Falconhead Holiday House Tour 2013

 Disclaimer:  this is the first time I am shooting in manual.  If the pictures suck.. well, deal with it.  I'm still learning..

IT'S CHRISTMAS YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!

Ermergherd I love Christmas so much.  This year I am so excited to share the holiday with Hunter.  The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we put the tree up during his nap.  When he came downstairs afterwards, he started saying "Oo! Itsa Christmas tree!!  It has yights (lights) on it!"  Every day he gets excited to "help"  Mommy plug in the lights.  

This year, we were able to trust Hunter to not bring the Christmas tree crashing to the ground and set it up in the living room again (last year it was tucked away in the kitchen).   The living room is a lighted ball of festivity

Can we be real for a second?  I am damn proud of this mantle.  Around Thanksgiving I started getting a vision in mind and this is exactly what I saw.  I love it so much.  

I really wanted a simple, classic look with lots of sparkle.   I broke out my chunky candle sticks from Party Lite (no longer available).  And of course added my 'Ark of the Covenant' deer that JEGs loves so much (heavy sarcasm).

In years past I've always gone very symmetrical, but this year I decided to add these BLOMSTER candle sticks from IKEA.  I.  LOVE.  THEM.  $14.99, y'all.  You can't beat that.   I am pretty sure these will never be put away.

Our stockings are hung with care, each with a jeweled initial.  

I love these stockings so much.  I might hit up the December 26th sale and grab one more.  You know, just in case...

Last year, I couldn't find an H for Hunter's stocking, so I had this dinky pin.  I was so excited when Target brought these back this year, I snagged it-- *gasp*-- at full price.  I know.  I must have really wanted it.

The garland was on the steps last year, but this year I wrapped it with some gold and silver ribbon  from Michael's.

I would like to remind the class that the JOY stocking holders were free on Freecycle.  Winning.  

Even though we moved the tree back into the living room, we still decorated with Hunter-proof ornaments.  We don't trust him that much.  Last year I invaded the Target after-Christmas clearance and bought all the felt and wood ornaments I could get my hands on.  

I still have a couple that have sentimental value.  This is something I inherited from my mom.  It was always a favorite of mine growing up (probably because it's gold and covered in glitter).

I also added DIY ornaments from the past like our glittered sea shells and this guy from 2010

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We are trying to enforce the "one finger" rule with Hunter.  It kind of works...

The banister got it's usual swag of garland and lights.

Since my child is 100 ft tall and can reach all points of the kitchen table, I needed a durable centerpiece.  I  set my jute trees on a gold charger with some pine cones.  Rustic at it's finest.  

The buffet got a make-under this year.  We hosted a holiday party this year, and I used that area for serving beverages.  I didn't want to have to deconstruct some elaborate set up for one night, so I went simple. with a linen table runner, two faux  trees in burlap, my other two candlesticks, and wreath in the windows.

I also put our nativity set up front and center.

I had this pine cone garland from last year leftover, so I quickly sat it on the window sill.

Are you guys ready for some night time shots?  Again, first time in manual mode, so bare with me..

Living room

Kitchen

extreme nativity... whooooaaaa

Just the tree (I am having a devil of a time getting that start to stand up straight)...

Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy holiday!

Want to take a look at previous years?  Here is 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.  

Always & Forever,
  ME

DIY "Ceramic" Vases

 I have been mildly obsessed with these West Elm ceramic vases for a while

They ranged in price from $19 for the 6" squat vase to $59 for 18" tall vase. While I don't think those prices are ungodly, I knew I could recreate them much cheaper.

I've had these three woven vases for about four years now.  They've been moved to every surface of this house, but most recently they have taken up home in our guest room closet. They look short and stubby on our mantle, and their natural color looks washed out with the yellow walls in our kitchen.  I decided they were begging for a make over.

The price tags on the bottom said they were $12.99 for the large one and $7.99 for the smaller two.  But I know me, and there is no way I paid that much for them.  I'm going to assume they were at least 50% off making them at least $14.50 for the trio.

I snagged some spray paint I had from the basement from other projects and gave them each two coats of primer and two coats of color  

L to R: Valspars Dove Gray, Valspar Primer,  Krylon Gloss White and Krylon Gloss Smoke Gray

I let them dry and now they really pop on our kitchen buffet!

They aren't an identical match, but not bad considering I used what I had lying around the house.  The best part is my version is not ceramic-- so I don't have to worry about little toddler hands reaching for them and knocking them over.

One day I'll be able to have nice things again.  When Hunter moves out.  ;)

Always & Forever,

  ME

Winter Mantle: barren but sparkly.

I hate decorating post-Christmas.  During Christmas everything is lush and extravagant and full.

And then you take down all your holiday decorations and everything just feels... empty.  The air feels empty. The trees are empty.  Ugh.  I just hate winter.  

For my winter mantle decor I decided to tap into that empty, monochromatic feel.  To keep it feeling too depressing, I added some sparkle.  

I snagged this tree bark-detailed vase from Target when all their Christmas decorations were 70% off-- I think it came down to $1.50.  I collected a couple twigs from the yard and hung some leftover snow flakes from Jenna's birthday party and hung them with string.

