The Countdown to Christmas has Begun! It's time to finish up the shopping, creating, decorating, and start wrapping and baking. And just to make it super easy for you, I created these sweet candy cane Christmas gift tags for you. There are 12 on an 8x10 sheet to make gift giving even sweeter. I think these would be especially perfect for those food gifts you'll be making. They are my gift to you!! Download these Free 8×10 sheet of 12 Merry Christmas Gift Tags for personal use HERE! If you missed stopping by since last week, I shared some extraordinary goodness on the … [Read more...]
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It's officially the Christmas season! Why do I say that on the 5th of December? Because last night it snowed! Two whole inches! And it was gorgeous and wintry and Christmasy and beautiful. And I'm not even a fan of snow!! How are you coming along with your Christmas decorating? Today I used fresh greens and rose hips to make two wreaths for my windows... inside. The aroma is delightful, too! If you're like me and would like to add a little extra something that speaks to the meaning of Christmas... I've created another FREE 8x10 art print for you to frame and set in a vignette for the holidays. … [Read more...]
I love Christmas trees... They can be big and tall evergreens or they can be small table top trees of any kind and size. I love them all! And I'm always looking for creative ways to make more trees for the Christmas season. This week at Project Inspire{d} we were blessed with some pretty creative Christmas tree ideas, big and small. If you're like me, you'll want to check them all out. And even if you have your decorating done... well... there's always room for one more tree! When I saw this really creative idea for adding a natural element and a tree to Christmas home decor, I totally … [Read more...]
I absolutely LOVE using natural elements in my Christmas decorations. And the best part of using nature's gifts... they're usually free! That's a double win in my book. Before the leaves even started to fall this year, I knew I wanted to create something beautiful for Christmas with the plethora of oak leaves from the nearby woods and gold spray paint. But, what would that be? I finally settled on making an oak leaf Christmas wreath. Who knew the humble leaf from a stately oak could become so classy with just a few spritzes of gold spray paint? I had a pretty good … [Read more...]
Hello, friends! Thanks for coming by! Have you started decorating for Christmas? I LOVE having word art prints framed and set in a vignette for the holidays. So with that in mind, I created this lovely print with this Christmas verse... "Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." by Norman Vincent Peale. I hope you'll download it, pin it up or display it somewhere special. Or... place it in a frame and give as an early Christmas or hostess gift. Download this Free 8×10 Christmas Quote Art Print for personal use HERE! If … [Read more...]
If a TV reporter were to stop you on the street and thrust a microphone in your face and ask you what you're thankful for this Thanksgiving... what would be your answer? We often talk about gratitude here and how a thankful heart is a happy heart. As I was editing photos today I was thinking about Thanksgiving and the pilgrims' first Thanksgiving dinner that my second-grade class reenacted on the stage of an old gym with the slippery brown linoleum floor. A long table was placed on the stage and set with food. I'm not sure if every student dressed in pilgrim clothing, but … [Read more...]
On this absolutely perfect fall afternoon, we took two neighbor kids on a hike. There was so much delight in discovery that Sarah said, "This place is a palace!" Not 100 steps from our home and we were in another world under the canopy of oaks and beeches. We took them on an incredible adventure... it was if we entered Narnia. As we left the palace of the pines we entered a mighty swath of dune grasses. At 6 and 10 their imaginations were in full force. "Where are we?" we heard multiple times. And multiple times we answered. Not a … [Read more...]
Are you getting too serious with your home decor? That's an honest question. I know I'm guilty of being too serious... of working too hard at getting just the right furniture, window treatments, colors, style, texture, and art for our homes. It's pretty serious business just choosing the "right" paint color. Today I'm going to nudge you to put a bit of whimsy in your home and, at least for summer, have fun with your home decor. Since it's summer and we often dream of spending time at the lake or ocean... I'm going to show you how to add a whimsical coastal touch, and some fun … [Read more...]
Have you ever come home, expecting that your spouse or your children will be there waiting for you, only to find your house is empty? Immediately you look for a note. Where are they? Your mind goes a million miles a minute and your thoughts dance all over the place with possibilities. Most not good. What's the first thing you do? You pick up your phone. You try to reach them. If your children are younger.... old enough to stay home alone for a short while... but not to leave the house without your permission... you undoubtedly fly out the door and start searching your … [Read more...]
