link party - 12 days of christmas tour of homes

OK, I showed you mine. Now it is time to show me yours. It can be your whole house, or just a room or festive corner. No matter how big or small you go, or what holiday it is for, show me how you dress your house for the holidays!

We want to see!!

my home - 12 days of christmas tour of homes

The day has finally arrived! It is my day to host the 2nd Annual 12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes and I'm thrilled that you're here. If you came from Cyndy's tour at The Creativity Exchange welcome. And if you are here thru a misguided Google search, welcome to you too. Basically, welcome one and all. Take a look around while I make your virtual cocktail.

In the entry this year I decided to reuse the ornaments and ribbon from last year's mantel for a bright and happy mix.

Speaking of mantels, this year's mantel turned out to be all about plaid, bark and fresh foliage. How very rustic of me.

Each year we save the bottom of our Christmas tree and make a candle holder out of it (writing the year on the bottom of the stump to keep track). It's turned out to be a great memory and it is fun to see how we obviously vary up our tree size each year.

This year's tree was no joke. Last year was tall and skinny, but this year is big in every direction.

When you put plaid all over one room, it has a way of seeping into other areas of the house. Plaid is too good. It will not be denied. So let's plaid up the dining room shall we?

Love mixing my B by Brandie plates and chargers with my grandmother's old Spode Christmas dishes. And I believe it was the excitement of that mix that led me to forget the silverware. Oh well, we are just drinking during this tour anyway, right?

A snazzy group of men (and some animals) standing at attention while we eat. Maybe they took the silverware. Amelia's ever growing Nutcracker collection has relocated to the dining room this year until Eve moves on from her nutcracker...discovery phase. I can only glue them back together so many times.

Christmas lights Amelia made her first year of pre-school brighten up the kitchen along with some drawings the girls did and our annual Gingerbread house. Oh, and what's that on the lampshade? Yep, that would be more plaid. I can't be stopped.

Herbie got his seasonal antler change and is ready for the season too. No one in the house is immune.

Even the hand towels in the bathroom have gotten festive thanks to Anthropologie. They say dish towel, I say hand towel. Tomato tomaato.

My parents finally got rid of the tree that they've had for 45 years (no that is not a typo - FORTY FIVE years) and willed it to us. So as I mentioned yesterday, we added the tree to the family room this year and it is already full of all of the ornaments the girls have made and collected over the years. I love having the tree that I grew up with, I swear it used to be bigger, and it is the perfect thing to look at while I sit on the couch with the hubs and endure another episode of The Walking Dead.

The pom-pom pinecones the girls' made a few years back sit happily next to the tree along with a mismatch batch of ornaments.

And that my friends is my house all dolled up for Christmas. Thanks again for coming and be sure to stop by Stacey @ Steward of Design tomorrow! And if you haven't checked out all the rest of the tours, what are you waiting for already?!

12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes Schedule:

December 1 - Jenny @ Evolution of Style

December 2 - Amanda @ Amanda Carol Interiors

December 3 - Amanda @ Dixie Delights

December 4 - Pam @ Simple Details

December 5 - Lisa @ Shine Your Light

December 8 - Kris @ Driven by Decor

December 9 - Jennifer @ Dimples & Tangles

December 10 - Cyndy @ The Creativity Exchange

December 11 - Elizabeth @ Little Black Door

December 12 - Stacey @ Steward of Design

December 13 - Andrea @ Oak Ridge Revival

  AND

December 16 - YOU - Link up your Christmas Home Tour

Cheers and Happy Holidays!!

handmade gumdrop ornaments

Each year the girls and I try to do a few crafts together that we can then use year after year. We've got a few years under our belt and it is fun when we pull them out each year and they say, "Remember when we made these?!" It's all about making memories, right? However I don't want one of those memories to be fighting (the girls) and tears (mostly mommy's) when things go south. Our craft window is short so simple and fast is my theme.

I have long admired these Colors of the Rainbow ornaments from Land of Nod and each year I think about buying them for the girls' tree. And every year that thought is followed by "Nah, that's silly. Surely I can find something cheaper." But I never do.

Then this year we were walking thru Michaels to get something random and totally un- Christmas related when I noticed a little spot that I'm sure I pass each and every year. Glass ornaments. Six for $5. And with the ubiquitous 50% off coupon I always have thanks to my Michaels app (yes I've got a Michaels app on my phone) the decision was made. Ladies and gentleman, we've got our craft.

