Christmas in the Kitchen 2018

January 2, 2019 By Linda 2 Comments

Merry Christmas …

from the kitchen …

a week (and a day) late.

I know, I know. But I’m not holding my head in shame. Nope. I’m taking full ownership.

Besides, I already took pictures of the kitchen pre-Christmas day. And downloaded said pictures. And, among hundreds and hundreds, picked my favorites. And edited said favorites. And then culled through those favorites to pick my favorite of the favorites. And added them to this post. And then looked at them again and didn’t like how they looked. So I edited them some more. And I culled it down (again) to my favorite of the favorites of the favorites …

and if that sounds exhausting, it can be. But after all that work, how could I not share my Christmas kitchen? A week (and a day) late.

My original post idea for Christmas day (a week and a day ago) was to share my favorite part of the kitchen at Christmastime. And you might be surprised to find out my favorite, especially when there are so many things to choose from.

There are the delicious smells of cookies baking and roasts roasting. Which are definitely delicious. But that’s not my favorite favorite.

And then there are the cute mini wreaths on the cabinets that make me smile each time I enter the kitchen …

but that’s not my favorite favorite.

What I love the most about the Christmas kitchen is the sound of the dishwasher running on Christmas day.

Yep, that’s my favorite favorite.

It evokes memories of my childhood. It seemed like (to little me) that my mother hosted all the big holidays. Which kept the kitchen very, very busy.

And there are so many great memories of the smells of the turkey … or crown roast at Christmas … cooking in the oven. Then there was the peeling of potatoes. Not exactly a favorite memory, but it was something my dad and would do together.

But at the end of the day, with full bellies and the table cleared … and the last giant pot or roasting pan scrubbed, dried and put away … we would turn off the bright overhead lights and turn on the dishwasher.

And that soft sound of the water rushing and thrashing about to clean our Sunday best dishes was so ….

so …

comforting. And satisfying.

The perfect end to the perfect day!

Oh, and Happy New Year too! I don’t have a New Year kitchen or story to share. It looks pretty much the same today. Though, a little less merry …

and a little more messy! 😉

Christmas Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold

December 20, 2018 By Linda 6 Comments

Christmas Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold – Gray and White Holiday Table Setting Idea.

It’s official. I’m an old lady.

How do I know this, you ask?

I mean, besides what I see looking back at me in the mirror. Oh, and my actual age.

I know I’m old because advertisers aren’t just targeting me … they’re actually reaching me.

All. Day. Long.

The find me on the Hallmark Channel. And Lifetime. As I tune in to the never ending and delightfully cheesily predictable holiday movies. Reaching out to me about Medicare Part D and products to help when I fall and can’t get up.

They find me on AM talk radio in the car. Though, sometimes they are confused and think I’m an old man with a certain dysfunction (wink, wink).

And not-to-sound-paranoid-with-a-paranoid-sounding-observation: I sometimes wonder if they’re listening in on my phone and/or watching me on my laptop (I really do need to figure out how to turn off that camera). You know watching and listening as I watch Hallmark Channel movies and listen to AM talk radio. Because advertisers are always following me across the internet with pop ads for … you guessed it ... old people stuff.

And what does this all have to do with my holiday table setting … or the holidays at all?

Because at this time of year, advertisers have one more way to remind me that I’m getting old: while listening to Christmas music on the radio. There’s one station here in Chicago that goes full-on 100% Christmas music in November straight through Christmas day. And when I’m not tuned in to AM talk radio (geez, I really am an old lady, aren’t I?!?) I’m tuned into Christmas music.

And the ads?

You guessed it. Old people things and services.

Tis the season to be old and addled, fa la la la laaaaa, la la la la!

So to defy what the advertisers are insisting (I will fight my outer old lady to the bitter end!), I decided to go with an “Everything Old is New Again” holiday table setting …

Let’s start with the (faux) crystal candle holders and tapers. Old me would call them old fashioned, old lady table decor. But new/old me? New/old me calls them eclectic. Quirky. A fun mix of old with the new, sparkly white Scandinavian inspired trees.

