Okio B Designs

We're planning on putting up our tree this weekend, but in the meantime wanted to share some more Christmas touches about the house. Cindy from Cottage Instincts helped with the inspiration for these mason jars:

I had filled them with some shredded vintage sheet music but that's about as far as I got until I popped over to Cindy's yesterday. I loved her jars so much that I immediately went to the Dollar Store to get some big ornaments to put on the top of each one. I love the look of the twine ribbon too.

These clogs are actually from two years ago. I had gotten the idea from Martha Stewart's now defunct Blueprint magazine. They add a touch of color to the porch.

This little porch table is still a work in progress. I feel like it's still missing a little something.

And there is an awful lot of JOY in our house this year:

More here:

And here:

Here too:

Thanks for joining me on this mini tour!

Jeanine

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I got this lovely little basket back in October at a garage sale. I used it for Halloween and now with a simple switch of some ribbon, I'm using it for a place to display some holiday postcards:

I simply added some plaid ribbon and tied it in the front. Then I added some white tissue paper and added my postcards. My mom gave me the vintage Santa ones last year. The larger black and white postcards are actually from Ikea. They show Paris, London, New York, etc. in the wintertime. They show some really pretty scenes!

I just couldn't hide the Paris one! I have it propped up on this vintage typewriter.

Click here for a great article with tips for selling on Etsy featuring your's truly.

Jeanine

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***You still have time to enter my giveaway here!***

After searching just about every Dollar Tree in a 10 mile radius for bottle brush trees, I was just about to give up. Luckily, I popped into Home Goods this morning and lookie what they had:

I'm so happy that I found these two pretties! And I love the fact that I really don't have to do anything to them. Right now they are on a shelf in my livingroom - right next to a Dollar Store birdie I picked up last year.

I also couldn't resist these little books this morning. They were only $4.99 each. I have them stacked on the diningroom table for now.

These are some other Xmas goodies I picked up from Home Goods last year.

And here's a view of my Xmas kitchen window shelf which is kind of like a make-shift mantel since I don't have one:

A lot more Home Goods goodies from last year here too!

The Crown is a recent Home Goods find. Not sure if you can tell but it's filled with some small Xmas bulbs.

Am I the only one humming: "Oh it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." these days?! =)

Jeanine

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Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving yesterday. We enjoyed a nice, quiet, peaceful day at my Mom's. I needed the relaxation because today I officially started to decorate for Xmas.

These are just little packages to put under our tree (which hasn't gone up yet) while we countdown to the 25th. With two little boys who still believe in Santa, I can't have the actual gifts under the tree so I decided to do some faux ones so it doesn't look bare under there. You can probably also see the shabby bucket I did a week or so ago. It's pleasantly filled with some red plastic ornaments from Ikea.

This is just a little envelope I made from some vintage sheet music. Got the inspiration from Pinterest. I sewed up the sides to keep it closed, and then added the button, baker's twine and jingle bell. The little tag says: "To Wish You Joy at Christmas."

Next I did a large Dollar Store matchbox - also with some vintage sheet music. I tied this one up with twine for a more rustic look. The "Compliments of the Season" tag I made using an image from The Graphics Fairy.

Lastly is this little shipping box that I wrapped in simple brown craft paper. The Santa image is also from The Graphics Fairy. I used some Ikea candy cane-striped twine for this one and added some faux greenery from the Dollar Store.

I have a bunch more to make and what's so nice is you can use any type of simple box. Maybe even one that you might have otherwise thrown out!

Linking to The Graphics Fairy: Brag Monday and Funky Junk Interiors:SNS.

Jeanine

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Because sometimes you just want to keep it simple:

Vintage scale, petite cloche with bird, white Xmas tree and a simple white candle which reads:

I am at Peace.

Linking to Faded Charm: White Wednesday. There is still time to enter my giveaway here!

Jeanine

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I'm pretty sure I saw this idea in Martha Stewart Living. I had the bags. I had the number stamps so it was really a no brainer and the kids think it's the coolest:

This is just a temporary hanging place. I'm still not sure where to hang them from nosey little hands. I got the striped bags off of Etsy over the summer and wouldn't you know it - there was exactly 25 of them.

So I stamped each one and then divided them into fours so I didn't have some ginormous (is that even a word - lol?!) banner to hang up. I don't know if you can tell but I hung them with some of my Joyeux Noel clothes pins.

The boys are very excited to fill them and then of course eat whatever goodies we add. I think it makes for a sweet countdown to Xmas this year!

Jeanine