heart-felt decor - in an instant!

we incorporated the color RED (for the first time) into our home decor this winter,

and it has truly warmed up the visual look of our rooms.
(i've linked up those posts at the bottom of this post)

the bonus is that this color made the transition to February SO easy:

all i did was add in a few red hearts... BOOM! done!
one of the ways i did that was by using a completely unconventional method 
that i just had to share!

continue reading for my crazy crafty decorating exploits...

L.O.V.E. letter... tiles

way back in 2009, i had a wild idea to make a supersized version of wood Scrabble tiles.
i made them - a LOT of them, actually - and sold them (a LOT of them!) for several years.
at that point, no one else was making them or sharing them online.
a few years later, in 2013, i shared them here on the homewardFOUND blog.

since this is the season for putting our hearts on our sleeves, (or, erm, walls?!)
i thought i'd share my super easy tutorial again!

continue reading for a very easy DIY project that you're sure to L.O.V.E.!

paint the town pink!

in my last post, i mentioned some hearts that i had made out of paint chip cards -

but i didn't have a great photo of them to include in the post. i just found those paper hearts in a bin!

i snapped a few quick photos just so i can share them...

so let's consider this my 'Paint the Town Pink!' post Part Two!

continue reading for the details + more ideas...

happy Galentine's day!

Valentine's Day isn't ALL about hearts and roses and romantic love.

it's also a great time to share the love with your girl friends - especially the single ones ;) 

(and who needs roses when you have rose', amiright?!)

the idea for our party decor started with a pink paint chip from the hardware store.

i had a few on hand after helping a client select paint colors for her retail shop,

and with them, this party theme rapidly became 'Paint the Town Pink!'

continue reading to see some fun ideas for a themed GALentine's dessert party...

spice it up!

 if you've been following my posts over the past two weeks, 

you've seen the way that the color red has made a first-time appearance in our winter home decor.

like a pinch of cayenne, ginger, or cinnamon in a great recipe,

we're enjoying the way just a touch of this hue spices up our rooms - and our moods!

that sweet little red wood birdhouse shown above was made by my grandson...

and i love having it on the sideboard in the entry hall where i see it many times a day.

the other red accents in our home are similar - just a small pop of color, but with big impact.

the best part?
i've incorporated this hue into our decor without spending much money at all! 

i already had everything i used (except one red thrifted sweater and one tan & red plaid blanket),

either in the house (in cabinets & closets) or the garage (seasonal decor bins + camping gear!).

continue reading to see how i created some of the 'fast, cheap, & easy' details!

re-purposing new furniture

let's talk a bit about re-purposing furniture, shall we?
(and no, i'm not talking about using junk or chalk painting something...)
case in point: this bar in our home.

because the thing is, re-purposing furniture isn't JUST about repainting or rehabbing.
it's not always about making something old 'new'.
sometimes, it's about seeing the possibilities in a brand new piece - 
and using it in a brand new WAY.

this piece was never intended to be a bar. honestly? it wasn't even sold for use in a house.
it was sold at Costco as... you aren't gonna' believe this! keep reading!

making a happy home

a brand new year is a fresh new start, in so many ways...
every year, i choose a single word to be my intention and focus (rather than resolution).
i like this approach, as it is more about 'be' than 'do'.

THIS year, my word is 'happy' - for many reasons.

Mom and i also select a word that is our shared 'Word of the Year',

something that reflects a purpose or mission or quality that we intend to pursue together.

and this year, that word is 'HOME'.

we chose it for a few different reasons...

but the really amazing thing is that as soon as we decided on it,

all KINDS of things started showing up to 'confirm' that it was the right choice:

things like songs, and sentiments in cards from friends, a book that a friend of mine was selling, 

and us noticing little objects we had around here already

that would bring the word 'home' resonance in our home and our daily life.

and when i combined my word with our word, it really came to life...

continue reading to see how our winter decor evokes a 'happy home'!

create a cozy home with repurposed sweaters & blankets

on a cold winter-y January day, 
we can always count on a soft sweater and a fuzzy blanket to warm us up.
why not incorporate that into our HOMES?!
in my decor for the winter season, i did exactly that -
and let me tell you, it panned out much better than i ever could have planned!

continue reading to see how a fabulous thrifted find brought it all together...