Seasonal Decor

12.05.2019

Unique Christmas Decor Ideas

I realized I haven’t shared a holiday home tour this year and want to share our home in hopes of inspiring you with some unique Christmas decor ideas as you deck your halls.

In our living room, I kept it fairly simple but added lots of color to our Christmas tree (see more details on the tree here).

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

I switched out my floral artwork for this beautiful wintry scene – which will last well beyond the holidays!

I kept the mantel simple with garland and stockings I found at our local Meijer store.

The basket was thrifted, and I filled it with old glass ornaments.

I added some simple touches to our kitchen as well. My favorite thing to do is to fill glass containers with bulbs. I found a box of bulk gold ornaments at Big Lots.

I love collecting miniature faux pine trees. They are perfect for adding holiday touches throughout your home.

Near our stove, I added another faux pine tree and a glass globe of ornaments and garland over the doorway.

My goal is to make the house festive without feeling too cluttered.

I recently shared our dining room. This space works well from fall into the holidays, and you can find the tutorial for the fruit centerpiece HERE.

I also decorated our master bedroom for the holidays, and you can read all about that tomorrow!

Our library is also decorated, and I love putting a lit Christmas tree in the front of the house so it is visible from the street.

I talk about the blue and gold Christmas tree here and give tips for decorating trees.

The Merry Christmas sign is digital artwork I purchased and printed at Walgreens. I recently discovered that Walgreens can print poster-sized images!

I needed a rug to soften the space, so I stole this one from our upstairs home office.

How are you decking the halls this year?

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Seasonal Decor

12.02.2019

Holiday Front Door Decor

Holiday Front Door Decor is one of my favorite parts of decorating for Christmas. Our home is fairly traditional, so I keep with the theme of our home when I decorate the exterior.

You can see all the details on my Holiday Front Door Decor here and see how the same space looks during the summer months here.

If you are here from visiting Heather at Southern State of Mind, welcome!

I have used this same decor for my exterior for several years, and it has held up so well with our harsh Indiana winters.

I love the simplicity of the greenery with the red berries. It is simple but festive and very welcoming.

A little snowfall is just icing on the cake for the front door.

Everything lights up at night (which unfortunately is a little after five here), and it adds such a fun ambience to my front door.

I have battery powered candles in the lanterns, and it is one of my favorite details of our holiday decor.

If you are looking for more front door decor ideas, go see Rhoda at Southern Hospitality!

Want even more holiday inspiration? I teamed up with a large group of bloggers and we are festive decor ideas for every part of your home!

2019 Holiday Home Tour | 11 Magnolia Lane

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Seasonal Decor

11.29.2019

How to Make an Advent Wreath

Have you ever wondered how to make an Advent Wreath? I created one that is fresh, colorful, and easy to make. I share the full tutorial below, but first, take a look at this video:

Supplies for DIY Christmas Advent Wreath

Advent Candles (I used the traditional purple, pink, and white candles)
Candleholders (you can add the candles directly to the wreath if you prefer to opt-out of the candle holders)
Styrofoam wreath form
Assorted greenery
Faux sugared cranberries
Faux small oranges
Hot glue gun

Time needed: 30 minutes

How to Make an Advent Wreath

Add greenery to wreath.
Add several layers of greenery and adhere it with hot glue.
Add in little details like faux candied cranberries.
Customize the wreath to fit your style, but I love the colors the faux candied cranberries and oranges provided.
After the wreath is complete, finish by adding candle holders and candles to the center of the wreath.
I went the traditional route with my candle colors, but you could also use white candles instead for a festive and pretty centerpiece. I prefer tapers.

It really is a fairly simple decoration that you can customize to fit your style. I found all my supplies at our local Hobby Lobby, but you should be able to purchase greenery and faux fruit at any craft store. If you’re not into crafts, try finding a pretty premade Christmas wreath instead!

For full coverage, you can first cover the styrofoam wreath with moss as I did for this Thanksgiving centerpiece.

The History of the Advent Wreath – a Christian Tradition

The Advent wreath is traditionally a circular garland of evergreen branches representing eternity. On that wreath, four or five candles are typically arranged, and during the season of Advent one candle on the wreath is lit each Sunday, and the fifth candle (the Christ candle) is lit on Christmas Eve. Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of Jesus.

