Round Top and a Project Sneak Peek

After several years of reading about other bloggers Round Top Antique Fair experiences I finally made the trip up there myself. I took my friend Lindsay who I knew would love it, possibly more than me. She's new to blogging and you can check out her craftiness here. So, why did it take me so long to get up there? Honestly, I'd never heard of Round Top, Texas. I kept hearing it was in the Hill Country and assumed it was somewhere near Austin or San Antonio, which is several hours away. And, I got it confused with Round Rock, TX that's near Austin. It turns out it is a little over an hour from my house, near Brenham (home of Blue Bell ice cream), if you are an equally confused Houstonian.

You might have seen a few pictures I put on Instagram. I wish I had taken more, but I was so overwhelmed by it all. There are miles and miles of tents along the road. Once we passed Round Top it was even crazier in Warrenton. This is definitely not a place you can go without a plan. Thankfully, I had looked up a few places and had an idea of where to go. One of the top places is Blue Hills. I absolutely loved the French Laundry tent there. They have beautiful bedding and throw pillows at reasonable prices, which is nice since I was surprised at how expensive everything was that day. I did buy these two Christmas stockings for $30 total. My husband gets the manly brown velvet one and the other one is mine. I love that the colors fit right in with my living room.




We headed back to Brenham for lunch and later stopped at Leftovers Antiques that I noticed on the way there. I also read about it on another blog and was intrigued by it. This is truly one of the cutest stores I have ever seen. It's huge for a boutique and we spent so much time looking around that we never made it back to Round Top. I couldn't resist a small Dash & Albert kitchen rug.







I love the way it goes with my Blue Willow dishes, which I appreciate more after seeing how much they goes for in Round Top. I have mixed feelings about this Antique Fair. I was shocked by how expensive and huge it was. I know good deals can be found, but you really have to look. It's just not possible to visit every tent so a plan is a must. I'm not sure I will go back. I typically have a shopping expiration date of two hours and then I want a margarita. ;) I definitely will go back to Leftovers Antiques. They had great gifts, so I'm thinking some time before Christmas I'll make another trip. The day we were there the staff was preparing for a book signing so we got free drinks. I can tell the men really loved that as their wives were shopping, lol. And, guess who the author was? Rachel Ashwell! We missed her by one hour. :(

I've got a new project update and a deal alert! I'm finally fixing up the balcony off my bedroom. I thought this was going to be my space when we moved into this house, but I realized that was impossible with kids. The wicker furniture we had out here warped over the years and I never bothered to replace it since I never used this porch. Now, that my kids are older and I have a pool view it's time to fix this space up. I bought this ottoman yesterday at Wal-Mart for $29.88 to go with a seagrass chair my mom bought me recently. $29.88! It was the last one left so I lunged at it and tucked it safely away in my cart. I could see the envious eyes of other shoppers as they passed me by. However, if you want one take advantage of Wal-Mart's free ship to store policy it's available online.





But, I am in love with this one. Isn't it great? I am trying so hard to find a spot for it in my house right now.




I'll be back tomorrow with my fall front porch reveal!

Setting the Perfect Table

The holiday season is right around the corner and that means we finally get to use our formal dining rooms. ;) I have two sets of formal dishes that I can use, but I like creating a new tablescape for every major holiday so it can be a bit tricky to come up with new ideas. Changing out the centerpiece is important, but decorating with new tablecloths and runners really give a table a completely different look. One trend I love is to use your favorite fabric instead of a mass produced runner or tablecloth. If you don't sew, use a hemming tape that only needs an iron to make a perfect edge. I've done this many, many times and you can't tell the difference until you flip the fabric over. Here are some beautiful examples.












I've already been eyeing a few fabrics for my fall/winter tablescape!

Fall Mantel: Cozy and Candlelit

It's officially fall! 

I'm looking forward to cuddling up in soft faux fur throws, enjoying my favorite comfort food, and layering on the cozy sweaters. There's nothing better than enjoying a fire on a fall night, whether in front of a fireplace or from the light of a pumpkin scented candle. It will be many weeks before the weather is cool enough to turn on my fireplace, which is why candle light was a must this year when planning my fall mantel.



I found these copper mercury glass candle holders at Target this past week and knew they would be perfect for my mantel the minute I spotted them. They fit right in with my current décor and add a touch of fall at the same time.












The "Dust to Dust" title will be very fitting when Halloween rolls around! I pilfered a few items from my vase filler to add a natural touch.








Cinnamon scented pinecones and natural vase filler in a neutral tone from last year adds a touch of rustic.









Linking up this post to these parties!

Between Naps on The Porch

Thrifty Décor Chick

Scents of Fall

While it may not feel like fall outside, that won't stop me from making it feel like fall inside. I've been stocking up on fall candles the past month and now that I've officially burned through my summer scents it's time to bring out the fall candles.

