Snow Storm!

Every year we cut snowflakes after Thanksgiving for our Christmas decorations and this year was no different!  Here is this year's Snowflake display in all it's sparkly glory!

Every year our display looks a little different but it's twinkly and magical and one of my favorite Christmas decorations every year.  As the kids get older the snowflakes become more and more intricate.  I save some of the best specimens from year to year, but most of them are cut fresh for the season.

I've talked about our snowflakes before here and here and here and reminded you how to make them here and even taught you How To Make Giant Snowflakes there.

So, what are you waiting for? Get to cutting!

Tutorial Tuesday!

Candy Cane Kiss Shortbread Cookies:



Damask Stenciled Curtains:



Little Frosted Trees:



Cardboard Fireplace:



CLICK PICKS (last week's most clicked links):

#1 Easy, Cheap Teacher Gifts

#2 Christmas Bustle Skirts

#3 Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

Now it's YOUR turn:

Please... (this is the part at the end of the commercial when the announcer talks real fast)

* Link up using the link to your actual post (not your general blog address) using your name and a the subject of your tutorial to generate interest.

* Add my button or a clickable link back to this post so everyone can join in.

* Visit and comment with all our friends. Show them some love! Meet some new friends! Learn something new!

Ready? Teach Me Stuff!



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Christmas Tour of Homes - Nester Style!

So, you remember how much I want to stalk admire The Nester? Well, she's hosting a Christmas Tour of Homes today and I'm joining right in! So, many of these things you've already seen, but let's just look at them all together and humor me...shall we?

Okay, here I am, welcoming you to my Christmas-y world for a day. Imagine I'm offering a Caramel Tassie and a cup of hot spiced cider...Come tour my home:

You've all seen my Christmas Angel Wing Mantle, but I'm so dang proud of it I'm pulling it out again! Click on the link if you want to learn to make a pair of these wings for yourself.





I've been collecting this Christmas Village for a few years. All the pieces are from the Dollar Store (seriously) and for this reason, it doesn't bother me to let the kids set this town up and play with it all season. They nested the houses on that thin cotton sheet from the Dollar Store with lights under it. They then pulled off puffs of cotton batting to make snow (all their idea). I have to admit, it does look magical!



Here is my Paper Snowflake Blizzard, ala Elf, the movie. We sit down with hot chocolate and a good Christmas movie and cut, cut, cut! The kids really love the magical, whimsical feeling of this and it's just lacy enough to be pretty, too.




Here is our family tree, the one with all the meaningful ornaments, that is only decorated from 4 feet and under because it's the kids' baby. It looks better in the dark (cringe).



Here is my "pretty tree" from the living room. Kids can look and help a little bit, but it's MY baby (sigh).





My beautiful Lenox Nativity that took me 12 years to collect. One. Piece. At. A. Time.



And the kids' nativity (That I yelled at my husband for spending so much on at the time! But, now, I'm happy to have it. It's priceless.)



This table holds my Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String
. They are full of love, you know. The kids love to read the tags on each package and imagine me filling it with all my love.



Here are my colorful snowflakes in my ever-changing kitchen window. Mama needs something pretty to look at while she's washing dishes! And no one ever said snowflakes have to be white.




Finally, here is my Eddie Ross ornament wreath (I cheat on Martha with Eddie sometimes - ssshhhhh...). The colors of this wreath make me sooooo happy! Lucky for you, tomorrow is Tutorial Tuesday, so you get to learn to make one of your own! So, come on back, you hear?

Run out to the Dollar Store or Target and pick up those tubes of inexpensive ornaments, try to get about 100+ in all different sizes. Large, medium, small, and tiny ornaments all together work the best. Then pick up about 8 nicer ornaments to accent (see the striped ones in bright colors?). Then you can meet me back here tomorrow for assembly instructions.





I'm not a "Happy Holidays" kind of girl, so Merry Christmas!!!

Psstt! I'm having a hand made ornament linky party on Thursday, so don't be late!

Christmas Mantle Unveiled

I was so inspired by a small photo in my new Better Homes and Gardens magazine this month that I decided to try to recreate it in my own home. This mantle was created by a cool florist named Twigs and Moss and I think it's amazing. Though it helps to have the tools and be comfortable using them, I really think any of us can do this.

The focal point for the mantle is the pair of antique angel wings. I so loved these wings I had to have them! In fact, I cut up a piece of wood I was reserving for several frames on order...sorry!

Here are the steps to create your own set of angel wings.

Create a template on a piece of paper, you will use the same template for both wings but to make a set you will have to finish opposite sides of the cut wood. Trace around the template onto your wood, I used a 20x32 inch length of pine from Lowe's (see the pencil mark where it's ready to be cut into a frame?!)


Cut out your wing shape. I used my pretty red Skil jigsaw/scroll saw combo.


Next, I penciled in the rough shapes of feathers along the surface of the wing then went over the lines with my Dremmel.

Now I sanded everything really well with a palm sander, this mouse sander was perfect for getting into all the grooves.

To get the distressed, antique look I painted the wings with an antique white acrylic paint, about 4 thick coats. Sand in between coats with a fine sandpaper to get a nice smooth surface.
Next, brush a medium stain over the whole wing and wipe off. Make sure to get stain down into the grooves to accentuate the feathers.
Prop the wings up on your mantle over a pine garland and pile pine cones in the between them. A wreath hung above finishes it off.