A dining hutch redo and fall fillers!

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So my latest project was one that was about a year in the making. I had plans to do this foreva. I couldn't decide on the details so it just didn't happen until I started the redo a few weeks ago.

I LOVE our dining room hutch. It's dark and curvy, just the way I like hutches. If I had a thing for hutches that is.

There is only one issue that has bugged me from day one:

Can you tell what it is? The mirrors that line the back of the hutch drove me cray-zay. They reflected ev.er.y.thing -- I mean, that's the deal with mirrors right? When I filled it with accessories, it felt like they all just disappeared into a reflected abyss. You couldn't really see anything that was in there.

So, about a year ago, I decided to cover the backs -- I started with foam poster boards (from the dollar store) and some leftover fabric from my drapes. I stopped after one though, because as I mentioned before, I just wasn't "feeling" the room.

A couple weeks ago I decided to finish this everlasting project up. But what to cover it with? I didn't want to do the same fabric from the drapes because a.) it was more than I wanted to spend on this and b.) I didn't want it to be too matchy and c.) I was lazy.

So I thunk and I thunk and I thunk. It hit me -- DOH. I had a ton of wallpaper left from this project. And it was already white. SCORE!

Here's how I did it...

Measured each section of mirror horizontally and vertically:

Then I marked the measurements on the foam board:

I marked the measurements down the board, then connected the dots with the level to make a line:
The foam is thin enough to just cut with scissors:

Then, check it to make sure it fits the spot! I had to do some trimming to make them fit perfect. A fork is useful for this part -- if it fits well it's impossible to get the foam out without one. :)

Then just cut the wallpaper to the size I needed, then used the hot glue to wrap the paper around the foam:

It turned out pretty much exactly how I had hoped!:
Then I was able to decorate the hutch for autumn...some pumpkins and leaves bling it up:

My apothecary jars are so fun to fill for fall and Christmas! They are filled with a bunch 'o fall stuff -- leaves, pumpkins, beads, pears, apples:

Teeny tiny acorns and beads that I snipped off pics from Hobby Lobby:

A pumpkin under glass:

More beady stuff. Are you surprised?:

Those FAB plates are my HomeGoods finds from today and whoooeee they are gorg! I needed to lift a couple items up and for now, they are the perfect way to do that.

The knobs that were on the hutch were very pretty but have never felt right to me:

Enter half price (faux) crystal knobs from Hob Lob:
Fat round ones in the middle, small square ones on the doors.

The top of the hutch is filled with a couple items I already had, then my long scrolly candleholder turned on it's side, and a couple platters at $9.99 each from HomeGoods:
Stink Eye Sister doesn't like the scrolly thing on it's side. It makes her "uncomfortable" that I am not using it as it should be. I told her where her "not as it should be" can (nicely) go cause I like it!

Love you sis! Smooches!

I love how subtle the texture of the wallpaper is!: I was toying with touching up the raised areas with some stain or paint, to bring out the texture, but now I'm thinking that would get too busy.

Here's a before -- helloooooo accessories? Where are yoooooou?

Ah yes, there you are!

And I love it at night even more, of course:

Oh yeah, did I mention this was FAAAREEEE? Well, I bought nine foam boards for a buck each, but that was a year ago so it totally doesn't count.

I made what are simply the cauuutest Halloween decorations last night --I can't wait to show you later this week!

Fall favorites!

**My beadboard island was highlighted at One Project Closer a couple weeks ago (they are raising awareness of the Habitat for Humanity program) and now I'm up for the grand prize -- a $150 gift card to the home improvement store of my choice! Do you know what I could do with $150? :) If you get a second, I would really appreciate your vote! http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/before-after-2009-vote-for-the-best/ Not sure sure if you can vote daily or not, but I'll find out. You are all the BEST!!**

I was going to do a post about my various pumpkin decor tonight, but the daylight was gone before I could take good pictures...which is yet another reason I love fall.

My son was born in December, and that first winter, let's just say, I didn't care for the winter, notsomuch. The reasons were obvious -- new baby, cold, snow, dark most of the day. I didn't let those things stop me from getting out to Target of the house, but that winter I believe I had every lamp and light on in the whole house, all season long.

Every year since, I am loving when the days get shorter more and more -- call me crazy. I'm a night owl and it makes the evenings seem even longer. And it's just cozy. More excuses for candles. More reasons to start up the fireplace. More opportunities to sit out by the fire pit outside. Can't you just smell the roasted marshmallows right now??

This past weekend was one of those that included about every one of the reasons I love this season. So in honor of my favorite time of year, I though I'd share a few of my fall favorites...

Wooly worms, and a two-year-old who isn't afraid to touch them:

Pumpkins and gourds of all shapes:

Sizes and colors:A few more cold nights and this burst of magic will appear -- every year it seems to happen overnight:
(Click for source. Isn't that a gorgeous picture?)

