Easter Decor.....

Since the weather has definitely felt like SPRING, I thought it would be a good time to get out my Easter decorations. It is only 17 days away! I usually don't go all out for all the Holidays but Easter is one of my favorites and Spring is a great time to brighten things up. I'm soooooo glad I have an attic to store things in. I didn't realize how many boxes I had....

I keep things really simple during the winter on my faux firelace...

but it's always a great place to decorate...

I didn't realize how many bunnies I have!

Most of them I've picked up at yard sales or the thrift store...

I filled my jars up with Easter grass and eggs, then added a spring ribbon...

I'll show you what I did to the outside tomorrow. I hope you add a little Spring to your home.

 I'm sooooooo glad winter is over!

Spring hasSprung!

Finally, after a long hard winter and looking at this , what seemed like forever snow...

the weather warmed up. Actually we have been about 20 degrees warmer than it should be, 60's and sunny - all week!  Nothing makes it feel more like spring than warm, sunny days. And looking around my yard I found this...

A sure sign of Spring. The daffodills and crocus have started growing!

Welcome Spring!

Now it's time to start cleaning up the yard and spraying to keep the deer away -they love crocus and tulips. I have a wonderful recipe to keep them away. You have to spray it about twice a week , but it works.

4 - raw eggs        1 cup listerine mouthwash( could be generic)     

 gallon jug( I use an old milk jug rinsed out)   water

Whisk the raw eggs and pour into jug; add mouthwash; add enough water to fill jug; shake. Fill a spray bottle with mixture ( sometimes the sprayer clogs up so run water through it ) Store in garage. It smells the longer it sits, so I usually spray at night.

                                         

Plaid Curtains

I've always admired the black and white plaid curtains that I've seen in the country magazines but never thought they would look right in my green living room. Well, at my recent visit to JoAnn fabrics I found a beautiful plaid that I just fell in love with! I thought I would buy enough to make my curtains ( super easy if you know how to sew) and just kind of drape them and if the color didn't look right I could always return it. Well, I think they turned out great!

Here's a picture of my curtains before...

They were the toppers that are kind of puffy,

not too bad but I've had them up for 15 years!

(I hate the way the colors in my pictures look -much better in real life)

So, I painted my rod black and made two side panels...

I think they make the room feel so much bigger, I love the way they turned out.

Unfortunately the plaid doesn't show up very well in the pictures.

What do you think?

Rooster tassel

I recently was introduced to someone's rooster tassel, which I thought was beautiful , and  I thought I would try to make my own. Here's what you do...

First, find an object, like an ornament, or any small doller store critter you can screw an eye hook into the top for hanging. I found my Rooster at the thrift store. You will also need some fringe, various sizes and colors,  ribbon, a wooden candle holder, and hot glue.

If you don't have a hook in the top, drill a hole and screw in an eye hook. Glue, use an extra strength, the rooster to the bottom of the candle holder, let dry.

Next, roll your longest fringe to fit inside the candle holder. I found an old T-shirt at the thrift store that had fringe on it and then I cut it off. You don't need a lot, but fringe can be awfully expensive.

Roll the fringe to fit inside the holder...

Use your hot glue to glue the fringe inside the candle holder.

Next you have to cut various trims to go around the base, work longest to shortest. If you're using ribbon, fold it in half and glue it on, I used black macrame cord.

I finished mine off with some fluffy red scarf yarn. Cover all the wood.

The red isn't as bright as the picture shows.

Lastly, tie some ribbon or cording through the eye hook for hanging.

Not bad for my first one! I think the hardest part is to find just the right colors of ribbon and trim. Now I have to keep my eyes open when I go to the thrift store. Christmas ornaments would work great at the top, I just didn't see this in time. Great to hang from a lamp or a door, or any where you fancy. Try one!

Country Curtains - tour

Nothing cheers me up or brightens my day better than a walk through my local Country Curtains Store. The days here have been so cold and dreary, I thought I would just take a ride and browse through the store. The clerk was very kind and said I could take some pictures to share with you. If you don't have a store near you, you can check them out at http://www.countrycurtains.com/ . They are full of beautiful displays and inspiration. I hope you enjoy...

I love the bright blue, the warm reds and I adore the pale yellow walls!

What is your favorite?