Pinspiration: Labor Day Weekend Style

Labor Day is next Monday, and I'm already thinking about what to do with my Monday off work - I'm hoping for an invitation to the lake, but staying home, turning on the grill, and watching Norma Rae again also seems like a good option. We've been in school for three weeks already and this teacher is exhausted.

What are your plans for Labor Day?

Favorite Pins: Memorial Day Inspiration

Is it just me, or has Memorial Day snuck up on us this year? For some reason I could not wrap my brain around the unofficial start of summer being a week earlier than usual. I'm definitely looking forward to the long weekend. Here's some plans that have me hoping and wishing for a laid-back lake weekend sometime very soon.

What are your Memorial Day plans?

DIY: Patriotic Washi Tape Decor for Independence Day

Since our family's annual vacation always coincides with Independence Day (thanks, furniture industry), I don't really go all out in decorating for what's actually one of my favorite holidays.  This year, I wanted to add just a little quick patriotic flair to our home decor without spending any money.  I ended up creating three little vignettes based around two of my favorite things - words and crafting!  I started out by "shopping" around the house for red, white, and blue craft supplies, books, and other decorative items.

I grabbed some washi tapes I'd purchased for former projects, some cute twine and straws from the dollar bin at Target and was starting to get inspired.  Throw in the chipboard letters I've had hanging around the craft shelf since I used them to make the pennant banner for our wedding's cake table, and I had my theme.

I tend to both clean and decorate rooms in a clockwise order, so I started in one corner and worked my way around the living room and kitchen.  Since we don't have a mantel, I always like to keep some decorative items on the ends of our entertainment console.  In this corner, I started with a vintage Roget's Thesaurus and milk glass vase from our wedding centerpieces.  The flowers are Sweet William and Statice from the grocery store - very budget friendly, and they look like fireworks!  I love the tabs in the thesaurus.

On the other end of the console, more wedding books and milk glass along with leftover pinwheel favors from Aubrey's Etsy shop to tie in with my wordy theme.  The candleholders were such an easy craft - I grabbed blue and white candles in glass containers from my stash, peeled off their original labels, and got creative with my washi tape while watching television one night.  Keep in mind that more cylindrical or square containers are easier to tape stripes on than ones with a tapered shape.

In the kitchen, I used a Pier1 cake stand from our wedding to hold three jars of goodness - I chose three glass jars of different heights to create a visual triangle.  The taller two are real Mason jars, but the shortest one was holding artichoke hearts just a few days ago!  My white teapot, a gift from my mama, is also from Pier1 and holds some flowers from my container garden.

Instead of actually making any words with my chipboard letters, I decided to display the letters themselves.  The daisy Mason jar lid is from one of my favorite affiliates, the Plaid Barn, and a leftover from Breeze's bridal shower.

I just love the farmhouse style a cake stand stacked with Mason jars adds to my kitchen, and the pop of red, white, and blue makes me smile every time I walk by!

Happy Independence Day!  Do you have anything special planned?

Linking Up With:

Catch as Catch Can at My Repurposed Life

Creativity Unleashed Party at Shaken Together

DIY Party Time at DIY Show Off

Eat. Create. Party! at Endlessly Inspired

Inspire Me Please at Liz Marie Blog

Pinworthy Projects Party at Just Us Four

Wednesday Whatsits at Real Housemoms

Whimsy Wednesday at Simply Designing

Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday at Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons

Serenity Saturday at Serenity You

This Project Was Featured:

Style: Go Team USA!

Team USA's Opening Ceremony uniforms by Ralph Lauren received a lot of media attention, most of it negative.  Somehow, our athletes' busy American flag printed sweaters looked much better en masse during the Parade of Nations than they had on the models on our morning talk shows!  If you're looking for something that's patriotic but a little less grandma for your Closing Ceremonies festivities, here are a few suggestions:

Disclaimer:  ModCloth links contain an affiliate code.

View this set on Polyvore

1. ModCloth scarf  2. The North Face jacket from Macy's  
3. Polo Ralph Lauren Team USA Go For Gold mittens  
4. GAP snowboarding tee (worth going over to the men's department)  
5. Weathercast quilted jacket from Kohl's
6. The Hut fur-trimmed vest  7. ModCloth sneakers 
8. Essie nail polish in "Russian Roulette" from Target (couldn't resist!)
9. Lucky Brand loafers from Lord and Taylor

Linking Up With:
Casual Friday at Two Thirty-Five Designs
Favorite Fashion Friday at Penniless Socialite 

home envy: log cabin interiors

Yesterday, I shared a few of my favorite log home designs from around the web.  Today, I wanted to show that the insides log cabins can go way beyond that North Woods, paddles and moose theme we've all seen a million times.  Just about any interior design style can look even cooler when juxtaposed with the natural wood, high ceilings and light-filled spaces that characterize most log homes!

Design Shuffle

The most unexpected interior decorating style for a log home is probably a modern style, but this living room by Jennifer Visosky of Grace Home Design, Inc is totally cool and contemporary.  I especially like the Union Jack wall hanging!

Interior Design Pro

This is more of a classic log cabin interior, but notice the distinct lack of bears and canoes!  Instead, check out that awesome stone fireplace and wooden mantel shelf.  The accents are a little bit vintage, a little bit rustic.

OC Designer Source

How about an elegant log cabin interior?  The chandeliers and dark wood in this space remind me of wine country.

LogHome.com

I featured the exterior of this log home yesterday; the casual interior is so inviting.  I especially love the built-in bookshelf and I am a sucker for two-story living rooms.

Eye for Design

Finally, here's a log cabin decorated in a farmhouse style complete with cow and sheep paintings!

wedding wednesday: Americana

Maddie B Photography via One Hitched Lane

Maddie B Photography via One Hitched Lane

Ashley Rose Photography via Green Wedding Shoes

patriotic home decor: for memorial day and beyond...

I was supposed to be a July baby - my due date was Independence Day.  Apparently, I had other plans, and came into the world on May 29th.  Being a May baby definitely has its perks: strawberry birthday cake, "summer blockbuster" options for theater outings, and, obviously, sandal weather.  Sometimes, my birthday falls on Memorial Day - I suppose I traded one patriotic holiday for another.

While this isn't one of those magical years, I look forward to the long weekend, the official beginning of cookout season, and the opportunity to show my gratitude to my family members and friends who have served our county in the Armed Forces.  I also look forward to getting out my red, white, and blue rag wreath and adding patriotic touches to the country townhouse.  As a kid reading my mama's Better Homes and Gardens and Country Living magazines, I imagined grown-up me living in a white farmhouse with a lot of Americana- red, white, and blue look so fresh and happy in home decor.  While that dream hasn't come true quite yet, I love finding ways to add these colors to our living space!

I love this porch featured on My Bunny Go Boom - and the adorable Westie doesn't hurt either :)

Bunting is such a great way to add instant impact to an outdoor space - it's perfectly nostalgic and, paired with a porch swing, you can pretty much be transported to Mayberry.

Plow and Hearth

While a Colonial flag crock is probably too much of a patriotic commitment for our limited front porch space, planting red, white, and blue flowers in our window box is something I am definitely considering as a weekend project...

Pottery Barn

The stylists at Pottery Barn have been getting patriotic home decor right probably since before I was born - they never overdo it.  This casual space has just enough America without looking like Ted Nugent lives there.

sunday simplicity #88:

I just had to share these photos from my friend Jessica's wedding.  Jessica is a total Southern belle who loves antiques and primitive art, and that was reflected in her wedding, which had a lot of DIY elements.  Her photos are by Tiffany Maxfield Photography.