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How To Redecorate For Free In The Middle Of The Night

June 30, 2015

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 I redecorated my kitchen for free in less than ten minutes at 1am.

Cottage Style Kitchen In Reds and White

I was up late, sewing. I do a lot of my best work under the cover of darkness, when no one else is awake, asking for food or a ride. Anyway, I moved my farmhouse island to make more room on the floor to work and when it came time to put it back, I didn't.

It looked so good in its new position I left it.

For over a decade that island has been in the exact same position. It made sense, traffic flowed easily around it and sitting on one side of the table provided a view to the pool.

Cottage Style Garden View

Sitting on the other side of the table, I could see my pretty hood ~ even better.

Farmhouse Style Kitchen

However, once moved, the entire kitchen had a brand new feel. It seemed much more spacious and open. From my new perspective, I noticed things I hadn't before, including the fact that I could still see the pool and the hood no matter where I sat.

It's the oldest, easiest, cheapest redecorating trick in the book and I do not use it often enough.

Move the couch, caddy corner the bed, pivot your table, it takes less that ten minutes to do and even if you do not alter anything else, you will have just dramatically updated the appearance of an entire room...for free.

White Cottage Style Kitchens

Don't believe me? Try it. Move something and watch people's reactions.

My sleepy family walked into the kitchen this morning totally perplexed. It was like they weren't sure exactly what room they were in. That doesn't happen with paint.

Best part about it all, is that you can change it back, no harm done, at anytime, you know, when you're ready to redecorate again.

But who would do that?

;)

Are you a mover?

Looking for more quick and easy decorating posts? 


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Kim Signature


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  1. Looks great Kim. I do my best work late at night too lol!
    Kris

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    1. Thank you, Kris. I like the quiet. I can think! :)

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  2. One of the best things we have done was getting rid of the round rattan table. Then we were amazed to see we had room for 6 farmhouse chairs! It's perfect for times when all 6 of us are having breakfast and even when there's just 2 of us! Your table looks perfect!

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    1. Thanks Helen. Sometimes, just the placement of things increase our square footage. Glad you found a way to make that farmhouse look work for you!

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  3. Change is good! Just refreshes the mind to see things differently. Nice job, Kim! I used to be a mover until we moved into our current house 20 years ago. It's the hardest house to move things around in. The rooms are smallish and the living room has a fireplace on one wall, a window on another wall, a big opening (looking down to the foyer) on the third wall, and no fourth wall because it's an open design. Really makes it hard to switch things around, but I do try! The bedrooms are easier. I NEED change, so I get determined sometimes! ;)

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    1. Kimberly, there are some rooms in this house that I cannot change either. It's nice to move a chair or table around in those spaces, but agreed, the big items need to stay put!

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  4. Btw, I used to do my best work late at night, too, but now I go to bed with Hubby and sleep better for it. I'm terribly undisciplined in that area if left on my own! I think a lot of moms start doing things late at night when our kids are little because we desperately want and need peace and quiet. It may be the only time we get it! But now, my teens sleep in late and I use the mornings as my quiet times. But I remember getting things done many a late night!

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    1. Truth be told, Kimberly, I crave more sleep at night now, too, and yes the quiet mornings are dreamy. Last night, I was waiting up for a teen and then just kept going!

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  5. Oh it is gorgeous. You do good work in the middle of the night.

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    1. Haha! Thanks Marty! I really work best then. ;)

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  6. Isn't it funny how a simple change can have such an impact? I'm a mover as well, and like you, I don't do it often enough. Thanks for the reminder! Jane

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    1. When I was younger, I moved stuff all the time. I don't know why I stopped! Kids...probably kids! ;-)

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  7. I used to move furniture a lot...in a previous life. Since downsizing to a town home, really, everything only fits one particular way, and that's the way it is. I just make him paint. Or switch playrooms with me. ;)

    Looks adorable!

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    1. Thanks Gwen! Yes, I agree, in the old cottage, there are a few rooms that will never get the play the moving game….just way too tiny to alter the floor plan! ;)

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  8. I know- Isn't it amazing what a change like that can do? I sometimes turn my dining room table around and you would think I had added an extra room onto the house or something. lol I have been thinking about swapping rooms/furniture here but with the kids staying here for a bit I don't want to start the project.
    I love your kitchen. It is just charming and bright and fresh looking! xo Diana

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    1. Thanks Diana, it's been the same, red and white, for a long, long time, but I still love it, so it stays!

