Merry Christmas!!

I just wanted to stop in and tell you all to have 

The Merriest Christmas

and 

the Happiest New Year!!

Source: pinterest.com via E on Pinterest

I hope you are surrounded by those that you love and love you

Source: vitaverandan-anna.blogspot.com via Michelle on Pinterest

and that all of your Christmas wishes come true no matter how big or small.

Source: prettystuff.tumblr.com via Seaside on Pinterest

I am signing off until the new year to spend time with family and friends.

I want to thank you for a wonderful year of inspiration, support and friendship and I wish you all the very best in the coming year!!

May peace, love and blessings follow you all your days.

HUGS!!!

Christmas Kitchen

Good evening or morning or afternoon depending on when you are reading this!

I have been very busy getting ready for Christmas around here and I made it my mission last week to get all of my Christmas shopping done.   

I am almost done with the exception of a few gifts that I am making.

YEAH!!!

It has been very cold here but we only had a little bit of snow which has already melted.  

I am hoping for a white Christmas this year.

I know you are all very busy as well so I will make this a short one.  

I am loving your holiday home tours, everyone has such beautiful decor and it is so fun going from house to house. :)

My kitchen turned out to be my favorite this year so I will quickly show you. :)

Pardon the little mess on the island there. :)

I used simple whites and green with some sparkles this year along with natural elements.

Simple. White. Cozy.

I hung some lights in the window behind the sheers, I love them at night and they actually twinkle.

My bin of Christmas wood with greens and lighted branches scattered through.

And my simple mantel decorated with rope Christmas trees, greens, driftwood, starfish, a lantern and my cute little owl that I picked up at Meijer's.  

I love him! :)

This week I hope to finish up my gifts and then enjoy the rest of the holidays with family and friends.

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season!

Christmas Kitchen Peek and Guest Posting

Hello my lovelies!

I hope that this week is treating you well! I see you are all busy little bees starting your Christmas decor as well as getting ready for Thanksgiving next week!

Today I am guest posting over at Low Tide High Style.

Kat is such an amazing photographer and writer!

If you have not seen her blog yet, it is a must, she is just an amazing friend with a beautiful heart.

She has a gift for putting together inspirational words with her beautiful photography.

She has recently taken a small break from blogging to focus on her family and invited me over to share a few of my thoughts!

I thought that I would also give you a little peek into my Christmas kitchen that I have been working on this week!

I just love Picnik!

Hopefully I am not annoying you with all my playing around with textures!

I also picked this little-ish beauty up for $5.00 at the Restore!

I will give you one guess as to what it is going to be!

(see the mess in the background? That is why you are only getting a sneak peek at my kitchen)

(linking up to parties in my parties tab)

Outdoor Decor and A Big Thank You!

Today I had the day off and it was a beautiful sunny day (one of the last I am afraid), so......

I took my Christmas decorating outside!

I loaded up my window boxes with both artificial and real evergreen branches, red berries, sticks and pine cones.

One nice thing about living in the woods is the variety of trees!

I love the different textures and colors of the needles.

Just picturing it snowing!

I also picked up a couple things to giveaway to one of you, (I wish I could give something to each and every one of you), to say thank you for following me, becoming my friends, inspiring me and lifting me during uncertain times.

Below I have picked for you a silver metal Peace sign,

Sign measures 18" x 10"

'Peace' and snowflakes are raised

and three little pillow ornaments which have 'Believe', 'Wish', and 'Joy' embroidered in brown.

The only thing that you need to do is just leave a comment below letting me know that you would like to enter to win!

That's all!

Just a little something to let you know that I am very thankful for all of you!

I will draw the winner next Tuesday, November 23!

Which also happens to be my birthday!

Holiday Decorating

This week I am decorating for Christmas, I know I already started but I am on a mission now! The 60 degree days are over and now they are calling for snow this week.

YEAH!

I picked up some cute little things last week that I am excited to show you and I hopefully will be working on some handmade items as well!

