My Christmas House

Welcome to a virtual tour of {part of} my home, dressed up for Christmas!

I don't get too fancy,

but I do have fun using what I have to make it cozy

and festive.

First up is the dining room.

I created my first wreath ever at a party a friend had,

and I had so much fun that I think it will become a yearly tradition!

You just can't go wrong with fresh greenery.

I love my bottle trees, and think they are especially cute inside a glass cloche!

I used more greenery and some antlers I robbed from my man's stash to decorate this old door.

He's got enough to supply the neighborhood! (antlers, that is)

I stuck some evergreen in an urn and then decided the berries would add some color.

The poinsetta was from my man!

 More antlers! What did I tell you?

I had the platter for years and it was originally red, but I was in the mood for some gold.

Spray paint to the rescue!

 On to the kitchen!

This room feels like Christmas year-round, with the red counters

and the darling Roman shades that my Mom made for me out of Ikea curtains!

I added a pot of greenery,

along with some cookie cutters that have been passed down from Eddie's grandmother.

The living room is where we put up our Christmas tree.

I had fun adding some gold tinsel that I found on clearance last winter!

The mantle is a collection of things I had on hand, except for the stockings!

I finally got some to hang for the kids :)

I made the tree out of a cereal box after seeing this tutorial.

I needed some art to display, so I lettered this one evening while I was watching a show.

After seeing the comments of quite a few moms whose children loved this Little People nativity set,
I decided to go ahead and get one for the kiddos when it was 50% off!

It is adorable, and perfect for little hands.

 Hadassah has had fun playing with it, 

while her brother spends more time  pushing the pieces off the table and dragging them around the house! (that's his preferred method of play in general) 

My chalkboard, with the message my heart needs this Christmas.

Thank you for "touring" my home...all three rooms!

Happy weekend, y'all :)

Thanksgiving Art & Giving Thanks

With Thanksgiving less than 3 weeks away, I wanted to share a simple art project that I created for the season.

It involves feathers, a piece of paper and a frame.

That's it!

I've been finding these gorgeous blue jay feathers in my yard,

and they inspired me to create some art.

I ended up using some feathers in neutral tones and just hot glued them to a sheet of white paper.

A patterned paper would add some fun to this,

but I decided I liked the look of crisp white.

I think it makes the feathers pop!

   
Then I added some lettering to finish it off, because I can.

Besides, I needed the reminder.

Especially this month, when I felt like I've been pushed to my limit.

When it feels like a constant struggle to just keep my head above water,

only to get hit with yet another wave.

And I wonder if it really is possible to give thanks in everything;

in the times of struggle, pain and disappointment.

As difficult as it can be to utter those two words,

I'm slowly learning that giving thanks is what pulls me out of that pit of self-pity.

It lifts my eyes to the One Who has not only saved me,

but continues to redeem every difficult and painful thing in my life.

So today I'm thankful for His patience in teaching me,

and for that piece of art on my wall to remind me,

in everything

to

Give thanks.

Fall Home Tour

I've had so much fun decorating my home for fall this year!

I haven't always had the time - or taken the time - to put effort into giving it a festive feel.

But the longer I'm a SAH mommy, 

the more my home becomes my focus.

Creating a cozy, inviting environment is a goal of mine.

And rearranging things is an obsession,

so nothing stays in the same place very long (except furniture!)

One evening, the children and I went on a "treasure hunt" and found this lovely money plant.

I added a white pumpkin and some acorns for a simple vignette.

I loved Ann Voskamp's Thanksgiving tree and printed out these leaf templates from her website. 

Cut them out, punch a hole, and hang them on a branch with fishing line.

This is a great project for children to help with!

Each leaf is printed with a verse that relates to giving thanks,

so appropriate for any time of year,

but especially at Thanksgiving.

This little guy got a makeover with some gold metallic paint I had on hand.

So addicting...gold paint!

I sprayed the flower pot as well and painted a white stripe on the rim.

The succulents like it much better now :)

If you don't own gold spray paint, go get some! Best $3 investment ever!!

I found the gold "hello deer" print at Groopdealz a few weeks ago and clipped it to one of my husband's boards. I'm fancy like that.

The canvases were some I painted last year,

and the antlers?

My handsome hunter scored those and I decided they would work perfectly on the mantle!

Aren't white pumpkins fun?!

Their neutral tone fits in nearly any space.

And a furry pillow? Yes, please.

I am in love with animal print covers, especially this cow pattern.

You can get them here for less than 6 bucks, including shipping!

So fun!

This is our front porch!

That rocking chair is the best. I love me some front porch sittin'...

I have a problem with taking too many photos of the leaves.

So gorgeous!

This is my view from the side of the house.

Can we keep fall around til at least December?

I wouldn't complain a bit.

Thanks so much for "stopping by" our home!

Hadassah turns 3!

She's a singer and loves to dance;

a people-person and an artist.

She has a vivid imagination and loves to help.

Chore charts are the coolest things, since you can get a sticker for doing jobs!

She's also become one of Mommy's favorite shopping buddies!

And yes, that could become a problem :)

She just turned three, and believes that she is all grown-up!

Apparently, she hasn't quite made it there yet since Strawberry Shortcake is one of her favorite shows.

Since she loves it so much, that became the theme of her birthday party!

I decided to just buy the plates, along with a birthday tiara, which she proudly wore!

I asked her if she wanted to help mix up the cake,

and she said, "It would be my pleasure!" 

She makes me smile.

I had found a recipe for strawberry milkshake poke cake, so that's what we made.

It used a box cake mix, so it took a minimum amount of effort to whip up,

and it got rave reviews!

I even had an excuse to make some bunting as a topper :)

She loved her cake, and that made my Mama heart happy!

Isn't this the most adorable umbrella ever?!

With the most adorable little girl ever?!

Yes, I'm biased.

Her gift from us was a bicycle!

She was thrilled.

All evening long, she rode around and around the house.

How is she this big already?!

She's a ray of sunshine and brings so much joy to our lives.

Happy birthday, Hadassah Jo!

What a Church Campout Is

A church campout is...

Hours of fun playing in the creek

 Finding all sorts of interesting creatures to catch,

as well as friends to show your discoveries to!

A church campout isn't complete without a minnow in a plastic cup!

It's a variety of colorful tents, snug cabins and cozy RV's {the latter, for those of us who don't prefer roughing it!}

A church camp out is a time to get away in the beauty of nature,

and enjoy a slower pace.

It's a delicious breakfast smorgasboard 

cooked by the guys!

It is fun on the sliding board

and learning to share our favorite toys!

It's the delight of finding a muddy puddle to stomp in

while the mothers grimace about yet another change of clothes!

A church camp is an opportunity to make new friends...

and many long conversations with old friends.

It's the sharing of exciting experiences like loose teeth,

and painful ones...like a bite from a crawfish!

Church camp outs are bike rides in the rain,

sharing an umbrella..

and huddling around a fire under a tent to stay warm!

It is tired babies and strollers to push them in {or for them to push!}

vibrant wildflowers and adorable little girls.

Church camp outs are competitive soccer games

that children of all ages can play!

It's a long drink at a water spigot

and happy smiles from a baby!

A church camp out is lots of good food,

roasting hot dogs on a stick,

and steak, chicken and shrimp at midnight around a campfire!

It's a place for daddies to teach their sons all about shuffleboard,

and photographers have a hay-day!

A church camp out is a chance to enjoy each other

and make memories that will last a lifetime!