A Touch of Christmas, decorating with ornaments

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The winter weather has finally hit and the snow and cold are ferociously attacking Michigan and it truly makes the Christmas holiday feel so much more special. And I have to say that it sure is inspiring to see all the gorgeous Christmas/holiday projects! I am not normally into the whole craft thing but I am certainly inspired to try. In fact, I just completed super easy homemade bath salt project here. This project was right up my alley!

Ornaments in normal everyday vases and
 containers instantly say Christmas.

There are many different ways to use ornaments to decorate for the holidays. Not the traditional, hang on the tree type of decorating. But thinking outside the box and using ornaments all around the house. Here are a few simple tips on decorating with ornaments.

Using ribbon, hang ornaments on mirrors and pictures
to add simple holiday cheer.

Ornaments hung from a chandelier add sparkle especially
 when the light is reflecting on them!

Ornaments reflect lots of light and
look great in glass containers!

Ornaments add sparkle to any container!

Hang an ornament on a mirror and light bounces
from the ornament and the mirror!

 

 

 

How do you decorate with ornaments?

Linking up this week to:
Treasure Hunt Thursday
fireflies and jellybeans: show off your stuff party
French Country Cottage Christmas Link Party

Candy Cane Bath Salts Made Easy

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I am known to take the easy way out whenever I can. I don't usually follow the rules and if I can find an easier way to reach the end goal, you better believe I'll take it! Such is my Homemade Candy Cane Bath Salts. I found many instructions that required several different steps and ingredients.

Instead of mixing Kosher salt, baking soda, epsom salts with peppermint oil and eucalyptus, I took the easy way out and bought Dr. Teal's Eucalyptus and Spearmint scented epsom salts.

 

 

 

I took half a bag and poured into a Ziploc bag then added drops of red food coloring until I was happy with the intensity of the tinted salts.

 

 



 

 

 

Then I poured the salts and layered the white and the tinted in Mason jars. Added ribbon, a candy cane, and some printed instructions. I don't actually think the instructions are necessary but it makes it look much more official!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was as simple as that and I have quick and easy homemade Christmas gifts!

 

 

Linking up this week to:

Knick of Time Tuesday

Be Inspired @ Elizabeth and Co.
Tutorials and Tips @ Home Stories A2Z

Share It @ The Winthrop Chronicles
Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home
French Country Cottage Christmas Extravaganza

 







Thanksgiving Tablescape on a Budget

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I'm sure this won't be the first Thanksgiving tablescape you've seen and it certainly won't be the last but I had to share my Thanksgiving tablescape that cost me pennies.

Eighty percent of what I used was pulled from other areas of the house. I then purchased 3 small squash, 3 red pears, and a small bag of pecans. Three because I will have 3 tables for Thanksgiving and need 3 tablescapes!

Then I just started building them until I liked what I had!
Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving!

Sharing this week at: 
Inspire me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
boogieboard cottage

naps on the porch: metamorphosis monday

keeping it simple: motivate me monday

 

Repurposed Bagels

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I probably shouldn't admit this but my ideas come from the weirdest thoughts. Seriously.

To make a bagel bird feeder, first cut the bagel in half.

Like, for instance, today as I was getting ready to pitch a day old bagel. Well, okay it was day old when I bought it which was probably a week ago. Let's not go there though.

Anyway, back to my story. So I'm getting ready to pitch the last uneaten bagel that, according to my oldest son, was hard as a rock. Then it hit me, I could reuse that bagel for something good.

Spread with peanut butter.

So I cut it in half, got out the peanut butter and spread it on the top. Dug in my pantry closet for some bird seed and sprinkled it over the peanut butter and pressed it in. Then I went downstairs and found some twine and cut off just the right length. Ran it through the bagel hole and tied it to the apple trees out front.

Add any bird seed.

The perfect bagel feeder! Well, so I thought. In face I was so excited I told my oldest son about it. You would've thought I took his last meal. How did I know that, even though the bagel was 'hard as a rock", he still planned on eating it?

Use twine, ribbon, jute to string through the
bagel hold and tie on a tree branch.

Hang from a tree and watch the
birds and squirrels!

Linking up this week to:

Redoux Linky Party
Grace at Home

Show And Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense

Frugal Friday @ Shabby Nest

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Expect the Unexpected

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All I did was make a quick stop at a garage sale. Not a big deal, right? I learned, long ago, how to power shop garage sales. I can scan a sale in less than 20 seconds and zero in on what interests me.

Although I usually have a list of things I am looking for, oftentimes the unexpected happens and something catches my eye that I am not planning on. Such is the case with a recent garage sale where I found this beauty.

$6.00 beauty

Now was I expecting this photo? Nope. Did it go with ANYTHING in my house. Not so much. But I couldn't pass this up! So I bought it and it sat in my basement all summer while I figured out what, and how, I was going to use it.  Such was the beginning of a new gallery wall.

So plan to expect the unexpected and it can open a world of exciting changes! 

