Fun Friday Fluff Up: Updating My In-Law’s Hearth

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Oh my.

I have been itching all week to share this Friday Fluff Up with you, because it's just a little happy that (I think) brightened someone's day! Last weekend we visited Western Kentucky (anyone know where Calvert City is?) to visit my in-law's.

As most of you know, my father-in-law became ill with West Nile Encephalitis five years ago (part of the reason that I'm here typing each day on PPP) and since then my mother-in-law Jennie hasn't had a whole lot of time for fluffing up her home. She's a wonderful decorator (and does a wonderful job choosing flowers and arranging them), but needless to say updating her home has been far back on her to-do list.

So, when we got there Saturday I told her I was in desperate need of a trip to their local Hancock Fabric in Paducah (they have a huge selection of fabric because of the annual Quilting Convention there), and when we didn't find anything there I thought we might just need a trip to Hobby Lobby. (For my house, of course?)

We slowly muddled through the store, and I mentioned maybe we should look for a few items to fluff up her front door. 

 (Before)

(It was time I think?)

Jennie found some beautiful greenery that suited her home perfectly, and we easily tackled that updated basket. (I love what she did – so pretty and it's just perfect for her!)

(After)

Along the way somehow we decided that just maybe we should update her mantle (yes, those were their Christmas items from last year), and since fall's right around the corner it was the perfect time to get started.

 (Before) 

So, we went through a jillion floral stems, tried really hard to settle on something to use as a focal point, and I kept mentioning that I wanted to make a burlap banner for our home. (She informed me that she hated burlap and anything rustic – I told her that was fine, I'd be taking it home with me.) 😉

We picked up the blue tray for the center of the mantle (her sofas – that have held up amazing well for twenty years – are that shade of blue), as well as a few fall picks and stems, and headed home.

Once we were there we did a little hunting in their barn and attic, and I knew we were set.

(This was Don's grandfather's lantern that he used in their barn in Illinois as a kid. Perfect, don't you think?)
So we fluffed,

and fluffed . . .

and fluffed a bit more . . .

and then it was just done.

Goodness, I am so far from a decorator that I have no clue as to whether or not this is really “right” as far as interior design goes (I might just love to see that brick painted white though?), but I do think it's better.  Don actually decided they needed to keep the Harvest banner (I'll be making one for our house this weekend . . .), and I think they were pretty pleased with the end result.

(Y'all, I had to laugh at Jennie when she told me in Hobby Lobby she really didn't like “rustic” stuff – her entire mantle is just as rustic as they come, but it's perfect for them and delightful for fall!) 😉

I don't know what's going on in your life now, but if you have something that's just so overwhelming that you haven't taken time to “fluff” things up, it might be worth spending a few hours this weekend seeing what you can do. 

It just makes life feel a little better ~ a little more manageable ~ and a lot more fun. 😉

(I'll share more directions on how to make the banner next week, but basically I followed these instructions somewhat loosely and used a sharpie marker with a letter stencil to make it. Let me know if you have any other tips!) 
I'd love for you to join me over on Pinterest (I love that place!)  If you have a blog and have done a little fluffing in your home, I’d love to see it, so leave your link in the comments section. Also, if there’s a craft you’ve seen on a website that you’re hoping to make, feel free to share that link as well (I’m always looking for new ideas!)

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!