How to Find Your Christmas Style

A few years ago, we celebrated our first Christmas in our new house. I wanted to go all out and decorate. We bought a new (fake) tree at a black Friday sale and I made plans for the perfect decor to fill my new home. Our old tree was about 5 feet tall, and while it was a perfect fit in our tiny NYC apartment, it would look like a dwarf in our large house. With this new tree came the need for new ornaments. Since we had 3 cats, and hoped to have some kids soon after, we decided to go with plastic ornaments instead of glass. In case you aren't aware, it's really hard to find cute plastic ornaments. They're usually cheesy and cheap looking, without necessarily being inexpensive. I looked at all the pretty glass ornaments and felt envy for the types of people who could buy them. It felt like my childhood all over again.

How my Christmas Past Affected my Christmas Present

You see, back at my parent’s house, we used to have this big beautiful Christmas tree. I remember making ornaments with my dad and putting up the same ones every year. Each one seemed to have a story and while it was kitschy, it was really sweet. We used multi-colored lights (because, you know, the 90’s!) and metallic gold fluffy garland. After a while, my grandmothers got sick and my mom did too. It took a heavy toll on her since she had to care for them, rushing from the hospital to the nursing home to see them both. My dad had to work a lot and my sister and I often ended up at his office with him. She and I would share his secretary’s chair after she left so that we could go online, since they had internet access there.

Because of all this stress my parents had, our house got forgotten. It filled with junk and we essentially became hoarders. I don’t use that term lightly- we were. The holidays became a little less glamorous for us. There was literally no place to put our tree anymore. Because my parents were so overwhelmed, we’d usually end up cleaning a spot for the tree and putting it up at the last possible minute- Christmas eve. After a few years, even this didn’t happen anymore. We bought a tabletop pink tree (the cutest!) and this replaced all our old decor.

Now, back to out first Christmas in our new home.

When my husband and I bought our house, this felt like a new opportunity to have that special Christmas I could only dream about. I had visions of Hallmark-movie-style decor in my head and I imagined a home fully decked out for Christmas. I bought a ton of new stuff to go with all the stuff I had brought over from our apartment. I had the perfect decor, the perfect home, and possibly even the perfect life. Finally, it was like everything had come together for me.

I'm not sure if it was the new house, but Christmas didn't feel like Christmas that year. The whole house had been decked out, but it somehow didn't look Christmas-y enough for me. Everyone else that came in felt the Christmas spirit, but I sure didn't. I struggled to figure out why as I packed up all my perfect decorations.

It wasn't until a month later, when I went into a thrift store near our wedding venue in Hawley, PA that I realized what had happened. I never had perfect Christmases growing up. We were a "put the tree up in a scramble on Christmas Eve" type of family. Perfect Christmas trees and decorations were only found in catalogues and hallmark movies. Cheesy, bright 90's holiday decor was all I ever really knew. So, while I might have dreamed about a day when I could have that perfect Christmas home, I didn’t truly feel like the kind of person who would have one.

It turns out, making a place feel like Christmas doesn't have to mean a perfect catalogue home. It can mean vintage ornaments, nostalgia, and the cheesy ornaments you had as a kid. Now, I try to keep my Christmas decor feeling fresh but also traditional. That means taking the same items out of storage year after year, and trying to buy ornaments and decorations that have meaning to me. It’s less about what’s pretty and more about what feels like me. I know my style will change over the years, but right now it’s a slightly nostalgic and colorful version of Christmas. A more upscale version of the ones I had as a kid, if you will.

To find your Christmas style, I’d recommend asking yourself these questions:

1. What did I love about Christmas as a kid?

2. What kind of decor am I drawn to? Think about colors and styles.

3. What’s my favorite piece of Christmas decor that I currently own? How can I add more decor like it?

4. What decor do I put up every year that I don’t like anymore? And, what don’t I like about it?

5. What color do I have most in my Christmas decor? Do I want to continue with that, or change it up?

I’ve been asking myself what exactly I want my home to look like and what Christmas means to me. It turns out it’s less about being the picture perfect Christmas, and more about being my picture perfect Christmas!

What does your perfect Christmas look like? Are you into traditional colors, fun colors, muted colors? I think we all know which ones I’m drawn to, haha! Let me know your preference in the comments below!

DIY Colorful Leaf Runner

My table is a constant dump zone at my house. Pretty much any flat surface becomes a place to put things down “just for a minute” aka a month. Because of this, I decided that my flat surfaces didn’t need to be clear, but they did need to not have clutter. The best way for me to do this was to decorate them! Since everything for fall has pretty much the same orange and brown color scheme, I figured I’d make my own table runner this year. Would you believe I made it with some leaves I got from the Dollar Tree?! Yep, just $3 for 3 packs of these bad boys, plus some acrylic paints that I had on hand. I say it all the time, but my favorite way to do crafts is by popping on a seasonal movie after everyone has gone to sleep and getting to crafting! This time, I watched The Object of My Affection (streaming on Hulu and HBO Go) with a glass of wine. In case you’ve never seen it, it’s The One Where Rachel Falls in Love With Phoebe’s Second Gay Ex-Husband, Mike. Just kidding- kinda. This project was a great way to get in the spirit, but I also think this would be fun to make while watching all the Friends Thanksgiving episodes in a row! You all know I’m a huge Friends fanatic, and I love to watch the holiday episodes.

The final result is a pretty (but not stuffy) table runner that you can use in your decor every year. I don’t recommend putting food on or near it, since it’ll probably stain the leaves. But, it’s perfect to use leading up to Thanksgiving dinner on your table, buffet or entry table!

You will need:

Approx 300 leaves (from Dollar Tree or similar here)
Fabric glue (here)
Tulle roll (from Dollar Tree or similar here)
Wax paper (here)
Acrylic paint (similar here)
Scissors (similar here)

Directions:

1. Paint your leaves in your choice of colors. I used Martha Stewart paints because they’re nice and thick. The colors I used were Pumpkin, Mermaid Teal, Strawberry, Pink Raspberry, Mango and Moonstone Purple. I used lighter colored paints for lighter leaves, and moved up with the colors from there. I did 2 coats for the purple because it was light.

   • Note: I tried a few different methods for painting the leaves. The fastest method is to take a large box (like an amazon box!) unfold it, and place it across your table. Lay out your leaves in sections, and paint each section in your choice of colors. This allows for less thinking (just keep painting until you run out of leaves in your section) and also goes faster because you don’t have to stop to make more space or shuffle things around.

2. Once your leaves have dried, assemble them on your tulle or fabric. You want to come up with a general plan for them, and then start gluing as you go! I used fabric glue so that it was still flexible to fold up and store away easily. Put down your wax paper as a buffer to protect your surfaces.

   • *Note #1: don’t use Fabri-Tac on varnished furniture.

3. To get the same look I had, you’ll want to glue your leaves facing outwards along the edge of your tulle. Do this for the full perimeter. I didn’t cut my tulle (yet) because I wanted to make sure I had enough leaves!

   • *Note #2: Fabri-Tac took my nail polish off and kinda melted it. Be careful when using it with a manicure! I was wearing regular polish, not gel.

4. Put a row of leaves going in between the leaves you just glued down, alternating the colors. I didn’t follow a pattern so that it looked natural.

5. Put a leaf in the middle, alternating the direction. I wasn’t too cautious about bald spots or gaps because it added to the “tossed leaf” look. If you dislike that, you can pile them on but be sure you have enough leaves!

6. After you glue down your leaves, peel it off the wax paper so it doesn’t get stuck on when it dries. I let mine dry laying flat, glue side up.

That’s all folks! The most time consuming part of this project is painting the leaves. If you want to save time, you could always spray paint them instead! Personally, I find painting to be somewhat therapeutic which is why I always go for acrylic paint. Spray paint would also go on with better coverage, if you’re interested in more vibrant colors!

What do you think of this project? Will you be making it for your Thanksgiving decor? Where will you put it? Let me know in the comments below!

The DIY Holiday Photos Toolkit

Ho Ho Holy Poopsicles, the holidays are coming! If you're thinking that it seems like just yesterday you put that Christmas tree away, you're not alone! The holidays seem to sneak up on me every single year. I am definitely excited for them, but somehow never quite prepared. One thing that definitely gets pushed off is my holiday card photos! This year, I decided to take matters into my own hands and get those pictures done before Halloween even rolled around! If you're unsure how to even go about taking your own photos (that don't look as pathetic as a homemade gift that you whipped up at the last second) then I've got just the thing for you! I've rounded up 12 items I love using for my family photos, so you can shoot for success. Ya see what I did there?

*This post contains affiliate links

1. Tripod- If you want to try and take your own photos, I would highly recommend this tripod! It folds up really small, plus you can tilt the head so that you can take landscapes or portraits! It's light, compact and folds up small. It's perfect for taking on the go and storing in a closet when it's not in use. This is the exact one I use for my photos!

2. Phone Tripod Mount- If you want to attach your phone on this tripod, you'll need a special adapter. I use this one, which does the trick! You just swap out the head it comes with and then expand it for your phone. The great part is that it's adjustable, so you can use anyone's phone. I'd recommend checking the measurements if you have a newer iPhone though. Those things just keep getting bigger and bigger, so I'm not sure if this particular one will get big enough.

