FOODIE FRIDAY...HOLIDAY SHARING....A TRAY TO TAKE

The holiday season is a time of lots of get togethers, hosting parties, lil luncheons, and SNACK SEASON!!! At work we had a potluck and I volunteered a veggie tray because at DELISH as all the snack-y foods are it's good to get a lil veggies in the mix too (and I mean with Dill dip you can't go wrong - that stuff is good on potato chips!!).

I buy the baby carrots (I hate when they are "wet" in the bag...like sometimes I won't even buy them...but the cure I found for this is to lay them out on a towel {I have specific towels for veggie prep, tortilla shells, etc - ya know food towels - that don't get dried with fabric softener or used for anything else but food}). I bought the lil cherry tomatoes, and the green peppers, cucumbers and celery I cut myself...I know you can buy all this pre-cut BUT you pay for convenience....I went about gathering my supplies (tray, bowl for dip, containers for crackers)

 Used this zester/peeler thing I have to make the lines in the cucumbers, saved the leaves from the celery to top the dip and laid it all out on the tray in sections....took less than 20 minutes to complete (which includes washing the veggies and cutting...I did make the dip a few hours ahead so the taste could marinate for a bit).

I love a good veggie tray - nostalgic of when I was a kid and we had family gatherings....
What do YOU bring to potlucks and get togethers?!?!

THRIFTY TUESDAY....THRIFT FINDS for the HOLIDAY SEASON

I love to thrift....the possibilities of what's new and different and NOT commercial (ie not in everyone else's home) EXCITE me!! I could literally spend a few hours in a thrift store without even realizing how much time has passed. A few weeks ago I was on the hunt for candle sconces for my living room to hang here

And I found these sconces

 Something small and petite (because I knew for Christmas I wanted to put greenery behind them). I post an "after" pic once they are embellished (I did already install them but the natural lighting makes it challenging to get a good pic).

Here are the rest of my thrift finds....

 Green was the color of the week...I have a few other colored tags BUT I knew I couldn't buy these items CHEAPER new, could use them and they may not be there when THAT color of the week is on sale (that IS the one issue with thrifting - there is no going back for it, because usually it's gone). Lets break this haul down shall we?

 We'll go left to right:
White tray - .50
(I LOVE white dishes, they are so classic and become a collection simply because they are white so you can mix and match all day and if a piece gets broken - no biggie).

Pinkish Red Mini Hurricane - .50 originally from Crate & Barrel
( I'm not sure if it's going to work where I was originally going to place it BUT we'll see - stay tuned)

Silver and Gold Gift Candle Holders - .50 each and they look fancy and expensive - thinking in a centerpiece?

NEW roll of tulle - .99 I have used this on 3 of my Christmas trees and there's still SOME left -this was a STEAL!!!

Glass Candle Sticks - .50/each CHEAPER than Dollar Tree and the possibilities for these are ENDLESS  - good "craft" staple

Black Glitter Star Ornaments - .50 great for package toppers or ornament fillers in the tree

6 Vintage Dessert cups - I think these would be so precious for ice cream and they were .50 each (I plan to do a tablescape with these)

The sconces - .99 each

and that Gorgeous Pink Pointsettia Napkin Ring - Dept 56 and was .99 (I always do a candy colored christmas so I knew this could def be worked into my decor AND ironically enough when I went back a few days later I found another one - just need 4 more).

A few close ups....I know this post was kinda wordy...when I get the items incorporated into my decor I will show HOW I used them! I hung these sconces and added the greenery, a rocks glass and a battery operated candle for a festive holiday look!

All items on the shutter were thrifted EXCEPT the battery operated candles (they were from Dollar Tree). SO the cost for a statement piece that frames my window was under $3.00 - TOTAL!!!
The shutters were a free curb find, the sconce was .99, the rocks glass .50, the candle .50 (it was a 2 pack at Dollar Tree) the greenery was from the bins SO maybe .20 and the tulle was the spool that was .99 and keeps on giving!!

A DAY IN THE LIFE....

....pics via my iphone....life through the lens on the go!

