Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly!

Sing it with me.....fa la la la la la la la la! 

I was decking the halls this weekend! I really just finished. And by that I mean, I have 90% of it up! Seriously, like late last night, I decorated the last tree. I'm not completely satisfied, but it will have to do! I have a few odds and ends laying around and I need garland for one more mantel...but, other than that. Gah, I have a lot of stuff!

Tomorrow I am making a manger for Baby Jesus! Ashlee is coming over with some old wood from her neighbors fence. No, she didn't steal it. At least I don't think she did! He put up a new fence and this was laying-there-not-being-used! I can't wait to get it finished. It's going to be so adorable!

I thought I would share a few in-the-process pics of the house as I was up to my eyeballs over the weekend!

This is a portion of my front porch on Friday as my boys were leaving to go to the hunting camp.

This is THE tree. It will be full of red and white goodness when I'm finished with it! The lights. The lights are going to be the death of me. Every year, I say I am going to take all the lights off and start over. I never do. I add more lights on top of the lights that do not work. If I could fix those measly little bulbs that cause all the trouble, I would probably have thousands of lights on this tree! Notice how it is a couple of feet taller than the ceiling there. Thankfully, the ceilings are high in the middle of this room. The only spot for this tree is right where you see it. In the middle behind the couch and right next to the dining room table!

I love my upside down tree! It's so fun and non-traditional! This is how it came home to me from the storage unit. Mesh was all out of order and those paper flowers are a little catty-wompus! Notice how it is flush with the ceiling. It had to be tilted and shoved into place. We have low ceilings at Hansel and Gretel, like less than 8ft. ceilings! The lights. ugh

Just a pic of some of the sticks that go into THE tree! You will see those again, but that's another post!

I can't tell you how much I love this wood tree. It is by far, my favorite! I have several of these wood trees, but this is the one I love! Of course, Southern Accents Architectural Antiques is where this one was born. I went to Cullman one day with Daphney to get a tree for her. She had seen the one Shane delivered to me earlier in the week and she HAD to have one, too! So, off we go on a road trip. We were in the wood shop with Kolby, Garlan and Shane. We were picking through the pieces of wood and I saw this green trim on the floor. I picked it up and immediately saw a tree! The guys all thought I was crazy. This was before I started working for them and bringing them all of my out-of-the-box ideas. They were used to living inside their little world and not being too creative with it. I'm sure if they saw this one now, they would all gawk at it. It's like a Charlie Brown tree. It needed to be made and loved. Now it sits by the giant fireplace at Hansel and Gretel. I may not ever take it down!

Architectural Corbels

I've always loved corbels. You will find intricate detail on many corbels and some will have no detail at all. I'm drawn to the more detailed ones. These are very popular right now in home decor. You will see them under top cabinets or under a bar top.  Check out some of my Pinterest boards for lots of ideas! I love to see them for shelving or as an entry table. If you can find them large enough, you can use them as a table. A friend of mine, Layla Palmer, you may know her from her awesome blog, The Lettered Cottage! She has just moved into a "new" cottage! I am going to love watching her re-do this cute house. She called me last week looking for corbels for a desk. You can see the post of her inspiration here. I found several options for her......but, none that were perfect! She has another idea for her work corner and I'm sure we will see it soon! I still have her on my  when-I-find-some-cool-ones list because I know she may need some for another spot and she has a friend looking, too! I really enjoy helping people find that perfect piece! My favorites are one-of-a-kinds. That's why I like architectural salvage stores so much. They have an ever-changing inventory and I  know that eventually, they will have that perfect piece!

While looking for Layla, I found a few loves of my own! Southern Accents has a few singles.

They usually come at a better rate. Most have a project that requires two. Me? I would hang a single one on a wall and be DONE! I may still add a couple of these to my collection! One may have my name on it...I need to check on that! I did notice after I had Garlan going all over the store taking pictures for me, these were featured on their facebook page!

 They also added these....I love these. I want to cut these and re-make them! Or just add to them.....

They have more simple lines, but I think in a kitchen they would be beautiful under top cabinets. Of course, you would need really high ceilings!! (not at the Hansel and Gretel house :()

This morning I get a text from someone with a 423 area code. Signed Tim. Woah....do I know a Tim? I couldn't think of one that would have corbels! I tell him I love them and he tells me he is in Sweet Water, Tennesse.......my MOM! Yay! I asked her to be on the look-out for me last weekend. She was on an antique junking trip of her own! I was so excited! I called her and asked if she would pick them up for me. Did a little dealing and decided to buy all 5! I know I can use them or hook them up with a new home!!

I did buy these last weekend in Atlanta at the Country Living Fair. I just got them out of my car this morning to take a photo. I have NO idea what I'm going to do with them! My husband would say they would be good fire wood! rude

A few other pictures of corbels. These are concrete. Can you say h-e-a-v-y!

These are from The Depot. They need a bit of TLC!

