Merry Christmas!

Dec 25, 2014

I hope you are having a great Christmas! Here is our family photo from Christmas Eve. We didn't send out cards this year so I pulled this together last night in just a few minutes.



Our Christmas traditions stay the same, but it always feels a bit different every year as the kids get older. We have our share of sweet moments.



And, then there are the grumpy moments.

 
 
They are equally precious to me. Have a great holiday!

 
 


Gift Wrapping: How to Tie a Bow with Ribbon

Dec 15, 2014

I just love a beautifully wrapped gift, especially with a big satin bow on top usually only seen in fancy stores. You know the ones with ribbon that come undone in one long piece like this?


If you've ever wondered how do they do that or you just want to avoid stick-on bows this year then this is the tutorial for you.


Step 1

Start by measuring out the tail of the ribbon you see on the left. You will need to leave enough room to make the bunny ear of the bow, plus the tail. Lay it across the center of your gift with the backside of the ribbon (dull side of a satin ribbon or unprinted side) facing up. Then turn the ribbon downwards to make a little pocket. The shiny side of the satin ribbon will be facing up going in this downward direction.

You do not need to pre-cut the ribbon as you see here. Keep it attached to the spool so you will have the proper amount of ribbon.


 
 
 The "pocket"




Step 2

Wrap the ribbon around the back of the gift.




Step 3

Pull the ribbon down and underneath the other ribbon where the "pocket" is.






You've now made the vertical part of the ribbon.

 
 
Step 4
 
Now, it's time to wrap it horizontally. Hold the center with a finger or thumb.




and wrap the ribbon around the backside of the gift.






and continue to wrap the ribbon all the way across to the other side going underneath the vertical ribbon.



You're left with two tails. Now, it's time to make the bow.


 
 
Step 5
 
Instead of making a knot, just make two bunny ears and tie them together.




Step 6

Now, fluff up your bow and turn the backside of the left tail to face upwards so all you see is the shiny side of a satin ribbon or the printed side if you have a pattern. Cut the ribbon from the spool so the tails are equal lengths. I chose to cut my ends once more in a dovetail. Add a tag and ornamentation if you choose.


If you add greenery, consider using a hot glue gun to make it secure. Ornaments can be looped through the ribbon before the bow is tied.

This takes a lot of ribbon! Considering I have about 40 presents to wrap it's not possible to make this type of bow on all of them, especially large gifts. Most of these ribbons are tied on the smaller ones like the candy cane striped one below.

I want to show you a few alternatives of decorating with ribbon so you aren't breaking the bank. The green and red ribbon combo on the right was made with smaller scraps. I also varied the placement of the ribbons not for aesthetics, but to make stacking them on top of each other under the tree easier. The burlap snowflake ribbon is hot glued together at the edges and used on the larger gifts. It is easy to just slide if off the gift as if it were a sleeve. You have to keep in mind someone has to unwrap these!



With the exception of the burlap ribbon, everything you see here was purchased at Wal-Mart! The satin and fabric ribbon was not easy to find, but they do have it. I found mine in the garden area outside and a small Christmas section in the craft area. If finding elegant wrapping paper is difficult, look for solids in the birthday section. You can always pair it with a ribbon for a nice color contrast. Pretty and budget friendly!


http://confessionsofaplateaddict.blogspot.com/2014/12/please-join-me-for-scoop-149.html

Christmas Home Tour 2014

Dec 9, 2014

These halls are really decked this year. I don't know why I have more Christmas mojo than Buddy from the movie Elf, but I went with it. You'll also notice I added more traditional color this year. I was so convinced I would continue with the blues and neutral tones from last year, but I changed my mind at the last minute. The good thing about decorating with ribbon is that it's easy to switch things up without having to buy all new décor. Well, let's get started!




My neighborhood is full of these branches with the red berries. Aren't they just perfect for Christmas?



I really love decorated stairs. It's one of the first things I notice when I'm driving by a house at Christmas time because you can see it lit up through the windows and glass doors.



The stairs, dining table, and console in the entry all got the poinsettia treatment. I love using them because they make such a big impact for such little cost.







 
 
 

 
 
I shared a few pictures of the living room last week, but I found these live wreaths for such a good deal that I couldn't pass them up.
 


 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
The breakfast room and kitchen just needed a bit of greenery and ornaments.















I love hanging ornaments in the windows.







A wide view from the kitchen.


 
And from the living room.
 
 
 

The kids got their own tree upstairs in the gameroom surrounded by the Christmas village they love so much.
 

 
I put this out yesterday and surprised them when they got off the bus. I can't believe how much they love this village. They kept stopping and looking at it all night.
 
I can't leave you without a picture of Mario all dressed up. Here he is going through the stages of Santa hat grief.
 
Denial
 
 
 
Anger
 
 
 
Acceptance
 




Don't you just love those expressions?!

Whew! Now that the decorating is over it's time to finish the present shopping and start on the gift wrapping. Oh, and I can't forget about the baking! How are your holiday preparations going?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





Link party holiday house walk tag



http://confessionsofaplateaddict.blogspot.com/2014/12/please-join-me-for-scoop-149.html
 
 
 

christmas tour of homes
 
 
 
http://simpledetailsblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-super-easy-diy-and-christmas-link.html
 
 
 

My Greek is Showing

Dec 5, 2014

For the past year or so I've noticed the Greek bust trend in interior design. I couldn't believe it was becoming so popular because I distinctly remember rolling my eyes as a kid at my Greek family's statues. Now, I'm not going to decorate my backyard fence with them like my Great Aunt did, but I have been keeping an eye out for one to hold my necklaces on my dresser. Like with all trends that come back, it's done much better than before.








 
 
I noticed Homegoods carried them, but all of the ones I found were cracked or had noses missing. It wasn't on purpose to make it more authentic. I finally found one last week that was intact and carted her off. Here she is on my dresser wearing a fabulous necklace.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Now, all I need is a Flokati rug and a gift shop ashtray with ancient Greeks on the side. For some reason I thought those ashtrays were antiques when I was little. Didn't you know the ancient Greeks enjoyed their Marlboros? What's even funnier is they are still selling those "antique" ashtrays in Athens gift shops. I noticed that when we went to Greece earlier this year and got a good laugh. It was tempting to buy one for the sake of nostalgia, but I think I'll just stick to the Greek busts...and maybe a Flokati rug one day.