Color Me {Merry & Bright}

Well, we are down to the wire. Christmas is only two days away. It's time to start baking up cookies for Santa and getting ready for a joyous holiday celebration. We are off today to see family all over the state for the next two weeks and I'm excited to spend some time away and celebrate with those that mean the most to us. It's hard for me to not be in a good mood this time of year and I wanted to translate that into today's inspiration. Much like my mood, this board is filled with all things merry and bright. To some Christmas may mean red and green, but sometimes it's nice to mix it up. Who's to say you can't have a holiday filled with all the colors of the rainbow? Pinks, turquoises, and greens sure fill the room with joy unlike any combination I've seen before. If this doesn't put a smile on your face there may just be something wrong!

I hope you all have a Merry Monday! What are your plans for the holidays?

Color Me {Coastal Christmas}

While a white Christmas sounds lovely, the only kind of Christmas for me is a coastal Christmas. I'm the kind of person who gets cold when temperatures drop below 70, the kind of person who can't imagine having to scrape ice off my windshield in the morning, the kind of person who doesn't really own a "coat", and I prefer to keep it that way. A coastal Christmas means starfish tree toppers and more aqua than red and green.

It's no secret I'm a beach fanatic. For now though, we are living in a landlocked city meaning I have to bring the beach to me. Even if you don't live near the coast you can create a coastal Christmas wherever you are. Keep the color scheme light and bright with beige, silver and shades of blue. Create homemade ornaments out of starfish and skirt the tree with loose burlap. I'll share my coastal Christmas details with you later in the week, but here's a little inspiration board to get you started!

Have a great Monday!

Weekend Reads {12.6.13}

The holidays are officially upon us. Most of my shopping is done, my tree is up and decorated, and I've started to plan out all the cookies I'm going to make. But the one thing I haven't managed to do yet is hang my Christmas wreath. Like my card, I make my own every year. I'm especially excited about this years and feel that it could be so cute it takes me through the next few years. For that reason, I'm holding off the big reveal until next week. But, until then, I've gathered up my favorite DIY wreaths to take us into the weekend. Hope you all have a relaxing few days and I will see you back here on Monday!

1. Wood Slice & Burlap Christmas Wreath from Finding Home

2. Metallic Star & Greenery Wreath from Raveena Girls

3. Pom Pom and Posies Wreath from Nest of Posies

4. Christmas Ornament Wreath from Live Love DIY

5. Peppermint Monogram Wreath from Two Twenty One

*Image from: A Bubbly Life

A Crafted Holiday {Finally!}

All season I've been showing you different holiday crafts. I've made ribbon garland, a striped tree skirt, snow globes, wrapping paper and more. Today I'm excited to share with you the cumulation of all my holiday crafting, my living room decorations. Dreaming of a coastal Christmas, I decided to bring the spirit of the blue seas to Tallahassee. Aqua, navy, and silver were my inspiration this year. The classic coastal color scheme was complimented by handmade touches. I'm so pleased with how my decorations turned out this year that I can't to decorate again next year!

Center of Attention {Broom Stick Escort Cards}

After last year's fiasco of the rotten pumpkin on the front porch, Rob has put me on a strict no pumpkin carving rule until 14 days or less before Halloween. Naturally, I'm not a fan of being put on decorating restrictions. While I understand that all types of bugs coming out of the pumpkin right by our front door is not exactly a good (or sanitary) thing, I still don't like it. So, it has me dreaming of all the ways I'm going to decorate come mid October. With painting pumpkins and barrels of hay already on the short list, I've got room for some more epic ideas to add to my Halloween and fall decor. One of my favorite ideas so far are these broomstick place cards. What a clever way to display names and incorporate a bit of witchery. I love that they can be used for Halloween parties or be carried over to general fall gatherings. I can't wait to make them and bust them out shortly!

Have a great Tuesday!

