Today, as I started to compile my annual list of the year's most popular posts, I found myself lost in nostalgic thoughts about how this Exquisitely Unremarkable journey began. It was a cold and dreary March morning, way back in 2013. I was in the middle of some tough times  and my nephew suggested I share some of my DIYs and decorating projects with the world to cultivate a little joy inside my own. Of course, I had no idea what a blog was at that time. I wasn't on Facebook or any social media platforms, and while I shopped online, I didn't spend much time clicking around. And I certainly knew nothing about coding.

This year, I purchased a couple of paper Christmas trees and covered them with a lacy fabric from an old skirt. It was a quick and easy holiday DIY that took just minutes to create. And it added a whole lot of festive, handmade holiday charm to my Christmas cottage. The holidays are always super busy and this year has been no exception. While I've had enough time to visit with friends, celebrate with family, shop, wrap, listen, watch and craft, I didn't have time to share everything I made. So today, I'm playing catch up. By the warmth of the fire and the light of the tree.

I used a couple of old ceiling fan glass globe shades to make a pair of darling upcycled angels. I was able to create them with supplies I had around the house in minutes. Check out the full, quick and easy DIY. I love browsing around thrift stores. In recent years, it's become one of my favorite pastimes. There's something about the thrill of the hunt that excites me, way more than shopping retail. Perhaps, it's because I like unique decor, vintage treasures, nostalgic pieces and best of all, items I can makeover. Or maybe it's because I love a bargain.

This year I decided to lighten up my Christmas decor. Since the kids weren't around to tell me we had to put out every last piece of holiday fare that had been tucked away in the basement bins for the better part of the year, I didn't. Instead I chose to decorate with only my most treasured items and a few new inexpensive items. But that's not really the whole story. You see, Christmas crafting is my favorite kind of DIY. And home decor is my craft specialty . So naturally, by default, the decorating doesn't actually end around here, until the last Christmas craft is complete. And I'm not there yet.

Decorating my cottage for Christmas has always been one of the great highlights of my year. Let's just say that for someone who loves decor, Christmas is basically the superbowl of of decorating. The opportunity to dress the house in lights and color and totally transform it for a few precious weeks, to celebrate the magic of the season, is magic in and of itself. There are stockings to hang and trees...so many trees...to fill and lights to string. Every room truly becomes a wonderland. Most years, I couldn't wait to pull out the buckets, unpack the ornaments and put up the big tree. Christmas 2014 - Simple And Rustic And while the overall design and plan of attack was basically up to me, the process had always been a full on family affair. Sure, it made things messier. There were more cooks in my decorating kitchen, so to speak, but there was also a level of excitement and wonder that made the whole operation so much more enjoyable. Well, this year, for the first time in alm...

A few days ago the calendar turned over to reveal the last month of 2024. December. Which is clearly the most wonderful time of the year. Or at least that's what everyone says.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful... Ok, well not really frightful, just cold. Which is perfectly normal for this time of year in my neck of the woods, so it's not surprising. The chill in the air just took a lot longer to arrive this season. But that's Murphy's Law... Because, for the first time ever, this summer girl, was itching for cold. 

I've been crafting for as long as I can remember. As a child, whenever I had free time, I made clothes for my Barbies and Dawn dolls with a tiny stapler and fabric scraps. I decoupaged jigsaw puzzles for my walls, cross stitched pillow covers, made pot holders with fabric bands and painted plaster figurines for Christmas. Of course, as I got older, my crafty pursuits took on a more grown up flair. I began painting, making theater costumes, I focused on decorating projects and thrift flips. However. I've never abandoned the classics.

Gift bags come in so many beautiful patterns so they make great wooden signs for Christmas. They're cheap and it only takes a few minutes to whip one up. Come check out the easy DIY. Way back in 2015, I saw the most gorgeous gift bag for $3 in Marshalls. Of course, at that price, it hopped into my cart. But right off the bat, I knew it was way too pretty to hold a present and then be tossed away. So instead, I used it to make this elegant, wooden sign for Christmas . It was solid and looked very expensive with its nailheads, wood patterned paper. And all that chunky glitter.

Christmas decorations come in all shapes and sizes. And over the years I think I've embraced them all. Some years, I've been all about the Santas. Other years, I've focused on the evergreens. In between, I've picked Christmas themes that were built around bright red ornaments, all white decor , rustic cabin accents and buffalo checks. However, no matter how I choose to decorate, the one constant has always been those delicate white lights. I just can't resist the sparkle .

Have you seen those This or That posts going around on social media? It seems they have one for every season or holiday. And they always make me laugh, because for some reason, I've never seen one that lists crafts. It's always apple picking or hayride? Christmas Movies or Christmas Music? It's never Eating Thanksgiving Pie or Crafting? Or how about one just filled with crafts?

