{31 days} joy all year

October 16, 20147 Comments

~secondhand and created~

These are back at Target…

This year there is also HOPE, LOVE, a heart and a star.

Last year I bought the JOY…

When I brought it home and opened it I was in love, but I knew it could be better.

So, I painted it.

Then I hung it on a piece of wood that had been outside since we moved into our house almost 6 years ago. It’s nice and weathered.

I thought I would like the “JOY” to be horizontal, but the letters were taller than the board.

So, I went vertical.

And, I love it!

It hangs next to our fireplace year round.

Last year I displayed it in our front entry as a Christmas vignette.

I also used it in our fall decor.

Today, I purchased LOVE and the star as they can also be kept out year round. I hope to paint them and hang them on some more salvaged secondhand wood!

My mother-in-law arrives tomorrow night, so I am hoping that I can get some fun posts up while she is in town, and I might have some extra time for projects like this one!

{FYI…last year a lot of the stores ran out of stock on this item. Best bet is to check online and see if you can do an in-store pick up…they will hold it for you for 2 days!}

home is…{31 days} secondhand and created joy all year.

Join me while I link up with The Nester every day in October for #write31days.
Click here to find a list of all 31 posts as they are published.

’tis the season

November 26, 2013Leave a comment

We’re kind of confusing holidays around here.

Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday.

I love what it is about.

Being thankful.

Family.

Friends.

Food.

Football.

However, there’s not much fun in the decorating.

I love to decorate for fall, but by the end of November I am ready for Christmas decor!

And, the kids get more excited about Christmas decorations and crafts than they do about turkeys.

So, a couple more days of confusing our holidays and then we will be in the full Christmas swing of things.

Of course, after we are thankful.

No matter what, we will be jolly.

home is…celebrating the season.

{thrifting} curating christmas

November 8, 2013Leave a comment

I know, I know.

Thanksgiving is still 3 weeks away.

We are not forgetting to be thankful around here, I promise.

Here’s the thing.

I generally avoid Goodwill and Value Village (where I do the majority of my thrifting) from the end of August until Halloween.

However, once November 1st hits, the Christmas begins to trickle in. You see, they hold all the Christmas stuff that comes in throughout the year and put it ALL out between Halloween and Christmas.

So, I curate.

I gather to add to my collection from years past.

Here is what I have found in the last week or so…

I collect Santa’s and love these handpainted clay molds from the 1970’s.

Thinking about painting this guy…or maybe glitter!

I passed on one of these last year and wished I hadn’t. So, I bought one from Etsy at the end of summer. My friend, Erin, (@tweetpotatopie) told me where to find a star topper (my other one has a hole in the top) and I purchased some extra bulbs…just in case. Well, I found this beauty for $7! She was missing most of the bulbs, but that was OK because I had an entire bag of extras at home!

I can’t pass up a blow mold.

Or, a good santa mug from Japan.

And, this stitchery…well, it practically jumped in my cart!

This little guy is a bank…so cute!

home is…the most wonderful time of the (thrifting) year.

{our home} love

February 14, 2013April 6, 20203 Comments

Just a few pics of our home decorated for the holiday of love.

And, the winner of the giveaway is Emily!

home is…love.

{our holiday home} sneak peek

December 9, 20122 Comments

When we get a sunny day {so my photos won’t be dark} I will take some photos of our home decorated for the holidays.

photo 1-1

Until then, here is a sneak peek…

photo 1-2

My mom painted that bowl…isn’t it amazing? She needs to open an Etsy shop for all of her paintings, right?

I haven’t been doing a traditional green and red christmas the last few years…just lots of color!

I make ornaments for the family every year…this year it’s stamped salt dough!

photo 4-1

My little elf likes to help me decorate.

photo 3-2

Just subtle this year, but enough to make it feel like Christmas.

home is…merry and bright.

{holiday home tour} trolls on parade

December 14, 20117 Comments

My Grandma Catlin had a collection of Henning hand carved trolls that she would put out around the holidays.

We only spent a handful of winter holidays with my family in Kansas, but I loved the trolls.

My parents started a collection of Henning trolls for me last year.

I have them displayed on our mantel.

They are my new favorite holiday decoration to pull out of the bins in the attic.

I’m tempted to keep them out all year round like my aunt does with hers.

You can also visit our playroom and backyard on my {holiday home tour}.

home is…continuing with family tradition.

*linking up with…

the magic of santa

December 1, 20111 Comment

We were first in line for an impromptu visit to see Santa this morning.

The little guy was very skeptical that the big guy would even show up until this happened…

home is…the magic of santa.

making a list…

November 28, 20113 Comments

Checking it twice…

This morning I am making a list of all the things I need (want) to get done before Christmas!

We had a wonderful time in Colorado despite the fact that the majority of us were sick the entire time.

I lost my voice the day after we got there and didn’t get it back until the day after we left.

Oh well.

I wanted a “do 0ver”, but the most important thing was spending time with family and that is what we did.

The kids played, we saw deer and elk, and there was even a 10 minute snowstorm the night before we left!

So, now we are moving on…

Our lights are up outside.

I just ordered our holiday cards.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

home is…going home and coming home.

some catch up and a couple of firsts

October 20, 2011Leave a comment

The week before our landscaping project started my wonderful mother-in-law came for a visit, and along with doing some of the fun things on our fall list, I was also able to get some work done around the house and do some things for myself.

It was awesome!

Here are some of the things we did…

I was able to go to the little guys Tae Kwon Do class and actually WATCH him in action rather than try to keep baby girl amused.

We had a fall campfire and roasted marshmallows.

We took a trip to a nearby pumpkin patch…check that one off the fall list!

Ryan and I had a date night…dinner and a movie (the first movie that we have seen together in a theater in over 10 years)!

We also made a stop at a local apple farm and had some more fall harvest fun.

I attended the first of four Adult Beginning Sewing classes that I will be taking this month.

I was able to run lots of errands without kids in tow…I went to JoAnn Fabric 3 times!

I finished painting the little guys ceiling so that I can finally get his bedroom redesign finished.

I made some rose hairclips, a headband, and a “baby tutu” for our new niece in New York.

I also tried some new recipes since I was able to cook without kids pulling on me in the kitchen!

*******

After my mother-in-law left to fly back to New York the kids and I went to get their first full season ski passes! For $20 a piece I couldn’t pass it up.