2010 Christmas Tour

Welcome to the "And Then There Was Home - Christmas Tour"

I hung this simple garland around our doorway, with a big red bow.  I think it looks really classic and pretty during the day.

And here she is at night, all lit up.  :)

My ideal Christmas decor for the outside would be that garland, and a few lit wreaths with red bows hanging from each window.  Maybe next year.  :)   Also, maybe next year, we'll get the courage to hang lights in the 2nd story area of our house.  LOL.

I also decorate my vehicle every year.  Oh yeah.  I'm one of THOSE people, haha.

Yes, that was me reflected in the chrome, holding my Christmas tree coffee cup.  :)

On the inside, nothing says Christmas like yummy smelling candles.

In the kitchen I kept things simple by placing plaid ribbon around plants by the stove.

I also brought out my "12 days of Christmas" cutting board.  This thing really comes in handy for when you feel like breaking out in song and can't remember the words to the materialistic carol.

This lovely lady is on my island, conveniently next to the baby bottle station.  I never actually have her lit in the middle of the night, but I'm thinking maybe I should.  She seems to be pointing right at the bottles, which might help me as I'm half delirious at 3 am.

Here is a wide shot of our family room.   Notice this was taken pre-stocking.

Here is a pic after my lovelies were added.  You can read more about them HERE.

I decided to hang random creations from my children on this chalkboard.  I really need to take updated photos because Brodie came home with the mother load of construction paper Christmas crafts on his last day of school before the holiday break.  

Just a little funny for all those people who love the funny and random things Brodie says, his teacher told me that on the day they were decorating the classroom with their crafts for their Christmas party, Brodie said, "No, no, no, Mrs. T... my mommy doesn't allow paper decorations!"  LOL.   Little toot. 

This poor little guy was given a "haircut" by Rylan, shortly after he made him.  ha!

Poor thing.

Brodie brought this laced stocking home from school one day.  Apparently our family is jumping out of a burning building into a swimming pool.  :/   Can you tell which one is me?  LOL.

I love the sound of jingle bells at Christmas, and we keep a set on each main door.

AND, last but not least.. what Christmas village is complete without an Alamo?  :)  haha, actually the only two buildings we have in our village would be the Alamo and a vintage North pole house from my childhood.  We really need to work on that.

Merry Christmas Ya'll!!

-Courtney

Linking to:  Cottage and Vine

Stocking Tutorial

I started out with this painter's drop cloth from Lowes.

I traced an old stocking onto a piece of paper, to get the right size for the stocking.  I adjusted the shape to fit the look I wanted.

I used the traced shape as a template.   I traced the shape onto the drop cloth 6 times (for 6 stockings- I made an extra), flipped it over onto the other side and traced another 6.   Flipping halfway through ensured that all trace marks would be on the inside when completed and not show.

Place the two sides, ink marks OUT, together, and sew- leaving the top of the stocking open.

At this point I hopped on Word and printed my names onto fabric transfer paper.  Make sure you print them in mirror image.

I traced the cut out names onto cardboard to make a template for the name tags.

I cut out the pieces of fabric to size, using the template as a guide.  I then ironed on my names.

After turning the main part of the stocking right side out, I placed it on another sheet of cardboard, to create a template for the cuff.

I traced the cuff template onto the drop cloth fabric, 6 times using one side, 6 times using the flip side.

I then pinned them together, once again ink side out, and sewed up the two outside edges.  You'll noticed I left the top and bottom unsewn, and I also used a pin to identify which side was the top.

Next I made the pleat.  I actually cut the drop cloth every 1.5 inches and then ripped to create the ragged edges.    Then just run through the sewing machine, folding as you go.

I pinned a hem onto the bottom of the cuff, placed the pleat onto the cuff, and sewed it on- continuing around to create one long hem seam all the way around the cuff.

I then attached the top of the pleat, sewing just the front.

Finally, I pinned on each name tag.

After sewing all the way around the tag, I pulled some of the threads to create a fringed look.

I placed the cuff over the main body of the stocking, pinning it into place.  After sewing all the way around the top of the stocking, I again fringed the top.  You could also fold the top of the cuff into the main body of the stocking, and then sewing, creating a more finished look.

