craft: 12 days of pinterest wrap-up

Thank you to my faithful Instagram followers for hanging around during the 12 days of Pinterest.  Now that we have that little thing behind us, let me be the first to admit that it's not as easy as it looks. Some were a little easier than others (turning my hangers around isn't necessarily a heavy lift). But I did try a few pins that I haven't looked at in a year! 

Day 1: color-coded keys with nail polish Day 2: 3-D paper star Day 3: free iphone wallpaper Day 4: Instagram pictures into photobooth picture strip (into holiday card ...) Day 5: wire hanger + ornaments = holiday wreath Day 6: hanger trick to donate clothes you don't wear after a season Day 7: holiday cards into phone contact pictures Day 8: homemade sweet smelling gifts Day 9: washi tape for calendar organization Day 10: free 2013 calendar printable Day 11: napkin ring template Day 12: toilet paper wrapping paper hold See my other pins and the hope that I will one day attempt it all ... starting with those recipes!

home: setting the holiday table

Sitting down for dinner is rare in this busy household but inviting friends over for a meal is so exciting when the theme is so jingle bells! Here is a little DIY tablesetting for you to try at home.  Keep everyone on track with adding washi tape to the wine glasses for a festive and inexpensive glass charm.

The vase winter wonderland was a quick decision with pillow stuffing and decorative village trees that I seem to accumulate after each holiday. And the tractor is a dedication to my roots - you can take the girl out of the country but you can never take the country out of her blood! (ok, I'm done)

Martha Stewart offers the napkin ring template and with all of the cute holiday paper, the possibilities are endless and you can change your table theme from rustic to glam with the paper.

The girls loved it and I'm thankful for the people in my life! And I have to admit that my culinary skills weren't too horrible that night ... but I'll spare those details!

home: evergreen holiday mantel inspiration

Here's to a rare Saturday morning post and my eagerness to share our holiday mantel! It was a late Friday night as I walked around the house looking for decorative pieces to add to this year's mantel.  The only purchased items are the poinsettia plants ... everything else was already in this house!

The driftwood star was a Pinterest challenge earlier this year here on IHB, and this DIY piece has made its way around the house for different seasonal decor - the project that keeps on giving!

Those bronze lanterns are the centerpieces from our wedding (currently selling 19 if you're interested) and an original creation from my talented brother (as is the PB knockoff mirror, actually!).  I made the stockings last year and can honestly say it was my first difficult sewing project ... but look how cute they are!

The garland is the simple combination of leftover ornaments and bakers twine, making sure to knot each ornament so that they stay exactly where you want them to sit.

The fresh evergreen came from the tree lot where we picked up our tree, and although we may need to replace the evergreen in a week or two, we can always stop by to say hi and pick up more!

This is my favorite project all year; I think about the materials that we have, what is trending and how I can make it unique! I'm really happy with our natural mantel this year and I hope that there is some inspiration here for your next project!

craft: hang up your holiday gallery wall

California is soaked after a long weekend of heavy rain and for us natives, this is our version of a winter wonderland. To get ahead of the chaotic December month, we spent the weekend decking the halls. First on the docket, I changed out my incomplete gallery wall with a few sheets of holiday scrapbook paper and 3-D pieces.

The circle wreath is the special feature from our Fall mantel and I wasn't ready to let it go. The 'C' was sitting on a shelf in our room and I wrapped burlap around the letter.

Finally, the 3-D star was pinned months ago on Pinterest and I took the road less traveled and actually tried something that I pinned.

We're pretty thrilled with how this turned out and I didn't spend a dollar ... just walk around the house and see what you have to create your own holiday gallery wall!