i should be mopping the floor: November 2016
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How to Properly Store Holiday Dinnerware

This post for how to properly store holiday dinnerware and its shop have been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. 
All opinions are mine alone. #ScrubSeason #CollectiveBias

While the parties and entertaining are just getting underway, in about a month we'll all be in clean up mode (sniff, sniff!). I wanted to share my simple tricks for storing holiday dinnerware (so you don't even have to wash it next year when you pull it out!).


My mother began giving me my Christmas dinnerware the year my husband and I got married. She would give me a couple of pieces every year. Sometimes, she'd hit the after-Christmas sales and I'd end up with several sets at a time. It's been such a treasured collection. While I'm definitely a self-proclaimed dish junkie, this is truly the only set that has been completely mine. All of my other sets came from antique stores, thrift stores, estate sales, and relatives that passed on. This Christmas set is truly the only set of dishes I own that came straight from the store (via my mom!). And now that my mom is getting older, she passed on her same Christmas pattern to me as well (she actually had all the serving pieces in her collection). I truly treasure this set and look forward to pulling them out every year. Here's how I take care of them so they always stay in tip-top condition.

Easy Sew Blanket and Coordinating Tags

This easy sew blanket is a fantastic teacher gift for this holiday season.
I've also got some fun free printable coordinating tags you can use with this warm & cozy present.

Easy Sew Blanket and Coordinating Tags | Make this simple buffalo check blanket and download the coordinating "warm and cozy" gift tags for the perfect present!
Even more fun? This is a HOP! I've teamed up with some super fun blogger friends to bring you several fun holiday teacher gift ideas. Check them all out below, along with my complete tutorial for this easy sew blanket and free printable tags that coordinate perfectly.

Free Printable Dog Gift Tags

This post for free printable dog gift tags contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I make a small portion when these links are used, at no additional cost to you.

Putting together a fun gift for your pooch? I've got some super fun (and free) printable dog gift tags for you (in two designs). Our dachshund, Chloe, gave these tags two paws up. Download them below.
Free Printable Dog Gift Tags | Fun fire hydrant and bone shaped holiday gift tags for dogs. Free and instant download.
We can never forget our pups during the holiday season, right? I love to give practical gifts that get used over and over...not only to people but to dogs, too, y'all. I thought a reusable canister full of dog treats and toys would be the PAW-fect gift this year. Give one to your own dog or to the dog-lover in your life...or maybe even a new pet owner. And don't FURRRR-get to add one of my free printable dog gift tags to make it even cuter!

Inspiration Monday

Coming to the end of a nice, long holiday weekend can feel rough, right? No worries, y'all...we've got plenty of party inspiration to brighten the end of the fun and start the week off right! So happy you're here to join us for the fun! AND, we have a BIG giveaway, too!


Inspiration Monday Party
Rug Expedition $1000 Rug GiveawayWe've got an awesome $1000 Rug Expedition Rug Giveaway running from November 27th - December 15th! This giveaway is brought to you by The Crafting Chicks and a few other friends.

Brought to you by Rugs Expedition and the following amazing bloggers:


Adding a new, fun rug would be a great way to update your space for the new year.
 Loving the selection at Rug Expedition and all of the choices for different styles. screen-shot-2016-11-23-at-2-53-56-pm
You have 30 + ways to enter using the Rafflecopter Form below....yowsa! The giveaway will end at 11:59pm on December 15, 2016 MST. Our winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond. If they do not respond, a new winner will be chosen and receive the $1000 gift card from Rug Expedition. a Rafflecopter giveaway


We have loads of holiday inspiration for you today...the perfect kick off to the season!
This weeks feature's were chosen by Debbie from Refresh Restyle.
{Please pin from original sources only.}

Check out all of these festive features below!

Free Hanukkah and Christmas Printables


These free Hanukkah and Christmas Printables are
the perfect accessories to all of your holiday decor.

Free Hanukkah and Christmas Printables | Instant downloads of 8x10 holiday printables for your decor.
How was Thanksgiving, y'all? We ate ourselves silly and had a great time with family. Hoping you did, too! We're not even done, though...one more fun Thanksgiving with my husband's side of the family tomorrow night that I'm super excited about. Kicking off the official start of the holiday season with two fun free Hanukkah and Christmas Printables.

