real life.....{christmas at our house}

i love sitting in our living room on a quiet morning, soaking in all the Christmas goodness!
listening to carols, breathing in the scents and gazing at the tree...........
i thought i'd invite you in for a little peek :-)

 

i was certain when i took these pictures that they weren't blurry. sigh.......... most definitely time for new glasses!

anyway, i love how the mantle came out this year. i did the frosted candle holders myself.
and see those bell jars (that i'm in love with!!).......
soda bottles. way! check out the tutorial on seeing things!

there's another bell jar!
i inadvertently started a santa collection a few years ago. front and center is the last music box i gave my mom - and the only one left - of her collection.
and for the first time in six years i broke out the village! little man chose a few pieces to add to it.

the location of the tree changed this year (as did it's size to accommodate the smaller space!)

here's a tip: if you have children, you're probably gonna have to let go of your martha stewartish designer tree ideas. that was a hard one for me.

our outdoor decor remains relatively the same every year but this year we anchored our santa train to the railing. we got tired of it blowing over last year ;-)

so what does your home look like at christmas time? do you keep it simple with just a tree? or is decorating for the holidays a three day process? if you have photos on your blog, please share the link - i'd love to see!

shoppe update

a couple of new items have been added to "the shoppe"!

i really love designing these! i know, i keep saying that.
but i do!!
any graphics and backgrounds you see in my cards, invites, prints and party collections have been created by me.
no clip art for this girl! ;-)

gift ideas........{for the fashionista}

i'm a pretty laid back, casual kinda gal but my secret desire is to be a fashionista :-)
so putting this board together was a real treat!

1. bubble necklace by bubblejewelry 2. bow scarf by anthropolgie 3. nkhenry "lexi" bag

4. leather wrap bracelet from opensky 5. jcrew crystal bow keychain 6. chandelier earrings by ktjewelry

7. nars eye makeup set from sephora

how's your holiday shopping going so far? do you have anyone on your list who's hard to buy for?

12 days of free printables..(day 2: christmas gift tags}

here's another christmas freebie for you........
'chalkboard' gift tags!
i really enjoyed creating these for you - i hope you enjoy them, as well :-)

click on the photo above for a high resolution .jpg, formatted to print on 8.5x11" paper.

craftiness......{holiday card holder}

every year, we receive a pretty good amount of christmas cards and most of them have photos.
i love looking at the pictures throughout the season and usually i hang them along the banister or over the doorway.
this year i wanted to do something different.
a more prominent display, a little whimsical.
and here's what i came up with:

forgive the photo quality - y'all should know by now i take lousy photos *grin*

supplies:

old painting/frame
spray paint
thumbtacks/staple gun
clothes pins
glitter tape

(excuse the hands - i'm in dire need of a manicure!!)

super-easy craft - remove the old painting from the frame (be sure to get the staples, too!). spray paint then attach your chosen ribbon the the back of the frame. add your glitter tape to the clothespins and you're done!

i'm finding that i'm much more crafty around holiday time. how 'bout you?

GIVEAWAY.....{custom photo christmas card!}

surprise, surprise!
i woke up this morning and decided to have a giveaway.
you can win your choice of any christmas photo card design in the shoppe!!

mandatory entry: like our facebook page via the rafflecopter form below.
additional entries can be earned via the rafflecopter form by tweeting this giveaway.
easy peasy!

this giveaway will be open through sunday, december 9th and the winner will be announced monday, december 10th.

good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

gift ideas......{for the entertainer}

exactly three weeks until christmas day.
my house is halfway decorated and not a gift has been purchased.
maybe you're one of those people who finished their holiday shopping in may.
if you are, please tell me how you do it!
but if you're like me, you haven't even made out your lists let alone begun your shopping!!

so for the purpose of inspiration, i'll be sharing some gift ideas for the loved ones in our lives.
up first: gifts for those who love to entertain.....

1. champagne square chargers from world market; 2. champagne flutes from ikea; 

3. ornament place card holders from open sky; 4.  penguin cocktail shaker from pier1;

5. personalized confetti placemats from paper source; 6. serving set from anthropology

you can't go wrong with one of these!

how do i know, you ask?

'cause i want each one for my very own *wink*

tell me, how's your holiday shopping going? have you finished?

