Last Minute DIY Christmas Trees

Did you decide not to decorate much for Christmas and now it's a week away and you regret not having a tree?  I've got a few easy suggestions for you that don't involve watering anything.

1. Shipping Tree

2.  Spare Branches and Twigs Tree

3. Yarn Tree

Gold or Silver Vase

I have a pile of vases under my sink that could use some loving.  I came across this project that would help add a little class to them.  This could also make nice candle holders. 

Choose your paint color in spray paint and have fun.
Use painters tape and after you've sprayed the vases, don't leave the tape on too long or when you remove it, it may remove the paint with it.
Also make sure the tape is on good (without any bumps that would allow the paint to seep in).

Ordinarily Wonderful

I came across this quote on Pinterest and had to share.

 "time stands still
best in moments
that look
suspiciously
like
ordinary life."

I hope during this holiday season, you find time to admire the way the clouds wisp across the sky or how the snow sticks in your eyelashes, or the way the moon glows on a frosty night.

     A winter sunset walk around Lake Calhoun, MN.

Pretty as a Postcard

I was hoping to get to this project this weekend, but alas, time got away from me.  Some of it was spent going to see Inside Llewyn Davis, written and directed by the Coen brothers.  If you haven't seen it and you like their stuff, you won't be disappointed.  It's definitely one of my favorite movies of the season and I see A LOT of movies.  Here's a little clip, the music is amazing.
O

Okay, I'm done being distracted now.  Here are the postcards I will get started on soon.  I thought these could be fun Christmas cards, if you found old black and white holiday photos.  Even just old postcards with snow and use more "holiday" paint colors with them.  It's from the cute blog, Lovely Indeed.

Turkey Chili with Ginger and Lime to Warm You Up!

With most of the country in a cold snap, I thought today would be I good day to make some of my favorite chili.  This is my friend Sara's recipe and this girl knows how to cook!   A lot of the measurements are "some" or "to taste" because this is a play as you go chili.  If you need specific measurements, maybe check out some other chili recipes for ideas.  I add a half bag of frozen corn to this concoction, but up to you if you want to add it or not.  You could also make this a vegetarian chili or beef, it's up to you.

Ingredients:
Ground Turkey - 1.5 lbs
1 T of Peanut Oil (to brown turkey)
Diced Onion (1/2 to whole medium)
Crushed Garlic - 3 cloves
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Black Beans
1 little can of green chilies (optional, it's too spicy for my family)
Juice of 1 lime
Cumin - about 1 tablespoon, you can adjust to what you like
Chili Powder - some (see, this is what I was talking about ;)
Celery Salt - to taste
Black Pepper - to taste
Oregano - 1 tsp
Tabasco - 4 to 5 shakes of the bottle (our family uses the milder green version, we're whimps)
Paprika (optional) - 1 tsp
Ginger (optional) - 1 tsp
1/2 bag of frozen corn (optional)
Cilantro - garnish (optional)
We also like to add a T of greek plain yogurt (or sour cream) and some shredded cheese - garnish

Brown Turkey and Onions in a large skillet.

Add everything else in pot (including browned turkey and onions) and simmer for a minimum of 15 - 20 minutes.

Garnish with cheese, cilantro and plain greek yogurt (or sour cream).  This also makes delicious leftovers.  I usually make up a batch and have a bowl for lunch for a few days.

Kids Christmas Mantel

I'm in the decorating mood and although I posted my mantel yesterday, I am also completely in love with this one from the blog, Little Bit Funky.  If you have kids, this could be such a fun project to get their help on. The little village she created is from cardboard, if you don't have any boxes laying around you could check your grocery store to see if they have any from their produce you could grab.  Then pick up some paint and have at it.  The little wooden people (your family members) can be purchased at any craft store or online.  Bright colors are the key.  I'd love to see pics!

Easy (and cheap) Decorations for Christmas Mantel

I have to admit, I broke a few days before Thanksgiving and decorated our house for Christmas.  To be fair though, I waited until the day after Christmas to start playing the music and watching holiday movies.

