Santa Hats!!! Crafting....Crafting....and More Crafting....

Hello friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are now looking forward to Christmas!!  This time of year is SO fun and SO busy!!  I LOVE IT!!

SO....realizing that December is going to be a whirlwind of activity......I was determined to get in some crafting time during Thanksgiving....but then every day seemed so busy....thank goodness on the Friday after Thanksgiving there was finally some time to craft!  Yahoo!!  Even better.....I had my Mom and sister with me.....so I talked them into doing some crafting too!

My sister was interested in making a Santa Hat craft that I had made last year for Christmas.  These guys are SO cute.....I wish I could take credit for the idea, but I can't.....I actually saw these first over at Thrifty Decor Chick....and you can find her version here.....

First.....let me show you these cuties.....

Are they not adorable??  I just love these little guys :)

I wish I had them sitting in a silver tray with some ornaments surrounding them....that's how I had them at my house last year.....but I took this pic at my Mom's house right after they were made.....so sorry......staging not available.....ha, ha!

My sister actually made these.....with a lot of "coaching" (as she says) from me......she said that I could entitle this post "If my sister can make these, then anyone can make these".....BUT I'm not that mean....well....maybe sometimes I am.....but not today :) 

Seriously....they are EASY!!  If you can hot glue......then you can make these.....promise!!

SO.....let's start with the materials.....

You'll need....
Styrofoam cones (your choice, but using three of various sizes makes for a cute grouping)
Square "Rhinestone Jewels"
"Pom Pom" white poof balls
Black velvet ribbon (or something similar)
White "fur" type fabric (or something similar)

Side note....the Styrofoam cones can be expensive $5 - $8 each.....so I've seen some tutorials where people have subbed a piece of cut posterboard in place of the Styrofoam cone....haven't tried it yet....but looks like it would work.....you can find the tutorial here......

Here's an up close of some of the materials....

The "velvet" ribbon....and the "fur" (I got these at JoAnn's Fabrics).......

And here are the "rhinestone jewels" and the Pom Poms (got these at Hobby Lobby)......



And......now.....the directions.....

First....Cover the cone with fabric and hot glue it to keep it in place.....



Next put on the pom pom poof ball and then add the "fur" at the bottom.....

And then....add the Velvet Belt.....

And next....add the "Rhinestone Jewels".....

I suggest that you lay them out on a table first, so that you can make sure to get the placement right....



And....that's it!!  Now you can enjoy these cuties.....

And a couple more pics of them around the house....

They are just SO darn cute!! 

So.....what Christmas crafts are you guys working on.....I'm always looking for new ideas!!  During Thanksgiving we made a few more things.....can't wait to show you those too!!  Ahhh....such fun!!

So....anyone thinking of making these??  They really are SO easy!!  If you make them, then please send me a pic....I'd love to see your versions!!

Until next time.....

XOXO-

Kristal

A Little Decor Goes a Long Way.....

Hello friends!  I hope you all are ready for an incredible Thanksgiving :)  My wish for you all is that you would have a wonderful day filled with food, fun, laughter, and time with the people that you love most.....

Doesn't that sound wonderful....I wish that everyday could be just that good.....

And for any of you that won't have that idyllic holiday tomorrow....please know that I will be thinking about and praying for you too.....

On a lighter note.....we've been in pre-holiday planning mode for a few days now....you know....a million.....trillion.....trips to crazy town Wal-Mart......and a lot of talk about who's going to be where and when.....and what we are going to eat when and where......lot's of good.....good.....stuff......

AND.....since we had some extra time on our hands.....my Mom decided to put us to work pulling together some decor for her living room, dining room, and entryway.......you may remember me telling you about the cute curtains that we put up in her living room/dining room a few weeks ago.....if not, then you can read about that here.......

So.....we thought it was time to add a few more details to that room to really bring it together.....and since the entryway is right next to it.....well.....why not work on that too.....

So.....today we'll focus on the entryway.....we started with this.....

