Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Holiday Party-palooza!

Welcome to my home! Come in and sit for a spell. Isn't it fun to peek into someone else's home for design inspiration while wearing your jammies and eating snacks? I LOVE this!



First off, my front door is NOT purple, it's red. Sometimes I really hate cameras. The pictures never do this stuff justice. I was at a loss as to what to do with my wreath this year. I wanted to do something different and unexpected and fun. As I'm sure you will notice I am having a love affair with this mesh netting stuff. It is AWESOME...I love it and want to marry it (sorry babe). I think the wreath is still missing that extra somethin' special, and I'm sure it will come to me soon what that somethin' is! But until then, this is what you get.


These are just a few of the fabulous parties going on right now. I wish I could survive without sleep. There just isn't enough time in the day for all the blog hopping I would like to do. I was able to narrow it down to a manageable 4, sadly. Go check these parties out if you haven't already. I promise you won't want to stop!


Before the tour starts why don't you grab a few oatmeal cookies. Mmmmmm...I think I need one too. I need to refuel so that I can go to all these swank parties!



Oh mantel...how I love thee so! I have never done whimsical Christmas decorating before this year. It was sooooo much fun and my kids love it! I don't know if I'll ever go back to traditional. Oh, who am I kidding. Of course I will. I change my mind every 6 seconds.



Oh look, more mesh. I just can't get enough! Did I mention that 80% of the stuff on my mantel is from Dollar Tree? Yes ma'am it is! LOVE me some Dollar Tree!!!


Would you look at that! More of that mesh crap on top of my armoire. Are you getting sick of me yet? Oh...p.s. that polka dot ribbon is from Wal-Mart (75 ft. for $6.50). And I am two timing the mesh because I am also having a love affair with this ribbon. Isn't it the cutest? I admired some almost identical at a friend's house recently. She is a wholesale florist and got hers from one of the shops she sells to (very high end, fru-fru). She got hers at a discount for $50. What's that? You just fell off your chair? Tell me about it...CRAZY! The day after she bought her hoody doody ribbon she found this ribbon at Wally World. I know she was sick about it. Live and learn. I'm glad I got to learn from her mistake!



More mesh and more dollar store goodies!




Mis-treated candles and dollar store glitter balls (giggle, giggle)






This year I took a different approach to decorating the tree. In the past I have been so uptight about what ornaments go where. I was a HORRIBLE mother and let (made) the kids decorate the side and back with their "special ornaments". They never had a clue that this was a bad thing. Recently I had an epiphany. One day in the not so distant future my babies will not be babies anymore. They won't live in this house forever. They will grow up and have families and lives of their very own. When that time comes, I will miss them terribly. And when it's time to decorate the tree, I feel sure I will want those "special ornaments" front and center. The popsicle stick reindeer, the lightbulb santa, the thumbprint reindeer, the upside down handprint santa, the clothespin reindeer, and all the rest. Those are the ones I will treasure for years to come. Those are the ones that will tug at my heart strings, and bring a tear to my eye. So this year I encouraged them to put their ornaments wherever they wanted. And I am so glad I did. I LOVE my tree. It is reflective of us and who we are. It makes me happy. It reminds me of how unbelievably blessed we truly are. I am so grateful for the privilege of being a mother. I am a blessed woman!






45 comments:

  1. Ok - I never woulda thought it about myself, but I LUV the mesh. It goes perfectly with your whole "whimsical" theme. Beautiful!
    Merry Christmas.
    Jackie @ where the boys are

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  2. Wow! Wow! This is gorgeous. I love the decorations around your doorway and mantle. Just beautiful!

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  3. Friend, you did it again! Love, love, love the front door! Your take on the tree is exactly the same as mine this year. I need to get my rear in gear and go to these parties too. Better late than never, right?

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  4. Your house looks BEAUTIFUL!!!! Love the whimsical approach. I really love the polka dot ribbon and mesh... I kept eyeballing the mesh stuff at my Dollar General but didn't buy any. Now, I am kicking myself!

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  5. OK, my son was saying HO HO HO!! throughout your entire post!! Ha! I love the candy lights around the door -- WHERE did you find those?? And the mesh and the ribbon and the dollar store balls (hee!) -- it's all so fun and festive. I'm with you on blogging. I took a night off last night (for the most part) and it felt good, but now I want to sit here all day and look at everyone's houses. BUT I need to shop or the family is not getting Christmas this year...decisions decisions...

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  6. Well now, I've done a lot of decorating in my years and never has it entered my mind to use mesh. And the way you did it, girl, I'm going to see where I can still use it this year. It's all beautiful. Thank you.

    Hugs,
    Chris

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  7. Love your tree and all of your decorations! So festive! Thanks so much for sharing your home with us.

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  8. oh....I love, love, love the FUNKY-ness of your decorations. I guess I'm starting to lean to the more whimsical side myself...it's FUN! PS: I have that same polka dot ribbon....great minds think alike!

