New art, shabby cabinet for sale and a new mirror & lamps

Probably the longest title ever for a blog post. Oh well. For those of you who were wondering, my sale went very well. We only had a few large items left which I anticipated from the beginning that we would not sell. Two antique dressers and an antique Duncan Phyfe buffet. If you're interested, there are going to be pictures going up very soon on Home by Ally on Facebook.

So let me start by saying that Milo says hello! He is getting so big and is such a little ham!

First up would be my gorgeous new lamps that I found at our TjMaxx. I've been eyeing lamps like this FOREVER at Pottery Barn, the ones at Target and other stores but they were TOO pricey for my liking and usually JUST for the bases! These came with the shades for half the price! Although I have to say that the lamp shades were a burlap fabric type shade that I thought didn't do anything for the lamps so I added these cream linen shades that I had laying around. 

Here's an up close view. I'm all about greenery and bringing color in through natural elements so you'll see a lot of faux plants in our home. I think they add a great little punch of color.

I also went to Hobby Lobby when they had their knobs for 50% off and scooped up 3 new ones for the TV stand. I'm really sad that I heard that they are not doing the 50% knobs anymore. These really helps out most of us who do DIY projects or furniture...sad day for me :-( I needed a change to the regular old silver ones. This cost me under $10 to update the whole TV stand. A cute little idea if you don't want a new TV stand but just kinda wanna give yours a facelift.

If you have been following me for awhile, you may also know that I have a "slight" obsession with boxwoods. And there's no exception with these boxwood topiaries. I adore them and flanked them on either side of our TV in our living room. I had smaller plants on either side but we really needed something with height to make a great impression on the eye.

Here's a better photo. I'm really digging the change. I've been searching for a piece of architectural salvage to hang above our TV for some time now but no luck yet :(

Oh! And here's my update on my apothecary dresser that I painted a warm sage green! I finally got all the knobs from Hobby Lobby while I was home in North Carolina! I adore this little piece and I was so lucky to find it. And no, I'm really not ready to sell it yet ;-)

Here's a view walking from the dining room near our patio door. My antique mahogany rocker that I painted a warm beige and slightly distressed. I adore that chair and couldn't bring myself to sell it at my first sale here in Florida. For now, it sits in our living room but I would love to find a nice padded chair or a nice, cute pillow to go in it. Still on the hunt.

Quickly, I threw a pillow from the couch on the chair. I still would LOVE to find new pillows for my couch more of my "style" but these paisley ones do the trick for now. Pillows are such an easy change and it's nice to have a few different selections for when you feel the urge to change things up.

Ok so... my shabby cabinet from circa 1900's the guy said? It is the base to an old cupboard that came out of an Florida or Georgia home. The paint is all original. I added the nice and rustic pulls and the planked wood top. And guess what, these hunky piece of wood is for sale. Please email me through the contact me tab if you are interested. It is for local pickup only and truly a statement piece. Years and years of paint on this beauty and just a lovely addition to any home.

Here's a few at all of the chippy goodness.

And a close up of the paint.

Interior doors are in a cream color while the shelving varies from aquas, greens and raw woods.

Original hardware on the cabinet doors.

OH! And I purchased this mirror at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago. I thought the lines were beautiful but the red/black were not me but I bought it anyways. I'm going to paint it white and hang it in our entryway if I can ever get to it. 

For now, I wanted to share some new things with you in our home. First up are these vintage drawings from Clayton, Georgia circa 1975. I snatched them up at a thrift store and knew the perfect place for them. I've been searching for little things for our home like this every time I go out so let's just say I was super excited when I found these beauties today! And what makes it even better is the bottom print is a print of a old store called Alley's Grocery. They got the spelling wrong but I thought it was pretty neat.

I love the grouping so much and it reminds me of a mini gallery wall. The warm wood compliments the beige on the walls so well. It also goes well with my antiques and collectibles I have in the space.

That's it for now. What are your latest finds? I'm sure we'll talk soon.

Antique Entryway Table Reveal & Before and After

It's all in the details. And there's no exception with this beautiful antique that I scored here in Florida. Have I admitted to y'all that I have a problem with buying these things... for my sale. But then when I finish them... well... I wanna keep them. Oh sigh... why can't we all just live in mansions and have money trees. Lord, the world would be so different, wouldn't it? Actually a scary thought.

So back to this beautiful table. My hubby went and picked this beauty up for me while I was visiting in North Carolina. It was missing the bottom to the drawer and had a lot of scratches. I know I hear a lot that I shouldn't paint this or that because they are pretty "as is" and that is very true. This was a very pretty antique as is but I felt like those beautiful details needed to shine! Heres' the before below. 

