Christmas Copycat (and a few originals, too)

I've been on a bit of a decorating binge lately.  I'm not sure where it came from.  At the beginning of Advent I could hardly force myself to even think about getting excited to put up the tree.  A few weeks later I've been ignoring much needed sleep in order to craft wreaths and garlands and all the things burlap.  I'm a little bit nervous for Brian once Christmas is over and all this what is most likely nesting energy needs another outlet.  I pre-apologize, dear.

Several of my little projects have been completely inspired by others online so I can't take credit.  But I can't resist showing my version anyway because I am so happy with how they turned out.  So my little Christmas copycat show and tell...


My little 'mantle'.  Real garland!  Wegman's a few days ago had 25 FEET of garland for...$5.  Not even kidding.  We have some outside now, too!  I'd post a picture but there's no snow yet and I just can't show you a picture of a house all decorated for Christmas with no snow.

This idea is from Simple Country Life right here.  The frames I had and painted white.  I made stencils with some card stock (actually old file folders) and my printer.

I love that the doily in the middle belonged to my great grandmother and has just been sitting on my dresser.  I somehow acquired it as one of the things that no one else must have wanted.  At least I think it is.  It could also have been picked up at a garage sale.  But the first story is better so let's go with that.  

I was first inspired for this stick star here at Close to My Art but kinda took it up a notch ;)  I think it may be a little too big but I was kind of trying to overcome my tendency to decorate in tiny form and have what the fancy experts call a 'focal point'.  

Elizabeth offers this beautiful free printable of the St. Andrew Novena prayer here.

This one is probably the least impressive but that's okay, I guess, because it took the least amount of time.  The frame I had emptied of an outdated painting and painted a while back and it was sitting in storage waiting for something to be done with it.  So I took some cardboard and threw some chalkboard paint on it, put it in, and it was done.  My handwriting isn't impressive and you can see the ridges from the cardboard but when I saw Bonnie's beautiful frame I loved the idea of having something in the house with that beautiful Adventy phrase.  Hers is much prettier, though.  If I come by some by better material somehow to use as the board, I may redo that part.  But that's what I had on hand when the motivation struck and you know I wasn't wasting that.

Michael helped me with our popsicle stick snowflake.  He put it all together and we worked together on painting.  I saw this idea from this random site from the Netherlands (?) and then used at The Diary of Dave's Wife.  My lighting is poor.  It does look better in person.  And I even brought out the glitter, a clear indication that someone better intervene in the madness soon.

This is a (slightly but not really) better view.

And now a few snapshots of things making me happy around the house that I thought up all by my lonesome.  I do that sometimes.

You guys.  I have the type of husband who will take a few hours out of his Sunday and move the thermostat that was residing in the middle of this wall to another spot simply because his (pregnant and maybe a tad bit hormonal and nesty) wife mentioned it.  I've never been able to use this wall much because the dang thing sat right in the middle.  And he somehow just knows how to do that.  I love that about him.  Have I ever told you the story of how we met?  It involves volunteering and then being able to fix the clothes dryer for my housemates and I while we were in college.  Swoon.  I'll have to tell you the whole story someday.  Anyway, then the man hung these shutters that used to be on the living room windows when we moved in before I switched to the curtains that I've been saving for...something.  This, I guess.  I love that it adds character to the wall but can be switched up with other decor for different seasons.

Because even the back of the toilet should know it's almost Christmas.

 
This isn't Christmasy, I know, but I love that I finally had Brian hang that twine up there so I could hang my two hydrangea blooms that were my pride and joy of the summer.  So I'm showing it anyway.

The window we saved when we replaced several of the very very very very old windows in the house. Such a simple little thing but it makes me happy when I see it.

Tomorrow I hope to post some snapshots of some other things we've been working on...stick around!
Hope you're having a beautiful Monday!


9 comments

  1. Everything is so lovely, Mary! I especially love the fresh garland and JOY frames!

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  2. So beautiful, Mary! I usually don't decorate for Christmas at all because we fly back to Colorado for a few weeks but then we thought we were staying because of the miscarriage, so I had to decorate. Not much, but I'm proud of the few things I did. And now we are going to Colorado anyway, but we have been enjoying the decorations :)

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    1. I think there's something special about decorating your own place, even if you won't be there to enjoy it as much! Been thinking about and praying for you lots.

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  3. I want you to come fix up my home. One of the sad bits of having our small duplex is that I just don't have the space to do a lot of decorating. It would just be too much since our rooms are all on top of each other. =( I might have to steal a few of these for next year.... some how.

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    1. I hear you. Our first two places were like that! But maybe (?) in some ways it's less overwhelming than having too much space to decorate? Or am I trying too hard? ;)

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  4. So pretty...I especially like the toilet decorations.

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  5. You are my decorating inspiration! I love how you do things and I think the star's size is perfect. Perfect.

    Also, I did not make the chalkboard, white framed sign that hangs in my living room - my friend made it for me as a gift - and it IS beautiful. She used black foam board and white paint pen. Right now I have two foam boards with sayings on both sides. She's going to build my collection for birthdays and Christmases and such. I love that I have something so simple and beautiful that can so easily be changed for the different holidays and seasons.

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    1. Good to know! Her handwriting and work is beautiful! What a sweet gift!

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