Goebel Weihnacht Engel

       This beautiful Christmas candle holder was a gift from my grandmother a few years ago. She's German - with a marvelous accent I might add :-). I love the German history behind the candle holder and the uniqueness of it.

 

Goebel Weihnacht Engel

Winston Christmas 2014

My handsome boy, Winston.  Another, pic of our tree skirt this year, sparkly presents and tree decorations.

Wreaths

What  do you think about indoor wreaths? I love them! I recently added two to my home decor.

 I found this wreath on etsy. I tied a bow and hung it in my breakfast room :-)

 Again, etsy! I'm addicted to etsy! I always look there first before shopping at larger stores. I love supporting small businesses and artisans. I asked the artist to add a burlap flower to the monogram for me :-) I hung this wreath inside my front door so I could enjoy it! :-)

Christmas 2014

 

This year we were blessed with my mother-in-laws old tree. Our tiny tree was moved into the dinning room. I love how the lights sparkle off the wood floors. Hubby made sure to shine all the wood before we decorated.  :-) 

 

After we fluffed the massive tree, I wrapped burlap ribbon/garland around it. You can purchase burlap garland at almost any craft store. I purchased mine at Walmart

 (two huge rolls were less than $4). 

 Every year we edit and update our Christmas decor. This year one of our updates was this beautiful 54" burlap and lace tree skirt from Etsy.

 

 

 Our sparkly presents from Kirklands. We've had these for 3 yrs now.

  

 We love blue, creams and browns

 Another update this year is our burlap flower picks for the tree. I found them at Garden Ridge (now At HOME stores).

 You can see our flowers in the tree. 

 

 Another update this year is our burlap stockings from Etsy as well. I actually found them last year but waited to purchase them this year. It was so hard waiting!! 

Our original tree from when we first got married. It's now beautifully placed in the dinning room. We wrapped this tree in burlap garland as well and a burlap lace skirt from Etsy. As for the ornaments we used all our "memory" ornaments and special pieces we've collected over the years. 

 I hung a burlap "let it snow" banner over our dinning room map.

 Here's a closer look at our tiny tree skirt.

 

 Our mantle

 

I purchased these tiny trees several years ago when they were on sale (less than $20 for the pair) during an off season at Garden Ridge. I love them! This year we didn't decorate them, we simply add a burlap flower pick.

I finally got my nutcracker this year :-). Less than $20 at Walmart. Kirklands had some nice ones but they were over $50 which seemed over priced since it's not an authentic German nutcracker.

 A two piece nativity scene that sits front and center on our mantle. We got from Kirklands three years ago.

 We tried to get our Basset Hound to pose for a picture but instead he starts singing. Such a show off! :-)

         Every year I'm reminded how blessed I am to be married to a man that loves the Holidays. I grew up with my mom and dad decorating and being very festive. So it's important for me to carry on those fun and happy traditions. My hubby feels the same way. What I'd love for more people to know is that decorating doesn't have to be expensive. Hubby and I decorated our tree with Walmart ornaments. We tried glass ornaments earlier in our marriage and it was a bust with the dogs. Literally their tails would bust the ornaments. Since then we've used more durable ornaments. Also, each year we collect more and more decorations. I remember using dollar store things our first year, but if you add one or two nicer items each year they begin to carry memories. :-)

         I've been trying to get our living room tree to look more and more professional, so each year I edit it and read articles from other decor sites. I think our tree has come a LONG way from it's beginnings. I already have ideas to improve it for next year. :-)

Fall decor has come to an end

         I'm very thankful hubby and I didn't splurge on Thanksgiving dinnerware; we couldn't resist decorating for Christmas this week. We thought we'd be able to wait, but after hearing the disappointment in some of my family member's voices when they heard the Christmas tree wouldn't be up for Thanksgiving we had a change of heart. We were already wrestling with the idea. I guess when we eventually splurge on nice Thanksgiving dinnerware it will be Holiday neutral. As for this year we will be using some of my mom's plates. When it comes to my vision for a dramatic Thanksgiving tablescape, well,  it's transformed into a simple Christmas scape. :-)

2014 Thanksgiving Tablescape

    My 2014 thanksgiving tablescape inspiration:

This is what I've purchased so far:

The wine glasses, table runner and flatware holder are from Macy's. They had an amazing Columbus day sale. After that, I found some sparkly pumpkins at Kirklands and a silver fall leaf dishes at Garden Ridge (now called, At Home).

I'm shopping around for a couple short candle pedestal holders and other odds and ends. This is my first attempt at creating a tablescape for an event. It's harder than it seems and is an art of  it's own. I look forward to sharing as the pieces come together.

Hello Fall 2014: Mantel

 It's our favorite time of year again.

My Desk Transformation

    I spend much of my day in my office at my desk. It's important for me to have a functional space that gives the right energy. Hubby and I find it hard to be productive in drab spaces, that's why we set the mood everywhere we go. If we have to dig roots somewhere, Lord knows, we will begin transforming it.

    God does the same thing in our lives. He slowly begins cleaning, decorating and putting value in our lives. He cleans out old dusty closets, he hangs reminders of His love on our walls, and makes our lives a place He can comfortably dwell with us. Transformation is part of who we are as Christians. Our new nature causes us to bring life to every area of our lives.

      Anyway, back to my office. I purchased a traditional writing desk on Amazon. It had a vintage map inlay. I really love it. The only problem is that it's small and lacks storage. I don't have enough work space to lay out all my paper work etc. When I first bought my desk I didn't really know what I needed - I had never had my own official desk before. After almost 2 years using this desk I have a better idea about what I need. My goal is to find a door to use as my desk. Here are some pictures I found online for inspiration. :-) 

 Current Desk:

I love my desk, but it's not functional. 

Subscribe to my blog and follow my desk transformation.

Future Desk Inspiration: 

 Love her stylization 

 Love the amount of work space a door desk would give me 

I love how they used cabinets for for extra storage. I've seen some that used bookshelves. 

Both great ideas.

Burplap Storage

It's no secret my hubby and I love Kirklands. We recently purchased a few organizational items. We have an eclectic taste. We mix patterns, fabrics and metals throughout our home. My office is no different. Here are pics of a few of our burlap purchases.

 

Black Ikat Burlap Storage Bins, set of 3  

I'm currently using the larger one in my living room for decorative pillows we don't want the dogs playing with. The medium size one is in our spare bed room, and the small one in my office.

Black Tabatha Qua-trefoil Storage Bins , set of 3 

We are using these in our closet to store pictures and other "memory lane" items.

Damask Burlap File Tote 

I'm using this as a book holder in my little reading corner in my office. It sits on the floor next to my chair.

 

Damask Burlap Letter Sorter 

I love this letter sorter on my desk.

Damask Burlap Paper Organizer 

I purchased 3 of these organizers. I have one tucked in my book shelf and two on my desk. One of hubby's real-estate paper work, and the other for my editor's book notes etc.

New Lamp

My hubby has a lamp addiction. This is our newest edition from Kirklands. Stay tuned for a post about all the lamps in our house. :-)

Office Reading Nook

My office reading nook, also known as the dog's lounging chair while I'm working at my desk. I'll do a post on my entire office in the near future. :-)

Rustic Angels

I found a set of 3 rustic angels at Kirklands and had to have them. I've been looking for angels for awhile now but couldn't find any I loved. These are perfect for our space.

The yellow angel is holding a Bible, the teal is holding a flower and the green is holding a dove. You wont believe how much they were. ;-) Kirklands is having amazing sales lately.