Abby's Way: 2017

Christmas 2017- Part One

Welcome!
I'm sure you have been just as busy as most everyone else this season. I always have great plans to be on point with everything. My to-do list gets bigger instead of smaller, and lately I seem to run out of steam before I get to the end of each day, which may be this merciless cold.
If you have visited before then you may be aware how much I enjoy decorating. Well the house is decorated and I'm ready to share! Come see.

First let me just say that I am a hoarder. I like to hold on to old decorations in case I can change them up and add them into nooks and crannies. Adding to that , I do have a fairly good sized storage room, and at this point in our lives there is no talk of down sizing or moving so I will continue to hoard. Yaay! This year I have really fallen away from the matchy-matchy monotone look. I LOVE that look. Love it. But my style has changed, more colour, more texture, and just an overall more is more look. It is where I am at right now, a full mix up of a bit of everything and it feels very cosy to us.
You may already know that I collect a Santa each year. Since the first Christmas my husband and I lived together and counting. So I have over twenty seven Santas around our home. This one is our pick for the year...Mr. Claus 2017!

I thought that these two would look good hanging out together. The tall Santa is from a few years ago, but I noticed him for sale still at Winners.

This mix of metals garland was purchased earlier at Micheal's. Had this mix hanging alone off the mantle but it seems to work better having the silver beads in there too.

Our tree is covered with layers of ornaments, new and old. I usually add a few balls each year, creating an evolving eclectic mix.

Some have been bought or given, and some are homemade.

When travelling we would pick out an ornament for tree. A tradition that I am so glad we've managed to continue.

We were lucky enough to get the family together, with the exception of one, for an early Christmas celebration. Christmas Part One!
As the girls get older things change and so do our holidays, and that's ok! We all had so much fun playing a LOT of board games and constant grazing!

Oh so mature! Some things never change! Really wished I checked the pictures before I thought I had a good one... oh well, jokes on them...now they are on my blog being brats!

Stay tuned for Christmas Part Two!

Mixed Paint

Welcome!

I don't know about you, but this is the time of year I

like to get busy cleaning and refreshing the inside of our home.

I write a list of the jobs I would like to see finished

come summer time and then I get busy.

I don't always get through the list, but it's usually a crazy HUGE list.

Mission impossible, kind of list.

However, this spring I have managed to make off most of

my painting projects! Wonderful feeling!

And today I am excited to share with you my freshly painted master bath.

I found a great deal on paint when I did our bedroom. And if that

wasn't enough, I managed to squeeze out enough paint

to create a fresh ensuite.

Got. To. Love. That!

I actually mixed one part Arden Forge with one part

white, making the dried walls a soft blue, with out being

too femine. I think I would name it lavender blue.

I don't know how I did it, but it matches the color

swatch I was going to have mixed.

Using up paint and supplies from the paint closet made this

paint project FREE!

As I work from room to room on my list, I like to

update different issue that we are having in each space.

This bathroom needed pretty storage. So after hanging the shelf up

I bought baskets that nestled neatly on it.

You can see our bedroom update HERE

Hope this inspires you to play in your home!

Now I'm on to the kitchen!

No painting involved, just some serious cleaning and a few 'art' projects!

Fresh Paint-getting things done!

Good Morning! I'm feeling pretty happy that we are into November. This year I was ready to take Halloween down early. Weird, well, weird for me. I'm super excited to get on with my Christmas decorating. BUT before that I have a bit of a to-do list for around the house.

First thing, the hallway.

The Hallway has felt very bland and dated to me lately. It was painted when we moved in from a ketchup red, please excuse the blurry picture, to this warm light brown. Nothing wrong with it, but I am in need of change, and it's only paint.

First the red...

then we went to a warm light brown...

and now...a fresh grey/blue.

My tastes are definitely headed into a new direction, farther away from the neutral color scheme that I was so comfortable with. Instead I am drawn to blues, purples, I am even playing with the idea of
a green and grey mix for our dining room table set. I am still on the fence with that one, but , it is in the thinking process! Again, it's only paint...and maybe a little fabric.
Back to the hallway...
I did think about stencilling this wall, but that's been dropped for the moment.

After painting I realized that some of my trays would look fun on this wall. They add the texture and playfulness I was looking for. I've hung my favourites up and now I am on a hot pursuit for a few more pieces to fill in the holes.

Maybe even working my way with the basket/tray gallery onto the living room wall adding in the large clock.

With a fresh coat of paint on the foyer walls, I've decided to switch up some of my mirrors in the house. Pulling these two mirrors out of my daughters bedroom, giving this space a fresh feel.

Another to-do was the Chalkboard wall. I needed to paint the entire wall with chalk board paint...why did I only paint a patch before?

Chalkboard wall painted and cured. LOVE IT!

Now I need to practice my chalkboard art.

Alright, I've knocked off a couple of things from the "to do before Christmas Decorating" list.

Now I'm working on a few more project, then I will share again.

Hope you are all staying warm.

Happy Halloween

Halloween 2017

She's ba-ack!

Perched on her seat, watching the front door. Guarding us from any curious on lookers.

It seems as though her feathered and fury friends have followed her here too. Finding resting spots through out the house.

A tiny owl on watch, looking out the front door window as well. (The brass canister is a candle with a very strong scent and I only light it on occasion. I bought it for the canister.)

Another owl has perched herself on my twigs to keep an eye on things too.

Ravens are resting on my bakers cupboard. I think they are waiting for leftovers from dinner!

Such a mischievous witch, she's taken up our dining room shelves. She got herself ready to mix up her favourite toxic potions! I hope they aren't for us...

In the living room you'll find more owls, and pumpkins. She leaves her stuff everywhere.

I like what she's done with the Christmas Cactus and the cauldron candle. They work well together, the tentacle like leaves mirroring the witch's legs flailing in the air. Did she do that on purpose?

At least she's just a seasonal guest. I'll let her stay until the first of November.

Halloween Decorating on Budget

I like to think of myself as a thrifty girl. Before I discard anything I try to imaging how I can re-use it. Breathing new life into an old unwanted item is extremely satisfying for me. Most of the time it's on to it's third or fourth revamping. I Love That.

Like this clock, I bought it a long time ago at a second hand store. It was covered in painted flowers and ribbons . It just didn't fit my style at all but I loved the shape of it. I taped off the face of the clock and spray painted it black. Super easy and now it gets pulled out often to use in different arrangements.
You can see it here being used for New Year's Eve display, a few years ago.

Ribbons are also a great way to save. I reuse them year after year in different ways. They add colour
and texture in spots where nothing else will fit. But the best part of ribbon is the multitude of colours they come in, allowing them to fit in any scheme.

Except cast offs. Free is always a good thing.

Another tip would be to get busy crafting. Such a great way to get exactly what you want, and there are such helpful sites out there to lead you through any project you want to conjure.

Shop after season sales, if you can be patient and wait for that item to go on sale. I'm always happy to see those pieces the following year. Actually, this year it seems as though Halloween decorations have already been marked down and Christmas Decor is moving in. It's very confusing to see Halloween and Christmas displayed on the same shelf. (Should I feel spooky or joyful??) THAT is scary! I feel like in Canada, Remembrance Day should be honoured before Christmas gets pulled out onto the shelves.

Anyways...Have fun with it! Mix your favourites up and see what happens!

My favourite fur ball, sleepy from his walk and following me around the house, shuffling Halloween decor.