Adding Some Summer Flair

Remember the nook I decorated for Spring?

 Since Summer is upon us now, the nook needed some redecorating.

Using the same white frame seen above in my Spring Decorating,

I added the glass back in and stuck some chalkboard contact paper (bought off of Ebay)

right on top of it. Then I used some of the kids' sidewalk chalk and wrote:

"May you always have a shell in your pocket and sand in your toes."

I picked up a frame at Goodwill for $1.99,

hot-glued some burlap from Joann's right onto the front of the glass,

and then stuck on some shells I had lying around

to make this piece...

 I needed another something small to fill up space at the top of the nook, 

so I dug around the house,

found some scrap wood in the garage,

some leftover burlap and twine,

and one of my sand dollars collected from a beach in Florida.

Then I added some shells and a glass hurricane filled with sand, shells and a candle to the shelf (all things found from within my house)

and now we have a small little piece of the summer beach

decorating the entryway.

Since I was in the mood, I also added some summer flair to our mantel in the living room.
This is what it looked like BEFORE (and please keep in mind that I have spent NO time  decorating anything in our living room, so it is way plain.)...

 I spray painted the mirror with Valspar Warm Gray satin spray paint
tied on a wreath I got on clearance at Joann's,
and added a starfish.

I've been teaching myself to sew and one of my first projects was to recover the sofa pillows.
Nice and summery!
I also made the beach sign using an old, muddy pice of wood I found alongside the road one day while we were out on a walk.
Jacob thought I was insane dragging home an old weathered board, covered in dirt,
but I knew it had potential! 
I sprayed it with the hose and scrubbed all of the dirt off, 
sanded it,
drew on the pattern and had Jacob cut it out with his jigsaw 
and then I used my white paint pen to write the word beach on it. 

 The mantel could still use some more accessorizing, 
but at least it looks better than it did before!

I'm linking up to:
The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday
Fingerprints on the Fridge Feature Yourself Friday
Funky Junk Interiors SNS#34
Under the Table and Dreaming Sunday Showcase 
The DIY Showoff Project Parade