12 days of free printables....{day 1: christmas subway print}

happy december!
since this is the season of giving, i thought it would be fun to design some fun holiday printables just for you!
there will be 12 days of free goodness between now and christmas.
first up is a christmas themed subway print - and coincidentally, in the decor colors i'm using this year ;-)

just click on the photo for a high resolution .pdf, formatted to print on 8.5x11" paper.

happy holidays!

craftiness.......{bookprint ornament}

i fell in love with this pinterest find last year..............

this year, i finally got around to crafting my own.

supplies:

ornaments
book pages
modge podge
glitter

1. remove a few pages from your book and tear them into small pieces.
2. take the ornament caps off then get your decoupage on with the strips & modge podge.
3. while the ornament is still wet, add your glitter.
4. let them dry then embellish at will...........tags, ribbons....whatever your heart desires :-)

i purchased my ornaments & book at our local dollar store. this could easily be a dollar store craft by subbing out the modge podge for a diy decoupage mixture using dollar store glue & water (50/50 mix).

are you doing any diy ornaments this year? feel free to share your blog posts in the comments!!

take up your cross...........

painting by petals and brushes

"...whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

~ luke 9:23

our pastor spoke on this verse this past sunday.

did you know that the cross was the primary method of execution in that time?

gruesome, right?

yet us jesus-girls display our crosses proudly.......on our bodies, in our homes......

we want the world to know that we are CHRISTIANS.

we follow Christ.

but "taking up our cross" is so much more than just a symbol to show the world.

taking up our cross means sacrifice. dying to self. following the will of our God.

so often, i think i'm doing such a good job....

going to church, reading my bible...........

then i look back and see i dropped my cross a few blocks back.

i realize that, actually, i've just been satisfying my own needs.

ever been there?

reviewing my life, i can see so clearly those times that i put my cross down and continued on my way.

in my own way.

He didn't let me go, even then, but i know it would have been so much more...satisfying, joyful, peaceful.....(insert happy adjective here).......had i bore my cross.

'cause in the long run, it's so much easier.

following HIS way, listening and obeying HIS words.

and - pay attention now, this is a biggie - it says "daily"

we make the decision to follow Christ but the work doesn't stop there.

every day we must pick up our cross, decide to follow Him and do His will.

every day. every hour. every minute. every second.......

i mess up. i'm constantly dropping my cross. so i strive to check in with God every moment.

touch base, make sure i've got that cross...... 'cause i know He's got me.

maybe, instead of using our crosses to show something to the world, we should use our crosses for ourselves.

as a reminder.

got your cross?

what i'm lovin' on......

source unknown

thanksgiving is behind us, next up: christmas!
it really is my favorite time of the year for so many reasons....
in the weeks following, i'll be focusing on holiday decor, gift ideas and maybe a few diy projects.
how about you? what have you got planned?

this past week has been pretty fruitful, in more ways than one.
rhiannon posted words of worth and encouragement that came at the most perfect moment for me....

new in "the shoppe"...........

a little girl's first birthday printiable photo invite!
i gotta tell ya, since working on the christimas cards, i've really fallen in love with photo cards! quite unexpected but you can expect to see a whole lot more :-)

i thought that this was a really sweet gift idea (pun intended!)

and this cool weather styled shoot is awesome - so cozy!

i have a feeling that this pinterest board will play a prominent role in my holiday decorating this year

share with me - have you come across anything interesting/fun/exciting/beautiful this week?

thanksgiving sale extended!

how was your thanksgiving?
ours was wonderful. the food came out good. family got along.
and for the 3rd year in a row, i forgot to put out the cranberry sauce.
we're going to have those same cans for 10 years.

annnyway.........
for the first year, i actually dressed the table.
sounds horrible coming from an event planner, huh?
space has always been an issue and honestly, also incentive.
my family is happy enough to eat off of paper plates - it's the food that matters ;-)
i had done a little designing for a friend the evening before with my thanksgiving printables and was a little jealous
so this year, i did it for me. and guess what? they noticed and appreciated.
a couple of shots:

just a couple of simple touches :-)

yesterday, i tweeted, announced on my facebook page and shared with my instagram friends an impromptu thanksgiving sale and i've decided to extend it through the weekend!

