Vintage Christmas Mantle

Decorating my mantle for every holiday and season is one of my most favorite things to do.  But for some reason this year, I just couldn't get anything put together for it.

Then I saw my mini silver tree and knew it would look perfect on one side.  I have a pretty nice collection of Shiny Brites and I gathered the small red and green ones for this tree.  I even have a topper for it that goes with my Christmas color theme. 

I couldn't find my vintage spaghetti Santa Claus bank no matter where I looked and I think missing him was the reason I couldn't get my mantle done.  But this morning I went out to the shed and looked one more time and I found him!  And then my mantle just came together! 

I found the vintage Thermos with the blue lid this week at my favorite thrift store and now I have a nice little collection that works for Christmas decorating.  My vintage Santa mugs are always a favorite decoration with the bottle brush trees. 

I made the little deer print this year specifically for my mantle.  I love little deer of any kind and would love to add more to my collection. 

I am so happy with how my mantle finally came together.  I wish I would have gotten it done sooner so I can savor it a little longer! 

I wanted to share a few more of my Christmas vignettes around the house.  These vintage children's ice skates are darling with my favorite color adorning them.  I hung them on a wreath holder and they look great in the living room. 

I decorated my dining room in reds and blacks this year.  I am going to do a fun tablescape that I will share next week, but here is the hutch all decorated.

I filled my trough box with some greenery and stained my triangle Christmas trees with some vinegar/steel wool stain. 

My favorite white cabinet features this pretty vintage white vignette.  Bleached bottle brush trees are the star of this show! 

My  vintage gate got a dose of Christmas too.  A garland of red poinsettias, a rolled paper wreath and another one of my vintage ceramic trees helps make my living room feel festive. 

And my coffee table has a reindeer decked out in Christmas reds and greens.  It may have taken me awhile, but I finally got all of my Christmas decorating done and I love it all! 

Linking up with:

Dishing It & Digging It

Amaze Me Monday

Monday Social

Show & Share

The Art of Homemaking Monday

Cooking & Crafting with J & J

Creating Christmas

Make It Pretty Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday

Brag About It

Home for Christmas 

Wow Us Wednesday

Fall Into Fall

Talk of the Town

Share Your Style

Simple & Sweet Friday

Creating Christmas-Christmas Trees

Creating Christmas-Cooking & Crafting

Home Sweet Home

Feathered Nest Friday

Pink Saturday 

Christmas in the Camper

I finally did it!  I decorated my camper for Christmas!  It's been an item on my Christmas bucket list for awhile now and today was the day I finally did it.  And I got it done just in time because a big storm is rolling in.

The outside is nice and welcoming.  A wreath on the door, a Santa star on the lantern and a bucket full of pine cones with a red bow. 

It's cold outside and my little fireplace heater warms up the camper nice and quick.  My vintage ceramic tree fits so perfectly on the dining table.  

I hung a red, white and green yarn garland from the front cupboards and 2 burlap stockings hang from there as well.   

A couple of fun vignettes on the table, the fireplace and the counter were really fun to put together. 

We have a TV/VCR/DVD player set up out here and one of my favorite things to do during the holidays is watch some classic Christmas movies.  The bed is all made up and ready with lots of fluffy pillows and warm cozy blankets.  I am going to mix up a batch of my favorite hot cocoa and we will enjoy it out here while we watch our movies.

Yesterday, we had our annual Christmas baking day at my mom's house and we made lots of yummy stuff.  These peppermint frosted chocolate cookies will go great with the cocoa! 

I have a holiday scent in my cute Scentsy warmer that makes my camper smell extra Christmas-y too!  I love using this warmer all through the year in my decorating.  This vignette is my favorite. 

Here is a view from the outside looking in.  So cozy and warm and inviting and I can't wait to go watch Christmas movies out there tonight! 

Linking up with:

Amaze Me Monday

Dishing It & Digging It
Monday Social
Show & Share
Cooking & Crafting with J & J
The Art of Homemaking Monday
Make It Pretty Monday
Brag About It
Wow Us Wednesday
Talk of the Town
Fall Into Fall
Share Your Cup
Homemaking Party
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Simple & Sweet Friday
Home Sweet Home
Feathered Nest Friday
Pink Saturday

Handmade Items for Sale

The Holiday Pop-up Sale I participated in this week went better than expected.  There was no advertising so the fact that I sold anything at all is pretty amazing.  Here are a few things still for sale.  If you would like to buy anything, please email me at trisha_ahh@hotmail.com   I take Paypal.

Book page wreath with sheet music and vintage Santa graphic, red glitter, baking twine bow. 2 feet wide. $20 + shipping 

Vintage inspired dictionary glitter necklaces. Sparkle, Shine, Radiance, Glitter or whatever word you would like circled in German glass glitter on a 24 inch chain with a star and rhinestone charm. $10 each +shipping 

Christmas Rag Garland. 3 ft wide. $10 + shipping

Winter Snowflake Rag Garland. 2 feet wide. $10 + shipping 

Red, Black & White Buffalo Check Rag Garland. 1.5 feet wide. $10 + shipping 

Christmas Ornaments
Wood & Vinyl $5
Plastic & Vinyl-large $5
Plastic & Vinyl-small $2

+ shipping 

Let it Snow vinyl blocks $5 + shipping

Thanks for looking!

