It’s so great to have a little floral arrangement to brighten up a corner of your countertop, kitchen table or desk.  There’s just something cheerful about having a bit of greenery and fresh floral scent nearby.  And guess what?  It’s super easy to put them together yourself.  Here’s what you do…

Simple Christmas Decorating: Bell Garland

It’s hard to maintain an element of simplicity at Christmas time.  The stores and the internet are bursting to overflowing with everything from sublime to ridiculous, all advertised as must-have and must-do this year.  On the weekend all my bins of Christmas Past came out of storage.  To be honest, I took out a few things and set them up, then closed the bins to be put away.  I played a board game with Personally Junior then we watched A Charlie Brown Christmas.  (The first of many times this Christmas, probably!)  So here for the next little while I’ll be sharing my few attempts at keeping it simple, but still Christmas-y and worthy of the season of celebration.

I’m an Aquarium Junkie: Ripley's Aquarium

I love aquariums.  They provide a huge window into another world that most of us will never actually visit.  There’s an aura of mystery to life under the sea.  So many fascinating creatures on display…everything from the utterly ugly to the sublimely beautiful.  There are always some displays that compel you to sit and stare into them transfixed for ages. 

Advent Candles for a Mantel

Are any of you celebrating the Advent season this year?  Besides being an exciting countdown to Christmas, does it mean something more to you?  On the liturgical calendar, Advent takes place on the four Sundays preceding Christmas, with the Advent candles being lit one by one as the weeks go by.  That means that the first Sunday of Advent is coming up this weekend. 

How to Take Your Own Family Photo

Besides vacations, isn’t Christmas the next most popular time to want a family photo?  To include in Christmas cards, to frame as gifts for parents and grandparents.  Kind of an end-of-the-year milestone, right?  OK well obviously it’s just me who wants the photo and sends the cards and figures out the gifts for the parents and grandparents.  And cares about milestones.  Not anyone else in the family.  Some years it works out to have a portrait professionally done.  But most years I’ve gotten into the practice of setting ourselves up to take a family photo at home, and with a bit of experience it’s gotten easier each time. 

Easy and Fabulous Photo Card

Well it’s a dull November day, in a month of the year that has exactly zero occasions, or events to look forward to.  Yes, a good time of year to not dwell on the dismal and think about what you can do to add some spark.  How do you liven up those overcast, uninspiring days?

A few craft supplies will usually do the trick for me.  Which usually means making something to give away to someone else, so double the spark, win win.

Post-Halloween Lowdown: Quick, Easy & DIY

‘Fess up, who is coming down off a candy high?  Or maybe yours is just starting?  Snuck into the treat bags while the kids were at school?  (That’s me!)

So, this year at the Personally house Halloween was thrown together and enjoyed in the course of about twenty four hours.  Might be record time around here.  This is the lowdown on how it all came together with very few purchases and a bit of elbow grease, but with a very festive ending.

First up was pumpkin carving, the night before.  The design is always left up to whoever wants to participate.  This year it was only Personally Junior who came up with a fabulous Batmouth design which he carved out of MY white pumpkin from MY front porch vignette.  Apparently it was cooler than the orange pumpkin we had picked for carving.  Anyone have any use for an uncarved orange pumpkin in November?