Visions of Sugarplums....$15 Christmas Bedroom Decor

After I cleaned my bedroom today, I decided to go ahead and put up my Christmas tree in there and do a little decorating. This is my same $20 WalMart tree I have used for the last couple of years. For the past two years, I have done a more modern look with leopard print and gold. It matched my other bedroom decor very nicely. 

However, this year, I decided to go with a snowflake theme using silver, white, and burlap. (I redid my bedroom back in March of this year. These colors seem to go more with my bedroom, so that is why I changed my tree this year.)

I have to tell you that I just LOVE how it turned out!!

For this project, I only purchased a large white snowflake metal piece, which was my inspriation for the room, (6.99 on sale at Big Lots), a box of silver glitter ornaments at WalMart for 5.99, and two sets of  silver plastic snowflakes for above my bed (Big Lots also) for a couple of dollars. The rest of the items I had. So, Christmas bedroom decor for about $15!! I think it looks WAY more expensive than that!

Here's a shot of the glitter pine garland and sparkly snowflakes above my bed....I have ALWAYS wanted to decorate my bed, but I have never done it before.  I had the extra garland, so why not??

I used my burlap ribbon (from Michael's) as a garland.  I also made a small bow with it and placed it (along with my last silver snowflake) atop the tree as a topper!

Sparkly snowflakes add just the right touch...I am in LUV with those sparkly snowflakes!!

I also took an old champagne bucket, tucked a silver Dollar General tiny tree in it that I had and stuffed in some old pattern pieces just for fun.  I added some Dollar General white snowflakes and some old adding machine tape.  I wanted it to be a little taller, so I put it on one of my silver trays, added a few sparkle snowflakes, one of my old books, and VIOLA!!  All of these things I had around the house.  Makes for a great wintry display!!!

LUV, LUV, LUVING this adorable Christmas tree I found for $2 at the junk store!!  I plopped it on top of a silver pedastal dish, and, of course, added my sparkly snow!! CUTE, CUTE, CUTE!!!

A few last looks...LOVE my winter retreat!!

I do think I will have visions of sugarplums dancing in my head sleeping in this room for the holiday season! I know this much, I'll at least have $$$ in my pocket because I sure didn't spend much for a GREAT holiday look!!  I'll be posting more pics of my holiday decorating as the days go by.  I am doing the Fly Lady Holiday Planner, and I have to be ready with everything by December 1st.  I'm really looking forward to a less stressful holiday season this year, hopefully!!  If you haven't checked out Fly Lady, you should!!

Gingerbread Kitchen Centerpiece

I am so excited that I finally got my kitchen table centerpiece finished tonight!!  I have been working on it off and on for a week or so.  What is the most exciting part is that there are only three things I purchased new this year for this look.  Those are the gingerbread man cupcake ornaments I used in my centerpieces!! 

Don't you LOVE how this looks?? 

I have had these red/white candles for about seven years or more.  I rarely burn them, so they are in fairly good shape.  A few dings here and there, but I can't part with them.  I love them!  I placed them on top of some icy looking candlerings I got from Hobby Lobby years ago.  LOVE those on my old "silver" candlesticks I got from Kirkland's back in the day.

Did you notice the cookies hanging from my chandelier?  I have done that same look for seven years now, and I am not tired of it yet.  Those cookie ornaments came from Old Time Pottery seven years ago.  I had to rig one up this year with picture wire because I lost the string.  I just wrapped greenery around it from the picks I use in the light.  I don't think anyone will notice!!

LOVE these silver/white snowflakes...Dollar General last year.  I saw them again this week.  They are supposed to be ornaments, but I use them all over the place.  Still look good and haven't lost their glitter.  The snowflake votive holder came from Hobby Lobby year before last.  $2.99 with half off.  Wish I had bought more than five of those!!!

Random shots of my votive cups and my cupcake ornament arrangements....funy how you can see something and you  just know!!

Love how this turned out!!  I really like the "price" or lack thereof even BETTER!!! 

