Looking for some decorating or super crafty DIY inspiration for the new year? Well, why not start with some of my most popular projects. Whether you're interested in an easy home decor idea to spice up your house for a holiday celebration or to transform your space with an easy trick, you're bound to find something here.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ~ Kim

Choices in holiday decor set the mood of the room. This year, I was going for a more serene feel, I wanted simple, rustic cottage Christmas decor.    I love drama in decorating. I think that's why I'm so drawn to the color red, especially when it's coupled with the color white. The clean, bold palate created by the combination of those two specific hues, energizes me, yet calms me at the very same time.

So I have these flameless candles and I use them all year long.  I love the ambiance that candle glow adds to a room, but I am not really a fan of fire. I also like to doll up my candles with embellishments and a real flame limits what I am safely able to do to dress those waxy accessories up .

During the Thanksgiving season, I shared a post detailing a super easy printable project . I actually loved that simple little framed saying so much, that I decided to make a Christmas printable to fill my dollar store frame for December.

I have been trying to decorate my house for Christmas in a more rustic style this year, using decorative pieces that I already own. I did not want to go out and buy all new items for such a short season, nor did I want to totally and permanently transform items I currently use year round and then have to go buy replacements for them at another time. Anyone with me?

Super easy, rustic Christmas DIY. Whip up this super simple newspaper cone advent calendar in a jiffy and countdown to the big day in rustic, and free, style! I am not into complicated crafts. I like projects that are easy, inexpensive and I can whip up in a jiffy and look like a pro. My newspaper cone advent calendar is no exception.

Christmas triple wreaths make a huge decor statement on your holiday front door. However, it you try to buy one, you'll find they can be pricey.  Here's the quick and easy way to hang 3 wreaths on your front door, possibly with supplies you already have on hand.  Last year I was looking for something new to decorate my old and boring, white painted front door. Having seen those gorgeous Christmas wreath trios in magazines and catalogs, I thought I would try to make one of my own. So I took three old faux wreaths, strung them together with dollar store ribbon and, poof, I had a fabulous new front door decoration for less than a buck.

Today I have the great pleasure of posting at A Joyful Cottage . Nancy asked me to contribute a piece for her wildly popular Living Large In Small Spaces series and I was thrilled to tell my story! Pop on over to check out my thoughts and, if you're not familiar with Nancy's blog , stick around and take a peek at some of her other posts, her pretty monthly party and the rest of the series. I promise you will not be disappointed, especially, if like me, you are a lover of the cottage life! Have a super weekend!

Get crafty this holiday season! Check out these super easy Christmas decor projects! Inexpensive and whipped up in a jiffy! It's that time of year again and while I know that many of you have been crafting for Christmas for weeks (or even months now), I just cannot get into the holiday mood until Thanksgiving dinner is done. There is something about sitting by the light of the fireplace, tree aglow and a few random Santas to keep me company, as I sing along with Doris Day, that puts me in the crafting mood. I love how the product enhances my home, but the process is half the fun. And around here making the projects during the season is tradition.

Marketing to other bloggers is standard blogging advice and certainly has a place when building a community finding your tribe. But is the follow for follow game a good business strategy? I think not.  I'm an excellent public speaker. It was my major in college and something I excel at...I have absolutely no problem getting up in front of a crowd, in fact, I like it. I disseminate information and thoroughly engage people in such a way, that when I'm done, I have actually heard, Do it again!

Several weeks ago, I updated my basement  to make it a more livable space for our family at its current stage. One of the ongoing battles I have had with my kids, whenever I tried to organize this space, stemmed from their need to keep their treasured baby toys and my need to not see them anymore.

Here's an easy DIY for the Thanksgiving holiday. It's my Give Thanks free printable. It's an easy way to add some holiday flair in minutes to any room. Gobble, Gobble! I don't usually decorate that much for the Thanksgiving holiday. Other than a large canvas Tom Turkey on my front door, a few small wooden turkeys and several handmade treasures from my kiddos, my house is just mostly dressed for fall. However, this year, I was cleaning out a closet I came upon a black dollar store frame and thought it could use a little holiday flair .  So I whipped up a very simple printable on my own.

