Decorating the house for spring (and the giveaway winner!)

Happy Spring!!! So happy to see sunshine and warmer weather! I'm slowly decorating the house for spring by changing over my fur throws to lighter white ones and sprinkling the house with florals and springtime colors. 

I bought some fresh flowers (thanks Krogers!) and cheated a little by adding some faux ones (Hobby Lobby) to the back of the vase. This way for $4 a week or so I can change out the flowers up front and still have a huge bouquet for very little money. I also sometimes just add clippings from the yard. (Love those free clippings!) My goal is for our landscaping to include a clipping garden someday - hydrangeas would be great!! - but at this point any landscaping will do!.

I made floral slip covers for a couple of pillows (ok, one and 3/4 pillows). I was bragging to hubby that it was so awesome that my sewing machine has survived 20 years and then I promptly broke it before the last pillow was done! I ended up safety pinning the back of the second pillow. There's no room for perfect in this house! Besides, if you come over judging my pillows you might miss out on my favorite peanut butter bars (recipe coming soon!). Here's a great tutorial on how to make a pillow slipcover if you need one. (and I was laughing that I think we used the same fabric).

The front doors got a little change up from the tired winter wreaths that were there. Fresh flowers would've been amazing, however I'm a low maintenance girl so these faux ones will do just fine.

How are you decorating the house for spring?

Hobby Lobby container, flowers and bow from JoAnn Fabrics

AND FINALLY....Great news! I put Hubby in charge of picking the random winner for the wreath giveaway last week (so you can totally blame him if you didn't win, haha) and he randomly chose.......

Kelly!

Kelly, if you added your email address, I'm having technical difficulties and unfortunately it's not showing up. So Kelly, the fourth commenter (that wrote 'I love your blog. I always enjoy Ellie's comments at the end, too!') please email me at elizabeth@ellieandelizabeth.com so I can get your shipping address to ship your boxwood wreath!! Congrats and thanks to all of you who entered with your sweet and helpful comments. I truly wish I could send each one of you the wreath (find a set of them here). One little comment makes my whole day. You are the best!

Love,

Elizabeth

Watch out world, Elizabeth is now safety pinning things together. At least she's stopped making her curtains with the glue gun.

Shopping the House (Decorating With What You Have) and A Giveaway!

So Hubby walked in the other day and gave me 'the look'. You know the one that you get when you've gone shopping and maybe you have been going a little overboard lately. But this time I got to say, GOOD NEWS HUBBY! I'VE BEEN SHOPPING THE HOUSE!

He is a pretty quiet guy and he just looked at me with the confused/tired look that Desi always gave Lucille Ball. (And he's getting pretty good at Spanish so I'm expecting a foreign rambling under his breath any day). 

"Shopping the house??"

"YES! I mean, decorating with what you have, you know?"

I had a blank wall beside the door off the kitchen that was really bugging me and I had decided I wanted to put a bar cart there. The trouble was every nice bar cart I saw was megabucks. I want to save megabucks for something more fun than a barcart... So then I just went looking around the house to see what I could move into that spot. We have a playroom/guestroom space that I haven't really decorated yet and there was a table up there that I realized would fit perfectly in this spot. I went to the attic and found a lamp, stole the tray from the kitchen table, and opened up the box with the tiered tray that I got for Christmas. I took the greenery from the laundry room and set out glassware from the kitchen. The metal basket on the bottom had been holding a plant that died...(normal at my house). The blue jar and owl picture had been in the kitchen but it they weren't really adding any pizazz there.

I had ordered the mirror for my oldest son's room, but it just didn't work in there. I thought it fit pretty well here though and I had just ordered a pack of these little boxwood  wreaths to scatter around the house, which I think is pretty cute on top of any mirror or hanging on an armoire door, etc.

Sooo if budget doesn't allow something new, why not just move things around for a fresh look? And if you are just starting out and don't have much to move, swap with your friend who is in the same boat. New stuff for free! And speaking of free...here's the scoop on my giveaway!

Trying out a different pitcher.... think I like this one here better!

