December 30, 2012

FAQ: Dining Room Table

People ask a lot of questions and I do too. So I decided that I might start a little FAQ day on the blog! Today, one of the questions I am answering... I have been getting asked since I blogged our new farmhouse table here! I didn't really think much of it when people would ask but now since I have had an over abundance of people asking, I will finally share! SO.... a lot of you have guessed that it was Ballard Designs, Pottery Barn, Ethan Allen, etc. So let me show you a few photos & sources first.

Ballard Designs has this Vendome Double Pedestal Table that looks very similar to ours that you can find by clicking here. But sad and happy to say, it was not Ballard Designs either.


Pottery Barn also has a similar design that is gorgeous! I can't seem to find a picture on Pinterest or their website. Bummer. But it wasn't Pottery Barn anyways.f

I found this one at Ethan Allen also.  Here is a photo for reference and you can find this table on Ethan Allen's website by clicking here. Nope, not Ethan Allen either. 

So you ask...still...where is it from? Let's look back on a few pictures.... here is the table set for Christmas this year in golds, baby blues and naturals.











I wasn't originally planning on selling my old farmhouse table. Here's what our old, custom built, rustic table looked like. Ryan LOVED it because it was so rustic but I kept feeling like it was missing something. Before I found the new one, we had decided we were going to add some wood to the bottom and connect each set of legs with a piece of wood on each end to give it some interest on the bottom... but then...



I walked into the store with my inlaws and spotted mine. Tucked away in a corner almost hidden! I pulled that whole table with the chairs right out and just stood there with my jaw to the floor. My mother in law kept saying that I should ask Ryan but I knew I HAD to have her. I bought her on the spot before I even sold the other one! Luckily, it sold the same day.

Our new table has a planked top with a hidden leaf underneath that I have pulled out in photos. The curved legs on the bench and chairs give it the right feminine touch while the finish is rustic. I am SO happy that I took a chance & brought it home. Did I mention it was the LAST one that Sams had? 

 If you haven't visited Home by Ally on Facebook, just click HERE to head over and like my page!

XOXO,
Ally

December 22, 2012

Client Dining Room Before and After Reveal! Part 1

My mama is a very classy and typical southern woman. She loves gorgeous colors, glitzy and glamourous accessories and adores anything with character and charm. She has always talked about changing her dining room color to something more neutral like grey or beige but never quite had the kahuna's to do it. Of course, my love of decor didn't fall short from the tree. You can see from my mama's house just where I get it from. 

The "before" dining room was a very strong and "look at me" red. A very statement color. Here is a before picture for you to look at. The table seats 8 and has TWO different leaves to go all the way to 7ft! That's me in the left corner from one of my bridal portraits. I like to call my mama's house my shrine since there are so many photos from our wedding everywhere! The ceiling is painted a goldish brown color to really bring out the tray ceiling. She added little vinyl sayings to the part by the hutch as you can see. The hutch is HUGE and very HEAVY by the way :) I always forget to take great before pictures but I guess that just makes the after photos that much better, right?!


So, are you ready to see the transformation yet? Are you on the edge of your seat? Let's take a new tour of the *almost* completed dining area but first here's a few more photos be
fore I was about to take on her dining area. Did I mention how heavy that hutch was?





I also snapped a few photos during the process. 


If you are unsure about what tape this is, it called Frog Tape. BEST painting tape there is in my opinion and well worth the extra few dollars. If you haven't ever heard of it, you can find it here. Once you use it, you won't use anything else! I promise you! I highly recommend it!


Drumroll please....

Here she is! We painted the dining room a pale grey. I didn't think to get a darker grey for the tray sealing but that will be next. She already had a beautiful set of dining room furniture here in prestige condition so why even think of getting rid of it? She was... but says she's fallen in love all over again now that we've painted and completely made the room look brand new!


