Christmas Time

I love the fresh green tree when we first bring it in the house. It is nice to just be

thankful to Mother Nature and the hard working tree farmers.

Then the lights go on, and they are plentiful! For a few days the tree just sparkles with the lights, and nothing else. After that the ornaments are put on. This year there are even fewer, just simplicity. 

Simply White and Silver,

Icicles and Snowflakes. 

Thank you to Christmas Tree Farmers for

a  Real Christmas Tree! 

Christmas Angel ~ Shine a Light

There is no unique story about finding this Angel, or of it being a special gift. But she helps to get me in the Christmas Spirit each year. I know you've read many heartwarming stories about Christmas ornaments. Hallmark tries hard to make it seem like you need a new one each year.  This Angel has no such story. She came from a store maybe 10 years or more ago. Every Christmas she shines a little light in our home. That's all there is to her story. Maybe that's all any of us need to be. Wishing you Light.

Rescued and Found Puppy Day... Almost Here!

Not that I would ever spoil a puppy dog, but Cody Bear has a few days when we celebrate just him. Oct 13th is his birthday, and he thinks that's a big deal. If you start singing Happy Birthday, to anyone, on any day, he starts looking for his presents. 

On December 26th, the day after Christmas he found my sweet daughter and me when we drove by a dog rescue event at Petco.  My daughter had decided that since she had bought her own home, it was time for a dog. And Cody Bear was just waiting for her.  So December 26th is Found Puppy Day. Cody likes this day as well, and you know, he kind of gets a few presents that day too.  

But he was actually home yet.  We had to wait until December 31st for him to arrive. And of course that day is very special and is Puppy Come Home Day! Crazy dog people, we have definitely joined the tribe wholeheartedly. And our whole hearts is what he owns.  

Even Christmas decorating sometimes is influence by our love of dogs. There a few of the bottle brush dogs included, and one always has a curled tail in honor of Cody Bear. 

There are great national charities that help dogs and cats, but remember to check your local charities as well. One that I discovered this year which is not local to me, but very special is Muttville. Senior dogs are the first to be eliminated. Not many people go looking for a senior dog. Muttville has excellent charity ratings and right now, there is matching funds for donations. 

Also the Petco Foundation is one the best for helping dogs and cats. Again excellent charity reviews. 

Everyday I am so thankful that Cody found us and agreed to be a rescue dog. To all of you who have rescue dogs, thank you so very much!

(The bottle brush dogs were purchase a  while back from Pottery Barn. They still sell the same pup only the new one is carrying a Christmas tree on his back. It is only available in the store. )

Pottery Barn Wreath Pillow Knock-Off ~ Christmas Winter Decor

After pining for the Pottery Barn Wreath Pillow for awhile, I saw there had been a few copycat knock-offs. None where quite what I was looking for. Even the Pottery Barn version was the reverse of the colors I that I really wanted.

At first it seem the easiest solution was to just buy the one at Pottery Barn, and it was very pretty with the white background and greige leaves as you can see from the picture below. But it wasn't the combination that I really wanted and the pillow was also smaller than the size I needed.

What was more appealing for my decorating colors was to have a greige cotton/linen background and white leaves and berries. The one I made which is pictured next, is the color scheme more to my personal taste.  It is a 16 inch square and of course you can make it larger or smaller to your own liking.

I spent more time running around trying to find the leaves pre-cut than it took to just cut them and make the pillow. And while I was out hunting, I didn't realize at first that I wanted white leaves, so it was good I never found any. Afterwards I did see pre-cut leaves for sale. But since I have no patience, I wouldn't have waited for them to arrive anyway.

If you were thinking that pillow looked pretty simple to make, you were right! Give it a try. I like that my leaves are a bit larger/thicker. But you can make them however you like. One of the things you'll notice on the Pottery Barn version is that there is a stitch down the center for a vein look. The only thing I might do differently is to choose a beige colored thread so that the veins show up a little more.  But it is one of things that really makes the pillow look great.  I'm very happy with it and it was made from  simple unbleached cotton linen cotton, and a couple of 35 cent squares of white felt for the leaves.