anything in the shoppe, 20% OFF. and i'm planning on a couple of additions this weekend so keep an eye out!

happy thanksgiving!

today, i am thankful.
for my family.....
that we have food on our table......
for God's salvation........

and i'm thankful for you.
thank you for reading this little blog of mine.
i hope that i'm able to be a blessing to you.

thanksgiving.......{pumpkin pie!}

we spent this past weekend with my sister in NY state. lemme tell ya, she is the epitome of hostess.
she loves to make people feel welcome and she loves to cook.
while discussing thanksgiving menus, she made a confession.
this year, for the first time in her 40+ years, she was going to have to use......
store.bought.crust. gasp!
i laughed a little then told her i'd never made a pie crust from scratch in my life.
and as far as i'm concerned, my pumpkin pie is still homemade.

my tried-and-true-go-to recipe comes from miss paula deen, queen of butter *grin*
every year, i make her apple butter pumpkin pie and it makes me think of my gram.
not because she made it, too..........just because it was at her house that i ever tasted apple butter.
it's the little things, ya know?

being a good hostess is all about the little things, too.
it doesn't matter if your meal is homemade or store bought.
if you have one killer dish but flounder with the rest then BUY the rest and focus on your strength.
if you're betty crocker incarnate and couldn't imagine anything on your table that isn't made from scratch, well then do your thing!
the key to being a good hostess is to enjoy what you're doing.
disposable dishes or fine china - it doesn't matter.
add a little beauty in your own way and do it from the heart.
nothing trumps love.

tell me, are you a store-bought or made-from-scratch kinda girl? what's your favorite holiday dessert?

new in "the shoppe"...........

my chalkboard holiday photo card has been the most popular design thus far
(which makes me super happy because i was really excited about that design!)
BUT. i noticed that the layout wasn't really workable for some photos with a landscape orientation.
so here's an additional design:

bonhomieDESIGN chalkboard holiday photo card (landscape orientation)

like it? i love the way it came out :-)

so have you chosen your holiday cards yet?

scentsy party!

we're havin a par-tay! hubby calls me "miss party all the time, party all the time"
(gotta hear him say it. much funnier)

have you ever heard of scentsy?
think yankee candle + better + safer.
why safer, you ask? no flame!
why better? longer lasting scent.
no chance of my child burning down the house and pretty smells....
can you say "win, win"?

seriously. i tried scentsy two years ago.
i STILL have bars left from my original purchase (and i use them constantly)
AND the warmers are superior to any other plug in warmer you'll find
on the real, yo.
and the designs are awesome
(no, i'm not being paid to say this)


here's what i've got my eye on:

if you're interested, you can make your very own purchase here.

thanksgiving......{turkey!}

if your family is anything like mine (and the majority of america), thanksgiving is a big, family holiday.
we all have our traditions and, if you're married, you probably 'divied up' certain holidays early on in the relationship for each side of the family
somehow, i won thanksgiving host.
not really sure how that happened since i hadn't even put the option on the table but there it is.

anyway.....
thanksgiving is a big deal over here. lots of culinary pressure. huge menu, huge expectations....
before i got married, i'd never cooked a thanksgiving meal in.my.life.
nor did i have any desire to and i'll tell ya why.....
i don't like 'thanksgivng' food. not a fan.
well, except for the stuffing. who doesn't like stuffing, right?
i was absolutely certain my meal would be a failure.
i have no idea how to cook what i don't eat. my dad was the chef, not me.
but guess what?? HUGE success. 6 years running.
so i thought i'd share a few of my go-to tips & recipes for any first-timers out there
(or anyone who might be lookin for a change)

 image via bobby's flays thanksgiving at epicurious

tip #1...........herbed butter.

you'll need:
2 sticks of butter, softened to room temperature (unsalted or salted, your choice)
fresh sage (i usually buy 2 of the pre-packaged thanksgiving mixes. because that's all that's left by the time i go shopping)

directions: chop up the sage. mix it with the butter. let it sit overnight in the frig.

