Holiday Inspiration and Ornament Frustrations

Hey there!  I've been working on some finishing touches with my Christmas decor this week.  I thought I'd be done with it already but I had to spray paint a slew of ornaments- more on that in a minute!  But I figure before the big reveal, I thought I'd share a few of the images that inspired this year's style!  

While pinning ideas, I started realizing that I was leaning toward a lot of white; white with greenery and just a few shiny accents, nothing too metallic or glitzy.  These pics also inspired me to keep things a bit more clean and simple this year which sounded like an interesting challenge!

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So the idea I've been going with is a White Christmas kind of feel or as Alex likes to call it, "A Christmas Void of Color," you decide which sounds better :)

The unexpected issue I ran into with this whole theme idea was finding plain ol' white ornaments.  Who knew?!  I checked Ikea, Target, Menards, JoAnne's, Michaels, and Bachman's (not all in one day, I spread out those disappointing visits throughout the week), no plain white ornaments!  Sure, maybe 4 white ones in a set of 20 with the remaining 16 being useless.  Which made me wonder...

Anyone else feel annoyed with all the color combo ornament sets when you just want one color in particular?  

I know, I know!  I am a Christmas crazy lady wit decor so maybe I am the only color particular weirdo, but I feel like I run into that frustration every year so I had to ask.  Why can't the colors just be separated gosh darn-it!!!  I don't want blue and teal... or a bomb of glitter, arrrgghhhh!!!!

In the end I did what any DIY-er would do and spray painted some old ornaments white.  That task wasn't as easy as I thought it would be either.  Sure, they were plastic ornaments so I should have known.

Oh yea, had my own little paint line set up!  The right image shows the paint coverage progress.

It took probably 5 light coats of paint along with lots of drying time and circulating air to get a good amount of paint color/coverage.  Sort of felt like it was as big of a pain as it was to look for white ornaments, sheesh!!!  Thankfully they're finally dry, some still a little tacky, but they're finally hung!

I'll take pics of all the decor tonight and probably tomorrow morning.  Stop back to check out this year's tree, mantel, dining room and more!  

Hope to see you then!

Meet Me by the Mistletoe for Our Holiday Staircase Look!

Well, I wasn't totally finished with my Christmas bonanza or extravaganza or whatever I called it because I realized that our staircase banister and mistletoe decor is totally worth a look too!  I know "staircase decor" isn't all that typical (or necessary) for the holidays, but the little staircase was one of the things I fell in love with most when we chose our home and I love decorating it this time of the year.  It still makes my heart melt a little when I walk through the door, just like it did when we got the house :)

Here's peek at the staircase from our entryway...

Did you catch that fun little touch of mistletoe?  It's a fun, cute unexpected surprise right?!  I had never thought to add any kind of decor above our entryway but it's just so simple and cute- I'm loving it! 

I keep catching Alex under there just hoping I'll happen to walk by so he can get a smooch, hehe!  Mistletoe really rocks :)

When it came to the staircase garland, I used fresh spruce roping, juniper berry bundles, green+gold ribbon and metallic ornaments (same elements used on our mantel and in the dining room).

What do you think of the staircase garland or our little touch of mistletoe? 
Will you be adding some surprise mistletoe in your home too?

I highly recommend the mistletoe... Tis' quite fun if you know what I mean :)  If you need another staircase decor idea click the link to see the Merry Message Along Our Staircase we created during the 2010 Christmas season.


Well, with the staircase covered I guess that rounds out all the holiday decor for this season.  In case you missed any of the other Christmas decor posts, be sure to check out all the ways we decked our halls!  Here are links to our 2013 Christmas Tree, the Fireplace Mantel, and the Dining Room.

Our Green Holiday Dining Room Look and Some Entertaining!

Okay, I know I didn't get my Holiday Dining Room post up yesterday as intended but I have a good excuse- Instead of writing about the Dining Room, I was using it with some of my favorite fabulous ladies!  Yes, we took in all the pretty holiday decor but we mainly soaked up some hot toddies, red wine, and a crap load selection of fine cheeses :) Can you blame me?

Wine, cheese, and chatting it up was too fun to pass up!

So despite falling a little short on my own "Christmas Extravaganza" week, I'll still wrap things up here in the Dining Room.  Let's have a look!

I added fresh greenery above the windows, on the sideboard, and in the table centerpiece.  I have to mention that the best deal I got when it came to the fresh stuff was that boxwood wreath above our sideboard- only $9.99 at Trader Joes, isn't that crazy!?!  Such a deal!  I added in ornaments to all the of the greenery to give it that special holiday feel!

