Christmas 2011...in pictures.

 

 

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And the last few days with our elf:

(decorating his tree...)

(haniging with JB...)

(reading the Night Before Christmas!)

And to all a Good Night!

The Elf not on the shelf...Week Three!

 Hitchin' a ride...

 

Making a snow angel:

 Just back from a trip to the North Pole with his buddy, Buddy (my niece's elf, who was visiting for the weekend)!

 

 Getting his text on...

 Peeping Tom?

Only two more days till Christmas!! 

Aren't you excited?!!

Christmas Craft Time...

Every year, we  girls gather to do a little crafting and sprinkle a little glitter. This year, the little girls made this craft, shared by my friend Matthew Mead here. It was the perfect craft for them to do and they turned out so cute! Mum and I worked on some glitter houses that needed some prettying up, and my sister made a shadow box, much like the ones I made here.

 

The next day, my mum and sister and I headed to Halifax for a fun and relaxing day doing the fun kind of Christmas shopping/browsing that doesn't include a mall or crowds. 

We browsed thrift shops, specialty stores, and beautiful decorating shops like Hen House, Bellissimo,  and more. 

 (Bellissimo)

Then we went for a delicious meal here where we shared a scrumptious ginger cake topped with fresh cream.

I am so lucky to have such wonderful women in my life and I know the importance of cherishing this special tradition with them!

 Happy Christmas!

Signs of Christmas...

Right now I should be writing a story for the spring issue of Holiday with Matthew Mead (you can check his website to hear more about that next week). But as I sit here admiring my Christmas lights and tree I just have to take a teensy break and share my holiday decorations. This serves a two-fold purpose: it is my version of inviting you all in for a virtual cup of tea, and it allows me to look back next year and remind myself what I put where and if it looked good or not.

So here goes a quick tour:

A little village scene in my bathroom:

 My holiday mantel (which I just noticed was on this website today):

A little close up of the details:

My holiday tree:

Simple wrapping paper adhered to my glass cabinet doors (to hide all of the Christmas clutter!):

My little kitchen tree, which I put up last night at midnight! I felt like I had better incorporate some coloured lights for my eldest son who loves coloured lights!

Some adorable little deer and toadstools that I purchased here:

Now....back to work for me!

(You can see my outdoor decorations here)

The Elf not on the shelf...Week Two!

Our little elf has been busy. So busy, he forgot to move himself around the other day. Luckily, Sophie rolled with that and made him do a load of laundry. She's cool like that.

Check out his shenanigans this week:

Retro roller-skating!

 Babysitting:

 

Casually hanging out beneath the mistletoe...

Looking through the kaleidoscope!

Doing a load of laundry, like a good, little elf!

Sending his Christmas list to Santa:

 

Playing an arcade game...Galaga. Do you remember it? It was my husband's favourite.

And that was his week!

How was yours?

Glass houses...for Christmas!

 

As many of you probably know, I have a very talented friend who is a professional in the world of style and creates amazing things each and every day. Matthew Mead, of Holiday with Matthew Mead made me this adorable "snowman under glass." He knows how much I love shadow boxes: I made some myself a few years back.

Knowing how much I love easy-peasy projects, Matthew took some behind-the-scenes photos of just how easy it was to create this gorgeous project:

1. Start with a lantern of any size:

2. Gather your supplies: small collectibles like this little snowman, artificial snow and snowballs from the craft store, faux or real cranberries, or whatever festive embellishments you have on hand.

2. Line the bottom with a layer of sheet moss:

3. Fill a small glass jar filled with your favourite greenery or clippings (add water to prolong the life of the greens!) and nestle the jar into a corner of the lantern:

4. Set the scene by nestling in a favourite holiday ornament:

5. Add your own dash of style with a dusting of artificial snow, tiny "real" trees (I also love to use bottlebrush ones), cranberries, and display on a mantel or table. You could even "light it up" by tucking in a small strand of mini-lights - but if you do so, just don't use the real greenery and water!

Isn't is sweet?

Thank you, Matthew! 

If you haven't already picked up a copy of Holiday with Matthew Mead then you are missing out on so many great holiday ideas just as easy and imaginative as this one. Find HOLIDAY on newsstands just about everywhere or by clicking here.