Easy Easter Tree Centerpiece

I picked up some mercury glass mini Easter eggs from Pottery Barn on clearance a while back 

and just ran across them (again) the other day . . .tucked away {I have a habit of tucking things 

away and forgetting about them -- you too?}

Realizing I didn't have a way of displaying them I decided to create a little Easter tree centerpiece.

I literally snagged a branch from the backyard and gave it a quick sanding, followed by a quick coat 

of Old White Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (I didn't have any spray paint on hand, but

that would of worked too).

I added the branch to a terra-cotta planter that I previously painted in Old White, as shown here, 

using some floral foam and a bit of hot glue.

I decided to cover the floral foam with left-over artificial grass I bought at Hobby Lobby.  

I had used some of the grass previously in my Sister's Brunch Centerpiece.

It was easy to cover the foam with this grass.  I just pulled it off the plastic frame and added a 

large dollop of hot glue to the flat base and held it on the foam for a few seconds . . . 

working around the branch until all the foam was covered.

To add a bit of Spring to my bare white branch, I pulled a few buds & blooms off 

a silk cherry blossom branch that had seen better days. 

{why yes, I do have a closet full of faux florals . . . why do you ask?}

I used hot glue to add these blooms to my new Easter tree.

The mini eggs look dazzling on their new tree.

The Egg Hunt sign, is a mini-chalkboard on a stick I recently bought from Pick Your Plum.

I gave it a quick swipe with Old White Chalk Paint and used a chalk marker to write on it.

I am pretty happy with my little Easter tree -- 

so much so that I made two and added one to my booth space.

Thank you for stopping in! I would love to hear from you, and will be sharing more soon!

6 Days of Spring Linky Party!

• Say Not Sweet Anne                                                                      • Sumo's Sweet Stuff                                                              

• Homemaker on a Dime                                                                   • Under the Table & Dreaming

• Practically Functional                                                                      • Coastal Charm
• Savvy Southern Style                                                                      • Home Stories from AtoZ
• DIY Showoff                                                                                  • It's Overflowing
• Nifty Thrifty Things                                                                         • The DIY Dreamer
• Not Just a Housewife                                                                      • Ivy & Elephants
• DIY by Design                                                                                • Southern Lovely

• We Are That Family                                                                        • Fine Craft Guild
• Cedar Hill Ranch                                                                             • Uncommon Slice of Suburia
• Design Decor Tuesday                                                                    • From My Front Porch to Yours
• Stone Gable                                                                                    • Mom on Time-out
• Imparting Grace                                                                              • The Thrifty Groove
• Common Ground                                                                            • Redoux Interiors
• The Charm of Home                                                                       • Jennifer Rizzo
• Chic on a Shoestring                                                                       • Between Naps on the Porch
• The Shabby Nest                                                                            • Fox Hollow Cottage
• Too Much Time on My Hands                                                        • Tater Tots & Jello   
• The Tablescaper                                                                             • Pieced Pastimes                                                               
• Finding Silver Pennies                                                                      • Three Mango Seeds
• At the Picket Fence

I'm BAaaacccCK . . . Changing Table to Kitchen Hutch

Let me start my offering my sincere apologies for being absent from the blog world for far too long!
I am SO Glad to Be Back and Giddy to Share a Thousand-and-One projects with you!  Many seasonal decorating ideas will probably have to wait until their next season -- but the furniture makeovers will be shared away!

I opened a booth in a local antique mall at the end of last September and had a blast thrifting for treasures to fill it with . . . and of course learning A LOT along the way . . . as you will hear more about later.

I revamped this baby changing table into a stylish kitchen hutch last October . . .

. . . here is a side by side BEFORE {blah yellowish 'wood'} and AFTER {yum coolness}:

I bought 'her' from a local family who no longer needed her . . . and while I didn't 'need' her either, I knew she could be more than just nursery furniture and could provide fabulous kitchen storage for a hip young couple (again not me -- it is just who I imagined would fall in love with her -- ever do that?).

