Fall in the Kitchen

October 25, 2017 By Linda 4 Comments

Fall in the Kitchen – Neutral Kitchen Decor for Fall.

I’m going to TMI (too much information) you this morning.

Please accept my apologies.

Especially since TMI and pictures of the kitchen don’t really go hand-in-hand.

But … there is a point. I promise. However, to get to the point we must start with the TMI. So here goes …

I’m bladder challenged.

And now you see how this is a totally inappropriate topic to bring up during a kitchen blog post. But again …

patience people.

Now, I’d like to blame the whole bladder challenged thing on childbirth. But that would be unfair to my children.

Turns out — much like the Grinch’s heart is two sizes too small — so is my bladder. Or maybe it’s three sizes too small. Or four? All I know, my bladder is the size of pea.

Oh, I just got what I did there! Tee hee. Bathroom humor. Yes, I’m 12.

So me an my two-or-three-or-four-sizes-too-small bladder spend a lot of time visiting bathrooms. I map them out the moment I enter a store or restaurant. I know the best stops on the expressways and highways …

… come to think of it, I could probably put together a best/worst bathrooms guidebook. Or blog. 😉

Oh, and here’s where we get to the TMI bladder challenged point:

You see that fall flower arrangement up there? The one with the pretty reds and yellows and rusts with a splash of purple?

I can’t take credit.

I saw that very same arrangement in … you guessed it … a bathroom. The bathroom of my local grocery store, to be exact. And that red and yellow and rust with a touch of purple flower arrangement was styled in a mason jar.

I was inspired.

And lo and behold, I found the exact same arrangement at the grocery store florist.

So I scooped it up. Took it home. Put it in a mason jar. And declared my kitchen ready for fall!

I also added some mini grapevine wreaths to the cabinets (you can find these mini grapevine wreaths at this affiliate link on Amazon).

And tossed some mini white pumpkins into my two-tiered fruit basket to finish off the fall in the kitchen decor.

So, you see, sometimes my bladder challenge comes handy …

and serves as inspiration for seasonal decor!

With the lesson here being you can sometimes find inspiration in the most unusual of places. Like the bathroom. 🙂

Pin It!

You Might Also Like:

Table Setting with Hydrangeas & White Pumpkins

Fall Dining Room

Fall Living Room

Christmas Kitchen

Sharing: | Savvy Southern Style |

Fall Decor in Navy & White

October 20, 2017 By Linda 14 Comments

Fall Decor in Navy & White – Neutral Fall Decor Decorating Ideas.

See that chair up there? ^ The worn faux brown suede chair with a white furry pillow?

This one? (Again, up there ^).

Well that worn-faux-brown-suede-with-fuzzy-pillow chair is where the all the magic happens.

And no, not that kind of magic. Get your head out of the gutter people.

I’m talking about the blogging magic.

For six years I’ve parked my butt in that chair and worked on this blog.

For six years I’ve parked my butt in that chair and edited pictures.

For six years I’ve parked my butt in that chair and wrote blog posts.

For six years I’ve parked my butt in that chair and linked up blog posts to blog link parties.

For six years I’ve parked my butt in that worn-faux-brown-suede-with-fuzzy-pillow chair and answered your questions and responded to your comments.

Now keep in mind, there’s typically a laptop table pulled up to that worn-faux-brown-suede-with-fuzzy-pillow chair. With a laptop sitting atop.

And then there’s a power strip and wires. Lots and lots of wires and charges plugged into that strip.

And on that table beside the chair? That’s my makeshift desk where you’ll find pens and notebooks and pads and pieces of pad paper with scribbled notes of blogging brilliance. There’s also my coffee mug (typically filled with tea) and water bottles and my iPhone and …

and …

a lot of stuff.

Some might describe it as messy. 😉

On October 29, 2011 I hit publish for the very first time (click here for that very first post).

It was thrilling and exciting and frightening and mortifying all wrapped up in one.

When I first started the blog, I had this crazy idea I would publish a blog post 7-days-a-week. 365-days-a-year.

I even wrote a few posts before that first “publish” figuring I had a head start on this thing …

… and oh boy, was I wrong. So, so wrong.

Two-and-a-half weeks in I broke down in tears. The stress of a 7-day-a-week, 365-day-a-year publishing schedule was unreasonable.

Some might even describe it as insane.

And naive. 🙂

So I gave in and strove for 5-days-a-week. Then 4. Then 3.

And now?

