BROWN PAPER PACKAGES TIED UP WITH STRING…

…these are a few of my favorite things!

With much travelling ahead of us, and with what will soon be a car full of presents, I decided to keep my wrapping simple this year. I’ve come across some beautiful wrapping paper that has been difficult to pass up, but frankly, brown packing paper is so much more durable! So I sucked it up and wrapped away.

Of course, I couldn’t forgo the holiday spirit! So using materials I already had, I simply tied on some bows and sporadically added a few greens and dried lavender. And voila! A dozen packages done and a dozen more to go….

Speaking of presents, my lovely and thoughtful parents recently sent my husband and I our own Christmas present. It came a bit early, and since I already knew what it was, I figured there would be no harm in opening it immediately…

A mason jar chandelier from Pottery Barn!

I think it’s absolutely adorable and adds a bit of casual whimsy to the room. I also stumbled upon some cane-back dining chairs in need of a paint job and some simple reupholstering, but once finished (after the New Year…) my dining room will be so much more my style. 

As a quick reminder, here is the before….I can’t wait to share with you the after!

AND THE HOLIDAY DÉCOR CONTINUES…

This weekend will be the main holiday decorating event, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share with you a few vignettes I’ve thrown together…

I love Christmas and readily partake of the Christmas spirit, but I also like to keep things sweet and simple. I’m lucky enough to have a fir tree and a holly tree in my backyard, so I take advantage of these during the holidays by keeping things fairly natural. A few garlands, wreaths, bulbs, holly and fir stems, ribbon, and a couple of handmade pieces thrown in for good measure, and I’m golden!

How about you? Do you like splurging on the holiday decoration, or do you like to keep things simple?

ps….can’t wait to share the entertainment unit redo with you tomorrow!

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A VERY MERRY GIFT GUIDE: THE HOSTEST WITH THE MOSTEST.

December is a month of celebration, for life and love, for the joys of the year behind us and hope for the year ahead. For many of us, December actually IS one big party, or rather, many, many little parties.

And if you’re anything like me, you’d be absolutely and terribly mortified showing up to any one of these parties without a gift in hand. Of course, per #5 in the Random Facts About Me, I’m the second worst procrastinator I know! So in typical fashion, I’d be running around like a crazy person 30 minutes before said party in a desperate attempt to find an acceptable hostess gift.

BUT, since I have vowed to keep my cool this December… procrastinate less, shop more (not for myself, unfortunately), and have that perfect gift at the ready, I’ve decided to throw together a very merry gift guide for myself and all you other crazies out there!

Without further ado:

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And for all you DIYers out there, here are a few more adorably frugal gift ideas:

Create a DIY chart with your own holiday message! You can find a tutorial here and an actual chart maker here.

Purchase a few wood heart cutouts – found at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or most local craft stores – paint on chalk board paint in a color of your choosing, drill a hole, and attach ribbon. Viola, you’ve got yourself a perfect hostess gift!

This one is for DIYers and non-DIYers alike! Grab yourself a boxwood wreath and a festive ribbon and you’re done. If you’re feeling a little more crafty, add some berries and clip on a small, white bird.

And if you’re the hostess this year, hopefully you’ll find yourself with some fabulous goodies

Cheers!

THE VERY MERRY GIFT GUIDE: FARMHOUSE STYLE

Well hello – I hope everyone survived the Thanksgiving festivities! Despite the very full house and the overabundance of cooking, I actually survived and had a fun time doing it. Amazingly, I only managed to stress out once by attempting to kick my husband’s very helpful hands out of the kitchen. And like the wonderful husband that he is, he completely ignored my ravings and went about helping with the cooking (I’m thankful for a husband that knows his way around the kitchen!).

But while I had a GREAT time with the family, I can now let out a little sigh of relief. Thanksgiving is over. I have the house back and time to myself. This is me doing a happy dance….

Yipeee!

Ok, now on to bigger and better things – Christmas! (I did warn you that as soon as Thanksgiving was over, I’d fall right into Christmas, didn’t I?).

I must admit, while I do love a good bargain, I am NOT a Black Friday shopper. The early morning, the crowds, the ensuing chaos of a sleep deprived crowd….nope, I choose to sleep in and have a long, leisurely brunch with family and friends.

But every year, despite my intentions to start shopping the week following Black Friday, I find myself procrastinating and pulling my hair out in a desperate attempt to find that perfect and very last minute gift. Anyone else feel this way?!

This year, I vow to break the cycle.

To help me – and all those that find themselves in the same boat, year after year – I’ve decided to create a gift guide to get my shopping juices flowing!

So let us begin!

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