Just like our mantel, I again used juniper berry and long spruce needle bundles with a wee bit of cedar and had two thin birch logs against the back of the sideboard.

I again used juniper berry and long spruce needle bundles with a wee bit of cedar and had two thin birch logs against the back of the sideboard.

For the centerpiece, I placed the spruce needles on the base of the candelabra then layered on the juniper berry and finished off the look with a few ornaments.  I feel like the layered fresh look adds a beautiful touch for our holiday table and it was pretty simple!

The final holiday touch that rounded out the room were the cedar stems I hung above each window.  I used ornament hooks to hang the stems and then hung ornaments from each stem.  Totally simple and really dressed up the look of our windows, right?!

I think that might be my favorite part of the decor this year?  Well that and the fresh, full $9.99 Boxwood wreath :) such a deal!

What do you think of our Dining Room Decor
Are you digging the cedar stems above the windows too?
Do you have a favorite Christmas decor piece this year?  I want to know what it is!

Thank you everyone that posted comments for my mantel post!  I kinda felt like a jerk for writing it then I almost went back to remove it, but it really cheered me up when I read the comments that came through so I let it be :)  I still kind of feel like a jerk but I guess it reminded me that the best kind of writing, whether from me or anyone else, is done with honesty and authenticity.  So even if I am a jerk at least I am the honest kind I guess?  Again, thank you for the kindness and reminder of why I love writing this little blog :)

Click these links if you missed our Holiday Mantel or our 2013 Christmas Tree

Time to Cozy Up for a Look at Our Holiday Mantel

Our fun little week-long holiday decor extravaganza (if you can call it that?) continues!!!  We've covered the tree, now it's time for a cozy look at our fireplace mantel!

I kept with the same Gold+Green look to match up with our Christmas tree.  BUT- this is the first time I used all fresh greenery for the mantel decor!  It was a bit more challenging, but so fun and rewarding when I got to the final look, I'm feeling so proud of it!

I ended up using long Spruce Pine needles and cut Juniper Berry bundles, then arranged them with ribbon and ornaments to complete the layered look on the fireplace mantel...

Simple and sweet post I guess?!  Love that on a super snowy night here in Minneapolis!

What do you think of the mantel decor?  Or the tree?

Are you getting hit with a crap-ton of snow too?!?! 

Anyone?  Bueller.... Bueller?!?!  Guess I'm feeling like no one is out there anymore :(  Heck, Alex even said that when he gutted the bathroom tub and he isn't even the HBIC- ahem 'Head Blogger In Charge' (blame that acronym on Bravo's Housewives).

I know I haven't been as great at following up with the blog lately, but I hope someone out there is still reading and seeing this stuff?  I still love writing it all, but it's kinda bummy feeling like you are talking to yourself.  Okay, I'm done emoting now, I'd still love to hear from you though :) 

Hunt Down & Chop Down Time: It's Our Annual Griswold Style Tree Adventure! Plus a Look at My 2013 Christmas Style Inspiration!

(Once again) In the historic words spoken by Clark W. Griswold, "We're kicking off our fun old fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols."  

And yes, I know the whole Griswold concept/story is a bit old now, but it's still a hoot of a good time and makes me giggle every year :) so the tradition continues on!

Click the link to see our 2010 tree adventure, 2011, or 2012

Yes, once our quiet Thanksgiving for Two was over (which also included some yummy AND pretty drinks, I totally had to share these with you!)...

Rosemary Gin Fizz recipe here and Hot Gin Toddy Recipe here

... We knew it was time to start covering our house with Christmas and where else do you start but with the tree!  So, we hopped in the car the next day with Rusty Rocco and Audrey Sadie and headed up to the Rum River Tree Farm to hunt down and chop down our 2013 tree.

After much debate and wandering through rows and rows of trees, grumpy cheerful Alex plopped down to chop down the 2013 tree of our dreams :)

Hehe, he's going to be so mad I snuck in his "grumpy Alex" pic!  (At least it was dark out this time though, I had a really grumpy Alex during last year's tree adventure!)

Then, we stuffed that bad boy in our trunk (literally!), and got it all set up in the living room to decorate!  We paid just $32 for our self cut tree-such a steal if you ask me!   But man, I can't begin to tell you what mess of pine needles that ended up in our car and house, LOL!

Here's a look once we got it set up, it's just begging for decorations right?!

Here's a look at what I've been feeling inspired by for this year's look/theme.  I'm feeling the Greens and Golds for sure and I'm digging the look of cedar greenery or garland.

Images via Terrain, Good Housekeeping, Digs Digs, Chatelaine, Remains Simple, Finders Keepers Market Inc, A Country Farmhouse, Happy Mundane

I've been working hard on getting it finished up along with our mantel and dining room decor- I can't wait to show you what I came up with!!!  I'm planning to share the finished tree tomorrow, then the mantel Wednesday, and the Dining Room Thursday!  It'll be a week long Christmas celebration here! Wooooo!  I'm so pumped! Are you pumped?!  If you're not you better get yourself pumped real quick because a whole lotta Christmas is headed your way!!!  Yep, I'm feeling that good ol' Christmas Crazy feeling, I just LOOOOOVE Christmas like a crazy lady!

How about you?  
Are you busy setting up your Christmas decorations too?  
Was there a theme or color scheme that inspired your holiday decor this year?
Are you a Crazy Christmas type of lady too?!!

I'd love to know!  Hope to see you back tomorrow for our tree reveal!

Last Minute Fourth of July Decor at the Hammers and High Heels House

Happy Fourth of July everybody!  Although it was kind of last minute, we decided that it'd be fun to just have a low-key kind of backyard barbecue with some friends and neighbors.  Naturally, I had to do some last minute decorating to give our home some patriotic spirit (which included our dogs too, they're proud little American pups)!

All I used to decorate were six flags (2 small, 2 medium, and 2 large sizes) and four rolls of decorative ribbon from JoAnne's which totalled under $10!   I hung the flags from our mantel with some galvanized metal ribbons I had from Bachmans, so simple and I love the classic American look!

In the Dining Room, I hung the flags similar to the mantel over our sideboard then wrapped some ribbon around the lanterns, wreath, and a small floral centerpiece.  Super simple right?  But it totally fits the feel of the Fourth!

Honestly, I'm pretty surprised with how nice my last minute decorating efforts turned out! Usually last minute doesn't go that well for me.  I wish I decorated a couple weeks ago so I could enjoy the look a bit longer :)


How about you? 
What kind of simple Fourth of July decor tips do you have?
What will you be doing to celebrate the Fourth?

Have fun celebrating our country's independence and freedom today!  Happy Fourth of July!

Warm & Welcoming Holiday Dining Decor...

The holiday season is still feeling warm, rustic, and cozy at home here for Alex, Rocco, Sadie & yours truly!   Here's a simple look at our table & dining room decor!

Pretty, cozy, and fitting for a comfortable night at home to celebrate the season!

What other simple ways do you make you dining room ready for the holidays?
Do you have fun cute ways to display food for company on the holidays? Let us know! 

Happy Holidays and thank you for visiting us! We wish you and you family a warm & wonderful holiday season!

A Message for Santa Along Our Staircase

Last Christmas, one of my favorite home decorations was the "Merry Message Along Our Staircase".  So naturally, I had to do version 2.0 this year!  Take a look....

Don't you love that Rocco snuck into that photo?  Total photo bomb :)

I used "the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Santa Claus would soon be there," for this year's message.  I followed the same steps to create the decorations as last year, but in case you want a quick version...

• Select a message for your staircase and count out the number of steps you will need signs for
• Measure the size you would like your signs to be for your home's stair riser (our signs are 12.5" x 5.0")
• Print out the signs for each stair riser on cardstock paper
• Adhere the signs to each riser centered as desired (we used 3M Command Adhesive Poster Strips opposed to regular tape to make sure they would stay in place and not ruin the paint when it's time to remove them).

It's a pretty simple project and I love that our staircase is part of the holiday fun now!

 Here's a look at last year's if you are curious :)


I think all I have left to share is our Holiday Dining Room Decor! Hope you'll swing by again to see that too!
Click here if you'd like to see our 2012 Christmas Tree or Christmas Mantel!

What do you think of our Holiday staircase decor?  Would Santa approve?!?
Have you decorated your stairs or banister?

Linking this post up over at Southern Hospitality's Christmas Vignette Linky Party!

A Winter Storm Wonderland

We woke up to metric-crap-ton of snow today and it just keeps on coming down.  Even though I know this much snow is going to be a pain in the buns when it comes to getting around town, I have to admit that I'm loving it because it feels like Christmas!!!!  Last year we barely got any snow at all and the year before we were buried from November until March in nearly three feet of the the stuff.  So yes I love it now, I just hope the snow stays around at a cute level and not a nuisance level :)

Speaking of not getting a lot of snow last year, the kiddos seems really surprised by the big puffy piles of snow today since they really didn't see it at all last year.

It took Sadie a minute to set foot in it (it's her third winter) but then it was like she'd been shot out of a cannon!  She just loved bounding through the snow!

Sadie sure loved it but our other little guy Rocco... not so much.  You can see that he pretty much stood in place as Sadie ran laps around him (notice the arrow pointing at Sadie running by in a blur).

I guess Rocco prefers this kind of stroll in the snow.  Works for me since he hates being held otherwise, ha!

The National Weather Service said that we should expect 8-12 inches of snow to stick around and some totals could be up to 16 inches!  Yikes!

For now I am just going to appreciate the beauty of it, tomorrow might be another story :)

If you are local, what do you think of the snow?  Love it?  Hate it?

Anyone else play in the snow today???

All Warm & Cozy By Our 2012 Christmas Tree!

There's something about a beautifully lit Christmas Tree that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, right?  We finished up decorating the tree we picked up on our annual Griswold adventure (that post is a must see!) and I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy looking at these pictures! 

I'm hoping you'll enjoy a look too!  Here's our 2012 Christmas Tree...

We decided to put the tree in our Living Room instead of the Sunroom like last year.  

 We kept with our cozy rustic cabin theme for our tree as we did for the mantel decor (click here for a look at the mantel!).

I used plaid garland with only red, gray & clear glass ornaments. I stayed away from any gold, silver, or glittery elements to keep a rustic vibe which was actually kind of tough!  Everything is covered in glitter this time of year, right?!?

My favorite ornaments on the tree are the glass ones filled with cut book pages inside!  I picked some up last year at Finch's Boutique created by Jason Berke and still love them! 

I also think that I finally mastered the art of winding the garland throughout the tree opposed to wrapping it around. It really makes such a difference!

  

*Sigh* I just love the warm cozy feeling of a Christmas Tree in our home and I love decorating it with my hubby each year!

Click here to see our 2011 Christmas Tree AND each one before (we've really improved our tree decorating since our first in 2007, LOL)!

What do you think of our 2012 Christmas Tree?

Do you have any tree decorating secrets/skills to share?

See you tomorrow for Head Over Heels DIY Friday!

Linking this post up over at Thrifty Decor Chick's Christmas Tree Linky Party!

Our Rustic 2012 Holiday Mantel

Are you feeling the Christmas spirit yet?  I know we are now that our house covered in Christmas and I am excited to start sharing pictures of the decor!  Let's kick things off with our 2012 Holiday Mantel!

This year we decided to go with decor that felt cozy & rustic, sort of the feel you'd get from spending Christmas in a cabin up north. 

We used birch wood branches & logs, antlers, lanterns, pine branches, snowflake garland, and a few bronze & red glass ornaments.

 I love the cozy look and feel!

(Click here if you'd like to see our 2011 "Merry Little Vintage" Mantel or here to see our 2010 Christmas Mantel.)

What do you think of our 2012 mantel?

How did you decorate your mantel this year?

I'll have a lot more to share of our Christmas decor including our staircase, sideboard, a DIY here-and-there, and of course OUR 2012 CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!  Hope you'll stop back to see!

Linking this post up over at The Lettered Cottage Mantel Party!

Head Over Heels DIY Friday: Thanksgiving Wall Art

Hello and happy Friday everybody!

This week's DIY project is a sweet little sign I made to use along with my Thanksgiving dining decor...

I thought "Gather here with Grateful Hearts" was a perfect message for the spirit of Thanksgiving and it was SUPER easy to make!

I started by using some left over wood from our basement. I printed off the message on regular paper and lined it up where I thought it'd look best. 

 Once I was happy with the arrangement I started to cut the letters to make a stencil.  It is a little tricky but if you can get a good frame to trace that is all you need. 

 I used a pencil to trace the letters then, I grabbed my white craft paint & brush to get started on filling in the letters.

 I filled in the thicker letters with a medium brush and then used a very small brush for the little details.

It took around two hours to finish but totally worth it!  Take a look...

I love the heartfelt message and handmade look, just perfect for the upcoming holiday gatherings!

What do you think?

Are you Head Over Heels for this DIY?

What DIY decor are you coming up with for Thanksgiving?

My brain is on Thanksgiving decor, I might have another decor DIY next Friday too! 



I wanted to say thank you to everyone that left a comment on my last Vestibule "Scrap That" post.  It helped cheer me up and I loved some of the new ideas!  I'll be getting at it (again) this weekend but there should be some fun changes you'll see on the blog too!  Have a lovely weekend :)