Can you even believe that it's the week before Christmas?! I seem to be most productive this week, perhaps I do best under a time crunch? I dunno, but I can tell you that there will be lots of last minute details getting finished this week so that we can all put our feet up come the weekend!

This week I'm totally excited to share our holiday decor with you!  I'll be starting off with the family room.

My goal for this room is to have a space where people can truly feel comfy and cozy.  Kick your feet up, enjoy the fire & your favourite shows while bundling up under your favourite cover.  Honestly, it makes me SO happy to see our family and friends using the room just as it was intended to be used.

The colour palette is pretty neutral with pops of blue, green and red.  I'm absolutely loving the plaid and polka dot pillow combo, that may be my favourite element in the room to be honest!

  

Later in the week I will be sharing the living room, dining room and entryway decor with you!

Happy Monday!

Cheers,

DIY Salt Dough Ornaments.

With the holidays right around the corner, we are trying to get all festive up in here.  The house is decorated (more on that to come later in the week) and we are enjoying all of the holiday shows on tv.

This past weekend, the kids and I decided to give salt ornaments yet another try.  To be totally honest, I had taken a loooooong break from making them after a few disastrous attempts.  When I saw this recipe on the Style At Home website that required only three ingredients (that you most likely already have in your pantry) to make the precious keepsakes, I figured it was worth another try.

You guys, the recipe did not disappoint.  The dough was easy to work with and held together just perfectly.  I think I may have rolled it out a tad bit too thinly, but even still they baked to perfection.

see how the plane's wing is bending upward, don't make the same mistake and make sure that they are lying flat when it comes time to put them in the oven.  otherwise the ornaments edge will stay just like that (oops)

There is something so absolutely precious about watching little hands hard at work creating masterpieces of their own.  I must have taken a gazillion photos.  It was so fun standing back (and being able to now that they are older) and watching their creations come to life.

I can happily say that our tree is now adorned with a fresh and fabulous batch of handmade salt dough ornaments circa 2013.  Giddy up.

Be sure to check out the recipe and creative decorative tips on the Style At Home website, found here.

Cheers,

Making Use of Your Leftover Christmas Tree Branches!

There isn't anything quite like bringing a Christmas tree home and the smell that takes over the house soon after.  It's so fantastic, isn't it?!

When it comes time to place your well chosen and beloved tree in the stand, be sure to keep any leftover branches that need to be trimmed off.  Use them elsewhere around the house to carry the smell and to add a festive touch to each room.

Remember to think outside of the box and to use items that may not necessarily be considered as vases, that's what adds character!  Just be sure that you are able to somehow place the branches in water, for example by placing a tupperware dish at the bottom of your container.

I enjoyed putting a vintage artillery box that we got many years ago and that has been sitting in our basement for just as many years, to use.  I decided to place it in our entryway, a unique way to welcome our guests and to infuse the space with the delicious Christmas tree scent.

Though our dining room is open to the living room (where the tree is), I really wanted to add some branches to the sideboard.  This water pitcher was the perfect vase (you've seen it on here a few times, it's honestly such a great piece to have, so if you see one, scoop it up!).

Milk glass is always the answer:

And lastly those beautiful and inexpensive vases from Ikea are a must buy!  They can be used so many different ways and are the perfect pairing for those leftover branches!

So, do you typically keep any branches that fall or that you cut from your tree?

Oh! And if you don't have a real tree, you can still bring a touch of the real thing simply by purchasing a bundle of branches.  Most stores sell them for under $5!

Cheers,