Christmas Stockings

I have been on the hunt for the perfect Christmas stockings now that we have the little babe. Last year, we had burlap stockings. Well, the dogs had stockings. Here is a link to my very first blog if you want to see those stockings.

Most of these are on my Christmas Stuff Pinterest board.

I love these simple monogrammed stockings. You can find the Etsy seller here. 

These are also from the same Etsy seller. Love the fabric!

I am also a big fan of stockings that match your decor. I really don't like the word decor, but I guess that's the best way to describe it. Anyway, these are from Seleta's house. You can find her blog here. 

Since Charlotte's arrival, I have considered more kid friendly options. Like these below from Garnet Hill.  I particularly like the reindeer. 

Land of Nod is my new favorite catalog for kid stuff. They really do have the cutest stuff! I want all of Charlotte's toys to come from there. Here are a few of the ones I like. 

This one reminds me of Seleta's stockings above. I would have loved these in our old house. Click here for info.

I have also been considering knit stockings. 

You may wonder why I would spend so much time on this? I feel like my stockings have always changed, and it wasn't a big deal. But now, Charlotte may want to have the same stocking for years, so this is a big commitment. :)

Pottery Barn actually has a lot that I considered. 

I like their Woodland Linen collection. 

And their Fair Isle collection. 

I even searched for aqua knit stockings to see if I could find any that matched our house. But no, they do not exist. Guess I need to learn to knit. 

Here is the final compromise. I am so boring....

The chunky knit stocking from Pottery Barn.

I like it because it's knit, cream, and we will be able to stuff baby C's full of stuff. I mean Santa, he can stuff lots of oranges in there. I may try to get them monogrammed, or figure out a way to add something  in case they can't be monogrammed.  

And they are on sale, that helps!

Roses finds

I love finding a good deal, and I love finding cute things at Roses.

I found both of these things yesterday. It obviously doesn't take a lot to excite me these days.

Super cute bright orange colander. 

It was less than $5.

And these dishwashing gloves. You might not use these, but get a pair for your friends that have babies. I spend a lot of time hand washing bottles and bottle parts in scalding hot water. I have to use gloves. Disclaimer, these had a huge, ugly, fake flower on them. It popped right off. I may go back and get the pink and yellow ones too. I think they were $2 or $3.

That's all for Sarah's cheap Griffin deals. :)

DIY wreath bow

If you live in Griffin, then you might have just had a beautiful Christmas wreath delivered! If you didn't, and would like to, shoot me an email. I can hook you up with someone in the Utility Club, they are selling these fab wreaths for $25 each.

I just made a bow for mine that's hanging on the front door. You know I always need some inspiration, so here's mine.

I googled "burlap bow" and found this guy. It was on this blog. I like how she said she wanted a floppy, burlap bow.  

My burlap ribbon is white, and I love it! It is also very soft, so it drapes well. It does have a wired edge so that helps in shaping it. 

Here goes my great step by step tutorial. :)

First, you will need a piece of wire. I used a long twist tie that I saved from some extension cords I recently bought. I was thinking ahead!

Then, unroll your ribbon and get the length that you want for the tails to be. I made mine longer since I want my bow to be at the top of the wreath. If you like your bows on the bottom, then you might want a shorter tail.

Next, you are going to start making your loops. Always do a pair that are the same size. I made pretty large loops. I want a floppy bow remember. :) The larger the loop, the more loose your bow will be. If you want a more traditional look, go smaller on the loops.

Really from here you will have to guesstimate how many loops you want. 

I ended up with 8 total. I got a little smaller as added loops. 

While I am creating the loops, I am keeping a tight grip in the center of the bow. Actually squeezing it all together. Then, grab that fancy extension cord twist tie, and tie around the center that you have been holding as tight as possible. Like so...

It's nice to have some tie left so you can hook to your wreath. Hence the long twist tie. You can also use floral wire. Or, if you are like me and impatient, you could also tie multiple regular twist ties together. Doesn't everyone have a million twist ties in their kitchen?

Once you have it tied down, start fluffing. You will grab the loops, and this is where the wired edge comes in handy. Just move them around, and sort of pull towards the center because you want to hide the tie in the center. Another tip, try to match your tie to your ribbon.

Here is the finished product!

Even though I have 8 loops. I twisted them around in an asymmetrical style. Again, going for the more casual look. 

And my tails are the perfect length to stick into the wreath. Here is a side view. 

I'll be making another bow for our second wreath. I may use mustard burlap ribbon for that!

If you want to know about my burlap click the "my shop" tab at the top of the blog. I have some for sale at both booths!! I have white, mustard, brown, light blue, and regular burlap color. They are $14 each for a 10 yard roll.

Good luck, and happy bow making. 

sippy cups

I know this is very exciting, but if you are dealing with someone who needs a sippy cup, here is my recommendation.

It is the zo-li and you can find it here.  I read about it on a blog, and it is awesome. Does not leak, and has a flexible straw that moves around in the bottom so it stays where the liquid is. 

I started Charlotte on sippy's with straws because she treats them like a bottle. The lid flips over and folds the straw over when you travel. She also likes to hold it by the handles. It's small, and let me mention again, it does not leak! 

{Luckily she only drinks water out of these, so the leaking on our first cups wasn't a huge deal}

Free Thanksgiving Printable

I saw this on a few other blogs, so I thought I would also share it. This "give thanks" banner is a free printable from TomKat Studio. They also have a few other printables that coordinate.

Mine is clipped to a piece of twine. You can find the tiny clothespins at Wal-Mart in the office section. I will probably move it into the dining room tomorrow. 

Please ignore the baby gate in the fireplace. Charlotte is fascinated with the gas logs.

If I don't get another post in, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am most thankful this year for my sweet 9 month old baby gal. 

Don't forget to stop by the booths at Gigi's Antique Griffin and Shop@11th on Black Friday!!! They will also be open on "shop small" Saturday. That is the day that folks are encouraged to shop small, local businesses!

Christmas Shopping Open Houses

This Saturday is going to be a fun shopping day in Griffin! Lots of shops and a few restaurants in downtown Griffin have joined together for a wonderful holiday shopping event. 

Click here for a link to the Facebook event. 

Shoppers who visit all shops will receive a free keepsake ornament, while supplies last. 

AND receive 10% off at Slices Pizzeria & Bank Street Cafe.

When: Saturday, November 17th

Time: 10 am - 6 pm

Where:

Gigi's Antique Griffin

Shop @ 11th

Birds of a Feather

The Maker's Market

Weekend Treasures

CHALK PAINT NOW IN GRIFFIN!!

Yea that's right, you heard me! All you chalk paint lovers can now rejoice. No more driving to other towns to obtain your very own, no primer required, chalk paint!!

Gigi's Antique Griffin is now carrying the CeCe Caldwell line of chalk paints, and wax.

Great color selection, and the price is a little lower than the other brand of chalk paint.

I'm so excited, because I recently got on the chalk paint bandwagon, and I love it. Can I say chalk paint one more time?

Booth update

I've been working on the booth at Gigi's Antique Griffin as of late. Here are some pics from yesterday. If you are out and about, swing by! I'm in the back room on the left.

There are a few new additions. 

And I finally hung burlap panels to better frame the space. 

New schoolhouse chalkboard.

Newly painted, and reupholstered chairs!

Griffin Shopping Spots

It's that time of year again, you know, time to shop!! When it comes to unique Christmas gifts, these local stores are great. There is a new gift section at Gigi's Antique Griffin. And the "baby" section is almost finished! When it's complete, I'll post pics. 

foyers

One of the untouched areas of our house is our foyer. One day, I will get to re-do ours, but that will be a pretty big project. Until then, I will continue to dream via Pinterest. All off these images are on my Pin board "foyers."

I would never get the courage, but love the chevron stair runner. 

Our front door is a similar aqua/mint color. Maybe one day I'll paint the inside. Also, love the glass storm door. 

This one I know is from Southern Living, I think last year. I would die if I could have plank walls. And the dog ain't bad either. 

Who's getting in the Christmas spirit?? Love the bamboo chairs. JB, call me whenever you want to sell yours :)

You know I'm a sucker for a bench. 

From the current Idea House in Senoia. I am really liking the curtains by the front door. 

Another bench. Think this one is vintage Cottage Living. Wish that magazine would come back from the dead. I'm all about some hooks too. Now that we are getting into cooler weather, we have coats lying around. We even have teeny tiny ones, and cute little baby hats.

This one is a little formal, but love the glass door. 

One day I will most likely go with a seagrass/jute style runner. Now we have navy carpet. Comfy to walk on, but shows every spec of dust.

Always a fan of a skirted table. 

This one is not really my style, but a similar layout to our foyer. 

Great all over. 

fall wish list

It's finally fall weather! The holidays will be here before we know it. Here are some things on my list.

1} Le Creuset 

2} Apolis + Kinfolk Garden Bag

3} Tom's Sandela Sunglasses

4} Patagonia Retro X Jacket

5} Longchamp Bag Slate

6} The Handbuilt Home Book 

7} Round Patina Brass Pendant

8} The Homemade Home for Children Book