Ok... I have to admit. I adore this piece. And I'm going to be really sad to see it go. The color is by Valspar called "Light French Grey." Be still my heart. Everything in the photo I love. The boxwood topiary I adore. And I just picked up the faux bird cage type thingy with the claw foot legs. LOVE.

I've been contemplating painting the mirror. Or just selling it at the sale. What do you think of it?

I tried something different with the top of this entryway table. I used a variation of a couple of different types of stains to get a worn, been through decades look. And I kinda like it. Some people might not and that's ok. Because I do and that's all that matters, right? You can see the sweet scalloped edges in the photo below along with the elegant details along each curved legs. I choose white against the grey which work beautifully together. I just can't stop swooning over this piece!

Here's a better shot of the details. I mean seriously, you WANT to highlight those! Come on! Amazing. I just love it. What do you think of it? Do you love the grey and my signature stained top? I'm really satisfied with this piece and I cannot wait to hear what people think of it at my big sale this weekend. Which, did I mention that I am starting to get nervous? I do every time. It's an Ally thing.

So, let's recap. Here's the before again below.

And let out a sigh of relief because here is the after. For now, I have to go work on the rest of the furniture I have for the sale. But I do have to tell you that this sale will be bigger than the last 2. I have a lot more items along with furniture I feel like anyways. And I think things will go well. At least I hope they do! Are you going to be able to make it? I hope so! I cannot wait to see and meet everyone!

Tootles & XO

Ally

Ornate wood dresser before and after

Today I wanted to reveal to you this dresser. You see, I was in love with this dresser when I got it. Like totally excited, screech a little in love. I have been so torn on whether I want to keep this beauty or not... I even made my hubby carry it all the way up our stairs into our guest bedroom. And I've let it sit a few days to see if I really wanna keep it or not. And I tell you, I STILL don't know! I've had a lot of compliments on it already so I figure if I can get an offer I can't refuse at my sale, I'll probably sell it but if not, it's meant for me to keep her. She is just beautiful right? But wait until you see the after....

And here's the AFTER...

I know a lot of you were saying on Home by Ally Facebook page that I didn't need to paint it. And truth be told, I wasn't going to until I arrived back in Florida and realized she needed a pick me up because she wasn't in the greatest condition, wood wise. 

I adore all the ornate carved wood. I accented the drawers by painting the details white. I still wanna do one more coat of white to really make it pop. I opted for crystal knobs to keep the style simple but elegant. I could see this adorably sweet dresser in a nursery, little girls room or entryway even. I am just loving it. Especially the fat donut style feet and original casters. I also kept the top the original color along with the mirror. I couldn't bare to paint the whole thing and I wanted it to keep some character.

Whom ever gets this beauty is a really lucky person. I just love it and it has got to be one of my favorite pieces to date by far. I won't lie... painting those details took a LONG time and took a toll on my poor little hand but boy was the result worth it! I think the knobs just finish it off so well.

Hi, that's me! I wanted to show you the beautiful blonde wood on the top and around the mirror. The mirror is overall is in good condition but does show some wear. Overall, this is just a beautiful and old piece of furniture! And yes, it will be put out at my sale. I'm excited to see your responses about it!

What have y'all been up to lately?

XOXO,

Ally

Updated Glass Canisters & Source List

I'm really bad about posting all the updates and decor things that I do with my home. I'm trying to get better about that. Enter my kitchen canisters. I think for that being a very small part of my kitchen, that is one of the top 3 things that I get asked about when I have people over or put up photos of my kitchen. So, I thought I'd quickly do a post about them and the labels and a source list for both.

They all have been with me for a couple of years now or at least when we got our first apartment in North Dakota. Now I see them everywhere in magazines, other bloggers homes, etc. So that makes me feel good! I was one of the first... hehe!

You can find my canisters at Target or Walmart from what I have seen. Although they both look identical, Walmart is actually a couple of bucks cheaper so that's where I bought mine. They do not seal and are all glass. I was scared about putting flour, sugar and noodles in my canisters but so far, I have no complaints and they have been wonderful. I switch out the noodle canister on occasion for tea bags, noodles and/or anything I can find to fill it with. If you want the links to the canisters online, you can find them below. Simply click which one you would like to visit :-)

Walmart Canisters
Target Canisters

As far as the chalkboard labels, I was going to buy some Martha Stewart ones from Michaels. And they are available and if you can find a coupon, you can probably get them for a decent price! But I took an alternate route. I have to go ahead and admit... I'm slightly addicted to Ebay. Here's the link below to the chalkboard labels. The seller is super accommodating and has tons of shapes and designs to choose from! If you get a chance, tell them that Home by Ally sent ya over!

