The Weather Outside is Frightful & Giveaway

Brrrrr! It's 18 degrees outside right now! You may be hovering in the teens too or colder, but in our neck of the woods, North Carolina, this is about 20 degrees below normal! Brrrr!

My big boy Latte doesn't mind the cold temperatures because he's got a thick fur coat and a sunny spot on the couch where he's taking his morning nap! :)

Over the past couple days I've been sharing our holiday home with you and today I'd like to show you one of my favorite spots in the family room. Apparently, it's Latte's favorite spot right now too! ;) This is the couch I sit on each morning drinking my Starbucks Christmas blend, checking e-mails and gazing at our beautiful tinsel tree.

I love how the sun makes this tinsel tree and ornaments sparkle and casts speckled light on the ceiling!

This snowman and children figurine found at a second hand shop is actually an ornament, but I like to use some of our larger ornaments for decorating. Notice the square milk glass dish below? That's a lovely recent find at a local antique store. Plates like this are harder to find because of their fancy edges that are susceptible to breaking.

This a simple and inexpensive holiday decor idea...a vintage Ball jar filled with jingle bells.

This white doe was a recent purchase at another local antique shop. I believe I only paid about $5 for her. She had a bow around her neck that was too narrow and in bad shape so I replaced it with this silver bow complete with a couple jingle bells.

I made this snowman bottle last year with an empty Prima Flower bottle, rub-ons, and vintage sheet music. If you like him, I have one for sale in my Etsy shop! :)

I love this tiny white wagon. I found it at a flea market for $1! It looks adorable on my table with a couple vintage tags I made placed inside. There's a recipe for Apple Pie Cider on the back. I would love to give one to one of you who leaves a comment on this post. I will draw that name tomorrow morning and announce it on my post!

Here's one of the holiday cards I created this year. I enjoy using my cards, tags and other handmade items to decorate with.

This silver glittered 'JOY' sign was found at Target last year in their Dollar Spot department and I made the little blue snow box from an unfinished birch box you can buy at your local craft store.

As you can see, decorating doesn't have to cost a lot when you use things you make. Remember that thrift shops, flea markets and after holiday sales are a great places to find inexpensive decorating treasures. Another thing to  keep in mind when looking for decorating items is to look for things that will work for all holidays, like ball jars, glass and white pieces, etc.

Now, to announce the winner of yesterday's Helen Keller tag....Sandra Correale of Daily Re-Creation! Congratulations Sandra! I'll be in touch to get your mailing address. Thank you for visiting my blog!

I hope I've helped give you some fun crafting and holiday decorating ideas today. Do you have some you would like to share on your blog? Please leave me a comment and I'll come take a look. :) Kathy