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Hello, I'm Michelle.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate you stopping by!

For me, Iron and Twine is all about
making old things new again.  
I appreciate a home with character 
and enjoy mixing the past with the present.
Whether tackling our 1950's fixer upper or polishing silver flatware, 
I hope you'll join me as I thrift, shop,diy and design our house into a home!  


Meet my better half, Brian 
and our pup Rawley!
Life is meant to be shared, and I'm so grateful to have married my best friend.  Typically with hammer in hand, or landscape project at work, Brian is the ultimate handy man 
and partner in DIY!




Studio Reveal

I'm so excited to share with you my new secret hideaway!  After lots of discussing, Brian and I decided to convert our Tool Storage Mudroom into our designated studio.  To keep the makeover quick, organized and cost effective, we decided to hold off on any real renovations.  Instead we kept the pegboard and brought in furniture that otherwise didn't have a place in our home.  Not only am I excited to have a designated work space, but the new mudroom now stores and organizes all of my antique & vintage finds.   With the exception of a couple things, most everything in this room has been purchased second hand, DIYed or bought from antique & thrift stores.  Tomorrow, I'll share a more specific source guide, but for now I wanted to share our new space!
One of my favorite things?
The Pegboard!  
Not only does it allow for additional storage, but I can easily change and display those items that inspire me most.  It's like one giant cork board, but better!
My new morning ritual? 
Cranking up the space heater and enjoying a cup of tea on our vintage church pew.
 How's the lighting?
With 2 large picture windows and a glass front door, the room brings in plenty of natural light.  Great for photos and growing my favorite, Dusty Miller!
 
 
Even Rawley loves the new space!  His Favorite Spot?
Right in front of the space heater.
So, there you have it; our little creative space, that's now called our studio.

A Mudroom Switcheroo

Having a smaller home can definitely bring on design and storage challenges.  The number one thing I've learned is rather than fight the space you have, allow it to evolve with you and your lifestyle.  Sometimes, what was once a designated, purposeful space, can no longer accommodate the needs of your household.  In our case, it was the mudroom.  Not having a garage, forced us to find create ways to store items and necessities that would typically be stored in the garage.  A simple addition of pegboard, turned our empty mudroom into a practical garden and tool storage room.  
It served our home amazingly the first couple years.  But recently, we started to realize we were no longer maximizing the full potential of this space.  The past two weeks, Brian and I have been knee-deep with home organization projects.  Cleaning out the attic, re-organizing closets and even going through boxes from before we were married.  We had one major complaint about this house.  We've never had a designated space for all the projects and designs we're working on ~ including those for this blog.  Here's what would ultimately happen:  What would start as a small project on our dining room table, would spread out throughout the entire house.  Furniture was always being re-shuffled and what would have started as a clean, organized space, would quickly be left in shambles.  Essentially, we were always re-working the puzzle piece that is our small home.  What we really needed was an office, a space that was separate from the rest of the house.  So, after a couple nights of brainstorming we came up with a plan for our Garden & Work Tools (we'll share that with you later) and decided to do a little mudroom switcheroo!  Tomorrow, I'll share more photos of what is now our studio, but in the meantime, I wanted to give you a sneak peek of the before & after...

 We all have one...
What space in your home is no longer working for you? 

Blog Updates | DIY Tab

I'm long overdue for updating and better cataloging my directories.  This blog is always a work in progress, and while I'm still doing some new year organizing, I wanted to invite you to see what's new under our DIY tab.  So, take a peak to see if you missed anything from last year and be sure to start checking this regularly as I'll update it accordingly.  Like always, thanks for joining me on this joyful adventure!

Winter in Maine | My Weekend Guide for Portland

Nothing can compare to a summer in Maine, but should you be brave enough to bare it,  bundle up and take a trip to this winter wonderland during the off season!  There's still so much to do and see during the cold winter months, the entire state has so much to offer ~ from skiing & snow shoeing to shopping & dining!  Here's a few of my favorite things to do when in Portland, Maine during the winter months!  
If you're into photography, of any kind, the scenery is out of this world!  The natural backdrop creates a great place for portraits, the historical downtown has a plethora of architectural interest and of course the fishing ports provide never-ending inspiration.
Downtown Portland offers a wide variety of shops and restaurants.  Commercial Street is the place to be.  And of course it wouldn't be a trip to Maine without lobster!  While most restaurants have lobster included on the menu, it's sometimes those side street cafes, or road side stops that offer the very best.  Ask a local where they go for their lobster roll and I promise you won't be disappointed!  Add a side of chowder and what you've got there is the perfect meal!
Wanting to ship a lobster home?  
Harbor Fish Market off Custom House Wharf is my personal favorite!  If nothing else, take a stop inside to see what a real fish market looks like.
 While on Custom House Wharf, you have to stop by Sea Bags.  
Not only is this my favorite Maine shop, but if you're lucky, you may just see them making their signature bags first hand!
Behind Custom House Wharf, between Portland Pier, 
is my absolute favorite working pier in Portland!
From Commercial Street make your way up to the Eastern Prom.  On a clear day the view of the Calendar Islands is to die for!  Fun fact: the islands off of Maine got their name because there are supposedly 365 of them!  But bundle up, because the promenade can get very cold!
From downtown Portland, take a drive out to Cape Elizabeth to see the iconic and most photographed lighthouse ~ Portland Headlight:

