Mantel Mania

As i'm reading up on some of my favorite blogs today

i'm noticing that everyone is talking about their mantels.

I'm thinking...

WOW

everyone must be on the

 same page today 

and I missed the memo   

Then I realized its because there's a

PARTY

going on in Blog land

and you don't want to miss it!!

and since I certainly don't want to miss the party...

here's our mantel

There are two things that I

don't change at Christmas

One is our family tree

the other is the mantle

beyond that everything else is far game

The mantel stays the same because two years ago

we had the kids write this in their own handwriting

on a big sheet of plywood

and it means so much to us.

Plus lets be honest...

it's huge and won't fit anywhere else.

Shabby Chic Stocking Holders

from Target

Perhaps that tree on the right has been hitting the eggnog

It looks like it's leaning a little

maybe I should fix that.

The mantel I try to keep very neutral and simple to

balance out all the color from the nutcrackers.

But I think it needs one

of those mantel scarfs

 (is that what you call them??)

like The Lettered Cottage has on hers...

I'm completely in LOVE with it.

Well

looks like i'll be hitting the fabric store tomorrow

Keep you posted

Please go visit

and check out all the inspiring mantels!!

Christmas Pillows

My Christmas OCD

has kicked into full swing.

Therefore.....

I decided yesterday that I needed more

pillows to add to the couch and chairs.

I took a yard of vintage ticking

and an old french grain sack that I had....

YEAH WHATEVER...

maybe in my mind that's what I used

But reality was

it was a washed drop cloth from Home Depot

and a yard of ticking on sale from JoAnn's Fabric.

It was super easy to do and they turned out cute.

These are very similar to the Pottery Barn ones...minus the red thread around the border.

For the back pillow I used chair webbing....kinda like PB too. 

Perhaps I like Pottery Barn??

As you can see on the BELIEVE pillow

 I didn't let perfection stand in my way.

Nope, it is stamped all sorts of crooked...oh well

Hey Londen...I found the acorns...Yippee

I promise that it only took me an hour or two to make them

and that's figuring in a little goofing around time too.

I didn't even measure

I just cut and sewed

stamped and stuffed!

And thanks to brainstorming with

my partner in crime

Kerri

she came up with the perfect idea for

 the middle of the front door

Cardboard and lots of glitter

Cute and FREE...perfect!

Have a wonderful Tuesday

A Very Merry Front Door

175

Martha Stewart

Christmas ornaments

and

an hour

or two

or three

later

the front door is

ready for

CHRISTMAS!!!

Apparently

175 ornaments is

quite a lot of ornaments...

so husband was right

I didn't need another

container

(although I may get it....just in case...you never know when it might be needed...right?)

I can't decide if we should

hang a wreath or something

on the door....or just leave it alone.

The front porch is always done in red for Christmas 

to coordinate with the sleigh that we have had for over 11 years.

It came from Renningers Extravagance in Mount Dora Florida...

It is one of my favorite Christmas decorations.

I always think of my girlfriend Tifanie

and how before kids we would go away

 for a girls weekend

and shop shop shop

And like a true friend would

she helped me carry this heavy sleigh

what seemed like miles back to the car

Sometimes it's not the item itself that means so much to us...

it's the memory and the person that we think of when we see it

that tugs at our heart

No hope of snow here in South Florida...but thanks to Picnik

I can pretend.

Off to decorate more trees

paint the bench on the front porch

and find a Christmas door mat and flag....

Oh...

and maybe clean the house if there is time

MAYBE

Linking up to

Under the Table and Dreaming
The Sunday Showcase Party
and
Cottage Instincts
Make it 4 Monday

Come on over and check it out

The boys are back in town

Christmas trees have been going up
left and right around this house...

so far we have up 

8 decorated trees

 and I have 3 more to go

that's not counting all the

 "just trees"

But the best part is

The boys are back

and ready for the

Christmas Season

Have I ever mentioned how much

I LOVE

Nutcrackers?

 

I tried to buy one off of ebay last week

but it was 7 foot and in California...local pickup...

or very expensive delivery.

Sweet Husband wasn't so sweet when he

told me my nut must be cracked if

I thought he would drive and get him for me!

Oh Well....maybe next time

This is Harold....

the biggest of all our

Nutcrackers

(the kids have given them all names)

Sweet husband brought him home for me

as a Christmas surprise one year...

But he was at our Macy's

 not California...

Harold is of course my favorite of them all...

but don't tell the others! 

 Like children they are

all my favorites!

It never occurred to me until I started taking
pictures of the nutcrackers today
that the decorations in our house
sort of follow the scenes
from the Nutcracker Ballet

I'll show you what I mean in coming posts....

Now i'm off to work on the front porch...
I've bought 175 plastic christmas balls from Home Depot
The Martha Stewart Line....have you seen them...very cute!
We choose the white and red ones.

Anyways...
I plan to decorate around the front door with them...
let's hope this turns out how I want...
I think we still need more christmas balls...
he says no...
let's see who is right?!?!


Are you all decking the halls this weekend??

I am thankful for...

I hope you all

  have a wonderful

Thanksgiving

and that you are

surrounded by

Friends and Family

Love and Laughter

Cherished Memories and Thankfulness



 Happy Thanksgiving!!

Give Thanks

I

for one

am giving

thanks that

 my husband

didn't divorce

me this

weekend!

We woke up Sunday

morning....

and I

decided to remove

everything from

the living room

walls

Completely rearrange the furniture

add a tv to the mantle

move in a couple of chairs to the bedroom

change all the bedding (again)

PLUS

throw in a soccer practice

4 stores

and rehanging everything in the living room.

Yes it's a wonder he let me live

through the weekend....

bless that man!

