Every year I swear that I'm going to make it simpler on myself - I'll skip the handwritten Christmas cards, nix the homemade cookies and pies and scale back on the decorations.  And every year I fail miserably at keeping that promise. 

The truth is, I get wrapped up in the season.  I enjoy doing those things.  And, while some people don't understand it, I truly love being busy.  If I'm honest, I think it has a lot to do with not having too much time to think.  But I digress. 

One of my "we'll see if I get to it" projects this year was a centerpiece for our Christmas Eve and Christmas festivities and a properly laid table.  While I love arranging flowers, they take some serious time and large chunks are hard to cut out with the Little Bee attempting to eat her way through the living room (Ironically, she still won't eat food...).  And digging out and hauling up seasonal dishes, napkin rings, drinkware (etc) seemed a little daunting as well.

But, true to form, I got the itch today and, while my husband watched Chompers the Red Cheeked Reindeer, I pulled together a beautiful floral centerpiece and tablescape.  Below are pics of the results. 











I have to say, while I realize it was completely unnecessary, I'm glad that I was able to find some time to do this stuff.  Creating things is such a mood lifter and the result makes me feel a little closer to the magic. 

Well, I'm off to go scrape some of this Christmas ornament glitter off.  I look like I exfoliated with a pixie.

Meanwhile, I pray you have a beautiful holiday filled with family, friends, delicious food and an overabundance of grace and laughter.  :)

Merry Christmas, friends!

Happy One Week Until Christmas!

Just like everyone else, our week will be spent dashing around making all of the last minute purchases, finalizing menus, scrubbing the surfaces and hiding all of the random items that we don't have time to put away properly in a pile in our closet.  But truly, I love this time.

We're hosting family and friends and planning everything from a beautiful sit-down Christmas eve dinner to a Christmas morning brunch and Christmas night cocktails.  Our house will be full to the brim with overnight guests, too, so certainly there is plenty left to do.  But, as to decor, everything is pretty close to what it's going to be.  Below are some shots of the twinkling lights, colorful packages and playful touches that I love.

Enjoy!  (PS Many of these photos were taken at night because I love the look of the house in the string lights!)

I went for an elegant mantle with streamlined glitter trees, a beautiful carved deer and tall hurricanes with golden candles.  Though the greenery, ribbons and baubles remain on the top, the stockings have been relocated to places where little hands can't accidentally pull something down on themselves.

The photobomber in the chair is Griffin,the resident Scrooge of the household.  His favorite part of Christmas is taking his displeasure out on the ornaments on the trees. :)

I think my favorite thing about our decorations is that almost every one of them is something personal.  The little bear on the side table was sown for my baby by my Texas mama; the angel next to him was the first decoration in my collection and purchased for me as a gift from my mom when I was in high school; the ornaments on the tree represent different events that happen each year in our lives. There are Santas carved and painted by my father-in-law, a wooden rocking chair I used as a child, a nutcracker from the first ballet my husband and I saw together...  Christmas for us remains the magic that has surrounded and accompanied us throughout our lives.

With close to ten people here for Christmas morning, we have huge piles of presents stacked in all corners (Not all of them are FROM us! We have my mom's in advance!).  The advantage is that they serve as decoration and made my job easier!

The demilune is piled with toys and more gifts.  The stack of blocks at the top is actually an advent calendar that holds treat behind each numbered door.  And of course that sweet little face is the true magic this year.  (She was very curious about the camera.  I'm fairly sure the inner monologue was "I could eat that.")

Due to the tiny, mobile little munchkin, the tree is sporting fewer ornaments this year, and all of the ones at the bottom are large (so they can't be swallowed), plastic (so they can't be broken) and have ribbon ties (so I don't have to worry about her eating a metal S hook).  I also tied jingle bells to each of the lower branches as a sort of warning system should they be under attack!

I used to hang garland around the front door, but I actually really like it swagged across the large dining room window.  I wove pinecones, berries, and golden bells throughout for a simple, classic design.

I love how the mirror over the buffet reflects the glittering lights of the dining room tree!

In the dining room, a beverage station for adults sits at the end of the bar.  In the kitchen, a cocoa station invites little and big kids alike to help themselves.

And a few more of the sparkly details...


I'd love to see or hear how your plans and house are coming together!  Have a wonderful (stress free!) weekend, friends, and try to enjoy all the last minute details!


Happy Christmasing!

I love a lot of things about Christmas: strands of twinkling lights; brightly wrapped packages; seeing cars with Christmas trees strapped precariously to the top; specialty cookies (that I might as well apply directly to my thighs 'cause, Lord knows, that's where they're gonna end up anyway); giant inflatable holiday figures that wave cheerfully from front lawns at night and melt into a Wicked Witch style massacre scene during the day.  I even love the gifts (I know you're not supposed to admit that, but I like trying to find things that will make people smile). 

But, by far, my favorite thing about this time of year is the people. I love being surrounded by my friends and family - making plans for visits, and cookie swaps, and shopping trips and wrapping parties and special meals...  It's good stuff.

