Repurposed Fall Decor

I have to say- the older I get, the more I LOVE Fall.

It may be the fact that I was counting down the days of summer until my oldest child went back to school...?? ;)

But I think I just don't like feeling hot anymore. I want to wear my boots and sweaters. I want to snuggle up in lovely scarves and fuzzy mittens. I love when it's just chilly enough to smell the crispness in the air and before the smell of snow.


I also love Fall decor. Probably because fall colours have always been my favourite. Burnt oranges, mustards, browns, greys and warm reds. Those earthy colours just seem to speak to me, somehow.


And, I don't have to repeat how much I love repurposing. So these repurposed fall decor ideas that I found on Pinterest are right up my alley.


Here are some of my favourites:





For Inside The Home

How sweet are these? Vintage-looking jars for holding autumn-y foliage. Simply paint white and rough-up with light sandpaper.

Does this sweater-cuff-turned-candle-holder not scream 'FALL'? It makes me feel warm and fuzzy just looking at it. Just cut the end of an old sweater off and wrap it around a glass candle holder. Cut another skinny piece and use that to attach a autumn-coloured leaf.

You can find mason jar lids at your local thrift shop for dirt cheap and make your own pumpkin using cinnamon sticks for the stem. 

I think these old door knob pumpkins are absolutely adorable. Take a look for old door knobs at a home recycling center- like the ReStore. Then, all you need is some orange and black paint and some wire.

You can find flexible dryer vent tubing at a home recycling center (like the Habitat for Humanity's ReStore) and make it into pumpkins for decorating your home. Love this! 

I seem to always have an abundance of tissue paper around that I have saved from past birthday gifts, etc. I think this idea of wrapping tissue around glass vases with candles inside is perfect for autumn home decor.

This is a lovely idea for Thanksgiving, don't you agree? I have a bin full of wooden blocks upstairs in my sons' playroom...I doubt that they would miss 3 of them.... :)








For Outside Your Home

Seriously....how adorable are these old shovels-turned-decor? Love it.

Make a 'wreath' for your front door out of a recycled rake. I like that this isn't using a really old 'vintage' rake....I find those are difficult to come by now. These rakes I'm sure you could find at a recycling center, thrift shop or your father's garage, maybe...?? ;)

Love. Love. Love. Some mason jars, Some wire for hanging, and some battery-operated twinkle lights. So sweet.

Speaking as someone who actually DOES have an old tire rim lying around....how cute is this idea for displaying your pumpkin???

I think that these sweater/ shirt pumpkins are a great idea....perhaps for that sweater that you cut the cuff off of to wrap around the glass candle holder (above). Or for a beloved shirt that has a stain, rip, or several buttons missing that you just haven't had the heart to get rid of yet....





I hope this post gives you some great ideas for decorating around your home with repurposed items.




And check out my Halloween DIY Ideas that I posted last October.




Again, I encourage you to look around your home and think creatively about what you have, and how some items could be in different ways.





There will be a post on my favourite Repurposed Halloween Decor Ideas very shortly.




Blessings.

Repurposing A Men's T-Shirt Into A Dress

I love when I receive various facebook posts and messages from my friends about things that I should blog about.

Most of the time, I really DO plan to blog about their suggestions. But, most of the time- for one reason or another- I forget....

But I received this suggestion from my friend, Rusty. We both think it is pretty cool. And, I just LOVE how simple it is.

Simply find a men's tee (or I'm sure a women's tee would work as well- but perhaps Men's tees are generally longer??), make sure it is a few sizes too big for you, pull the neck hole up under your arms, then cross and tuck the sleeves into the neck hole.

Simple.

And inexpensive. You can find Men's T-shirts while thrifting for a few dollars each. Or go ahead and raid you husband's closet. Tell him you had my permission to stretch out the neck hole of his favourite tee. ;)

This would also be cute with some leggings or tights.

Has anyone tried this idea? Did it work for you?

Thanks for reading and let me know if this is an idea that you love.

Blessings all.

For The Home- My 'ReStore'd Powder Room

I just LOVE going in to Habitat For Humanity's ReStore when looking for items for my home.

They carry building supplies, lighting, plumbing...anything you can think of. It is all donated- most of it is used, but some is new- and all of the proceeds go to Habitat For Humanity. Love that.

So naturally, when I needed some things to 'beautify' my downstairs powder room, that's where I went.

My powder room was what I referred to as my 'sauna bathroom' when I first moved in. It was entirely made up of an orangey-oak-coloured wood paneling with blue peel-and-stick tiles on the floor. Can you picture it? Yep, it was that hideous. I didn't want to invest a lot of time or money into it, however. I'm thinking down the road I may turn it into a full bath.....perhaps.....

Here is how the ReStore helped me get a very pretty Powder Room that I now love:

Adorable mini chandelier- $40 Restore 

Wallpaper- $7 Restore
Towel rack- $2.99 Value Village

 Flooring- leftover from doing my Living Room

White paint- leftover from doing all the trim in my home (I notice the baseboard needs a touch-up since I put in the flooring :S ) 

Teal paint- $4/qt ReStore

Hardware for doors- $1 each ReStore

Shelf- I've had forever

Decorations for mirror- $2 ReStore

Vintage lamp- $4.99 Value Village
Silver outlet cover- $0.25 ReStore

So other than a new-to-me sink that I'll be continuing to look for, I'm pretty happy with how my pretty little Powder Room has turned out.

Thanks for reading, and if you need anything home improvement related, be sure to check out the ReStore.

You get to save money AND help Habitat For Humanity build homes for people who need them. It's definitely a win-win.