Growing up, our church had an advent wreath, but our current church does not. I wanted to share this tradition of celebrating the birth of Christ with my kids, so I created our own.

If you want to know more about the advent wreath and the tradition of lighting the candles, you can read more here.

Go create an advent wreath craft and celebrate the light of the world!

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Home

11.26.2019

The Best Space Heater

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Honeywell. All opinions are 100% mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to create unique content while featuring products I love!

I love warm weather, so obviously I am not excited for winter. However, I recently discovered the best space heater which will help me be more comfortable as the temperatures drop – especially because my husband likes to keep our home set at freezing.

You can see more on my favorite space heater in this video:

Honeywell created an enhanced safety feature program for their portable heaters and include the following built-in features in their product:

Tip-over protection
Overheat protection
Cool touch plastic housings
Thermal insulated wiring
Reinforced wire connections
Crimped and soldered plug blades

You can have peace of mind using your space heater!

The Honeywell Turbo Force® Heat Circulator is light and portable so I easily move it around from room to room – there is even a handle on the back.

As a designer, I appreciate the simple, modern design that blends in to any decor style or home – including my own!

The heater is digital and easy to adjust for the perfect comfort – it has high, low, and fan-only settings to personalize its use. It also has the flexibility of being used as a power heater or simply a fan.

The heater pivots so it can be adjusted to three different angles so the heat can flow from seated level to standing level to entire room circulation (although I prefer being the heater’s main focus).

The Honeywell Turbo Force® Heat Circulator works well in our living room. My husband and kids seem to be unaware of how cold our home can be. I can customize the heater so only I feel they heat. This way, everyone is happy and comfortable it is a win-win!

Since I work from home, I use the heater during the day in our home office. It warms up my feet and the tile floors so I can be more productive.

The Honeywell Turbo Force® Heat Circulator also has a three-way oscillation which allows for a customized approach to heat circulation. The heat flow can be directed to a more personal, focused area (my favorite), a wider area coverage, or an entire room (for when I am feeling generous).

If you are looking for a space heater for your home, this little guy is very powerful and can heat an individual or even and entire space. He is my new best friend, and I am sure he would be yours, too!

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DIY

11.19.2019

Easy Floating Shelves

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of High & Mighty. All opinions are 100% mine.

I recently discovered High & Mighty’s floating wall shelves which require no tools (they need just the push of your thumbs and everything you need to hang comes in the box). Installation is a breeze, and you can have a shelf up in just minutes – I have never installed floating shelves so fast (and easily)!

I detail the installation process of High & Mighty’s floating shelves in the blog post below, but first, watch this video:

This is one of my favorite DIY projects ever because of its ease.

If you have a few minutes, you can hang shelf in three easy steps:

How to install a High & Mighty Floating Shelf

Place, Level, and Stick.

Each shelf comes with a leveled guide for hanging . You simply remove the adhesive, place the guide where you want the shelf, make sure it is level, and stick it in place!
Push

The shelves come with three brackets, and the guide has a spot for each brackets. It just requires pushing the brackets into the wall.
Align & Hang

Once the guides and brackets are in place, it is time to install the shelf. Installation is simply aligning the shelf and hanging it on the brackets.

These shelves come in a variety of styles, finishes and sizes and add instant storage solution to any space.

This product is made to actually hold. No project is too big, and a huge range of hanger weights are available so you don’t have to worry about larger pieces being too heavy

They are a great option for both homeowners AND renters since removal is just as easy as installation.

Removal requires removing the shelve and then pulling up the bracket with a flathead screwdriver. Each bracket leaves four small holes which can be easily patched.

Here is a before of my daughters room…

And the after!

The walls were a pale pink, but I painted the walls (and the shelves so they matched exactly). I used Swiss Coffee by Behr – it is the perfect slightly off-white.

High & Mighty also offers other easy organization solutions like decorative hooks which I added to my boys’ bathroom.

These decorative hooks are also tool-free with easy installation and come in a variety of sizes and finishes.

Installation is very similar to the floating shelves, but each hook only requires one bracket so hanging the hook takes seconds.

Here is a before of the space….

And the after!

If you need to get organized fast, then check out High & Mighty’s products. I was so impressed with their easy and quick installation and High & Mighty’s quality products (which also include wall hangers, hook rails, and key rails).

