Home Tour: #everydayreallifediningroom

Welcome! Today I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner for the dining rooms in the Every Day Real Life Home Tours.  I love this #linkup because of these words from Kelly; "...I also like to just see real life normal homes.  Ones decorated on a budget and by moms of young kids who "can't have nice things" or apartments where single girls live or a retired couple's home.   I always want to just knock on doors of homes in my town and ask if I can have a tour.  I love to see how people live." It's not about perfect or designer, it's just about home, every day. 

I fall into the "single girl in an apartment" category, so my space is small-ish, but perfect for me.  I recently moved and with moving always comes a little rearranging and if you come back here to my home again, you'll see the living is also the dining and the dining is also the living and the living is also the office, and the office is  also the living.  #openconcept :) 

I received this towel as a gift and it is a favorite, know someone who would love it? {click here}

If this is your first visit here, or your 100th, true confessions: I love Marshalls/Home Goods, bargains and green; the more hi-lighter or chartreuse the better.  So, imagine when I was looking for bath rugs and stumbled across this rug shortly after moving.    

AHHHHHH.  Perfection!! I didn't have a rug in my dining room before, but this place I felt like it needed something, so I picked this rug up thinking "maybe" it would fit.  And, it is perfect.  This pic was the day I got the rug, also shortly after moving in, but I had to get it in place an send it to my Mom to see. 

The shelf in my dining is I guess equivalent to my "buffet:, but doesn't hold any dishes, only my collection of pewter serving pieces and antique cake stand I searched the fields of Round Top for. The picture above I lettered myself, it was one of the first pieces I did during an art class at my church. The words are song lyrics; I completed this piece during a hard season and had to frame it.  My dining room also doubles as a lettering studio, so it's the perfect place for this piece.  

Sometimes the table looks like this (from my old place)  For more on lettering {click here}.

Back to the shelf, I found it in Hobby Lobby one summer, while everything I owned was in storage. It was missing a piece of the bottom "X" on one side and I had my Dad swing by to look at it and see if it could be fixed. He was certain we could fix it and I was certain I needed it after asking the Manager for a price to which he replied "$24".  #loaditup I knew my stuff wouldn't be in storage forever, and I loved this shelf. It was in front of a window before, as seen above. The metal boxes under neath are also a Marshalls find and are great extra storage. Hiding in the corner is my studio cart, aka The Everything Cart from Ikea {click here},  which easily rolls out as needed for painting. 

If you read the Living Room post, you'll know the heart of my home, and my heart, is words.  My favorite wall in my house is solid words from Primitives by Kathy and a few extras thrown in.  In my new place I see this wall much more than I did before and I really love that it is more of a focal point. I have a few pieces that had to be sorted, arranged and hung up...

They start on the floor, I sort and arrange how I want, then snap a picture so I will remember as I am putting them on the wall. I measured the entire collection width and depth, then found the center and started with the middle and worked my way out.  

Hanging things like this can be a little daunting, especially when you need two nails and it to appear mostly straight on the wall. I use painters tape, a level and move it around as needed. I was a little more meticulous this time than I have been in the past {read: used a ruler and level a lot}, but am pleased with how it turned out. Here's the starting point and blank wall...

And here is the room all together, finally. True confessions: I moved the end of January and this wall was the last thing I did in April during the flood days we were off work.  #procrastinator Of course, once it was done I keep kicking myself of why did I take so long to do that!? 

Centerpiece on my table is a years old silver tray, I think it has a couple of dings in it because I found it in clearance corner for about $10 at Marshalls.  I don't remember where I got the candle sticks without candles and the antler balls are from Hobby Lobby and the plates from Target holiday collection a few years back. This is Texas, and deer silhouettes aren't just for holidays! ;)  

Before I go, the table is one of my favorite gathering places, my own home, my Mom and Dad's, family gatherings, a friend's house or out at a restaurant.  {One day I will have a Neighbor's Table, the greatest love mission a friend Sarah has started.}  More than the fancy dishes or place settings, the life that happens when gathered and lingering at the table is my favorite.

If you missed last week, {click here} for links to living rooms.  Thank you for reading, stay in touch via Facebook and Instagram! 

Blessings,