My husband and I are always visiting our families over Christmas so we usually don't buy a real tree.  Hopefully we'll get to have family coming to visit us for holidays soon, but for now, I do minimal decorating.  Most of it involves our little mantel in our living room.

With this year's mantel I embraced the Yesteryear (ha!) theme.  We have tons of old hardcover books and other antique store finds, like the super eight camera in the photo. 

I'm feeling very nostalgic this year and wanted to reflect those feelings in our decorations.  I bought those yummy cinnamon scented pinecones from the grocery store for $3.99 and strung them together with thin rope I had in my tool chest.  Then I arranged and stacked some of our old books, adding candles and meaningful trinkets to the display, trying not to go too overboard.  The little tree was a $12.99 find at Target and made me think of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree, another memory from my childhood.  So there you have it, quick, easy and cheap decorating that brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.

I would love to see your crafty decorations!

It Smells A Lot Like Christmas

I hope you had a peaceful and joy-filled Thanksgiving weekend.  It's Monday and back to work.  Luckily we're still in the holiday season which always helps me to take things a little more slowly during this month.  For some reason, this season always makes me want to focus on being present and in the moment.

I came across this recipe for "Christmas in a Jar".  I am going to make up a batch tonight.  Our sense of smell is such a strong connector to memories and this smell brings back very happy memories for me.  It's from the cute blog, dandee.

 

Ingredients: 

• 5 cinnamon sticks 
• 1 dried lemon slice 
• 1 dried orange slice
•  1/2 cup whole cloves 
• 1 tbs. nutmeg 
• 1/4 cup whole allspice 
• 1 tbs. bay leaf pieces 
• 3 dried apple slices 

Combine ingredients. Add water to simmer on stovetop.

Developing Courage

As I was scanning my facebook newsfeed this morning, I came across this comment from Maya Angelou.  I had to share it with you.

Maya Angelou on Courage:

MS: If you could speak to the world community, what message would you most want to deliver to humanity?

Ms. Angelou: I would encourage us to try our best to develop courage. It’s the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can be anything erratically—kind, fair, true, generous, all that. But to be that thing time after time, you need courage. We need to develop courage, and we need to develop it in small ways first. Because we wouldn’t go and say, “I’ll pick up this hundred-pound weight” without knowing our capacity. So we need to say, “Oh, I’ll start by picking up a five-pound weight, then a ten-pound weight, then a twenty-five-pound, and sooner or later I’ll be able to pick up a one-hundred-pound weight.” And I think that’s true with courage. You develop a little courage, so that if you decide, “I will not stay in rooms where women are belittled; I will not stay in company where races, no matter who they are, are belittled; I will not take it; I will not sit around and accept dehumanizing other human beings”—if you decide to do that in small ways, and you continue to do it—finally you realize you’ve got so much courage. Imagine it—you’ve got so much courage that people want to be around you. They get a feeling that they will be protected in your company.

This hit me today, possibly because last week, I was having a conversation with someone with very different political views than me.  While I can appreciate that we are all entitled to our own opinion, due to my nature of not wanting to ruffle feathers, there are many times I stay silent.  Always after those conversations I walk away feeling awful, betrayed by myself.  Just because I don't verbally say I agree with them because I don't actually voice my own beliefs, I am in a sense agreeing with them.  

In a world where we are taught to get along and I always valued my gift as a peacemaker, how do I stand up for what I believe in without "gasp" people getting upset?  I always tell myself, you're not political, you don't have enough facts to back up your opinions.  I'm beginning to realize how much that "voice in your head" gets in the way.  You think it's there to keep you safe, you see a homeless person outside your grocery store asking for money and maybe you'll give him a dollar, but your inner voice says, make sure you don't make eye contact, you don't want to encourage him to ask for more.  You see a couple having a spat and it's getting heated and your voice says, stay out of the way, she can handle it, she's obviously been dealing with it for awhile.

