decorating on a budget

christmas is my favorite time of year

1. we are celebrating the birth of the Lord and Savior of the world, Jesus Christ
2. i love spending time with my family and my friends in a warm cozy house filled with conversation and love
3. christmas decorations just make my smile, regardless of the beauty...it can be an amazing vignette on a porch or table or a simple ornament that a 3 year old has made. i even like those crazy blow up decorations that the kids ooo and ahhh over.

i thought that i would show you a few of the decorating ideas that i used this year in an effort to decorate on a budget

find all the red that you can in unlikely places...lets start at the bottom here. i used some red and white placemats that i think i bought in the summer on clearance at homegoods. i used a berry like ornament in the crease of the bible opened to the record of Christ's birth and placed a pair of our little lady's (who is now 5) red baby shoes next to the ornament. grouped with an inexpensive christmas sign on the old screen salvaged from a house that my husband sold i was tickled with the way this turned out. everytime i look at those sweet little shoes i remember our little girl's first Christmas.

group like things together to create drama...stars are grouped here. you can achieve the same look with santas, snowmen, nativity scenes (yes put them together in sets don't mix the sets, just group). crosses are also lovely nestled together.
i really wanted wreaths for all of the kitchen chairs but opted for the thriftier option. i used the 3 wreaths that i had and alternated with a sprig of holly that i put in our tree last year for the other 3 chairs.
and this little wild beauty. i had planned on splurging on a rosemary tree this year for the centerpiece for our kitchen table. that was before i found out they were at least $25. my sweet friend "s" dug up some of her rosemary plant and donated it to the cause. i planted it in a decorative green bowl that i was given for my birthday. then put pinecones and fresh cranberries over the dirt. the pinecones are from the neighbors yard. next to the rosemary is a staple of decor that i use in every season here. it is an apothecary type jar that is filled with empty little wrapped boxes and adorned with a bow at the top.

you can do a ton of decorating with a few spools of ribbon and some packages too. wrap your gifts early and nestle them under the tree or in an empty corner. go ahead liven things up in a thrifty way. it feels so good when a room is lovely and thrifty all at the same time.

i would love to hear about or see some of the decorating that you have done in your own home. email me pictures and i will post some of your ideas. also please feel free to comment on your favorite christmas tradition.

~type to you soon~