MY ATTEMPT AT A PROFESSIONALLY DECORATED CHRISTMAS TREE...

I know you all have been wondering why I haven't showed you my Christmas tree yet this year as I usually post a picture or two the week after Thanksgiving.  Well, let's just say I haven't wanted to talk about it.  Here's why...

It's been our tradition every since I can remember to put up our Christmas tree Thanksgiving weekend.  Somehow this year we missed the boat on that one....whooops!!  We were a week or two late at picking out and putting up our tree.  Can anyone say BUSY!!

I had a special time planned to go to the Pea Ridge Forest tree farm and enjoy the hayride out to the forest, pick out our tree and cut it down ourselves. You know like they did on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation...only our experience would be so much better...of course...Hehehe.  I was so looking forward to enjoying a nice steaming cup of hot chocolate and warming myself by the fire at the lodge and then listening to Christmas carols all the way home but that did NOT happen.  We ended up at Lowes when the hubs decided that paying $10 per foot for a Christmas tree was too much.  O HUMBUG!!!

Anyway, Lowes had a bunch of trees and though I was pretty disappointed that we didn't make it to the tree farm, I found one that looked pretty good....or so I thought...and we took it home.  The 6.5 - 7 foot tree was only $21.00.  Sure beats paying $10 per foot doesn't it?  Not!!! Because once we got it home we realized that it has scoliosis of the tree trunk.  Yes, our tree is curvy...VERY curvy and yes it's noticeable.  Another whooooops!!, but it's not like we could take it back or anything so we were stuck with it...it's curvy spine and it's few bald spots as well...OH MAN, what a tree!!  Nevertheless I went ahead and decorated it...the best I could.  Then after it was completely decorated with ribbons, ornaments and all, the top strand of lights blew out...every last one of them!  Yes, that's been my luck this year.  Needless to say I have pretty much lost all patience and hope with this tree and so I haven't taken any pictures of it.  I know you understand.

However, I didn't want to leave you this Christmas without showing you a Christmas tree at all, so I thought I would share with you the tree that I decorated for Children's church.

Now you might remember that a few weeks ago I shared Jennifer Davenport's video on how to decorate a tree like a professional.  Well, I decided to take a few ques from that video when decorating the Children's church tree and here's how it turned out....

Hmmm, not bad!!

I used the pencil tree that I used in my dining room last year.  It's prelit, slim and super easy to use. You basically fluff it and plug it in.  Easy!!

Since it was for kids church I went with a whimsical theme in the traditional reds and greens.  I used a similar theme last year as well but I hadn't tried to "professionally" decorate it.  I simply decorated it like I decorate all my trees..and I thought it looked okay. Ha!! However, I think you will agree when you see my side by side comparison of last year's tree vs. this year's tree that Jennifer's ideas and suggestions really do work...

Boy what a drastic difference!!! And you know what? I used way less ornaments to boot.  Can you believe that? This year's tree looks sooo much fuller.  Wow!

I found the Noel, Wish and Joy signs at $1 tree for just a buck a piece and I think they make such a big impact.  Hmmm, maybe because they are so BIG and take up a lot of space.

 The large candy cane ornaments I used as a topper also came from $1 tree and the large "lollipop" is a small styrofoam plate I decorated to look like candy and wrapped in cellophane.

The most tedious and time consuming part to the whole tree was attaching the ribbon.  I layered three different ribbons for fullness which made it a little difficult to tuck in between the branches because this tree is so compact.

but it was totally worth the effort because that ribbon gives the tree so much dimension.

So there you have it, my attempt at a professionally decorated Christmas tree.  What do you think? Did I do a good job?  The kids thought so.

Before I go, I will tell you that I did attempt to somewhat professionally decorate my spine challenged tree also and since I have already told you about the poor little thing, I guess I will go ahead and try to post a few shots of it later this week...before Christmas...you know, in case you need a good laugh.  Haha.

Until then I hope you are enjoying this holiday season.  Merry Christmas!

AN UNEXPECTED AND EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT...

Did you know St. Louis now has an IKEA?  It opened at the end of October! YAY!!!

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for an Ikea to come to this area because I have been wanting one of their Ektorp sofas.I had heard so many good things about them and have wanted one for a VERY long time. However, with the nearest store over 4 hours away and the astronomical costs of shipping, I couldn't have one.  Boo!!

When I found out this spring that Ikea was coming to St. Louis I started saving and counting the days until I could finally buy one and although I hadn't quite saved enough money we took a little trip to the new Ikea a few weeks ago to check it out and to make sure that the Ektorp was what I really wanted.  You know I had to go and check out the comfort and quality factors before making that purchase..wink, wink.

If you've never been to an Ikea you really MUST go.  They're HUGE!!!  They have a play place where you can drop off your little ones while you shop.  They have a restaurant with awesomely yummy food and the one in St. Louis has three floors...it's an ALLLL day shopping trip for sure!  Make sure you wear your walking shoes!!

Anyway, I have to say that I was super impressed with the store and with the quality and the comfort of the Ektorp sofa...but not so much the size.  It seemed a little small.  It's not really small but the cushions are so big and fluffy that it didn't seem there was any room left for sitting.  However, the loveseat with chaise was perfect!