So today, I am giving myself permission to tell my inner voice to shut up.  Maya Angelou says to start with a five pound weight, for me that means stating my opinion confidently because everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I've got to go with my gut.

Etsy Wish List

What a happy Thanksgiving surprise to find in my email this morning.  One of my cards was featured in JulieEllynDesign's treasury.  Be sure to check out Julie's store.  I just got a beautiful pair of emerald earrings from her.

Thanksgiving Tables

Trying to figure out how to dress your table for tomorrow?  Here are few suggestions.

Pheasantly Surprised
White Table Cloth
White Plates
Bunch of feathers in a large white vase (probably found at a craft store near you)

Log Chop
Gotta a saw?  How about natural wood place settings.  Keep the plates clear to show off the wood.

Fall Centerpiece
What says Fall more than pumpkins, bittersweet and candlelight?  As a recommendation, make sure those candles are unscented.   No one wants to smell fake vanilla, when they're about to devour a home-cooked meal.

Heart Gloves

This is so easy and would make a cute stocking stuffer or Hanukkah gift.  You buy the gloves and some felt and emboridery thread.  Then cut out the two halves of a heart and stitch on right where your hands would make the heart if they were cuffed, like in this picture.  For the full instructions check them out here in the blog, maché.

Thankful Pie

Oh. My. Gah! I saw this recipe and know what dessert I'm making for Thanksgiving.  Check this insane recipe out!  I think I can smell this Gingerbread Eggnog Pumpkin Pie through the computer.  (From the blog Thumb in Plum.)

Gingerbread Pie Shell Recipe

Ingredients for the crust

• 1 box gingerbread  mix
• 2 tbs unbleached flour
• 2 tbs melted butter

Directions

1. Prepare as cookies, as directed on the box (stop the prep after refrigeration)
2. After cooling in the refrigerator break into 2 even balls and roll one out as you would a pie crust on a floured board or pan to 1/4" thick
3. Flour the top and roll it loosely. Line it up with a 9" pie tin and unroll it, pressing down and making sure there are no spaces between the shell and the tin. Cut the dough hanging off the edges
4. Use the extra dough for the top of the pie, another pie crust, or use the rest for some yummy gingerbread men you can bite the heads off of

- See more at: http://www.thumbinplum.com/2012/12/gingerbread-eggnog-pumpkin-pie.html#sthash.ujMmkHxR.dpuf

Cran-Apple Stuffing!

Even in LA, it's starting to get "chilly" out.  Not compared to my Minnesotan roots chilly, but "LA chilly" and it doesn't take long to think that fifty degrees means breaking out the hat and mittens and marshmallow puffy jacket.

So when I came across this recipe tonight, while wondering what I can make to make the house smell yummy and warm, I knew I had found my delicious solution.  Cranberry-Apple Corn Bread Stuffing, straight from Better Homes and Gardens.  Just look at this savory picture, you know you want to make it.  Pair this with a roasted chicken from the grocery store and dinner is served.

Letting Go

Does it ever seem like there's a universal energy going around and everyone you're connected with is facing similar challenges?  For the past couple months I've been noticing that with quite a few friends.  I came across this quote and found it relevant, maybe you're facing a similar situation where this might resonate with you as well.

Stamped Coasters

I can't believe we're already coming up on Thanksgiving next week.  November is going by in a blink.  We just got back from Cabo, Mexico yesterday.  We were there for the Baja International Film Festival.  I will post pics as soon as I have them.  Lots of red carpet fun.

With December a little over a week away, I've been thinking more of gifts I can make for the holidays and came across this easy tutorial.  Also, we could use some new coasters as ours are old and looking pretty gross and stained.  This owl stamp is adorable.  I may have to take a trip to Michael's to pick out some fun new stamps.

