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!

Revamping The Living Room

The first floor of the house is almost done, I painted the living room and the finishing touches are complete.  It only took me one day, surprisingly, to paint this room and ceiling, and another day to redecorate it.  I was working like a busy bee.  I don't really like when the house is in disarray.  I had to get done quickly, as we are having an overnight guest this weekend, and the guest bedroom was overflowing with things that I cleaned out of the living room.  So it's done, I'm happy, the house is happy and the guest will be happy.  Now on to the next room, the laundry room and a tiny hall that has to be repainted.  Check out my low budget redo.

Gold is old, this is the first room I painted when we built the house 10 years ago! The living room is

 12' x 14', a nice size room that we don't really use. 

 This room only has these two windows so it does not get a lot of light.  It is on the southwest side of the house, so it makes for darkness in the room.  I wanted to brighten it up a little bit so I chose a lighter color palette.

 And these are my colors - Rocky Mountain Sky (a blue gray) on the walls and Popped Corn on the ceiling.  I use Popped Corn on all my ceilings, it's not a bright, (you need sunglasses to look at it), kind of white.  It softens the blow of bright white.  Both paint colors are from Behr.

 My painting supplies, can't live without my edgers! 

 And these handy dandy furniture movers, make life easy especially if you are moving furniture yourself.  The furniture easily glides across the floor and doesn't scratch them.

Look at what a fresh coat of ceiling paint will do for a room, after 10 years!

Ceiling done, and now the trim.

 Trimming around the room is the part I don't like about painting, too time consuming, but it has to be done.

 Almost done!

 I finished this painting project and the clean up in one day, all by myself.

 It looks great, and I am so pleased with the color.  It brightens the room and is very calming, yes even for a room we don't use!

This is before and after, which do you like better?

 My new 7'6" x 9'6" medallion rug on the floor is from Wayfair. The cost was $96.00 with free shipping.

 New curtains on the windows, from Home Goods $24.99 for each pair

They look good!  I may get rings so they glide easier on the rods.

Furniture moved back into the room.  These are new to me, I have never used store bought slipcovers before, these are from SureFit.  I was going to get new furniture, but didn't want to spend the money. I still have cats that lay all over everything!  So I decided to try the slipcover thing.  They are inexpensive, washable, and I hit a buy one get one 50% off with free shipping, so about $100 for both slipcovers, pretty cheap.  They are a creamy/white color and they feel like suede, so against the chenille fabric of the sofa they don't slip when you sit down.  This is just a quick fix, someday new furniture will be in this room, someday.  I don't think they look too bad, and the fit was perfect.

New pillow covers from IKEA and blankets from Marshall's.  My family loves blankets even in the Summer!  The leather bench and square table in the background, are loaned by my sister. We have our own yard sale swap with each other for things we still want but aren't using.  So rather than store them, give them away or sell them, we swap with each other.  These are her contributions to my new room, thanks sis! 

 
Old trunk I purchased a few years ago at a thrift store.  This is before wall decor is hung.

And this is after wall decor is hung.

 Before....

And after.

All wall decor is hung, some I reused like this grate, pictures are new.

 

 Big sticks from IKEA, mirror from Marshall's

This picture on clearance at Ross for $8.00.

 I reused this table from the Living Room and put it at my front door.  This lantern from Southern Living Home was in the Living Room and now hangs in the Dining Room.

 I was keeping my computer on the kitchen table and it annoyed my husband, so...

this desk from IKEA, that was part of the Living Room for 10 years, has now found a new home in the kitchen.

The printer and my computer sit inside, and the top has lots of storage.  I have my coffee here every morning, as well as writing The Bee Skep blogs.  Hope you enjoyed this one, there are more to come.