Favorites of 2011

I thought I would join in on the BEST of 2011.
I am joining Debra from Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday.



My Favorite Vintage Inspiration Friday post is about my kitchen and you can read about it here.



My kitchen is the main room of the house and where we spend the most of our time.
I also think it shows that you do not have to have an old or vintage home to have the VINTAGE feel.

I also checked my stats and here are your favorite posts from the past year.

For the Love of Cabinets.

TWINS!

and

Lost in Creativeness.

You may notice that the slipcovers seem to be a favorite.

  Mine too!  

I am hoping to sew a few new covers this year too.

I see a lot of painting in my future too!

A few other of my favorite posts from 2011.

Just Not Me.

A Day of Love.

Sign Love.

It was fun looking back through past posts.

This year I am hoping to do lots and lots of painting, sewing and crafting.

Oh yeah and GARDENING.

We only have a dusting of snow on the ground right now, but the seed catalogs have started coming in the mail and I will soon be climbing the walls just waiting to get outside and dig in the dirt.

How about you?
Have you taken a look back through your past posts?
  See any favorites?

I will also be joining Cindy from My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.


Courtney from French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday.

This Post is Brought to You By

Christmas is officially over.

I am itching to put away my decorations.  As much as I do like them, now I want them gone.  I have never been one of those people to keep their decorations up longer so that Christmas melded into Valentines Day.

I have new toys that I want to start using, a wonderful sander for finishing some painting projects I have waiting in the garage.  A new buffet for the basement family room.  I want to get back into the sewing grove and use up some of the wonderful fabric I have waiting for me.

One such new toy is this wonderful laptop I am writing this post with.  Mr. M. was my darling Santa this year and I am enjoying it so.  I am also sitting in his Christmas gift that my sisters and I bought him, a wonderful massage office chair. 

 Oh honey, you forgot to take your chair to work.  I think I forgot to remind him.

As we get ready for the New Year, I always think of things I would like to do differently.  Not so much as resolutions but changes.  I try to make them fun, such as painting the basement or any other room in the house that may need to be freshened up.  Doing more creative projects with the kids.  More visits to the Science Museum, Zoo, Aquarium and other local attractions.   Actually planning a vacation for our family.

 I also try to be more organized each year, I buy the extra buckets and bins for storage and I label them and put them in their spot. 

BUT

Then I forget where they are and I tend to not be able to find what I need, and end up getting duplicates. So, I try, each year to do better, only now I do baby steps because there is just to much mess involved with a creative mind.  

Oh and that other thing I try each year.

I think this year a treadmill might help.

AND

Not eating leftover Christmas cookies for

 breakfast 

 lunch

and dinner.

So, what about you?

Did you get any fun toys for Christmas?

Are you a LEAVE it out kind of person?

Any good resolutions for the next year?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Around the House

I thought I would share some random Christmas pictures with you.

For many years my sisters and I would gather at my home for an ornament party.

We each would bring the supplies and an idea to make an ornament.

My kitchen always ended up a mess, but that was the evidence of creativity. 

The ornament above and below are a few of many ornaments my little sister painted.

We made lots of snowmen.

The wreath on my office door.

My office tree did not change much.

Vintage paper chain.

Ornaments I made last year with vintage paper and bells.

The topper is a vintage hat and a black bow.

 

In the hall entrance I have hung a few of my favorite things.

Snow angels, I have two large ones in the house and 5 little ones that hang on the white trees.

 I try to keep them out all winter, in Buffalo that means they can usually stay until Valentines day.

This is a floral basket I have in my kitchen on the basement door.  

I add different accent color flowers for each season and change the ribbon color.

Basically I am ready for Christmas, I was up late into the night wrapping presents so I would not be 

so rushed today after work.

Mr. M. is off today and I know he will be a great help picking things to do off my list.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas or Holiday that you celebrate.

Most of all, enjoy the ones you are with!

Red in the House

I thought I would show you that I do have color in my home besides white.

We have a new tree in the living room, one of those prelit folding trees.
  I do like those aspects for sure, I love that it is so tall and not as full,
 but I do miss my funky huge tree.

I have at least four cardboard boxes full of ornaments on this tree alone.  

I always say there is room for one or twenty more.

Some extra red ornaments for the living room mantel.

Mixed ornaments in an ironstone bowl on the coffee table.

Santa in the hall.

And another.

More Santas.

My favorite Santa on the living room mantel. 

I love that he is winking.

Better be good!

Colorful ornaments hanging from the chandelier.

Yep, more Santas.

I think these are my favorite ones of all.

Checking his list.

I hope you enjoyed some of my RED and WHITE.

Today we are going to a Christmas party at my brother-in-law's.

Lots of fun and merriment and eating.

I made some yummy Christmas trifles to take along.

I will share pictures of them tomorrow.

Have a wonderful weekend!

White Christmas Around the House

I am mostly done decorating the house for Christmas.

I thought I would share some pictures with you.

I have two Christmas trees decorated in whites, the kitchen and the dinning room.

Snow flakes and snow balls hanging from the kitchen chandelier.

Dinner by Christmas tree light.

Wreaths that I usually leave up for the whole winter.

Paper whites in the windowsill.

I love the little snowmen.

They usually stay out longer after the holidays.

Living in the North East you have to get used to the snow.

This is the entrance to the dinning room from the kitchen.

Wooden houses my sister gave to me many years ago, before I was so into white.

I love my little snow girls.

Silver ornaments and frosted silver pine cones hang from the dinning room chandelier.

The candles on the table are one of my favorite finds this year. 

Timed candles that will light up at 5:00 each night and stay lit for 5 hours.

Stockings I prettied up last year with buttons, ruffles and bows.

I should be done decorating, I wish I could be,

 but I am a crafty person and I am constantly coming up with new ideas to make something.  

I find it hard to sit and do nothing.

Today I am making fudge and cookies, mmmm, butter nut balls my favorite.

Are you like that?

It's party time!

I will be joining Kathleen from Faded Charm for White Wednesday.

 Debra from Common Ground for Vintage Inspired Friday.

  Cindy from My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.