The only supplies you'll need are:

• Tiles from somewhere like Home Depot
• Cork stickers (for the bottom of the tiles so they don't scratch your coffee table), I suppose you could use felt as well.
• Rubber mounted stamps of your choosing.
• Satin or gloss latex paint

Lilac Sugar

Now that there's a chill in the air and with the sun setting so much earlier, I've been in the mood to bake.  Truthfully, I need things to do inside to keep me from falling asleep before 7:30pm.  Last night I think I made it to 9:30pm.  When the sun sets, my body is ready to settle in for the night, but it's much too early.  So I've been searching the web for baking ideas to help warm the house up and add that yummy baking smell I always associate with the holiday season.
This quick recipe would make nice holiday gifts and add yummy flavor to some of your holiday baking.  Lilac sugar.  Simple and easy.

What makes you feel alive?

Today is Thursday, which means it's one of my favorite days of the week.  My acting class day.  I came across this quote that reminded me of today.

I love sweating!

There is something so cleansing about sweating.  I love challenging myself with a tough workout, even though I may be screaming at myself during it.  The rest of the day, my body feels like it's been cleared out of all the gunk, all the stress that's crept in.  My endorphins go through the roof and the sweat is proof of all that I did away with.  Today after my bike sprints I went to go stretch and noticed this happy heart I sweat into my shirt.  I couldn't help but photograph it and admire all that hard work.  I call it my "sweatheart".

Changing Artwork Easily

I change the artwork in my office and bedroom quite often.  I'm a photographer and love to display photos from my trips or celebrations or everyday life.  Since I have so many photos and keep taking more, I like to give each one their time on my walls.  These displays with washi tape are a fun and easy way to do it.  I'm sure you can get Washi tape from many places, one quick check on Amazon and I found quite a few.

Small Spaces Bookshelf

I have been living in small spaces since I went to college.  After college I moved to NYC and eventually settled in to a 200 sq. ft. apartment with a roommate.  The kitchen was so narrow at points, that two people couldn't walk by the stove at the same time.  I'm now in CA, but we still have a smaller space and need to conserve space and make all the furniture in the living room moveable so it can work for many different situations.  That's where this sweet moveable bookshelf comes in.  The how-to blog uses two pieces of wood braced together, but you could also just buy one of those cheap shelves at ikea or a hardware store and only have to add the casters.  It just depends what look you're going for.

A Haunted Walk

My hubby and I have no children yet, so we unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), don't have a plethora of delicious Halloween candy laying around the house waiting to be eaten.  We did however, take a walk around our neighborhood last night and boy oh boy, was it a party!  People from different parts of LA actually drive to our neighborhood to check out all the decked out Halloween homes.  At times we had to walk on to the street to get around the packs of Trick-or-Treaters.  Everyone was having a blast, including the parents out with other parents enjoying a warm evening walk with their deliriously excited kiddos.
Here are a couple homes we saw on our walk.  I have some day photos from a few days ago and a couple night photos.

The pic above is a close-up of the photo before it. That photo changes as you walk by it from an old-timie kid portrait to zombie kids portrait. Freaky!

I wish this one would have come out better. It really did look like a movie set, including that ball representing a full moon hanging in the tree in the upper-right corner.  You're just going to have to trust me on this one, super scary and cool.

Skeleton Decorations

Do you love the Nightmare Before Christmas?  Show your love with these adorable decorations.  Quick, run out to your garage or wherever the Christmas ornaments are stored, grab the ones you're sick of and paint them white and add the faces with black paint or permanent marker once they're dry.  While the white paint is drying, maybe draw some practice faces on a notebook, since mistakes with black paint will be hard to cover up and if you've forgotten...HALLOWEEN IS TOMORROW!

Monster Entrance

I love this.  Even if you don't have a huge entryway like this home, you could make the front door the mouth and put the eyes above this.  You still have a few more days left to decorate before Halloween!

Black Cat Decorations

This would be sweet hanging on your mantle.  All that's needed is black construction paper that you cut out to make the face and your clear Christmas lights you probably have in storage to use as their eyes.  After cutting the faces out, take a hole punch to make holes to put the lights through.  For full directions, check them out here.

