Christmas "Mantle"

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I don't have a fireplace...sadly, that means no mantle to decorate.  Not to worry...I improvise and decorate the console table in my living room!

You will probably spot several ideas from my Christmas decorating inspiration post a few weeks ago!  Including the feather wreath  (made from feather boas on clearance after Halloween), the sticks with ornaments, and lots of peppermint candies.

  

I ran out of time to make a burlap table runner, so I just put down a piece of burlap in the size I wanted.  Guess what?  The other day in Pottery Barn, I noticed they did the same thing with their Christmas displays.

Sneak Peek

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I am still trying to find moments here and there to finish my Christmas decorating.

  Here is a small sneak peek!

  This little display was a grand total of about $3.50.  The silver galvanized bucket came from the dollar spot at Target, the glass candlestick from the dollar store and of course candy canes are inexpensive too!  The mirror behind was $20 from Home Goods, but I can use it all year round.  For now, it reflects the Christmas tree lights on the other side of the room perfectly.

Hopefully, I can share more soon!

Tuesday Tunes?

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How cheesy was that?  Oh well...lol

I don't have a lot of time to blog right now...although I am working on my Christmas decorations and can't wait to share them with you...

However, while sitting here working at my desk this afternoon, I have been listening to this song from beautiful Adele. Enjoy!

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

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well, not really just yet!  However, I like to put up my Christmas decorations around mid-November.  Yep, I do!  I don't even apologize for it anymore.  I love the warmth they bring to the house and I work a seasonal business that leaves me with no time after Thanksgiving.  

Like many of you, I have been compiling Christmas decorating ideas from Pinterest over the last few weeks.

Here are just a few of my favorites that I am hoping to put into action! 

Letters on stockings

Decorating with peppermint candies and package bows

Feather boa wreath

Ornaments and twigs

Nutcrackers

Glitter cone trees

White wrapping paper

Christmas printables, of course!

Red and silver ornaments on the tree

Ornaments hanging from apothecary jars and cloches

Santa Buddy

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Like most, I love Christmas music.  I also love Michael Buble.  A Michael Buble Christmas cd...win-win!

It's on sale this week at Target for $9.99...pick it up and I give you permission to listen to Christmas music before Halloween.  lol

Gallery Wall Update

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I love the gallery walls I see that are a mish mash of everything!  However, I also love that my gallery wall is only 6 photos and I can easily change them all to match the season or my mood.

Here is my gallery wall updated for fall/winter:

Indianapolis Zoo Boo

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We went to the zoo this weekend and had a lot of fun!   It's always a blast to put on your costume to go to the zoo and see everyone else dressed up as well.  Evie is wearing a costume that was my sisters from ages ago.  She still needs some feathers for the finishing touch, but I ran out of time before Zoo Boo...hopefully I don't run out of time before Halloween! 

Tastes of Autumn

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I have a few simple ways to enjoy the flavors of fall with minimal effort on my part!  Of course, I love to make apple pies and other more time intensive recipes.  However, with a little ready made help these items take no time to give you that autumn feeling...even on your busiest day!

Nutella hot chocolate ~ one cup of milk and two spoons of nutella heated in a saucepan, I add a pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

Limited Edition Philadelphia pumpkin spice cream cheese ~ yummy on a warm bagel!

Pillsbury pumpkin quick bread ~ quick prep time has this baking in your oven in just a few minutes!

"Baked With Love"

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This year I struggled to come up with a Christmas theme, for a custom boutique design, that felt fun and new for me.  When I saw this little baker fairy and the fun Christmas cupcake applique designs I knew this is what I wanted to make!  My favorite part of the set has got to be the tiny pocket with removable appliqued wooden spoon...that was my daughter's favorite part as well!

I am offering this set on eBay in sizes 2t-8, CLICK HERE to see my listing.  Thanks for looking!

