Christmas Dining

Welcome!
I can't believe how fast the clock is ticking.
Phew.
Gradually, I am checking off the items on my to-do list.
Decorating is pretty much done and
now I am just adjusting and tweaking here and there. 
Come see what I've done in our
dining room and kitchen.



We painted the dining room, kitchen and living room last 
New Years and I am really happy with the subtle difference 
it's made...this is the new color below...


and this is the old wall color below.
The old wall color almost looks peachy in this 
 Halloween picture.


It's always fun to look back at old choices,
I think that is why I am always so compelled to 
document our changes.






All the little lamps on top of cupboards and shelves
are set on timers.  I love when they click on and off through
out the day.  This little lamp really brightens up the dining
nook through the winter months.
The baskets, hidden by the stockings,
on the bottom shelf are filled
with cookbooks and recipe cards.  




I love decorating above the cupboards in the kitchen.
All that lovely space to display collections, I can't let it go to waste!
This year I purchased large, plastic, mercury glass-looking 
ornaments at Wal-Mart.  They are the perfect size to use with
my red ornaments from a few years ago. 








I set the table for fun,
we use it daily so it wont stay like this for long.
Every corner of our main floor gets full use.
It's not too big and not too small.
Efficient.



Normally I am not a big fan of red, but this 
year it is working for me.  I have
been adding a bit more then usual.






In this picture you can see just how 'cottage-y' our home
really is.  There is no great expanse of space, but I
can put all the leaves in the table and really
stretch it out if we need to...or
we can squish, in true cottage style ;)








So glad you stopped by!
Hope you are enjoying the season!
I am joining

Christmas Cottage 2015, Our Living Room

Welcome!
So glad you have stopped by!
I've been busy decorating and I would love
to show you what I've been up to.

I started Christmas very early this year,
November 21st. My plans and ideas started swirling around my head
in September, honestly! And once I start to dig into my Christmas storage totes....
it's official. Decorating begins.
  This year I felt a little nervous.  We spent last
New Years repainting our open concept living room, dining room and kitchen.
 I had my fingers crossed that it would all look nice together,
I am so very happy with the results.  But seriously, who doesn't enjoy pulling out all
their treasures and displaying them around your home?
All those collections,
all those memories!


Anyways, here is what I have done in the living room area...



The tree sits in my galvanized tub again. I used a little burlap to soften and
hide the stand inside the tub.


 I have weaved lots of ribbon in and out, added lights that twinkle,
 raffia and sticks (which is a first for my tree)
and lots and lots of ornaments. I am from THE MORE THE MERRIER
side of decorating my tree.


But before all of that fun, this tree had to have
a little facelift. Half the
lights didn't work on this pre-lite
tree, so I had to remove all
 of the none working twinkle lights.


It's a messy, slightly tedious job.  An aggressive job!
 Make sure your tree is unplugged before you get started.


  I ended up removing all
of the lights. Four hours later, I had a pile of clips, wire and lights.
It was a bit messy.
 BUT my tree was all ready, with a new lease on life!
Yaaay, for reusing what I have!  Right?


I always start with extra greenery. Filling up the bare spots
on my five year old, inexpensive tree.  
 I also added 2 more icy garlands, and I still want more!




Our Christmas tree is fairly slender, which makes it easy to
squeeze into our cosy living room. 








The before and after,
after a TON of fluffing and filling and decorating.





 Little bits of red, some greenery, my Santa collection...
maybe change my Christmas pillows...


Below is my Santa for this year.
 Yes, he looks a little elf like, but I LOVE him.
A Garden Santa.


This corner has turned into a sweet little spot to sit and visit.
With a new chair, it is our
favorite spot to view the twinkling tree!


This is my early Christmas present.  
THANK YOU HUSBAND!




And with the new tea towel pillows I just made...










Hope you enjoyed seeing our
 Christmas Cottage Living Room!
Now I must go work on the rest of our home.





Laundry Day


If you have visited here before, 
you know I have gradually been painting every room. 
 Exchanging the dramatic colors 
for a 'quieter' atmosphere.
I have painted a lot of walls/rooms in my lifetime,
 always, I am amazed at how the room changes with paint. 
 Finally, I have mustered up the courage to face the laundry room
it has been taunting me for 5 years...
has it been 5 years???
Small awkward spaces are physically challenging to paint.
A little painting and yoga!


I got all the sample pots of the swatches I liked, then tested them on the wall. 
 I just couldn't decide what color to use.  I liked the idea
of using a cottage green, but they just weren't working for me.


They weren't working with the adjoining spaces either.


After checking the colors with lights on and the lights off,
checking to see how they look coming into and out of the room,
it became clear that I am still loving Normandy Gray.
Which is the grayish blue color I used in the living room.


Everything removed from the room, I repainted.
I did a little editing as well.
Note to my Mum: THE DRYER IS FIXED!!!
Before it sounded like a jet plane 
hovering over our laundry room...
it was taken apart, and with the help of you-tube, repaired.
 :))))


repainted the jacket holder,
(I'm a big believer in reusing and recycling)


...Black Chalk Paint with a stencil...


distressed and dressed up my plastic storage baskets...






 and hung a mirror.
I'm looking for an ornate mirror 
but I haven't found IT yet, for now, this one will do.
If you look top right corner, in above picture, you can see it.


 Tada!


Now this room feels fresh and calm.
An inviting welcome home.

Thanks for visiting!