the card

i'm so happy with the photo for our holiday card this year!  (notice i say "holiday" so as to leave it open to interpretation...at the pace i work...it could possibly be Groundhog Day - in which case, i'll have to wait even longer to see if i should edit out the snowflakes.)  but - in reality - i know how to take decent photos; but have never ventured very far into the territory of editing, adding effects, etc. anyway, i have spent the majority of the last 24 hours hunched over my computer - editing one single photo!!! how sad is that, really? i found a seller on etsy who is going to turn this work of art into a double sided 5x7 holiday card - and i cannot wait:) i'll share the finished product here - i just know you can hardly stand the suspense...

when will inspiration strike?

since i haven't accomplished much in the way of decorating yet...i thought i'd post a few favorite shots from last year.  i know how much i love peeking into your homes and seeing your holiday decor and projects! hopefully, i'll have more to share soon. 

still love my three handcrafted trees from last year - hmm, that makes me want to go find them, buried somewhere in the recesses of our basement storage room.

i believe that buttons in shades of white and cream are one of the most beautiful crafting items in the world...

and the yarn from a thrift store looked pretty cozy, too.  the felt circles were inspired by someone's blog last year - if i find it, i'll post the link.

last year's family room mantel.

i forgot i had 3 white feather trees!

i hope you're all enjoying the season!

covered

here are the covers of my december daily. i loved ali's cover paper, but i made a decision not to buy anything new for this project online due to shipping costs, etc. i found this similar paper at hobby lobby and liked the color and texture. other than cardstock, it is the only item i've purchased for this project - i really have shopped my stash. i found this red felt 'december' by fancy pants  in an unopened, unused set of the 'tis the season felt shapes...at least 3 or 4 years old, i think. i like the simplicity of the cover and i don't plan to add anything more to it.

cover and peek of inside of back cover.

i love jenni bowlin's red line (this links to the mini version - i used the 12x12) and used it for the inside covers and the last week of my album, where i wanted a splash of color. this particular paper is one of my all time favorites - love it!

anyway - thanks for stopping by.  happy monday:)



a little merry

it's so fun to check in to blogland lately and see all the holiday inspiration! it gives me the extra little spark that i need to get going with my decorating.  so far i haven't done too much but i'd like to share these photos for a start. i don't think i've shown these butter pats before - i found them in a little, forgotten thrift store - for 50 cents each.  how fast do you think my heart was pounding as i casually screamed picked up all 12 of them and headed to the checkout?!?

i'm cheating with these next photos - they're from last year.  but i love them and they made me smile this morning.  especially because they reminded me of this site (discovered through my niece's blog)!?!?!?  i mean, how likely is it that large snowflakes would actually be dangling indefinitely from my chandelier? (um. since i live in north dakota, it's very realistic, on second thought.)
             

my treasured, handmade house from a swap last year!

so anyway - i stole this image from catalog living - just to show you what i'm talking about.  i really think that most of us bloggers who love shelter magazines will get more than a few laughs out of this site:) it's so dry and tongue-in-cheek, and just plain hilarious!  if you find a favorite and feel like linking back here, i'd love to see what strikes your fancy.  here you go:

"Kindling? Check. Two dozen votives? Check. Gingerbread family on their way to a nice insurance settlement? Check."

(courtesy of molly erdman at catalog living)

have yourself a merry little day!