Happy New Year~

Happy 2010 Everybody~

I'm really looking forward to this new year.

A new place to live,

New experiences

New adventures

New rooms to decorate! (ah, bliss)

Chandelier

Gott Nytt År



bilder från flickr

Hey Homies!

Hi kids! I'm blogging on the road from somewhere in Ohio using the hubby's blackberry...so please forgive any typos (and the lack of photos)

Just wanted to pop in and say that my little old blog was nominated for a Homie award!!

Now here's the kicker...I don't know how to post a link from this phone, and I could really use the votes.

So if you have some time, track me down at the Homie awards and vote. Pretty please!

This I love~

Some pretty inspiration for you today. I adore this idea. (and it makes me think of the beach which is a good thing in the middle of the winter~)

So simple and easy but such a great statement. Simply turn saucers upside down and pop a tea light on top. Unfortunately, I didn't save the link to this photo, but I know it was from one of my readers. So if this is yours, please leave me a comment or send me an email because I believe in giving credit where credit is due.

Have a great day~

The Very Long Drive~

We're setting out on the road today. Ugh!

Image via HomeShoppingSpy

Some people really enjoy driving across the country. I am not one of them.

Picture it with me, if you will.

30+ hours. 1 car. 4 children. Snowy weather.

Doesn't it sound fun?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

So please send me all your good travelling vibes. I'm going to need them. ;-)

Merry Christmas~

Wishing you and yours the loveliest of holidays~

Pretty Holiday Inspiration~

It's no secret that I love buttons. Especially vintage buttons. So you can imagine the little squeal I let out when I saw this pretty button tree made by Sara of Sadie Olive.

Image from Sadie Olive

Oh yes, this is now on my to do list. (For next year of course!)

Have a great day~

Linky Love~

Holy Cow!!! How many creative, frugal readers can one girl have??? There are 92 Frugal Friday Linky Party entries and counting! I'm plowing my way through all the frugal goodness slowly because my computer is in transit (and I live in the dark ages without a laptop) so I can only view them on the Hubby's blackberry or when I can find a computer that I can use!

Image from A Lovely Place to Land

But I vow to read and each and every one!! Everything I have seen so far is amazing!

Check out this fabulous $10 Anthro-inspired bathroom at A Lovely Place to Land. You all know I'm going to be making myself one of those fabulous wreaths!!



And lest you think I just have a bunch of reposts coming your way...you're wrong. I actually did some new posts to keep you all visiting while I'm in transit!!



Have a great day~

I Spy~

I hope my cute bloggy friend Lulu doesn't mind, but when I hopped over to visit her blog the other day, I noticed this very cute photo of her entry. (Which I obviously "borrowed" and posted here. ahem.)

Image by Lulu & Co.

And what do I spy on that sweet entry bench? Why, it's one of my No. 6 pillows. It looks so cute sitting there all vintage-like. It was like getting a little Christmas gift to see that pillow in a happy customer's home.



These little darlin's will be availabe in my Etsy shop when it reopens in January. But, until then, enjoy this photo...or, even better, hop on over and enjoy Lulu's fun blog.



Have a great day~

Jul i köket..

...det blir en vit jul i köket i år igen..

kransarna är mina gardiner för jag

vill släppa in så mkt ljus som möjligt,..

Jag lyckades att på blocket hitta en välbevarad "rumsklocka"

som tidigare fanns installerad i vår lägenhet.

Det bästa av allt är att "ringklockorna" fanns med, så

nu är det bara en elektriker som fattas som skall

komma och koppla in dem..
Hur charmigt är inte det?

En riktigt lantlig julkudde från Åhlens ..

så med den önskar jag er alla

som det är skrivet ..en

God Jul

Dela

Moving Day~

Today's the day...we're packing up the moving van and officially moving out of my house. I'm sad to be leaving my first little nest, but excited for new adventures.





We'll be staying with my in-laws through the holidays, and then heading out West to our new home. My posts may be a bit sporadic for the next couple of weeks...but just think...a new house to decorate. Ahhh, the blog posts that await! So excited!!

And if you haven't had a chance to see all the great posts that linked up the Frugal Friday Linky Party, scroll on down and have a peek! They are amazing. I'll finish looking through them all after the dust from the move has settled...but you all can look right now! ;-)

Have a great weekend~

Think Pink..DIOR

Kan inte låta bli att visa lite Couture.

Läckra detaljer från Dior

Lite glamour såhär i jultider..

