Gold Leaf Project

My first experience using gold leaf, and I’m in love!

This gift from my daughter, a wooden heart with a little heart cut out had silver leaf where I have added gold leaf!  She said as she gave it to me “I know you’ll probably chalk paint this!”  She knows my love for gold, and for changing items to better suit my taste, or for using paint to do so!

Painting it just wasn’t going to do it, and since it already had silver leaf on it, I figured gold leaf was definitely the way to go!  I love this beautiful heart set all the more now!

Materials needed:

leaf metal

metal adhesive

small paintbrushes

I purchased my supplies at the craft store.  The Leaf metal and metal leaf adhesive, they were about fifteen bucks total, and I had some small paintbrushes on hand already.  There are easy to follow instructions on both items.  There was more than enough materials to do this project and I have plenty left over.  This project was super easy, a little messy, but easy!  It took some drying time for the adhesive to become tacky, but the project didn't take long overall.

Basically all that is needed it brushing on the metal adhesive, let it dry until tacky, then use small torn pieces of the metal leaf and place on the tacky areas, then brush or rub over the metal covered areas.

The edge of the large heart here is finished, the small heart is still in the original silver leaf.   I just prefer gold more than silver!

I'm so pleased with the results! 

It was a fun and rewarding project!  Now I’m looking around my house and wondering “hmmm, what else can I gold leaf!”

PS: I did chalk paint the other heart piece here, it once was all gold - I used white chalk paint to paint it and then after dry wet sanded away the paint on the raised design revealing the gold detail.

I am so pleased with the results of these beautiful heart items!

Seasonal Decorating ~One Tray Four Seasons~

I love Summer, and I always go with the calendar for my seasons, so for me ...Summer just began about two weeks ago, on June 21st!

And, I’ll enjoy every minute of it through September 22nd!

I styled this tray when summer arrived.  I’ve also done a similar one for each of the last three seasons, simply changing it up a little for each season.  Shopping my home mostly and using thrifty treasures, while keeping it simple.  I just had fun with it!

- Below are the previous seasons tray styling. One tray four ways!

~ Spring ~

~ Winter ~

~ Fall ~

~ All four seasons ~

 This was a fun display to decorate for each season and use throughout the year!

Spring to Summer Decor

Sweet morning sunshine!

Enjoying our last week of Spring, and its final Friday. Can we just stop time and linger here for a while?!

I love how making just a few changes can give a fresh new look ...And, that shopping my home doesn’t cost a thing!

The sweet golden birds are a gift from my Mother years ago and are very dear to my heart! She knows me so well!

It's a beautiful sunny day!  And, that's how I like 'em!

I hope you have a beautiful day!


~ Wishing everyone a very happy Father’s Day weekend!

Spring Table Centerpiece

For Spring I've been enjoying this beautiful flower arrangement and centerpiece I created for our breakfast table!  You may remember a post I shared awhile back about my Chalk Painted Iron Tray.  I had it decorated as a winter themed centerpiece at the time.  

I brought back the tray, and wreath, and created a Spring floral arrangement in my glass vase.  I added some pretty beads around the neck of my vase to dress it up and I thought they worked well with the natural tone of the wreath.  Tulips are always a good go-to for spring!  I'm partial to the white ones of course!  I enjoy dressing my table with that thrifty table runner I found a while back, too.

We have under a month left of Spring and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it!

Happy Decorating!...

Hello June!

Happy Friday and first day of June!

I’m kind of feeling like it’s June to soon!  I just wasn’t ready to give up May yet.

Well at least I get to hang onto Spring for a few more weeks!  And, while doing so I'll continue to enjoy the Spring touches I've used throughout my home.  

This partial view of my console table has a couple of my favorite items to decorate with, I've had both of them for a while.  The cute little metal chair and the sweet ceramic bird.  I chalk painted the little chair because it was orange when I found it.  I love birds, so when I found this one I had to get it.  It has a little bag of potpourri inside, so it's pretty and it smells pretty too!  I never tire of using it somewhere in my decor, no matter the season!

