Kaiser Christmas 2011

Well I have finally got some pictures of all the work I've done around here! This has been a busy holiday season for me. My sister moved into a house just a hop, skip and a jump from my house two weeks ago. I am beyond thrilled to have some family in town finally! I have been over there almost daily for morning coffee, floor scrubbing and wall painting. Her house has come along great, my blog however has not. Toss a 8th birthday party for my Megan and nothing that doesn't HAVE to get done gets done. 

On to the fun stuff.

We started decorating this year later than usual due to a trip to my Mom's house in Lake Havasu City for Thanksgiving week...next year I may just have some stuff up before our trip so I don't feel behind when we get home.

I now am the proud owner of two trees...our 7' one ended up in the living room in the front window this year...LOVE! Our 4' baby tree is in the dinning room so I can see some prettiness when I am cooking.

Our 7' tree

My baby tree all lit up!

Please forgive my photos, I am still working on getting the just right tree picture. I love our tree this year. I have a love of all things red and white for the holidays. I added this new netting stuff (I doubt its new, just new to me) to our tree and really like it. I am not a garland type of girl and the ribbons made me angry last year. I did toss a little green in here and there too...I am liking this new lime green that is out and about. 


My little village vignettes are a new addition this year. I have had some of these houses for years. But never made them the star of the show.

They now have a new meaning for us. The bulk of these were given to me by my Mother in law Becky the Christmas before she passed away. They obviously are very special to me and I was so glad to finally have some space to have them out. It feels like she still has a hand in holiday decorating.

Candy Village, 50% from my Mom and 50% from my Mother in law. this is on top of our hutch in the dinning room...no little boys (who shall remain nameless) will be breaking all my special stuff!

Nighttime village ready for a party.

This is our Christmas Village...errr uhhh village. tee he 


This is 90% Mother in law and 10% me. I have this village in the oddly placed hole in the wall for a TV that we have never used for a TV or really have no idea what to do with for the rest of the year. Can I keep the village up all year???

So how did I make such a great little town? Shipping boxes, old Tupperware and plastic cups. Cover it in the blanket snow stuff and batting. Pretty good huh? 

 A little tip...put the timer in the outlet first then do your arranging...not that I did that or anything! 


Here is a shot from my kitchen of our dinning room decor this year. We finally figured out what the deal was with our fireplace (apparently if you turn the gas off the pilot light goes out and you have to relight it...with the gas on...go figure) so its in working order! I love having the fire going while we visit at the table after dinner. 



I went a little crazy with the mesh netting stuff this year, but I do love the color. I have some ideas for DIY garland for next year I'll have to make now since its a high possibility that I wont remember next year.






 
I love having a mantle. I had hoped to make some changes to it this year by changing the tile surround and adding some molding but that didn't work out...maybe this year.


 
Our nutcrackers...we need to get one for this year. My husband and I have purchased a new one ever year since we got married. I imagine when we have been married for 30 years I will be overrun with Nutcrackers! 

My poor little baby trees get a beating. My almost 2 year old thinks they make great toys. I end up picking them up around the house all day long. Next year he will listen better right? "We just look, no touching"


Want some more Christmas tree love? Well you are getting it anyway! 


Here are some of my nighttime shots from last night...some I think are great...others not so great. It's the thought that counts.


 
Tree looks awesome...Santa is in the dark...bummer!
 

 
One of my three Pottery Barn ornaments. I love it. If I had to pick one holiday decor item that was me to a T it would be this one! I'm all about the whimsey and fun of the holiday.


 
Ho! Ho! Ho! I got this Santa years ago. He was the main element of my front door wreath for years. Now he gets a prime spot on our tree.


 
I have two candycane ornaments...I think I just may add to this collection during my after Christmas shopping. Yet another thing in 30 years to be overrun with! I just realized that I have a light out...how embarrassing! I'll have to fix that tonight.


 
Megan's 1st Christmas ornament. She loves it and HAS to be the one to put it on our tree every year. Her brother enjoys taking it off and watching her flip out. That would probably be why his 1st Christmas ornament is MIA. I know I put it on the tree...now oddly...I can not find it. Go figure.


 
Our wedding year ornament. Our three year anniversary is this December 27th. Christmas was a hard time to have a wedding, but I do love that it is such a special time of year for us for so many reasons. Bonus, we only have to pay for the wedding once! 


 
This is a better view of the awkward TV hole...any suggestions on what I should do with this the rest of the year?


 
I think I love this village even more at night all lit up. The two outside top houses have LED lights for Christmas lights. They change colors and do that light dance thing...they are awesome houses.



Looking at my mantel now, I am thinking I may just do my garland idea this week before christmas...the beeds are doing nothing for me. Oh well. 


I hopefully will be back tomorrow with pictures of our outdoor wreath and lights...I also plan on doing a few tweeks to our front porch. 


Thanks for stopping by! Lets do coffee!

New Stuff Happening Around Here!

