How to Personalize a Basic Christmas Wreath

The wreath we bought at Costco looks pretty good already, with the pine cones and berries, but I wanted to gussy it up a little.So, I took some upholstery webbing, which I already had on hand, and stenciled the letters "Merry Christmas" with a magic marker pen to make a banner. Using a hole punch, I made a hole on either end of the banner and slipped jute ribbon through, tying it around the wreath. Twine or a more decorative ribbon would also...

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Turning 21 in Italy!

Of all places to celebrate your 21st birthday! Since we couldn't be there to celebrate with you........I baked a special "cyber cake" just for you!And added some "cyber candles!"After all, it is Cyber Monday today. Maybe I should do a little cyber birthday shopping too!Happy Birthday Al...

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Decking The Halls With Fresh Greens And Flowers

When it comes to decking the halls at our house, I prefer using fresh greens and flowers of the season. I love how they make the house smell like Christmas!Just grouping fresh cut greens and plants in ironstone containers gives this mantel an elegant and sophisticated holiday look.I prefer the earthiness of this mantel though, with the pomegranates, cedar garland and little Christmas trees in rustic pots.What an interesting mantel display! An asymmetrical...

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A Traditional Thanksgiving Table

At Thanksgiving time, I find myself longing for tradition and a feeling of home and sense of place. It is truly my favorite holiday. I look forward to our grown children and grandchildren coming home and I want them to have warm, happy memories like I do. So for Thanksgiving, I wanted the table to be very traditional, but with a hint of the unexpected. I had originally planned to use the new grain sack table runner with the caramel stripe, but...

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I Can't Decide!

I can't decide which plate to use for the Thanksgiving table. I know, such a dilemma!Having 30 years behind me of hunting and gathering from estate sales and antique or thrift stores for treasures, I have a few patterns to choose from.This plate is one of my favorites. The brown border depicts garden implements, while the face of the plate is a colorful woodsman scene. It's made by Royal Staffordshire, and called "Rural Scenes." You can see them...

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When Bloggers Create: The Rough Linen Photo Shoot

Thursday, I had the pleasure of meeting fellow bloggers, Terri Long from La Dolfina, Reichel Broussard from Copy Cat Chic and Tricia Rose from Cabin On The Water. as well as Lisa Dell'Osso from Little Church Interiors.Terri invited us all to her home for a photo shoot last week. She and I have become blogger friends, so it was a thrill to finally meet Terri in person!When I arrived, Lisa was working on this table setting. Lisa is one of the most...

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