May 17, 2013

Fan Feature Friday #1

So I figured I'd give this a go. I actually got this idea from two places, one from Miss. Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday which I was featured on a few weeks ago here and another being everyone from Home by Ally's Facebook page in which I have the most supportive fans! So I thought this would be a fantastic idea to feature each of you and your ideas, your projects, your DIY's, painted furniture, awesome thrift and antique finds and home decor! If you would like to submit a project and want to be featured on the blog, feel free to contact me through the contact tab here.

First up is Tanisha. Tanisha was inspired for this project from Pinterest. She simply took some old frames and took out the glass, added fabric along with a wooden letter to create a custom "monogram" look for her home. I love the fabric! What a quick and easy project!


Next is Megan. Megan scored this AWESOME antique cabinet off of Craigslist because it was missing the glass. It was pricey to replace so she simply got some inexpensive chicken wire and gave it an updated look! Great job Megan!



Valerie updated an old basic, natural wood dresser with some of Miss. Mustard Seeds Milk paint in kitchen scale. She painted a silver underneath, crackled and spread MMS "kitchen scale" overtop to come up with a nice, layered look that she loves! She finished it off with cute glass knobs.


If you weren't featured this Friday, there is still hope! Still submit your projects because I enjoy seeing them. You all who were featured tonight did a great job on your DIY's! Thanks for sharing! 

XO,
Ally


May 8, 2013

I need your help! Follow me on Hometalk!


Home Talk.


I just discovered Home Talk and I LOVE it. Like a lot. Have you ever heard of it? Hometalk is the largest online home & garden knowledge hub. I know what you're thinking, sort of like Pinterest right? But almost better in my opinion because it's for the HOME. You can ask questions and will get straight, fast and accurate answers to help with all of your home, DIY and garden questions! You can search anything, post your projects and get in touch with others who love everything about home just as much as you! Seems wonderful right? I know, I'm addicted already...

It’s fueled by the firsthand experience & advice of hundreds of thousands of home enthusiasts and professionals. And more than that, they are hosting a major giveaway that I would LOVE to surprise my mom with for mother's day and bring her with! Luckett's Store always comes up in our conversations and about how much I would love to visit. If you haven't discovered Luckett's, click here for their spring market flier and click here for their online store. 

Thank me later. ;-)

So, let me walk you through how to "clip" things on HomeTalk and get your profile and boards going! Like Pinterest, you can "pin" items by clicking "clip" and saving it to your boards. See photos below of my profile. I saw this gorgeous remodel and just had to clip it!

Here's what you'll see when you click on an image. If you look to right, you'll see "share, like and clip" options. Share the image on a social media network, like it to just well, like it and finally "CLIP" it to save it to your blog. 


Again, below you can see the clip button. Clip and add to your board.



So, I decided to enter this contest but I need help from all of my fabulous, amazing, wonderful, caring readers and followers and best of all, friends here at Home by Ally! To enter and qualify for the contest, I need {ten} new followers on Hometalk via my blogpost here. My new followers must be from my blog and will be new Hometalk members. So, all you have to do is sign up (make an account) and follow me. I'll provide the links below to follow me and the same place where you can create an account... so now I ask, can you help? For just a dollar a day... haha, I kid. But seriously, make an account and help a sister out? I would love you forever. The winner will be chosen at random on May 14th. I will be on my toes that day and just think if I could only be so lucky! 

So, here's how you follow me and I promise I'll leave you alone! Sign up first and then just follow the link below to my boards! And here's an early thank you, thank you, thank you!


I'll let you know how it goes! Only 10 followers people! 10 ;-) Please and thank you tons!

XOXO,
Ally

May 1, 2013

Keeping it "real" post.... how I edit a room.




It's evening here in Florida so this won't be a long post because I need to go to Lowes but it will feature a few pictures. I get sick of our rental a lot... because well it's a rental. It's not "ours." I can't added a white beadboard ceiling or beautiful reclaimed wood floors. I can't buy a huge antique hutch and know that it'll stay because we move every couple of years. I would love to have white couches but we insisted on putting money towards a nice set that would last us from LazBoy. Two years in and they are still like brand new so I feel guilty for even wanting new ones! That and my husband refuses to even acknowledge the idea. Yeah, I know. It sucks! But I'm not alone in that right?

