{baby it's cold outside...}

The trees up!

Outdoor lights are up!

..but I still need to finish decorating...

Good thing is...

My style has changed over time

and I'm really going for the

"less is more"

look this year!

I'm not even gonna hang the stockings from the mantle...

their new place to hang this year is along the banister!

At least that's what I'm thinking at the moment..

haven't gotten that far yet!

Have you made any changes in your Christmas decor this year???

{Oh, by gosh, by golly... It's time for mistletoe & holly!!!}

Here's a look through my house this Christmas time. I was kind of late decking the halls this year, and what is up.. has only been up for going on two weeks now, because of this I didn't include a few things that I normally do in my decor each year.. like the garland with red berry lights around the banister & on the shelf above my sliding glass doors, lights outside, my little north pole village on the table in the hall {i still might do that though.. i had every intention of including the village because the kids love it so much and we just haven't gotten around to it yet.. thoughts have crossed my mind on not doing it since Christmas is right around the corner, but i think it's a must.. even if it is only up for a week or two}. 

Since last year, I've gotten some new furniture pieces and completely switched around existing furniture to different parts of the house so it was kind of fun decorating in a new way this year! I usually put up a tree downstairs too and decided not to this year, although I did put up a little tree in Sydnee's room and am loving it! I've been wanting to do a flocked tree in there for a few years now with the multi-colored lights, splashed with pinks, blues & greens! I've never actually done it though because ornaments were always so expensive.. but this year at the end of October I made a trip to the Dollar Store for something and found a whole slew of ornaments exactly like I'd been looking for all these years.. and at the right price too! I snatched some up right then and there. Woot-Woot!!!

I feel bad because I wanted to do a little tree in the boy's and Tanner's rooms as well and of course after seeing Sydnee's they wanted me to too, but because I was behind in decorating the house in general, as soon as I finished Syd's tree I moved onto the house and by the time I finished that {not even to the level of what I normally do} I've been meaning to do their trees and things have just been busy while times been running out. {Writing about it is making me want to go ahead and do it... but in reality, I think I'll just wait until next year and get a head start so I can carry out all my plans}.


One fun thing that they still get to enjoy in their rooms is a holiday night light.. The one below is Sydnee's, Tanners is a little fireplace with stockings hanging from it and the light is a flicker bulb so it looks very realistic {he loves it!} and the boys have a Santa Clause one. 

~back to the family room~

This basket full of pine cones got a makeover this year.. I've always loved it {my sister spray painted it green, filled it with pine cones and put a big raffia bow on the front with the red bell and berries and gave it to me along with some other Christmas decorations she made when I got married so I'd have something to make my little home festive with, and that's still how it was up until a few weeks ago}. It's been 14 years now and I thought it was maybe time for a makeover, so I spray painted it white added a new bow with the existing red bell and berries and some little bling-bling balls in with the pine cones! I love it cuz it's still what my sister gave me with a new look!


*Oh, and I fall-in-love with my chalkboard everyday all over again! Major crush goin' on there...

This wreath got a happy makeover this year too! Elisa & I each made one of these forever ago and the only thing that remains of what it used to be is the ribbon. Along with the ribbon it used to have some sparkly/furry fruits on it.. I know- don't ask me what we were thinking, and don't ask me why it took me so long to do such a quick and simple makeover to this now totally Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree Wreath!!! All I did was use up what I had.. some left over ornaments from another project and some glittery berries here and there!

~the tree~

Santa praying over Baby Jesus is one of my most favorite decorations I have.. I look forward to putting this out year after year.

I love those

J-I-N-G-L-E

bells

OH!

Say hello to:

IBFIST CELTHRIC USELI

You can call him

MR. I.C.U.

for short though!

Mr. I.C.U.  is the little elf that's been coming to our home during the holidays for a couple of years now!  He magically appears the day after Thanksgiving and hitches a ride back to the North Pole with Santa Clause on Christmas Eve. While he's here he watches to see if we're being naughty or nice... if we're being kind and giving to others... if we're keeping our rooms clean, clothes put away and helping around the house... if we're cheerful, happy and most importantly thankful for our blessings and remembering the true meaning of Christmas. He moves all over the house, in places where he can get a good look at what's happening, he's even snacked on little treats that the kids have set out for him too. We love spending the holiday with Mr. I.C.U. -- he never ceases to amaze us with the places he chooses to watch from and his incredible flexibility. He's pretty funny!

{recent makings & thrifty finds}

Yesterday turned out to be quite the crafty Monday...

I've been dying to sit down and make all sorts of fabric flower creations ever since I got back from Spark and I just haven't had the time... so frustrating and I was going through serious withdrawals from not making a regular visit to the thrift store since before I'd gone to Spark, so last Friday I used up the whole time that Tanner was in preschool at Savers!! In my mind I was singing "Heaven... I'm in heaven!!!" I found so many gritty things + lots of fun fabric sheets for tearing up and making into yummy flowers! 

Oh my goodness... you have no idea how giddy I was about my whole thrift store visit and bags full of treasures - and I could hardly wait to get home and craft! I thought for sure I'd find time over the weekend at some point but I was coming down with a cold/sinus infection and just didn't feel up to it when I did have a little time so Monday came and still no crafting. 

Amber saved the day, I'd been practically begging her to get together sometime and craft with me.. hee hee-  she called and said she was in the mood and had nothing going on.. before she could finish I said, say no more and get your butt over here!!! The kids had a blast playing and we crafted -n- gabbed for hours. It was so much fun, I can't wait to do it again.



We both had been wanting to make a fabric rosette necklace, so that was our first project! 

After my kids got home from school and finished their homework, they were all bugging us to teach them how to make the flowers. Amber taught Marcus and Sydnee how to do it and Marcus whipped up this flower in no time flat, {minus the embellishments}. He had glued it to a ribbon that didn't really match as a necklace, so I tore off the ribbon and made it into a hair clip with all the hand beading to go with the necklace I made. 

This is Amber's awesome necklace! 

Sydnee kept saying she wanted to make one and Amber saw her yellow head band she had on and found a cute scrap of fabric she had and made this flower to clip on it. After she left I added the green beads and clip. Thanks Am.. I love it! Syd wore it to school today.

I made this headband out of an shrunk up Aeropostale t-shirt and old headband that needed a serious makeover. I love kelly green... {Oh and that big glitzy jewelry piece on the polka dot/lace clip is an earring I used to wear while competing ballroom dance}.

More shots of the necklace and matching clip... I just can't get enough of it!

~Cherry Blossom Headband~ 

Me: in my pj's, no makeup, early morning...

Last week's Thrift Store finds...

HellO--- Lantern

{been lookin' for one for a while now}

-Christmas Runner- 

~Old Vintage Christmas Records~

{can't wait to decorate with these.. two of them didn't even have the records with them I just loved the cases! It would be fun to find an old record player though and see how this one plays}.

Tulle canopy for Sydnee's room! 

We actually used to have this *exact* one and then we got a different one and gave this one to a friend. We didn't end up liking the new one as well and quit using it, so she hasn't had one for a long time now. She's been saying that she misses it and wants another one and here it is, the same kind we had to begin with. Love it when you find what you're lookin' for! 

I found another one with colored ribbons flowing down it that the round form is broken in, bought it anyway.. I figured I could fix it somehow and it was too cute and cheap to pass up.

Polka Dot Sheet Set for the girls rooms!

-Set of Cottage Pillow Shams-

Totally Awesome Star Wars Sheets for Tanner's bed!

~Vintage Metal Colander~

-Snowflake Sweater-

{I really should open it up and take a photo.. it's gritty}

-Anne Taylor Sweater-

{thought it would look nice paired with a skinny belt at the waist}

-Tommy Hilfiger Skirt-

Look at all these fun trimmings I found for so cheap!!! I got the gritty Ikea organizing jars too and a bunch of mismatched printed sheets for crafting.

Owl Necklace + Earrings

I made while visiting my sister

Gold Leaf clip I made a while ago...

 

{I stole this pic. of me wearing the green headband from Amber.. she did some funky editing to it and I thought it looked kinda cool!}

Now go do some thrift store shoppin'

and some craftin' -n- gabbin'

it brings much joy & happiness!!!

~sandee.