Let the decorating begin~and a link to a great tutorial!

with handmade paper garlands and music sheets! It always starts at the mantle in the kitchen. This years' theme is music sheets and paper garlands.

I'm loving the look!

Sometime this past summer I stumbled upon a stack of vintage church hymnals~I picked them up for a song! The woman at the counter told me that her husband ~ a pastor at a local church~ found them in the churches old piano. These two actually have dates in them of 1893-just imagine how many church services they've seen...the weddings, baptism's, funerals and holiday gatherings!

She was curious as to what I planned for them- at the time I didn't know, but I loved the typography and the old paper~just lovely! I think she thought that strange, but I wondered myself why her husband would be willing to part with such beauty that held so much church history-that to me was even stranger!

anyways, here are a couple of them in my mantle display~

As much as it hurt, I pulled out four of the pages from the Christmas section and wrapped them around my 'Sacred Heart' candles, then tied them with hemp.

The pages were just a little long and had to be trimmed...but naturally I couldn't toss those sacred scraps...they are now a little chain placed in my studio.

My favorite part of the mantle is the paper garland I made...edged with silver german glass glitter for a little sparkle!

This weekend we'll be working on the tree...I know I want more paper garlands ~ I'll have more photos to share next week!

Little update on these candles....

Diane, of Lavender Dreams has posted a wonderful tutorial on making these candles...she did a great job with her first tutorial and her candles came out fabulous! Check it out here.

A big thank you to Diane!!

If you haven't already scroll down and get your name in the proverbial hat for my sign giveaway...two winners this time & it's open to everyone!

Peace Joy Love ~ my two year blog anniversary giveaway!

This proves it...time really does fly when you're having fun!

When I think back over the last two years and all the new friends I've made it just amazes me. Who could of guessed the world could be so small?
It's a wonderful feeling just knowing we are always there for each other...giving and receiving
PEACE JOY AND LOVE all year round...and so my giveaway...two years - two winners!

Each will receive a set of my new signs...

PEACE JOY & LOVE...

~they each measure 9" x 5.5" and are embellished with silver german glass glitter...they hang with vintage black seam binding ribbon~

they are sparlking reminders of this wonderful blog world we live in aren't they?

Keeping this one simple...just leave a comment on this post- and, best of all...this giveaway will be international!! Anyone, living anywhere in the world can enter (just be sure to leave me an email address if you don't have a blog to contact you through).

I'll choose two winners via random.org on my birthday...Monday December 6th.

Lot's of love to all of you & a Happy Thanksgiving!

{adoring sweet paul}

Have you met Sweet Paul...aka Paul Lowe?? oh, you're gonna love him! Sweet Paul is a food and prop stylist living in New York...

his Holiday online magazine is just out...and it's swoon worthy...and it's free!!

(click the photo to go to sweet paul's magazine)


crafting....love this light...keeping my eye out for a vintage bakers whisk!!


recipes....Sweet Paul also shares his creative genius on his blog....

(click the photo to go to Sweet Paul's blog)

I'm hooked! Love every bit of it!!

Big day coming up!

I've been quite the blogpost slacker lately haven't I?

Well, I have to tell you that's one of the things I love about blogging....

I think it's a 'no pressure~just have fun' kind of thing and I hope you do to.

In my 'blogmind'*

*blogmind: a word completely made up by me, meaning the part of your brain that blogs all day long...you know, when you're riding in the car or in the shower, or washing dishes...you find yourself writing blog post after blog post, only to completely forget them minutes later, cause,

well, you thought of a new one!!

LOL...tell me this happens to you too, please!!

yes, in my blogmind lately it seems I've either had

way too much to say or, nothing at all to say.

So I usually end up deciding to spare you of both!

Okay...now onto the 'big day coming up'....

Here's a hint:

cotton.

Cotton is the traditional 2 year wedding anniversary gift. But it's not my 2 year wedding anniversary. It is however my 2 year blog anniversary on November 24th...

so they'll be a giveaway coming up soon! But, it won't be a bag of cotton balls, I promise!!

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas...

In the studio!
yes, I've been painting Christmas signs...but look closer... no, closer....

It's mistletoe!
Fresh mistletoe, picked fresh last week by my son...the arborist!
I had no idea that mistletoe grew around here...

and no idea where it grew exactly.
Turns out mistletoe grows 'on' trees!
The tree is it's 'host'...it feeds off it.

It arrives there from birds dropping the sticky berries on it's branches. I was amazed to learn this!

Now, on November 1st....there's fresh mistletoe around the house!!

...if it is too early for Christmas decor well it's certainly not too early for smooching right?

A big thankyou to all for leaving me great advice on my Saturday post...we've decided the best thing to do is go with 'no driving'. I am approaching it like....we are starting over, at square one, with the learning to drive thing. I really think kids are allowed to drive too young, especially with all the hand held gadgets they try to juggle. I was very touched by everyone's comments and they were very helpful in figuring out what to do...thankyou all from the bottom of my heart:)