Everything that you see in the photos was found in my mama's house. She really didn't want to spend a lot of money and I mean, who really does? So we worked with what we have. But we do plan on getting her two new buffet lamps, two photos, each of which to go on either side of that window and something for the wall to the right of this photo. She also needs a new china set. Maybe that'll be a present from that awesome daughter of hers, what do you think?


The table is gorgeous! Solid cherry wood with two leaves as I stated before. Two captains chairs flank her buffet which had the hutch on it in the old dining area. The captain chair's arms I LOVE with their monkey tail shape. I threw two small jeweled pillows on each chair for a pop of color. 


After I took this photo, I took the black tiny lamp shades off the chandelier. We will be looking for a new chandy as well! I think my mom has one that we can use so I need to drag that out of part II of this before and after! The round mirror which I keep trying to steal from her and obviously can't now because she would notice is from Kirklands awhile back. Isn't it gorgeous? It really softens the room as there are many straight lines in the room with the crown, trim, ceiling and tables as well as floors.


The china I stole from mom's cabinet. It is beautiful, done in black and white roses. The vase in the middle of the table mama got awhile back from HomeGoods. I LOVE it. And want it. She'd notice if I took that too, dang it...


I decided to take the hutch off the buffet because the buffet was crowding the room and the red, although pretty, wasn't helping either. I wanted a lighter feel with more of a neutral feel with POPS of color. A good thing to remember while decorating is to always create a neutral backdrop. Beige, greys, light greens, etc. and use colors in your accessories. If you're going to do a bold color in a room, use minimal accessories. The lamp I stole from my old room upstairs but she and I both are on the lookout for two buffet lamps so that is something that will change.


Here's a better view of the chandelier. Beautiful right? Timeless right? She needs something a little more updated but for now, this is still pretty! I don't hate it and neither did she!


Again, here is the chair. Beautiful right?


I really do think I'm going to steal that candle holder. Those are antlers and they are totally in right now. I want it. Like yesterday. The other two little Christmas trees I stole from her entryway. When I decorate and do a grouping like this or with candle holders or picture frames, always do odd numbers... 1..3..5.. the groups look much better!


These little pillows are so cute and are from a local pottery place here in North Carolina.


Again, everything you see she HAD. Can you believe that? We literally spent about $40.00 for paint as well as painting supplies including my handy Frog Tape for a transformation this awesome!



Just for kicks, I snapped a photo while I dimmed the lights and the sun was setting. I love the mood it creates and lamps just make every home seem cozier.


And just for giggles, here is a nice before and after. What do you think? I am loving the transformation and I will be on the lookout to complete the room when minor changes as I stated before like buffet lamps, photos to go on either side of the window and maybe even a rug. She loves the look of a shag rug so that may be an option. She also plans to add panel molding to the lower walls in time which I think will be elegant and make the space feel that much more sophisticated.

So what do you think of our makeover that only cost $40? What is your favorite accessory? What would you have done different? Are you planning on painting a room soon? Let me know what y'all think by commenting below! Thanks for reading and talk to y'all soon!


XOXO,
Ally

December 19, 2012

Mama's Christmas Living & Entry Tour 2012


Can you believe that it's the 19th of December already? I can't! I've been wrapping up on all of my shopping over the last few days being here with my parents. If you follow me on Instagram @Allyschmidheiser, you might have saw my typical airplane wing pictures from Saturday when I flew in to surprise my parents yet again! I just love surprises, don't you? 

My mom has always gone all out with decor during the holidays and any other day. Although this has been a challenging year for our family, especially my mom who has been battling cancer but successfully had it all removed a few weeks ago and is now in the recovery stages... she insisted on having all of her decorations up this year so I could see whenever  I would arrive home. She just didn't know that I would be a week earlier ;-) 

My mom's style is very traditional, classic and elegant. She loves curved legs, deep stains and glitzy, glamourous accessories. Her favorite colors to decorate with for the holiday season are deep reds, shimmery golds and fresh greens. Her favorite thing about her decor is her stair rail and her tree. She brings natural greens from outside and regular garland on the stair case while tying in glittered faux fruit, white lights & huge ornate bows. Here's a peek into my wonderful mama's home for the holidays.