Yeah....pretty bland.....but she did have that cute table from Ashley Furniture (find it here)....so we had something good to start with.....

SO....we didn't do too much......but you know how sometimes.....less is more......well......we ended up with this.....

Yep....love it.....the very stylish mirror/art came from Marshall's (love that place), but I've also seen it for sale at Kirkland's (another favorite)....

And the little lamp added some much needed warmth to this space and the silver tray with the wreath on top added a nice 'pop' of red color.....

Here are a couple of up close pics....



I just realized that there is duck tape sitting on the table in those last pics.....WHAT??  Why is that on there....and why didn't I realize it until now....ugh!  Oh well....hopefully you guys can overlook it.....

SO....I really like it!!  And.....the best news.....it was such an easy change!!  Yahoo!!  It is so awesome to pull a few things together and end up with a space that just makes you feel warm and happy.....too cool.....

SO.....I still need to show you the other changes we made in the Living Room and Dining Room.... hopefully I'll be able to pull together those pics in a couple of days......

So.....Until then.....HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

XOXO-
Kristal

Another Christmas Decor Sneak Peak & Happy Birthday to Me :)

Hello friends!!  I hope you are all doing well and are now in full Thanksgiving mode.....

I've already got my "stretchy" pants all washed and ready to go for the big day.....ha, ha!!  BUT.....since today was my birthday....and we ate A LOT....and my Mom made me a red velvet birthday cake.....which I ate WAY too much of......I may have to get those stretchy pants out early :)  LOL....well....kinda.....

SO....anyway.....as you guys know I decided to go ahead and get the happiness flowing by getting my Christmas stuff out a little early this year.....and we really did make a lot of progress on getting everything decorated last week.....don't get me wrong....WE ARE NOT DONE.....BUT I'd say we are maybe 75% complete (sorry....my inner nerdy engineer needed to quantify it)......

BUT I am so excited about the way my dining room is coming together that I just have to share a little sneak peak of what's to come when it's finished.....I guess technically I already did that when I shared my new centerpiece here......BUT......whatever.....just pretend like this is the first time....okay??  Sorry.....I'm just so excited about it....I've never attempted to do a themed room before, so I'm having a lot of fun with it!  :)

So.....here you go....some more Christmas beautifulness (probably not a real word) in silver, white, and aqua? blue.....

This is on top of my China cabinet in the dining room.....

I've also got little white lights inside of the silver "tulle", so it will glow at night.....but haven't gotten a pic of that yet....

Here are a few up close pics (the first is my favorite!).....

The ornaments are all from Target and the "stuff" popping out of the candle holders is from Hobby Lobby (got it half off.....yay!).

The little "trees" below are from Hobby Lobby (got them half off too!) and were part of the display that started my little obsession with this color scheme for this room....

And here's a super easy, but pretty little thing.....just popped a few ornaments on top of a silver tray.....

Sorry....you know me.....I like EASY!!

AND.....I have more to show....but I think this is a good stopping place for now.....

I have big plans this week to do some crafting, so hopefully I'll be able to share a little of that too :)

Until next time.....

XOXO-

Kristal





Goodbye Fall.....Hello Christmas.....

Hello friends!  I hope your week is off to a good start!!

As you guys know....things have been a little rough around here lately....with my Dad's broken leg that I talked about here and my Mom's broken foot that I talked about here.......you wouldn't think that much more could happen....BUT.....a few more (not good) things have happened.......but.......I won't get into all that tonight......

SO.....we need some FUN around here.....and we need some HAPPY things too!!  SO.....we are putting up our Christmas stuff NOW!!  I LOVE Christmas!!  It is such a happy time of year and it seems like most people are just in a better mood.....

SO....I am hoping that getting all our Christmas stuff out will help get us all back to our normally happy selves.....