Ebay Chalkboard Labels

Oh...and just for giggles since I get a lot of comments like "How do you keep your house so clean?" and "You must not have kids." And oh, let's not forget... "Your house is never messy." Ah. Here's a keeping it real picture. Cooking noodles for my shrimp salad while also cooking homemade french fries all while reading the newest issue of Better Homes and Gardens and drinking a Coke! Ha! Not that I think this is a mess.. but I do want to make it clear that we do "live" here. And it's not always perfect.

Now I'm craving another Coke. Dang it!

XOXO,
Ally

Patriotic Front Porch

Today I went to Lowes on a mission. A mission for our front porch. Enter these urns from Lowes.  They were these basic grey urns that I loved. And man, were they heavy. I had some cheaper black plastic ones before but the height of those just was not cutting it. So, here's a view from Instagram {@homebyally} of the BEFORE/AFTER of these urns. To me, they were basic when I saw them but the price was right on at under $20 each. I grabbed some cheap black gloss spray paint and took em' home along with some pretty green ferns to put in each along with two small American Flags. 

So here's the view from the front yard looking directly onto the front porch. 

 

I found the small half moon damask outdoor rug at Ross for only $6.99 so I had to snatch it up. I actually would like to have a 3x5 out there with some sort of patterns to bring some interest to the entry.

I always forget the names of these flowers but I love them! I bought this hanging basket and hook from Lowes... and have it hanging on one of two palm trees in my front yard. 

I also had to sadly take out the hydrangeas. They just were not having it here in Florida and since these area of our front yard only gets shade for a few hours a day, they were burning up. I do plan on putting something there too as you can see with the flowers that haven't bloomed yet in the pots on the ground.

We also added an American Flag along with a solar powered light to illuminate the flag at night. If you ever have the chance, brush up on your flag code from the United States. It's pretty interesting to read all the rules, etc. and I'm much more informed now. PS-- If you plan to hang your flag 24 hours a day, at night all night... you flag must be illuminated. 

I adore these mini American Flags in my freshly painted black urns. They are both filled with huge ferns I bought from Lowes too. I just love the contrast and the simplicity of the look. Oh and before I forget... I stole this idea from my mom. Because that is ok. There mom. I know she is smiling reading this. Haha, if y'all didn't know, my mom is the cutest little blonde southern woman. Hi, mom!

Here's the doormat I was telling you about earlier. And my little piggies. 

These flowers sit beside my hibiscus flowers that are towering so quickly! I love walking up and seeing these basically flowing over the sidewalk to the front door....

I'm telling you I went crazy at Lowes the other day. Funny story. Let me tell you. I had a really cute chevron garden flag with a monogramed "S" on it for our last name. Well a lot of you knew that I was visiting North Carolina. I just recently made it back to Florida and noticed my cute little chevron flag was gone...hubby said it blew away :-( Bummer, right? So I bought this cute black "Welcome" one from Lowes... only to get home and randomly find my cute chevron one stuffed behind my work bench covered in stain! I had to laugh because I knew exactly who did it! I confronted my hubby and he just laughed and said he put it on my work bench to avoid it blowing away... accidentally spilled stain on it... because he was staining my birdhouse. Could I really be mad at him? Hint, I laughed too.

Love these hooks from Lowes to hang these beautiful flowers.

God Bless America.

Oh! And here's Mr. Squirrel above. We have quite a few Mr. Squirrels though. I can't help but feed them :O But I will not be responsible for any obese squirrels :-)

And here's a view from the end of our driveway. I am really enjoying the small changes. And it feels so much more simple and inviting now. Sometimes LESS is MORE.

Updates to client dining room: Part 2

If you have been following along for awhile, you know that I travel back to North Carolina frequently to see my family. And usually while I am home, I am put to work! My mom has wanted to update her paint colors as well as her home for some time now! She has the ultimate southern home... and everyone that sees it, loves it! She loves a red dining room and has since I can remember but this is not the largest of rooms thus why we choose a soft grey pallet for the paint colors. 

At the beginning of 2013, I surprised her by painting the dining room and restyling it with everything that she already had! We only had to pay for the paint! So, a dining makeover for roughly $30... I'll take it! It was very pretty for spending $0 on decor but we both felt like it was lacking some character and more than that, some details that are in the rest of the home.

Enter me coming home to visit for a second time in 2013 and we painted an old gold antique mirror of my grandmothers a high gloss black for an ultimate contrast against the cool grey walls. We added antique claw foot lamps from my great uncles old interior design store in Wilmington, NC. Originally brass bases and everything and they really compliment the mirror in my opinion. 

So, what do y'all think?

XOXO,

Ally