Summer Lovin', Magnolia Market and Hitting The Pause Button

Summer Lovin' had me a blast...this song is stuck in my head at this moment! Yes, it's August and I haven't posted a single blog post since May.  I've been posting projects on Instagram and Facebook but just haven't had the time to sit and compile any posts.  I've done hours of yard work, hours of home improvement projects and cleaning and hours of planning for my parents 50th wedding anniversary that was this past weekend...oh, and working a full time job and traveling. 

The coolest thing I did this summer was by far planning my parent's 50th wedding anniversary celebration and my trip through Waco earlier this summer when I stopped in at Magnolia Market.

I'm a wee bit tired! Our vacation has been pushed back until the end of September which is killing me!  I long for a week to be disconnected for reality and sit on the beach and walk the shore and collect sea glass and shells and sleep in. I need a little time to reconnect with me.

I will warn you, this post is a long one....

Taking a break from my blog this summer has helped me realize that I'm just not in love with blogging anymore. I am, to my very core, a creative creature.  I love decorating and crafting and home improvement projects and sharing on social media, but I've come to a point where keeping up with a blog isn't where I want to spend my time.  I have been tossing it around in my head for months and I think it's probably time to step away.

In the nearly 7 years since I started blogging, the time commitment involved, the shear number of hours to learn all the back office things like SEO, marketing, sponsored posts, how to make money, and competition for readers is not what I loved about blogging when I first began this journey.  I don't really care about SEO or sponsors or making money blogging.  I started to get caught up in it and overwhelmed by it.  The only thing I cared about was sharing my passion and having a few followers that would actually read my blog and the social interaction.  Let's face facts, I am not a consistent blogger and for that my readership was always low, this I know.  I can't crank out content for the sake of keeping readers interested so when I had something to share I shared it.  There were times that I was actually bummed that I wasn't chosen to participate in a blogger home tour, challenge or the chance to promote a brand, whether a company or a fellow blogger.  If you don't have the blog traffic or followers you're not even given a second thought..oh well...it makes me laugh now just thinking about it.

Thank you to those that have taken the time over the years to read and comment on my posts, that has been a blessing and has always been truly appreciated!

There is one fellow blogger that I would like to thank and that is Karianne Wood from Thistlewood Farms.  Karianne is a true rock star.  She has given me guidance and advice openly and honestly and has been a real inspiration to me throughout this journey.  Thank you Karianne! I adore you and hope we can meet in person one of these days!

Is this goodbye from the blog forever?  Well, yes, most likely...I think it's time to begin a new adventure. So, for now I will say goodbye from the blog and I hope to see you on Facebook at Lilac Drive Designs Lilac Drive Designs or on Instagram.  I will continue to share my projects with all of you in that format going forward.  

Thanks for the blog love and I wish you all the best!

Colleen

Modern Farmhouse Tour

If you love farmhouse style you're going to love this modern farmhouse I toured this past weekend. It's a brand new home included in our local parade of homes. 

Pillow Talk! My Top 7 Tips for Throw Pillows on a Budget!

Pillow Talk?  Yes, but not that kind of pillow talk...  Do you want designer quality pillows on a budget?  If so, these tips and tricks are for you!

First, let me say that my friends should probably go all Dr. Drew on me and stage a throw pillow intervention.  I think there may be a pillow on every seat in my house....my couch, chair, love seat, benches and misc. chairs around the house all have pillows on them. I love them because they can be easily changed with the seasons or decor and it makes the house feel cozy, especially when paired with a nice blanket or throw.

My Top 7 Tips and Tricks 

for Throw Pillows on a Budget:

 

1.  Trade poly-fill for feathers!  Do you want the perfect soft pillow that you can easily fluff and perfectly "karate chop"?  If you do, only buy pillows that are duck feather or similar feather stuffed versions.  Poly-fil is stiff and over time it will clump inside the pillow and eventually go flat.  Washing them will only fluff them for so long and they are back to flat again before long.

2.  Purchase pillow forms/inserts and removable covers!  The key is to purchase duck feather inserts and pillow covers.  No need to have 50 million different pillows that you need to store when you're not using.  All you really need are the inserts and an assortment of interchangeable pillow covers.

3.  Sew your own pillow covers!  Honestly if you can sew a straight line, you can make a pillow.  If you can sew a straight line and install a zipper or fold it and close it with a button that's even better.  Or, consider a no-sew option, hot glue, fabric glue or fusible options work too.

4.  Buy larger pillows!  If you want your pillows to look substantial and high end, make them larger! I don't use anything smaller than a 20x20 pillow unless it's a tiny accent pillow to go along with the larger ones, but I never put out a small pillow on its own.  Smaller pillows tend to look a little lost on a piece of furniture so go for the bigger size and you'll be much happier with the look.

5.  My favorite place to buy pillow forms/inserts and covers?  This is my best tip of all.  Buy them at IKEA!!!  Not only are they super affordable, but every season they add or change the covers so you can create different looks.  I buy a ton of the plain white zipper covers and create custom pillows with them too.  Don't have an Ikea near you?  Neither do I, in fact the closest one is 4 hours from me by car.  I hit an Ikea in every city I visit and stuff them in my suitcase.  I usually travel several times a year for work so I've managed to make it work.  Over the last few years I've created a nice collection of both inserts and covers.  The inserts are vacuum sealed and rolled so they fit nicely in a suitcase.  Or, if you have friends or relatives near an Ikea ask them to make an Ikea run for you and mail them to you...most of the inserts and covers are not sold online so you have to get creative. 

