I hope everyone woke up to sunshine today, leading you into the holiday weekend.
This is my favorite time and holiday of the year y’all! And although I usually like to host some sort of shindig at our house, this year we are going somewhere else.
In that case, I needed to put together a little hostess gift. If you also need something for your hostess besides the usual wine (I will add that too) or flowers, here is what I did….
I picked up a few “summery” items that I thought she might like,
I went through my crafting bin and pulled out some supplies like a kraft bag, ribbon, name tag, hole puncher,
and some sparklers.
Then I just placed the gift items in the bag, tied it all up and stenciled the tag for the 4th. Tada! A personalized Hostess gift.
And if you still haven’t added any decor to your place, don’t fret, here are 3 super easy and budget friendly ideas to show your patriotism.
Only 23 days until spring! Are y’all ready, or what!?
Im still working on my spring clean up of the house, and last week, I gave some much needed attention to the stairs of our cellar.
Our house was built in 1950 and I’m pretty sure this area has only been painted once or twice since then. Hard to believe that it’s looked like this since we bought the house 2 years ago. It’s one of those areas that you only look at when you have to go down there, and even then, you don’t really care what it looks like. Ours had faded and dingy yellow paint on the walls and the stairs were a hot mess! Yikes!
Happy Thursday!
Only 23 days until spring! Are y’all ready, or what!?
Im still working on my spring clean up of the house, and last week, I gave some much needed attention to the stairs of our cellar.
Our house was built in 1950 and I’m pretty sure this area has only been painted once or twice since then. Hard to believe that it’s looked like this since we bought the house 2 years ago. It’s one of those areas that you only look at when you have to go down there, and even then, you don’t really care what it looks like. Ours had faded and dingy yellow paint on the walls and the stairs were a hot mess! Yikes!
Even though he was sick, my husband helped me paint the walls first (because we are messy painters, as you can tell by my paint can) and then I painted the steps myself. It was actually really easy, the paint had great coverage.
After the paint dried over night, I added some stair treads so I don’t fall to my death.
This roll was about $16. I measured out each piece and made sure I had enough for all 11 steps in just one roll. I literally ended up with about 5 inches left over. They are just a peel and stick, so were super easy to apply.
And this is how it looks now.
Ahhh. It feels so much brighter, fresh and clean. You know, for a cellar. I also did the walk up attic walls and stairs in the same colors.
Since we relocated, we have been very fortunate to have friends and family visit us up on the hill. When preparing a room for our guests, it is important to me that things are as comfortable as I can make them. The style of this home is very casual, and not the style for everyone, but the little things added to a guest room can be used with any theme.
Here is a is a look at our space and how I make our loved ones feel like they are special.
Our main guest room has a private bath and I call it “The Waller Suite”, after our very first guests to stay with us. We have additional guest space, but this is the one used most often.
The room was white when we moved in, and needed a cozier feel. I wanted a color that was soothing to everyone, so I painted it Martha Stewart Linen.
Then I started with the bed.
In my opinion, bedding is one of the most important components in making guests feel at home and comfortable. I love to use crisp white cotton sheets and lots of pillows to accommodate preferences. I use blankets and quilts mixed with duvets, to offer different weights of covers. Some folks like a lot of covers and some folks don’t. Some folks like fluffy pillows, some folks don’t.
For my spring/summer bedding, I couldn’t resist the light pinks that were everywhere. I am using two solid quilts, with a Cynthia Rowley duvet and additional Pottery Barn pillow shams. For the fall/winter season I use a neutral linen set from Pottery Barn that I really love.
I find that bedding doesn’t have to be super expensive to add comfort.
Layers of bedding
Crisp white cotton sheets
Next to the bed, I have a nightstand on both sides so that couples staying with us have their own space for personal items.
I use the largest of the two to keep some items on hand for our quests, such as reading materials, a dish for jewelry or small things, and a water carafe & glass.
I also like to have fresh flowers or seasonal greens by the bed. Some people really enjoy the added touch of fresh flowers and if you are able, gathering them from around the yard is a special touch.
I also have a chair for sitting and a cashmere throw for snuggling. Having a chair in the room is helpful to older guests.
Nightstand
Chair and cozy throw
A laundry basket, a luggage rack, & a night light all help to make the room functional and cozy for our friends and family.
I keep a stack of fresh towels in the room so no one has to go searching for them, and I stock the bathroom with items I think they may need. Another small touch is that I put out a fresh bar of soap in the bathroom for every visit.
You can use fancy soap, or my personal favorite, plain old white Dove soap.
Visiting can be exhausting, with the traveling, sightseeing and general excitement.
Having a t.v. in the room is a convenience for guests who may want to go to bed early and watch a movie, or even for those who want to get up early to watch the news without feeling like they are waking up anyone else.
Just another touch that will help them feel like they are at home.
After making sure the quest space is comfortable, I like to leave some kind of special gift in the room to let my company know just how much we appreciate them making the trip to visit us.
I have put together gift baskets of different sizes, some with things to relax and some with local treats and sometimes just a small little something to show some love.