Vogue 2010

Christian Dior

fall 2009 couture

Vogue China 2010

style.com




källa: this i glamorous little side project

more glam at this side

Frugal Friday Linky Party : The Holiday Edition~

Oh! I'm so excited!!! Today is the day....The Frugal Friday Linky Party: Holiday Edition!

You know the rules...

1. Please link directly to your post, not just your blog.
2. Please link back to The Shabby Nest so that others can enjoy the frugal goodness too!
3. Please leave lots of encouraging comments for the participants!
4. ENJOY!!

Klänningar & Skor

Underbar gräddbakelse från

Vivienne Westwood

Snygga snyggare snyggast skor från Marni

I love shooooes

röda som så bör till julen
Brian Atwood

Gillar denna enkla från dolce & Gabbana..

ser dessutom superskön ut

källa: net a porter

Miscellaneous~

What makes a mom smile like this? When she takes her boys to their semi-annual Dr. appointment to check on their Alpha-1 and their GI doc says they look healthy! Always good to hear.




And speaking of Alpha-1...I mentioned last week that I would let you all know when the Alpha-1 Awareness shirts by Melissa Biggs were available on-line. Well, I'm happy to say that they are now for sale. You can find them here. All proceeds go to benefit the Alpha-1 Community.

Image by PGD Style

Tomorrow is the Holiday edition of the Frugal Friday Linky Party here at The Shabby Nest. For you night owls, MckLinky will go up tonight at 12:01 AM EST. Can't wait to share in all the frugal holiday goodness around blogland!! Hope to see you there!

My Holiday Dining Room~

Lest any of you, my dear readers, are feeling a bit stressed out during this holiday season, let me present my holiday dining room.

The moving van is due to arrive on Saturday. We are in the midst of last minute packing. I am not stressed out. I am not stressed out. I am not stressed out.

As I sit and look at this picture, it reminds me of those "I Spy" board books that my kiddos have. Can you find...my well-read wreath? A vintage American flag? A rarely used crockpot? The flowers from The Princess' Nutcracker debut last Saturday?

It's interesting to see your life compressed into just a couple of rooms. Puts things in perspective. And packing up a house to move makes me realize just how blessed I am. I complain a lot as I pack box after box...but at least I have stuff to pack. Blessings. Lots of them. And that's what this season is all about.

Don't forget Friday is The Holiday Edition of the Frugal Friday Linky Party here at the Shabby Nest! Get those posts ready!! Can't wait to see what you all come up with this time!

Have a lovely day~

Another Ornament Project~

Here is an ornament project that many of you may have seen before, but it is still one of my very favorites.

Silhouette ornaments! The great thing about these is that you can create a new bunch every year. What a fun way to watch your family grow!

If you want to read about how I made these, go here.

Don't forget the Holiday version of The Frugal Friday Linky Party here at the Shabby Nest....this Friday! Come link up with your frugal Holiday ideas!! I just can't wait!

A Winner...An Ornament idea...Etc.~

It seems that everyone I know is trying to simplify this year. And I don't blame them. So this week I thought I'd share a few simple, easy and inexpensive ways to trim your tree...

First up...

Fruit. Oranges to be exact. I adore dried oranges on trees. Look at the light coming through that orange slice. It's luminescent...almost magical!

So how do you dry oranges? Very simple...

I dried mine in the oven.

1. Cut your oranges into 1/4" slices and place on a cookie sheet (some would recommend a wire rack, but I found that the cookie sheet worked better and helped maintain the shape of the slices).

2. I have also heard it suggested that you cover the oranges with a paper towel to absorb the juice. This is probably a good idea, but again, I didn't do it. (I'm such a rebel.)

3. Set the oven at 250 degrees and bake the oranges for an hour. Flip the slices at least once during this time.

4. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 225 degrees and bake for another two hours. Flip the slices about every half hour to maintain shape and help with optimum drying.

5. Remove the oranges slices from the oven and let cool. It is important to note that the slices will still be slightly moist in the center. THIS IS OKAY. They will dry out as they cool.

6. Then I just strung some raffia through holes in the center of each orange slice (if a hole doesn't occur naturally during the drying process, it is simply to punch a little hole in the membrane once the orange is entirely dry.)

7. Hang and enjoy.

The oranges do not need to have anything more done to them. I simply store mine in a ziploc bag. I have had them for five years and they have not needed any sort of chemical to maintain color or to keep them from rotting. The drying process did that for me.

