I’m a Christmas person! I love love love the whole nine yards of tinsel, presents, music, trees, and the fa la la-ing! I love love love the Christmas story! But, if we are really telling the true Christmas story it has nothing to do with all the traditional trappings we wrap around it this time of year! So, today let’s unwrap the real story and see it in its real-time without all the pretty decorations….
Christmas
HANGING CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS THE EASY WAY
Hanging Christmas stockings on a mantel is a quintessential part of my holiday decor! I have a super easy, so practical, and very pretty way to hang Christmas stockings! You will want to try this if you have a mantel too!…
10 THINGS TO DO NOW FOR CHRISTMAS NEXT YEAR
NOW is the time to start getting ready for next Christmas! I know the BIG DAY has not arrived this year but there are lots of planning we can do and things we can make and pick up to have merry and not harried Christmas! I’m making a list and checking it twice and doing what’s on it early! Here’s my top 10!…
CHRISTMAS OPEN SHELVES
I’m very partial to my Christmas decorations this year! They are simple were so doable. Especially the decor on my open shelves. I didn’t really have to rearrange much! I mostly added some pretty Christmas decorations and a few brightly wrapped presents. Don’t you love decorating the easy way… especially when the finished product reflects your style? And the Christmas open shelves are just my style!…
PEACE AT CHRISTMAS
Before I spent time in Israel I imagined Shepherd’s Field, the place where angels announced the birth of Jesus to lowly shepherds, as a big open grassy plain. A place of great beauty and open spaces… like on a Christmas card. The picture below is of Shepherd’s Field today… not at all what I imagined… but then, most of what is true in the bible is not what most of us imagine… …
10 THINGS TO DO NOW TO GET READY FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS
Yes, you read that right! I know that Christmas is only several days away. But you CAN start now and begin getting ready for Christmas… next year! Use these smart, simple, common sense tips to get a head start on Christmas 2017 and enjoy a little Christmas spirit all year long! You will be so happy your read this post!…
CHRISTMAS FOYER
StoneGable is a modern American farmhouse with a big open foyer. Perfect to greet all family and friends that come through our doors! This time of year it is decorated cheery and bright… ready for Christmas! I think a foyer sets the mood for the rest of the house. So here at StoneGable I want my foyer to be filled with farmhouse charm and warmth that reflects what you will see inside. I want it to say WELCOME we are glad you are here! And I hope it says that to you!…
MAKE-AHEAD HOLIDAY BEEF BRISKET
Today I’m sharing what will be your favorite Holiday main dish! Seriously! What could be better than making your Christmas dinner main dish ahead of time and serving the most scrumptious make-ahead Holiday Beef Brisket!…
MERRY AND BRIGHT CHRISTMAS GUEST ROOM
I’ve always dreamed of having my bedrooms look as Christmassy as the rest of my StoneGable in December. Full of pretty greens, a tree in each room, little white lights and a red comforter! Christmas cheer in every room! Sometimes StoneGable is more like a hotel than a home! And that is especially true at Christmas. Every room at StoneGable will be full this year… and that’s just how I like it! So this season I’m decking my bedrooms out in festive style!…
HOLIDAY BLOG WALK 2016
I wait all year for this post! I plan and create for months to deck out StoneGable with Christmas cheer! And today’s the day! I finally get to share our Christmas decor. I’m so happy you are here! WELCOME!!!! This year’s Christmas decorating theme is TREES! And dotted throughout our home are trees of all sizes and shapes. The color scheme this year is primarily red, white and black. You know how much I love a touch of drama (in decorating only) and a tad of black does the trick. Our home is cheery and colorful! Well, enough small talk,……
WINTER WHITE CHRISTMAS TABLESCAPE
If you need an idea for your Christmas table you are in the right place today! Or if you would love a few holiday entertaining tips, it’s your lucky day! I’m combining a Christmas inspired tablescape and a bunch of easy and doable entertaining tips. Christmas is THE time to be a FEZZIWIG! Yes, you remember the Fezziwigs from the book/ play/ musical/ movie A Christmas Carol. They were the kind, fun family that old Scrooge apprenticed for when he was a young man. This family had the best Christmas parties! And Mr. and Mrs. Fexxiwig were the epitomes of mirth……
THE ABSOLUTE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE A LIVE WREATH… YOU CAN DO THIS!