I attached a ribbon to hang each stocking from.

I then attached a stocking charm to each one, which I bought at Walmart for only $1 each.  LOVE them.

Thank you for looking!

-Courtney

Linking to:  http://www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/2010/12/making-monday-marvelous-35.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FXZIo+%28C.R.A.F.T.%29

Heirloom Stockings.

Okay, maybe not Heirloom, but we'll call them that because it makes me feel better about my workmanship.

:)

I actually really like them, and they're neutral enough that I can add different charms from year to year, if I'd like, to make them fit with different looks.

Long, drawn out, boring tutorial coming tomorrow.  :)

-Courtney

Linking to:  Boring to Better

Our Ornament Tradition

As I'm writing this, my throat is almost swollen shut (hack hack), my older boys are running around screaming and fighting with each other (Brodie is home sick from Kinder today) and the baby is finally (FINALLY) napping in his crib.   I'm on my third change of clothes for the day and it's just after lunch time.  I've abandoned even putting clothes on the baby because as soon as they're on, they're covered in spit up.  Poor little guy is not liking something in my diet and I have yet to figure out what it is.  

What. A. Morning.

On a happier note -   :)   I'm sitting on our couch facing our lit up mantle and tree and it is making me smile.
Yesterday Melanie over at Southern Comfort in a Northern Life posted about her tree and some of her more meaningful ornaments.   It reminded me a lot of our own tree, so I thought I'd do the same sort of post here today.

Our tree is very traditional, with red, green, and gold ribbon, silver and red balls, and a variety of ornaments we've collected over the years.

Each year we take the kiddos out to Hobby Lobby, and we let them each pick an ornament.  We also pick a family ornament for the year.

Pulling them out each Christmas really makes me happy and I like that each year our tree gets fuller and fuller.  I plan on eventually getting another tree for the front of the house that is more trendy and decorative, but we'll always use the same ornaments for this tree in the family room.   I can only imagine how full it will be when the boys are in high school or leaving for college.  :)

This is the ornament that started the tradition, and the funny thing is that we didn't even buy it.  It arrived in the mail from one of Brandon's relatives Christmas season of 2004.  We'd only been married a few months.  :)

Fast forward to this year- a house in honor of purchasing our second home earlier this Spring.   I think it actually looks a little bit like our house- if you squint and turn your head sideways.  haha.

Then there is this one in honor of my husband's job transfer that brought us from Austin to Clearlake.  No, my husband does not work for NASA, but when I think of Clearlake, I think of NASA.. and my boys LOVE their year long passes to Space Center Houston.  :)

Last year we spiced things up, and rather than celebrating the birth of Jesus at home, we packed things up (even the Christmas tree) and spent the holiday in the mountains of New Mexico enjoying the snow.  This little guy even looks like my husband.

LOL!

This little teddy bear is in honor of little Liam who turned four weeks old today.  :)

There's this glass lighthouse, which if you look closely, you'll see is broken along the bottom.  I was going to trash it    :(   after discovering the broken glass this year, but my husband insisted it go on the tree.  We bought this one to remember the 2 weeks we spent in Pensacola, FL right before my husband's deployment in 2006.  I was 7/8 months pregnant and insisted we climb to the top of this old historic lighthouse, only to get extremely sick upon reaching the top.  Brandon never lets me live that one down because he didn't want to climb it in the first place. haha.

The next two each stand for the theme of our babies nurseries.  Brodie- camping/wilderness (fish), Rylan- firetrucks.  I'm still looking for a nice sailboat one for Liam, which is why he got the bear this year.

This little crayon is from the year when we couldn't go to a restaurant without immediately hiding any crayons they provided for little ones.  Why?  Our little Rylan would chow down on them!  lol.  There were countless times I fished waxy mess out of his mouth.  Yuck.

Lastly, I bought this yellow ribbon flag ornament while my husband was in Iraq over Christmas.  :)

Our Christmas tree and Mantle, Christmas 2010.

Do you have any special traditions you carry on with your family?

-Courtney

Linking up to:

TDC's Christmas Tree Party
The Hooked on Holiday House Tour