Happy New Year! So Looking Forward To 2024!

Welcome to the 779th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy 2024! I hope you had a fun New Year's Eve. I spent it with friends and family which seemed like the best way to kick off the new year. I have two wonderful decor and centerpiece ideas to share with you for this week's Met Monday. My dear friend, Teresa, loves traveling more than anyone I know. She and I have shared some wonderful adventures over the past … [Read more...]




3 Christmas Table Settings, 2 Beautifully Decorated Homes & A Sleigh Coffee Table! ♥

Ginger's Christmas Table Setting: Such a fun, festive table from Ginger! Ginger wrote, "I retired to the Lake Chapala area of Mexico 13 1/2 years ago where the weather is usually perfect. Here is one of my patio Christmas luncheon tables. There is nothing subtle about Mexico, obviously, and I embrace that."   Brenda's Christmas Table Setting & Christmas Decor: Brenda wrote, "Christmas at … [Read more...]




This Year I Ordered My Fresh Greenery Wreath Online & Here’s How It Turned Out!

Welcome to the 774th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? I hope you had a great one! Have you started working on your Christmas and holiday decor? I spent most of the weekend doing a bit of Christmas decorating and lots of organizing. You may remember a few months back I moved all the Christmas decor I had stored here under the bonus room eaves (including my window wreaths that normally were on the … [Read more...]




Touring 2 Homes Beautifully Decorated For The Christmas Holidays

Welcome to the 726th Metamorphosis Monday! I hope as I write this, you are enjoying a warm, relaxing, cozy time wherever you are. It's been super cold here in Ohio over the past few days. I've never lived where I saw negative temps! Notice the "feels like" temp: -31°! That's scary cold! As I type this, it's 17° outside and feels like 8° per the weather app on my phone, plus, more snow is expected today. … [Read more...]




Can You Guess What Robin Used To Create This Charming Christmas Village For Her Holiday Mantel?

My son was always a huge Lego fan growing up and he often received a Lego set for birthdays and Christmas, but I never expected to buy a Lego set for myself. Then Lego produced the Home Alone house and they had my full, undivided attention. Ha! I was so influenced by that home when I saw the movie, I know it subconsciously influenced my choice of home--including the one I've lived in for the past 33 years. … [Read more...]




26 Festive, Beautiful Ways to Decorate & Prepare Your Home for the Holidays!

I'm so ready and excited to add wreaths to the front of my home! I hope to get that done this weekend. I know a lot of you have started your decorating, many are already done!  It's exciting and fun to have our homes all decorated and festive for the holidays, especially when family we rarely get to see visits us for Thanksgiving. In today's post, I've rounded up 26 ideas that I hope you'll find helpful … [Read more...]




A Peacock-Themed Christmas Tree & A Festive Laundry Room

Recently I shared the beautiful Christmas ornaments, Norma, a lovely BNOTP reader, painstakingly makes each year for her Christmas tree. Each year, Norma chooses a different theme/color scheme for her tree. This year she chose a Peacock them and her ornaments turned out beautifully! (To view a brief tutorial sharing how Norma makes her ornaments, check out this previous post: Handmade Christmas Ornaments … [Read more...]




The Magic of Christmas Lights, Truly Enchanting!

Welcome to the 673rd Metamorphosis Monday! My friend, Teresa, and I have had some fun adventures over the past few years, including a trip to Egypt that I don't think either of us will soon forget.   Sadly, we live many states apart but recently we were able to spend a week together at her beautiful home.   Teresa and her hubby, Frank, have their home beautifully lit for … [Read more...]




25 Beautiful, Festive, Fun Ways to Decorate & Prepare for Christmas

Welcome to the 671st Metamorphosis Monday! Here they are, rounded up all in one post, some of my most favorite ways to get ready for the Christmas holidays! I hope you find this helpful as you decorate, craft, cook, and prepare for Christmas! You may want to bookmark this post for future reference if you see something you would love to make or do as Christmas draws closer. Also, please feel free to … [Read more...]




Handmade Christmas Ornaments, Inspired by the Colors of a Beautiful Peacock

I have a wonderful Christmas DIY decorating idea to share with you today. Norma, a lovely BNOTP reader who has become a friend over the years, makes the most beautiful handmade ornaments and flowers each year at Christmastime.   You may remember Norma from this post when I shared a beautiful table setting she created for friends where she decorated the entrance to her French cottage to look … [Read more...]




Decorate a Tree for Your Home Office–Love the Snowman Tree Topper!

