The Spotted Zebra

The Spotted Zebra belongs to my sisters. Natalie and Nicole. They are both equally important to this cute little place. Nicole pretty much runs the show being there all day every day. Natalie will come in and paint a room or re-style a section in her sleep! Bless her heart, she gets no sleep!  She paints furniture and does treatments to cabinets. She also has 2 boys, Bailey, a senior in high school and Grayson is in the 8th grade.

I got the pleasure of hanging out with Nicole on Thursday. They had their Holiday Open House. It was all day  Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We had a blast. The store looks gorgeous and there are so many beautiful things, I couldn't decide what to take home with me! I wanted to completely start over with my Christmas decor! I took home one bag of goodness. I can't wait to get it up at Hansel and Gretel! 

These are a few of my favorites and a few of my purchases!

This angel comes in small, medium and large. I got one of each! So cute, light and a great price!

Those reindeer? They are at my house!! I love them and think they will fit right in at Hansel and Gretel!

Just a close up of that gorgeous mantel. Daphne Donaldson does a great job decorating the store!

See that red mesh ribbon? Oh yeah, I have a roll of that! It's the bomb.com.

I love these burlap stockings. That ruffle at the top is precious. It's just not quite big enough for what Santa brings! ;)

These angels? I adore them! They are made from recycled products. Right up my alley!

I was so glad to see they had an upside down tree. Mine has to be my FAVE tree in my house! Where will I put it at Hansel and Gretel??

 This cute reindeer caught my eye! I think it is a great door hanger, but how cute just to hang behind or to the side of the tree? Create a vignette on the wall? adorbs

It just wouldn't be the south if we didn't have a tree with our favorite SEC teams!

 Roll Tide and War Eagle!

This has to be the most gorgeous Nativity Scene in all the land!

 If only I could buy all new holiday dishes....these would be in my house! I love that bright red and green and just a touch of black. 

Adorable towels. These are the BEST hostess gift! They are so cute and everyone needs a towel for the powder room or to hang by the sink in the kitchen! 

This store is packed with so many cute things. I left late on Thursday night and I'm sure a lot sold over the weekend. If you are looking for a gift or need something to freshen up your decorating....You should make a stop by The Spotted Zebra!

 I love these Santas.

Cute way to display your list. Hello? My list is a lot longer than this!

This is the new counter at the store. We brought the tins in from Southern Accents. 

They guys that built  it did an incredible job! 

Just a little silly Merry Christmas from me! Happy Holidays!

New Friends and Arrow Chalkboards

I have a new friend and her name is Ashlee. She and I were introduced by a mutual friend. We were told we had to meet because we were so much alike! Lori was right. The day we met we continually found things we had in common.

She and I decided to make a trip to Atlanta on Thursday. It was the last day of Cash 'N Carry at the America's Mart in Atlanta and the first day of Scott's Antique Market. One more reason we HAD to go on Thursday was to meet the Novogratz. It's pretty much the only decorating show I watch. I LOVE their style. My main goal, though, was to get more of these arrows to make more chalkboards.

She volunteered to drive. Her car is a bit bigger than mine. When she showed up at the house Thursday morning at 7am, she had all the seats cleared out...this girl knew what she was doing! I threw in my luggage and off we went!

We made it to the Mart first and started in Building 3. There were rows and rows of jewelry. I knew this wasn't where we wanted to be. We stopped in at Blue Ocean Traders. They always have fun items and never sell individual pieces. You have to order a crate and I can't afford a crate!!! I was glad to find olive buckets for more lights like this one in my Etsy shop. I also found a cute porcelain hand to hang jewelry on. (wishing I had bought several of those) We knew we needed to get to Scott's soon. We wanted plenty of time to find unique treasures!

I found a cool industrial light for a good price and Ashlee found a really cute wooden moose. Her maiden name is Moose and she collects them! Cute, huh?

I finally made it over to the rusty letter place, found Chad and started working a deal. I needed more arrows to make chalkboards!  I found a really cute star that I knew I could use. There was only one arrow, but Chad said he could get me more from the warehouse. I finally got the deal I was looking for. We would just have to come back Friday morning.

I made these this afternoon. I have 2 of the arrows sold. I want to keep one to take to the Creek Party house, but I have a listing in my Etsy shop. If it sells, I might have to make another trip! I'm loving that star!

I found a few more things I wanted, but couldn't bring myself to pay what they were asking. (a new way of thinking ;) for me) I went to find Ashlee. She found a great wood pedestal for a great price and I ended up getting one, too. We found so many fun things all over Scott's. I think I could go every weekend and find something!! Too bad it's only open once a month.

Up next, The Novogratz! We made it to Barnes and Noble and bought our books. We were lucky to get there a little early and sat in the 2nd row! They came out and looked just like they do on tv. Bob gave a little background on their story and then Cortney gave us a few tips on design rules. Even though, she doesn't know the rules! She's never been schooled in design. (just one of the things we have in common) They asked if anyone had questions. I asked if they had been shopping in Atlanta, told them to go to Scott's and the Mart! There were a few others asking questions. I think I asked the most! We got our books signed and had a photo made. I'm so glad to have met them. 

Today is Ashlee's birthday. I made her this frame. Her number is 22. Her kids birthdays are the 22nd and her husbands. Her birthday is 11/11. Hello, that equals 22. Love numbers with meaning! 

Hansel and Gretel Bathroom Before and After

This is my bathroom. Well, this was my bathroom before I moved in. See that light bulb? Yeah, that's inside the shower. I do love this wood that is on parts of the walls. I probably could have used it if I could have found more to match. Don't worry, I saved it all! I'm thinking picture frames and Christmas trees! These pictures were taken while the previous owner lived here. 

I also need to say, this bathroom is SMALL! Only one person at a time in this baby! You can see in this photo there isn't wood on every wall. We have a little plumbing showing and cinder block wall action. I really wish you could see that lamp. It's a Diet Mtn. Dew can. I love Diet Mtn. Dew! I totally could have used that lamp somewhere! He took it. :(

I called my handy man, Charlie. He's my brother and favorite handy guy. He doesn't enjoy my projects, but he does a pretty good job!! We decided just to do 1x6's on all the walls. We went to Lowe's a million times. There ended up being a lot of space to cover! We took the wall all the way to the ceiling and covered the ceiling in the 1x6 wood, too. I chose to paint the wood with Moonlight White by Benjamin Moore. This color is EVERYWHERE in my house! 

I found some old baseboard at a architectural salvage place in Chattanooga, Architectural Exchange. It is a great blue color! We took the baseboards and cut them in half to use as shelves. I also found some tiny corbels at Southern Accents to use a brackets to hold them up! 

Next, I went to World Market and found baskets to hold all of my essentials! (You can see my hairdryer sticking out! ;) The mirrors are small and hanging just so you can see your face. There isn't room for big ones! 

I love the way that blue Ball jar just pulls a small amount of color in and matches my key hole perfectly! It's a simple amount of accessories and it seems to make the space feel a little bigger! 

A wider angle shot so you can see how it all looks together....I had to stand in the utility closet to get this shot!

This is a lot smaller than my last bathroom. I can live with it, though. It's small and cozy and hey, who needs to spend a lot of time in the bathroom? FYI, I put my makeup on in my closet.....I'll show you that later! It's my FAVE place at Hansel and Gretel!

Lucy Lockets Re-stocking Event!

I've been making a few necklaces! I always get compliments on my Lucy Locket's. I was at Anthropologie today at a Holiday Workshop. I was a little disappointed when I realized I was working on their holiday display and not going to be taking something home. 2 hours later......ha! It was fun! I did learn how to make a cute garland, a polar bear and some add-ons for gifts! I took several photos and lots of notes. I hope to get a DIY tutorial up soon! Bug me about it if it doesn't happen! ;)

As I was sitting there hot-gluing and burning my fingers and asking a million questions, the girls noticed my necklace. They wanted to know what it was. A hinge. Where did I get it? I made it. Wow, they loved it! I told them about my scavenger hunt of finding cool pieces all over the place...yes, on the ground and in the dirt! This one is a favorite. It's the color and the rust and I think the simplicity that makes it special. It's not for sale. It's my private collection! #hathatsoundsofficial

What did happen was I got home and pulled out the little zip lock bags I had packed last week and started making Lucy Lockets! I made 5! I was making a 6th one and couldn't get it to look good. Decided it was time to walk away! This making little bags of parts is working for me! I have a spot at Greystone Antiques and am going to drop these and a few others I already had made up off tomorrow. If you are over that way, stop in and check them out! They are in a closed case by the front. Should be pretty easy to find!

I also LOVE to make necklaces for people. I have a customer coming by next week to make one (or two) because her husband gave her a gift card! It's a great gift for you or someone on your list! I would love for you to bring any trinkets or charms you may have that mean something to you. I have customers that have used skeleton keys from their grandparents house or brooches that belonged to a special loved one. We can make it as simple or as elaborate as you want!

Take a look at the Etsy shop for some ideas. I also have several jewelry organizers there. This is something I love doing! I find lots of architectural pieces and we can make something that would work for your jewels!

My daughter turned 13 yesterday. She is becoming a beautiful young lady. I'm so proud of her!

This photo was taken by Beth Bryan. 

 She's second from the left

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!