2012 Christmas Mantel Shelf

Hello Everyone!  In years past, I’ve always displayed one of my Old World Santas on one side of the mantel shelf in the family room.  This year I used two lanterns on each side instead. 

I placed an electric candle inside each one and made a Christmas swag to place in front of the lanterns.  

I also added birds, pinecones, faux Christmas greens and berries.  

Did you happen to notice my broken clock?  I knocked it off when I was working on the mantel shelf.  That broke my heart!  I made the cedar board backdrop especially for the clock.  It’s still keeping time though.  I’ve been on the lookout for a new one while Christmas shopping to replace it but I haven’t found one that is the right size. 

My tree is all done and I even made changes to that too this year. 

 

As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you all are having a wonderful week so far! 

Gail 

Sharing with:

Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday

DIY by Design for Fall Into Fall

Savvy Southern Style for Homespun Christmas

Gathering Basket for Christmas

Hello Everyone!  I’m so glad I have all my Christmas decorating done especially now that I have less than one week until I move into my space at the antique mall.  With that being said, I thought I would share with you my gathering basket that is sitting on the kitchen table all decked out for Christmas. 

On one side of the scale, I added faux Christmas greens, berries and a pine cone inside the bird’s nest.  On the other side, I added a Christmas tag to the burlap wrapped candle. 

I draped a Merry Christmas tea-towel that I made over the side of the basket.  

I added Christmas greens, berries and pinecones to the little basket that is holding the linen napkins.

I have had more fun accessorizing this gathering basket with each change of season! 

As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Gail

Sharing with:

Coastal Charms for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up

A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

Dreams Do Come True!

  I have some exciting news to share!   I signed a six months lease today  for an 8x10 space at A Unique House of Antiques.  This is the same antique mall where I was placed on a vendor waiting list back in September.  This is the space I will be renting when it becomes available December 1st. 

The space is still being occupied but the vendor has begun to clear out his space.    I can’t wait to get in there and paint the walls and the floor.  

 

Charlie and I are also planning to build a wall on top of the half wall that will contain window openings.  

I still can’t believe it!  This has been a dream of mine and it’s finally coming true.  My mind is going 50 miles a minute with all the things I want and need to get the space ready by December 1st.  So if I’m missing for a little while, know that I’m busy pursuing my dream. 

As always, thanks for stopping by and hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Gail

Christmas Wrapped Soap and a Towel

Hello Everyone!  It’s so hard to believe that Thanksgiving will be here in a couple of days!!  I’m sure most of you are like me and have a list of things to do before hand. 

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a cute and inexpensive way I dressed up the extra soap in the guest bathroom for Christmas. 

I wrapped the soaps in a brown paper bag and added a Merry Christmas graphic to each one of them.  I created an aged look to them by using distress ink and then tied with jute twine.  I also made a towel using the same  graphic. 

I ordered the Merry Christmas graphic from an Etsy shop called Antique Graphique. 

Have any of you ever heard of or used Scentsicles?

They smell wonderful!  About a week ago, I tucked one of them inside some greens and my guest bathroom still smells like pine!!  There are six scented ornaments in one container.  I bought my Scentsicles at Michaels and Lowes.  However, Lowes has the best price at $2.00.

I’m just about done with Christmas decorating.  All I need to do is put the finishing touches here and there. 

If by chance I don’t get another post up before Thanksgiving, I would like  to thank all of you for being such a wonderful part of my life!   And for that I am thankful!!

Gail

Sharing with:

A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up

Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday

Stone Gable for Tutorial Tips and Tidbits

Ice Skates

Hello everyone!  Over the weekend, I packed up all my Fall things and started decorating for Christmas.  I started in the hallway with the little table that Charlie made for me back in September. 

This summer, I was lucky enough to find not just one but two pair of ice skates.  One pair I found at an antique mall and the other pair I found at a thrift store. 

I’m having so much fun accessorizing my little table in the hallway with the change of seasons.

  

As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Gail

Sharing with:

Kristen’s Creations for Share Your Creations

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

1934 Funeral/Wedding Basket

Hello everyone! Back in June when Charlie surprised me with a Birthday getaway to Pennsylvania, I purchased this beautiful patina basket.   

When I first saw this basket it reminded me of a sweet bloggy friend Olive who has a blog called Olive Out.  She has a love for all things vintage and has posted on several different occasions these types of antique wicker funeral/wedding baskets that she has.    

I was immediately drawn to this one.  Look at that gorgeous green patina and the rusty tin liner.  

   

Underneath the basket, there is a date of January, 1934 and the name of a person, Cherry.   

It’s hard to believe that this basket will be 79 years old this coming January.  

As always, thanks for stopping by and for your lovely comments.  I hope you all are having a wonderful week. 

Gail

Sharing with:

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson for Share Your Cup Thursday

Trash Can Cabinet Make-over

Hello Everyone!  The other day while I was at my son and daughter-in-law’s place, she mentioned that she wanted to get rid of this trash can cabinet that she received as a Christmas gift about 10 years ago.  

       Being the DIY’er that I am, I told her that I would take it home and see what I could do with it.  Instead of painting it, I decided that I would re-stain it.  I used Ebony Minwax Wood Finish Stain on the entire piece and added hardware to it.  

I wasn’t sure if I would have to sand the entire piece in order for the stain to take.  But it didn’t need it.  I applied two coats of the stain to get the dark cover that I was aiming for.

I have to say,  this has been one of the easiest furniture make-overs I have done thus far…no sanding, no priming, no painting and no waxing. 

I wonder if she will still want to get rid of it now since it seems to fit in with the other pieces of furniture that I have transformed in her country kitchen.   I refinished a china cabinet back in February which you can read about here and a replica antique ice box here.

As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful day! 

Gail

Sharing with

Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday

DIY by Design for Fall into Fall

Primp for Primp Your Stuff

Bouquet of Cotton Bolls

Hello Everyone!   On Thursday, Charlie and I celebrated our wedding anniversary.  For our anniversary, he not only planned a wonderful weekend getaway but he also bought me a beautiful bouquet of Cotton Bolls.

I couldn’t believe it!!  Isn’t he amazing!  

My love for this man grows stronger with each passing year.  And my hope is that I get to spend many more years loving this man and that we  spend the rest of our lives traveling hand in hand.  

As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday. 

Gail

Sharing with:

Coastal Charms for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up

Happy Halloween and The Haunted Ghost Walk

First, I would like to say that my heart and prayers go out to all who have sustained far greater losses and damage than we did from Hurricane Sandy.  We were truly blessed that this storm caused minimal damage in our local area compared to what others have endured. 

We managed to pull off the twins Birthday/Halloween party this past Saturday and the haunted ghost walk was a big hit!  The kids and adults all loved it!!   I took some pictures of it to share with you.

 

 

  

This ghost was the cutest thing at night.  He would travel back and forth along a cable between two trees.

This is another little scary creature I made using a tomato cage, Halloween mask and a black cape.  I called him “Johnny the grave digger”! 

 

  

The black tomb stone had a fogger machine and at night it looked spooky! 

  The skeleton laying in the hammock was adorable.  He snored and his chest would move up and down.  

  

This was Papa's table.  His head was the witches dinner.   

We used a set of saw horses as the table base and a piece of ply board.  We cut a circle in the ply board for his head to go through.   The kids loved it!  They all knew it was “Papa”! 

Unfortunately my night pictures didn’t turn out.  I was so disappointed, I forgot to change my camera setting.   But here are a few night ones.

 

 

 

 

 

Our oldest daughter played the witch and she was AWESOME! 

 

It was a FUN Birthday/Halloween party and I think the twins and everyone else really enjoyed themselves.  

I would like to thank all of you who left the sweetest comments in regards to our creative attempts at making scary Halloween things for this haunted ghost walk! 

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful week. 

Gail