** Tip: Do not use hot glue to attach the leaves and pom poms. Hot glue dries hard, makes a stringy mess while gluing this many things, and it's really easy to burn you fingers with little pom poms. :) There are several different brands of Fabric Glue made just for a project such as this.

See Y'All Soon~
Donna

Christmas Decorating with Lime Green

 

A few years ago,  I used some lime green with my Christmas decorating. As I unpacked the boxes this year, I began to fill a  couple of empty boxes with ornaments and everything else. I want to simplify. But Christmas is really a hard to time to do that. So now I am second guessing about giving away all those lime green pretties. They are such a nice complement to silver and gold, and also black and white. 

I still  love that large Mercury glass acorn. None of the Mercury glass decorations have gotten tired or old to me. The sparkle is still very Christmas shiny and bright. So off to GoodWill before I start taking things out of those boxes. Have a Happy Day!

White & Silver Christmas Mystic Centerpiece - Inspired by Mythic Nest Anthropologie

In 2009 Anthropologie showed a wonderful Christmas decoration that they called the Mythic Nest Tree topper. It did look like the fairies might have created it. I missed it in 2009, and  the knock-offs appeared in Blogland. After seeing it pop up somewhere a few weeks ago, my searching led me to the company which had actually made it for the store. They called it a crown nest. Which made sense as well. The funky natural kingdom meets glitter world was intriguing.

After filing away the image for a while, it kept coming back in my mind how much I loved certain elements, especially from the original ones. So I set out to make my own version that went with the colors and feeling of our Christmas decorating.

The base is a simple cream/white bleached bottle brush wreath that I used as the crown/nest. I added some sparky eyelash silver yarn, and other things that mimic the colors of my favorite found nest. I had a found an abandoned bird nest which the Momma bird built in something that looked like cotton from a field, very soft, fluffy and cream colored, do I also add some yarn was the same color she used in an eyelash style with a tiny bit of gold woven in.

The glittered branches came from a  craft store, and they are glittered better than I could have done with homemade, although you could do that yourself. A few pearl and silver balls adds to the sparkle of the crown, and dried sticks from the outdoors completes the nest look.

Mine turned into a centerpiece for the dining room table with a tall candle in the center. This should be really easy to change a little each year if you decided you wanted a little change.

Fall to Christmas Handmade Decorations - DIY Magnolia Leaf Candle

How to Make a Charming Magnolia Leaf Wrapped Candle:

Christmas Merry and Bright with a Pretty Pottery Barn Style Pillow

Now that it's almost the beginning of December, Christmas decorating will be in high gear for most of you. Here is a simple and pretty pillow that you can make for yourself, or it would make a wonderful gift as well. It is styled after a Pottery Barn pillow that is no longer available, but you can make your own!

Click here for the directions:

Pottery Barn Style 

Christmas Wreath Pillow Tutorial

See Y'All Soon~

~ Christmas - A Time of Giving

The Joy of Giving. This year more than ever, I hope that it is a time of giving and showing compassion.  We can never really know what the next few years may hold for us, but we do know that when we open our hearts and give, it makes us feel wonderful too. 

It becomes a bit of a countdown this time of year, finding the last gifts, wrapping presents, planning meals or trips. Maybe you research charities for a lovely end of the year gift where it is needed.

Whenever I see lots of presents all wrapped up, it makes me think of what a great time of the year it is to remember some of the best charities who depend on us to help them do their work. 

Please consider checking Charity Navigator to see how a particular charity spends the money that is donated. You can check to see how the CEO of the organization is paid and if they are paying a good portion of the donations to professional fundraiser companies. Both are red flags that may make you give you money to a more worthy charity.  Sometimes it might surprise you to see exactly where your money goes. Just because a group calls themselves a charity doesn't mean that they really are doing much charity work at all.

Most people who do the research will also tell you to look in your own home town, maybe first. The cancer centers, or centers for women and children in your area may have more need than the ones you see on TV all the time and may well make better use of your money and gifts. There are homeless shelters, pet rescue groups, charities that take care of those in need everyday, right where we live.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

Peace on Earth ~ Merry Christmas

~ Happy Holidays - Merry Christmas!

~ Wishing you a very Merry Christmas ~

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ Tis' the Sunday Before Christmas ... White Christmas Decorating

 

Tis' the Sunday before Christmas and all through the house ......

there are still many things to do, but thank goodness no sight of a mouse!

The white angel is sitting on a side table in the living room with lots of Mercury glass 

and silver ornaments along with the pretty Mercury glass Christmas trees. They reflect

light so beautifully. A few fresh greens, pinecones, candles and a vintage silver 

bowl with ornaments and it was simple and lovely.

I'm getting ready to do a little baking! And since it looks like rain for the next 2 days

that makes it the perfect time to do that. Can you smell the cookies? 

You know there will be chocolate chip, and some gingerbread too

for Sweet Daughter and Cody Puppy.

I hope your week ahead is stress free and full of good cheer!

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ Christmas - Counting the Days

It becomes a bit of a countdown this time of year, finding the last gifts, wrapping presents, planning meals or trips. Maybe you research charities for a lovely end of the year gift where it is needed.

Whenever I see lots of presents all wrapped up, it makes me think of what a great time of the year it is to remember some of the best charities who depend on us to help them do their work. 

Please consider checking Charity Navigator to see how a particular charity spends the money that is donated. You can check to see how the CEO of the organization is paid and if they are paying a good portion of the donations to professional fundraiser companies. Both are red flags that may make you give you money to a more worthy charity.  Sometimes it might surprise you to see exactly where your money goes. Just because a group calls themselves a charity doesn't mean that they really are doing much charity work at all.

Most people who do the research will also tell you to look in your own home town, maybe first. The cancer centers, or centers for women and children in your area may have more need than the ones you see on TV all the time and may well make better use of your money and gifts. There are homeless shelters, pet rescue groups, charities that take care of those in need everyday, right where we live.

I still had a couple of details shots of the mantel to share with you. You know the Mercury glass crown is an old favorite of mine. I will let you all know if I ever see any again.

I am really enjoying the old antiqued gold frame again this year. Funny how you get tired of something and then sometime later it appeals to you again. Unfortunately, that makes me think what a good idea it is to save things! Which of course can make you into a  pack-rat. I'm working on that.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ Oh ... Christmas Tree ~ The Decorated House 2014

For the last few years I've wondered if I can do without the big Christmas tree. You know, maybe a small one on a table so something like that. I've watch how the Christmas tree trimming story played out with the older women in my neighborhood as their kids grew up, or even the grandkids grew up .... and maybe even some moved away. I think by the time I met them only one still had a larger, real Christmas tree that her daughter used to pull in the house on Christmas eve.  Another lady would still put a small artificial tree on a table in her front window and red bows on her outdoor lights, even though she lived alone.  I miss her, and that silly little tree and the red bows.

For this year, there is still a big tree in the living room. Right where it has been for the last 30 years. I like to think my little family would miss seeing one there, but I'll most likely rethink the whole thing once the needles start falling, or I am wrangling the lights off the tree. Sometimes I forget to just let that be a part of the fun as well. 

But I never forget to enjoy the dance of the lights in the evening when all is quiet after a long or busy day. Somehow it brings you back to a peaceful moment and makes it seem worth the work it takes to put it all together. 

I hope your Christmas Season is going well and that you are creating beauty and joy all around you. 

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ The Decorated House - Christmas 2014

It's that holly jolly time of the year again when you most likely get bitten by a bug ... the Humbug or more hopefully the Christmas Merry Bug! And yes, there seems to be some in between states of mind as well. Or you might flip from one to the other one day to the next. That's OK, just try to take a little time to breath in the beauty of the season and shake off the stress that sometimes comes with it.

Black and white at Christmas? It might seem like an odd color combo for Christmas decorating. But we have been using it for a while, and I still love it! I think it started for us several years ago when we got a Bambi, Radko ornament set with Flower and Thumper being the cutest of the lot. Flower of course is black and white/silver so that one has been displayed the most over the years. But it was the star that came later that really moved the color scheme to black and white.

