Raphael Stevens

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Do You Miss This Decorating Resource as Much as I Do?

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There’s nothing quite like the calendar flipping to September to get my creative decorating juices flowing. Knowing that fall will soon be here makes me almost giddy with excitement. If you are a fall lover too, you know exactly what I mean.

Two weeks ago I shared in a post that I dumped the contents of my fall decor bin and more all out on my living room floor so I could start to figure out how I wanted to use it to decorate my house for fall this year.

But I ran into a problem when I wanted to change up the white slipcover fabric on the cushion on the ottoman that I have in the room. I was thinking of making a new slipcover for it using a fabric with brown in it since brown and darker moody colors are having a moment in the decor world now and of course brown in a fall color.

I love decorating with fabric, especially budget fabric that doesn’t cost $50 or more a yard. It is the fastest and easiest way to change the look of anything.

Since I was 24 and moved into my first home with my husband, Ed I began to decorate on a budget using both fabric and paint.

I would head to the fabric store with an image of the fabric I wanted to use in my mind. With the vision I could always find a fabric I envisioned at one of the many fabric stores that used to be in every town I lived in over the the last 42 years – Hancock Fabrics, Calico Corners and JoAnn Fabrics to name a few.

I always went straight to the clearance or remnant section and 90% of the time found exactly what I was looking for at a bargain price.

This “shopping around town for decorating fabric” scenario is no longer possible and I truly miss it!!!

I know you can buy fabric online and I have done this, but have always been disappointed when I got the yardage in the mail as it never looked, felt or had the drape I wanted that the sample swatch I ordered looked and felt.

There are a few upscale interior design shops around me, but you need an appointment to look at the fabrics that and the fabrics are very pricey.

I do have one budget fabric resource still available to me in western South Carolina called All About Fabrics. It is a big warehouse filled with rolls of fabric and a room filled with folded remnant yardage.

The problem with this warehouse is it is 2 hours away and only open 3 days a month so I have to plan ahead. When I get an idea in my head I want to act on it right away.

I have been to the warehouse a few times over the last 10 years and found that most of the fabrics are older, the patterns and colorways are no longer a style I liked. I have come home from these trips empty handed and going for a 4 hour round-trip outing doesn’t seem worth the time.

I also enjoyed simply going to a fabric store that I can get to in under 30 minutes to browse around as a source of decorating and creative inspiration even without a project in mind. It was always an inspiring outing and I came home with many decorating ideas. I MISS DOING THIS SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Over the summer I wanted to complete two decorating projects – new window shades for my bedroom and a bed headboard for the blue guest room, but didn’t get either made because I couldn’t find a fabric I liked.

Decorating with fabric is one of my main decorating tools I use to get the style I want on a budget.

Adding the First Layer of Fall Decor Using Fabric

In my living room for fall, I couldn’t find the style and color of fabric I had in mind to cover the ottoman as the only place to buy fabric in my area is Hobby Lobby and Walmart where the decorator fabric selection is very limited.

I found this plaid fabric at Hobby Lobby. I decided to go with it for two reasons. The first I didn’t have another option I liked better. The second was that after reading an article about a trend in decorating called, Eclectic Grandpa or Grandpa Chic I could decorate the living room with my husband in mind. :-).

He lets me decorate however I want as long as he is comfortable. In 42 years of marriage the only time he wanted something was about 6 years ago when he wanted recliners in the living room, which I was against at first, but now I couldn’t imagine living in the house without them.

The Eclectic Grandpa or Grandpa Chic style focuses on comfort that feels personal and lived-in, rather than overly curated or minimalist. As well as nostalgic through mismatched, vintage-inspired pieces and mixed patterns. So I figured why not decorate the room with this in mind.

I even found something fun that isn’t quite my style for the kitchen to go with the Grandpa aesthetic that I knew Ed would love. 🙂 I found them at Hobby Lobby. They are also sold on Amazon – Football Dishtowels

After making the plaid slipcover for the ottoman I had enough extra fabric to make a matching throw pillow cover for the sofa.

Now that I have the first layer of fall decor completed in the room, I will be adding more cozy layers, textures and color pops as we get closer to fall and I start feeling an autumn chill in the air.

As for the other colors I plan to layer into the decor – blue will be one along with silver accents – kind of like the vintage chambray Ralph Lauren look. Lots of experimenting and playing with what I have will get me to just the right cozy mix that both Ed and I will enjoy.

And if I find I don’t like it, I may just revert back to the cozy Grandma Chic that I know feels good to me. 🙂

The Many Fabrics on My Ottomans

I have had the two ottomans you have seen in my living room for about 30 years. They can be considered vintage now. 🙂

Being able to make new slipcovers for these very comfy and well made ottomans has saved me money as a few yards of fabric is more affordable than buying new ottomans when I want to see a change, which I like to see often.

Over the years I used inexpensive fabrics to make different slipcovers to cover the ottoman cushions.

I used to have two of these ottomans in the living room as I learned in design school that a pair of matching ottomans is a good thing to add when decorating a living/family room. A few years ago I moved one of them to the multi-purpose room that was once my studioffice where it comes in handy.

Here is what the ottomans look like without a slipcover. When I first bought them for the living room in my previous house, the color scheme in my living room was purple, green and magenta. I started covering the cushions when I changed the room’s color scheme.

The first cushion slipcovers I made for the ottomans I used a heavy duty white canvas that I found for $1 at yard at my favorite fabric store of all time called Jomar in Norristown, PA. Sadly, like many of the fabric stores, it is no longer in business. For these white canvas slipcover I even made a ruffle trim.

And now they have taken on a Eclectic Grandpa style. I am sure this change will not be their last.

How to Make an Ottoman Cover When You Don’t Sew

If you don’t sew, a slipcover can be made using fabric glue in place of a row of stitches or you can simply cover the cushion by itself the no-sew way. No-sew cushion cover

Do you enjoy decorating with fabric? Do you still have a local fabric store near you? If not, I am sure you miss it as much as I do the fabric stores in my area.

