Live Furniture

Go hop on over to Flat River Furniture and see some of the work that has been going on. Don't you love the natural elements mixed with an edgy style? The great part is they are livable.

If you live in the Rhode Island area you can find Flat River's work at Galeria United, a center for local artists in Pawtucket.

This gal owns this awesome custom manger. After searching for a home for my holy family, an not finding anything that was just right, I finally got one this season complete with birch bark roof. He did a great job of creating something that complemented the raffia type material of the figures.

Well, what are you waiting for?! Go!

Happy New Year!

Bring it on 2013! 2012 was a pretty great year, so I can't wait to see what this new year brings.

I've definitely been slacking in the blogging department the past two months. There are no good excuses really, other than being busy and exhausted. We've had this week off though and checked ourselves into a nice stay in our home. I've been busy getting myself re-organized (everything from the closets down to my Pinterest boards) so hopefully this week I will be back on track.

Happy New Year!

Source: desdemventana.blogspot.com via Kellie on Pinterest

DIY Pine Cone Tree

This year I fell in love with Christmas cone trees. Like this one at JCPenney. The problem is that I do not want to spend $40 on one 20 inch tree. I wanted a few of them, so I decided to make my own. 

I'm going to let you in on a secret... that little 20 inch tree really is worth $40. Man do these things take time to make. Hopefully you are also more skilled with a glue gun than I am and will burn yourself less. Don't let that dissuade you though. I am really happy with my trees and glad I spent the time putting them together. 

JCPenney's version looks like they use some kind of leaf or flower petal. I decided to use pine cones because I had already collected a big bag full in the woods at my parent's house. You can buy bags is the store this time of year, but picking your own can be part of the fun. 

You will also need various size Styrofoam cones that you can find at any craft store. I bought a small, medium and large. 

Once you have all your materials, start pulling apart your pine cones. This is the messy part. They are sticky and get grit everywhere. After much trial and error I realized that if you twist the pine cone around the middle until it break into two halves it is much easier to pluck the little pieces off. Separate them into piles according to size (large ones will go toward the base of the cone and smaller ones at the top).

Start assembling the tree by gluing the pieces in rows around the cone. Just a dab will do. 

Go natural or spray paint it. I went for silver. I'm still thinking about adding some glitter. 

Voila!

Christmas Around This House

Here is a brief look at what Christmas is starting to look like around here... viewed through random editing effects. 

Cookie Exchange Party

Here is a little sneak peak of something I have been working on for a possible cookie exchange party.

Holiday Giving

I think my favorite part of this time of year is how there are so many opportunities to give back.

Even in our daughter's school there are at least 3 different collections... that I can think of off the top of my head... that are going on right now. They are such easy things too contribute that there is no way you can't. The simplest things can make a big impact too.

Yes the economy is tough, and many of you may be saying that you don't have the extra money to give out or the extra time to spend volunteering, but its not the only way you can help your neighbors.

My Stop and Show flier just told me canned goods are 2 for $1. I know that means when I go grocery shopping this weekend that I can donate a few extra cans to the Thanksgiving food drive to help families who wouldn't otherwise be celebrating with a feast like many of us do. There were also extra items I had in stock at home that we will gladly be donating for gift baskets to single, homeless moms who could use a little something special for themselves.

In my inbox this morning I found the following 2 emails with other ways to donate. Everyone will all be starting their Christmas shopping, if they haven't started already, so why not buy products that also allow you to donate at the same time, for no additional cost:

Gap is donating 2% of their gift card purchases to CARE or Communities in Schools.

If you would rather spend your money at small businesses, Lisa Leonard Designs is teaming up with the Red Cross and donating 10% of her proceeds from each sale to the Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief. Plus when you purchase any handmade item from her you will receive a limited edition necklace. Two gifts fort he price of one, PLUS you get to support the victims of Sandy! (Use the code from the image below.)

My last suggestion, for something made right here in Rhode Island, is to check out Flat River Furniture. My father builds gorgeous, natural wood furniture and 20% of his profits this year are going to the Lions organization. If you don't see something right for you, talk to him about it and he can create something custom.

In short, there are so many ways to give back this year that require little or no effort. If everyone just pitched in a little we could make a whole lot of people's lives so much better. 

Pretty Holiday Wreaths

There are so many great holiday wreath ideas out there. These are my top five favorites. One for every room maybe? 

Click on the links below to go to each source.

1. Full Greenery A twist on the traditional evergreen branches. The subtle scattered balls give it a touch of holiday cheer and displaying it on a mirror adds more depth.

2. Sparkly Champagne Colors I like the colors in this one and it could definitely transition into New Years. 

3. Tulle and Feathers What's not to like about tulle and feathers? This is definitely an extra girly one. 

4. Christmas Ornament Collection I have seen this wreath concept in a variety of styles and color combinations. The thing I particularly like about this version is the different sizes and its use of vintage inspired ornaments.

5. Spell it With Green I think initials have been a fad for a long time now, and it can get overdone. I'm probably guilty of this one, but I still like it. It's also something a different from he traditional round wreath form.