It's just a little something, but I want to say thank you for the support you've given me on the blog. If you are interested in winning a small boxwood wreath like the one hanging on my mirror, just comment below by the end of March 26, 2017. Any comment will do, but I'm particularly interested in what you want to see more of on the blog...more personal stories? More decorating? More faith based posts? Be sure to add in your email address so I will be able to contact you for your shipping address if you win. Remember, I'm still a fairly new blog so you have a good chance at winning if you comment! I'll randomly choose a winner and will announce it on the next blog post. 

See you then!

Love,

Elizabeth

Decorating with what you have is Hubby's favorite kind of decorating...

What to Put in a Dough Bowl at Christmas

I was at an antique store killing time when I saw it. It was the largest dough bowl I had ever laid my eyes on. I brought it home and my husband asked if it was a sled for the boys.

*Eye Roll* No, it's NOT a sled for the boys! Hello? It's a dough bowl, of course!

I didn't tell him that I wouldn't have known what it was either if I hadn't seen it on Pinterest, but that's our secret.

There's always a joke about it when you see it for the first time cuz it just commands attention sitting there all huge on the kitchen island. It's a fun conversation piece to have but then there's that teeny problem that comes with it.

OHMYGOODNESS, you have to fill it up with something. 

What to put in a dough bowl at Christmas??? All I could think about was that would look cute overflowing with one million ornaments, but who wants to buy one million ornaments? Then my sister-in-law (I have the greatest sisters-in-law) taught me how to make a flower arrangement and BAM, I knew I could make a fresh arrangement in a dough bowl.

I had cut quite a bit of greenery when I got the clippings for the magnolia and fir garlands - here if you missed it - and so I thought I'd use the remainder inside the house. Since it's not going to last as long inside without water, here was the plan:

I lined the bottom of dough bowl with garbage bags. I'm sure there's a more glamorous option you could use if you have it, but you need something to protect the wood. I then filled my sink with water and floated in a few floral foam bricks (be sure to get the ones that say 'wet' on them, I got mine at JoAnn's Fabric - and I snuck Ellie in too). I let them sink into the water on their own because supposedly the bricks will be saturated all the way through that way. Once they are submerged and filled with water, I cut them into sizes that would fit into wide mouth, shallow bowls. I spaced out the bowls in the dough bowl. In this arrangement I also put in two poinsettias in between the bowls, but you could just have greenery if you'd like.

I used a foam brick under one poinsettia to make the plants the same height.

Then the fun begins. I start with the longest fir branches (any evergreen will work) and stick them into the floral foam at each long end of the dough bowl. I like these to overhang the bowl about six inches or so. Then I take shorter pieces and put them down each side. All you've done so far is the first base layer around the lip of the bowl, so it will be uneven and not totally covering everything yet and that's okay. Next, just start filling in with shorter fir branches or whatever you have. I used magnolia, holly, and some branches that had pinecones. Keep sticking your branches into the foam so they will stay fresh longer.

TIP: once you push them in, don't move the stem. If you have to, just completely re-stick it, because the tip needs to be firmly into the brick to be hydrated and movement may cause air pockets..

Once you have full coverage of the base of the bowl, or close to it, trim the sides so the branches are more even. I cut quite a bit off of mine. It's better to start with longer branches so they can reach the foam bricks and then trim them back as you go. 

This is when you can add pinecones, ornaments, poinsettia blooms, whatever you want to give it a little Christmas boost but also cover up any gaps you may have. I used pinecones, magnolia leaves and holly branches.

I water the foam bricks every few days and I leave out the arrangement about a month. I'm sure my watering method misses the brick areas occasionally, so if you are like me, be aware that the inside of your dough bowl could end up wet, even with the garbage bag liners. I've had no problems with this (this is my second arrangement) but I just want you aware that this is not sealed tight and there is a risk of water damage to your bowl. Mine is very primitive so it's not really an issue, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Okay, now for the complete confession: Sometimes there are critters in the greenery.

I know! Horrifying.