DIY Succulent Napkin Rings

Today’s post is brought to you by Bounty. I’m a member of the Quicker Picker Upper Team, but all opinions are my own. #QuickerPickerUpper

This is a fun craft on how to make your own succulent napkin rings…whether you need last minute ones for Thanksgiving dinner or want to plan ahead for your holiday meals. These are simple to put together and start from an empty roll of Bounty Paper Towels.

DIY Succulent Napkin Rings | Make these simple napkin rings (they start from a paper towel roll) to give your holiday table a little extra special touch!
These succulent napkin rings were really easy to create, y’all. And they will last for years of family dinners. I think napkin rings are a great way to dress up a place setting…and they prevent all the work of fancy napkin folding, right?

Organizing a Closet for a Preteen

This post & shop for Organizing a Closet for a Preteen has been compensated 
by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 
#WinterizeYourClosets #CollectiveBias

The preteen years are not for the faint of heart, y'all. Not only are hormones and attitudes all over the place...it's just an *interesting* time all together. This past weekend, we finally got to work on our preteen's closet. It's hard to properly store such a wild variety of items from his still-want-to-hang-on-to-them toys to his middle school band gear and weight sets (because...muscles). We found a great solution and are excited to share it today.


Organizing a Closet for a Preteen
We're completely in the adolescent stage of life. It's such a tough stage and yet a good one, too. We are working on certain freedoms, but still trying to hold those reigns. We finally had a come-to-Jesus moment this past weekend regarding the closet situation that has snowballed on us the past few months. Check out how it worked out below.

Inspiration Monday

Y'all...it's THANKSGIVING WEEK! Who else is excited? I've been working like a diggity dog but after tomorrow, I'm off for a week of glorious cooking, eating, and family time. Here's hoping you and yours have a wonderful holiday week, too! 

AND, be sure to enter my giveaway to win a Christmas tree from Bellacor:
One of my readers will walk away with the exact type of tree as pictured above.

Inspiration Monday Party
This weeks feature's were chosen by Julie from Redhead Can Decorate.
{Please pin from original sources only.}
Julie put together a group of features that are going to make you want to run and grab your fat pants fast! ;) Who else is ready for Thanksgiving food? I'm totally adding the Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts Dish to my menu. Check out all of these recipes and link up your own inspiration below!

Christmas Decor in the Dining Room & Tree Giveaway

Today, I'm sharing Christmas Decor in the Dining Room AND we have an awesome Christmas Tree Giveaway from Bellacor. You could win the same tree you'll see below in my dining room!

I've said this a few times, but when we looked at this home initially...one of my first happy thoughts about it included Christmas trees in the front windows. My mom always set her tree up in the front living room window and I'm thrilled to be able to do that, too. There's actually something fun to me about having a pretty tree in the dining room, too...eating by the glow of loads of twinkle lights.

My tree in here is a gorgeous Vickerman Green, Crystal, Balsam Christmas Tree from Bellacor. Check it out below and enter to win one for yourself!

DIY Magnetic Advent Calendar


This post for a DIY Magnetic Advent Calendar contains affiliate links.
By using my links, I earn a small profit, at no extra cost to you.

This DIY Magnetic Advent Calendar is perfect for holiday fun!
Just print the free numbers & activity pages and check out the tutorial below. 

DIY Magnetic Advent Calendar | Download the free printable numbers and activities and follow the simple tutorial for this fun activity.
This new DIY advent calendar of ours was born after an overload of treats in our household. I wanted a non-candy, non-material advent calendar and this one fits the bill I loaded it with 24 fun activities...everything from drinking hot chocolate, to making a family recipe together, to building a ginger bread house. There are tons of fun and meaningful activities. Download all of the free prints for this one below. 

Living Room Christmas Decor

Today's Living Room Christmas Decor post is brought to you
by Vickie's Gifts in Roscoe, Texas.

This space is the room I've been the most excited about decorating for the holidays. It was the room I fell head over heels in love with the first time we looked at this house. That mantel just did me in. It made me know I just really wanted to make this place our home. Check out how this decor came together below...with the help of a dear friend.