More Cushion Covering Ideas

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    Do You Miss This Decorating Resource as Much as I Do?

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    There’s nothing quite like the calendar flipping to September to get my creative decorating juices flowing. Knowing that fall will soon be here makes me almost giddy with excitement. If you are a fall lover too, you know exactly what I mean.

    Two weeks ago I shared in a post that I dumped the contents of my fall decor bin and more all out on my living room floor so I could start to figure out how I wanted to use it to decorate my house for fall this year.

    But I ran into a problem when I wanted to change up the white slipcover fabric on the cushion on the ottoman that I have in the room. I was thinking of making a new slipcover for it using a fabric with brown in it since brown and darker moody colors are having a moment in the decor world now and of course brown in a fall color.

    I love decorating with fabric, especially budget fabric that doesn’t cost $50 or more a yard. It is the fastest and easiest way to change the look of anything.

    Since I was 24 and moved into my first home with my husband, Ed I began to decorate on a budget using both fabric and paint.

    I would head to the fabric store with an image of the fabric I wanted to use in my mind. With the vision I could always find a fabric I envisioned at one of the many fabric stores that used to be in every town I lived in over the the last 42 years – Hancock Fabrics, Calico Corners and JoAnn Fabrics to name a few.

    I always went straight to the clearance or remnant section and 90% of the time found exactly what I was looking for at a bargain price.

    This “shopping around town for decorating fabric” scenario is no longer possible and I truly miss it!!!

    I know you can buy fabric online and I have done this, but have always been disappointed when I got the yardage in the mail as it never looked, felt or had the drape I wanted that the sample swatch I ordered looked and felt.

    There are a few upscale interior design shops around me, but you need an appointment to look at the fabrics that and the fabrics are very pricey.

    I do have one budget fabric resource still available to me in western South Carolina called All About Fabrics. It is a big warehouse filled with rolls of fabric and a room filled with folded remnant yardage.

    The problem with this warehouse is it is 2 hours away and only open 3 days a month so I have to plan ahead. When I get an idea in my head I want to act on it right away.

    I have been to the warehouse a few times over the last 10 years and found that most of the fabrics are older, the patterns and colorways are no longer a style I liked. I have come home from these trips empty handed and going for a 4 hour round-trip outing doesn’t seem worth the time.

    I also enjoyed simply going to a fabric store that I can get to in under 30 minutes to browse around as a source of decorating and creative inspiration even without a project in mind. It was always an inspiring outing and I came home with many decorating ideas. I MISS DOING THIS SO MUCH!!!!!!!

    Over the summer I wanted to complete two decorating projects – new window shades for my bedroom and a bed headboard for the blue guest room, but didn’t get either made because I couldn’t find a fabric I liked.

    Decorating with fabric is one of my main decorating tools I use to get the style I want on a budget.

    Adding the First Layer of Fall Decor Using Fabric

    In my living room for fall, I couldn’t find the style and color of fabric I had in mind to cover the ottoman as the only place to buy fabric in my area is Hobby Lobby and Walmart where the decorator fabric selection is very limited.

    I found this plaid fabric at Hobby Lobby. I decided to go with it for two reasons. The first I didn’t have another option I liked better. The second was that after reading an article about a trend in decorating called, Eclectic Grandpa or Grandpa Chic I could decorate the living room with my husband in mind. :-).

    He lets me decorate however I want as long as he is comfortable. In 42 years of marriage the only time he wanted something was about 6 years ago when he wanted recliners in the living room, which I was against at first, but now I couldn’t imagine living in the house without them.

    The Eclectic Grandpa or Grandpa Chic style focuses on comfort that feels personal and lived-in, rather than overly curated or minimalist. As well as nostalgic through mismatched, vintage-inspired pieces and mixed patterns. So I figured why not decorate the room with this in mind.

    I even found something fun that isn’t quite my style for the kitchen to go with the Grandpa aesthetic that I knew Ed would love. 🙂 I found them at Hobby Lobby. They are also sold on Amazon – Football Dishtowels

    After making the plaid slipcover for the ottoman I had enough extra fabric to make a matching throw pillow cover for the sofa.

    Now that I have the first layer of fall decor completed in the room, I will be adding more cozy layers, textures and color pops as we get closer to fall and I start feeling an autumn chill in the air.

    As for the other colors I plan to layer into the decor – blue will be one along with silver accents – kind of like the vintage chambray Ralph Lauren look. Lots of experimenting and playing with what I have will get me to just the right cozy mix that both Ed and I will enjoy.

    And if I find I don’t like it, I may just revert back to the cozy Grandma Chic that I know feels good to me. 🙂

    The Many Fabrics on My Ottomans

    I have had the two ottomans you have seen in my living room for about 30 years. They can be considered vintage now. 🙂

    Being able to make new slipcovers for these very comfy and well made ottomans has saved me money as a few yards of fabric is more affordable than buying new ottomans when I want to see a change, which I like to see often.

    Over the years I used inexpensive fabrics to make different slipcovers to cover the ottoman cushions.

    I used to have two of these ottomans in the living room as I learned in design school that a pair of matching ottomans is a good thing to add when decorating a living/family room. A few years ago I moved one of them to the multi-purpose room that was once my studioffice where it comes in handy.

    Here is what the ottomans look like without a slipcover. When I first bought them for the living room in my previous house, the color scheme in my living room was purple, green and magenta. I started covering the cushions when I changed the room’s color scheme.

    The first cushion slipcovers I made for the ottomans I used a heavy duty white canvas that I found for $1 at yard at my favorite fabric store of all time called Jomar in Norristown, PA. Sadly, like many of the fabric stores, it is no longer in business. For these white canvas slipcover I even made a ruffle trim.

    And now they have taken on a Eclectic Grandpa style. I am sure this change will not be their last.

    How to Make an Ottoman Cover When You Don’t Sew

    If you don’t sew, a slipcover can be made using fabric glue in place of a row of stitches or you can simply cover the cushion by itself the no-sew way. No-sew cushion cover

    Do you enjoy decorating with fabric? Do you still have a local fabric store near you? If not, I am sure you miss it as much as I do the fabric stores in my area.