You can find High & Mighty product at your local hardware store (Home Depot, Lowe’s, and True Value), Amazon, and at other retailers (Walmart, Michaels, and Target).

Full Line

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Seasonal Decor

11.14.2019

Tool Gift Ideas for Christmas

I am a huge Greenworks fan, and I’m sharing the best tool gift ideas for Christmas.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Greenworks. All opinions are 100% mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to create unique content while featuring products I love!

Here in Indiana, we have a few larger snowstorms, but we often receive just a few inches of snow – enough that sidewalks and driveways need to be cleared.

My son loves power tools, so I had him test out the Greenworks 80v Cordless Blower on our front step and sidewalks. He had everything cleared in just a few minutes.

This blower is the gift that keeps on giving – year-round!

Greenworks is currently offering a blower/trimmer combo on their website, and you can get 20% off with the code: Sincerelysarad20

For all the DIYers and lawn enthusiasts in your life, this combo would make a great Christmas gift.

The 80 volts blower and trimmer combos pack provides ultimate performance at a great value. The blower has up to 125 miles per hour wind speed and variable speed triggers with 3 speed selections (low, medium, and high). The trimmer features a 14/16 inch cutting path, bump feed head, adjustable handle, and variable speed trigger for added control.

The combo pack includes 80 volts lithium-ion battery and rapid charger which charges in 30-minutes!

Greenworks also offers 40v tools, but we prefer the 80v tools due to our larger yard (it is around an acre). There are over 20 tools that work with this 80v battery, and they include everything from lawnmowers to snow blowers.

The blower and trimmer combo pack provides not only quality product, but quality product at a great value!

Earlier this year, I shared another of my favorite Greenworks products – their 2000-PSI 1.2-GPM Cold Water Electric Pressure Washer. You can read more on the Greenworks pressure washer here.

Who are the tool-loving friends and family on your Christmas list this year?

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Seasonal Decor

11.10.2019

Unique Christmas Tree

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Big Lots. All opinions are 100% mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to create unique content while featuring products I love!

I love adding Christmas trees to the kids bedrooms, it is the perfect place to add a unique Christmas tree.

Recently, I shared tips for how to decorate a christmas tree and revealed our elegant metallic and blue Christmas tree and how everything on it was from our local Big Lots.

As I mentioned in that post, I had the fun opportunity to preview Big Lots holiday line earlier this summer. One of my absolute favorite things (although they offer so many gorgeous decor items) was this pink flocked tree. It was seriously love at first site.

The pink flocked tree is the perfect size for a bedroom – it is not too big and not too small, and it is the most beautiful soft shade of pink. I knew it would work perfectly in my daughter’s room.

Everything from the tree to decor was found at our local Big Lots. Here is the supply list:

Pink flocked tree (pre-lit)
Unicorn ornaments (3 boxes were used and the other ornaments also come in the boxes)
Small sequin tree skirt

My daughter helped me decorate the tree, and the tree was fluffed and the ornaments were on in under 15 minutes. It really is the most perfect little tree!

Lena loves to go to bed with the Christmas tree lights on, and it has the most beautiful soft glow.

You need to check out your local Big Lots for all the unique holiday decor pieces they offer (and you can also see some of the selection online)! You will be able to find the perfect tree and accessories to create your own unique Christmas tree.

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Seasonal Decor

11.07.2019

Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas

I have a DIY Thanksgiving centerpiece tutorial (which transitions well into the holidays), and I’m also sharing a roundup of centerpiece ideas from a talented group of bloggers/designers. You will definitely find a centerpiece perfect for your next holiday gathering!

But first, watch this quick video which shows how I created my Thanksgiving centerpiece:

It really isn’t a hard process. It is all about adding layers of lush greenery and (faux) fruit. I found everything for my centerpiece at Hobby Lobby.

To begin, I cut a piece of floral foam to size.

I love using moss, and I found moss with an adhesive back. Using scissors, I cut the moss to size.

I covered the ends and had enough to create a border. My goal was to hide the foam, and I knew most of the top would be covered with greenery and fruit.

I began with my faux greenery which I cut down into small pieces and created a border. I used hot glue to adhere the greenery.

Next I added the dried greenery. I filled the center.

After the greenery was done, I began adding my faux fruit – also using a glue gun to adhere it.

I found these pretty glittery berry stems which I cut down to size and added to the centerpiece.