Welcome to the 670th Metamorphosis Monday! Every year, my friend, Teresa, decorates a Christmas tree for her home office/study.   It's filled with a mix of colorful, fun ornaments, many collected during Teresa's many travels around the world.   I love a full tree, one filled with a plethora of ornaments. It makes it even more special when the ornaments carry so many memories … [Read more...]




11 Favorite Christmas Decor Books + Two On My Wish List

Do you have any favorite Christmas or Christmas-decor-themed books that you love pulling out this time of year? I have several that I always relish looking through to get the ideas flowing for my holiday decorating. I've gathered all my favorites together below in case you could use a bit of inspiration for your Christmas or holiday decor. The only one I was hesitant to include in this post was Martha … [Read more...]




New Purchases for the Holidays & An Item You Asked About is Back

Before I forget, wanted to let you know this adorable Christmas Vacation Wrapping Paper is back in stock. I had several folks ask me about it last year and I couldn't find it in stock at that time, but it appears to be back for this year. This has to be my favorite Christmas wrapping paper ever!   I love the whimsical design plus, it's really nice quality paper. There's also a lot of paper on … [Read more...]




Nancy’s Beautiful Porch Addition Helps Keep The Snow at Bay

Welcome to the 631st Metamorphosis Monday, a blog party sharing fabulous Before and Afters! I love it when I open up my e-mail Inbox and find emails like this one I received recently from Nancy, a reader of BNOTP. Nancy wrote: Dear Susan: I hope all is well. I'm one of your fans and blog subscribers. I have owed you this thank you letter for a long time. I moved into my current house 5 years ago in … [Read more...]




A Beautiful Idea to Keep Those Spirits Up Through the Cold Winter Months

These long dark days of winter can sometimes feel a bit drab. Personally, I'm not too prone to feeling sad or depressed during the winter because I love snuggling up inside reading, puzzling, or just plotting little decor updates for the spring season. But I know winter can be hard on a lot of us, especially after the rush of the holiday season has passed and we put away all the holiday decor. Sandra, a … [Read more...]




Beautiful, Festive Tables from Kansas, Maine and Mexico!

Thanks so much to all the lovely readers who shared their holiday tables with me over the past few weeks! Before we say goodbye to Christmas for another year, I thought I'd share some of the lovely tables the BNOTP readers shared with me over the last few days. Sheri's Christmas Table Setting with a Beautifully Hand-Crafted Centerpiece Sheri, who lives in Kansas, created this beautiful table for her … [Read more...]




Jackie’s Beautiful Home Decorated for Christmas & Her Putz House Collection

A few months back I shared some photos of Jackie's beautiful home decorated for Halloween. If you missed that post, you'll find it here: Decorate for Halloween.   Today Jackie has invited us back for a little Christmas home tour. Sadly all the Christmas home tours in my area were canceled this year. I hope they will be back again next year since I truly missed them. Thanks so much to Jackie … [Read more...]




A Cozy Christmas Table Setting Dressed with a Johnson Brothers China That’s Been Tempting Me for Years

I have a very special table to share with you today! Jackie recently shared photos of the beautiful table she created for her kitchen and it has stolen my heart! Love everything about this table starting with the wonderful antler chandelier hanging above. I've always wanted an antler chandelier made with shed antlers for my paneled family/living room.   For this cozy table setting, Jackie … [Read more...]




Delightful Christmas Train Village & Decorating the Living Room for Christmas

Welcome to the 620th Metamorphosis Monday, a blog party sharing fabulous Before and Afters! A few months back I shared Jackie's beautiful home all decorated for Halloween. The Halloween decorations are long gone now and Jackie has her home beautifully decorated for Christmas. I love her decorations here in the living room! Do you see the extra special decoration there in the center of the coffee … [Read more...]




A Christmas Porch

Welcome to the 619th Metamorphosis Monday, a blog party sharing fabulous Before and Afters! I had so much fun this weekend decorating the front porch for Christmas.   It was just starting to get dark outside as I finished, so I hurriedly grabbed my camera from inside and snapped a few pics before all the light was gone.   As I snapped, it got darker and darker and that magic … [Read more...]




Decorate for Christmas with Whimsical Christmas Pillows

Do you love decorating with pillows? I really love it when a pretty decor item is also functional and pillows definitely fall into that category. In addition to lamps, cozy throws, art, and books, I love, love, love using lots of pillows in all the rooms of my home. They can add so much whimsy, not to mention a ton of cozy during the fall and winter months. I guess in a way, they are like the scarf or … [Read more...]




25 Beautiful Ways to Decorate & Dine for Christmas + An Insanely Awesome Christmas Punch

Welcome to the 618th Metamorphosis Monday, a blog party sharing fabulous Before and Afters! How was your Thanksgiving? I hope it was awesome! My son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons were here so that made it extra special. I need to do a post sharing some of the things I did differently this year, especially regarding the turkey. Both my son and dil commented that this year the food was the best ever and … [Read more...]




