these Christmas Days 2014!

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We made it a December to remember.I hope all of you would have made it:)-
In between the bouts of cough and cold and the season of flu and the mighty fog that lingered around we bravely put up our Christmas trees and lights and the precious hand made ornaments we  treasured through the years!

loved these lines:)-
Christmas is forever,not just one day for loving sharing and giving,
are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel,in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do for yourself!

I sincerely hope all your days  to be bright and merry and happy ..my dear readers!
Let us enjoy the images of Christmas and December in camera some instagram shots too:)-

All ideas and Images :Lakshmi Arvind

pl do not copy nor use these images without permission..

pl email at dr.lakshmi@live.in

Christmas Home Tours

FREE IMAGES Some great Christmas Home Tours you won't want to miss, they have brilliant ideas, easy crafts, and interesting decor I've never seen before!

Four Generations Under One Roof

Fern Creek Cottage

Pretty Handy Girl

Yellow Bliss Road

Beneath My Heart

Martha Lights Up America

FREE IMAGES We are so excited to share these amazing new lights by Martha Stewart that you can find at Home Depot!

We had the opportunity to try out these news lights for ourselves! We are slowly getting ready for the holidays and decided to try out these new lights to see how they looked. As much as I love them, I need to run to the store and buy some more to finish the look:

They pair greatly with our other decorations. 

I've had a traditional wreath for so long now, I am even considering getting a different one that fits with the snowflakes in the new lights!

One of my favorite things about the lights are that they are battery powered so you don't have to worry about plugging them in, and they have a timer on them! 

They were really easy to hang. We bought some 3M hooks and lined them up along the post.

Do you like traditional lights or non-traditional? Are you putting up lights for the holiday season this year?

*Disclaimer - I was given these lights as a sample but the opinions are my own!

Holiday Kitchen Inspiration

FREE IMAGES With most homes these days catering to the open floor plan, decorating for the holiday's might not always stop by the Christmas Tree or dinning room! Here are a few ideas for bringing some holiday fun to the kitchen:

via Houzz

via Pinterest

via House & Home

via Houzz

via PicMonkey

via HomeMyDesign.com

My Decor of Christmas Past

FREE IMAGES Hi friends!  How's it going??  Freezing our buns off here.  This morning my weather app on my phone said it was 7 degrees but "it feels like -10".  WHAT?!  Did I move to Siberia?!  No!!  These are January and February temps that I'm not quite prepared for in early December.  Boo!  On the bright side, at least we didn't get the crazy ice and snow storms that hit a lot of the Southern states and the sun is shining.  I'll take it.

Anywhoo,  I am still putting some finishing touches on my Christmas decor this year and haven't posted it yet so thought I'd put together a page with all my past Christmas decor.  Just click the button to see the thumbnails of the posts.  This button will also be on my sidebar under the category "My Good Stuff".

Stay warm friends! :)

Great gift idea! Typography map art from Map My State! (And a coupon code)

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Today I wanted to introduce to you Map My State, a product with a really cool concept.  Map My State specializes in unique typography designs featuring states, cities, countries, and more. I requested a map of Spain highlighting Segovia, the city I lived in part-time for 2 years, and look what they sent! 

Ben and Ashley came up with the concept in 2011 when they were looking for a unique way fill up wall space in their home and their clever idea turned into something more. They were selling their designs on various websites until they opened up their own website this year. If you don't see the state, city, or country your in, don't worry - they can do customizations by request.

I think these mugs would make great groomsmen gifts for my fiance's groomsmen in May!

You can get more than just prints of their site too! They do coffee cups, t-shirts, and baby onesies too!

Just in time for your holiday shopping, or to get your own - use this little gift from Map My State - a coupon code for 20% off!! : decorology 

Christmas Home Tour Part 2: Rustic Christmas

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Hi there!  Merry Christmas Eve!  I can't believe I'm just now posting my Christmas Home Tour (part 2).  At least I'm not really late as it's not officially Christmas yet... so, technically I'm a day early.  Congratulations to me. (said with complete sarcasm)

I'd hoped to get it posted much earlier but with sick kids, parties, Christmas shopping, baking, etc. there just hasn't been a lot of spare time.  You know how it is...  Tis' the season for over-doing.  But this season I tried not to over do it.  And, I almost succeeded.... I think.

Anywho, welcome to my Christmas Home Tour Part 2, Rustic Christmas.  Be sure to check out my "fancy" Christmas decor in Part 1. 

We'll start with my mantel.  

This year I wanted to mix up my Christmas mantel a little bit.  The past couple of years I've had somewhat of a candy cane-ish theme.  You can see my Candy Cane Christmas Mantel here..  Anyway, I'm am totally over the candy cane-ish look.  (Big surprise.)  

I loved the rustic look I did on my kitchen console table last year.  DIY Network even featured it on their site!  

I decided I could pull off a rustic Christmas mantel on the cheap using mostly stuff I already have.  

I busted out my old 90% off red candle holders that I bought with the intention of spray painting.  They are marvelously Christmas rustic looking so I’m so glad I didn’t.  The birch candles were 80% off from Hob Lob’s after Fall sale.  (they are definitely not just for Fall, score!)  I used some of the Christmas trees that I had and that was that.

I used an old wreath and made it look new by adding a few of these burlap-ish flowers I scored for half off at Hob Lob and adding some burlap ribbon through it.  

I changed up the hearth of my fireplace this year too.  So many times people forget to decorate the fireplace hearth.  It's like dressing your top up with your best Christmas sweater but forgetting your pants.  Don't forget the pants bottom, people! ;)  (and don't worry, I don't wear Christmas sweaters.)

