Eliana is 4!! A Strawberry Shortcake kind of Day.

Oh El, you are four!!!  We had your first "girls only" party and it was such a blast.  You are blessed with the sweetest of friends.

An easy little Christmas...

I LOVE decorating for the holidays.  As a little girl, the Friday following Thanksgiving was not for shopping, but for decorating!!  My dad would leave for work and my mom and I would pull all the boxes out of the attic and clean house.  Now, we did not skimp...every surface was covered.  Dad would come home and put the final touches on the tree - the plastic icicles.  It was pure delight for our little home.

I still love decorating, but in a bit more moderation AND I don't like to spend money on decor.  I love the challenge of finding things outdoors to use or at a thrift shop for a buck or walking around my house looking at what can be repurposed into a holiday feel.  I did this last week and came up with three easy new pieces for our home.

I really enjoy fresh garland.  I would drape it over every doorway, window and mantle if it wasn't so expensive.  

I really wanted some coming down my stairs this year and I also was trying to think up a new way to display the Christmas cards we get every year.  We usually just tape them around our doorways, but I wanted something different this year.

Going for a little hunt outside, the kids and I cut a bunch of fresh greens we found.  I always do this and just stick them in vases and watering cans around the house, but this year I thought - why not use them to make my own garland?

I did not spend time wiring them together, I simply grabbed a branch and tied it to the banister with some twine.  I thought I might cover the twine with Christmas  ribbon, but ended up loving the look of the twine.

After tying up the entire length of the banister, I then thought why not just use it to display our Christmas cards too?  Going outside to grab our clothespins and then searching for some christmas paper and my glue gun, I covered the clothespins paper which I've seen so many people do.  Now all we need to do is clip the card to the greenery and line our stairwell with it.  I love it!

The next idea is easy peasy!  Every Sunday night of advent we do a little reading and singing and light the advent candles.  This year I could not find our advent wreath.  No idea where it went!!  I didn't want to go buy a new one, so I just arranged some candles on a platter.  The red candle is the "pink" traditional candle and the center one is our Jesus candle.  Done!!

Lastly, every year we read these 25 little books that tell the story of Jesus' birth and ever year I struggle with where to put the books we have read.  Well last week, Addison was out on the porch with a piece of wood and some nails and - voila!!  he solved our problem!

Enjoy getting creative this year!!

Easy Banners

Want a really quick, easy and cheap way to make cute little banners for any occassion?  Paint chips!!  I saw this in a magazine and LOVED it.  I made cloth ones for Eli's first birthday that now hang in her room, but these little babies could be made for any occassion - Christmas, Easter, birthdays, baby showers -  you name it!!  I did this one for the 4th of July.

Just pick out the colors you want in you banner and grab a bunch.  I felt bad taking 20 or so, so I fessed up that I was taking a lot and asked if I could pay for them.  The man laughed and said no.  He honestly didn't seem that interested.

After cutting them into triangles (these were long cards that I was able to get 2 triangles out of - one from the top and one from the bottom), I punched a hole in the top corners and then strung twine through them.  Hang and enjoy!!

Some Rest for the Feet

That second hand shop I was talking about the other day?  Yup, love it. I found this cutie there for $5.  I was kind of nice just the way it was, but maybe a little grandma-ish for my taste?  Plus, I had picked up a few tablecloths on discount at Target that was I waiting to use on something.  

I debated on painting the legs, but decided to just dust them off and keep them as is.  I really really love them, especially with the new fabric I ended up using.  I just cut my cloth into a rectangle and started stapling.  This should have taken me no time, but the STINKING STAPLE GUN I had kept jamming. I ended up taking it back to Home Depot and telling them they should not be selling this product and could I have my money back!  Of course, I then read the reviews online and saw EVERYONE else hates that staple gun too!  This is why I love reviews (if I remember to read them first!)

And there is is after.  I also added some decorative upholstery tacks to the corners to finish it off.

Cute!!  I love this fabric as it uses all the colors in my home.  We use it in our bedroom for the comfy chair we got on the side of the road!  I want to make a pillow with some of the extra fabric to put in the chair.  

Not bad for $5!!

A Little House Makeover

By the time December 1st rolled around last year, I had finished my Christmas shopping.  Some of you are done way before that and some of you are pretty impressed by that fact.  I had never been done so early before, but I tell you, it wasn't that hard - and it's my plan for this year as well.

I started having friends unload toys and books or do swaps and instead of letting my children see it and want it right then, I just stuck it away in my closet.  I visit a couple of fabulous second hand shops pretty regularly and did the same when I found some great $2 or $5 deal.  Our kids get three gifts each (from us) and so this was pretty easy to finish up quickly when I got sneaky.  And the best part was that I only spent about $50 total on all their gifts!

This little house was a give away by a friend of mine; her daughter was getting a newer one for Christmas.  I did have a nice "before" picture, but can't find it since I took it in December...but it was just wood...no colors.

So my fun little design project began.  I went to ACMoore and found the scrap-booking paper that was going to be my inspiration and at night started painting and pasting.  It took, well forever, it felt like.  I actually wasn't completely finished on Christmas morning when we gave it to her, but she didn't even notice.  Her entire reaction was completely what I was hoping for as you can see here, but I kept telling myself - she's only 2!  She will love it someday.  

Anyway, here are the pics of the finished product (and the doll furniture was a free find my mother-in-law found on the side of the road!!)

window box :)

tried to add some shingles to the roof!!

grandpa reading the morning paper in the kitchen

A little info on the kitchen:  I LOVE this paper and come to find out, I didn't buy enough of it and guess what?  Yup, they stopped carrying it!!  Behind the stove you can see where I tried to pain the rest of the wallpaper.  The upper walls I haven't decided what to do with yet.  I'm still holding out that I'll be able to find the paper somewhere!!

The kids bunks

brother doing some last minute homework...

Mom, Dad, baby and sister sitting around the fire!

grandma putting on her make-up