Her tree is adorned with glittery ornaments, personal touches such as a photo on the right corner of my mama & my late grandmother. She adds that something doesn't have to be a "typical ornament" to be put on the tree. Anything personal will really make you love your tree that much more.


Her stair railing is a gorgeous golden wood color with the accents of black, elegant rod iron that goes to the top of a custom foyer. As you can see in this photo, she used stocking holders not for initials but to spell out "santa." She wasn't much concerned with matching stockings but more so making them personal for each of us. Her bow which meets at higher points on the railing is made of two different types of holiday ribbon, one glitzy while another playful and fun. The garland has fresh greens and regular garland as I stated before and the ends with the bows have pea cock feathers and berries.


You can see more of the detail of her stair railing here. What a beautiful set up on the already gorgeous stair railing. Don't you think?


She says that she loves her beaded pillows, having a total of 6 of them in the living room alone. The one above is sitting on an antique Ethan Allen replica in the living room.


I absolutely adore these little ice skates. They are adorable. As you can see, she has also added some faux snow to her tree for things like these ice skates to sit on. 


To the right, you can see faux hydrangea flowers stuffed into different places and faux glittery gold leaves adorn the entire tree. A small accent pillow is stuffed at the bottom of a small treasure chest at the bottom of the tree. "I am the way, the truth and the life." A personal touch she adds.


We miss my grandmother very much...and each holidays is just as difficult as the next. But it is nice to tie her and our other passed loved ones in the decor so we can cherish their memory every year.


Different types of Ting ting and a spray of beads make the top a statement piece of the tree. She adds that this creates balance to the fullness of the bottom of the tree.


Here is a few coming inside from the foyer. She accented her white fireplace with the same fresh greens and garland as the stair railing. Just beautiful, wouldn't you say?


Here is a better view. My mom has been asked multiple times to decorate grocery stores and small event places for the holidays. I think that she does a wonderful job!


How gorgeous is that stair railing? And now imagine that in the evening. Yes, even more gorgeous.


She has these same lanterns lit at night with LED candles on the front steps to walk up the front door. A perfect addition to the ambiance of the home. She add two small beaded trees for a small, subtle Christmas look.


She has had these snowmen for years. As you can see, there is a hint of blue under the faux snow. Those are blues lights that she turns on at night. Also you will find again, fresh greens behind the look for another subtle touch of Christmas.

I hope you enjoyed just a small glimpse into my mama's home for the holidays! I am so glad to be home and am enjoying every minute with my family. Are you with family this Christmas? Did you decorate this year? What is your favorite detail of your decorations? What colors did you use? Thanks again for visiting Home by Ally! Be sure to comment below and let me know what you think of this tour!

XOXO,
Ally

December 17, 2012

Cowgirl Up Linky Party & Guest Hosting!


Welcome to Week 46
of
The Cowgirl Up! Link Party!


1 Party, 5 Blogs 

Our guest host this week is
Ally from Home By Ally!
Hi! I'm Ally from Home by Ally and I am SO happy to be here guest hosting for The Ivy Cottage and the Cowgirl Up Linky Party! What an honor! These ladies are such a great inspiration and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be here and sharing my passion with y'all!



Home by Ally started roughly a year ago with a serious passion for all things pretty. I have always had a love for home decor and repurposing the old and new, furniture included. My great uncle, grandmother & mother have always been insanely into home decor with my uncle owning his own interior design business in North Carolina. 

My little family and I just relocated to eastern Florida on account of my husband serving our country in the military. Since we are military and have lived in many houses that the military provides for you, I've always had to be creative with mostly white walls, cheap finishes and outdated looks. I'm so excited to be here in Florida and I hope to be here for awhile and get Home by Ally involved in the community and the local people! 

Here are some of my favorite projects to date here at Home  by Ally!

