Fall Decor Preview (Review?)

I'm aware that it's mid-November. Honestly, the fall decor in this house has been creeping in since mid-September. But there was this little project called 31 Days that kind of took over my life, which meant that all things ceased to exist so I could actually complete it!

My crafty craft desires have been going crazy, though, and poor Mr. Kuda has dealt with the repercussions of this: gold ribbon and sparkly pumpkins showing up in various places around our house. The need for "more garland!" and him constantly hearing, "I just don't think we have enough pumpkins."

And then we decided to host Thanksgiving, and it's pretty much sent me into overdrive, decorating wise.  But I love it, so I thought I'd share some of it with you :)

Just to keep things real, as we are in the constant pursuit of conquering perfectionism in these parts, I thought I'd share what my living room looked like last night, as I finished editing the photos for this post...

There. Feel better?

I should also note, that everything, excluding the live pumpkins, I bought on sale, or already had in my house. The total for all decor was under $40. For a whole season. Win.

Let's start outdoors, shall we? I think it's safe to say I have a healthy obsession with both wreaths, and pumpkins...

A toddler may have been trying to escape. Hence, opening door.
Let's just pretend that it's closed, yes?

For a tutorial on felt flowers, check out my spring wreath where I give some nice details to achieve this look. Love me some felt.

Inside, here's a wreath that started out like this:

And ended up like this:

Nothing a little burlap and acorns from the yard can't fix.

Three bucks at Target, friends. Three dollars.

Above our mantel, we have our television. And while I'm not 100% sold on the fact that it should be there, it is, so we work with it.  Using some garland from our local craft store, I recreated something I found from Pier 1 (for $30 a piece!) in these:

They cost me less than $1 each, and they serve some great texture next to the big 'ole flat screen.

The pumpkin brigade continues throughout the house, stashed in bowls and the like throughout. And there's lots of glittery gourds, too. Because a girl can't help herself...

Glitter pumpkins & gourds found at Hobby Lobby & Family Dollar

And that's pretty much it! Next week, I'll give you a sneak peak of our Thanksgiving table. I'm SO excited to be hosting this year's feast, as it's the first Turkey Day in our new house. AND my mom and sister just moved to the area over the summer, so the fact that we'll be all together for the first time under one roof is unprecedented. AND since I don't cook (we leave that to Mr. Kuda), the festive atmosphere is just going to have to be where I put my efforts :)

Here's a glimpse of our place setting. And I'm just going to let you know now, I'm not spending more than a few bucks on fabric for napkins. We are going all out on love and using what we have!

Have a great week friends!

xoxo, k.

Fun Girl's Hair Bow Display

I'm linking up to Serenity Now blog's Weekend Bloggy Reading party this week! Hop on over and enjoy some other amazing projects!

Y'all. Ever since these have shown up on Pinterest, I knew that at some point I would end up buying one. Until I found my inner craftiness, and realized I could probably do it myself. And you can, too!

This.

This is what our "hair drawer" looks like. On a good day. And Miss E is three (going on thirty), so I know this little situation will not rectify itself unless I enlist my favorite craft store, some elbow grease, and get to work. Because let's be honest. She's a girly girl, and the bows are only going to get bigger with age...

But you know what? It cost me less than TEN DOLLARS.  I'll let that sink in for you for a moment.

I know. Awesome.

Are we ready? Good!

Supplies:
* Cork board or other frame with some sort of backing attached to frame
* Spray Adhesive
* Fabric
* Ribbon
* Decorative Trim/Cording
* Hot Glue

There's a cork board under there. I promise.

1. After ironing our fabric, Miss E and I headed outside in some fresh air to use the spray adhesive to attach the fabric to the cork board. I really didn't want the fabric sliding around, and this was the perfect solution. It was the first time I had used spray adhesive (remember? I'm in the middle of finding my inner craftiness...), and I have to say, I loved it! It was very forgiving, especially with the fabric. I was able to lift it up and reapply as needed for several minutes.

2. Miss E and I gently smoothed the fabric to ensure no wrinkles were on the front side of the board. I sprayed the cork first, then the actual frame, tucking the fabric in close to the edges.

3. Using the spray adhesive, I sprayed each edge of the frame, gently wrapping the fabric around it. The only tricky part was the corners. I ended up wrapping it like a Christmas present, and it was perfect.

And honestly? I'm pretty sure I could use this for some other project. How cute does it look just standing alone like this? Adorable.

4. We headed inside, and I got to work with my hot glue gun. After measuring the ribbon out and spacing it evenly, I attached the ends of the ribbon to the top and bottom of the board, leaving most of the ribbon free to attach Miss E's bows.

5. I used jute cording to go around the edges. I liked the idea of breaking up the fabric a bit, and adding the jute did just the thing. A little hot glue around the edges to secure, and it was complete!