Here's another favorite of mine.  This bird and books.  I think this sweet bird looks like it’s singing, I purchased this a while back and just love it and how it’s perched upon the books.  I always say use what you love when decorating your home.

I love the beautiful sounds of birds singing,  I can hear them singing outside my window right now.  It sure seems like they sing even prettier in the spring!

Happy Decorating!...

Sharing a great gift idea!~My Magnolia Table Cookbook~

Something new in my kitchen today!:)

There it was, one lone copy of the new Magnolia Table cookbook.  A sure sign that it was meant for me, and that I should get it for myself!  An early Mother’s Day gift to myself!

I’m looking forward to preparing the foods in this cookbook, it’s filled with simple and easy to follow recipes using simple ingredients, full of beautiful images and some precious family stories too. Congratulations Joanna Gaines, I’m sure everyone will love this cookbook, and you’ve given us another reason to love you!

I don’t think I’ve been this excited over a cookbook since my first Betty Crocker cookbook, a wedding gift I received many years ago, we’re talking over thirty-seven years!  Oh, but wait, my daughter gave me a Carrabba’s cookbook a few years ago for Christmas, if you know me and my love for Italian food, and Carrabba’s, you’ll know there was excitement over that too!

After hearing such great things about the Magnolia Table cookbook I knew I wanted one, and I’m very excited to have my own copy now.  I might have screamed out loud when I saw it there waiting for me!  Then I abandoned my cart right there in the middle of the Heart & Hand isle of Target.  I had to go grab it quickly to claim it as mine!  Now it’s mine, all mine!

Let's get cookin'!

Spring styling~Our Hallway and Console Table~

If only it could be “May” for longer than a month!

We’ve had beautiful spring weather here for several days now. April went out like a lamb, and May is gifting us with a beautiful beginning!

Our upstairs hallway area is getting a lot of light today.  I enjoy restyling this console table, mostly by shopping my home.  I have some favorite items I can move from room to room, it’s great to be able to reuse them and enjoy them in a new place, and in a whole new way!

Isn’t it wonderful how sunshine has a way of making a day even better!

~ I hope you’re enjoying some beautiful sunshine today! :)

Hello "May"

The April showers bring May flowers...

“May” you always have flowers!

I enjoy getting creative with my letter board, it's fun to use it in my decor.  I've been seeing them for purchase just about everywhere these days, and there are also lots of fun items to go along with the letters.  These flowers are some of the cute extras that I have for my letter board.  

I’m so excited for May flowers, it’s such a beautiful time of Spring!

~ Happy May! :)

Bread Box Makeover

I love a good a makeover!  Especially if it's done by using paint.   I picked up a simple and plain looking bread box at the thrift store.   I knew I could give it a new look with paint.

I gave this bread box a new look using chalk paints and wax.  I’m so pleased with the results.  Paint it such an easy fix!  I am always amazed at what a little paint can do!

I used two different colors of chalk paint.  I watered down the paint a little and used the lighter color all over first.  Then used the darker color.  I alternated between the two to achieve the look using long slow strokes and a mostly dry brush.

I chose the colors "timeless" and "lace" both are from DecoArt.   I got these paints from the craft store, they are easy to use and clean up easily with water.

After the paint was dry I gave the bread box a light coat of clear wax and then gently buffed it.  The wax gives it a protective finish.

Here is the before of the bread box.  It was in great condition, just not what I'd envisioned or wanted it to look like.  I even painted the metal handle!  That is another thing that I really love about chalk paint, you can paint just about any type of surface or item.

A recent thrift store find for only three bucks, some paint, an afternoon of my time, and now it looks so much better!  I love it!

For now, I’m using it here next to my breakfast table to store cloth napkins on the ready.  It looks right at home here with my Spring decor.

I really love what a little paint can do!