  Sometimes I like to just go browse around and see what sparks me.  Last week I stopped in at Casabella's here in Marietta to see what they had done to prepare for the season. This is a wonderful locally owned store with furniture, home and tabletop accessories, unique jewelry and gifts.



 I almost missed the boat, but there were some wonderful fall vignettes scattered through out the store.


Love the burlap and berry garland in this display... and the finish on the chest? Adore.


I'm all about the white pumpkins and those stems are fabulous!


Fall colors, rustic textures, punctuated by more lucious white pumpkins... don't get me started on that console table. :)


Faux pumpkins in tons of sizes, shapes, and colors!  I'm loving the buckets, too.


Lots of artichokes, berries, twigs, and gourds-- love fall decorating!  And check out that sweet little owl on the top shelf.  Can't believe I left him behind. :( 
And do you see the white there?  I'll explain in a sec...


Another little owl that was left behind-- think they're still there?  Evergreens in a planter with fall berries interspersed-- great idea! You can easily transition this to holiday.

And speaking of holiday... that white tree in the photo above?  Yep, it's a Christmas tree.  They had already started decorating the store for Christmas.  In September.  Don't worry, I'll keep those photos for a later date.  After all, I'm just now finding (and enjoying) my autumn "chi."

What stores and shops do you frequent for decorating ideas??  Do tell!