Build a snowman ~ snow permitting.
From Cape Elizabeth take a drive to Higgins Beach in Scarborough.  This stop isn't for the faint of heart, because the wind chill can be severe!  But this beach town has quaint houses and is home to one of my favorite views: 
Try to make it back to downtown Portland by sunset ~ this can be late afternoon during the winter months.  Wharf Street is stunning!  As the sun goes down, the quaint cobblestone street is a photo must!
End the day in a cozy, warm restaurant. 
On day two, take a drive to Freeport. It's home to LL Bean's Flagship Store along with an abundance of other great shops!
Don't leave without investing in a pair of bean boots and try to end the weekend with one more lobster roll!

Do What Makes Cents...

Happy Sunday Funday!
After the holidays we all could stand to pinch some extra pennies. So as you're out and about these next couple weeks, seeking organizational supplies don't forget to do some simple math and do what makes cents.  

All too often we bypass an item strictly due to its color. In the example above these copper colored baskets (which were way brighter and more orange than the photo) were on a major discount at my local Lowes.  Not at all the color I needed, but a simple stop in the spray paint aisle and this silver hammered color gave my baskets a galvanized-like finish.  Look at an item as if it were in black & white, more times than not it can easily be painted.  If it happens to be the right size, shape & price then go for it!  At the same time, paint can sometimes be an unnecessary extra expense.  So do your homework, shop around and do what makes saves the most cents!

Vintage Storage | Old Hardware Store Apron

Vintage Hardware Store Apron
I love mixing the old with the new.  And when it comes to organizing, sometimes useful storage can be used in unexpected ways.  I found this vintage hardware store apron in Maine for just a couple bucks.  I loved its worn appearance and graphic text of some of my favorite spots in the Pine Tree State, so much so that I overlooked how completely grungy it was.  Well two washes in the laundry machine and this guy came out looking good ~ still worn, but no longer stinky.  I have another purpose for this Hardware Apron (I'll share that with you later), but in the meantime, it makes a great addition to my desk, organizing and storing stationary, stamps and a notepad.
With us focusing on organization this month, I wanted to show you one way to use a vintage item in a practical, functional way.  Too often when thrifting & antiquing most people will find an item they love, but have no idea how to make it work in their home.  Old pieces can make a great statement on a bookshelf or look great hanging as art on the wall, but when those design ideas don't work for an item, get creative and think outside the box.  So, this weekend I challenge you to find one item in your home and give it new purpose.  It can be as simple as pulling a piece of Grandma's China down from the attic and using it as jewelry storage on a dresser.  Or upcycling those empty shoe boxes into practical & pretty storage boxes!  Ok, you can do this ~ new year...new start...new purpose!


Mail Organization

If you're like me you still receive most of your bills the old fashion way, along with plenty of junk mail and the occasional magazine or catalog.  In just a couple of days its amazing how much mail can accumulate and before you know it it's taken over your life.    
The key to keeping the clutter down is to designate a space (a messy pile on the kitchen counter doesn't count) and implementing a simple filing system. 

I'm a huge fan of Magazine Holders, they keep paper and clutter out of sight, 
but also allow easy access.  Manila folders are cheap and effective, 
throw a label on it for simple filing.
Once you've designated your mail center stick to these tasks daily.  
1. Don't allow junk mail into your home!  Before you step through the door, toss any unwanted mail in your recycling bin.  2. Masses of un-opened mail can be daunting!  
So open it all up and toss any unwanted envelopes etc. into recycling.
 3. File your contents in your designated mail center.  
This ensures anything you plan to keep or read later stays neat & organized.

Blogiversary and a Birthday

Oh Happy Day!
First off, today marks our first Blogiversary!!  Yup, one year ago Iron & Twine started as a lil ole blog with a whopping readership of my Mom & Grandmother (thanks for all the encouragement those first couple months!)  Today, I'm constantly shocked at how many of you have joined our community.   For those of you who started reading early on, thanks so much for sticking with me!  Your kindness, patience and commitment has meant so much!  And for those of you new to Iron & Twine, I'm so happy you're here!  Like our home, this blog has been a labor of love, a continuous work in progress.  Brian and I have learned a lot this past year and are so excited for what's ahead.  We hope you'll continue to follow along as we turn our house into a home!

