My Christmas Mantle: Snowflakes & Candy

Seeing as it's just about two weeks to Christmas, I finally pulled my Christmas mantle together.  I decided to keep the frames I used for fall as that's really too many holes in the wall to deal with after only one season, and I really do like the frames.  So I added some Christmas elements, deciding that they would be be nice backdrop from some hanging snowflakes.

It's been years since I've made any and I had so much fun.  I looked on Pinterest to find these extremely easy-to-follow instructions put together by Kerli.  It truly is a quite a thrill to unfold each one and discover the design you've somehow managed to make.

I hung them up using red twine.

The red twine answered the red and white peppermint candies I filled my jars with.

I loved using these jars as a way to incorporate the turquoise I'm using in my decor this year, and the peppermint candies were a happy, inexpensive way to add color.   They were the only thing I spent money on for the mantle.  These here represent about two big bags of candy - I could've used at least 3 but they were out at the store.  My kiddos loved helping me unwrap them.

 For a wreath, I hung up this little number that I've used for years as table center piece with a candle in the middle.

 Overall I'm happy that I kept it simple: paper, candy, and leftover from the Christmas decorating bin.  Kind of shows what you can do when you already have good bones - or frames - to work with. 

 I hope very much that you have a lovely weekend

and take some time to enjoy this beautiful season. 
I'm off to turn on the Christmas music, light a mistletoe candle, make some muffins for breakfast, and enjoy being Home.

{Linking to Southern Hospitality & Home Stories
& Bowl Full of Lemons}

My Favorite Christmas Decor Yet

Truth be told, I'm not a natural "crafter".  As I mentioned on Monday, my sister just gave me my first officialish craft supplies last year.  I'm finding that I love it, but it's all pretty new.  And when it comes to crafting with my kiddos, I just don't naturally think to do it.   And when I do think about it, I feel like I never have a good idea or the right supplies. 

All that to say that when "Make a Christmas Craft" came up for our Advent Calendar activity I could have easily made it a big deal. But I didn't! When I was at the grocery store I picked up a bag of cotton balls - they were probably more expensive than getting them at Wal-mart, but I was all about making this happen as simply as possible.

I already had glue at home.

And construction paper.

 And three reasonably willing children. 

Cotton balls + construction paper + glue + 3 kiddos =  3 Merry Cotton Ball Snowmen

 And we hung them on the side of the refrigerator. And I love them.

Our frig is in the very center of our home so I see them from my desk, when I come down the stairs, walk in the kitchen or sit on the couch.  I had just cut out eyes and noses for them, but my kiddos insisted on adding a smile - so glad they did. These merry snowmen always cheer me up.   I know it's silly and even a rather sad, but these snowmen represent a triumph for me -  I crafted with my children.  I kept it simple.  I made it happen.  And though it wasn't perfect, it was good and little fun, and I could do it again.  

  This is seriously my favorite bit of Christmas decorating we've done yet. 

Simple Lovely Gift Wrapping Station

I love pretty packaging.  It can make even the humblest gift feel special. 

I'm not, however, particularly fond of the wrapping part or the mess of lots of supplies. 

Wrapping takes a long time, so I set out this year to make the job as simple and pleasant as possible.

This little trunk was made for me by Sister and Handy Andy for my birthday last year.  It was to be my "Crafting Trunk".  Sister had thoughtfully filled it with all sorts of helpful crafting supplies in nice little labeled bags and boxes.  
Since then my supplies have outgrown the space, so I turned it into my little Wrapping Station.

 

The trunk was from Hobby Lobby, but Andy fitted it with dandy little ribbon rod.  So clever - certainly one of my favorite gifts ever. 

 My goal was to keep my supplies as simple as possible...but still lovely, of course.

Here's my Christmas Ribbon picks.  All of this ribbon is from Hobby Lobby, found in the regular ribbon section {not the Christmas aisles, so even if your Christmas aisles are picked over - like ours our - you can still find some lovely "holiday ribbon"} I picked ribbon that matched my Christmas decor.  The twiney string on the end is also from Hobby Lobby - I found it in the shelf by the registers.

I love using real ribbon.  It can be reused again and again.

 And beautiful ribbon makes the simplest wrapping paper pop.  I'm using plain brown wrapping paper for all my presents this year.  This keeps me from having rolls and rolls of Christmas paper to store all year long.  Also, I can use it year round matched with any ribbon and "brown paper packages tied up with string" are always pretty charming.

These are my gift tags.  The ones on top are from Michaels and below from Hobby Lobby.  I found the top ones last, but they were the best deal - 20 for $1.99.  I'll try to get one size bigger for larger packages, but they were out at the time.

Then we have my much-loved typewriter letter stamps.

  

I used them to stamp the tags with "to" and "from".  I also like to just stamp out the whole name - with a bigger tag. 

 

So there's my little wrapping station.  

{the felt trees in the corner are ornaments I got last year on clearance to be used as gift toppers}

It made wrapping all of these such fun.

But don't be fooled - all of these gifts are those my ahead-of-the-game-sweetheart had already purchased for his dad and brother.  I still have almost all my Christmas shopping ahead of me... but at least now I'm looking forward to the wrapping part. 

