Christmas Tablescape + Giveaway

This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

Were only a few days into December, but my table is set and ready for Christmas.

Of course Ill be using the table between now and then, but I had a little downtime last weekend and was excited to do a trial run for our Christmas dinner and other gatherings throughout the holiday season. I adore creating new tablescape vignettes and wanted to experiment using a few new accessories that I recently picked up from the Dollar General Holiday dcor aisle. I mixed them with a few thrift store finds and DIY projects to create this

I had alot of fun creating this vignette and we actually enjoyed a scrumptious dinner Saturday night on this beautifully decorated table. It was a little pre-Christmas meal to start off the countdown to the special Holiday. As you can see, we also lit the first candle on our Advent wreath.

The base of the table started with my DIY chevron table runner that I created. I actually never shared a tutorial on this specific runner, but its similar to the drop cloth runner that I made.

Since this is the table where we have dinner most every night, I needed a centerpiece that could easily move. A few weekends ago, the Mister and I created this box (using the same technique from the monogrammed chevron tray) using leftover pallet scraps. The size is 16 wide X 26 long and its the perfect size for a large scale (yet easily moveble) center focal point.

Inside the box I added advent candles, gold sparkly Christmas trees from Dollar General, and a ceramic bowl filled with cinnamon sticks, all surrounded by natural greenery that I trimmed from trees in our backyard. The cinnamon sticks smell so good they give such a yummy fragrant scent when you pass by.

Dollar stores (like Dollar General) are a great place to find inexpensive items to decorate with. By shopping your home and mixing dollar-store-deals with thrift-store-finds, you can truly create a gorgeous and elegant tablescape or vignette for very little money.

For each table setting, I added a round bamboo charger on top of the drop cloth placemats that I created last year. The bamboo weave gives nice texture and contrast to the neutral colored plates and placemats. I then added my everyday cream with black line rimmed dinner plates (a wedding gift from Crate and Barrel) and a buttercup-colored napkin (from Target) threaded through a festive bell ring. The seasonal bell ring was a great find from Dollar General. I dont think they are actually napkin rings, but who cares they work perfectly!

To add alittle more pizazz to the table, I draped a long strand of red Christmas bead garland around the perimeter of the pallet box. The bright hue was a perfect accent to the red bells on the napkins and the berries in the centerpiece.

A few loose Christmas ornaments completed the festive look.

Inviting and fun!

Im really happy with the result of this tablescape. And the best part is that its practical because the main decor is in a box, which can easily move. I plan on using this newly created tray centerpiece for many upcoming Holidays and occasions Im thinking Easter baskets, Spring decor, and Fall foilage.

Were you wondering where I put my log centerpiece this year? Well its not here on the table (like last year) and its not on the mantel either, but instead I decided to use it as the backdrop for our village. The log centerpiece made for an AMAZING focal point, but wasnt so easy to move = not practical. Since the buffet gets left alone, it was the perfect spot to admire it. That log centerpiece has been around the block and back, so it couldnt be stuck away.

This is how it looked last year

And this is how its being used now

I love our little miniature village and so do my kids. Each night, they drag over the stool and love to peak inside. Its magical.

It would be nice to have each of you enjoy a delicious meal with me here at my table, but at least we can dream, right?!

I hope youve liked taking a glimpse at my tablescape for this Christmas especially since it cost so little to create. Dollar General really had some great deals and you connect with them even more to see what they have to offer on the Dollar General Facebook Page. I sure have enjoyed sharing my tablescape with you!

JOYful Christmas Mantel

The hustle and bustle of the Holidays are in full swing, but I was able to step back from the craziness of it all this past weekend to revamp my mantel and deck it out for Christmas.

As a Blogger, I feel so lucky to have a platform to share my new creations. When the time comes to create a new mantel composition, I push myself to always try something new and different, and raise the bar from the previous year. Thus the result of my new JOYful Christmas Mantel

Like with every mantel, I cleared off all the decor from my Fall mantel so I could see the space free and clear! This always helps start the ball-rolling for my latest montage. Ill tell you, I dont usually go into decorating my mantels (or many areas of my home) with a plan. Once I see a blank slate, somehow it all starts coming together.

