Holiday House Walk {Part 1}

 

Welcome to my Christmas Home Tour, part one!  I am going to be honest here...I am NOT a photographer so excuse the not-so-great pictures!  One of these days, I am going to learn how to use our fancy camera!  Hopefully you can still enjoy a glimpse into our home.  Up first, the entryway and living room! 

 

Welcome...come on in!

 

The theme this year was neutral and natural.  I went with simple touches throughout the house this year and am really enjoying the subtle, cozy feel the decor has added!

 

I used faux garland and jute ribbon to add a festive touch to our staircase.  While I love the look of real greenery, I like that I can use this year after year and it looks close to the real thing!

 

I made the JOY banner with letters I found at Hobby Lobby.  A simple project that cost under $5!  I added the same garland to the mirrors as I have on the staircase.  The card catalog is one of my favorite antique store finds.  I will be posting a tutorial of how I refinished it very soon!

 

 

 

 This little pine tree was an Ikea purchase from last year. I wrapped some burlap around the base to cover the planter it came in...a simple way to give it a fresh look.  The sparkly antlers are from Michaels, one of my favorite purchases this year!

 

 

A faux fur throw adds a touch of warmth to the couch!  It's a great place to snuggle up with a cup of coffee!

 

 

Another one of my favorite purchases last year was the NOEL marquee sign from Target.  I gave it a fresh look this year by painting the letters gray.  I love the way it matches the rest of our decor.  The two small trees are from Tuesday Morning.  I placed them in galvanized buckets from the hardware store to compliment the industrial elements in the room. 

 



 

The burlap stockings added some texture to the fireplace.  They were purchased off etsy a few years ago.  I added the mini-chalkboard name tags to give them a personalized touch!

 

 

 

Our Christmas tree sits in the "reading nook" area. It is the perfect place to sit and read while enjoying the glow from the Christmas tree!

 

 

 

 

 

I found this little bottle brush tree at Walmart a few years ago...this is one of my favorite ornaments and cost under $2!  Jute and burlap ribbon were used to finish off the tree.

 

 

You can read more about our tree by clicking HERE!

 

A simple crate full of pinecones and a oversized jar with branches carry out the natural theme on the coffee table.  I added small lights to the pinecones to create a whimsical look! 

 

 

 

There is just something to welcoming about a house decorated for the holidays! 

 

Thank you for stopping by! 



 

 

Hosting a Holiday Soiree {Sponsored by Tuesday Morning}

I am excited to once again be teaming up with Tuesday Morning today!  They asked me to share some ideas and tips on hosting a holiday soiree and you can check out my post by clicking HERE!

Here is a sneak peek of what you will see over there!

Can we just talk about all these fun items! One shopping trip to Tuesday Morning was all I needed for the perfect tablescape!  The 3 tier stand was one of my favorite Tuesday Morning finds at just $49.99, compared to $89.99 at other retailers.  It is always nice to find versatile items that can be used in several different ways!

When I came across the burlap table runner, it immediately went into my cart.  Even though it is perfect with this table setting, it will also work in a variety of settings! You can never go wrong with burlap!

I also love their selection of pretty paper goods.  The napkins were perfect with my color scheme and at just $1.99, compared to $6 elsewhere, they were in inexpensive way to add a pretty pattern with a functional item!

So there is a sneak peek...now go check out their BLOG by clicking here!

We have also put together a great Pinterest board full of inspiration to help you plan your own holiday soiree!  Click HERE to check it out!

Also, don't forget to enter their giveaway (sign up is after the blog post on their website) for a chance to win these awesome products:
Moscow Mule solid copper mugs (set of 2)
Madison 13-piece wine set
Towle 101 piece flatware set (service for 12).

You can find the Tuesday Morning store closest to you by clicking HERE!
Happy Shopping!

