Holiday Decor - A Bit DIY, A Bit Nutcracker

Here's a taste of the craziness I call my Holiday Decor. It's part crafty and part Nutcracker to feed my obsession with Nutcrackers. Above I had some silver glittered feathers I put out in a little glass for shine!

 I have lots of wood in my family room and I used some greenery to up the Holiday spirit and threw some berries and colorful garland around it.

 I have a candleholder on my table to which I hung the Christmas Tree Paper ornaments I made

This is in my entry hall. I have more glittered feathers in a glass tube with bells in it on a candleholder. 

 Here's a quick idea. Put ornaments and a string of lights in a glass vase and you have some festive decor.

My vintage button tree has to be my favorite thing I've made ever. I took it and put it in a vintage candy dish that I spray painted with primer so it looks matte white. There are the mason jar snow globes that I made as well. 

 I inherited all of these vintage buttons so with color pins, I stuck them on a styrofoam cone. It took forever and a day but if you have nothing to do for a few days, make one.

 One of my favorite nutcrackers, the Sushi Chef. If you know me, you know why.

 Here's my kitchen cooking tree. I have wooden cooking utensils, colorful balls and hand knitted mini mittens on this tree.

 Not really a decoration, but don't you love my little bar. This vintage cart cost me $40 at a flea market and I didn't have to do a thing to it.

These are the Nutcrackers in the place of honor, above the TV. These are the characters represented in the Nutcracker: the Mouse King, Clara, Dr. Drosselmeyer. Plus my very first nutcracker on the left and Santa on the right.

The mantle with nutcrackers and stockings.

Our Christmas tree is mostly Nutcrackers with a few other treasured ornaments thrown in. Above are some glittery nutcrackers.

 Here's a close up of a knitted pair of mini mittens I made. Here's a pattern for them if you want to make them.

 More nutcrackers.

 In my kitchen, I keep the cooking/baking themed nutcrackers.

 I used a vintage hankie to put under my plate rack. It's red and green, so...in keeping with the holiday theme.

 In my kitchen, on a ledge behind our eating booth I put these little beer cork trees I made. Pretty self-explanatory. I hope you enjoyed a peek into my home.

Coat Rack

Yeah, it's been too long. Procrastination along with poor motivation resulted in not much getting done around here including blogging. This also included a project that has been sitting around my house for a few months that I wanted done before Christmas, but didn't end up getting done until early January. A coat rack. I bought these letter hooks and thought they would be easy to hang. Then I looked at the little teeny screws they came with and realized that no way were 2 screws going to support a coat or a handbag in drywall. That resulted in the idea to hang them on a board and mount the board to the wall.

I think painting it black was a great idea because it really brings out the letters. Now when people come into my home, they have a place to hang their belongings.

I Dream of Calder

Calder Mobile at JFK Airport

Ever since learning about Alexander Calder in Art History in high school, I have always dreamed of having my own Calder or even Calder-esque mobile. I was struck by the floating bold shapes and colors.

I finally found a similar type mobile by Flensted and have a great place to display and admire it; in my entry hall. My dream has been realized.