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……
Christmas
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……
10 VERY BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT WRAPPING TIPS
Getting a beautifully wrapped Christmas present is a gift in itself! I love love love interesting paper and real ribbons and sweetly tied bows! I think it’s a very thoughtful gesture from the gift giver! Isn’t it fun to untie a bow and unwrap a gift. It really adds to the suspense and lets us savor getting a gift a little longer! Wrapping a magazine worthy Christmas gift is so much easier than you might think! All you need is the right tools, a little time and these 10 best Christmas gift wrapping tips!…
STAR GARLAND DIY
What’s special about a string of tiny stars? LOTS! These simple stars add so much fun and flair to my Christmas decor! And here’s the best part of this garland… they are not just for Christmas! Once you have this star studded garland it can be pulled out and used to embellish your home decor almost any time of year! I love projects that can be used more than once! Star garland is super easy to make too. Here, I’ll show you how!…
HOW TO PUT TOGETHER A CHRISTMAS TOOL KIT
I have an easy-to-do idea to help you in all your Christmas decorating and un-decorating tasks! How many time do you go to hang something like a wreath or a garland and have to run back and forth getting the correct things to complete the task? Wouldn’t it be nice to have all these things in one organized and convenient spot? Today I’m sharing my Christmas Tool Kit. An easy, common sense way to have almost everything you need for small Christmas decorating jobs right at your fingertips!…
WHAT IS THE NATIVITY?
You have probably seen a nativity scene somewhere this Christmas. In a yard or church or even in your own home. Today let’s talk about what the word nativity means and the truths we can garner from the Word of God about it. Let’s also look at the customs of the day in the first century AD and see what we can find. Along with delving into the truth of the Nativity I want to share some beautiful photographs of the nativity from my studies in Israel….
10 TIPS FOR GREAT INEXPENSIVE CHRISTMAS GIFTS
Christmas is a time of gift giving. Let’s keep Christmas gifts easy and under control this year. Gift giving is a way of telling someone, “I’m thinking of you”. A thoughtful Christmas gift does not have to break the bank! Or cause us angst or take hours and hours to pick out. We all strive to choose a gift that says to our special someones, “I know you”! Here are 10 easy to do tips for giving great inexpensive gifts this Christmas season!…
BOXWOOD AND STARS CHRISTMAS TABLESCAPE
Christmas meals are for making memories and lingering conversation and laughter and love and thankfulness and scrumptious food and family and friends! Christmas dinners at StoneGable are easy and cozy and candle lit and a time to savor the blessedness of the day! Our Christmas starts early in the day and ends well into the night. Dinner is later in the evening and much more intimate and quiet than the hustle and bustle of the day. My table sets the tone for the rest of Christmas evening!…
8 TIPS FOR KEEPING CHRISTMAS GREENS FRESH LONGER
Don’t we all love fresh cut greens. They are so lush and beautiful and conjure up memories of Christmases long ago! I used to fill my home with nothing but fresh greens, but I hated cleaning up after them so I stared using a mix of great faux ones. The week of Christmas is when I bring in a few bowl arrangements of fresh greens into StoneGable and enjoy them until right before the New Year. Today we are PRACTICALLY SPEAKING about greens! Here are 8 easy and practical tips for keeping our greens fresh and vibrant during the holidays!……
10 MINUTE CHRISTMAS DECORATING
Let’s be honest, Christmas can be exhausting!!! And time is at a premium during the holidays, for sure! How about making a fun and easy and fabulous Christmas decoration that will only take 10 minutes to put together and will last until the New Year? Let’s gather up some pretty Christmassy things and make an arrangement that you can use on a table! Even if you are not crafty, you can do this! Sound good? I’ll show you how!…
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS HOUSE TOUR
Are you decking your halls yet? Here at StoneGable I am putting the finishing touches on a couple of room and keeping everything merry and bright! I almost always start Christmas decorating with my mantel! It’s in our family room and can be seen from the kitchen where I spend most of my time! Once my mantel is done I know that Christmas is in full swing. Here are a few tips to help you style the best Christmas mantel (or tabletop surface) ever!…
WHAT IS ADVENT
Today is the first day of Advent. Many Christians celebrate Advent, the time before Christmas. But what is it? How did it start? What does it symbolize and what does Advent mean for us today? Let’s look at this four week period before Christmas and learn the true meaning of Advent….
