Our Little Lumberjack Is A Wild One!

He's a year old now, the little man, I can't believe it! Time flies, don't blink because it will pass you by.  He is our Jaxson, Jax and Jaxy, handsome boy, the little man, sweet boy, cutie pie and we love being his Nonna and Pop.  His mommy and daddy planned his First Birthday with a Lumberjack themed party with lots of great food.  I was in charge of decorations, and a lot of buffalo check and wood decor was what I ordered up for his special day. It was an awesome day, and I am sure he had a great time with his first taste of birthday cake and all the festivities.

It was like he knew they were his party decorations and could not wait to open the box.

Nonna got a little crazy and made a wreath for the front door to greet party guests.

I baked his birthday cake and it was decorated by cousin Kristin. It was delicious!

He was waiting for everyone to get here, he's ready to party! Mommy bought him a party themed shirt to wear.

Banners....

 Banners.....

 And more banners.....

 ........Everywhere!

Wood grain and buffalo check party themed paper plates and napkins from Party City.

 I wrapped up knives and forks in the party themed napkin, put into paper bags decorated with ax stickers. Stood them up in a wooden box so they were easy to grab. I got lots of help from his Aunt GiGi.

 He's KING of the lumberjacks! High chair banner and buffalo check and fur party hat from Amazon.

 His smash cake with a campfire on top.

      

A special table for cards and gifts.

Party boy opening his gifts.

 Lantern string lights and rag garland were around his gift table. 

His party favors were s'mores in a cellophane bag with custom made lumberjack labels. I chose to use square graham crackers, instead of the regular size ones, so I didn't have to break them myself, they are perfectly sized to make the s'more bags.

Cardboard camp fire decorations are from Hobby Lobby and custom labels from Zazzle.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BOY! Nonna and Pop love you to the moon and back!💗

Jaxson's Outdoor Adventure Nursery

So Jaxson arrived in April, but before he came into the world, there was so much to do.  I called dibs on his nursery when I first found out his mommy and daddy were pregnant, wanted that job so bad!  I immediately started searching for decor, his room needed to be perfect for him.  He is definitely the sweetest boy and deserves all we could ever give him -  love, time, attention, holding him, caring for him and the world of course! 

Having a first grandchild is like no other, he will always be the first. He stole out hearts the moment his grandpop and I set eyes on him, another little someone to carry on the family name. He certainly brought life back into our "almost empty nesters" home.  I can't wait until he is running around the backyard, looking for frogs and turtles in the creek and catching lightning bugs like his daddy used to do. 

This is his nursery, all complete and waiting for him when he came home.  His mommy took him in his room and said he was looking all around, I think he liked it! The room is full of bears, foxes, tee pees, arrows, canoes, trees and adventure.

To view photos in a larger format, click on them.

This is the wall color his mommy picked out, it's called SPA by Behr Paint.  It was pulled from one of the colors in the linens for the room.

All his furniture, except the rocker which was a shower gift, came from COSTCO. This is the changing table, nice and big with lots of storage. The bureau came with the changing table top and the changing pad. The tee pee and arrow were purchased at Hobby Lobby, bear head from Target and Explore sign from Marshall's. Gray felt storage containers were purchased at IKEA.

The beautiful rocker matched all the other furniture perfectly. The tee pee clothes hooks are from Hobby Lobby. The pillow is from The Christmas Tree Shop and the blanket from SteinMart, have to keep Jaxson cozy! 

I love everything in his room, but my favorite is this bookshelf from Babyletto, shaped like a tree to go with the theme of Outdoor Adventure.  Seek Adventure picture is from Target and the Canoe is from Hobby Lobby.

Some of Nonna's favorite books, more will come to fill up all the branches.

 

Arrow print curtains and coordinating valances are from Sweet JoJo Outdoor Adventure pattern, all from Target (online only).

A chiffarobe with drawers, shelves and a clothes bar. Fox lamp, bear nightlight and felt fox storage basket are all from Target.  Be Brave wood plaque from Hobby Lobby.

 His crib, love it!  I did make one mistake though, I purchased rail guards for front, sides and back.  You can not attach one to the back of this type of crib.  Tee Pee wall shelf is from Hobby Lobby.  Quilted wall hangings were included in the Sweet JoJo linen set. The set also included a comforter, sheet, bolster pillow, crib skirt, diaper stacker, toy bag (under the tee pee shelf) and the window valances.  This crib also came with the rails to convert to a youth bed, day bed and a full side bed when he gets older.

 Remember the letters from those diaper boxes from his mommy's shower?  This is the wall over his crib before I hung them........

This is the wall after I hung them, along with "I love you to the moon and back".   His Nonna surely does!

For Jaxson......

Be a little boy for as long as you can, play outside, play in dirt, jump in puddles, catch lightning bugs, catch frogs and turtles, build a fort, read lots of books, run around barefoot, try new things, learn to ride a bike, learn to swim, climb the Bagheera tree, go sledding in the snow, dream big, go on adventures, be kind, be smart.

