a very snowy Christmas

not so much here in omaha. but very much so in my friend liz's house.

she has the kind of house that the moment you step into it you feel cozy and at home. she has an amazing knack for using paper to create wonderful pieces for decorating her home and for entertaining. i wish i had her patience and skills for working with paper.

so, this Christmas, liz once again set forth to use paper and other crafty objects to make a cozy, snowy Christmas.

don't you just adore this blue yarn wreath? so simple, yet elegant. i love the snowflake embellishment too! i see a red one in my future...



don't you just adore this ornament filled bowl? so simple. yet, a wonderful pop of color.


don't you just adore her beautiful branches. all decked out for the holidays. i do. in fact, i am going to put this away in my file to copy cat some day. don't you just adore how she changed her photo display for her Christmas color scheme too. it pulls everything together so nicely. she used the same color of paper and printed out the words to some of her favorite CHristmas carols. what a simple and wonderful idea! {another one to file away for next year}.


don't you just adore the red mittens. i do. maybe because they are red. maybe because it is wintery. i don't know. they just say Christmas cheer to me!


liz is a faithful {the most faithful!} follower of this blog, and would appreciate any comments you might leave.

don't you just adore her cozy blue Christmas?

a very vintage Christmas

i drool everytime i visit my friend melissa's creative cottage.

drool.

melissa is a pro at finding vintage items and making them look gorgeous in her home. she makes me consider changing everything in my home to make it vintage like hers.

once a copy cat, always a copy cat.

so, recently i went to visit her at her home and saw all of her beautiful vintage Christmas decor and asked her if i could share some of her ideas with you guys.

enjoy.


enjoy this chippy painted chair with a beautifully wrapped present. love the gift tag. just printed off of her computer!



enjoy her nature inspired Christmas tree. love the birds. love the butterflies. love the nests.



enjoy her homemade stockings. made from old sweaters. Christmas cozy. love it. don't you just love the charcoal painted wall?



enjoy her vintage mantle, complete with an old crate for the stable.


enjoy her chandelier. everything homemade. stars cut out of old music. garland made from muslin gathered at the stitch. greenery found outside.


if you enjoyed her vintage cottage, leave her a comment on this post. i know she will check it and see it.

don't you just love it?

a Christmas collection

i love collecting items to decorate my house for the Christmas season.

people know i love it too.

so most years i get gifts of Christmas decor for Christmas or for my birthday, which is in november. i love it. i usually spend my birthday money on guess what? Christmas decorations. i love going after Christmas and getting items 75 - 90% off at target.

like i said. i love decorating for Christmas!

so here is a quick tour of my Christmas collection.


the reindeer, a birthday gift to myself. the mercury glass tree in cloche, a birthday gift from my sister. the reindeer painting, a gift from my super talented sister in law.



the skates, my sister's growing up.



the fake mercury glass trees, $1 each at walmart after Christmas. the lanterns, from my brother's wedding 12 years ago.


the reindeer, a gift from my sister in law. the tree, a white elephant gift this year {i got lucky on that one. some people ended up with used wrestling singlets as their gift!}.


the ribbon, from a gift from my sister. the greenery, i buy more and more each year.


the picture, one of my favorites of me and my dad. the glass stars, a gift card and coupon spent at bed bath and beyond. the pine cones, collected on walks with my daughters.


the birchwood skis, on clearance at tjmaxx.



the fake tree, found on the side of the road with a sign saying "free". the ornaments, greens, golds, reds and whites collected slowly through the years.



the real tree, decorated with ornaments bought throughout the years as well as snowflakes from my daughter's first birthday party.



the stockings, a big birthday money splurge. even though i only need 4, i got 6. just in case. the letters, $.50 each at hobby lobby



the table runner, another birthday splurge. the candle, balsam and cedar from yankee candle. a staple at our house all winter long.


the presents, wrapped with love. i buy one new roll of wrapping paper each year. i also collect ribbons throughout the year and save them from year to year. my attempt to be green {thrifty too}.

step by step guide on giving merry this holiday season

step 1: have a family baking day and bake some of your favorite cookies and candies of the season.


step 2: have a cookie exchange with your girlfriends. this is such a genious idea. kudos for the first woman who thought of it. you bake lots of one or two kinds of holiday cookies or candies, then you take them and exchange with your girlfriends with the different kinds of cookies and candies that they brought. lots of variety. a small amount of work.


step 3: wrap these cookies and candies in pretty packages. Tie them with a bow. {i got my boxes half off at hobby lobby!}


step 4: give merry little gifts of yummy goodness to your neighbors, coworkers, baby sitters or friends!

a merry entry

simple frames from the dollar tree. a store bought garland with real greenery attached to it. some battery operated lights. some ornaments.


don't you feel merry?

a fall entry

as previously stated, i was inspired by pottery barn {when aren't i?}

so, leaves in a big wine barrel.

wreath hung in an empty window instead of a mirror.

and an added element: a halloween banner made with fabric, jute and some hot glue.

i'm back!

baby: delivered.

well rest? well, well enough.

so...

check out my blog soon for some simple projects i've been up to. plus a baby room reveal {once i finish it}. and maybe a den reveal {once i get it started}.

a simple creative space

being 8 months pregnant many projects have been on hold.

except for one.

a simple space for me to create...

the copy cat

remember, there is nothing new under the sun - so there is no shame in using others ideas...

layla:


me, the copy cat:

layla

has done it again.

i love everything she does!

i copy as much as i can... and this idea for a summer mantle is on my to do list for next year. the "stars" and stripes are genius. genius.

check out the lettered cottage to see how she did it. check out how much it cost!

red, white, blue {and beach}

i've been doing a ton of shopping lately.

haven't spent much though. the store is amazing.

where you ask?

my own house!

i made the very important, executive decision to not do red in the nursery. so what to do with all that red?

the living room of course! already have the white walls and furniture and the blue. it was a natural choice.

so the past few days i've been shopping my own house. rearranging accessories like i love to do.

redesign with no money spent. love it.






have you shopped your house lately? try it. mix things up! it doesn't cost a cent!

monthly menu

for those who know me, know that i am really into meal planning. big time. i feel like it cuts down on a lot of stress.

marital and financial.

hubby knows what is for supper weeks a head and can tell me if he likes or dislikes what i have planned.

i can plan shopping trips according to my menu instead of heading to the store several times a week. i usually do one big monthly trip and then weekly little trips for perishables.

the biggest help is on the budget. i plan the monthly menu according to first what is in the freezer, second what is in the pantry and third what is on sale.

which is exactly what this site recommends. they also have a calendar you can print off for the next year.

give it a try!

a trend?

red and blue with lots of white seem to be the new trend in cottage decor. layla from lettered cottage really got it right! check out a home she decorated for another woman - lots of old things with lots and lots of red, white and blue!

http://www.theletteredcottage.net/

hmm... all this red and blue and white and nautical theme has me thinking. thinking about changing a few things...

sneak peek

vale la pena... {translation: worth the 3 days it took me to do the stripes!}

cupcakes or pies?

i might try my hand at these for the 4th of july...

http://www.mommytopics.com/food/american-pie-cupcakes

back to the point

it has struck me lately that as women we need to be reminded of this:

it is not a contest.

it is not about who throws the best party. who has the nicest decorated house. life is not about those things.

if we live life like it is a contest, we will exhaust ourselves and waste our time.

the point of this blog is only to give ideas if you want to do projects or throw parties. the point is not to give pressure that you are supposed to do those things. they just happen to be my hobby. that is why i do it. it is fun. not necessary, but fun.

if you find decorating and throwing parties fun, then this blog is for you. to give you ideas i have done. to share with you blogs i have found useful.

because here is my confession. i am completely unoriginal. i am 100% a copy cat.

and that is ok. because it is all about fun and not a contest of originality.

and that is the point.

quick, i need a reason to throw a party...

because i found this blog.

oh no.

too many good ideas. {which is great, i can copy them! no need to be original here!}

like this one...


and this one...


not to mention this idea...


and that one...


or another one...


i could go on and on, so just check it out!

white is right

so people ask me what color i am planning on painting the baby's room.

the answer?

white.

white?

aren't kids room supposed to be bright and flashy?

well, there will be some bright. maybe a touch of flash to her room, but i also want it to be calming. peaceful. a place of sleep.

eclectic kids design

eclectic kids design

so, this week, i will be painting her white walls white.