Around the House: A Look Back at Christmas Dinner

There are those moments in life where you reach certain milestones that just, in all honesty, require a self-given pat on the back. That happened to me over Christmas. Y'all, I cooked the entire Christmas dinner myself - with the exception of my Mom's help with the sweet potatoes. Turkey and all. Me - the self-professed kitchen hater. And guess what else? It was good. I mean really good. Can I get a what what?

And while everything was cooking, I knocked out this table setting that I'm kind of in love with...

2013 was a year full of firsts - some really good and some I never want to relive. The first holidays without my Dad are behind us now and while there was a deep void, new memories were made and there were proud moments as well. So let me say it one more time, just because it feels so dang good... y'all, I cooked Christmas dinner, turkey and all! Here's to the new year with new memories and lots of proud moments for us all! xo

Merry Christmas!

We love a crazy Christmas card around these parts. Due to our 1.5 years and counting of working on this house of ours we went with a DIY theme this year.  I hope your Christmas has been MERRY and BRIGHT and filled with the love and light of the world - Christ Jesus.  Love each and every one of you! xo

Last Minute Christmas Gifts (On the Cheap)

If you're anything like me EVERY Christmas, you are scrambling for some last minute easy and affordable gifts. I get it. I'm not quite sure why I do this to myself, but it happens every year. I'm pretty sure most people would qualify me as a procrastinator. I think I'm super busy, but if I'm honest, I think the real issue is that I don't prioritize my time well. Yup, that's it. Time management. Whatever, the "label" if you are looking for a few last minute gifts for under $5.00 (which I love) then look no further... run, don't walk, to the Dollar Tree.

I found this cute jar at the Dollar Tree along with gift bags, wrapping paper and tissue paper. Throw those into the mix with your friends', teachers' or co-workers' favorites and you have yourself gifts galore. My youngest has a teacher that loves fruits and nuts. Toss them into a jar with a handmade gift tag (cardboard from an Amazon box) and you have yourself a gift for about $4.00. Add some rainbow loom bracelets on tissue box card stock and you have gifts for everyone in the class (or office). WIN!

Want to add a little more zing? You guys, I found this awesome red baking dish at the Dollar Tree and it looks like it came straight out of Anthropologie. For realz. Add some fruity tea (which my oldest's teacher just happens to love) along with some of favorite colors on the tips of wooden cooking spoons and you have yourself a gift that looks like a million bucks for mere pocket change. Seriously, I think this give cost me $5.00, max.

Spoons - $2.00 at the grocery store. Painter's tape - on hand. Acrylic paint - on hand. Just tape the spoons off wherever you want the color to stop. And then paint with your friend's favorite colors.

I put bulldog clips on the ends of the spoons so that I could paint them and allow them to dry while painting the next spoon...

After you paint the handles of each spoon with acrylic paint and allow them to dry, apply a coat or two of Modge Podge. (I used matte finish for this gift.)

Allow the spoons to dry and then tie with a ribbon. I used red here because Jude's teacher's favorite color is red. (Clearly.) Once the gifts are all tied up, slip them into a gift bag (I just reuse gift bags that have been given to me - bonus of having a December birthday) and you are good to go. Gifts galore for well under $10.00. 

What are your tips and tricks for great gifts that don't break the bank? xo

Around the House: Advent

Every Christmas I try to come up with a fun new way to create our advent calendar. This year I decided to use several ideas together: up-cycled kleenex boxes, felt trees, felt mountains, sticks and empty matchboxes. I have to say, I like the contrast the colored "buildings" bring to the mountains...

I also try to come up with a few new family activities each year and this year I landed on a doozie. (uh-huh, I just said "doozie" and I don't even care; that's how good it is/was.) We had a red and green dinner (spaghetti with spinach marinara sauce) by candlelight while listening to Christmas music. Y'all! It was awesome! My sweet Liam said it was his favorite advent activity so far. I think the low lights and music created an environment that caused us to linger at the table just a little bit longer. We chatted, laughed and just plain learned more about one another as a family. 

I think it's my favorite now too. Do you have a "favorite" advent activity? xo

Corrugated Christmas

I know! As if 2 days of this stuff wasn't enough. Bare with me. I promise this is the last of it. I just wanted to show you guys my favorite tinsel tree that greets me daily and anyone that passes our house. It sits in our family room, right in front of our big picture window. When the afternoon sun hits all that tinsel, it's like a disco up in here. I love it.

Remember the corrugated painted diamonds I showed y'all last week? Yup, I used them in the window and on the tree. For the window, I hung them at different intervals using bakers twine and a tension rod. Easy up, easy down. For the tree, baker's twine as well.

I think the corrugated diamonds actually pair quite nicely with my vintage ornaments. Love. Love it.

PS - I think my tree kind of looks like the love child of the above two images. No?

Happy weekend homies. Rock it like you own it. Next week, no cardboard. I promise. xo

tinsel stir stick via fred flare

neon geo tree - source unknown

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Cardboard Box to Bunting

Y'all, I've got cardboard floating all over my house right now. I mean, ALL OVER. I went a little crazy, but when making cute decor is this easy and inexpensive, it's kinda hard to stop at just one craft. You know what I'm sayin'? When I showed you guys the diamonds yesterday I promised I would show you the rest of my corrugated follies throughout the remainder of the week. Staying true to my word, I thought I'd show you guys what I did with all those triangles I cut off my diamonds to make my blingy diamonds...

After cutting the triangles red and white, I grabbed my trusty glue gun and twine. Within minutes, I had bunting for my fireplace.

Thank you Amazon shipping department and husband for your purchase. Without you my Christmas decor would have a lot less spice this year. What have you been making this holiday season? xo

Christmas Gift Tag DIY

Being iced in for four days will drive any momma to craft, right? I can't even begin to tell you how many cardboard crafts are hung throughout my house right now. (I'm a little bit frazzled and cross-eyed after four days of icemaggedon!) I'll be sharing pics and details with you over the remainder of the week. One of the corrugated crafts is this diamond gift tag gem of a DIY. I'm over at Mom Edit with the details. It's easy, fun, inexpensive and your littles can help. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Cardboard Christmas

There are two things you can be sure of over the holidays: lots of cardboard packages and lots of guests, which means more empty toilet paper rolls. Hey, I know that's a little too much information, but these are the facts homies. Why not make the most out of it?

Cardboard ornaments like the ones above and these amazing diamonds that are dying to go on my tinsel tree. Not for you? How about paper prize ribbons instead of bows on your gifts? (i die.)

diamonds | prize ribbons

How about spreading a little holiday cheer throughout your home with one of these fun DIYs?

christmas trees | rudolph

And let's not forget that it's the season of giving. These items would make great gifts for all your littles' friends...

necklace | whirly toy

Hello paper awesomeness. Which one will you make first? xo

yarn ornaments

Paper Gifts for A Dollar - Not Kidding.

Hello. My name is Brooke and I'm a Target, Dollar Spot addict. It's not my fault really. They put those isles right there in the front of the store. And they sing to me with their alluring siren's song. What's worse... I have to go by them in order to get into the store. Dang it. Those Target folks are genius.

If you have a few paper lovers on your Christmas gift list, be sure to stop here. They have really cute stuff right now - for a DOLLAR. Like the playing Camping Cards above. I die. Not into cards? How about notebooks or sticky note pads for the friend who has to write everything down? So cute.

Have a little one on your list that loves to color? Take a look at these adorable color creations from Crayola (not in the Dollar Spot, but still $1.00). They would make a great stocking stuffer.

And what about all those gifts that need gift tags for the much needed "To" and "From" details? Why not buy a scrapbook notepad for $2.99 and get 15-30 gift tags out of one notepad? Seriously - Genius.

Inside the notebooks lie a vast array of beautiful prints for gift tags and card making...

I know. You've gotta go... Target is calling. Me too. xo

Around the House: Christmas Past

Looking back through old Christmas decor photos like the one above, I've realized two things:

1. Decor is kind of like school photos. You think everything looks great until you look back several years later.
2. I am insanely grateful for Pinterest and all the creative bloggers out there. Big shout outs to all the people that have kept me inspired throughout the years. Y'all are wicked talented. And you're WAY too numerous to list.

Here's a look at my Christmas decor over the past 5 years...

Tinsel tree - don't get me wrong, I love the tree mucho; it's the poor placement and bad photography that gets me. Yikes. I guess decor isn't the only thing that's gotten better with time.

Green Tree - a look at the old house with my beloved tree stump idea from Something's Hiding in Here on the left and the new house last year on the right. New and Improved.

Table Top - last year's blowout birthday celebration for my big 40. That tabletop is still a fave. It was perfect in every way - from the decor to the company.

And for all you DIYers - here's an old pipe cleaner goodie...

Wow, that was kind of like looking through my old High School yearbook. I little bit painful and a whole lot of fun. Have you ever looked back at old Christmas photos? What made you gasp and then die laughing - hair? sweaters? gifts? old boyfriend? xo