    More Cushion Covering Ideas

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    Working a Shift at the Southern Living Idea House 2025

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    As a DIY decorating blogger I have been to many decorator show homes and idea homes in my 16 years of blogging. HGTV, Kips Bay, and Southern Living are a few.

    I have shared them here on the blog over the years, but this past weekend I had the opportunity to tour this year’s Southern Living Idea House, but in a completely new to me way.

    Mandy and my soon to be grandson on the driveway of the Southern Living Idea Home 2025

    Earlier in the summer my daughter, Mandy who lives in the Charlottesville, Va area was asked by her employer if she would like to volunteer for a shift at the Southern Living Idea House 2025 that is right outside of Charlottesville in a town called Keswick. Where she works is one of this year’s charity recipients of the proceeds of the idea house ticket sales.

    She thought it would be fun to do and called me to see if I wanted to do it with her. Of course I signed right up.

    This past weekend, Ed and I drove up to Virginia to not only go to the house, but to also spend the weekend with Mandy and her hubby Matt and help them paint a room and hang molding in another.

    On Saturday morning, Mandy and I headed to the idea house for our shift as docents – a fancy name for volunteer tour guides who were in place to tell the story of the house and the reasons behind the way the house was designed and decorated.

    Each of the docents for each shift were assigned a room to be in. I was assigned the kitchen and Mandy took on the second floor rooms.

    Idea House Size and Sale Price

    The Southern Living Idea Home 2025

    The house is tucked away as all the homes in the neighborhood are. It sits on a 5 secluded wooded acre lot with a lake near the backyard. 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and is 4,974 square feet.

    The house is listed on Realtor.com: Southern Living Idea House 2025 in Keswick, VA. The listing has the sale price of the house at: $6,500,000 – furnishings not included.

    The Entry

    The house was designed by, Rosney Co. Architects, built by Alexander Nicholson and designed by Charlotte Moss and her team of designers. It is a big house with lots of rooms.

    Above is the entry that was intentionally left empty so that there was a visual flow from the front to the back of the house. It was also done so anyone standing in the foyer could see nature out through the back of the living room.

    The house was designed in traditional Charlotte Moss style. I saw many of her touches throughout the house.

    To keep this post from being too long, I thought I would focus on the kitchen where I was stationed and also the DIY touches I found in many of the other rooms that I liked and know that you can do yourself in your own style.

    The Kitchen

    The kitchen is where I was stationed. It was a square room with plenty of cabinets for storage. It was bright and cheery and had many nice features.

    Wall Paint Color – Sherwin Williams Paper Lantern SW7676 (Matte)

    My favorite part of the room was the plate wall filled with a collection of colorful plates.

    I loved this purple Transferware plate. I found one on Etsy so you may be seeing a similar one in my house soon. 🙂

    Door and Trim Paint Color- Sherwin Williams Roman Column SW7562 (Satin)

    I also liked the pocket doors between the kitchen and dining room. All the doors in the house had the vertical lined panel on them.

    The best feature of the room though is this sink counter with the wall of windows that looks out to the backyard and lake beyond.

    It is a pretty impressive counter.

    The cafe style curtains were made from a vintage tablecloth. The counter is Mont Blanc Quartzite.

    Interior Cabinet Color – Sherwin Williams Borscht SW7578

    The fabric hung inside the glass cabinet doors that frame the long counter wall is from Pierre Frey. The pattern name is Amalfi Carreaux Prune.

    One of the most interesting aspects of chatting with all the visitors touring the house was to hear their conversations. Almost everyone remarked on how little counter space was around the cooktop. It is all very pretty, but I had to agree with them.

    Many also wanted to see a coffee station in the kitchen and not in the scullery that was around the corner from the kitchen where a coffee machine was.

    It seemed like it was placed there without much thought and too far away from the kitchen. To put a positive spin on their complaints, I told them to just think how many daily steps they could get in every morning going to make and get coffee.

    Back in the kitchen, I think the designers made the solid wood island in the center of the kitchen as a place to do most of the counter work.

    And everyone enjoyed the fact that the fridge and freezer were separate. On the left is the fridge and the right is the freezer with storage in-between and on top.

    The DIY Decorating Ideas I Liked

    Now that you have seen the kitchen, I want to show you the decorating details in the other rooms of the house that I liked.

    If you look closely you can see the chartreuse cord detailing on the shade.

    To hide the unfinished bottom of this vase, the designer covered it with wallpaper.

    Along the scullery wall was a hinged extension of the window sill. When lifted up and clicked into a locked position…

    …it becomes a place to pass food and drinks through to the screened-in porch.

    In the Studio

    My favorite room was the studio… or craft room were there were many creative decorating ideas that anyone can do. To get to the room you leave the house and walk through a breezeway, it is separate from the house.

    Every wall was painted a different color. The card chandelier above the work table centers the room.

    Yes there is a light in the middle of all the cards.

    This chalkboard wall is a great spot to write down inspiration, ideas and even a to-do list that you won’t misplace.

    The wall surrounding the door to the room was covered with pegboard that makes it easy to switch around what is hanging on the wall.

    Grider Upholstery

    How fun is this paint swatch fabric? It was the fabric used to cover the cushion on a daybed in the room.

    Spoonflower Wallpaper – Black and White Artistic Sketched Paintbrushes

    Being that this studio is separate from the main house, it has its own powder room and this was the cute wallpaper on the walls.

    In the Bedrooms

    Fabric – Thibaut Frondescence Embroidery in Blue

    In two of the bedrooms there were DIY wrapped fabric frame mirrors. This one was in the primary bedroom. The leaves on the fabric are raised which made the mirror all the more unique.

    Thomas Burak Interiors Ikat Velvet Upholstered Mirror

    In the guest room the mirror was covered with a bold printed fabric that had a brushed texture.

    In the Library

    Isn’t this blue and white striped slipcovered chair so cute?