I got this huge red lantern for $8 after Christmas last year!

 $8!   

It was 90% off and a super score deal in the game.  It is ginormous and I heart it.  I was planning to put it on my porch but then I couldn’t stand thinking that it would get rained/sleet/snowed/iced on and likely only last a few seasons.  And if it was by my front door I wouldn't get to see it much because I always come in the garage.  Bummer.  

I made an executive decision and saved it’s life by sticking it by my fireplace alongside another lantern that I keep there all year. 

Your welcome, Ginormous Red Lantern.

My friend made the awesome lantern stand that is now a permanent fixture on my fireplace hearth (it will never be pantless again!).   I dressed it up with a few faux greenery swags and a big burlap bow.  

I made the bow myself after following extremely confusing instructions and some cursing I found online.  I’m not sure if I like it, it is kind of like the post is wearing a big, fat, little girl hair bow looking thing.  I added some jingle bells to distract from the poor bow formation.

I changed it up by sticking a Santa in the lantern instead of a candle. Further distracting from the burlap hair bow.

On the other side of the fireplace hearth I stuck some birch branches in my blanket basket along with some greenery.  It's sort of gives a cozy rustic glow.

My stocking are from Pottery Barn Kids and have a train, airplane and my boy's names on the other side of them.  I staged them with the red side showing for my pictures but the other side actually doesn't look bad.  The boys were highly offended that I had put up their stockings "backwards".  Of course I changed them back after the pics.  

I got a new pillow that I am completely in love with... a TJ Maxx find (of course).  I've seen similar ones for 3 times what I paid for it.

I hung my DIY burlap wreath on my kitchen mirror.  (See my burlap wreath tutorial)

I hung it over my sideboard which holds a simple wooden tray full of greenery and votives.

I'm loving this vignette and thinking it's neutral enough I can leave it up all winter.

Although the red in the wreath is kinda screaming Christmas at me.  Maybe I could keep the wreath but lose the red flowers after Christmas.  It's a plan.

My kitchen table centerpiece was a thrown together at the last minute deal.  I feel like these deer would've liked to be laying in greenery instead of snow.  You could see them a lot better that way.  But, unfortunately for the deer, I ran out.  In keeping with my attempt at not over doing it this season I decided that the deer could just suck it up and sit in the snow.  Maybe if they're really good next year I'll buy them some greenery to sit in. ;)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

PS:  Consider joining me in January for a book club studying 31 Days to Build a Better Blog by ProBlogger Darren Rowse.  Learn more and sign up in the comments here.

Linking: Nesting Place, Savvy Southern Style

Christmas Decor Tour 2012 Part 1: The Fancy Rooms

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Hey there!  How's it going??  Are you having a pre-Christmas meltdown or are you relaxing and enjoying the season?  I hope it's the latter.

I've been to two Christmas cookie exchange parties in the past two days, I hosted one the first night and attended one the next night.

Today I'm pretty sure I've eaten my weight in Christmas cookies.

You know what?

It was awesome. :)

There are only a few days left of good Christmas eats and then it'll be back to reality (meaning no cookies for breakfast anymore).

Time is ticking down quickly and the big day is right around the corner. I'm just barely going to get my Christmas decor tour up in time.  So come on in!

We'll start in my entry way...

Just a little vignette of trees and deer.

Keeping it simple.  Loving these deer that have very similar brothers from Pottery Barn.  These are from TJ Maxx for a quarter of the price.

Then step into my living room to see my "fancy tree" with a touch of leopard print.  Leopard can give an elegant and sophisticated look but can go bad very quick if you're not careful. :)

I have leopard print ribbon on the tree and one leopard print pillow.  That's it.  It's just enough.

Each year I add a few unique ornaments that I usually find very cheap at TJ Maxx. (where else, right?)

The loops have French script on them  an the colors are perfect for my fancy tree.  It's looks handmade but I couldn't have made it for as cheap as I bought it.  That's the beauty of TJ Maxx.

The tree looks prettier when it's glowing a little bit don't cha think?

My topper started as a smaller bow.  It was too wimpy for my 9 foot tree so I just kept adding to it until it looked good.  It doesn't even look like a bow anymore, I refer to it as my tree's hair-do.  I think it's channeling it's inner Chaka Khan.

I have a little vignette on my ottoman.  This year I fell to the antler frenzy and picked up a few faux antlers at my favorite flea market.  One landed here....

And who can resist a Santa in a cloche??

My "Joy to the World" pillow is one of my rare authentic Pottery Barn items.  It's piped in burlap rope.  Love.  It was on sale last year and I got free shipping.  Merry Christmas to me.

My golden reindeer and feathered and sequined trees top my great-grandma's curio cabinet.

A view from above...

My dining room is finally starting to get the makeover that it so badly needs.  I have a little vignette set up on my mirrored table.

I started painting my dining room table and chairs.  Finally!!  My Mamaw gave me her set when they down-sized their home a few years back.  They had been an orange-ish cherry that dated the traditionally styled set.  I can not believe the difference the Annie Sloan chalk paint is making.  Here is a peak!

I really think I'm going to love it... it will be a January (or February?) project.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my "Fancy" Christmas tour.  It isn't too fancy but my boys call this one my fancy tree and unknowingly named this tour for me.  Part 2 will be my more rustic Christmas decor in my kitchen and family room.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Linking: The Nester, Jennifer Rizzo, Tatertots & Jello, Savvy Southern Style