Jane and Mary

Quick Fixes - II

2012-02-09T20:14:00.000-08:00

Hello! What an appropriate time for a post on quick fixes! Each year, as the holidays come to a close, my house starts feeling quite claustrophobic with all the garland, lights, trees, etc. It's such a relief to clear it all out and give my eyes and brain a much needed break. But then it seems so bare. The new year is a great time to take a good look at what you have, what you like and what you need. Quick fixes are all about something you can do in an afternoon, with spending little or no money. The key to all of this (and we can't stress it enough!) is to move your stuff...and move it again....and then again!! Move ALL of your stuff - not just the accessories. Move your furniture, mirrors, artwork, rugs - everything. Even moving a lamp can give a room a nice little boost. {Quick side note on that: change the wattage in your light bulbs and (ex)change out your lampshades. If your shade needs a finial or harp, take a quick trip to any hardware store.} If I'm being completely honest, my stuff starts whispering to me, telling me it's tired of it's location and would like a new view, please. Sometimes it's one or two pieces and other times it's an entire space that eventually screams at me - CHANGE ME NOW!! And, time permitting, I do. And I always love it when it's done. Here's a peek at what I've been working on since the new year......

BEFORE: Family Room Mantle
I love love love this piece of artwork, but after some serious scrutiny about how I want this room to feel, decided it would be much more fabulous in my Hearth Room. My Hearth Room has great pops of these gorgeous coral and cream tones - much better utilized in there! BTW, this piece of art was painted by my very talented sister, Annie. I am lucky enough to have several of her paintings in my home and I cherish each of them. Eventually, I will showcase them all for you!
Her blog is anniemneal.blogspot.com.

AFTER
I brought in this inexpensive white mirror (Lowe's - $85) because I really like the chunky moulding and how it creates a more modern look. The white frame ties well with my milk glass collection on the right. I have a very colorful rug in this room, which I love, but my goal is to accent the more muted tones of grey, white, and wheat. I actually didn't purchase the mirror for this exact space. It was waiting to be hung in my daughter's room. I went "shopping" throughout my house to find something better for the mantle and it was the lucky winner! :)

This isn't the greatest picture, but here's a Parson's chair from my Dining Room. These chairs are a fairly recent purchase and are still waiting for the perfect table make friends with. The slipcover is a flax linen, and eventually I plan to have them monogrammed. For now (quick fix!), I found these great self-adhesive letters/motif online. They add a nice bit of personality and color to this space.
www.simplicity.com

The coffee table you see here is one of the first pieces of furniture my husband and I bought when we got married. It survived more than a few moves until eventually it landed in our (unfinished) basement to hold an old TV. At the time, my tastes had gone from contemporary to more traditional and it just didn't seem to fit with my decor. It's original finish was a very dark stain. Well, enter the magic (quick fix!) of paint. I hauled that thing upstairs - cobwebs, scratches and all - and painted it (my husband did!) a lovely antique white. It has just enough modern edge to keep the space current, but the color and accessories bring it back to my preferred look - which is a great mix of styles.

My apothecary jars are a super easy way to celebrate holidays, seasons and whatever else I may dream up. Currently, they hold ribbon candy (love the colors) and valentine conversation hearts. The jars aren't expensive and what you can put inside is endless.

Keep your eye out for trays - they are a great way to gather accessories and create a pulled-together look. April and I always say we can never have enough trays because we like to decorate with them, but also like to serve off of them too!

Another use for a silver tray - hang it on the wall with a plate hanger. We LOVE the Command 3M hooks!! I found this tray at a thrift shop for $3. And yes, those are Little Debbie Valentine Cakes on my cake stand - Cheap, but so cute!

Signing off for now - Happy Friday! Woo Hoo!

Quick Fixes

2012-02-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

Pardon the long pause in our blog postings. We are back in the swing of things after a wonderful weekend with family and friends. I got to meet my new niece Marie and enjoy some quality time with my sister and brother in law Pam and John. This Blog post is for my sister Jill. She requested some quick fix ideas to use in her house. So here you go Jill.