One of my first favorite projects was this cute little DIY Painted Mason Jar Soap Dispenser. So adorable and so FREE. It was made from a spaghetti sauce jar and I had the lid on hand from another dispenser! You can find the link by clicking  here!


One of my most recent projects was this DIY NO SEW Burlap Table runner. We had just purchased the new farmhouse table and I need a custom runner over 100'' inches long! I couldn't find what I was looking for without paying an arm and a leg so I decided to make my own! You can find the link for my DIY no sew burlap runner by clicking here!


Next up was just from a week or so ago, this cute little lettered picture frame that I keep seeing pop up on Pinterest! It cost me $3 whole dollars to make! You can find the link for making your own lettered picture frame by clicking here!


While we were stationed in North Dakota, I really wanted a new bedroom set but we didn't' exactly have thousands to spend on one. So, I painted ours! You can see the master bedroom furniture reveal by clicking here!


And finally, one of my most FAVORITE projects to date was my custom DIY Nailhead Trim (Pottery Barn Inspired) Headboard! I still can't believe I did it on my own with only a trip to Lowe's. Yes, seriously. You can find out how to make your own Nailhead Trim Headboard by clicking here!

I hope y'all enjoyed all of my links to my favorite projects and getting to know the girl behind Home by Ally. You can find my blog by clicking here! Be sure to "follow" me and also "like" me on Facebook by clicking here! I just wanted to extend a sincere thanks to The Ivy Cottage Blog for allowing me to guest post and just for being so great all around :)

XOXO,
Ally from Home by Ally

** Want to be a Guest Host here on Cowgirl Up? Just leave a comment with your name and blog address below! If you are selected, you will be introduced in the Cowgirl Up post for that week, and we'll include a link to your blog. We’ll send you the code for the party ahead of time, so that’s a post you don’t have to write. Lots of fantastic exposure for you, and the post is written for you!

On to this week's features chosen by Amanda with The Ivy Cottage Blog!

I am a sucker for vintage makeovers and this little desk is one of the sweetest I have seen in quite awhile . . . by Do You Love Him, Loretta?



Love this teen room makeover by Remodelando la Casa!  Truly something special!

A scrapwood Christmas Tree by Marty's Musings!

Recycled Christmas Card Tree by The Enchanting Rose.

This fantastic Hub Cap Wreath by I Still Hate Pickles.

Now about this week's party... You link up on my blog and your link shows up on FIVE blogs.

More exposure, less time.
We are looking for the latest and greatest projects, tutorials, ideas, crafts, recipes, decor, and inspiring stories. Anything that you are proud to show off.
Cowgirl Up! is the link party that saves you time and brings you inspiration.
What blogs will your link appear on? Check us out below!
Linsey with The Farmhouse Porch
Anita with Cedar Hill Ranch
Amanda with The Ivy Cottage Blog
Samantha with Crafty Texas Girls
*PLUS our Special GUEST HOST: Ally with Home By Ally
The four of us are all Texas bloggers, but you don't have to be Texas, country, western, or own horses to participate in Cowgirl Up! You just need that "can-do", cowgirl spirit!
Cowgirl Up! Link Party Guidelines
(Please read the guidelines before participating)
* When you link with Cowgirl Up!, your link will automatically show on four different blogs. Awesome!
* Please follow your host blog before linking up on GFC (and if you have a linkyfollow account, then please follow that way too.)
* You may link up decor, DIY, crafts, guest post, recipes, giveaways, sewing, inspiring stories, and anything that you feel related to the listed categories.
* You may link as many links as you want.
Be sure to include the Cowgirl Up! Button or text link to Cowgirl Up in your linked post, (mine can be found on my sidebar.) Mandatory to be featured!!
* Be courteous and visit the two links before yours. Several projects will be featured each week!
* By linking up you are agreeing that the photos are yours or that you have permission to use them,  that we may use those photos to feature your project in a blog post, on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter with a link back to your blog of course. 
*If you pin a project shown here, please, please pin from the original source.
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