Christmas copy-cat

I'm linking up with Debbie for her magazine copy-cat challenge party...

These are decorations I made last year (is that cheating?) and I really wanted to do something Christmasy for the party!   

I put up fall stuff the first day of September and although our summer was pretty short, I just couldn't wait.  My husband called me out on it too: "It's still summer!!  And I have to admit that as much as I love the fall colors and all, I'm ready for some red, green and sparkle!!  

I couldn't find anything in any of my holiday magazines to make in the last couple days, so I'm recycling this idea.  :) 

I bought the Farm Chicks Christmas book last year and fell in love with the little trees they had made and figured they would be easy to replicate.

(mine)

They were...just a lot of time spent wrapping styrofoam cones.  I had the most trouble with the paper wrapped one, but that was probably because I didn't have a lot of patience on this particular night.  I just wanted them done already, lol!!

(Serena's)

I'm going to make more this year and utilize our new bookcase as it has cubbies.  There are lots of cute ideas and eye candy in that book.

I love me some Farm Chicks...the summer show is lots of fun, but boy I wish there was a holiday one, too!!

OK, well I'm off to check out the other party go-ers!!

Little red sled

I shouldn't have been in there, but I can't help myself. When I have lots to do, I tend to want to go shopping. You know the saying right? It's so true for me, unfortunately.

'When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping!'

Not that I'm particularly tough, but you get the idea. So, I should be at home clearing all the Christmas stuff off of the dining room table....I moved it there to get it out of the living room. That makes sense right? Move it all from one room to the next in big messy piles. No rhyme or reason.

Wrong. It was way more stressful that way.

Anyway, I was at the Goodwill, mostly just to take my mind off the mess at home. I didn't intend to actually buy anything.

Yeah right! Who was I kidding??

Nobody, that's who. As I made my way to the back of the store (where the furniture is, as if that was what I needed), I see a lady unloading her cart (checking to see if she needs all she has in it, like I do when I'm in there) and next to her pile of stuff I see this little number...

I love everything about it: Red! Chippy! Old! $12.99!!

"Huh, say what??!"

I hope it's not hers. I hold my breath and walk away. I know a normal person would have just asked her if she was going to buy it. But I feel like that would make her look at it and want it just because I asked her.

I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to thrift stores.

So I take another lap, come back to it and just pick it up. No fear. And she doesn't say anything, doesn't tackle me for it, just continues to look over her loot.

As I go to pay, several people comment on it and I seriously wanted to hit them. I don't know why. It was a very weird feeling.

After I got home, my elation faded as I remembered my mess and was kinda bummed that Christmas was over since this little ditty would have made a super cute decoration on my porch!

Definitely next year!

I love it's chippyness! SO much...

And all it's tiny little nails. Even the wonky ones. Maybe especially the wonky ones. :)

Yep...

When I lived in California, not only would you NEVER see anything like this in the Goodwill, you'd certainly never see it at $12.99! Prices there were like an antiques store.

Slightly ridiculous to say the least.

Can't wait 'til next year to do something cute with this guy!! :)

Better pic

Instead of editing the last post, I 'll just post a new pic of the trees. I don't know why I didn't use this one before.

Merry X-MESS!

Welcome to my dining room. Isn't it lovely and inviting? Where would you like to sit...on the floor, maybe? UGH! I decided to trudge out to the garage and get the Christmas decorations out and get to decorating. No big deal except that I had another mess still going from trying to organize the downstairs room that's off the dining room.

HOT. MESS.

In trying to figure out what to do, I've come up with this beauty of a scene below. Not cute. It extends into the kitchen and blocks the pantry door, the laundry and the back door. Lots of grunting going on just to get outside or something to eat. And don't think I've done any laundry.

I'm too busy messing up the house. :)

Oops.

At any rate, trying to decorate a new house is always fun, yes? And I'm especially excited because of the built in hutch, awesome moulding, banister, porch and other cool details our house has. The problem is I've never had any of those things to deal with before. That means that the decorations I have have always been used in the same way on the same pieces of furniture and such.

Make sense?

Each time he walks through my husband mutters "More stuffs." Yes, 'stuffs'. It's an inside joke. Anyway. I don't want to buy anything new...before we moved we had yard sales and I went through and got rid of lots of stuffs, so I don't really want to add anymore.

That is unless I Just. Can't. Live. Without. It. ;)

Seriously, when is that ever NOT the case?

So far, this is my favorite thing. I bought the Farm Chicks Christmas book (I saw Serena signing books at our local Costco) and tried this craft. Super easy and a bit therapeutic since it's repetitive and easy.

At your local craft store get foam cones and use ribbon, twine, fabric, paper, whatever, and just wrap it around the cone until it's covered. Then secure with hot glue or straight pins. I still need to put a little poof on the blue tree, but for all intensive purposes (I know that's incorrect, but until I can remember where I heard the wrong phrase, I'm using it) they're done.

I know this scene still needs something, just not sure what. Hopefully there's something hiding in my tubs that'll be perfect. Please???

The only other space that I think is done is this corner. I saw a blogger who had purchased a super cool mantel at the Pottery Barn Outlet. Jealous!! I used to live near-ish an outlet in CA and NEVER went! Why? I don't know....

One day while Guerin was at hockey practice I headed to the nearest Pier One (a poor man's Pottery Barn? Maybe.) Love you Pier One!! :*

There is a PB that is close to me now, but not to where I was that day. Anyway....I can really get off track, can't I?? Wow. Sorry.

So while I was in there I saw the shelf you see below. On sale for $25 big ones. Can't go wrong. Hubby hung it last night and although it's sturdy and mantel-ish, I don't what else to put on it. (I actually wanted to paint a creamy color and distress it, but it's cool for now.) Greenery for sure...just need to get some. And I'm not in love (barely in like is more like it) with the candle holder. Jim likes it though. He doesn't have a ton of say in lots of rooms in the house, so the living room is a little more tailored for his taste. Nice of me, huh? ;)

In fact I don't even like it enough to take off the tag. Even though it's past the 30 day return time. Also the basket with the blankets has the tag still, too. I do like that...I just forgot about the tag.

I told myself I can't leave the house until this is finished, but I'm itching to get out of the house! Luckily I didn't tell anyone that little tidbit, so maybe I'll cheat and head out to Hobby Lobby.

To add to the pressure, Guerin and I are headed back to Cali next week to visit relatives and use our Disneyland passes for the last time. :( So there's packing and last minute shtuff (you can figure out that meaning!) to do....

Sigh. Lots to do. Gotta run.......