Really wanted acorns to scatter on the tray...but Walmart

is slap out of them and I didn't make it to Pottery Barn

so scrabble pieces it is...

If it's not on the Disney channel its on the sports channel....

one day i'll get to watch HGTV 



What do you think of the mirrors hung like this...

the juror is still out.

But husband likes it...says it looks very Southern

(maybe he's been watching HGTV???)

Had the chairs stored in the garage...

finally get to use them.

They need recovering

but they are fine for now.

It's a good thing he loves me.

And he only had one not nice thing to say

all day....

he made mention to the fact that he was

surprised that we had any drywall left

because i'm always asking him to

move a picture/mirror/etc

and rehang it somewhere else.

I
however

have no idea what

he is talking about!

(wink)

(wink)

I'm linking up to

White Wednesday
at
Faded Charm
Come on over and check it out!

I'm not skipping Thanksgiving..I Promise

I've been in the craft room

sewing up a storm....

It all started because my

very best friend said to me

"why don't you try and make those

stockings that are so cute"

What a great idea...

AND IT GREW FROM THERE

and I can't seem to stop

Just need to make two more!

Don't know what to do with these...they don't match my house

but I had the fabric....see the problem...

can't seem to stop the insanity.

This pillow turned out nicely...

so I was thinking maybe i'll make more and

 use them on the couch for Christmas

BUT

 then there is was last night

the wisdom of a nine year old.

We were sitting at the table eating dinner

and he says....

I've noticed that some people

just skip right over Thanksgiving and go

straight to Christmas...and I don't think that's right.

And he turns and GLARES at me....

WHAT??? 

 Is he speaking to me? 

Okay so maybe i've had Christmas music

 playing for two straight days and

spices simmering on the stove..

Seriously though....whos kid is this.

Can't be the same one who last year

was the first to help get out all the decorations.

Regardless...I received the message Loud and Clear...

back to Thanksgiving preparation's....

I'm going to spend the day working on the tablecloth...stay tuned.

BECAUSE I'M NOT SKIPPING THANKSGIVING

I PROMISE

And just to let you all know.....
Baby Aidan was born Sunday
Everyone is doing well and we are all just
 over the moon and completely
in love!

Pottery Barn Inspired Boys Room

Today I was browsing around Pottery Barn Kids

and I overheard this women talking to the checkout lady

and she was saying how she was redoing her son's room

with the Madras Bedspread and did they think red

would be an okay accent for the room.

So I of course intruded into her conversation

and told her how I did my son's room very

similar.

And it made me realize I never showed you

guys the room when I was finished....well sort of

finished...because it's never really done is it?!

Remember we let him pick out the wall color...

and while it's not what I would have

choosen it turned out just fine.

I found the bed at JC Penney online.  It's very similar to the PBKids

Thomas bed....but MUCH MUCH cheaper. 

And it's been a great bed so far....very well made!

Please excuse the mess up under the bed...

I haven't bought the baskets for under there yet.

Sweet husband made the bookcases...

didn't he do an awesome job.

The dresser is a thrift find that I painted navy and

changed the hardware.

The locker that is STILL sitting in front of the window,

I just can't seem to find a spot for it because it's so huge!

We painted a chalkboard on the wall when you walk

 into his room and then trimmed it out.



The jersey that he really wanted framed...he loves it.

So to the lady from Pottery Barn Kids if you are reading this

thanks for not thinking that I was a total fruit loop for

barging into your conversation.

I know your son's room will turn out

just perfect!!!!

I'm linking up to

Cottage Instincts Kids Rooms

Please stop on over!!!

Gathering ideas for Thanksgiving

Now that the

bats, cats

and rats

are packed away

it's time to focus

on Thanksgiving...

Everyone

comes to our house

for Thanksgiving dinner

 (most years)

so i'm trying to get

organized early

I think i'm going to try some of these cute ideas...

(countryliving.com)

Completely in love with this tablecloth and i'm

thinking I can make something very similar!

(thingsiadore.wordpress)

This is so pretty and so clean looking and I adore it....

but I think this year I may go with more

brown and oranges than lots of white

plus I think everyone is tired of seeing

my plain white dishes for every occasion

(countryliving.com)

I've never been one for separate kids tables during holiday celebrations...

I think they should be included at the adults table...

BUT....this is super cute with the brown craft paper..

and i've also seen

where they write in a checklist next to the plate that reads....

Olivia ate her

Turkey

Mashed Potatoes

you get the idea

and the kids check it off as they eat...how cute!

So maybe i'll extend the adult table to include a kids side with this idea

(fabfrugalfood.com)

How cute are these guys!

Maybe the kids should make their own dessert this year

(yumsugar.com)

This would be really cool on the dessert table...

if only I could mange to find this chalkboard oilcloth

everyone keeps talking about!

(potterybarn.com)

I will totally be doing these for the centerpieces

Love Love Love the Indian corn wrapped

around the glass hurricanes!

(countryliving.com)

While we don't do place cards at our Thanksgiving table

(it's more of a free for all...sit where you want)

I did see where someone gave gold tissue paper wrapped pears as

favors for everyone to take home...and I thought that was a

nice gesture.

Time to get your Turkeys in a row and get ready....

Finally...my own craft room!

It took one very long Saturday,

a pickup truck load to goodwill,

and a few things pawned off to relatives.....

but now I finally have

my own craft space

Hallelujah!!!

The top of the table is from my parent's old dresser. 

It needs to be a little bit wider to fit the sawhorse legs,

but I like it...and it's very sturdy.



This is our garage and it is kinda hot.

So, i'm on the hunt for a vintage fan!



My Pottery Barn splurge...just couldn't help myself.

It's so awesome!

Eventually I would like to raise the top up

and find barstools to fit. 

Hope you all are having a

wonderful  November!