The piles of craft paint I keep in a junk drawer finally paid off. We went home, popped the top of those suckers, squeezed some paint inside and rolled them around.

This is when I would show you pictures of "the process" but A. it went so fast (that's just how easy it is) I didn't have time to man the girls and take pictures and B. it is really so easy there isn't really much to show. It took us longer to pick out which colors to use than to actually make them.

Once all the paint was swirled around inside I let them dry over night upside down (with the open top facing down) so any excess paint could drip out. And in the morning I had a table full of happy little gumdrops to put on the tree. The colors are rich, they are as happy as Santa himself, and they scream "Wahoo!" I for one love an ornament that screams with glee. It worked so great we went back for more and I made a whole pile of red ones like the Serena & Lily numbers for my mom's tree.

Here is the sneak peak of them on the girls tree. Look for the full reveal of the ornaments, and the rest of the house tomorrow as my house is up on The 12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes.

Cyndy @ The Creativity Exchange is up today and I can't wait to see her home all decked out. Here is the full schedule of goodies:

12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes Schedule:

December 1 - Jenny @ Evolution of Style

December 2 - Amanda @ Amanda Carol Interiors

December 3 - Amanda @ Dixie Delights

December 4 - Pam @ Simple Details

December 5 - Lisa @ Shine Your Light

December 8 - Kris @ Driven by Decor

December 9 - Jennifer @ Dimples & Tangles

December 10 - Cyndy @ The Creativity Exchange

December 11 - Elizabeth @ Little Black Door

December 12 - Stacey @ Steward of Design

December 13 - Andrea @ Oak Ridge Revival

  AND

December 16 - YOU - Link up your Christmas Home Tour

So have you tried any DIY projects this holiday season? Have you ever been embarrassed to admit the amount of craft paint you have in your junk drawer? Any ideas what I can make for a 1st Grade Holiday Party?

See you tomorrow!!

getting in the spirit

Holiday Pinecone Trees we made two years ago

It's that time of year. The time to stress over things that are meant to bring joy, not grey hairs. You can count on articles, news segments and how-to-lists on how to deal with holiday stress just as you can count on your Facebook feed to get flooded with Elf on the Shelf pictures each and every season.

All the articles say the same thing, but yet none of them every seem to help. But I'm here to tell you what to do to not just survive, but enjoy...

Last Year's Christmas Tour

Ha! I wish! If I knew that trick Oprah would bring back her show just for me to spread the word. Nope, I have no trick or great idea. Just like everyone else, I take on too much, complain too much and then feel too much hysteria to enjoy this 'magical time of year'.

Each year I try something different with varying degrees of success. This year I'm trying not to worry so much about getting it all done at once, but slowing down and taking my time. We got our tree this weekend and worked on it for a while, then took a break when we all started to drag and watched a movie instead. It'll get done. A pleasant mommy is more important than a decorated tree.

DIY jewel colored votives

Now that's not to say it won't get done, I've just decided that I don't need to work at a breakneck pace. No one is keeping score...right?

So let's be honest. How does this time of year make you feel? Do you make an effort to slow down and enjoy? Do you take it all on and use it as a chance to spread more holiday cheer? Do you just leave town?

12 days of christmas tour of homes

Happy December everyone! For those that celebrate, I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We had a great time in Chicago, but have all come home with nasty head colds and a nice layer of ice on the ground. Winter for sure has arrived.

The countdown to Christmas is officially underway and it is time to get into the spirit with the 12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes! Jenny from Evolution of Style and Lisa from Shine Your Light have gathered a great group of women that I'm lucky enough to be apart of.  First up is Jenny at Evolution of Style and she has set the bar high, let me tell you. Be sure to check out her beautiful home all holiday'd up, and look at all the great tours still to come. Be sure to get your home ready for the link up on December 16th!

12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes Schedule:

December 1 - Jenny @ Evolution of Style

December 2 - Amanda @ Amanda Carol Interiors

December 3 - Amanda @ Dixie Delights

December 4 - Pam @ Simple Details

December 5 - Lisa @ Shine Your Light

December 8 - Kris @ Driven by Decor

December 9 - Jennifer @ Dimples & Tangles

December 10 - Cyndy @ The Creativity Exchange

December 11 - Elizabeth @ Little Black Door

December 12 - Stacey @ Steward of Design

December 13 - Andrea @ Oak Ridge Revival

AND

December 16 - YOU - Link up your Christmas Home Tour

Now go forth spreading holiday cheer nice and loud for all to hear!

good enough to eat

I crafted! And no one cried or threw up (a measuring stick for all disasters in our family).