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  9. Hi, Kim
    I agree, changing things around is the best and cheapest way to redecorate your home. I love your farm table in the kitchen . It's such a pretty table.

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    1. Thanks Vanessa! I like that table, too. I am glad we were able to restyle it and make it work in this house.

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  10. Hi Kim, it looks fantastic. I often decorate late at night when the world is quiet and sleeping. Love your kitchen and the fresh bright feel of it. Just beautiful!! cm

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    1. Thanks so much, Celestina Marie. Late night is my most productive time, plus I love the soft lighting!

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  11. I definitely change the furniture around! Even with my tiny living room (11x14 with a 2x7 nook) that has 2 doors and 2 doorways to deal with, you'd be amazed how things can be moved!
    I like your little island. You dun good - again!

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    1. Thanks Nancy! Yes, agreed, where there's a will, there's a way...even if it's just the pivot of a table! ;-)

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  12. Definitely! Although with the growing number of stuff I have, it's getting harder :-( Love the new look too!

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    1. Thanks Vel! I know, I really have to think before I purchase anything...this house is bursting with furniture!

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  13. I haven't moved anything in a while. I adore your kitchen!
    Brenda

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  14. Isn't it amazing what a little less sleep and a different angle can do for a space! Love it.

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    1. Ha! Yes! Maybe that’s why I am so creative at night, Cheryl…I’m delirious! ;)

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  15. Like you, I like working at night...it is much more enjoyable in the quiet! And it is amazing how moving one thing gives us a new perspective on the room. So what are you moving next? Because it never stops at just one...sort of like ice cream sandwiches and Lays potato chips! :-)

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    1. Oh my goodness, ice cream sandwiches? I haven't thought about them in the longest time and now I need one...or five! ;)

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  16. We night owls need to stick together! ;) I'm a big believer in moving furniture too. I always feel like I've accomplished something big because it can really change a room in a matter of minutes! Your kitchen looks great!

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    1. I agree, Krisit, lots of impact for very little effort. That’s my specialty! ;) The moonlight just adds the ambiance! Who needs sleep!?!

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  17. I bet that really did confuse them. :) Your kitchen is so pretty and the island is wonderful no matter which way you turn it.

    Moving furniture around is a great idea. Do I do that? No.....maybe in my next life I'll be better about that.

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    1. Thanks Stacey! I used to move things around A LOT, but as the kids (and I) have gotten older, it has become less important.

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  18. I am a late night sewer too :) I like the table in the middle of the kitchen idea, that is like having a chef's table at home!

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    1. I like it this way too, Annie. It's funny that I never has it in this position before!

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  19. It's amazing what rearranging furniture can do for a room!

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    1. It really is, Alicia! I forget the power of position!

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  20. Great "move" and I love that table/island! I get ideas at night but actually just jot them down. I wish I could say I moved things around a lot but my house is so tiny it's next to impossible. :(

    Jane x

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    1. My house is really old, Jane. The rooms are pretty small and have doors and windows in the oddest places, so I totally get your “moving” dilemma. The kitchen is an addition, so we were able to customize the space literally from the ground up. That helps a little bit! ;)

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  21. If I tried to turn my island sideways, no one could walk through the kitchen LOL Yours looks cute that way though :)

    I rarely move anything big, because the rooms are either too small or there's too many windows, but I used to do it all the time. In fact, if I had overnight guests, I'd tell them to make sure they turned on the light before they walked into a room. It seriously changed that much. But, I still do most of my decorating at night, like you. I'm just not that motivated in the early part of the day for some reason.

    xo,
    rue

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    1. Our last house was so teeny tiny that the furniture really only fit one way...and not much furniture at that. This house is a bit better. I'm just too lazy (old) to do it all that much anymore! ;)

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  22. My husband is the mover in the family. But it is fun to rearrange furniture. An added bonus is that you can also clean where the furniture used to sit. Added bonus, Lol!!!!

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  23. I feel like our rooms are small enough that combined with doors and windows, we just don't have a lot of room to move stuff around. BUT the cover of darkness is often beneficial!

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    1. There are rooms in my house that only work one way because of that reason…but yes, darkness is always good for projects! ;-)

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  24. Hi Kim, I too have had my furniture in the same position for so many years throughout the house. I should give that a try! I like the way it looks and change is good!

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    1. I forget that such a tiny move can have such a big impact, Julie. I think I may be moving some more stuff this week…but maybe I’ll do it during the day! ;)

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  25. Wow! You do great work in the middle of the night, Kim. It looks great, but then again, you always have the best ideas.

