Springtime Mantelscape

Hi everyone and happy Friday! I just can't believe the weather over the past few days because it has been phen-om-en-al to say the very least. We have been in the 70's here in the northeast almost hitting 80 degrees for March. That is a crazy insane some 30 degrees above our norm for this time of year. But I will take it! So I have been in like Spring overdrive giving the house a lighter brighter feel to help welcome one of my favorite seasons! This week I decided to tackle my mantel, and here is what she is looking like!

Yellow has been calling my name for about the last month so I have been buying up anything yellow by the truck loads. The other day while at Walmart I scored these pretty basket weave ceramic vases for only $2.50 each. They were then filled with white tulips and placed  atop of a few books to give the mantelscape some height variation.

Mr. Rabbit is busy gardening on the right side of the mantel... 

...while mama deer tends to her two doe on the left. This darling deer trio was purchased over 40 years ago by yours truly at the 5 and 10 cent store as a mother's day gift. My mom held onto them all these years and just recently gave them back to me. I think they are so sweet (have always loved their pretty painted eyes) and perfect for a springtime vignette.

Yellow tulips in a thrift shop watering can adorns the hearth... 

...and more on the coffee table. (As far as I am concerned you can NEVER have too many TULIPS!)

I still have a little way to go before my lighter fresher spring look is completed, and I'll be sure to keep you posted. To see my entire home decked out to welcome spring remember to stop back on Wednesday March 23rd for the full spring tour of 21 Rosemary Lane.

Have a great weekend!!!

XO

Sharing this post at link parties hosted by these wonderful blogs...

Cozy Little House

Major ReStore Score ~ Twin Headboards

Yesterday my sister Kim and I took a trip over to one of my favorite places to thrift shop...Restore! Now the last few times I was in there I made no big purchases just a few little items, so I wasn't really expecting to find anything yesterday. But as I was milling around I came across this incredible solid wood headboard for a single bed, complete with pineapple finials, for only $30! 

I closed my eyes and wished to myself that there would pleeease be a second headboard somewhere in the grouping of old  headboards. 

When I opened my eyes I carefully scanned the collection and low and behold...there was a second gorgeous headboard! 

Oh my stars my wish had been granted by the thrifting fairies! And trust me that never seems to happen!

Now if you have been following me this summer you may already know I have a couple of headboards which were castoffs from my friend Donna's beach house. I knew at some point I would probably replace them, I just didn't think it would happen so soon. 

Here are the original headboards I had in the bedroom...

...and here are the new ones!

And the best part was that my sweet sister Kim just happened to have in her pocketbook a coupon for 20% off an entire purchase of anything in the store. So for just around $50 I was able to purchase both headboards.

I debated as to whether or not I should paint them, but the wood is so beautiful I couldn't really entertain the thought for anymore then about a 30 seconds.

I am so thrilled with my big score I could just squeal! The total cost for the new furniture in this room comes out to a whopping $110.

$60 for the yard sale dresser and $50 for the ReStore headboards. (To see the entire room including some really disgusting before photos, just click here.)

Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful long holiday weekend! 

The kiddies go back to school today so I will be performing my annual "Happy Dance" in the middle of the block as the bus pulls away.

Toodles!!!

XO

Sharing this post at link parties over at these wonderful blogs...

Stone Gable ~ The Scoop

A Stroll Thru Life

A Front Porch to Welcome Spring!

Its done!!!

Yay!!

I finally got into the mood to decorate our front porch for spring after some really nice days last weekend and the early part of this week. Only mother nature decided to pull a fast one and she yanked the rug of warm weather out and then zapped us with some pretty cool temperatures over the last two days.

Geeeesh!

As for pulling the porch together the first item I added was a place to sit, so out came my new thrift store wicker chair. It's placed on an angle so I can see our neighbors pass by on their spring walks and jogs.

I then added a little white table my sister had given me a few years back and adorned it with a couple coordinating metal lanterns. It is contrasted with one rustic lantern which literally has been sitting on my front porch through the entire winter.

Now I had the wreath hanging on the plain white siding, but that was just it...it was too plain.

So today as I was driving to pick up my friend Peggy, we were heading out for a cappuccino and a little girl talk, I passed by a house which had a bunch of doors sitting next to the road with a sign on it FREE. Oh well that was the perrrrrfect price so I grabbed one of them and stuffed it into the back of the minivan. 

Then I lucked out again because after I pulled out the door from the van I realized one side was already painted a pale sage green. I placed the door, green side out, behind my little white table and then using a metal wreath hanger, I hung the spring wreath. It was just the thing to beak up that long boring wall.

My ASC Antibes green chair came out of the entry to join the spring party on the front porch! 
Two Terra Cotta pots I had painted for a project a couple years ago and then left outside since then, were placed on the seat of the chair. I love the chippy paint look.

A rustic bucket of hydrangea were placed on the small shelf of the table and a pretty green carpet from the Christmas Tree Shop was added to the floor.

And that is my spring porch for 2014!

I hope you are enjoying a little warmer weather than we are here in the northeast. It is barely getting out of the 40's today. But hey if it stays cold it won't bother me, because we are heading for sunny Florida on Saturday!

Woo hoo!!!

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday weekend!

XO

Sharing this post at these wonderful blog link parties...

Common Ground

Coastal Charm

Thrifty Wicker Chair Find

This past Thursday I drove myself down to PA to get my 5 week cut and color. Yes I drive for an hour and a half to the best hair stylist ever!!  I actually started going to Lina in 1987 so it is a LONG standing relationship between the 2 of us and I just love her to death!

Well anyhow, as I was driving down I had to go through the cute  town of Hatboro and as I drove I spotted this wicker chair proudly displayed out in front of this little thrift shop. I thought to myself that if the chair is still there on my way back I will stop, providing I can find fast parking, and check it out!

Well it was and I did!

And it's real wicker not the new resin material, and it is in really great shape! Since $35 dollars was all I had on me I offered the shop owner about $8 below the asking price. He said "It's a deal" and bam I had a new wicker chair.

For now it is in Grace's room until the weather gets nice and I want to use it on my back patio. I went in to shoot my pictures this morning and this is the scene I walked into.

Too Cute right?

Also don't forget that there is only about 12 more hours to enter my Pfaltzgraff giveaway! Click on the picture below to be taken to the post where you can enter.

 The winner will be drawn and announced tomorrow!

Good Luck!!!

And enjoy the rest of the day!!!

XO

21 Rosemary Lane's Big Reveals of 2013

This year 21 Rosemary Lane had 3 big makeovers both inside and out.

. 

Mantel Reveal

The year started with Mr. Rosemary Lane finally tackling a MAJOR project I have wanted done for quite some time now which was building a much more substantial mantel and surround. 

When we moved into 21 Rosemary Lane our living room looked like this...

Pretty blasky right??? Then a few years later  bookcases were added to flank the fireplace...

Much better but still in need of the "WOW" factor! So the beginning of the 2013 saw this change.

Ahhh...very cozy and warm...this is what I have been dreaming of for years! 

To see the entire post just click here

Back Patio Reveal

The next reveal was our thrifty back patio. This year the patio was refurnished on a $5 dollar budget. Most everything was either a roadside find or a yard sale score.

The Breakdown...

1. Hand me down table and 4 chairs from my parents 17 years ago...cost $0

2. Serving cart which was a yard sale casualty from 2 years ago...cost $0

3. Wicker rocker was a yard sale find...cost $5

4. Freebie table from my sister Kim...cost $0

5. Wicker love seat found on the side of the road last summer...cost $0

6. End table re-purposed into a coffee table was a curbside find from just last month...cost $0

7. Curbside find from last year that I found on my own block...cost $0. (To see the rocking chair before it's paint job just click here.)