Spreading Bits of Christmas Whimsy Throughout Your Home

I'm currently in the "overwhelmed" stage of holiday decorating--you know, that stage where you have everything out, yet nothing is really finished yet. I know it will get better but at present, it looks like utter chaos in the upstairs family room where I've pulled out all the decorations. The downstairs living room isn't looking any better since the tree is in the process of being decorated. We're going … [Read more...]




Christmas Tree Shopping Tips, Hanging Wreaths on Windows & A New Addition to the Bedroom

A few years back, the Christmas tree I had been using for many years lost a big section of lights. I spent hours and hours over several days trying everything to get the lights working, replacing fuses, using a little handheld device to try and detect which light or lights were not working, all to no avail. Since the tree was pretty old, I guess the lighting has just deteriorated over the years. Realizing I … [Read more...]




Planning Ahead for Christmas: Wreaths on Windows, Snack Center for Delivery Personnel & Lots of Holiday Inspiration

Welcome to the 613th Metamorphosis Monday, a blog party sharing fabulous Before and Afters! When my son was small, I worked in his elementary school library as a Media Parapro for five years. Unfortunately, I pretty much stayed sick with a cold or virus the entire five years since I spent my days interacting with young children all day long--handling the books they checked out and returned, reading to … [Read more...]




Delight the Little Ones with a Christmas Bedroom Makeover

Welcome to the 569th Metamorphosis Monday! Merry Christmas and the most happiest of holidays to you! Today I'm sharing a fun, whimsical makeover I semi-completed for my grandsons' bedroom recently. I say semi-completed because the artwork I ordered to go above their beds wasn't the quality I expected and had to be returned. I've also ordered a different lamp and will share how it looks once it … [Read more...]




A Christmas Makeover in the Making

Welcome to the 567th Metamorphosis Monday! Pssst: If you're joining Met Monday today, please mention the Met Monday party and link back to it in your blog post so those who are participating today will have a chance to receive visits from your readers. Blog parties, including Met Monday, only work when everyone joining the party shares a link to the party in their post. Thanks so much to those who always … [Read more...]




23 Ideas for Decorating for Christmas + A Delicious Punch for Holiday Parties

Here they are, all in one post, my favorite ways to get ready for the Christmas holidays! I hope you find this helpful as you decorate, craft, cook and prepare for the holidays! You may want to bookmark this post for future reference if you see something you would love to make or do as Christmas draws closer. Also, please feel free to pin any of the images to Pinterest if you find that helpful for … [Read more...]




How I’m Hanging the Christmas Stockings From the Mantel This Year & More

If you saw my house right now, you would think I was one brick shy of a full load. Lol, maybe I am! I get started on one project, like decorating a tree, and about 1/3 of the way in, I get bored. I stop, start vacuuming or go grocery shopping or start cleaning the screened porch. A few hours later, I'm back working on the tree. There's so much that I want to do and have completed before family arrives, I … [Read more...]




Decorating for the Holidays & Ironing the Wreath Ribbons

Welcome to the 564th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? Are you busy getting ready for visiting family and Thanksgiving? Since I do have family coming for Thanksgiving this year, I've divided my "To-Do" list into two basic parts: Decorating and Cleaning. I spent the latter part of last week and the weekend working on some of the decorating. I hope to finish that in the next two-three days, … [Read more...]




Two Fun Sleeping-Bed Ideas for Visiting Children During the Holidays

I have the strangest problem right now: in a house with two guest bedrooms, I am lacking the type of guest sleeping quarters that I really need. How can that be? I have a guest room with a full-size bed.   And I have an upstairs family room with a queen-size sofa-sleeper which sleeps great per my son and daughter-in-law. In fact, when they are here visiting, they always prefer it over the … [Read more...]




An Autumn Fireplace & A Realistic-Looking Artificial Christmas Tree

My daughter-in-law, Nancy, has the fireplace all decorated for autumn. In the evening the flameless candles glowing in the fireplace are sooo pretty, much cozier and inviting than photos can really show. For many years the chief decoration in front of the fireplace was a baby gate, but with the youngest now 3 years old, the baby gate is no longer needed.   I asked Nancy where she found the … [Read more...]




A Wreath Switcheroo: Staying With a Natural Green Wreath From Now On

Welcome to the 516th Metamorphosis Monday! A week or two ago I shared how the porch was decorated for Christmas. You may remember I wasn't thrilled with how this ornament wreath looked against my red door. I'm using it elsewhere, it looks great out on the screened porch.   So, here's how the porch looks now.   I was a little worried at first about the performance of … [Read more...]




