Happy New Year!

Enjoying my time with family and friends, hope you are doing the same. Looking forward to some fun things in the New Year, including ramping things up for another Amy and Amber Basement Boutique! Will keep you in the loop on great new finds and when we decide on a date. 

Happy New Year!

 

Pictures from our Puzey Family Christmas Dinner on our new farmhouse table.

The best 'things' at Christmas, are not things.

NOEL

 I have had some inquiries on Pinterest about the NOEL lettering above my kitchen cabinets, so I thought I would share. These were a Costco purchase probably 5 years ago or so. They originally looked like this:

 I definitely was not loving them with my vintage Christmas look, a bit too flashy. I thought about keeping them in storage but then my old standby thought came to mind...spraypaint! So, I spraypainted them white and now I love them again and they fit with my vintage Christmas look.
Merry Christmas...it's almost here!

Real Trees

We still buy a real tree every year. 

I know more and more people are going to fake trees and it is logical. No mess, you probably save money in the end, depending on how much you spend on your real tree each year. I just can't do it...pine needles clogging the vacuum and all. Christmas is not logical. I love the smell of pine and the tradition...weird as it is...to drag a dead tree in from outside and dress it up for Christmas. I was very happy with our pick this year. We have done it all for getting a tree, even tramping through the snow one year Griswold-style and cutting our own out of the forest (ugliest tree we have ever had). This year we made it real easy, we went to Fred Meyer. Yep, Fred Meyer and found the freshest, best-shaped, most fragrant tree we have had in years and...it cost us just $20.

Probably what I am most proud of here is that I let my 5 year old put all the balls on the tree and I have not moved one...not one! And instead of the ruffled burlap tree skirt I really want around the tree I have the Christmas Village and train the boys love to play with (they use their Matchbox cars to pretend they are visiting each others houses)...instead!

Christmas Porch

Kept the front porch simple and in step with my simple vintage Christmas theme this year. All live wreaths and swags with just a few touches of burlap and lanterns.

 My favorite thing is the burlap Christmas banner. I found some green burlap that I stenciled with white lettering. I sewed it onto some of that great stuff that comes on Pottery Barn packages, natural cotton twill I have learned it is called. Lanterns and candles are from IKEA, super fun and easy decor!

Featured at Millwork Outlet

Just a quick post today...to share I am featured on the Millwork Outlet website under their 'Projects' button. They featured my Farm Table that I posted about earlier this month...actually there are a few posts.
My Initial Attempt 
Finishing Up My Project 
Dressing It Up for Christmas 
Thanks Millwork Outlet, it is great being neighbors with you and I have told lots of friends about you!