Working a little in the living room now, and I also made a hot choclate station for the kiddos!! I'll be sharing that soon. It is C-U-T-E!!!!
Stay warm!!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas....

I realize Halloween just passed, but that to me means IT IS ON!!!!  I love, love, love me some Christmas deocrating!!  I have tubs full of Christmas decor.  I have also been working on a few things I'll share with you very soon as I start decorating the house.

Here are just a few "teaser" photos for you....Let your imagination run wild!!  Just so you will know, I put up TONS of trees at my house.  There's usually one tree in pretty much every room, big or small.  I have different themes for each room.  My favorite room is the kitchen!!  I have been collecting gingerbread decor ever since I was married, 23 years ago this December.  I have a HUGE-MONGOUS collection of gingerbread items!!  Every year, I try to get creative and arrange them in different ways and add a few new pieces here and there.  I found a few really cute gingerbread men and ornaments this year that I made centerpieces out of....  Here's a sneak peek!!!

This little guy and his friend are going on the island...the kitchen is always a gingerbread/cookie/candy theme!

These gingerbread friends will be on the table with some of their friends!!  What a cute couple!

Our biggest family tradition is collecting Cookies for Santa plates.  We get a new one every year.  Haven't found one yet this year.....we usually have one by now!!  This is only a smidge of my collection.  I treausure these plates more than any other Christmas decoration I own.  Each one was picked out by myself and the children, starting in 1993 when I just had two sweet little boys...Now I have four sweet little/big boys and a precious daughter.  How our collection and family have grown!!!  I can't wait to start putting out our plates!!

And finally, another of my treasured gingerbread collectibles....a gingerbread palace!!  All of the gingerbread trees on the sides came from BIG LOTS over the years!!!!   Can't wait to see what they have this year!

Call me CRAZY, but I love, love, love Christmas decorating!!  Anyone else getting started like me?  I just want to enjoy it as long as possible.  I'll be starting to DECK THE HALLS this weekend!!!!  

A Warm Fall Welcome

I have openly admitted before that I have serious issues when it comes to decorating.  I cannot leave things alone.  Exhibit A...the front porch.  Yes, I know it looked good the first way I had it...That would have been "good enough" for some people, but "good enough" just won't work for me.

Last week, I added the mesh and the leopard print ribbon + the wreath I made.  That looked great.  BUT...great is not great enough for me!!  I still wanted my cornstalks!!  BUT, alas, to my great dismay...no one had them for sale.  I know plenty of people who have them in their fields, but they  haven't cut them yet.  So, I kept hoping.  On the way to Lowe's last night, look what I found RIGHT BEFORE the little store closed in five minutes!!  I ran in, got my cornstalks, and drove off into the sunset.  :)

I couldn't wait to put them out, so after I got home and fed everyone and got them all asleep, I played on the porch.  I know people were wondering what on earth I was doing at 11 o'clock at night on the front porch!!  I couldn't wait to get up this morning to see it in the daylight.  LOL!!

Of course, I couldn't have just plain cornstalks, so I added a couple of leftover acorn picks that match the garland, more mesh ribbon and leopard print bows, of course!!

Another thing I added under darkness of night was a fleur de lis bench to the front porch.  I have two of these....thought about adding the other one, too, but I think I will wait until Christmas...

I have an idea brewing!!! 

Look how cute this is with my old leopard print pillows, my pumpkin pillow, and Mr. Pumpkin...

I also added a few mums...the little nursery that had the cornstalks also had mums on sale for $5.  MUCH cheaper than the big stores had them, and they were much prettier!

I also added a scarecrow, mum, and tiny pumpkin to my adorable zebra print fall flag!! 

I really think I am done now...seriously!!  I don't think I have an inch left to do anything else with.  LOL!!!

Less is more, but EVEN MORE IS ALWAYS BETTER!!! 

Happy Sunday!

Linking up to Debbie Doo's Newbie Party, Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch, to the sweet Miss Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday party over at Coastal Charm, and a great blog I just found...DIY by Design for the Fall into Fall party!!!