The mason jars for Jenna's party were borrowed from my collection and returned with the Epson salt still in them.  I took out the candles and placed evergreen sprigs to appear as trees in the snow.

                                    

The feather wreath was another Target clearance find for $9.  I added my favorite mercury glass candle sticks and a gifted silver tray for a little sparkle.   What the hell... let's throw a thrift shop painted bird in there for kicks and giggles.

I really dig the tone on tone look, but I am so ready for spring.  SO ready.

How about you?  Do you struggle to decorate after Christmas?

Always & Forever,
  ME

Falconhead Christmas 2012

T'was the week before Christmas
and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
..not even Hunter.
   (translation:  I had the day off from work, and he's at daycare.  That's the only way I had time to finish decorating and take pictures).

IT'S CHRISTMAS YOU GUYSSSSSSS!!!

I friggin love this time of year.  I love the decorating, the cookies, the wine, the shopping, the wrapping, the wine...

Yeah,  I said wine twice.  Holidays= more drinky drinky.  Not that I need a reason though.  And right about now JEGs is rolling his eyes.  LOVE YOU buddy ;)

Normally, I am a work-with-what-ya-got kind of girl.  However, what I got is all circa 2007 when I lived in my first big-girl apartment.  I decided that after five years, those decorations didn't owe me anything, and it was time to freshen up my decor and *gasp* buy new stuff.   I decided on a theme of  'rustic glamour' and started decking our halls.

The set up on the porch is probably my favorite.  Our neighbor, Jenny from the block, had an extra vintage sled hanging around (who doesn't, really?) and gave us one.

Momma G's friend Rose was having a yard sale over the summer, and we bought her two vintage railroad lanterns.  They had been hanging out in our basement for months, and I was dying to find a way to use them.

 Remember my 'Ark of the Covenant Deer' from last year that JEGs loved so much?   They made their home outside this year.

Every year Momma G gives us the most beautiful wreath for our front door.  It comes with these ticky tacky fake flowers and plastic whatnots that I always rip off.  I usually adorn it with pine cones and balls, but this year I added a new bow and a couple glittery leaves that I got at Target last year.

 I was going to add more, but I actually love the simplicity of the glitter and the bow.

Shall we check out the inside?

In my mind rustic= woodsy and woodsy= trees.  So we have trees on the mantle. 

The trees on the end are from Michael's and the shorter tree in the middle is from Target.

My faithful Recycled stocking holders returned (with a little spray paint, they could look just like these) and they are holding new stocking.  I know it sounds dumb, but matching stockings is like a small victory for me. Sayonara Snoopy. The initials hanging from the stockings are ornaments I purchased from Target;  The A I bought myself in 2007, and I purchased the J for JEGs in 2009.  I went back this year to get an H for Hunter, but they don't sell them anymore.  The best I could do was a pin.  It's not as big and it doesn't have jewels.  Whomp whomp.  

I finally retired that wimpy garland from years before, and got a chunkier strand from Michael's.  The berries from last year returned, and I swooped a pine cone and twine garland along with it.  

Normally I regulate my decorating to the living room, however, we couldn't put the tree in there this year.   Since Hunter spends most of his day in the front room, I didn't feel comfortable having a tall structure that he could possibly pull down, with electrical cords and glass objects dangling from it.  It just screamed not a good idea.  

So the tree got moved to the kitchen, and we tried to place it so we could still enjoy it while sitting on the couch.

I was so excited for the tree this year.  My mom snagged us a faux tree on an After-Christmas sale for $40 and I had this beautiful monochromatic theme all ready;  brushed gold and white balls, some vintage ornaments I found at a yard sale and for color I was going to pop this beautiful red beaded garland.  It was gonna be AWESOME. 

I don't know what I was thinking.  Didn't I just say having a shiny thing with glass dangling from it was a bad idea?  Hunter was obsessed with pulling the beads off the tree, and three shattered ornaments later, I waved my white flag, packed away my pretties and decorated with things I knew wouldn't break:  shatter-proof ornaments, cookie cutters, and ribbon.  

Thank God I switched, because this is a daily occurrence in our house now

I really should rename this post to:  How to Child-Proof Your Christmas Tree

I inherited some plastic bells from my  Grandmother!

cookie cutter ornaments ftw

I did add a couple special decorations (high up);  A birdhouse for the first Christmas in our new house together

Momma G gave us a couple Ukrainian ornaments to hang

Our seashells from 2009.

After I showed off my fabulous buffet, I had to revamp it a little.  First off, the second light is needed in the living room, so I pushed the apocathary jar to the back.

I added a couple cookie cutters here and there to tie in with the tree

But I kept most of it the same, including my serving tray of greenery and twine trees

Our kitchen table is used a lot, so I didn't want a fussy centerpiece;  some greenery around a candle in a vase was just fine for me.

Last year Hunter was only two months old, so he couldn't care less about the Christmas tree.  This year, he is obsessed with it.  Now that I have monster-proofed it, I love watching his wonder and amazement at the lights 

Of course I am constantly having to point out to him that just because the ornaments are shatter proof, doesn't mean he has to rip them ALL off.

Dammit, he is so cute.  

From our house to yours, wishing you a very (shatter proof) Christmas!

Always & Forever,

  ME

If you are feeling nostalgic, you can check out my decorations from 2009, 2010 and 2011!