thanksgiving morning:

put the herbed butter under the skin of the turkey, being careful not to tear the skin.
yeah, i think it's gross. i really can't stand to handle raw poultry but ya gotta do whatcha gotta do.
it's worth it, trust me.
rub the skin with some olive oil, salt & pepper....
add some quartered onion, chopped carrots, fresh sage & rosemary to the cavity
then throw that bird in the oven and you're good to go! always juicy & moist.

how do you cook your turkey?

how to purchase printables on etsy....

i assume everyone knows etsy.
but you know what happens when you assume..... yeah, that.
i also make the mistake that everyone 'gets' printables.
so today i'm gonna back up and do a quick crash course on buying printables from my shoppe.

first of all, what the heck are printables, right?
any paper goods you might want to purchase can be found in a 'printable' format. what that means is that the artist (me) has created an item for purchase - let's say a Christmas card - but instead of receiving the actual card, the customer (you) will received a digital copy of that item. and that digital copy may be in one of a few different formats. most popular is a .pdf or .jpeg.

so why not just send me the actual item?
short answer: cost and convenience. the item price would increase in order to cover my printing expenses. AND, with the digital file, you can print as many (or as few) of the item that your heart desires. you can use the printing option of your choice and everybody's happy!

here's some handy etsy shopping info:

1.etsy now offers gift cards. and wouldja lookit that - i accept etsy gift cards :-)2. rather than scroll through pages of listings, you can search my shoppe to find whatever you're looking for

3. certain items allow for a few choices - in this instance, style (think: format) and photo effect. etsy will prompt you to make these selections before allowing you to check out.

4. in addition to paypal, my shop also accepts credit cards
5. if you have any questions at all, check out the shop policies or just send me a message!

and here are some things to keep in mind when you're printing your items:

so there you have it. shopping for printables on etsy.
did i miss anything? is there something that still isn't clear? please share....

the bottom line is this. i want my customers to be happy. not confused.
so if you still have questions, i will go above and beyond to help you...
all ya gotta do is ask :-)

sarabell knits........{local vendor}

can you knit? crochet?
i can. as a matter of fact, my hand-knit socks are the.best.
nothing compares to a pair of hand-knit socks.
however...........
it's going on 2+ years and i still haven't finished my second pair of hand-knit socks!
so i can truly appreciate the talent, skill & dedication of sara, owner of sarabell knits.

a few of my faves...........

beautiful, right?
now if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go work on those socks :-)

what i'm lovin on....

 via lindsey orton photography

as i've mentioned again and again.......this business and this blog of mine is a work in progress.
some things will work, some won't. the former title of this weekly post "what's happenin" wasn't really working for me so i changed it.
following jessi's advice, recognizing and admitting mistakes is important.

with that being said, here's a bit of what i've been lovin on this week:

first up, new in the shoppe........printable change of address cards!

and around the web......

i'm in love with the priorities, whimsy and beauty of this wedding.....

this and this have made it to my diy christmas gift list!

i would loooove to host an outdoor thanksgiving dinner like this one...

and i'm adding a new cookie recipe to my repertoire this year :-)

so how about you? what are you lovin on this week?

week in review.....

okay, this post might include a bit more than a week
it's been a little while since i've done this.
are you following me on instagram? bonhomie123. 
no instagram? no worries - follow me here!

little man created a math test for his mama - complete with luna decorations; and of course he was mario for halloween! our conversation threw me for a loop so i had to share; and maybe, just maybe, the tooth fairy was a bit unprepared and someone ended up getting $10 for one little lost tooth :-P

i fell in love with this pottery barn holiday display; and time with my best girls before the women of faith conference - an arena full of women praising God. how awesome is that! (no, i'm not really sure why i'm smiling like that. just pretend you don't see it) then we awoke to a beautiful day...

little man had some fun shopping with daddy and playing with his uncle chris (who he doesn't see often) while mama was away - then he took a photo of me + hubby when i got back; and look - more weather! our first nor'easter of the season. that photo was only about an hour into it

linking up this week with life rearranged! how was your week?

bridesmaids on a budget.......{style::sweet}

i'm having a wonderful time with my summer bride!
as i mentioned earlier, her colors have been chosen....
the save-the-date design has been decided....
(i ended up doing the design myself and i'll be starting the invitation suite soon - so much fun!)
via conversations, emails, and photo swapping the style and design are slowly taking shape.

bridesmaids dresses are next on the agenda and you know what that means...
shopping!
now, i'm gonna be honest.
what i enjoy most about planning and shopping is finding a great deal.
i don't want my brides to go 'cheap'
i want them to go 'smart'
and that includes the wedding party.

imagine this: you're feeling oh-so-loved and important when the bride asks you to be a part of her big day.
then you find out that the dress she absolutely has to have for her wedding party is waaaay over your budget.
sucks, doesn't it.
(thankfully, i have a bride who is considerate and cost-conscious!)

