Christmas Inspiration Decorations Update.........

Whew! Even though I said I wouldn't let it get crazy this year it is and I AM! Finished decorating, got my house cleaned today and a lot of shopping accomplished, yippee! Now that it's done I thought I'd take a moment and show you my interpretations of the Pinterest Inspirations I showed you from my November 29th Post Here.

I placed my basket on a cake stand to give it some height on my dining room table. I used cedar and sprayed my pine cones gold. After I took this pic I realized my bow needs some schooz (no idea how to spell this...it's my new favorite word when I don't know exactly what word I want to use, Ha!

 I didn't show this Pin but it is on my Pinterest board for Christmas Decor: Here. This gave me my inspiration for my mantle:

This is my version, not as large, but I like the way the cedar hangs down. It is tucked into a fake garland.

 I just wanted to keep it simple and natural this year. This is the first time I've used Cedar, I love the way it hangs.

Remember this Pinterest pic, my Ta Daaa inspiration?

It inspired me to do this version with things I already had and scavenged for through my boxes of Christmas Decor. The ice cycles were a last minute addition. It kind of reminds me of the hat I saw on one of the spirits that visited scrooge in an old Scrooge musical movie I have with Albert Finney.

Once you buy a cloche you will never get tired of finding new ways to use it. Here it is on my island in the kitchen. This was my own inspiration. My theme this year was natural elements like different pines (these are boxwood) and pine cones. 

 

More pine cones in a candle chimney.

 This is my newest cloche. Found it a The Home Store for......$6.99, now that's a Ta Daaa!!!! I whipped that little guy in my cart so fast, Ha! I love finding treasures in that place!!! The little guys inside was a gift from my friend Carolyn last year. They were in a little cloche too but it broke in shipping...they have a new home now Carolyn!!!! They are sitting on a candlestick holder! 

I love books...these are my vintage ones from flea markets I used in this tablescape.

 Remember the Halloween Apothecary Jar from the flea market for like $3.00 because it had a chip on the rim. No one sees ever sees it anyway, right. Gloating right now, sorry!!!

 I dragged this big guy in and put it up myself. These are the times I really miss my husband, but I always feel that when bad things happen you need to learn or take things from them. The one thing I took from loosing my husband is to be more self reliant. Trouble is maybe I should also learn when it's time to ask for help too sometimes, Ha! I'm always learning! Well I hope you enjoyed how I used the inspiration pictures I showed you in the previous post  Here

 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all. Try to take a deep breath and remember what it's all about and take a few private Christmas moments for yourself to enjoy the season.


Hope you enjoy these links:


Romantic Home
Simply Designing
I Heart Nap TIme

Polish The Stars

Craftomaniac

Crafts Keep Me Sane
Dittle Dattle
Sugar Bee Crafts
It's Overflowing
Michele Raven Designs
Savvy Southern Style
The French Cupboard
Somewhat Simple
The Common Ground
Beyond the Picket Fence
Delightful Order

A Penny Saving Inspiration Day....

So much to do and time is flying by.....The one thing I have done is decide on my Christmas wrap motif and since we are all trying to watch our pennies these days I decided to do brown craft wrap paper. 


You all know by now how I feel about the importance of your gift wrap presentation. It's like another gift to show how special you think the person is. It is, for me an integral part of the gift...the gift presentation...it shows you gave just a little more to make it special for them. So this year instead of buying rolls of beautiful Christmas wrapping paper this year....which is one of my favorite things to pick out, I am going to use brown craft paper.     We are all trying to watch our pennies these days. Why not just use the good ole brown wrap and add repurposed and vintage items to my brown palette.


So off to the web and Pinterest for ideas. Having brown craft paper is like having a blank canvas to work from...how fun! I thought I'd share some of the lovely brain storming ideas I found.  These people have done some lovely, creative ideas for us to inspire our own versions....So let the inspirations begin......

 Babble.com via Pinterst

love vintage lace or fabric. I may just use a strip a fabric across the center of the brown craft paper.