 OH, and I have decided that IF I get to 200 followers, I am going to host a special GIVEAWAY in celebration of reaching the 200 mark!!!!  I just need eight more people!!!(And someone to give me pointers on how to do it!)

Leopards, Pumpkins, and Zebras, Oh, My!!!!

Yes, it sounds crazy, but I have all three on my front porch for fall!! I have been **tweaking** the outside of my house a little more, and somehow all three worked their way into the final product. (Final for now!) Still no new door, but I am waiting!!!  I left the topiaries alone, so don't freak out! I won't be changing those.  I adore them!!!

I actually made a new wreath for the front door and made bows to add to the railings I had already decorated. It's not that I didn't like the wreath I had....I just LOVE mesh ribbon and the leopard print ribbbon, and the sunflowers I used....what can I say?

 

I wish I could say I made the ADORABLE flag with the zebra print and the pumpkin, but I didn't. I'm not THAT talented!!! I saw it and immediately fell in love with it!!! Zebra print AND a pumpkin??? SERIOUSLY! What girl in her right mind could resist THAT? LOL

I'm not crazy about the mesh ribbon the way it is normally used. I wanted mine to be a little different, so I actually just cut and chopped it in chunks, and then bunched it in the middle with a pipecleaner. After that, I made a small bow out of my leopard print ribbon (can you say LOVE??) and also attached it with a pipecleaner. I love how it turned out with just the little sparkle from the mesh ribbon.

I still need to add my cornstalks behind the topiaries....that is coming as soon as I can find some that are legal to cut down!! I also will be adding a scarecrow and some hay/pumpkins out front. I have to add, however, that I am already **secretly** thinking about Christmas in my heart!! ;)

Have a great weekend!

Autumn Arrives Party

I'm posting a few pictures of autumn's arrival at my humble abode especially for the Autumn Arrives Party over at Savvy Season's by Liz!  I have more to share, but this is a pretty good start.  I can't miss out on a GREAT party!!

Let's start off at the front door...... I already shared my pumpkin topiaries...STILL loving those...but I couldn't leave it alone!!

   I added some mesh ribbon and leopard print to the rails, and I changed out my wreath.  I still have the other one...it's inside now hanging on a mirror!  This one just turned out so great with the mesh and leopard ribbon.  I couldn't resist hanging it on the door!!

Don't you love my adorable fall flag???  Who can resist zebra print WITH a pumpkin???  NOT ME!!!

Now, if I just had my cornstalks for behind those topiaries!!  I am still looking for them.  They will get there eventually.  I guess I could go cut some out of someone's field, but...I really don't want to get in trouble!!

Moving inside....


The mantle in the family room is all decked out for fall with my Dollar General pumpkins and my Kirkland's bejeweled pumpkins! 

Kitchen rooster shaking his tail feathers!!!  I made this arrangement last year, and I am still loving it. 

That is VERY unusual for me!!



I am in L-O-V-E with my Mercury glass pumpkins from Pottery Barn....LOVING them paired with my silver trays on the wall in the kitchen!!

If you like it then you better put a pumpkin on it!!  It seems like that is all I do during the fall...if it doesn't move, I WILL put a pumpkin on it!  Even the candlesticks on the sideboard in the kitchen are not safe!!!

My kitchen buffet all dressed up for fall!

My fall kitchen tree...LOVE the warm look of it!  

Come December, he will be all decked out in gingerbread!!

There's more to share...I have been playing in the mesh ribbon again, but I can't  get my camera to stay open.  Don't know what has happened to it.  I am sure hoping SANTA will bring me a new one!!! 

So thankful to Liz for hosting the Autumn Arrives party over at her blog!! She is definitely one of my favorites, and the first person I ever blog-stalked!!!!! :)

ALSO....a BIG HUG and a HUGE thank you to Kristen at Kristen's Creations and Linda at Coastal Charm for giving a shout out for my topiaries!!!  Thank you, ladies, for featuring me!  I am truly honored.  BIG SMILE!!!!!