Taking down the Tree

Today, Bentley and I tackled "taking down the Christmas Tree"... whew... what a project! Why does it always seem easier to "make a mess" then clean it up?!?! haha

Well of course I stopped to have some fun, at Bentley's expense :) Doesn't he look cute though!

Ruffle Tree Skirt

Now, we bought the tree (Craigslist baby!), I had the ornaments (my mom gifted us ornaments every year since birth!), had the stockings already (my mom had my husband's made to look like mine and gifted it to him last year... and Bentley got his from the in-laws! Bentley is spoiled!), and we bought some awesome led lights from Costco (love that place!). I even found a star in my ornament stash for the top of the tree! So what was left? How about a tree skirt :) I found this awesome site that had a how-to on making a no-sew ruffle tree skirt.

HGTV How to Make a No-Sew Ruffle Tree Skirt


I tried it out and this picture is of my new tree skirt! After MANY burnt fingers on the glue gun (I need to get a better glue gun)... the result was nice! It wasn't my best work, but the project was very forgiving on exact measurements. I will buy a tree skirt one day, but this project didnt cost me (I used what I had), wasn't too time consuming, and I could make it as big/ thick as I wanted... which was great because our tree is really FAT! hehe

Our First Christmas Indoor Decoration!

Merry Christmas!

This was our first Christmas together as husband and wife, and definitely was our first Christmas season in our own home! Since Thanksgiving, the decorations have been proudly up and have created such a warm and loving glow in our home. I hope you enjoy!


Our first Christmas tree! We bought this 8 ft beauty for $20 on Craigslist! SCORE! And the ornaments are from my mom; Every year since I was born, she got us an ornament so that when we left home and had our own tree, it wouldn't be bare! It's one of my favorite traditions from my mom ♥ And boy was our tree full of ornaments!


We have this overhang above our kitchen sink, and this is how I first decorated it.


Then I wanted the wreath outside, so this is how it is NOW decorated! I loved getting Christmas cards in the mail addressed to Mr and Mrs L! yay! And my decor is complete with my Nutcracker collection up above! I have loved the nutcracker ballet since I was 5 and my mom would take me every year, as our mommy-daughter date ♥


Another view of the tree, with Bentley in his "cone of shame"! Poor Bentley, it has been a rough year for our pup.


I LOVE our WillowTree nativity scene. It's so natural rustic and romantic. My mother gave them to us for Christmas for the past two years and it means so much to me. Especially since decorating the nativity scene with my mom was a tradition when I was younger.

Our First Christmas Lights Decoration!

Merry Christmas!

Here are some pictures from our first home, all decorated for the holidays! Enjoy!

Our porch! With red sparkle snowflakes hanging, bright multi colored lights, garland, snoopy, Holly pillows, and pathetic tree!


A closer view of the porch with the Holly pillows, and a lit up Santa Snoopy on his dog house! I was going for the whole Charlie Brown Christmas theme if you couldn't tell!


Charlie Brown's "pathetic" tree! My husband loves this detail on our porch :)

Modern Forest Wall Art

I have become addicted to this site called pinterest.com (follow me!) where you can find SOOOOO many crafts and meals and ideas galore! My mind always swirls with creativity when I find a dozen new things I want to do! The problem can be that there are so many things to do, that you do nothing but save them all for a later day! Well, not me! I have already begun a couple projects inspired by pinterest! Some of which include... a Christmas tree skirt, an autumn yarn wreath, a couple pillows... and THIS! A modern looking forest painting using painters tape. Here it is, hanging in our living room!


Our Living room!

Here's how I did it:

Supplies:
acrylic paints (creme, brown, green)
canvas
painters tape
newspaper (to cover the table!)
paint brushes

Directions:

Paint a creme base coat. While still wet, paint small horizontal brown lines, then use a thicker brush with horizontal brush strokes, to blend in the brown slightly. You are going for a wood look.


Next, use the painters tape to make overlapping trees. Remember, where you put the tape, is where a tree will be. so make the tape as tree like as possible :) Also, make sure it is as tightly on and sticking completely. You dont want paint bleeding!


Then, paint green ALL over. You will have to do several layers. Use a blow dryer to help speed up the process! Also, be careful not to put too much paint on the edges, because that makes more bleeding too.


Then the reveal! So fun! Make sure all paint is dry! and peel off carefully!

Here is the "paint bleeding" I have been so obsessively talking about. When I pulled the tape off, I got some paint bleeding... yuck. BUT IT IS CURE-ABLE!
Before

But with a small paint brush, some creme paint, and some patience... I was able to go over those green blobs and touch up the trees, making them clear and clean!

After

The finished product:

Tree Painting for Emily

This is a Christmas Gift for our dear family friend, Emily. She wanted a tree painted similar to our "thumb print tree" we had at our wedding:
Emily wants to have a thumb print tree for prayers! When ever she sees God answering her prayers, she will put a thumb print on the tree with a name and date. What a great idea to see the many prayers God answers every day! I have a feeling Emily will have a full tree in no time! God is good!

Want to create your own?

Supplies:
acryllic paints (green, brown, creme, and blue)
paint brushes (thin, and a small thick brush)
canvas

Directions:
Paint whole canvas creme. While creme is still wet, put thin lines all over the canvas (horizontal) in blue. Smear with a thicker brush (horizontal) to create a breezy sky.
Then right on to the still wet canvas, start painting the tree in brown. The creme will mix with brown, creating a textured tree look. I used my wedding thumb print tree as a guide for where the branches and thicknesses should go. If the creme isn't mixing with the brown, it is dry, so add a little creme to the brown paint and allow them to mix a little bit.
Lastly, paint a green grassy bottom for your tree to be "planted". Start up by the base of the tree and work down to the bottom of the canvas. This will make a layered grassy look.

Finally, get some ink to stamp your thumb in, and create a leaf every time a prayer is answered! Label with a sharpie!