    And I loved this little bean shaped side table that is secured under a leg on the chair so it won’t tip over… such a great design. It is from Charlotte Moss, LLC. I was told it could be from her private collection. I don’t have a link for it and couldn’t find anything like it doing my own search online.

    This is a very simple DIY to cover a lampshade using extra wallpaper so that it matches with the walls.

    In the Foyer

    I created a hidden door under a stairway like this in my house. Mine opens to a closet. Here in the idea house it opens…

    …to a pretty powder room.

    It was more spacious than you would think and very pretty.

    I also liked this staircase runner and would like to add something like it to my foyer staircase one day.

    In the Girls Bedroom

    The primary bedroom was downstairs in the house, the other 3 were upstairs. I liked the girls room the best. It was very colorful and filled with pattern.

    In the Boot Room Powder Room

    In this boot room powder room I like the wall papered ceiling. It makes the space so cozy with that extra designer touch.

    On a sideboard in the boot room was this lamp that had a bandana covered lampshade.

    Where to See The Rest of The Rooms in in the House

    As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, to keep the post from being too long, I focused on the decor and details that inspired me.

    If you would like to see the rest of the rooms in the house, you can see them over on Southern Living’s website.

    If you have a question about a source for something you see, leave it in the comments as I have a booklet with all the sources listed for most of the items.

    How To Tour the Charlottesville Southern Living Idea House

    The 2025 Southern Living Idea House is open August 14 through December 21—Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. Buy tickets at keswick.com.

    A portion of the proceeds goes to three local organizations: Yellow Door Foundation, Hospice of the Piedmont, and Building Goodness Foundation.

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    TWOPAGES Draperies Sure Look Nice in a Room

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    Does your home have windows that you would like to add stylish drapes or shades? Then this TWOPAGES drapery review is where you will learn where to explore and find the perfect window treatments for your home decor vision.

    Recently I shared with you that after my daughter, Mandy and her husband, Matt bought an older home, Ed and I drove up to Virginia to help them paint the foyer, living room and dining room. I showed you the rooms before and after painting reveals in the post.

    In today’s post, I am sharing what all houses old or new with windows needs – window treatments and what Mandy and Matt chose to fit their decorating vision to make the house into a home they will love for years to come.

    Knowing that they would need window treatments, I partnered with TWOPAGES Curtains for this post and had Mandy and Matt choose the window treatments for their living room that they liked from the many styles and fabrics that TWOPAGES sells on their website and also on their AMAZON Shop.

    As a mom, of course I wanted to help, plus I know quite a bit about decorating and window treatments so I offered them a few tips to consider as they went about choosing what would look nice on the windows, but also function for their needs which was to block glare when watching TV.

    BEFORE LR Front Window

    BEFORE LR Side Window

    The living room in the house has two single windows with great looking high gloss molding around them.

    They didn’t want to cover too much of the window that would block the light coming into the room and they also didn’t want to cover the decorative rosette molding at the upper corners of each window that add character to the room.

    Window Treatment TIPS I Gave to Mandy & Matt

    One: Small, ordinary windows will look larger and can become impressive focal points when you hang drapes high and away from the window glass.

    Two: Properly hung drapes (rod closer to ceiling than close to window molding) can trick the eye into thinking windows are larger and ceilings are taller than they actually are.

    Three: More light streams into a room when the curtains/drapes are pushed back away from the window glass.

    Four: Blackout drapes will take care of the glare issue when watching TV.

    Here is a close up of the white/grey blackout lining.

    Once the drapes arrived, they took more of my advice and hung the pleated drapes with the “easy to attach and adjust hooks” on the rods first to be better able to see exactly where the rod mounting brackets needed to go on the wall above the windows.

    Once they measured and marked the height and spot where the rod brackets needed to go, Matt drilled the holes and attached the rods.

    TWOPAGES Has Easy to Follow Measuring Guides

    With so many great window treatment options for you to explore on the TWOPAGES site when choosing the right window treatments for your home, the process can feel overwhelming, but don’t let this stop you.

    On the TWOPAGES site you will be guided step-by-step on how to measure and choose just the right window treatments for your windows. They also have a swatch service where you can order a swatch of the fabric so you can see the color, texture and feel the weight of the fabric that will help you make the right decision.

    The pleats look perfect when the drapes are open…

    …as well as when they are closed.

    One More Drapery Hanging TIP

    I shared one more drapery hanging tip with Mandy and Matt that many homeowners with drapes overlook and that is:

    Once the rod is mounted and you attach the drapes, add one curtain ring to the outside of the rod mount with the remaining rings on inside to prevent your curtain from being pulled all the way to the middle of window. Doing this also helps hide the rod bracket, especially when viewing the drapes from the side. See this Window Treatment TIPS post for more about this.

    Learn More About TWOPAGES Curtains

    To find out more about TWOPAGES and all the drapery styles, curtains, fabrics, rods and more they sell, head over to:

    Now that I see how beautifully made their drapes are I want to look into ordering some Roman Shades for my bedroom.

    More Window Treatment Posts You May Like

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    Where I Find the Best Decorating Inspiration for Free

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    See the aged black vase filled with pink hydrangeas that I clipped from my yard in the photo above?

    When thinking about bringing the hydrangeas inside my house so I could enjoy them, placing them in this vase had not even entered my mind.

    When I first brought the flowers in, I chose what I normally place them in, one of my white pitchers.

    Once I had arranged them, I went about my day, which included some downtime to read all my favorite decorating and lifestyle magazines. Dozens of them for free! Yep for free.

    It was in this reading decorating magazines session that I saw a photo of pink hydrangeas in a big black vase. It really caught my eye and I realized that I had a black vase in my attic decor stash.

    The inspiring image was in a magazine devoted to modern home style, a magazine I normally wouldn’t read, but since I get it for free each month, I look through it as you never know when decorating inspiration will hit you.

    How You Can Read Decorating & Lifestyle Magazines for Free

    I read dozens of magazines every week and month using the Libby app. Many people use this app to get free ebooks and digital audiobooks via their local library.

