Inspiring Finds - 4th Edition

We are knee-deep in a big-fat-mess-of-a-backyard-project right now, which is why I've been a little MIA around the ol' blog lately.

Here's a tiny sneak peak of a  little portion of what we're currently working on...

We have a .67 acre lot and about 2/3 of it is unlandscaped
{in other words, it's a bit fat dirty, weedy, ugly mess!}.
So we've got a big job on our hands, to say the least :)

I've still managed to keep up with my daily internet perusing, however, and have spied some fantastic {future} projects that are just hanging out in my inspiration files for the time being.

Tracie at Cleverly Inspired made the cutest little plaster of paris footprints with her kids and displayed them on her summer mantel. What an adorable way to remember when your babies were littles!

Isn't this personalized latitude and longitude pillow great!? 

Head on over to Crafty, Scrappy, Happy for an easy-to-follow tutorial to make your own.

If you're like me and tend to spend a copious amount of time paging through the pictures in the Pottery Barn catalogs, taking in every little detail,
then maybe the driftwood star in one of the recent Pottery Barn Outdoor Living catalogs caught your eye too.

So you can imagine my delight when I found a tutorial on how to make one myself at 

The Handmade Home.

Love poufs, but hate their hefty price tag?

BHG has some great directions to make your own for a fraction of the retail price tag.
Make a Pretty Pouf Ottoman

Image source: Completely Coastal

I love the look of sling back folding chairs sitting on the deck. There are some great instructions for making some yourself at Ana White and Canadian Living.

Now if only I had the time to replicate some of these amazing projects...

If you've created an inspiring project or have been saving a awe-inspiring project in your inspiration files,

email it to me at 

meadowlakecottage@yahoo.com

and it may just end up in next week's edition of the 

Inspiring Finds of the Week!

Inspiring Finds of the Week - 3

Here's a few inspiring finds that I've been saving in my Inspiration Files..

 someday I might actually do some of these projects :)

I love collecting driftwood at the beach...

unfortunately I've never brought home a piece this big,

but next time I visit the beach, I will definitely be on a mission to find one and then follow 

this tutorial from Restoration House.

This is one of the coolest plate display walls I've seen!

Check it out at The View Along the Way.

 320 Sycamore has a great tutorial on how to make your own schoolhouse light on the cheap 

{gotta love that!}

 

Also from 320 Sycamore, 

a tutorial on how to give your terra cotta pots a weathered patina look.

I love Monkey's Fist knots, but they can be pretty pricey {$45 at Ballard Designs}.

Luckily for us though, Completely Coastal

shares a tutorial on how to make your own.

Need a piece of unique artwork that won't break the bank?

Check out The Shabby Nest's solution.

I just adore how The 36th Avenue

spruced up these tired old benches.

Aren't they cute!?

Craftberry Bush created a beautiful summer mantel-scape using shells 

{you know I LOVE that!}

 I hope you were inspired :)

For more inspiring projects, click on the "Inspration Files" link over in the "Categories" section of my sidebar. 

 

If you've created an inspiring project or have been saving a awe-inspiring project in your inspiration files,

email it to me at 

meadowlakecottage@yahoo.com

and it may just end up in next week's edition of the 

Inspiring Finds of the Week!

Inspiring Finds of the Week - 2

Welcome to the second installment of the Inspiring Finds of the Week,

which is a collection of projects found all over Blogland that are just plain fabulous.

I've been wanting to do some subway art using the names of places we've lived
and I absolutely LOVE this version from House of Smiths.

Aren't these stairs the coolest!? 

EllaBoo and Co.

A great tutorial at Homework on making the cutest little spools using branch cuttings.

 I love everything about this bedroom, but better yet...

Home by Heidi shows you how to make the perfect bed!

 A great Land of Nod knock-off that would look adorable in the kids' bathroom from

Decor Allure.

 A very beachy chevron striped rug tutorial {using paint!} from

 Beach House in the City.

This image wasn't found in Blogland {it's from Pottery Barn} but that bedding totally has me drooling! 

If you have any inspiring projects or saw a project in blogland is just fabulous,

email it to me at 

meadowlakecottage@yahoo.com

and it may just end up in next week's edition of the 

Inspiring Finds of the Week!

 P.S. Don't forget "The After Party" is this Thursday 

{and the first Thursday of every month!}.

I hope you join us and link up one of your best Before and After projects!

Inspiring Finds of the Week - 1

I spend a lot of my free time {while the kids are napping} clicking through blogland, looking at all of the wonderful, creative ideas out there. 

I share a lot of my favorite ideas on my Facebook page, 

but also wanted to start sharing/storing them on my blog for future inspiration.

So welcome to the first installment of the Inspiring Finds of the Week...

 It's Just Me

 shares how to make your own vintage-inspired locker baskets - so cute!

See how to use those wine corks you've been saving to make a bath mat at Curbly.

Great idea for a Father's day gift at Tres French Hens.

How cool is this PB inspired ladder lantern hanger from Unskinny Boppy!?

Ana White shows how to made a soda crate caddy using reclaimed wood from pallets.

A super cute bird feeder made out of {mostly} recycled items by Centsational Girl.

Beth at The Stories of A to Z 

made her own white coral using spray paint and cheap aquarium coral - 

GENIUS!!!

Love the look of reclaimed wood, but can't find any? 

The Design Confidential shows you how to make new wood look old using tea!