 I LOVE YOU SWEET BOY!

                                     Nonna

Holly Jolly Christmas!

WHEW! I think I'm almost done the holiday decorating.  I've been working like a busy bee to get it all done.  Thanksgiving is next Thursday, and while the turkey is roasting in the oven, I will be putting the tree up and then decorating it.  One of the last things to do, besides my dining room table and my catwalk railings (my oldest daughter's job), and then the feeling of Christmas will embrace me.

  I move my Christmas decorations around from year to year, it makes me feel like they're all new again, does anyone else do this? Some things I have out all year, I reuse for Christmas by decorating them in a holiday theme, then incorporate them in to the Christmas decor .  It saves me money by not buying new Christmas themed decorations.  I'll move furniture too, not afraid to do that either.  As you can see, that black console table in the picture below, was my coffee bar table I had in the kitchen.  Be creative, don't be afraid to move your things, use what you have, your whole house will look beautiful!

This small Santa collection goes in the foyer, but I added a few things, like this big lantern with a cardinal perched inside and one perched outside on a burlap poinsettia.  You know I love the birds!

This table has a shelf on the bottom.  To bring light to the area below, I strung mini lights behind everything that is displayed, so it draws the eye down to see it.

The sled is my sister's, we have our own yard sale going on throughout the year, where we borrow each others household decor, to keep things fresh around our homes, and we don't have to buy anything new, it's great, she's great, it's all great!  

Jingle Bells Rock!  Jingle Bell canvas and silver jingle bell garland adorn my mother's grandfather clock, that my sister and I bought her in the very early 1980's.

 These are some of the wreaths throughout the house.  I bought this wreath last year, and added the plaid flannel bow and sparkly sign.

The feather wreath is a fav of mine.  The blue spruce wreath I purchased last year on clearance I added the crystal ice branches to it.  I can always find a way to improve things, sorry MS!

Vintage silver wreath, and the straw wreath my daughter made many years ago, and is another favorite of mine.

 Have to decorate the landing on the foyer steps too!

 My sister-in-law gave me two of these luminary cans as a gift, love them and they sparkle too!  The runner I purchased about ten years ago, goes perfect with the luminary.

What's not to like about a silver tree?  And look who I caught? Vintage grater with battery operated candles inside, some red rickrack and felt gingerbread man that my sister bought for me last year.

 The snow person couple and their baby in a papoose, decorate a glass door cabinet in the kitchen.

 And it's not Christmas without old Mr. Scrooge, love that movie.

 Teeny Mr.Snowman and tree in another glass door cabinet.

 Kitchen window decorated for Cookie Baking Party, coming soon!

 Gingerbread men, cookies, cookie cutters, bakers and lights among the greens.

 I added some things to the mantel that I found while emptying boxes, big red felt snowflakes and some glitter ones too.

 Dining room set is small this year, but still decorated with a musical note theme.

This sparkly musical note sign on a velvet cord says "Merry Christmas", it's tucked in with glittered snowflakes.

 

On the dining room light, I used two green wreaths wired together, made bows and tails and tucked them in the greens, added a few cardinals, a double bow at the top, added silver and gold, matte and shiny glittered balls to the bottom, hung with red fabric cords from the lights.  I covered the ugly pot of this red burlap poinsettia with some of the ribbon used throughout the room.

 Mr. Snowman's hat and stand are made from musical note paper.  Lantern with just a bow and clipon glittered poinsettia and a few greens.

 The basket I found at a thrift store for $1.00.  I started to build it with iced greens with berries and poinsettias I found on clearance last year.  The big branches, I used 3, were $1.50 each and the poinsettias were $.49 each.  Pretty inexpensive decor.  I also added a musical note bow to the basket.

 Father Christmas was my mother's from many years ago.  I put him out every year, it reminds me of her.

Now this scraggly little tree, I bought last year and decorated it with all the things that my kids, who are now adults, made for me throughout elementary school, it was so cute!  This year it's in the dining room decorated with musical notes, musical instruments, snowflakes, red Christmas balls, red bead garland and mini white lights.  Then topped off with a mixed musical note and red ribbon bow to match the light.

All Santa's reindeer.

 I added these vintage beads to my little scraggly tree in the living room, as well as the big snowman.

 As I said, the whole first floor gets decorated including the bathroom!  I did downsize this a bit, I had over 100 snowmen in there last year.

 Still working on the outside.  Found this old sled at a garage sale for $5.00 so I snatched it up.  I decorated it with some of the iced greens, rusty jingle bells, the skates (yard sale borrow from my sister) and red velvet bow.  The wreath I just redo every year.  Took a picture frame, printed out a "Merry Christmas" sign and framed it, wired it to the wreath.  The red and green sunbursts on clearance for $.25 each.  Now, the problem I always have on this front door, is the sun beats down and bleaches the color on every bow within days, it's hard to keep up with this, any ideas would be greatly appreciated.  I can't make new bows every other day!  If you haven't started decorating for the holidays, HAPPY DECORATING!