8. (Not in Picture) The small wicker table between the love seat and rocker was a $2 yard sale find my sister purchased and then passed on to me...cost $0

To see the entire patio click here

Dining Room Reveal

And finally the last reveal just happened a few weeks ago. Our red red red dining room received a fresh new look!

The color above the chair rail is Boothbay Gray and from the chair railing on down is Navajo White, both colors by Benjamin Moore paints. The new color, and the beautiful wainscoting Mr. Rosemary Lane added, seem to make this room feel not only larger but also allows the furniture to take center stage!

The windows were also treated to new Jacobean Floral drapes from Country Curtains.

To see the entire makeover just click here

The project ideas up my sleeve for 2014 includes a master bedroom makeover and possibly some more changes in the living room. Once the weather begins to warm attention will turn to 21 Rosemary Lane's exterior and in taking on the project of painting the white brick facade plus the addition of new shutters. 

So 2014 should prove to be a very exciting year!!! 

XO

$5 Worth of Furniture and a Back Patio Reveal

I am an absolute genius!!!! Either that or I have managed to totally luck out...most likely it's the latter. This year our back patio was updated with a few new items. Almost all glass items from the space have been removed since our dog Buster took out one of my glass top end tables last month. I also incorporated a couple thrifty craft ideas which cost virtually nothing! 

In this patio update I really wanted to bring more vibrant color to our beautiful outdoor living space. My jumping off point was actually the colors of the love seat's cushions which were purchased at the end of last summer. Then a bright lemon yellow and bold ocean blue were infused into the overall color palette. One brown pillow was kept on the love seat to tie it to the brown of the carpet.

The first easy peasy craft  idea is my shatterproof home made vase below. To see what it was made from and how this look was achieved, just click here.

Last summer I created a wine cork serving tray from an old tray which had been lying around the house. To see how this transformation was done click here.

 For only $17 I did splurge and purchase two cute wire candle holders over at the Christmas Tree Shop.

I still have the glass top cart on the patio but the plan is to replace the glass with either wood or a metal grating. Right now it is in a very "out of the way" spot, so it should remain safe from destruction. The Lemon color tablecloth I found at Kohls today for $15. The cute place mats I picked up for only 50 cents each at an end of the summer clearance sale a couple years ago.

By the way the floor is nothing more than painted concrete. To see the tutorial you will need to click here.

So here is the breakdown of the cost for furnishing our back patio...

1. Hand me down table and 4 chairs from my parents 17 years ago...cost $0

2. Serving cart which was a yard sale casualty from 2 years ago...cost $0

3. Wicker rocker was a yard sale find...cost $5 

4. Freebie table from my sister Kim...cost $0

5. Wicker love seat found on the side of the road last summer...cost $0

6. End table re-purposed into a coffee table was a curbside find from just last month...cost $0

7. Curbside find from last year that I found on my own block...cost $0. (To see the rocking chair before it's paint job just click here.)

8. (Not in Picture) The small wicker table between the love seat and rocker was a $2 yard sale find my sister purchased and then passed on to me...cost $0

Total cost for all of the furnishings...

A whopping five dollars!!

In addition to my previous purchases of the yellow table cloth and wire candle holders, this year I spent another $150 on the new outdoor carpet to anchor my seating arrangement, three outdoor throw pillows found on clearance over at Pier One, and eight curtain panels purchased this week at the Christmas Tree Shop. So for just $182 spent this summer, my back patio received a brand new look.

I just adore the colors of our living space, it's so fresh and cheerful with a very cool vibe! I hope I may have given you an idea or two for sprucing up an outdoor retreat of your own. Remember to keep your eyes open and your mind creative when it comes to furnishing any room in your home!

Wishing you a fabulous weekend!!

Now where did I put my coffee and HGTV magazine?

XO

Sharing this post at link parties over at these super blogs...

From My Front Porch to Yours

Common Ground

It's Overflowing

Nifty Thrifty Things

The Tablescaper

BeColorful

Ivy &Elephants

No Minimalist Here

Cedar Hill Ranch

Savvy Southern Style

The Thrifty Groove