A "mini" Christmas Tour....

Welcome to our dining room/den I suppose you say. It really is kind of all together. So it is pretty much decorated the same. Hope you enjoy the peek.

Our stairway decked out in red, blue, cream, silver, money plant and...

...pine cones, and netting, and well, just about anything else I could stick in there.

My red hutch in the dining room with a lil' festive cheer on top and a lil' candy and the gingerbread house Casen made with his buddy, Madison, and her sweet mom, Karen.

Happy, Happy - Joy - Joy...

Oh and yes, that above mentioned "sweet Karen" also made us some SCRUMPTIOUS homemade red velvet cupcakes, peanut butter balls and coconut bon bons (which are my favorite - so I've already "hid" that platter. She brought us three in all - love her sweet heart!

One of my prized possessions. A hand carved Nativity made by a cousin of mine. It was given to me by my grandmother and was hand made in 1984. I'll keep it always.

The wise men...

...and baby Jesus. I love the detail.

On the table...

My BIG wreath - you can't even hardly walk up the steps - hehe...

...a peek into both rooms...

...Our family tree...

Balls and greenery hang from the light fixture...

"Merry Christmas to all" - that is what my lil' boy wanted me to write on the chalkboard - consider it said.

...My lil' blue cabinet with some holiday cheer...

My small carolers under glass...

A closer look...

And another prized possession. My BIG carolers - handmade by my sweet, Mamaw Cleo. I'll treasure them forever.

Thanks for stopping by. One more day to get ready so I gotta go...

Merry CHRISTmas!

Cathy

I'll have a blue (and yes, green) Christmas without you...

...no need for "the blues" here. This is my happy colored, light and bright Christmas tree in our bedroom. Just a simple tree covered in green, blue and white balls, several colors of ribbons and netting and a few butterflies, dragonflies and hummingbirds flying around.

I just put my star in the middle of the Christmas wreath, tied on some netting and that's 'bout it..

In my cabinet - I just filled up the clear cylinder with extra ornaments...

Remember those paper flowers I told ya about - they make oh-so-pretty and so-very cheap package toppers.

Up on my cabinet with my picnic baskets - I simply added some garland, some lights and the same type of ornaments.

Snowflakes hanging on the mirror...

Don't ya love always seeing your reflection. Ya think you are being all secretive and you upload your pictures and - well - there you are - staring back at yourself! Busted. hehe

Here is for a merry and bright Christmas day.

Cathy

My Christmas Porch...

Well, I survived the Christmas Home Tour yesterday - actually - I had a great time. We had many many people and it was all for a great cause. So I was tickled to be asked to be a part of it. Now, I thought I'd show you a few pics of our home this week. And I'll tell ya like I always do - nothing fancy here - just HOME. And as you all know - this Christmas will be extra special because this will be our last one here 'till we move across the way. So I want to treasure this season for many reasons.

To start you out - these are some pics of our back porch - which is really the main entry to our home (especially since I have a Christmas tree right smack in front of the FRONT door-hehe).

I usually do more rustic/natural back here BUT this year I was inspired by some color. I had these blue and red toile place mats and napkins I had never used and also a wooden box in red and blue gifted to me by my friend Audrey. So that is where it all began.

All the silver balls were leftovers from years past and I thought they added a lil' "bling" if you will to the outside.

Those pretty clear snowflakes - .50 cents from the Dollar Tree (on clearance last year) - they look just like ice. Love them - thank you Mamaw Cleo.

My blue box with red polka dot ribbon - thanks Audrey - was the perfect container for one of my lil' Charlie Brown trees.

My "Basket window box" which is one of my favorite things - got dressed up with some garland, magnolias, snowflakes, balls and a "winter" garland I made. Stole that idea from my friend, Cindy, over at Cottage Instincts - thank you.

Best part about it - it can stay up till February - let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

My Christmas tree pillows my sweet mamaw made for me years ago - not a great match but I love 'em still. You can see we had a lil' skiff of snow today - LOOOOOOVE it!

Here is another tree I placed in a wicker sleigh I have. Pretty much decorated the same - ribbons, balls and some great white wire open balls I had for sale at the store. I have used them everywhere - I really like them alot. I'm gonna use them after Christmas as well.

