Create, Holidays

Tag It!

December 19
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Christmas is getting closer and if you’re anything like me this year…you might find yourself a bit behind!  Nothing wrong with that though!   In fact, it can be fun to finish all those final touches later in the month…it’s so festive in the house with the tree finally up and possibly some snow on the ground.  What better time to get in the holiday mood!  But that said, it’s easy to fall under some stress worrying about getting everything finished.  If you’ve got some wrapping to do, I’d like to share some simple gift tag fun!  Good for much more than just labeling a gift…you can decorate with them too!  Gift tags can be just as festive on a tree or on the table!  Take a peek at some last minute Christmas fun…and make your season bright!

more than just a label!

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Celebrate, Holidays

Holiday Party Hop!

December 16
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Happy Friday everyone!

…and welcome to the final day of the 2016 Holiday Party Hop hosted by the talented and inspiring mirrabellareations!

HOLIDAY HOP

I’m beyond thrilled to have joined the other 18 fabulous hosts who are so completely gifted…it’s really been a joy reading along all week–and also feeling as though I’d like to copy each and everyone of them yet this season!  Not only have I gained so much inspiration for the holidays and beyond, but have had the pleasure of meeting these creative gals and sparking some wonderful new friendships!  If you’re hopping over from custom_maed…I’m sure you had a great time scrolling through her inspiring idea for a holiday s’more kit!  Wasn’t it wonderful?  If you missed it you can back up and check her out…

party hop 17

or see all the fun from the beginning right here!  you’ll find your way to the final stop on the  holiday hop at the end of my post!

partyhop 18

It’s hard to measure up to all the fabulous ideas from the entire week…but I’d like to share some simple tips that might help to make your gatherings jolly!  I can hardly believe that we’re past the midway mark in the month with only 8 more days until Christmas Eve…where did the time go?  But the good news is we STILL have plenty of time to celebrate the season!

get ready for some Fa La La…

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Favorite Things

Christmas Favorites!

December 14
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It’s getting closer and closer to the big day…and I certainly hope you’ve been enjoying the season to it’s fullest!  I’m still not finished with my holiday shopping for my family yet and it seems like I’m on a treadmill…working hard but not getting anywhere!  But even though I’m not feeling very successful shopping for my kids and my hubby, I can still share some fun, little favorites I found along the way!  And I may not have tons to wrap right now, but when I do, these goodies will be just right for dressing up those holiday packages!  Everything I’m featuring today is pretty simple.  Maybe I’m drawn to them because I need some simplicity in my season at the moment, maybe it’s because they’re just simply cute…either way, I’d like to share them with you today!

simple. easy. cute.

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Holidays, Travel

Outing at the Butter Barn!

December 12
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One thing I love about the holiday season is the chance to take in as much inspiration as I possibly can!  I have so much fun browsing the shops…you can get so many ideas for entertaining and decorating just by checking out all the displays!  And what would make this inspiration seeking even more fun?  To do it with friends!  On Friday afternoon I had the opportunity to head over to a wonderful little antique shop that I’ve been dying to see!  The Butter Beans Antiques Barn (also known as Butter Beans or Butter Barn) has come up in many conversations…my friends who’ve been there sing its praises and have been urging me to go!  But life always seems to get in the way and shockingly, it’s been over a year since i found out about this darling treasure trove!  So a couple of girlfriends and I hopped in the car and headed across the Michigan border to seek out all the fun!  Check out the link to the Butter Bean Facebook page so you can find out when they open their doors to the public and get plenty of inspiration for yourself!  If you’re in the southeast Michigan or Northwest Ohio area you really need to check them out!  This past weekend they had a holiday open house…let me share a glimpse of the joy!

merry and bright holiday outing…

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Celebrate

“A” is for…

December 9
4 Comments

I have a child who asks for nothing.  He can never come up with anything that he really wants for holiday or birthday wish lists.  As he has gotten older, there is the occasional “necessity” that comes to his mind…but rarely an idea that is exciting or fun.  And while I’m happy he’s such a content soul, it does make gift giving seasons a bit rough for those of us who want to treat him to a surprise!  With the holidays approaching I begin to have a little anxiety over what to leave under the tree…and bonus, his birthday is in December too!  Now i have back-to-back celebrations to sweat out…trying to pry out the slightest hint of something, anything he might be hoping for!  Thankfully I have friends who not only know my son well, but are willing to lend their creative minds and skills to help me come up with something fun, simple, and sweet for the easy going birthday boy!  Today I want to share this collaborative idea…I hope you can find some gift giving inspiration for any holiday or celebration!

a birthday surprise…

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Holidays

Utilitarian Twist!

