It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Sunday morning we woke up to low temperatures which is pretty crazy considering Thanksgiving was spent in shorts! I’m pretty used to it down here in Texas.

I’ve only seen snow once in my life when I visited Monarch, Colorado and it was absolutely breathtaking. I just remember thinking that the snow looked like blankets on the mountains there. I also learned how to ski and most importantly how to stop myself when coming down a hill. I think that’s the most important part. I can’t wait for the day when we can travel up north and take the kids to experience fresh snow.

There is something magical about a fresh frost early in the morning. I don’t think there will be anything even remotely resembling that down here anytime soon, but these Frosted trees and wreathe from King of Christmas sure do spark that magic in my home.

That’s certainly my favorite part of the holidays. I love transforming our home into an amazing place for the kids. It always makes me smile when they complement how “magical” everything looks. I am definitely looking forward to all of the memories this month.

Although there most likely won’t be snow in the forecast, we’re all stocked up on hot chocolate and marshmallows and an endless library of Christmas movies to enjoy. Hope you are taking the time to enjoy the start of this wonderful season.

Amber

*Thank you to King of Christmas for sponsoring this post

Fall Entryway

Everyone is wanting to fast forward to 2021 and I just want to pause right here in the last part of this year. Fall is my absolute favorite time and decorating is one of the first things I do as soon as July is over. I just feel like it officially kicks off the season when I’ve got some bright fall colors nestled in my decor.

When we first moved into our house a few years ago, I told myself I wouldn’t stress about buying all the furniture to fill it. Over time, I have added a few things here and there, one of them being this entry table from world market. My favorite thing about it, is it’s length. I can add so much stuff on it and be as festive as I want to because of the space on both shelves.

Although I love farmhouse style, but I also wanted to incorporate some modern clean lines.

I added this plate for my husbands things. When he comes home, it’s his dumping spot! Keys, change, chapstick, receipts, you name it! It all has a space and glad I could also make this cute plate functional.

I found the mirror at Hobby Lobby and I love the contrast of the black with the natural wood. The basket is from At Home, there are literally a million of them to choose from. I was having a hard time committing, so I literally just grabbed one and went with it. I think I made the right choice.

These pillows are my favorite! I never tire of a classic black and white pillow. When you add any color to them, they just pop.

This wire pumpkin is a candle holder that I found in Waco on a girls trip to Magnolia a few years ago. Which reminds me, I am long overdue for a girls Magnolia trip.

Bath and Body works had a candle sale last week. While I love all the smells from that store, I just can’t get myself to wear all the body lotion and sprays. The things I can totally get into are their candles, plug ins, and room sprays. Leaves is my absolute favorite scent. I have a plug in and a candle at my entrance. As soon as I walk into my home, It smells like fall and I love it.

Of course, I had to add in some hand sanitizer to the entryway. It’s 70% alcohol and smells like orange tequila. Lol. I love the fact that is not slimy and dries quickly.

I had the candle holders already (also from Hobby Lobby) but I am thinking of changing them to some black candle sticks that I have been wanting as well. I can easily break up these items and place them in different spots in my home. Do y’all ever do that? One day, I rearranged the entire house. My husband came home and asked me if something was wrong. I just laughed and told him that I felt like I needed a change in scenery! We’ve been home so much and it was nice to move things around.

Now, can we just get this weather to change from this brutal Texas heat?

Happy Fall decorating!

xoxo and all things pumpkin,

Amber

Christmas Time is Here

The most wonderful time of year is upon us! The sight of Christmas decorations are popping up everywhere you go. Decorating for the holidays is so special to me and I love sharing it with my girls. A simple light dazzles them and can change their whole mood. While many choose to wait until after thanksgiving to decorate, I take my time and allow everything to come together over the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving day so I don’t run out of time.

Decorating can be quite an expensive ordeal, so I try to keep it super simple. I’ll share 5 decorating tips that I hope will save you some cash for those gifts under the tree!

1.      When searching for ornaments, look for items not labeled “ornament.” A large outdoor bow can be much cheaper than something the same size labeled as an ornament. I put some outdoor bows on my Christmas tree and they add just the perfect amount of fullness and color.

2.      Utilize your existing home decor and add simple colorful touches. A little red ribbon and a green wreathe scream Christmas! These can often be found at craft stores for super cheap.

3.      I really love the black and white gingham look this year! I purchased pillow covers from Amazon and filled them with snow fluff purchased last year after Christmas. This concept was useful to me a few years ago when I worked as an ER nurse. (I’ll digress with a story for you.) When I was a child, I had an accident that required stitches to my forehead. I’m sure you can imagine this was a devastating experience for anyone. But the nurse who was caring for me, offered me a stuffed doll after my stitches were done. It made the experience a little better and I wanted to do the same for the kids I treated. I started to sew bears out of fabric and stuff them. I wanted a low cost way to do this, so after Christmas, I bought a lot of the snow fluff at a discount price. Since then, I have always grabbed a few bags for projects after Christmas when everything is marked down.

4.      Plain Christmas lights are so nostalgic and can brighten up any kitchen counter. I buy the 10 count string lights and place them around some colored wine glasses, coffee mugs or Christmas figurines. Battery operated lights are a great option as well and are budget friendly.

5.      Of course the best time to buy decorations is after Christmas! Most stores mark them down to half off. It’s unpredictable to know what will still be in stores or not.  Holding out for post-Christmas sales can save you big on large items like trees, outdoor inflatables and expensive ornaments. The catch? You HAVE to get to the stores early the day after. Also, even if something isn’t marked down yet, doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be! Just ask!

Happy Decorating!

-Amber