My pretty fresh Frasier Fur wreath in the back corner as well as my white pine garland draped all around the outside of the porch came from my favorite local feed store, Central Farmers Supply - which is another post all together - and I'll tell ya that great news another day.

Love my watering cans...

Cute lil' wreath I picked up at Big Lots...

My window box filled with ornamental cabbages and kale we grew, sticks, magnolia, some nandina stems and berries and some silver balls.

And last but not least, my pots outside the back door - just dressed up a little bit.

Hope you enjoyed a peek inside the back door - I'll take you inside a lil' later. Hope you have a great start to your week!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Cathy

Been Busy...

...decking the halls and walls with balls and balls and well, enough rhyming. No kidding - I've been decorating maybe more than usual 'cause our lil' house is on the Christmas Home Tour this weekend.

Not really for sure why they asked me - BUT - it is for a great cause - it is a fund raiser for our local Junior Miss program. So even though I'm sleeping like - NONE - I'm happy to be of some help! Anyway, I'll show ya more pics after Sunday.

Till then though - ya know those paper flowers everybody is making - myself included - try making some for your packages. They are so inexpensive but so very pretty. These are for my lime green and blue tree. But do ya want to know how behind I am - they don't even have anything in them - they are "dummy" gifts - ha - I haven't bought the first thing. One thing at a time Cathy... just breathe!

What lil' time I've had to look around - everybody's decorations are just BEAUTIMOUS (that's my word). One of my favorites for inspiration - Cindy over at Cottage Instincts - go and take a gander now - won't ya?

Happy Thursday Friends and Merry Christmas!

Cathy

Happy Easter Weekend!

Wishing you all a beautiful and blessed Easter Weekend -

A special time with your families and friends.

My lil' pots of rye grass with cute lil' chicks....

I read this today - simply stated but the ultimate truth.

"Passports offer proof of our citizenship and allow us to travel to new places. The cross is proof of God's love for us and is our passport to salvation."

May we all remember the "gift" of Easter.

Many Blessings,

Cathy

It's that time again... time for Easter Salt Dough

I feel like you all probably get tired of hearing me talk about salt dough ornaments. But I get so many e-mails (which I loooooove hearing from you all) about how to make them. So as usual, I haven't got to make any for myself yet - this is a picture from last year. But I'm just reminding you to give you some ideas while you are preparing for the upcoming season.

Now, since I don't have enough smarts to "link-up" to the post from last year with all the instructions - I'll give you the long way around - go to the history section in the side bar and click on March of 2009 and it'll be there. Maybe one of my super smart computer friends out there can tell me how to link to it without re posting it. I am not computer savvy.

Some spring Salt Dough ideas: eggs, nest, birds, chicks, baskets, flowers, carrots, bunnies and the list goes on.

Happy Creating!

Cathy

Happy Valentine's Day...

Have a blessed Sunday and Valentine's Day.

Cathy

Love is patient, love is kind...It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4, 7-8

A Valentine - from Me to You...

...That's right - I think it is time to "treat" one of you because you all are so good to me. I made this bracelet and thought it was the perfect gift for Valentine's Day because of the sweet rose pendant in the middle.

Actually, I believe it is an antique pin with pretty pink and robin's egg blue buttons on the side...

A lil' gold and a touch of pearl.

I'd love to share it with someone - maybe it will be you. I'll draw a name on Monday, Feb. 1st. That way - you'll have plenty of time to enjoy it for Valentine's Day.

Let me know if you'd like to see this bracelet in your mailbox ;-)

Have a Happy Day!

Cathy

My Valentine Wreath...

...what do you think? Well, I confess - I've never been one to decorate much for Valentine's Day. Not for sure why - I just don't really have any decorations. But browsing around looking at everyone's wonderful ideas - inspired me to make myself something - something simple.

My plain green wreath was looking a lil' lonely...

I bought this great angel from my friend, Frannie, at the antique mall for $7.00...

Used my cricut to cut out a lil' "love"...

...dressed my angel up a bit and tucked him in the middle...

...cut out some tags and hearts to match my new room...

...tied on some red ribbon...

...and now I feel all better because I have a lil' Valentine Cheer in my dining room.

Thanks for inspiring me everybody!

Have a Happy Day!

Cathy