These 3 little wall hangings sent to me from Trisha at Black and White Obsession, had passed their prime.  It took me awhile to figure out what to do with them really, but when the boys started nagging about getting our outdoor Halloween stuff up I thought they could help me make a cute little sign!

First up was some black spray paint- and I didn’t let the boys do it- although they wanted to… #taggers.

Then I showed them some pictures of spiders and webs and gave them some white paint pens! I wrote the words Trick or Treat on them and then just screwed them into some scrap wood.  Pretty easy and the boys love that they made something special to add to the fun outdoor decorating!

Do y’all put up outdoor decor for Halloween? We do a little but it’s too much for me to do decor for every season Thats why I like my wreath (tutorial here) because it has spanned across several seasons!

Make sure you jump back to my Faux Marble Box post to find links to 40 other awesome thrift store make- overs!

xoxo

B

The post Halloween Outside Decor: #swapitlikeitshot appeared first on Windgate Lane.

They come unfinished so that you can customize them any way you want! I hemmed and hawed with mine because a part of me wanted to stain it and hang it inside- but I finally decided it would make such a pretty statement on our front door and last from Spring to Summer nicely.

First I spray painted it white- fast, easy, done.

Next I attached three little flowers that I found at Hobby Lobby for $1 each- I loved the pop of color that they added and knew it would be a fun color with the black and white ribbon I already had. (Instagram Sneak Peek that I shared- follow along @WindgateLane)

The only real challenge was how to hang it because it isn’t a complete circle.  I decided to tap two small nails into the back and then attach wire around them to hang from the door.  The wire was silver which was bugging the photographer eye in me, so in one of many sheer strokes of genius, I took a black sharpie to it so that it blended into the black background of the door better

Then I simply tied the ribbon in several bows and hung it above the monogram.  This is definitely the simplest wreath I have ever done but still really pops on our front door!

I am an affiliate for Eleventh Avenue, but this post was not sponsored by them and I purchased the monogram on my own out of sheer cuteness:)

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

xoxo

B

Linking to:

Think and Make Thursdays 

The post Spring Monogram Wreath appeared first on Windgate Lane.

And talk about cute and affordable- you nailed it, Target Peeps!

I had to seriously force myself not to buy all of the outdoor candles/holders- the large silver basket weave one was only $20! Get in my cart!!

and these lanterns in fun colors! I want one of each…

with adorable stackable chairs to match… I’m gonna need a nicer patio ASAP.

And my fave, of the favorites were these little side table/ stools… I am still drooling over the white and gold one.  I mean, the possibilities for this both inside and outside are major.  Mark my words you will see that in somebody’s home soon!  (if that sounded threatening I apologize… but it’s true)

Just so much fun inspiration! They also have a ton of Beach Themed decor that was very cute.

Moral of this story? Run don’t walk to grab your favorites because you know they are gonna be snatched up!

Hope y’all have an awesome day and yes, yes you can blame me when you have to justify your purchases!

xoxo

B

The post Target Outdoor Decor appeared first on Windgate Lane.

When Tide contacted me to participate in a challenge, they didn’t have to ask twice! Tide Oxi is a regular staple in my house… boys… remember?

I already use it regularly for stains and in my laundry.  It is the only thing that has taken out red dirt stains from my son’s white baseball pants.   I simply make a little paste on the spot and let it sit and then throw it in the washer.  And just so you know, his first season of baseball he slid into every single base… just because.

I wanted to put it to the test in a different way though, so I picked some up at Home Depot and decided to take it outside! Our patio umbrella has seen better days.  It was thrown down in a storm last spring and hasn’t really moved off of laying on the patio since then, which equals dirt, mold, and exposure to all the elements.  It’s hard to see- but it was covered with a nice layer of crud.

I didn’t want to buy a new one, so I decided to see what I could do to freshen up the old one.

First I brought it out to the middle of the yard and carefully opened it.

And by carefully, I mean, I opened it and then ran screaming as bugs crawled out of it!

After I confirmed that I was not actually attacked by bugs, I proceeded to sprinkle Tide Oxi all over it.  I then took the hose and started spraying it down so that the Tide Oxi foamed up and then I just let it sit for awhile.

(Some of you smarties will notice that I made an erroneous mistake and put the product I chose not to use in the original post- after trying several things- Tide Oxi was the winner of the Cleaning Challenge!)

