Project Christmas Present

I haven’t even ordered Landry’s birthday present, and I’m already planning his Christmas present.

After suggestions from a few BGSG readers, I started watching Fixer Upper on HGTV.

Fell. In. Love.

Wish they would let me work with them. Or style my house. Or just meet them.

If you’ve never watched it, you’re missing out. Seriously. Joanna’s style is perfect, and I may or may not lust over her farmhouse.

She fixed up an old ranch home that had elements in it that I simply adored. I’ll talk more on that later.

For now though, let’s focus on this cute little farmhouse kids table and chairs. As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed it for Landry and all of his future coloring escapades.

I think this would be totally doable and a perfect addition to my office. I’ve already figured out that I’m going to have to make an area for him if I plan on getting any work done.

All they did was make a table top and attach four cut off table legs. My crafty daddy can totally make this table if I provide the legs. I, of course, could stain and paint and distress it, so it can meet the style you all know I love.

So…all of you antique and junk store shoppers. Be on the lookout for four table legs and four children’s chairs. The chairs can be just like in the picture {two pairs of matching chairs}.

I’ve also got my dad on the toolbox creation like what’s on the table. He’s already made me one super cute barn wood one to hold mason jars full of flowers. I’ve got to get the mason jars, so I can show it off with my lovely lime light hydrangea blooms. Cross your fingers that those blooms will last until his birthday!

Hope you’re all having a terrific week! We’re looking forward to meeting two new babies in a matter of days! My best friend and my SIL are having babies possibly on Sunday and Monday. One in Pensacola. One in Auburn. They’re keeping me on my toes, but I can hardly contain my excitement about these new little bundles of joy! I can see now that this time every year will be busy with birthday parties. Stay tuned to see some cute babies coming your way!

P.S. Go check out Joanna’s blog at Magnolia. It’s worth your time.

Going a Different Route in the Christmas Card Dept.

Am I the only one who is late on Christmas cards this year? I almost opted out, but I seriously couldn’t allow myself to do that two years in a row. When it comes to Christmas cards, I’ve done it all. I’ve ordered online, I’ve bought from Wal-Mart, and I’ve {obviously} chosen not to send Christmas cards at all because I couldn’t get my act together. I really thought this year was going to be one of those years.

Christmas cards can be so pricey, and I did not have the moo-lah left in the bank account to be jumping the gun and going all out. With that being said, I went for an option I use frequently for other occasions, but never for Christmas cards. I went the DIY route, the print it yourself route, the cheap route.

How cheap? $10 cheap!

Seriously.

10 George Washingtons, and it was a done deal.

People, I tell you now that if you are not familiar with Etsy then you need to be. You can find tremendous deals, and most of the time you’re helping other women make a little extra money while they raise their family. It’s a win-win.

All you have to do is create an account. Type in printable Christmas cards. Search. Put a heart on your favorites. Browse your favorites list. Follow the shop owner’s directions and place an order. Wait 24-48 hours, and you’ve got yourself a Christmas card ready to print at home {or Walgreens or some other printing place if you are so led to spend more money}.

This year I went with a shop named OhDarlingPaper. I swear to you that I placed my order and a couple of hours later she emailed me my card. Seriously fast service! You even get to choose if you just want a jpeg or a pdf with the cutting lines already there!

In the end, I only spent $10 on Christmas cards. I already had the envelopes, paper cutter, stamps, and printer ready to go from other projects.

Wondering how it turned out? Look below!

I couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out. The owner of the shop is incredibly kind and helpful! I’m sure you can find something from her shop that will suit your needs. All of the photos above are samples of cards from her shop. How precious are those designs! Very classic designs!

I’ve had several people ask me about my printer. I scored a great deal at Office Depot on my printer a couple of years back. My printer is an HP Color LaserJet Printer CM1312nfi.It has earned its worth through my wedding and countless parties and showers. The only thing I wish it had would be a bypass tray.

Well, the next couple of days are going to be crazy busy, so I hope you all have a magnificent week full of Christmas joy!