Now I’ve removed the stress altogether. Now I blog when I love it. When I feel inspired.

And now I take unannounced breaks when I’m not loving it. Or inspired.

So much healthier for me. And hopefully a better blog reading experience for you!

So thank you to all of you have stuck around for six years. I appreciate your support … and patience.

Oh, and do you remember when the blog looked like this?

And for you newer blog readers, Welcome! For you, it’s almost like today is the first day I hit publish. 🙂

Pin It!

You Might Also Like:

Fall Dining Room

Fall Table Setting: White Pumpkins & Hydrangea

Fall Decor 2016

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

Fall Table: White Pumpkins & Hydrangeas

October 18, 2017 By Linda 15 Comments

Fall Table: White Pumpkins & Hydrangeas – Holiday Table Setting Ideas.

I hate my house.

There, I said it.

I realize it’s a bold thing to say when I blog about my house.

And ironic.

So let’s be clear: while I hate my house I don’t hate my home. The distinction being this place … this structure … holds so many memories I’ll forever cherish.

And this place … this structure … holds so many fun (and challenging) DIY projects I tackled and documented here.

But this place … this structure …

… this shell that houses all those memories? That’s what I no longer love.

You could say I’m ready to shed this place …

this structure …

this shell of a house.

Now, I didn’t always hate this house. In fact there were many years where my heart had nothing but love and adoration for this structure.

From the moment we first met, it was love at first sight. I knew it was the one for me.

For us.

And over the years, we’ve painted and decorated and painted and decorated again as we’ve grown as a family and made those memorable memories.

We even added space on the back to accommodate our growing family.

But sometime over the last five years or so, I’ve soured.

Mostly because we’re at the point where big changes need to be made. Big, expensive gut changes to bathrooms and kitchens and basements. Oh, and there are big, expensive things that are pushing the limits of their warranties (like roof shingles and appliances and heating/cooling systems).

In a normal real estate market, we would make those investments and see returns when we sell …

… but we don’t live in a normal real estate market. In my Chicago neighborhood, my house is a tear down.

And it’s not a tear down because it’s a horrible home. It’s a tear down because this market can bear a much larger, much more expensive home. Something in the $1.2 – $1.5 million range.

And to get that $1.2-$1.5 price tag, it’s so much easier to tear down and build anew. I’ve watched it happen time and time again …

In fact, there are two such projects happening on my stretch of block as I type this.

So any big investments we might make (kitchen, bathroom, roof) will net nothing.

Nada. Zero. Zilch.

Our home’s value is not in the structure. But in the land upon which it sits.

So here we live. Biding our time. Painting walls and buying new rugs to refresh our homes interior as we wait …

and wait …

and wait. All the while hoping the next big storm doesn’t blow off the roof shingles. And holding our breath as we turn on the heat for the first time each Fall …

and the A/C each Spring.

But when finally do move (hopefully sometime in the next 4-5 years), there is one house love I’ll miss most …

the screen porch.

It was a top reason we feel in love with this house. And continues to one of the top things we love about this house. 🙂

Pin It!

You Might Also Like:

Fall Table with Painted Pumpkins

Fall in Dining Room

Fall Living Room

Easy Fall Wreath

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

Fall Dining Room Decor 2017

October 10, 2017 By Linda 8 Comments

Fall Dining Room Decor – Neutral Decor for Fall.

Is it really fair to call this “fall dining room decor” if I exerted the minimum amount of effort that I could?

Is it fair to call it “fall dining room decor” if I dug a few faux pumpkins and faux acorns and threw them in the bowls on the dining room radiator cover …

Including this cutest ever mini grapevine pumpkin I found at JoAnn’s?

P.S. I also found some mini grapevine pumpkins on Amazon for you. Just click here on this (affiliate) link.

Is it fair to call it “fall dining room decor” if I just added a few faux white pumpkins to the table and called it a day?

Is it fair to call if “fall dining room decor” if I added a few mini grapevine twig wreaths to the backs of the chairs?

Okay, this one might be fair to call “fall dining room decor” …

… because some “effort” was extended to tie them up with a bit of burlap ribbon. 🙂

Whether it’s fair to call if “fall dining room decor,” this year I kept it simple. Natural. Easy.

Navy and white and natural …

for Fall. 🙂

Pin It!

