Move: Our Happy Song

Happy Monday continues! This song always makes me and Wade dance around the kitchen. Someday's you need the message more than others. Today we dance because the sun is shining! Happy Monday.

Good Morning, Monday!

Hope you have a swell day friend....

Lovey Dovey Christmas Wreath

Well, we might as well call this "wreath week" here at Two Blue Houses.   We are keeping things simple and real on the blog and at my home the welcome of a new season always begins with a wreath.   

This is indeed the same wreath I did here and yet once again at a "Friends" supper we hosted in the fall (geesh, I'm embarrassed to admit that I have not posted pictures...).  I'm not sure when I'll give it up and move on.  There are so too many possibilities.  I was still loving the all white (from its most recent upgrade).   

Red felt roses, moss and a few twigs... The ornament is a dove and I'm pretty sure it was given to me by Lauren (because all my favorites are from her).  How do you think it looks against my yellow door?

A few notes about our Advent Calendar... I know it is only a couple days into the plan but I'm happy to say it is so much fun.   I catch the glitter shimmering off the handmade snowflakes strung across the kitchen window and actually caught the sunset peeking through them.  This very evening we did Christmas puzzles and challenged the boys to create scenes with their vast Lego collection.  

Let me tell you, these creations are not as simple as they look.  I consider myself pretty crafty and thought it would be no problem to enlist my crew to build a brick nativity.  I tried to build a manger for a Lego baby Jesus and after only moments gave up and instead opened up a Lego guy hospital.   As you can see, they gave up and had a Santa making contest.

Then spent a few minutes in front of the seasons first fire... with peppermint hot cocoa of course!

That is our advent calendar hanging over the stove.  As you can see, it operates on a day to day basis.  Last year we planned the whole month ahead of time and then each night had to rearrange.   Not sure which I prefer, but it is working and all the stress is on me; the kids couldn't care less.  They are simply so excited to turn the card!

Lots planned for this weekend... two kids birthday parties, a shopping trip, round one of decorating, and a Sunday supper with the extended family.  Whew, I need a nap just thinking about all of that.  Hopefully there will be plenty of cuddling time by our fire too!

Something special and something new for our little
baby boy to come. 

OK. Christmas aside for a minute. I just had to share this little sleeper that I LOVE because of the colorful farm animals and it's overall cuteness. I couldn't help to buy it at 50% off. I like the unusual and unexpected. The sleeper seemed to fit in to our lives a bit here at the suburban blue house filled with chickens, rabbits, dogs, and a hope of other farm animals someday.

Hopefully, it isn't too big for our new baby to come. I carefully checked the size and weight for this sleeper but Wade would have been too tiny to wear it when he came three weeks early. A special outfit for a coming baby to wear home is a huge step for me towards being prepared for the baby's arrival. It won't matter though when he can wear it because he will look cute wearing it no matter when he does...

I know, it might seem silly buying a special outfit just for a car ride home but there are a few things I like to do to prepare for a new addition. A special outfit is one of them. Another is to make something special for the baby to wear. For Wade I made some onesies that had cute "man" ties and his initials on the front but I also have to make the new baby's name in wood letters like I did for Wade. I will reveal the name with the new letters.

What special preparations do you go through for the arrival of a new baby?

Quick, Cheap Wreaths

You already know that I love wreaths and I recently shared a sprucing up of another wreath handed down to me. I was looking for a quick way to make two for my outside doors without spending any money and not feeling bad if they get wrecked by the weather. With supplies I already had I quickly put together these two wreaths. Perhaps an hour project if you don't have a sick baby needing your attention constantly. Sure felt great being creative though.

Supplies: 

Anything you already have and two dollar store wreaths from a previous years decorations. I had some leftover red ribbon (maybe four feet), vintage cotton snow flakes handed down to me, a glue gun, and some gold beads (not shown in first picture). Basically this cost me nothing this year but time and energy. 

I removed the red ribbons from the wreaths (and actually threw them out they were that yucky!) and spread out the needles so they looked fuller. I cut the ribbon evenly in half, attached one end on the back of the wire frame of the wreath with hot glue and wrapped it around the wreath. Once I was happy with how the ribbon looked I hot glued the other end to the wire frame. 

Next, I cut off the hangers on the snow flakes and positioned them on the wreaths until I was satisfied how they looked. With some more hot glue I secured the snow flakes in a couple places each to ensure they wouldn't blow off in the outside wind. For a final touch, I hot glued on some cheap gold beads I had left over from a project Jackie and I did years and years ago now with baby food jars.  

The best thing about these wreaths is that there is room to grow. I am not convinced that they are finished and they can easily be pulled back apart without feeling any guilt if you aren't happy with the outcome. I really wanted to make a fresh wreath but didn't feel like sabotaging my pine trees to make them. Perhaps next year we will buy a real tree and I can make wreaths from cutting then...

I think one of my next projects will be snow globes. Martha Stewart Living several years ago featured a cute homemade snow globe project but I just LOVE how Ashley Ann's snow globes turned out. Darling!!!

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Update 12/8/2011:
My lovely husband (with a chuck of gauze in his mouth after an afternoon getting teeth extracted) hammered two nails into my outside doors before heading upstairs for bed. Here is the finished and hung wreath(s). 

While sitting in the dentist's lush waiting room (our dentist Dr. Maggie A. Kleem in Berea, Ohio is AMAZING!!) playing with the baby, drinking a large, wonderful cup of coffee, and looking at the December issue of Woman's Day, I was inspired by their creative Christmas wreaths. Gulp! They are gorgeous and put my two little wreaths to shame. So here they are to be inspired with me and visit Woman's Day for the how to. Be kind in comparing!