SO....seriously.....don't hate on me b/c I'm a little early this year with the decorations.....believe me....I'm with you......these stores that start putting out Christmas stuff in July/August have LOST THEIR MINDS!!  Seriously....it's ridiculous.....BUT hopefully since I'm only a couple of weeks early....you guys who think I'm too early can forgive me just this once :)

SO.....I saw a display at Hobby Lobby a few months ago.....with the whole display being done in silver, white, and a aqua? blue.....and right then I decided that I wanted to do a whole room with this color scheme.....something totally new for me.....since normally I just drag out all the same old stuff year after year......

SO......here is the first thing that I put together for this room.....

Ummmm.....LOVE IT!!  :)

I already had everything in the picture except for the Christmas ball centerpiece....and I put that cutie together yesterday.....ok.....so confession time......I actually intended for it to be a wreath.....I made one last year (I'll show ya later) with no problems, but the wire I used this time wasn't stiff enough to hold the ornaments in shape.....SO......my wreath kept collapsing on itself.....ugh!!  SO.....while I was trying to decide how to fix my little problem (aka....start over with the wreath).....I laid the "wreath" down on the table.....and.....then I really like how it looked.....and whattya know....my candle holder fit perfectly in the middle.....oh yeah.....I've got an awesome centerpiece!!  Cool!!

SO....I decided that I'm going to leave it here.....and probably make another wreath......

Here are a few more pics of this pretty little thing....

Of course I'm still going to change out the rocks in the other vases with something that will go more with the theme.....so hold tight....I'm just getting started.....

AND.....if your are interested in making one of these Christmas ball wreaths / centerpieces........they are SO EASY!!  Seriously.....anyone can make one of these......

All you need is a piece of wire....if you want the wreath, then you probably need wire with a thickness similar to a hanger.....so it will hold it's round shape.....

Then you just thread the Christmas balls onto the wire......some recommend that you hot glue the hanger part of the ornament onto the ball before you put onto the wire.....I didn't do this.....and had no problem.....but it probably depends on the ornaments that you are using.....so use your good judgement.....or try a few and see how it goes......

Once you've threaded all your ornaments onto the wire.....probably about 50-70 ornaments....depending on their size and how large of a wreath you want.....then just tie the wire back to itself......

AND.....BAM.....you've got yourself a gorgeous wreath or centerpiece!!  IT REALLY IS SO EASY AND LOOKS SO GOOD!!!

I hope you'll try it :)

I can't wait to share some more......but.....

Until then.....

XOXO-
Kristal

The Master Bathroom....And a Little Life Lesson.....

Hello friends!!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!! 

We spent another weekend in Arkansas with my parents....for those of you keeping up with all of our drama....my Dad is doing a bit better dealing with his broken leg after surgery and my Mom's broken foot is getting better....

So....now we are back home....yay! 

Last week as I was rushing around trying to get everything ready for us to leave....I sort of stopped in my tracks when I saw this.....

In case you can't even tell what that is.....it is supposed to be a laundry sorter....but as you can see it has had better days.....

BUT....the funny thing is.....I haven't even noticed this thing and it's pathetic shape until.....just.....that......moment....and I'm guessing that its been looking like this for a while.....

You know how you go through life and you see things, but sometimes you don't really SEE them.....I hate to admit it, but I am really bad about this.....

It just reminds me of how important it is to be present in your life....actually living in the moment....instead of always thinking about what is coming next or what all you need to get done today....etc......

Funny that this little laundry sorter in its sad state has reminded me of such an important life lesson.....so....thank you little laundry sorter......

Here are a few more pics....of my sad little sorter.....

SO....anyway.....since we are already in my Master Bath....I guess we can take a peak at the rest of the room......

You might wonder why I haven't posted anything about our Master Bath before.....well........let's just say that this room needs a lot of work!!

So.....anyway.....here's a look.....

The view of the Master Bath from our bed.....

And here's an upclose look of the room from the doorway....

And here's some pics of the room starting on my right.....

And a few more of the other side of the room.....

Yep....I know.....it's pretty ugly!!  I especially dislike the wallpaper.....ugh....yuck!!

BUT....the good news is.....this room has A LOT of potential!  It's a big room....it has nice crisp white cabinets.....a spa tub.....and TALL ceilings.....

Here's a few pics highlighting some of the "good" stuff....

SO.....although I'm not thrilled with this room as a whole right now.....I am excited about what this room will become.....

I think this is going to be our next BIG project....

Hmmmm.....what ideas do you guys have???

I'm thinking about doing Board and Batten (B&B) on that big wall behind my sad laundry sorter.....and replacing that laundry sorter with a built in laundry center......maybe topped with granite?

I'm thinking something like this....

Source: Southern Living

AND.....I want to frame out the mirrors (DIY baby!!)....something like this....

Source:  Full of Great Ideas

I also want to do some sort of B&B on the front of the tub to give it a more built in look.....something like this (or like Diane's DIY job shown on her blog In My Own Style).....

Source:  Birch and Lily

And I want to put some sort of design on the shower door....either with frosting spray....or perhaps something a little more dramatic.....maybe using these.....

And maybe granite for the sinktops???  Not sure if I want to invest that much $$$$.....

The wallpaper is definitely GONE!!! 

What ideas do you guys have?  I need your input!!  Paint color??  Other great ideas?

I'm excited, but still need to narrow down exactly what I want.....PLEASE....let me know what you think!!

Until next time....

XOXO-
Kristal

Living Room Makeover

Hey guys!!  Well....life keeps throwing curve balls.....but I'm determined that we will get out of this "bad luck" streak sometime soon....

So.....last time I told you about my Dad's broken leg here.....And since then.....my Mom broke her foot....and she is now rocking one of these lovelies....

And then today....my baby woke up and had a 102+ fever.....and she threw up on me......oh yeah....nice.....

BUT....I've said it before.....and I'll say it again.....although all these things are inconvenient.....they are still minor in the scheme of things.....and we are SO thankful that these things are all that we are having to deal with!!

SO....anyway....let's talk about something WAY more fun!!  How about a little makeover action.....oh yeah.......that should get the happy thoughts flowing.....

So let's jump right on in.....and start with the "Before" pictures of our living room.....



Again....another creme room.....hmmmm.....imagine that.....

We started with an idea to make this an "adult" space with nice furniture and a bit of a cozy/jazz bar kind of feel.....

So our first decision was a risky one.....we decided to paint the walls a plum color.....I know.....sorta crazy.......but I think it turned out well.....the color was inspired by one of the colors in the rug that we chose for this room.......

AND.....without further delay.....here's the "After' pics......

The view looking into the room from our entryway....

An upclose look at the rug and the cubes....



A view of the room looking back out into the entryway.....

And a few up close pics with some of the details.....

And a few more.....interesting how the wall color looks so different in the pics....I would say the true color is closer to the one with the silver vase.....

And a few more showing off some of the bigger items (and yes that is a lava lamp in the corner)....

Of course....we had to put a TV in here....I know....I know....you true designers would say no to the TV....BUT.....we've found that if the room doesn't have a TV, then we NEVER go in there.....AND.....we don't believe in unused rooms.....so a TV was a must.....

AND....our house doesn't have a fireplace.......no biggie.....we live in Houston.....and it's HOT down here people....BUT.....I do LOVE the look of a fireplace......SO.....the hubs hooked me up for my birthday with this beauty......it's fake.....ok.....there.......I said it......but I still love it :)

And.....I couldn't leave this post without showing an upclose of the hubs awesome artwork...

Well.....we think we accomplished our vision....the room is super cozy and does have a bit of a jazzy feel.....so we are happy :)

A quick rundown on the things in the room......

Furniture - Barcalounger Black Leather (BIG splurge)
Rug - Lowe's
Cubes - Bed Bath and Beyond Faux Leather
End Tables - Ikea
Black Table - Target
"Fireplace" - Lowe's
"Bar" - Lowe's
Black Wall Shelves - Pottery Barn Outlet
Art - Courtesy of my awesome hubs
Artwork Frames - Made by hubs and our friend Tony

I think that's it.....I hope you guys like it!

Until next time.....

XOXO-
Kristal