Deck the Halls

 Today I'm an Interior Designer (see I'm a Mom)

I love Christmas and right after Thanksgiving I want my home to feel and look like Christmas regardless of where we'll be spending the holiday. I have discovered many cheap and fun ways to Deck the Halls in the past 2 years and I want to share the fun.

Our 1st Christmas my husband and I had about a shoe box full of Christmas decorations between us. We spent our money on travelling and presents. Our decorations consisted of paper snowflakes mostly. The snowflakes inspired Frosty the Snowman. My husband had a few projects at school that he had made posters for and since the projects where over he no longer needed the posters so we cut out a snowmen and taped the writing side facing the wall. Then my husband used his artist skills and Frosty is 3 years old and looking good.




Of course having a Nativity is a must, after all that is what Christmas is all about. My mother in law loves making homemade cards and she shares her supplies with us at most family gatherings. She had a lot of old Christmas cards and the idea was to up-cycle them create a new card from the old. So I took parts of Nativities from different cards and I had a pretty cool Nativity. I still put it up on my wall because I love it.


Now for the new additions this year:

As I mentioned earlier Snowflakes were a big part of our 1st Christmas. I fell in love with the simplicity and beauty of snowflake decorations that year. I will always include snowflakes in my Christmas decor, plus they have that added sentimental value now. I got the idea for the snowflake wreath from Pinterest this year. This one was also free. I used card stock that I already had and then made more snowflakes. 





Thanks to my Mother-in-law I have made some pretty cool Christmas Cards, my problem is I like them so much I don't want to write in them so a few of my favorites have become apart of the Christmas decor along with the cards we receive from others. My parents displayed Christmas cards on the fireplace. No fire place, so my thought was to get some twine and string them along the wall. We don't have any twine, but I found some red ribbon. I don't have a cute way to attach the cards to the ribbon but paper clips do the job for now.



This Merry Christmas sign credit goes again to my Mother-in-law. She has a vinyl lettering business, Wilcox Writes, and is always finding fun ways to use vinyl. This Thanksgiving she brought up everything we needed to create our own. She cut up blocks of wood in the sizes you see and printed out the sayings in vinyl then I got to modge podge scrapbook paper on to the wood and apply the vinyl. Another great thing about this is that it is 2 sided so I have decor for Thanksgiving on the other side.You can use almost any season or phrase you want 





I took all the pictures out of this frame and replaced them with Scrapbook paper. I found the Winter Wonderland at a dollar store along with the snowflakes.




I spent a few hours shopping around a few dollar stores and then Hobby Lobby to make my 2 wreaths, both ideas from pinterest, and very simple. Socks, ornaments, a glue gun, and 2 wreath forms. 

 The End.

Let it Snow

I have been looking forward to the 1st real snow for almost a month now, and at last it came. As I have not been checking weather reports it came as quit a surprise. Confession: I hardly ever remember to look up the weather, and to honest I don't mind not knowing, like this morning I woke up thinking it would be any other day and then my husband opened the door to leave and BAM snow every where, and its still snowing!

There is something so magical about freshly fallen snow. I grew up in sunny southern California and while I loved it  I want you all to know that southern CA is missing out on the wonder and beauty of the 4 different season. I was 20 before I even knew what I'd been missing. I could probably write an entire blog about the wonder of each individual season all by itself. The beautiful colors of fall are more then pictures and center pieces, spring is an entertaining game of summer playing peek a boo with winter, and then theirs the winter wonderland, and of course that perfect summer day. But today is all about the magic of the 1st snow.

As I sat at my window watching the snow fall today I was asking myself why does the world seem so magical when its blanketed in white. There's the obvious: excuse to drink hot chocolate and apple cider, snowball fights, sledding, and all the things you can only do in the snow. Plus snow also has ties to Christmas and the holiday spirit. And then I thought back to all the memories I have in the snow. The one that sticks out above the rest is last years 1st snow fall. I gave birth to my daughter during that storm. Yet another reason that the 1st snow is most definitely magical.

I often see on Facebook or hear in conversation complaints about the weather no matter what season it is. Rain, snow, heat, cold, I'm sure you have complained about all of these at one point or another, I know I have. However lately my 1st thoughts when I see such a post or comment are along the lines of why can't we just enjoy what we have. All four seasons have there ups and downs but they only last so long so remember to take a moment to enjoy them while they last. Its turning into winter and while I miss the vibrant colors and the comfortable temperature of fall, I'm so excited for winter and the snow storms that come with.

Yes driving is more of a pain but the snow will be gone  in a few months so don't forget to throw some snowballs, make crazy snowmen, wear the nice coat you have in the closest that makes you feel like your in a movie, and of course go sledding and or hit the slopes with skies or snowboards if you get the chance, because so many people don't even know what they are missing.  

So next time before you say any of the complaints that may be on the tip of your tongue in regards to the weather, just stop. We have all heard every version of what you are about to say.

Winter only comes once a year and it will be gone in a few months so I want to know what you love about the snow and the winter season. (If you have taken the time to read my thoughts I'd like to hear yours so please leave a comment .)