Gold, silver, and cream living room Christmas decor ideas.
I met my friend, Koti, almost 12 years ago. We lived in the Texas panhandle at the same time and had babies about the same age...and we both loved decorating! We had such a fun time and I miss living close this this girl. We took a couple drives together and I was able to see her mom's beautiful shop in Roscoe at some point. Long story short, Koti eventually relocated and now runs Vickie's Gifts in Roscoe. Y'all...this store is over-the-top amazing...filled with home decor, adorable clothing, and much more. AND, not only did Koti provide a lot of the Christmas decor for my living room, she's also doing a giveaway at the end of this post!

DIY Christmas Card Holder

This post and shop for this DIY Christmas Card Holder has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 
#MerryAndBright #CollectiveBias

Yay! It's almost Christmastime, y'all. I broke allllll of my usual traditions and decorated the house before Thanksgiving...and I'm kind of loving it. This DIY Christmas Card Holder is one of my new Christmas items this year...put together by the husband and painted by me. See the complete tutorial for it below.
DIY Christmas Card Holder | Put together this oversized holiday card display with moulding and L brackets (and mesh!). Check out the entire tutorial.
This wall off the kitchen area and family room had been empty since we moved in last March. It's not a high traffic area, so I kind of wasn't sure what to do with it. I thought about a floor to ceiling chalkboard (I miss the one from our old house), but this area gets very little natural light and would probably seem cave-ish. So, we built this DIY Christmas Card Holder to hang here during the holiday season...and I'm even thinking after the holidays it can double as the "stuff I don't want magnetted to the refrigerator" holder. It's in the perfect spot for "family stuff"! And Christmas cards definitely fall under that category. See how this came together below.

DIY Soda Shoppe Sign and Holiday Beverage Bar

This post for a Soda Shoppe Sign contains affiliate links. I make a small portion when these links are used, at no additional cost to you.

This DIY Soda Shoppe Sign and Holiday Beverage Bar were so much fun to put together. They came together to create the perfect spot for guests to enjoy a drink and bite anytime.
DIY Soda Shoppe Sign and Holiday Beverage Bar | How to make a fun Santa's Soda Shoppe Sign and Holiday Beverage Bar
In our previous home, our red buffet acted as a beverage station. Since moving into this 1970s ranch home, we have a bit more space, especially in the kitchen. This little corner has worked its way into becoming a drink area, no matter what the season (and our buffet is a little more at home in the dining room here). I made the homemade “Santa’s Soda Shoppe” sign and then grabbed some of my vintage trucks and trees for the holiday look for this space. Check it all out below.

Blending Christmas Decor Styles

Today's post for Blending Christmas Decor Styles is brought to you by Tree Classics.

I've been working in our front room blending Christmas decor styles from vintage to classic. 
Come check out how it all came together below.

Blending Christmas Decor Styles | Mixing Christmas decorations from years of collections can be tricky. Here's a few tips to make it work seamlessly.
My collection of Christmas decor can best be described as a whole lot of hodge podge, y'all. I have inherited a great deal of my Christmas decorations from relatives...and I love putting it all out because it reminds me of those special people. And I've also added to my decor over the years, as well. Trying to mix my vintage items with my recent (more classic) items I've acquired is always a fun little challenge. This year, I've added a beautiful new tree from Tree Classics, as well as ornaments and a skirt to my front room decor. I mixed my new items with a lot of goodies I already had before and I'm really happy with how it all came together. 

Inspiration Monday

Woot, woot...it's party day, y'all! We are enjoying some glorious fall weather here in Texas. We spent the majority of the weekend down in Horseshoe Bay celebrating our anniversary. It was such a beautiful place we were at...I didn't want to come home! But, of course...we did! And now, I'm in full-on Thanksgiving prep mode (we're expecting a houseful next week!). Hoping you're having a fun time in this wonderful season, too.

Inspiration Monday Party
Today's features were chosen by Jamie from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom!
With Thanksgiving just a week and a half away (what on earth?)... these fun and easy Thanksgiving Day Crafts would be a hit with all of the littles at the gathering. Check them all out below (and link up your own awesome, too)!

Free Printable Season's Greetings Banner

This free printable Season's Greetings is the perfect addition to your Christmas decor. Just print, cut, and hang up. Instant prettiness, right?

Free Printable Season's Greetings Banner...a perfect little letter banner for your Christmas decor. Instant download.
Download this free printable below.

Vintage Christmas Decor in the Family Room

Today's post for Vintage Christmas Decor in the Family Room is brought to you by Minted.

