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12.31.2017

Take the Party With You Tonight!

it's New Years' Eve!
time to pop the corks, pour the bubbly, and start celebrating!

 i've just got to share this nifty way to transport sparkling wine and glasses to an event -
whether you are heading to the roof to watch fireworks or the ball drop at midnight,
or to the neighbor's place for some revelry,
it's a perfect way to take the party with you!

Click 'Continue Reading' for the tutorial...

12.26.2017

Get Warmer for Winter!

With the approach of the New Year, we all seem to crave a change....
whether it's a personal makeover, a new resolution, 
or a way to make our rooms feel 'not empty' after the Holiday decor & trees are gone.

You'll find inspiration here on homewardFOUND decor!

 I offer posts with ideas for warming up your home in winter
for decorating with a fresh whitewashed palette or subdued neutrals,
and for organizing your office / craft room with style...
you can even get a jump on your February / Valentine's Day decor!
... click on the 'WINTER' tab in my sidebar to find more content
(You'll find ideas for every season of the year by clicking on the links in my sidebar.)


Thank you for coming by to visit...
and may this new year bring you blessings and joy!

12.19.2017

Recycling Christmas!

I LOVE changing up my color schemes each year, 
combining ornaments in new ways
and mixing what I have to get a whole new look...
(see more of this year's 'Ombre' tree - on the left - here)


How about you?
Do you experiment each year, or do you stick with the 'tried and true' favorites?!
What are your favorite colors for your Christmas Decor?

the mission statement of HOMEWARDfound decor
is basically 'work with what we already have' (or can get CHEAP)
and is born out of my love for making things over -
so I rethink, reimagine, redesign, recycle, and reuse everything I have all.year.long.

continue reading to see some of them!

12.12.2017

homewardFOUND decor is on Insta!

I'd like to invite you to follow my NEW homewardFOUND decor account on IG! 

I'll be sharing all of the hwF shop news over there
new handmade and vintage products that are headed to Room #1, 
changing displays, upcoming events, *special offers* ðŸ˜‰ and more! 

Don't miss a thing at https://www.instagram.com/homewardfounddecor/

(you can still follow me as @debiwardkennedy, too -
I'll continue to share all kinds of inspiring things there)

12.05.2017

ombre' gradient Christmas tree

this year's Christmas tree in our house is OMBRE'!
the ornaments are all of the SAME ones we used last year: 
i used all of the colored balls & figural ornaments and fabric poinsettias.
i didn't use the ribbon or the clear glass or paper ornaments that we used last year.

it's a completely different look for the tree - and we didn't spend a cent on it!
the ornaments used are white, ivory, gold, pale copper/rose gold, copper,
orange, tan, brown, and bronze.
i like the way the color gradient is dark at the bottom - like the floor -
and light at the top - like the ceiling.
it seems to make the tree feel even more grand and statuesque.

so.... now let me tell you the story of this theme!
that's LAST year's Christmas tree...

i had fun creating paper ornaments and pulling together a new look 
for the first year in the new house - 
which was a more neutral palette than my Mom has ever had on a tree before. 
we pulled gold from her holiday decor stash, 
and white, ivory, and browns from my holiday decor stash, 
then we bought some new ornaments to add to the mix - copper and orange.
(orange is our accent color here at home)
it all came together beautifully in a lush, full decor style - see more of it here.

well.... me being ME, i just can't do the same thing twice. ever.
.so as i was thinking about this years' tree, i remembered a tree that my friend Michael created
and shared on his blog Inspired by Charm last year: 

now, i love that idea! it's fun, it's happy, 
and from a design standpoint, it's a standOUT idea.
but it isn't ME. ...however.....

i realized that if i took all of the ornaments we already HAVE (sounds familiar, right?!)
and used them in gradient bands on the tree, 
i could replicate the idea without using the same colors. 
make the idea my own, so to speak.
which is what i hope the ideas i share here will do - 
inspire you to tweak them so they work for your style, your life, your home.