Here's my stock pile. I love Bath & Body Works candles and they are on sale right now, two for $22. It's more than I usually spend since I go through them so quickly. On the days that I let my candles burn all day I bring out my $5 Wal-Mart candles that I love almost as well.




This morning I'm burning my favorite, Leaves, while I drink coffee.




Coffee, candles, faux fur throws...It's starting to feel like fall inside my house. Outside the leaves are changing from the heat, but I'm pretending it's from cool weather. Have you bought any fall candles yet? I'm always on the lookout for new ones so feel free to share your favorites!

Coffee Bar and Kitchen Accessories

I've always admired coffee bars, but thought I really didn't need one for my kitchen. I still don't, but they sure are cute!



I installed Photoshop and got excited with the text and frames.

I have a glass container next to my Keurig for more kcups. My husband and I have to keep ours separated since he drinks decaf. That would make both of our mornings miserable if we grabbed the wrong one.




I went to Anthropologie for the sole purpose of buying the orange topped spice jar, but I could not resist buying a few more things.




And a few kitchen towels...





I'm thinking about adding more spice jars for ground cinnamon and chocolate. I love it with a bit of whipped cream in the fall. If you have a coffee bar, what do you keep in yours?

Breakfast Room Reveal

 Last week I mentioned that I was considering this chair to go with my new breakfast table.



As you can see, I wasted no time bringing them home!




This is such a different look for me, but I've admired French bistro chairs for several years. I wasn't quite sure if I liked them with the rest of my décor since they are a bit rustic. I've been giving them the sideways look as I walk to the kitchen for a week and I finally decided they are going to stay.




I decided to get four chairs instead of five because it seemed a bit crowded when I had five of the black chairs in here. If all five of us sit down at once we can just use the dining room table or have one or two kids sit at the breakfast bar.


My old candle looked a little lonely on this new table so I added a few things. I might as well decorate for fall since it will be here before you know it. I decided on a gold runner because it's a good transition between the seasons.




I'd love to hang curtains on the breakfast room window eventually because I love as many fabrics as possible in a breakfast room, but I need to coordinate them with the living room windows. That means it will be a while. ;)

Just for a recap, this is how it looked last week.




And now...



Comparing the two pictures is what really made me decide to keep these chairs even though they are out of my comfort zone. Doesn't it just feel cozier?

Since I have a great room I needed to make sure this space matches the style of my living room and kitchen. Surprisingly, it fits right in. I tried to take pictures, but every time I turned around there was someone in the way since it was Saturday. Note to self, only take pictures during the week when everyone is gone!

Here are pictures of each space together. You can see how the warm tone of the chair goes great with the bamboo shades, fireplace, and burlap pillow.







Perfect!

Cottage Breakfast Room

I've been searching for a new table and chairs for my breakfast room for several months. You may have noticed my black table with the mahogany top. This is the best picture I have of it.



It's always been too big for this space, but it was the smallest table I could find that would fit our family of five at the time. Not only was the size wrong, but the chairs have become really unstable and the finish has taken a beating. My kids are a bit older so I'm ready for a better quality table, but accidents happen daily around this house. It can't be so expensive that I will have a heart attack if it gets damaged. I really took my time and casually looked around the last few months. I also pinned several images for inspiration and I was surprised I'm leaning toward a cottage style since I just finished my transitional master bedroom. Here are some of my favorites.






I love the upholstered seats and rugs, but it's not really feasible with kids. I also like mixing the finishes of the tables and chairs. After searching for a reasonable priced round table, I found Pier 1 has the best selection. If you pick it up at the store there is no delivery charge and it took less than a week to come in after placing my order.


I decided on the Ronan pedestal extension table instead, which is a bit more expensive. It's an off-white, which is perfect since my kitchen cabinets are not bright white. Here it is with the leaf in it, which is too big for my breakfast room. It's nice to have the option to make it bigger in case we need the room or we move to a home with a bigger breakfast room. Don't worry, I'm not planning on moving. Remodeling this house has exhausted me!




Here it is in my breakfast room!



I was surprised to find that I could comfortably fit five chairs around it. I initially planned on just putting four chairs with it, which isn't a big deal since we rarely sit down as a family at the same time. My husband and I prefer to wait for the kids to finish eating before we sit down so we can have peace and semi-quiet. But, when my kindergartner came home from school he counted the chairs and counted the people in our family on his little hands and looked really confused. After a moment, he wanted to know where his oldest brother is going to sit, lol. I pulled another chair up to the table to make him feel better.

I'm leaning towards these chairs from World Market.




I love the French bistro style chairs, but these are the only ones I've seen without a woven seat. We've had woven seats and they do not hold up with kids. These are extremely popular though and were sold out when I went to the store last week, but I just received a phone call last night that they are back in stock. I've got to make a decision fast before they sell out again. I hope to have an update for you soon!