Linking up to:

be different act normal

Free For All Party @ Five Days, Five Ways 
Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home
Any Link Goes Party @ Bacon Time With The Hungry Hungry Hypo  
Weekend WrapUp Party @ Tatertots and Jello 
Serenity Saturday @ Serenity You
Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors
Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different, Act Normal 



Visions of Fall

Don't you just love this time of year? Michigan has had an amazing Fall. 

Fall Mantel

Fall Hen

The colors have been super and the weather great! Traditionally, I start bringing out Fall decorations after the Labor Day weekend but it was hard this year because it was still summer in Michigan.

Garage sale candle stick, finally put to use!

The 'twig' trees are a year round staple at my house,
changed up each season with different accessories.

Sunflowers turned into a central theme
throughout most of the house.

In fact, mid October and my annuals are still in full bloom. Crazy!

Harvest banner only 4.99!

Love pumpkins, in all shapes and sizes!

Mums are traditional and plentiful!

In everything "Give Thanks"!

Dining room beauties!

Sharing my Fall Mantel and decorations this week at:

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Any Link Goes Party @ Bacon Time With The Hungry Hungry Hypo  

Serenity Saturday @ Serenity You

Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different, Act Normal 

nifty thrifty things

DIY showoffOverflowing with Creativity @ It's Overflowing 

Sometimes you have to go back to the drawing board

Sometimes you have to go back to the drawing board to turn your nothing into something.

The 31 Days Challenge is a perfect example. I have wanted to do this for the past three years but I could not imagine what I could write about for 31 days.

This year I was determined to try it. But I had nothing.

I kept mulling over ideas and chewing on thoughts. My first idea turned into my 4th idea and I was excited to think I had landed on the perfect subject. 31 Days of Color!

Wow, now wasn't that inspirational? Until I saw that someone had taken that same subject last year.

Back to the drawing board I went until I realized that the very nothing that was hindering me was the something that I could write about.

What do you do when your something turns out to be nothing?

Finding Your Happy Place

Everybody has a Happy Place. Even you do. You might not recognize it as such but it is that spot or that place where you can go where everything seems right and the world can stop revolving.

I love the outdoors. Whether walking through professional manicured
gardens like on our St. Louis trip, or working in my garden at home. Makes my world right again!

Oftentimes, when you feel like you have nothing left and you need to refuel, where do you go and what can you do? Go find your Happy Place.

Your Happy Place might be a certain location whether in your yard, at the local park. It might be a walk in the woods  or it might even be an activity. Maybe you are a painter and when you have that paint brush in hand, everything in the world seems right again.

So whatever it is or wherever you go that relieves the stress of life and rights the world, make that your first destination to turn your nothing into something once again.

Sometimes it requires inspiration

When you are feeling empty like you have nothing left to give you need a little inspiration.

Inspired by the beauty of historic homes.

Inspiration comes in many forms for different people. But all things are inspired by God.

You might find inspiration at a home tour or a garden tour like I did.

Sometimes you just need to get out there and find that thing that inspires you to help you turn your nothing back into something!

To read all 31 Days of Nothing.

Turning your nothings into somethings

 

Somedays I get so overwhelmed that I do nothing.

Yup. N.O.T.H.I.N.G.

Because I have so many somethings that those somethings lead to nothings.

That's when I need my nothing inspired by something.

Something that gives me direction and helps me to take those next steps.

So when I need my nothings turned into somethings I turn to the source of all somethings.

The Peace that passes all understanding that comes from my something with God.

Join me for the next 31 days as I share my thoughts on how to turn your nothings into somethings.

What inspires you?

I love inspiration and it comes from everywhere. Oftentimes when I least expect it and when I am least prepared. Yup.

Inspiration usually hits me at the worst possible moments. Moments when I am weeding my flower beds, or doing the laundry, or cleaning toilets. Toilets are so inspirational ya know?


So I had to think on this and wonder why the greatest of ideas come to me at the worst of times. Times when I can't capture my ideas to remember later. The answer? It was when I was doing everyday, routine tasks that don't require mental energy and my mind is free. Free to dream and plan and plot.

Sometimes though, I get inspiration from others. In fact often I do. So, when that happens and I am out and about and something I see hits my fancy, I snap a picture.

This is the picture of some art that I saw hanging in a cute little gift shop while on vacation in St. Charles, MO.

This was my inspiration. Hanging in all it's beauty in
a pricey little gift shop in St. Charles, MO

So I confidently go out to the shed and dig out some old fence boards, buy the perfect stencil from Hobby Lobby, mix some leftover paint into the perfect color and confidently start what I know is going to be my best project yet!

A few days later I have my biggest mistake yet!

 

 

 

 

 

A big mistake that turned into one of my best pieces!

 

Linking up this week to:

Grace at Home Imparting Grace 

Link Party #121 at Redoux Interiors 

Treasure Hunt Thursdays at From My Front Porch to Yours 

The Power of Paint Party