So, I decided to night to show y'all and I'm sure you've read before but how I "edit" a room. I take literally everything I can move by myself out of the room and put it in one area. To me, this makes me feel like I have a little clearance area and I get to have anything I want for free. That and because we are not millionaires and this girl had better shop the home rather than the store ;)

So here's what the room has evolved from in the past few months.... 




You get the idea? Lots of beige. Not that I am a fan because I am. But the walls are beige. My sofa is beige. My curtains are beige. The carpet is beige. I'm all beige out. But I refuse to paint this house because of it's high ceilings and I know the minute I paint, we'll get orders to leave or move. Just how it always seems to work! SO... working with what I got! 

I love the look of fresh greens. I also love antique inspired furniture, vintage and kinda beat up colors and textures. I really hate modern lines. I love anything with history or a patina to it. If I had it my way, in my dream house, well we wouldn't have a "Florida style" home first of all. I would live in a historic neighbor with mature trees covering the roads, large yards and wrap around porches... like these below that I took on Instagram (@homebyally)

Notice anything about this picture? This house surely stands out for it's beautiful curb appeal along with the creeper in the window...


And I was swooning over this beauty....

Like, seriously. My stomach is in knots because I would love a home like this... I just love the character, the history, all of it. The big porch, the mature trees, the not so cookie cutter house! But sadly, most of these homes require 100% repair or someone has already flipped it and is selling for a pretty penny...which is great for them! Awesome living, I would LOVE to do that with historic homes like Ms. Rehab Addict herself but this life we lead, moving every couple years.... well, let's just say I doubt that we'll be buying anytime soon! But it'll be worth the wait, right?!


So, on to our borrrrrringgggggg rental. Hah!

Here's a real life photo that happens when I get tired of things. I take EVERYTHING out and put it in my space. The only things that are left are my couch, chair & tv stand. 



Here are my new wire baskets that I scored from Ross a couple of weeks ago. I have been tired of my washed grey wicker set for sometime so I sold them. If you haven't followed on Facebook yet, you missed a huge clean out sell! Be sure to "LIKE" to keep up with all my latest posts. You can find Home by Ally on Facebook by clicking HERE!

I added little cards that I had from tagging my items at my sales and stamped them too with little sayings that I thought feeling comfortable for our home. Oh! And the drum table that the baskets are sitting on was cream last week. And then I painted it.


Here's a before of the drum table. Sometimes I just get bored. After searching for employment for 10 months here in Florida, a gal has to do something, right?! I also painted the mahogany rocker a LONG time ago to a nice warm beige to contrast against the carpet. The grey was too cold for me.


Ok, so here's a peek at how it looks today!



Below you can see a peek of my apothecary dresser which I LOVE. I painted it a nice and neutral light sage green. The knobs are from Hobby Lobby. I am desperately waiting on them to get 3 more in so I can reveal it already :) but I'm not impatient or anything... at all. No, never.



I adore these little boxwood wreaths. I ordered them off of my newly favorite site to visit, Decor Steals where you can order vintage items, boxwood wreaths like this one that were so cute when they arrived at my home! I bought 3 total and for a steal of a deal for boxwoods! Seriously, sign up already. I promise you that you'll love it. Or you're not normal.

They came wrapped so sweet with their little ivory bows. OH! And did I mention it's a pack of 3? Small, medium and large. The best thing ever. I'm waiting for the next event with these because I need one more set! I just adore them! What do you think of them?



I still am on the search for the perfect thing for this big, huge, ginormous wall that we have our couch on. I'm a fan of gallery walls but symmetrical gallery walls that are neat and not just random. Don't ask. But I also don't want to spend $100 on picture frames just for this house. I would LOVE to find a huge chippy mirror that was large enough above the couch. Then I could find some other stuff to put on either side of the mirrors, etc. 


I spotted one at HomeGoods awhile back and I REGRET not getting it. :( Don't you hate when that happens? I really do. If your gut is telling you to get something, darn it... get it! And don't feel bad about it. Just maybe not mention it to the husband ;-)


Here's my large wire basket that I was telling you about earlier... it reminds me of a clam basket from home. But I have it filled with all of my throws. I'm a throw, pillow, lamp, picture frame, wreath, pillow hoarder, didn't you know?





Well there are some new updates around here, I hope that y'all enjoyed them! I am really enjoying all the changes and the re-arrangement of the room. (again). Let me know what y'all think! And if you find an image you love on here, be sure to click "PIN IT" at the top of this post to reference it on Pinterest! Have a great Wednesday night everyone!

XOXO,
Ally



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