Below are a couple little things that I picked up this morning at Meijer.

Shhhh....

I was supposed to be grocery shopping (which I dread) but they had all these wonderful Christmas decorations!!

I picked up the two twig trees, all wrapped up in beautiful burlap, and those adorable red skates!

I think the trees would be easy to make as well, but I opted to buy!

If you make any, I would LOVE to see!!

I couldn't resist the ice skates, they were perfect and add a pop of red to the window!

And of course I had to play around with Picnik and the textures!

The kids, my mother-in-law and I picked up a TON of pine cones last week and I have been busy putting together some things with them!

And,

don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the little giveaway I mentioned, just a little something to say thank you!!

I will be back later this week with it!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Burlap Flowers and A Sign

First let me say THANK YOU to all my wonderful followers/friends! I can't believe that I have reached 151!!

I never imagined what it would be like blogging and certainly never imagined that others would even read my blog!

This blogging community has been nothing but amazing and all the wonderful people I have met have been so inspiring and thoughtful!

So,

Thank you all so very much for believing in me enough to see what I have to say or what I have to share on a daily basis!

I hope to come up with a giveaway soon to show my appreciation.

*******

Remember this?

My little burlap flowers that I showed you in this post?

I am sure that there is a tutorial somewhere out there but I will quickly show you how I did mine.

Take your burlap (I have a bunch of burlap ribbon)

Fold it and twist it and then gather it like this.

Insert your needle and thread to sew and hold the flower together at each layer.

Continue to twist the burlap as well as wind it around to form a flower

I had some left over double-ended wire with cute little clear bubbly things on the end, I took off the bubbly thing and inserted it into the flower to form three little centers.

I left the end out to fray a bit. I just liked the look but you can finish yours off.

I made three of them and then attached them to this frame that I white washed and then distressed a bit with a screwdriver and sandpaper.

I found the image on-line, not sure where the source is but it looked perfect in the frame.

Now, to find a home for this!

I also made this little sign last weekend to bring to my craft show on Friday and Saturday.

It's not perfect but hopefully someone will feel sorry for it and bring it home with them!

I am linking up to the linky parties on the top tab!

I'm In Love...

with mercury glass!!!!

I don't know what it is I love best...

the soft glow that they give off from a nearby candle..

the various pattern of each piece or the way it can

transform even the simplest of elements into

into something of pure beauty.

I picked up the mercury glass acorns at Walmart for $1.00 each!!

I know!

$1.00!!!!

I also picked up the pine cones that are scented with cinnamon there as well!!

My living room smells so good!

I think that mercury glass will be something that I will be incorporating into the Christmas decor this year!

I actually sorted through some of my Christmas things today and will start putting some out little by little starting this week.

I am not hosting Thanksgiving so I will enjoy the season a little earlier this year!

I can just feel the joy in my hubby's heart right now!!

(he is rolling his eyes)

More Christmas Crafts

This weekend I spent trying to finish up on some crafts for next weeks show.

I am trying to fill in some things to replace the frames that I am no longer making. The only bad thing is some of them may not find their way to the show!

Here is a little sneaky peaky..

I have had this little tin basket thingy for a long time and never knew what to do with it.

So I took a page from Miss Mustard Seed Creations and all her German Glass goodness

Miss Mustard Seed

and created some sparkly little magnet letters and tied some pieces of silver and gold ribbon to the basket handles.

Super easy and it really is fun glittering things!

Hey, guess what else I played around with........

chicken wire!!!!!!

I shaped the wire into a tree form and wrapped a pip berry garland around it

and topped it with a burlap bow!

Good thing is still have another 3 yards of chicken wire left!!

I had fun making these little burlap flowers and will show you what I did with them next time!

I am also addicted to making signs!!

Did you see my friend Tracy's, at Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures?

Isn't it great!!

She did an amazing job and she has become addicted as well!

There are so many great signs out there and can't wait to share some of mine!

Partying with the gals in my linky tab!!!

Check 'em out!