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

It’s the most wonderful time, and it’s the busiest time of the year. However, it is my favorite time of the year. I may complain from time to time about going here or there, but I really do enjoy it all. Christmas makes the winter season so much more beautiful than it would be without all of the sparkling lights. I’m a sucker for driving down the streets just to admire everyone’s Christmas decorations. My favorites are the classic white light decorations, but I do get a kick out of seeing the Griswald family décor on the lawn.

On top of all of that, I love decorating for Christmas around the house, too. Since this year is our first time in the house for Christmas, I’m living and learning about what works and what doesn’t. I can’t wait until I can make this a two {big} tree house…one for the living room for all the passerbyers to see and one for the den for me to constantly admire. That’s a goal for next year. We’ll see if it happens.

For now though, this is a sample of the Christmas décor you’ll see when you take a stroll around the house. Nothing too major….just some simple ideas thrown together.

I hope you all are enjoying the Christmas season and remembering the true reason for the season!

{Trying} to Give Up on Perfection

About a week ago, I had a complete meltdown. Every encounter that people had with me probably consisted of me melting down of how there was no way I was going to be able to get everything done before Christmas. Most people would be concerned with the main things….buying gifts, putting up the tree, and maybe even figuring out what they were going to bring to this party or that.

You see, though, my list went way beyond that. When I was looking around at my house, all I was seeing were all of the projects on my to-do list that were not done or all of the things that I need to get to give the rooms a more completed look. That’s realistic, right? I would suppose so if we hit the lotto, or were self-made millionaires, or if we had all the time in the world to do all of those things all of the time. Even then….not so realistic.

In my conversations with a sub {and good friend} at school, my mom, my sister, and another co-worker and good friend, I made my case about how there was no way everything was going to get done. Then, I would remind myself that my expectations are impossible and totally ridiculous. After all, we just moved in the house in August. We’ve only be married two years. We don’t have some crazy triple digit income {not to mention the fact that I’m cheap}, and we work day in and day out {and I do not mean in the house….although that’s a never-ending job}.

In my head, all I could think of was all of the Christmas decorations that I wanted to put up and such with the reality in the back of my head. In the end, I compromised. I made myself a ridiculous list of things that wouldn’t cost me a dime {or not much moo-lah at all}. I marked things off as I completed then and felt terrific about my progress, and I tried to forget all of the things that weren’t getting done and weren’t going to. I also tried to focus more on the things that mattered most, my family and the true reason for the season.

I’m constantly at battle with my head and my heart. Sometimes I get too caught up in the worldly things when I should really be spending my time with my family and building a stronger relationship with God. I get too caught up in what people might think of me, and they probably don’t even give a hill of beans.

So, my house isn’t perfect, and if it were it would be boring. It’s never going to be “finished”. It’s going to be a constant work in progress.

Prepare yourself for tomorrow. I’m going to share some ways I’ve incorporated the Christmas season in my house and brought the beautiful creations of God right on in to remind me that He is the reason of the season and not the gifts and perfect presents that commercial America thinks it should be instead. I’ll also share some ideas I have for next year’s Christmas.

Typical me….always planning…….

Even a year in advance.

I hope you’re not as stressed as I’ve been. I’m teaching myself how to take a chill pill. I’m a work in progress.

Wanting to Break out the Camera!

Am I the only person who sees these 31 day challenges on Pinterest and thinks that it’s a great idea but then sees an ultimate fail?

I saw this list made by another blogger at A Content Housewife…

I thought it was a great idea, but I’m not sure how well I will do by posting each and every day.

The good news is that there’s not a rule that you have to break out your DSLR camera to take and upload these pictures.

Use your iPhone. I know I sure will on some days.

If you use Twitter, you can use the hashtag #ACHdecember to link your photos to the blogger who came up with this idea.

I’m going to at least give it a try! If you want to follow along with at least part of this December photo journey, join me on Twitter or Instagram at brennab52.

If you’re going to join in, let me know. I’d love to follow you as well! Hopefully, I can do a summary post at least once a week on my progress {or lack of}.

Hot Chocolate, Anyone?