I hope you didn't feel any pressure by the question, Did You Create Something Beautiful Today? When you hear the words create, creative, or creativity... what comes to mind? A few days ago I needed to stretch my legs, but the wind was so fierce and the skies were randomly opening up with a creative mixture of precipitation, so I drove over to one of the ubiquitous shopping areas every medium sized town has. I first hit the dollar spot at TarJay and walked away empty handed. Then, just a few doors down, I popped into the HobLob. As I was cruising the aisles a journal on one of their end caps caught … [Read more...]
There's something so inviting about a pretty wreath gracing a front door. We all want to have beautiful, warm, welcoming homes. But getting there... can sometimes be a challenge. Do you ever watch Fixer Upper or some other home show and think, "She makes that look so easy." "Everything is so beautifully and artfully arranged." or "I wish I could do that." You know what? You can! It just takes a little practice. The first time I arranged flowers, created a wreath, or plied my hand at some creative project... usually it was just okay. The great thing was... I … [Read more...]
Will you be hosting a Super Bowl party? Whether you're hosting or invited to watch the game with friends or family, you will LOVE these delicious and savory recipes that are sure to please. The next question is.... which team will you be rooting for? 28 Winning and Savory Game Day Foods Shrimp Pesto Pizza :: Cooking With Curls Crock Pot Turkey Chili by Art From My Table via Carrie Elle Baked Tequila Lime Chicken Taquitos :: Happy and Blessed Home Asian BBQ Pork Taco Boats :: Lemons for LuLu Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Fries :: Grace and Good Eats Stromboli - Baked Italian Sandwich :: … [Read more...]
2014? Yup... you read that right. I am sharing a glimpse from 2014. But why 2014? Can you believe that I put together this top 10 list and never published it? Me either. Today I spent a little time going through my drafts... a year-end clean-up of sorts when I discovered the list. It might have seemed appropriate to let it go and move forward to 2015, but I couldn't. You see, there's something different about these Sunday posts. First, they require more effort than any others, except maybe some sponsored posts. The reason they take more effort is because I'm sharing my … [Read more...]
There's so much anticipation for Christmas. It always seems a long way off and then in a blink... it was yesterday! How can that be? I hope you had a wonderful holiday creating many special memories with those you love and celebrating the Indescribable Gift we've been given. And now... we're on to New Years! If you're feeling like you you have trouble catching the New Year's "train," you'll love these Fun and Fizzy New Year's Eve Ideas shared this week at Project Inspire{d} link party. They will surely get you ready to ring in the New Year! So... get your "pinning finger" ready... Fun and Fizzy … [Read more...]
Today I'm back with an idea for more easy to make coastal Christmas decor. Previously I shared my coastal styled poinsettia pillow which was beautiful and simple to make. When it comes to holiday decorating, I love handmade items, but I want to get them done in a snap and I want them to look fabulous. All the criteria were met with this whimsical art, plus it was inexpensive, too! Lucy from Craftberry Bush heard her friends ask for coastal styled art and she nailed it with this fun and FREE watercolor printable. I downloaded mine to a memory stick and drove over to Staples. … [Read more...]
We've been on a journey of learning how to pray in way that matters. Today we're discussing a hot topic for many of us... how we forgive others. Jesus packed a lot of power into this prayer he taught us and his followers to pray. The Lord's prayer is a life-giving prayer. It teaches us how to pray in a way that makes a difference. Its concepts are life-changing. At the end of this post there is a recap of what we have discovered so far. If you like, scroll down and read that first if this is your first time joining us. Or.... jump in here, now. Our source for this prayer journey has … [Read more...]
Have you finished decorating your home? I haven't! Tomorrow we'll fill our window box with greens and winterberries. And then there are all those ornaments I still have to make for the tree. Yikes!! Where does the time go? Wherever you are in the realm of decorating... from just thinking about it to finished and gathering ideas for next year... we've got some truly fabulous and festive DIY Christmas decor ideas waiting here for you. If you're a cookie baker... you'll want to revisit this week's link party for inspiration. There are tons of cookie recipes waiting for … [Read more...]