I will say though, Ive had the idea to create this JOY sign for a while. I thought it would look beautiful leaning against the new ebony stained wood board backdrop. Thankfully all came together and Im so pleased with the result Ill be sharing a quick and easy tutorial on how I created the sign very soon.

Going for an asymmetrical look, I added a gorgeous boxwood wreath next to the JOYful sign. I scored this totally faux, but looks totally real, wreath at Lowes Im in love, Im in love, Im in love. I love decorating with boxwood and cedar branches, and when I saw this, I grabbed it. Well actually I thought about making it at first, but after figuring out the cost, this was a better deal.

In creating the mantel, I mixed in a few Christmas elements with a few non-Holiday pieces. I couldnt dare put away my fabulous white ginger jar that I enjoy looking at everyday, so of course there it is (along with my easy-peasy presto-chango-with-spray-paint candle stick). And I think they look great amongst everything else.

Some of the fun, festive decor that I added around it are the: three sparkly mod Christmas trees, two brushed nickel Christmas stocking holders (which I got forever ago from Target), and one piece of birch log.

My burnt orange wall is a show-stopper in itself, but I always like to add a burst of color in another way. With this mantel, I brought in a pop of yellow with a few sprigs of forsythia (totally wrong flower for the season, but I love the yellow with the red in the JOY sign). In the same vase, I added some faux red berries. Yellow + Red = Perfect Compliment!

The mantel is simple, elegant, and festive. O, I truly wish you could see it in person!

The drop cloth and felt stockings are still a favorite of mine. I made them last year and added metallic gold ornaments to give a little accent.

And heres the overall space

O, how I love thee!

Thanks for taking a tour of my Christmas Mantel 2012. Similar to my recent tablescape creation, I mixed in items from around my home with dollar store deals and DIY projects.

Pantone Color of the Year 2013: Emerald

Happy Friday friends! Aside from the arrival of the Holidays, December is an exciting time of year in the design world because its always when the Pantone Color of the Year is announced. Each year the highly-anticipated hue sets the mark on how future trends and styles will be created across the board in fashion, interiors, print, and web. Just announced yesterday, the Color of the Year for 2013 is the lively, radiant, and lush Emerald 17-5641.

O MY WORD I am thrilled! Greens are an absolute favorite color of mine and looking at the past year and how green has played a strong roll throughout the design industry, it truly makes complete sense. Its going to be amazing to watch how itll affect the year to come. Just look at the years past

Varying hues of tangerine, coral, fuschia, and pinks have widely been seen all around us over the past few years, and that influence has clearly developed from the selected Pantone colors.

The 2012 color of the year, PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, provided the energy boost we needed to recharge and move forward. Emerald, a vivid verdant green, enhances our sense of well-being further by inspiring insight as well as promoting balance and harmony.

Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. Also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity, no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.

Lets have a peak at some inspirational multi-faceted effects of Emerald

Images L to R via: Pantone / Pinterest / Three Pink Dots / Matthew Williams via Living Etc / Pinterest

Personally, I think green is an easier color for people to introduce into their homes, clothes, etc. Its on the opposite side of the color wheel from pink and orange, so its nice that a darker, deeper hue was chosen. Green can be sophisticated, yet serene and soothing.

Inspiration via Viva Full House

The most abundant hue in nature, the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum, said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. As it has throughout history, multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in todays complex world. This powerful and universally-appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.

Image Via Room Polish

Images L to R via: Vanessa De Vargas / Pinterest / Pinterest / Mimi + Meg

Emerald in interiors

Enhance your sense of well-being at home by rejuvenating the interior with Emerald paint, accents and accessories. This jewel-like hue will create a luxurious feel in an entryway, powder room, dining room or study, and bring life to a living room as an accent wall. Add a splash of color to the kitchen and dining room areas with Emerald dinnerware, stemware and appliances.

Enliven your home with Pantone bedding, pillows, bath towels and accessories in Emerald available exclusively at jcpenney stores and on jcp.com beginning Feb. 1, 2013.

As we re-energize our home department next spring, we are excited to partner with the leading authority on color to introduce the first-ever line of Pantone bedding and bath products, said Paul Rutenis, jcpenney general merchandise manager for home. The cheerful array of on-trend pieces will make it easy for customers to infuse the perfect color into any home dcor.