Hello friends and welcome to November! Ah, the month of raking leaves, Thanksgiving, Christmas crafting and falling back. Well, in the US anyway, where daylight savings time ended at 2am, so we all had an extra hour of shuteye. Which is great, since I think I'm still behind from the hour I lost in March. Of course, that also means it gets dark an hour earlier each night. And that's not so good.

Halloween is only one day behind us, but when I look around online, it's apparently Christmas! Hold on, I say. Aren't we forgetting another important holiday? I mean doesn't Tom Turkey deserve even a little attention? I certainly think so. So in honor of all things Thanksgiving , today I'm going to set a table and share a craft.

Boo! Did I scare you? Well, I hope not. I mean it is that time of year for all things spooky , but that's not my jam. Halloween has never been my favorite . I'm much more of a Christmas carol kind of girl than a Monster Mash fan. However.

It's time for comfort food, so I made a hearty chicken pot pie using frozen pie crusts and without peas. It only took me 10 minutes to prep and it was delicious. If I can make it, so can you. Here's the recipe. My mom was amazing cook. I know a lot of kids say that, but truly. The woman had a gift. Everything she made was fantastic and I have to say, that's one of the things I miss most about our time together. Sitting across the table from one another, sharing our day, devouring one of her delicious meals...

When I was a little girl, candles were only lit on special occasions. They illuminated our holiday tables, celebration dinners and birthday cakes. Days and nights, when the house was filled with guests and good times. While the birthday candles were extinguished with wishes and big breaths, the tapers usually burned themselves out, after a long evening of laughter, conversation and family. Needless to say, the warmth they cast, extended far beyond the wick.

Good October Morning, Friends! I hope you are all doing well on this brisk Saturday morning. Well, brisk in my neck of the woods, anyway. Today, we welcome a new month. Calendar and Artist Shop Information Yes, I know I'm a bit behind, but it's been a busy two weeks. I'm finally getting a chance to catch my breath.

OK, so I have a confession to make and I hope you don’t judge me too harshly. You see, this weekend I started playing with Christmas decor. I know, I know for the last 10 years I’ve said it over and over again. No Christmas decorations until after the last Thanksgiving plate has been cleared away. This post is sponsored by King Of Christmas , all opinion are my very own. Whoops. Well, it's not my fault.

When it comes to fall decor, I seem to stick to the basics. And by the basics, I mean pumpkins. I guess you could call me a traditionalist, but that's just what makes me smile. Yes, yes, I have branched out a very few times to create ghost lanterns from old ceiling fan parts or  adorable spooks from air dry clay . I've  whipped up a black cat and, most recently, a creepy little spider sign . However, on the whole, I'm all about those pumpkins.

I've been on a crafty upcycling kick lately. For some reason fall always gets me in the decorating mood. I'm not sure if it's that let's get cozy vibe the cooler temps bring or the fact that the holidays are inching closer. Either way, lately, my creative spirit has taken hold. And I find myself digging into my thrift store stash to play. Exhibit A.

Well, it's official, fall is here and Mother Nature is dishing out some appropriate weather. Now, normally, I'd be kicking and screaming as summer slipped away. However this year, when my husband closed the pool, I barely noticed. Seriously. You see, this year, I knew I had a very large stash of thrifty finds in need of attention waiting for me. And trust me, I haven't wasted anytime digging into that pile. I started with, what I think, is the most darling makeover I've ever tackled. It's literally dripping with sweetness...which is quite appropriate, since it started out as doll furniture.

Some people decorate with their eyes. They see something and know, right away, that they've struck gold, but not me. Nope. I've always, always decorated with my stomach. Weird right? I know. It sounds odd, but hear me out, because maybe you do this, too.

So. When we last met, I was sharing my most recent second hand finds. And it was a quite a haul. There were so many fabulous treasures that honestly, I had a hard time picking a true favorite. However. If you forced me, I'd have to say that this hand painted floral picture is definitely right up there at the top of that thrifted list . You may recall, that I left shop without it, due to its $40 price tag. Of course, the nagging pit in my stomach forced me to go back and as fate - and the really sweet kid at the register - would have it, I scored it for half price. Unfortunately, white the painting was perfect, the frame was not. That orange toned wood was all wrong for my cottage style decor.

Shopping in thrift stores always brings me great joy. I don't know why exactly. Maybe it's the thrill of the hunt, the bargain prices or the really interesting things you can find on those crowded and (sometimes) dusty shelves. I think I like that part best, especially since everything in the retail stores looks so similar today. Um...boring. However. While I'm always up for a visit to one of my local shops, finding treasure is never guaranteed.