This year, we have a lot of friends and family coming to us (I suspect it has more to do with the Baby Bee than my husband and I, but hey, we'll take it), so the guest room got a special holiday update.


I love the idea of having holiday bedding for all of beds, but money and space are not exactly abundant currently.  I do have a beautiful red and white quilt made by my great grandmother, however.  Even with the matching red sheets, the ensemble would still be appropriate in summer, but add a small green and red throw and a few holiday pillows and the whole thing looks ready for a long winter's nap.


Those holiday pillows are, in fact, more placemat pillows.  I purchased both placemats at Target and had them stuffed and closed back up in less than thirty minutes.  I love them!


In addition to some clean fluffy towels (I like to have them out ahead of time in case guests want to freshen up when they arrive), I make sure to leave an alarm clock for anyone who doesn't use their phone.  The vintage style of this Ikea alarm clock is so classic and reminds me of being a kid (and who doesn't want to feel like a kid on Christmas?)


At the bottom of the bed, I've left an assortment of goodies meant to welcome visitors and put them in the right frame of mind.  A stack of books about Christmas makes for light night time reading.  A few bottles of Pellegrino and a small wrapped box of fancy chocolates feels special for snuggling in.  And who needs a mint on the pillow when you can have a candy cane instead?  Stacking it all (along with some pretty posies) on a tray at the bottom of the bed makes for easy relocation.


Finally, tied to the silver bucket with some jute twine is a Christmas tag bearing the all-important WiFi password.  Writing it down ahead of time ensures guests have it when they need it and don't have to hunt you down in the middle of the night.

There is much left to do, but at least I feel like my guests will have a nice, clean place to stay while they're here (although at least one pillowcase will need to be rewashed as my cat seems to have grown roots to it.  Maybe I can pass it off as fur-lined...).

What steps do you take before guests arrive?  Any items that you stock up on ahead of time to make their (and your) lives easier?

I hope your holiday plans are coming together and that you're taking a moment to Enjoy The Season!!  Talk soon!

Happy Friday, y'all!  I'm sorry I'm so late on posting this week - it's been a busy one.  My mama is having surgery today (prayers appreciated!) so I spent some time at her house helping her get ready for it.  And while, as always, I have a zillion projects in progress at my house, I wasn't able to shoot them all just yet.  But I did pull one together that has injected some much needed cheer into one of my least favorite spots in the house.

As you know, we rent, and our apartment is not huge.  In particular, our kitchen is a bit outdated and small and I don't often do projects in it because it frustrates me (I desperately want to paint the cabinets, replace the hardware, upgrade the appliances, change out the lighting, etc. Alas...).  However, I really felt it needed some holiday spirit.  There aren't any free walls in the kitchen, so the window was the only available spot. 

I started with a small faux cedar and pine cone wreath (I highly recommend investing in a good quality wreath or two that you can use year after year.  This one has been reinvented at least 6 times now and it still looks great.) 


I found these adorable little chipboard and metallic tags in the Dollar Spot at Target (3 for a dollar! So cute!).


I pulled out some large chipboard letters from my scrapbooking supplies (Ahhh scrapbooking.  Remember when there was time?  Those were the days...).  I actually really liked the color and designs of the letters, but they didn't show up well on the natural color of the tags, so I decided to paint them with some acrylic paint.  Besides, the red looked much more festive. 


After the red paint dried, I added some gold metallic wax finish to bring out the design of the glitter underneath. 

Once everything was dry, I used a hot glue gun to adhere the letters to the tags and then attached them to the bottom of the wreath with green florist wire (I love florist wire.  To me, it's the crafter's equivalent of duct tape).


Finally, I added a sparkly red ribbon to the top and tied it to the oh-so-fabulous curtain rod provided by the apartment complex (we're not allowed to attach anything to the windows.  Sigh.). 


I love the result!  So simple, and yet it really made a difference in the workhorse of a room.  In particular, I love the message: JOY.  It's a good reminder to focus on the truly important things I've been given - my family, my husband, my beautiful, beautiful baby.  If the kitchen truly is the heart of the home, then it seems important that the spirit we choose to embed is one of joy and thanksgiving. 


Happy Christmasing, guys! More holiday projects and decor to come!!

Happy December everybody!

Slowly but surely, my Christmas decorations are going up around the house.  Having a very hands on little one has presented a bit of a challenge (both in finding time to work on it, and also in making sure that she doesn't actually eat Christmas.  As it is, I feel like she's going to be pooping glitter through the new year.)  As you can imagine, my decor is not just getting more kid-safe, it's also becoming a bit more kid-focused.  Piles of toys, bright primary colors and even a few St Nick pieces are making their way into the rotation and, I have to say, I Love It.  Kids truly do bring a certain magic back to Christmas.