Like the time I was having about 12 or so people over and literally right before they arrived for dinner, there were tiny specks appearing all over my island countertop...right where the food was going to go. On closer inspection, I saw they were...spiders. That dough bowl had been on the island for two weeks with nothing and bam, spiders everywhere. As my guests arrived, I was chucking the bowl out onto the back porch, trying to act as if I always tossed my centerpieces out the door when guests came over. Good times.

So be sure to hose your greenery off, or buy it from someone who does, lol!

I'm not sure how much I'll post between here and January since the kiddos are home and out of school, (read - I get nothing done with the kiddos home and out of school), but I want to say you all have made 2016 very special for me. Taking the time the read and comment on the blog is a big deal in blogland and I appreciate each and every one of you. I pray your Christmas and New Year is wonderful and full of joy.

Hugs,

Elizabeth

Look who got all in the Christmas spirit and is sharing his reindeer blanket...

P.S. If Bear gets the potbellied pig like he asked for, I'm headed to Grandma's.

How to Make a Magnolia Garland

Y'all, I saw a magnolia garland last year and it was so gorgeous. It was about a foot thick and over the top beautiful. I knew no matter how many trips I visited Hubby's grandfather's magnolia tree, I didn't see myself getting enough leaves to make a 12 inch thick garland...so here's the simple version which I think turned out pretty darn cute. (And a big thank you to my sis-in-law for figuring out how to do it!)

First, gather your leaves. Find a cutie patootie niece like the one below to help you. She helped my sis-in-law and I gather as many as we could stuff in her car since we were going to use them for three or four houses. (Hey, when the word gets out that you can decorate with free magnolia, people notice and you become an instant magnolia magnet). I'm totally estimating here but I'd say that the garland took about 200 leaves to make.

I'm not saying anything about the greenery sticking out of the bottom of the magnolia. I'm just saying that if you see it out and about in a field where it is growing in the wild, it may end up in this car. The niece is an innocent bystander.

Second, take three leaves of similar size and staple them near the stems into the shape of a fan.

Take a small rope the length of the garland you would like (I used what I had on hand, which was 18 ft of piping, and that worked out perfectly for around the front door) and starting at one end, wrap the stems around the rope with thin floral wire.

Keep repeating this process by layering the next set of leaves to hide the wire from the previous set until the entire rope is covered. Watch The Crown on Netflix while wiring, it makes it more fun.

My magnolia garland is hanging on top of a 'background garland' to give it fuller look. A faux garland here will work perfectly, I admit I couldn't find mine that I usually use, (imagine me being unorganized! Shocker!) so I made one using fir limbs.

I took limbs that were about two feet or so and wired them together every few feet toward the cut end of each branch, making the lengths that would hang down each side of the door first. Then I created what would hang over the arch by hanging a limb over the top of the door and wiring branches to it to fill in the gaps from there. (Lowe's and other places that sell live Christmas trees will have bundles of extra pieces for sale if you don't have any evergreen trees to trim). 

Both garlands are hung by wrapping wire from the greenery onto 8 screws that Hubby put into the brick above the door's arch. (He used a 1/4 masonry drill bit).  I put lights on the fir garland, then layered the magnolia garland on top. When you hang your magnolia garland, note the direction it's going. I ended up hanging mine up the left side of the door and then over the door's arch.  I cut the rope at that point and hung the remaining piece of garland down the right side so that the leaves were pointing downward. I wired the two garlands together once on each side about midpoint, just to keep the magnolia garland from flipping backwards in the wind. Once that was hung, I wired in a few of the extra greenery pieces to the top at the center to give it a little more depth and then added a wired bow.

As most of you know, I like my projects to be quick and simple. This one took a little time but wasn't too difficult, and I love how it turned out! Last year I decorated with magnolia and fir and it lasted outside close to a month without withering. The magnolia doesn't always last as long as the fir, but even if it turns a little, it's still looks a pretty, velvety color.

Please comment if you have any questions or if I wasn't clear on any detail.  And I'd love to post your pics if you make your own garland!

So glad you came by! Next up is how to make an arrangement in a dough bowl (or any bowl!) with real greenery. See you then!

Love,

Elizabeth

I have to admit that I do look cute in my new Christmas sweater.