Have Yourself a Very "Rustic" Christmas {Decorating Ideas}

Rustic Christmas Decorating Ideas

Sources: (click on item name for link)

1. Burlap Tree Skirt
2. Beaded Tree Topper
3. Twig Stag Head
4. Shimmer Pine Tree
5. Marquee JOY sign
6. Marquee LOVE sign
7. Antlers: set of 2
8. Marquee HOPE sign
9. Marquee Star
10. Set of 12 frosted pinecone ornaments

My Christmas home tour will be on the blog in a few weeks! Stay tuned!

Friday Find: {Ruffle Shower Curtain}

One of the most frequently asked questions I get on Instagram is: Where did you get your shower curtain?

I actually found it on ebay a few years ago but I did some shopping for you and look what I found: (They carry it in several color combinations. Mine is the silver/black one!)




We love ours and I would order it again in a heartbeat! For the price, it cannot be beat!

To see a tour of this guest bathroom, click HERE!
For more ruffle shower curtain choices, click HERE!
To tour our other guest bathroom, click HERE!

Who doesn't love a ruffled shower curtain, obviously I do!

 

Enjoy your weekend!

Tutorial {DIY Oversized Bookpage Art}

 

 

We have lived in our home for over a year and I could never find the perfect wall decor for this huge, blank wall.  I had a few ideas but nothing ever worked the way I wanted it to.  After a year of staring at the wall, I finally figured out a plan!  I would take some of my favorite quotes and create my own art! 

 

 

The first step is to find a quote you love.  In my case, I knew I wanted a set of four framed prints to fill the wall so I sat down one day and searched the internet for four quotes that were inspiring and would be a nice reminder to read everyday.  You should pick a quote that speaks to you and is something that reflects your personal beliefs!  Notice that these are not actual quotes out of books, but appear that way with the way they are typed out.  I simply put the author's name centered at the top, typed out the quote and put "she said" or "he said" at the beginning.  Once I had it all typed out, I played around with the font, letter size and spacing.  Depending on how long the quote is, you can go larger or smaller to make it fit just right.  I used Microsoft Word to create my pages.

 

Even though my quotes were not actual book pages (although if you do have a favorite book, you certainly could do actual book pages), I went ahead and added page numbers to the bottom to make it appear as a book page.  I didn't want to pick random numbers so I added a personal touch and used the birthday of my husband, my two daughters and me!  Not too many people would probably notice, but I wanted to add a special touch!

 

 

Once you have everything just perfect, you will want to save your file.  Once you have it saved, go back and save it as a PDF.  This is very important so that the words will fit to scale when you go to enlarge/print your files!

 

 

 

 

Download everything to a flash drive and take it to FedEx Office/Kinko's.  Be sure to have your frames picked out and be aware of the size so that you can have them printed to fit.  My frames were 22 x 28.  I had them enlarged and printed right then and there on regular paper.  Just make sure and tell the employee how large you want them, they can do pretty much any size.  For all four copies, I paid under $10!! 

I am thrilled with the way it turned out and for under $70 total for the entire project this wall is complete! 

What do you think of them?  Is this a project you plan on trying!  Let me know if you have any questions!

Linking up  to these fabulous pages:
Savy Southern Style: Wow us Wednesday
Tatertots and Jello Link Party
Chic on a Showstring Decorating
Liz Marie Blog

Our Christmas Tree

Since I have had so many inquiries about our tree, I wanted to share source information with you!

Here is the tree this year...not decorated yet, but it is in the works!  I really love the way the light reflects off the "snow".  I was on the fence about buying a flocked tree and I am so glad I went ahead with it!

Here is my personal review after owning it for 3 years!  It is flocked, so it can be a tad messy but it is not too bad.  I put it up, get it fluffed and then vacuum the mess.  Once I get all the ornaments on it, then I vacuum again.  It is pretty much the same task you have with the faux pine needles from other trees!  The "snow" tends to keep the branches from shedding!  We really like it and I would buy it again!!  For under $200, it is a great buy!

Here are some pictures from last year!  I cannot wait to decorate it this year!

Ignore the terrible lighting in this picture but it gives you a good idea of what the tree looks like decorated!

