Countdown to Christmas

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Can you believe that Christmas is so close?

Avon Christmas plates found at garage sale.

Adding simple dollar store ornaments to existing pictures and mirrors
adds a festive touch for a minimal price.

Somehow I started by decorating a week before Thanksgiving, being ahead of the game with gifts and shopping, to being behind the 8 ball. Crazy how that happens!

Dollar tree wreath hung on mirror.

Ribbons and ornaments make the chandy festive.

Ornaments are the cheapest and easiest way to add Christmas cheer!

Our church is going through an Advent series and it has been great to learn more about the Advent season, what the candles stand for, and most of all, to learn to go through this season with Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

Glass decanters, pine cones, ornaments, and pine branches make a festive centerpiece.

Added some small, sparkly silver balls to glam up the pine cones.

Sharing a little bit of our Christmas cheer and wishing you all a most blessed and merry Christmas!

Buffet display.

Ornaments in an old vanity drawer add a rustic, festive glam.

Merry Christmas

Adding wreaths to existing decor adds instant glam.

Top of very large armoire.

Christmas tree

Linking up to:

 Pieced Pastimes 

It's Overflowin

 Be Different act Normal

 Silver Pennies

 Twigg Studios

 Stephanie Lynn

Three Mango Seeds

 DIY Showoff

Thoughts From Alice

Boogieboard Cottage ,

 Creatively Living

Just A Girl & Her Blog 

Pink When,

 Mod Vintage Life

The Dedicated House

Between Naps On The Porch

Dwellings-Heart of Your Home

Rain on a Tin Roof

Lou Lou Girls

 Remodelaholic

Surviving the Holidays and Keeping Your Sanity

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Can you believe there is only six weeks until Christmas? How did this happen, why we just got the leaves cleaned up in our yard and all the Fall yard work complete. But like it or not, Thanksgiving is in less than two weeks and Christmas just six weeks away. 

Before picture of crate. This was a gift, filled with goodies, for
my youngest son from his cousins

I believe that you can enjoy a stress free holiday season and do more than just survive, you can thrive! How? Easy.

Same crate, aged with leftover paint.

1. Make a list and check it twice. Remember you don't have to do everything and be everything to everybody. Decide what are your priorities and list those first. This should be a gift list and a wish list of 'to do' items and activities. Then list the 'if I have time' wishes. 
2. Finances -- don't forget to add your budget to the list and do. not. deviate. from. it. Yes, this can be hard. Especially when you see all those last minute gift ideas and displays. Don't let them tempt you! You will be glad you did not give in.
3. Stick to your list.
4. Don't be too hard on yourself. The most important thing about the holidays is time with your family not who has the most stuff or how much money you spend. If you have this mentality, your children will too.
5. Work together! Delegate Christmas duties. Share the baking. Let your kids do the wrapping and don't fret if the gifts are not wrapped perfect. Allowing your kids to take ownership of different aspects of Christmas will help them feel like they are giving back too.

Remember to keep the majors the majors, and the minors the minors and you will enjoy this holiday season!

Linking up this week to:

Inspire Me Monday at Domestically Speaking

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Making Monday at Grace Langdon ARt

Amaze Me Monday

Simply Christmas

Christmas is in the air, presents are wrapped. Lights are hung and tis the season to relax and enjoy! It sure has been hard to get into the Christmas spirit around these parts. No snow. Can you believe it? It was 50 degrees today on December 15 in Michigan. Geesh.

Bookshelf winter redo

A little bling for the cabinet.

Mind you, I do like snow but I don't L O V E snow. So, snow around Christmas and New Year's is great and then I am done. But seriously, nothing.

Fireplace mantel

Well, let's get movin' on to the 2011 Christmas Tour of Homes. Isn't it exciting?? On to the pictures. 



Red is my favorite Christmas color.
I just can't seem to get away from it.

Got this cute little lantern for $3, spray painted
it and added an ornament. Walah!

Ornaments are so cheap. These are all
Dollar Tree ornaments thrown into a
basket bought from Hobby Lobby on clearance.

A little rustic Christmas to the top of my linen
cupboard in the dining room.

Ornaments

What can you do with a plate charger for $1.99,
some dry moss, and Dollar Tree ornaments?

fireplace, mirror, wreath.

Love the reflections of mirrors.
They add so much light and space.

What's Christmas without reindeer? Oh, see the
little stand up plaque behind the reindeer?
$4. at a resale shop. S W E E T!

Joy. Nuff said.

Lots of moss and ornaments this year.





Adding more bling with ornaments.

Linking up to the following Christmas Tours:

The Nesting Place 2011 Christmas Tour of Homes

I'll be home for Christmas Party

Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive, 365

A Christmas Tour of Homes

Welcome to Holiday House Walk 2011

http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

A Room by Room Christmas Tour



A few of my favorite things...reviewing Christmas 2010

We are in the middle of our first real snow storm in Michigan. It's has rained all day, turned to snow and ice, and really starting to pile up. Might lead to our first snow day. I am sitting at a hotel in a city about an hour from my home for a work related event and getting ready to post pictures about my 2011 Christmas decorating. Wanted to review last year and see all the changes that I made for this year. Many of the changes simply involve using the same items in a different way. I love how easy it is to change up a room simply by moving some things around, changing furniture, spray painting something a different color. So easy yet so much change!

I definitely like to decorate a bit more 'winterish' and not so seasonal so that I can keep up most of my decorations up for awhile past the holidays. Snowman are one of my top favorite winter decorating items for sure and, where I live, we always have plenty of winter and plenty of snow!


Last year, I hung ornaments from the dining room chandellier, really enjoyed this look but haven't done it this year.

Silver and gold I have some. I love ornaments!! There are always great finds at Salvation Army or Dollar Tree for cheap and they look so great!

Painted the sign above this mirror a light beige and highlighted it in milk white glaze. Looks so o o oo much better!

My pine trees are up all year round, haha but they got banished to the basement rec room. No snow on them this year!

This was our Charlie Brown tree last year, decorated by my boys. This year, they lost interest and I am working on it. Night quite finished but close.

The reindeer flew the coop and landed and a beautiful new (to me) piece of furniture that I'm dying to show off (photos coming soon)

Wreath decorated mirror in living room

Bookshelves in office.

Can't wait to share what I did this year!

Ornaments galore.

Snowflakes hanging from my dining room windows

Merry Christmas

Dining room bookshelf display

Lights, ornaments, and red. What more do you need for Christmas?

Sparkly Christmas tree

Dollar Tree wreath looks rustic hanging from this shelf.

Let it snow....says it all. Well, let it snow until January.




Thanks for reminiscing with me! Looking forward to sharing my new, revamped for 2011, Christmas decorations!