My Christmas Home Tour

Well, Christmas is just about here and I am finally getting to share my home with you. I have so enjoyed gettting to peek inside other homes all decked out for Christmas, so I wanted to show you mine. Thanks for stopping by!

The weather has been really warm for Christmas this year. It kinda put me in a "fresh coastal Christmas" kind of mood. I used lots of cedar clippings from the backyard and added my favorite blue jars, starfish, and some ornaments in the dining room.

This produce box is a decorating "staple" I use year round to hold different seasonal arrangements. I found it at a garage sale for $2; can't beat that!

I finally completed my set of this brown transferware after a few trips to the thrift store, then stumbling upon the rest at a garage sale. They are a classic for every season too!

I planned to have my new stockings finished this year too, but that didn't happen. Maybe next year...

I love these glittery snowflakes from Target. They have so many different colors and I put them throughout the house at Christmastime, and sometimes all winter long.

I made these bird ornaments from book pages using this tutorial.

This is my favorite tree in the house. It is in my favorite room, the sunroom. I am partial to this room because it is officially "my" room and it stays pretty neat and tidy unlike the rest of the house. It has an outdoor feel to it and so does this tree. I might leave it up all winter. We will see.

Our little elf, Jingle, has been hanging around our house this month and he decided to hang out in here with me and have some tea.

I hope you enjoyed my little tour, and from my family to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS! We went to our local Christmas pageant tonight. It is outdoors and they use real animals, so the kids love it. I was reminded that Jesus coming to earth for us is such a GIFT! No wonder everyone was so excited that night! May I never lose that excitement about what Jesus did for me and for all who will accept His gift. Now, go unwrap your gift!

Our Outdoor Thanksgiving

For several years now, my sister and I have dreamt of an outdoor table set for Thanksgiving just like you seen in the magazines. It always has ended up being too cold or windy, but this year, it finally happened. The weather was just about perfect, so we moved the tables outside and we celebrated our Thanksgiving in my sister's backyard.

We had a kids' table and an adult table simply adorned with a white sheet on one and a matlesse on the other with a few fall runners I made a few years ago. I topped them with some free pumpkins and gourds that I got at a church pumpkin patch the day after Halloween.

My neices were in charge of the "thankful" bucket and they had everyone fill out what they were thankful for on a sheet of paper and drop it in the bucket. They read these aloud to everyone once we finished eating. It was fun to hear what everyone came up with, especially the kids! Their answers were so sweet and simple.

Our simple harvest table. Did I mention that I love Fall?!!

All the most important people in my life...I feel so thankful for family.

These special peeps make every holiday more fun...We ate till our bellies were too full, then I crafted with the girls, the boys played football, and we sat around the fire outside and just talked. What a fun day!

I had a very enjoyable and memorable Thanksgiving. I feel God has blessed me beyond what I can even measure or fathom. I have so much to cherish here on earth, but the best gift still awaits, and that is eternal life with my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so thankful to know He is preparing a special (and perfect) place for me in heaven with Him. Wow! Now that is good news!

I hope you had a good Thanskgiving too. Now onto Christmas decorating, shopping, and birthday planning for a special little girl...tis the season to be busy!

A Chilly Halloween Night

Here are the kids sporting their costumes last night ready to trick or treat. Makenna's clown costume is one that I wore as a kid. My mom made one for me and my sister. It was neat to see her wearing it!

My hubby has a bum knee, so we did the latter part of trick-or-treating like this. It was so cold riding on the golf cart that we stopped at my mom's for some hot chocolate and a blanket. I so love having her close by. You're the best, Mom! (If you are wondering what my costume is, it's a "fork in the road" It was starting to fall apart by this point.)

I haven't showed much of my fall decor on the blog this year, so here are a few pics. The kids added the Frankenstein pumpkin and some spider webs for an extra special touch ;)

Our mean carved pumpkin. Bryce is into the "scary" stuff this year. I think it's a boy thing...

Here is what I did on the little buffet table in my kitchen. I finally did some of those DIY zinc letters and they turned out great. Go here for the tutorial if you want to make some. I got these clay letters at an antique store for $1 each, but you can get cardboard ones at Hobby Lobby for a few dollars. Hope your Halloween was memorable. Happy November!

A Vintage Glider Makeover

BEFORE You might remember when I posted about this awesome 1940's glider that I found last month. I took a poll asking for color votes and red won. I love how she looks in red!

AFTER
First I pressure washed it to get any loose paint off, then I primed it with two coats of Rustoleum automobile primer which was tinted to go under red. Then I sprayed it with 2 coats of Rustoleum Regal Red. Red spray paint can be tricky and sometimes come out too bright, but this color is a very pretty red I think.

I added some pillows, a quilt and some pumpkins for a night around the fire.

This is a cozy little sitting area out back and we have already used it a lot with the beautiful fall weather. Now there is lots of seating for roasting some yummy smores on a chilly night.

So, what do you think about her new color?

Happy Halloween!

Country Living Fair

I went to the Country Living Fair again this year and this time I brought my favorite little shopping partner with me. It was a beautiful day and once again, the vendors did not dissapoint. So much eye candy...enjoy the pics.

these numbers are on my wish list.

I have to make this sign!

I met the owner of French Laundry, Debbie Jones. I just LOVE her fabrics and her products. I would have a whole housefull of it if I could. I bought the bag I am wearing with the horse on it. It's hard to see here, but so cute!

So inspiring!

Saw this a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e vintage camper. I must have one someday!

Check out how cozy the inside is.

and the sweet little kitchen. What a perfect way to camp!

I'll share more of my finds from the Country Living Fair soon. One of them is going to be another light fixture that hubby needs to hang. That is 2 on his "to do" list now...He loves having a list :)

Let there be Stripes!

If you read my little ole blog semi-regularly, you might remember me doing a post on stripes a little while back. I have been envisioning some stripes in my hallway for sometime, then I finally got around to making it happen.

4 men 1 lady

I love the way the stripes added such depth to this entryway.

before

Now my hall is much smaller than her entryway, so I decided to do more muted, wider stripes. First I painted the whole hall one color. I chose Panda White by SW. I already had the color because I had painted my kitchen that color and decided against it. Don't ya love when that happens?


I then measured the wall from top to bottom and I decided on 13 inch stripes so that gave me 8 stripes. The top and bottom stripes came out a little bigger because the measurement was not exact. I measured and taped it off. This was the longest part of the process! It made it longer when my little angel would tear off the tape when he went by on it on the way to his room. That did not make for a happy momma!

After it was taped, I used this foam roller to paint the contrasting color every other stripe. I used a shade darker than the base color, Wool Skein by SW. I had this color from the Living Room. I wished I had bought the wider foam roller for faster painting. So, if you decide to do this, then get the bigger one.

After two coats of paint and cutting in on the edges, ta-da! Here is the finished product and a very excited girl! I took the tape off while it was still wet because I couldn't wait to see it. At least I have one in the house who appreciates my crazy decorating whims.

The stripes are just what this hallway needed. It had been calling out for some character since we moved in. I am going to do a gallery wall here using old windows in different colors. Stay tuned for that upcoming project.

After
I feel like the hall became twice as long. Love it!

Next up, a DIY light fixture to replace the old brass ceiling light up there. I did not get a picture of it. More to come...