You Might Also Like:

Fall Living Room

Easy Grapevine Wreath for Fall

Fall Decor 2016

Thanksgiving Table with Painted Pumpkins

Sharing: | Between Naps on the Porch |

Falling for Fall Candles

September 19, 2017 By Linda 2 Comments

This post is sponsored by Chesapeake Bay Candle but all opinions are my own.

Brace yourselves people …

I’m going to equate each season of the year with a sense. Not scent. Sense. Human sense like taste, touch, smell, etc.

I know, crazy.

And yes, I do realize we have five senses vs. four seasons. But in the spirit of Tim Gunn, “I’ll make it work.”

Let’s start with winter. Which I’m assigning taste. I mean, there are Christmas dinners and candy canes and homemade cookies. Not to mention Valentine’s Day chocolates, Super Bowl party fare and St. Patty’s day corned beef and cabbage to consume. It’s a season of tasty morsels …

and expanding waistlines. 😉

Which brings us to Spring. And sight.

Yes, there will be the sight of what we look like after winter sweaters come off and we get to see the months of tasty morsel damage. But there’s also the sight of rejuvenation and growth as flowers burst through the soil and foliage returns to the trees. A true sight to behold.

Summer is all about touch. The touch of the sun on our skin. The touch and feel of sand between our toes. The cooling touch on our skin when we jump in the water.

But Summer is also about hearing. Throwing open the windows to the sounds of children playing and birds calling and cicadas cicada’ing. Not to mention waves crashing.

And then there’s fall …

and smell.

The sweet, delicious, decadent smells of fall. It’s all about the pumpkin and cinnamon and chestnut and spice.

Can you smell it?

I can.

Well, I can smell it because Chesapeake Bay Candle sent me their Heritage Collection of fall scents to sample.

And smell.

But before we talk smell can we talk packaging?

I’m inspired by the clean, rustic, modern simplicity of the design: frosted glass, wood lids and twine loop pulls. I especially love that each soy blend candle is natural in color and the frosted glass jars they’re housed in are reminiscent of ocean glass. Overall, a perfect fit with my coastal-inspired home design style … from a company that gets it’s inspiration from Maryland’s idyllic shoreline.

Like I said, a perfect fit … 🙂

Okay, let’s move on to smell.

Oh the delicious smells!

This Cinnamon Spice small jar (retailing for $15) offers a nostalgic scent of rich cinnamon spice intertwined with fresh notes of eucalyptus. Distinctive vanilla, bay leaf, and warm nutmeg mingle with sugar clove and cinnamon bark.

And you can enjoy that delicious cinnamon-spice-vanilla-bay-leaf-warm-nutmeg-sugar-clove smell for a 20-hour burn time.

Then there’s the three-wick Chestnut & Acorn Coffee Table Jar Candle which retails for $25 and can burn for 34 hours.

The fragrance is an earthy, chestnut nutty aroma with rich vanilla notes. The smells of a stroll through the park on a crisp fall day.

And it looks (and smells) perfect on my living room coffee table!

The Pumpkin Latte Large Jar Candle ($25 retail price) did not disappoint with notes of brown sugar, maple and creamy vanilla.

And, of course, pumpkin. And spice.

Seriously, this is Thanksgiving in a jar.

The Vanilla Biscotti Double Wick Tin Candle ($15) was claimed by my daughter before I even had a chance to light those double wicks.

The fragrance is a creamy vanilla with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and toasted almonds …

… with a dash of nutmeg.

It smells like freshly baked cookies. Yum!

The best part: the Vanilla Biscotti candle, in its stylish galvanized steel tin, offers 20 hours of burn time. So while my daughter’s room may look a mess, it won’t smell that way …

well, at least for 20 hours or so it won’t. 😉

Finally, the Balsam Fir Large Jar Candle ($25) is the perfect segue from fall to winter with its scent of evergreen pine, fresh balsam, and spiced pomander.

This candle’s hints of clove, amber, and spearmint will inspire you to start making your list …

… and checking it twice. 🙂

You can find out more about Chesapeake Bay Candle here and the Chesapeake Bay Candle Heritage Collection here

Pin It!

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

Nautical Table Setting

September 12, 2017 By Linda 9 Comments

Nautical Table Setting – Summer Table in Navy & White

Yes. I’m sharing summer.

In September.

Because … technically … per the calendar it’s still summer. Technically.

And while the rest of the blog world is embracing pumpkins and pies and dreaming about Halloween trick-or-treaters and Thanksgiving feasts and (gasp) Christmas …

I’m bucking the trend and talking about how much I like to eat outside.