I’ve seen all of these ideas lately to have a Hot Chocolate Party, and I still haven’t marked that off of my list of possibilities this year.

In the mean time, I thought it would be nice to have a place that is ready to go for anyone {including myself and Colby} who might want to indulge in a little hot cocoa.

This is something anyone can do! No special ingredients or homemade somethings! All store bought!

What could one need for a hot chocolate bar?

The cutest Christmas mugs you can find, napkins, instant hot chocolate packets, Hershey’s kisses, and mini candy canes.

So, come on by and have a cup of hot chocolate and good conversation!

Or, set up your own to offer your visitors on these chilly days.

It can be as complex or as simple as you want to make it.

It’s a great way to spread some Christmas cheer in the dining room or kitchen of you home.

Solving the Christmas Gift Guessing

Quite honestly, I know I’m probably not the only wife in the world whose husband has a difficult time buying for. My husband has such a difficult time because most of the things I desire have to be bought online since we come from such a small town. However, I wanted to have a little bit of a surprise this year at Christmas instead of the typical ordering & wrapping it all on my own. That’s where Pinterest came in!

In an effort to make it easier on my husband, I pinned some items to a special board. I pinned anything and everything that I could possibly want. After all, I don’t want to pin three items and basically know what I’m getting. Don’t get me wrong either. I’m not tying him down and forcing him to purchase any of these things either. It’s just my way of offering some help. He doesn’t want to spend money on something that I’m not even going to use, and I don’t want the excitement of Christmas to be taken away from me just yet.

The great thing about Pinterest is that you can go browsing websites and pin an item. Then, when your husband clicks on the link, it will take him straight to it and will take the guess work out of it. Don’t forget those coupon codes either! When you’re Christmas shopping online {or in store}, search for coupon codes or printable coupons before you buy! Don’t leave that little box blank! It’s there for a reason, and 9 times out of 10 you can find a code for at least free shipping.

Those are my Christmas gift ideas! Here’s another plus! If your family members ask you what you want for Christmas, you can direct them to the same board instead of just going blank and offering zero help to them. That’s the story of my life! I get asked 100 times, and I offer them no help.

With all of this being said, don’t think I’m not grateful for well-thought out presents or any gift at all. I feel blessed if someone even thinks enough of me to give me a gift. To be quite honest, my favorite part of Christmas is not receiving gifts, but I would rather give gifts. By far one of my favorite parts!

Want to know another favorite part of the Christmas season? 25 days of Christmas movies on ABC Family!

Sorry for skipping right past Thanksgiving! I promise I won’t do it too much, but I always seem to do my Christmas posts too late! Here’s to preparing for the season ahead, and I’ll be back with some other ideas later!

It’s That Time!

Guess what guys and gals! It is officially the time of year to create a shoe box and fill it full of goodies for a little girl or boy for the Samaritan’s Purse project. I hope to get this done today or tomorrow, so I can turn it in on time. Your shoe box must be turned in by Friday, November 16th. It’s a project that I take part in every year simply because I know that my contribution is going straight to a child that would likely be receiving nothing for Christmas. I know how much receiving random gifts makes me feel, and I’m much more fortunate than those little children. What makes it even more wonderful is that you can contribute your $7 online and track your box!

I’ve compiled a list of good ideas to include in a box:

If you need to know where to take your box to, click here and enter your information for a drop off location. You can click here to get your label & make your donation. Let’s join together and get the Christmas season started early by doing a good deed and making the day of a sweet, innocent child!

Remember….boxes must be in by Friday!

Update! I made my box, and it’s ready to go. I got all of my items from the Dollar Tree and packed it full. Here’s what I bought. Maybe it will give you some ideas!

Here’s a tip! Buy a $1 plastic tote with lid from the Dollar General. Then, it is something that they can use again instead of just a shoe box that will fall apart.

Now, it’s all packed up and ready to go for a 5-9 year old little girl.

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day Seven {A Curly Willow Tree}

Even after filling my apothecary jars and wire basket, I STILL had some ball ornaments left {thankfully, non-breakable}. From a previous fall project, I had some curly willow stuffed into a jar filled with pinecones and a burlap bow tied around it. Instead of doing away with it, I just tweaked it a little and made it a bit more Christmasy. All I had to do was add some ornaments in colors of red, brown, and green all over.

