VALENTINE HOME DECOR TOUR {2013}

Here's to posting my holiday ideas BEFORE the actual holiday! I'm so proud of me.

I have never been a fan of the tacky, commercial-looking Valentine decorations overpowered with kissy lips, naked angels, red foil, and pink, pink, pink! (Bah, humbug, right?) Well, I took an unconventional wintry woods approach instead. Most of the Valentine touches are subtle. 

I reused the felt garland I made for Christmas (FYI: Easy as pie to make. I ordered the 2CM wool felt balls from an etsy shop and then strung them with needle and string. You can make your own felt balls by following tutorials like this one.) 

Then I made a doily garland by sandwiching the two halves of a folded doily on either side of string. It is held together with a little white glue. This frilled things up enough to look Valentine-y without overdoing it. 

Andrew helped me cut a dead Aspen tree into several skinny stumps while we were out chopping a Christmas tree. I knew I wanted to use them for some kind of display. I got the idea to make them work for February by adding the carved letters. Another subtle touch.

I kept the homemade wreath I used in December, because it continued the woodsy feel. 

{source}

I love this print. Not only is it pretty and matches my felt garland, but it sums up my feelings for Andrew. Sometimes I feel so boring and serious. Andrew is the funny, lighthearted, playful one...the source of  the color in my life. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't get the entire page to fit in the frame I had on hand. So I folded the bottom line out...hoping it still made sense. Good enough. 

Andrew thinks the shelves look like Easter...which works for me. That just means I can leave this up for several months...maybe with just a different framed print. Less work!

As for the mantel in the great room, I was never fully satisfied with how this turned out, but I wanted to show off my homemade garland. 

The framed print can be snagged for free at sissyprint.blogspot.com. I made a tiny 8x10 look a little more imposing in a large framed mat. 

I received this Hyacinth for Christmas from grandma.  It bloomed just in time to decorate for love month. Doesn't it look unreal? Hopefully, it sticks around a little longer. 

I made the bunting over a few evenings sitting in front of Netflix. My inspiration came from here. I cut pages out of a vintage, thrift store book with a razor blade--sinful, I know. Then I used a template printed from the Internet to cut out hearts from fabric scraps. 

I tried double stick tape with no success. Glue left ugly splotches behind the fabric. So I sewed the things on with a needle and thread and handful of mismatched buttons. 

They looked a bit plain...so I added a washi tape touch across the top. 

Then I strung all the flags together with needle and string. Seriously, easy. 

Have a happy Valentine's Day, folks. 

Feeling the Love,

Rachel

TELLESTRATIONS {favorite family game}

Every year on New Year's Eve, we unwrap a new family game to play together. This year's game was so fun, I wanted to share. Pass on the love.

You know that telephone game where you whisper something from person to person to see how far the original message is distorted by the end? This is the same thing, but with pictures. 

Telephone + Pictionary = Telestrations.

To begin, the timer is set and we draw the word from our individual cards. Then we pass our notebooks, and the next person has to write the word they think was illustrated. Then it is passed again and the next person draws a picture from the new word. After everyone has had a turn with each notebook, we share. 

This is where the real fun starts. Sometimes, the original word gets reeeally far off track. And then we laugh and laugh until we're in pain. 

It's great fun.

Here's an example. 

My assigned word was "dust bunny." So I drew a french maid's skirt and a hand holding a feather duster + a cute bunny. Easy enough, right? 

Well. My supposed art skills were no match for Becca's unique way of thinking.

Apparently, my feather duster looked more like a flaming torch...really throwing off my little sis. 

So then my sweet mother drew a picture of a demonic man with a poor flaming rabbit. 

At least Andrew made an intelligent guess (as opposed to flaming rabbit???). 

When my notebook made full circle, the word was so different from my original word that it didn't even occur to me that it was mine. So I continued the chain. A Roman + a candle. Again, easy enough, right?

But no. My poor sister saw my picture and saw a warrior flame. It almost makes sense. 

Except for not at all.

My mom, in turn, drew Becca's "warrior flame." 

Please note the handlebar mustache.

And then poor, confused Andrew did the best he could with what he was given. 

So there you have it. My "dust bunny" traveled through all the rounds eventually transforming into a "candle ninja." My stomach muscles hurt the next day. 

Check it out if you're in the market for great game. Though I have to say, a ditsy player or two can make all the difference on this game's entertainment value. 

CHRISTMAS HOME DECOR TOUR 2012

No one is going to care about this post for another ten months. But here goes our holiday decor tour anyway. It was so fun to decorate a brand new house!

This is the shelf Andrew recently built for the entry way. It turned out exactly like I pictured in my head, and my man is a stud. Stockings and a wreath hung from the hooks. 

The framed Joy to the World printable was free from Angela Hardison's lovely blog. 

I framed last year's Christmas card.

I printed this wintery mason jar print from TWIGGSstudios.com.

Then cuttings from out Christmas tree were stuck between the frames. 

In the great room, I gussied up the mantel. Keeping the Proclamation print, I added our stocking holders, Christmas tree cuttings, and a cozy felt garland I made.

On the other end, I brought nature indoors and decorated branches with cheap-o ornaments rolled in glitter or fake snow.

I put small holiday touches randomly throughout the built-ins...

...Most of which I gathered for pennies from thrift stores. 

I already talked about our Christmas tree in greater detail here. 

Christmas cards from friends and family ended up strung across windows like this one. 

In the dining room, I had a family heirloom theme going on. Above the hutch I framed an old childhood picture of my mom and a photo of great grandparents. 

The back of the hutch got a touch of wintery glam with wrapping paper. 

I used double stick tape to attach the paper and then cleaned up the look with washi tape along the edges.

The chandelier was even festive with dollar store greenery, ribbon, and ornaments from my grandmother. 

And finally, the shelves. The frame with more old family photos was moved here from the mantel. Then I covered the tacky, shiny green foil around the poinsettias with burlap scraps already on hand. The Believe sign was a gift from a student, the mini sled was a thrift store find, and the wreath I made with moss and a grapevine form. Super simple. 

Well, a little overdue, but there it is. Our home at Christmas. 

TURKEY "DRESSING" {November Kid's Craft}

As a testament to how far behind I am, here is my Thanksgiving craft post. 

I copy a basic turkey outline (that I found in an old "The Mailbox" magazine) on brown construction paper, and then my kids and I have a discussion about the double meaning of "dressing a turkey". Then they are set free to decorate their turkeys however they please using scraps I've collected. 

This is one of my favorite projects of the year. Sometimes, the rows of identical kids' crafts hanging in the hallway can be depressing. But this project allows for individuality and true creativity...and the kids blow me away with how dang creative they can be. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

Please note the karate uniform, belt, Asian symbol.

The eye patch.

The dark mask and super hero cape.

Some even got together and made turkeys to go together. I love her pom poms and his shoulder pads and helmet...

Don't miss the stubble on the robber's chin and the bag of stolen goods slung over his shoulder. The policeman has a nightstick and a badge. 

Someone was still stuck on Halloween. The little vampire suit, red cape, and special hair do just kill me. 

This turkey's flowered hat and pretty parasol accessorize her beautiful summer dress.

The jeans and the hunting cap are perfect. 

Lady in pink.

And this turkey...I'm not sure. I stared at it for a long time trying to figure it out. Curly hair...sweat band...short shorts...gaudy sparkles...

The best conclusion I could come to was a Richard Simmons turkey...?? Ha!

Sorry about the lousy blurry pictures taken in our dark hallway. Hopefully, this still gives you some fun ideas for next year!