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1.13.2020

re-purposing new furniture

industrial style, rustic style, farmhouse style, diy decor, home decor, decorating, wood furniture, furniture, repurposed, repurposed furniture, bar
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!

1.06.2020

making a happy home

wood, rustic, farmhouse, home decor, diy, diy home decor, repurposed, thrifted, upcycled, winter decor, red accent color, whitewashed, barnwood, plaid
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'.

homewardFOUND decor blog, diy home decor, homeward FOUND, Debi Ward Kennedy
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'!

1.02.2020

create a cozy home with repurposed sweaters & blankets

sweaters, thrifted, upcycled, repurposed, trash to treasure, diy decorating, home decor, fleece blankets, cozy decor
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...

12.29.2019

rustic junky new year wreath

rusty, metal, junk, junking, diy decor, home decor, thrifted, repurposed, upcycled, salvaged, junk wreath, 2020, new year decor
i love creating a fresh look on our front porch for each season. 
okay, it's not a porch. more like a 'vestibule' - long, narrow, and dark. 
(totally impossible to photograph well, especially with dark terra cotta colored stucco walls. but i try!)

that's why it's important to me to come up with a display here that will welcome guests.
i always bring in light colors, textures, and seasonal elements.
i have a plan for this area and am searching for a large lighter element to add this spring...

for winter this year, i chose rusty metal as the starting point.
some whitewashed wood elements, rope & twine, and rustic wood crates
(ALL things that i have used here before!) combined in a 'winter' scene.

continue reading to see more of our front porch decor...

12.26.2019

tiki style tablescape

tiki bar, tikis, tiki culture, tiki hut, tropical decor, happy HULAdays, home decor, diy decor, holiday home decor, holiday
our Hawaiian holiday style continues onto the dining table...
using what we had on hand already, along with a few simple and inexpensive additions,
i was able to create a table that reflected the island style of our 'Happy HULAdays' Christmas decor theme!

as always, i try to keep the decor simple and easily removed, so we can play games or craft here.
'continue reading' to see the details...

12.25.2019

totally tiki-tastic holiday!

tiki bar, tikis, tiki culture, tiki hut, tropical decor, happy HULAdays, home decor, diy decor, holiday home decor, holiday, nativity
our Happy HULAdays theme begins at the front door, 
with a totally terrific tiki welcome...
i made these guys by simply painting faces on planks of pine wood from our garage.
if you look closely, you can see that i used the grain of the wood as part of each face design.

the 'Happy HULA days' sign is a piece of plywood washed with brown paint, then hand-lettered.
the HULA letters were painted onto a few of my giant letter tiles, and glued onto the plywood.
tiki bar, tikis, tiki culture, tiki hut, tropical decor, happy HULAdays, home decor, diy decor, holiday home decor, holiday, nativity
you might recognize a few of those tiki faces... 
on the left: Olaf from Frozen (complete with twig arms and hair), a stylized Small World clock face, and a completely doe-like face that just came outta' my paintbrush that way!
on the right: a sun-like face inspired by Small World, a tiki face discovered online, 
Santiki - also discovered online - and finally, Baymax from Big Hero 6. that's for my Dad <3

the 'enter with the spirit of Aloha' sign is one my Mom bought in Hawaii and has had for years
(it was in the tropical backyard weekend makeover i did for my Mom)

... and the fun is just beginning!
continue reading to see MORE of the tikis that i gathered and created for our decor this year!

12.24.2019

nativitiki - times two!

tiki bar, tikis, tiki culture, tiki hut, tropical decor, happy HULAdays, home decor, diy decor, holiday home decor, holiday, nativity
my thinking is: if you're going to do a Christmas theme, do it all the way.
the TIKI tree in my last post was just the beginning of our 'happy HULA days' theme...
i also created TWO incredibly cute nativity scenes with a tiki vibe.
(oh, and that name? well, as i was painting them, 
i thought to myself 'a tiki nativity. wait! nativi-tiki!' ... and it stuck!) 

i laugh out loud every time i look at this nativiTIKI in our living room! it's so happy!
grab a handful of macadamia nuts and continue reading to see all the tropical details...

12.23.2019

happy hula days!

tiki bar, tikis, tiki culture, tiki hut, tropical decor, happy HULAdays, home decor, diy decor, holiday home decor, holiday
 nope, this is NOT your ordinary Christmas tree...
THIS, my friends, is what our tree looks like THIS year: it's a TIKI TREE!

our 'Happy HULAdays' celebration theme has been a very BIG secret,
because my daughter and her hubby were coming to visit this past weekend.
and this whoooooole thing was a surprise for them!
now that they've seen it all, i can finally share what creative mayhem i've been up to!
(and OH my goodness, what FUN things i've made... there are SEVERAL posts coming this week)

so grab a nice mai tai or other rum drink, and click through to see the TIKI tree details...