Halloween.....

I want to send prayers of safety to everyone on the East Coast in the wake of the devastating storm. I pray that everyone is okay and clean up is safe and fast.

I also want to wish you all a Happy and safe Halloween!

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Jen

When everyone is a winner....

I want to extend special thank you to Kelly at Eclectically Vintage for featuring my home in a tour this weekend! She's so sweet!

I was on speech team in High school my senior year. I never won a first place trophy; but I did win a ton of second and third place medals. They always said I was too dramatic to win first.. go figure.....

The first time I won a trophy was at a fireman's golf outing. I won for highest score... which in golf  I guess is not such a good thing; it actually means I had the worst score out of the 150 people who played. However, I did get a trophy and those other losers who had better scores didn't. Ha. :) Boo-yeah!

I came across  a slew of these at the thrift store and  I thought it would be such a cute and updated idea for a boys room to attack them with a couple of cans of spray paint.

You could also do these in a girl's room with pastel colors, or as sporting event center pieces too.

You could even do them as an birthday party, or for an athletic couples wedding center pieces and glitter the heck out of them.

Glitter makes everything better.

 I always find these for super cheap, and when I say super cheap, I mean under $2 each.

 How cute as a shelf display or as a set of bookends?

Batter up!

Jen

Linking up to East Coast Creative!

 

Fabuslously Creative Friday linky!

I am a bad blogger, I almost forgot! I am getting the kids to bed, and we are already late so let's get this party started!

E-course updates, info and details....

I can't believe there are over 700 people in the class and almost 900 on the ning site!
I am so glad those of you taking the class are loving all of the videos and projects!! It's so exciting after all of these months of hard work!

There are some great decorating discussions and people are already whipping out my upholstery webbing jute basket! You ladies are amazing!!!!

 You can still register, registration closes Monday! 

*If you have already registered here is some info for you.*
-Everyone who has registered has received a welcome letter. Please check your spam folder and trash.
-Please double check your e-mail. If you happened to register under a joint paypal. Whoever's paypal e-mail it is linked to is the one the course is linked to. It may be different than your own.
-Make sure you didn't pay with one e-mail and are trying to use another for the course.
-Make sure you go to the ning site and join the site. You will then need to join the group and get approval. This may take a few hours as Jeanne has to do everyone manually and cross check it with your payment. Please be patient!
-Once you are on the group site, the classes are listed under pages. Once you get there it is a good idea to look around and check things out a bit and get to know the site a little. If you are having any issues check the Forum for answers for the most common issues. Many of them are really simple things.
-of you are still having issues please e-mail Jeanne with your order number.

Thanks!!!
Jen

Mini-Halloween hop....!

Kelly, Lucy and I have decided to do a mini-Halloween hop to show off some of our spooky decor.

I have my Edgar Allen Poe inspired mantel to show you today!

 We had a show in Chicago called the Son of Svengoolie where they showed those old black and white horror shows. It was on Saturday afternoons, just after the last morning cartoon ended  and just before my Dad sat down to watch (boring) golf. They were just scary enough to make you peek around doors and make you jump onto your bed at night with a running start with out letting your feet get near the space at the bottom. There were no feet hanging over  the edge those nights.

 They would often play old Edgar Allen Poe movies, which I loved, even thought they scared the pee out of me. So I added some elements to evoke that feeling 

of an old, creepy mansion with all of the clock faces and a Halloween candlabra.

 Of course I needed a  Raven.

And some vintage clocks for the ticking of the heart under the floor boards in "The Tell-tale heart." I think the black and white graphics go together so well for Halloween.

The pumpkin lady is my stand in for the ladies in the really dark and freaky "Tales of terror"

 And the bird cage in the first picture represents the mansion in "The House of Usher."

 I added my skull tulle garland that I made waaaaaay back in 2008, when my house was scarier than this mantel.

And I added another raven and a stack of vintage books as an homage to the master of horror. I wanted the feeling of a creepy old library.

 And of course I needed a warty pumpkin... no reason other than  I had to have a warty pumpkin.Because warty pumpkins are cool. I looked at this picture later and I realized that the book I put it on made it look like I was crushing the poor lady. Sorry Tracey Porter.

tick-tock

Boo to you!!!!
I hope you enjoyed my mini-tour!

you can stop over by these other creeeeeepy houses for the rest of the hop!

 

Holiday housewalk date announced! Mark your calendars!!!

The Creatively Made Home e-course launched with a bang, and on the tail of that, I wanted to announce the date for the next Holiday Housewalk!!!!

Last year was a huge success and you can still take the entire tour from start to finish!

I am already so excited for this year! While I have some amazing returning homes; I also have some new homes and some even better surprise homes!! All of the homes participating are going to be top secret for  a while. :)

I'll announce the big line-up like I did last year the week before. And just like last year, we'll also do a HUGE holiday party where you link up YOUR holiday home! Are you excited already?! Christmas is actually my favorite holiday of the year, if you can't tell....I am telling you it's almost unnatural how excited I am about the holidays!I am ready to pull everything out and it's not even the end of October yet! You would think I was Hobby Lobby or something. :)

Last year, I sat down every day with a big plate of cookies and a big mug of cocoa (I am not kidding), and went through every house, getting fat and happy on treats and holiday decor!