so, i showed that photo of Michael's tree to Mom, told her about my idea,
and asked if she was game to TRY it - with the promise that if it looked horrible,
she could tell me that, and I'd UNdecorate the tree and re-decorate it another way.
she agreed.

so I did it. and it worked!  (and Mom LOVES it!)
(i am also happy that i don't have to dismantle it and redecorate)


a side-by-side comparison:
Michael's tree is cone-shaped, while ours is a skinny tree - so ours looks kinda' funky.
i wish i had larger ornaments on the bottom part, but all in all i am happy with it!

i wanted to share this project with you so that perhaps you will 
look at the holiday decor elements and tree ornaments you already have 
and be inspired to think about them in a new way...

maybe doing an ombre' tree is not your thing, and that's fine.
perhaps using only one color, or a new combination of colors, 
would be a fun way to make things feel 'new' at your house 
without spending anything!

12.03.2017

homewardFOUND holiday shop

 I've been extremely blessed to have found a HAUL of vintage and handmade holiday goods
that I am thrilled to offer you in my homewardFOUND shop this month...
as a matter of fact, I ended up with SO MUCH STUFF that it wouldn't fit in Room #1!

 so shop owner Stephani came up with Plan B, and I worked some magic! 

(click on 'read more' to see what I did....)

11.28.2017

Happy HAULidays!

 Jingle & Jangle are getting excited!
These darling vintage elves will be in my shop soon - along with a lot more!

I've been pricing and making and prepping my huge HAULiday stash
to go into my homewardFOUND shop in Room #1 at Needful Things Addiction.
(there is SO MUCH MORE than I can even photograph right now)
and then.... Plan B happened.
The store owner asked for my help with a project - and OH am I glad I said yes!!!

Today I spent a few hours down at the store, prowling through some storage rooms
that are FILLED with amazing furniture and accessories, 
selecting some for fixtures and then getting to work turning an empty room
into a setting for a holiday happening!

That room is Room #3, and it's right next to my regular spot, Room #1...
I'll be filling it with my haul of handmade originals and vintage finds in bright happy colors
for 
the BIG EVENT this coming Saturday:
 .
Some new holiday things in soft neutrals will be headed into my 'regular' shop in Room #1, too!

I'll share some 'sneak peeks' here and on my social media pages
as soon as it's all set up and ready... and I hope you can make it out on Saturday -
I'll be at the store in the afternoon and evening to help out, 
and I'd love to meet you!
.

11.25.2017

oh, Christmas tree!

 my friends, I just don't 'do' Black Friday.
that one horrifying trip to the mall for a Cabbage Patch Doll back in the early 80's was enough.
I was an 19 year old new mommy and was seriously traumatized by it all.
.
ever since, I've spent the day after Thanksgiving 
happily hiding from the world and decorating my house for Christmas...
and then that turned into decorating other people's homes and businesses.
in the course of decorating all those trees
(about 25 trees each year, give or take - that's a lotta' tree decorating!)
I've learned some helpful tips and come up with some ideas:

i also turned a really cheap material into fun 'tomato cage' Christmas trees!

this year, I've been making some trees
 'found' materials have been a big part of that process...
 last year, I created and shared a 'vintage lace Christmas tree' on a tomato cage
this year, I shrunk the idea down to size!

recently I found some funky old bristle brushes in a thrift shop, 
and of course I don't SEE them as that - I saw TREES!
they turned out exactly as I envisioned them, and I really like 'em!
I mean, REALLY like them. I am torn about selling them.... 

I've shared a lot of Christmas tree decor themes over the years,
and I hope they continue to inspire you!

The tree is up and fluffed and lit in our living room, but I have NO IDEA
what the theme will be this year... we'll see what I come up with
as soon as I get alllllll those decor boxes out of the garage and into the house!
(The only tip I have for that is 'get help!')

to all who are visiting from the Funky Junk Interiors DIY Salvage Junk link party, welcome!