deck the halls

just spending the day getting the house ready for winter, the holidays. so far, i have managed to drag several tubs up to the main floor. now i am sitting here looking at them and thinking it's time for a break already. ha!

one item i am so eager to play around with is this fabulous wire wreath...here's a little peek at it. more on that in a minute:)

taking photos for my december daily album, of the process...

ok. i'm tired now. i think i'll take these back downstairs and pretend i decorated. why do these things that i really enjoy sometimes seem like a lot of work?!? am i just lazy? that's a rhetorical question, fyi.

one more shot, just to take up more time.

oh - and now back to the potential of this fabulous wreath! i have had my eye on these for over 2 years; but every time i tried to get one, they were sold out. so this year, beth, the gracious owner of Patina White was kind enough to place another order for these after her wonderful winter event was over. i am the proud owner of three of these now. and i can say that because my husband doesn't read my blog.

so anyway - this wreath seems to promise great things - it can be decorated for every season or for no reason at all! and now i'm ready to show you what beth did with one of hers...

ack! isn't it fab-u-lous? and this photo is borrowed from beth's blog, so all credit goes to her...thank you, beth, for getting more of these beauties for a few of your customers! it's much appreciated:)

days of december 2011

just a quick post to share photos of my december daily. yes, i'm going to do this for the second year and it is going to be very simple...i love simple, more and more. here are my covers:

everything is from my stash. the covers are made from brown shipping boxes that we had around here. i mod podged the crate paper peppermint collection - ski lodge on the outside covers and then applied (vintage) hambly and (vintage) making memories rub ons.

i'm sad to say that three fabulous sheets of hambly paper were needlessly hacked to pieces due to my poor measuring skills...and then mod podged to the insides of the covers.

i like the irregularities of the handmade covers, the corrugated pattern that shows through from the box pieces, and the overall imperfection of this handmade project. i have plain white cardstock pages punched and ready to go - now i'm wondering if i'll go with kraft instead. either way - simple and easy is my 2011 december daily philosophy!

pondering december

a quiet sunday spent puttering around in my studio. contemplating whether i'll do a december daily album again this year. and if so, what style, what colors? i like the colors you can see in that first bag of holiday treats; but not so sure yet what i'll actually use. (this is the chippy old metal basket where i store all my scrapbook kits.)

just looking around at bits and pieces of everything on my desk right now. love the elle's studio numbers sheet.

picking a few obviously holiday themed things and putting them in a basket while i decide what i'll use.

this is a little vignette on my shelf that i look at every day. i found the old service bell at junk bonanza this fall. i'm enjoying the soft, pretty colors in the 'jack frost' kit label that i stuck there just for fun, just for now.

and here's a photo of the beautiful 'jack frost' kit from elle's studio. so pretty.

i hope you're having a quiet and restful sunday before heading back into the every day routine:)

boo humbug!!!

"photos there...and nothing more..."

i said i'd share photos from our neighborhood halloween party - and here they are! if i sound a bit...cantankerous...it's because things have been pretty stressful and have gone downhill around here since these were taken. so that's where the boo humbug comes in. i hope you enjoy these scenes from our almost annual soiree:)

 artful decor by the man of the house...

he did a good job here, didn't he?

love the big letter blocks spelling out one of my favorite seasonal words

the menu...

ominous, no?!

nosy little crow

rodents galore

a hodge podge of treats

a kind dad and his girls...

assembling in the basement for the pinata

pumpkin toss for the littlest guests

and a greeting for the arriving guests...hmmm...maybe it's Freudian?

hope yours was hauntingly happy!

octobers past...reminiscing

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

  

this week is a busy one as we prepare for this event:

we've hosted this neighborhood party since 2003 and have missed only twice. hence the 'almost annual' title'. it's a family party and very kid-oriented...costumes, halloween tattoos, food, games, pinatas, pumpkin carving - i love every minute of it! there's still lots to do, of course - my friend next door is coming over to help decorate today. i'll share pics of it all once friday night is history...

i was browsing through photos of octobers past and just had to quickly share a few of my favorites. i can't describe how happy this one makes me! it was just one of those birthdays where everything clicked...the decorations, the cake, the kids - and i had a blast with the pirate theme, matey!! i still don't understand why my husband resented burning the edges of the fabulous vintage looking map invitations i made...it only took an hour or two and a few singed fingers. and then another hour to roll them up and put them inside empty plastic bottles.

i think he is an adorable pirate!

and another thing: why did my husband object to just holding the pinata while the kids batted at it in the basement? after all, he wouldn't let me hang it from the ceiling. hence - the plank you see underneath the teetering paper mache ship;)

(hello, shabby chic slipcover in the background - i loved you then but i don't miss you now.)


he's just an all-around good guy - vintage looking and with an awesome grin:)

and a little vignette from a halloween past - i have a love of the words "sinister" and "spooky" - is that fairly normal?

have a wonderful wednesday:)

so many favorites

such a powerful statement...i just love this subway art sign...and the message resonates with me very strongly.

csingingmysong

just how much cuter could this dog be? i think this pillow is done perfectly...

                                                                               secdus


lately, i love almost everything i lay eyes on with the birds on a wire theme. trendy? probably - but i  think a pillow like this is classic.

samantha2818

a fabulous wall decal - and it looks so good with the simple sofa. i've always loved maps as wall art and this black and white color scheme is a modern take that i admire.

studiowallart

another trendy theme - chevron. who wouldn't love to get a little treat in one of these darling bags? i especially love the black and white set.

prettytape

and who wouldn't get a chuckle out ot this mug? i'm not much for mugs or cutesy sayings - but this one appeals to me. love the mustache, love the black and white.

mugsleys

so as of today, i have 20 pages of favorites on etsy...how about you???

autumn porch finale

a few tweaks here and there, and now it's set...until i change it up to a more spooky feel later in the month:) this was so fun and very inexpensive. there's nothing like shopping around the house and finding everything you need. the only items i bought were the little white mums and the grand total for that was $6.66. the pumpkins were all grown by my parents - i certainly wouldn't have so many, otherwise.

please take special note of the huge weed on the lawn in the foreground...so typical!!! maybe if i wait a while, that weed will be big enough to use as a christmas tree...hmmm?!

happy thursday:)

eta: i'm linking up to show and tell friday over at my romantic home.. thanks, cindy:)

composing an autumn porch

true to form, i'm energized by fall! autumn is so fabulous, that i find myself feeling almost frantic and pressured...do this, see that, take photos, decorate, plan parties, and still i worry frequently that

i'm somehow "missing fall"!?! what in the world. it happens every single year, so i guess i need to accept it and just keep having small panic attacks:) while eating buttercup squash or snapping photos or drinking those divine fall flavor coffees - decaf, of course!

today finds me puttering around in the rain, trying to put together a warm and welcoming fall entrance. i'd like to share some photos of what i have so far and then ask beg plead implore you to give me any great ideas you have to shape it all up! because as i've said many times - i shine at gathering items i love - but i feel my skills at arranging, displaying are somewhat lacking...

so i'll show you what i have so far:

now this is where i'm stuck and here are things i still have available - the items in the next two photos. including the red basket, corn, a scarecrow, sap pails, more pumpkins, fall florals...and i know i can find more around here, too. my style is more simple than grand...

if you have the time and inclination, i'd love to hear any and all suggestions:)

and no matter what, suggestions or not, please have yourself the most warm and cozy and beautiful autumn ever... and thanks for stopping by!



just what the doctor ordered!

there are exceptions to every rule, right? i haven't been garage saling or thrifting or bringing much of anything into my home since i embarked on my mission to declutter. and i do really love the feeling of less stuff around here.

but. what could i do? i love everything vintage, industrial, and medical...i've spent all of my working years in the medical field. so i didn't think twice when i saw a dusty stack of old prescription files for sale in a little drugstore - they had to come home with me!

the price was so low that i don't dare mention it...it could well cause medical complications for those of you who share my love for this type of thing. i ended up with 11 of these - 10 are metal and the quikway rx file on top in the first photo is the lone cardboard one.

wonderful typography.

in excellent shape - they cleaned up very well.

of course this one is more worn and less sturdy - but i love it nonetheless!

i'd love to incorporate these into my scrap studio for storage. i'd also love to line them up just for display in the family room. so little cost! so much joy!

thank you for visiting and happy week-end to you:)