We are counting down the hours till 2012 and I am still amazed at how fast this year went by.  I hope to accomplish a lot more in the upcoming year than I did 2011… I am making my list of goals  and hope to have everything checked off at the end of the year.  One of my goals for next year is to make my Etsy shop grow.  Another goal for next year is to learn how to be a more successful blogger.  I could just keep going on and on with all the things I want accomplish next year, the truth is if I am successful with just one I will be happy!  What would you like to accomplish next year? Do you have any New Year's resolutions?  What ever it is, I hope you enjoy doing it!

Wish everyone a happy and a healthy New Year!

eclectic living room design by boston interior designer Rachel Reider Interiors

modern living room design by boston interior designer Rachel Reider Interiors

traditional dining room design by los angeles architect Studio William Hefner

traditional dining room design by los angeles architect Studio William Hefner

traditional other design

contemporary dining room design by boston interior designer A. Rejeanne Interiors

contemporary dining room design by san francisco interior designer Amoroso Design

Spectacular Christmas display for Juvenile diabetes Research Foundation

Each year our friend Joe Mure does an amazing display of lights and decorations around his home, it's called "The little north pole."  He does this to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and is diligently working towards finding a cure for this terrible disease.   Over the years he has raised over a million dollars for this cause and still continues.  Starting the first weekend of November,  Joe and his 40 or more friends install all the decorations and displays during the entire month.  On the first Saturday of December, the street gets closed off from cars for the "lighting" of The Little North Pole.  Our whole community looks forward to this event every year.  He sets up a stage for the local school bands and dancers from the dance school to perform.  There is also famous entertainers like Judy Torres from the 80's, "Chicken little" one of previous "American Idol" contestant and more.   He even has Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause come on a fire engine ladder to give out toys to hundreds of children that come to join in the festivities.  There is free food and games for everyone which are donated from caterers for the cause.

He sets up his two car garage for the Santa's elve's workshop

Singers from the USO

Santa coming to give out toys to the children.

If you also would to donate and like to be a part of the efforts being made to help in finding a cure for this disease, please Donate to JDRF.

Thank you and wish all of you a very merry christmas!

I hope everyone is enjoying this most wonderful time of the year. I finally got the kids together to take Christmas pictures at the beach this past weekend. Once I took the pictures I downloaded them onto snapfish, picked out the layout of the Christmas card and ordered them. I picked them at my local drugstore the next day… So simple!

Our Christmas tree and decorating the house finally was completed this weekend.  

Here are some of my homemade oranments.

I handpainted this glass ornament with glass paint in a swirly design and glued rhinestones on them.  They came out really cute!

 I glued hydrangea flowers to a styrofoam ball and attached beads to the center of the flower.

Another styrofoam ball covered with lace trimming, very victorian!

My puppy Ringo exhausted watching us decorate!  What a life!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunburst mirror made with seashells

I have always loved sunburst mirrors!  So I was very exicted to make this one out of my favorite objects, SHELLS.  I don't have step-by-step pictures of this project, because I was just making it to put in my
Etsy shop.  It came out so pretty, I wanted to share it with you.

 First, I adhered abalone shell shards to the perimeter a wooden circle form.  Then placed all the tiny little pearlized umbonium shells all around the form, making sure to also put the shells on the inside edge.  Lastly, I attached a round mirror I purchased at my local craft store with mirror glue.

 What do you think?  Do you like this rendition of a sunburst mirror?

Thank you for stopping by!




Linking this post to:
RESTORE INTERIORS

Unique and beautiful Christmas trees

Hope you had a great weekend!  We celebrated my son's 13th Birthday with family and friends on Sunday, we had a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

Father and son

I love decorating Christmas trees and decorating for the holidays… Here are some very beautiful and creative inspirations for Christmas tree decors.

Source: bhg.com via Mallory on Pinterest

Source: trendytree.com via Jeannine on Pinterest

Source: trendytree.com via Belinda on Pinterest

Source: completely-coastal.com via Meryl on Pinterest

Source: trendytree.com via Dawn on Pinterest

Source: chateaumistletoe.blogspot.com via Dustin on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via Allison on Pinterest

Source: hgtv.com via Golddust on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Jo-anne on Pinterest

Source: blueeyedyonder.blogspot.com via Faiza on Pinterest

Sandwich bag Christmas wreath

This the best time of the year for me.  Everyone is just a little more joyous and kind.  Every Christmas it brings me back to memories of Christmas past.  I love the magic of Christmas!

This brings me to two past Christmases ago, when my daughter,  at the time in third grade made this fabulous sandwich bag wreath in her class.  I just had to share it with you!

Supplies needed

Wire hanger (preferably white)

Box of 50 Clear sandwich bags (without the zipper)

Red ribbon

Jingel bells 

First, bend the wire hanger to form a round circle, the hanger hook is used to hang the wreath (how perfect).  Take a sandwich bag and tie around the wire form, very close together.  Tie bags all the way around and there it is!  Just make a bow with the red ribbon and tie it to the wreath.  Add the jingle bells and you are good to go!  How simply beautiful!

Great job my Adrianna!

Linking this post to:
Coastal Charm
The Shabby Creek Cottage

Reupholstering dining chairs

I have been away from blogland for so long,  I missed all the creative and inspirational people I visit everyday!  I miss seeing all the great projects from all of you wonderful bloggers.  I am so glad to be back and start doing some projects of my own.  Enough of this laissez-faire lifestyle, I need to create!

I am going to start by reupholstering my dining room chair, it is long over due!  I really don't like these chair at all and I would love to just say adios to them… but I can't do that till I can replace them with other chairs.  Reupholstering the dining room chairs is the easiest and the least expensive way of refreshing the look of my dining room.  New fabric on the chair seats will renew the look of the room and can be accomplished in only a few minutes.

This is the new look...

This the way they looked before, they were dirty dingy looking and ripped.  They were quite embarassing!

 I first unscrewed the seat from the base of the chair.  Put the screws aside.

 Cut fabric leaving about extra 4 inches around the seat.  Turn over the seat so the bottom is facing up and make sure to align any pattern there may be (See what i mean by embarassing!).

 Pull fabric tightly and put a few staples in.  Take the fabric from the opposite side, pull tightly and staple.  Do the same on the other two sides… Then staple generously around the seat leaving the corners.

 At the corners neatly create a tri-fold with the fabric, pull taut and staple. You can cut off the extra fabric.

I secured the newly upholstered seat to the chair frame with the screws.  Five more to go, I will show you all the completed dining chairs tomorrow.

This refreshening is just what these chairs needed.  I really like the end results!


What kind of projects have you been working on lately, I would love to see them!