Day 6

He's my right hand man. 

He *cough cough* helps untangle the lights.

I may be just a wee bit prejudiced, but I think he's just about as cute as it gets. ;)

 Ok you all, I need a great big pat on the back. I'm actually shooting some pics in *manual*. Scary stuff, stepping away from Auto. I probably should have started out on something other than Christmas lights, boy, they can be tricky! I haven't got it all figured out yet, but I am venturing out of my comfort zone, so that's a start. Baby steps!

Day 5

The stockings were hung...

...on the banister?? 

Well, yeah, I just hafta be different. Probably has something to do with my being a middle child and all...

Day 4

I got all Dr Suess-like for my porch decor. Making the wreath was the most fun I've had while decorating this year! I'm loving the funky - whimsy look, it makes me smile :)

Day 3

Tis the season...

to get crafty! 

Care to guess what I'm *finally* making?

Day 2

The little cowpokes are ready for Christmas!

They've had their tree up and decorated since before Thanksgiving. Yep - they decorated it themselves, and I'm trying really really hard to resist the urge to spread out the clumps of ornaments ;)

25 Days of Christmas 2011!

I'm so excited that I can actually participate in the 25 Days of Christmas this year! (Hosted by my friend, Melissa, from the Farm Girl Report) Last year, I pretty much spent the whole 25 days hugging a sicky bowl. Ugh, I shiver just thinking about it. So glad to feel back to my self, and what fun it's going to be to share Christmas with the new little guy this year! 

Although I *am* back to my old self again, I do have a little, um, shall we say Grinch? He really does not want Mommy to decorate! I may have to hire a babysitter just so I can get it finished! Sooo, here's my photo for Day number one.

Just keeping it real for ya. Gives a whole new meaning to "decking the halls", eh? I think it's time to start streamlining my Christmas decor stash - this was about half of it. There are still 4 trees upstairs, and I'd already carried some totes back up when I took the piccy. But, progress is being made, it's starting to look like Christmas around here, and it makes me HAPPY. 

We'll pick up where we left off with the house tour after Christmas! 

The Parsonage Part Seven - Laundry Room

Ya know, I had intended to be finished with this little series by now. So I'm gonna try my best to hurry it on up, so we can get on to some more Christmasy things!

Next on the house tour is the 

Laundry Room / Second Bathroom

This is where I got all Frenchy.

(Hubby built these Ballard inspired 

shelves for me - LOVE them!)

Here's the before shot.

It was fine, I just wanted to jazz it up - add some color. Besides, lavender just isn't my thing. 

We painted the wallboard a sagey apple green (leftover from one of the kid's nurseries), painted the vanity black, and added some fun harlequin patterned drawer pulls.

I made the shower curtains and the window curtain/shade thingy. EASY pieces to make, let me tell ya. Just straight panels, hemmed. The clips on the shower curtain valance give it more of a ruffly look, and the ribbons on the window curtain give them a Roman shade look. Cheap and easy. I got really industrious and added some pom pom trim to the valance. Go, me!

Here's where I keep my homemade laundry soap and lonely socks. The jars are from Walmart, and the decals are from Etsy. 

The chandy was a loud brassy little number I rescued from the Thrift Store for less than 5$. She looks pretty cute in black! (The wall sconces got a good dose of the same paint.)

If I gotta do laundry, I may as well have a cute place to do it! 

The Parsonage Part Six. The Bunkhouse

Hurry up and come on in to see 

the boy's room while it's cleaned up. 

Because we all know it won't stay that way for long. 

First, let me throw out the before piccy. 

We called it the blue room.

 For obvious reasons.

(You may wanna pause here and put on your sunglasses. Alrighty, you may proceed...)

But that's nothing a little paint can't fix! We also stained the window casings to look a touch more rustic. 

The last time I showed this room, it looked something like this.

But the lil guys started feeling a bit cramped, and were really needing some more floor space for their very serious lego creating. Soooo, we broke down and got bunk beds. Now they actually play in their room! Score one for the big people. Because you've never felt pain until you've stepped on a lego. Now the legos stay in the bunkhouse - safely away from the big people.

I'm not a big fan of bunk beds, one reason being I can't put the bedskirt on to hide all their junk, but mainly because I'm the primary bed maker of the house. I still contend that putting sheets on a bunk beds ought to be considered cardio activity. I declare I burn several hundred calories  every time I change the sheets on that thing. I've tried to teach the boys to do it themselves, and they are plenty willing. But my OCD kicks in every time. Nearly makes me break out in hives. I tell them they wouldn't last a day in the army. They think as long as no pillows or blankets are on the floor, the beds are made. Bless their hearts...

These little buckets are great for storage.

So that's where our little guys stay. 

And now I'm off to get my workout in for the day. 

Those sheets need changed.