Build the Perfect Gift this Holiday Season!

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot

Hello Friends!  Just like that, it’s about to be the most wonderful time of year again!  And this year, we’re bringing things back to basics.  It’s the simple things that matter most.  Time spent decorating the tree, the smell of baking cookies and simple acts of joy!  This season’s all about giving, and for parents, there’s nothing sweeter than seeing happiness on your child’s face.  So, that’s why this year, we’re beyond excited to partner with The Home Depot to create a truly special surprise!

For those of you that have followed along, you know that this past year has proven to be one that was filled with great sadness as well as much joy.  And one thing I’ve learned, is that a strange thing happens when you’re met with great loss.  Gratitude.  This year, I’m extremely grateful!  Grateful for my family.  Grateful for this life.  And grateful for you!  I hope this little space of ours continually inspires.  And I so look forward to sharing all the things we have planned for 2018.  But in the meantime, we’re pausing to enjoy the present!  And I hope this holiday season, you too do the same!

Because after all that’s what this season is all about.  Doing things you love with the people you love!  And for me, that’s why this holiday partnership with The Home Depot means so much!  It was an opportunity for Brian and I to once again, get back to the thing we love most!  Spending time together, tools in hand, putting a vision into place!  For us project time is always the best time!  We learn, we love, we grow!  And this project turned out to be one of our all time favorites, because it was for the holidays and because it was for our kids!  Hand made, with love!

Now, head over to The Home Depot Blog to see the truly special thing we created for P & K!  Hands down it was the best, (pre-holiday) Holiday surprise!  And truth be told, it’s the gift that keeps on giving, all 365 days of the year, trust me...you don’t want to miss this!

Love, Michelle

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I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in this holiday campaign (the “Program”).  As part of the program I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot.  All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words.  My post complies with the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) ethics code and applicable Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.

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Holiday Entertaining with Wayfair

The Holidays are finally here!  To celebrate the season, I partnered with Wayfair to throw the perfect casual evening with friends & neighbors!  When it comes to entertaining, I like to keep things simple and laid back without compromising on festive decor!  

What better way to kick off the holidays than with Egg Nog and good company!  Whether you're hosting a week night happy hour or a weekend evening, this easy setup is meant to make entertaining a breeze!

To make the most of our small space, we decided to bring things outdoors.  We re-purposed our entry table to act as an outdoor bar.  How beautiful is this large punch bowl!  Makes the perfect statement in an otherwise natural environment!

Freshly cut magnolia branches with faux flowers act as a natural garland.  Don't have a large Magnolia Tree in the front yard?  Artificial garland works great and of course can be used for years to come!

I'm gah gah over that wood handled ice cream scoop.  

And of course boxwood wreaths are an all time favorite!  Instead of the hanging the usual large wreath, try grouping three small ones together for something different...people will notice!

Egg Nog is always a holiday favorite!  You can find our recipe here! (fun fact:  we add a scoop of cinnamon sprinkled ice cream to ours!). 

Add an additional splash of bourbon for a festive cocktail! 

For the full buying guide, egg nog recipe and my Top 3 Entertaining Tips for the Holidays, head over to the Wayfair Ideas and Advice page!

Happy Hosting Friends!

Holiday Favorites | Where to Buy Mini Christmas Trees

This season I'm wanting to incorporate a lot more greenery into our home, and these artificial table trees are just the thing!  Click the photos below to see where to buy them!

Maybe my favorite this year, at just $14 a piece (for the small, $18 for the medium), this little Chriistmas tree is cute trimmed with mini pinecones and a sprinkling of snow!  I found them at Target, back with all the Christmas stuff, currently not available online (I'll post a link when they are), next time you're there grab a few for the table or the kids room!

This small tree is cute wrapped in burlap.  The perfect size for an entry or coffee table!

This one is perfect to add a bit of whimsy to a space.  Think "whos down in whoville".

View fullsize

And lastly (ours is an older version), classic and cute another great addition to your decor!

Happy Decorating Friends!

Magnolia Christmas Tree

As I write this, I'm turning on the Christmas music and pulling out our holiday decor.  A bit earlier than I usually do, but after sharing the Blogger's Gift Guide yesterday, I'm inspired and determined to start the process early to ensure an enjoyable and stress-free season!  I loved this white Christmas tree we did two years ago.  Simple white magnolias graced the branches.

A 'Merry & Bright' lettered garland, from my favorite Made-In-America letterpress shop.  

Pineapple ornaments from our wedding, and these flower sphere ornaments, a simple diy with a round styrofoam ornament and decoupaged paper flowers.

I'm a big fan of simple, easy decorating.  With the twins now two, I'm looking forward to making our tree and home kid friendly and festive!  If you're wanting to see what we're working on, follow along on our Instagram Live Stories!

What theme are you planning for this holiday season?

Blogger Gift Guide 2016

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  And in case you haven't noticed it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...in stores...on the streets.  This year I've promised myself to be organized and prepared for all the eggnog, decorating and gift giving the season brings!