The winner of the P.G.D. Style tee shirt is the fabulous Lulu from Lulu and Co. (If you've never been to Lulu's blog you are in for a treat! Hop over and pay her a visit!) Drop me an email Lulu, and we'll get you set up with your shirt!!

And don't forget....It's that time again....The Frugal Friday Linky Party is this Friday here at The Shabby Nest! Come and link up with your best frugal holiday ideas!! Hope to see you all there!

Have a great Monday~

Jul i stugan

Hej alla härliga bloggvänner

Här en bild från Florida,,och dess underbara

Christmasshop vi besökte..inte klokt så härligt eller hur !

.synd det ej finns liknande här..

Ha det gott

Kram

Frugal Friday: A Tutorial~

Here is a simple, yet festive, idea for some last minute Christmas decorations or gifts. Yes, these are from last year, but I'm moving, remember? And besides that, I think it's such a fun idea that it bears repeating...

Christmas Tree Topiaries

Supplies you will need:

Cone floral forms – these can be found at most floral and craft stores.
Spray paint – the same color as the yarn or twine you choose.
Twine or yarn – If you choose yarn, you will want a type with more loft – I used chenille yarn for the version here.
Hot glue gun
Glue sticks
Straight pins with colored ends (optional)

Easy instructions:

1.Start by spray painting your cone the color of the yarn or twine you will be using.
2.Allow the cone to dry completely.
3.Starting at the bottom, use a dot of hot glue to attach the end of the yarn and wrap upwards.
4.Use dots of hot glue every once in a while to keep the yarn in place.
5.The top is the trickiest part. You will probably want to cover the top with hot glue as you coil your yarn or twine to the center.
6.I left my topiaries as is, simple and elegant, but you can also adorn them with little "ornaments." Straight pins with large brightly colored ends work best for this.

So for just a few minutes of time you have a lovely addition to your Christmas decor. Or by adding a plump candlestick to display the topiary, you can give a great last minute gift. Simple, elegant and festive.

And next Friday is the Holiday edition of the Frugal Friday Linky Party here at the Shabby Nest! Get your Frugal Holiday Ideas ready and link up here to share the fun!!

You still have time to enter the drawing for a P.G.D.Style tee shirt, just scroll down to the next post and enter! Drawing ends tonight at 11:59 EST

Have a great Friday~

A Giveaway for You~

Hi Everybody~

Today I have a great giveaway sponsored by my friend Melissa Biggs. I first got to know Melissa after she was featured in Where Women Create Issue 3. Melissa is an actress (if you ever watched Baywatch you may remember her as one of those lovely lifeguards) and a fashion designer (she previously designed for Guess and now designs her own line - but we'll get to that in a minute). But, to me, Melissa's most important role is that of spokeswoman for the Alpha-1 Association.

Melissa Biggs via her website

For those of you who have read this blog for a while, you may recall that my three boys all suffer from
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (If you don't know what Alpha-1 is OR you'd like to read my boys' story OR both, click here.)

After reading Melissa's feature in Where Women Create, I did something unexpected, I just started crying. I don't know if it is because Alpha-1 is relatively unknown or exactly what it was that moved me, but I knew I had to get in touch with her and find out how I could get more involved in the Alpha-1 Community. Even though it was the middle of the night, I ran downstairs, hopped on the computer and fired off an email to Jo Packham, editor of Where Women Create (if any of you ever wondered what kind of an amazing woman she might be, here's proof). I explained to her that my boys all have Alpha-1 and that I'd like to be able to get in touch with Melissa. Well, Jo forwarded my email, and within a day, I got an email back from Melissa. We emailed back and forth, and a few days later chatted for over an hour on the phone about ways I could get involved with the Alpha-1 community. Needless to say Melissa, who has the disease herself, is a great proponent of Alpha-1 Awareness, and is an inspiration.

Melissa in Where Women Create via her Website
Melissa now designs her own line of clothing called P.G.D.Style and has generously agreed to give one reader of the Shabby Nest their own Long Sleeve P.G.D. Basic Tee (a $48 value). This tee is perfect for the cold season, perfect for layering, just perfect.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and you're entered to win. That's it. Drawing ends Friday, December 11 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be announced Monday morning.

One last note: Melissa designed the tee pictured above especially for Alpha-1 Awareness. The proceeds from the sale of this shirt go directly to Alpha-1 research. Available on-line soon. I will keep you all posted.

The Giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered.

Have a great Thursday~

Pretty, Repurposed Christmas Stockings~

It's no secret by now, that I love frugal decorating. So last year when I was looking to get new Christmas stockings for the family, I hit upon the idea of repurposing some items I wasn't using anymore into new stockings for the whole crew.

The Princess and I got pretty white quilted stockings made from an old baby quilt that I had honestly forgotten I had. It had such cute scalloped edges that I simply turned it over at the top to make the cuff!

The Hubby and the three boys got new stockings made from an old linen dress I couldn't bring myself to part with. It had long since gone out of style, but I loved the fabric sooo much, I knew I would be able to find a use for it. It isn't exactly your typical Christmas fabric, but that is what I loved about it. And this year I have seen linen and burlap stockings all over the place, so I guess a lot of other people love the idea too, huh?

Then to make sure Santa knew whose stockings were whose, I added buttons (also from the dress) to the cuff of each stocking and tied on nametags made from vellum and sparkly alphabet stickers!


And the moral of this story is...before you throw out that old blanket, or dress, or sweater or what have you....try to think outside the box. It may just be your next Christmas stocking! ;-)

And yes, these photos are from last year as well. I do have the stockings out this year, but they are hanging from a piece of twine. Just as cute really, but with all this packing going on, I couldn't pull out the old camera to take a pic. Hope y'all will forgive me.

Come back tomorrow for a fun giveaway~

7 Quick and Easy Ways to Create a Welcoming Holiday Home~

Image from Pottery Barn

The holidays are filled with family, friend and fun! And of course, we want our homes to create a feeling of welcome for our holiday visitors.

Here are seven sure-fire ways to create a welcoming holiday home...

1. Focus on First Impressions

Spend time fixing up what guests will see first: your doorway and it's surrounding area. Spruce it up by sweeping, cleaning cobwebs or debris from around the doorbell and in the corners. Shake off the doormat. Remove everyday clutter such as mail, toys and shoes by stashing them in a basket in the closet. Make sure your porch lights are working well.

2. Quickie Decorate

Resurrect a planter or two from the summer garden and fill it with evergreen clippings, greenery or ornaments that will survive outdoors. Add a festive wreath or a garland with twinkle lights.

3. Create Guest Space

Create extra space in your coat closet for your guest's outdoor wear. Temporarily move the bulk of your family's gear to a back bedroom. Add an extra doormat near the closet for wet or icy shoes. Consider bringing in an umbrella stand if it is rainy or snowy out - or just line a wastebasket with a plastic bag.

4. Gather 'round

Make conversation easy by arranging chairs in your living room so friends and family can talk instead of facing the TV. (Chairs are easy to rearrange if "It's A Wonderful Life" or other holiday classics are on!)

5. Be Superficial

Skip the heavy bathroom cleanup and focus on those things visitors will notice. Hurry and clean the toilet bowl. Set out fresh hand soaps and clean, festive guest towels. Wipe down the counter and sink. Easy-peasy!

6. Cool Off the House

If you are expecting a houseful of guests, turn down the thermostat a couple of degrees about two hours before they arrive.

7. Light Up - Safely

Candles are a wonderful way to add ambience, but if you have them in areas other than the dinner table - like on the mantel or in the bathroom - they will need careful monitoring. A great alternative is flameless votive candles. These create the ambience without the fear..(especially if, like me, you have curious little ones around!)

So go get those houses ready for your holiday entertaining! But, most of all, ENJOY!!

Ideas adapted from Better Homes and Gardens November 2007

Coming up this week on the Shabby Nest...

• Pretty Homemade Christmas Stockings
• A Great Giveaway

Have a good day~

This I love: Inspiring others~

A few weeks ago, I did a post about Restoration Hardware and their fabulous line of "green" furniture.

Photo from Restoration Hardware

Well, this last week, I received an email from one of my readers, Ana of Knock Off Wood. The subject line read "Look how you inspired me! Many thanks!". One of my favorite things about writing my blog, is sharing inspiration with others, so I hurried to see what Ana wrote. Here's what she had to say...

Thank you for your post back in November on the Restoration Hardware Catalog. I loved the post so much that I went out and found some scrap boards in my yard and bought $9.98 in screws and built a Farmhouse Table, very similar to Restoration Hardware's table, retailing for $2750. Thank you so much! You are greatly appreciated!

