banner idea

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Whitney sent over this super cute banner she created for a bachelorette party. I love the idea of placing a banner over a large entry/opening, and I also like the way she broke up the words by swashing them individually. 

Whitney created the banner in Illustrator, but said it could just as easily be done in Publisher, or something similar. Her one regret? Using ribbon that wasn't thick enough...it would have prevented the letters from sliding and bunching together. 

I'll be posting other favorite garlands and banners later today!

gift wrapping shout-outs

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As I'm still adjusting to our tree situation, I figured this week would be a great time to direct you to some favorite holiday posts out in blogland. Today, I give you: great gift-wrapping ideas. 

From top: Linda & Harriet ornament-topped package and kraft paper wrap via Frolic; Style Court has a whole series on gift-wrapping, see bird and blue and orange combinations here; M.A. Belle's cute, eco-friendly gift-wrap is super chic with the torn fabric ribbon; dsharp continues to inspire and amaze me with all of her unique gift-wrap creations (6,7,8,9,10)...my favorite is the paint-chip dot ribbons!; Creature Comforts has been featuring some very creative d.i.y. creations such as the Target-bag pom-pom topped gift and Arial-lettered presents; lastly- Absolutely Beautiful Things featured these super easy gingham bags with a great idea- hang the bags from a tree as decor then distribute to friends!

and on to another tree

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I'm back - for now. Looks like we may have to move into my in-law's house for 1-2 months while the tree damage gets repaired. We just finished renovating the house a year ago, so we are not looking forward to more 'renovations.' But we continue to focus on the fact that no one was hurt.

Of course, the last ornament on our Christmas tree had just been hung days before the tree fell. I'm still glad we got one, and I still turn on the lights every night.

We (or at least, I) love the process of finding just the right tree and bringing it home. This season was made all the more sweet with our little one in tow.

We always buy our tree from the Boy Scouts (for those in Nashville: they're on the corner of Post and Davidson roads). The prices are slightly higher, but the customer service and the overall 'experience' far outweigh the slightly inflated prices...besides- you are helping out a good cause.

When you first arrive, a Boy Scout is assigned to you. He guides you through the process, and will explain the differences between all the trees. Jeremy (our Scout) told us the difference between the Douglas, Scotch, White and Frasier Fir pine trees (among others). One has long, soft needles (White), but the needles fall off quicker. One has the most appealing shape (Scotch), but is a little more prickly. Another has a more tangerine scent (Frasier)...and so on, and so forth. Such a Big decision to make.

We ultimately went with a beautiful Scottish tree, which I only regretted when I put on the lights (the prickly branches really hurt!). But it is beautiful.

Jeremy took our tree to the tent, where they cut off the low-lying branches and put on our stand (if you take your stand when you buy the tree, they will put it on and 'balance' it for you). Jeremy asked us if we wanted a 'Charlie Brown' tree for Gram- which- of course, we did. So he created a little stump tree with a hole for a Frasier Fir branch. Adorable!

They loaded up our tree onto our big gas-guzzler (I promise, I'm a Prius driver at heart- maybe someday!), and off we went. The tree is now at home, nestled into the corner near our fireplace. The remote control my mom got for the Christmas lights comes in handy, particularly with a tree that is so prickly. How do you pick your tree?

On a side note: thank you for all of the sweet comments while I was gone. I read each and every one of them, and really appreciate it.