After finishing it, I must say that I like it. It had some more detail to my buffet while adding height as well.

Easy as pie, really! Another simple, cheap, and quick Christmas decoration. No one said decorating your house for Christmas had to be expensive!

Today is day one of two school days this week! I might possibly have some kid crafts coming up for one of the days of Christmas to share with you!

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day Six {Framing Free Printables}

Something that I find oh so easy at any time of the year is searching out some free printables on Pinterest to frame or just put throughout my house. I found two that I immediately fell in love with, and all I did was put them in white frames that I already had.

Hop on over to eighteen25 to print out the incredibly festive print shown above. She also has a banner that you might like as well.

At Christmas, we also need to be reminded about the true reason for the season, Jesus Christ, who was born unto us and later give his life to save us all from all of our sins. This is one of my favorite verses, and I really love how they made the words into a Christmas tree. I though it was the only acceptable spot for my nativity scene to sit.

I’m so grateful to have a nativity scene in my home, and I hope to have the one I really want.  I pray that over the years that my Christmas collection will really expand, especially for when I have children, so I can share with them daily why we truly celebrate Christmas. Some things on my wish list include a Jesse tree, an advent wreath, and a nativity scene.

Anyhow….if you want the printable above, you can slide on over to Adventures of  a Betty Crocker Wannabe to download the printable that she made.

I’ve found many more cute printables that I hope to use in years to come. If you’d like to see them, check out my Holiday Décor Pinterest Board for suggestions.

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day Five {What to do with Leftover Ornaments}

If you’re like me, you have bought some cheap ornaments in the past and either didn’t use them on your trees this year or just had some left over. Since you’ve already drug them out of storage because you had no idea what was in the gazillion totes that you knew had Christmas stuff in it, you might as well put them to good use.

After I finished decorating my biggest tree, I used all of my leftover ornaments {a.k.a. the ornaments that had hooks missing} in my bedroom by putting them in the apothecary jars that were just sitting empty. That room deserves a little Christmas spirit, too. What’s even better is that the ornaments coordinate with the décor in there, so it’s just as if they are a part of the room.

See? That took all of two minutes, and now you have less to haul back into storage until it’s time to undo all of the Christmas décor that we all put up for this short length of time each year. Don’t get me wrong though. I don’t regret one bit. Each stand of ribbon, each ornaments, and each wrapped present under my tree to be given to others brings me joy and gratitude for this wonderful life.

Now, what do I do with all of the ornaments left over from a previous year’s themed tree? I throw them in a wire basket that I picked up from the trusty Wal-Mart.

Voila! I instantly have Christmas decorations just by adding it to my entryway table.

Who said Christmas decorations have to be hard work?

Missed the Twelve Days of Christmas so far?

Catch up here at Day One: The Burlap Garland.

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day Four {A Card Holder}

It seems that this time of the year brings me great joy, especially when I go to check the mail. Nothing makes me happier than to go to the mailbox and see a handwritten envelope addressed to my husband and I. I immediately scope out the handwriting to notice if it is one that I recognize. I then try to identify that return address with someone that I am familiar with. When I finally get to opening it, I can hardly contain myself.

It’s always so nice to get to see everyone’s choice of card, whether it be an updated photo of them and their family or just a card that they selected themselves that reflects their personality. I must admit that my favorites are the photo cards, but I enjoy each and every one that I have the pleasure of opening. Unfortunately, Colby and I have not had the opportunity to make a photo, so we haven’t ordered any Christmas cards. Be on the lookout for our New Year’s cards instead.

Last year, I just wasn’t sure how I wanted to display my Christmas cards, so I just added them to the bulletin board that I made. This year though, I wanted them to be where I could see them each and every day. After all, I am so very thankful that each and every one of these people are in our lives. Thanks to Pinterest, I solved my problem.

What’s the one place that we all must go everyday? The kitchen.

This is a very simple and cheap solution to my problem.

