Making Christmas, Making Christmas...

Christmas!

Marmalade, you do not match, GTFO. 

The floral arrangement section at Joann's is a treasure trove of sparkly miscellania for present-topping. Just make sure you have wire-cutters.

 

 Of course they get one. But they have to share. And neither of them will like it.

   

 I know what you're thinking but it says "Curt". CURT.

   

 I found this ornament in the back of a closet in our old house in Portland. The previous residents had left it, I guess. It is huge and over the top and the back has a glittery eagle. I love it.

   

 Garlic bulb. GET IT?? 

We went with sort of a seafoamy-minty-green/white/silvery theme this year, and just reused last year's black tree to save money and time. (And when I say "we went with" I mean "I went with and Travis followed along dutifully by using the paper I provided for him.") While I do really like real trees, I can't say enough good things about not having to hang lights (the fake ones tend to come pre-lit. So nice.) Somehow I failed to get a picture of the lights over the window...or the super weird seafoam green gnome candle. D'aww. 

 And of course the deer-frame found a home by its new deer-friend:

 

Dead-easy Christmas (or Any Other Holiday) Art

Frame of pretty much any size - glass + pretty wrapping paper. Easy!!

You can, of course, keep the glass, but if your paper has any glitter or shine it'll probably look nicer without. If you are not using glass, cut the paper a little larger than the frame calls for so that you can wrap it around the backing board and tape it into place- otherwise it's likely to try and roll up on ya.

I love this paper- I actually bought it last year and based this year's color theme around it so I could use it ;-)

Winter Light, Bric-a-brac

I've been meaning to put up "after" pictures of our house to follow up with this post, but we seem to have reached a sort of stasis around about 80%. We still have pictures to hang, a table to move...somewhere, two couches to replace (We did buy a new one for my studio recently but it reeks of particle board so has to live in the basement til it off-gasses. Sigh.) The bedroom curtains are temporary and insubstantial, and at the moment all the rugs are in the basement, which is in complete disarray, much like the garage... but, it's our little house, and it feels like home by now. We'll get it all done eventually, but somehow it's hard to get anything done when it's cold. I just want to curl into a ball and knit and wait for spring cleaning ;-)