Burlap Beauty

This little wall-hanging, along with the burlap-curtained shelf in my previous post, was the beginning of my obsession with creating with burlap. I got the idea from a blog that I love to read called The Lettered Cottage. Layla, the Lettered Cottage gal, created a burlap backdrop for a hutch in her kitchen. Once I saw her idea my own brain started churning out ideas of my own, and since I have made little "burlap beauties" to accent my own home's growing character.

Yesterday Aaron and I both took quizzes to find out our decorating style. And, although I profess that my style is Country Cottage, the quiz that I took also added French Eclectic to the mix...hmm, never really thought of that before, but I sure did love some of the French-styled decorated rooms that I looked at. Aaron's "style" is a mix of Rustic & Wine Country...which just means that he likes a lot of darker, richer looking furniture items and accessories. Funny, so many of the rooms that I just loved where ones that he hated! I have a feeling that both of our styles will have to mesh, and although I have already told Aaron that I would like to make our home primarily reflect me and my preferences, it is his home too, and I'm willing to adjust my "style" to fit his likes in as well. So, I will just say this---after finally settling on what exactly my home decorating style is, I will be on the quest to make our house into a home that reflects what our lives are really all about---faith, family, friends. A place where you can relax and where quaint simplicity meets rustic sophistication. This is my quest...and it continues...

Working my Camera Magic

I have been so anxious about getting up some pictures of my newly completed projects around our home that I have willed my camera to function, albeit improperly, but still, I did manage to snag a few photos of some of my recent masterpieces! I had to remove the batteries in between each shot, turning the camera off and on and listening to a horrible squeal that it made, protesting its use when not in proper working order. However, even with all the trouble it was giving me, I didn't give up, and got a few shots taken "old-school" style since my screen was blank. Obviously the pictures aren't the greatest, but hey, they're all I have right now, so I'm making them work!


A "burlap beauty"...HOME...pretty much says it all!














An old, ugly, book-laden shelf unit takes on a quainter appeal with the burlap curtain I made to hide the bulky medical books and board games on the bottom two shelves. The book case used to stand flat against the wall, but I tucked it into the corner, added a lamp behind it to fill in the empty space and displayed some of my vintage/antique books on the upper shelves along with pictures and items of sentimental value. Top of book case - an old canning jar filled with vintage spools from my great-grandparents. Basket on top right holds small volumes of poetry and essays, also from my great-grandparents. Top shelf - amidst antique books is a photo of my sister, Gloria, in a handmade pottery dish that she made me years ago. Framed picture of my great-grandpa, Dr. Robert Norwood, D.O. sits slightly below an old bell that used to be in his medical practice clinic. Vintage clock sits in the corner. Second shelf - Vintage Inspired childrens books rest with an antique horse figurine sitting on top of them along with C-A-R blocks.





Sun room corner that I added an old clock to...given to me by my grandpa, Papa. It doesn't currently work, but I have the time set to 9:09...the time that Johnathan came into this world on April 1st, 2008! The best single minute of my life!
















Tea lights nestle in coffee beans and smell delicious when the candles are burning!













Inside the glass jars are some vintage recipe cards from my great-grandmother, Grace. Cinnamon sticks and Wine corks lend their appeal to the ensemble.











Wine rack and shelves in our dining room. I love the Demdaco Willow Tree figurines, and have recently fallen in love with little birdie things.

I picked up this lovely blue plate at my favorite store here in CC...Gatherings. I just love it!













Bird tea light holders and glass case holding a little birdie's nest tells of one of my newest loves!













I found this old wooden frame in the garage, atop a pile of junk. I stenciled the words BLESS OUR NEST on burlap, and added the bird nest to the corner. Vintage round buttons serve as the little eggs in the nest. Yellow shelf below coordinates with our dish collection...one of the plates is displayed here in another obsession of mine...baskets!













This wall previously held a collection of plates, but I like it much better like this...a little homier and more unique than just some plates hanging on a wall.











One of my favorite spots - I usually sit here in the kitchen while Johnathan is eating, and will either have my devotional time or read from my favorite magazine...COUNTRY LIVING!

Where It All Began

Several weeks ago I was looking around my living room, feeling a little discontented with the way that things were looking. We live in a house that was built in the late 30's with wood floors and wood walls throughout. Although I like the natural look of the wood, it can get a bit dark, and for a girl who loves things to be bright and fresh looking, all of this wood can be a little much. So, wanting to make some small changes that would go a long way to refreshing the feel of the room, I decided to re-do one of the shelving nooks in our living area.

