Apothecary Jars

Apothecary jars are some of my favorite things! They can look so elegant and sophisticated.


Put them in the bathroom filled with all things bathroom! Loofahs, soaps, shells, bath salts with scoop. Heck, even the rice looks bathroomy!


Your bathroom looks like this, right? I wish mine did! But until I can get a bathroom like this I can at least decorate it this way!


You can put apothecary jars in your kitchen too. Fill with pasta, rice, cookies, or even trinkets that match your other kitchen decor.


Fill with flowers or other greenery for centerpieces in the dining room.


Apothecary jars are great to fill with things specific to each holiday. Christmas is my favorite! I love the look of shiny Christmas ornaments in apothecary jars. Or fill them with candy! Who doesn't like a giant jar of candy!




Like I said, keep the same apothecary jars (they can be a little pricey) and just change out the contents for the season/holiday.

Books

Got a bunch of books? Or got a bookshelf that you don't know what to do with?



Book shelves aren't only for books. Display fun stuff, things you got from vacations, or other treasures on your bookshelves. It's a bit more interesting to look at a bookshelf with more than just books on it.



Also, you don't need to stack books upright in long rows anymore. It's much trendier to stack some laying down too. It's more pleasing to the eye to have a little variety. You can get bored looking at rows and rows of the same thing. (Not that you plan on staring at your bookcase all day long, but you know what I mean.)



Books don't only need to go on your bookcase. They can go on any flat surface that needs something on it. Plus, having books around makes you look smarter, so throw a few under that candy dish sitting on your coffee table!

My awesome background....

I have to give credit for my fabulous blog background to ShabbyBlogs.com! I totally love this girl's stuff! I use it all on my other blogs too! I think she created her designs with me in mind! Check out her website for some great designs and check out her blog for some great tips!

Where my ideas come from...

I wanted to start this blog mainly to keep all my ideas together. And then of course I thought I'd share. Most (99.9%) of my ideas will not come from my own home. These ideas are mostly for what I'd like to do. I don't have the money to do all that my imagination (and pictures found on the internet) dream up so I just store it up for later. (There will be a later!) I will give some ideas of cheaper ways to accomplish looks that I find and love. Ever watch the HGTV show Sensible Chic? That's what I'm talkin about! I just checked out that website and found a living room inspiration that cost $100,000 and they re-created it for $2,000! When I talk about making things yourself, my ideas will more likely be $500 inspirations that you can create for $30! I have high hopes!

Well, I hope you enjoy perusing my ideas and I hope some of them actually help you out!

Mirrors

I love mirrors! They can really open up a room! Especially big ones like these Floor Mirrors. You might not realize how much difference a mirror makes until you remove one that's always been there. We are redoing our bathroom and when the mirror came out I felt like I was walking into a hole!



Large floor mirrors can get on the expensive side, but if you can wing it, it's a great way to enlarge a room and use up a lot of wall space.



Plus, who doesn't like to get a full view of themselves every time you walk out the door? I know one girl that probably wishes she had one of these!



Mirrors don't just open up your space. They can also be a piece of art. Like this rustic wood framed mirror.





I just love round mirrors! Big huge ones that are the same size as the furniture they're above.



If you can't do the big expensive mirrors try putting together a bunch of small ones. You can cluster them like this above a dresser or other piece of furniture...



Or you can line them along a wall to make a continuous piece of art. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy plain mirrors at a craft store and buy frames you like separately.

Picture Frames

Let's start with something simple, but something that can have a very dramatic effect.

Picture frames.

This first picture may not be extremely dramatic, but pictures and good frames can always liven up a shelf or table or wall. Be courageous and try something new. Don't just put your 4x6's in 4x6 frames. Get frames with big mats. You aren't just showing off a picture, you're creating art and something that will draw a person's eyes to your photos. With these large matted frames you create a focal point without having to put flowers or knickknacks everywhere. (You certainly can, you just don't need to.) Also, you can put frames right in front of each other and not cover the entire picture in the back.

Don't be afraid to lean frames against the wall. If you have a skinny shelf or very little room on a cluttered one, just lean the frames against the wall and each other. That's very in right now...

Sometimes you have the problem of finding something with height to put on a bottom shelf. A large picture frame can do the trick and allow you to show off one more photo!

This is kinda crazy, but I love it! I can totally see this in my art/craft room one day! One day...

Wall collages are fun and very interesting. You could occupy someone for quite some time looking at this! I don't know if I'd have the patience to attempt this, but if you've got it go for it! Talk about a focal wall! And you didn't even need to buy a huge piece of furniture!