Simple Easter Table

Wow, there has been a lot going on for us this last month! I'm happy to be sitting down to write up a little blog post for today.  Easter is coming tomorrow so I thought I would share a little snapshot of our kitchen and some simple decor ideas anyone can whip up last minute.  I love using things I already have, usually by browsing around the house I can find things to use and then add in a little handmade touch to make it feel new.  

I have always loved dying eggs for easter so I try and sit down to do it with Silas every year.  Also a bonus is how pretty the eggs are for decorating.  This year I didn't buy any extra dye...so we were left with orange, yellow and green.  They still turned out super pretty. 

My favorite part is that Silas has about 5 seconds of wait time for the eggs so they are very pastel....which I like.  So this took like 2 minutes haha.

I just looked around the house for white or light blue colored items to use together and went to the yard to trim some flowers and greenery for the table.  Its always pretty to group various items on the table for your centerpiece.  Mix it up!!

I love all of the light and airy pastel goodness.

Recently I have been reading through Exodus in leading up to Easter.  I have read Exodus several times in my life but for some reason this time I am overwhelmed with the beauty of it.  All I can see is Jesus all over the pages.  Its amazing how much the Bible points to the coming Savior.  

 I hope you can see Jesus all over your life.  He is all we need.  He has come, He has saved and He continues to provide all we need.  

Happy Easter!

One Table - 4 Ways (For Thanksgiving)

I thought it would be fun to look back and do a little take on one table - four ways for Thanksgiving.  Each Table arrangement and decor is all created with things I already owned or found hunting around my house and yard!  You can create simple and pretty table arrangements by using a little creativity. 

Table number one was created using a piece of cut plaid fabric I had on hand, gathering a few fall items I owned and creating a super simple table arrangement with items I literally picked from my yard.  Branches, leaves and Twigs make a really pretty Thanksgiving table arrangement.

Next is the most recent Fall Table we have had; once again using clippings from the yard to create a table arrangement.  Using a white vase really helps make the colors pop and to dress it up a ton.  

Not only do we have a plethora of branches, leaves and sticks to make arrangements with - we also have a pecan tree.  So, why not use it.  I love filling jars with things like pecans and acorns for fall.  A simple burlap runner, a bowl of fresh cranberries and a few lighted twigs I owned finished it out.

And ,the most simple arrangement of all, a mason jar over flowing with flowers from the garden.  If you just can't seem to find anything in your yard to work then check out the grocery store selection.  There are some really great flowers to be found there.  Trimming the ends to fit your vase is crucial for making those florals work.

You guys, we have just a few days left to cherish and enjoy these fall colors and pretty Autumn decor.  I'm squeezing in every last second until Christmas takes over our house...that's not to say the Christmas music hasn't already made an appearance (can't help it, I love it so much).  

Fall House Tour : Using What You Have

Do you sometimes feel like after Halloween is over everything just speeds towards Christmas?  The day after Halloween the stores are already converted over to showcase all of the new Christmas decor...which I'm not necessarily complaining about because I love everything Christmas, but I feel as though we are missing that time between.  Is it Christmas season? Is it fall?...I feel confused sometimes.  Around here we really don't move over to Christmas until after Thanksgiving - just seems right.  

So after a little hiatus from the blog I feel like it is as good of a time as any to come back and start again.  New beginnings are always a good thing.  Today I thought I'd share our current house status - which happens to be full of fall goodness.  Maybe you are needing some Thanksgiving inspiration or maybe some Fall ideas for next year or just need a break from the craziness of political season :) - whatever the case for joining me today, welcome and thank you!!

For fall I really love bringing the outdoors in and taking a cue from what is already available to me from our own yard.  I went out and snipped a few a lot of yard clippings to come up with a simple but very "fall" arrangement for out table.  I love it so much.  Also, white pumpkins are the best.  

You don't have spend money or be a florist to come up with a pretty arrangement for your house.  I love it when arrangements have a "loose" feeling about them anyway.  Try it out this week!  Have some fun gathering a little nature and making it into something beautiful for your home.  

Our sweet son also added some fall touches by drawing a fall mural for us on the Chalkboard door.  I love his artwork and I love that things don't have to be perfect to be enjoyed in your home.  I also kept trimming branches and things and added them all over the place in our house.  Little stems of leaves here and there.

Little pumpkins are also everywhere right now in our house and I let Silas find places for most.  I love the spots he chose.

