Christmas Mantel 2017

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Although my Christmas mantle is simple this year, there is exciting news...

I hung Christmas stockings on the mantel for the first time...

...and they haven't caught fire yet!

Even without a fire, it is a cozy little spot that we all enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

You may also like:

2016 Christmas Mantel

2015 Christmas Mantel

2014 Christmas Mantel

Using Milk Glass With Christmas Decor

Milk glass, oh how I love you!

I only have a few pieces, mostly given to me by my mother.

They're so pretty.

A bit nostalgic.

Crisp white.

I like to decorate with milk glass all year round,
 and I also like to use my milk glass pieces.

Here are few ways that I am using milk glass this holiday season.

Vibrant red bulbs nestled in the crisp white milk glass makes the living room feel so festive...
Like it's ready for a party!

Fresh cedar branches tucked in a milk glass vase can be used all winter long.

The girl's bathroom is getting a bit of a makeover (post coming soon).

Blue Christmas bulbs adds a little cheer to the space as they are getting ready for their day.

Homemade pimento cheese served in milk glass makes a Christmas party feel a little more fancy, compared to a plain bowl.  Click HERE for the easy recipe.

Pine cones and dried oranges tucked in a milk glass dish makes a simple yet stunning statement.
And can be used all winter long.  Click HERE to see how to dry oranges in the oven.

So dust off your milk glass and let them shine this Christmas and winter season!

No Sew Christmas Pillows

I wanted to add some red plaid Christmas pillows to my decor this year.

But, after shopping for holiday pillows (and getting sticker shock!), I decided I could make my own.

And you can too! 

Tucking Fall Into Our Lives

Fall is my absolute favorite season!
Tucking a little fall into our lives makes my heart sing.

I love to feel the crisp air that blows through the house when the windows are open.

Yard Sale Dresser Gets A Makeover

Don't you just love yard sales?  

Someone else's junk/trash can become your treasure...

Farmhouse Laundry Room Refresh

A functional pole for drying clothes is what sparked a little refresh in the laundry room.

The drying system that I was using was just taking up too much space.

Laundry...

it's not a chore that I enjoy doing, but it's a service that I do for my family so they don't have to go around naked...you're welcome family ;-)

Full disclosure:  The girls help with laundry around here too. 

Anyhoo...as I said a functional pole is what was needed.  I know you know what I'm talking about...delicates yes, but also for those clothes when the dryer is in one of her moods, and decides to make your clothes too tight.  Yes, it is the dryers fault, not that delicious pie that I may have devoured ;-)

Our laundry room also needed a little prettying up.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money, so here's what we did...

Farmhouse Bench

A farmhouse bench for the mud room. 

Years ago I purchased this bench to go with our then dining room table.

It was all the light color that you see on the seat.

Nice, but...

Farmhouse Porch

I have shown snippets of our farmhouse porch in different posts here and there and have received such wonderful comments.  Like you, I enjoy seeing other people's porches, so I thought it was high time that I showed you our farmhouse porch in more detail...filled with herbs and ready for summer relaxing.

When building our home three years ago, a front porch was high on the list!

We dreamed of this porch and how we could make it a welcoming place to enjoy for years to come.

One of the first things that we did was install a wood screen door that slams closed...hubby said it reminds him of his Grandma's.

We love our farmhouse porch!

We use our porch a lot...

It's not fancy.  In fact it has many rustic elements to it (mainly thanks to a dog that likes to chew).

The porch measures 8 feet x 35 feet.

I have it separated into two rooms.

How To Keep Flowers Upright In A Mason Jar

Don't you just love to have fresh flowers in the house?

Hand picked from the garden, the woods, or even the grocery store...flowers are welcome any time of year.

One of my favorite ways to display them is in vintage blue mason jars.  I have purchased most at yard sales throughout the years.  

Anything looks better in a mason jar, right?

But sometimes because of the length of the stem or even the weight, they need a little help standing upright in the mason jars...

Dogwood Branches

I found a dogwood tree on our property the other day.

What a statement a few branches make on the mantel.

Beautiful flower.

Powerful story!

I love decorating with nature whenever possible.

Feed Sacks From Grandma

My Mom gave me some feed sacks.

What?

Yes, feed sacks!

There are some very pretty patterns.

But the best part?  They have a story that goes with them...

Using Nature To Decorate The Porch For Christmas

I had a vision for our front porch...

a simple country style, using nature for the Christmas decor.

So, I went for a walk in the woods to gather some cedar branches.

(Note to self:  remember to wear gloves so you don't have to wash in bleach from the itchies.)

DIY Glittery Snow Covered Branches

I've been playing with sticks again ;-)
and spray paint!

I love using natural elements in my decorating whenever possible.

Of course in the summer, there is always fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

The fall season offers colorful leaves, pumpkins, and pine cones.

Recently as the beautiful fall colored leaves disappeared leaving bare branches, I used those in my home decor adding some texture.

As the winter season approaches I am still using those beautiful sticks, but kicking them up a notch...

with glitter spray paint.

In The Meadow We Can Build A Snowman

In the meadow Coke crate we can build a snowman...vignette.

As I take down the Fall decorations and move toward Christmas decorating, I also incorporate Winter decor...things that can stay up all season long...even when the holiday decor is put away.

This vignette is one of those dual purpose decorating items.

Custom Painted Drawer Pulls

When I was making over my recent auction find I had a vision...

I wanted a dark stain to match the other antique pieces in the room, but I wanted to add a touch of color that would compliment the blue decor in my daughter's room.

A Cinderella Tale (Of A Dresser)

She spent years in the basement...

                    She gathered dust...
                                                    cobwebs...
                                                                     that musty smell...

Once a beautiful piece, I'm sure.
                                                 
                                                 She was...
                                                            forgotten.

Decorating With Sticks

Decorating with sticks...

isn't that a weird title?

Other titles in the running were...

Nature at it's best.

Decorating with branches.

Simple Autumn decor.

But, decorating with sticks won!

DIY Fall Art (using scrap book materials)

I like creating little pieces of  'art' for my seasonal decorating.

Adding little punches here and there, without spending a lot of money...that's my style.

I recently purchased a 12x12 frame for half off the original price.

That's the only investment I have in this project.  And I will use this frame over and over again, making it well worth the $10 that I paid for it.  ;-)

Fall Home Tour 2015

Welcome to my Fall home tour!

I am so excited to be sharing my home with you during my favorite season.