I replaced her flimsy hutch backing with bead-board that I had cut to size at Lowe's.

She was painted with multiple coats of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint goodness in Old Ocher and French Linen.  I applied a combination of clear and dark wax to the French Linen (hutch back & 'counter tops'), 

and just used clear wax on the Old Ocher.

The interiors were painted in Duck Egg Blue for a bit of happy!

All the hardware was purchased at Pottery Barn {yay coupons!} . . . 

I love the 'ice box latch' for the cabinet door -- coolness!

I hand-wrote the labels for the 'bin' drawer pulls, and included additional labels 

for the new {hip} owners to change out as needed.

I was really happy with how she turned out . . . but I hope to stick to real wood furniture going forward.

She sold rather quickly in my shop {yay, income producing hobbies!} 

and is making a hip-young couple very happy in her new home!

Thank YOU so much for stopping in -- I will be sharing more soon (I promise)!

Click on the links to see all the fun blogs I am sharing with today:

• Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday       Funky Junk Interior's Saturday Night Special
• Elizabeth & Co.                                                    Savvy Southern Style
• Someday Crafts                                                    {Primp}
• French Country Cottage                                        The Shabby Nest
• My Romantic Home                                              The Better Half
• Between Naps on the Porch                                  Thrifty Decor Chick
• Not Just a Housewife                                            DIY by Design
• Southern Lovely                                                    Fine Craft Guild 
• Cedar Hill Ranch                                                   Uncommon Slice of Suburia
• From My Front Porch to Yours                             Stone Gable 
• The Thrifty Groove                                                Common Ground
• Redoux Interiors                                                    The Charm of Home
• Jennifer Rizzo                                                         Chic on a Shoestring
• The Shabby Nest                                                   Fox Hollow Cottage
• Too Much Time on My Hands                               Tater Tots & Jello     
• Pieced Pastimes                                                     Finding Silver Pennies
• Three Mango Seeds                                               Shades of Amber

Simple Autumn Mantel

Changing out our mantel decor happens about as often as I clean out our vacuum cleaner container.

I like to keep my family guessing what I did on any given day.  

In fact, I opened up a booth recently at an 'Antique' Mall and immediately built and installed a mantel upon taking 'ownership'.  I will definitely share that soon -- as it was a really fun project to work on.

This year, our Fall / Halloween / Thanksgiving, and yes even Christmas decorating will be based on 

what we already own.  Which, admittedly, can be a bit tough for me -- so try to hold me to it okay?

This is our Faux Fall, Familiar Favorites Mantel.

I first added a thin burlap 'scarf' to the mantel for warmth.  It is just a burlap remnant from some leftover yardage.  It measures 7" x 114" (including the frayed gathered ends) -- took minutes to create and 

I use it throughout the year when I want to soften a combination of materials or add texture and warmth.

I topped the scarf with a framed ornate metal wall hanging that came with the burlap backing.

I bought it years ago at a local decorator's sample sale.  

It has a crack in the wood frame - that is hardly noticeable. 

Next I included a few sprigs of dancing orchids to one of my favorite glass & metal hurricanes.

Nestled in a ceramic cat figurine that was my Mother in law's and the Chalk Paint Planter I made-over 

a few month back -- it just added a burlap wrapped pot of preserved mustard seed yellow yarrow stems. 

 Candlelight is a must, and the glow comes from a ceramic luminary trio 

that also adds the perfect touch of color.

Finally a white ceramic pitcher filled with pheasant feathers helps to visually balance the right side with a tall, thin hurricane filled with small gourds, preserved leaves and a bit of reindeer moss.

Quick, simple and on on hand.  Let's see if my husband and son notice it ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by --

Hope you are having a fabulous time decorating for fall!

Linking Up With :::

•  Centsational Girl's Autumn Mantel Party
•  Common Ground Vintage Inspired Party
•  52 Mantels
•  Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday
•  Southern Lovely's Show & Share