The Star Was Too Big, But at Least the Presents are Wrapped

Christmas is just 11 days away! Wow, this month is flying by! I have the presents all wrapped, but I'm doing something a little different this year. I don't think I'm going to add bows to the presents, well at least not right now. If I do, they will all get crushed when I pack them into my SUV to head north for Christmas. Maybe once I arrive, I'll add some bows then. That sounds like a good … [Read more...]




If You’re Feeling Behind Right Now, Hope This Makes You Feel Better

If you're feeling behind right now, know that you're not alone. I feel a little like that guy on the old Ed Sullivan show (dating myself here) who is up on stage spinning 20 dinner plates at one time. I think that's the way my brain works best, though. I'll start a Christmas decorating project, get 2/3rds of the way in, starting feeling a bit bored and start another one. Last night, determined to get the … [Read more...]




Pottery Barn Inspired Christmas Garland: Bigger and Better Second Time Around

Welcome to the 514th Metamorphosis Monday! I had hoped to do an update on the installation of the Ring Doorbell today, but I need one more part to fix an issue it's having. Hopefully, the part I've ordered will arrive this week, then I'll be able to complete that final post. So watch for that coming up real soon.   Pottery Barn Inspired Christmas Garland Gets an Update Many, many years ago … [Read more...]




A Family Christmas Mantel & The Best Cyber Monday Shopping Finds

Welcome to the 513th Metamorphosis Monday! My sweet daughter-in-law, Nancy, has been sick the past few days with a yucky cold, but this weekend she was feeling much better and started pulling out the Christmas decorations. It was so much fun seeing my grandson's reactions to the trees, lights and pretty decorations. There were a lot of Ooohhs and Ahhhs and WOWs! One of the areas that saw a makeover … [Read more...]




As Requested: Instructions & Resources to Make a Beautiful Colonial Williamsburg Fruit Fan for Christmas

Welcome to the 510th Metamorphosis Monday! I awoke this morning around 4:00 am. I would say I'm still on Egypt time but I was doing this even when I was in Egypt. I wonder if that's why I got sick, not getting enough sleep. I don't know what's up with my body wanting to wake up so ridiculously early every day, but I wish it would stop. I'm still sick but feeling better each day. Thankfully, the fever … [Read more...]




Thinking Ahead to Christmas: Colonial Williamsburg Style Door Idea

Welcome to the 508th Metamorphosis Monday! I had an interesting start to my morning! I awoke around 4 am Egypt time and was laying in bed thinking about my Met Monday post when the power went out. I noticed it immediately because the A/C stopped and everything went very dark. It's a weird feeling to be on the top (5th) floor of a hotel and have all the power go out. Fortunately, I knew where my phone … [Read more...]




Nature-Themed Woodland Makeover for a Beautiful Paneled Study

Welcome to the 468th Metamorphosis Monday! The last few days I've been away visiting family. A week or so ago, I wasn't sure I'd be able to make this trip since I was still quite sick. But the antibiotic worked so well, I was fine to make the drive to see family and celebrate a late Christmas with my grandchildren since we weren't able to be together at Christmastime. The weather turned snowy so I … [Read more...]




Christmas in Cologne, Germany

Welcome to the 465th Metamorphosis Monday! Merry Christmas! Since Met Monday falls on Christmas Day this year, I'm putting this post up a bit early. I guess my Before and After this week is a travel one since I'm spending Christmas in a way I've never done before: floating down the Rhine River stopping every so often to visit the Christmas Markets and historic sites we find along the way. The … [Read more...]




A Whimsically Decorated, Fantasy Porch for Christmas

Welcome to the 464th Metamorphosis Monday! I'll be leaving soon to visit the Christmas Markets in The Netherlands, Germany and France. I plan to post some while I'm away provided the ship has WiFi that will let me upload photos to a post. The biggest issue I've found when traveling in the past is that it seems everyone on the ship tries to access the wi-fi at once, which pretty much brings it to a crawl. … [Read more...]




Winter Wonderland

Snow: some people love it. Some, not so much. I'm afraid I fall into the "not-so-much" category. Wish I could send it all to my son, dil and grandchildren...they love this cold, white stuff.   It snowed off and on all throughout the day.   Earlier in the day I came out long enough to get the snow off the boxwood shrubs and to snap a few pics.   Notice the … [Read more...]




