Christmas Home Tour

Hi All! Are the holidays sneaking up on you faster and faster. I certainly feel that way. We decorated our entire downstairs Thanksgiving weekend and I have spent the past week tweaking everything.

We will start here with our tree. It is an artificial prelit tree. I used a burlap sack to cover the stand. The wooden wagon we bought at a Christmas craft fair. The reindeer was a recent purchase at Walmart. My refinished stool is behind the wagon (read about it here) and Santa sits on top.

Wooden ornaments and ones we have collected during our travels decorate the tree

Wall above the couch

Mantle with the stockings hung with care

This is the opening between the kitchen and living room

The opening between the living room and dining room we hung garland and large ornaments and snowflakes

This is the side of the opening by our staircase, we added a lantern here

My display of crates and Decor Steal finds

The ceramic tree and another hand-me-down favorite

Table centerpiece filling my dough tough with ornaments, pinecones, and a flameless candle

Last but not least, on my buffet table, the Nativity Scene, read about its meaning to me here

Well I hope you enjoyed the tour. How have you decorated your home for the season?

Fall Touches to the Front Yard

Hey Everybody, I hope you had a fantastic weekend. I spent Saturday organizing my craft supply area and Sunday doing odds and ends.

This post is a little late, it has been in the works but the weather and my little Otis's surgery delayed me on finishing this one up.

 

Two weekends ago we did a little work to our front yard. Even though we live in a condo there are still things we like to do... like decorate for the season. After removing the dead lilies and garden containers with flowers that have seen better days, it was time to start adding some fall touches. The hubby and I went to a local a farm Geremia in Wallingford, CT. There we bought mums, gourds and pumpkins. They also had fresh baked cookies coming right out of the oven, so you know some made their way home with us. Oh boy, were they yummy. 

For the center of the yard we put together a big ole pumpkin, a potted mum plant, and smaller gourds. 

To the right of our walkway we put another potted mum, pumpkin and a metal sign we picked up at the Christmas Tree Shop (don't you just love a bargain). 

A little further up the walkway, on the left, I have my wooden cart (read about where I found it here). Can I tell you just how much I love this cart... Tons. No, I'm not kidding, everytime I come home and see it, I smile. (I am already thinking up ideas to use it in my Christmas decor). I filled the cart with hay, added a basket filled with plastic apples (bought from Amazon) and more gourds and a pumpkin. 

Now for the front porch. 

To the left of the door on my jack-o'-lantern mason jars (see how I made them here). 

Our front door has a leaf wreath. 

To the right of the door is wooden create with a pumpkin, some artificial leaves, and my milk bottle carrying crate with a milk bottle holding a bunch of leaves (read where I bought it here). 

Above that we have a decorative wooden rake that hangs along the door.

And last but not least a place for the birdies, tho none have made it home yet, a pumpkin bird house. We got that one a few years ago at the Christmas Tree Shop.

I can not believe we are already into November, in a few short weeks it time to set up Christmas decorations. But lets not think about that and enjoy what we have left of fall.

 How have you decorated you front yard for fall? 

Adding Warm Fall Touches to the Mantle

Hi All! I hope your week is going smoothly. The Hubby and I did some yard work this weekend. Even though we live in a condo I always like to straighten up and decorate my front yard. I am not an avid gardener so my body is still recuperating. In a later post I will show you how the front yard turned out.

Today's post is about how I love to decorate my mantle according to the season. Tho, when you work full-time it can be hard to find the time. With not having much storage in a condo, it is hard to keep lots of season specific items on hand. I have come to realize you don't have to go crazy redecorating to add a touch of fall to your mantle. Keep it simple, with just a few touches you can have a spectacular fall mantle display.

Here is what I did. 

I basically left everything I had on my mantle except for a wooden sign (center) and the flowers in my bucket (left). 

BEFORE

AFTER

The small sign in the center of the mantle was replaced with a metal pumpkin that I have had for a few years.

The white flowers in the bucket were swap with mums and wheat grass. (Bucket was a score from the Dollar Tree in the spring which I use a lot in decorating)

The lantern, a purchase from Pier 1, and the 2 red candles I had on hand. The ball and pillar I made by wrapping twine around a Styrofoam ball and a Styrofoam cylinder. 

Next, I added a garland of fall leaves that was weaved through the items on my mantle. Last but not least I added a wreath to my mirror. 

See, simple touches for a high impact fall mantle.

 

 What touches do you add to your home when decorating for fall?

Sharing with

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Deals and Steals

If you haven't heard of Decor Steals you are in for a treat. 

Decor Steals is an awesome daily deal site where a daily steal is sent to your inbox every morning at 10 am eastern time. They also have an "extended steals" section, where they bring back some of the top sellers. All of their incredible pieces will help you save money so you can stretch those decorating dollars further. Items they offer can include: unique industrial and farmhouse accessories, Vintage Chic mirrors, French Cottage items, lighting for all rooms, and more! The people at Decor Steals strives to bring you the coolest products at a fraction of the cost. 

Everyday at 10 am, I feel like a kid at Christmas, when I check my email to see what the daily deal is! 

This this is my first purchase from them. 

Farmhouse Barn | Large Hanging Rustic Metal Door Bucket 

Now my biggest dilemma is how I am going to use it in my home. Stay tuned and see. 

I was not compensated for this post. I just wanted to share with you an insider decorated site.

Sprucing up for Spring

Boy it has been a long winter in New England. Our tulips are just blooming. Better late than never. I have been itching to spruce up with some spring decor and add a little umph to our living space. I am starting in the living & dining room with my mantel and dining table. 

Here is my spring mantel. On the left is during the day and on the right is a night.

Letters are thick cardboard that I wrapped with jute twine. I found these cute little tin pots at the Dollar Tree. I used one on my mantel and added flowers to it. The sign is from Kohl's. Lantern from Pier 1. The ball is a Styrofoam ball that I wrapped with jute twine. The candle stick is a Styrofoam cylinder also wrapped with jute twine then I added burlap to the top and bottom. 

Here is my Table Centerpiece.

 
Here I used the other tin pot with a small boxwood topiary ball in it. The tray came from Hobby Lobby. My burlap runner I purchases on Etsy from HomesteadBurlaps. All candles are from my stash and they all have a timer feature. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Some Spring Decorating

In follow-up to my Easter Banner. Here are some pictures of my Spring Decorations.

My Mantel

 

Bottom's Up Bunny

Easy to make.
One Styrofoam ball, same size as pot top, needs to fit in half way or so.
Stretch out some cotton balls & fluff em up & glue to half the ball.
One cotton ball for the tail & glue on butt.
Stretched a cotton ball & shaped them into feet, (to make em look more real I then added circles cut from fun foam for paw pads.
Stick some flowers & leaves around him & he is done! Really fast & easy!

Bunny Centerpiece

For these little cuties I followed the instructions from Urban Hoot:
http://urbanhoot.blogspot.com/2012/03/hop-lot.html

Have a Hoppy Day