Oh hello. I was just browsing the links at the Holiday Craft Party from last week, and all I can say is Wow.  I mean seriously. There are some very creative, talented, and crafty people out there, who all happened to link up their creations last week.  And would you be shocked to hear there are 785 of them. Yeah. How crazy cool is that?  So I just couldn’t help but highlight a few. This post is kinda like a BOTB, but holiday crafty style, and here are twenty five creations you’ve just gotta see!      

Cake circles and red striped fabric come together to form these charming and inexpensive peppermint striped placemats by Heather at Commonplace Beauty.

Glittery string snowballs made by Kelly hang from elegant branches in a rattan vase over at View Along The Way. 

These mini yarn wreaths by Smile Like You Mean It had me at hello, and would you guess they’re made of shower curtain rings?  For realz.  And totally genius.

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Today is the last of the Holiday Home parties, and Sarah is hosting Christmas trees, so it’s the perfect occasion to show you ours.  Just like last year (and because it reminds me of my grandmother who always had the same) I picked up another flocked tree at a local lot.  Instead of a tree skirt, we placed it in a wine barrel for a rustic look.  I’m using up all of my red decor this year, so the tree is covered in various favorite ornaments and also bulbs and flourishes in crimson shades. 

Wedged in the tree are several branches of red berries for color and contrast.

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Hello everyone, I look forward to this party every year, and I’m so glad you’re here.  We’re continuing along with the Holiday Home Link Parties, and today is all about crafts!  For the occasion, I created two simple DIY ornaments, one with a little glitz, the other more rustic and natural.  Here’s the first ornament I made this past weekend, a mini mirrored starburst. These are easy to create with just a few supplies from the craft and grocery store.

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Well it’s certainly looking a lot like Christmas around here which means some things are done like the tree and mantel, but much of it is not. I’m going very minimalist with the décor, perhaps it’s because I’ve had to bring it all out a few times this year, so I’m keeping it simple.  I’m in a ‘less is more’ mode right now and loving the fuss less look. 

Most of my holiday decorations are a mixture of white, gold, and silver, and every year I just pick a color to layer on top.  This year I’m loving crimson again. I’m infatuated with white ceramic things, you’ll spy a new snowfall tree from Z Gallerie and two white reindeer I picked up in an after Christmas sale last year ~ they’re both my favorites right now so they got the prominent placement on the wintery mantel.  

And how about that gorgeous mirror?  It’s the Bellasol from Ballard looking lovely in the living room but it’s really just visiting ~ it’s destined for the powder room in January.  I found it on sale at Ballard with free shipping two weeks ago, the sale couldn’t have been better timed since I’ve had my eye on it for a year now for the bathroom.  I’m loving the way it bounces images around the room. 

Those are the same stockings from last year, just embellished with red yarn and pom poms. The iron fireplace screen was an antique faire find last spring, a steal at $40.

Yes, I have a giant 9 foot moss covered branch in my living room and yes I love it. The story behind it is here.  I’m obsessed with this branch, it’s like it fell off the tree because it wanted to live in my house. 

The new club chairs with nailhead trim were acquired from Joss & Main (I saved up enough credit over there to only have to pay cash for half of one) and if you love them too they’ll be available at my sale next week.  The white furry pillow is actually a reformed bath mat (read about it here) and the lamb’s wool “throw” is just the cover to the West Elm mongolian lamb’s wool pillow I’ve had for awhile (seen here).  Red velvet pillow from World Market, red sparkle pillow from Crate + Barrel.   

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