Our Old Fashioned Nursery is All Dolled Up for Christmas

Our love of vintage Christmas decor has already been well documented, right along with our vintage baby nursery.  So as we head into Christmas, we thought why not combine the two? We wanted to keep with the theme of her nursery and incorporate vintage Christmas charm in soft pastels to match the existing decor.   Babydoll has been just fascinated with the results.  It is so magical to see her little eyes shine at the Christmas glow.

Here's a look at what we've done...

An old fashioned rag wreath leads the way into the nursery.  Just beyond, you can see a glimpse of more to come.

Her bedside table has been transformed for the season with a vintage aluminum tree.  This one is four feet tall, and has 42 pom pom style branches.  It still had the original box, instructions, and sleeves for all of the branches.  Assembly took no time, but it was the decorating that was the fun part. 

Babydoll's tree is filled with old fashioned Shiny Brite ornaments, all pastel in color.  Of course, I offered up some of my very favorites to this special tree.    Here is a closer look at the glass balls adorning her tree. 

Then, under the tree, we wrapped the base with a hand knit baby blanket for the tree skirt, and added a few of her vintage toys to complete the display. 

But the real magic comes from this lovely.  It's a color wheel!!  And babydoll is mesmerized by it.  I turn it on each night and it shines changing colors up onto the tree.  She leans way over from the chair to catch a closer glimpse of the magical light wheel.  So precious!

We also dolled up her oversized giraffe coat rack for the season.  We added a Santa hat- animal print, of course- as well as her winter coats and vests.  

This coat rack was another Nashville flea market find.  It's from the 1960s, in really good shape, and as you can see here, it's pretty big too.  It stands nearly as tall as the high boy dresser beside it. :)

 A Rudolph bubble light lights the night with a soft holiday glow. 

And to round it all out, we added her newest favorite bedtime story to the mix.  Apparently, Santa is coming to town.  That's what the old song says anyway.  I'm certain he's coming to this house.  :) What a cute read.  It is customized for Nashville with lots of references to Music City and it's landmarks.  How fun!!

So there you have it.  The holidays are in full swing in our house, and with Babydoll gearing up for her first Christmas, it's sure to be one for the history books. 

Deanna's Favorite Things- Holiday 2014 Edition

Everyone has their favorite things.  Julie Andrews started it all in The Sound of Music.  Remember those raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles, and such? Then there was Oprah with her now famous list.  Even my mother-in-law has hopped on board.  Check out her list here; there are some real goodies on there.  

So here is my holiday-centric list of favorite things.  None of these are going to break the bank. Think of these more as stocking stuffers, or little pick-me-ups for yourself to help you enjoy your holiday season now that it's officially underway. 

1.  Jacquie Lawson's Advent Calendar

This is a downloadable advent calendar for your computer.  I have used it each year for the past three or four years now, and absolutely cannot wait each year for her newest one to come out.  Each day features a lovely scene that unfolds as you count down to Christmas.  There is a music player to accompany it all, along with games and puzzles to play.  This year features the festive holiday market scene shown above, and it's so whimsical and gorgeous, and sure to put you in the Christmas spirit!  

2.  Febreze Sugared Cranberry Wax Melts

Nothing smells like holidays more than cranberries, and I am loving this scent made by Febreze.  It's their sugared cranberries wax melts.  You melt them in your wax warmer and the whole house suddenly smells divine. 

3.  Cozy Socks

Oh my, there is nothing in this world better than a comfy cozy pair of socks first thing in the morning, or right after a warm bath.  I am in love with the ones pictured here.

4.  Trader Joe's Coffee a' Cocoa

This is a blend of coffee and unsweetened cocoa.  I bought it on a whim at my last visit to Trader Joe's, and I'm so glad I did.  Now I have never taken sweetener in my coffee, but I wondered whether this blend might just need it because of the unsweetened cocoa.  However, I brewed my first cup and took a sip without sweetener.  And, it didn't need it.  You can taste the cocoa, but it just makes the coffee really smooth and rich.  One of these days, I will add some sugar and maybe some warm milk to make more of a mocha.  What a find!!

5.  Trader Joe's Mini Gingerbread Men 

Here is another Trader Joe's find that I personally look forward to each year.  These gingerbread men cookies are topped with white fudge icing.  What's not to love?

6.  Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

I am in love with this book.  I re-read it every year at Christmas time.  Here is my book review if you want to know more.   It's everything I love.  Enough said.

7.  Cha Ching Cherry Nail Polish by OPI

I recently discovered this shade, and have determined that it is the perfect mix of both red and pink, and therefore the best possible shade for all your holiday festivities.  It doesn't hurt that this polish also has an awesome name.  Did someone say cherry?

8.  Philosophy's Homemade Honey Buns Bath Gel

This is the shower gel I'm currently using.  I have been sold on Philosophy for a long while now.  I love their scented lotions and bath products, but this one was a new one for me.  It smells just like honey with a touch of sweetness to it.  But it's not overpoweringly sweet.  It's just right, and the perfect way to start my mornings.  

