It’s a new year!

Happy new year to you and yours! How did you guys ring in the new year? Did you settle for a night in to watch movies and Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve? Or, are you a bit more social and ring in the new year with friends, family, and strangers by partying and shooting fireworks? No matter how you celebrated, I hope you rang in the new year in a way that suited you! We celebrated most of the night with friends, but then came home early because my husband’s wife isn’t much a of a night owl and likes the comfort of her own home, so I guess we had the best of both worlds! Even after a late night out though, I still forced by tired body out of the bed to go and worship the Lord. What better way to start off the new year than going to the Lord’s house to worship and give him praise for letting us see another year!

Like our church sign will be saying in the coming days {since I’m responsible for it}…

Jesus adds life to your years and years to your life!

To start the year off right and reflect on all that 2011 brought, I thought I might highlight some of the happenings that were documented right here on the blog and shared with each and every one of you. All of the original posts can be found by clicking on the pictures!

January {Raggedy Chair Makeover}

I took a dusty, nasty antique chair that my grandmother gave me and gave it a good coat of spray paint and reupholstered the seat. It now has a home beside the guest bed {until nightstands are placed there} to hold a basket of towels for guests.

February {Strawberry Trifle Recipe}

I shared this recipe that came from my great aunt, and it makes for an excellent choice of dessert for the one you love on Valentine’s Day!

March {Wedding Planning and Anniversaries}

This was the kick-off month of all wedding festivities that would be the focus of 2011. My sister began planning for her wedding AND my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

April {A Vacation}

To celebrate our anniversary a month in advance, Colby and I took a trip to Tennessee for some rest and relaxation. How many of you remember our near death experience with kicking horses on the downside of a steep mountain? I vote that the scariest moment of 2011.

May {Candy Land Birthday Party & Exterior Home Makeover Reveal}

My sister and I planned a candy land themed birthday party for my niece’s 3rd birthday party! It turned out to be a hit, and I can’t wait for this year’s extravaganza. All the details can be found from the linked picture below.

Then, I shared with you how much the exterior of our home has changed from before we moved in and renovated to the present. Big difference!

June {Two Makeovers and a Grade Change}

June was a busy month for me. I was attempting my first semester of graduate school {4.0 GPA}. I was changed from Kindergarten to 2nd grade at work, too. In the midst of it all, I still found time to share with you two room makeovers that had found near completion.

First, was the bathroom…

And then there was the kitchen….

July {The Month of Crafts}

Patriotic Wreath

Hospital Survival Kit

A Diaper Cake

August {Two New Recipes}

September {A Wedding and A Shower}

During this month, I tried my hand at throwing a Monograms and Mimosas shower for my very good friend, Andrea. For my first shower, I was pretty pleased.

Later in the month, we celebrated the first of four weddings for the rest of the year. We were all very proud of Kevin on that day!

October {The Month of Weddings and New Curtains}

While there were three weddings during this month, I only had the time and energy to blog about one. Andrea and Whitney tied the knot first in October, and this was the first of three weddings that I was actually in this month. Crazy month with lots of memories!

In house news in this particular month, I finally got curtains up in my kitchen.

November {Weddings Recapped & The Cough and Carry}

Coming down with a cold? Make yourself a cough and carry to reduce the getting up and down, so you can rest a little more.

But let’s not forget those weddings that I was a part of during the month of October…

Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Sheffield

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter Hobbs

December {Christmas Extravaganza}

So…I clearly didn’t finish the 12 days of Christmas that I had intended to pursue. Between Christmas festivities and other happenings that I’m not going to talk about just yet, it simply didn’t happen. By the time I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was look at a computer and blog. Rest is all I wanted. So, let’s just focus on what I did  get to post all the way to day seven. These are my favorites….

The Christmas Card Display

Burlap Garland

Burlap Wreath

Overall, I think 2011 was a pretty good year. I am excited about 2012, and I can’t wait to see what is ahead for Colby and myself this year. God has been good to us. He has blessed us in all that we do, and I give him all the glory for the wonderful life that we are able to lead. I’m not one for making new year’s resolutions. However, I do believe in thinking about ways I can improve as a person in all aspects of my life. Like the Junior Miss motto, we all just need to “be your best self”.

I’m hoping for a bigger and better year for the blog, too. Thanks for all of your support! I hope you all continue to read and gain something from this that I just consider to be a creative outlet.

P.S. I always put these cute fonts as headers, but I don’t think you guys are able to see them, which turns out making the blog look stupid. Let me know if you can see them!

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!