Thursday, November 24, 2011

A little bit of Christmas :) And a filled-up advent garland!



I know...I know.....it's definitely a *little* bit early to be pulling out the Christmas decor....

but we're heading to Malibu, CA this year for Christmas and I figured we could just start everything a little earlier, instead of missing out on the festivities :)

And I love it! I love love love it! 

There's something about holiday decorating that makes me giddy.


I didn't allow myself to buy anything new this year, and just made do with what we already had.

And we did just fine :) 

I'm still on the cozy, rustic, Scandinavian look that I've loved for the past couple of years. 




Kept the mantel fairly simple. My favourite cast iron deer, a little "pine" garland, red IKEA pots with red berries in them...and a plain red straw wreath in the middle.  oh...and my little very random garland from last year with various wooden ornaments and miniature wool sweaters :)  And the Elf on the Shelf....who is a new member of our family this year! The kids LOVE him. He decided to make himself at home in my wreath today....little rascal. ;)




I brought out the advent garland a little early this year.....decided to start it on the 23rd of this month (which so happened to be my birthday!), and it's exactly 24 days until we leave for California :) The boys were so excited!

There's just something about a row of chubby, choc-full stockings and mittens that gets kiddos (and their mommas) excited!

Our kids are on a no-sugar/no-starch diet right now (as I've mentioned before....to help Toby's little tummy), so there were no treats in the advent this year....just fun little toys and gadgets.

Some of the advent stuffers used this year:

Bouncy balls
Mini Christmas crackers
Holiday erasers
Vintage brass bells (thrift shop)
Stickers
Flashing Christmas light necklaces 
Hacky sacks
Mini nutcrackers
Vintage souvenir spoons (with little dangly bears and stuff-- thrift shop)
Christmas Stamps
Mini flashlights
etc etc....

Mostly from the dollar store, or the thrift shop.





Here's "Rusty"....our resident elf. If you've never heard of the Elf on the Shelf....you need to take a look! It's lots of fun, and definitely helps from time-to-time with behaviour issues ;)



Love this little birdie! (thanks, Gramma Karen!) :)






My sister-in-law Dayna surprised me yesterday with some very cozy, "perfect for my room", cushions...but sadly, the light is not good today so I can't show you a picture of them!  :(






Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends!! Hope you're all enjoying some cozy family time :)

xoxo



10 comments:

  1. love your mantel! i saw the elf on the shelf at chapters a few weeks ago. the girls are too young right now to enjoy him but in years to come we will be buying him and bringing him out.

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  2. Love your advent stockings and your pictures of the boys in their coats.

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  3. Adorable Christmas decorations, I've enjoyed seeing how you decorate for the holidays. Happy Thanksgiving. : ) Carrie

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  4. Beautiful mantel Tracy! Happy Belated Birthday - it was mine on Monday!

    I am jealous you get to go to California for Christmas - how fun!

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  5. I love the Scandinavian feel of your decor, its one of my favourites. I wanted to say thank you so much for choosing my advent as the winner for the CSI project. I wanted to become a follower of your blog a couple of days ago, but didn't want you think i was kissing up...haha...so now that its over, i can tell you that I love your little details here and there and that I'm your newest fan...xo
    Lu

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  6. Love it! Everything looks so pretty and festive. I am also jealous that you get to spend Christmas in Malibu. It is one of our favorite places. We plan to make a trip out there next year. I hope you and your family have a great time.

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  7. I love love love your decorations too! Everything looks so fantastic!!!!
    Victoria

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  8. Still really like your advent calendar!
    Your mantle looks wonderful!

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  9. During the festive season, a little bit of Christmas magic fills the air, turning ordinary moments into extraordinary memories. The aroma of freshly baked cookies wafts through cozy kitchens, as families gather around twinkling trees adorned with glittering ornaments. Children's laughter echoes, accompanied by the jingle of sleigh bells in the distance.
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Thank you so much for your comments! I love reading every single one :)

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