Can you Imagine My Suprise.....

It's PINK Saturday and I'm going to share with you something PINK .....
 

Today I made a trip to Joann Fabrics to purchase some fabric for an apron I was working on. It was quite busy and as I stood in line to get the fabric cut, I noticed the new Somerset Life magazine that was on the shelf. I decided to flip through it and boy was I surprised..... At first it my brain did not register. I quietly said to myself, " Boy that looks like one of my letters".   Guess what?  It was one of my creations.  There  it was on page 71. I was unaware that Somerset was publishing it in the newest addition of the Somerset Life Magazine.  I couldn't stop smiling. I was about to do my "HAPPY DANCE" right there in the store, but I just decided to purchase the magazine and take it home and celebrate in the privacy of my home!

It was a two page spread in Somerset Life Magazine....

  Here's the first page.....

and it's PINK!

Page #2.....

More PINK!

What a wonderful unexpected surprise. It put a smile on my face for the remainder of the day. The magazine has so many wonderful pictures and articles by so many creative people. You can purchase it at Joann Fabrics, Michaels and Barnes & Noble. If you love pretty things you'll love this publication!

It's all Being Packed Away Until Next Year....

It's "Do It Yourself Day" and what am I doing today???
  I've spent the day starting to take down all the Christmas decorations.  I think it's worse taking them down then puttting them up.  It's alwasy fun starting to put up all the decorations, because I look forward to Christmas.  So before I take everything down, I thought I would take a few photos and share them with you.  The pictures I took in the previous posts were taken at night and I was having trouble with the lighting so I decided to take a some photos during the day.

...ENJOY...

My Tree in the living room....  This was the first year I added the gold fern with the star.

I've had this same family photo in the tree for the past 10 years....

This is my oldest son, 10 years ago.  I love the combination of the red glitter ribbon, gold bulbs and poinsettias.

My snowman tree in the kitchen...

Love the tree topper...."Snowmen For Sale"

I've incorporated lots of large snowman into the tree. You don't always have to use ordinary ornaments...

I made this snowman years ago.  He sits right next to the snowman tree.

My tinsel tree with photos from my husband and my childhood....

The mantel over the fireplace...

I love to hang the different beaded garland from the mantel...

To me angels are a big part of Christmas.  These are one of my favorite decorations.

I picked this beaded garland at Michaels this year.  I decided to wrap it around the candles that sit on top of the angels.

This santa has been part of our Christmas decorations for many years.  Every year he sits right in front of the fireplace.

Here's another santa that sits quietly on the side table.

Can you tell I love santa!  Here's another one on a foyer table.

I picked this large glitter ball and glitter garland up last year.  The ball was sold as an ornament, but I just set it in a vase.

The barker's rack in my kitchen all decorated....

Another photo from years ago.  I just love to see photos of the boys when they were small.

More snowmen and Santas!

My rooster sits here all year long with the "Bless all who Enter" sign.  I just added some Christmas decorations to make it a bit more festive

.

The light that hangs over the kitchen table....

I added some garland to the light fixture.

I also tied some ornaments onto the light with some pretty Christmas ribbon. 

I made this arrangement last year.  The light is glued onto of a piece of styrofoam that I attached to an old book.  I added Christmas greens and berries.  I leave it on throughout the Christmas Season.

 

These were my new creations this year.  I sold quite a few of them. 

My foyer table with a wonderful Santa standing watch as my guests enter....

Another one of the glitter ball ornaments I purchased last year.  This one sits on top of a  crystal votive candle holder.

Dress up your dining room chandelier by adding greens and some crystal ornaments....

My staircase takes the longest to decorate but I love the look of it when it's finished with all the lights twinkling!

Lots of lights, glittered ribbon, gold ornaments, poinsettias and glittered fern adorn the staircase garland.

This year the glittered eucalyptus was a new addition to the staircase decorations.

I hope you enjoyed the last of my Christmas Tour.  By tomorrow all will be packed away until next Christmas season.  It's a lot of work but I love every minute of it!!

How to store your Christmas Bows....

Here's a quick tip I'd like to share with you....

If you're like many people, this week you will be busy aking down all your Christmas decorations.  It's always bitter sweet to start packing everything away until next year.  I posted  HERE earlier about decorating your staircase.  I have lots of these large bows that I use for the staircase.

Here's the problem.... How can they be packed away so that they look just as nice next year when it's time to decorate?

Here's an easy solution....  Instead of packing them in a box, hang them up.  Here's of photo of how I do it.  These bows were from a clients home.  I had premade them and then brought them to her house.  This is how I store them until it's time to decorate.  Just  cut a long piece of curling ribbon and thread the curling ribbon through one of the loops of the bow.  I string about 3 bows per one piece of ribbon.  I then tie the ribbon  and hang it on a hanger.  I had about 15 bows on these two hangers.  When it's time to store them, I put them in the attic. I hang the hanger from a nail that I hammered into one of the 2x4's in the attic.  If you want,  you can cover the hanger with a large plastic garbage bag.  I don't even bother to do this.  When November rolls around I just grab the bows on the hanger and I'm ready to start decorating.  The bows look as good as new.  

Hope this easy trick makes storing your Christmas decorations a bit easier! Stop by Metamorphosis Monday to see more interesting ideas.....

A New Years Challange...

...HAPPY NEW YEAR....

Well it's hard to beleive that 2010 is here.  With each New Year comes new resolutions and promises of things we would like to accomplish.  This year I  am taking the challenge to read the bible in 90 days.  I suscribe to the blog  "Keeping the Kingdom First" and just received her recent post about "The bible in 90 Days".  You can view the post  Here.  After reading the post, I started thinking  God was tapping me on the shoulder asking me why I could not find the time to read HIs word daily.  You see I always have good intensions, but I easily get side tracked.  The phone, my computer, work, the family and then T.V.  Before I know it, my day is done and the bible is  still sitting on the coffee table unopened.  Well, today is the first day of the New Year and I am going to do it!  Yes, read the bible in 90 days.    I realize I will have to let something go in my day to day routine, but I  know it will be well worth it.  There is one another option  I might consider- iTunes. The Bible in 90 Days is actually available as an audio book download for $2.95 per week. I will occasionally use this along with  my reading  during my busier weeks.    There is also a reading schedule HERE that you can download it's easy to follow and can help to keep you accountable. I would love some of you to join in with me on this adventure.  In 90 days we can look back and say that we have read God's entire book.  If you want to partner up with me send me a comment, I would love to hear from you.  If you also want to get more information and see other bloggers who are taking the challange go to "Mom's Toolbox".

Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year filled with many wonderful memories.