Coming Soon.....Mardi Gras!!

Following my last post, I dropped my camera and BROKE IT!!!  I ended up bitting the bullet and took a couple of Christmas gift cards (thank you to my staff!!) and broke down and bought a Nikon DSLR camera.  I was trying to save my gift cards, but oh well!!  I still have an AWESOME gift card to Pottery Barn and one to Yankee Candle!!!  I am waiting on just the perfect items.....

NOT that I have learned to use my camera yet, but I am trying.  I have been so busy at work this week and nightly work duties (it's basketball playoff time!) until I haven't even been able to read the manual yet.  I need a crash course on DUMMY CAMERA operation!!

Anywho, I have been working on my front porch and a tablescape for this weekend, Mardi Gras style!!  I live on the Gulf Coast, so Mardi Gras is a big deal.  We have one small parade in my town, but many larger parades in the nearby towns.  I don't go to them because they can be pretty rough sometimes.  I do, however, love the colors of Mardi Gras, and I do love the food.

I did make a Mardi Gras wreath for the front door, and I also decorated my two Christmas trees on the porch with a little bead bling and, of course, my favorite fleur de lis ornaments!!! 

I also always plan a special Mardi Gras menu of red beans and rice, crusty French bread, and Krispy Kreme bread pudding!! YUM!!

Hope to start learning to use that camera VERY soon.....my tablescape is almost ready to be put together this weekend!  SUPER excited about that.  I used things from around the house and made a really cute centerpiece with a mask!

Hope everyone is having a great week!!  See you soon with pics of my Mardi Gras front porch and tablescape using my NEW CAMERA!! WOOHOO!!

Fleur de Lis and Animal Print = True Love!!

I'm so sorry I haven't posted since Christmas!!  I got sooooo sick on Christmas Eve, and then everyone had it!!  NOT a happy holiday season!!!  Then, back to work, back to school....everything got CRAZY!  But....Christmas is down, packed away, and we are getting back on track around here.

So, it's back to my other FAVORITE decor that stays in place all year until fall.  I am soooo excited!  How I missed my animal print and fleur de lis things!!  Some of the fleur de lis stuff stays out during the holidays, but if you have checked out my blog, you know that at Christmas, well, it's pretty much ALL Christmas, ALL THE TIME!!!  It really is kind of fun to do that because when you take your stuff back out, it sure all seems new again!!

I have to tell you....I haven't bought anything new.  I made a few new arrangements and rearranged my stuff in a new way.  I love a makeover like that!!

Enough jibber jabber, onto the pictures!!  Oh, and I don't think I have ever shown our family room before, so here goes...

You will see one of the new arrangements I made on the entry table, one on the coffee table, and the other on the fireplace.  They are old.  I just fluffed, added some moss at the base, and added FEATHERS!!  I love, love, love my feathers.  I have them in all of my arrangements now.  I think they add such flair and sophistication!

 A closeup shot of my coffee table arrangement.  I made the wall pockets when we first moved in here.  They also have feathers.  I love them so much, they are one of the few things I haven't changed.  Don't you love, love, love my crystal candle bowl from Kirkland's?  I bought it before Christmas with some Christmas gift card!  Sparkly AND animal print...be still my heart!!  Oh, and I almost forgot...the feather orbs?  Well, I couldn't find any orbs I liked anywhere.  I had these feather balls I used on my bedroom tree year before last.  I had them in my closet.  Pulled those off the stems, and viola, NO COST orbs that were just what  I wanted.  WOOHOO!!

Here's the view from sitting on the couch.  Love my fireplace! I would love to paint it, but my husband says NO!!  I did paint the cabinets while he wasn't looking, but I just haven't had time to tackle the fireplace.  I would really love to have stone rather than brick.  I wonder how difficult that is!!

The mantle is the same old stuff, just rearranged.  I added my columns (from Hobby Lobby a few years ago) and placed my "new" arrangement on one along with my favorite candlesticks (also from Hobby Lobby last year on the 75% clearance sale!). 

 I just love having things at different heights, and book boxes and columns are two of my fave ways to do that!