In fact, my desire to eat al fresco has become something of a “thing” of mine that the kids rib me about.

Which is fine. Because in the end, mom’s win to eat outdoors is a win for all! 😉

I’m not sure how or when my need to eat outside started. Perhaps at all those family reunion picnics while growing up …

… perhaps it was all that time spent at the beach in my 20’s ….

… or perhaps (most likely) it’s all the cute sidewalk cafes and beer gardens that pop up in Chicago the minute the temperature is above freezing.

Because, honestly, when I’m driving home from the grocery store or the gym an I see people relaxing and conversing and eating and drinking at any one of the outdoor cafes along my route, all I want to do is stop the car and join them.

Which would be awkward, of course.

I also enjoy eating outdoors on our screen porch.

And we push the whole eating outdoors on the screen porch well into September …

… and even into October if we are blessed with an Indian summer.

So while the calendar may be pointing towards the arrival of fall …

and others are celebrating the arrival of Halloween and Thanksgiving and (gasp) Christmas …

we will continue to buck the trend in our backyard …

with a nautical table setting …

as we dine al fresco! 🙂

Pin It!

You Might Also Like:

Driftwood Sailboat DIY

Navy & White Screen Porch

Texas Bluebonnet Mason Jars

Red, White & Blue Americana Decor

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

Red White Blue Americana Summer Decor

June 15, 2017 By Linda 16 Comments

Welcome to my summer home tour! I’d like to first thank Marty at A Stroll Through Life for once again organizing this fabulous event!

If you’re here from Life & Home at 2012, welcome to my humble little abode. And I have to say I love everything in Vel’s home including her kitchen. Oh, her kitchen! That is like double love! Make sure you check it out …

and now on to my summer tour!

Let’s face it, it was only a matter of time.

I mean, the moment I rolled that first coat of navy the walls we all knew that one day … some day … I would get there.

I mean here.

Sure I’ve flirted with pink. And green. And brown. And coral. And lavender.

There was even a hint of it one Christmas.

Maybe I was even avoiding the inevitable …

the inevitable red white & blue.

So this year … finally … I have embraced it. Red white & blue in the living room ….

… red white & blue in the dining room …

… and on the back screen porch.

For more summer decorating ideas, be sure to visit the other bloggers on the tour. Starting with the fabulous Summer at Simple Stylings.

And here’s the full line-up …

Monday – June 12

A Stroll Thru Life

Pink Peppermint Design

Cuckoo4Design

Nesting With Grace

Life On Virginia Street

Decor to Adore

Tuesday – June 13

Thrifty & Chic

21 Rosemary Lane

Decorating Delirium

The Chronicles of Home

Hymns & Verses

My Sweet Savannah

Wednesday – June 14

Thursday – June 15

Life & Home @ 2102

It All Started With Paint

Fri – June 16

Sharing: Between Naps on the Porch * Savvy Southern Style

Pink and Navy Living Room

June 2, 2017 By Linda 10 Comments

Pink and Navy Living Room – Decorating Ideas for Spring.

This time next week I’ll be in New York.

Alone.

Mike and the kids will hold down the fort as I reconnect with college sorority sisters …

Alpha Chi Omega sorority sisters who I haven’t seen or spoken to in 30 years.

30 years!!!!

I’m also squeezing in a mini reunion with my former co-workers who I haven’t seen in over 20 years.

over 20 years!!!

Through the power of Facebook, we’ve reconnected. And I’ve been able to piece together pieces of their lives — milestones likes graduations and weddings and major trips and major moves and major career changes — that they’ve decided to share on Facebook.

But we all know that is a tiny microcosm of their real 50-something lives.

So off I’m looking forward to finding out what’s really going on behind those smiling Facebook photos.

🙂

Now, to say I’ve been preparing for this trip would be an understatement. There has been lots of cottage cheese, lots of trips to the gym and lots and lots of Pinterest pins as I tried to pull together the perfect outfits.

So, naturally, I’ve stared to fall apart. Physically. And literally …

There is a burgeoning cold sore blossoming on my lower lip. I fear it will be a doozy.

A blemish has formed on my chin and has stubbornly stayed securitly in place for the past two weeks. We are in a constant battle and the blemish is winning.

And then there’s the sty. In the eye.

I don’t even know what to do with that one.

Sigh.

I’ve also been working on a summer home tour before heading out ….

which reminded me that I never shared some pictures of the Spring pink and navy living room.