I came back out about 20 minutes later and was pleasantly surprised! It was already looking so much cleaner! So I finished spraying it off completely and then let it dry… which took about 5 minutes since it was 100 degrees.

Now that the umbrella was all shiny and clean, it inspired me to spruce it up even more! You see, in TX, we don’t spend much time outback in the summer, it’s just too hot, but fall is when we can sit out and enjoy the weather while the boys play.  So I wanted it to be a nice place for us to sit, eat dinner and relax.

So with a clean pallet- I was able to spray paint it! and trust me, if it wasn’t clean, the paint wouldn’t have adhered.   I knew that spray painting on fabric was not going to ever look perfect- so I went for an abstract, aztec design that I kind of just went off the cuff with.  I already had blues (big surprise) and blacks on my deck so I just grabbed some spray paint and went to town!

Now I get it- some of you are gonna say- ummm… why?  Well, because it still works- it’s gonna get faded again- and it looked worse before… So I say… Why not?!  Some blue, black, and white spray paint just gave me a fun new accessory out back:)

I am pretty excited for some cooler weather and some fun backyard dinners and listening to my boys play whatever sport is currently on their minds!

Shoot, I even think it looks pretty down!

Do you use Tide Oxi? Share your favorite use in the comments section- I would love to hear them! and if you want to check out some more great uses, you can check out Jonathan Scott, from HGTV’s Property Brother’s, Ideas Here!

I hope you are all having an amazing week!

xoxo

B

*Windgate Lane was provided with product for this post but all opinions and ideas are my own*

The post Tide Oxi Challenge appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I am super excited to share with y’all a new product I got to use from Thompson’s WaterSeal! They recently contacted me and offered to let me try out their spray stain in Cedar, the spray sealer and also do an awesome giveaway for y’all… ummm…. YES!

I am not by nature a patient person- I start something and I want it done… in like two seconds.  Staining is never a painless job for me.  It takes time and clean up and waiting and then doing it all over again!

So when I heard about the spray stain, that got me pretty psyched! Admittedly a little skeptical too, thinking it might not cover well or it might show drips, etc.  But I had this adirondack chair that was begging to be stained (I had been avoiding eye contact with it for awhile)….

People… I was Thrilled!! It was the perfect test piece!

I was done staining this entire chair in five minutes- and that includes a couple spots that I could see were soaking up the stain more so I sprayed over then again quickly.  Are you excited yet? Get excited! That is crazy awesome! And did I mention the stain is a waterproofer as well?!

I loved it as is- but wanted to add a little punch of something, so I got out my chalk paint and taped off a stripe to add interest.

At that point I used the spray sealer that Thompson’s sent me as well, just to go over the paint, since the stain is already a waterproofer.  Once again- I was not disappointed.  And it is great for sealing all sorts of things- I am going to paint and seal some flower pots using it soon!

Ok- enough chit chat- you want your chance at some Thompson’s products too? This is going to be easy!
Thompson’s WaterSeal is generously giving away a Deck Care Kit- a $140 value! It includes 4 gallons of Deck Cleaner and 4 Gallons of their New Waterproofing Stain that comes in 5 colors and each one has 3 opacities it can be in- so you have up to 15 different looks!

You can check out all of the options here: Thompson’s WaterSeal

You have three chances to enter and the giveaway closes on Sunday, July 27th:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So exciting- can’t wait to see who wins and the awesome deck updates they get to do!
xoxo
B

*Windgate Lane was provided with Thompson’s WaterSeal product but all opinions are my own.

The post Thompson’s WaterSeal Spray Stain and a Giveaway! appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I did a seriously big clean up in our family room today- like you can actually see the floor and stuff.  And you know how you have some bookshelves that no one can really see the dust on? Just admit it, you don’t dust them enough either… ok, well I don’t.  Truth.

So everything got dusted (yes, I even moved stuff and dusted.  Then vacuumed, even the baseboards. Then I finally arranged a grouping of vases that I have been collecting on the tops of my Ikea Entertainments Center that I did here.  They are perfect for summer colors because they have the prettiest colors of the ocean.

I have been buying different shapes and sizes as I see them at Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, and one from Pottery Barn that I couldn’t live with out!

I messed around with the arrangements and made sure that the hight from one side to another was about equal.

