PB Knock-off Candle & Candlestick Re-do

 

A quick and easy Sunday morning makeover - just what I was looking for on this cold day in the south!

It all started when I first saw these sheet music candles in the Pottery Barn catalog:

I knew immediately I wanted to do something similar at home.  So...

I pulled these old ugly brass candlesticks out of my garage sale stash and got to work transforming them into updated ORB candlestands for my soon-to-be-made sheet music candles.  I began by rubbing them down with lacquer thinner to give them a good cleaning and to remove any existing top coat.  

I then gave them a couple of good coats of Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze (ORB) paint...

And then removed the little taper candle cups from the top by simply unscrewing them and replacing the bolt. 

Next I downloaded the sheet music in wide format from here

per instructions I found on Can't Stop Making Things blog here.

 

I didn't care for the white background so I pulled the sheet music picture into Corel Paint Shop Pro and changed the background to a slightly yellow color.  I then "squished" the picture a little to make it shorter but left the width in tact.  I printed two copies of the sheet music out onto plain paper, trimmed to the size I needed and used two sided tape to attach them to my two white pillar candles.

Because the bolt left in the middle of each candleholder kept the candles from sitting level I used the end of my trusty potato peeler to carve out a little indention in the center of each candle (aren't we fellow bloggers resourceful!). 

 

I tied a red ribbon around each candle and woo-lah... I now have two sheet music candles on garage sale candlestands all decked out for Christmas!

I am going to link these up to the following parties:

Its So Very Cheri's Party Time

Under the Table and Dreaming's Sunday Showcase Party

  Domestically Speaking's Countdown to Christmas Party

Cottage Instincts' Make it 4 Monday
Keeping it Simple's Motivate me Monday
Making the World Cuter Monday  

Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
The Girl Creative's Just Something I Whipped Up-Holiday Style!
Savvy Southern Style's Boring to Better Party

Thanksgiving Table & Dining Room Tour

I am a little late with this post but I wanted to share my Thanksgiving table with y'all.  I went pretty simple this year because I was lazy & cheap because I wanted to use items I already had on hand.

Our dining room is rather large because it used to be a two car garage.  That's ok, I love the size and I can usually accommodate our entire family in one room by setting up an additional table.  This year I used my new drop leaf table  I found at an antique shop here in Huntsville as my 2nd table.

This is our main table.  I used a simple white tablecloth and draped three burlap squares with fringed edges over it.  I sat 10 at this table and 4 at the drop leaf table in the corner.

 

I really wanted to buy woven chargers at Pottery Barn (be still my heart!) but at over $10 each I opted for these from Walmart instead.  I like the texture they add to the table and I love the fact that at only $2 each my budget wasn't blown before I even bought the turkey!  I used my Lenox Eternal china  plates (which left my china cabinet kind of bare) and my Reed & Barton Country French flatware.  I don't own real silverware so I reserve my best flatware for special occasions.

 

For added color I placed a could-of-been-better-ironed red napkin under each plate and some red silk sunflower blooms to the gourd centerpiece to tie it all together. 

I found these large glass hurricanes at a thrift store and placed them over my milk glass candleholders and on top of a salad plate. I love to find treasures like this at thrift stores!!!

Oh how I wish I didn't have to use card table chairs at my second table!  One day I will have extra real wood chairs!  This is our 2nd table all decked out for four.  I didn't want it to look just like the big table so I used this plaid tablecloth and tied it to the big table with the gourd centerpiece set on top of a brown charger.  The sconces on the wall behind the table are another thrift market find.  At only $4 each I thought they were a bargain!

You can see the centerpiece a little better in this picture. Gourds and pumpkins just scream FALL to me!

Now for the rest of the dining room...

I love this oil painting I bought from a dear friend. Don't you just want to walk right into that vineyard and eat some grapes?  (Better yet, take a bottle of wine and plop down on a picnic blanket and just enjoy the scenery!!)

Up until a few days ago there was just a big blank spot where these 4 frames are hanging now.  It took me a long time to find something interesting to hang there!  Then I came across an OLD family letter - dated 1893 written by my husbands great, great, great grandfather to his son - and I knew I wanted to display it!  So, into the attic I went and found these 4 simple frames, I scanned the 4 sides of the letter and framed each one.  I could not be happier with the final look!

This is a close up of the first page of the letter.  I think it is amazing that it survived 117 years!

This little side table sits to the left of the windows, on the opposite side from where the framed letter hangs.  I really am not in love with this table but for now it will have to do!  I DO love this set of lidded apothecary jars I bought at Costco several years ago - they are so versatile!

 

This picture was taken looking across the dining room table towards the wall with windows.  I had the window treatment custom made many years ago and while I still love the toile I would like to update them with some panels.  So many things I want to do... so little time and money to do them with!! (Am I alone with this thought???)

So that's our Thanksgiving table and our dining room tour.  Thanks for stopping by - y'all come back soon!

I am participating in the following link parties:

French Country Cottage's Feathered Nest Friday here

The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday here

Chic on a Shoestring's Flaunt it Friday here

Melissa's Heart and Home's Great Giveaway!

Melissa over at Melissa's Heart and Home is hosting a wonderful giveaway!  Hurry on over to her site to enter here.  While you are there be sure to browse her blog - she is so creative!!

Below is a picture of everything included in her giveaway:

Giveaway includes the following items in the above picture:

• Red Apron
• 3 Holiday Dish Towels
• Turkey S&P Shakers
• Red & Brown Paisley Fringed Runner
• Apple Cinnamon Candle
• Picture Frame (beautiful!)
• Red Rooster Cannister
• Leather Journal

Be sure to visit Melissa at Melissa's Heart and Home and enter this great giveaway!