Baby girl's room...

This has been such a fun project for me over the past few months!

I think this is my favorite part of the room.  Love how it turned out.

This wall is incomplete and will be until we have pictures of little sister.  I am making my own canvases which will hang from the other three knobs.  Also need her name for the initial to go in the other frame!



The curtains were definitely my splurge in the room but I love them!  I also like the square wreaths which I found at saveoncrafts.com.



This is the other half of the room...



LOVE this shelf.  I had it made by a guy in St. George whose sister helps him out and lives here in Utah County.  I need to find her info again to post for anyone who is interested...but it was only $90 for a custom, darling shelf!  Great deal!  Most of the accessories came from Taipan.  The ornamental piece on the far left was in clearance for $3!  My best find in the room!  Also love the frame underneath from Hobby Lobby...thanks Mom!



I love this light turqouise color as an accent in her room.  Don't you love the little crochet owl!  My cute friend Lindsey made it for me.

These were another fun find.  $7 from saveoncrafts.com.

I needed fillers on either side of the shelf so the embroidery rings worked great!  These fabrics were at the Fabric Mill in Orem.  This is a great, inexpensive way to fill space and add color in a room.

Loved this picture when I saw it...I bought it for $10 at Bijou Market.  Made by a cute company called Cinnamon Ink.  You can buy her stuff on Etsy as well.  The little banner will eventually have her name on it!  Glad I was able to tie in the fabrics on both sides of the shelf.

This was my find at Forget Me Not...$20 for a nightstand!  I had to paint it pink, but it worked out great!  I also got the lamp for $10 at Target and added a ruffle at the bottom of the shade.  My Mom has collected Madame Alexander dolls for years and this one was bought for me by my Grandma...glad I can use it now!

Now all we need is the sweet little princess to grace this room!  Should be sooner than later now!  Can't wait!

The crib

Our oldest son Peyton did a number on our crib with his teeth...

This is what it looked like before...



And this is what it looks like now!

I love how it turned out!  McKay gave this to me as a Christmas present.  Meggie Stevens painted it for us and did a great job...and was reasonably priced!  Her blog is www.shabby2chicdesign.blogspot.com.  Well worth repainting instead of rebuying!  The nursery is now just about complete!  Check back tomorrow for a room tour!

It's the day after Christmas...

...and I'm getting my house put back together!  Posts to come...

Shrimp Dip

I am about to share with you an Aiken Family secret recipe.  Consider yourselves lucky! :)  We make a mean shrimp dip for Christmas Eve, football games, backyard bbq's, etc.  Here's the recipe:

Mix: 1 tub sour cream, 1 can tiny shrimp drained, and smashed with fork, 1T worcestershire. Sprinkle lemon pepper generously over the entire top of mixture, add garlic salt and onion salt to taste.  Refrigerate.  Serve with Ruffles for an excellent appetizer!  Merry Christmas to all of our loyal followers!

Holiday Lights

Here are a few great activities to do with your family this week before Christmas.

Thanksgiving Point's Holiday Lights are a great activity for little ones.  Porter and Khloe loved it.

Last night, we walked around The Shops at Riverwoods.  It is all lit up for Christmas and Santa is there at the above listed times.  They have bands playing Christmas music and fires scattered about to keep you warm.

Of course, the lights at Temple Square are a must.  We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and take some time to spend with those that matter most!

A Little Bit of Joy

Now is the time to head to Hobby Lobby for Christmas picks and decorations for next year.  I needed a little something in front of my Joy blocks.  I loved the crystal and red pick layered with the red berry pick.  The balls were also picks.  I pulled off the stems, glued them in a clump and to the picks, then topped it off with a ribbon.  It was super cheap and easy! 

A Bit of Evergreen

Our neighbor Alisa decorates the outside of her house so beautifully with live Evergreen.  She adorns it with lights and pinecones.  I love the rustic elegance it provides.

She fills her set of lanterns with the same pinecones and adorns her chairs with wood stars.



Love the Evergreen wreath and wood star hanging on their wooden fence.  Thanks Alisa for the inspiration and beauty of your aesthetic!

Christmas Tree

If you didn't buy your copy last year, then you definitely need to purchase my family game "Christmas Tree!"  My grandpa created it 50 years ago, and it has been the best Christmas Eve tradition in our family ever since.  You simply must add it to your family's celebration! 

Go here to purchase it online or you can contact me directly.  The complete game for 16 players is $18.99 plus tax. You can come pick it up from me if you live close by. 



Here we are six years ago playing the game.  Porter was just a little baby bump at the time!  Can't wait to play it again this Saturday!  Bring on the dice!

Crepes

Growing up our Christmas morning tradition was having crepes and hot chocolate for breakfast.  My Mom makes delicious crepes and we fill them with fruit and cool whip.  She fries hers over the stove and has a special technique to making them.  When I married McKay he showed me another delicious way to eat crepes.  I'd never seen a crepe maker until I met him...

This tool makes it easy to make the perfect, round crepe to fill.  Here's his family's recipe and they are also a tradition around Christmas at his house!

Crepes

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

We usually double this recipe because the filling recipe makes so much.  Mix all ingredients and place in a shallow plate/pan if you have a crepe maker.  The crepe maker works by tipping it upside down into the batter so the whole crepe plate is covered.  The batter cooks for 30 seconds to a minute and you carefully peel the crepe off.  It really makes them easy!  If you don't have one, you can pour onto a greased frying pan and flip like a pancake. 