I am going to show you the EASIEST most amazing way to make a live wreath. You will wonder, “why didn’t I think of that”? That’s what I thought when I learned this technique at a wreath decorating demo last year. You will be able to make gorgeous, lush, full, live wreaths… FABULOUS!!!! It will revolutionize your Christmas decor and gift giving… OR … at least make people ooooh and ahhhh!…
OH, CHRISTMAS TREE CHEESE BOARD
The Christmas Tree Cheese Board is the perfect appetizer or compliment to any meal for the Christmas season! It looks like a Christmas tree but is much tastier! Made of assorted cheeses and grapes, this fun tree is not only pretty to look at but will feed a crowd! Are you entertaining this Christmas? Then you should think about making an Oh, Christmas Tree cheeseboard! Your guest will be delighted! I’ll show you how……
TREE INSPIRED CHRISTMAS MANTEL
The very first thing I decorate for Christmas every year is the mantel in our family room. And each year I try to create a different look. This year I was inspired by TREES! Trees have shown up in almost every room here at StoneGable. For the family room, I kept the trees very natural except for the garland of tiny stars that trim them. And this year I’m loving decking my halls in bright red and white with a little bit of dramatic black! Let’s take a look at my tree inspired Christmas mantel!…
CHRISTMAS PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE
Christmas is the perfect time to make hot chocolate. But not just any hot chocolate… peppermint hot chocolate! It’s a great way to put all those candy canes to good use! I think of hot chocolate as a liquid dessert. It’s a special treat so you want to to be worth it. It should be scrumptious and leave you very satisfied! The Christmas season is the best time to serve this velvety drink along with a couple cookies! This hot chocolate is especially easy to make because your slow cooker does all the work! Let’s make Christmas Peppermint Hot……
6 CREATIVE WAYS TO USE CHRISTMAS GREENS
Are you decorating for Christmas? I bet most of you have already started. It’s a very busy time of the year. Not only are we decorating and buying gifts and wrapping them too, and attending parties and having parties and…. the list goes on. We are also still going about our daily lives and routines. I don’t need to tell you that this is a busy time of year… ooops, looks like I already did! This year I’m all about making Christmas easy and doable and oh, so beautiful too! So today I’m going to share 6 ways to use……
CHRISTMAS TOUR SNEAK PEEK!
StoneGable is decked out and ready for you to come and visit. All next week I’ll be featuring some fun Christmas tours here on the blog. But today, I’m giving you a little sneak peek preview of the decorations at StoneGable and what to look forward to! I’ve used my favorite Christmassy colors to add a big punch of Christmas spirit to my home! Red and white with a tad of dramatic black are making a big appearance in this year’s decor. So are trees… LOTS and lots of trees! Come on… take a little look!…
BROKEN GLASS GLITTER ORNAMENTS
Let’s make broken glass ornaments! These are gorgeous, glittery, “recycled” ornaments that are unique to you and can have wonderful Christmas memories already in them! You don’t have to be crafty to make them and they might just be the most special ornaments hanging on your Christmas tree!…
STONEGABLE’S ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING GUIDE
It’s that time! Time to find those fabulous and perfect gifts for the people on our Christmas lists! So this year I am helping you find some pretty and unique items… many that I already have and LOVE! Please check out gifts for HER, HIM, and HOME!!!! I’ve scoured my favorite haunts to bring you classic, unique gifts of every price point! Have fun window shopping, browsing, and crossing that name off your list as done!…
A STARRY CHRISTMAS TOUR
When the nights get shorter and shorter and the stars get brighter in the frosty night sky I know Christmas is getting close! And that means decorating! Lots of bowls of greens and pinecones and little trees and stars. I’m filling my home with stars… big and small! And tiny white lights play a big part in this years decorating too. They give StoneGable a magical feel. Why am I telling you this when you can see it for yourself? …
EASY CHRISTMAS DECORATING
Christmas is getting very close! What a busy time of year, right? There’s gift buying and gift wrapping, and cookie baking and partygoing and lots and lots and tons of decking the halls! Sometimes, I must confess, I can get so wrapped up in all the “getting ready” I forget what I am getting ready for. How about you? I love this time of year and the reason for the season so I want to breathe in and take in and enjoy every ounce of this special time of year! I want my home and spirit to be filled……
CHRISTMAS PILLOW LOVE 2016
source Here it is!!!!! The 2016 edition of… CHRISTMAS PILLOW LOVE! I’ve scoured many of my favorite pillow sites to find the best- of-the-best Christmas pillows and feature them all in one place! We have pom poms and black labs and chalkboard signs and glittering reindeer and on-trend plaid and holly and Christmas trees and Santa and his sleigh! This year’s pillows are fun and chic and fabulous! I’ve even put a few pillows together to make perfect little Christmas collections! Come on… I have lots to share!…
GREAT TIPS FOR CHOOSING AND DECORATING WITH FAUX CHRISTMAS GREENERY
I used to decorate my home at Christmastime with live greens. I love the evergreen smell that wafted through StoneGable. But I did not like changing sap laden water and cleaning up dropping needles and having to replace the greens every 10 days or so. But one year I just got tired of all the work. There had to be a better way! So I went on a quest to find great faux greens that looked like the real deal! And my search paid off! It was like a Christmas miracle! I had no idea such beautiful faux evergreens……
8 CHRISTMAS DIY’S TO MAKE NOW!
If you are like me, you love making homemade DIY projects for Christmas! But by the time you get around to actually making them it’s almost Christmas! Promise yourself you are not going to wait too late this year! Start now and enjoy making the season bright with your creations. I’m sharing 8 easy-to-make Christmas DIY’s that are creative and will deck your halls… and walls… and mantels… and… well, your whole home with the beauty of the season!! Let’s get started NOW!!!!!…
WOW FACTOR CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT
I’m a pinecone picker-upper! I have a private mantra that goes…”never leave a pinecone behind”! Woodland walks usually end with my pockets filled with them along with sappy fingers! I search for evergreen trees just to scoop up their pinecones!!! I think pinecones are beautiful and useful and their many conical shapes intrigue me! And they remind me of Christmas! So this year I’m using pinecones in all their glory and making them the star of my Christmas decor. I’ve even created a WOW FACTOR CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT that features a big sugar pinecone! It’s so so easy to make and will……
A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
All is Merry and Bright at StoneGable this year. Even though the weather is very unseasonably warm and wet here and not at all like the cold and frosty Christmases we are used to, it’s the perfect weather to keep our Christmas lights on all day long! The trees and mantel shine brightly and the lit candles leave a warm glow. The spotlights outside break through the fog and makes StoneGable look luminous! The Christmas lights shine forth in the gloominess of the day and make our whole home looks warm and magical! This reminds me of The Light that……
CHRISTMAS NIGHTS TOUR
I’ve been waiting to share this Christmas Night Home tour with you all holiday season! It’s like nothing I’ve done before. You always see my home during the day, but I’m sharing my home at night. I turned off the lights and lit lots candles and turned on the white twinkle lights throughout the house. How about you, does your home glow with that beautiful light that only Christmas can bring? I think Christmas nights are magical! They sparkle with tiny light and warmth and joy! So happy you are here… come on in!…
A CHILD IS BORN!
A Child is born! This is the message of Christmas! The Christmas story, the amazing and true events of Jesus’ birth, appears in the gospel of Matthew and Luke. Luke’s beautiful text is the one that is most often read and quoted. But, did you know that the story of Jesus Christ’s birth is threaded from the beginning to the end of the bible? From Genesis to Revelation? Jesus’ birth should have been no surprise, and in fact, the Jews had been waiting centuries for their great King to be born onto the stage of history. One of my very……
CHRISTMAS FOYER
StoneGable’s Christmas Foyer is merry, bright and sassy this year! There is nothing quiet or serene or “all is calm” about it! Our home is full of bright traditional colors this year with a big does of sassy and classy black! I’ve particularly loved decorating with these classic colors and fun Christmas elements this season. Welcome to the foyer! It’s a preview of what to expect throughout most of StoneGable. Come on in and take a peek……
GORGEOUS CHRISTMAS DECORATING IDEAS
Today’s post is a real treat! Christmas is almost upon us, but there is still time to make a couple beautiful Christmas decorating projects to deck your halls. And if your house trimming is done you will probably want to save these ideas on Pinterest for next year! It’s not too early or late! I’m always adding Christmas decorating ideas till the very last minute! I love to infuse each days in December with Christmas! Too bad the Christmas season is so short! How about you? I’m sure you have time for just one more Christmas project! A few of……