Do you like corbels? Have you used them in decorating? Maybe you have some in your barn, like me, and just haven't decided the perfect place for them!

Southern Accents and a Creek Party!

It's an architectural antiques store in Cullman, Al. It's a small piece of heaven for me! I feel like its my way of recycling.

I go there at least once a month. I just walk through trying to see things that weren't there before and seeing things differently than the last time! I get very giddy when I find something I've never seen before. Those "eyebrows" in that photo above? They are cast iron and amazing!! I would love to use them in a house. They are HeAVy!!

We are working on a cabin on the creek. It's going to be a family house. My hubby and his boy cousins are all building it together. He has a couple of cousins that can do ANYTHING! It's going to be a great spot! It's on 40 acres and Shades Creek runs right down the front of the property. I'm telling you it is one of the most beautiful spots I've ever seen! It took my breath away when I saw it the first time. 

So, I went to Southern Accents the other day and picked out salvaged wood for almost every room! Ceilings and walls and the flooring for the upstairs. I can't wait to get started on the inside. 

I found this image on Pinterest. The original post for this photo is on DesignSponge. OMG, this is a post full of eye candy. You have to look through it! 

I love this look. I need to find a big sign to hang on the wall! It's so rustic and clean looking at the same time, don't you think? I begged to have exposed pipes, but I didn't win. I don't really know how that works or how they will be hidden? I need to go back out there and see! The salvaged wood I chose will look marvelous in the downstairs kitchen and open den. I will get Shane to deliver week after next!

This light! I actually have 2 of them. This was a find from a meet-up in Tennessee. Garlan will trade with other architectural salvagers. He picked up these lights on one of those trades. He sent me a photo and I put dibs on them immediately! I think he got them over 6 months ago. I really didn't have any idea what I would do with them. Well, they are coming to Birmingham this week! I have to have them wired, but they will look amazing in the kitchen at the creek house! The ceilings upstairs are around 16 feet in the kitchen. These will hang over the bar/counter! They have some really cool history, but I don't know what that is right now. G won't answer my calls.....geez, he must be busy with customers! How dare he?? I have a blog post to write!

I took this one the last time I was there; scaffolding and all! It's so cool to see a house from beginning to end. You can make changes at this point to walls. I am a sucker for using ALL the space available! We will have a loft now that wasn't on the plans. How can you just waste space up there? It's going to have beds. Maybe just mattresses on pallets! I did have a spiral staircase for it...it got busted up this week. Some people just don't know how to be conservative! They ripped it down and it broke into too many pieces to put back together. #brokenheart

I will leave you with a picture of the creek. This was taken last February. You can tell because there are no leaves! I will have to take a good shot of it next time I go!

Lighting the Hansel and Gretel Cottage

This place is dark. There are trees all around us and they do not let the sunshine in! All of the trim is very dark, too. We have a beautiful porch that wraps around the kitchen. I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it so dark in here! I have picked out lots of industrial and sparkly lights to go in this dark place. I'm afraid they aren't enough! Not to mention, my electrician hasn't been back to hang 3 of my fixtures....DAD!!!

I thought I would show you a few of my finds over the past 6 months. I started buying before I knew when I was moving!

I found this really cool industrial sized whisk at Scott's back in March. It's hanging in the center of the kitchen. I changed the bulb this morning...it added a little more light! 

That was my first visit to Scott's and I've been back like 4 times! It's next weekend, btw, who wants to go? 

 This will be hung in the laundry/powder room. I bought it from my buddy, Barney, at Stray Cats on
this shopping trip!

I found 2 of these beauties in Maine. It was the FIRST store we stopped. I just couldn't decide. What if I found something for a better price? I did some research and made this the LAST place we stopped! They are hanging in the kitchen. 

 They are my all-time favorites!

This came from Southern Accents. Garlan called me and said he had the perfect chandy for me! Isn't it beautiful? This picture makes it look big, but it's so dainty. It's original purpose was to go in my bedroom. It's going to hang in the dining room while another gets wired...TIM!!!

 You've seen this one. I think I did a whole blog post on it. I bought it and had it wired with no purpose what-so-ever! It's so perfect upstairs! I love it!

ruffle shades are my obsession right now

This was at Southern Accents, too. It's like I want everything they bring in.
Why can't I just go on shopping trips with them? I do get a pretty good discount for working there and pimping them out ALL-THE-TIME!
I went home and couldn't forget it. I dreamed of the perfect spot for it.....just need it to be hung!! DAD

 how fantastic is that little shade? #textureoverload

 I need a flush mount, I need a flush mount. I called several times and looked at several pictures. Nothing was going to work! I walked into the lighting graveyard at the gym and pulled this one down and brought it home! Is it up? no, DAD!

I bought this one for the dining room. I think it's so pretty. I can't wait for it to be cleaned and wired! I know it will be gorgeous. This is a waiting on TIM project.

These last four are either in the storage unit waiting on a home or I haven't bought them...but, need to!

I will get it lit eventually. Using lots of lamps everywhere!