Check out the Filigree Iron Candle Holder used for the centerpiece on this gorgeous fall table. It is such a versatile SLaHOME piece! I love that it is not too high and doesn't block the view of the people across the table, nor does it interrupt conversation by being obtrusive. It is a brown iron piece that will go with any season, with multiple types of candles and candleholders. I've used five inch column candles, various shapes and sizes of votiveholders, as well as other "outside the box" kind of elements. Recently I just purchased the battery operated votives to try out on this piece. I love that they sort of flicker w/o using any fire!!! It can be decorated elaborately, or very simply, used on the dining table or outside on the patio. Another idea for it is to hang it on the wall, and use the bottom of it to hang a tea towel on. I'll need to photograph that and illustrate what I mean. In the meantime, I'll show you a few other pics of it and show the versatility of this Filigree Iron Candle holder.......it's all FYInspiration. Enjoy!

How CUTE is that?

Well, as you know, I love to "think outside the box".....and today I thought I'd show you some clever ways the oh.so.creative girl designers at Southern Living at HOME created lamps for the Product Showcase at our National Convention which was held in Nashville this past summer. They think of the most clever things! This post will be about some of the ideas they used to re-purpose products as lamps.....another post another day about the clever way they designed a coffee table! Back to lamps....they take vases, candlesticks, flower pots, etc, and run them right over to the local lamp/lighting store where they are fashioned into the most darling little lamps. I will show some pictures of products they used to make lamps. Of course this is FYInspiration, and if you want to, of course you could consider things you currently own, or you could take a swing by a yard sale, or even by Goodwill and look with your creative eyes for products that might possibly be used in the same way. And then there's always your local SLaHOME consultant!! ;)

what's on your wall....the unveiling of SI......

As you may know, Barb of Grits and Glamour, hosts What's on your Wall Wednesday. I love seeing into everyone's home (I was never a peeping tom, but I sure love seeing what's on others walls!) and enjoying the decor. So I thought I'd show you some of the decor in my foyer. You've seen the prints of Paris here, but on the other walls, well, you'll see. One of them is a picture of me and my hubby, so I'd like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. SI to you. That was taken at the wedding of our older son, several years ago. The top pic is of our children, our daughter in law, and her brother. Then there is the cuckoo clock given to me by my step-father. It's valuable because it's from him. In the last picture, the mirror is a SLaHOME product (surprised, yes?) and an orchid (yes ma'am, Donna, it's faux! Sorry for the glare!). This is what's on my foyer walls for this "What's on your Wall Wednesday". Thanks Barb, for hosting us! She's had quite a day already before hosting this shin-dig, so go on over and give her some love!! She'll appreciate it!

What's in your apothecary jars or hurricane lamps?

I thought we could talk about various things one could use for either apothecary jars, (which are ever so popular, but timeless and beautiful) or hurricane lanterns/candle holders. The possibilities are endless, really. I really want a set of beautiful apothecary jars, but the spaces in which I'd display them are limited. So I am thinking about what I could put in them and where they would go.....and contemplating starting a set. There used to be a good deal on them at Sam's but every time I go looking for it, they no longer have them. So if someone sees a good deal on them, please let me know. The other option is to buy them one at a time at Michael's, especially with one of the great 40% off coupons, but they never seem to have the shape jar I want when I go in there. So my personal hunt is still on. But I do have numerous Hurricane lanterns, which serve as much the same purpose, and I use those in lots of different ways, too. Since I have those, I feel a little bit guilty investing in the apothecary jars, but I love the look much better. So you see, my personal dilemna.....

Anyway, I came to talk about the decorating them, not the owning them or acquisition of them!

So what's in yours? I thought I'd show you a couple of ideas for your own inspiration, and these ideas could even be used in plain jars, for that matter. They don't have to be fancy. Since my pictures are mostly of SLaHOME products, that's what I'll be showing....for your inspiration. The apothecary jars are from my friend Holly, of Holly Mathis Interiors.....you can check out her gorgeous blog here ! So tell me what you like to put in your jars?

Holly uses vintage ornaments here. Oh, so pretty. She even blogged about them on her site if you choose to peruse her blog, which is very lovely and inspirational! One could put any collection really, like marbles, or buttons, or go "whimsical" by filling them with your favorite kinds of candy, as in the hurricane jars that look so festive with the candy canes and pretty bright colored jelly beans and such. Another idea for the kitchen is to layer dried beans and rice, such as lentils, split green peas, red beans, black beans, pasta, rice, etc., depending in the colors that strike your fancy. You can place a pillar candle in the mix or not......one can also use coffee beans, which smell so good! Or think of all the fantastic colors of candy such as skittles, m&m's, jelly beans or jordan almonds one could use, depending on the occasion! I even have a hurricane that is in my living room with unpopped popcorn, and three stalks of Indian Corn. So do tell, what's in YOURS????

Eureka.......A new discovery! A must read!

Ok, I discover other blogs and realize what talented women there are out there in blogland, and that I really want to be them OR at least have them live next door to me. I want to have the guts to try new things (this comes right after my dh is talking about the new kitchen re-do, because of the necessary repairs to the kitchen from Ike, and the great opportunity it brings to do some updating). He says to me, "we have to consider resale, and making mistakes could really cost thousands of dollars, and they aren't just made on a whim!".....you know the engineer-speak of which I speak....(in my head, it's blah, blah, blah, I insert, Oh, of course, honey, I know exactly what you mean....blah, blah, blah, I insert again..... um hum, yes, right....." We've all been there.

So anyway, a very talented girl comments on my blog, whose blog I recently discovered, and I think to myself, "oh, she's cute, and has great ideas, I need to read more of her blog, etc, etc.".....and so I do. OH. MY. GA........this girl has it going on. Well, she is MY KIND of decorator. She loves a Bahgain, and she has great ideas, and isn't afraid to try them. AND on top of all of that....her husband buys her Christmas magazines when she asks him to on a recent trip to the bookstore! Can I move her next door to me???????? Go, fast, to check out thriftydecorchick's blog. I spent WAY too much time this morning going back and reading every stinkin one of her blog entries. She has the BEST ideas. And I promise she didn't pay me to write this, nor do I get any kickbacks from extoling her talent, nor does she live anywhere near me. I am just wishing she did. She's got the real thing going on, and those people that do work with her and do live next door to her? LUCKY!!!

Halloweeny Party????

Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land is hosting a little Halloween party....or a Fall Festival for those who just do the fall decorating thing. I think she likes both, as I've seen all her cool fall decor she has been posting. She's got the Mr. Linky thing set up so you, too, can go and join the fun, and show off your halloweeny/autumnal decor that you've been so busy arranging. Mine actually started around Labor Day weekend, but I've had to move some of it due to Hurricane IKE. He blew a tree into my roof over my breakfast room, where I had a lot of my fall decor residing. So you'll have to excuse the mess, and just let me show you what it DID look like. Hey, maybe I should whip up a witch's body and have it halfway hanging thru the hole in the roof???? That would be really funny if I did that. But hopefully by the end of the week, the contractor will come and start to close up the hole....and I wouldn't want to scare him off!!!

Also to note today, Melissa over at 320 Sycamore is having a little fall decor giveaway.....go check out here very cute home blog.....