    But did you know you can also subscribe to magazines from your library using Libby? All you need is a library card from the local library in your town or county.

    Every public library that links to Libby may offer different magazines and periodicals. When I first found out that I could read the magazines for free that I had been paying for. I jumped right in. I also liked that I was saving a few trees by reading them online. 🙂

    Your library brings you magazines from all over the world! The magazines are always available, with no wait list, no loan limits, and no due dates. How can your library do this?

    Magazine publishers can charge more for ads when their circulation numbers go up. Advertisers want you to see their ads and magazine publishers make their money through the ads, hence offering their publications to libraries to get more eyes on the ads.

    When browsing through the magazine offerings, don’t stop at just adding your favorite magazines to your Libby account, sign up for others outside your decorating style.

    This is what I do, I subscribed to dozens. I may not enjoy every magazine, but I have found great ideas I could use in my style and inspiration on how to decorate with similar items I already own that I didn’t think of.

    If I hadn’t browsed through the modern decor magazine, I know my hydrangeas would still be in the white pitcher. I love this pitcher and how the hydrangeas look, but it is nice to see something different every once in awhile.

    Your magazine selection to subscribe to using Libby will vary based on your library, since each library chooses what titles and formats to offer in Libby.

    I have the app installed on my iPad. I found that reading the magazines on my iPad is the best experience as the pages show up full screen and the print is easy to read.

    You can also download the app and read on your phone, desktop, laptop computer, Amazon Fire devices, but not on Kindle.

    You can get all the details here at the Libby website. They also have a few videos (here) to help you learn and get the most out of the app.

    I told my husband that he should take a look to see if the magazines he has paid subscriptions to are offered and he found them. He now reads them for free. He likes reading them on his phone.

    To find magazines to subscribe to on Libby you scroll through the magazine category offerings and simply click on Subscribe when you come across one you like.

    Once you subscribe, you will see all your subscriptions in your Magazine Rack.

    Whenever a new issue of a magazine comes out, you can check a box when setting up the app to notify you via text or an email.

    Here are a few of the magazines I picked out from from the Libby Newsstand and subscribed to. This is only a partial list as I subscribe to many more.

    Traditional Home

    Traditional Home Kitchens

    Coastal Living

    Magnolia

    Cottages & Bungalows

    The Cottage Journal

    House Beautiful

    Country Home

    Country Living

    The Pioneer Woman

    Canadian House & Home

    American Farmhouse Style

    First for Women

    Women’s World

    Good Housekeeping

    Women’s Day

    Victoria

    Canada’s Style at Home

    HGTV Magazine

    …and many more from all over the world

    If you’d like more time with a kept issue, tap next to the magazine’s name and select, Keep For Another 7 Days. This option appears when the issue has less than 7 days left on your Magazine Rack. You can do this as many times as you’d like so there really isn’t a due date.

    Two Things to Make Note of:

    Magazines are only kept on your current device. You’ll need to repeat the setup steps if you have multiple devices you want to keep the magazines on.

    If you want to access to a magazine when you’re offline, you’ll need to manually download it.

    Another tidbit of information that I picked up when reading decorating magazines is that when you have a vase that is only decorative and not meant to hold water, you can place a smaller vase inside to hold the water.

    Then arrange your flowers.

    If you like reading decorating magazines or any magazine every week or month as some magazines I subscribe to come out weekly. Don’t hesitate to look into getting the Libby app on one of your devices.

    If you already use the app for reading magazines, then you know how easy and nice it is to keep current on all that interests you.

    More Places to Find Decorating Inspiration

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    Removing Furniture for a Decor Win

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    I am sure you know the welcoming feeling you get when walking into your home after being out and about all day or coming home from a vacation. Your carefully edited and chosen “stuff” aka… decor/furnishings greets you with a warm embrace.

    I have lived in and decorated 5 homes over 40 years. Each house was completely different.

    What I found out over this time was that the most important thing when decorating these homes was to make sure they served the needs and individuality of all who were living in the house. As we all know kids grow and move out, we get older, our needs change, and often our tastes and what we like does also.

    To keep our homes just right for the way we live in the present and to make sure we are always greeted with a warm hug when we enter a room, we should take the time to access what is working in your home as well as what isn’t and not be afraid to edit or remove what isn’t working anymore.

    “Most of us add things to our house, but rarely do we take the time to purposely remove stuff from a room when it no longer serves us.” – Myquillen Smith

    A few years ago I decided to remove the coffee table in my living room. I should have done it sooner as it wasn’t serving us anymore, it just got in the way.

    I know the reason I kept it was that a coffee table is considered a staple in the decor world and a living room should have one. Silly I know, but that was what went through my mind at the time.

    Not only that, but I also found that I no longer liked the “overly styled table look” that is so popular in decor magazines and blogs.

    To my eye, the table started to look cluttered with needless stuff… the stacks of coffee table books and small accessories that didn’t vibe with the white, natural, airy and more casual decor I wanted in the room so it would blend more seamlessly with the view and colors out the sliding glass doors in the room.

    Every item in our homes should be an asset, it should feel good and serve you and your family’s needs. If you no longer like an item, it no longer has a purpose, or you are just plain tired of it, then don’t hesitate removing it from the room. You may be surprised to find with it gone that the room takes on a whole new energy.

    Tip:

    If you are hesitant to remove an item from a room, then consider using the item in another room or come up with a new use for it until you are confident it is no longer needed.

    Removing the coffee table made the room look so much larger, opened up the area in front of the sofa and left plenty of room to keep one of my square slipcovered ottomans.

    I wrote a post all about how ottomans are the most versatile piece of furniture. you can have in a living or family room since they can function in 3 different ways:

    You can put your feet up on it – cushioned comfort that a coffee table never gave us.

    When needed, an ottoman can be used for extra and low movable seating that doesn’t visually block other furnishings in the room.

    A surface for a decorative tray to hold beverages.

    Adding Texture & Balance

    Since removing the coffee table and keeping an ottoman, I had placed a wood tray that I had on it. The style of the tray looked fine and I have been happy with it until I came upon this round rattan tray at HomeGoods a few weeks ago.