If you have dark lamp shades (which I do during the winter months) try switching them out to a light shade. You can also trim out your shade with a few strips of ribbon or fringe from the fabric store. This small change will make a big impact in a matter of minutes.

Rearrange your furniture and take a trip to your local thrift store. Don't be afraid to relocate furniture that does not fit into your new arrangement. Don't worry it can always come back! My hubby calls this shopping in the basement. (which I do regularly) Check out my latest thrift find! That little side table to the left of my couch was $6!! I painted it white and painted the knob silver. I love the way it looks in my family room.

Switch out your pillows. It really is amazing what a quick change in your throw pillows can do for your room! My color obsession for spring is kelly green. It is the rage for fashion and for home decor.

It is amazing how many options we have for fabric now. I remember saving up to be able to get a few yards of fabric that everyone had because there were limited choices. Now you can go on line and your options are limitless! You just need to be able to sew a straight line, then stuff your old pillows inside of the new one.

Talk about a quick fix!! This room came together with 1 quart of raspberry colored paint. My daughter got her very own play room after my tween son took over the bonus room for his own retreat! More on his room later. The back accent wall is a stencil and the side matching tables are from Target. They were $14. Brynn is thrilled to have her own space to watch movies and play dolls with her friends.

The other half of Jane & Mary

2012-01-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

A huge hello to all of our (growing!) faithful followers! Stephanie here - finally! I am so excited to share some pictures of my home as well as some thoughts I have rolling around in my head. Before I get to it all, here's a bit about me....I am a mom of three - two girls and one boy - ages 9, 7, & 4, respectively. I bring that to attention because, well, for all the obvious and very loving reasons, but also because it definitely affects how I blog, decorate, arrange (and rearrange!). As I sit here for the first time attempting to blog as fast as I can, I have already been interrupted four times by my little guy. And a mere three minutes has passed. All for very valid reasons - shoe needed to be tied, couldn't find his digger, needed help in the bathroom, etc, etc. In fact, as I furiously type this last sentence, my mom alert is telling me he has spent entirely too much time at the powder room sink and I need to go address the situation before all of my beloved Caldrea hand soap mysteriously vanishes down the drain ! :)

I stay home with our kids, which would possibly lead one to believe I have copious amounts of time to do (read: decorate) as I please. Not so. What I REALLY have is bits and pieces of moments that I must carefully weigh out my options as to how I want to spend them. So, please forgive me, if at times, my blogs lend to being scattered or sparse. I must mention that I am married to a wonderful guy who forever tolerates my design ADD and has even said (with a smile, no less!), "It must be the 3rd Friday of the month" when he walks into one of my and April's rearranging sessions. He may or may not be exaggerating just a bit. Ha! And now on with the show........

This space was originally designed for a TV, but instead, I hung a mirror inside and use it as a server.
Two of my favorite things - mirrors & crowns!

I buy inexpensive flowering bulbs at the grocery store and transplant them in antique glassware.
The Result: An instant pop of spring!

A fun way to display a seasonal pillow - on a silver easel.

I love contrast! My eye is naturally drawn to anything of contrasting colors and it definitely shows up in my decor choices. This sofa is on its way out and a new one is coming soon! Yay!

This hutch has been many different things to me - at the moment, it serves as a bar area in my family room.

Another favorite thing of mine - glassware - I collect and display it with love. My butler's pantry (I'm still waiting for the butler to show up!) is always at the ready with snacks and wine.

Just a quick pic of April and me!

My blogging time has expired for now - more to come soon!
Regards - Stephanie

Trends we LOVE

2012-01-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

Speaking of things we love, we just had the best girls night out last night. We headed downtown and sat at the bar at Urban Wine Company. The exposed brick and urban feel had our creative juices flowing!

Trend #3 on our List... Nature Infusion

This trend has been around for awhile but we are always finding new ways to include a little nature in our decorating. Birds, nests, eggs, moss, bark, tree branches, a deer head, the list goes on. Take a look in your back yard and see what you can bring inside.