 

Fall Pictures 2011

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Well, we got all dressed up and hair combed to take our family pictures on Saturday evening.  I think I should have maybe rented a different lens or used maybe even my kit lens.  I had a lot of cute shots that were either our of focus or had one person in the picture out of focus.  The perfectionist in me wants to retake them and I am sure a professional photographer can see 100 things I should have done differently.  However, I got enough of the shots that I wanted and I am letting it go!!

The Pioneer Woman photoshop elements actions came in really handy on these pictures.  I downloaded them for my customs pictures, but never used them much.  However, they made the editing of our family pics go a lot faster.

Also, I had grandiose plans of awesome backdrops and fantabulous poses....but in the end we just went to my parents house and used their backyard....and well the poses are your pretty standard poses.  I guess in the end it was the people in the picture, not the pose, that was most important me.

Oh and one last thought....If I had the extra money...I so would have payed someone!  lol  But as it is, I am getting all new photos for my gallery wall, plus a few extra's for $22 shipped.  Ok, ENOUGH of my rambling about the pictures...

Todd really like this one and I think it's going on the Christmas cards.  Of course, I HATED myself....who likes themselves from the side?  But the kids look so cute I will take one for the team!  lol

So here they are!  Thanks for looking and letting me share!

October

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Aaahh....it's my favorite month of the year.  Who doesn't love fall?  I think almost every person I know claims it as their favorite season!

This morning I made the kids pumpkin spice hot chocolate...just a little pumpkin pie spice in their cocoa mix.  I'm not sure if it would be good enough for Starbucks, but they sure enjoyed it!  I have heard a tiny rumor that there is pumpkin spice cream cheese from Philadelphia out there and I am going to go on the hunt for that!

 Last year I threw out almost all my fall decorations...so I am starting from scratch this year.  I wanted to get an earthy sorta natural feel from my decorations.  A picked a few new vases and candlesticks from the dollar store and added some fun colored candy sticks to one vase.  Another vase I already had, got some tall birch sticks (also from the dollar store!) while a third new vase received layers of dried beans and peas with a candle.  I replaced the summer catch all plate with a cream platter I already had.

 The front door got a new grapevine wreath from The Christmas Tree Shoppes...however I could not resist wrapping some fake leaves around the wreath.  Earthy and natural or not...I still love fake autumn leaves!  lol

Here is the rest of the decorations I came up with in the living room and kitchen....including the yarn wreath I already shared with you.

 The printable I made in photoshop with the cookie cutter tool.  The glass pumpkins came from the dollar store.  I picked up the acorns from Meijer, but also saw them on ebay...and of course you could always go out and find your own real acorns!  lol

The Yarn Wreath

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Yeah...I know the yarn wreath is everywhere right now...but I love the way they look and wanted to try my hand at making one.  To me, the textures of the yarn and felt just lend themselves to autumn!  I had an old styrofoam wreath on hand so that is what I used...I think a thicker wreath might have looked a little better.  However, I only spent $2 on yarn and $2.17 on felt to make my wreath.

Here is my wreath and sneak peek at my fall decorations...I have been slowly putting them out over the last week, but haven't reached that point where I love how they look.  I threw out almost all my fall decorations last year so I am starting from scratch this year!  I promise I will share whatever it is I put out for fall soon.

Apple Orchard

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Labor Day weekend we made a visit to the apple orchard...the weather was just perfect!  Crunchy and cool!  

The kids had a blast playing on the playground.

 Then it was off to pick the perfect apples!

 At the barn, we picked up fresh sweet corn, apple butter, elephant ears, cobbler, and corn dogs!

Fall Pictures

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Every year I drag my kids out during autumn and take their pictures.  Usually I hit the Gap and find coordinating outfits for them to wear, but this year I haven't had much luck finding anything.   Sooo....I went shopping in their closets and found these outfits I already owned! 

Now to decide if Todd and I want to be in the pictures as well.  Hmm....

I also think I am going to change my photo gallery wall seasonally, I will print these fall pictures to keep on the wall until spring...when I will switch back to our beach pictures.  I like that my gallery wall has all pictures from the same photo shoot.

Here are some of past pictures....apparently, I have a thing for hats!  lol