PS- we found out if you put fake poinsettias outside and it rains, it turns your staircase red. Just sayin'.

Thanksgiving Tablescape and a Big Ol' Laugh

Getting Thanksgiving on here at our house! I wanted to write the typical Thanksgiving post, I'm thankful for family and good health and freedom. Of course, I'm thankful for those. But then I spent Thursday night at a Bible study with a group of friends where I was belly laughing so hard the tears were coming, and I decided I just have to tell you a funny story about Hubby instead because there's no better way to spend your day than laughing.  

It was years ago and my sweet grandmother, MomB, had just passed away. Many family members came in town to stay with us for her funeral. We had almost an hour's drive to the funeral home and several of us rode together. I ended up in the backseat of Hubby's truck on the ride there and back.

When we arrived back home after the funeral, I was the last one out of Hubby's truck. Just as I was about to hop out, I noticed a little white strap sticking out of the pocket on the back of the passenger seat. I slowly pulled on that strap which revealed...a bra. 

Oh dear.

It wasn't mine.

Here was a bra in my husband's truck and it was not mine. (Because, you know, I don't keep my undergarments in his truck!).

For a second I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. My Hubby, who I loved dearly and I thought loved me back dearly, had a female's undergarment in his truck.

What to do?? What to do? I mean here I am in the midst of my family staying here and we all are mourning my grandmother... 

So I sat on the discovery. Not a word to Hubby about it.

 All. Day. Long. 

Longest, heartbreaking day ever. My dear Hubby. My Hubby who has been the love of my life since I was 14 years old. How can this be happening? I couldn't believe it to be true, he's just not that kind of guy.  Could there be any other explanation other than another woman in his life?? I was in disbelief, but how could I explain this underwear away?

Finally, I went to a close family member and said as casually as I could manage, 'Hey, yeah, um, I found this bra in Hubby's truck today...'

She was like, 'Whew! There it is! I've been asking my daughter where she left it. I forgot she rode in the back of the truck with you guys. She just started wearing a bra and I can't get her to keep it on throughout an entire day! Sheesh!'

LOL! In my dramatic moment, I hadn't notice it was very small. 

Sometimes things are not always as they seem. May we all be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to wrath.

Today, I'm thankful for a loving, faithful husband. 

And a big ol' belly laugh.

Love, 
Elizabeth

Poor Hubby had no clue he was really close to living in the doghouse...

'

Sheet Music Project, Take Two!

 

Please Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Go VOTE TODAY!

Sheet music artwork, take TWO! I still have to tweak it, but here's the update. (Here's the first try at this project if you missed it).

• Modpodge DOES stick to styrofoam! (Thank you for that suggestion!) I used one 4' x 8' styrofoam panel from Lowe's and 1/2 a container of matte modpodge (from JoAnn's Fabric...Ellie did not sneak in, haha), together costing $25.
• To get a more aged look, I mixed Annie Sloan clear and dark wax (I already had from a previous project) together and then rubbed on the pages with a dry cloth. This does create an aged look, however, it would 'grab' certain areas more than others. It looks better in person, but does appear uneven in some areas and sometimes like spilled coffee. But I love coffee, so it's all good! (I have aged sturdy papers with strong coffee or tea also, btw, so that could be another option).

Conclusion: As with the aging and modpodge suggestions, I'm also taking the suggestion of possibly creating some sort of frame, which means Hubby will create a frame, and then layering something on top....I think it has some potential around Christmas time, but I'm keeping that a secret for now. :)

Speaking of Christmas, GUESS WHAT!!?! SOOO EXCITED! I have been invited to be part of a Christmas house tour this year! I know!!

What this means for you is that for three days I will be posting mulitple links to other bloggers who are opening up their homes and showing us their Christmas decor. It's December 5, 6, & 7th. LOVE ME some home tours, so I can't wait!

Wear the crown one more time, she said. It'll be fun, she said. 

In other news, I'm a HUGE Downton Abby fan, so I can't wait to start watching The Crown on Netflix, since it looks like it could be similar. Anyone else watching? Do you like it? What other Netflix shows do you recommend?