A Busy Thanksgiving Weekend

How was everyone's Thanksgiving?  Ours was wonderful!  Cody and I stayed home and had our own little Thanksgiving dinner-just the two of us.  I made a whole dinner and desserts and we snacked on leftovers all weekend.  

My mom came and stayed the night Thursday so we could get up and go Black Friday shopping.  But the highlight of my Black Friday was getting to photograph my friend's baby boy being born.  Since I will never get to experience giving birth myself, being there and witnessing it is the next best thing.  Here is a picture of me holding the new little baby boy!

I've been busy crafting lots of new things using vinyl.  I am learning, it is definitely trial and error!  Here are a few things I have made that I love, love, love.  We are having a craft fair at work this week and I hope to sell a few things.

These necklaces are so much fun too.  A little German glass glitter, some vintage dictionary words, a few baubles and bits and these are such pretty necklaces that I am sure people will love. 

Blocks for winter-we are still waiting for some snow here! 

And we ended our weekend in our traditional way-homemade turkey noodle soup.  Homemade noodles are the only way to go when it comes to this soup.  It is so delicious and we love this Thanksgiving weekend tradition! 

Linking up with:

Dishing It & Digging It

Amaze Me Monday

Cooking & Crafting with J & J

Show & Share

Inspire Me Tuesday

Make It Pretty Monday

Brag About It

Living Room Makeover Part 1

It's the time of year again where I am swamped every weekend taking fall family photos.  It's also getting to be the time of year where we move back inside the house to do some projects.  The last two weekends we have been working in the living room.  I wanted to show you the progress so far.

We painted 2 of the walls this beautiful aqua/grey color called Neo-Mediterranean Mist from Home Depot.  Once we had the walls painted, I started getting stuff hung on the walls.  I still have a chicken wire window pane, a farmhouse sign and we will see what else left to hang.   

We still have to finish staining the wood paneled walls and add paneling to the other wall that you can't see.  We took down the horrible valance that was hanging above the window and hung a weathered piece of rustic wood.  We had a little hiccup with the curtain rod but once we get that figured out, I will be hanging drop cloth curtains. 

I have discovered how much fun making vinyl signs is recently and I have made a few for our living room makeover.  See the 2 dogs on the couch?  This sign is perfectly fitting for them and the dog not pictured!  I love this sentiment so much and it is so true.

I love these chevron arrows and had Cody help me make these.  I stained them with vinegar and steel wool and they are a nice touch to the look I am going for in this room.

I got this big white clock on sale at Lowe's for $11 this summer and I love it.  I made the sign (not perfect, but I am still learning this vinyl stuff), got the P at Michael's and the key is a ceramic thrift store find that I painted white.  More will be added and I will be sure to share the completed living room makeover once we are done!

Linking up with:

Dishing It & Digging It

Amaze Me Monday
Cooking & Crafting with J & J
The Art of Homemaking Monday
Make It Pretty Monday
Show & Share
Inspire Me Tuesday
Brag About It
Wow Us Wednesday
Fall Into Fall
Talk of the Town
Share Your Cup
Share Your Style
Simple & Sweet Friday
Home Sweet Home

Tea Cup & Mug Exchange Goodies & More

I joined Stephanie's Tea Cup & Mug Exchange for the 2nd time this fall and as usual, it was such a great exchange!  Here is what I sent to Sarah:

She collects aprons and when I found this sweet floral one, I knew I had to send it to her.  The mug is just too cute and I filled it with coffee, cocoa and a doilie.  I made a card for her and sent a glittered white rose clip too.  I hope you enjoyed your goodies Sarah! 

Sweet Anna sent me 2 mugs.  The yellow one has a heart in the bottom so when you are done drinking, you get a little surprise.  She made the white one and the back has mountains on it.  That one is going in the camper to enjoy up in the mountains! 

She also sent a little package of Earl Grey tea, a hazlenut candy bar that was delicious and the clips and twines are to be used to hang pictures.  What an adorable idea!  My most favorite part of the package was the amazing moving card she made me. 

Just move the little arrows and the girl takes a picture, flash and all!  She is so talented and she sings too.  Thank you so much Anna for everything! 

I cannot even believe that we are in November already.  This year has flown by!  I had a fun Halloween and we dressed up 80's style at work.  Can I have crimped hair everyday? 

Since I only get 4 trick or treaters, I make extra special treats.  I cut out vinyl bats to put on these little flashlights and packaged them up with some candy.  They were a hit! 

And I just had to share this little makeover I did on a dollar store carvable pumpkin.  Some acrylic paint, rolled fabric roses and a seam binding bow and you have pure beauty! 

And the winner of the Ramsign is Margaret.  There weren't very many comments and I got only a few email entries so your chances were pretty good.  Congrats Margaret!

Happy November friends!

9th Tea Cup & Mug Exchange