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 :)

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!

A New Desk & DIY Art

I am so excited to share my latest find with you...

a new-to-me desk!

I've been on the look-out for one of these for a few years, but only searched Craigslist sporadically

until recently, when I rediscovered my love for shopping for bargains online!

Some people have tremendous success thrifting for items like this,

 but with two busy toddlers to keep occupied, it's much more practical for me to find whatever deals I can from the comfort of my home.

 The previous owner said that the desk was in the family for years,

but it was clearly cared for.

I was so pleased to find that the drawers open easily, and I now have the perfect place to store my crafting supplies, paper and pens.

My actual book work takes place in the office for now, but I'm hoping one day to have my own creative space to work in, and this is a great starting place! :)

Those gorgeous handles and the chippy surface make me swoon,

not to mention the curved legs and the claw feet.

I love it all!

I still can hardly believe I found a desk exactly like I wanted...

and for 50 bucks!!!

{See why I love Craigslist?!}

I wanted art to hang above the desk, and snagged a few clipboards from a stash my husband had in the office.

The "Life is Beautiful" print is a favorite of mine, and was a gift from a friend.

I lettered a verse that I love, and clipped up some feathers with the word "inspire" for the final board.

Super simple, and it cost me next to nothing!

Even better, the artwork can be changed as often as I want!

I added some greenery, along with my vintage typewriter {another Craigslist find!}

and a gorgeous piece of wood from my brother's old barn.

I'm thrilled with my desk,

and love how it creates a new functional area in our home.

What are you favorite bargains? I'd love to hear about them!

The Homemade Series: Laundry Soap

There is so much satisfaction in making something from scratch;

whether it's a pie crust or homemade laundry soap!

I get together with a friend to do these projects; somehow, it isn't as daunting

and it's a whole lot of fun!

We tackled homemade shampoo the first time,

and this time, we decided to try making laundry soap. 

We found all the ingredients at Walmart, except the essential oils. Since we were splitting it between the two of us, we made 4 times the amounts shown on the following recipe.

// Homemade Laundry Soap //

3 cups Borax

3 cups washing soda 

(note the box; it looks similar to the baking soda but is labeled differently)

3 cups baking soda

1 bar Fels-Naptha soap

1 bar castile soap

1 1/2 cups Zote soap

30 drops essential oils

My friend did all the shopping [see why I like this?!] and bought some cheap graters to use for grating the soap. This step takes the most time!

But it's good for the biceps, and it makes you feel a little like a pioneer woman. 

The Zote soap came in flakes, which meant less grating. 

Get those if possible; who needs nice biceps?!

[Note to self: Let your toddler photo bomb - messy hair, fake jewelry and all; it makes wonderful memories!]

Mix the dry ingredients together, and then add the shaved soap.

Stir everything together in a large bowl. 

If you want a finer consistency, put it in your food processor or blend it for a little.

Add your essential oils last!

We used a combination of orange and lavender oils. It would be fun to try experimenting 

with different scents! 

30 drops seemed like a lot, because it smelled heavenly with about 20.

But we agreed that it would have been best to use the full amount.

You can't go wrong with essential oils!

Add 2-3 scoops of soap to your laundry, depending on size of load.

I use a baby formula scoop, which is about 1.5 tablespoons.

With a soap that has a scent like this one,

 doing the laundry might become your favorite job after all!

The Sound of Music

The classic song "The sound of music" keeps playing in my head when I think of this amazing time of year.

It really feels like the earth is singing a beautiful new song,

along with my heart.

"The hills are alive

with the sound of music

With songs they have sung 

for a thousand years.

The hills thrill my heart

with the sound of music

My heart wants to sing

every song it hears."

// The song of friendship //

My friend, Aud & her little sweetie, Abigail

were in PA for a wedding and we got to spend a few short, special hours together!

It's rare we get to see each other since she lives in Kentucky and I live in VA.

We've been best of friends for years,

so it's been a dream come true to have our girls [who are only 3 months apart] get a chance to play together and become friends too!

// The song of enduring love //

My handsome date & I at a friend's wedding

// The song of life //

This little blue-eyed cutie turned one, and we celebrated her birthday at the park!

My talented friend made this adorable smash cake,

and my sister-in-law made the delicious lemon cupcakes with raspberries.

They were the perfect blend of tart and sweet.

I want one right now.

Little man rockin' the baseball cap!

The kiddos loved hanging out with Aunt Edie :)

The cupcakes were a hit with everyone.

[Sorry about the nose...I can't seem to stay on top of that!]

// The song of motherhood //

I treasure hugs from my little people and the joy that being a mother brings,

in the middle of the busyness and chaos.

// The song of springtime //

This is Hadassah's version of "sniffing" the flowers! Too cute.

A friend & I went to the JMU Arboretum while the tulips were in bloom.

I've driven by every spring and wanted to stop and take pictures

but that never happened

until now!

The brilliant colors of springtime are so refreshing after the gray tones of winter.

This peaceful place makes me think of that beautiful verse in Psalm 23:2, 
"He leads me beside the still waters; He restores my soul."

// The song of triumph //

This gorgeous sunset took place on Good Friday.

 It felt to me like a perfect picture of the glory of a Saviour Who died for our sins,

and then arose in triumph!

// The song of the Saviour //

There have been days when my heart has overflowed in song,

when the joy of springtime and the wonder of a risen Saviour filled my soul!

But there have also been days when the constant demands of motherhood threatened to overwhelm me;

when there were potty accidents, fussy babies, interrupted naps

and more work on the to-do list than I could get accomplished.

Through it all, I lost my song.

In desperation, I cried to the Lord for something, anything, to restore my spirit.

And He gave me a precious gift;

He sang His song over me!

That, by far, is the most beautiful music of all.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

I hope you hear His song to you today! Blessings, Ruby