Ignore that ginormous tv!!  That's a non-negotiable item.  My dad made me the cabinet by hand years ago for my birthday.  I would NEVER part with it!!  It is perfect.  Oh, and the tv, it is perfect, too! There is nothing I love more than a good movie in front of the fire.  I work so hard all day and don't get to spend much time at home. When I do get to sit down at home, I love to have my family around me and curl up together on the couches and just chillax!!! 

Closeup of the tv cabinet.....look at all those fleur de lis' everywhere! LOL!!  See the horse....I had him when I was little!! I just love him!

View of the little formal dining area from the sitting area. I don't have the formal living and dining spaces I had in the other house, but I have to say I like the flow of this house better for our family.  With 8 people living here, there is no formality! LOL!!  Love just having space!

I'll probably be showing the kitchen next time IF I can get it retweaked!!!  Funny how you forget where everything was.  I'm also thinking of taking some of my Mardi Gras stuff and decorating the front porch a little.  Definitely doing a wreath this year!! I thought of doing Valentine's, but I have to take it all down in a month.  I can leave Mardi Gras up until mid-March!!  WOOHOO!!!  I have always wanted to do Mardi Gras, so here goes!!

Have a great week!




Linking up to several partays this week -- Tabletop Tuesday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Type A: Anything Goes, Kristen's Creations Share Your Creations Party, and Open House Party over at No Minimalist Here (definitely a gal I can relate to, LOL!)!!

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2011 Holiday House Tour --- ENJOY!!

Thanks, Kristen, for letting us know about Smilebox!! LOVE IT!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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Sneak Peek.....Man Cave Christmas

We have a fairly small room inour house that is supposed to be a study/office area. At least that is what it was called on the floorplan when we bought it! I have to tell you...I have never really liked this room up until this weekend.

Before we moved into this house several years ago, my husband's and sons' deerheads were on the wall in our family room. I didn't really mind because we had a formal living room at the time. However, this house has no formal living room, just the one big great room. This is really much better for us since our family is so large. I didn't mind sacrificing the formal living room. We decided on a compromise.....the deerheads would go in the office/study area, and that would become a man cave kind of room.

The boys had a big tv in there and played video games for several years, and we just moved the tv out a few weeks ago into their bedroom. Now...what to do with the room? I would love to have a formal dining room....but the room is just too small. I had to sacrifice that, too, in this house. BUT...the trade off was the ginormous kitchen which really is the heart of our home. I don't mind. We never used the dining room except at Christmas anyway.

I love, love, love Pottery Barn furniture. It would NEVER work in my great room, but I got to thinking.....it might be okay in the "man cave". I went into our local Badcock Furniture to pay my bill in November, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a COPYCAT PB furniture set, right down to the slipcovers!!! What a great price, too!!!! Only a couple hundred bucks each!! I checked, and I had plenty of room on my account, so I just ordered her right on up!! I knew this set was meant for me.

I'm not totally finsished, but I couldn't wait to show you. Nothing in the room changed other than the addition of the couches and I refurbished the mirror and added a buffet. I still need to distress it and work on the hardware. These are "sneak peeks", and I'll add more pics as I finish. I am sooooo pleased with how it is turning out!!! I LOVE THIS ROOM!! Ignore the buffet....I'm setting up for the party. This will be the appetizer room!!

Here's a closeup of the buffet....

 Then, when my sweet hubby took my to PB for our anniversary day out last weekend (we went to Kirkland's as well and several other stores), we spied these deer in the snow pillows at Pottery Barn, I knew it was meant to be!!

I swear I think I'm leaving these out all year long. They just tie the entire room together. 

Here's a closeup of the tree....The feather wreaths and little deer head ornaments came from Kohl's awhile back...They were on closeout!! Just a couple bucks each.....Pardon the pun!!!!  LOL

Can't wait to finish with all my "tweaks" this week as I have time....busy weekend!! Family Movie Night until late Friday night and Band/Chorus presentation today. The weekend has been gone in a flash!  I guess I will have to stay up all night every night this week and work on salvaging the house before the partay for my staff Saturday night!!!!  I have been working on the back porch, but still have miles to go!!

If anyone has ideas for seating extra people with limited seating, send them my way!!

