Simple Fourth of July Decor

Happy Fourth of July everyone!  

I try to be super simple when I decorate for holidays.  Less is more, especially when you have an active two-year old and not a lot of time!  Here are a couple things that I did around the house to decorate for the fourth.

I draped an American flag printed scarf from one of the shelves in the dining room, and printed a free printable that I found on Pinterest to put in a frame.

 In the kitchen I hung some festive dishtowels, and rested a USA sign from Hobby Lobby above the stove.

My goal is to one day have a vintage looking pendant banner to hang above my fireplace (check out my bestie Katie's awesome banners at her blog, Thrifty Finds and Redesigns), but since we are about to start the process of building a new house, I opted to save money and bought a pack of three felt stars for $1 at Mighty Dollar.  I strung them on some twine and that was that!  I hung a second strand in the dining room bay window (not pictured).

My sweet mom bought me this American flag sign at Homegoods.  It is painted onto wood, and would be a really great DIY idea to try with an old pallet.

Well, that's all, folks!  I hope you have a happy and safe Fourth of July!  Thanks for stopping in!

Embracing Imperfection

When the hubs and I first moved into our house, we didn't have very much furniture.  In fact, we had a Carolina Panthers tailgate chair in our living room for quite a while. 

My cousin Lexie will really love this pic I snapped of her in the Panther chair circa 2011.

 Then, we bought a leather couch and paired it with two pink chairs from my old apartment to save money.  My biggest problem with this space (other than the girly chairs) was that the furniture was uncomfortable and couldn't seat a lot of people. At the time, it was so frustrating not to have things just the way I imagined them and I have to admit, the struggle continued as we added years to our time in this house.  

Eventually, we did get furniture that fit our style and was a little more functional.  My old apartment was very girly and shabby-chic.  I tried to use the same pillows and wall decor to save money, but soon grew tired of all the floral and frills.

 Lately, (especially with the addition of our wild one-year-old), I have been trying to just stop and appreciate things the way they are.  Realistically, things will never be considered "finished" or "perfect" when it comes to decorating, because life happens.  And I'd rather live in a cozy, comfortable house than a perfect one anyway!  Now, that doesn't mean I've stopped changing things.  It just means that I'm working on embracing the imperfections:)

Our living room now.

My gallery wall is a work in progress.  I am constantly searching for meaningful and interesting pieces to add to it.

 

 Tips to Embrace Imperfection in Your Home:

1. Recognize and accept the stage of life you are in and how it will affect your decorating.  For example, if you have a small child, you may have to deal with black foam corner covers on your coffee table for a while.  If you are renting, you may not be able to paint the walls the color of your dreams right now. 2. Brainstorm solutions for the things that bother you the most.  If you work from home, but you don't have a home office, you may be tired of the papers strewn all over your dining table.  Try turning a dining room dresser or cupboard into a "catch all" space for your work and at least you will have a place to put it all at the end of the day or if you have company.  It may not be ideal, but it can work for now! 3. Know that some things are worth the wait.  Most of the decorating decisions that I regret the most were a result of me just wanting to finish a project, so I rushed and ended up with something that I hated.  Don't do this to yourself.  Wait, think, compare, and make wise choices. Your house and your wallet will thank you.

 I would love your input!  What are some areas where you have learned to embrace imperfection in your home?