Wintery Welcome & Wine

 A few weeks ago I picked up a wine box at Costco. 

It was all natural wood.

I stained it with dark walnut wood stain.
{shhh - I asked REALLY nicely and got it for free}

Filled it with used wine bottles and white spray painted twigs.

Placed candles in the bottle tops and sprayed faux snow

around the whole display.

{I believe I live too far south to see much real snow}

It's a wintery welcome display to greet our guests.

I need to call the neighbors over for a winter porch wine party.

Want to come?

sharing with:
Funky Junk Interiors - SNS #168
Funky Junk Interiors - SNS #169 Winter Decorating
Craft-O-Maniac Monday
Keeping It Simple -  Motivate Me Monday
No Minimalist Here - Open House Party

2012 Top 10

The following 2012 posts are the most popular by page views.
 Click on the photos to view the full post.

#1- A Salvaged Frame

I introduced you to my favorite way to achieve a "chippy paint" look with Vaseline and spray paint. 

over 163,300 page views (wow!)

#2 - New {old} Foyer Table

A tutorial on how I made this narrow foyer table

with an old window and deck posts for legs.

over 27,900 page views

#3 - My Secret to Glazing Cabinets

This post shows you how I use baby oil to move wood stain around painted furniture projects to get a "glazed" or "aged" effect.

over 23,150 page views

#4 - Coffee Antiqued Urn

Used coffee grounds gave this bargain priced urn an aged look.

over 19,880 page views

#5 - Let's Talk Doors

I love old doors and in this post I show you how to bring in some old charm to your home by using authentic vintage doors or new doors found at home improvement stores.

nearly 13,000 page views

#6 - Distress Wood with a Razor Blade

I painted and distressed this $5 dresser in only 2 hours

- start to finish by using spray paint and a razor blade.

over 10,200 page views

#7 - Romantic, Recycled....Lovely

Our master bedroom decorated for Valentine's Day.

over 8600 page views

#8 - {Wisteria Vine Wreath}

A tutorial on how I made this wreath from our wisteria vine clippings.

over 8400 page views

#9 - How to Paint a Rug on Wood Floors

A detailed tutorial to painting patterns on wood floors.

over 8200 page views

#10 -  Raggy Burlap Lampshades

Recover ugly lamp shades in burlap - a tutorial.

over 8000 page views

The most popular of all was our Tour My House page.
over 643,500 page views since Dec. 2011 

(when my hubby viewed that page he said -
"When was our house ever that clean?")

What an amazing year it was for Down to Earth Style blog. Lots of growth and support from readers. It looks like blog readers enjoy tips on how to distress and age furniture. Before I was aware of  DIY blogs and prior to starting my own, I used to make furniture and home accents such as frames and word signs for my decorating business. I tried all kinds of alternative ways to achieve old and distressed looks. At the time I had no idea anybody would be interested in using my goofy techniques....but they really do work. :) 

This was a big year for my family also, as we relocated to another state.  I am searching for a permanent home to make all our own. I look forward to sharing that adventure with you in 2013.
I invite you to follow along.
Thank you for making 2012 a great year here! I truly enjoy your comments and all my new blog friends.
Happy New Year!!!

view 2011 best blog projects here
sharing with:
Common Ground
Crafterberry Bush
Southern Hospitality
Funky Junk Interiors
Alderberry Hill

Chocolate Snowball Cookies

I wanted to share this recipe with you before Christmas - but I have been busy potty training a puppy...ugh!

Coming along...but I'd rather potty train twin boys.
~~~~~~~~~

We make these cookies every Christmas.

This is an old family recipe book that is typed - not on the computer with spell check either. My Mom entered this recipe for the book but  it originally came from my Aunt Judy. I remember sneaking these yummy morsels from her freezer when I was young.

How did anybody ever bake anything without a Kitchen Aid?

My boys love to help roll the cookie dough in the powdered sugar.
(give them the messy job)

They turn out better with lots of powdered sugar and
not too perfectly rolled balls.

Let them cool.These are the kind of cookie that taste better cold.
I freeze some for us in baggies.

I took these to a neighborhood cookie exchange....they were a hit.

We better make these again before our New Year Resolutions kick in.
We leave these out for Santa each year -
no wonder he gains 10 pounds every year and only loses 5.

I hope your Christmas was as fun and relaxing as ours was!
(we stayed home rather than travel to see family this year -
jammies all day long)

Merry Christmas

Creating Softer Light with a Tag Sale Lamp

A couple of years ago I found this lamp at a tag sale for $5.

I added burlap where I think there used to be glass.

With a glue gun...

The light fixture is darling but the light it put off was harsh 

no matter what watt the bulb was that I used.

Now the light is more diffused, warm and soft.

That was simple - I should have done that a long time ago.

Thank you all who commented on my new puppy, Mazi, and your condolences for our Sadie dog. Mazi knows to go potty outside on command but doesn't know not to go inside... =/ (long sigh)
You are the sweetest readers in the world. It means a lot to me when I hear from you...it really does.
Merry Christmas!
xoxoxoxo
Holly 

My Early Christmas Present

After the horrifying events of last Friday in Connecticut, I haven't felt much like doing any projects or posting.  I have been thinking of those sweet children and their families. I am so - so sad.

There really are no words to say - just heartache.

I pray for peace and comfort for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wanted to share with you my early Christmas present.

Meet Mazi

(may-zee)

a 10 week old Morkie (maltese/yorkshire terrier)

She weighs 2 lbs 6 oz (small)

picture before her hair cut

she is a playful little peanut

We put our sweet golden retriever to rest in July and I miss her.

the most lovable creature ever

I love having a dog around the house. They give so much love.

Wish me luck with the potty training....

I hope Mazi brings her own kind of joy to our home

as our sweet Sadie did.

Merry Christmas to me! :)

I wish for all of you to have a very special Christmas this year.

Sharing with: Funky Junk Interiors

Kitchen Window Storage

The kitchen window is a place it seems I spend a lot of time.

I like to utilize that space well with small items stored close by like a basket of wine corks.

Or hanging coffee mugs.

Hanging shutters on the cabinet sides 

makes a nice spot for fresh herbs to hang & dry.
I hung the shutters from a D ring on the back of each shutter - thread twine though it and used a thumb tack at the top of the cabinet to tie it to. I don't have crown molding on the cabinets so it works out that way.

 These little chalk tags are from the craft store.

I drilled a small whole in it and tied it on with twine.

The basket is hung with hemp twine that slips over a hook at the top...

The window frame is metal here that is why I chose to hang the cork basket this way - I like the look of it.

Our other house was wood so I just had a nail there in the center of the wood window frame.
I know some people don't like to make holes in the wood molding so tacks leave a really small hole. I will patch this whole with wood filler before I move out. 

A photo in the center of the window looks charming and lived in.

The wire basket is from Target. I grabbed several of them for $2.50 each in the dollar section. (don't pass that spot up when you walk in - sometimes I find cute gems there) Since we are on the subject of wine, storage and gems I will show you what I picked up yesterday.

I am making plans for this wine box - I will share when I am all done.

here is a comment left for me...great idea!

cute!
another cute idea is to note on the wine cork in sharpie marker the date drank & what the occasion was for drinking {even just a relaxing night at home}
fun to read later!

xo - heather
www.ThisLifeIsYours.com

Sharing with:

Funky Junk Interiors - SNS #170 Crates