Comic Book Costume

If you're like me and still trying to figure out what you're going to be for that Halloween party this week, argh!  I came across this great idea.  You just need a vintage-y dress and some good face paint/make-up.  Posing in those cartoon poses for pictures is probably a good idea too. ;)

Here's an example of a poster.

Bloody Beverage

These are cute and disturbing at the same time.  Grenadine fills the syringes and the liquid is 7-Up or Sprite for the kiddos and those not wanting alcohol and soda water & vodka for the adults looking for a kick.  I'm sure you can google syringes, but I found some at Party City.

Featured in Brave treasury on Etsy

I love this treasury from Debra Boudreau, featuring my greeting card, "trust your gut not your fear".
She included such beautiful artwork and "brave" items.  Making a beautiful treasury is an artist statement in itself.

Mummy Dogs

I think it's time for another Halloween snack.  This would probably work best for the kiddies, though maybe you could make them out of cocktail dogs too.  This is just a hot dog, with the "arms and legs" cut and wrapped in Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough.

Not at home for Halloween?

If you're not going to be home for Halloween, maybe you're at a Halloween party or taking the kids around.  How about this great idea from who else, Martha Stewart.

Drill small holes in a large pumpkin (Martha suggests a foam pumpkin so the sticks on the suckers don't get soggy) and stick in the Tootsie Pops. ("How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?...  The world may never know.")  I never liked the brown ones, even though orange and brown are Halloween colors, the red ones were always my favorites.

Easy Peasy Ghosts

How's your Halloween decorating going?  Need a little something to hang in your entryway?  How about these scary ghosts.

Need:

• White Balloons
• Cheesecloth
• Black Permanent Marker
• String

To do:
Blow up the balloons, color the eyes and mouth (if you feel like adding one), make sure to draw them big enough.  Also make sure to put the face on the "bottom-side" of the balloon, so the tie of the balloon is facing up, that's where you'll tie the string on to hang them.  Shred the cheesecloth at the bottoms and put a small hole in it to put the tie of the balloon through.  Hang and scare!

Bring on the Pumpkins

Maybe we need our own pumpkin patch for the amount of things we can do with pumpkins.  How about as an ice-bucket?  Scoop out the pumpkin guts, add ice and drinks.

A Witch for the Front Porch

The Halloween decorations are starting to go up around our neighborhood.  Lots of spider webs and tombstones covering the yards.  If you're still looking for more ideas to decorate, how about this easy witch?

You'll need:
Striped Tights
Old black shoes (thrift stores are full of them)
Black Umbrella
Newspaper to stuff the tights
Chair

Instructions:
Attach the legs of the witch to an umbrella and anchor the umbrella to a chair.

Paper Doll Costume

I think this costume is so cute.  I'm trying to figure out what I want to be for Halloween, maybe a paperdoll.  Check out the instructions here on mommyenterprises.

Mummy Cupcakes

These are great, you just need a chocolate cupcake recipe and vanilla frosting.  Check out this site for tips on putting the frosting in a mummy-like fashion.

Ghosts in the yard

My husband and I take a nightly walk every evening through our neighborhood.  There's this amazing section of our walk that always goes all out for Halloween.  Seems like the neighbors are competing with each other for the scariest Halloween set-up.  It's all great to me because each night our walk gets more and more interesting as the houses start setting up.  Hopefully by this weekend, everyone will be set up and I can post pictures from our walk next week.

I came across this great idea that would be perfectly creepy on Halloween night.  It's basically just, chicken wire + glow in the dark paint = ghosts in the front yard.  Love it!

Candy Corn No-Bake Treats

It's pretty early for this sweet craving I'm having, but I saw this recipe and my mouth is still watering.  No baking involved, you can get the kiddos working on this treat for their next Halloween party.  From Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.

Beautiful Fall Centerpiece

A came across this simple centerpiece on Midwest Living.  White pumpkins, bittersweet to wrap around them (I used to hunt this with my parents when I was little.  We'd be driving down south to my grandma's house and we'd stop off with a couple good clippers and start gathering.), and an orange table runner and tea lights. Voila!