STARRY CHRISTMAS MANTLE
The mantle at StoneGable is the first thing I decorate each year. Some years I have decorated with soft neutral and natural colors and other years I’ve used non traditional Christmas colors, but this year I am going for a classic Christmas look! Lots of reds and greens and whites with a splash of black thrown in for a little holiday sass! And I’m scattering the whole mantle with lots of little white stars!…
CHRISTMAS OPEN SHELVES
This year, here at StoneGable, I have something new to decorate… our open shelves in the breakfast room. I’m not adding too many new things to the shelves, just giving everything a little Christmas polish and sparkle! And by sparkle I mean a fun star garland that I made. “Stars” is my Christmas theme this year. So, I’m lacing stars through all of my Christmas decorating! My shelves have a distinctive farmhouse look… a modern farmhouse look with things old and new… and lots of stars!…
REINDEER CENTERPIECE
This majestic reindeer is ready for Christmas and he’s playing reindeer games with the stars! He’s out on a snowy night to catch stars and fill his sleigh with them! They will land softly among the greens and snow! The dining room centerpiece highlights my theme for this year’s Christmas… STARS! A nod to the star of Bethlehem and to the night the Christ Child was born! Stars hang from the chandelier overhead and fall softly to the table below. It’s a starry Christmas at StoneGable this year!…
REPURPOSING A CHRISTMAS WREATH
Christmas decorating is one of my favorite things to do. Especially when I can take an old decoration and give it a second and fabulous life! This year’s decorations are all about using what I have. I’m especially fond of wreaths! So I’ll be using lots and lots in my Christmas decor this year! Making a pretty, lush wreath is easy! I’ll show you how……
TEA LOVER’S MASON JAR CHRISTMAS GIFT DIY
Please enter the giveaway at the end of this post! It’s time to think about Christmas gifts for the people in our lives. How about making something not only festive… but very useful and thoughtful too! Have you ever thought of packing a gift in a Mason jar? They are so versatile… they even work as a really cool container for a present! I’m sharing a pretty and and delicious gift for the tea lover in our life! Just think how much fun they will have opening a Mason jar and finding all the ingredients for the perfect cup of……
CHRISTMAS PILLOW LOVE
This is a post for all my pillow loving friends!!!! We know that a pillow can change the whole look of a room and just like jewelry there are tons to choose from! I’m sharing my favorite Christmas pillows from StoneGable and a quick look at some fabulous pillows to deck your halls with this year!…
SPARKLING WHITE LANTERN CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
Last year I added white paper lanterns as ornaments to my Christmas tree. They looked gorgeous because they glowed from within. I was able to attach the tree light up inside the lantern. They were the prettiest thing I have ever put on my tree! This year my tree will be decorated with white glowing paper lanterns again… but with a twist. I’m frosting them so theses ornaments glow from within and sparkle on the outside!…