9.  Comfy pajamas

These are my latest pj obsession.  They are the macaroon design by Nick and Nora. Target has them on sale now.  I do love a comfy cozy pair of pajamas for the winter time.  

10.  Bath and Body Works Country Chic Body Cream

It has literally been years since I last stepped into a Bath and Body Works, but I recently did.  Of course, the entire store was on sale.  Isn't it always?  In any case, I decided to try this new body cream, and I must admit, it is pretty awesome.  I love, love, love the scent and it's so creamy and thick.  Perfect body cream to give a try for the cold and dry winter days ahead. 

11.  Micheal Buble Christmas

Bonus time for those of you expecting a top ten list... In case you were wondering what I'm currently listening to, this is it.  Of course, my husband said, "Who is Michael Buble?"  No matter.  Just give it a listen.  Guaranteed to have you fa la la-ing right along. 

So that rounds out my personal list of favorites for this time of year.  I'm sure the other Harris Sisters have their own as well.  Maybe if we get lucky they will consider sharing theirs too.  Wink, wink.

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**Update** - Donna and Misty have both added their list of favorites to the blog.

Be sure to check out Donna's list here.
And Misty's list here.

Happy Holidays!!

Free Printables for Handmade Christmas Gifts

Christmas will be here in about 3 weeks. For all you crafters out there who are planning the mammoth task of giving handmade Christmas gifts, I've collected below some labels for your handmade items, including baked goods, canned goods, and other food gifts and crocheted, knitted, and hand sewn items.

If you're still searching for other free printables such as gift labels, decor, etc., please make sure to check out our three color themed collections from last year:

• Red and Green Free Christmas Printables
• Neutral Free Christmas Printables
• Blue Free Christmas Printables

I also have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to FREE Christmas Printables, which I will be loading up with these finds today and with others in the coming weeks. So make sure to follow it for all the latest finds. Also check out and follow my Christmas Pinterest board for awesome decorating ideas and inspiration.

First up are these funny Christmas cookie tin labels from Studio DIY. These feature both There Are No Calories in Christmas and Santa Won't Miss These designs:

I love these chalkboard labels by Valerie McKeehan at World Label. She's designed an entire set of labels for tins, Mason Jars, paper bags, boxes, or whatever container you could think of to gift any type of food gift. Take a look:

And here's another chalkboard set with all types of labels by Lia Griffith at World Label. These labels range from cookie labels to jam labels to even wine labels. I actually have a friend who makes wine - these might come in handy! ;-) These can be fully customized on the downloadable pdf with the name of your gift and your name before you print.

Here are some canning or Mason jar labels by Garden Therapy if you've made a big batch of homemade goodies to give away. They would go perfectly with the Harris Sisters Crockpot Apple Butter recipe.

Here's another Mason jar topper and subway art wrapper from Balancing Home:

And another three sets of canning jar toppers from My Frugal Home. These include kraft paper, Christmas, and plaid/floral designs in both regular and wide-mouthed sizes. These can also be customized with the name of the contents, your name, and date before printing.

Here's another set of jam labels from The Elli Blog. Love that they say that you're gift is "jam-packed" with love. ;-)

Another set of Homemade with Love mason jar toppers from Drifter and the Gypsy.

These mason jar hang tags from the Cottage Industralist are adorable (links for recipe cards and mason jar toppers are also included at link).

Love this Baked with Love tag from Lil Luna. Use it to doll up a loaf of your favorite sweet bread, such as the Harris Sisters Super Moist Pumpkin Bread, Sweet Potato Pecan Bread, Nutella Banana Swirl Bread, or Cranberry Zucchini Bread. TIP: wrap the bread in a clear plastic bag before wrapping in decorative paper and attaching the Baked with Love tag (that way, the recipient won't have to eat it as soon as you give it).

And here's another Baked with Love bread wrap at Pretty Providence.

This bread wrapper features a popular chalkboard theme from Fleece Fun.

And for all you yarn enthusiasts, here are some adorable Crocheted with Love and Hand Knit with Love labels from Cobberson & Company. Try pairing these with any of the free crochet patterns featured on the Harris Sisters blog.

Here's another card for handmade items by Little Monkey's Crochet. It would be perfect for crochet, knit, or sewn items.

And here's another free printable from Buttons for your crocheted, knit, or sewn items:

This one from Everything Etsy cracks me up. It says This is handmade, so you better like it! And the great thing about this free printable is that when you download the pdf, you can type in a "from" and your name before you print it. Pretty schmancy! Many other free printables at this link - this one was just my favorite.

Here's another tag from Melissa Esplin to attach to any hand crafted gift item - Made just for you, by me.

And here's another free printable label by She Wears Many Hats that can go with any handmade item.

Also suitable for any sort of handmade gift are these adorable labels at Paper Crave, featuring Handmade with Love, From Me to You, Made with Love, From the Kitchen of, From My Kitchen, Handmade, and Homemade, among others.

Another great set for any type of handmade gift from Alice and Lois. These are available to download in both large and small sizes.

Happy crafting and you've got about 3 weeks to finish your projects! Get crackin! :-)

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