Christmas Tree Tour Stop 1: The Watson Tree 2011

Welcome to the first stop on our Christmas Tree Tour of 2011! I thought it fitting that we should start with me first, so here we go:

We have a tradition here that Braden & Landen go out together on Black Friday and pick out the perfect real tree and bring it home to all us girls at home. This year they came home with a charming little tree to perfectly fit our bay window and I decided it was finally time to do a "Themed Tree". After much hunting and gathering of ideas on Pinterest, I decided on a clean, neutral theme this year full of texture and plenty of sparkle. 

I bought these chipboard words last year for dirt at Joanne's After Christmas Sale, but you can easily make your own with cereal boxes, some glitter, and glue. Just print out a template, trace onto the cereal box {it's chipboard, for free!}, and glitter away! 

I saw these gorgeous ornaments on Miss Mustard Seed and fell in love with them! I also made up some of her glittered glass ornaments. You just can't get enough glitter during the holidays. 

And of course, I had to mix in some of my favorite holiday decorations- paper lollies! If you've never made them, follow Rhonna's tutorial to whip some up!

We are having a Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party again this year, so I like to sprinkle some Nutcrackers throughout the house to go along with our party. I found these darling mini nutcrackers on ebay last year {the company that makes them went out of business :( }, and sprayed them all white and tied them to our tree using grey Divine Twine 

For the Tree Topper I gathered more inspiration from Miss Mustard Seed and made the same tree topper as the tree she has in her showroom in Lucketts Antique Shop. I made it using the same technique as my book paper wreath I made last year- follow Miss Mustard Seed's tutorial to make your own. 

Design Elements// Washi Tape from Rhonna Designs// Christmas Art Brushes from Rhonna Designs

So there you have it- we have some white velvet ribbon bows ties on and some gittered snowflakes hung up that I bought at Joanne's Black Friday sale for 23 cents a piece. We still have some work to do;  I want to add some large jingle bells, some white magnolias, and maybe a hidden pickle ornament in there, but I am loving it so far! Check my blog I Love Rosemary Watson to see more Christmas Magic unfold next week! 

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

"Unlike the ones I used to know......"

Ok, I'll stop the singing now.

But seriously, don't you feel like the season of giving has just turned into the season of excess and waste? I mean, you know you only used those candy cane striped paper plates for a month, and all that tinsel you buy every year and then lose next Christmas because you threw it out in July because you couldn't decide if it was tacky or not, and you tossed it to make more space for other stuff because it's so dang cheap to replace...

Not that I would know about all that.

Anyway, let's check out some alternatives to the general buying and tossing of gift wrap, holiday party supplies, and holiday home decor we spend so much money on every year and then fill our landfills with or storage spaces with.

1// Recycled cardboard trees 2// Recycled green glass bottles as candlesticks (I have TONS of Perrier bottles) 3// Reusable gift bags 4// Glittered star ornament from toilet paper rolls 5//Book paper garland

Announcing: Christmas Tree Tours 2011

The genius Lindsee emailed me this AMAZING idea this morning- A Christmas Tree Showcase! Both local and far-away readers alike can email us photos of their gorgeous Holiday Tree Decorations and we'll  feature you on our blog! How brilliant is she? I just love her <3.

So, without further ado.....

Featuring the Holiday Art Brushes from Rhonna Designs

Email us at hellotherehouse@gmail.com to enter in your Christmas-y-est Trees! We can't wait to see them!  We'll be featuring everyone's trees Tuesdays and Thursdays until Christmas, just wait to see what we have lined up already ;)

Handmade Brilliance: Handmade Holiday Gift Guide 2011

Just in time for Cyber Monday, it's a special holiday edition of ..........

Welcome to our first annual Handmade Holiday Gift Guide, where we show you the hip-est handmade presents to buy for everyone on your list! Hold on to your socks because they are about to be knocked clean off!

1//Arrested Development Coffe Mug by Daily Grinder $14 

 2//Seattle Skyline Poster by Bird Ave $20

3//Knit J.T. Hat by Woolibear $36

4//Brass Belt Buckle by Anidem $90

1//Ceramic Lace Pottery Bowl by dgordon $18

2//Doily Coasters by uncommon $17 (on sale for cyber monday!)

3//Ceramic Pig Planter by Fruit Fly Pie $29.99

4//Magpie Pillow Case by MirthQuake $40

1//Custom Children's TeePee by Gracie Bean Baby $135

2//Whale Tissue Holder by Gnome Sweeeet Gnome $39.99

3//Tried and True Wooden Pull Horse by Pretty Dreamer $28

4//Vintage Hanky Ruffle Bloomers by Periwinkle Jazz $20 (save 15% for cyber monday!)

1//Winter Coat by FM908  $118

2//Nutmeg Rosette Headband by Garlands of Grace $24

3//Earthy Gold Stacking Rings by tinahdee $67 (coupon code for cyber monday!)

4//Sage Green Chevron Clutch by MojoSpa Style $35

1//Leather Butterfly Bookmark by 7 Daily $7

2//Calendar by Crafted by Lindy $12

3//Perfect Alphabet Rolling Rubber Stamp by Wonderland Room $24.86

4//Celtic Cell Phone Case for iPhone, iPod Touch, Galaxy and Blackberry by Vintage Printage $49

 (10%off coupon code for month of November!)

Be sure to zip on over to these handmade shops for Cyber Monday Shopping tomorrow! 

Garden Seeds: Meet Kelly, our Gardening Expert!

I am so excited to introduce Kelly Hedburg as part of our blogging team! She is our resident Gardening Expert, here to answer any green thumb questions and to share her wealth of knowledge with us! Take it away with your first post Kelly!

The fall is my favorite season for so many reasons:  cool-season vegetable planting, the changing of leaves, football, the beginning of the holidays, and, if you live in Arizona, the end of triple digits!!   As I look at my planting calendar, I am inclined to rename it as the Season of Greens. 

November is the right time to plant many edible greens.  This includes: arugula, bok choy, swiss chard, collard greens, endive, kale, lettuce, mustard and spinach.  Planting a variety of greens will give you endless options in the kitchen.  Bok choy for stir fry.  Swiss chard for a Sunday morning quiche.  Kale can be baked until crispy like a potato chip or juiced for a yummy smoothie.  Mustard has an explosive taste after a few chews.  And lettuce?  It’s a daily staple in my home for both my family and our lizard!

I have also found that many of the above listed greens are fairly easy to grow.  If you are a beginner gardener, you can build your confidence with greens.  They also grow above ground (as opposed to root vegetables) and it’s easy to determine when to harvest them.   Most are ready for harvest in 50-90 days.  Use the “cut-and-come-again” harvesting method to maximize your output. 

Greens can be grown in the ground or in pots.  Last year, I alternated romaine lettuce with petunias in a narrow window box.   Swiss chard is also a beautiful compliment to some ornamentals in a large pot.  Add some nasturtiums to include an edible flower. 

As I think this week of all my blessings, I will remember my greens.  I am thankful for their beauty, their diversity, their nutritious value and their wonderful taste. 

References: 

Vegetable Planting Calendar for Maricopa County:   HYPERLINK "http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1005.pdf" http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1005.pdf

Kitchen Revival: Our Thanksgiving Menu

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope you are all having a glorious holiday filled with all sorts of delicious food and tasty beverages! Here is what we will be serving today at our holiday feast: