Oh Christmas Tree

We knew that for the Homes for the Holiday tour we would need more than one Christmas tree.  We usually do have several trees.  This year we added a few.

Some trees were easy and small.  The bottle brush trees in the Santa mugs were put together quickly with a glue gun, vintage garland and ornaments.  I think these were my favorite trees because the Santa faces are so sweet.

The knitting needle trees are an easy to make tree.  I had three of them.  One was in the master bathroom, it was silver and gold.  One was on the message center in the kitchen, it was red and aqua.  The last one was red, white and blue for our U.S. Army Combat Medic's bedroom.  It is just threading  ornaments on a knitting needle.  If someone had tried to pick one up while on tour they would have had a big messy surprise!  The sparkle and ease of these trees make them my favorite trees.

Many small trees were tucked in throughout the house including the bottle brush trees at a hot cocoa station in the kitchen.  Shelly dropped on a wine charm for toppers and they were finished.  These little trees were my favorite because they filled in so many vignettes. 

 Our main tree in the living room has 600+ ornaments and vintage tinsel that I put on the branches one strand at a time.  So it's labor intensive.  It's my favorite tree since it holds a lot of bling, glitter, sparkle that I have so much fun finding while junkin' with Hubby and my friends.

 We placed our live traditional family tree at the top of the stairs on the landing.  There are blow molds around the tree and in the tree.  I used a lot of red, the guys' ornaments and white lights.  It's my favorite tree because it holds the memories of our guys being little ones.

 The tree in the master bedroom as you've read about earlier.  It's my favorite tree because it is so dreamy as we fall asleep.

 The guest room tree as you've read about previously.  It's my favorite tree because it's some pink in a house full of guys.

 The sitting room tree is an Evergleam with a rotating stand and a rotating light.  I used large shiney brites.  It's my favorite tree because it's so great to watch while enjoying a gin & tonic with Hubby.

 In Max's room it was a skinny little tree with burlap, pine cones and a mitten garland.  The garland was knitted by Leslie and purchased at the museum gift shop.  There are a few left on the shelves...

Shelly helped me wrap a few gift for under the tree using a moustache and striped wrapping paper theme.  It's my favorite tree because it holds the sweet mitten garland from Leslie.

 So three full size trees, three mid sized trees and a plethora of smalls.  Yep, that should do it.
Which tree was your favorite?

Hey Girlfriend

Once our guys moved out and starting bringing girls home for the holidays we emptied Danny's room, and used things from around the house to make a guest room.  Hubby painted an old door we had in the garage and I stenciled it for a head board.  Once we were going to be on the Homes for the Holiday tour we noticed that we needed a headboard.  It was an easy fix.

 Since this bedroom is for guests I try to use the word, "welcome", we want them to feel special and welcome to our home.  A pale pink cake stand with a snowy scene for the dresser took very little time.

I bleached the bottle brush trees and after they dried I bent them to give them a Dr. Seuss look.  The small shiney brite on the tree tops gives the illusion that their weight is weighing the tree top down.  I bought the sheet music glittered cabin from JohnBobCooljunk at the Island Chicks show.  A deer from my Ziploc bag of deer, some snow and a few baubles scattered in the snow finished the look before adding the cloche.

 Shelly helped me wrap gifts for the girlfriend/guest room.  We had fun finding bits and bobs to add to the packages and placing them under the tree and on the chair.

 The train case was a last minute project, a quick coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint, some sanding and a stencil.

 The shelves in the room aren't great but remember we shopped our house to create this room and they were what was on hand.  I softened them by using a Paris poster on the back.  I added some Christmas cheer with a nativity scene, boxes of ornaments, a honeycomb tree  from the Land of Nod and honeycomb angels I found while out junkin'.  Many of the details come from estate sales, craft shows or my Pinterest attempts.

The shelf holds fresh linens, books and a picnic set that guests can fill in our kitchen before they head out on a Pacific Northwest hike or adventure. 

The silver pom tree is decorated with pink shiney brites and is displayed in a wicker suitcase from my dear friend, Millie Bear.  Millie is in heaven now but when she was a young bride she had this suitcase and her monogram, MB is stenciled on the side.

 To make guests and girlfriends feel welcome we leave a little something on the bed to welcome them to our home.  I usually leave note cards made using prints of our home for them to send to family and friends.  The paintings are on tiles that Millie Bear painted of our home in the Summer and in the Winter.  I have copies made at the local print store and create cards using the prints.  I stuffed in some toiletries and a key.  I used an old key for the tour but usually we leave our house key so guest can come and go as they wish.

This is a looong post for a little room...  It's ready for Christmas and guests, I hope you enjoyed the details.

Oh Deer, How it All Began

Last December when I went on the Bethany Christian Services Homes for the Holidays tour I started getting pressure for Hubby and me to put our home on the 2013 tour.  While in Snohomish we visited Joyworks and I spotted a deer in the window.  I told Hubby that if we were going to be on tour I was going to make a deer like the one we saw in Joywork's window.

My first step was to find a lighted deer.  I found one at our thrift store for $5.  I took him home and threw him into the attic for months.  Then I did some research, bought the economy size mod podge and a hymnal from the thrift store.  Hubby rewired him because he was motorized to have his head turn.

I didn't really find instructions online so I just decided to tear, glob on the mod podge and crunch it to the deer form.

It actually went pretty quickly.  I definitely spent a lot more time obsessing over the deer than actually making the deer.

Even though I planned to glitter the antlers I covered them with songbook pages too.

Since our guys are gone we stored him in their bathroom to dry.

I used a very inexpensive poinsettia for the corsage.  Glammed it up using ribbon, vintage ornaments, and feathers.  Bits and bobs, as I say.

The antlers got a heavy coat of mod podge, the silver glittered type.  Who knew that existed? 

Then I added a heavy dusting of German glass glitter.  Thanks Chris!

Since the owl ornaments on the tree are all wearing crowns I crowned my deer too.

The tree in our master bedroom is decorated using neutral colors, burlap, silver, gold and critters from the forest.  I have a remote for the lights on my bedside table.  It's pretty dreamy as we fall asleep.

Shelly aka Shellaflora created the green branches and icy twig display,  I added other urns with touches of silver and gold.

The wing back chairs are a cozy spot to do some reading while enjoying cocoa and banket, a Dutch almond pastry.

I picked up the set of deer on the armoire at a garage sale this summer, they were gold.  They got a coat of Annie Sloane chalk paint, glittered antlers and burlap scarves to keep them cosy.

The hall leading into the master bedroom had just a hint of what was to come inside the room.  A bird's nest, pictures of our family on Camano Island and some of the heart shaped rocks that my guys have collected for me.

A bit of outdoors brought inside for the Christmas season, from a family that loves the Pacific Northwest.

Not Today Folks

A Really big post coming up this week.  Not today though, I am playing with my sisters.  

I'll even share how I made my deer...

You're Invited

What she said...  Trisha said it well and gives all of the details.  As does Grandiflora. 

I don't have much to add except that this is your opportunity to see my home and more importantly support Bethany Christian Services.  Bethany is personal for our family because we got my nephew, Zach through Bethany.  He's kinda a big deal.

I have to run, there are kitchen towels to iron, trees to be dusted, floors to be waxed, 

and cocoa mugs to be filled.

I kid.  Kinda. 

Briefly

We had a nice Thanksgiving at my parent's home.  Sam was home for Thanksgiving for the first time in four years so this mama was happy about that.  Danny celebrated with friends in MI so he was missed here.  Max was home for a week and we had a great time with him.

 My sister that is a Snapsister took some family photos after dinner.  Getting my family rounded up, smiling and not messing around was impossible for my family so I had someone snap a shot of me, Angela and Johnny.  Pretty much the best family pic, ever.

 After dinner, pics, clean up and dessert our family reads the fliers and debates the sales to decide if they are worthy of shopping in Bellingham on Black Friday.  Pretty much not worthy.

 December Daily decision has been made for me.  I am going to DD on instagram this year.  One/two pictures per day on instagram and possibly posted on the blog.  I need easy peasy this year.

December 1, Max and Kassie enjoyed scones for breakfast on Sunday before Max returned to Walla Walla.  They played games with Hubby and I on Thanksgiving evening.  Anytime I can get the guys to play games with me I am happy and they get their name sent to Santa's nice list.  Well played, Max.

 December 2, Shelly and I went to Van Wingerden Portal Way Garden Center to pick up some poinsettias.  It was their Christmas open house, they had one poor employee on duty and she was busy.  She had a line at the register and she had the glitter fairy duty.  We wanted to stay and help in the glitter station but we had things to do at home.

I had help yesterday and a lot got done for the Homes for the Holidays Tour.

The tour is on Saturday, as in just a few days away, and we are busy.

Crazy busy!

Most importantly, we are still having fun and laughing.

It's all good.