    I wasn’t looking for a new tray as I have quite a few trays and use them in many different ways, but when I saw this one on the store shelf I knew immediately I found just the right style and shape tray to go on the ottoman in my living room.

    I like that the tray has an airy, casual feel, but what makes it look perfect in the room is the color and texture.

    The mix of a round and textured item on a smooth and square surface not only creates interest in the room.

    It also brings the color and texture that acts as a visual balance for the two basket tables I have in the room. This large round basket table in a corner of the room.

    The color also goes with the wood side table on the other side of the sofa that creates an eye-pleasing color balance.

    Removing something that no longer fills your needs can make a room come alive for you again and at little to no expense in the process.

    So the moral of this decorating story is if you find an item(s) in your home that are no longer serving a purpose or feels off in some way to you, then remove it for a few days and see how it makes the room look and feel. You may just love it.

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    Fall Kitchen Shelf Styling Using Wallpaper

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    How to use leftover wallpaper to create decorative backdrops in open kitchen shelves or in bookshelves in any room that will coordinate with your room’s decor or color scheme. If you don’t have open shelves in your kitchen and would like them, you will also learn how you can add them to your kitchen in minutes.

    As someone who loves to decorate their home I have found over the past few years that one thing I truly enjoy decorating is finding new ways to restyle the open shelves in my small kitchen for each season of the year.

    There are not many surfaces – horizontal or vertical to decorate in my kitchen without causing the room to look like a cluttered mess.

    So I keep the counters as clutter-free as possible for the kitchen to function for our needs. For decor I focus on styling the open shelves in a different way each season and from year to year so they never look quite the same.

    No Open Shelves? How to Create Open Shelves in a Kitchen

    My kitchen didn’t come with open shelves, I created them by simply removing 2 cabinet doors that were awkward to open because a counter peninsula got in the way.

    Above is the before photo of my kitchen before I did a top to bottom kitchen makeover of the room. See the cabinets above the white microwave on the counter? These are the doors I removed to create my open cabinets.

    You can read all about how to easily remove cabinet doors yourself on a temporary or permanent basis.

    How I Styled My Open Kitchen Shelves for Fall

    I have found styling the shelves with items I own is all the “seasonal” accents I need for my kitchen. What I crave is color and a cozy feel. I no longer need to buy seasonal fall decor to decorate every surface to be happy.

    This year when styling the open kitchen shelves, I went dark and more moody than I have in the past to cozy up the white shelves. I couldn’t be more happy with how the fall styled shelves came out.

    When searching in my decor stash for items to style the shelves in the blue, orange and yellow fall color scheme I am using this year, I found a few large remnant pieces of grasscloth wallpaper in a dark tan color that I bought at a rummage sale for $6 a few years ago. It was a great find.

    I knew right away that it would look great lining the back of the open shelves. I kept my fingers crossed that there would be enough left and there was.

    You may remember when I used this wallpaper to make picture frame mats for the photo gallery wall in my living room as well as make a DIY foldable decorative screen to hide the fireplace in summer a few years ago.

    Now when getting a long view of the kitchen from the living room where the gallery wall hangs, the two rooms have a coordinating color accent that I like seeing.

    Do Blue and Brown Go Together?

    If you are familiar with how a color wheel works when deciding on what colors to use together to decorate your home, you will see that blue and brown are opposite on the color wheel. This makes them what is called “complementary colors” that naturally work well together.

    When pairing dark blue and rich brown in decor creates a vivid contrast that looks especially nice when used as a cozy fall color scheme for any room.

    How to Add Wallpaper to the Backs of Open Shelves or Bookcases

    Adding wallpaper to the backs of shelving can be done in an hour or two depending on how many shelf backs you want to cover. Having a sharp pair of scissors or a kraft knife will ensure your cuts are smooth and not ragged.

    supplies needed:

    On a piece of paper, draw a rough sketch showing how many shelves there are and number each shelf.

    Measure the back of each shelf. Note: When looking at the shelves they may appear the same height, but the size may vary a tiny bit so you need to measure the width and height of each to make sure the wallpaper you cut covers the entire back on each shelf.

    Write down the measurements on your sketch in the shelf order from top to bottom.

    2. Cut wallpaper to size for each shelf. Make sure to mark the number of the shelf on the back of each piece so you place it in the right shelf.

    3. Once paper is cut, add a strip of removable double-stick tape to the back so the paper adheres well to the back of each shelf. I used double-sided RedLine tape that I had on hand, but you could make tape rolls from any tape you have to attach the wallpaper to the back of each shelf.

    You can even use sticky Glue Dots sold at craft stores to attach the wallpaper to the back of each shelf. Just make sure they are the removable kind if the paper is only going to be up on a temporary basis.

    4. Use your hands to smooth the paper making sure it is adhered well.

    5. Now it time for the fun. Style the shelves to create a new look with your favorite items.

    Open Kitchen Shelf Styling Tips

    When figuring out what to use to style the shelves, I shop my house for items with seasonal colors and textures.

    I start arranging the items by leaning plates along the back of each shelf.

    Handy Tip:

    To keep plates from sliding down after leaning them against the back of each shelf, attach a Glue Dot, a small glob of hot glue or a small foam sticky tab in front of the plate to keep it from sliding.

    I like to add a mix of plates, dinnerware and decorative items to keep the shelves from looking too utilitarian.

    Shelf Styling Tips

    Start with a blank slate. Set everything aside and clean the shelves.

    Leave space between items so the shelves don’t look cluttered.

    Instead of lining up all of your objects in a row, try creating depth. You can do this by placing some items deeper into the shelves and other closer to the front.

    Small bowls can act a vase to hold a decorative sphere or ball.

    I use stacks of plates as lifts to hold a decorative item to vary the height of the items along each shelf.

    If using cookbooks, stack them horizontally and vertically. Place items on the stacked books for added interest.

