Okio B Designs

Sadly, we do not have a mantle in our home. Every Xmas I wish we did. Since we don't, I have to create a makeshift mantle of sorts out of the corner cabinet in our dining room.

I dress up the top of each year as if it were a mantle. This year, I have a bunch of jars with bottle brush trees, a cloche, an apothecary jar filled with decorated matchboxes and this bird cage that is up year-round. This year I added some faux greenery.

I added my star garland after I took the first picture. I used some pre-cut, self-sticking stars and twine to create the garland.

The cabinet houses my snowman collection.

I gave my vintage typewriter a holiday touch as well.

Yesterday we put up our outside Xmas lights. I'm still in the process of dressing up our porch.

Jeanine

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I survived Thanksgiving! Hope you did too! Our Xmas decorations are in full swing now given that according to my 6 year old, there are 26 more days til Xmas.

This was a Pinspiration. I found something similar on Pinterest but now I can't for the life of me find the pin to show you. I believe the pinner used metal letters to create their banner. Mine are wood (from A.C. Moore) but I painted them a metallic silver for more of a metal look.

I hot glued beer tabs (yes, beer tabs!) to the backs of each letter so I could string them along a piece of twine. This is is tied to our faux wrought iron bed.

A sweet little holiday touch for the bedroom.

Jeanine

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Image courtesy The36thAvenue.com

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Jeanine

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Brrrrrr...it's been bitterly cold here and we're waiting to hear if we're going to be hit by this crazy storm that is headed towards the East Coast. Since the theme of the day seems to be snow, I thought I'd share some of my wintery snow globes and Christmas cloches.

I have these all about the house this year. This one is housing a glittery church ornament I picked up at Walmart. No, that is not dust on top of the glass. See that chalkboard behind it? My 6 year old was blowing chalk right before I snapped this picture. Yes, blowing chalk. Nice, eh?

Some new snow globes I made last week using glass jars from our local church thrift store. My faux snow is Epsom salt.

Mason jar snow globes from last year. Above and below.

This cloche is hard to make out but it's holding a bottle brush tree from Home Goods and one of the altered Santa tins I did a few weeks ago.

I do this scene every year in our kitchen. I love the play on whites and you'll notice yet another cloche holding a bird.

I'm hoping anyone in the path of the storm stays safe and warm!

Jeanine

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I love dressing up this vintage school desk we have in our diningroom. Of course, 'tis the season for some Christmas touches.

I did a Pottery Barn knock-off with the noel letters. I've been wanting to do it for literally two years. I finally remembered to pick up the letters during my last trip to A.C. Moore.

The snowman and reindeer are from Home Goods. I made the framed holiday sheet music using a graphic from The Graphics Fairy and Dafont for the lettering: Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.

I also added some handmade Joyeux Noel clothes pins and ornaments I picked up from Kohl's last year. The bird candleholder is from the Dollar store and the little embellished book is tucked there year-round.

I'm definitely getting into the holiday spirit!

Jeanine

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We have this itty bitty piece of wall in our livingroom. It's hard to dress up because it is just so, well, small. It is, however, the perfect size for these JOY picture frames.

I picked up the frames at our local Dollar store. Never mind that candleholder sticking out. It's on the opposite wall and I just couldn't get a good camera angle with it there. You can see it below too - doh! And my spacing is a little off but I refused to put another nail in the wall.

I used DaFont.com to create each letter and then printed them onto white cardstock. Cut them down to size, stick them in the frames and done!

Quick, easy and a super cheap Xmas decoration.

Jeanine