Dramatic Wreath!

Shannon is at it again with her Holiday wreaths!

This one is so dramatic and I love it! It looks vintage and glamorous!

I love the bird feathers and the silver and glittered Merry Christmas sign!

Great Job Shannon!

If you want to see how she made this and her pointsettia wreath check it out here!

Salt for Christmas?

Yes, I gave my friends salt for Christmas. Does it have a deeper traditional meaning, you ask? A metaphor to represent the night Joseph gave Mary a salt dried hunk of lamb right before she gave birth to baby Jesus? No, blasphemy! I totally made all that up, plus you can't eat meat on Christmas Eve!

Ok, that was weird, but I think my salt gifts looked really cute!

First I started with all this stuff below. (Which is a scary picture considering my hoarding past. Or I mean my past, present, and future. I swear these were all gifts! I will give them all away, all except the one blue one that I'm keeping. God I'm sick in the head.)

It is a Martha Stewart mess! Tiny metal colanders in vintage blue and yellow colors and salt cellars in flower and leaf shapes! Oh and don't forget the Martha Stewart signature magnets!

So here's where I put the salt and pepper. I thought what else could go with salt cellars??

Then I wrapped it all up in cellophane and tied a ribbon! Cute right?

Oh, and don't forget the magnet I attached to the front! It stuck to the metal colander!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

Nicole's Wreath!

Shannon and her sister Nicole have the wreath making bug! Look at this beautiful one that Nicole made!

This is what Shannon says about her sister's wreath:

She took a Styrofoam circle wreath and covered it in ribbon. Then she took the bulbs and hot glued them on. Also I know she put wire behind the ribbon to hang the wreath with for a little strength. I think this is just FABULOUS! I wish I had done this kind instead. I think I may still do it anyways for next year!

You are right Shan, it does look FAB! Good Job Nicole! Shannon estimated that Nicole spent about $35 on the supplies, but that was before all the ball ornaments went on sale, so we were thinking now we could get it done for $12-$15!!

 

Thanks ladies for the picture! Check out Shannon's homemade wreath here!

Mantle all Christmas-ized!

Last night I finally got a chance to work on my mantle.. Something that I dread every year because of the dis-mantle.. he he! 

So here is my mantle before: Greenery is up, but nothing fancy is happening here.

Mantle after: Greenery is up and the lights are on!

Stockings are hung with care!

Christmas books and snowflake ornaments are stuck in the greenery.

And I hung a key in the center, don't know why I did it, but I like it!

So this was all stuff I had around the house, except for the stockings. I just bought those last night because we didnt have any! They were $7.99 at Garden Ridge. They are silk dupioni-esk, (or polyester made to look like silk), with little embroidered silvery snowflakes trimming the top. I love them and you can't beat them for $8 each!

Happy Holidays! T-minus 7 days!

Mom's Ornament Party!

My mom had an ornament gift exchange party and we made her invites here. The table was so pretty I just had to take a few quick pictures!! Wish I got some more!

She placed a white table cloth with silver and gold plaid stitching down like a runner. Then placed individually hung glass ornments on their own little hooks on top down the center of the table.

The red place settings really stood out on the white table cloth witht the white plates! Love the Christmas Crackers!

And she added a few bubble vases with rosemary! Smells so good!

It looked great!!! Mom reported that the party was a success!

Check Mom out here making Margaritas!

Rosemary Stuff!

So what do you do with this stuff?

(A big ol' rosemary bush with leaves in it?)

And these:

(Clear bubble vases?)

Well, you make THIS!

A cute little arrangement for a corner of the house! Oh and it smells amazing! OH and it was FREE!! Bubble vases were a purchase from years ago, so they cancel themselves out (hoarder), and rosemary plant is older than the house.

You could make them extra cute by putting little ribbons or bows around the neck of the vases, but I left as is. I liked how clean and fresh they looked!

This was my mom's idea so I will give her the idea credit, but I put the thing together, so I get the doing credit! Thanks mom!

Okanagan Relish!

Another famous recipe from my Grama. I just so happened to make this on Thanksgiving so here is the step-by-step instructions so you can make your very own. It is the best and you can use it on crackers, burgers, chips, toast! (I eat it just by the spoonful as well!)

Start with six clean pint size canning jars then heat jars in oven on a cookie sheet at 150 degrees for the amount of time the relish is cooking.