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
10 THINGS TO DO NOW TO GET READY FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS!
Yes, you read that right! I know that Christmas is just a few 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 2015 and enjoy a little Christmas spirit all year long!…
FRENCH INSPIRED CHRISTMAS
I’ve so enjoyed giving my dining room a little French accent this Christmas! Or at least my interpretation of French styling! Since my last post, BON NOEL~ HOW TO FAKE FRENCH CHRISTMAS DECOR I’ve added a couple more French inspired decorations! It’s quite a departure from the rest of my home which has a traditional/farmhouse feel and is filled with lots of black and white plaid. How fun to put some OOOH LAA LAA into my Holiday this year!So here is StoneGable, The French Edition……
5 EASY TIPS FOR KEEPING GUEST ROOMS AND BATHROOMS CLEAN DURING THE HOLIDAYS
StoneGable is at its best when it is full of guests. And from Thanksgiving till after the New Year our home is often busting at the seams! We love to have our family and friends spend time with us and celebrate… and that includes all the doggies too! We often say that StoneGable is more like a hotel than a home! Did you know that we have four guest bedrooms and 5 bathrooms? Believe me, nobody needs 5 bathrooms! With all our family and guests… and dogs… coming and going I need to keep our guest rooms and bathrooms……
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER CHRISTMAS DECOR
We are counting down to Christmas… just a little over a week until the BIG DAY! It’s the perfect time to add just one more last minute Christmas decor to your home. A pretty sparking vignette of cranberries, and tea lights and mason jars! I’m all about making easy decor now! No tackling big projects!!! Now is the time to add little touches. This Christmas decor can be created in less than 15 minutes!…
10 BEAUTIFUL CANDLE IDEAS AND A $150.00 GIVEAWAY
I have a fabulous $150.00 AGNES & IRENE CANDLES for you today. It’s a season of giving at StoneGable! But before I share all the great giveaway details I want to share 10 BEAUTIFUL WAYS TO USE CANDLES. Christmas is a fabulous time to shine and sparkle … so light those candles! Candles glow is like no other. Soft, diffused and magical! Here are 10 ways to light you Christmas evenings……
CHRISTMAS GIFT WRAPPING IDEAS
I’m just going to come out and admit… I am the EMBELLISHMENT QUEEN! I love to embellish almost anything. And gift wrapping is my forte!!! Not so much wrapping the package, but taking it from pretty paper to WOW this is gorgeous… (not bragging, just truth!)! In our house Bobby will wrap anything I put in a box. So you can just imagine how many great boxes I have collected in the basement. I’m so excite to share some easy Christmas gift wrapping ideas!…
FARMHOUSE CHRISTMAS MANTEL
This is the third Christmas Mantel I have done this year! And the final one!!!! I’ve been trying to get just the right balance of farmhouse look and Christmas cheer! The black chippy shutters are a permanent fixture on the mantel, but the old crusty window is a new addition, found in the dark and cluttered recesses of my basement. I think it has been down there for 10 years! It became the perfect foil for a pretty long pine wreath! I think my favorite colors to decorate with are neutrals, whites and blacks… even at Christmas! Contrast is……
MY BEST SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
I’m very excited to share this post with you today. I’ve been making this sugar cookie for decades. I found the recipe in an old magazine. The recipe was titled “Simply Perfect Sugar Cookies”… and they are! They’re not too sweet, and have a nice crumb and the glaze on the top is a must. These delicious cookies are easy to roll and be cut out in any shape. I like to cut them into a fluted square with the glaze spread over them with sanding sugar sprinkled on the top. Scrumptious!…
ELLIOT-HEATH CHRISTMAS PILLOW GIVEAWAY
It’s a December of my favorite things… sorta like Oprah. I’m not giving away a car…but I am giving away one gorgeous, handmade Elliot-Heath pillow! Heather makes my very favorite pillows. I have them all over my home. They are like nothing you will see anywhere else and are JUST SO GORGEOUS!!! I’m adding a little green to my neutral living room this Christmas so I added an tall evergreen tree pillow by Elliot-Heath Designs….
MAKE A CHRISTMAS POINSETTIA
I have a special treat for you today! I’ve been making Christmas Poinsettias… felt Christmas Poinsettias to wear on my jackets and coats, give as gifts and to put on Christmas presents. A couple years ago I made a Poinsettia Christmas Stocking and put these pretty Poinsettias at the top of them. Would you like to make one or five or ten Poinsettia too? They are soooo easy and sooooo beautiful! Great, let me show you how. You only need a little bit of felt, a few sparkles and a dab of glue!…