December 7
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You know how much I love to recycle my items…I can hardly throw anything away because in the back of my mind I believe there’s a purpose for it somewhere!  Fortunately for my family’s sake, I don’t have a problem discarding things that I’ve not used for a long time…I can pass them along for someone else to create their own treasures!  I’m certain my husband is at least thankful for that!  But in general, I often find that hanging on to certain items and reusing them can save an awful lot of money AND these utilitarian things can be transformed into something really cute and unique!  Plus, there’s lots of common household goodies, supplies, and serving pieces that are just too cute to be tucked away in a cupboard…so why not find alternate ways to utilize them while they’re taking a rest from their intended uses!  At the urging of one of my friends, I’ve decided to share a couple ways I’m decorating for the holidays using some of my utilitarian favorites from my pantry and more!

holiday decor from the cupboard!

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Holidays

Wrap Station

December 5
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I’ve barely begun to shop for all my Christmas gifts this year.  When the kids were little I usually had everything purchased by Thanksgiving, wrapped, and hidden shortly thereafter!  Well, those days are certainly over!  It seems the older they get the busier we are…AND they either can’t come up with ideas for their wish lists or keep changing their minds!  So, I have yet to purchase one thing for my children…but I sure am ready to wrap!  Whether you’ve finished your shopping, are somewhere in the middle, or have not yet begun, creating a fun place to wrap up those treasures can make the holiday feel more merry!  It can be stressful to shop AND it can be stressful to wrap…but I find when I gather my supplies together before I start, the process is so much more joyful!  And since last week I shared some creative ways to wrap up your goodies I thought it would be fitting to share some simple ways to keep organized so you can enjoy the season!

pull out the wrappings…it’s Christmastime!

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Holidays

Merry Mantle

December 2
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Well, December is here and for me that means it’s time to finish up my decorating!  My oldest has a birthday on the 4th so it’s always been a goal to have all the halls decked before we have birthday celebrations!  And as much as I love decorating for Christmas, I always seem to struggle with my mantle!  I’m not really sure what it is…I just have to work a little (ok, a lot) harder to come up with mantle displays that I like!  I love what I see in the homes of others…it’s just my stumbling block in my own house!  This year I’m enamored with tiny houses…not the kind you dwell in (although they are fascinating!) but the kind you decorate with!  And I got lucky to stumble across plenty of options!  Each year my decor takes on a little different twist…not that I go and get all new decorations, I primarily use all my old ones but find new ways to embellish them!  This year I’m loving that homespun, traditional look…there’s something nostalgic to me when I see plaids, knits, and good old red and green!  So that combined with the inspiring thought of “home for the holidays” helped me to pull together a mantle that reminds me of the warmth of a home filled with love!  A little mushy maybe…but that’s how I feel when I look at it.  And isn’t that what decorating is all about?  Finding ways to create spaces that make you and those you dwell with feel happy…and at home!  So today I’ll share with you my labor of love…my mantle.

a little home for the holiday…

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Create, Holidays

Holiday Wrap!

November 30
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I can’t believe that December is almost here!  And the weird thing is that even though we’ve had these extra few days after Thanksgiving, I’m feeling a bit rushed to get all my holiday plans in order!  I have to keep reminding myself that it IS still November, even if only for the remainder of the day!  So I’m trying to keep everything in perspective and enjoy the process of decorating, shopping, and preparing for all the Christmas festivities that fill the days leading to the New Year.  One of my favorite holiday preparations is wrapping gifts.  I know it can seem a daunting task…and even though I love it, I can feel overwhelmed at times!  But lucky us, each year it seems there’s more options for easy gift wrap ideas…cute bags & boxes, prepared bows, darling tags, and all the extra trimmings you can dream up!  And with all these options at our fingertips, it can leave us with time to dream up some out-of-the-box wrappings or special ways to personalize a gift or two!  I’d like to give a sneak peek at some DIY gift wrap ideas…

dress up your bags & boxes!

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Holidays

Hot Chocolate Time!

November 28
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On a day that gave us a record temperature for November, what was I doing?  Setting up a hot chocolate bar of course!  Even though it was a little on the warm side, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect in the evening for enjoying some cocoa and goodies with friends on the patio!  Honestly, I just couldn’t wait any longer to start setting up some Christmas cheer in my home!  And being blessed with such wonderful weather, on a weekend no less, gave us the opportunity to have the best of both worlds!  And then the very next day…it snowed!  I don’t know about you but I have to admit I loved both days!  But the reality is that hot cocoa weather is now here to stay and it’s easy to warm up with some…

cookies and cocoa!

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