3. Mini Tripod- If you want a tiny tripod for a tabletop or even easier portability, try this one! I haven't used this one personally, but it had great reviews on Amazon. I'm considering getting one myself, especially since I like to take videos of Hailey doing cute stuff. She always stops when she sees me holding the camera, so with this I can go into stealth mode! If you want something more affordable, try this one instead.

4. Box Lights- These are a bit of an investment, but I honestly can't recommend them enough! I use them for practically all my blog photos and occasionally whip them out when the lighting isn't ideal for portraits. Another option is these umbrella lights, which aren't quite as bright. Both of them fold up super tiny and can take up just a corner of a closet! It's actually pretty remarkable how mighty yet tiny they are. Just a note that these won't make a dark room bright, but they will assist in compensating when the room just isn't bright enough for a good picture.

5. Holiday Blanket- You always need a great blanket for holiday photos! Use it for an accent on the couch or bed, to add warmth to a photo, or to snuggle and wear in your pictures. Either way, you really can't go wrong with a holiday blanket! I used one in my photoshoots, then towards the end my sister wore it on her head to try to get a laugh out of Hailey. She did smile, but not nearly as much as I did. I truly wish I had taken a photo from my angle. It was quite comical. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, try this more seasonal snowflake blanket instead or try this fun puppy blanket if you like something more whimsical!

6. Stockings- Some cute stockings hung on the chimney with care, or held as a prop, are essential for a fun Christmas photo! I also love seeing them hung at the foot of a bed. I love these because they' look so soft and cozy with the knit pattern and fur. For a little added sparkle, try a set of these!

7. Small Tree- If you're not ready to whip out the giant Christmas tree and the whole shebang, get a smaller tree that you can put in the background of your photos! This one is a nice small size but also decorated, which means less work for you! After the photo session is over, you can place it near your fireplace for some fun festivity, or put it in your kitchen, dining room, or kids' room to keep the holiday fun going in the whole house!

8. Antler Headbands- I love holiday themed accessories and I cannot lie, you other sisters can't deny. When a girl walks in with an itty bitty babe, and some antlers in your face you get sprung. Ok, things got a little cheesy there for a moment #sorrynotsorry but I love Christmas antlers. I can be found sporting them for every holiday themed event, from Holiday photos to Christmas parties to actual Christmas day. Oh, plus trimming the tree, seeing the holiday lights, baking cookies... They're my favorite! I just bought this fun pastel set but you can always go more traditional with a gold set.

9. Christmas Book- This makes a great prop and distraction for your photos! If your kids won't sit still, try giving them a brand new or favorite book to read. Maybe even add something silly on the pages to get a laugh out of them! Hailey loved this book because Santa has furry beards! You can also go more traditional with The Night Before Christmas, a Disney book, or a Hanukkah book.

10. Wreath or Garland- Whether you're holding a wreath for a pop of color, or place a garland at your headboard, they're perfect for adding some holiday spirit without much effort! I used a white garland from Michael's for my holiday photos, and didn't even have to attach it to the wall. I just stuffed it behind the headboard and made sure it was as close to the wall as possible! The best part is that adding these wreaths or garlands can really help you to bring in or enhance your color scheme. I knew I wanted my photos to be colorful and airy, and my garland did that! You could also go more traditional or fun and festive.

11. A Great Camera- You can definitely use your phone for your pictures, but I would highly recommend getting a camera if you’ve been on the fence! I personally have the older version of this Canon EOS Rebel (mine is the T6) but this newer one has such great features! Touchscreen is a newer feature, plus this set includes a remote which means super easy shooting!

12. Stepstool- If your friendtographer is short, you’ll definitely want to have a tripod! This one is SUPER light but also very sturdy. Perfect for taking on the go and being super safe while you’re at it! Why do you want a step stool, you may be asking? Because taking a photo from slightly above= very flattering. Taking one from below means all the chins. You’re welcome!

With these items, your holiday cards are sure to be a hit at the dinner table, unlike Aunt Sally's figgy pudding. If you're unsure how to even go about planning and executing your holiday photo shoot, I have a treat for you! I've developed a course that gives you my step by step system for planning, shooting, and editing your holiday photos! It's called Sleigh Your Holiday Photoshoot, and it's a game changer for the "I'll just do the photos myself, thanks" crowd!

It's the exact method I use for taking my blog and family photos, which I've perfected over the years. You'll be able to take your holiday photos in 5 days or less, with step-by-step videos and checklists to help you along the way! Everything is short and sweet, but super actionable and helpful. You'll be able to match those Pinterest inspiration photos in no time.

What's an essential for you when taking family photos? Is it a toy, a gadget, or maybe snacks for bribing the kids? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Halloween Tassel Earrings (with Googly Eyes!)