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  9. Absolutely gorgeous!!!
    Thanks for sharing. Everything coordinates together so well..
    Blessings
    Roxanne

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  10. I just love all the beautiful Christmas decor! Especially your purple door! ;-)

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  11. Your decorations are absolutely lovely!

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  12. Merry Christmas!!

    Pretty pics:)
    KayEllen

    www.kayellen.typepad.com

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  13. Cute cute and more cute! I love that mesh stuff and have been wrapping my tree in for years. I have an older version but I love your version much better! Mine is like true wire mesh. The ends could cut someone! I love the sentimental tree too! One day when I have kids I will have to back off too and let them go at it. :)

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  14. It's all just adorable, Amanda! I love your lime green & all the whimsical ornaments and yes, even that red mesh. You did a great job, girl. I know your kids must love it. Thanks for playing along with my party! Merry, merry Christmas!

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  15. Everything is so cheerful and bright! It just says "Merry Merry!" Love it.

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  16. So fun and festive! Way to go all out. Thanks for sharing your pretty home with us.

    Merry Christmas!

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  17. Seriously, so dang cute! Everything looks great. I love love love your front door. How clever!

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  18. I think if I came to your house, I would not be able to stop smiling. It is so incredibly festive and absolutely fun! I am going to bookmark your ideas in my head for next year. I really want to do a candy/fun/festival next year. Spot on girl!

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  19. your mantle decorations are fabulous! i'm going to have to make a trip to the dollar store! and the part about decorating the tree w/ your kiddo's home-made ornaments... that is so true. mine is only 1 yr old so i don't have any like that yet, but i will treasure them and let them put them on the front of the tree like you said!!!! thanks for sharing.

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  20. What fun and beautiful decorations! Your front door is fantastic! I adore the mesh and the ribbon I gotta say! The santa made from the paint brush is so cute! love it!

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  21. I love the dollar store too ;0) LOVE your tree, love your entry & red door... love everything! Great job!

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  22. No, the rug was given to me last year but I think the girl who gave it to me had it for a year or two. Sorry! :(

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  23. I am loving your mesh and the whimsical decor!

    Also, I so think you can crank out 5 of those things. Just make sure you have plenty of crayons, you don't want to end up with a mainly brown looking letter. :)

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  24. Just love everything!! I think the traditional colors of red, and green are so pretty!

    I love meeting new people. Drop by my blog sometime:)

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  25. Just love everything!! I think the traditional colors of red, and green are so pretty!

    I love meeting new people. Drop by my blog sometime:)

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  26. So very colorful and festive! My favorites are that gorgeous door, the mantle and that cute little paint brush Santa ornament.

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  27. Holy cow! I can't believe all of your goodies from the Dollar Tree. I love that store too! I am going to look for those glittery balls the next time I am there.

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  28. Hi, new to your blog. I visited a couple of days ago and saw those darling trees from the dollar store. Too stinkin cute. So I ran out and got me some. Six of the felt ones and three cones. Wish I had bought more cones, but yikes, I have too many decoations now. So many things still packed away and not up. Your mantle is darling!!!

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  29. So pretty.....love all the color. cherry

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  30. Love the mesh! I am addicted to it myself. I put green in the house and then red and red plaid on the front door.

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  31. Love the jar of ornaments & the Santa made from a paint brush! Too cute. Thanks for sharing.

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  32. I love your candle "mistreatments" with the glitter balls...I need to copy that one!

    And any tips on preventing bubbles on the cute scrapbook paper covered frames? Yours looks great...I've made several, and can't master the no bubble thing???
    Frusrating!

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  33. Everything looks lovely! I think it is great that you let the kids decorate b/c you are right... they are only little for so long! I think you gave yourself a great gift : )

    Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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  34. I love your ephipany!

    And I really like the topper. I did a peacock theme this year, so I am biased :)

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  35. I love your ephipany!

    And I really like the topper. I did a peacock theme this year, so I am biased :)

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  36. I love me some Dollar Tree too! Your mantel looks gorgeous and I love that polka dot ribbon!

    Manuela

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  37. Oh my gosh I love everything about your house!! I am kicking myself that I did not buy that mesh stuff when I came across it in November. After I passed it buy I was unable to find it anywhere else! Seeing how cute you made that mesh look makes me very determined to have it to decorate with next year!!

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  38. I finally figured out this year that if I'm not decorating for my family - my kids, then who I am decorating for? They are the ones who spend the most time in our home and it's their home - blah, blah, blah. Love your tree.

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  39. Thank you for the tour - everything looks so festive! By the way, I love the name of your blog! :)

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  40. Trees with memories are so much better than an impersonal decorator-type tree. I'm so glad you realized this before it was too late! I gave my son a bunch of his ornaments when he married and it's wonderful to see memories on his family's tree, too.

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  41. A little bit late I know, well a lot a bit late! I was browsing through your old posts and I LOVE your Christmas decorations. SO fun!!!

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