Making Memories

One of my favorite traditions at the holidays is to make cookies with my children.  I have to tell you that most of the time, these are just the Pillsburry Ready-to-Bake predecorated cookies (you know...the kind with the reindeer, Christmas tree, or Frosty on them!). 

So, I'm not Martha Stewart.....sue me!!  I have a high-stress, demanding job that keeps me busy from early in the morning until late at night , have five kids, have my 80 year old mother living with me, so guess what??? These people are LUCKY they get cookies!! LOL

We do make the "real ones" (don't get your tinsel in a tangle just yet!).  The kids just have to wait until school gets out for us to have any time to do that.  We always make them on Christmas Eve day for Santa, and those are the real deal.  We have to serve Santa only the best!

This is a tradition I started when my oldes two boys were just a couple of years old.  Every year we get a new cookie plate that we display in the kitchen and in our glass cabinet by the tree.  I'll be sharing pictures of my collection in the coming weeks.  My cookie plates are some of my most treasured possessions.

One night we always have cookies is the night Rudolph is shown on tv every year. This has been a long- standing tradition in our family to make cookies and enjoy hot chocolate in our Christmas cups during the movie.  What's more perfect for Rudolph night than the premade reindeer cookies?  The thing I love about these is that my kids can do all of the prep work themselves!

They always have the best time arranging their cookies!

We have also been using the same tray and mugs pictured here for about 15 years now!  I can't believe time has gone by like it has.  I guess I am getting old!

They made their own hot chocolate with our Keurig coffeemaker!! They ADORE that thing!  I think we have gone through two boxes of the hot chocolate cups since last week.  I know they used one box last weekend!

They love to add whipped cream to their hot chocolate.  I must admit, I like it myself!!

This was a new addition this year, our S'mores maker.  We got it at Sam's.  Less than $20, and oh the fun we have had with it!

Pretty cute, huh?  Sooooo easy to use!  Just be careful not to catch your marshmallows on fire!

As they say in one of my favorite movies, "Grownups", we all got a little chocolate wasted that night!  LOL

I love, love, love this time of year and getting to make special memories with my children.  Can't WAIT for the holiday break...I'm counting down the minutes!!!  (The principal probably shouldn't be saying, that, though!!)  hahaha

It's supposed to be really cold here this week.  I don't think we have been out of the upper 40s here today.  For us, that is pretty chilly!  Stay warm!!

While Visions of Pink Sock Monkeys Danced in Their Heads.....

I have been soooo busy these past couple of weeks with work, and I apologize for slacking in my blogging!!  I somehow managed to get all of my house decorated, all except for the back porch.  We have had rain, so I have held off a little! 

I have lots to share, but I won't overwhelm everyone!!  I'll start by sharing my daughter's room....LOVE IT!!   know a lot of you know that I have five children, but I'm not sure how many of you realize that out of those five children, I only have ONE girl. Yes, I have four sons, and they are all older than my daughter. She has a twin brother. They were my little "suprise" package a few years ago. All of my other children were in HS, MS, and elementary when they were born. Yeah, that was a shock! So, needless to say, I have always dreamed of decorating a pink tree!!

My daughter spied this prelit pink tree in Kohl's the other day the week of Thanksgiving. It was the display and on big time sale - less than $20!!! It did not come with the ornaments, obviously. BUT...we did buy a couple of sock monkeys there at Kohl's to go on the tree. The rest of the ornmanets came from WalMart.....have you seen the decorations they have for 95 cents???

We got a box of multicolored ornaments for 97 cents!!! See the bright blue lightbulbs and the purple curly q's? 95 cents at WalMart!! Love how her tree turned out....

We also hung two snowflake ornaments and a snowman ornament (all from WalMart - a dollar and change) in her window. We decorated it earlier yesterday, and she hasn't unplugged her tree since. It's been fun getting to do a pink tree for once! I think we spent about $40 total tree and all.

This is one of my favorite trees I have put up this year.  (I think I may have said that about all of them, though!!)

Can't wait to share more of the house, but I don't want to overwhelm everyone.  There is quite a bit to show you!!! 

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!!