Making Progress and Visiting Bluebirds

Happy Days! I'm sooo much better! Yesterday was the turning point. I'm way behind on my decorating from being sick for the last ten days, but I got a tremendous amount done today. I purchased a wreath, hung garland around the door, added more ornaments to the tree, wrapped all the presents except two, set a table for Tablescape Thursday, photographed it and had a repairman out to make a few minor repairs. … [Read more...]




Christmas Decorating & Gift Wrapping Update

Welcome to the 462nd Metamorphosis Monday! In a previous post here at BNOTP, I shared how I'll be wrapping my Christmas gifts this year. This adorable wrapping paper was my inspiration. (Wrapping paper is available here: Wrapping Paper.) I love this cute design so much, I ended up purchasing four rolls. Each roll comes with a lot of paper, love that!   For my present topper this year, each … [Read more...]




A Decorated Tree & Whimsical, Fun Gift Wrapping Idea

Welcome to the 460th Metamorphosis Monday! The tree is decorated, all except for a pretty topper. The star that I've been using is literally falling apart, plus it has always been a pain to position since it's so heavy. I know the tree probably looks rather simply done, compared to the way trees are decorated in magazines these days. I just prefer a simpler look that let's you see more of the tree. It … [Read more...]




My Favorite Christmas Decoration of All

Yesterday I finished decorating the tree and hung all the wreaths up on the windows. Seeing the wreaths on the windows is my favorite Christmas decoration of all. Just love the look of wreaths in windows so much! It will be after Thanksgiving before I'll hang garland since I always like to use fresh garland around the door. I'm looking forward to sharing the porch all decorated for Christmas real … [Read more...]




It Was Worth the Hunt, Love This Christmas Tree!

Thanks again for all your suggestions on where to look for a great Christmas tree. Over the past week, I have visited Home Depot, Lowe's, Hobby Lobby, Old Time Pottery and a semi-local place (it was an hour away) called M.C. Twinklins. In the end, the tree that stole my heart was the GE Canadian Just Cut Tree with Easy Light Technology. The Easy Light Technology is the new technology where each section … [Read more...]




10 Unique Gift Ideas and An Awesome Sale!

Yesterday I bought a Christmas tree. It's still in its box in the back of my SUV. I have a couple of more places I want to check before I unbox it and put it up. I like it much better than the Balsam Hill tree I purchased recently, and it was half the price! I'm not sure I'll ever buy another tree without first seeing it in person. Hope to share it with you all decorated real soon. 10 Unique Gift … [Read more...]




This Fraser Fir Christmas Tree Isn’t What I Expected

Update, December 3, 2019:  I'm adding an update to this post today, two years after I first published this post. I just looked at the 1-star reviews at the Balsam Hill website, and two years later they've still never posted my 1-star review. If you look at the 1-star reviews there, you'll see a big gap between the years/dates of the negative reviews. Since they've never published my review, I am highly … [Read more...]




A Time Saver, A Comfort Addition & A Bit of Whimsy for the Christmas Holidays

Hope you had a fun Halloween evening! I had a lot of Trick or Treaters, as usual. I think it grows every year. I had over 75 last year so I purchased even more candy this year. I lost count, but I think I exceeded last year's numbers. The ones who are trick or treating for the first time are so adorable! Halloween has always been one of my most favorite holidays because I have such good memories of Trick … [Read more...]




How Santa Prepares for the Big Night, Christmas Eve

When Marie decorates for Christmas, she includes a bit of Christmas in every room. The master bedroom has beautiful green walls and red draperies so it looks especially beautiful at Christmastime.   A pretty tea set is ready for when the mood hits for a spot of tea.   Each room in Marie's home gets its own Christmas tree. The living room and master bedroom are the only rooms … [Read more...]




A Christmas Fantasy Home Tour

I've received a few comments asking if I'd be posting some photos of my friend, Marie's home decorated for Christmas. Marie and I got together recently for some last-minute Christmas shopping and I snapped some of her beautiful home decorated for the holidays.   In this photo from a previous year, you can see how beautiful it looks lit up at night. Today we're going inside the turret seen on … [Read more...]




A Little Porch Decorating to Celebrate the Holidays

Happy Weekend to you! Hard to believe Christmas will be here in just 9 days! I've had the porch decorated for a while now, but just haven't gotten around to sharing photos of how it turned out this year.   Probably the biggest change for this year are the benches I added to the porch this past summer.   I never realized how much I would enjoy having them here. They are the … [Read more...]




‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, A Visit from St. Nicholas

Welcome to the 411th Metamorphosis Monday! Light Repair Tip, In Case It's Helpful You know how you hear about those people who are always causing electrical things to break? I'm starting to think I'm one of them. Seriously! Last year, the tree I normally use here in the living room, had an entire string of lights go out. I spent many, many hours trying to fix it, including using one of the light … [Read more...]