This Party Inspired By {Hanukkah}

Where have my manners been the past couple of weeks? All of this blogging about the holiday season and Christmas and I completely forgot about the other most important holiday of the season, Hanukkah.  While I may not be Jewish, I sure could decorate one mean party for the occasion. Shades of blue with accents of silver everywhere. Throw in a modern menorah, a hand painted dradle, and some amazing potato pancakes and you have got yourself one awesome Hanukkah bash. Top it all off by decorating with strands of blue garland and wrapping gifts in silver.  

Let's Get Crafty {DIY Wreath}

Ever made your own Christmas wreath? Neither had I till this past weekend. Jonesing for some long over due craft time, I decided to get crafty this weekend and take our Christmas tree trimmings and turn them into a wreath for the front door. The best part about doing this is you can make the wreath as big or as small as you like. And seeing as my Christmas decoration philosophy is the bigger the better, I went big. Here's what you'll need to do to make your own!

::Supplies::

{1} Tree Trimmings

{2} Scissors

{3} Zip ties

::Instructions::

{1}Gather your tree trimmings and lay them flat.

{2}Begin to layer branches

{3}Secure branches with zip ties

{4}Continue to layer and secure until you have a line of desired length. Note that the longer the line of secured branches the bigger the wreath. 

{5}Take the two ends of the branches and join together securing with a zip tie to form a circle.

{6}Trim branches to make a more concise circle.  I had to trim most of mine from the center of the wreath because it looked a bit just like a solid circle and not a wreath.

{7}Attach a bow and hang from the front door!

What is your favorite holiday diy? Let me know. I'd love to try it out! 

This Party Inspired By {Holiday Sparkle}

Tis the season for holiday parties! During this time everybody's social calendar seems to fill with holiday parties galore. Whether you are hosting one or simply a doting guest, the focus is always on the decor. And with so many on the calendar, it is bound to get a little repetitive. So maybe you should be the one to mix it up. I love the idea of doing holiday sparkle. Fill the room with golds, silvers, pinks and glitter! If the things people associate with the holidays are there, it really doesn't matter the color. Roll branches from the yard with glitter to make an eye catching centerpiece or fill clear ornaments with confetti. Add vases of ornaments and brightly colored tassel to mix it up. I love the idea of hanging ornaments at various lengths in front of the window. Looking for a little interaction? Have clear ornaments, bowls of glitter, and ribbon and let guests make their own ornament for their tree! Frankly, with glitter involved, the possibilities are endless!

What are your holiday party plans this year? Hosting or attending?

This Week I Feel...Joyful

It is officially Christmas season! I hope you all had a delightful Thanksgiving and didn't stuff yourself too much. I know I really tried not to. But now it's time to move on from all the turkey, and begin decking the halls. And, if you are anything like me, you are struggling with how to decorate. Now, I have my staple decorations that go up every year, but other than that, I flutter between going glitz or traditional. Well this week, I'm settled on traditional. And don't get me wrong, it could easily change. But, right now I'm loving the traditional red and green.  I love tartan accents and strands of cranberries on the tree. I've even already brought the outside in by spray painting some pine cones silver. I love how homey and comfy my house feels when there is a pine tree scent and green garland wrapped on the banister. But no matter what I chose, there will definitely be mistletoe hanging in the entry way! 

How are you decorating this year?

Images: {Row 1} 1, 2, 3 {Row 2} 1, 2, 3 {Row 3} 1, 2 {Row 4} 1, 2, 3, 4

This Party Inspired By {Cranberry}

Today I bring to you another Thanksgiving inspiration. What is Thanksgiving without the cranberry sauce? Although I am not the biggest fan of cranberry sauce, I am a fan of it's color. That deep pinky red color is absolutely gorgeous. It's the perfect shade for any holiday soiree. Plus, it will carry through the season. While the shade is most seen on Thanksgiving tables, it would be great for Christmas decorating as well. Stings of cranberries on your tree or in the base of a hurricane would be lovely. 

Who's getting excited for Thanksgiving next week? Are you a fan of cranberry sauce or do you just like the color like me?