We've got some fun vintage Christmas Decor in the family room for this holiday season.
Check it all out below, along with a $250 giveaway to Minted!

Vintage Christmas Decor in the Family Room | Fun and simple ideas to add a vintage holiday touch to your home's decor.
Since this home is a bit larger than our previous one, I thought I'd break up my Christmas decor tour room by room (or, really, just the rooms I do decorate). This is the first room that's officially done for Christmas (to be clear, one of my brothers will be giving me a hard time about decorating before Thanksgiving when we're all together here for turkey day...I'm mentally preparing myself for that). But, honestly, I'm just loving having the decor out right now. We're traveling on several different trips in December and simultaneously hosting several events...having everything already in place will help with my sanity the weekend after Thanksgiving when I'm in a mad rush to get it all in place. Plus, we get to enjoy all the cheer just a little bit longer! Dominick the Donkey is already at the top of the playlist...come check out the vintage Christmas decor in the family room!

Christmas Wood Slice Art

This post for Christmas Wood Slice Art contains affiliate links.
I make a small portion back on these links, at no extra cost to you.

Today, I'm sharing this Christmas Wood Slice Art as a part of the 2016 Handmade Holidays Blog Hop. This is a fun little project that will look great with any holiday decor. See its complete tutorial below.

Christmas Wood Slice Art | Tutorial to create a fun and festive piece of holiday decor out of a wood slice.
I love the look of wood slices...I use them in lots of decor scenarios. I thought it would be fun to create a simple Christmas sign on one of these pieces...to give a bit of a rustic touch to our holiday fun around here. I've got the step-by-step plans for this below, along with an AWESOME giveaway and links to 40+ other holiday projects involved in this hop from other bloggers.

Inspiration Monday

It's party day, y'all! And it's alllll kind of Thanksgivingish on the party lately and my friend and co-hostess, Meegan, has rounded up loads of inspiration for your turkey day festivities. I'm getting super excited about hosting the big day in our new home...loving all of these Thanksgiving features to give me a little helping hand!

inspiration-monday-new

This week’s features were selected by Meegan from What Meegan Makes. nine-thanksgiving-tips-and-recipes
Check out these Nine Thanksgiving Tips and Recipes below!

Free Printable Christmas Bulb Banner and Tags

This post for a  Christmas Bulb Banner and Tags contains affiliate links. I make a small portion when these links are used, at no additional cost to you. 

This Free Printable Christmas Bulb Banner works double duty...each bulb can be used as a gift tag, too. I also think these would be super cute strung up around a Christmas tree with some white twinkling lights mixed in. Print as many as you like for the length you desire. Download this versatile printable below.

Free Printable Christmas Bulb Banner and Tags | These vintage Christmas bulb prints are perfect in banner form or as gift tags. Instant download.
I love fun vintage-y Christmas bulbs...I think they're the best. When I was a kid, these were all that my parents decorated with. I thought it would be fun to create a banner with bulb lights. Once I had printed them out, I realized they worked great as gift tags, too...so they're the perfect little double duty printable. Download yours below.

Miniature Grain Sack Gift Bags

I was supplied paint & brushes for these Miniature Grain Sack Gift Bags by Plaid Crafts. All opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links that I receive a portion back on.

This tutorial for how to make Miniature Grain Sack Gift Bags is a fun little craft that anyone can make. It was a simple project with a lot of bang...and it's perfect for the holidays!

Miniature Grain Sack Bags | This tutorial for how to make Miniature Grain Sack Gift Bags is a fun little craft that anyone can make. It is a simple project with a lot of bang...and it's perfect for the holidays!
Anyone else as obsessed with vintage grain sacks as I am? I love these things. A few years ago, I bought a few authentic ones down at the Round Top Vintage Market and have used them to recover furniture here and there (and to make the curtain under my sink). I also have a couple of faux ones I've made around the house as well. I am obsessed, y'all.

The stripes on grain sacks are the most significant part. Historically, they're the way farmers individualized their sacks. Each farmer had their own pattern...some sacks were even stitched with their monogram (I'd probably give up a body part to obtain one of those).

I thought it would be really fun to make mini grain sacks for the holidays...I mean, what a fun way to give a little gift, right? Check out my tutorial below for these Miniature Grain Sack Gift Bags.