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During the week of Thanksgiving we got our Christmas tree and Christmas decorations out and started trading out our fall decor. I usually leave everything decorated for fall and Thanksgiving on the first floor until the day after Thanksgiving, but I'll start on the tree or get it up, and it's on the second floor in the front window. So each floor is decorated for different seasons/holidays!
Everything took a little longer this year with me still in recovery mode and having doctor appointments to start radiation. I also didn't do much of the physical work and just supervised (i.e. bossed people around). I had Buddy put the tree together, Hubby and a couple of the kids fluffed out the limbs (which I can usually be so anal about), and then Hubby put on the lights as I followed him around holding them (920 lights!). These are all things I usually do because I'm such a control freak, but I just let it go and it was okay.
I also let the kids decorate the tree. Not that they don't usually, but I stayed away and let them put the ornaments where they wanted to. They weren't as happy about it as I thought they would be. They were impressed that I didn't move things around after they were done. Giving up control I tell you.
Honestly, the tree looks almost identical to last year's tree, except that it's a different one (because we have two and I had Buddy put up the one that is not pre-lit because it's such a bear and needs more than one person).
I switched out the fall artwork I found on Pinterest with Christmas artwork.
I put a few things on the mantle and coffee table, and I put the little evergreens in front of the fireplace. I also got my Christmas wreaths and the stockings (which we call socks) out. I still need to put the nativity together, but other than that, I'm done. Going simple this year.
And it's totally okay.
In my last post I asked you if you knew what was going on in that clay pot in my kitchen.
It was noses for my sock snowmen!
I took toothpicks and just dipped them straight into the little paint container, then I flipped them over and stuck them in the floral foam to dry. Super easy!
These are currently taking up space in our kitchen.
Wanna guess what they are and what I'm working on?
When I made and posted about and hung my Easter wreath earlier this year, I had no idea I was going to be looking at it on the back of my front door for the next seven months.
You read that right. Seven months.
Easter was very late this year, the week after that I found the lump in my breast, and obviously our world turned upside down from there on out.
The wreath on the door somehow didn't matter.
At some point during the summer, like maybe August or so, it sort of became a little bit of a joke. It was really getting a little ridiculous at that point, and there was no way it could pull off the summer theme. Yet fall was just around the corner, especially for those of us who live in the north with cooler temperatures.
A couple of weeks ago I got the fall wreaths out, but I have nothing I can put on the back of that door. It has to be light enough not to drag the magnet hook down the door. I went off to Michael's in search of something I could make.
I ended up finding a feather wreath on a styrofoam form. I used my trusty Michael's coupon to make it "on sale." I bought a couple of fall picks to cut apart to add a little something different, and then I used a floral pin to attach a bird (hooked it through the clip since there wasn't anything to clip it on).
Voila!
It's different and I definitely like it!
I had a couple of dedicated Valentine's Day wreaths, so I decided that one dedicated Easter wreath was in order.
I was fortunate enough to find a grapevine wreath at Hobby Lobby that was misshapen. It had and oval/egg shape. It was perfect for a starting point. I actually had no idea what my plans were.
I found the bright pastel colored garland and got two lengths of it, one package of sequined egg ornaments, one package of stemmed felt flowers, a stuffed bunny ornament, and a resin chick.
I put the white ribbon at the top first, then I wrapped the two strands of garland around the wreath. I just tucked the ends under some of the vines. I tucked the flowers in, and then I cut the ribbon hangers off the eggs and hot-glued them on. I also used hot glue to attach the bunny and the chick (lots for the chick since it's heavy).
That's it! Pure cuteness!
I'm linking up at Skip to my Lou.
This is the last wreath I'm going to post about. Promise.
At least until after Valentine's Day.
My other disclaimer is that I brightened this picture too much and the difference between the pom poms is not this stark. So just ignore the fact that they stand out from each other. Pretty please. I have a stinky camera.
I started out making pom poms with my largest pom pom maker. I used one strand of red and one strand of fuchsia yarn at the same time. It made it go faster plus gave it some variegation.
Then I ran out of yarn and only had 10 pom poms made. When I went to the store I couldn't find the same kind of yarn. I'm not sure they make it any more. So I bought a similar red and an already variegated pink. I used one strand of each and wrapped them at the same time. I made 10 pom poms like that.
I took a wire coat hanger and shaped it into a heart shape. I undid the top where it was twisted together so I could string (wire?) on the pom poms. I alternated them.
I twisted the top back together when I was done. Then I took the normal hanger loop and twisted it down low. I used it to hang the red strap. It's one of those velcro-closing straps that came around an inexpensive blanket.
This is Sparky's favorite wreath. It's hanging on the inside of our front door.
I made this felt wreath before Christmas and added a blue glass ornament in the middle for a little bling.
I saw the original idea on Tip Junkie with a link back to the step-by-step tutorial on The Inspired Room.
I opted to go completely with white felt and not use any of the neutral colors. I also think that my squares might be slightly smaller.