Inspiration via Martha Stewart

Inspiration via La Belle Vie

Images L to R via: Decor Pad / Pinterest / Decor Pad / Pantone

Inspiration via Decor Pad

Interior created by Kelly Wearstler

DIY: Simple 5 Step JOY Sign

Last week I shared my new festive JOYful Christmas mantel and many of you commented on how pretty and unique my JOY sign looked thank you.

Since yall gushed over it so much, Im going to show you how quick and easy it was to create. (And remember you can be inspired by this and create something similar with words that are near & dear to you).

Simple-to-follow tutorial on how to create a JOY sign

1. Cut the wood to your desired height and width. I used leftover pallet scraps to create this sign, but you could also use new wood instead. I like the old pallets because theyre free, plus they have a distressed, worn look, which means no beating up the new wood.

2. Create the sign and sand. If you have more than one piece of wood, youll need to attach them from the back. Across the two pieces of pallet boards, I nailed two smaller pieces of pallet scraps on the back so the sign stayed together. Then I gave the wood a good sanding on the top and sides.

3. Paint the sign. I painted the base of the sign with plain ole white paint leaving some of the raw wood to show through.

4. Outline letters. I freehand sketched the letters J O Y on the sign. You could use a stencil or silhouette if you wanted.

5. Paint the letters. Then I filled in the letters with red craft paint. I used about 3-4 coats, but it dried quickly. To give an even more distressed look, I gently went over the surface with a piece of sandpaper (by hand).

And thats it. Pretty simple, right?!

And if you missed my mantel, here it is

Cozy Adirondack Christmas Porch

Christmas is less than 2 weeks away. Its crazy how the season is passing us by so quickly.

With all the projects and decorating ideas (holiday and non-holiday) that Ive been sharing lately, I almost forgot to show you my front porch

More specifically, my newly decorated Cozy Adirondack Christmas Front Porch.

Im usually so focused on decorating the interior for the Holidays, that the porch often gets little thought and sadly neglected are you like that? Well not this year!

On a way-too-cold-to-be-outside day a few weeks ago, myself and the troops (a.k.a The Mister and the kids) ventured outdoors to decorate. After a few hours, way too many decorating edits, broken bulbs (and they were brand spank-in new), and a couple of trips to Lowes, I was finally satisified with the result of this years cozy adirondack-style front porch. And I have to say, its our best yet.

Thankfully I can say that I live in the adirondacks, so having a front porch with a rustic, natural aesthetic is so apropos. (my interior doesnt really reflect the same look, but thats okay).

I didnt start off the porch with a specific idea in mind, but as the family and I started decorating, it all came together (over many cold hours) to create a cozy outdoor haven. We began the transformation by removing some of the porch furniture that we have out for the summer. We left the pretty lutyens bench though, draped a blanket over the back, and added a few pillows it was the beginning of the adirondack porch.

In front of the bench, I positioned a round table (which is actually an electrical cable spool that I found on the side of the road) and added some festive elements including dressed-up mason jars, a lantern, and some pine and berry sprigs.

I said to the Mister that afternoon, Lets get some hot chocolate, cuddle under the blanket, and enjoy our newly decorated porch. Well we all ended up being too chilly and unfortunately sitting and enjoying hasnt happened yet, but it sure looks so inviting.

Would you stop over and have a cup of-something with me?

On the other side of the porch, I created a small festive vignette. I stacked two large slices of cut logs and topped them with a poinsettia and a small pile of pinecones. As a larger and taller anchor, I brought in the potted boxwood (which sits throughout the year next to the garage), two lanterns filled with a large candle, and another poinsettia. The varying heights and sizes of the elements, plus the differing textures, in the vignette, create an interesting composition.

Behind the poinsettia and pinecone vignette, I wanted even more height and added a leftover piece of pallet scrap, which I added a quick coat of white paint to and wrapped with twine. A super simple 3 minute project!

Of course, we needed some greenery on the porch and I surely didnt fail in that department.

On either side of the front door are two small (3 high) faux trees decorated with petite ornaments and twine for garland. Plus we added more greenery on the columns with a garland mix of pine and cedar.

The last element that we added to the front porch are the hanging ornaments. This was the last addition and definitely my favorite!

The overall porch

And alittle more ornament action

And of course donned on my front door is my whimsical winter wreath that I made 2 years ago. Still a favorite.