Sledding on Christmas Day - Robert

Robert had never been sledding and he said he loved it. We definitely need to get him a better rig though.

Sledding on Christmas Day - Halie

Halie going down the little hill all by herself. She LOVED it and I think she would have tried the big hill alone if we'd have let her!

Sledding on Christmas Day - Me

Here I am, at least 16 years since the last time I went sledding.

Old Faithful Soon to be Retired

So this is the comforter set that Robert and I have had for our entire marriage. The throw pillow collection has changed over the years, but the comforter has been a constant. It was the only one we could agree on back then and I have loved it. It has lasted and served us well for 8.5 years. But alas.......I believe it's time has come.

It works out well that it's becoming full of snags, holes, and worn areas because I was ready for something new anyways (and no, I didn't put those holes there on purpose just so I could redecorate, lol!).

I've come across a few pictures in the past year or so that are along the lines of what I'd like to do. I like a few of the elements in all of these pictures, and they are the inspiration for a bedroom makeover. I'm going for a sort of simple cottage type feel with lots of white and touches of red, with a mixture of patterns to soften it up.

(I love the curtains in this one!)

I'm excited because the other day at Home Goods I found my first two pieces to help me get started.

I'll let ya know how it all turns out. : )

What's My Style?

For a long time now I have wondered how exactly to classify my decorating style. I love love love to decorate, rearrange, pull together some theme or another, etc. But over the years my style has changed from Americana, to colonial/primitive, to.....???...some kind of eclectic hodgepodge I haven't been able to put a finger on. I've always had a love for antiques and no matter what my current style was it always included antiques of some sort or another. I love the idea that something so old has to have a story behind it. I love to imagine who might have owned it and what kinds of things happened to it along the way. But I wouldn't classify "antiques" alone as my decorating style, as there is such a wide range of styles of antiques. I love things that are used, but not necessarily old, too. I love laid back and comfy, chipped, worn furniture, and I love the idea of repurposing something in a new and unexpected way.

About a year ago I found a book at Michaels or JoAnns, can't remember which, called Junk Beautiful, and immediately fell in love with it. I perused those pages over and over again, and even visited their website. I felt inspired by what I saw, but still I didn't have a label for myself. The book has been in my magazine rack ever since.

Then a few weeks ago I found a magazine called Flea Market Style. I quickly flipped through it and knew right away I would love it. After scouring every page multiple times and spending hours, literally...many hours, visiting blogs listed in the magazine I have come to realize that........drumroll...........wait for it.........I am a Junker! Ta Da! A label! The idea of taking what is essentially "junk" to someone else and finding a new purpose for it that looks beautiful and creative in my home is SO me! I can't say that I have very many things, (I do have a few though) in my house at this moment that fit in this category (I'm more of a Junker at heart), but I feel so inspired to do more with that idea. I love the things I've come across in these blogs and I can't wait to try some of my own projects.

There are still different styles of decorating within the "Junker" category, and I've yet to exactly identify what mine is. I know it's not the French Provential style that's so popular, although I think it's pretty, it's just not me. My style leans more towards Comfy Casual Farmhouse I guess.

Now maybe you're thinking, "Junk? Junker? What in the world?" But let me enlighten you. I've included just a few pictures of many inspiring Junker style projects I've found. Let me know what you think, and share with me what you think your personal decorating style is.

(LOVE this as a desk area!)

(I've seen many uses for old window frames, but this was a new one.)

(A greenhouse made with old windows, cool right? Or should I say "hot?")

The following three pictures are the progression of a project. Picture #1, a $1 lamp from a garage sale......

Taken apart, spray painted, rewired.......

And made into a beautiful new light fixture. I've seen very similar ones sold for $150 in country style decorating magazines!

Now do you understand? : )