My house has a very small footprint. It was built in the 1920's as the first year round home in a small summer beach community. While a four season home should've boasted a bigger frame than most of its cottage style neighbors, equal sized lots kept it in check.

I miss the old paper Christmas catalogs that I used to find in my mailbox every holiday season, to spur on holiday shopping. Browsing online just doesn't cut it. As a child, Halloween is what symbolized the beginning of the holiday season around our house. Once the day full of costumes and candy was done, my brother and I could think of nothing but Christmas. Christmas....Oh, the most wonderful time of the year.

When it comes to decorating and redecorating my simple advice is all about the power of one. Swapping out just one item in a room can make a huge difference. When it comes to home decor, I get bored very quickly.   Ok, well that's not really entirely true. Once I have made a decision about the base of a room, I usually stick with it for a really long time. I actually haven't repainted or done any kind of serious renovation in over a decade, so let me rephrase that... When it comes to home decor, I get bored with the general feel of a room and small accessories rather quickly.

I adore my house. I mean, I really, really like it. From the moment I walked through the front door, so many years ago, I have always felt as if the house hugged me.

Customize your décor and conceal your mismatched treasures by adding fabric to glass doors with this super easy craft idea for your home. It takes just minutes to do and won't damage your furniture. And it won't break the bank.  I have another super easy DIY for you today. This one is quick and very inexpensive, but has the power to totally transform furniture and thereby a room. It's adding fabric to glass doors.

It doesn't always take a lot of work and money to totally transform a space. Sometimes replacing a few key pieces is all you need to update a room. My basement is one such example.

Keep Calm and Get Your October On...when does fall really start and what does October mean to you?

Whip up a quick meal in no time with the easy recipe for quiche. Toss in a few eggs and whatever you have hiding in the fridge to make a hearty meal for your family. Trust me, it's not just for brunch! I do not like to cook, I would rather decorate than make a meal. This fact has already been established around here, many, many times. Of course, we have to eat and I am the one in charge of that on weekdays, so I have become queen of the easy recipe . If I can whip it up late in the afternoon, with stuff I have on hand...because ~ surprise ~ I am not a meal planner...then it meets my qualifications for supper.

I don't have much excess room in my tiny cottage, but I found the perfect way to carve out my dream craft space. And I found it at the thrift store! I live in a tiny beach cottage and I absolutely love it. I'm not a big house person. In fact, I'm most content in spaces I can label with words like cozy, sweet or charming. That's just who I am.

It's fall and I am so excited! I can't wait to set out the pumpkins, turn on the fireplace and cozy up my décor with a few simple accessory swaps. I usually start with the windows, taking down the light summer lace and adding something a little heavier to frame my view. It's amazing how that one little change can transform the entire mood of a room.

I have never liked to exercise. Never ever. Not even the teeniest bit. I know it's not politically correct to admit that, but it's true. My secret is out. I listen to people talk about running highs and endorphins, feeling euphoric and alive ~ blah blah blah.  No offense, but all I have ever been after exercise is breathless. And I don't like it. I used to dance, kickline, ballet. I have the tattered pointe shoes and pom poms in the attic to prove it, but that was many years ago, before kids, an aging parent and a deep desire to remain sedentary settled in. Now my only form of exercise comes from pushing laundry baskets around and apparently, that doesn't really count. I need to move deliberately and for a certain amount of time each day to get points. That sounds unappetizing. I've decided to start that 10,000 steps a day challenge, mainly because it seems to be the least exercisy-exercise out there. I have done it before and easily hit that magical

 Feed your need to craft with these six super easy projects for fall!   Here are six of my most favorite fall craft projects. They are inexpensive, super easy and will have your home looking elegant and festive in no time flat!

