Since it's Christmas Eve and you don't have lots of time to read.... Just for fun....Let's take a look at some sweet red and white Christmas kitchen vignettes.     My friend and I had a bit of fun arranging items in her lovely red and white kitchen for Christmas.     It would be so fun to have you over for some Christmas cookies and a cup of Christmas tea....     I love this old hutch combo.  The upper cabinet originally came from an old New York post office and the bottom is a garage sale chest of drawers which my friend painted in just the sweetest … [Read more...]

Last year I wrote and shared a tutorial for making Christmas stockings from a sweater. I'm not sure that it caught the attention of very many people....on December 19th. Don't you think most everyone probably already had their stockings ready for Santa? It seems to me that it would be a lot more helpful to be inspired to try your hand at creating a sweater stocking for Christmas on November 19. Or even the November 16. So...that's what I am doing here...     This was a super easy project.  Just what I like. The most difficult part of the project was drawing out the shape of the … [Read more...]

  Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Many of us are thinking about how to set a beautiful and bountiful table.   As I was dreaming about table decor, I remembered that this past New Year's table would be perfect for Thanksgiving. Actually...it's probably even more appropriate when you look at the elements of the table. Plus, mixing gold and silver in home decor is gaining in popularity right now. So...why not think about mixing gold and silver for Thanksgiving to create a truly elegant table setting?     The key elements were leaves and nuts and pine … [Read more...]

Growing Paperwhites for Christmas is one of my favorite holiday traditions. There is something about their tall stems and pristine pure white blossoms that dress up a room so perfectly.     Plus, with everything so bleak and barren outdoors, fresh new life and bright green stems just make me happy.   If you would like to add this lovely touch to your holiday decor, you need to purchase your bulbs now. I have had Paperwhite bulbs start blooming two weeks after planting them....but some years they have taken three weeks or more to bloom.  Bloom time is not an exact science. … [Read more...]

After just completing my 31 day series, I thought I'd take the day off from the blog and writing.  Well, I did take a little bit of time off to read my brand new November/December issue of Celebrating Everyday Life with Jennifer Carroll.  As a collector of magazines, especially fall and Christmas issues, I must say this issue is spectacular, and I wanted to let you know all about it. This magazine has gorgeous photos filled with inspiration for the season, crafts and food...complete with directions and recipes, and heartfelt stories to touch your heart.     Jennifer, the publisher of … [Read more...]

Do you decorate your home for Fourth of July?   Generally, I add a few simple touches of red, white, and blue to my kitchen and great room.   American flags are key to my decor inside and out.  Then I pull out my Longaberger Baskets with red and blue accents, along with like-colored pottery.  It's a fairly uncomplicated look, but evokes the spirit of patriotism for this fun, but very important national holiday.     This year, I went all out in the sunroom.  It might have something to do with the One Day, Three Ways :: Restyled Space Challenge.   Yes, the one where seven fabulously … [Read more...]

Just in case you hadn't noticed.....I like graphic art. Something colorful for the holiday or the season that can easily be slipped into a frame to create a lovely 'moment' or vignette is easy to do, eye-catching, and whimsical. You'll laugh, I was thinking about creating a printable for the Fourth of July, but when I happened over to my Red, White and Blue Pinterest Board, well,  it seemed rather unnecessary.  I had already pinned several very nice 4th of July printables. It occurred to me that you might like to know about these too. So...here's a little round up of my favorites...just for … [Read more...]

  Are you waving the flag for Memorial Day? I thought it would be fun to share a super easy little project to add a little patriotism to a wall or front door.   Easy Flag Ribbon Wreath & Tutorial Here's the "how to".....   One.   Gather some red, white, and blue ribbon.  You can see that I got mine on deep clearance a while ago.  Keep your eye out for out-of-season trims for the best prices.  And...really when I bought it I had no idea how I would use it.  But, the colors were just right.  It would be great to use three solid colors, too. Two.   Use an existing wreath that is … [Read more...]

  It's hard to believe.  Memorial Day celebrations begin in just a few days.   It's the official weekend to kick off everything summer. One thing is for sure, many families and friends will be gathering to enjoy delicious food.   With that in mind, today I wanted to share with you a few... Patriotic Tablescape Ideas     It's easy for me to set a patriotic table because I have dinnerware in red, ivory, and blue. Red and white is great for Christmas and Valentine's Day. Blue and white is terrific for the snowy days of January and Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. And then, I … [Read more...]

I love the word metamorphosis. You too? This weekend, I had a sun room metamorphosis of sorts, as I notched up my spring decor. You'll remember I talked about it last week here.  And before that, I decorated it with red and snowflakes for winter here, and for Valentine's Day here, and for Christmas here.     The biggest change is the addition of flowering branches. Do you see them? They were so. very. difficult to photograph.  Seriously impossible. In my quest for decent pictures I took photos on multiple days.     You'll notice that some of the … [Read more...]

  Happy New Year!   Okay...maybe I'm a wee bit early.  But only 25 hours early! Remember my Joy Wreath hanging over the sideboard?  I thought it would be fun to quickly and easily transform it into a New Year's Wreath.     After removing the vintage balls and Joy and other nativity words, I added in some semi-blingy woodland picks I had in my stash. I borrowed a Silhouette machine which I have yet to master and cut out the Happy - New - Year - 2013 in some gold cardstock I also had in my stash. BUT, you can easily create these by using stencils and tracing them on cardstock … [Read more...]

  I've had my ear to the ground and it seems that people are saying Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday.   There are no gifts involved, no fireworks - though I'm sure it's pretty deserving.  It's a holiday reserved for gathering and gratitude.  Really...that makes it pretty special.  Unless you're spending it alone. Most years I'm too busy to do more than think about what my Thanksgiving table will look like, let alone plan what will be eaten from the plates on the table.  But, not this year.  I have had time to do a little tablescaping....and exercise that thankful heart muscle while doing … [Read more...]

Okay, I confess.   My heart goes pitter patter whenever I see a collection of red, white, and blue.   What about you?     Does your heart sing for the all-American colors, too?   Better Homes & Gardens Just for fun today, I thought I'd share with you a few ideas that I've been collecting on Pinterest.     I may, or may not, have guests coming for the holiday.  It's a little tricky when a holiday is right smack dab in the middle of the week.  Regardless I'll be ready with all the fun things that I've pinned.  That is if I actually get working on … [Read more...]