Christmas Around The House featuring Chalkboards

My winter decor started with these signs. They are from the ski resort that I worked at. They date back to the 60s era when the ski resort was called Jackass Ski Bowl (Nice name, huh?). It's now called Silver Mountain. I have several of these signs hanging in my garage. I literally had to dig these out of the trash back in the 90s.

I hung them above my mantel. These tiny brass deer came from my Grandma's house and the trees were painted by Samantha at age 3. She is now 21. (I hang on to things.)

Here is the full wall. My chalkboard fire and little basket of birch from the tree that fell in our front yard create the illusion of an actual fireplace. My grandson Cylas added the gingerbread man and is the reason my candles are a little off center. (Keeping it real.)

The antlers were found in the woods by my son and mounted by a friend of the family. My husband was in shock when I put them here. He said he'd never thought he'd see me decorate with anything so manly. I must admit they have taken some getting use to and an Instagram pole to convince me to keep them there. 

 

This chalkboard has been used as our count-down to Christmas for many years. Sophie loves to change the number of days.

This is my favorite corner of the living room. Yes, another chalkboard. This one is my absolute favorite. I found it at a vintage market for $5.

I made these little Christmas tree jars with bottle brush trees and Epsom salt snow for center pieces at a luncheon I decorated for at Sophie's school. Now they grace this little corner of the room. 

Happy Holidays!

Snow Globe in a Jar & Coping with Frozen Water Pipes

I love the Christmas season. It's the winter I can do without. As we have been struggling to stay warm and safe in -0 temps, we discovered Friday morning that our water pipes were frozen. We are not new to this, it's happened twice before but it never gets easier. The daily hauling of water from our families homes and my family of 4 showering when it is least inconvenient for them is a struggle. One good thing is I have quit doing dishes. If you can't eat it off of paper or plastic, you can't eat it here. So that's a plus, I guess. Cooking has also come to a halt. Yea, me! :) 

This is how I would prefer to contain winter. Here in this jar, with it's evergreens and snow. While I sit on a beach somewhere warm drinking tropical drinks. Whose with me? 

How To Capture Winter In A Jar

I made this little token of winter for my Grandmother-In-Law, Virginia, who is living in a nursing home and isn't able to get out to enjoy (I use that term loosely here) the winter. It started out as a jelly (or salsa?) jar.

I hot glued 2 tiny bottle brush trees to the bottom of the jar then filled the bottom with a layer of Epsom salt. It is the perfect faux snow, sparkly, inexpensive and on-hand.

I hot glued a piece of drop cloth fabric that I cut with pinking sheers about an inch larger than the lid and then glued on a piece of ribbon on top of it. I left the ends of the ribbon open then tied it in a little knot.

She looked cute and sweet here but I thought I should add a little something sparkly so I got out my metal punches and stamped the word JOY onto a round silver blank.

I strung the JOY pendant on to a ball tipped wire and added a little pink glass bead, threaded the wire through the knot in the ribbon and used my needle nose pliers to twist the wire closed.

Grandma Virginia loved it! I bought a big package of these little trees at Michael's when they were 40% off. I am sending some winter in a jar to my parents in Arizona and am seriously considering hand delivering them.

I hope the winter has been kinder to you!