Bringing Home the Tree: Christmas Table Setting

Welcome to the 429th Tablescape Thursday!   After bringing home a tree in the back of their red truck last week for the living room, Mrs. Deer realized she still needed a tree for their screened porch.   For this trip to the tree farm, Mr. Deer decided to drive his new wagon that he had just gotten for Christmas.   This week's table is a cozy one for two, hope … [Read more...]




Found! Adorable Red Christmas Truck & Station Wagon with Tree & Wreath

What a crazy day yesterday, can you believe that on December 2nd, 23 days before Christmas, there's no garland to be found in any of the Home Depots or Lowe's garden centers near my home! It's all sold out except for a couple of strands that were all withered looking and dry. After visiting three stores without any luck (one Lowe's and two Home Depots) I decided to try Pike Nursery, the same place I … [Read more...]




Shopping for the Best & Most Realistic Artificial Christmas Tree

Welcome to the 409th Metamorphosis Monday! I'm having a tree dilemma this year. This is the tree that I normally set up in my living room.   And this is the tree I usually set up in my kitchen. Both trees were purchased many years ago in a Home Depot Expo during a big sale they had going on Black Friday. They have served me well for around 10 years now, but the last couple of years they … [Read more...]




13 Favorite Ways to Get Ready for the Holidays

Here they are, all in one post: 13 of my favorite ways to get ready for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays! Hope you find this helpful as you decorate, craft, cook and prepare for the holidays! Click on the BLUE title below to access that post for more details. Follow Between Naps On The Porch on Instagram for more of my holiday posts: BNOTP on Instagram Turkey Napkin … [Read more...]




An Enchanting, Magical, Interactive Experience

Welcome to the 407th Metamorphosis Monday! I have the most beautiful, fun and enchanting thing to share with you today. It's not exactly a metamorphosis but in a way it is because after I "play" with it, I feel so relaxed. If you're not already in the mood for Christmas, it will definitely put you in the mood! This weekend, my friend, Sheila, shared the cutest thing I've seen in a while! Have you ever … [Read more...]




Christmas Pillow Crazy & Shopping at T.J. Maxx Online!

Hi! My name is Susan, and I think I have a Christmas pillow problem. ;) Just in case you suffer with this affliction, as well, I thought I'd share my collection and a few of the new ones I just picked up this year. This year is turning into a fabulous year for us Christmas pillow lovers because they are everywhere and they are delightful!   Starting with those I've collected over the … [Read more...]




5 Delightful Ways To Get Ready For Christmas

1.  Snowflake Swizzle Stirrers I came across these "Swizzle Stick Ice Molds" in Williams-Sonoma recently and bought one set to try them out.   Here's how they looked once frozen...cute!   They would be great for serving a mixed drink, or really any drink for the holiday season. I tried them out in some cranberry juice. No, I don't have my Fa La La plate out yet, just … [Read more...]




DIY Hot Cocoa Sign for a Hot Chocolate Bar: A Tutorial

A couple of days ago I shared a Hot Cocoa bar I created out on my screened porch. The bar area included a sign I made that was inspired by a sign I had seen floating around blogland a few years back. After not having any success locating a similar sign, I decided it was time to head downstairs to my basement workshop and make my own. (Inspiration sign and detail views of the Hot Cocoa Bar can be seen in … [Read more...]




Create a Hot Cocoa Bar for Winter Entertaining

Happy Holidays to you, dear Friends! We're out on the porch today and I know it's a little chilly. Don't worry though, I have just the thing to warm us up. Step right over here and belly up to the bar--the Hot Cocoa Bar, that is. :)   I've been envisioning a Hot Cocoa Bar for years out here on the porch, but I could never quite gather together all the bits and pieces I needed to create it, … [Read more...]




Decorate the Porch in Tartan for Christmas

Welcome to the 360th Metamorphosis Monday! Last summer I shared Linda's beautiful porch as it looks during the summer in this post: Patio Becomes a Three-Season Porch   In October I shared how it looks during the fall months: Decorate a Porch for Autumn   Linda has transformed it again for the holidays and it's a winter wonderland with lots of great accent pieces pulled … [Read more...]




A Christmas Tree at Last

Several folks have asked when I was going to share my Christmas tree for this year. Well, I finally called "uncle." Where does that phrase come from anyway? lol   After spending 3 hours one night changing a million fuses, two hours another night examining a million bulbs, and an hour a third night fiddling and fussing, I finally gave up (for this year) on trying to get the lights to work on … [Read more...]