    After you have the items on the shelves, take a step back to make sure if you have distributed color throughout the shelves. For instance, make sure if you have a blue item on the upper right side top shelf, that there is another item on a lower shelf that is blue and on the left side. Doing this helps everything look cohesive.

    Stand back and edit and move as well as remove items as needed until you like what you see.

    Know that you can rearrange the items on the shelves at any time, styling open kitchen shelves is not once and done decor. It can be changed on a whim, for the addition of something new or a need.

    Remember styling is personal, so do your own thing to create a mix on your open shelves in kitchens or bookshelves in another room that will make you smile every time you pass by it.

    Decorating Resources

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    How to Dye Fabric Decor Items

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    Do you remember how my living room was decorated for fall last year? I used neutral tans and brown with an accent of green on my sofa. I also bought 2 new Pottery Barn throw pillow covers in cream, tan and rust.

    I was into the new pillow covers last fall, but when I got them out this year they didn’t thrill me anymore. This fall I am craving more deeper colors in the room.

    BEFORE: Pillow Covers

    The covers were expensive and I felt like I needed to use them. After some thought I got the idea to dye them blue.

    I was a bit hesitant to dye them at first as I have never dyed anything before and wasn’t sure the tapestry style and woven fabrics could be dyed successfully.

    After doing some “how to dye fabric” research online I began to feel confident I should at least try it as I like to experiment and learn new ways of changing what I already own.

    I am so glad I dyed them! The pillow covers are now a blue color that will go with the cozy, moody, yet cheery fall look I want to create in the living room.

    How I Dyed My Fabric Pillow Covers

    After doing how to dye fabric research, I chose to use Rit All-Purpose dye. (This is not a sponsored post)

    Rit sells a few different formulas to dye all sorts of fabric as well as many other items in any color you can possibly imagine. I was surprised to find out just how many things can be dyed.

    Their dyes come in liquid and powder formulas in both their All-Purpose dye and their newer DyeMore dyes made for synthetic fabrics.

    If you can’t find the color you want in their line of colors, they even have a Rit Dye Custom Color Formula Page where you will find charts showing what colors of dye to mix to get pretty much any or the exact color you want.

    Select Your Method

    I learned so much about the process of dying fabric and feel like a pro now. If you are thinking about dying an item you first you have to choose your color, then you need to figure out the method of dying that will be the best for the item.

    -For general dye projects, use the sink, bucket or large plastic bin method with very hot or boiling water. I used a large plastic bin.

    -If you are looking to achieve as vibrant a color as possible (or dyeing nylon), use the stovetop method and double the amount of dye. This is where you find the largest pot you own and use it to dye your item(s).

    -If you want to dye large items or are looking for the easiest dye method, then use the washing machine method.

    supplies needed:

    Rit All-Purpose Dye in color you desire or mix a custom color. I used the liquid dye in the bottle in the color Denim Blue

    A bottle of Rit ColorStay Dye Setter

    Bucket, large pot or plastic bin

    Rubber gloves

    Tongs

    1 cup salt

    1 tsp dish detergent

    Where to Find Rit Dye Custom Color Mixing Charts

    I followed the directions on the Rit Dye website. They are so well written: How to Dye with Rit All-Purpose Dye. I also watched the video (shown below) to become familiar with the fabric dying process.

    [embedded content]

    I had fabulous results. So much so that I went on to dye two pieces of white clothing in a brown color to wear now that fall will soon be here.

    For a few dollars a bottle, dying fabric decor items like changing the color of pillow covers, drapes, towels, napkins and more is totally worth the effort.

    How To Set Dye In Fabric

    One question I have gotten after dying the pillow covers is how do you make sure the color won’t run or be blotchy? The answer is that you use salt or vinegar depending on the fabric and a teaspoon of dish detergent in the dye bath. These help the color dye evenly on the fabric.

    Once I liked the deepness of the blue dye on my pillow covers, I emptied the dye bath and items from the plastic bin I used to dye the covers.

    Then I filled the bin up again with warm water and added ColorStay Dye Fixative to the water and placed the items back into the mix for 20 minutes. The dye fixative is an easy-to-use solution designed to lock in color, keeping the fabric looking its best and brightest for the long run.

    Taking the extra step in the dye process reduces bleeding, fading and even enhances the color of your project.

    Once the items were done with the dying process, I placed the pillow covers in the washer with warm water and mild detergent to clean.

    After washing, I hung the pillow covers to dry. Once dry, I pressed them with a warm iron and placed them back over the pillows on my sofa.

    How to Dye Polyester

    To dye polyester and synthetic fabrics you need to use the formula called, Rit DyeMore. It is a dye specially made for synthetic fabrics like polyester, acrylic, acetate, plus blends that contain those fibers.

    What I Would Not Dye?

    Dying fabric on the stove, in a bucket or in your washing machine isn’t hard when dying small items like a pillow cover, shirt, a pair of sneakers, etc.

    If you want to dye something larger like a comforter or duvet, it may take more effort and be a bit messier since there is a lot of fabric to dye.

    After having great results with the pillow covers, I decided to dye a white dress I never wear to a cocoa brown. It came out fine, but I wasn’t expecting the thread on the hems and button holes to stay white.

    The dress is cotton, but the thread must be a polyester blend that would need the DyeMore formula to change the color. The dress actually looks OK and I have gotten compliments on the dress, so even though the thread is still white, it kind of adds a stylish detail to the dress.

    So if you think you want to try to dye something made of decorative fabric or a piece of clothing, be prepared for something like this to happen. Before dying, you can do a test on the fabric if you can find an inconspicuous area on the item to see how the dye will take.

    If you are not happy with the way an item came out after the fabric is dry, I did learn that you can re-dye to darken colors and even use Rit dye color remover if you are not quite happy with the results.

    Where to Buy Rit Dyes

    I bought my dye on Amazon since they had a wide variety of all the colors to choose from. Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Target, grocery and crafts stores sell the dye as well. Buying it at one of these stores is very inexpensive, but I could only find a limited amount of colors at these stores. To find a store near you, see the Rit Dye Store Locator.

