Decorating the Living Room for Christmas. Even just saying it brings everything to a level of realism that Christmas is here, the season of giving. The season of family and traveling to be together. Maybe that's why I love Christmas so much or maybe it's the food. Ok, a small part of it. This year I actually started decorating the week before Thanksgiving but I took my time. I got my living room tree done weeks ago but getting this room straightened up long enough to photograph was the problem.  I soaked grapevine coil overnight and then let it drain for an hour before putting it on my pre-lit tree. Doing that made it so much easier to wrap it in the long vine. It still made a bit of a mess but I had a lot less breakage and it was easier to bend and twist the way I wanted it. I also added burlap ribbon, huge pine cones, black ornaments and glass. Every kind of clear glass ornament I could find locally. Online I found two boxes of glass icicles to add to my collection al......

Decorating the Bedroom & Hallway for Christmas Decorating our master bedroom always seems like it's on the short end of the stick. As I get older and find myself retreating to this space more and more for relaxation, I am finding it a lot easier to spend some money here. I've also figured out where to spend it and where to save it. You begin to learn as you age what you really like and what you can skimp on. For example; my tree is a flocked white Walmart tree bought last year. The industrial metal salvaged box however, was not purchased at a discount store. And I love it! I love salvaged pieces I can use as multi-purpose. I know I can put them to good use. Yes I bought 2. I went back to the store a week later and bought #2. I don't know why I just followed my instincts. It's counterpart is holding some blankets underneath a chalk painted vintage sewing machine I got for literally only paid ten bucks for by our bed. I put grapevine on this tree too and it really......

Potting Bench  Decorating my potting bench is totally new to me this year. In 2019 this potting bench was getting used so much I literally never wiped the dirt off because it would be back the following day! So to spruce it up just to be pretty was kinda fun. Especially since all the greenery here is living and It only cost about 6 bucks for all of it. That's right folks, I found another score at the big box store this Fall and pounced so many times, the back of my SUV smelled like evergreens for weeks afterwards. That's not a complaint, it actually was kind of nice. The dirt not so much. Funny story. I knew we would be doing a lot of holiday lights this year outside so I had the ultimate elf light hanger extraordinaire take a week of vacation to get it done at a nice leisurely pace. Ready to seriously get back to work and stop being my muscle for an entire week Greg holds the last light strand in his hand and asks Is that it? No more lights you want up? Nope, no more lights. ......

Christmas Entry Decorating  Decorating each room in the house for me, is a labor of love. The Entry is the first room guests see, so with that in mind I took my time with this room and added sentimental and rustic touches for Christmas. I added twinkle lights to each shelf of the hutch Greg and I built a few years ago. I still love it in this spot, but if you'd like to build one yourself or see it's original perch, you can read Quick and Easy DIY Project . I donated most of my older trees last year to family. I said it was because they needed them and I wanted to help. Yeah I know, stop smiling. It's probably because I wanted to buy new ones. I have to hand it to walmart, they are upping their game as far as trees and holiday decor goes. Their skinny pre lit T-42 is my favorite and I have 2 so far and may go back for one more. I actually saw the exact same version at a local pool store that sells holiday decor November to December, and it's counterpart was three hundred......