This is an angle of our house I feel like has never really been shown on the blog.  One of the things that sold us on this house when we bought it was the fact that our living room and kitchen were all one open space.  For a smaller house, that is huge.  

I debated whether or not I wanted to use this wreath I made a couple of years ago in here for our fall decor because I was afraid it was too bold. I actually have really loved it and it brightens up this little spot for me. This is a super easy craft to make using leftover scarps and a fabric hoop.  I have a simple tutorial on how to make one, I use them for every season!

Also, I think people struggle with decorating shelves for some reason. Its always a good idea to start with odd numbers of things - it just always looks better.  Search around your house and try different things together.  It took me trying out a few variations until I landed on what I liked.  Here I used a christmas star tree topper that I maybe would have reserved just for christmas but I love it here.  I also reused a copper candle votive as a little vase for my clippings.  So trying using things you already have in a different way, it works!

I can never grow tired of chalkboards.  I will use them and enjoy them in every room for every occasion.

This is probably the coolest pumpkin I have ever seen, I wish I could keep it forever.

I love a little collection of items.  You don't have to go big all of the time when decorating.  Sometimes just gathering a few of your favorite things together works.

A little while ago I finally hung some things on the wall and it came together as a little gallery wall around our tv.  I have added things, taken things away and changed things out as seasons come and go.  I love this deer/antler print I recently found at Target for $8 - so much so I may never take it down. Oh, and here's my little tutorial on how to make a framed instagram collage.

When it comes to seasonal decorating I love using what I already have, repurposing items to work or adding in a little nature to bring it all together.  If you are looking for some more inspiration for decorating for thanksgiving on a budget you can check out my simple Thanksgiving Table Ideas, Ideas for Using What You Already Have, Making a Thankful Jar and DIY Boxwood Wreath.

Thanks for joining me today!  It feels good to be back!

Christmas Home Tour

Today I welcome you in for a little Christmas home tour of sorts.  I had a lot of fun this year doing some different handmade projects, keeping it simple and keeping the focus on Jesus.  

The first few photos are from our kitchen, some of my favorite things are my nativity sets I have gotten from the different countries we have visited.  I have also gone crazy with chalkboards and they are everywhere.  But I love that I can customize them for the season.

I made several of these little fabric and ornament garlands to use around the house and help to tie everything together.

Our living room is up next.  We love having a real tree, every year they are a little different and we think this tree might be our favorite.  This year I found some antique bead strands at the Nashville flea market (wow, that place is awesome) and also added some burlap ribbon, its just really soft and pretty.

These rustic wooden stars are one of my most favorite diy Christmas projects I have made.

Thanks for stopping by today and taking a little Christmas tour!

Linking  Up Here

#idhtbptbbchristmas with The Nester

DIY Citrus Ornaments

Each year Silas and I have made a little handmade ornament or decoration together for Christmas.  We have done salt dough ornaments, cinnamon ornaments, paper garlands last year and this year we tried our hand in dried citrus ornaments.  Silas had a blast helping with these and this is a super simple craft to do together with your kids!

This was such a fun craft that Justin joined in on the festivities and I kicked back and snapped some photos, listened to a little christmas music and drank some coffee with a little lot of peppermint mocha creamer (I'm pretty sure I'm now addicted to that stuff).

We started by slicing our oranges (and some limes) for our ornaments.  Silas was in charge of arranging them on our baking sheets.  I didn't use any sort of paper baking liner - we just put them straight on the pans.

Next, Silas added some cloves to some of our ornaments for a little festive touch and for an awesome Christmasy aroma.

It really is best to try and make your slices all about the same width...some of ours were a little off but it worked out fine.  

After the citrus slices were all ready we baked them on the lowest setting in our oven for about an hour, then flipped them over and baked them another hour.  You may need to bake them shorter or longer depending on your oven temp and slice width.

After they were all dried out Silas used some modge-podge and painted one side let them dry and painted the other.  This helped to seal them and make them a little more durable.

After they are dry you have some great dried citrus slices for all sorts of decorating.  We used our as ornaments on our tree.  They are so pretty with the lights shining through.

You could find all sorts of ways to use dried fruit for decorating, they would be pretty in a simple jar gathered together or strung together for a little garland.  I love the added touch of homemade to a home at Christmas!

You can also check out my diy chalkboard ornaments and yarn wrapped ornaments for more ideas!