So, drum roll please.. the dates are:

Yay!!!!!!

And even though my decor from last year is featured in this holiday issue of Romantic Homes. I am going to change it all up for you my peeps! It'll be like a brand new house!!!

Jen

The Creatively Made Home is here and a sneaky peek at Jeanne Oliver!!!!

Holy cow! It starts today! How crazy is that?

Jeanne Oliver is the mastermind behnid the whole operation and she is the last sneak peek!

I adore Jeanne's home .

and if you have followed her blog for awhile you know a few things about her:

She loves her family, she loves to create, she cherishes her  true friendships, she has an amazingly have deep faith and she delights in her home.

And she is not afraid of change and taking chances. Like how she moves on ahead in her business where other people would pause, or she fearlessly paints her slate tile on her fireplace.

She loves using details to make her life lovely.

she does amazing things for her kids like home school them. I am not so brave.Or patient.

She will talk about:

*her personal journey with my home and family

*her design influences

* How she found her own style and began incorporating it

* favorite recipes and photos of her home

* live, online discussion with members of the course to ask whatever they wish about her style, home, passions.

*Share 10 project videos in different areas that are true to how she incorporates her creativity and passions in everyday living.

she will show you how to:

 Alter your own lamp shades and make little changes (for next to nothing) that will make a huge difference in your rooms.

all the ways in her home that she has incorporated vintage linens.

How you can make your own silhouettes and how to even incorporate them into gifts for your families.

She has a lot of food and chemical allergies in this home and she will show you how to make your own natural cleaning projects (you probably already have everything you need in your pantry).

and it all starts today!!!

You can still join the course.

You can even come and check out the site even if you are not registered for the course.

It is going to be an incredible, creative community.

One last reminder of what you will find in the course:

* Live discussions with the hosts each week

* We will take one of YOUR rooms each week and all five hosts will give design suggestions for your space

* Each person registered will get a simple entertaining e-book.  This will be for you to download and keep forever.

It will have recipes, photos and stories that will inspire you to open your homes and not worry about everything being perfect.

* Over 50 project and decorating videos.

* Real discussions videos about our homes, finding your style, finding contentment with what you have, true hospitality and so much more.

* Photos, photos, photos!

To register click HERE.

To see our new site click HERE.

We can’t wait to share the course with you!

Jen

Home sweet home.....

 I wanted to reference Jeanne's post she wrote from the other day.

I know sometimes women tend to do a lot of comparing.
 I know, because I do it too.
 Even though I do love my house, and I feel like we've put our heart into it; I admit I sometimes
 look at bigger homes with envy sometimes.

Source: houseandhome.com via Jen on Pinterest

It can also happen when we see a blogger's home, and their home looks like something that should be in a magazine, but we don't realize that they probably cleaned and staged (at least that room for their pictures), because on a normal day a large majority of the time their home is  probably just as big of a wreck as the rest of ours. I admit to cleaning before pictures. My friend ,Mark, was talking about my house in the holiday issue of Romantic Homes, and he said he almost didn't recognize it because there wasn't any "craft crap or kids stuff everywhere." Reality check. Thanks Mark. :)

Sometimes I wish we just had those few extra rooms, or  a basement, or a garage, maybe or all of them so that stuff wasn't so cluttery.

Source: google.com via Jen on Pinterest

The  thing is, we all have for now what we are given. And with this class,we hope you can find the beauty in what you do have. You don't have to have a lot of money either. There are so many things you can do with a really limited budget to make your home a place that fits you and your family. And feel good about your space. So that your home looks like you. How do I know?
We live on a public servant's salary with some debt we are trying to pay off. It wasn't until I started working these last two years that life seemed financially manageable. When there is not a lot of free cash, you get really creative. That is why I am so proud of this girl.

Source: phoebehoward.net via Jen on Pinterest

As people are joining the class, it is amazing to see the pictures they are posting.
Some peoples homes are amazing an blow mine away. Some people are just beginning on the journey of their home. And all of those places are good places to be.

Even if you are not taking the course, you can become a member of the creative community.
you can connect share and join in on chat rooms and in forums.

Jen
P.S. I am actually going to turn off the comments today. Have a great weekend!!!

Fabulously Creative Friday!!!

I am totally wigging out that The Creatively Made Home is launching Monday! I am so excited about how many of you have signed up, I hope you love it! I think it's perfect timing too. I don't know about you, but I am in that fall nesting mode (...and up to my eyeballs in Christmas  with my wholesale accounts.) :) and ready to settle into some really good home/lifestyle videos and projects.

I also want to give  a shout out to the Nada farm sale this weekend. Normally I vend there, but I had baby-sitting issues with this weekend. If you are able to go, say "Hi" to every one for me.

I am  looking forward to seeing all of your fabulously creative things like:

This mantel at City Farmhouse

This sweet painted picture frame at Savvy Southern Style

The good stuff Must love junk found in my own hometown of Chicago

And this amazing pallet art at Cottage in the Oaks.

Link up your creative things! Linky love is not required but is appreciated! Please link directly to your post and not your blog.

Jen