Decorating the Chariot for Christmas

Happy Friday! I'm sooo excited this evening because tomorrow I'll be doing one of the things I most love doing this time of year: I'll be heading out with friends for a nearby Christmas home tour. Each year when we attend this particular tour, we almost always buy their "combo" ticket which includes seeing three homes by daylight and three by candlelight. I love both types of tours but the candlelight … [Read more...]




A Red Christmas Door

Just popping in with a few photos of my front porch progress. I took these photos this evening after dark to give you an idea of how things look at night. The porch doesn't feel complete just yet; it needs a little greenery around the bottom of the urns and a little something else, but it's getting there.   In years past, I've alway hung the garland lower on the door as seen in this photo … [Read more...]




Looking For Some Christmas Decorating Inspiration

Greetings to you! How has your day been going? Before we get into today's post, I have a little update: I changed over to a new email service on November 12th, and I'm starting to hear from a few folks who aren't getting their email updates when a new post is up here at the blog. If you haven't been receiving those, please sign up again using the subscribe box at the end of this post. Or, e-mail me at … [Read more...]




Decking the Halls…and the Beds…and the Sofas

I've always loved pillows, have them all throughout my house. The last few years I've started collecting Christmas pillow and oh. my. gosh...there are some really cute ones out there. The "Love" pillow I purchased one year after Christmas is actually a Christmas pillow, but I think it's perfect to pull out again in February for Valentine's Day.   The Love pillow is currently on sale with free … [Read more...]




7 Christmas Porches

Welcome to the 355th Metamorphosis Monday! Ahoy Matey! As  you read this, I'm somewhere out floating in the Caribbean, hopefully NOT in the Bermuda Triangle!!! ;)  I'm off sailing with the The Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott on their "Sailing With The Scotts, Ultimate Design Cruise." I have lots of posts ready for you this week. If I can find a Wifi connection, I'll also share some photos … [Read more...]




Awesome Deal for Preserved Boxwood Wreaths

I don't normally post on Sundays but I came across a deal this weekend that expires today, so I'm sharing it in a quick post just in case it's helpful in your upcoming holiday decorating. Update added 11-2-15: It looks like they still have the 10% off deal going on, which is great! Tip: If it shows the wreath is out of stock for your store, click in the box that looks like this one below and you'll be … [Read more...]




A Christmas Present For Your Future Self

Have you ever started a project thinking you could knock it out in a few hours, only to find it took more like a few days? That's how the revamp of my Christmas storage went this year, but now that I'm done, it was totally worth it. My Christmas decorations, except for the Christmas trees, are all stored here in the upstairs family room.   This quirky F.R.O.G. (finished room over the … [Read more...]




Decorating The Porch For Christmas

One of my favorite places to decorate for Christmas is the front porch. It's the first "room" friends and family see when visiting , and at Christmastime it's so much fun to make it feel extra special and inviting.   When decorating, be it inside or out, I always love a mix of fresh greenery and faux. Fresh greenery gives you the scent while faux gives you the look you want while saving you … [Read more...]




Dreaming Of A White Christmas

Do you sometimes wish you had 10 homes to decorate? lol Okay, not really, but every now and then I do see something that makes my heart skip a beat and has me dreaming and thinking, what if? I love color and I know I wouldn't be happy if I wasn't surrounded by it in my home, especially at Christmastime. But oh my goodness, this home is so soft and beautiful, it does have me dreaming of decorating all in … [Read more...]




A Summer House On A Christmas Home Tour

Welcome to the 306th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? Go on any Christmas home tours? Did you do a little Christmas decorating? I finished decorating the front porch and I'm looking forward to sharing that soon. This weekend I attended the Marietta Pilgrimage and though pictures weren't allowed inside the homes, I have a few to share of some of the outside spaces that were transformed for … [Read more...]




Decorating With Preserved Boxwood Wreaths

Welcome to the 305th Metamorphosis Monday! My kitchen cabinets saw a little transformation this weekend. Do you ever decorate with preserved boxwood wreaths? I love fresh greenery and use it a lot at Christmastime but I love the preserved wreaths here on the glass cabinet doors in the kitchen. I've been decorating the cabinets this way ever since I saw this done on a Christmas home tour in Madison, … [Read more...]




Christmas In The Bedroom

This morning I shared one of my favorite holiday books by Mary Carol Garrity, Christmas At Home. Looking through that book again put me in the mood to do a little Christmas decorating. The guest bed was warmed up and made festive with a strand of red mitten garland.   You may remember the garland from when I decorated the screened porch last Christmas. (Christmas Porch post can be viewed … [Read more...]




