What Else Do We Really Need?

Well the Holiday season has kicked off. Shoppers were out at the stores right after  Thanksgiving dinner was served. Tree lots were filled on black Friday. Ladders and extension cords were useful over the weekend to put the outdoor lights up. I don't know about you but does'nt it seem like the Christmas season is starting earlier and earlier each year? I am all about the pretty decorations, the handmade kid crafts, the sweet little school programs and needles from the tree falling all throughout December but what I am not about is when people forget the true meaning of Christmas. Giving, Rejoicing, the birth of Jesus. It's not about being pepper sprayed over a Black Friday item at Walmart. It's not people spending more money then they have and going into debt. It's not buying something for someone just because they bought for you. It's more then that. Today more then ever, the current state of the economy just might be a blessing in disguise for most of us. It may be an opportunity to step back and think about how we can help those less fortunate then us.  We may want to rethink the toys on the kids lists and share those with childern who have nothing. We can spend more time with our kids talking about how to give more and receive less. It can confirm for us the true meaning of Christmas and the precious gifts of spouses, childern, family and friends that we already have.   So I ask, what else do we really need?   
  Have a wonderful December!

Moss it Up!

Several months ago I ordered an initial to hang in my family room.  I ordered the "J" in unfinished wood and painted it black and there it hung . I'm not sure what it was but I was not really loving it painted. It looked a little plain. So,  I was recently working with some moss and thought about how my "J" may look covered up in the stuff.   So, seeing it in it's plainness I decided to add some moss to it to green it up! Adds a bit more interest, don't you think?

All week I have been reflecting on my life and the many wonderful blessings that fill it. I chuckle as I think about how different the things I am thankful for today would not have been the things I was thankful for before I had my kids. As my childern move fast and furious through toddler years, I also realize I am not the same person I was before them and for that I am thankful.

I am thankful for the enormous amount of love and patience that God has gifted to me.

I am thankful that I can walk around with my hair in a pony tail with no makeup on and not worry about how I look to others. ( scary but who cares )

I am thankful that I can always count on the numerous hugs and kisses each day.

I am thankful that I spend less time shopping and more time with my kids ( hmm.. let me rethink this one) 

  I am also thankful for....

Friends that move every where in the house!

Piles of laundry that need to get done

Pillow and blankets on floor

Laundry that needs to be put away!

 I am also thankful for the fighting my kids are doing right now. Gotta Go!  

Happy Thanksgiving to you and to those that you are thankful for!

Have you thought about the Thanksgiving Table Yet?

Each year we tend to eat the traditional thanksgiving feast of pumpkin pie, sweet potato, green bean caserole, MORE pie, glazed carrots and of course the turkey. I love the day to count my many blessings and to receive the love of family and friends and to be able to  get the "eat all you want pass" and not feel quilty about it.  This year I'm thinking about spending a bit more time on my table setting and as I was looking around, came across some awesome ideas that will take the green beans to a new level!!!
I wanted to share some of my favorites with you and see if you wanted to incorporate into your table setting this year as well.

Simple but elegant- don't you think? Martha Stewart knows how to dress a table.

I love the way glass candle jar's look when they are filled. These are filled with Seasonal nuts and acorns. #2 Image from Good Housekeeping. #4 image- Look at the added touch of the fall leaf tied with ribbon. Makes a great place setting.

Sometimes a great centerpiece can be as near as your backyard. Just as Lauren from Pure Style Home did.

This is my favorite from Martha Stewart. Love the use of cream color pumpkins and candles. Simplistic and beautiful.

 
Anxious to see how your table looked for Thanksgiving this year. Don't forget to take a picture and post.

Furniture Chalk Paint Reveal

A few weeks ago I decided to buy some Anne Sloan Chalk paint after hearing so many wonderful things about the paint from the application to the finish.

The first project I wanted to work on was an old wood table that we had. I always wanted to refinish the table because I thought it was too dark, but wasn't sure what I wanted it to look like.

I really love the table because of the intricate details. With some  ASCP  in Old World I went to work. I applied 2 coats of paint and some slight distressing with my sandblock. 

 I really like the table turned out. You know what they say- Good things come to those that wait!

I had to laugh at this one....

Let me start off by saying that my husband has freely given up his voting rights on anything that has to do with the inside decor of our home. This is the way it has been since we have been married and will always be the way it is. When I do feel the need to get a sense of how he feels about changes I have made, purchases or paint color on the wall, his typical response ( without looking at whatever "it" is ) is usually " great" , "looks good".  So the other day when I completed my latest project ( details in a second) I was completely taken back by a comment. He actually had a comment , besides "great", "looks good". The project that I completed was applying vinyl numbers ( from my beloved Silhoutte machine of course) on the risers of my staircase. I thought it looked great and was really excited about it since it was something that I have wanted to get done for quite some time, the idea came from Houzz . So my big moment to show him the staircase and what does he say, " Honey, Jeez, don't you think that's a bit elementary?"  What????? Elementary?? Honey in case you forgot we have 3 childern under the age of 6 in this house!!  His comment, which I thought was pretty funny, made me realize that perhaps I should start asking his opinion more often. I wonder if he realizes that we got the house painted a totally different color 2 years ago. Boy, I sure hope he likes it!!

The staircase before

Close up of the font and size of the letter.

The Staircase After

The staircase after

I never Promised you a .......

Okay, I never promised that following me on my blog wouldn't cost you any money, but  I do promise to send along any fantastic web sites that just might make you as excited as I was to find the site! The site is called WUSLU and they offer French,Vintage and Country style decor for your home. The way the site works is once you are registered you will be sent the daily deal. The deal is sent to you in a email. Since I just joined last week I have not yet bought anything but I have included a few of my favorite things that I have spotted. In the meantime , if you happen to sign-up and buy something , please post a picture of your most fabulous find !  Happy Friday to All and a Special Thank You to All the Veterans out there! 

Cupcake Stands

French inspired burlap memo board

Wood Console table

This month I am thankful for....BURLAP

Burlap has become my go to material for anything decorating these days. It is relatively easy to work with , inexpensive and looks fantastic regardless of the project. A few weeks ago I was on point to decorate Jake and Lily's preschool fall festival . Naturally I turned to my burlap for help. I came up with a burlap banner that I liked so much I decided to make one for the house ( the preschool kept the other). I also made some burlap placemats that each have a word that reflects the thanksgiving holiday.  I made my stencils  from my awesome silhouette machine. This machine needs to be on the christmas list this year!! To hang the banner , I used jute twine and laced through holes that I placed in each corner of the squares. The project took no time to put together and looks great !

Harvest Blessing banner

Supplies Needed

• Burlap for the banner - amount depends on the saying you choose. I had 15 letters and each square of burlap was approximately 6"x8"
• Lettering - You can either use stencils or write the letters freehand. I cut my stencils from my silhouette machine. The font used was Bookman Old style.
• Fabric paint or acrylic paint in your choice of color. I selected Tulip fabric  paint in black for this project.