December 5, 2012

it's [not] beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

At our house, it becomes Santa Wonderland the day after Thanksgiving. Boxes upon boxes are brought in from the garage and the day is spent listening to Christmas caroles and decorating. Every day dishes get packed away and Christmas Fiesta dishes come out! Regular framed pictures get shunned for pictures of Christmases of yore in festive frames! Flannel sheets with snowmen go on the bed, the nativity scene goes out and- yes- even some of the books on the shelves get replaced with Christmas books. And then there's the mother of all 8' trees that goes next to the fireplace, filled with ornaments collected for decades! To say that we get into the holiday season is an understatement. :)

That being said, here's what things look like this year...
A 3' tree with plastic bags hanging from it. That's right.

We have been busy, buuuuuuuuuuusy the past few months with work, thesis research and downsizing my mom and her life's possessions from one house to a new one... and, quite frankly, the thought of filling our house up with stuff, regardless of how much it will eventually make me happy, was just too much to consider this year. So, in the midst of a minor breakdown at Target last weekend (#firstworldproblems), Heather and I picked up a $30 tree, three packs of plastic ornaments and called it an effing day.

Merry freaking Christmas. ;)

I really hope I don't sound like Scrooge or the Kranks! I loooooooooooove Christmas and the decorations are so pretty... I just couldn't even fathom having to do all of that decorating this year. So, here you have it- Heather and Kara's Year of Practically No Christmas Decorations. :)

You may be wondering why there are plastic bags hanging from the tree too... for that I have only one answer.



Yes, we take videos of our cats. We're sooooooooooo those people. :)

Anywho! The reason for plastic bags hanging from the tree is DEMON CAT!!! Lord have mercy, we are convinced Michael has pica because he eats the tree like he is getting paid to do it. I have pretty much covered the tree in lemon juice, put plastic bags ALL around it (he hates plastic bags) and have even sprinkled salt on the branches. He just eats them more! This cat cray-cray. So, our tree has bags hanging from it... and when we're not home, we pick it up and put it in the bathroom.

Crazy.

There is one decoration though that stays put for the entire month- the wreath on the front door!
To make this wreath, I picked up a wreath form at Michaels and just wrapped it in sparkley red and white yarn!
I used a straight pin to secure the first yarn end and from there I just wrapped the next color yarn on top of the end from the previous color. Does that make sense? At the end, I used another straight pin to secure that end and it was done!

I wasn't sure what embellishments I was going to add to until I got a fun package in the mail from April at Sew to Speak and knew immediately that the mustard colored felt flowers she included would be perfect on my new wreath!
April's going to write a tutorial for these on her blog- I'll be sure to let you know when she does!

I secured the flowers to the wreath with some straight pins with yellow centers (I didn't want to use hot glue as I want to use these beauties again in something else!) and added a little sprig of holly from a Christmas package I got last year. I then tied a bow using ribbon that I got from the same gift (I love re-using!) and hung it on our front door!

I LOVE how the wreath turned out and think I may make a couple more as Christmas gifts. I saw on Pinterest that you can actually make the foam wreaths using pool noodles which are much more economical, so I need to remember to stock up on those next summer!



Anywho, that's how we've decorated for Christmas this year- a tree in the bathroom and a wreath on the door!

So... how've ya been? :)

xo, Kara


PS: Don't forget to enter my giveaway! The contest ends this Friday, December 7th, at 5:00pm PST; make sure to get your comments in by then so you can be in the drawing to WIN! :)

2 comments:

  1. If it makes you feel better, I have a small santa and a small elf, 2 paper santa crafts and some window clings in my kitchen. That's it.

    Maybe I'll decorate later, but who really knows.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have FAILED miserably at those pool-noodle tutorials--mine end up looking like ovals!!!

    Your plastic bag tree continues to fill me with glee. Chortling, I say!

    ReplyDelete

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