On another note...
In 30 days, on January 30th, I'm turning 30!
(yeah ~ I geeked out that it's all 30's)
My 20's gave me a lot to be thankful for, but I'm so excited to start a new chapter in life.  Life is an adventure and I can't wait to start on this new journey both with the blog and in my personal life.  I hope you all have a very happy year filled with joy and good things!
Let the Celebrations begin...


Family Command Center | Ikea Expedit

Happy New Year!!
I LOVE January 1st!  It's like a new chapter, a clean slate, a fresh start! It's a chance to do it all again, but better.  While I'm not a huge fan of resolutions (I typically only last a couple of weeks) I appreciate the chance to forgive and forget all the things you should have done, or could have done, or wanted to do in the previous year.  It's the perfect time to reflect and re-balance your life.  Re-establish the priorities and give it another good try!  Life's about the juggling of many things, including your home.  What's suppose to be your space, your sanctuary, can quickly become another stress.  So this month we'll be focusing on organization.  Re-working some old spaces, designing some new and sharing some tips and tricks for a more productive and more organized space.  If there is only one space you focus on this month, I hands down without a doubt urge you to create (or re-organize) your family command center ~ or what we call Mission Control.  Small home, large home, kids or no kids ~ it doesn't matter!  Every space needs a designated area for the clutter of everyday life.  For us this space is our Ikea Expedit:
What originally was supposed to be a temporary fix for our organizational needs has now served our home for a whopping 3 years!  It works as our family's command center ~ organizing keys, mail, files + crafts.  We were (and still are) humbled to think that a simple addition of a chalkboard would spark so many re-pins on Pinterest .  
Read on to see how a measurement mishap turned into one of our best projects to date! 
Inspired by Amy Meier's Home Office and after taking measurements of the empty space behind our front door, we opted to purchase 3 individual Expedit Shelving Units.  
To our dismay, we realized our measurements were off by 5" and didn't love that it practically stuck out past our door frame.  After about an hour of debating whether or not to return the whole thing, we had the idea to turn the end unit 90 degrees.
This allowed the entire unit to fit perfectly due to the fact that the cubes are more rectangular than square.  Then to conceal the blank side we added a chalkboard.  
We taped off our edges using 3M ScotchBlue Painter's Tape and taped down old cds to round the corners ~ gave it a couple coats of chalkboard spray paint from Home Depot and voila!  Our very own custom Ikea Expedit.

After completing this project, we received a lot of requests for a buying guide. Again, thanks for taking the time to check out our blog and best wishes for creating your own organizational area!

We purchased 3 individual Expedits,
added a chalkboard and styled with the following:
{5}DIY Chalkboard
{10}Large Clip Was A Gift



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Holiday Gift Wrap Station

Happy Holidays!!!
During this time of year, I always yearn for one of those dream homes where they have an entire room dedicated to nothing more than wrapping presents!  I swoon to think of an organized space with rows of wrapping paper, ribbon in every shape & color imaginable, an entire drawer dedicated to double sided tape and a fancy pants label maker that prints customized tags.  Who I'm wrapping all those presents for, I'm not sure, but the type A in me gets very happy thinking about it!  So, rather than wish for a dedicated space, I decided to designate one!  And boy has it been a life saver this Holiday Season!  With everything in one easily accessible space, it's been a breeze wrapping & shipping holiday gifts.  To accommodate my Holiday Gift Wrapping Station, I decided to transform my garden section of our pegboard mudroom.  With any smaller home, you sometimes have to get creative and make dual purposes out of multiple spaces.  Because I'm currently not using my gardening tools, this section of our mudroom was the perfect spot.  To make this space easy, cheap & functional, I used items I already had on hand, with the exception of these Cafe Rods.
Starting at only $2.47 each (depending on color & size), these rods are the perfect size for holding standard wrapping paper.  Don't have pegboard?  No worries ~ these would work great on the back of a door or screwed directly into a wall.

Vintage metal bike baskets hold & organize boxes.

And small canning jars hold tags and pens.

For additional wrapping paper storage, an old basket does the trick and metal snap hook clips hang nutcracker gift toppers.
For small gifts, I love to recycle old maps or comics from the Sunday paper.  The ornament "wrapping paper" (below right) happens to be a page from a holiday catalog.  
Who says wrapping paper has to be actual wrapping paper?!
 