Here's an easy garden DIY, to help you train your climbing vine with a custom trellis. This simple tutorial will show you how to maximize your plant's beauty, while keeping it in line. Check out the quick and inexpensive how to... Last year, I wrote about my gorgeous Morning Glory plant . My husband has been growing this cottage beauty on the garage wall for years in an effort to keep me quiet. You see that large, bare, ugly white wall is directly across from my kitchen and a very large bank of windows. I was considering some potentially pricey solutions to decorate it, when he decided to take matters into his own hands, for just a few pennies, with a packet of seeds.

Looking for an easy and elegant upcycle DIY? Why not turn an old flower pot into a decorative fruit bowl! Quick, simple and lovely. When it comes to design, I am a huge fan of the unexpected. Whether it be fashion or home décor, I'm not likely to follow the crowd.  I didn't put granite in my kitchen, deliberately, and I don't own anything with a designer logo on it. I also know that slipcovers are all the rage, but my den couch is floral ...and no, it's not old, I just like flowers.

It's September! Can you believe it? I most certainly cannot. Although truth be told it's been a very long, action packed summer around here. Perhaps you noticed that I only posted once a week this summer, as opposed to my normal two. Perhaps you noticed that I was not crafting or decorating as much, I was more often reflecting or pontificating. Perhaps you noticed that my link party list has dwindled to almost nothing, that partying is just not my thing anymore. Perhaps not?

Zinnia flowers are lovely. We used to grow them in rows, but now we do something a little bit different. We grow a zinnia bush from seeds, for mere pennies each season, with this easy gardening DIY. Come check it out. If you're a longtime reader of Exquisitely Unremarkable, you know that I am a big cheater. I like the quickest, easiest and least expensive way to achieve a spectacular result.  Doesn't matter if it's in the house or the garden, I'm not a perfectionist and I don't really care about the process. I just want things to look fabulous, as fast as possible. And if cutting corners or thinking outside the decorating box is what it takes, then so be it.

Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds is just not scary anymore. Or is it? Don't mess with Mother Nature! There are only a few precious weeks of unscheduled days and late nights left, before school resumes in our neck of the woods. Keenly aware of this fact, our family has been trying to spend as much time together as we can. Movie nights have been especially popular.

Growing up one of my mom's favorite sayings was, "One man's junk, is another man's treasure."  Every single time I wanted to throw something away, she would say, "No! We can sell it or donate it to someone...remember, just because we are done with it, doesn't mean that someone else won't find value in it."

I tried Jamberry Nails and here's how it went. I am a crafty girl.  I like to accessorize and decorate my surroundings.  I'm a bit obsessed. I think that's pretty obvious.

I don't have time to waste managing unimportant things and clutter anymore. Do you? I just threw away several large white tablecloths. Yup. You heard me. I threw them away. I did not donate them, I did not upcycle them, I did not pass them on to a neighbor or friend. I took them out of the linen closet, put them into a giant garbage bag and tossed them.

Vintage tea cups make a super easy DIY party favor or gift! By the time you get to middle age, the girlfriend parties have been done to death. I have been to more book club nights , basket auctions, Bunco groups, ornament exchanges , happy hours, product parties and PTA socials than I can count. Don't get me wrong, they were all fun and occasionally, I still attend, but my schedule is so booked lately that when I do have free time, I want to spend it with people that really count, doing things I really enjoy.

Make a charming cottagecore style skirt for any table with a bit of fabric and a few tension rods. It's an easy DIY project and sewing is optional! In May, I decided to give my living room a bit of a makeover. I found a few new fabrics that I couldn't resist and well, you know the story.  While it's still a work in progress, I did finish the biggest project on my list. Adding a skirt to an old Ikea end table.

Add wooden letters to an old wreath (or a new one) for a little extra flair! One of the greatest benefits of a large family, is all of the swapping that goes on...shoes, clothes, babysitting and, as we have all grown older, furniture and home décor items. It's awesome.

Not too long ago, I wrote a piece showcasing my kitchen .  I proudly gave a tour of the room from top to bottom. Except for this...

I'm a Type A personality. A+ actually. Textbook case. Just look around. My house always needs to look just so. I won't go out without curled eyelashes and a heavy coat of mascara.

