Christmas tour time!

I am joining in on the fun of The Nesters Christmas tour. I compiled a video of some of my favorite Christmas decor at our home. Enjoy!

Christmas tour 09 from jennifer isrel on Vimeo.

Click below to view other fantastic tours!

Also Home for the Holidays with Rhoda
and Hooked on Holidays at Hooded on Houses

Oh, Christmas tree.

We have three trees this year. I hope to add another at the end of the season every year until I have one in each room. Call me crazy but I think it sounds so fun and why not enjoy the magic of the Christmas tree in every room of your home? Sounds magical to me. So here is what we have for now. Hope you enjoy!

Christmas tree in front room.

Little birdie :) My step son pointed out I should have two of these Doves and I only have one. Do I need another?

My reason for the season. Peace.

My angel tree topper from Goodwill. I also have a Santa but the angel claimed her space this year. I don't really have a "theme" but all of the colors coordinate to create a cohesive feel.

Angel wing ornament- I guess fitting for the Angel topper.

Had to add some nesting.

This is a peak at our colorful tree in the play room. This is a fun little sign I hung on the tree instead of the wall.

I love stars and have to add a touch of them everywhere. These blue ones were perfect for our fun color tree.

Payton's personal tree in her room. :) The pink and green ornaments really stand out on the white tree and last years recital tutu made a perfect tree skirt!

I am linking to Thrifty Decor Chicks Christmas tree party. Check it out!

Also Funky Junks Christmas Trees Unite:

Chalkboard tagged stockings

It's looking a lot like Christmas here at the Isrel home! I finally have all of my decorations out. Well, the ones I'm using this year anyway. Most of our Christmas decor is a natural/ traditional look but I use the play room to have a little fun. This is the room where I use colored lights, bright tree, and happens to be the only fireplace in the house so also where we "hang" our stockings.

This year we needed to add a couple of additions to our family and the old stockings were looking a little dingy so I found these at Old Navy on sale for $1 and couldn't resist! Yes, ONE dollar. These are a little unconventional compared to my usual style but I thought they were fun and went with it.

I wanted to hang wooden letters for each persons stocking but had a hard time finding just the right thing when I was stuck with an idea! Chalkboard paint on wood rectangles! What else? I should just head straight to chalkboard paint any project I do.

I trimmed each stocking with ribbon and trim remnants I had. Then I mod podged the back of the wood piece with scrapbook paper, painted the front with the chalkboard paint and glued jute to the back to tie on the stockings.
I think they turned out pretty cute and are fun too!

Back side of tag.

I am linking this to Kimba's DIY day! Go check it out!
More Christmas decor to come soon.

These are a few of my favorite things....

It's a Favorite Things party at 320 Sycamore. It looked like too much fun, I just had to join in. And what a perfect day to honor the practices of Oprah the day she announced her show will be ending next season. Sorry, no freebies here but here are my favorite things!

Seven for all mankind jeans (in LOVE I tell you!) These fit like a glove and only look better with time.

My Lucchese western boots. Comfortable and amazingly cute with just about everything!

Starbucks iced coffee

iphone

Kings of Leon.

My Lisa Leonard Gromet flower necklace. (no longer sold)

Clinique Happy

Green with envy

I finally got sick enough of my yellowish walls in the living room to get up the energy to paint them. The color before was supposed to be a vanilla but was more buttery and did not mesh well with my furniture. Sorry for a lack of before pictures but here is how it turned out!

I love the shade of green. It's dark enough for some drama but still soft and soothing.

I think it ties in all of my colors without being to "matchy". Note: I LOVE all of the beachy themed, light, natural living rooms I have been eyeing in other blogs but new furnitre was out of the question and quite frankly I"m not sure that look is for us. I need colors that don't show dirt!

This shows my goodwill broken clock turned chalkboard and old shutter door to a closet. Have I ever mentioned I love stars? This is one of 3 in this room.

Because you just gotta. :)

See this lovely shelf? This was purchased at the Nesters yard sale. Yep, from the Nesters house straight to mine! :)

View to the dining room. Going to add beadboard soon.

Our Anniversary (and a homemade gift idea)

It's our anniversary! Four years married to be exact. And with the current economic times, my birthday being just 5 days prior, and Christmas on the way, I'm afraid our gift budget is always low. This year I took the opportunity to force myself to be creative and give a gift from the heart. I actually really enjoyed making this gift. I found myself reminiscing the entire time I made it and really got me in the spirit and romance of an anniversary. Store bought items and the usual "expected" gifts can take away from that I think.

So with that in mind I know everyone has holiday lists to complete and thought this turned out as a sweet little gift that could be tailored to anyone. Here's what I did.

• I simply used my photo editor (Picassa, but any would do) to choose my photos, tweak them to black and white, then added text. I found great pictures of my husband doing all the things he does :)
• I created a cover with writing only using the Paint accessory.
• Cut burlap to allow about 1/4" on each side of picture, frayed edges, and used Fabri-Tac to glue picture to burlap.
• Hole punch the corners. My hole punch went right through the burlap but I did use a pen to push through it on a couple. You just need a big enough hole for the ribbon. You could also do two hole punches on either side for more of a book effect but I stopped with just the one.
• Choose ribbon to thread through the hole, tie a knot to secure, then a pretty bow.
• Enjoy giving the gift to the receiver knowing they can keep this for years to come!

My book has about 14 photos, here are a few:

Happy Anniversary Tommy! Yes, I really do love all these things about you! You have given me the best, most important four years of my life and can't wait to say the same at our 50th! Love you :)

I am linking this to Kimb'as DIY day. Thanks for looking and go check out the other DIYs!

Also submitted to the "I can do that!" party at Just a Girl!

Giveaway @ Centsational Girl!

I am a lover of Lisa Leonard designs so I am jumping on this chance to win a gift certificate from Centsational Girls blog. You should too!

New arrival!

This is little bundle is a sneak peak into what we have been busy with this week! More on that soon and until then I would like to share this PERFECT Top 10 by Beth at The Stories of A 2 Z. It's soo funny.....because it's true! Although mind you I am well aware I am not yet a "professional" home decor blogger but this is still me to the "T". Enjoy!

Top 10 list for home decor bloggers

Hate your mini blinds?

I was inspired by several bloggers to turn my little girls ugly $3 mini blinds in to Roman Shades. It was either that or invest in the wood blinds (feaux) which would add up to about $50. Umm, this fabric sitting in my storage bench? Free! Free wins in this house. I did have to go buy some fabric glue. This one, Fabritac, cost $4.97.
For a real tutorial click here at Little Green Notebook and check out her blog too! But here you get the idea.

I took off the bottom piece of the blinds, cut the tilt strings (not the lift string!) and took off all but 6 slats. I spaced the remaining slats apart about 9 inches.

I used this glue to glue in the hem of all 4 sides of my piece of fabric, then proceed to glue the fabric to both the top and bottom piece of the blinds, and to all 6 slats.

I trimmed the top with some coordinating ribbon but it doesn't stand out too well. I would love to add black out fabric to the back. I think that would make them look higher quality and keep out more light.

Overall, I am happy with them! They are much cuter than the plastic mini blinds and this project took me about 2 1/2 hours. (I'm not good at measuring). For more pictures of Payton's big girl room click here!

I am submitting this on Kimbas DIY day, thanks for looking and go check it out!