Trends we LOVE

2012-01-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

We are not the type to jump on the latest craze, we like to think of ourselves as timeless, but we don't live in a cave and we are loving the hottest trends for 2012!

SHINE
We love a little sparkle in our decor! We have already shared how much we adore vintage silver but really anything shiny brings a twinkle to our eye. Mirrors, crystal, silver, gold, mercury glass, just to name a few. Here are a few examples of how we are adding a little shine to our displays.

(Seriously... Everything looks better on a silver tray!)

MONOGRAMS
You can make almost anything more special by personalizing it with your monogram! There is something about those three little letters shoved together that screams style. We do not live in the south but are loving finding ways to incorporate this southern tradition in as many places as we can!

Check back tomorrow for more on the trends we LOVE!

A word about my kitchen

2012-01-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

April here again! I just wanted to a share a few of the self imposed rules in my kitchen. I hate clutter. (I think I got this from my Mom) If there is something on my counter it has to serve a purpose!! That does not mean I have not found a way to make my utilitarian way pretty. Check out some of my kitchen spaces.

Yes I have a dresser and mirror in my kitchen. I picked up this duo at a tag sale for $20. I imagine it spent many years in a little girls room but after a quick paint job and a little roughing up it sits in my kitchen. I usually serve a signature drink on this dresser out of my grandmothers punch bowl. It also holds appetizers and plates nicely when I'm entertaining.

When the new year hits so do new resolutions! We are trying to eat more fruit so I filled up this wire basket on my countertop to encourage us all to grab a piece more frequently.

Stephanie and I both have incorporated this idea! This cute silver tray has seasonings for dinner. I have a pepper mill, silver salt and pepper shakers, a container for sea salt and one for sugar. Stephanie and I are crazy for vintage silver!! You can pick it up anywhere for no money at all, and we think it adds a touch of sparkle to any space while giving a nod to the past.

So that is it for counter clutter! All my appliances are neatly tucked in the drawers below my cooktop. If I had to have my appliances out on my counter I would edit what I have even more.

As for my island... The only thing I like to see are my kids faces. I have my hand soap, lotion, and dishsoap organized in a silver canaster by my sink, and once in a while I pick up some fresh flowers at the grocery store. I do love fresh flowers but none today!

Stephanie is hard at work over at her house. Our kids go back to school tomorrow after what we have called the cruel joke of a Christmas break.(We thought it might never end) We can't wait to show you the new fabric and paint she is introducing to her dinette area.

Refresh and Renew

2012-01-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

I'm always a little sad to see the glow of Christmas be packed away but that feeling is immediately erased by the excitement of a fresh new look! Check out a few of April's rooms that are undergoing there late winter renewal!

My favorite new thrift sore find! This small table is the perfect place to set your drink and the top is solid marble. LOVE!

1 week ago this room was a traditional green and red christmas expolsion. Today fresh grey and yellow have taken over. It feels like a breath of fresh air!

I just had to throw in a pic of my deer. My brother in law gave me this beauty. My friends laugh because I have a dead animal on my wall and I don't eat meat. Sorry the picture is blurry I will post another one when I get my camera out again.

The seasonal wreaths and greenery bave been replaced with lemons and simple mirrors with burlap ribbon and antique broaches.

My new purchace is this great clock. I love the metal grey finish and the stark white face. It is amazing what 1 new thing can do for a space and your attitude. More to come. I'm in the middle of covering my cornice boards and sewing new drapes in my dinette. Can't wait to show you!

Bits and Snips

2012-01-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Headed out to meet Stephanie for our Saturday morning run. There is something about getting out in the crisp January air that feeds my soul and clears my mind. I have many decorating projects in the works that I can't wait to share with everyone. I will be busting into my new camera and give everyone a tour of my refreshed kitchen and harthroom very soon! I better get my gloves on Stephanie is knocking at my door.