6.  Why go to all that trouble for inserts and covers?  Well, for me it was the price.  Ikea sells duck feather inserts in 20x20 size for $5.99 and 26x26 for a few dollars more.  The 26x26 are great for beds!  That's crazy good and most of the pillow covers are between $4 and $7.

7.  Last but not least, you can make a pillow out of anything! Fabric is fabric, it can be off the bolt, your neighbors old disco shirt, parachute pants from the 80's, or even a bandanna, seriously anything can be made into a pillow as long as you have enough fabric.  I made the blue pillows on my rockers out of napkins from Target.

 While I realize not everyone can visit an Ikea, this is still the best deal I've found out there for pillow inserts.  My other hot tip?  You can sometimes find large pillow inserts at really good prices at Tuesday Morning.  On a recent trip there, I found Euro forms/inserts, although not feather stuffed, for only $9.99 each.  I've seen poly-fil inserts for four times that at other stores.

I hope you find these tips helpful in your quest for affordable pillow options!

Hello Spring!

Oh Spring, I've been waiting for you!  I don't know about all of you, but I was over winter a long time ago and mentally trying to move ahead to warmer weather and spring time projects.

I'm finally having my inventory liquidation sale on April 2nd, and it will be so nice to free up more space and free myself from the boxes of things I've had stored since my last show almost a year ago.  I didn't officially decide to stop selling until late last fall, but I'm glad I made the decision.  It is well with my soul--as they say ;)  If you're in my area, stop by!

I've got all sorts of projects I want to do and exciting things to plan for summer.  Family gatherings, concerts, BBQ's are much needed this year, not to mention our annual trek to the coast for my "ocean fix".   I'm looking forward to getting our yard and back patio ready for summer and putting in the garden. 

How about you?  What are you looking forward to the most for spring and summer?

Hall Closet Makeover

Hi Friends, are you ready for a closet transformation?  

Not gonna lie, the hall closet looked like a tornado hit it and FEMA never shown up to help me.  Okay, so this is not a federal emergency, but I'm pretty sure that if my closet could talk, it would beg to differ ;) It's been this way for a while and I just kept shoving more things in there and closing the door.  Out of site out of mind, right?

Well, I couldn't take it anymore and decided that the time had come to do something about it.  I didn't get all crazy and paint the inside or buy fancy bins and baskets.  I love pretty spaces, don't get me wrong, but when it comes to this hall closet, right now, I'm all about the utility of it and reusing what I have to make it work for us.    

Here's how I tackled this project:

First, I decided how I wanted to use the closet space. I wanted a place for a few coats, the downstairs vacuum and misc. items we use like light bulbs, tealights, batteries, and extra paper towels and toilet paper, first aid kit and extra hats and gloves.  All the little things like tealights and batteries have floated from drawer to drawer in the kitchen over the years but I'm in the process of organizing all of the drawers in there so these things needed to come out and find a new home.

If you're organizing a closet, do what works for the way you live in your home!

Next, I emptied the closet and hung the wire organizer on the door. I sorted through all the items I took out.  Coats were put in the donate pile. I had about 12 coats in this closet! Many items were either relocated or tossed/donated. I put items in bins that were previously loose on the shelf and labeled every container. 

I'm happy with the way it turned out, it's very user friendly and there's room for new items down the road.  

If I can share one piece of advice, it would be to make sure you leave room for new items if needed. A little breathing room is always nice and your closet will thank you! 

Down a County Road....A New Sign

Hi Friends!

 

I spent a little time adding new blinds to the kitchen windows recently.  I have to say, being a 40 something and climbing up and down a step ladder multiple times and standing on the counter is hard on a girl! I was totally sore the next day, no lie.  Gotta love a corner sink and window (not)...it's an awkward space and it's hard to reach.  It was all worth it in the end, because the new blinds look great.  While I was up there standing on my counters, I hung my new sign that I found in the basement of an antique shop in Minneapolis while on a recent trip.  I love it!  The minute I saw it I knew it would be coming home in my suitcase.  

I go back and forth on whether or not I want to put curtains on these windows. Being corner windows over the sink, it's almost better without them, what do you think?  If I put anything up it would be a cafe style, something without pattern because the rest of the curtains I made in this room have a lot of pattern. Decisions, decisions. 

New Cow vs. Old Cow

Does anyone remember that movie from the 90's Someone Like You?  Its main characters were Ashley Judd, Greg Kinnear, Hugh Jackman and Marisa Tomei?  I love that movie.  
If you've seen it you may recall that Ashley's character goes off the rails after being jilted and creates a fake woman with a fake theory on relationships which gets her in some hot water.  Her theory was based on animal science "new cow vs. old cow".  It's really a funny/sweet/romantic movie and if you've never seen it you should, it's great. She ends up with the right guy at the end.  Oh, and you get to see a young Hugh Jackman shirtless, just saying...never a bad thing....

That story doesn't have much to do with this post other than it reminded me of cows and to introduce you all to my new cow canvas print!  I love her...  She's sweet and all about the farm!  I have been on the lookout for a cute cow print for some time, not just any cow, but a white cow and was thrilled to find her waiting patiently for me to notice her cuteness last week while browsing the local Home Goods store.  The best part?  She was only $40!  Crazy good deal, thank you Home Goods!  This is not a post for Home Goods, just a shout out because I always find great home decor there.  I've seen similar colored canvas cow pictures online for well over $200 so this was a find!

 As much as I love my snowflake I really wanted to hang her up asap! So, down came the snowflake and up she went.  It's a large canvas so it fills the space above the mantel nicely. I think she may live here all spring and summer, we'll see.  

I plan to add white plates on either side too and add more spring touches soon. Have a great week friends! 

Sharing over at  The Scoop!