 Flickr via Pinterest

a little tinsel, a glittered star on a round gift tag with decoupaged sheet music....

 Little Birdie Secrets Blog via Pinterest

could do this with sheet music or fabric, lace or an old doily....

Fleur Avenue via Pinterest

 Two Shades of Pink blog via Pinterest


Oh just noticed there is a doily on the one in the back....

 The Inspired Room blog via Pinterest


We could even do this on brown gift bags....

 2 Gypsy Girls via Pinterest

a bow made from interesting pieces with seam binding....love it!

Craft Berry Bush blog via pinterest

 BY Stephenie Lynn via Pinterest

all would look great on craft paper...

 2 Gypsy Girls via Pinterest

Reuse left over strips of your last years rolls!

Outside the Workroom Blog via Pinterest


Once again I continue to use pine and pinecones...back yard scavenging!

Abrakadeborah blog via pinterest


Twine....there is a really trendy penny safer

Shorely Chic blog via pinterest


How cute to use ribbon around brown paper gift bags!

Pinterest

Brown looks so pretty here, maybe a touch of gold somewhere to make it more festive....

http://pinterest.com/kisscathie/

with red, fun......

Paper hole punch, twine,  a little gold glam and a plain gift tag...love it!

This is my Ta Daaa.....
Don't you love it...vintage lace and piece of jewelry and it looks so charming!

So off I went to scavenge my home for things to use......here is some of what I found....

See my vintage tinsel!!!!! I found it in a bunch of junk at a flea market...I have tons of for about $3.00....that was a score! I found books of old school music books on another trip.....fun!

 The ribbon I bought yesterday at Michaels...major sale like 40 or 60% off.

I'll post how my packages turned out later when I come up from all the Christmas crazies. Hope this has helped get your creative juices going.  I may be short on blog posts for awhile as I have to 2 art commissions due and a gift I am trying to make before Christmas including everything else and a job....wish me luck. 

Remember what this season really means and everyday make a little Merry Christmas in some way for yourself!

Please enjoy these links:

Polish the Stars

Dittle Dattle
Savvy Southern Style
Michele Raven Designs
The Shabby Creek Cottage
The Brambleberry Cottage
Somewhat Simple
Romantic Home
Common Ground-Debras Vintage Designs
Shabby Nest

Inspiration Day....SCAVENGING & GREENERY!

Since my blog is about our/my creative journey, I thought I would have an Inspiration Post from time to time.  I am going to post pictures to give us all inspiration, to "BrainStorm" ideas for us to "jump start" our creative journey. I will give my thoughts on how we can adapt some of them to make our own creative versions. Pictures will be shown to fuel our own creativity, our own inspirations.


There are so many wonderful sources for us out there:  I love Pinterest (Here is a link to my pins, you can explore others), other bloggers, magazines and web sites for us to explore.


One of the wonderful thing about blogging is that it is a 2 way communication and that it really isn't anything without all of you.  Since I love hearing from all of you, I am hoping I can also motivate you to post and share your takes on the inspiration pictures or perhaps you have already done a version of the inspirations I present and you can add your advise to help all of us. My goal is not to copy, but to use these as inspiration for our own creative versions and inspire our creative journey. 


So here goes.....

Pinterest:  from Martha Stewart

I love this and for once Martha doesn't make it look so complicated with specialized materials  that you don't want to even try it. Sit this as a centerpiece, on a coffee table, or even on the floor somewhere. 


Probably a lot of you have a creative "pantry" where you keep things for serving, decorating and centerpieces and if you don't I bet you have more than you think. I love, love, love to scavenge in my own house for inspiration. I always keep a supply of baskets. They are so great for such presentations as centerpieces, serving, decorating and a pretty way to transport my food contribution to a home dinner invite. 


I would use florist foam, secured in the bottom with wire or better yet placed in a small container to add water. I also keep in my creative pantry tons of pinecones I have had for probably 10-15 years I use over and over again. I'm sure you've seen them in my other posts. Add silver or gold spray paint OR glitter to the pine cones or just leave them natural. Wait how about just a line of glitter on some of the tips. Okay, I'll stop...I can get carried away, sorry. Anyway use wired florist sticks to attach the cones...cheap at Michaels...I think I paid $4 or $5 for 30 or just use the ole glue gun. Add various pines...and a lovely bow...I do love the satin bow. 


Words of Inspirations: Berries, Spray snow, Ribbon, Bulbs, Hydrangea maybe add a treasured piece of Christmas decor nestled in the center...

  Pinterest: Blog: Stylezimo

Okay as Ina Garten says..."How easy is this?" Once again grab some pine. Decide on your approach....nautural, glitzy, shabby chic.  Add those pinecones....natural, sprayed or glittered and votives nestled here and there. Wait shabby chic could be some white pine cone, ok sorry sometimes I just can't stop.. I would cut a strip of burlap down the center...it's so inexpensive and I love the natural look of it. If your approach is glitzy, think..a glitzy, metallic fabric, silk, a pretty fabric remnent, shabby could be old lace or new and so on. There are so many other things you could add to enhance your own approach.

Better Homes & Garden via Pinterest

Scavenge your back yard for the twigs, wire pine and holly sprigs at the center, add a ribbon and "a little somethin, something" and your set. Even just at the beginning of your stairs or on a door or lay it down on a table for a center piece nestled with votives....scavenge peeps, you never know what you'll find!

 PS...did you note the picnic basket filled with pine!

Pinterest again via  The Book of Secrets 

You wouldn't have to do this in mercury glass....could be silver or glass or even wood. Go on a scavenge hunt in you house. Remember to turn wine glasses upside down, use candle holders to feature a treasured item, not just candles use vases, turn them upside down and add a votive. 

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX or candlestick of vase or......whatever! 

This is what I did with a candlestick at Thanksgiving to give some height to these pumpkins:

These are some of my supplies and the things I just scavenged from around my house!

Thought I might turn the glass vase at the left into a cloche by turning it upside down.

Are your creative juices flowing yet?

The Inspired Room via Pinterest

Wreaths on the stairs....love it.....burlap bows.... I saw burlap ribbon at Michaels.

Shorely Chic via Pinterest

Easy-Peasy

French Larkspur via Pinterest

I do this a lot....add a bouquet of pine to any container and maybe a ribbon, Wow!

The Grand Ta Daa!

Anyone Can Decorate via Pinterest

Ok when I saw this I thought love it, quite impressive BUT maybe A Lot of work. While I love real pine to spare the forever sprinkling of needles I might try some fake (sorry, we could class that up and say faux, Ha!) pine garland, wire it and because sometimes I just can't stop I probably would add some sprigs of real pine for the smell and to camoufloug the "Faux"! I have some small gold stars stashed away I might add.

So that was my inspiration post. Please let me know if this is something that inspires you and your ideas. I would love to hear from you. If you have trouble posting, email me at the link in the left column.

Here's to our creative inspirations and happy scavenging!

Please enjoy these links:

Polish The Stars

Crafto Maniac

Dittle Dattle

Savvy Southern Style

Michele Raven Designs

The Shabby Creek Cottage

The Bramble Berry Cottage

Somewhat Simple

Beyond The Pickett Fence

Delightful Order

Common Ground

Romantic Home

Simply Designing

5 Minutes Just For Me

Thanksgiving Decor

Is it my imagination?.....Does it feels like Thanksgiving is coming up on us sooner than usual, I can't believe it's just about a week away!

Last week I did manage to do some decorating.

I love that I can take the feather garland I use for my fall mantle and change it up for Halloween and then Thanksgiving by just adding different items.

I also love that I can keep using my same pumpkins in different ways.  The center pumpkin is the Halloween silver and black masked pumpkin I posted earlier.

 HERE

I spray painted them gold and added glitter to the top to look like frost.

Spray painted pinecones gold.

Next came the dining room table.....

I'm afraid I do some rendition of this fruit/vegetable table top a lot. I keep adding more so it looks kind of decadent.

 I carried the gold theme through with gold pumpkins I found at our new Hobby Lobby.

I've told you I find uses for my cloche every season. For Thanksgiving I turned it upside down, filled it with pinecones and white mini pumpkins, covered it with a cake compote and turned it right side up!

 Added a satin ribbon and there you have it!

I am grateful for many, many things, but at this moment, I am grateful that I have begun this wonderful blogging journey and all the wonderful people I am meeting from here and all over the world. 

I think that is just so incredible. 

"There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed.  If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude."  ~Robert Brault

Thank-YOU so much for visiting.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Please enjoy these links:

The Shabby Creek Cottage

The Brambleberry Cottage

Romantic Home

Craft-O-Maniac

A gift from the heart........

FIRST AN APOLOGY......I haven't posted in a while, but there has been a lot of drama in my household over the past weeks and I just couldn't make time or concentrate on a post. I said to a couple of friends of mine what Tillie said in the movie, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner ......"All Hell has done broke loose here!" 

Life just sometimes gets in the way as you all know.

Now, AT LAST, to my post.....

Last summer I once again was in a quandry about a birthday gift. This time it was for a neighbor across the street. Why was it such a quandry? Because this couple (along with my other wonderful friends) had been so supportive during my husband's illness, death and my life afterwards. They have included my daughter and I in holidays and family activities. My daughter has always been close to their children growing up. 

We are loved by both of them. 

Believe me, when I am scared and worried about how I am going to deal with the many things a widow has to face it is so good to know I can look across the street and see their lights on and know there is a safe haven of love and support there. 

So when I can I like to give them a gift from the heart....

These are my dear friends, Mel and Gretch. 
Aren't they cute?

Mel loves pictures of little houses among other things. After much thought I decided to do a painting of their charming home in minature. I snuck over one sunny day when they were not home and snapped dozens of pictures. I decided to turn the color photo into black and white and hand paint it, allowing me to be much more precisely accurate.

This is their charming home...so warm and friendly to many.

Sorry it's on a slant, but it was the only way I could include those 2 beautiful trees.

 I downloaded it into Photoshop Elements and cleaned it up and turned into black and white. Printed it onto good paper and hand painted it in acrylics. 

 As I began painting, it was very nerve racking because as one area turned out the way I wanted it I was stressed that I would make a mistake in another area and have to start all over again and then would it turn out like I wanted it!
But I really loved doing this!

Then off to Michaels for framing....don't you just love those 60% off coupons!!!

It was fun choosing the frame and matting... although I think I drove the framer there crazy experimenting, Ha!

This is what I ended up with.....

The actual size of the frame is 15"x18"

The actual acrylic painting is 5 1/2" x 3 1/2".......remember she likes them in minature.

 I did several mats so that the framed picture had some presence.

My close-up Mr. DeMille......

I was so excited to give this to Mel I could hardly stand myself. I don't have a picture, but I wrapped it in a large sheet of wall paper I made into a large envelope to slip it into and placed a vintage chandelier crystal to dangle from the point.

When she opened it we both cried....

"The heart of the giver makes the gift dear and precious." 

Martin Luther

Hope you enjoyed my gifting experience. 

Have you had a difficult gifting experience? Did you make a gift from the heart?

I'd love it to have you share your experience in a comment.

Have a gifted day, Shari!

If you are interested in having one of these done, please contact me in a comment or by clicking on my Etsy Link, My Transformations at the top of the left column of my blog.

Or just click here: My Transformations

I'm happy to share these links with you:

I Heart Nap TIme - Sunday Link Party

Polish The Stars

Crafts Keep Me Sane

Polly Want a Crafter

Dittle Dattle

Savvy Southern Style

Michele Raven Designs

The Shabby Creek Cottage

The Brambleberry Cottage
The Romantic Home
Craft Envy
Craft-O-Maniac