All it requires is some sturdy ribbon of your choice, some tape, and some clothespins. I simply used some velveteen type ribbon that I bought one year after Christmas for like 50 cents a roll.

All you have to do is attach the ribbon with some tape to the inside of the cabinet door on the top and bottom. Then, strategically place  the clothespins. I alternated mine from one side to the other.

The good news is…

You can add more ribbon to other doors if more cards keep coming in the mail. Wouldn’t that be a blessing to receive so many cards that you must keep adding ribbons to accommodate them.

Now, I must apologize for the late posts. Because of this busy life I’ve taken on {more so around this time of year}, I just haven’t had time to sit down and compile a post. Therefore, tomorrow and possibly the next day, you should expect two posts in one day to make up for lost time. Lesson learned….don’t decide to do a 12 Days of Christmas so close to Christmas. Instead, start the day after Thanksgiving. No worries though. I’ll push through somehow.

Merry Christmas!

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day Three {A Galvanized Tree Stand}

For the past two years, my daddy has made the sacrifice and lent me his galvanized wash tub. You see, at Christmas, I use it instead of a tree skirt. I’m not a tree skirt hater or anything. I am picky though….and maybe a little on the cheap side. All of the tree skirts I want seem to be $50 plus dollars, which I am sure is worth it to some. For me though, I’d rather spend my money on more important things. After all, the tree skirt gets covered up with presents all around it anyway….or at least I hope it does.

When I saw this idea in a magazine, I knew immediately that this was the ticket for my tree. It fits in so beautifully. Truthfully, the magazine suggested that you use a galvanized tub and fill it full of water to supply a real tree’s thirst, which is a really terrific idea except for the fact that I have never and will never buy or put up a real tree inside my house. My house is dirty enough as it is without the help of a tree shedding everywhere. That’s beside the point though.

Instead of using it for that reason, I just used it in lieu of one of those fancy-shmancy tree skirts. I’ve been satisfied for the past two years, and really that’s all that matters when it all comes down to it.

In other news, my husband is officially done with his Advanced EMT class that he has been traveling for for nearly the past six months. Praise the Lord for getting him through and for giving me a bit more patience! Now all he has left is his registry. Pray for him in the coming weeks as he prepares and studies for this doozy of a test.

AND The countdown until Christmas break is…..

 8 days {including the weekend}

Oh, and if you missed the previous two days, you can click below to check them out:

Day One: Burlap Garland

Day Two: Burlap Wreath

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day Two {Burlap Wreath}

Noticing a trend yet with the Christmas decorations? Burlap is holding a strong presence in my household this year. I love its simplicity, yet classiness!

When I saw a wreath like this on Pinterest, I new that I needed to make one of my own. Instead of following a tutorial from one of those websites, I decided to just wing it.

I ordered some 9” wide burlap and bought the red plaid ribbon from Joanne’s. For the base, I used a wire wreath form, and I used some leftover floral wire to weave my burlap.

The trick to this wreath is not trying to make it look uniform. Just like the burlap garland, you want to fold the fabric back and forth. I cut my roll of burlap into smaller lengths, so it would be easier to handle. Attach your floral wire to the wreath form and weave the burlap onto the floral wire. Do not put the wire in the same place on each fold. I alternated mine by putting it in three different spots {front, middle, back}. For each smaller section, I would attach it to the wreath form and start the process all over again.

In the end, it ended up looking like this:

 

For the bow, I used a tutorial from Save-On-Crafts. I’m not the best bow maker, so I had to settle for what came of it.

As of right now, I am painting a letter for our last initial to add to it. We’ll see how it turns out. When it’s all complete, I’ll share it with you. I must say that what I love about this wreath is that I can change out the bow and use it for any time of the year! Very versatile!

On a different note…..

How is your Christmas shopping going? I actually did 90% of mine online, and I feel much more sane because of it. Are you a planner or a last minute gal? Usually, I’m a last minute gal, but this year I decided to keep my sanity and plan out everyone’s gifts {except for two}. Anyhow…I’m glad to know that I am done with all of that madness, and I can now enjoy the true meaning of the season.

