A Little Bit of Christmas

It's the night before Christmas Eve, friends! 

On Saturday we made the looong drive from Colorado to southern California. "Tiring" would be an understatement, but here we are, safe and sound!

I never got a chance to share the last snippets of Christmas at home before we left, so I'll share them with you this evening.

Don't forget, simple and handmade were the goals this year as we knew we'd be away.

On the piano, just our Advent candles, our Handmade Nativity Set and some pine cones.

To the left of the piano, our simple Christmas dining room. 






 To the right of the piano, our small living room space.

On our farmhouse cabinet, two little evergreen wreaths hang on wide strips of torn white cotton fabric


 


The curtain panels in the doors of the farmhouse cabinet are really pretty kitchen towels I got from the Frugal Ain't Cheap Etsy shop. 

 


An antique sled and some cheerful red and white details adorn the top of the cabinet.

It's always fun to incorporate the kids' wooden doll house into the holiday decor.

This year, I just cut some little images from a catalog and taped them into the windows and added a simple twist of faux boxwood for a wreath.

 

On the mantel was a mix of little Christmas trees handmade dolls, gnomes and sock snowmen.

My kids had fun making these cute little gnomes during a "crafty streak" before Thanksgiving.

Nut baby tutorial here

We left Colorado in snow and temps around 20 degrees. Today in southern California it was almost 80 degrees! 

To be honest, somewhere in the middle of those two would be just right for me : ) 

I've missed sharing and being able to visit around to other blogs this week, but we are right where we're meant to be with our family all together. 

I pray you are having a blessed and not too frantic Christmas week.
See you soon!

Jeanette 

Sharing over at

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House 
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life 
The Scoop  
Shabbilicious Friday at Shabby Art Boutique
Be Inspired at Common Ground 
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Party Junk at Funky Junk  

Christmas Cheater Chalkboard

Hello, has anyone seen my van? 




Yep, it was this kind of day here in Colorado. Not only lots of snow on the ground, but bitter cold temperatures to boot. I'm so glad I didn't need to be anywhere today!




I know this is silly, but I just love this lamp post next to our driveway. I can see it from my bedroom window, and when it's all covered with snow like this, I just think it's the cutest thing. 
A little weird, I know : ) 

Okay, on to today's project-  a super speedy "cheater" Christmas chalkboard!

You know how it is. 

Sometimes you're working on a space and you need something for a certain area or wall. 

You realize you don't have "the something" you want for that space. 

You know you're not going to buy something for the space. 

Certainly you can MAKE something for that space, right? 

Right!




I've mentioned here before than you can create a chalkboard-like surface on just about anything by simply painting it with black craft paint, and that's exactly what I did with this piece.

This past summer I made some chalkboard style signs for a friend's wedding. What I used for the painted chalkboard style surface on one of the signs for the drink station (hence the water stains) was an ugly old oil painting that I picked up from a 'free' pile after a yard sale. I simply painted over it with black craft paint, 'seasoned' the surface by rubbing chalk over the entire surface and then erasing it.

Yes, apparently I did watermark a photo of an old water stained piece of cardboard. : )




I've had this chippy white frame for some time. I don't really remember, but it might have been a curbside freebie, as well.

I decided I would create a framed Christmas cheater chalkboard for the area I was working on. I cut the piece of black painted cardboard to fit the back of the frame, and hot glued it in place. 




Boy, the photos just get more attractive as we move along, eh? 

I think I must have seen on Pinterest some time ago that you can use soda can tabs as picture hangers. Brilliant! A friend gave me a whole bag of these recently, so I decided I would use one for this project. 


I decided to hot glue the tab to the frame because:

1) The glue gun was already plugged in 
                               and
 2) I was too lazy to go find the screw gun and screws at that     
     moment       

It's really very light, so I'm sure (hoping) the glue will be just fine.

Do you like my epic chalkboard lettering skills? haha
Really, I was just going for a "homespun" look.  


Home Sweet Christmas Home- ironic because we won't be home. But we'll all be together and that makes wherever we are a sweet Christmas home, right?

I tied a thrift store plaid scarf into a bow and attached it to the frame with a thumb tack.

I was able to create just what I was looking for to finish this space without spending any money and in, literally, just a few minutes. 

I really love that. 

I am overwhelmed by the astounding number of beautiful Christmas home tours that are going on in the blogging world right now!

I may or may not get a holiday home tour posted before we leave for California, but this week I will show you the space I created the cheater Christmas chalkboard for, okay? 

I hope you'll come back for a visit soon. Thanks for reading, friends!

Jeanette 


Sharing at these wonderful parties this week

Share Your Cup Thursday at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Be Inspired at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage    
Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors

Rosemary Wreath Mantel

Is there such thing as a pie hangover? Mercy!

 

Our Thanksgiving was really fun and filling {as it's meant to be}. 

We were with family and old friends and our day was filled with lots of great food, laughs, sentimental moments and good memories made. 

 

 Recently I shared with you how I created this Little Rosemary Wreath, and promised to come back and show you a little vignette I created around it.

I've been using my faux mantel in the living room to photograph a few creations, like my vintage style mini Christmas trees, and some things for the shop.

But, what's wrong with this picture?  haha

Below the mantel shelf, things are looking pretty bare! 

My electric fireplace has been on loan to a friend whose elderly mother was visiting from Texas and needed some warming up, but it will be back soon : )

I really don't use many gold accents in our home, but I think I'm leaning towards some hints of gold this Christmas. 
The gold frame I used around the slate behind the wreath is something I've had forever. 

Think late 1980's with a country Victorian print...later changed out for a wedding photo...recently resurrected from the back of my closet after several years to become "all new" Christmas 2013 decor. ; )

Yes, these are the same brown jugs I used in my Nature Inspired Foyer.

I gave them a little frosty Winter update by adding some vintage glass glitter. I added an old glass doorknob as a stopper on one, and the lid of a vintage decanter on the other.

I tucked a couple of large pine cones into two milk glass containers.

I added a couple of mercury glass style ornaments, and some pearly-gold balls.

In keeping with the nature inspired theme, I placed pine cones on the glass candle holder instead of candles.

An easy, nature-inspired look, pulled together entirely of things I already had, but used in a new way.

Is this "the" Christmas mantel? Maybe. 

Maybe not : )

I hope your Thanksgiving was all you had hoped for. I am truly grateful to YOU for being here, friends! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jeanette 

Linking up at these fun parties this week!

Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors 
Inspiration Monday 
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
The Scoop at White Lace Cottage  
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm 
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life 
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House 
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style 
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours 
Be Inspired at Common Ground 
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage