The dining hutch Christmasfied

So glad you loved the recipes! I bought more of the little cookies today at Target on sale � the snowmen cookies were $1.25, the reindeer were $1.75. (No more trees!) Not sure of the logic of the price difference, but I got a few more packages to make for a party this weekend. I may or may not have made some for myself tonight. Maybe.

I finished decorating our dining room hutch last week and it was so easy and quick this year � I had everything labeled exactly where I had it last year! For this space, I just fill a bunch of glass �things� and I�m done. Last year, Stink Eye Sister was harassing me the whole time about it, and it was so relaxing not hearing that �meeehmeeeeehmeehblahblaaahblahblaaaaaaah� sound in my ear. (She finally moved out last month.) I do miss her, but Good Lord, it was about time. :)(Smooches sister!!!)

Last year Target had these gorg tall branchy trees and I told you to NOT buy them, because I made them myself years ago. Get the twiggy cone shaped trees from the craft store, then spray paint them whatever metallic color you wish, then add some sparkle spray paint on top of that. At least half the price of the department store trees! I spray paint just about anything I can get my hands on:

For my lovely decanter from Goodwill (score!), I just put one strand of gold beads inside:

The apothecary jars are filled with faux snow, then topped with various inexpensive filler:

I don�t even know where I got the bells � I think the Dollar Store? The red ornaments were from Hob Lob half off � just a couple bucks I believe. The little white bulbs were actually on a strand of string as garland, but I cut them off so I could use them as filler. :)

Since my little votive holders I got for fall were the absolute perfect colors for the dining room, I just nestled them in with some snips of greenery and leftover scraps of ribbon:

I hang a strand of garland around our hutch every year, and I realized some ribbon I had would look GORG wrapped around it. The color is perfect!:

I spent zero moola on this area this year! And what I have spent on it over the years is VERY little:

The dining table was my first Christmas decor project this year. If you missed it, check it out here.

Everything is D.O.N.E! We finished the large, live tree tonight. I can�t wait to show you! I hope you�ll join me for the Christmas Tree Party this coming Monday.

One of my favorite little splurges this year were the Christmas light goggles � have you seen these? You put them on and they turn every light into a little shape:

I took a picture through them and I couldn�t believe it turned out! We have snowflakes, stars and snowmen. Adorable. Only two bucks each at Lowe�s!

This time of year is so special to us. It�s not only the holidays -- our sweet Bub was due right after Christmas. But three years ago tonight, we were planning to meet him three weeks early, and I was induced on this day. I can�t believe tomorrow it will be that long since I met my most favorite person on Earth. I was rocking my �baby� tonight, remembering the first time they laid him down on me. So much joy. The way time flies � it is the understatement of the century that it goes by in a blink. :)