LOTS of room! and the comfort factor...WOW!!...but we left the store that day without one because I still had some saving to do (Whaaa!) Not to mention that with Christmas coming up, all our extra money was spoken for.  You know how that goes, right?

Anyway, I figured I would probably be able to get one at tax time.  That's just a few months away and since I had already waited about three years, what's another couple of months, right?  However, much to my surprise, my Christmas bonus from work was a little more than I was expecting.  The Lord really blessed me because not only was it enough to finish up the Christmas shopping for the kids but there was enough left over to put with my savings to get my Ektorp.  YAYYY!!!

The hubs and I took a vacation day this past Friday and drove up to Ikea St. Louis. We came home with this...

Yes, it was in boxes. In case you didn't know, all Ikea's furniture comes in boxes and has to be assembled and THE INSTRUCTIONS DO NOT HAVE WORDS...PICTURES ONLY! I have to say though that it was very easy to assemble.  It only took about 20 minutes from start to finish...not bad!!  Then it took about another 30 minutes or so to put all the slipcovers on, with the chaise slipcover being the most difficult.  Not gonna lie that one was a booger! The cushion is just so big that I had a hard time maneuvering it into the cover.  The hubs had to help with that one so I hope I don't have to take it off and wash it too often.  Hehe.

Anyway it's totally gorgeous and HUGE (about 15 inches longer than our last sofa) which is why it's not centered under the mirror.  Of course you know my OCD will not allow the mirror and sconces to be off centered for too long so I will be centering them as soon as I get the chance.  It's also SUPER comfy and I like the fact that I can move the chaise to the other end or in the middle if I like.  It's adjustable, which is ideal for someone who likes to rearrange furniture as much as I do. Hahaha.

Now I know you're thinking that I'm CRAZY for buying a white sofa with kids in the house, but here's my reasoning for buying this specific sofa...it's BECAUSE I have kids in the house....this sofa is inexpensive (half the price of the last one I bought), has a 10 year limited warranty and the entire thing is slipcovered, which means I can take any or all the covers off anytime I want to wash (and bleach) them. You can't do that with a regular sofa no matter how dirty it gets.

Also, when these covers get worn out I can buy a whole new set for just $99.00 instead of buying a whole new sofa. Not to mention that if I ever want to change my decor and go for something darker, I still won't have to buy a whole new sofa. I can dye this one since it is 100% cotton or I can simply buy a new Ektorp slipcover set in any of the other colors Ikea offers. They have dark gray, red, brown, tan, striped, etc...most of those covers though are dry clean only and that's why I didn't choose any of them right now.

What it all boils down to with this sofa is that I have choices, lot of choices but without the expense. Now that's what I'm talking about!

Would you buy a white sofa? Have you ever had a white slipcovered sofa or an Ektorp? What is your opinion of them?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on or about your experience with a white sofa!

5 GREAT LAST MINUTE GIFTS FOR $5

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way to the poor house...if your Christmas shopping list is as long as mine is....Hehehe.

Do you have all your Christmas shopping done?  Me either!  I find that I always have one more present to buy for this person or that person...you know "last minute gifts"...and I always seem to be stumped as to what to get them.  I hate giving the proverbial gift card because they are so...well, just so...and the recipient can usually tell that their gift was your last minute thought. Ewe, that's not good.  Anyway, I like to give everybody on my list something...something they can unwrap...because that's the fun part!!  Something that is useful and that they can enjoy more than once but I also don't want to break the bank.  After all I would still like to be able to pay my utility bills when Christmas is over...YOU TOO?

With that in mind I have put together a list of 5 great gifts for $5 or under that anyone on your list will like.

1.  Blanket scarf.

Any friends of yours love to bundle up on a cold winters day?  Give them one of these blanket scarves from Five Below.

2.  Scarf hangers.

Have a friend with a lot of scarves and no place to keep them?  Give them a scarf hanger or two. You can get a two pack for just $5 at places like Five Below, Dollar General and Ross.

3.  Texting/touch gloves.

These are great for all those texting enthusiasts on your list. The special fabric allows the smart phone to read the finger through the glove.  You can find these just about anywhere these days for $5 a pair Check Wal-mart or Five Below for all sorts of fun colors and patterns.


4.  Winter slippers or Sherpa boots...

It's been said that if your feet are cold, your whole body is cold.  Brrrrr.  Your friends will never have cold feet again if you get them a pair of these fleece lined imitation Sherpa boots.  They have them at in all different colors and sizes at Wal-mart, Five Below and Dollar General for just $5 a pair.  The best part...they are soft, warm and comfy!!

5.  Boot tray.

Of course the recipient of this gift might get that weird sort of look on their face when they open this one...you know the look that says "what in the world is this thing" but once they see how useful it is in corralling all those dripping snow boots and how it keeps their nice floors clean and free of water, it is sure to be their favorite gift of the season.  You might pick yourself up one too...just in case.  They have them at Wal-mart for just $4.64.

So there you have it...5 great last minute gifts for just $5.

Now HURRY grab your wallet and your keys and get to shopping because Christmas is ONLY a little over a week away...EEEEEK!!