 

Then a couple of years after Flower came to Christmas,  I found a pretty MacKenzie Childs star to add to the decorating mix. A few more, including one more star, came along in the next few Christmases. After a couple of tree crashes that destroyed a lot of the overpriced ornaments, I vowed not to get anymore. Out of all those glass ornaments, the stars are the only ones on the tree every year and I still love them!  The amount of lime green varies a bit year to year sometime a little more and sometimes a little less.  Still the Christmas decorating for me is white and silver with touches of black and remains my favorite combination with a touch of lime green.

Amazing to me, the presents are getting wrapped a bit early this year! Between procrastinating and trying to hide the gifts from my daughter, over the years I always seemed to be playing catch in on Christmas Eve, often everyone was in bed. This year I have a very good start on the packages which are going to be wrapped in white and silver, with black and lime green accents.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ Christmas Mantel 2014 - The Decorated House - White and Silver

How is your Christmas decoration coming along? Here is a quick peek at the mantel this year, and I'll post some more pictures when they are downloaded and ready.  I hope you are enjoying this part of Christmas ....  decorating, visiting and sharing your own.

After doing the mantel I remembered telling myself not to use fresh greens because it is such a mess to clean up afterwards. It was too late by then of course.  In this case I don't mind using the faux because I keep it and use it for many years,  and the snow capped greens on the mantel ledge are faux with some real added here and there. But around the frame, real look best right now.

I took fresh greens and wired them together to form a garland around the frame of the Madonna picture. It's such a beautiful painting isn't it? I printed it out on antique paper from the late 1800's which gives it a wonderful aged look.  Although I used the same picture last year, I changed the frame to add some aged gold to decorating this year. 

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ White Christmas Time

It was Christmas tree shopping time this weekend for us,  and this year's tree is awaiting its adornments. The next couple of days will be happily spent listening to Christmas music and deciding what do this year. My guess it will still be the same neutrals of lots of white with silver and Mercury glass with a dash of color. Time to get the boxes in and see what surprises I'll find that I completely forgot about having stored away.  Hope your week is going wonderfully, too!

If you would like to see how the finish was created on this 

vintage frame with the Madonna, click HERE.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ Christmas ~ Bless The Animals and The Ones Who Love Them

 

We were blessed a few years ago with a rescue puppy who found us right after 

Christmas as many of you know. Probably because he came to us so close to this 

beautiful holiday, it is easy to remember to help out some incredible 

dog rescue people this time of year. The work they do day in and day out is amazing.

The world is certainly a better place for them.

Please consider making a donation to one of your local dog or 

animal rescue people, or organizations this time of year. 

You can save a life!

The cute bottle brush - sisal dog came from Pottery Barn last year. Since they are 

wire and sisal, it was easy for me to curl his tail a bit like our Cody Bear's tail is. 

He also got  some dry brushing of white paint to make him a little whiter.

Our lab mix puppy grew up to keep his pretty white color and the 

white paint made this one look more like our pup. 

And he goes perfectly with the bleached bottle brush trees. 

I hope you are enjoying this wonderful holiday

season. Slow down and eat the cookies and 

kiss your loved ones!

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ How To Bleach Bottle Brush Trees for Christmas Decorating

Have you fallen in love with these wonderful little bottle brush trees? I haven't seen them in their natural state of creamy off-white in stores, although they can be ordered on-line. However for just a few cents, you can create your own because you can change them very easily. 

The first ones I saw a couple of years ago were vintage, but today you can find them new as well.

The trees on the left are how I found them. They are sold for using in those little villages people put up especially during Christmas time. Look in the area  where you can buy the miniature houses and furnishings and that's where you find those strangely colored blue green trees.

I started bleaching them a couple of years ago, and I haven't seen anyone coming up with a newer idea.  It's all the same very simple process. After they are bleached you can use any kind of dye to make them another color like pink or aqua if you wanted to. Or just leave them pretty and natural.

HOW TO: This is all you need to know! 

~ How to Make a Pottery Barn Style Pillow with Christmas Wreath - DIY

Handcrafted Christmas Decorating Ideas:

When I first saw the Pottery Barn Pillow, I was smitten. There had been a few copycats and knock-offs but none where quite what I was looking for. Even the Pottery Barn version was the reverse of the colors of what I wanted. So of course, it's time to make your own!

Click HERE For Directions: 

How to Make a Pottery Barn Inspired Wreath Pillow

See Y'All Soon~