Last weekend was @Strollonstate in Rockford. THIS actually probably deserved a post of its own...that's how GOOD it is. Put on by the City of Rockford most events  are free - Like this Horse drawn wagon ride...

The city is lit up....

 The buildings are open for various activities - like Letters to Santa (you're never too old right?!?!)

 There are fireworks to kick the evening off

 This picture is so vintage to me...the old style street light embellished with greenery, Merry & Bright and the HOTEL in the background.

The river glows with the reflection of the lights of the city

 Free hot cocoa while you are waiting in line for Santa....

 A few items on my holiday list this year....

(Tis the season to sparkle bangle from .etsy.com/shop/raisinguprubies )

 AND this gorgeous Nutcracker ornament from Totally Tikaa (I just LOVE her...she is my spirit animal). Her ornaments are carried by Lenox and can be found here  https://www.lenox.com/category/totallytikaa

I put up this mini tree in the living room (across from the big tree because ya know, one tree just wasn't enough! LOL). I need to find the black top hat to finish it off.

 These ADORABLE mugs are from Dollar Tree...I saw them Mid November and wasn't going to get them (because there was LITERALLY an entire display end cap of them). So glad I got them because two days later they were ALL GONE.

 Retail detail. Loved this poncho with a plaid popped under for some holiday merriment!

What has YOUR week looked like?!?! I'd LOVE to see you fun holiday decor - leave me your link so I can check you out!

CHRISTMAS TREE 2017

 I KNEW I needed a new tree and began looking around November 1st (apparently I wasn't the only one BECAUSE I had to buy the display of a mini tree I had my heart set on - no box, no discount).

In this house we can't agree on a tree....the kids want a white tree (which is ironic because everyone hated it the first year we had one). I wanted a flocked tree. So this GORG gold glitter full tree was a happy compromise (and we needed a taller tree). WISH this post was being sponsored by @walmart but it's not, was bought and paid for.

First layer...all the branches are already in the base, all I had to do was untie the string...

 So it's been a while since I've bought a pre-lit tree...the last time I had a pre-lit you plugged the cords into each other...

 These new-fangled trees you just stick one end into this base and VIOLA!! there's lights 

(I will admit I didn't even notice they were lit and spent several minutes looking for the cords to plug into each other)

 It was as GORGEOUS as I imagined!! full, sparkly and just the right height. At $149.00 it was a really reasonable price.

 It came with the pine cones

 This is the new ribbon I purchased for the tree - I only spent $5.00 (these are from Fam Dolla). They were 5' each spool - you don't realize how little 5' is (and they only had 1 roll each of the thick white glittery and burlap thick "ribbon". Good thing I knew I was going to mix a TON of ribbon (after being inspired by all the gorgeous trees on insta - particularly renaenaa (check her out here https://www.instagram.com/renaenaa/ her style is AMAZE and she is humble and someone you should know).

 Got this roll of tulle @goodwill for .99 (you'll see it talked about in my thrift haul Tuesday). BEST .99 I have ever spent - got SO MUCH BANG for my buck - literally!!! If you visit Renae you will see how she does her ribbons - SO EASY!!Just drape and pinch in between the branch

 First layer of tulle ribbon. I COULD've stopped here...but anyone who knows me know's I am a MORE is MORE girl!

 SO I kept weaving the amazing technicolor dream christmas tree (see what I did there?!?!)

 I will admit I wasn't sure what color direction the tree was going to take - I usually do a candy colored christmas (lime green, teal, magenta, orange). Last year I did black and white check ribbon. This year I just let the inspiration flow - I literally just kept grabbing spools of ribbon from my office to create this masterpiece.

There are over a dozen spools of ribbon that were used and I only spent $5.00 this holiday season (anytime I am out and see ribbon for $1.00 or less and know it's in my color palette I will but it). That gorgeous teal ribbon was purchased 2 years ago for a dollar a spool (it originally retailed for $12.00 - I got it at closeout prices). Leopard is a no brainer - I will ALWAYS pick up leopard ribbon. 

Come back to see the tree trimmed with the ornaments we have used EVERY year!! I didn't change our basics because my ribbon changed. I have found when you decorate with what you LOVE it all comes together!