Dice and peel 3 pears, 3 peaches, (I used frozen peaches, 3-4 cups, since they aren't in season. Let thaw.) 3 onions, 3 green bell peppers, 6 tomatoes. Put in a large stock pot. Add 2 and 1/4 cup of white sugar, 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 tbsp. of salt.

Simmer on low heat at least for 2 hours with one 1oz. bag of cheesecloth full of pickling spice. Uncovered.

This time I made a bag out of cheesecloth, but next time I make this I am just going to use a tea ball.

Here are all the veggies and fruit cut up with cheesecloth bag.

When the 2 hours are about up, boil the lids for about 15 minutes so the jars seal tight.

Pour the mixture into the hot jars and clean off tops and the seal with lids. (My aunt was in town while we did this and she said to not tighten lids too tight at first, then a day later after all the lids seal you can tighten tighter.)

The relish turned out great! It is sweet, tangy, and delish! We have already gone through half of the batch!

NOEL Tags Winner!

Sorry it has been delayed, but there is a WINNER!!! Random.org chose lucky follower # 3!!

Congrats Alison, email me at swissavenue@gmail.com to claim your NOEL Tags prize!

Ornament Exchange Invite!

I helped my mom make invitations for her annual Ornament Exchange party!

I used green paper that I have had for years! I bought it all on clearance from a store that was closing!

(It also happens to be the same paper I used for my NOEL gift tags! Check out the Holiday Giveaway! Ends December 10th!

Our supplies included:

Fancy edged scissors, a hole punch, matching ribbon, snow flake charms, and vellum paper.

We folded the cardstock in half and inserted the printed vellum. Then hole punched two holes at the top to tie a bow with the ribbon. When we tied the bow we added the snowflake charm so it would hang under the bow.

Then the inside looked like this when you opened the card:

They turned out really cute! I like the font and wording too we picked out too!

"He's makin' a list and checkin' it twice.

Join us if you're naughty or nice!"

Join me if you are naughty or nice and enter my Holiday Giveaway!

Fort Worth Stock Yards

A couple of weekends ago I went to the Fort Worth Stock Yards and it was so fun to see it all decorated for Christmas!

Boughs of Holly! Poinsettias! Twinkle Lights!

Grennery galore on old rustic buildings.

And some beautiful old architecture!

Plus a longhorn named Big Jake!

It was a beautiful day and got me in the Holiday mood!

Don't forget to enter my Holiday Giveaway! Ends December 10th!

Hot Chocolate Supreme!

Look what I got last night!! I'm still dreaming about it today!

Hot Chocolate Supreme is what I am calling it!

Made with whipped cream, marshmallows, and shaved milk chocolate!

It was the best way to finish of a cold, wet, football watching Sunday!

Get in on the actions! Enter to win my Holiday Giveaway!

Tin Angels!

My mom and I are frequent craft fair goers and here is the latest from Coppell High School Christmas Craft Fair. WARNING- Some hoarding commenced here. Turn away if you are under the age of 13.

We stopped at the best craft booth I have ever seen. A husband and wife team create the most unique and fabulous angels out of "junk" that I have ever seen.

They use everyday items like old dominos to creat the bodies. On this particular one there were wooden wings and wooden legs  and old keys for heads. All attached by hand with wire.

I absolutely love the legs on this one made out of an old ruler. They have used an old keyhole and brooch for the body and drawer pulls for the head.

There were also letters from old printing press blocks.

This was an old hardback book with a spoon for the head!

They also used old scrabble pieces to spell out a special message!

I was so lucky to buy some of these beauties and bring them home with me!

These babes are made out of antique tins, from tobacco to oil.

This tin is  a Monarch Cocoa Tin! I love the rust on it!

I have a family member with the last name Stewart so they are getting this one for Christmas! It is a metal lid from a jar!

This oval shaped tin I think is my favorite! It is a Mellomints tin and these pictures do not do these babies justice.

Side Mellomints tin view. Notice the 10 cents!

Back view of the Mellomints tin. All attached with wire and screws.

The legs are priceless on this one. Made from an old ruler.

Prince Albert Tobacco tin. I love the look of the tin.

Another old tobacco tin. Raleigh Tobacco.

I cannot tell you how much I love these. Im considering giving some of these as Christmas gifts this year but the hoarder in me just wants to keep them all and hang them some where to watch over my home!

Don't forget to enter into my Holdiay Giveaway!