Warm, Cozy Escapes

It's cold out and I'm craving warmth. All I can think about these days are soft, merino-wool socks, cozy cable-knit sweaters, warm wool throws, libraries with fires blazing in the fireplace, flannel sheets, down duvets, hot chocolate by the fire and great books for reading on those way-too-cold nights. When fall comes around, I want to spend my days in rooms like Ralph Lauren's Bedford home library. I'm … [Read more...]




15 Ways To Make Your Christmas Festive & Beautiful

Every year I say I'm going to get my wreaths up on my exterior windows earlier in the season so I can enjoy them longer and this year I finally managed to get it done! Yipee!   I'm so excited to have them up early enough to really enjoy them for a nice long time. The days always pass so quickly this time of year, don't they?   My landscaping across the front is on hold as I … [Read more...]




Little Girl’s Bedroom Decorated for Christmas

Last Christmas I shared this adorable bedroom in Marie's home. This is a room she furnished and decorated specifically for her granddaughters when they stay overnight. It was all decorated for Christmas when I took this photo last year.   The tree in the cupola looked like this last year, Christmas 2012.   Marie and I got together a few days ago and though it was already dark … [Read more...]




Victorian Home Lit Up for Christmas

Happy Weekend...the last weekend before Christmas! I've received a few comments here and on Facebook asking if I'd be sharing my friend, Marie's home decorated for Christmas again this year. We've both been so busy we hadn't had time to get together but we finally had a chance to go play yesterday. We spent the day touring a beautiful historic home in a nearby town, having lunch and doing a little … [Read more...]




10 Last-Minute Recipes, Tips and Ideas for Christmas

Today I'm linking to some past posts at BNOTP that may come in handy with Christmas just 5 days away.  Hope these are helpful as you work to get ready for the big day! Make an Easy 15-Minute Centerpiece for Entry Table or Buffet   Make a Christmas Mice Ornament or Present Topper   Make an Ice Bucket or Wine Chiller for Your Christmas Dinner   Emergency … [Read more...]




Screened-in Porch Decorated For Christmas

Welcome to the 255th Metamorphosis Monday! This weekend I played out on the porch, decorating it for the Christmas season.   The trees are all bare now, definitely looking like winter on the porch.   A view from the other end...   I used things I already had for the most part. The table was decorated simply with live greenery, a sweet glittery deer, … [Read more...]




Mason Jar Craft: Make a Christmas Lantern

I love to go on home tours at Christmastime. Years ago when I attended a tour in my home town, one home we visited had pretty lanterns hanging from hooks. They were lining the walkway to the home. I loved how it looked and have always wanted to try my hand at making some for my walkway. I finally got around to doing it this year and guess what? It's easy!  I've made two so far and I love how they turned … [Read more...]




Decorating With Preserved Boxwood Wreaths

Each year I love to decorate my glass front cabinets in my kitchen with little wreaths. I started doing this after seeing it on wood cabinet doors in a kitchen while on a Christmas home tour. It can be hard to find wreaths in this smaller size. I had to search for quite a while to find these many years ago.   I've never been really thrilled with these.  They aren't very full and don't … [Read more...]




Decorating the Front Porch for Christmas

Welcome to the 254th Metamorphosis Monday! For this week's Met Monday, I'm sharing how I decided to decorate the porch for Christmas this year. But first, let's take a quick look at the previous three years. For Christmas, 2010 I purchased a fir wreath and pine garland and embellished both with magnolia leaves from the magnolia tree in my front yard. It was also the first year I decorated the columns … [Read more...]




A Little Eye Candy for Your Sunday

Love the simple way the windows were decorated in this room! Love the rug, too! Thanks to everyone on Facebook who was trying to help me find it. I love the color and how it doesn't have a band or anything around the edge.  Source   Christy's beautiful snow-covered home...thanks for sharing this beautiful picture on Facebook, Christy!   The cutest Christmas mud room from The … [Read more...]




12 Beautiful Staircases To Sneak Down on Christmas Eve

My last home had a great banister for decorating but unfortunately my current home has a short, rather dinky banister, most of which is hidden behind a clock. If I had a banister, these 12 examples would be high on my list for duplicating. Hope this post provides lots of inspiration for decorating your banister.   The title of each picture below is a direct link to the source for the … [Read more...]




10 Christmas Mantels Santa Would Be Lucky to Land Under

Needing a little inspiration for decorating your mantel for Christmas? This post should get those creative juices flowing!   The title of each picture below is a direct link to the mantel and the blog where it's posted. Click the link to view the mantel in full. Enjoy!   A Mantel Decorated in Soft Whites   Farmhouse Christmas Mantel   Dreamy … [Read more...]