And the gold flatware (which is actually gold toned stainless I found at Target)? Old me would see them as ostentatious. Flashy. Tacky. But new/old me? New/old me sees them as glam, rich and classy …

I’m liking how this whole new/old me thing works. 😉

Finally, the vintage-look-French-striped napkins (found mine at World Market). Old me would’ve called them rags. Relegated to wiping up messes. But new/old me? New/old me calls them linens. Crisp and fresh and deserving of a pressing before use.

Yes, I did iron them.

In keeping with the everything old is new again theme, I think I’ll apply it to myself. So when I look in the mirror instead of old me seeing wrinkles, new/old me will see lines of wisdom. And laughter. And smiles.

P.S. My apologies if this blog post is filled with ads for old people stuff and services. I mean, I did mention old people stuff in the copy and Google knows and documents everything. That’s not paranoia. That’s just fact.

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Christmas Home Tour: Dining Room

December 13, 2018 By Linda 4 Comments

Christmas Home Tour – Dining Room Christmas Decor – Gray, White, Red Christmas Ideas.

The dining room.

The least used but most seen room in the house.

It’s smack dab in the middle of everything. You can’t got to the kitchen without passing through the dining room. You can’t go to the family room without passing through the dining room. You can’t go to the powder room without passing through the dining room.. You can’t do laundry in the basement (that’s my husband) or paint mason jars in the basement work space (that’s me) without passing through the dining room …

… and you can’t sit in the living room and not see the dining room.

You get it, right? Visible. From. All. Angles.

And yet while highly visible, not used much. Well, not used much for it’s intended purpose.

Dining.

It is used, however, as the place where everything collects.

And when I say everything I mean my things.

I’m the guilty one here. I’m the one who lets junk mail and half-finished crafts and painted mason jars pile up here. I’m the one who stashes bubble wrap and packing peanuts behind the table.

And since the dining room is the most seen room in the house, all my ‘stuff’ is visible for all to see!

Sigh.

I find over time I become completely blind to the mountain of stuff. I pass through on my way to the kitchen or powder room or basement and it just doesn’t register …

until it does.

Then it haunts me. Taunts me. Mocks me.

And when I’m fully haunted-taunted-mocked, I finally break down …

and break down the mountain. One half-finished (or failed) craft project and one piece of junk mail at a time.

There is one time of the year when I try really, really hard to keep the dining room table (mostly) clear.

The holidays.

But I’m not always successful.

Because … well … I mean the holidays do involve a fair share of crafting and junk mail.

Yes, that’s me making excuses!

And as I sit in the living room looking into the dining room my little eye spies a box of Duck Tape. A few Christmas cards. An empty mason jar box filled with gray and white ribbon. A cookie canister. And embroidery hoops (from a failed craft project).

So, yeah, the mountain is growing …

🙂

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Christmas Home Tour: Living Room

December 11, 2018 By Linda 20 Comments

Christmas Decorations in Gray, White & Red – Christmas Home Tour – Living Room.

This post is dedicated you.

All of you.

All of you lovely, lovely people!

Thank you … thank you … thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Your responses to my where have I been blog post last week overwhelmed me. All your support and encouragement lifted my spirits …

and gave me back my joy!

Did I say thank you?

You all reminded me about the very best part of blogging.

You!

Your comments. Your words of encouragement. Your words of understanding.

Seriously, it filled my heart! I felt like that moment in The Grinch where his heart just grows and grows and grows. With the reading of each and every comment you left my hear just grew and grew and grew!

Thank you!

I’m not sure how I lost sight of all of you in my blogging journey, but somewhere along the line blogging turned from a passion to a burden. Honestly, I was having a teen girl moment.

You know the one, right?

Where I was standing on the sidelines watching all the other girls get asked to prom and invited to all the best parties. Standing on the sidelines as all the other girls (or so it seemed) made it onto the cheer squad and dance team. And there I was. Standing on the sidelines.

Brooding.

I know, I know. Not an attractive look.

But then it dawned on me. Not everyone is going to get asked to prom. Or go to parties. Or make the cheer team. Or dance team

And who says it’s all that. Right?

And who says that’s the only — or the right — path in life?

Sometimes it’s best just to do your own thing.

Be your own person.

Own it (as Lisa Rinna says on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).

Sometimes you just need to follow your own path.

And once I stopped looking at what the popular girls were doing, I felt freed up to just be me.

Okay, true confession time. I still do take a peek at the popular girls from time to time. But only in a see-what-I-can-learn/pick-up-from-them way. Not in a I’m-so-jealous-I-wasn’t-asked-to-the-party way.

So thank you!

Thank you for supporting me … and encouraging me … to do my own thing!

And thank you for being here when I finally realized my path is a pretty darn good one! 🙂

And it only took me seven years! Sigh.

And I’ll end with the holiday dog picture.

Yes, yes, I realize all the cool girls have a well-behaved holiday dog picture on their holiday home tour posts. But here’s the catch: Ernie hates the camera. He runs from it with his head hung low and tail tucked between his legs. But for once Ernie didn’t run away when I pointed the camera in his direction. Perhaps he was really tired. Or perhaps he was really enjoying the Christmas tree.

Or perhaps he really wanted to give me a popular girl blog moment! Ha! 🙂

Candy Cane Christmas Bunting with Duck Tape

December 10, 2018 By Linda 6 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Duck Brand®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Candy Cane Christmas Bunting – Duck Tape Holiday Crafts.

Once upon a time my Christmas decorating “theme” was all about the Santas.

And not just any old Santas. Well, actually, that’s not true. Because it was all about old Santas. As in Ye Olde Santas. You know the ones with the long beards and muted colored long coats. Polar opposite of the holly-jolly-red-faced-bright-red-coated North Pole Santas you encounter at the mall.

As an aside, my apologies if I’ve shared a version of this story before. I am getting old, after all. And my children like to point out that I sometimes (okay, often) repeat myself. 😉

But back to the Ye Olde Santas.

They started showing up in my decor when we first moved into this house. I was greatly influenced by a store that no longer exists called the Great Ace. It was a mix of hardware and decor and furniture. And each holiday season they would put up a forest of themed trees …

and the Ye Olde Santa themed tree called my name.

And for many years thereafter, my collection grew. I would pick a few new Santas each year. And family and friends would gift me with Ye Olde Santas to add to my collection.

But as with most things, with the passing of time my Christmas decor tastes and preferences changed. My affection for Ye Olde Santas waned …

as I found myself drawn to trees. Little trees. Big trees. Medium sized trees. Trees, trees, trees.

I found this twig and jute tree at Target and scooped it up right away. I had no idea where it would go. I had no idea how large it actually was (I didn’t unfurl the full tree in the store). I just know I needed this twig and jute tree in my holiday home.

After trying it out in a few spots, I eventually decided to hang it on the chalkboard wall in the kitchen. When I stepped back to admire my new medium-sized tree addition to my holiday decor, I thought it needed a little sumpin sumpin.

So I pulled out the colorful holiday Duck® brand duct tape …

How To Make Candy Cane Christmas Bunting with Duck Tape

Materials

Color Duck Tape® in red & white

8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper

White jingle bells

Small hole punch

Red & white baker’s twine

Embroidery needle

Scissors

Tape alternating strips of red and white Duck Tape to the 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. I eyeballed the spacing … but turns my eyeballs eyeballed 1/4″ stripes.

Continue until you fill the page.

Turn over and trim away the excess.

Trace triangles on paper side and cut out (mine measure 2 1/2″ in length x 2 1/4″ top width).

One 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper produced 24 triangles.

Using a small hole punch, create holes at two ends of top of triangle.

Thread baker’s twine through embroidery needle and thread together triangles (I added a white jingle bell after every two triangles). I did tie a knot for the jingle bells to stay in place, but no need to do that for each triangle. You can just move them around where you want them and they’ll stay in place.

And hang …

One tree done, ten more to go. 😉

Oh, and this candy cane bunting looks cute on the big tree too …

And since it’s made with Duck® brand duct tape, this bunting is durable enough touse it year-after-year on my little, medium and big trees!

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Check out my other Duck Tape holiday craft ideas:

Santa Suit Duck Tape Mason Jar Cozy @Mason Jar Crafts Love blog

Duck Tape Silver & Gold Candle Holiday Centerpiece

Duck Tape Gift Bags & Tags

Christmas Tree in Gray, White, Red

December 6, 2018 By Linda 19 Comments

Christmas Tree in Gray, White, Red – Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas.

As I was fighting with this Christmas tree over the weekend, I got to thinking …

You see, I bought this tree as a pre-lit one. Which is all great and good and convenient for like 4 or 5 or 6 years or so. Until …

until (insert drum roll here) …

until a strand of pre-lit lights stops working.

And that’s when the struggle begins. Because identifying the exact strand to replace is near impossible.

Two years ago when a single section of the tree went dark, I ad libbed (or is it ad hoc’d) it and just threw a new strand over the old.

Problem solved.

Then last year, there were a few more black out spots. So I ad libbed (ad hoc’d?) it again. The result, though? The tree was a bit overwhelmed with wires. And I knew this temporary light solution wouldn’t fly next year.

Welcome to next year!

So the unraveling began. As in removing the pre-lit strands of light. Eek.

And let me tell you, when they string these pre-lit trees they really, really string them. Seriously. It took me hours to get the old off. Not to mention all the fake tree scratches on my hands and wrists.

I won’t TMI you with a picture of my bloodied limbs, so you’ll have to take my word. 😉

And as I was struggling to unstrand the strands, I started thinking: how are these pre-lit trees strung? Is it automated? And if so, how? And if so, bravo to the engineer who came up with that automation line!

But if not … are they individually hand strung? And if so, well my combined cheers & condolences to the person whose job it is to string them. I’m hoping they wear some heaving duty gloves!

And now my pre-lit tree has one tiny little pre-lit section left. It’s the smallest piece of the puzzle that fits on the tippy top of the tree. I’m not sure why that one strand of lights continues to shine brightly. But if decides to follow the rest of the tree and dark next year …

I’m ready.

Though, next year I’ll wear protective gloves. 🙂

P.S. Clearly Ernie is enjoying this year’s Christmas tree!

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Christmas in the Kitchen

Thanksgiving Centerpiece

December 4, 2018 By Linda 6 Comments

Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas – White Pumpkins, Eucalyptus, Votives – Simple Neutral Centerpiece.

I know. I know.

Thanksgiving was two weeks ago.

But bear with me. I’m trying to catch up here (remember that spontaneous six months long time off thingy majingy).

Hey, it could have been worse. I have a few Halloween projects from October that I made and photographed but never shared! 😉

But this year I hosted Thanksgiving. Which was a very big deal. Because it’s been many, many … many .... long years of not hosting.

Now, it’s not like I don’t like hosting. I do. It’s just the family has grown in size as kids grow up and get married and have kids of their own. And, quite frankly, my space-challenged house could no longer accommodate all those new family additions.

But this year we were a small group. Me, Mike, my two kids, Mike’s two sisters and one brother-in-law. A perfect size for a gathering in my home!

So in preparation for our little gathering, I decided to paint the walls, make new pillow slip covers and get new rugs.

That’s normal preparation, right?

Naturally, my husband thought I was insane. And perhaps I was. But I’ll tell you what …

it gave me a chance to give the house a nice, deep clean. You know the kind, right. The behind-the-armoire-and-hutch-and-under-the-couch-scrub-the-baseboards kinds of deep clean.

Boy does that feel good. Like a nice, long hot shower after a strenuous work-out!

Oh, and you can catch a glimpse of the newly painted wall color above the board and batten in these two pictures. It’s a nice, neutral light gray.

And after the navy, it really brightens up the place.

I’ll share a full before & after post after the holidays with all the paint-color-rug-and-fabric resources and names and links.

But for now, let’s just enjoy some candlelight and twinkle lights in my neutral Thanksgiving centerpiece. It’s nice and low so it doesn’t get in the way of conversation. I used a few faux white pumpkins (from my stash), twig pumpkins (again, my stash) simple votives (found at Michael’s), birch wood slice (found at Mariano’s grocery store) and fresh greens from the grocery store that I dismantled and spread along the table.

That’s it. Simple. Neutral. Pretty.

Oh, and it went perfectly with my freshly painted walls ….

and sparkling baseboards!

Before I go, here’s a quick and shameless plug for my Etsy shop. I still have some cars in jars left that can be delivered in time for Christmas:

Vintage Chevy Pick Up Truck

Vintage Chevy Bel-Air

Summer Nautical Navy And White Party Ideas with Paper

June 6, 2018 By Linda 2 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of A.C. Moore. All opinions are 100% mine.

There are so many things to love about the craft store.

So many things to inspire my creativity.

So many shiny things I want to take home and glue to something. Anything.

So many shades of paint I want to splatter on anything that doesn’t move. And even some that do! 😉

But the one section in the craft store that draws me in … calls my name as soon as I step foot in the store ... is the paper aisle.

So many colors. So many designs and patterns and beautiful color combinations. So many themes.

So many possibilities!

In the paper aisle, my head explodes with all those possibilities. Paper flowers … and origami … and custom cards … oh my!

Not to mention how many affordable ways I can use paper to create something beautiful for my home …

or, even better, how many affordable ways I can use paper to create something beautiful I can share with friends and family at a summer party!

For my summer nautical navy and white party ideas with paper, I zeroed in on these amazing Love Nicole paper collections at A.C. Moore in “ahoy” …

… and “seaside.”

You can find both of these collections (and even more amazing designs and colors) at A.C. Moore … and even more design inspiration by watching the A.C. Moore Hour, a recent partnership with Create and Craft airing every Wednesday at 11 AM Eastern time. Now you can tune into your TV and regularly get great craft ideas. You can watch Create and Craft on DISH Network or stream online at createandcraft.com.

Summer Nautical Navy and White Party Ideas with Paper

Paper Gift Box Tutorial

Trace cube box template onto back side of your paper (click here to download & print the template).

Cut it out.

Fold. Fold. Fold (per template).

Using a glue stick, apply to flaps.

I also used a little tape to better secure the sides of the box.

Finished box measures about 2 1/4″ square.

Paper Bow Tutorial

You can download the bow template by clicking here.

Trace template on wrong side of paper and cut out.

Add glue.

Fold over each side to form bow’s loops, adding more glue to stick ends to center.

Use a paper clip to secure until dry. (If it doesn’t stick, you can use tape or a glue gun).

I used glue dots to secure the looped bow to the base (you can also use glue or glue gun).

Wrap small strip around center of bow to finish off, secure in back (again, I used glue dots but you can use glue gun or tape).

Paper Sailboat Cupcake Topper Tutorial

You can download the triangle template by clicking here. (I used the smaller triangle for the mini cupcakes; the larger triangle is for standard size cupcakes)

Trace on wrong side of paper and cut out.

Add a small hole to top of triangle (using a small hole hand punch) along the right angle side.

And add a second small hole at bottom of triangle.

Feed through a small dowel (I used a wooden vegetable skewer that you can find at the grocery store). Add a small jute tie at bottom of triangle.

Cut dowels and insert in cupcakes.

Mason Jar Paper Topped Sippy Cup Tutorial

Trace mason jar lid on wrong side of paper.

Cut out.

Step not pictured: Before inserting circle cut outs into mason jar bands, punch holes for straws (you can also use a knife to make an “X” after you insert into bands)

Add straws … and serve!

Paper Navy & White Flag Banner

Click here for banner template.

Trace and cut out. Add to jute string using mini clothespins (you can find them at the craft store).

Paper Napkin Ring Tutorial

Cut 1″ strips of paper.

Wrap around rolled up napkins. Trim excess and secure in back with tape.

Finish by tying off with a piece of jute string.

Pull it all together and you’ve got an amazing nautical themed party exclusively using paper to create your decorations!

Sharing: Between Naps on the Porch |

White Rose Valentine Heart Wreath

January 9, 2018 By Linda 3 Comments

White Rose Valentine Heart Wreath – Grapevine Heart Wreath with Roses.

The house feels … well … naked.

And not naked because it’s clutter free. Quite the contrary; clutter and errant pine needles abound.

No. The house feels naked because the trees are down …

and with them goes the twinkle light warmth.

Ah well.

Time to move on.

Time to move forward.

Time to finally fully embrace 2018.

I mean, if twinkle lights were year-round they would lose their magic. 🙂

So instead of tackling the clutter and pine needles, I decided to look forward to Valentine’s Day. And make a white rose Valentine heart wreath …

How To Make A White Rose Valentine Heart Wreath

Materials*

Grapevine Heart Wreath

White Faux Roses (I used 4 bunches found at The Dollar Tree)

Wire Cutters

Length of Twine

*some affiliate links included

Start with your materials – grapevine heart wreath from Michaels and four bunches of roses from The Dollar Tree.

Cut roses from stems leaving a short length of stem.

Push that short length of stem through the grapevine to secure.

You could hot glue gun to attach the roses for a more permanent solution.

Continue adding roses.

I used 4 bunches of The Dollar Tree stems and a total of 18 roses.

Then I just added a bit of twine (tied through the grapevine on the back and hung it in my entry.

The white rose Valentine heart wreath …

… and the entry …

are setting the tone for my home in 2018.

De-saturated.

Neutral.

Simple.

And … hopefully … clutter (and pine needle) free. 🙂

Pin It!

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Sharing: | Savvy Southern Style | Between Naps on the Porch |

Yarn Wrapped Hearts

January 4, 2018 By Linda 15 Comments

Yarn Wrapped Hearts – Neutral Valentine’s Day Craft & Decor Idea.

I was toying with putting together a top 5 or top 10 posts of the year post.

But then I looked up from my computer screen at Kelly & Ryan on my television screen. And they were doing a show showing their top moments (or maybe it was favorite moments) from the past year. And it hit me …

the only people who enjoy a show featuring the show’s top moments from the past year are the people working on the show.

Hmmm.

And that put a kibosh on a top 5 or top 10 posts of 2017 post.

Instead, let’s look forward and open our (yarn wrapped) hearts to 2018. 😉

But seriously, I don’t want to make any resolutions. Per se. Because then I’m destined for failure.

Instead I’ll call them minor improvements. And minor adjustments. Things I want to improve upon — and adjust — in the coming year.

Let’s start with health. Eating better. Exercising more. And, most importantly, trying to get on a real and sustainable eating-better-and-exercising-more schedule.

Then there’s the rabbit hole that is social media. In particular, a Twitter feed I used to keep apprised of current events. I hop on first thing in the morning and …

well ….

fall head first down that hole, only emerging for tea refreshes and bathroom breaks and sustenance.

To put it in perspective, over the past 12 months I’ve tweeted and re-tweeted 11.6K times. In my defense, 95% are re-tweets …

but, yeah, this Twitter habit needs to be cut back. Waaaaaaaaaay back.

Even as I type this post I keep jumping back on Twitter to peak at my feed.

Sigh.

Next up is blogging.

Last year was, quite frankly, lackluster. Weeks would go by with no posts. No projects. No motivation. There was even a time my blog was hacked and I didn’t realize it for days. Or maybe weeks?

Yeah. I was inattentive.

I hope to remedy that this year. I actually spent the past weekend putting together a list of projects. With deadlines. And creating an editorial calendar for January.

Fingers crossed I can keep to the schedule. Though this post was supposed to go up yesterday.

Oops.

Finally (because I think it may be too ambitious to focus on more than four “improvements” when I’m already failing on “improvement” #2 on this 4th day of the New Year) there’s my heart.

I need to open it up more. Wider.

Okay, I truly do have an open heart. In theory. Now I need to take that open heart and put it into action.

In my community.

In my city.

In my state.

In my nation.

I started small yesterday. With a donation to a group in Chicago helping the homeless stay warm with clothes, blankets, and meals.

And I will continue to look for opportunities for open-heart-driven improvements. And adjustments. 🙂

In the meanwhile, I’ll be wrapping up my heart with yarn …

How to Make Yarn Wrapped Hearts

Materials*

Cardboard

Yarn (I used this Lion’s Brand chunky yarn in Wheat)

Heart Shape (you can download & print at this link)

Pen & Scissors

Masking Tape

*some affiliate links included.

Print out and cut out heart shape (you can download at this link); trace onto cardboard (I used an old box that was originally destined for the recycle bin)

Cut out cardboard hearts.

Use a piece of masking tape to tape end of yard to cardboard heart.

Wrap yarn randomly around the cardboard heart. Continue until cardboard is completely covered.

When covered, cut off yarn and then loop the end through another piece of yarn and knot.

Cut off excess length.

And you’re done.

And you know what the best thing about this project is? I used what I had.

Hey, that’s going to be my improvement/adjustment number five in 2018. Craft with what I have …

because I’ve accumulated a lot of crafting materials over the past 6 years of this blog. 🙂

What improvements and adjustments do you have planned for the coming year?

Pin It!

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Sharing: | Between Naps on the Porch | Savvy Southern Style |

The Saddest Day of The Year

December 27, 2017 By Linda 25 Comments

You know what the saddest day of the year is?

The day the Christmas tree comes down.

Or, in my case, trees plural. As in three.

And, yes, I know I’m still clinging to Christmas. And, yes, I know I need to move on …

but it’s so hard to do when all I see for the next three months is a vast, cold, windy, overcast winter.

With nary a twinkle light in sight. 😉

And this Christmas was an especially merry one. As I’ve shared before.

Oh, and the make this Christmas even more magical was the snow. On Christmas Eve day! Blanketing the city in white …

and making Christmas morning just that much more magical.

This is Christmas tree #3.

This the last tree to go up. Waited for someone to return from college.

This was the last tree to get decorated. I added the red balls and ribbon … and waited on college student and high school junior to add the assorted decorations. This happened the eve before Christmas eve.

This tree has no rhyme or reason. No theme. No color story. Just a mishmash of ornaments accumulated over the years. Some I bought early on before kids. Some the kids buy during their annual pilgrimage to the Kristkindlemarket with their aunt. Some given as stocking stuffers from Santa over the years.

And I’m not even counting all the ornaments that did not make their way onto the tree.

We all clearly have our favorites.

Molly has a strong kinship with this lady. And always reserves a branch so she will hang front and center.

Sam likes non-traditional ornaments. Non-traditional colors. Non-traditional Christmas themed …

like what is that?

He even loaded one side of the tree with his favorites so he that he can see them as he sits on his usual perch on the couch.

This one is my favorite.

I’m not yet ready for the saddest day of the year. So I’m holding out until 2018.

Because who wants to ring in the New Year without twinkle lights? 🙂

Happy Christmas & Merry Holidays

December 25, 2017 By Linda 2 Comments

Merry merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate Christmas!

And happy happy holidays to those of you who don’t!

Celebrate Christmas, that is.

Or perhaps we should mix things up with a Happy Christmas and a Merry Holiday cheer this year? 🙂

Either way, I hope you are having a lovely holiday season filled with friends and family and love and joy.

And I write this as I await my now-grown-young-adult children to awake.

I love that they still want presents to open under the tree.

I love that they still want a coordinated time to wake and come down to open said presents.

I love that they still get excited about the prospect of Christmas morning.

I love that they still want to hold onto the magic of the day.

Ten o’clock AM Central Time is official present opening time here at casa Braden …

so I better run off and get things ready.

So, again, Happy Christmas! Or Merry Christmas! And Merry Holidays! Or Happy Holidays!

Just pick the one that sums you up best. 🙂

But no matter how you say it, I hope you all have a wonderful-love-filled-day!