Eye have great news for you- Halloween is coming! Don’t turn a blind eye- add a little flair to your everyday outfits! You’ll SEE how many people enjoy it. Ok, I’m done with all the eye puns, but I have something really fun for you today! I always love adding some holiday accessories to my outfit, and it’s even better when they’re easy to make! These tassel earrings are so fun and easy that you can make a Halloween pair and then some basic ones for everyday. Don’t forget to pin them for later!

*This post contains affiliate links

You will need:

Embroidery floss (similar here)
Beacon Gem-Tac (here)
Googly eyes (similar here and here)
Earring Hooks (similar here)
Jump ring (similar here)
Jewelry tools (similar here)
Scissors (similar here)
Toothpicks
Tweezers

Directions:

1. First, let’s create your tassels. For starters, pull a bit of embroidery floss out and cut 4 small-ish pieces. Mine were probably slightly longer than my pointer finger.

2. Thread one of the strings through the loop at the top of your embroidery floss and tie a knot. I made a double knot to ensure it didn’t come loose. Repeat for the bottom.

3. Take off the paper packaging that’s holding your embroidery floss in shape, and tie a knot at the top. Mine was about a fingertip’s width (not length) from the top. Repeat on the other bottom, making sure that they are the same size.

4. Fold the embroidery floss in half to find the center, and then carefully cut across in a straight line to create two separate tassels.

5. Optional: Comb out your embroidery floss so that your tassels are a little bit thinner and it looks less like embroidery floss! You can see how that looks here.

6. Now that your tassels are made, it’s time to make the earring! Attach a jump ring to the top of your tassel by looping it through the first string you tied at the top. Then, loop your earring hook through and close it. You want to make sure that the knots are at the back, so figure that out before you put the earring hook on.

7. Get a scrap of paper, and place some GemTac on it. Take a toothpick and place a small dab of glue on your tassels, then use tweezers to place your tiny googly eye onto your glue. Repeat until you have enough tiny google eyes to fill the top. For the larger googly eye, you can probably just use hot glue.

So, what do you think? Can you SEE yourself wearing these earrings? Will you be making a pair for yourself and everyone you know? I made these two pairs and I’m kinda wishing one of them was orange so I could have rotating pairs! Don’t forget to pin the DIY for later or share with a friend who LOVES halloween!

DIY Tassel Halloween Pins

Halloween is coming. This is not a drill! I am SO excited since it’s one of my favorite holidays. Did you know that my husband hates Halloween? So, that means that I need to pick up the slack and celebrate twice as hard. As you’ve probably realized, I’m not a huge fan of black and spooky things, so I need to work a little harder to fulfill my Halloween desires in my chosen color palette. That results in a whole lot of DIY’s and I ain’t complaining about it! I also love love love tassels, so I figured why not bring them together? This little pin is perfect for Halloween but can also be adapted to basic fall colors! It would also be really fun to make for your child’s teacher or a coworker that loves fall. 

*This post contains affiliate links.

You will need:

Wood Halloween shapes ( here or similar here)
Acrylic paint (similar here)
Embroidery floss (similar here)
Glue gun (similar here)
Scissors (similar here)
Pin backs (similar here)

Directions:

1. Paint your wood pieces in your choice of colors. I did just one coat, then let it dry. I recommend doing the edges first, then placing it down and painting the front. For one of the pumpkins, I painted only the edge and I left another natural wood. The choice is entirely yours!

2. While the paint dries, create your tassels. I used a 7/8” piece of cardboard for mine. To learn how to make tassels, refer to this blog post. Remember, you don’t want them to be too thick/chunky so that they lay flat against your pumpkin and, therefore, your shirt. Make sure you don’t trim the little string at the top- we’ll need some length to glue it on! *In the blog post I linked, I had combed the tassels but for this one I didn’t. The choice is yours!

3. If you want to add some faces to your wood shapes, now is the time! Use a toothpick and dab the paint on. For the ghost, I keep it simple with tiny dots for eyes and cheeks, with a small smile. On the cat, I just added a pink heart for the nose. You can also add googly eyes if you prefer!

4. Decide on the order you want, then glue your tassels onto the back of your pumpkin using your glue gun. Trim down the excess floss at the top.

5. Glue your pin onto the back of your pumpkin, covering the excess floss from the tassels.

Wear and enjoy. Show off your Halloween love to everyone you meet!

You’ll probably be finding this pin on my lapel until October 31, when I’ll take it off and switch to a Halloween costume! I’m so excited to celebrate this second Halloween with Hailey. Her first Halloween she was only a month old and definitely wasn’t aware of anything that happened. I can’t believe a year has already gone by and she’s so big!  You’re definitely tired of hearing me say that, but I probably won’t stop. It’s insanity. I mean, look at how tiny she was in her first blog post debut. 

So, how do you feel about Halloween? Are you into the cute and colorful trend, or do you follow the traditional spooky-ness? Love to dress up or hate it? Let me know your feelings in the comments below!