Can I also bring to your attention that Christmas break is in such close proximity that I could squeal?!?! The count down is on!

I hope you all are enjoying your week!

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Day One {Burlap Garland}

For some crazy reason, I am committing myself to a Twelve Days of Christmas series. In the next twelve posts, you’ll find some of my favorite Christmas decorating ideas that I am using this year throughout my home. I haven’t been quite as extravagant with my Christmas décor this year since there will be no friends or relatives coming here for parties or visiting. It’s taken some of the stress off, but in some ways I wish they were coming, so I would be forced to go all out!

To start off, I would like to share with you the burlap garland that I created to go on my biggest Christmas tree this year. It’s super easy to make, but I warn you that it is more time consuming than one would believe it to be. I must say that I really love it though, and it really adds that little something that my tree was missing last year.

 

Here’s What You Need:

At least 2 –3 yards of burlap

Tan yarn

Large needle

Here’s What You Do:

1. Cut the fabric into 2” wide strips for the length of the fabric.

2. Fold the fabric in a back and forth motion.

3. Feed the yarn-threaded needle through the center of the burlap.

4. Tie it up at the end.

5. Weave through the tree.

For now, this is all you get to see of the tree. The rest of it will come in time. Be patient, and let me know what you think of each project.

These are a few of my favorite things…

We all have them….those special ornaments that you carefully unwrap and hang on your Christmas tree each year.

At my house, I have two trees. The biggest and the best is the artificial tree that stands tall and proud while beautifully lit in front of my window for all of the passer-byers to see. Then, there’s the table top tree that I’ve had for years that isn’t quite as pretty of tree, but it serves its purpose.

The biggest and best tree is adorned with white, silver, and light blue ornaments with a bit of burlap tucked in {more on that later}. It’s my themed tree that I am adding on to each year with a new ornament here and there, bow, or garland. The ornaments on this tree are all new, but I still have a few favorites. The newest and most favorite on this tree right now is this angel that was gifted to me by my mother-in-law this year.

Ignore the blue spiral coming through it. It’s not part of the ornament…..just one of those curly-q things that I stick all around and through my tree.

Some more favorites from this tree are below…

Now on to the table top tree….

It may not be the star of the show, but it holds a special place in my heart because it holds all of the ornaments that have been passed down to me from my mom and grandmothers. This year I picked all of the white and red ornaments out {for the most part} to put on it, and I lit it with white lights as well. It adds a lot of ambiance to my dining room as it sits on the buffet, and I can’t help but love it!

Of all of the ornaments that I have, my most favorite ornaments of all time are the ones below. When I was younger, my mom bought me a porcelain doll, and her name was Virginia. With it came these ornaments that told the sweetest story that included a question that I seem to get asked a lot here lately. 

The first ornament is the picture of Virginia writing a letter to the editor, and on the back it contains the letter that was really written to the New York Sun.

On the second is a picture of Santa Claus, and on the back it contains a portion of the letter that was written back to Virginia in 1897.

I did a quick bit of research on Virginia O’Hanlon and her letter to the editor. That’s how I discovered that the editor’s response on the back is merely a portion of what was written in the article that day. Here is the real clipping, and I truly encourage you to read it.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

I’ll be back soon with some more ideas on Christmas décor!

Preparing…

I know this may sound a little crazy, BUT I’m preparing for Christmas.

You’re thinking, but we just got done with Christmas!!! You have so much time to get ready.

The truth is that I really don’t. I have found this accent plate that I would L-O-V-E to add to my collection of fine china {Lenox Opal Innocence}. I do not want to store another set of china just to break it out at Christmas.

It would take up too much room, and that is room that I don’t have.  I’m preparing now though because these plates are not cheap, and I don’t have all the $$$ in the world to just go out and buy them.

I’ve either got to save up for some of them, OR I can buy a few at a time.

I would really love to have these for next Christmas, and I think that:

I can wait for them to be on sale like they are now + add a coupon in there + free shipping= One happy girl at Christmas

P.S. You can click on the photo to see more about these plates.