Unfortunately I don't have any "before" pics, also our camera is on the fritz so I only have one after photo...which I am surprised I could even get. I was tinkering around with the camera tonight and got it to take a picture before it crashed. So the pic isn't that great, but you can get a feel for what I tried to accomplish. Before I refreshed this little area it was fairly crowded, too many pictures and nick-nacks for such a small area. Also, since the walls are already so dark, I had way too many dark colored decor items crammed onto the shelves. I wanted to show more of the painted panel behind the shelves and brighten up the nook as much as I could.

-Top Left - A frame with a picture of me and my mom which says underneath "Her Children Rise Up & Call Her Blessed" from Proverbs 31...one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Beside that is a glass frame with a picture of me, my mom & all my sisters in it, taken at the beach on my 25th birthday. Top Middle - A picture of my sister Glenna, eating a slice of watermelon, taken that same day at the beach. This has got to be one of my very favorite pictures of all-time, and I love how the frame has a beachy/coastal feel to it. It matches the picture just perfectly! Top Right - A picture of my sister, Gloria, next to some of my "Mema Plants"...{Pothos to be exact}. I repurposed a baby food jar, a pickle jar and a salad dressing jar as vases for my plants. I wrapped them in burlap (which I am in love with) and added some ribbon which coordinates with the colors in the frame beside them.

-Middle Left - I stenciled "LOVE" onto burlap and put it in a frame that I had already. I placed a picture of Aaron and myself on our third anniversary next to it. Middle Right - One of my favorite candles, Paris, by Tyler Candle Co. sits next to a basket with a photo of my sister Gail and I in it. Behind the photo is an antique book which matched the look I was trying to achieve.

-Bottom Left - A Basket with some of Johnathan's favorite DVD's in it. In front of the basket is a little tin that I made which holds some matches/tealights that I use in one of my wax tart warmers in the living room. Bottom Middle - A vase that I got for .01 at Michael's! I found it on the clearance shelf, and boy, you don't get any cheaper than 1 cent! Haha! I'm going to put some pothos in the vase, but just haven't gotten around to doing that yet. Bottom Right - A cute little Letter box I found at Marshall's several months ago for under 10 bucks. I like it because it's yellow, and that's not a color I use much of so it stands out a lot. Plus, it's very handy for storing outgoing mail, keys, etc. Lining the bottom shelf, which you can't really see, is a length of burlap...can you sense my obsession with my newest favorite textile?! You can not believe how much fun I've had with the 3 yards of burlap that I bought at Joann's. After I get my new camera - which is now on top of my to-do list - I will show you all my burlap beauties!

Anyways, this is just a little snippet of where my new home re-decorating obsession began. There are so many other areas that I've re-done that I wish I could share right now, and believe me, as soon as I've got pics to share I'll do just that!

She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night. -Proverbs 31:18

Ruby Moon Designs on Facebook!

Check out the Ruby Moon Designs Facebook fans page on the left...and sign up to be a fan of Ruby Moon Designs! You'll be in the loop, and sure to catch all the news of what's happening with RMD. ;)

Hello from Ruby Moon Designs!

The last several weeks I have started to have a renewed passion for creating things. I'm really getting into decorating my own home, using creative ways to design an environment that reflects who I am and what I cherish. A few years ago, I started a jewelry business called Ruby Moon Designs, with the tagline, Women of Virtue Reflecting the Son...I wanted it to be a business that drew attention to the virtues of the Proverbs 31 Woman - Strength, Honor, Character, Industriousness, Wisdom & Love. And, although I was creating outward adornment, I wanted to reflect the true beauty of Christ by using the creative abilities that He gave me to share with others.

Fast forward, August 2009, and I have decided to take Ruby Moon Designs to a whole new level. I am "expanding" my previous inventory to include not only jewelry, but also handmade items for the home. I have started a store on ETSY with the seller name, Proverbs31Woman---if you've never heard of ETSY before, it's an online storefront especially for handmade items. Now, I've just barely got it up and running, and it will be awhile before it's fully stocked. I'd like to specialize in custom orders, using some of the projects I've already completed for my own home as templates for what I can make. I am getting really excited about continuing my passion for creating things.

If you're interested in updates, please subscribe and/or follow my blog here! If you'd like, I can also add you to my e-mail list, so just let me know if you're interested in that. I'm also planning on making a Facebook account for Ruby Moon Designs, and I'll let everyone know here when that happens.

Here's to happy creativity! ;)