This year, will you be missing the comforts from home at the holidays? Most of us want to be home at the holidays... but it isn't always possible. We rarely made it home for Thanksgiving or Christmas when we lived in New York, but the 4th of July, you betcha we were there! Living far from home, we developed a strategy for the holidays... Tips for Celebrating the Holidays Away from Family Invite friends and acquaintances to join you for the holiday. It's amazing how many people are away from home or alone for the holidays. Don't do everything yourself. Ask … [Read more...]
There's no doubt about it. Lately I'm "into" mason jar lids. Within the past several weeks, I've added knobs to lids here and here. And I've even created Christmas ornaments with mason jar lids. So, it should be no surprise to you that I'm doing something fun with lids again. This time, I'm "hooked" on hanging my Ball mason jars. I have this fun wall art that hangs over my sofa. It kind of reminds me of a seaside fishing town... albeit a very simplified version. This year I decided to go with a coastal vibe for Christmas and pulled out my … [Read more...]
Today I'm joining up with some of my blogging friends for an extravaganza of Mason Jar Christmas Gift Ideas Each blogger has chosen a different theme and because my niece is having a baby mid January, I thought it would be fun to create a mason jar gift for her. Since my niece has selected green and pink for her baby girl... that became my color theme for the gift. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do when I got started. But, in shopping for the gifts to put inside the jar I came across this green rubber bath ducky and knew that it was the key to decorating my mason jar. Polka dots … [Read more...]
Raise your hand if you love seeing Christmas trees on cars and trucks and other moving vehicles. Whether it's a pillow or place mat... a cute vintage truck with a Christmas tree stuck in its bed at Home Goods... or that first car going down the road with a fresh-cut tree... I smile. Every time. I am in love with Christmas trees on cars. So when my wonderful blogging friend, Malia from Yesterday on Tuesday asked if I'd like to join her for a Christmas Trees on Cars Blog Hop... of course I said yes... without another thought. I had so much fun creating little vignettes last year with an … [Read more...]
Wouldn't you like to have something fun and quirky to give to your friends at Thanksgiving? I'm pretty sure you'll be snickering while you create this quick and fun mason jar gift project everyone will enjoy. Who wouldn't love to get a jar of Turkey Toes? The candy corn and candy lovers in your life will flip for this gift. It's a great conversation starter... and it's just plain fun! Turkey Toes Mason Jar Supplies Pint-sized Mason Jar Lid - Use the lid that comes with your jar, a solid lid like mine, or a drink lid with the silicone washer removed Drawer Pull Knob - I … [Read more...]
This year I'm not going to be celebrating Thanksgiving at home. But, I cannot pass on the decorating. A good friend and I were planning a day together and I asked her if I could put together a centerpiece and something fun for her sideboard in her style and do a photo shoot of it at her lovely condo. She said, "Yes!" My friend decorates mostly with grays and silvers and blacks, and her walls are the loveliest shade of cool blue, warmed with beautiful rich wood floors. Except for a few red accents, she stays within that color palette. With that in mind I went shopping. When I'm working at … [Read more...]
Wouldn't you like to have a wreath that could transition from late fall through Thanksgiving to Christmas and into New Year's? Me too! Whether you have space issues, time issues, or just want to be efficient in your use of resources, I think you'll love this stunning transitional wreath for Thanksgiving to Christmas and beyond! It has the earthiness of fall with the burlap colored ribbon and the sparkle of the holidays with the gold polka-dots. My goal is always to make a big impact without spending oodles of time and money on a project, so I'm always keeping my eyes … [Read more...]
Trick or Treat is always a highlight as October begins her slide to November. It's always fun choosing candy (that I would like) and giving handfuls out to the princesses and supermen that ring the door bell or call, "Trick or treat!"at my door. Since I'm all about the treats and not the tricks (I'll leave the tricks to those of you who are naturally practical jokers), I've come up with a fun gift or treat container to keep on your desk or display somewhere in your home. And yes... it's in one of my favorite containers... a mason jar. Today I'm joining with a wonderful group of bloggers to … [Read more...]
Looking for a way to give your tree a little sparkle this year? Try your hand at making these super quick and easy classy marbleized metallic Christmas ornaments. As you know... I'm all about adding a personal touch to my home decor. In my book, handmade always trumps store bought. So it was just a natural thing for me to invite my blogging friends to join me for 31 days of sharing handmade Christmas ornaments. I'm number 5 on the 31 Days of Handmade Christmas Ornament Blog Hop which runs October 1-31, 2015. I hope you've been inspired by the talents of my good … [Read more...]
Do you love custom or matching desk accessories? It's a great way to give your desk, cubbie, or crafting center a polished and unified look. If you'd like to have a sweet customized DIY upcycled desk organizer like this one... pop over to Yesterday on Tuesday where I'm sharing how to make your own for mere pennies. It was such a fun project and is so stylish for your desk or crafting table. If you look closely, you'll notice the pencils are custom coordinated to go with their holders. Decorator pencils are surprisingly easy to make and inexpensive too! So I thought I'd … [Read more...]
One of my favorite pastimes is taking pictures. Even before digital cameras I took boatloads of pictures. That was sort of expensive. The beauty of digital cameras is that you can take several shots in hopes of getting the right one. And I do. Rarely is my first shot a keeper. I've been taking photos for what seems like forever. But if you were to look through my photo files you won't see lots of pictures of people. That is one area I need improve my skills. Taking photos of people is different than snapping shots of nature. That's one area I need to improve for … [Read more...]
I received the same Ball® Jars being given away. All opinions are my own. Did you know that I absolutely LOVE mason jars? Back before they were popular, my aunt, when downsizing gave me a few boxes filled with vintage Ball® jars. I thought it was the best gift ever, and used them to decorate my sweet saltbox. Several moves later, the jars were popping up all over the place and I found them among my boxes and started using them here and here. As much as I love those vintage Ball jars, my heart would pitter-patter whenever I spied an amethyst or purple mason jar. However, I never saw one in … [Read more...]
How would you like to breathe new life into your home decor? A quick and easy lampshade makeover can brighten your room, infuse it with color, or update your look. Sometimes, it really is just that easy to freshen up a room. Don't you love it when you come across a deal that's perfect for a project on your to-do list? One day I went to Lowe's on a mission. Of course, as long as I was there I just had to stroll down the lighting aisles. Even if I don't have a need, I just love to see, what's new in lighting. That particular day, I noticed boxes of white lampshades in the aisle. … [Read more...]
Do you decorate for Valentine's Day? Every year I look forward to adding an unexpected bit of whimsy to my decor in red and white for Valentine's Day. After the Christmas decor is stashed away for the season, our homes are usually re-organized and pared back a bit. I think that's why I love to bring out some red for February. I'm ready for a pop of color and the extra bit of life it gives my home decor in the midst of the loooong winter. Today I'm sharing an easy craft that will make your heart sing.... Beaded 3-D Hanging Paper Hearts Tutorial This fun project requires just a few … [Read more...]
I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid Crafts, Michaels and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own. DIY Decorative Wood Tray :: Wall Art for Spring with Hope Quote I love birds! This time of year, backyard feeders are busy with countless songbirds feasting. Just like me... I'm sure our feathered friends cannot wait for spring! But, until spring comes, we can have fun creating beauty for our living spaces with from Michaels. Recently I was blessed to be selected to participate in the Plaid: Michaels Spring Wood Run Challenge. Imagine my thrill … [Read more...]
How would you like to have a fresh evergreen centerpiece for Christmas? I've been making one for years and now... with this tutorial you can too! Let's start with our supplies... Waterproof container ~ This Lenox Winter Greetings Bowl*is a new version and similar to the one I used. Pruner * Sharp knife with a long blade Oasis® floral foam* Assorted fresh cut evergreens Berries or rose hips ~ fresh or artificial Pine cones English ivy or boxwood is also a wonderful addition Optional: small bird house, bird cage, candle, bird, etc. Hot tip! I picked up my … [Read more...]
Are you always on the look out for great graphics? Especially at Christmas time? Today I have some Free Printable Graphics for you... and a terrific tutorial! It's been a long time since I've shared any printable graphics with you, so I decided to take some time and create a few graphics in PicMonkey. And then, I thought I'd show you... How to Create Your Own Christmas Graphics in PicMonkey This isn't going to be a full-blown tutorial with screen shots and such. But it will be a very detailed tutorial for the novice or newbie. It was easy for me to create this graphic and the others that follow. … [Read more...]