This week, I thought I'd share one of my favorite DIY Christmas projects:  Sock Snowmen.  They're easy, inexpensive, customizable AND they make great projects to do with the kiddos.  It does require a glue gun (Not terrifically kid friendly), but fabric glue would work just as well.

So let's get to it!

You'll Need: 

Long White Tube Sock
1/2-1 c. Dry Rice or Beans, tied tightly in plastic sandwich bag
Christmas Socks (my local Dollar Tree had some cute ones)
Pillow Stuffing (Poly-fil, etc)
Buttons and beads
Twigs
Balsa Crafting Dowel
Sandpaper
Orange Craft Paint
Ribbon
Embellishments
Hot Glue Gun

The Process

Start by chopping off the top section of your tube sock (the tight elastic).  This should leave a good ten inches to work with.  

Next, place your bag of rice in the bottom of the sock (This will allow your snowman to stand up when he's done).  Fill the rest of your sock with stuffing, making sure to smooth out any lumps (unless you want a lumpy snowman.  In that case, go for it.  I'm a big proponent of positive body image).  Leave the top 3 inches empty.


Tuck the top three inches into the center of the sock. 


Next, cut the Christmas sock in half with the toe section separated from the heel and ankle.  Pull the toe over tucked in portion of the tube sock to make a festive winter hat. 


Cut or break a one inch section off of the balsa dowel.  Using the sandpaper, form a cone-like shape (it only takes a minute or two).  Once finished, give the wood a quick coat of orange paint.  Carrot nose, done.


Using a hot glue gun, adhere the carrot to the face.  Use your buttons and beads to create eyes, a smile, and, well, buttons.  Tie a length of coordinating ribbon around the snowman's neck for a scarf.  Glue twigs to either side of the snowman for tiny little arms (I try to push the sticks INTO the sock fabric to give them more stability).  Finally, use your crafting embellishments to personalize your snowman.  I added a tiny wreath and puffball to this snowman's hat, but I've also given snowmen glasses, aprons, outfits... you name it. 


That's it! How easy was that? 


Because I'm a bit of a softy, I decided to make a super tiny one for my munchkin out of her outgrown baby socks.  I've got to say, it's so stinkin' cute!!  I may be inspired to make the snowman version of our family (rest assured, her's will be the only one with used socks...)


My little snowdude is being added to the toy pile on the demilune for now, but I may make a few as silly gifts or for the shelves in the guest room.  They're so cheap, easy, quick and fun!  And, as an added bonus, the snowmen will NOT, in fact, come to life and wreak havoc on your home in the middle of night like other creepy little holiday toys.  (Looking at you, Elf on the Shelf.)


I'm hoping to have a Christmas house tour pulled together soon, but as of now, there are few more projects to finish up.  How are your decorations coming together?  Do you have any special Christmas crafts that make you smile? Leave me a note or hit me up on facebook!  As always, I love to hear from you!

Have a fantastic week and thanks for stopping by!!

It's amazing how the second Halloween ends, the Christmas commercials and sales begin.  I have to be honest, I LOVE Christmas, so it doesn't bother me too much, but I do think that it's important to focus on each holiday as it comes.

In spirit of both Thanksgiving as well as Christmas, our family is participating in Samartian's Purse Operation Christmas Child.  The organization is Christian based but their goal is to not only bring spiritual hope but also to bring physical aid to people who are in need.  That means they go into war-torn countries, poverty stricken countries, and areas that have experienced natural disasters (etc) to provide food, clothing, water, medical services and education where it is needed most.

Operation Christmas Child is an international effort to provide Christmas gifts to children around the world who are in need.  According to their website, they have "collected and delivered more than 124 million gift-filled shoe boxes to children in more than 150 countries and territories."  I think that's pretty amazing.

I'm sharing this post in hopes that you and your family will participate as well.  It really is such a fun project to get involved with: collecting toys, wrapping boxes and playing Santa to children who are truly in need brings its own sort of high.  It's a great way to develop a little altruism in your kids as well! 

Collection week is November 16 - 23, and you can find your closest donation center here.

The process is simple: 

Get a shoebox (or other box with lid)


Wrap your box and lid separately (*Note: Wrapping is absolutely optional!)


Choose a gender and an age group: 2-4, 5-9, 10-14.

Then fill your box with gifts! 

Our first box is themed for a little girl around 6, and it includes Disney figurines, puzzle, stickers, crayons, coloring book, jewelry, hair accessories and candy.

You can also include a picture of yourself and a letter if you'd like, and for a donation of $7, you can track your package to see where it ends up.

All packed up, I hope this sparkly, pink and purple box of surprises will make a little girl smile.

That's it!!  Well, almost...

The biggest thing that Samaritan's Purse asks for is prayer - it's probably the most powerful tool we have.  We are oh-so-lucky to live in this country (despite its flaws), and it's important to remember our blessings and to share God's love with others when we can.

If you want to learn more about the organization, please check out http://www.samaritanspurse.org/.
Whether you can afford to give one box or ten, anything is appreciated.

I promise it's the perfect way to celebrate this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas!