creative little daisy

My rustic and sparkly mantel

I was proud to get my tree up the day after Thanksgiving, but I've been slower getting the mantel decorated. I knew I wanted to make a sign and finally got around to gettin 'er dun yesterday.

O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas hymn, so I used my Silhouette to cut out the letters and nativity silhouette and used the vinyl as a stencil.

The star was made from some trim strips. I couldn't find any thin strips of wood in the garage, but I did have some plastic lattice trim. I sanded it down and wiped on some stain. I hot glued the strips into a star shape and wrapped some twine around the joints. Easy-peasy rustic star.

To balance things out I made a simple and rustic tree.

I just cut graduating lengths of wood from some rough stakes.  Since they were stakes, the end was already cut to a point. I just glued the "limbs" on the base with wood glue.

Since I like a little chic with my shabby, I brought in some sparkle with mercury glass and twinkle lights.

Completely unrelated cute dog shot

Linking this up over at The Lettered Cottage Mantel Decorating Party.

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The tree is up and has lights.

Working lights.

Not the case when I first put it up.

My prelit tree had roughly 43 working lights.

I bought lights and had fun times stringing them. 

Look at that sweet little baby. 

She went to see a high school production of Alice in Wonderland.

Wearing her Alice dress.

and Alice hairbow.

She really loves Alice.

She's trying hard to be good these days.

She has someone watching over her and reporting back to Santa.

She really wants a good report.

Every morning, first thing, she searches the house for Elfus.

Elfus, like Elvis. She named him all by herself. Pretty clever, don't you think?

 

 

 

Making cookies and a new toy

Miss Bayleigh and I baked cookies last night. Not from scratch, but hey, we did have to use the oven, so we did bake. Right?

She's not discriminating. It didn't matter that they came out of a pack.

Nope, didn't mind one bit.

I got a new lens yesterday. Finally, I can take fairly descent photos in low light without using a flash.

And I'm no Pioneer Woman, but check out the bokeh.

 

Please remember to come back tonight at 8 to link up your Silhouette and Cricut projects. 

 

Add me to the list of bloggers,

who has made the Eddie Ross ornament wreath this year.

 

I'm trying this mirror in a different location. Same wreath, same mirror, different room. See what Mitch has to live with.

A skirt for a tree

Made from charcoal burlap

with grey ticking striped ruffle and binding. Nothing fancy. Just a simple skirt, for a sparkly tree. 

Feeling all festive

~silver and white on the tree

~silver and white on the mantel (+ a little green)

~ notice a theme here?

check out my outdoor lights used indoors-  I'm such a rebel 

 

~a little burlap  to hide a green candle 

~green is OK if you are a tree or a wreath, not a candle

this wreath looks much better in person but was a pain to try to photograph- out of 15 or 20  pictures, taken at different times of day, this was the best I could get

~ goodbye gold foil with big red bow, hello burlap and pretty blue bow!  

I'm still working on the dining room- more silver and white and almost entirely from the dollar store.