Holiday Decorating - On the Mantel

I decided to keep our holiday decor simple this year: white and gold accents surrounded by fresh greenery. I'm not usually one for minimalism at Christmastime, but I have to say I love how calm and peaceful it looks. I did have plans to DIY a white wreath out of felt, but I've been too busy to indulge in just-for-fun crafting, and I didn't want to wait until Christmas Eve to put up our decorations. So I bought this paper wreath kit from Paper Source as an alternative. It's so pretty!! I don't know if you can tell from these photos, but half the leaves are made from paper with a shimmer finish, and half from paper with a matte finish. It has just the right amount of shimmer to catch the light, particularly when the candles are lit, without being too over-the-top and glittery.

I'm not gonna lie though, it did take forever to put together. I probably would've been able to design and execute my own DIY in the time it took! But I honestly don't regret it at all; it looks beautiful above the mantel, and I think it fits in perfectly with the decorations we already had.

We've been trying new holiday-scented candles lately too...maybe I'll share some that we've liked if anyone's interested in that sort of thing. I never really thought I'd be a candle person, but it just makes the whole room cozy and warm (especially now that the nights are drawing in), and lighting candles has become a daily habit.

Hope everyone has had a great start to the week! And to my fellow shop owners in the midst of the holiday rush, remember to take a break now and then and breathe. Don't worry, it will all get done. xo, Mary

Handmade Basket and Ukrainian Easter Egg

I shared a pic on Instagram back in April of the Easter basket that Peter gave me, and I've been meaning to do a post ever since! Handmade gifts deserve more than a mention in passing, am I right?

Peter got the supplies and hand-wove the basket himself. He did such a good job!

He bought the Ukrainian Easter egg from Katya Trischuk. Do yourself a favor and browse through her shop. Her work is beautiful!

Several people who saw my photo mentioned to me that they know someone who collects pysanky, and I can see why. The intricate details, patterns, and bright colors are so appealing.

If you'd like to see Katya in action, watch this video. I love watching artists work; I could really watch process videos all day.

Christmas!

Merry Christmas, a couple days late! I hope everyone had cozy, good times with family and friends. I ate so many Christmas cookies I think I might actually be made of sugar and spice and everything nice now. Pretty sure I'm leaving a trail of sugar and glitter wherever I go. :)

I got a new lens for my camera as a Christmas present to myself (thanks, me!), and I snapped a few pics of decorations and things to practice on Christmas Day. I definitely had some focusing problems on some of the pics. I really hope it's just a matter of me needing more practice and not an issue with the lens, or the lens communicating with my camera. If the weather cooperates, we're going to go out shooting over the next week so I can practice a bit more in different light/settings/etc. Anyway, here are a few of my practice shots that I thought turned out ok.

We got our tree and decorations up late this year, so I'm definitely in no hurry to take them down. Not that I am ever in a hurry for Christmas to end. I wish it lasted longer. The tree smells so fantastic, much better than any I can remember in fact. I wish I could bottle it up!

I hope everyone is enjoying some time off to relax, recharge, and wipe the slate clean for a new year. xo, Mary

Let's Take a Walk + Holiday Shopping

On Sunday morning, we got up early to go to an estate sale to look for a couple of things I can use as displays at my next craft show. No luck on that, but we did walk out with a couple of vintage wooden Christmas decorations. (I'm so excited to decorate this year!) After that, we popped into a few shops in Old Town to look for Christmas gifts, and I added about a thousand things to my own wish lists too. :)

One of the shops we went into was Red Barn Mercantile, which is stuffed to the brim with cute, cute stuff. They're having a Black Friday sale, which I might have to check out. I usually avoid stores on that day, but look how cute!!! (For those folks who aren't local, they have an online shop too, but I'm not sure if the sale is online as well.)

Nautical-themed tree? Yes, please. I love that whale ornament on the left.

They have something for everyone on your list: lots of adorable kids' gifts, soaps, books, pillows, kitchen things, decorations. The sales lady was super chill and didn't harass us once while we were in the store either, which pretty much guarantees a repeat visit on my part. (The opposite is also true, if you follow me around and try to talk to me too much while I'm shopping, I'll probably leave quickly without buying anything. This is true for everyone, right? Why don't they teach that to salespeople?)

Anyway, I'm on the lookout for more Black Friday sales in small businesses, local shops, and Etsy sellers, so if you know of any good ones, please leave me a comment!
xo, Mary

Scenes from Life

Just some random things from the last week or so that made me smile:

Wrapping presents for all the kiddos in my life; there are a lot of them.

Made a few last-minute Christmas cards.

Passed by this cute little tree with a silver star on top.

And this house had photos of their dog sitting in the window.

How cute are these little handmade booties? I bought them from Mama Meg's Yarn Shoppe. My oldest friend (I've known him literally since I was born) and his wife just had a baby boy.

They're so tiny they both fit in my hand.

I found some little people living under the stairs.

And the moon is rising pretty early these days, but skies are gorgeous anyway.

Wreathed in Good Fortune

It's very uncharacteristic of me, but I've had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. Maybe it's because we didn't get a tree or do that much decorating. Maybe it's because we miss Gus a lot and are questioning whether we made the right decision pretty much every day. And maybe it's because we can't afford to get each other presents this year. I guess it's a lot of things. But I didn't want to let this holiday season pass by without making some good memories and acknowledging how grateful and fortunate we are for so many things.

So this week we took a time out from our busy schedules and just took a walk and looked at all the beautiful wreaths of fruit and greens and berries. We talked about how we'd like our home to look next year. We got coffee and smiled at all the cute dogs meeting in the street to discuss important dog things while their owners made small talk. We made plans to drive down to my parents and the town where I grew up after the holidays. And we decided to make a new tradition this year. I'm not sure what it will be yet, but I'm excited about something small and new and special.

Do you have any Christmas traditions that you're looking forward to? I'd love to know what makes the holiday special to you and yours. xo, Mary