My favorites of 2011

Goodbye 2011.  My first year of blogging and it was such a ride.  I've learned so much and met some really great bloggers.  I'm looking forward to what 2012 will bring and what I will bring to it.  Everyone else is doing it...so,..I think I'll do a recap.

Here are some of my favorite posts in no particular order.  Thanks for reading!

1.  I reorganized my front room/gym. 

2.  I mistreated my windows in the kitchen.

3.  Hubby got a promotion and I made this banner to celebrate.

4.  We traveled to Yosemite National Park and San Francisco and it was awesome!

5.  I finally created my gallery wall.

6.  I decorated my mantel for the seasons.

7.  I shared with you how much we love walking as a family.

8.  And for some reason, a lot of you really liked my cotton ball wreath.

Here's to 2012!  

Christmas craft week

We started Christmas craft week this week!    

For the first semester of last year, I was watching two extra kids after school.  By the time Christmas came around everyone was antsy in the afternoon and they also didn't have homework.  Thank goodness for Meg and her ideas.  Christmas crafts saved the day!  I'm doing different ones this year with just my kids and first up was the felt Christmas tree inspired by here.  

I've made it a point to not run all over town so when Walmart was out of the things we needed I had to improvise.  No styrofoam cones?  Make them out of cardboard.  (I had to refer to my friend Cyndy on how to make one!)  No felt (whatsoever)?  Use a $5.99 green XL sweatshirt.  I bought the little presents at the dollar store and had all of the other trimmings on hand.

I would love to say that as much as I love the one on the right, it wasn't going to happen with moody kids that day.  I should have had the strips already made.  Lesson learned.  So we opted for little squares hot glued on in a criss cross fashion.  All Roo wanted to do was the decorating anyway.  Mommy could do the hard part.

Not much went on yesterday since I had a small surgery on my gums.  It was more intense than expected.  I'm better now and hopefully will find some styrofoam balls for a craft that Roo has made up herself.  Wish me luck because I have no idea how to substitute for those!

Winter cotton ball wreath and a linky party

Nothing like a linky party to get your creative juices going with a deadline.  Thanks to Rhoda's at Southern Hospitality, my house is a wreck but my entryway mantel looks lovely.  

I really wanted to do a tablescape over at Layla's but let's face it, that's too fancy for me.  Just the other day Roo asked what napkin rings were.  She's never seen them at our house!  Hence the reason for no pictures at Thanksgiving.  I tried my best but I wasn't happy with it and I was a complete stress ball. 

Moving on.  I had fun creating a natural space for a Christmas mantel.  Since my cotton ball wreath has gotten so many looks on Pinterest,  I dolled her up and put her on display.   I love how she sparkles now.

The mini trees are real from Home Depot and lit up with battery operated lights.

The pine cone and seed pod things were free from the yards around here.  I sprayed the pine cones with fake snow last year and, don't tell my 6 yr old sweet toothed daughter, but the seed pods were dusted with powdered sugar this year!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween mantel

The kids wanted Halloween decorations and this is as scary as I get!  

I did not want to spend any money so I went to my handy printer once again.  The crow was filled in with a sharpie and then cut out.  The sticks were collected outside of my church the day I was volunteering and spray painted black.  

I love how it turned out but I especially love that I didn't spend any money.  

******Happy Halloween******

Fall Entryway "Mantel"

I've been getting ready for Fall even though it is still 100 degrees outside.  I was hoping it would make me feel cooler.  I don't feel any cooler but I'm happier to have something new and different to look at while I work out in my front room.

Before:

After:

I found some old and dirty antique drawers the other day at a local shop and was glad to incorporate one of them in the mix.  It holds the flowers nicely and I love the lights behind it for some "umpf".    

I printed the leaf from a google search and popped it in a frame.  

I am really digging the simplicity of it all.

  (The flames are so yellow because of the battery operated tea lights.)  

I'm thinking of leaving the Jig Saw label on the drawer.  What do you think?

I'm linking up to Layla's Fall Mantel party at the Lettered Cottage.  

Valentine Decorations

I normally don't decorate for holidays but my neighbor down the street has inspired me.  She decorates for every single holiday/occasion and her girls love it!  Also, blogland is filled with beautifully decorated mantels of love.  I couldn't resist.

To make the topiaries I "smushed" a gazillion little squares of tissue paper into syrofoam balls with a wooden skewer.  No glue just lots of poking.  It took forever but I kept on because I didn't want my kids to see me not finish what I started (-: 

While your smushing all of those squares, you might want to set up another craft for a certain someone since poking into styrofoam isn't easy for a 5 year old.  I found this wooden Love sign at Hobby Lobby.  It was supposed to be a frame but we took that part out of the O.  I was inspired by Erin's hearts I would show you a picture of the finished product but I don't have one.  But we will probably finish it soon since we are in the middle of an arctic blast here in Texas.

We are both at our best when we are crafting!

These things just make me happy.

Happy Valentines Day!