Hands down the more stressful part of the holiday season can be picking the perfect gifts for everyone on your list.  So this year, my sweet friends from DIY Playbook decided to put together a comprehensive gift guide that covers EVERYONE, from your bestie, to the pet lovers, to the guys in your life, to fitness favorites...seriously, this guide covers EVERYONE on your list!

They were kind enough to include me along with some of my favorite bloggers.  I mean just look at this lineup:

• Bridget & Casey from The DIY Playbook
• Courtney from A Thoughtful Place
• Katie from Bower Power
• Emily from Emily A Clark
• Megan from Honey We're Home
• Jen from IHeart Organizing
• Michael from Inspired By Charm
• Michelle from Iron & Twine
• Mandi from Vintage Revivals
• Kim & Scott from Yellow Brick Home

Having just gone through the newborn phase with my boy/girl twins, P & K, I curated my favorite gifts to surprise and delight any new mom.

And to make this gift guide all the more usable, Casey & Bridget put it into a beautiful, clickable, magazine layout.  Viewing it is simple, (just click below), and should you find something for your holiday list, click on the item to be taken directly to source!  You can buy it immediately or save it for later.  

Go ahead, be awesome and finish your holiday shopping early!  Leaving more time for you to do the things you love this holiday season!  Cheers!

Holiday Cheer in the Studio | And A Giveaway!

The holidays are in full swing and this season I'm so excited to partner with Home Decorators Collection along with some super creative bloggers for this years HDC Holiday Homes!  If you're coming over from Just A Girl & Her Blog, welcome!  Wasn't her home tour adorable?!  I loved all the pops of red and her beautiful dining room hutch!

Our shed is hands down my favorite space we did in 2015 and it only seemed right that it too got decked out with some holiday cheer!  But like any new parent (well, kinda new, the twins are now one), time is of the essence and this holiday season I just don't seem to have enough of it!  So, my goal in decorating the shed was to keep things beautiful, easy and most of all fast!   

That's why I'm in love with these lighted dioramas!  The winter scene is the sweetest and the battery operated lights makes this the perfect and easily installed decoration!  And by easily installed decoration, I mean I literally pulled it out of the box, popped some batteries in and viola, instant, gorgeous holiday decor!!

And this wreath makes me so happy!

This year I'm keeping holiday wrapping simple.  Some twine and freshly cut greenery to top.

Don't they look sweet and festive under these entrance trees?!

Now I'm off to go wrap some more presents, be sure to check out all the home tours and of course enter to win one of two $250 Home Decorators Collection gift cards, links below!!

Be sure to check out the entire Holiday Home Tour lineup! You can also follow along on social media with hashtag #HDCholidayhomes.

Monday

DIY on the Cheap | Christina's Adventures | Just a Girl and Her Blog | Iron & Twine

Tuesday

Southern State of Mind | Migonis Home |Ciburbanity

Wednesday

Heathered Nest | House by Hoff | Life on Virginia Street

Thursday

Designer Trapped in a Lawyer's Body | Chaotically Creative | Rain on a Tin Roof

Friday

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | Redhead Can Decorate | The Frugal Homemaker

HOME DECORATORS COLLECTION GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY!

TWO of our lucky readers will have the opportunity to win one of two $250 Home Decorators Collection gift cards! To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway ends next Friday, December 18, at Midnight EST. Please see terms and conditions here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This is a sponsored post from Home Decorators Collection, but like always all opinions are my own!

BSHT Christmas 2015

Today marks the start of the most wonderful time of the year!  And to kick off the celebration we're joining Lindsay from The White Buffalo for the annual BSHT Christmas Tour.  If you're stopping by from The Sweetest Digs (wasn't her tour beautiful!), then welcome!  For me the holidays are all about tradition and with the twins recently turning one, I decided to re-create their tree from last year.  Having a tree just for them is special to me and I love the idea that each year we'll add to it!

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a ...

The mice are my favorite part about this tree.  They're from Maileg and with new holiday mice added yearly, it will be a fun collection for year to come!

The stockings are from Seabags, and mice gift wrap from Crate & Barrel.

This is one of my favorite pics of the twins last year under their tree.  I can't wait to recreate the pic again this Christmas eve!

Now I'm off to go decorate the rest of our house, here's a sneak peek of more to come...

And you've got to run on over to Style Your Senses!  I'm DYING over her Christmas Tree!!

Have Babies, Will Travel | Bottoms Tree Farm

In what feels like a blink, the twins are six weeks old!  It feels like yesterday that we brought these two home, heck it feels like yesterday we found out we were expecting twins!  I have a feeling I'll still feel this way ten, twenty years down the road.  They're time thieves I tell you!  The first six weeks with our twins have been a whirlwind of awesomeness.  Everyday is amazing, and tiresome, and wonderful, and challenging, and happy, and fun, and exhilarating.  There's no other way I could imagine spending my days than with my two little time thieves.  Brian and I have tried to make a conscience effort to live in the moment and treat every day as an adventure.  To jump start some family memories and hopefully, simultaneously, create some family traditions, our little family of four recently made the hour drive to Bottom's Tree Farm in north Georgia.  We walked around the grounds, took some family pictures and found what we believe is the perfect tree for Parker and Kennedy's first Christmas.