Frozen Blueberries in water are a quick and cool summer thirst quencher. Yum. Want a quick, cool, fruity pick me up? Try adding frozen blueberries to your water. While they don't really infuse the water with a ton of taste, they are a sweet, crunchy, yummy way to keep your drink cool.

Make a super easy 4th of July wreath or Memorial Day wreath with red, white and blue ribbon. This patriotic wreath is a quick and inexpensive DIY.  Sometimes, a simple design makes the most dramatic statement...and you know me, when it comes to decorating, I am all about the drama!

The end of the school year is always a crazy, mad rush! Days and nights are filled with award ceremonies, recitals, plays, dances, finals and religious rites of passage. Add to that the normal endless stream of birthday parties, baby showers and wedding celebrations that seem to be prevalent at this time of year in a big family and I dare you to find an empty weekend! Well, I have one!

Easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe with root beer...no muss, no fuss and your dinner is served. Perfect for those cold winter nights or game day weekend afternoons. Check out the details, the secret to great flavor and dig in. Father's Day is around the corner and in honor of the very talented Mr. Exquisitely Unremarkable, I have decided to share his world famous (well almost...it's famous at our address) pulled pork recipe.

I'm on journey to simplify my decor because lots of stuff in your home, means lots of stuff to manage. And I have better things to do with my time. How about you? Are you ready to simplify? I've decided it's time to simplify.  Again....but this time for real. No. Really. I know that I have tried it before, but I am going to do it. Signs all point to go and now that I have committed to it, I am actually excited for the task.

I rarely have time to read, but this summer I made the time and read Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe. It wasn't my usual fare, but very enjoyable. I highly recommend carving out a little time this summer to dig into a good book. Like most moms, finding a bit of time to steal away and read is not always practical, not always a priority. By the time I finish cleaning the house, cooking, carpooling and quizzing people for upcoming exams, I find it hard to keep my eyes open when I get into bed. Let alone read anything...other than a blog, of course

May was a very busy month here at Exquisitely Unremarkable! Here's a recap, in case you missed a post and one new one, for good measure.

Learn how to make an easy DIY floral garland headpiece, perfect for a bride and her wedding party, flower girls, communions or Halloween costumes. It's super simple to do even if you've never crafted before and very inexpensive, plus the results are elegant and outstanding. Come see. I enjoy creative jobs and have held many, many of them throughout the years. I fleetingly mention some of them on my about me page , but I don't really think that I have ever discussed my theater gig, in any detail. For the past decade, I have been costuming children, in one capacity or another, for a small theater group and it has been one of my greatest pleasures.

Make your own magazine hanger with this easy DIY. Just grab an old wooden hanger and a few book pages to create a stunning new accessory. And you can keep those magazines off the table and on display.

I recently came across an article touting the benefits of Feng Shui and how to apply its principles to every area of your home…right down to picking out a bathroom floor mat.   To be very honest, I don’t recall where I saw it (ah, middle age), but I will read just about anything on the subject of home décor, so I dug in.

Gift baskets make great presents for birthdays, showers, holidays and fundraisers. Here's how to make a beautiful one and look like a pro put together. I was recently asked to make a couple of baskets for a fundraiser at our church. Of course I said yes, immediately. I was super happy to contribute, so I offered up two craft baskets. I figured I would make one with activities for children and one for adults. I know crafts and enjoy crafts, it would be an easy way to give back and help out...or so I thought!

Photo from Mom's Hobby Farm Before I started blogging, I had never really visited or read another blog. Not one. Not on purpose anyway. In retrospect, I am certain that I must have tripped across a few random posts when I was googling things, but at the time, I did not recognize them as blog sites. I was pretty clueless.

Last year, I featured a tour of our yard . It looks very different now as opposed to when we moved in over a decade ago. We cleared a lot of shrubs and brush, added a pool, fence and patio. We painstakingly chose each element, as we wanted the landscape to look as if it could have been original. Keep in mind, the house was built in the 1920's.