Filling

Cream cheese (8 ounce)

Cool Whip (8 ounce)

Powdered sugar (at least 1 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend well to avoid any chunks of cream cheese.  When crepes are cool, spread a spoonful down the middle and roll crepe.





Hanging the Lights...

...that stay up all year!  I decided to change out the light covers and bulbs in the nursery to make them more feminine. 

Before...

After...

 Of course I would love to hang a chandelier in her room, but I'm a paranoid Mom that listens to all the guidelines to prevent SIDS.  So for the next year we'll keep the fan in her room and go from there. 

Lights covers were $2 each at Lowes!  Well worth it to me!

I also changed out the bulbs for the round, clear ones to give it a glassy look.  Inexpensive way to change the look of the light fixture!

I think I'm just about ready to finally reveal this room!  We sent the crib off for painting and it should be done next week!  Be looking the week after Christmas!  (I'm sure I'm more excited to show you than anyone else is...just humor me :)

Neighbor Gift Idea

Just thought I'd share what I put together for my neighbor gift this year...
I found these cute Santa keys through Oriental Trading in the fall and decided to base the gift around them.  (Reminder there's free shipping if you order from Partyland and you get a little ordering discount too!)  There's a little poem that goes with it that says to put the key by the front door on Christmas Eve if you don't have a chimney...

I made "Santa Care Packages" with the key, a few hot chocolate packets and two different kinds of cookies.  The recipes are here and here if you've missed them before.

Merry Christmas neighbors!

The front porch

Last year I went all out purchasing decor for the front porch.  It was so nice to have it all this year without having to spend anything!  The investment is worth it!  In case you missed what I did last year here's the post.

My neighbors have all done an excellent job decorating for the holidays.  I'll admit our house looks very dark at night on the street!  Here's a few ideas from them...

Jenni (next door) has such cute style...I need to get permission to show off their house sometime.  Love the alpine trees and sled!

This is one of my favorite things I've seen this year.  She made it with a styrofoam letter and garland!  What a great personal touch for the Adamson home! 

We've showed off Jodi's house before but she has some fun things on the outside of her house too.  I really like the flower box they added this year and the garland and bows look great in it!

Love her wreath...I wasn't able to ask her where she got it or if she put it together on her own before I posted...I'll get the info and share.

I'm a big fan of adding wreaths anywhere and everywhere at Christmas!  Jodi's are great because they are proportionate to her larger lights. 

This is where I added wreaths to my front porch...

So exciting that Christmas is only 12 days away!  





Christmas Light Show

If you need something free to enjoy for the Christmas season (and still stay in the comfort of a warm car), head up to Murray to see this fun Christmas light show.  The people at this house throw quite the party!

They have a radio station that plays a 10-15 minute show where the lights move to music and the three faces in the tree talk.  My boys loved it!  We went about 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday and it wasn't too busy...until we left!  I'm guessing you'll have to wait in a small line to see it, but it seems to run pretty smoothly.

Directions...Take 5300 South exit and head East until Vine Street.  Turn right onto Vine Street and drive through two stop lights.  Turn left on Whispering Pine Drive and drive to the end of the street where you'll turn left into Whispering Pine Circle (where the house is).  The radio station is 99.9 FM.  His website is www.christmasutah.com.

Candy Suckers

Every year as a child, my mom made hard candy suckers.  They are super easy and tasty.  Begin by purchasing sucker molds, sticks, and flavoring.  Assemble molds on cookie sheet and spray molds and cookie sheet with cooking spray.  This recipe makes about 20 suckers.

The recipe is as follows:

Mix 2 cups of sugar

2/3 c light corn syrup

1 cup water

1 tsp flavoring

Combine first three ingredients in pan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil, add thermometer, cook, stirring occassionally, to hard crack stage (300 degrees).  Remove from heat, add oil flavoring,  and coloring if desired.  Pour hot candy into prepared molds.  Remove candy from molds when cooled.

Christmas Tours: Kallee's House Day Two

Today, I want to show how Kallee decorates her statement furniture pieces throughout her home.  I love how she adds decor to the top of her china cabinet and inside it with the Christmas sign.

 Her armoire is always my favorite.  I love how she uses her existing decorations of every day and adds flair with the Christmas decorations! 

We talked just the other day how a pick can fill a hole perfectly.  Hobby Lobby has all of their picks 50% off right now.

Her tree is darling.  I love the "let it snow" sign and the picks at the top.  If your tree is looking a little sad this year, add some picks and large balls near the trunk of the tree.  It makes such a difference!

Nothing brings the holiday spirit more than decorations throughout the house.  Kallee is an expert and does such a great job!  Thanks for sharing with us!

Christmas Home Tours: Kallee's House

Our friend Kallee is so good at creating vignettes all throughout her house.  No table or nook is left undone.  Here are some of my favorites.  I love her side table decor and the ribbon tied to the lamp.  It adds that extra touch and makes it perfect for Christmas.

Trays are really inexpensive, especially at Hobby Lobby with the coupon.  Love how Kallee filled hers with ornaments and signs.

Love the mix of the glass, candles, red filler, and boxes.  Don't be afraid to mix and match.

Love this tray with the glass apothecary tree jar.  TaiPan has these and looks great filled with ornaments and ribbon.

Who doesn't need a touch of mistletoe?  Love this hanging from the ceiling fan.  Check back tomorrow for more of Kallee's great ideas!