Merry Christmas

Christmas is fast approaching and I know first hand how busy we all feel right now.  

I have been baking non-stop, putting together little teacher gift packages, let's not forget the school bus driver and the mail carrier!

Checking off lists and putting those final touches on all of my decorating...

but let's not forget the REAL reason for the Christmas season!

Take a moment to sit by the twinkling lights of your Christmas tree, to reflect and give thanks...

...And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord..."

Luke 2:10-12

I wish you all a very blessed advent season.

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours, we hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!

The Manger

The decorating is finished

 and this week we're baking and tying up any last minute projects.

I came upon something today that I thought was cute and I wanted to share.

While my little ones are fascinated with the twinkly lights on the Christmas tree and the shiny, sparkly ornaments, 

 the one thing that really captivates them is the manger scene.

  I have three of them in different places throughout our home and my youngest children have discovered all of them.  I frequently find them with a chair pulled up to the table or lying on the floor, playing with the animals and the wise men.

  My youngest adores the baby Jesus.  She calls Him her baby.  It's not unusual for me to discover a sheep buried in the couch cushions or a camel sitting on the desk.  Today though, I noticed that the baby Jesus was missing from each of the mangers.  I wondered if maybe she had them tucked away somewhere safe.  Some secret place where she could play with them later.
But I was wrong.

 She found the statue of Mary in our family room and she placed them all there.
This is exactly how I found them.

So sweet.
Even the very young know...especially the very young.

Have a peaceful evening.
xo and God Bless,
Kathleen

A Ballard Designs Stocking Knock-off and...Christmas all Through the House

The windows

are

all adorned...

...the chandeliers too...

the coffee pot is on,

ready to welcome you!

Our hearts are set on home,

no place we'd rather be...

gathered all together to trim the Christmas tree!

*****

We have been busy decorating and fluffing, enjoying this Christmas season.  I've been working on a few projects ~ super simple and inexpensive that I will share.

First up are these stocking I made - inspired by Ballard Designs.  I saw them on the current cover of Country Living magazine...LOVE them but not for $39.00 each!

So, I made my own. 

Very simple really.

  Take an inexpensive stocking that you can buy at Walmart and lay it out on a piece of burlap that has been folded in half {or freehand it}.   Cut around the stocking so that when you're finished you have two matching pieces.  Sew them up, wrong sides together.  Now turn it right side out and sew a piece of upholstery webbing onto the top edge of your stocking.  Lastly, sew on a loop of ribbon, jute, or whatever you have on hand so that you can hang it.  I used seam binding.  That's it!  For less than a dollar each, you have a pretty Ballard inspired stocking to hang on your mantle.    

***

Another fun project I did were these faux mercury glass ornaments. They're actually plastic and from the dollar store (shhh...don't tell anyone)

They were an unattractive gold color when I bought them.  I simply spray painted them with metallic silver spray paint.  Now here's the cool part about this project.  The plastic and paint that these ornaments are made of don't completely agree with  spray paint.  The silver paint covers it well enough, but it bubbles up here and there creating a look that resembles mercury glass.  I loved the finish that this created.

the ornaments needed a little something paired with them so I also made this chalkboard.  The tray is another dollar store find that I taped off and sprayed with chalkboard paint. 

throw in a pretty glass bowl of citrus

and you have an instant vignette for the kitchen island!

***

Underneath the coffee station in the kitchen, I added this basket of old percolators and tucked in a bit of white pine greenery.

I put a Christmas tree laden with candles up on the mantle.  See the champagne bucket it sits in?  A great French bucket look-alike until I can actually find an old authentic one{I found these for $6.99 at the Christmas Tree Shops}! 

I hope you are having a blessed advent season.

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

Christmas Bird Decoration Tutorial

First I have to apologize that I didn't have this posted two days ago like I said I would.  I just got a little busy and it had to wait....I'm sorry!

Anyway, on to the glittered bird ornament.  This is so simple really, I should probably call it a "where to find the birds post" rather than a tutorial.

I was at Walmart with my husband last week and he was looking for a few hunting supplies.  While standing there next to him, I spotted this bag of birds.

Only, I wasn't picturing them hanging up in the trees fooling other doves...I was imagining three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree...sorry...but you get the idea.

I excitedly picked them up and threw them in the basket, all the while my husband is watching me, wondering what I'm going to do with a bag full of dove decoys. 

I smiled at him and said, "I'm going to put them on the Christmas tree.  Just wait, you'll like them."

They really aren't all that spectacular on their own so this is what I did.

I simply spray painted them white with Rustoleum 2x Painters Touch in Heirloom White.  After the paint dried, I brushed the whole thing with Mod Podge then sprinkled them with clear glass glitter.  Once they dry, brush off excess glitter and clip onto the tree!

(they already have clips attached..or loops of you prefer to hang)

I love them now!

The birds can be found in the hunting section of your local
Walmart.  They're on clearance right now for $9.00 for a pack of six.  They are also sold separately if you only want to make one or two.  They're priced at $1.50 if you buy them individually so the cost is the same.

Enjoy and have a great week!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

Sunday Blessings

You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

James 5:8