I purchased the package of white felt sold at Michael's, maybe 36"x36". It took me a little less than two packages, and I cut the squares about 2 1/2" square. There are probably about 400 on there. I started out by cutting strips in the felt and then cutting squares off. I used dental floss (waxed) to string them together.
It was time to take it down or revamp it. I opted for revamping.
I love my new pom pom makers. I can't tell you how much I love them. I made three different sized pom poms in Valentine's colors and tied them together. Then I flipped the wreath over and tied the bundle to the back where the ornament had been.
I love it!
I don't think I've ever had a wreath specifically suited for Valentine's Day.
Now I do.
I got the idea for this Ribbon Heart Wreath at Crafty Sisters. They have some great ideas!
I think mine looks a lot different, but I started with the exact same wreath that I found at Michael's. I used some curly ribbon from pre-made gift packaging in pinkish hues. I also got a small roll of silver holographic curly ribbon and cut and curled it myself. I tied the ribbon all around the wreath and on some of the loops. (I cut some of the pre-made gift packaging ribbon in half before I used it or it hung too long.)
I took two pieces of 12x12 scrapbook paper with different prints. I cut them in 1/2" strips and rolled them around a pencil. I looped them through the red pre-made loops of the wreath.
To hang it, I used a strap that came wrapped around one of those throw blankets. It has a velcro closure so I just slipped it through the loop on the back and closed it and hung it up.
This year we put up the wrong tree.
See, we have a pre-lit tree that weighs as much as an elephant. We bought it around eight years ago. We haven't used it in at least four.
When we got to Michigan, we purchased the most beautiful artificial tree. It's the same height and fullness as the heavy monster. And no, we don't do real. I'm allergic.
Hubby thought for some reason that I wanted the pre-lit tree this year. I think he forgot about the other one. I'm not sure why. I think the packing tape that hadn't been touched should have indicated that the elephant hadn't been opened for many years, but by the time he'd gotten it to the second floor, it was the one getting put up this year.
On top of that I planned to put the colored lights on and already had them out. So you know what I did?
I mixed them! White pre-lit and multi-colored LED lights all on the same tree!
It makes for lots of lights, which we all love!
Here's the view coming down the stairs from Chatty's room.
And an early morning dark view with snow falling outside.
Here's a small mosaic of some ornaments. I did an ornament post talking about some of our special ones here.
This cross-stitch stays out year-round. I stitched it on navy fabric so it would stand out. I did it before kids in the early '90s.
This is on the top of our game cabinet. I added the garland of berries to the leaf garland from the fall.
I've had this little doo-dad since Hubby and I first got married. The Santa goes to the top of the wire and jiggles down. I took the picture fast, but he got halfway down in the second picture.
My greatest treasure from this year is my new Nativity. My maternal grandma passed away in May. She and my grandpa travelled to the Holy Lands in the summer of 1976. They purchased one of these Nativities for my mom, my aunt, and themselves. Since I am the oldest grandchild, my aunt and my mom decided that I should have the first choice as to whether or not I wanted it. I can't tell you the amazement I felt at that moment, and the pleasure I feel owning this treasure. I put it up the first week of November as soon as Hubby and Buddy brought it back from Arkansas.
Those are ornament ball trees on the side, but I haven't quite gotten the hang of them like my mom yet. As soon as I get them figured out where they look a little better, I'll do a separate post on them.
I'm linking up to the Christmas Tour Of Homes at The Nester's and also at Kelly's Korner.
I wanted to add a little color to two of my fall wreaths from last year (the one that hangs on the front door and the one that hangs on the inside door that leads to the garage).
At Hobby Lobby the other day I picked up two fall sprigs that were originally $7.00, and since they always have good sales, were half price. I was able to cut about 14 little flowered sprigs off of each one. I picked one that had more yellow flowers and one that had more orange flowers, and then I mixed them between the two wreaths.
There was a weedy looking sprig on them along with the long grassy leaves. I was able to just stick everything in without having to anchor it with any wire.
Since it's night when I took the picture, I wasn't able to take one of the wreath on the front door. Suffice to say that it looks just like this one. I just took a closer picture of the inside wreath to get a better look.
Here are the before pictures from last year so you can see the transformation.
The only holidays I really decorate for are Christmas and the fall season. I'm decorated perpetually for any Americana holiday such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, or Labor Day since I have a lot of Americana around my house, especially in my kitchen.
I was getting some interfacing at JoAnn's the other day. They had some patriotic accessories 60 pecent off by the registers.
They look perfect on our bed with our Ikea accent pillows.
I put a few things on the mantle and coffee table, and I put the little evergreens in front of the fireplace. I also got my Christmas wreaths and the stockings (which we call socks) out. I still need to put the nativity together, but other than that, I'm done. Going simple this year.
We always had at least one of these around our house when I was growing up. Of course back then there weren't all the glittery ball choices available in the stores today.
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