Marching band:

And a little guy so excited to see the band and Daddy, he can barely stand it:

The fireplaces turned on:

Our new tradition of picking our own pumpkins:

And apples:

Nighttime temps like these:

That is what I'm talkin' about!!

High school football games with just a bit of chill in the air:Mums in bloom:

The burning bushes firing up!:

What are your favorites of fall? Did I miss any?

Oh yes, yes I did. I'm off to heat up my apple crisp and cider for my bedtime snack. ;)

Fall decor for the outdoors!

I hope you all had a lovely fall weekend!! We did -- it included just about all of my favorites of this season, which I'll tell you more about tomorrow. I am truly in fall nesting mode right now, and I love it!

Every year I have more and more fun decorating the outdoors of our home for the different holidays and seasons. The front door and porch is my favorite area, but this year, because we made our deck so livable, I threw a little out there too.

For now, just a simple collection of white and mini pumpkins, along with my 49 cent Ball jars, is plenty to add a touch of fall out back:

I'd like to do a couple more things out there, but for now it's lovely just as is. :)

For our front window boxes, I added some "faux" (sounds sooo much better thank fake, doesn't it?) pumpkins, as well as some real ones. The little ones last forever and always get me well into the Christmas season. (That would be 12:01 a.m., November 27th, in case you didn't know.):

The mums are looking just a tad bit droopy right now!

For the front porch, I have found a set up that works every year and I think I'm gonna stick to it. First, corn stalks for $5.99 each (you can find at most nurseries right now):

Next, some GORG mums...

Aren't they the most beautiful color you've ever seen?

Next, the tried and true front door container, which I showed you here:

And this is what you get:

Add a brand spankin' new flag, and some pumpkins, and you are set!

Our front porch is TEENY. I mean, teeny tiny itty bitty eetsy weensy. I dream of a gorgeous expanse of porch, but just because it's small doesn't mean it can't be beautiful my Squee-zays.

Stalks, mums and pumpkins, and your front porch will be the talk of the neighborhood (in a good way), even if it's teeny! Sigh. I love driving up to our house and seeing this...

Although it appears only a size two woman can walk through the middle, there really is plenty of room. And Halloween night, I move the planters and pumpkins so those precious goblins and ghouls can actually get up to our door, costumes and all. ;)

How do you dress up your front porch for fall?

Kortnei's kitchen consultation -- before and after!

One of the great joys of this blog has been to help some of you with your homes through my consultations. I am so incredibly tickled and proud when you send me pictures of your progress. You should love your home, and it is my goal to make that happen for each and every one of you with these consults. Well...maybe not ALL. How about a bunch?

Take a look at how simple changes transformed Kortnei's kitchen...

My suggestions included lighter bamboo shades in the windows that she could close for privacy and then do some kind of drapes as well, on either side of the windows, instead of hanging in front.

Before:

I liked the white drapes, but I told Kortnei this is a spot she could really add some color and highlight this cool area of the kitchen. I suggested a panel on either side of the larger window, and then one on the outside of each window.

As usual, I suggested she consider finding a fabric she loved to add to the drapes or make her own. LOOK what she did!:

I. adore. those. drapes. Squeal!

Of course, I have to suggest some kind of woodwork SOMEWHERE. And that somewhere was her island/peninsula. It was such a feature between the family room and kitchen:

Kortnei took my advice on the beadboard and corbels and, well...swoon:

I love it!!!

Speaking of that area, I suggested three new black counter height chairs with backs on them instead of the stools, if her budget allowed. Her stools got lost just a bit and the large island could handle something darker and larger:

Because of her high ceilings, Kortnei was doing what we ALL want to do, which was decorating up. I have done it, I understand it. I don't have a problem with it, not one bit. But when you bring the accessories down, you bring the room down and make it a bit cozier.

Before:

She already had a great start with accessories. I suggested some large items because of the space above the cabinets, in little vignettes in the corners so it didn't feel too cluttered.

After:

I loved her table but the chairs seemed a bit dark, so I suggested recovering her chairs with a new lighter fabric. I suggested a fabric that would work with her new drapes.

Before:

She went the extra mile and purchased new, beautiful white chairs with new cushions in colors that work with the walls and drapes:

Didn't she do awesome? I am in LOVE with those chairs!

Here's the full view of her kitchen before:

And the after:

Gorgeous!! I am so proud of you Kortnei, this is fantastic! There were a few changes Kortnei asked about doing that I didn't think she needed to worry about -- and I'm glad she didn't do them. Her wall color worked perfect, the black cabinets were awesome as is. She had a great start to this room.

It didn't happen overnight and it shouldn't...you should take your time to do it the way you want to, and find things that you love for your space.

So there you have it...an idea of what a consultation involves. All it takes is a little bit of work on your part, some trust in moi, and a week or two for me to get back to you. ;) If you are interested in a consultation, they are $30 per room. All you need to do is use the Paypal button on the left of my site and then e-mail your pictures, thoughts and questions.

I'm so glad you love your kitchen Kortnei! If anyone else that has purchased a consult wants to share their room, please let me know!