 1. shabbyapple  2. modcloth  3. anthropologie

these dresses are speaking to me...telling a story:
soft, romantic, casual outdoor ceremony....

what are they saying to you?

fab finds........{wallbling}

i first came across wallbling when writing this post.
a quick peek at michelle's shop and i was in love :-)
i wanted you to see more of what michelle does.

subway art makes me happy.....
michelle's messages make me happy.....
her use of color makes me happy.....

here's a few of my favorites:

these would make some lovely gifts, dontcha think?
visit wallbling - and tell her i sent ya!

new in "the shoppe"

i just can't seem to help myself.
i added another christmas card design.
and now i REALLY can't decide what we'll be sending out this year

this design allows for a choice in photo effects: original or sepia.
i'm considering adding photo effect finishes for all of my photo cards. thoughts?
i also have TONS of ideas for printable cards without photos.
i mean, not all of us are lucky enough to have such a fabulous photographer, right??

this coming election....

tomorrow, i will do my civic duty and cast my vote.
but honestly, y'all..........???
i will be SOOO glad when these political campaigns are over.

all the bickering and lies and "he said, she said"........
and that's just at the dinner table!! *wink*

seriously, all this 'campaigning' sometimes makes it difficult to know who's telling the truth.
personally, i can see merit and benefit within each party
sometimes even some common ground.

amidst all the television ads i saw last night, this caught my eye:

no matter your political affiliation, your religious beliefs, your job, your sex or your age....
there's something we can all do to keep kids from going to bed hungry.
and after hurricane sandy, there's even greater risk.
this is a real, honest-to-goodness change we can make.
there is no downside.

will you please help?

what's happenin'

as i mentioned yesterday, i'm away....basking in the glory that is God with one of my best friends!
but there were a few things i found this week that i really wanted to share.......

i fell in love with this styled wedding shoot. i think it was a combination of the distressed setting and the muted colors that did it.......

and check out this bell jar DIY. made out of soda bottles!!! seriously?!? the.best.

for all of you typography lovers, here's a {free} nifty tool to keep track of all your awesome fonts. makes my life sooo much easier!

the thanksgiving collection is available in "the shoppe".......

and here's a question: what does your life look like? is it what you intended? after this weekend, i'm sure i'll be drafting a list very similar to this.
priorities, y'all.

so what did you find this week? anything really make you sit up and take notice? just wanna plug a post?
go right ahead ;-)

guess where i am???

for the third year in a row. hallelujah.
i'm so looking forward to sinking into the worship and the word and the fellowship...
and - like He does every year - it's coming at such an opportune time.
but really, when don't we need that, right??

i will return refreshed, renewed and with a new sense of HIS purpose, i'm sure.
let the healing begin!!

sneak peek......{thanksgiving printables!!}

i thought i'd share with you a sneak peek of the thanksgiving printable collection!
this collection will include an invitation, a menu card, a 5x7" decorative sign, tent cards, a banner, drink flags and 2" circle logos, most of which can be personalized..

i struggled a bit with the design of this collection.
sometimes, a full design will come to mind for a printable collection....
but this time i had only a general idea.
the work stopped and started and stopped again as i wrestled with color and the background.
i  wanted a 'nod' to the season without being obvious....
i wanted a classic design to fit into both a casual AND a more formal table setting....
and i wanted the collection to work with almost any color scheme.
most importantly, given the current circumstances in my life and those around me, i really wanted to emphasize the focus on blessings and thankfulness.

voilá! as soon as i'd figured out the text color, it all came together
(at least i think so - i'll let you be the judge)

the collection will soon be available in "the shoppe". so, what do you think? did i accomplish all i'd hoped?