Advent Tree

Remember last week when I said I'd post photos of the Advent Tree "tomorrow"?  Sorry for the delay, but here it is...
Start with some branches from your back yard.  Then grab your "big gulp" cup from your morning 44 ounce Diet Coke (what? doesn't everyone drink 44 ounces of Diet Coke every morning?).  Mix up a little "Qwik Crete".  {Much cheaper than plaster of paris}  Stick your branches in and let it dry.  Obviously, from this photo, I didn't have enough branches for my liking.  So I used newspaper to shove some more in the pot.

I spray painted my branches and pot a few shades of gold.  I plan to use it for next years Gratitude Tree at Thanksgiving.

Then I printed out all the "Advent Activities" and put them on pretty paper - stuff 'em in pretty little numbered envelopes...

Hang 'em on the tree...

Wrap the bigger gifts and you have the makings of a joyous-Christmas-memory-filled 24 days. 

That sounds a bit sappy. 

Let's try this approach: 

You have the makings of some holiday fun in between the day to day fights and chaos.

Blessings- B

Happy Advent

So I'm a little early with the Christmas stuff.  Sister Suzie has invited all to her home for Thanksgiving and I'm having Christmas... therefore, it's OK!

Here's one of my latest projects - an Advent Tree!  I got the idea from here (she has great stuff).  Mine isn't quite finished yet.  Pics to follow.  For now, I'll share the "gifts" that M and I came up with for each day.  I'm even sharing them in the order I did them  - the more detailed gifts on weekends, easy ones on nights we have activities, so on and so forth.   A few of these things may seem very simple to some people.  However, to our kids, THEY ARE HUGE!!!  And I am very, very proud of THAT!

Theoretically, the kids open an envelope/gift each morning and in the evening we do the activity together.

Here you go.  You've got 8 days to put yours together.  I'll share photos tomorrow night.

1. Mom does horse chores - night off for the kids!
2. A small package of gum for each child - they LOVE gum!
3. Let's have a "Coke" with our supper - the kids love the Coke cans with Santa on them
4. Help Mom with Christmas Cards
5. Christmas Shopping for the siblings
6. Write letters to Santa together
7. Go get our real live Christmas Tree - we always try to get our tree on or around Dec. 8th.  This is the day that M lost his mom.  This is our little way of celebrating her life.
8. Let's do a Christmas craft - every year we each make a new ornament together for our tree
9. A piece of candy for each child
10. Everybody gets $1
11. Help Mom wrap gifts
12. Let's make cookies
13. Let's go out for supper
14. The boys get to pick 2 games to play
15. Another Christmas Craft Night
16. Mom & Dad get to pick 2 games to play
17. A piece of candy for each child
18. Let's make a birthday cake for Jesus
19. Make Gingersnaps with Dad - Dad is the official Christmas Gingersnap maker.  I hope we're done with harvest by this night!!
20. Let's go swimming! - we have access to a beautiful indoor pool that we don't use enough.
21. The girls get to pick 2 games for tonight
22. Each child gets a Christmas T-shirt to wear for their last day of school
23. Let's make cookies!
24. Together we'll read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and share some Hot Chocolate.
25. The final gift is, of course, the Baby Jesus to be unwrapped and placed in the Nativity.

Hope you've enjoyed our ideas.  This is another reason to get my decorating done early - now I can spend atleast 25 joyful days doing fun "Kid Christmas" stuff.

Be creative.  It doesn't have to cost a dime.

Blessings- B

I Can't Help It!

Well, it happened.  I have unleashed the spirit.  I'll be brief and share some photos...

The wreath is actually a candle ring.  The clock came from Goodwill last week - $2!!!!!

 NOTE: all of the following "greenery" came from the after Christmas sale at Old Time Pottery...

a wonderful place.

I found these little "embellishments" at the dollar store for, well, a dollar.  Added some scrapbook paper and framed them {no glass}.  They say "gifts", "cherish", and "blessings".

These were two doors from an old cabinet that had obviously last their glass.  What do ya do with those... you hang stuff in them!

This as a wooden bowl with a candle ring and a hurricane.  Notice that I've used burlap for table runners in a few of these pics?  Burlap is cheap and easy to use.  To get the staight edges so that you can "fray" the piece, all you have to do is pull a string on each side and cut off the waste. Then stitch around the rectangle 1 1/2 inches from the edge.  Then pull the other strings to "fray".  The stitching, obviously, keeps it from coming completely apart.  I've seen people (who don't sew) use a glue gun and glue ribbon so far from the edge to keep it from unraveling.

Add a ribbon to a lamp shade.  #3 thought we needed the little pine cones around the bottom.

The top of the piano.  The top board is from an old headboard that we dismantled.  The 2 black and white things are artists canvases decoupaged with pages from an old catalog (from St. Paul, Lucy).  The deer and garland from Old Time Pottery and the gold board on the easel is just an 18 in piece of 1/4 inch plywood. 

I covered it with textured wallpaper (another of my favorite things), painted ot old gold, and smeared on a bronze glaze.  I love it!

MUCH MUCH MUCH more to come!

Blessings-B

The Box

I am so trying to hold back the spirit of Christmas that is trying to rip through my fall decor...it's tough, but so far I have managed.  I've done this by concentrating on other things that have been making me crazy.  Current obsession is this hutch in our kitchen.  It needed something on top - of course it did!  {notice all the crap laying around it and on it and in it?  That's where I'm tryin' to be real! -ha - like it was staged.}

This weekend we built this box

By no means is it perfect.  It doesn't even have a real back.  Use what ya have.

And then with my brand new CRICUT  (yes, I have a CRICUT!  I can't eat lunch for a good 6-8 months but, by golly, I can cut paper!)...I cut out these letters-

To be totally cliche I chose black GINGHAM scrapbook paper and Mod Podged them onto my box.

I don't particularly care for Mod Podge - notice the sheen in only certain places - UGH!  Makes me question my crafting ability... again, keepin' it real!

With the addition of the dried hydrangeas {from Miss Pam's Garden}, I think I may be in love.  I know it's a bit country but I like it just the same. 

As you can see in the next photos, I am fond of dried hydrangeas.

This pic also shows my love for old suitcases.  This little treasure has a place in my heart because of his rope handle.  Was his owner embarrassed to take this on the train or was he proud of those mighty fine knots he tied?

Blessings-B

Portrait of an American Family

Had to share photos from our Halloween-

The Family

The Children

{don't exactly know why they are yelling?}

The Penguins

{Dad is finishing off a sucker...just in case you were wondering}

Mom was a dead/zombie doctor (last minute trip to Goodwill) - #1 was Dracula - #2 a Garden Fairy - #3 a Pink Princess - Dad and #4 were Penguins!  (#5 slept in her car seat)  The whole "giraffe rider" thing with #4 faded and he was thrilled when he got to be the same as Dad!  Dad was so happy to wear the discounted (severely discounted) costumes Mom found last minute.  He is the best dad in the whole wide world.

Blessings-B