Winter Decor

 How was your Christmas?  Mine went by way too quickly!  My parent's stayed with us on Christmas Eve and we had homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner.  My brother and his family came for Christmas morning and we had breakfast sandwiches and cinnamon rolls.  Fischer was so much fun opening presents this year!  I took my Christmas decorations down on Monday and my house always feels so naked afterwards.   

Have no fear, I decorate for New Years/Winter.  I went to JoAnn's today to see what kind of sales they were having.  All Christmas stuff was on sale for 75% off.  I got these electric candles and knew that I needed to put together a winter vignette for my coffee table. 

The candles are a pretty white that fades down into silver.  I put them on my silver rhinestone tray.  I also picked up some wintery picks and took them apart to decorate around the candles. 

Big snowballs, little snowballs and snowflakes all covered in glitter.  What's not to love?  My coffee table is decked out and ready for my least favorite month of the year-January. 

My mantle got a makeover too.  I love decorating my mantle for each and every season and New Years/Winter is no different.  See the big white alarm clock in the middle?  Cody got me that for Christmas and I knew it would be perfect for a New Years Eve vignette. 

Aqua, white and silver are the perfect color for winter.  I added the 3 new Eiffel Towers that I got this year into the mix.   

My New Years Eve party hats are still one of my most favorite things that I have made.  They look perfect year after year. 

I love the way this tray looks dripping with aqua beads and pretty snowflake candles.  Can you see why I love this color so much?! 

I love my mantle and even though I use the same elements each year to decorate it, I place them differently and give it a completely different look. 

And I always hang my burlap winter banner, just in case the freezing cold weather doesn't remind us that it is really winter out there! 

Have I ever mentioned that I am a complete klutz?  Well, I am!  On Christmas morning, I was going to the door and ran into 2 boxes of tile with my little toe.  Going full speed of course.  My poor little toe was sheet white in the beginning and then you could see the bruise starting to form.  The night after Christmas, I ran into the corner of my bed and it hurt even more.  It got so swollen that you couldn't see the bruise and I couldn't wear shoes.  I am limping around and trying my best not to re-injure it.  But isn't my bruise so pretty?!  It's even bigger now!  So you see, I am a major klutz! 

Do you have any plans for New Years Eve?  We will probably go to dinner, go to the dollar store and buy some junk food and then try our best to stay up until midnight.  We lead such an exciting life!  Have a Happy New Year!

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My Christmas Bedroom

Due to lots of rainy weather, I never did get a chance to decorate my vintage camper for Christmas.  I think next year, I will decorate it long before Christmas so that I don't have to worry about the weather.  I decided to give our bedroom a Christmas makeover instead.

I have never decorated my bedroom for Christmas before and I honestly don't know why this is the first time I have done it.  I love it!!  It is so much more cozy and welcoming.  There isn't much to it, just some lights, wreaths, a few decorations and bedding that works well with holiday decor. 

I always have this white material draped over the headboard and I added some white twinkle lights to make it look super festive.  I think the lights will stay up year round!  Each corner has a wreath hanging off of it as well. 

Each side of the headboard also has these little bleached bottle brush trees that I made last year.  Cody has vintage Hot Wheels on his side. my side has pictures and a candle.   

We also each have one of these little snow globe cloches that I made.  They are a sweet decoration that just makes our bedroom a bit more festive! 

On the side of the room we have this vintage  window hanging on the wall above our little electric fireplace.  I brought the white ceramic tree into our room since it just goes with my decor and set it on here.  It looks perfect! 

This room just seems to have a magical look to it with just a few simple tweeks for Christmas.   

I definitely think I will now always decorate our bedroom for Christmas! 

We finally got some snow on Thursday!  It seemed like it was never going to end.  We went to a friends house to watch the kids play in the snow and took a great snowy selfie.  Tonight we went on a drive to look at Christmas lights but they were disappointing.  No one seems to get into the spirit anymore when it comes to lights and I have a feeling next year, no one will hang lights at all.  They will all just have those lights that project onto their house.  Sad stuff. 

I can't believe that Christmas is in less than a week!  I work Monday but have the rest of the year off.  I am really looking forward to such a long, much needed break!

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Christmas Cocoa & Cards

I am slowly but surely checking things off of my Christmas Bucket List.  Christmas parties have been attended, presents are wrapped and we had a holiday baking day last Saturday.  The snow hasn't fallen yet and the rain just won't seem to stop.  That is definitely putting a damper on a few of the things I have on my list.  Tonight, Cody and I are checking off a few more things!

I made the best homemade hot cocoa.  It was easy to make and was the perfect amount for the two of us to each have a mug full.  The recipe calls for 1 TBS cocoa and a 1/2 cup sugar mixed together in a pot.  Add a 1/4 cup of milk to the sugar/cocoa mix, stirring constantly, bring it to a boil for a minute or two.  Then add 1 3/4 cup milk, stir and heat through.  It is so good!  I add a few chocolate chips to the bottom of my mug and top it off with some whipped cream.  You can use a candy cane to stir it and flavor it.  Since we are watching Christmas movies tonight, including A Charlie Brown Christmas, I used my Snoopy mugs.

I decided to make my own Christmas cards this year.  I don't send out many so it isn't too large of a task.  I have been seriously crushing on vintage deer this year and decided to do a fun, whimsical card featuring a sweet little deer.  

I found this adorable graphic online, printed it and cut it into a cirtle.  Vintage seam binding was used to create a little ruffle behind the picture, some glitter glue adds sparkle and red and white bakers twine finishes it off in a little bow.  I think they are so cute!!

I got a new vintage ceramic tree today from my mother-in-law.  I have had the green one for a few years and love it.  When she offered me this large white one, there was no way I was going to say no.  I just need to find a star for the top. 

My vintage gate got some updated decorating.  My vintage-inspired yarn wreath is hanging on it and my ceramic trees sit below it.  This corner is one of my favorite places in the house.  It is festive and pretty for sure! 

I am hoping that snow actually happens this weekend so we can watch it snow and I can decorate my camper.  We also need to go look at Christmas lights and do so many more things.  Crazy to think that Christmas is less than 2 weeks away!

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Christmas Bucket List

I love the idea of having a bucket list--for life, for holidays, for anything really.  Since I love making lists and checking things off as I go, I decided to make a Christmas Bucket List in hopes of doing all the things I want to do this year.  Here is my list:

I already have a few things checked off.  My tree is decorated and we are enjoying it every night! 

The college that I work at had a tree lighting last night and I attended.  It was freezing but so much fun!  We got scarves and ornaments, listened to Christmas carols and sipped on hot chocolate.  It put me even more in the holiday spirit. 

(That's me in the middle!)

I still have a lot of things to check off of my list, but I am bound and determined to do them all.  When I do get around to doing something on the list, I will fill in the star with a red or green sharpie.  This will hang on my fridge so that Cody and I can see all of the fun stuff we still have to do.  I am really looking forward to all of these things!

What's on your Christmas bucket list?

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Christmas From the Heart of the Home

This weekend is my favorite weekend of the whole year.  Not only do I get to celebrate Thanksgiving but I also get to bring out the Christmas decor.  This morning it is snowing ever so lightly and I am taking full advantage of the holiday spirit.  I found this Susan Branch Christmas from the Heart of the Home book at a thrift store years ago.  I like to re-read it every year and I started it just this morning.

I am sitting in my comfy chair, sipping on a nice hot mug of peppermint hot chocolate.  I've got my little silver tree lit up beside me and I am in my Christmas PJ's.   And of course, the Christmas music is playing in the background.

Across the room from where I sit is this magical scene.  My beautiful mantle is decorated in Christmas colors and our tree is all lit up and decorated.  I decided to use all of my ornaments this year and have a colorful tree.  Most of the ornaments on my tree were made for me by my grandma.  Since this is our first Christmas without her, these ornaments mean even more to me.   

I am picking out which things from this book I will try out this year.  I absolutely adore this book and all the wonderful ideas she has.  The illustrations and stories just add to the merriment of it.  There are recipes for appetizers, drinks, side dishes, main dishes, desserts and even a recipe for the dogs too!  I am so glad I found this book and bought it.  It has quickly become a tradition that I love and will continue! 

I am truly in the Christmas spirit already and am looking forward to the holidays this year.  I have a few things on my bucket list that I can't wait to check off!  I have a good head start and have so much more to do.  Good thing I have an amazing husband who lets me do some crazy things and goes along with all of my wild ideas! 

I hope you are getting in the Christmas spirit too!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Spotted these wild turkeys last weekend in an apple orchard and just had to snap a photo of them.  

The winner of the Scentsicles giveaway is #3-Nana Diana!

Rustic Evergreen Wreath & Giveaway

By this time next week, I will have all my Christmas decorations out and on display.  But today, I only have one Christmas decoration out and it is only because I just made it this morning.  We are a fake tree household around here, but I love and miss the smell of a real tree.

I have always loved the look of a real evergreen wreath and since I have so many pine trees growing all over my property, I thought I would try my hand at making a wreath.  It's very rustic but the smell is what I am really going for! 

I just bent a wire hanger into a circle, clipped some pine sprigs from the trees and attached them to the hanger with twist ties.  I added a sparkly red bow to the top and hung it on my vintage gate in the living room.  The smell is already filling up the room! 

I love the way it looks on my vintage gate and I can't wait to decorate this little corner of the room the day after Thanksgiving.  

If you too are a fake tree household and want to bring in the smell of real pine, you can make a wreath like me or you can get some of these nifty little ScentSicles that will help you scent your tree with the natural smell of pine.  

You can enter to win your very own 3 pack of these Snowberry Wreath ScentSicles for your holiday trimmings by leaving a comment on this post. You have until Thursday morning (Thanksgiving Day) to enter.  If you are looking for more scents and other incredible Christmas goodies, visit Tree Classics to see all that they have to offer.  Visiting their site will surely put you in the holiday mood!

This giveaway is only open to US Residents.  Winner will be sent a 3 pack of ScentSicles and will be responsible for sending their address to Tree Classics.  Good luck everyone!

*This giveaway is now closed*

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Be Brave Baylee

Not too long ago, I stumbled upon a story about a 15 year old burn victim who was crowned Homecoming Princess by her fellow classmates.  I was immediately sucked into Baylee's story and followed her Facebook page-Be Brave Baylee from that day forward.  I looked forward to reading the updates every evening and found myself thinking about her and praying for her on a regular basis.  On Sunday, when they posted that Baylee was being taken off of life support, my heart sank.  I so badly wanted to be able to follow her journey to recovery, no matter how long that took.  And last night, when they posted that Baylee passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, the tears were unstoppable.  I cannot even begin to imagine all that her family has been through or all that Baylee had to endure.  So many times we hear that things happen for a reason, but this tragedy just makes no sense.  I find myself thinking about her non-stop today and I am amazed by all the people that her life touched.  In the 4 months since her accident, she has gained tens of thousands of people praying for her every single minute of every single day.  Although I do not know her or her family personally, I feel like I know them just from what they have shared.  And I share just a small portion of their pain but know that in heaven, Baylee is no longer in pain or suffering.  Sometimes when I am frustrated that everyone around me is having babies except me, I just remember that things could be a lot worse.  I think of Baylee who won't get to fall in love or have a wedding or have babies, and I remind myself to be thankful for having a life.  Baylee, I know that your life was cut unfairly short and in the end you suffered so much pain, but you have touched so many lives and made so many people better just by sharing your story with us.  Heaven is indeed rejoicing with you now there.  Rest in peace beautiful girl.  You have touched my life and for that, I will forever be grateful!

  

My bare minimum Fall decorating

Moving in the middle of my favorite season-Fall-means that I haven't done much Fall decorating and that makes me sad.  So today I did just a tiny bit of decorating so that I could be happy!

This crate was a thrift store find that I painted white.  I knew these brown bottles would fit perfectly in it and I just added some pine cones, red mums and a little burlap banner to it.   Now my mantle is a little more festive and fun.

I found this Thanksgiving table cloth at a yard sale this summer and was glad when I remembered I had it.  It fits perfectly on my table when there are no leafs in it.  The cornucopia napkin holder and salt & pepper shakers are the perfect centerpiece. 

A wreath my mother-in-law gave me a few years ago for my birthday is on my front door to greet any guests. 

And this little vintage fruit crate has an assortment of pumpkins in it.  The little picket fence piece behind it is the perfect touch for a sweet outdoor vignette.  I think the scattered leaves and pine needles just add a bit more charm. 

So there you have it, my bare minimum Fall decorating.  I better start looking for my Christmas decorations now so that I am ready to get them all up the day after Thanksgiving!

Finally, a house of our very own!

You may have noticed that I haven't been around much lately.  I have a good reason, I promise!  We bought a house!  Four years after I was laid off and we had to sell our house in a short sale, we finally have a house that is all ours.  We've been in the process for about a year and after a lot of disappointments and no-go's, we signed on October 20th.  We aren't all the way unpacked but I still wanted to share our new house with you.

I love my big kitchen and all the counter space and cupboards.  I also got a pantry and a bar.  We have plans to paint the cupboards, re-finish the counters and put in a new floor.   

We gained about 100 more square feet including this little bonus room next to the kitchen.  However, I lost major closet space and have no where to store my towels right now.  I am thinking of ideas as to how to store them.  Right now they are hanging out on the couch in this room. 

I also got a lovely new dining room with a built in hutch!  My dining room table looks perfect in here and we will be painting the chairs eventually.  It also needs a pretty chandelier.  I can't wait to host a dinner here soon. 

Our living room is small and cozy and I love the natural light.  The dogs love having all these windows to look out of. 

I wanted to decorate a little bit differently than our last house just so it felt new.  Cody says everyday it feels more and more like our home. 

Our house sits on an acre of land and is lined with pine trees.  We've been working all weekend to clean up leaves and pine needles.   

We have a well and a septic tank.  The water is a little stinky so it will just take us some time to figure out what we need to do to fix it.  Having our own home with property and a well and septic is really new to us but we are loving it!  

We will be painting the outside of the house in the spring.  Deciding what color to paint it might be the hardest part! 

Cody absolutely had to have a shop and this shop is so big and perfect for him.  We have room to park our camper and with all the pine trees, it feels like we are up in the mountains.  Can you see that little shed?  That will soon become my craft room! 

Cody is making the deck into an outdoor kitchen.  Sitting on the back porch is so peaceful.  We are looking forward to having people over to enjoy it with us.  And look who we have right out back!  These cows are intrigued by the dogs and I love having them right next to us.  Though we aren't deep in the country, it definitely feels like we are! 

We have so much more unpacking, decorating, painting and organizing to do.  I promise to show you more as we get it done!