Blogger Stylin Home Tours | Holiday 2013

Happy Holidays!  If you're coming over from Eclectically Vintage, then Welcome!!  How adorable was her front porch?!  I love, love, loved it!  If you're new to this home tour, be sure to check out the full list of homes below.  For me, this holiday season decor was all about simple.  Pick a color palette you love and incorporate it in simple, thoughtful ways throughout the house.

The Buffalo Check Tablecloth is simply fabric from Ikea!

The deer silhouette was painted with white paint on black foam core.  And the Chalkboard Menu, on the left, is a keepsake from our Wedding Reception.

To see how we made our easy, simple Rosemary Letter Wreath, click here!

Our Advent Calendar is by Wheel & Basket!!

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Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to head over to the next stop on the tour, at Our Humble Abode

 ~ it's super Merry & Bright!

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Monday:

Lindsay - 

The White Buffalo Styilng Co.

Roeshel - 

DIY Showoff

Jess and Monica - 

East Coast Creative

Laura - 

Finding Home

Jesse - 

Scout & Nimble

Sarah - 

Sarah M. Dorse

y 

Angela - 

Number Fifty-Three

Gwen - 

The Makerista

Brittany - 

Brittany Makes

Tuesday:

Ashley - 

The Handmade Home

Anneke - 

This, That, & Life

Gina - 

Shabby Creek Cottage

Cassie - 

Primitive & Proper

Caitlin - 

Desert Domicile

Jenna - 

Rain on a Tin Roof

Sarah - 

The Thriftress

Carolyn - 

Sweet Chaos Home

Jamie - 

So Much Better with Age

Shavonda - 

A Home Full of Color

Wednesday:

Emily - 

Jones Design Company

Jamie - 

C.R.A.F.T.

Lucy - 

Craftberry Bush

Michelle - 

Decor and the Dog

Whitney - 

The Curtis Casa

Kristin - 

Bliss at Home

Summer - 

Simple Stylings

Sarah - 

Lacquer and Linen

 Kelly - 

View Along the Way

Thursday:

Kennesha - 

Restoration House Interiors

Jenna - 

SAS Interiors

Chris - 

Just a Girl

Kelly - 

Eclectically Vintage

Michelle - 

Iron and Twine

Amanda - 

Our Humble Abode

Julia - 

Cuckoo 4 Design

Bethany - 

Dwellings by Devore

Lindsay - 

Makely Home

Jennifer - 

Dimples and Tangles

Friday:

Shauna - 

Perfectly Imperfect

Traci - 

Beneath My Heart

Jennifer - 

The Chronicles of Home

Jen - 

Tatertots and Jello

Kristin - 

Hunted Interior

Eileen - 

A Creative Day

Gabbi - 

Retro Ranch Reno

Shannon - 

Shannon Berrey Designs

Kristen - 

KFD Designs

Jessica - 

Dear Emmeline

Sarah - 

Royal Marigold

Carmel - 

Our Fifth House

Danika - 

Gorgeous Shiny Things

DIY | Rosemary Letter Wreath

I am loving all the monogram holiday wreaths that are popping up everywhere!  So to spread a little holiday joy your way, I wanted to share this DIY!  Inspired, I decided to use items I had on hand to make my own; rosemary from our garden and hangers that we get from the dry cleaners.  Don't have rosemary in the backyard?  No worries, you can find them at most home improvement stores or nurseries this time of year.  Or, go get creative and try other greenery you have on hand.  Here's how I made ours:   

 To hang my letters, I secured ornament hooks to the back, then attached each one to small nails tied with bows.

I also wanted to make a simple monogram.  

A large S is now hanging from our kitchen cabinet.

I'm loving the fragrance that these bring into our kitchen, so whether your entertaining this holiday season, or needing a hostess gift for someone else, spread the joy with a personalized DIY Letter Wreath! 

And...if you love rosemary as much as I do, check out my new favorite holiday hostess gift: 

Rosemary & Garlic Infused Olive Oil 

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Wishing you all a very festive and joyful Holiday Season!!

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Since writing this post, I received a couple requests asking about the longevity of this wreath ~ I would compare the lifespan to a good bouquet of flowers.  Over the first couple days the fragrance is amazing and the vibrant green color lasts for about a week (depending on how you dry it).  So, if giving it as a hostess gift I would suggest making it as close to the day as you plan to gift it.  Here's what ours looked like three and half weeks after making it:

The rosemary leaves have darkened, but have not turned completely brown yet.  

When drying Rosemary I typically have the best luck cutting the stems early in the day, then drying in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Depending on where & how it’s stored, I typically see the leaves turn brown around weeks 2-3. So, like a good bouquet of flowers, enjoy it while lasts, but this wreath won't last forever.