You know me and frugal decorating - after an email like that, I HAD to see that table, and fast! When I took a look at Ana's photos, I was amazed!

This is the table that inspired Ana...

Photo from Restoration Hardware


And this is the table that Ana made. This gorgeous table for $9.98!! And she even did a post that included the plans so that you can make one yourself !! I dragged the hubby over to the computer to take a look, and made him PROMISE on the spot, that once we are relocated, he will make me one of these babies. $9.98...sigh...perfection.

Photos from Knock Off Wood

Thanks for your email Ana!! So glad I inspired you...and so glad you paid it forward with this amazing tutorial!

Isn't blogland wonderful??

Have a great day~

Somethin's gotta give~

I'd like to be outside enjoying the first real snowfall of the season...

Or taking a winter carriage ride....

Or actually getting my Christmas shopping finished....

But, instead, I'm up to my ears in these....


And because my list of to-dos is miles and miles long, I have to be realistic. I just can't do everything. So I'll be shutting down my Etsy store until mid-January. Hopefully by doing so, what's left of my sanity will be preserved. Just kidding...kind of. ;-)

Have a lovely Sunday~

Frugal Friday: How to decorate a Christmas Tree for under $5

Hello all my lovely readers!! Happy Friday!!


Let me start today's post by explaining a little bit about this year's Christmas at The Shabby Nest. As you may know, we are moving. Well, here's the kicker...we're moving out BEFORE Christmas. Yes. BEFORE Christmas. (note to self....never move at Christmas time again.) We will be spending the actual holiday with my in-laws which will be absolutely lovely, but in the meantime things are a bit, shall we say, chaotic. Still, I couldn't let a house with four kiddos go without a Christmas tree now could I?


So this past Tuesday, we made our annual trek with the Hubby's family to a Christmas tree farm about an hour away (the same place his family has been going for the last 37 years) to get our tree. I told the Hubby that since we are moving, I was not pulling out the regular Christmas decor, and I wanted a small tree. We found the perfect little tree.


Once we got it home and put the lights on it, I explained to the kiddos that we were going to do something a little different this year. They were fine with that as long as there were still Christmas lights involved...because to them, that's all that really mattered.


Inspired by these two trees in the PB catalog (yes, there's that old PB catalog again)...





we created this sweet little tree. I'm calling it our Family Tree...

I printed out a bunch of black and white family photos (wallet sized) and simply punched holes in them and added twine to hang.

This is my favorite engagement photo outtake of me and the Hubby- notice "the Rachel" hairdo...circa 1995

That was the end of day one (and the tree was not done). The next day, the Toddler Demolition Team and I made a trip to Walm*rt and purchased a package of stencils. The kids thought I was a little nuts, but they humored me. I punched holes in the cards and added twine as well.

We used some snowflake ornaments purchased last year at the dollar store (I tried to avoid getting them out, but the kids spotted them in the box when I was getting out the lights, and hey, it's Christmas, and they're kids.)

Instead of a tree skirt, I just wrapped the base in some pretty black and white damask fabric that I had in my stash. It lends itself well to the color scheme and adds a bit of elegance as well.

Finally, to top it off, Mr. Two fell in love with this funny star (also at Walm*rt for $1) and had to have it for the tree. I wasn't too jazzed about it, but I bought it anyway. Then I hit upon the idea of combining the book wreath project with the star to make something fitting for our Family Tree. I just rolled up pages from an old book and hot glued them to the back of the star. I. LOVE. IT. Mr. Two couldn't figure out why I would glue "sticks" on the star, but when I told him that the "sticks" made the star extra special, he went along with it. :-)

It must be noted too that aside from putting on the lights, and the star, I let the kiddos decorate the tree by themselves (and I only moved a couple of things afterwards...I couldn't help myself...it's an illness, really.)

So here's the $$ rundown...

Lights............ free (already in our Christmas stash)

Tree skirt....... free (from my fabric stash)

Photos........... free (printed right off the computer)

Twine............. $1 (dollar spot at Tar-jay)

Stencils.......... $1.49 (Wally-world)

Star................ $1 (Also at Wally-world)

Snowflakes..... free (in our Christmas stash - but purchased at the dollar store initially)

Grand total....$3.49

There's some frugal decorating going on here, oh yeah! And you know, I think this may just be one of my favorite trees yet. Everyday I get to look at the faces of those I adore smiling back at me from a tree that celebrates the most wonderful season of the year. Isn't that what it's all about?

Have a great weekend~