It's no secret that I love summer. I'm an islander, I live in a beach cottage a few blocks from the sea. So it just makes sense...summer is best at the beach. However, for some odd reason, this year, for the first time ever, I'm not really all that upset about the end of the season. In fact, I'm slightly confused, because I find myself looking a bit forward to fall. And I have no idea why.

I took an old wooden decoy I picked up at the thrift store and gave it a makeover with some paint and vinyl transfers. From trash to treasure in no time and now I have a custom floral decor accessory for my home. I've never been a big fan of birds.  Oh, I love animals, but for some reason, birds just aren't my favorite. When I was little I had a parakeet and he bit me all the time. At the beach...let's just say that seagulls are notorious for dive bombing when they see lunch. And that old movie, The Birds, was creepy, no matter what my kids say .  So that could be the root cause. Well, that and you can't really hug a bird.

So you decided to jump on the wallpaper trend, but turns out it's just not for you.  Well, if your new wallpaper is Sure Strip, that's not a problem. I removed mine in about an hour with soap and water and almost no damage to my wall. Ok, so here's a post I never expected to write. You see, when I decided to wallpaper the family room , about two years ago, my husband was not excited about it. The guy who has no problem with all the crazy DIYs I dream up said, We've taken wallpaper down before and I'm not doing that again. I didn't blame him, it was a nightmare. But. I knew - without a doubt - that I would never, ever want to remove those gorgeous flowers . So I was safe. Until I wasn't.

I thrifted an old frosted glass vase and turned it into a charming showstopper with a little bit of chalk paint. It was a simple and inexpensive DIY way to get a high end decor accessory for less. This past weekend was a rainy one. The drops came down in buckets. You know the kind...rain that bounced when it hit the ground and prevented me from seeing clearly out my windows. It was definitely not an outside sort of day. And with nothing to do and nowhere to go, I stayed in. With paint.

Looking for a quick and easy way to transform or update an old table? Why not paint the legs? It's a super simple makeover process and if you use chalk paint there's almost no prep involved. Ever since the new rug arrived in the family room, I've been smitten with the space. That one change gave me some clarity that I couldn't seem to find before I swapped it out. Of course now it's prompted me to make some other alterations in the room. For example, on Tuesday, the rain showed up. So I grabbed a paint brush and decided to paint the legs on the small end table, that has served as our coffee table in this tiny room for over 20 years.

Well, it looks as if the dog days of summer have truly arrived, and I for one, have been enjoying every hazy, hot and humid minute of them. Which is why my normal weekend chat to welcome the new month, is a day late. You see, instead of typing, I spent the last few days eating pizza and ice cream, while either floating in the pool to escape the crazy heat. Or dodging downpours and lightning strikes. Scary. Although, I must admit, I do love the rainbows that show up after.

When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with miniatures.  Tiny dolls, tiny pets, tiny spaces. I guess it's no surprise that I ended up living in a cottage. I think it was my dream from childhood. I remember a small shop called The Mouse House that I begged my mother to take me to each year, so I could spend my birthday or Christmas money. It was the upstairs attic portion of a centuries old house in a nearby village and it was filled with treasure. Small mice dressed in small outfits, positioned among small furnishings. It was dreamy.

Ho Ho Ho, Friends and Merry Christmas. In July! You didn't think I'd let this month go by without posting at least one Christmas craft did you? I'm thrilled with any opportunity to share holiday crafts, but I will say, it was a close call. I really had nothing on tap.

I turned an old muffin tin pan into a rustic, vintage styled centerpiece in no time flat. It just took a bit of paint and a lot of imagination to transform this old kitchen junk into a home decor treasure. Lately, I've been on a purging binge. Cleaning out closets and drawers. Donating, giving away and even selling items I no longer need or use. When the kids moved out, I sent a lot stuff with them, since I had so many extras. Of course, as a devout upcycler, this task isn't always easy .

When it comes to decorating, I've always been pretty confident about my skills. Oh, I've never had any aspirations to do it professionally and I've never had a desire to decorate for others. In fact, I regularly turn down requests. Why? Because when I say I'm confident, I mean that I know what I like . What will make me happy . And how to make that happen as I put a room together. Except.

I made a charming cake stand from a dollar store plate and bowl. It was an easy craft, super inexpensive. Plus it's both useful to serve food and looks lovely on its own as decor. Check out the full DIY. Every now and then, I see the cutest ideas online. Darling DIYs that I swear I'm going to make someday. I add them to Pinterest or I snap a quick photo. And then promptly forget about them. Sometimes for years. Then one day, in a fit of cleaning or organizing, I run into one of my saved items and decide to make it right away. Well today was one of those days.

Pretty dishes have always been my weakness. When I walk into a retail store or a thrift shop, the dinnerware aisle is my first stop. And we I see a plate that catches my eye, I can't resist. Over the last three decades, I've had more sets than I can count .