    For More Fabric Dying Inspiration

    For more fabric dying inspiration be sure to check out the Rit Dye website where you can learn a whole lot more.

    You may not only find yourself surprised about what can be dyed and how to do it, but also inspired to change a decorative fabric item in your home.

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    Not Yet Ready to Decorate for Fall? Try Doing This Instead

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    It’s mid-August and hot outside. I bet if you are like me you are spending more time indoors out of the heat and perhaps even thinking ahead to the cozy days of fall.

    It is also around this time each year that many home decorating bloggers start sharing fall decor ideas with their readers which is fondly becoming known as “Augtober“. I enjoy these posts, but am not quite ready to decorate my house for fall yet.

    I am not letting the time slip away though while staying cool in the house. Instead I am finding small ways to make some of the items I use on a daily basis in my house be functional and easily accessible, but pretty at the same time.

    I learned the importance of doing this back when I came across the book, Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard. When I first read the book back in 1986 it changed my life. If you do the math, that was 38 years ago.

    Fast forward to 2024 and this book still holds inspiration for me.

    If you have ever read the book you know what a great book it was and still is. She taught us not only to find beauty in the everyday and joy as we go about our daily rituals, even our chores and of course how to master the art of puttering around the house to show it a little love.

    I still have a signed copy of the book that I have re-read many times, although the last time I read it I took notice of how it can seem dated since there is no use of technology mentioned. Even with this shortcoming, it doesn’t take away from the forever rereadable decor ideas and lifestyle inspiration.

    While I am not ready to decorate full-on fall yet, I have taken Alexandra’s advice to putter around the house looking for new ways to add simple touches that will elevate ordinary stuff that are used on a daily basis.

    It is the things we do and items we use everyday that involve eating, sleeping, bathing, and chores that we should focus on, yet few of us stop to consider how we perform the routines that occupy 95 percent of our lives.

    What inspired me most though in the book was where she taught us to:

    Swap the ugly for the pretty.

    Use color in unexpected places to delight our senses.

    Add small embellishments to items using ribbon.

    Flowers everywhere even if it is a one stem/bloom in a small vase on your desk.

    None of the ideas are DIY projects that need a tutorial. Instead the ideas are more about taking the time to putter about the house to tidy and pretty up so every detail not only looks more cohesive in a room, but you feel better in it.

    Below are a few ideas to get you started

    Small Embellishments Around the House

    I am sure over the years you have done many of these ideas yourself, but as you are waiting to decorate for fall, take a second look.

    Perhaps there is a new way that you can make something look better by reusing something you already own in a new way or adding a touch of color to it using ribbon, paper or some kind of embellishment that fits your style.

    Using Pretty Containers

    This blue and white pump jar of ordinary cream that I like to keep handy on my bathroom counter was what inspired to write this post. I like the cream, but not the container, so I went in search to find a pretty pump jar.

    I finally found one at HomeGoods.

    So much better, right? Take a look around your house and replace the containers and bottles the items you use come in with pretty jars and dispensers.

    To make my swap work, I needed to also swap out the tube end on the blue and white pumper and place it on my new pretty white pumper. This was easy to do as the tube just pulls out easily from each.

    If you can’t find a wide nozzled pumper for cream like the one I bought at HomeGoods, consider getting a plastic container with a pump dispenser or one of these Airless Pump Jars that are white and have no labels.

    Before throwing away a wine or liquor bottle take note of its shape. If you like it, fill it with a dish detergent in a fun fall color and add a clear pour spout to the opening. It will look nice by your sink and turn doing the dishes into a more joyful experience.

    Here is another pretty use of an empty liquor bottle.

    Always Eat Off The Good Dishes

    Life is too short to eat off worn, chipped or ugly dishes. Always eat on the pretty dishes and use pretty napkins everytime you eat. Why have them if you are not enjoying them and you don’t need expensive china, just what you find pretty.

    Mix and match pretty dishes that fit your style. I like many sets of dishes that I see when out browsing in stores or online, but instead of buying a whole expensive set, I buy just one or two.

    Doing this allows for Ed and I to mix and match with the plates I already own like I did here pairing a purple handmade plate found at the thrift store with a new Adele side plate from McGee & Co.

    Using Color to Spark Joy in Every Room

    Here are a few more takeaways from the book that you can ponder before decorating for fall begins in earnest.

    Add cheerful pops of your favorite colors in every room to create a happy vibe.

    Line the inside of drawers with colorful paper where you least expect to see a pretty pattern to delight your eyes.

    Make It As Luxurious Feeling As You Can

    Sleeping is all about comfort. See what you can find that will make your bed feel special. Try to sleep on the most luxurious sheets and bedding that you can afford. Buy it a color that will quiet your mind to endure a great night sleep.

    If you have a duvet cover, consider placing more than one comforter inside to make it extra full and cozy. This is what Pottery Barn and bedding catalogs do to make their bedding look super comfy in the photos.

    Don’t Settle for the Wrong Type of Lightbulb

    The type and color cast from a lightbulb can make or break all your decorating efforts. It is worth the time to find out what color of bulb not only looks best for your rooms, but one that also makes you feel good in it.

    Lightbulbs have come a long way and are constantly getting better so much so that now they are made where on bulb’s color cast can be changed without having to remove it. Alexandra must love these!

    Household Chores

    Not many of us place cleaning the house high on our list of favorite things to do, but it has to be done. To make it a more pleasant experience, don’t use smelly old cleaning tools.

    Instead, opt for brooms, mops and dusters with fun colored handles that will engage your senses into action. Not sure doing this will have you wanting to clean every day, but it may help. 🙂

    See & Feel The Results of Your Small Changes

    The results of the small changes you make don’t have to be time consuming or expensive, they don’t even have to be permanent! What matters is that you took the time to be present in your home and show it a little love without really decorating at all.

    With the shift in season coming and as new daily fall rhythms begin taking the time to pretty up the small things and tidy up now is a good thing so every room in your home is ready when you do feel inspired to start adding fall decor around the house.

    Resources

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