6. Last, but not least, add the bows! I wish I had caught the look on Miss E's face when she saw our creation complete. Pure joy!

And here's a shot in her room, low enough so she can reach it.

There you have it, friends!! Completely organized and super adorable hair bow display. And so easy!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda

Magnetic Dry Erase Board!

With all the heavy posts recently (here and here and here), I thought I'd throw in a little crafty craft to lighten the mood!

My birthday/Mother's Day gift from Mr. Kuda was a little closet office to call my very own. After having my laptop float around the house, I cannot tell you what a blessing this little space has been! I will definitely do a post on the office itself, but I thought I'd show you a little project I completed as a part of the office.

This little ditty took no more than 30 minutes. So easy! And it was the perfect addition to my little (and you'll see at a later date, it is just that: little) closet office.

Supplies:
* Open frame, any size
* Stainless steel sheeting (I used 28 gauge)
* Tin snips
* Push points
* Notched picture frame hanger

How To:

1.  Start off by snipping the stainless steel with your tin snips to the measurements needed for your frame. There's a bit of a learning curve, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. I found that if I didn't close the snips all the way and kept a continual scissor motion, the cut line was much smoother.

This was my first cut...

And this was my second...

It got better. I promise. And I wasn't really too concerned, given that the edges would be hidden by the frame.

2.  Using a flathead screwdriver, push the push points in around the frame, spaced evenly. My frame is 11x14, and I used two on the shorter side, and three on the longer side. Depending on your frame, you may have to use a hammer to tap the screwdriver a bit to get them in. Be aware that they are a little thin, so if you apply too much pressure, you'll bend them.

The trick is to get the "point" as flat as possible, and push the perpendicular part toward the frame.

3. Last, but not least, you need to hang your frame! I chose to use a notched hanger, but of course choose whichever method you think is best. This was the quickest and easiest method for me, especially since all I had to do was measure to find the center, then push it in with my own two hands. Easy as pie!

4. Accessorize! Hobby Lobby is my go to place for inexpensive doo dads, and of course they didn't disappoint... I found a magnetic eraser and dry erase markers, which was perfect for this project. Further, a sweet friend of mine had made these magnets for me. Perfect!

And there you have it! I wish it looked this organized all the time, but sometimes it does get a little out of hand. Here's what it looks like right this second...

Some kiddo artwork, a birthday party invitation, and a reminder of why I stay home :)

Hope you enjoyed this! It really is the perfect addition to an office space, or even the kitchen/mudroom/foyer... wherever your home base is. Have fun!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda

Spring Decor (For the Love of Bunnies)

Have I mentioned how happy I am that it's finally Spring? Like the real Spring, that doesn't include inches and inches of snow?

Because I am. I AM SO HAPPY!

This. This was a month ago.

Like as in the month of March. In Virginia.

Nothing like combining one of the most snowy winters in Virginia's history with a move to a place you don't know many people, and throw two littles into the mix. Fun times.

Momma needed some Spring.

And nothing says Spring like some muddy rain boots. And a bunny.

And with the move, and the new house and all, we got a mantel. Y'all! A mantel! I've never had one of those before, so you better believe that I took the chance to decorate the heck out of that son of a gun. Especially after I read this gem with some sublime suggestions about mantel decorating. It was on. AND there will be a TV at some point (the horror, I know) above said mantel. It screamed at me to decorate it.

So, since all some none of our boxes were unpacked, I did the first thing any sane woman who has no friends and has been cooped up in her new house with two babies (and a whole bunch of unpacked boxes) for the longest winter ever does: I went to Hobby Lobby, then to Home Goods, and added in a little Target. And of course, some stuff I already had :)

Ta da!

And here you have it! It's not perfect, but it will do, and in addition to my Spring wreath, it made me oh, so happy, especially during that last bought of snow. That one almost got me (and my sanity).  And what a great base to start from!! Mr. Kuda has no idea that this is just the beginning of my bunny collection. It may become a problem at some point, but for now, enjoy!

I combined bunnies with bunnies. All different sorts of bunnies, and I love each of them...

That tall gentleman? I couldn't capture it on film, but he's COVERED
in glitter. Tall bunny + glitter = WIN

The sweet angel was a gift from a friend as a welcome to this area. She's made from a Civil War era quilt. So homey and sweet and relevant to where we're living now. Love.

Burlap bunnies? I think we have another winner. Thank you, Target!

We got this clock as a gift when we first got married. It reminds me of our fresh start as a newly married couple. It tracks nap times and bed times, and has been a silent observer of the time we've spent in this little life we've created.

As fun as the bunnies are, I wanted to make sure we aren't overlooking the true reason of this Easter season. God has been so good to us, has been faithful to us, and continues to provide us with grace and mercy day after day after day.

So, happy Spring! Hope you can get outside and enjoy the fresh air this week!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda