Christmas 2013

Sorry for such a long absence, school got the best of me this semester.  I took two classes and both were time consuming and creativity sucking to say the least.  I have a feeling it will be the same way next semester, so bear with me.  It's my last class I have to take before graduation, woohoo!

 

Anyway, once school ended I jumped right into Christmas and haven't stopped since.  It's the best time of the year and this year is no exception.  I love that we live in an apartment and I get to enjoy my tree everyday!  I take a lot of photos of it, so be warned....

 

We do everything by the tree, breakfast included!

 

Once school ended my creativity came back and I was busy crafting and making lots of fun things...

 

I made my husband decorate cookies with me one afternoon, can you tell which ones are mine and his?

 

Peppermint martinis...yum!

 

Bow Ties for my topiaries

The coffee table tray got festive as well

My gift tags this year aren't as elaborate as last year, just a simple letter and holly

 

And one last tree before I sign off for the holiday...

 

 

I hope you all have a very

Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year!!

 

xoxoxox

Lindsay

 

 

Holiday Style Challenge LIVE!

Its finally here!! My Home Depot Holiday Style Challenge is finally live! Head on over to the Home Depot blog to check out my small apartment kitchen/dining room holiday decor!

 

 

While you are there read all the other amazing blogger entries- everyone went holiday crazy and the ideas are endless!!

 

 

Thank you Home Depot for asking me to participate in the best challenge I've done on my blog to date!

 

 

Coming Soon...

I'm so excited to announce that on Monday my post for the Home Depot Holiday Challenge will finally be up on their blog!  I was so over the moon when they asked me to participate- receiving the super secret boxes of holiday decor back in October was a blast!

Here is a little peek...

 

I love Christmas so much that I have left all my decorations up since I finished the Style Challenge.  There is just something about getting in the holiday spirit early that makes it so much fun!!

 

Be sure to check out the Home Depot blog on Monday for more of my holiday fun!

 

 

 But in the meantime check out all the other Holiday Style Challenge posts- there are some pretty great Christmas spaces!

 

 

Merry Christmas!

I'm taking a little time off to be with my family in New Hampshire, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!

xoxo

Christmas in Beacon Hill

A few weeks ago I took a photography class in Beacon Hill.  It might have been the coldest day of the year because I couldn't feel my toes after, but it was totally worth it.  I just love Beacon Hill!  Our class basically stayed in a two block section on the Flat of the Hill, so these photos only represent a tiny sliver of the beautiful decor in Beacon Hill this time of year

 

 

 

And just as I was finishing up this little beauty was headed for a walk. 

 

 

Can you stand the cuteness??

 

Holiday Home

The countdown is on, Christmas is almost here!  I'm soaking up every minute of whats left and enjoying my pretty tree and the rest of my Christmas decor. This year I made a new tartan tree skirt, ornament mantel swag, some festive jingle bells, and even stamped my own wrapping paper. I wish I had time to make more, Christmas Crafts are my favorite. 

My tartan tree skirt was a super easy DIY project.  I picked up a round table cloth from TJ Maxx, cut a slit to the middle and then cut a circle where the tree stand would go.  It needed a little something extra so I added red pom pom trim around the edge.

I've so enjoyed all the house tours people have posted, so here is a tour of my own

 

 

My ornament mantel swag I call a work in progress.  Its made of shatterproof ornaments, and a TON of them.  I purchased 10-12 boxes of large ornaments last year on sale and I thought it would have been more than enough.  Little did I know it wouldn't even cover half of the swag.  So a few more boxes later and this is how it looks this year.  I'm hoping I can pick up a bunch more boxes during the after Christmas sales so I can add to it.

Now its time to sit by the fire, watch Home Alone with a cup of egg nog and enjoy the rest of this Christmas Season. 

Merry Christmas everyone!!

It's almost time

I know it's almost Christmas because the amaryllis bulbs I planted before Thanksgiving...

...are blooming and filling my family room with Christmas joy

Colorful Ribbon

I'm organizing the rest of my Christmas photos, so in the meantime here is a little moment happening on my side table right now. 

This is the first year I've bought ribbon candy and truth be told I bought it only because I thought it would be pretty in pictures.  Turns out its not only pretty, but it tastes good too!

What's your favorite holiday sweet?

Do you display?

I love getting cards in the mail, who doesn't?  They are a million times better then getting bills in my mailbox.  At Christmas I think I get more cards and notes then the rest of the year combined (am I the only one?).  I love seeing all the new babies, weddings and families that are on the many cards.

This year I decided it was time to get more creative than just taping them up on my door.  Card display ideas are everywhere so it was not hard to find a little inspiration.  I knew I had to work with my front door, so when I saw this image I knew I had to recreate the look

Country Living

 

 

Sticking with my red, green, silver, gold & tartan color scheme I pulled out some old tartan fabric I had from this project a few years ago and made a large scale bow for the top of my display

 



 

I was lacking wide ribbon in my stash, so I cut up some strips of hunter green felt and stitched it together to make a long hanger.  It needed something a little extra so a length of ivory satin ribbon was the perfect addition.

 

 

I used flat tacks to attach it to the top of my door in case any of you were wondering how it was stuck up there

 

I did make two smaller bows out of red tartan fabric I had, just in case this one gets filled up and I needed to add more hangers.  Wishful thinking on my part.

 

So tell me, do you display?

 

Christmas is here

I still cant believe in less than a week it will be Christmas morning!  Where has the time gone?  With all that's going on in the world today, I cant wait to have some time off to be with my family in New Hampshire.

I got my family room floor cleaned up of my wrapping station just in time to take a few photos of my decor.  I'll be posting them all week, sharing a different portion each day.  But today I figured I would start at the most logical place to start, the front door.

Eddie Ross can do no wrong when it comes to DIY and decorating, he really has an eye for putting the most beautiful things together.  Obvi it was no surprise I loved the recent spread in Country Living of his house, and in particular his front door.  I decided to recreate his jingle bell door and make my own

 

I had every intention of taking photos of how I made this, but I finished so quickly I completely forgot.  The gist of it: 

I bought 7 gold bells from Pier 1.

Used red ribbon to string them on till they resembled a bunch.

Tied a bow at the top and hung on my front door.

 

It's such a joyful sound every time the door opens or closes, a reminder of that magical Christmas spirit.

Upgraded Brown Paper Packages

Like other Christmas crazy folks out there each year I plan a different color palette for my decorations and wrapping.  This year I decided to go back to an old standard, red, green, silver, gold & tartan!  I start searching for ideas for tree skirts, mantle decor and wrapping paper early in November.  Yes, I am totally that crazy lady asking the folks at Homegoods when the Christmas wrapping paper is going to hit shelves.

I purchased early and planned out my wrapping combination.  I had red faux crocodile, silver stag heads, candy cane print and gold faux bois.  

 

But after putting them all together I realized something was missing... something more than just ribbon.  It was green wrapping paper!  After hitting the stores again I just couldn't find what I was looking for, a matte paper with a simple green pattern.  A DIY project was in order, I had to make my own.

Polka dots!!

I had left over wrapping paper from last year, so using Frog Tape I secured it to my desk with the plain white side up.

Using an existing stamp I had on hand, I simply glued a small round rubber dot on the other end

 

 

I used my favorite Evergreen Color Box stamp pad. The name seemed Christmas appropriate

 With my single polka dot stamp I went to town stamping all over the sheet of wrapping paper.  A smart person might go out and get one of those polka dot sheet stamps, but I used what I had.

 

All done!!

I didn't let the first sheet dry long enough and ended up with green hands.  So do yourself a favor and let this dry overnight, if not longer so the ink is good and set.

Check back next week to see my packages all wrapped up in this festive green polka dot paper.  But to hold you over till then here is a little sneak peek I posted on Instagram (you should follow me if you don't already, everythingLEB)

 

10 more shopping days till Christmas!!