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    1. Why thank you, Susan! You always say such nice things. :) I really appreciate your kind words.

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  26. We do that too every once in a good while. I have to be prepared for it though. lol Plan it and talk it out with my hubby. I get anxious if I don't plan and figure it out first. My hubby used to move things around and try and surprise me for when I got home. I would have an anxiety attack because I wasn't prepared. I know he was trying to make me happy though. He is a wonderful hubby. :) I like your kitchen btw! It is pertty!

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    1. He sounds like a wonderful hubby! Any guy that is willing to decorate is a keeper in my book! ;)

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  27. It does make a difference moving your island! I love when things just come to you like that and then you wonder why it never occurred to you before! Your kitchen is gorgeous. I love the all white with the pop of red. I recently repainted all my cupboards white, added new porcelain knobs, changed the café curtain and some décor pieces and wow! I feel like I have a new kitchen.

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    1. AnnMarie, it sounds like you have a new kitchen! Wow, I bet it’s gorgeous. It doesn’t sound like you have to move anything, probably perfect just the way it is! Thanks for the visit and the lovely comment!

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  28. I love that 1 am redecorating .. . . In fact I like the new placement even better.
    Amazing how it makes the room look bigger . . .
    I haven't had a middle of the night redecorating free makeover for a long time.
    I bet my mind will be stewing now!
    Fun . . . VERY . . . post!

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    1. Thanks Lynne. I had forgotten how fun it was to move things around! I think I'm going to be at it more often. Keep me posted on your stewing mind! ;)

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  29. I used to be when the kids were growing up and we lived in a big old house. I moved stuff around regularly! :)

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    1. Oh, the moving possibilities in a "big old house" sound wonderful, Deb! :)

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  30. I am a late night worker/thinker too.....
    If I moved the furniture though, hubby would kill himself come morning. Besides, if anything is changed and he notices, it puts him into a 3 day funk...ummmmm make that pout :^) I just work around and change things that are out of his radar :^)
    Have a wonderful holiday weekend!!
    Blessings,
    J

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    1. My husband isn’t too thrilled when I move stuff around either. He wasn’t so thrown by the table though, I think after all these years of living with my crazy morning surprises, he’s surrendered to the madness of my decorating ocd! ;)

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  31. I LOVE IT.
    I HEAR YA.
    I KNOW.

    It only takes a simple tweak of an angle, whether I'm taking a photo or doing as you did, rearranging something, it makes a HUGE difference, and Kim, you did it! EASY, huh? Brilliant, yes. LOVE IT!

    Thank you dear, dear Kim for coming over to visit my Carmel muse. We loved it there 33 years ago when we married, then the following year for another look, but this time, with older eyes, I saw more. And we are going back next year. If you've never been, GO.

    Now, what's up for your next free and easy decorating adventure?

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    1. It was a super easy tweak and I had forgotten what a difference it can make. I am going to be moving all the time again now. My family is going to be so confused! ;)

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  32. Thank you for getting a laugh out of my "frozen slugs" comment, in Kim's post. -gigggles-

    What a beautiful kitchen you have. Gracious but it is lovely.

    And what a perfect island... A farm house table. Why didn't someone think of this, before??? :-)

    Again, your kitchen is gorgeous. Your whole home must be. I'll have fun, here.

    Happy 4th of July!
    Tessa

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    1. Thanks so much for the visit, Tessa! You really did make me giggle. Those shrimp looked like drunken slugs for sure! ;) I am so glad we connected, I too am looking forward to some fun!

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  33. Hi Kim, What a beautiful kitchen and I love the island too. I am a new subscriber to your pretty blog.
    xx,
    Sherry

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    1. Thank you, Sherry! What a nice comment and I am always so happy to make a new friend! :)

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  34. I've changed to sitting on the other side of our table, where I can enjoy the pictures we've just had framed. Still settling in to a newly renovated house.

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    1. Changing your own position is also a great tweak, Diana…and newly renovated? I bet it’s lovely! Enjoy the new view! :)

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  35. Have mercy Kimmie! Your kitchen! xoxoxo Jen

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    1. I love your comments, Jen! They always make me smile! :-)

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  36. Your Kitchen is just beautiful...love what you did!

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    1. Thank you so much, it was a fun change!