  While I would love to keep this space a wrapping haven, I just don't have the use for it 11 months out of the year.  So come January, I'll convert the space back to my gardening zone and place my wrapping supplies where they're usually kept ~ in my Living Room Hutch.  One drawer holds wrapping paper, which is still easily accessed for birthday gifts or unexpected presents.  Another organizes ribbon, tags and tape.  This idea would also work great for under-bed storage.  

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So whether you have a whole room, a small closet or a drawer, I wish you continuous gift wrapping joy throughout the year!
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This post was originally shared here on The Handmade Home.  
Be sure to check out their site for inspiring ideas for all things house & home!

Gift Guide | The Baker

Another fun gift guide today, curated by the very sweet and creative Emily!  I'm loving the options she put together for the baker in your life!  Who knew there was such a thing as #12 ~ a tartlet baking set!!  And at just $5, number six is such a great gifting ad on!  Happy shopping...
1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14
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Also, Congrats to our Red Bird Ink Letterpress Garland Giveaway Winner!  
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Red Bird Ink | Letterpress Garland Giveaway ~ CLOSED

Tis the Season to EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY!
And today I'm so excited to introduce you to my new favorite Red Bird Ink!  They're an art, design and letterpress studio here in Atlanta that specialize in limited edition art prints, stationary and home goods.  I met Julia a couple months back and not only is she super talented, but she's one of the sweetest people I've ever met!   Her Letterpress Coasters had me at hello and her fun eye for design will put a smile on your face!  When she started producing Letterpress Garland I was officially obsessed!  I've decked our halls & home with this stuff adding it to our recent Kitchen Makeover Update:
I'm even using it to dress up holiday packages:
I mean how cute would it be to to place one on each gift, using the person's monogram?!
Besides the fact that Red Bird Ink's Designs are adorable, the quality is superb and they're made right here in the USA!  The Letterpress Coasters make great hostess gifts and her Stationary is perfect for a quick hello or a thoughtful thank you note!  So, I hope this holiday season you'll be sure to support one of my favorite artist & designers!  And because I love Julia's products so very much, I'm super excited to be giving away this fun and festive EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY Letterpress Garland by Red Bird Ink!
Note: Not shown in photo below, garland includes an ampersand.  
 Entries are limited to those living in the continental United States.  The winner will be randomly selected and announced next Friday, December 13th.  There's multiple ways to enter below, let me know if you have any questions!
This Giveaway is now CLOSED.  See who won below:
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Family Traditions & A Reader Request

And just like that, we're in the middle of the first week of December!  I hope all of you are able to take some time and enjoy this holiday season.  Have you started decorating?  Are you already finished?  Do you go all out or keep it simple?  Either way this time of year is about reflecting, appreciating what you have and decking the halls with joy.  I've shared with you before that Halloween isn't really my thing, but Christmas?!  I love it!  Everything about it!  The true meaning of Christmas, hot chocolate, festive music and a lit Christmas tree are a few of my favorite things!  Brian and I are about to share our 4th wedding anniversary, more on that next week, but every year we're making the holidays more special by including past family traditions while mixing in new ones.  An advent calendar is something we both are accustomed too, like I'm sure many of you are!  Last month I introduced you to Wheel & Basket and their Stocking Advent Calendar, if you missed it, click here.
The response from so many of you was amazing!  My mom & I truly appreciate the support and positive feedback.  A reader, named Kim, sent us the sweetest of notes!  And after she received her set, she shared some pics:
Kim has a two and a half year old daughter and decided to fill each stocking with a mix of small toys...
And (my absolute favorite idea EVER) ~ she included meaningful family & friend activity cards:
I LOVE this!  Again, isn't this what the season is about?!  So, great job Kim at creating simple, meaningful & fun memories for you and your family!  I may show up at your door for that hot apple cider!  I moved our advent calendar to the kitchen recently ~ mainly to include Rawley, he gets a treat a day...
 but I loved Kim's idea so much, we'll be including some activity cards in our advent calendar this year as well!

Do you have an advent calendar?  What goodies do you include with it?
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Now this brings me to my next request, I know, I ask a lot of you!  January will mark our 1 year blogiversary ~ to give back to you guys I want to make the month a fun one!  So, I'm asking for a bit of feedback.  What would be most beneficial for you as readers?  Organization posts?  More Vintage & Antique Finds?  More How To's?  More room design?  I would love love love some requests ~ I won't make any promises, but I'd love to hear what you're thinking.  Feel free to leave a comment below ~ I know some of you have been unable to leave comments, I'm still looking into that problem, so sorry for the inconvenience!  Also, feel free to email me at michelle@ironandtwine.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!  And a BIG thanks in advance!