We always get fresh boxwood wreaths to hang on the french doors in our dinning room. But this year, I thought I would try something a bit more fun and something that would last (knock on wood) from year to year. Namely this...

via Pinterest

I read a few tutorials and thought it sounded so easy that I could out smart the foam wreath and go with a cheaper wire wreath. I got my supplies, plugged in my glue gun and started wrapping my wreath.

Wrapping the wire form in duck tape, I got about one row of peppermints on before I proved my crafting ignorance. You silly crafting fool. It was ugly, mis-shapen and the wire wasn't holding up as those little candies were getting heavy. Bust.

I took off my sad first row in disgust before I got a picture taken

So, I printed off a Michael's coupon, sucked it up and bought foam wreaths (I believe they were 16"). The tape went on a lot better and I had a more stable, flat surface to work on. After that it was easy. As long as you have several episodes of RHOBH or Sarah's House DVR'd and a crafting partner you are in good shape.

My crafting partner

Several hours later...ta-dah! 

I'm thrilled. It was easy, relatively cheap and looks great. 

I will say I highly recommend covering the wreath with duct tape first. Some tutorials glued the peppermint directly onto the foam. You will have gaps between the candies and the red background looks more finished. And the glue holds onto the tape a lot better as well. 

Also worth noting, this project uses a LOT of peppermints. Thank god I have a dollar store down the street as I had to use 7 bags for 2 wreaths.

So for less than $20 bucks I've got two wreaths I can pull out year after year (and they smell minty fresh). Have you tried any new projects lately? Holiday or otherwise? Share!

tied up with a bow

I took advantage of a morning full of holiday spirt (you gotta feel Christmasy after spending a morning with Santa and his elves) to tackle my mantel before I thought too much about it and psyched myself out. I found my inspiration and got an idea.

I'll make all those hurricanes I have stashed in the basement useful and stick artfully arrange Christmas lights in there and make those suckers glow. But my big honkin strands of lights we use on the tree were not fitting into my little hurricanes.

One trip to Hobby Lobby later and I had 4 boxes of the shortest strand of lights I could find - a white string of 25 for $1.99. Wahoo.

Lazy note/sign of a faux crafter: There are serval tips on Pinterest about how to drill a hole in your glass to get the strand to feed thru the bottom so the cord doesn't show etc. However I'm of the opinion that if you are standing close enough to my mantel that you see little white cords popping from the top/back of my hurricanes and this horrifies you, you have yet to have enough cocktails. Sit down, I'll shake you another drink.

So with my hurricanes all light up I started to play with my ribbon. Tie it around the hurricane? Boring. Wrap it? Not without my glue gun. String it from the... huh? Yeah no, not working.

It was about this time that I had to run some errands and being the excellent example and Mom that I am, I of course neatly organized and cleaned up my project before I left. Yeah right. When I came back though, I saw my 'clean up' stuffed in the hurricanes and thought, you know what, that doesn't look half bad. With a little fluff here and there, I ended up with this. (Sometimes a haphazard clean up pays off)

We call this casual ribbon placement

For shame - my cord!

One piece down. A few more to go.

I also wanted a bit of height and greenery. I'm not spending major duckets to pop those mamma jammas in front of my faux hearth. So I went with a scaled down version. And we will plant them in the backyard when we are done.

I was feelin good, feelin pumped.  But that big black hole was sucking all the festiveness out of my progress.

how DO you take a picture of a mirror without yourself smack in the middle?

I love this idea (if only my fireplace worked I would be all over some red wood).

From decorartsnow.com

So a few snips of wrapping paper and here we are. Thanks Target for making wrapping paper that satisfies my red addiction and my polka dot addiction all in one. And it sparkles too.

Ewww. Ahhh. Ohhh.

So there you have it. (I'll try to take some more moody night time lights pictures if I can figure out the while balance on my camera.) The mantel is done and I'm ready to move on to the tree.

What have you done with your mantel? Do you have trouble getting your stockings to stay in place with little hands around? (we've had to take our down until the big night) Any holiday decorations you are excited about? It can't be just me people. C'mon!