So here you go …

before I go.

Literally.

And physically. 😉

Here’s the full series of Spring home tour posts. Featuring blue and pink.

Spring Mantel Fantel

Spring in the Dining Room

Spring in the Kitchen

Spring in the Family Room

Fantel Mantel for Spring

May 24, 2017 By Linda 3 Comments

Fantel Mantel for Spring – Decorating with Navy & Pink.

Yesterday I ran errands.

Now I realize that statement sounds like running errands is a rare occurrence. When, in fact, it’s a daily event.

So it’s pretty fair to assume that today I will be running errands too. 🙂

Some days my errands are short and sweet. A quick hop to the grocery store or the CVS. Others it’s a pre-planned-and-mapped-out circuitous route. Carefully plotted for maximum time and mileage efficiency.

Now, admittedly, there’s not a lot of personal prep to goes into these errand outings.

And by personal prep I mean outfit picking and hair brushing and make up wearing.

When said errands include a trip to the gym, yoga pants and oversized tee’s and hoodies are often the outfit du jour.

Oh, who am I kidding. The yoga-pant-oversized-tee-hoodie-combo outfit does not always correspond with a trip to the gym. It’s my go-to regardless of whether or not a workout is involved. 😉

Yet, in my mind’s eye, this yoga-pants-oversized-tee-hoodie outfit is sporty. The make-up-less face is fresh. Clean and scrubbed.

So yesterday when I headed out for errands wearing jeans and ankle boots (and perhaps a dab of mascara and bronzer) my daughter wanted to know why I was all dressed up …

dressed up?

In jeans?

And ankle boots?

And it all came crashing down. Reality hit. And it hurt. My mind’s eye was playing a cruel trick on me …

… oh silly mind’s eye. How you mislead me!

All these years I haven’t been sporty at all.

I’ve been sloppy.

Sigh.

Sometimes it takes the measured eye of a teenage girl to teach that misleading mind’s eye a lesson or two.

🙂

And what does this fantel mantel for Spring have to do with my sloppy attire? Well, let’s just say sometimes it sports a “sporty” look too …

Pin It!

You Might Also Like:

Spring Decorating Ideas in Pink

Pink Geranium Monogram Wreath

Shaker Dining Room in Pink & Navy

Shaker Dining Room Navy & Pink for Spring

May 17, 2017 By Linda 9 Comments

Shaker Dining Room Navy & Pink for Spring – Spring Decorating Ideas.

The perfect shot.

Or is angle?

Or perhaps it’s a combination of both. Angle + Shot = Perfect.

I have no idea. I’m an amateur’s amateur when it comes to photography and photography terms.

To be honest with you, I’m not claiming the shot above is perfect. As I look closer — much like a teenage girl examining her pores in a makeup mirror — I see the flaws. And imperfections. Growing larger and larger the longer I peer through that mirror …

glaring at me.

So. Many. Flaws.

But ….

but I need to remember that for me at thing point in my photography journey, this is as perfect as it gets.

For now …

as I continue to practice, practice, practice.

The funny thing is my self-proclaimed “perfect” shot above (for now) was a throwaway. I only took four frames. And I only moved the camera oh so slightly between frames two and three.

I didn’t even bother to make any adjustments to the focal point. Or focal length.

Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap.

Just four shots.

Four throwaway shots.

Versus the kajillion shots of the flower box I took. 🙂

I’ve photographed these rooms in my house so many times over the years that I keep going to my “go to” angles. Like the one above.

(And you thought I was kidding about the flower box). 🙂

The one below is another “go to.”

With the radiator top a newer addition to the dining room repertoire …

But I need to remember to always try something new. Mix it up.

Sometimes it’s a collossal fail that will never see the light of day.

And sometimes ….

and sometimes it becomes the (almost) perfect shot (for now) that earns a new position in the dining room repertoire.

With just four shots.

🙂

You Might Also Like:

Pink & Blue Kitchen and Family Room

Geranium Monogram Wreath

Pink Rose Painted Mason Jars

Sharing: | Between Naps on the Porch |

Spring Decorating Ideas with Pink

March 23, 2017 By Linda 13 Comments

Spring Decorating Ideas with Pink – Spring Home Tour

Well, hello there …

long time no see.

Yes, yes, I know it’s not your fault. The blame resides squarely on my shoulders.

You see, I’ve been underwater. Okay, not literally underwater. More like under mason jars under water.