Many of you have seen my digital packages available over at Charming Cozy Creations (above) only a few of you have seen all this fun stuff in the flesh or in the paper.

For those of you who may find the cutting and set up of all this fun stuff to be too much to tackle for a party. I have just started offering printed packages. Yep you heard right...you will get a box delivered to your door with all kinds of goodies ready for your party. 

Seeing how this is very new (as in started yesterday) I am still working out some details and getting money shots of what I have prepared. But as always offer full proof approval before I build any packages. Discounted packages are available as well as a la carte options for those of you who just need one or two items.

I am working on my daughter's birthday for next weekend and here are a few samples of what I have put together for her so far. This entire package was designed with her sitting next to me. Everything from the colors to the font style is all her idea. I think she has a great eye! 

Stay tuned for more pictures as the party gets closer.

As always if you have any questions drop me a email. 

I love working on custom projects too!

These will eventually be wrapped around bottles of water...guess I need to hit up Costco!

Megan and I are still debating what type of ribbon to use on her banner....she has suggested we attach them to a string of lights...that sounds super cute!

Any one who has suggestions on how to get better photos of paper products let me know...I could use the advice! 

See you next time! 

Christy

House Keeping Package

Check out my new house keeping package.

I am one of those people who have a billion lists everywhere and as a result I rarely get things done. This package was designed to help me actually stay organized and occasionally accomplish something. 

I love the aqua and brown combination but I can customize this to any color preference. 

My New Chalkboard!

In a effort to be more organized I bit the chalkboard bullet and made myself one! 

I'm in love with it and use it all the time. I have it on the wall going into my kitchen so we pas by it all day long. I keep my weekly schedule and the ever growing shopping list on it. 

Here is a quick picture to do. All of this is pretty self explanatory. Hit me up if you have questions! BTW this project cost me all of $2.99! I had the paint and just got the frame at Goodwill on a random trip several months ago. 

I love the frame! Such pretty detail!

Left over green paint from our old condo kitchen.

I used leftover stain from my kitchen cabinet redo that I posted about over at The Reluctant Blogger

A few light coats of chalk board spray paint.

The finished product in all its glory!

Etsy Blog - Etsy Stalkers | Home: Why is that seeing a grown up picking his/her nose...

Hey All!

So I have a giveaway going on over at Etsy Stalkers that you need to check out. You can check out all of my products at my shop (link on the right) and if you dont see just what you need contact me with details and I will custom create something for you!

These are just two of the packages up for grabs.

Hope you win! If not you can still get some goodies at a discount...use cupon code HOLIDAY2011 for 10% until December 1, 2011.

Christy!

New Etsy Shop

Well I went and opened a Etsy shop! I hope you will come visit! 

Charming Cozy Creations

I am designing custom cards for every occasion not to mention chore charts, organizing labels, party favor personalization, party games and anything else your heart desires. Everything is fully custom and if you don't see what you are looking for in the shop drop me a email and we can work one on one to get to your perfect final product! 

As a extra bonus I am having a grand opening discount for everyone who orders in the next 30 days. Use code 1ST30DAYS at check out to get your 10% discount. 

Here is a small sampling of items in my shop...happy shopping.

Garden Fun & Seeds to Start in Fall

Do you like to plant flowers?

I do! A lot. 

I love looking our my windows and seeing our flower beds. But it can get expensive...so this year I am giving serious seed starting a go. 

Last spring I planted a few things here and there from seed not really expecting much...but to my surprise those plants did better than the purchased plants. I also am kind of a snob about having unique plants in my garden. Everyone can get pretty petunias and I enjoy them as well...but does anyone on my street have Coconut Cream Petunias? Nope...just me...well next year anyway!

Ok...back on subject...here are my flower beds in late their summer glory. Avid gardeners know that you learn things from season to season. I have learned a lot my first year of "real" gardening. But I still think I did pretty good for a beginner. Here is a quick look. 

Quick warning...this is a picture overload post...my favorite kind!

Shady Front Flower Bed

Iceberg Rose Trees and not flourishing petunias...I need suggestions on this mixed bed of shade and sun!

One of my Iceberg Rose Trees

Sunny front flower bed complete with kid and kitty path.

Another view of the sunny front flower bed and bird bath.

Zinnia in the sunny front flower bed

Pretty Begonia in the back yard

So on to the details...

I purchased a bunch of seeds a few weeks ago from Swallow Garden Seeds as well as Park Seed Co. Both have a huge selection of annuals, perennials and vegetables. My orders arrived super quickly and in clearly marked packaging.  I sadly do not have a green house, so I am going to be using a garage storage shelf and cheap shop lights for my seedlings. From what I have read that works great and sometimes better than natural light. Hopefully one day I will have a green house...for now this should work. BTW I am looking at starting almost 1000 seedlings! EEK! Anyone close to me want to plant swap in the spring?

My opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

I have been working on plans on what to plant and when. 

To my surprise I have found several plants that do better when planted at the end of summer or early fall and often if you do this with the perennial seeds you get first year blooms! Bonus!  

