at home with Ashley

a home decor blog, making it pretty one space at a time

Colorful Halloween Mantel

When it comes time to decorate for the holidays, I like to go all out. Each year, I look at my past decorations and decide what I love (and repeat that). What I’m not excited about, I switch up. My past Halloween mantel was a little too plain, so this year I decided to jazz it up with a Colorful Halloween Mantel! My goal? Make it bright, fun, and festive — withoutspending more than $10.

Here’s my old Halloween mantel. I was tired of the big mash of pumpkins.

To keep it budget-friendly, I challenged myself to spend $10 and use decor and supplies I already had on hand. The result is a playful, pastel-inspired Halloween display that feels sweet instead of spooky.

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Small Laundry Room Makeover

In the back of our house, past the kitchen, is our laundry room. It used to be a porch (because our house was built before modern plumbing)g, and when we moved in, we were grateful to have a laundry room, but it was dark and sad. We did a lot of work on it over the years, but the wallpaper began to fall, so it was time to do a small laundry room makeover.

The laundry room in 2019

Luckily, the bones of the space were already great—mosaic tile floors with floral patterns, tiled walls, a functional layout, and a solid washer and dryer. This makeover was less about function and more about adding personality, color, and whimsy.

the laundry room with the peeling wallpaper

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Trash Can Makeover

I’ve been working on making over my laundry room, and it’s turning out so cute! There’s just one thing that’s been bugging me: my stainless steel garbage can. It’s in great shape for being 10-plus years old, so I didn’t want to throw it away, but it was definitely sticking out like a sore thumb in my new space. So, I decided to try a trash can makeover with spray paint!

The plan? Give it a soft beige base and add fun peach stripes to match the walls. Now it will look custom and cute instead of something I want to hide in a corner. If you’ve got an old garbage can that’s functional but doesn’t fit your style, painting it is a quick, affordable way to give it new life.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to paint your garbage can so the paint actually sticks, along with some tips to get crisp, clean stripes that look professional.

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DIY Bow Cornice

Have you heard of the decorator Dorothy Draper? She’s known as one of America’s first interior designers. Starting in the 1920s, she became famous for her bold use of color and whimsical touches. When I saw photos of her work at the Greenbrier Resort featuring DIY Bow Cornice, I knew I had to try my own version! Nothing elevates a room like window coverings.

 

The best part? It doesn’t have to be expensive! We made ours with simple plywood, batting, and fabric for a high-end look on a budget. 

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How to Start Oil Painting

If you’ve ever wondered how to start oil painting, here’s everything I wish I knew when I began.

When I was in high school, I took an art class and tried oil painting—and I really fell in love with the process. Now, over 20 years later, I’ve had the itch to try it again. But honestly, I was intimidated. What if I was terrible? How do I even clean it up? Can I afford this expensive hobby?

Despite my trepidations, I decided to jump in—and I’m so glad I did! In this post, I’m going to go over the basic supplies you need, how to clean up oil paints, where to find great reference photos, resources that helped me learn, and how I built a daily painting habit. My goal is that if you want to try oil painting, that this is your permission slip to get started!

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DIY Lenox Spice Village Charms

Our house is strange in that it has two front doors, so after I put a lock with charms on one door, my husband suggested we do a lock on the second. That got me thinking—what would I put on them? Naturally, I thought of the Lenox Spice Village and decided to do DIY Lenox Spice Village Charms! 

The little houses are so cute! I decided to make them into charms for the lock. But these could work for a charm bracelet, necklace, or even a keychain.

For this DIY Lenox Spice Village Charms project, we’ll use printable Shrinky Dink film to print the Lenox Spice Village designs onto. You can also draw your own designs or print anything you want!

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DIY Wall Fountain

When I traveled to Morocco in the spring, I bought a few gorgeous brass spigots. One looked like a deer and was perfect for this project. Now that summer is here, it’s time to build a DIY wall fountain in my backyard! A fountain instantly feels high-end, brings soothing water sounds, and adds amazing ambiance.

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Lenox Village Canisters

If you love the charm of cottagecore décor or grew up in the 1990s, chances are you’ve seen or even owned a set of Lenox Village Canisters. These iconic porcelain pieces weren’t just storage—they were tiny Victorian houses that brought personality to kitchens across America.

Today, they’re beloved by collectors and decorators alike. And now, decades later, Lenox has reintroduced this whimsical design with a fresh set of 3 canisters! Let’s take a trip down memory lane, explore the history of Lenox Village Canisters, and look at the new set that’s capturing hearts all over again.

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Hand Embroidery for Beginners

I’ve been wanting to dive into embroidery and make it as easy as possible. After researching different techniques, I found one that’s perfect for hand embroidery for beginners—and I’m obsessed!

The secret? Sticky stabilizer. It’s a special paper you can print on, peel off the backing, and stick to your fabric. Then you simply stitch over the design. When you’re done, rinse it under water, and the stabilizer dissolves—leaving just your beautiful stitches behind.

I love this method because:
✅ You can see the design clearly while stitching
✅ It feels like coloring with thread
✅ You can reuse your design over and over

If you’ve ever wanted to customize clothes, make decorative hoops, or create embroidered gifts, this is the easiest way to start. Below, I’ll walk you through the steps, share the best stitches for beginners, and give you my top supply recommendations. I’ll be embroidering a thrifted dress.

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