{Linking to Life Made Lovely Monday & Bowl Full of Lemons}

The Moore Family: Family Portaits

A few pictures of one of the most adorable trios you'll find anywhere.  Wonderful mom - sweet, playful kiddos.  
I enjoyed this session ever so much.

This pair were absolutely precious together.

He picked his sister up for a piggy-back ride with nary a prompt and walked about smiling as if he could happily carry her so all day. 

 And she loved every minute of it. So sweet.

My Christmas Mantel : the First Attempt

Sorry not have been more present this last week.  I've been blessed to do so many photo shoots and that's taken up a lot of my "computer time" as I try to get all the images edited in time for everyone's Christmas card.  BUT I have a nice set of posts planned for next week and hope to share some unexpected things that have been going on lately.  

In the meantime here's some "in process" pictures of my mantel.  ;) Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

 Really this post could be more fitly titled "what I threw up on the mantle before company came last week and haven't touched since".  Earlier today, I turned my chair away from my desk - where I was attempting some diligence at my bookkeeping job - saw the light was good and snapped a couple pictures.

I really wanted to do something completely different for a Christmas mantel than these frames I put up for my Fall Mantel.  Perhaps I'll still get to it...we'll see.  For now, I thought you might like to see the mantle "in process".

Since turquoise as taken up a pretty permanent residence in our living room - and I'm far too fond of this pillow to put it away even for December.  I tried to incorporate some of that color into my Christmas decor.

I got some tealy blue balls at Michaels for the tree {which also was rather thrown together}. 

And I put some turquoise Mason jars on my mantel.  The plan is to have some filled with unshelled nuts and some old fashioned striped hard candy...but for now I have a few pine cones.  I told you this was thrown together right?

I am pleased with this little wreath.  In past years she always sat on a table with a candle in her center - I like her much better hung up with ribbon.

So here the mantel is at present.  Hoping I'll get a shot of inspiration and pull it together a bit more by next week...Again, we'll see. :)

Our Advent Calendar

This is what I'm using for our Advent Calendar this year.  I wish I could say I made it - you certainly could with a little bit of effort - but no, I go this one on clearance for 90% off last year at Garnet Hill.  The plan is to fill each pail with a package of three peanut M&Ms or Hershey Kisses - one M&M or Kiss for each child each day.  Then have a little slip of paper with an Christmas activity for the day.  

 I'd love to incorporate the sure-to-be-wonderful Advent reading Betsy and her husband are coming up with...but this is our first year {I know, so sad} to do any kind of Advent calendar so we'll see what we can happily manage.  I'm excited to be doing something.

So far I just have the pails hung up. :)  So you can picture me today going to Target for candy, wrapping it up in tissue paper and brainstorming simple, but hopefully fun, ideas for the kiddos and our whole family to do together.   Sister helpfully reminds me that I don't technically have to come up with 25 ideas all today.  I could always slip a few ideas into the pails later on.  

 Here's what I have so far:

1. Go to library and check out Christmas books {that I already placed on hold}

    Come home and read them all.  {Julia compiled a great list here}

2. Make muffins and take them to a neighbor.

3. Family Christmas Movie & Popcorn together with Popcorn {maybe Veggie Tale's Christmas?}

4. Drive around and look at Christmas lights

5. Go get the final member of our Hallmark Peanut's Band {Snoopy}

6. Go shopping at Target for $1 gifts to give Daddy and our cousins

7. Wrap our Christmas presents for cousins

8. Make and Decorate Christmas Cookies {take some to a different neighbor}

9. String Popcorn Garland for Tree

10. Make a Christmas Craft

11. Family Game Night

12. Make Christmas Cards for Grandparents

13. Have Aunt, Uncle and Cousins over for a little Christmas Party Dinner

14. Make Easy Gingerbread Houses

15. Go over the river and through the woods for a day with Nana

16. Make hot cocoa with marshmallows
17.  Picnic Dinner in the Living Room

 Whew! Still eight more to go.

Praying for inspiration and a memorable Christmas season for our family and yours too! 

It's the Little Things - Christmas Edition

Oh, such a busy weekend!  I unwisely decided to start Christmas decorating before doing some basic clean-up and the result was quite the train-wreck of Christmas decor and Thanksgiving decor with dirty dishes, dusty furniture and laundry thrown in.  Anyway, we managed to pull it together somewhat in time for dinner with some good friends who stayed overnight on Saturday, which was lovely fun.

Tried to look about today and enjoy some of the little things - telling signs that Christmas is indeed coming. :)

English breakfast tea in my Brown Betty this morning.

{little hand helping to pour}

 Finally got new seasonal pictures in my easy-switch photo gallery. 
They make me happy.

 

 For me, this scent from Crabtree & Evelyn is the perfect smell for Christmas - perfectly piney.

I got some of these for a candy dish because they were appropriately green...

and I personally love at least a little chocolate after dinner.

And some pine-scented hand-soap from Mrs. Meyer's.  It smells wonderful.

What about your weekend?  

What little things have you been enjoying lately?

{Linking to Life Made Lovely Monday}