I am in a zone 9 so our winters pretty mild and we need to chill plants, seeds and bulbs if we want a good show of blooms. If you are in zone 7 or cooler then you may not have to chill.  

Feel free to email me about specific zones and I would be happy to help out.

You can check out this USDA Hardiness Zone as well. 

Here are some pictures and specifics of the plants that I am going to work with this year. 

Pictures and information from here and here.

 

Astilbe -Sow seeds in cell packs or flats, press into soil but do not cover. Needs light to germinate. Kept at 65-70° F. germination almost always occurs within 4-5 weeks. If not, put container inside a zip-lock bag and refrigerate for 4 weeks. Remove and germinate at 65-70° F. Comments: Part sun to light shade. Prefers rich, moist soils. Cut stems when plumes are half open for excellent cut flowers. Deer and rabbit resistant. Attracts butterflies. 

 

Shasta Daisy-Sow in cell packs or flats, press into soil but do not cover. Needs light to germinate. Kept at 70° F., germination averages 14-21 days. Can direct sow (barely cover) in fall or spring, in groups of 3-4 seeds spaced 12-24 inches apart. Thin to the strongest plant.

Delphinium-Sow seeds in cell packs or flats, press into soil and fully cover. Darkness aids germination. Kept at 55° F., germination is in 14-35 days. Comments: Germination rate can be improved (if prior to sowing) the seeds are placed in a zip top bag with a small amount of moist growing media (or a moist paper towel) and placed into the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Larkspur-Spread seed on an evenly moist paper towel fold and put inside a zip-lock bag and place in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Remove and immediately sow seeds in rows in prepared seed beds, covering lightly. Thin to 10-18 inches apart. Comments: Sow Larkspur from fall to early spring. Seeds can be started in small individual containers if not allowed to become root bound, and transplanted with care. Easy to germinate in cool (55° F. or below) soil.

 

Lisanthus -Sow seed in cell packs or flats, use a sterilized soil-less mix. Press into soil, do not cover. Kept at 70-80° F., germination is in 10-20 days. When 4-5 leaves have developed, transplant into the garden 6-8 inches apart. Pinch back plants to the third node to encourage bushy growth. Direct sowing is not recommended.
Comments: Full sun or part shade, light shade in hottest climates. Moderate water; give regular moisture early in the season, avoid over-watering as plants become established. Does not like acid soil, does like regular feeding. Cut flowers last 1-2 weeks. Attracts bees.

 

Madonna Snowdrop Anemone- Sow seeds in cell packs or peat pots, press into soil and barely cover. Kept at 60-65° F.,
germination usually occurs within 4-5 weeks. If not, put container inside a zip-lock bag and place in the refrigerator for 3 weeks. Remove container and return to 60-65° F. to germinate. Comments: Part sun, afternoon shade. Madonna tolerates light shade in any zone. Regular to ample moisture, tolerates wet soils. Flowers are excellent for cutting. Plants spread by underground stolons. Deer and rabbit resistant, attracts butterflies.

 

Nigella - Direct sow into prepared seed beds that have been cleared of weeds and have had the top 1 inch of soil loosened. Rake seed in lightly.Keep moist.
Comments: Full or part sun. Average to little water. Tolerates a wide variety of soils with good drainage. Comes into bloom quickly. Make successive sowings 4 weeks apart (until plants begin to self-sow) to ensure a continuous supply. Flowers are excellent for cutting, horned seed capsules are highly decorative in dried arrangements. Deer resistant. Press into soil by walking over area.

 Poppy-Sow seeds in peat pots or cell packs, press into soil but do not cover. Needs light to germinate. Kept at 65° F., germination is in 14-21 days. Can direct sow, onto ground that has had the top one inch of soil loosened. Rake seed in, press into soil by walking over the area. Thin to 12 inches apart

Primrose- Sow seed in cell packs or flats, press into soil but do not cover. Needs light to germinate. Kept at 60-65° F., germination is in 21-30 days. Transplant into the garden 8-12 inches apart. Comments:Part sun in most climates, full sun in coolest areas. Likes moist, rich, well-drained soil. Superb in containers.

Sweet Pea-Soak seeds in water 24 hours prior to sowing. Then sow in cell packs, 2-3 seeds per cell. Needs darkness to germinate. Cover with newspaper and keep out of direct sun until seedlings appear. May be direct sown into the garden, 1/4-1/2 inch deep. Thin to 6-12 inches apart.

Viola-Sow in cell packs or flats, press into soil and barely cover. Needs darkness to germinate. Cover flat with newspaper and keep out of direct sun. Kept at 65- 70° F., germination is in 14-21 days.9-12 inches apart. Transplant into the garden

One last note...a lot of these are perennial (they come back year after year) or annuals that self sew like mad men. So yes this is quite a bit of work the first season but after this initial start up you will have a ton of plants with little work. 


Hope this inspires you to get to planting! 


Christy

Sharing with these wonderful blogs...

Fishtail Cottage