Peace.

Hair Post- Considering A Lob

It was considered the "IT" hairstyle for 2013. Soooooo, I guess that means that I am a year late to the party.

But I am now considering a Lob Haircut.

The term "Lob" refers to a long bob. A Lob should be shoulder-length or slightly longer. It should be relatively blunt at the bottom (or at least, those are the ones that I prefer), with very little layering throughout. You can have a Lob with bangs or without.

Considering my hair right now is halfway down my back (or a bit longer than that), I need to give it a bit more thought. 

I also need to consider my laziness and lack of time (but mostly laziness) when it comes to keeping up a haircut. Right now I cut my hair every few months, but with a lob, I would need to cut it every 8 weeks or so to keep it's shape.

Whether or not I take the plunge and actually cut my locks, the Lob is definitely my favourite hairstyle right now.

Here are some of my favourite Lobs:

Straight Lobs

Wavy Lobs

Curly Lobs

What do you think? Are Lobs a hit or a miss in your opinion?

I'll be sure to update with a photo IF I do cut my hair....If it's in good-enough shape- I'm hoping to donate it......

Thanks for reading.

Peace.







UPDATE:

I actually ended up hacking at it myself the next morning.

I figured if I waited, I would lose my nerve.

My pile of cut hair. Unfortunately it was too processed/ not quite long enough to donate. :(

After my hair was cut, I put some waves in with a 1 1/4 inch curling iron.

After- my bathroom selfie. ;) 

After- with my sister's professional camera  

Loving the Lob so far. Hoping I can keep it up.... I've already decided that it WILL be long again, though. ;)

A Life Well-Lived

I attended a "Celebration of Life" service this afternoon. It was for a woman from my church. The service was one filled with laughter, tears and fond memories of a life that was well-lived.

I've been writing recently on how much my 'community' has meant to me in the recent months, and years. How, when I feel like I just cannot possibly go on, I know that I can rely on my network of friends, family and church community to keep me going.

This service was for one of those women who kept me going. 

This woman stopped in with Mac & Cheese for us shortly after my youngest was born a few weeks ago. She made sure to sit down with me, to share a hug- to talk to each of my boys and to make sure they knew that they were loved and a part of our church family.

She was a whirlwind of compassion that left almost as quickly as she arrived (so as not to disturb our evening) and I will never forget that time.

As well, every Sunday morning since, she has asked if there was anything I need or if there was anything that she could do for me or for the boys. She always had other people's emotional as well as physical health on the forefront of her mind.

She was a retired nurse that never retired from caring for others.

Why do I share about her?

Because I never made it clear to her how much that casserole dish of  Mac & Cheese meant to me. And yet she kept asking if there was more that she could do. I thanked her, of course, but I don't know if she realized the impact that she had on me.

Maybe I never realized that impact myself- until this afternoon.

I expect that she didn't know fully how she had affected so many of the people that were sitting in that service today. But sadly, that's usually the way isn't it?

I believe she knew she was making a difference. But her 'reward' wasn't an earthly reward. She knew this. She understood why community was important. She knew how to love 'the least of these' well.

WHY do I share about her?

I suppose to encourage you to let people know if they've been a positive impact in your life. To let them know how much their actions or words mean to you. To be a person of encouragement to THEM- and to keep THEM going when they feel weary. 

Why else do I share about her?

To encourage you to BE one of those people of compassion to others. To feed the people around you if they are hungry. To spend time with the lonely. To visit those that are shut-in. To listen to the ones who feel that they don't have a voice. 

THAT was the person that Muriel was.

That is the person that I strive to be.

There has been a phrase said many times in the last few days since her passing. By many people. That is because all who knew her are sure that it must be true.

There is NO DOUBT in anyone's mind that when she reached the pearly gates of heaven she heard those words, "Well done- good and faithful servant".

May it be so for me.

May we all strive to live a life as well-lived as she did. 

Blessings.

Great Wet-Hair Styles For Summer

Summer is FINALLY here!!!

This is the season for splash-pads and pools. For oceans and lakes. For jumping out of the shower and styling your hair without the heat of a dryer. 

That is why I LOVE these quick and easy hair tutorials for wet-hair styles from Hair Romance.

Here are my favourites:

The Fishtail Ponytail

(Click here for tutorial) 

The Fishtail Bun

(Click here for tutorial)

The Loose Triple Bun

 (Click here for tutorial)

The Side Twist Bun

 (Click here for tutorial)

I hope you try these styles out and love them! 

They should be fabulous for running out the door with wet hair and still looking great!

And the absence of a blow dryer is just better for our world, as well. :)

Peace.

The Perfect Kijiji-ed Birthday Gift

For my 3-year-old's birthday present, I watched kijiji for a few days.

Right now (and pretty much since the day he was born), he is into all things superhero.

I picked up this bag of various superheroes for $10. Pretty good score, huh?

It included a few Batman's,  Robin, Aquaman, Penguin, Gorilla Grodd , Joker, Riddler, and many others. :)

The same day, I popped into Talize to see if they had anything I could add to the gift. I found a DC Super Friends book for 99 cents. It was perfect.

 It had a spot in the back that I could put the figurines.

He loved it. :)

I threw in a swimsuit for $3.99. He loved THAT almost as much. Haha.

Getting a gift for my kid that he loves for $14.99 total- I LOVE that.

I realize that there MAY come a day when my kids beg me for something brand new. But until then, I will try to impart my views of thrifting and buying second-hand, and to explain WHY I believe that it is important.

Try thrifting your next birthday gift. :)  The earth will thank you. 

Peace and blessings.