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!

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. 

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!