 I did the shopping for you and Amazon has the best price!
Click on picture for link:

Shop the Look {Rustic Guest Bathroom}

Happy Thursday to you!  First things first, Don't forget to enter the desk calendar giveaway going on now....click HERE for details!

I have been sharing some photos of our upstairs guest bathroom on Instagram so I thought I would give you the full tour and share some sources to recreate the look in your own home!

This bathroom is connected to a guest bedroom but also serves as the bathroom for the media room and game room.  My plan was to keep things clean, neutral and simple as far as the decor went.

I searched high and low for a linen shower curtain and ended up finding the perfect one at Pottery Barn.  It was more than I had hoped to spend, but I knew it was something that we would own for awhile. I love that we can change up the decor anytime and it will work with any color!  And the ruffle detail...who can say no to that?  Make sure and invest in a steamer if you buy this...trust me!

 

 
This bathroom sat as seen above (no wall décor for a whole year...gasp!) until I was running around Target and came across these paper flower shadow boxes for $29.99!  What a deal!

I love the way the background of the shadow boxes matches the shower curtain. 

I was pretty happy with the room as it stood, but then came across some fun, cast iron deer heads and knew they would be the perfect whimsical touch to add some interest to this room! When I bought the deer heads, they were brown cast iron...(cute but a little drab)

So I gave them a facelift with craft paint I had at home...

So much better...don't you think?

 

 

I am calling this room "done" for now.  I am glad to mark that one off the list and move to the next project! 

If you love the look, check out the "Shop the Look" board below...all sources are listed as well!

Sources: (click on link)
Link: antler wall hook
Link: flower wall decor-Set of 3
Link: linen shower curtain
or a less expensive alternative...
Link: white ruffle shower curtain
Link: metal hanging basket
Link: rustic candle holder

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day!

Giveaway {A Blissful Nest Desk Calendar}

The sweet Rebekah, owner of A Blissful Nest, was kind enough to offer up one of her adorable desk calendars to one of my lucky readers!  I have this calendar and I love it.  The size is perfect for a desk, the designs are swoon worthy and it comes with the cutest, gold easel!  Mine is sitting on my desk now waiting for January to come along!

I mean, look at these designs...gorgeous!  She also offer the refill pages so you can reuse the adorable easel year after year!

 

 

I tried to decide what my favorite design was, but it is a toss up of several....

Click HERE if you cannot wait another minute and want to order your desk calendar now!

Wouldn't these make perfect Christmas gifts!?  I sure think so!

Alright, now is your turn to enter our giveaway, see below for details!
Winner will be announced next Tuesday on this post!





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Break the Bank vs. Cheapskate {Driftwood Orb Chandelier}

Happy Tuesday!  There is still time to enter the $50 Tuesday Morning gift card giveaway... Click here!!!

Moving on....check out my latest find:

Break the Bank:
$775 (on sale from $1195)
Restoration Hardware
Link: Salvaged Driftwood Globe




Cheapskate:
$249.99
World Market
Link: Driftwood Orb Chandelier

Savings: over $500
Although the size in the picture can be deceiving, they are within one inch of the same size!

Shop the Look: {Coffee Bar}

 Happy Monday, friends!  Today I am talking coffee bars...the perfect topic for a Monday morning!

Our coffee bar is one of my favorite little spots in our kitchen.  What I love most about it is that it is welcoming, looks nice and is functional!

 

Every time I post a picture of it on Instagram, I get tons of questions asking where I purchased certain items so here is a list:

Chalkboard bins for K-Cup storage, sugar/creamer set, tea towel, white mugs: Homegoods
Numbered ceramic pieces, fox and deer mugs: Tuesday Morning

Since those stores do not offer online shopping,  I found some great items that will give you the same look!  All sources are linked below!

Click for source links:
3 tier "drying" rack  / Monogram Mug / Distressed Wood Chalkboard Bins / Embossed Mugs / Chalkboard Mugs / Letterpress Mugs /Sugar Container / Creamer Pitcher /  Coffee Canister / Cinnamon Shaker / Tea Towel

Happy Shopping!!