You are getting a sneak peak at our new couch and I have some plans for new end tables and an ottoman that you will of course see as soon as I get my act together!  But for now I am just giving you a sneak peak at the room:)

As a bonus project, I also made a quick summer wreath for our front door.  It was sad and naked and I just wanted to get something up there!  I already had this drift wood wreath from Hobby Lobby and on a recent trip I found this blue and white striped ribbon that I clearly couldn’t live without- so I through them together and tada!

This 5 Days~ 5 Rooms Challenge (see all of the make-overs here) has really pushed me and helped me to accomplish a ton! I am pleased that some projects that have been sitting around nagging my mind are done and now I can start on the other 100 I have left;)

xoxo
B

The post Vase Groupings and an Easy Summer Wreath appeared first on Windgate Lane.

If you are popping over from Jen at The Chronicles of Home, welcome!

I was the lucky recipient of her thrifting find in this fun
blog swap!

A couple of my fabulous blogging friends came up with a fun idea to pass our thriftiness around and challenge each other!
So we were all given a medium (wood, metal, or glass) and we had to find something thrifted and under $15 to send to the next person in our order.

Jen sent me something that I loved so much I hated to do too much to it! This awesome metal tray arrived and my brain went in about 20 different directions on what to do with it! At first I was going to hang it on the wall and make magnets to clip up notes on it-  I thought about making it a clock too.

My inspiration finally struck though because of a summer party and the tray’s original purpose:)  I wanted to make it versatile though- so I found some different fabrics I had and settled on the black and white I was given by the Online Fabric Store last year at the Haven conference (you can read about that here).

I love it and and want to incorporate more black and white in our home so it was perfect.

Tutorial:
I traced around the tray on the fabric and then cut out the circle.  I then covered the front with Mod Podge and after it dried, I did the same on the back.  I wanted it to hold its shape and then be able to spray it with a water proof sealant so that it would be fine if it got wet.  What I love is that I can change it out whenever I want to go with whatever party theme we are having! And it made my little unused plant table into a tray table/ bar cart.
I also taped off the legs and painted them a fun English Yellow by Annie Sloan and then taped off a square pattern for interest on the bottom shelf using a gorgeous mint green (Cosmopolitan) by Velvet Finishes.

Happy Summer!! Hop on over to Jess at Gourley Girl and Guy to see what fun surprises she got from me!

And here is the whole list of lovely ladies participating- so make sure you check them all out!

• Jessica at Gourley Girl and Guy
• Charlotte at Ciburbanity
• Christina at Homemade Ocean
• Bee at Windgate Lane
• Dena at Hearts and Sharts
• Danielle at Two Little Superheroes
• Jen at Chronicles of Home
• Melody at My Passion For Décor
• Lindsay at The White Buffalo Styling Co.
• Jessica at Decor Adventures

xoxo
B

The post Thrift Store Make-Overs appeared first on Windgate Lane.

Started with a large fake pine wreath from Hobby Lobby (gotta love 50% off)
and a stick wreath from there as well that I just loved!

And the yarn… it was a tough call on the colors… I found the red and gray plaid ribbon and it practically jumped into my cart so I wanted to work around that… so I got some red, a tanish/gray, white, and a really pretty blue… cause I love blue. period.  It was nice to actually just sit in front of the tv and wrap yarn balls.  I did different sizes and kind of played around with the layout as I went…

Once I had it laid it out how I liked, I added in just a few sprigs with some berries and and hot glued the yarn balls on and attached the two wreaths together with some floral wire I had.

Have y’all decided to get anything new this year for decorating or staying with your tried and true?  I can’t help myself and have to add in a few new things each year but still have my faves from years past! Can’t wait to show you the wreath I made for over the mantle soon!
xoxo
B

Linking to:
Just Us 4
Remodelaholic

The post The Holiday Wreath to end all Wreaths! appeared first on Windgate Lane.

After I painted the candy corn stripes on, I went ahead and added my favorite fall slogan- gotta have a Happy Fall Y’all! And then hot glued around 2 of the 3 sides leaving an opening to stuff a bit of the left over burlap in to give it some dimension.

and hot glue up the last side and you are all set! I decided to just make it a simple wreath and wrapped orange burlap around a wire wreath form and then attach the candy corn with some floral wire.  I added a black bow to hang it from and then patted my self on the back as I was finally on the Burlap Wagon!

 Is everybody ready for Halloween? We have costumes ready to go and I even bought our candy today so we are all set! Trick or Treat!
xoxo
B

Linking to:
Hi Sugarplum
Home Stories A to Z

The post Burlap Wreath Mania appeared first on Windgate Lane.