Do you decorate for Halloween? Over the past few years I’ve amassed quite a lot of spooky and silly decorations, but this year I wanted to do something different. I left most of those plastic decorations in the storage box and instead decided to try some low-cost (or even free) DIY decorations for our dining room and living room. I used black cardstock to make a witch’s hat for one of the portraits in our living room, and I cut out some bats for another part of the room. I attached all of these items…
I can hardly believe that Halloween is tomorrow! My costume is barely coming together, and Maggie’s is still en route. Are you dressing up this year? Handing out candy? If you’re hosting a celebration at your house or bringing a tray of food to someone else’s house, I have some quick and easy ideas for you. Inspired by Two Peas and their Pod, I made a Halloween snack tray yesterday using mostly items we had on hand. I made witches’ brooms using half a cheese stick, a pretzel stick, and a chive to…
As you may know, Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday, May 8. (Isn’t it amazing that it’s already May?) We had an early and impromptu celebration for my beautiful mom last week while my parents were visiting. Our menu was incredibly simple, but the table was pretty and I think she felt very loved. We used the same tablecloth as in our Easter pictures (it’s an extra-long tablecloth from Amazon, so it fits our very long tables). I pulled out our mismatched, chipped tea sets and some beautiful linen napkins we…
Easter is one of my favorite holidays, full of lots of family traditions. It’s a low-stress holiday for us (unlike Christmas!), plus the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming. We go to church in the morning and then come home for a leisurely, relaxed Sunday dinner. We pop some champagne, sit outside, and enjoy deviled eggs, pimento cheese, and cornichon pickles. I usually put out sandwich fixings, John makes gin and tonics, and we always have some kind of silly dessert. A few years ago I tried my hand at this famous Betty Crocker cake…
I love to make things this time of year, but I also get overwhelmed easily. Are you the same way?? After seeing the idea below in a magazine (I can’t remember which one), I figured I could handle this type of craft — it’s almost foolproof, and it looked really fun! Here are the steps I followed. I promise, it was really easy! First, choose some old photos that make you feel happy and loved! I found pictures of me as a baby with each of my parents. (Can you handle the 70’s decor…
I love this time of year so much! Like, really a lot. We have bins and bins of old Christmas decorations, and I can’t bear to part with any of them because they hold memories of past Christmases. And yet each year we seem to buy more lights, more garland. In sum: I’ve tried lots of different decorations for Christmas, and I’ve found a few special things that make our house feel cozy, warm, and filled with love. Here’s a quick list of the fun, easy ideas I’m using this…
Do you love giving gifts? It’s one of my favorite things about the holidays — I love shopping for gifts that I think my family will love. When I find something that’s just right, I relish wrapping the gift, thinking about how the recipient will (hopefully) enjoy what’s inside. I guess it’s cheesy, but the whole process is such a tangible expression of love, and it brings me joy! While I’ve always enjoyed shopping, the wrapping process used to be a chore. Over the years I’ve come up…
Happy Fall! I finished decorating the front door this week, and the seasonal look makes it feel so festive! I thought it might be helpful to share some quick, easy, and cheap decorating tips I’ve learned over the years. 1. Spray paint plastic plant pots I bought the mums from Home Depot and painted some of the plastic grow pots with black spray paint I found in our garage. It creates a more unified look, and it’s very fast and easy. I’ve read that mums last a lot longer if you transplant them into…