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  37. I like it, Kim! I'm a big fan of kitchen islands, whether they are just an extra work zone or a combo of work & eating. This serves the combo perfectly! I used to be a mover, but not so much anymore.....okay, I take that back. I have moved things around in my craft room so many times, I've lost count! I've even re-arranged the furniture in our family room, but that generally takes a toll on my back. I'm not a late night person, because I'm a very early morning person! I typically wake up by 5am at the latest. Even though it is only The Man and I, and we are retired, I still enjoy that early morning time. I love that first cup of coffee and an energy bar as I read some mail and posts. Then I'm off to the gym by 6 or so. I love starting my day like that!

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    1. You are one energetic lady, Carol! I am not an early riser by nature. I do like the quiet of the morning, but only if that quiet starts at 7am or later! ;) I used to move things around a lot more when the kids were little, but my back isn’t great with the heavy lifting anymore either. I prefer smaller moves. This one was a push and a pivot really, but just enough to make a big difference! Hope it’s a good morning! :)

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  38. My Mom would paint, sew, refinish furniture, move furniture around ALL THE TIME! We never knew when we got off the school bus what we would be coming home to. Later as teenagers, we would walk carefully when we returned from a date, because it was very possible you would walk into a piece of furniture that wasn't there when you left (can anyone say stumped toe? LOL! Now I know where I got that particular redo & remake gene, huh?

    Denise

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    1. Ha! Denise, you made me laugh...I am envisioning you trying to sneak in around the maze of moved furniture. No being quiet when you run into the coffee table at midnight!

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  39. I use to be a mover big time! Now, not quite so much. Oh yeah, I often switch up tables, chairs, and ottomans from room to room. Some of my furniture is large and it's hard work moving it. Lately I was wanting to move the blue cabinet from the entry into our bedroom and put the large book case in our entry. But then we bought a large entertainment center for the family room. The same wall runs from the entry to the family room. Decided it might be to much with both of them being quite large. Plus, heavy to move. Guess I'll stick to the little things. Love the new look in your kitchen! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. I’m more of a little thing mover myself, too, Jann. Most of the big stuff has to stay where it is, either due to the room size…or my back! ;-)

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  40. Replies
    1. Thank you, Kathy! Truth be told, I used to work for Pottery Barn (a million years ago) and got one stool for free. It sat in my first kitchen for years. When we moved here, we needed another and even at outlet prices, it nearly killed me to buy that one! ;) Thanks for the visit!

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  41. Inspirational...thanks for sharing with the Thursday Blog Hop!

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    1. Thanks Pam! I appreciate the visit and the party!

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  42. Lovely space! So beautiful! Great job!

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    1. Thanks Jenn, this one was a no brainer! Just the way I like it my DIY, especially at 1am! ;)

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  43. Great move Kim! I'm a mover too- not so much in the cabin it's in my yard. I typically move a shrub 3x before I decide on it's location or lol it's too big.

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    1. Moving is moving, inside or out…and always fun to do!! I bet your relocated shrubs look fabulous! ;)

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  44. Kim, your kitchen is the prettiest. I am in love with your table. It's rustic and beautiful. I do my best work when the rest of my family is sleeping too. It's after 4 am and I've already cleaned the bathrooms and put dinner in the crock pot.

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    1. Thanks Brandi, you're so sweet! 4am, yikes! Are you just getting up or you haven't gone to bed yet? I have to admit that is a number I haven't seen since I was nursing babies. ;)

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    1. Thanks!! I love all those exclamation points!

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  46. it looks lovely ♥ I used to stay up late at night too, now I am in bed by 9:30 LOL. But up at 6. I do my best work from 6-noon. Your kitchen looks lovely. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. Watch for your feature on Monday xo

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    1. I am getting tired earlier now too, Katherine and I find that I like the peace of the morning. Too bad those kids need rides so late! ;) Thanks so much for the feature, how exciting! ❤️

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  47. Your kitchen is beautiful! There was a time my family was afraid to enter a room in the dark for fear that I changed it around... I've gotten over that a little with my shop... most of my energy now goes to making things to decorate other peoples houses. :)

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    1. That sounds like tons of fun, Susan! I could have a lot of fun redecorating a shop!

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  48. What a great decorating tip - one of the greatest, and least mentioned, I think! Just changing furniture around can make the room feel completely different! So, what were you working on so late at night? heehee! Can't wait to see if you decide to show and tell :)

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    1. Oh that sewing project has me on the ropes! Yikes. It was supposed to be an easy little ditty and, well, not so much! Hopefully, it will complete soon…if I don’t toss it first! ;)

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