"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity"


~Plato

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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
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

Monday, November 29, 2010

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

Sunday, November 28, 2010

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??


Wednesday, November 24, 2010

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!!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

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!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

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!

Friday, November 5, 2010

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
Please stop on over!!!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

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....



Tuesday, November 2, 2010

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!

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