Now go forth and BE INSPIRED!!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you have any inspiring projects or saw a project in blogland that made you drool,

email it to me at 

meadowlakecottage@yahoo.com

and it may just end up in next week's edition of the 

Inspiring Finds of the Week!

Decorating Architectural Niches

Architectural niches seem to be a trend in newer home construction.

While they look cool and are meant to add architectural interest to lack-luster vanilla homes, 

they often leave home owners {like us} wondering what to do with them.

These decorative wall recesses were built most extensively in ancient Roman times with the purpose of displaying statues, vases, and art pieces.

So what do you do if the thought of a typical vase filled with artificial flowers

or a quirky statue just doesn't float your boat??

I've struggled with this myself in our home.

When you walk in our front door, our architectural niche stares you right in the face.

Putting a vase in it is so expected.

And I'm really not thrilled about the idea of hanging a picture or placing a statue in it either.

I've tried filling it with seasonal decorations that are welcoming to guests,

but still... 

it just looks so plain.

So I'm on a quest to figure out how to spice it up a notch.

I love the idea of painting the back of it a fun color and adding crisp white shelves.

But dark wood shelves look good too...

Maybe a textural wallpaper would be better than paint...

Oooohhhh, glass shelves are a nice touch...

Love the cheery yellow, but it probably wouldn't flow well in my house...

How cool would it be to add something unexpected to the back of the niche...

like a mirror...

Or a tile mosaic...

Or even corkboard or chalkboard paint...

What I would really love though is to find a pair of these babies...

to prop up in my niche.

Finding them, though, might prove to be quite a challenge! 

So many options...

I'll keep you posted when I figure it out!

Bookcases: Not Just for Books

One of my current projects is giving this bookcase a much-needed makeover.

{I can't believe I just showed you that mess!}

And my last post talked a little bit about adding color to the backs of bookcases...

So I guess I've kinda got bookcases on the brain lately.

One aspect of home decorating that can be a little tricky is accessorizing your bookcases,

so I thought I'd write a post offering some helpful tips
on how to make your bookcases more visually appealing.

First of all, bookcases are not just for books.

Unless, of course, you want your room to look like a library...

{Source: Apartment Therapy via Pinterest}

or you can pull off a cool look like this...

 {Source: Elle Decor}

 I know, it's tempting to shove every book you own in your bookcase.
After all, they are meant to store books, right?


Most often, however, a bookcase stuffed full of books makes the shelves look cluttered 

and throws off the balance of a room.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to decorating...

But, a good rule of thumb is to shoot for filling only 1/3 or less of your bookcase with books.

So how do you know which books to display???

Hardbound books look classier for displaying, so store the paperbacks elsewhere.

Consider the color palette of the room.
Which books will add to the overall aesthetic appeal of your space?

{Source: Real Simple}

{Source: Real Simple}

Don't be afraid to remove dust jackets.

Often times, books are hiding pretty colors under their jackets.

Consider what you love...
your book choices should be a reflection of you, your hobbies, your interests. 

{Source: HGTV}

{Source: Real Simple}

Once you've chosen which books to display, now how do you organize them?

Try to arrange books not only standing vertically, but stacked horizontally as well.

{Source: Room Remix Blog via Pinterest}

For an unexpected look, you can also turn the books around so that they pages are facing you.

{Source: Loft and  Cottage Blog} 

Try placing the books in groups of five or ten.
It adds visual interest and keeps the bookcase from becoming repetitive.

Make sure the books don’t line up shelf after shelf. Place some to the right of the shelf, and on the next shelf try splitting two or three books on the left and the right. 

Placing some books in baskets or bins also breaks up repetitiveness.

{Source: The Lettered Cottage}

If you're going for a cottage-y look, you can cover your books in white or tan paper.

{Source: Southern Living}

I've filled up 1/3 of my bookcase with books. What about the other two-thirds??

To keep your bookcase from looking cluttered,
it's a good idea to leave another 1/3 as empty space.

The final third should be filled with carefully chosen accessories.
Accessories that reflect you and the style of your room.

 {Source: HGTV}

As Nate Berkus says, the best decorated rooms are rooms that have been
"collected over time."
What that means is, don't rush out and buy a bunch of accessories all at once to fill your shelves.
Instead, display objects that you have collected on various travels,
things that are meaningful to you and your family,
family heirlooms,
things you love.

{Source: The Lettered Cottage}

{Source: Phoebe Howard}

When placing your accessories in the bookshelves,
consider height and depth as well as placement.

Vary the height of objects by placing them on top of stacked books or decorative boxes.

{Source: HGTV}

To add some depth, tall objects,
such as plates, framed pictures, trays, and pieces of art
should be placed at the back of the shelves to serve as a backdrop for your display.

 {Source: Real Simple}

{Source: Design Sponge}

Be careful of of tiny tchotchkes as they tend to create a cluttered look too.

Instead, choose bigger bolder accessories that can be seen from across the room.

You can give smaller items more presence by collecting them in a pretty container,
such as a glass jar filled with old photos or a pretty bowl filled with stones.

{Source: Pottery Barn}

And don't be afraid to add some color or texture to spice up your bookcase...

 {Source: Ideal Home Magazine}

Wallpaper and paint are cheap ways to dress up a plain bookcase.

 {Source: Real Simple}

As Elizabeth Mayhew from House Beautiful stated,

"Don't just fill your shelves. Color them, arrange them, decorate them, dress them, personalize them. The books you store on your shelves are just the beginning."