But I’m resurfacing today to share some Spring decorating ideas with pink in my home. It’s part of the fabulous Spring Home Tour series organized by Marty at A Stroll Thru Life (you can find the full list of participants and links at the end of the post).

If you find yourself here from Duke Manor Farm, can I just say welcome, welcome, welcome! And don’t you just adore my friend Laura’s beautiful home and stunning photography! I actually really know Laura. Like really, really know her and met her in real life. We shared wine. And food. And laughs. And forged a bond that exists to this day. And she’s equally as fabulous as her home and her blog!

But now it’s time to get this Spring home tour going. Featuring spring decorating ideas with pink.

The Kitchen

The Family Room

This is the space that Sam (when home from college) and Mike occupy each evening. Usually with Ernie curled up on the couch in between them. So, needless to say, it’s typically full of testosterone …

until now …. 😉

Pink has invaded the (man) family room.

There you go. Lots of photos. Not a lot of words. My head is filled with mason jars. As is my home …

hopefully I will resurface again soon. With lots of words. 🙂

Next up on the tour is Sarah’s gorgeous home at Life on Virginia Street.

And here’s the full line-up of Spring Home Tours:

Monday – March 20

A Stroll Thru Life – Marty

Decor To Adore – Laura

Southern Hospitality – Rhoda

Pink Peppermint Design – Tammy

Cuckoo4Design – Julia

21 Rosemary Lane -Barbara

Tuesday – March 21

Setting For Four – Heather

The Chronicles of Home – Jennifer

Nesting With Grace – Brooke

Refresh Restyle – Debbie

Haneen’s Haven -Haneen

Simple Stylings – Summer

Wednesday – March 22

Decorating Delirium – Jennifer

Dimples & Tangles – Jennifer

Hymns & Verses – Doreen

Remodelando La Casa – Christina

Sand & Sisal – Kim

Common Ground – Debra

Thursday – March 23

Duke Manor Farms – Laura

It All Started With Paint -Linda

Life on Virginia Street – Sarah

Bliss At Home – Kristin

Rain On A Tin Roof -Jenna

ZDesign At Home – Bree

Friday – March 24

Thrifty and Chic – Alicia

Our Fifth House – Carmel

Inspiration For Moms – Laura

Far Above Rubies – Anita

Life and Home @ 2102 – Vel

Making Home Base -Chelsea

Pin It!

Christmas in the Kitchen with Mini Wreaths

December 23, 2016 By Linda 11 Comments

Christmas in the Kitchen with Mini Wreaths on Cabinet Doors.

In the years B.B. (Before Blogging) I would put up my holiday decor 7-10 days before Christmas day. I’d shoot for the 15th of December (give or take a few days to account for a weekend day) to get the tree.

And if you told me that A.B. (After Blogging) I would have my Christmas decor up the first week of December, I would have laughed …

and laughed and laughed. A long, hard, guttural laugh.

And yet, there I was. Decking the halls on December 1.

Well, the truth is, I only decorated some of the halls on December 1.

Other halls have been a little bit slower in coming together …

… and this past weekend I found myself on my old B.B. blogging schedule.

Which now, A.B., feels like I’m so, so, so very behind. 😉

Which is weird. Because in my B.B. world, it would’ve been normal … natural … expected … for me to spend the 17th of December adding Christmas in the kitchen with mini wreaths hung on the kitchen cabinet doors …

… and putting painted pine cones in my two-tiered wired basket …

… and hanging the Christmas advent-less countdown calendar on the chalkboard door.

Okay, I’ll give. The Christmas advent-less countdown calendar should have been up by December 1st.

My bad. 🙂

Christmas In The Kitchen: How I Hung The Mini Wreaths

You may be asking, Linda, why would I need a tutorial on how to hang mini wreaths in the kitchen? Well, let me tell you. You see, starting in September and extending through December my Christmas in the Kitchen post from last year drew a lot of new visitors to the blog (welcome!). And these new visitors came armed with many, many questions about the mini wreaths on the cabinets. Like where I got them. And what are the dimensions. And what size ribbon. And how did I hang them …

Materials*

Mini Wreaths

(I purchased my mini faux pine wreaths many, many years ago. But here are the details: The inner diameter measures 3″ and the outer diameter is 5″; here’s a link similar ones I found on Amazon*

5″ mini faux pine wreath on Amazon (click here)

Selection of mini pine wreaths ranging from click here

Another idea is to make your own using wired faux greenery. Click here and click here for some options