Romantic Valentine's Day Mantel

I always struggle with how to decorate between Christmas and spring. On one hand I looove how big and clean everything looks when the holiday decorations come down, but on the other hand it can be a little stark for my taste. This year I put together a simple Valentine's Day mantelscape that can easily transition to spring.

I wanted to keep the colors very soft so I shopped around the house for items in shades of cream, pale pink & silvery grey. I started with my go-to mantel anchor, my chippy old window. To create my main element I used my Silhouette machine to cut some whimsical silhouettes of a little girl & dog. Then I simply attached the cutouts to a sheet of pale pink paper and framed the whole thing. Love that glittery heart. Adorbs, right?

I loved the round shape of this little dish but it looked too plain by itself. I grabbed a ribbon scrap and hung an old skeleton key over the front.

I added some vases of pink & cream flowers in varied heights to finish it off!

Magic Reindeer Dust Recipe with Printable Tag

This is such a fun Christmas craft that is easy to put together - using things you probably have at home. My grandma used to make this for us when we were kids. Now my mom & I have been making it for several years, selling it at various stores / craft shows... people just love it!

Magic Reindeer Dust Recipe:
-1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
-1 tbsp Glitter (you can also use sugar or sprinkles)

Mix together & pour into container. Top with our printable tag! (You really don't even need to measure. Surprise, surprise, I like to make mine extra glittery.)

Here's the link to download your very own tags:
Reindeer Dust Tags
Hope you enjoy! Leave a quick note to let me know if you enjoyed the tags. :)

How to make the perfect mini bow

Did you see the adorable mini bows on the Christmas packages I shared yesterday? They are SO easy to make! And because they have no knot they are flatter than a traditional bow which also makes them perfect for cards or invitations. You can make these in any size & they use less ribbon than a regular bow!

All you need to get started is some ribbon, a pair of scissors & adhesive. I used glue dots you can use tape, hot glue, bubblegum...anything sticky.

1. Cut a strip of ribbon, I wanted a tiny bow so I used a 6 inch strip. Find the center of your strip & place your adhesive there. Fold one tail over & stick to half of the adhesive.
2. Repeat with the other tail.
3. Cut another small piece of ribbon (you will need 2x the width of your ribbon). Affix a second piece of adhesive over the seam you made on the bow's back. Stick your tiny piece of ribbon vertically to the adhesive, wrap around the front & around the back.
4. You are left with an adorable, festive bow!

I original saw these bows in a pinterest pic but when I followed the link the post wasn't in English. This may not be the "correct" way but it works for me! Hopefully this will help inspire some beautifully wrapped presents under your tree. :)
Oh! And P.S. my ribbon is from Michael's.

A Christmas Bedroom

Since you already know I decorate my bathroom for Christmas it should come as no surprise that I also decorate the bedrooms.

Like this skinny little woodland tree decorated with snowmen... the tree fills an awkward empty space & the snowmen match our color scheme. Plus I had them already so it didn't cost a thing! I also wrapped a cable knit throw around to cover the base (kind of reminds me of how Linus wraps his blanket around the tree in A Charlie Brown Christmas).

I tied a long satin ribbon around this bunch of mistletoe & hung it over the frames above our bed. I have always loved having mistletoe in the house! :)

I found the perfect spot for last year's twine wrapped cone trees on our dresser. And isn't that vintage Santa cute? I love how chippy his paint is.

Even my dressing table got a few festive touches! I filled a mercury glass vase with cream Chinese Lanterns & red berries. A happy little elf is the finishing touch. I also have a few Christmas themed novels on my dressing table. They are my guilty pleasure this time of year!

Our Nativity

Our Christmas Tree - 2013

This year I decided to try something a little different with our Christmas Tree. I saw a tree banner in my Pottery Barn catalog and figured why not - I make banners, I like banners, let's put one on the tree. We went back & forth on what it should say and finally decided on...

Merry & Bright! With a little trial & error I came up with the right size (each letter is about 4" tall) and the right color (FYI gold didn't show up). I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the letters out of white glitter paper. I strung the letters on some oversized bakers twine I picked up an Ikea last Christmas.

Here are a few of my favorite ornaments this year...

And of course, a night shot :) After all that is when the tree is at its finest!

This is the first year I haven't used ribbon to wrap my tree... one second I miss the ribbon & feel like the tree is naked. Then the next minute I love the change! Here's a little look back at pictures of our trees in past years... and living rooms of past years. :)

Friday Favorites - Winter Wonder

The past week has been a blur of turkey sandwiches, pine needles & shopping! I am also working my buns off in preparation to close my shop for a holiday break so needless to say I've been busy busy busy. Here are my favorites for the week :)

Peppermint Mocha Creamer

My love of Peppermint Mocha is almost as strong as Pumpkin Spice! While there is nothing better than a coffee shop PM this creamer is a nice substitute (& much better on the wallet).

My Winter Wreath

Earlier this week I shared where I founds the goods to make this beauty of a wreath for less than $15! Now if my downstairs neighbor would be kind enough to remove her pumpkins... ;)

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Shameless

I got this lip crayon in my November ipsy box. Initially I was sure I would never wear this - if you know me you know I don't wear bold lip colors. Well...what a surprise! I love the color, love the way this goes on & love the way this stays on. Oh, and it is perfect for holiday party season.

Christmas in Paris by Yankee Candle

I am loving this candle! It is pine-y without being too much. Plus its made with pine extract from France so I feel extra fancy when burning it.

Monogrammed Puffy Vest

devon alana
I've seen this picture floating around Pinterest recently...I definitely need to find someone with an embroidery machine because I need this in my life asap.

Hairy Christmas by Willie Robertson & Luke Bryan


We watched the CMA Christmas Special on Monday night have been singing "...a hairy Christmas and a happy happy happy New Year..." all week.





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Even the powder room gets a Christmas makeover!

I know what you're thinking. Christmas in the WHAT room?! Think about it though, if you have guests the powder room is one room they almost always visit. Whether you are hosting overnight guests or having a holiday party you can add some Christmas cheer with a few easy additions. And trust me, your guests will notice.

- Swap your regular hand soap for a holiday scent! Homegoods always has a good seasonal selection, I got my huge bottle for $4!

- You can't go wrong with a seasonal scented candle. I have Comfort & Joy going in my Scenty warmer right now! Another favorite Christmas scent is Christmas in Paris by Yankee Candle. Homegoods (again) always has 100s of higher end candles for next to nothing.
(No, this post is not sponsored by Homegoods...I wish!)

-Add a holiday hand towel ...since you need one anyway! Mine is from JoAnn Fabrics. If you're hosting a large gathering single-use guest towels are a great idea. My mother-in-law always does this and I think it's such a nice touch!

-Display a few small decorations if you have room. If you are short on space hang a wreath on the back of the door. A mini tree on the back of your toilet tank. A bowl of glass ornaments or a small figurine...just use what you have!

-Snowflake window clings on the mirror are fun, I loved this as a kid!

-A few sprigs of greenery tucked into the mirror or light fixture add the perfect finishing touch. If you have a live tree this is a great way to use the leftover clippings! It doesn't have to be big to make an impact.


So do you decorate your bathroom? I know I go a bit overboard with my holiday decorating but I can't be the only one! Come back tomorrow and I'll show you something a bit more traditional - my Christmas mantle. :)

The stockings were hung...

While we don't have a fireplace we do have a "fantle" (faux mantle) shelf. I always struggle with how to incorporate our stockings into a pretty mantle display so this year I decided to do something a little different.

I got this old ladder over the summer for a steal when one of my favorite stores closed. It was a little darker than I'd like and splattered with paint so I gave it a quick whitewash treatment (thanks for the idea Mom!).

I tied our stockings to the ladder with satin ribbon, added our initials for a little sparkle and topped it with a vintage Santa!

Where'd you get that?!
- Burlap Mr. & Mrs. Stockings
The Goodness Centric on Etsy
- Ticking Stripe Stocking
Nana Montana on Etsy
- Ladder, Santa & Mini Stocking
Vintage!




I'm linking up with Inspiration Gallery and All Things Thursday!

Easy & Elegant Christmas Wreath for under $15!

I put this little beauty together over the weekend for less than 15 bucks! I started with a 24" fresh cut fir wreath from Lowes. I bought the same wreath last year on Black Friday & had to have another one this year. Not only does it look great & smell amazing but at $12.98 the price is perfect! It already had pinecones, tiny berries & other greens worked in so I just added a simple burlap bow with extra long ties. I already had this one (reused from last year!) but it is just plain old burlap with a raw edge. Since that was exactly what I did last year I wanted to add a little something new. I was buying a bunch of Dollar Tree plastic ball ornaments for another project when I came across the gold glittery reindeer. It reminded me so much of my grandma so naturally it came home with me & ended up being the perfect finishing touch.

Natural. Rustic. Glam. ...exactly what I'm going for this Christmas.

Supplies:
- 24" Fresh Cut Noble Fir Wreath
$12.98 from Lowe's
-2" Raw Burlap Ribbon
$.99 a yard on Ebay
-Gold Reindeer Ornament
$1 for 2 from Dollar Tree

I always have to have something on the front door or I feel like the house is naked! How about you, what's on your door this holiday? I'd love to know! Don't forgot to visit again tomorrow, I'll be sharing the untraditional way I displayed our stockings this year. :)




I'm linking up with Inspiration Gallery, All Things Thursday and Inspire Me Please!

25 Days of Christmas - Advent Calendars

With Thanksgiving being so late this year everyone seems to be diving headlong into Christmas & I LOVE IT! Our decorations are nearly finished, I've started my shopping & have a baking day planned with my sister. I am planning to share a series of "mini posts" from now until Christmas - its my little way of sharing some holiday cheer. :)

Since today is December 1st what better to share than our advent calendars! Whether it be the chocolate-a-day ones from childhood or the drool worthy Pottery Barn ones these just scream Christmas to me. This year our house has two: a simple magnetic calendar for the grown-ups and a very special dog treat countdown.

We keep this vintage looking tin advent calendar in our kitchen as a little daily countdown. But the REAL advent calendar in our house is...THE DOG'S!

I used to work at a antique/craft shop and one of the vendors made this for Wrigley. It has 25 little pockets that are just the right size for Milk Bones!

I think it's safe to say he is the boss in our household.

Favorites

1. Last weekend we spent the day on our friends' boat. The weather was beautiful - we floated, soaked up the sun and the guys enjoyed some cigars. It was the perfect way to send off summer (hear that summer? I'm ready for you to leave now)

2. Minion Dynasty - thank you for combining my favorites.

3. While looking through my phone pics I came across this - I can't believe I never shared it! This is the Pink School House in Mason, Michigan...isn't it adorable? And yes, its been pink since it was built in 1854. :) It makes me happy happy happy.

4. I love this idea from Chatelaine. I started swapping out our summer décor to fall this week. I broke our the snuggly pillows and cozy winter throw blankets. Then I moved on to my fall mantle. The gentleman of the house looked at me a bit odd when I broke out the pumpkins. Even though its still in the 80s outside we are ready for fall on the inside. I think I'm trying to will fall to happen.
if you build it they will come

5. My favorite little guy on one of our many post office runs. We have quite a routine...this is his "let's stop for treats" face. <3


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