On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

...I made Christmas Stockings!

My roommates and I made stockings for our mantel. We stuck with our green and white theme and I think they turned out pretty good!

They were made from ivory felt and we decorated them with green and white ric-rac, grosgrain, buttons, green fabrics and embroidery floss.

I am learning how to crewel so I embroidered my initials on mine as well as a few snowflakes. Here are the close-ups:

Here was my inspiration:

My mother cross-stitched our families stockings when we were little (mine is the one on the far right). They are, by far, my favorite decoration at my parents house. In fact, once I asked mom what is the first thing she would save if our house was on fire and she said the stockings!

On the Third Day of Christmas...

...I threw a Tacky Christmas Party!

So I work with college students and what better way to help them prepare for exams than make them spend time coming up with a hideous clothing combination!

We had a white elephant gift exchange and everyone competed in the "best dish" contest.

I even added some "extra decor" to the front of the house to greet the guest.

On the Second Day of Christmas...

...I bought a new Christmas album.

I come from a long line of Christmas music lovers. My dad and grandfather linger around the "obsessive Christmas music listening" level. We have a huge drawer full of nothing but Christmas CD's at home.

I have inherited part of that gene...but only part. I am much more selective in the albums that I purchase (no room for a whole drawer full). I thought that I would share a few of my favorites:

1. Sufjan Stevens Songs for Christmas - Available Here or Itunes













2. Your King has Come - Available Here















3. Silent Night - Available Here or Itunes







4. The Soundtrack from Love Actually - Available Here or Itunes













5. Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Available Here












Some of these are ultra-traditional and some are a bit more out-of-the-box, but they are all wonderful and will put you in a Christmassy mood!

On the First Day of Christmas...

...I made a moss wreath.

In an earlier post saying how I was dying to pull out the Christmas decorations I mentioned that I wanted to try my hand at making my own moss wreath. Well, I gave it a shot!

The work in progress.

Supplies for making your own wreath:
1 wreath form (mine is a 20inch)
1 bag of sheet moss ($4 at Hobby Lobby)
1 bag or box of Reindeer Moss (Smith and Hawken, Pottery Barn, or a wholesale florist)
Hot glue gun and plenty of glue sticks
Ribbon

Instructions: (pretty self-explanitory)

Glue the sheet moss on first. Glue in patches and fill in the spaces with the reindeer moss. Make a bow with your ribbon and attach!

Here is the finished product hanging above our fireplace. I think the result speaks for itself!

The best bow "how-to" instructions from Martha!

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

...CHRISTMAS!

The Christmas Season is finally here which means I can decorate with reckless abandon. (I have been unashamedly listening to Christmas music since October.)

In the spirit of DIY I'll be posting several Christmas decor items that you can make yourself...that is, you and your hot glue gun.

DIY - Rain Boots

You might recall a previous post about my search for rain boots in Mississippi. Well, the search was called off on account of no rain for a few months (and still no cute boots in town), but as winter has drawn closer the search has started agian.

Last weekend I was at a conference and while talking with a friend I noticed the CUTEST boots on a girl walking in the door. It was nasty, wet weather outside and I was sad I hadn't brought my "rain-loafers". As cute-boot-girl walked near us my friend and I said in unison "cute boots! We love them! Where did you get them? ETC..."

Her response was just what I wanted to hear - "Thanks! I made them."

"What? I'm sorry?"

"Yeah, they're just the cheap ones from Wal-Mart. I cut slits around the top and wove the ribbon through."

We were almost speechless until we started thinking of all the cute ribbon we could weave through the boots we were now going to make.


Fast forward 5 days: I bought a pair of the plain/delightfully simple brown boots at Wal-Mart (for $15) along with a few color combinations of ribbon and here you have it!

My super-cute, super-cheap rain boots! I measured around the top of the boots and went to work with a craft knife, threaded the ribbon and tied a bow.

Oh Happy Day...

"I'm CDO. It's like OCD, but it's alphabetized" - from my witty roommate.

For those OCD folks out there you can understand this post better than most. I am a planner to the extreme...and what does a planner love more than her Day-Planner!

Every fall I begin the search around September for the next years perfect calendar. I usually find one at Barnes and Noble that suits me, but inevitably they are discontinued or aren't carried the next year. Last year I took note of my cousins planner - Kate Spade's Small Desk Calendar. Spiral Bound, small enough to fit in my purse, but large enough to have my #1 requirement - hourly time slots written vertically on the page.


Yes. I am picky and I'm OK with that.

Once again, this fall I have browsed the bookstores in town thinking maybe this year I would find the perfect planner, but alas, I did not. Thankfully my hometown just received a Kate Spade store so this past weekend I made the drive and came back the proud owner of this beauty.


Of course, it is filled with lovely pictures and just screams "order". I haven't transferred birthday's, anniversaries or wedding dates yet, but I'm ready for the challenge.

Bring it on 2009!

Finally Freezing...

Yes, though I thought it would never happen this year, it is supposed to freeze tonight in Mississippi.

And the heat is out in our big, old, drafty house.

I am always cold (regardless of the actual temperature) so when I got out of bed this morning it didn't strike me as too odd that my feet were freezing. When I checked my email I had one from my roommate who was already at work asking if I had gotten frostbite in the night. Thankfully all ten fingers and ten toes are intact, but I feel silly wrapped up in my coat in the house. The landlord hasn't called me back yet...until then it's just me and Earl Gray.