PoP of CoLoR for the Porch with a Ladder Style Makeover

Sometimes the best ideas are simple.  

And this year my fall decorating belongs in the simple category . . .

bringing together all the beauty of fall in an uncomplicated manner.

I adore the warm colors of fall -- but when it comes to my back porch 

(which is already a rustic brown), I need to liven things up with a PoP of CoLoR!

And that PoP came from an unexpected purchase . . . 

. . . a dusty Bamboo Style Ladder Shelf that wasn't feeling 'the love'.  

The previous owner wanted to lose it because her toddler son 

couldn't resist using it to practice his climbing skills (owner's picture -- see her cute climber?)

 Can you blame him?

So I picked it up, cleaned it up and gave it the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint treatment . . . 

in a gorgeous Florence with a dark wax finish.

This ladder shelf was exactly what my porch was looking for . . . 

after all, who doesn't need a display piece on their porch?

And I am in love with the color!  Running my hands along the finish . . . I seem to hear a sigh of gratitude.

The details are now apparent and the shelves are no longer being climbed . . . 

well, perhaps a hungry pest may climb them . . .

. . . in search of that tasty Indian Corn.

But as I see this gorgeous PoP of Color from my screen door as I type this . . . 

I know we will be enjoying this piece for a while, and that 

I will not be leaving the corn out for any pests that happen to pass by :)

P.S.  Do you own a furniture piece that isn't working for you?  

Give it new life or sell it to someone who will -- psst . . . I'm in the Dallas / Fort Worth area :)

Thanks so much for stopping in!  Hope you are having a Fabulous Day!

Linking Up With :::

•  Southern Hospitality's Fall Porch Makeover

•  Primp Junction's Primp Your Stuff Wednesday

•  Stone Gable's Tutorials Tips and Tidbits

•  Mod Vintage Life's Mod Mix Monday

•  At the Picket Fence's Inspiration Friday

•  Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday

•  Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

•  My RePurposed Life

•  36th Avenue's Party Time

•  So Very Cheri Countdown to Fall

•  Ivy and Elephant What's It Wednesday

•  Funky Junk Interiors SNS

•  My 1929 Charmer's Sunday's Best

•  Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday

•  Carter's Cottage's Monday Muse

•  2805's Potpourri Party

My entry into 2805's Potpourri Friday Party is sponsored by Appliances Online.

All Hallow's Eve Table

When it comes to All Hallow's Eve, I lean towards spooky, not horror and I am a big fan of suspense.

Cute is not only discouraged, it is practically forbidden by my family of critics . . . 

SKULLS . . . Yes, Smiling Jack-o-Lanterns . . . not so much.  

The dripping candles were very inexpensive -- they are toilet paper rolls.  As as I see in the daylight, my impatience is showing as they all could of used another coat of spray paint (Oops!).

I followed these directions from Crafts Unleashed.  Super simple, all you need is a TP roll, scissors, hot glue and spray paint.  For the black candles, I covered the candle 'wick' with a piece of tape and I spray painted the battery operated light too.  I stuffed cotton balls inside the tubes to allow the little lights to be at the perfect height.  I even put a small bead of hot glue on the base of the black ones to adhere to the metal Lyric Candelabra -- knowing the hot glue will pop off of the metal when I want it to.

All the small crows are from Dollar Tree - bought just this past week. And the large crow I have had for years -- thinking I bought him from Grandinroad, but not completely sure.

Originally the center Tiered Stand was decorated for a Willow House WHINGO Party (Willow House Prized Bingo) . . . sorry for the shoddy picture, this was taken at the very end of the night . . . . zzzzzz.

I wanted to add to the centerpiece for an upcoming Halloween Party's buffet table.

The small cages are called Lollie Lanterns, and I spray-painted them as well

(pretty much nothing is safe with me) with a matte black.    I added an branch to mingle

with the stand to give it more of a tree-like appearance.

I love how the crows' and raven's eyes seem to follow you  . . . 

For the table covering, I picked up some cheese cloth at Target and 'grayified' it. 

I opened it up completely and then wadded it into a ball and put it in a bowl of water.  

I squirted out some gray craft paint into one hand and picked up the wet cheese cloth 

with the other, squeezed out some of the water and then wiped my gray painted hands all over it. 

I reopened up the cheese cloth, and hung it out to dry (which took no time at all).  

Cheaper than Halloween gauze.

I really like how the cheese cloth lays across the table like fog.

The smiling skeleton coming out of the coffin was purchased from Red Envelope years ago . . .

the candles always burn too quickly, so I will need to find small tapers with battery operated lights for it.

Thimble Domes hold another smiling skeleton buddy -- one that lost his head, on a bed of Spanish Moss.

Black Roses add an elegant touch in a 'Mercury Glass' Votive Holder

How do you decorate for Halloween?  Spooky, Cute or Horror?  I'd love to hear your tips!

As ALWAYS -- Thank You for Stopping By!

Tabletop Sources :::

•  White Tablecloth - cheap-y from efavormart.com

•  Raven flocked table runner - Pottery Barn several years back

•  Cheesecloth from Target 2 square yards $2.49 (in kitchen utensil area)

•  Lyric Candelabra from Willow House

•  Green Glittery Spider from Michael's

•  Willow Sprig Tiered Stand from Willow House

•  Manzanita Branch from Save-on-Crafts 

•  Lollie Lanterns from Willow House (spray painted black)

•  Spanish Moss from Hobby Lobby

•  Small Crows from Dollar Tree

•  Black Roses from Gumps

•  'Mercury Glass' Celestial Votives from Willow House

•  Small Skeleton Heads from Pier 1 Imports a few years back, Michaels had similar ones

•  Small Glass Amelia Thimble Domes from Willow House

•  Skeleton coming out of coffin from Red Envelope several years back

Linking Up With ::: 

•  The Lettered Cottage Fall Table Decorating Ideas

•  It's Overflowing with Creativity Party

•  One Creative Mommy's One Creative Weekend

•  Cedar Hill Ranch's Cowgirl Up Party

•  Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

•  Cozy Little House's Tweak It Tuesday

•  Salt Tree's Open Call Tuesday

•  Homemaker on a Dime's Creative Bloggers Party Hop

•  1929 Charmer's Sunday Best

•  One Good Thing by Jillee Share the Blog Love

•  I Gotta Create's Wildly Original Link Party

•  Mom on Creative Time-Out Link Party

•  Hookin' Up with the House of Hepworths

•  Tip Me Tuesday with the Tip Junkie

•  Bloom 

•  ADD Housewife Pin Party

•  Love Bakes Good Cakes Fall Link Party

•  The Style Sister's Centerpiece Wednesday

•  Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesdays

•  Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday

•  Fine Craft Guild Time to Party

•  DIY Project Parade at the DIY Showoff

•  Confetti Diaries' Wednesday Goody Bag

•  Pretty Life in the Suburbs Halloween Link Party