And that was it! I was left with a vibrant centerpiece – perfect for your next holiday gathering.

I love this centerpiece because it feels fresh and will transition well from the fall right to the winter.

I used the moss placemats at the Indianapolis Home Show several year ago, and they made an appearance again.

I found the gold flatware, bowls, and napkins at HomeGoods.

My dining room looks so festive and ready for guests!

Too bad I’m not hosting Thanksgiving this year – haha! 😉

Want more Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas? Here are 20 beautiful ways to set the perfect holiday table!

Thanksgiving Table Setting // Easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece // How To Decorate a Thanksgiving Table // A Foraged Centerpiece // Thanksgiving Table, Warm Fall Colors

Natural Thanksgiving Centerpiece // Dried Hydrangeas Fall Centerpiece // Fall Centerpiece // Live Pumpkin Floral Centerpiece // Fall Centerpiece

Thanksgiving Centerpiece // Friendsgiving Ideas // Thanksgiving Dinner Outdoors // Cozy and Intimate Thanksgiving Table // Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas

Thanksgiving Centerpiece with Fresh Fruit // 5 Step Easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece // Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas // Thanksgiving Table Settings // DIY Floral Centerpiece

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Seasonal Decor

11.04.2019

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree

We often take the joy out of the holidays by stressing out over all the details, but I am going to show you how to decorate a Christmas tree so you can stress about one less thing this holiday season.

I partnered with Big Lots on this post, and everything on this tree was found at Big Lots. They have a huge selection of holiday decor that will appeal to any style.

I recently had the amazing opportunity to visit the Big Lots headquarters in Columbus, Ohio to view their Christmas line earlier this year.

Besides cuddling with penguins, I saw all Big Lots has to offer this year. Their holiday line includes everything from rustic to fun and colorful to sophisticated decor. Obviously I am drawn to the more sophisticated look, so I created a glam Christmas tree for our home.

When decorating a tree, consider repetition, style and color.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree:

Repetition

This tree was kept fairly simple and has repeats of four different types of ornaments. One type of tree filler and some large doves completed the look.

Style

Consider a particular style you want your tree to have, Elegance was the goal for this tree, so decor with a glam factor was used.

Color

Blues, metallics and creams were mixed to cream a cohesive look.

When decorating a Christmas tree, it is helpful to add the decor in groups. For this tree, the gold bulbs were added first and other ornaments were added by groups. The tree filler (thin gold spirals) and the doves were last.

As I mentioned earlier, everything on the tree was found at Big Lots! I love that our tree has a high-end look but it didn’t cost a fortune.

Here is the supply list for the Christmas tree:

Multipack of blue and silver shatterproof bulbs
Pearl shatterproof bulbs
Gold ball shatterproof bulbs
Gold leaf bulbs
Gold coiled tree filler
White feathered doves
Sequin gift boxes

Everything was found at my local Big Lots, but they also have a large season offering online!

Hopefully these tips help you create the perfect Christmas tree for your space!

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Home

10.27.2019

The Best Motorized Blinds

Thank you Graber Window Treatments for sponsoring this post. We recently added the best motorized blinds to our home, and we couldn’t be happier with them!

The first time we walked through our home, I fell in love with all the light in our master bedroom. The wall of windows is amazing – except when there is a full moon and light streams in (always right on my face) or when we have the opportunity to sleep-in on a Saturday (but the early sunrise wakes us up).

We have shades on our lower windows, but our upper windows had no window treatments. The windows are a unique size, and we can’t reach them to open and shut blinds. When I discovered Graber’s motorized blinds, I was so excited. This is exactly what we needed in our bedroom. The blinds are battery operated and controlled by a remote.

I worked with Indiana Blinds in Indianapolis to customize the perfect blinds for our master bedroom. They were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.

They visited me in my home and with their help, I selected the black-out 3/4″ cell blinds in Shell White and the classic White Satin for the mount.

Graber’s CrystalPleat Cellular Shade is their most technologically advanced, energy-saving shade ever – constructed with three layers of patented Tri-Sulation™ insulating fabric that works over time to keep energy bills low and your home cozy.

The Graber Cellular Shades offer fantastic fabric quality that is crush-resistant and will stand up to everyday use. The shades are backed with a Limited Lifetimes Warranty so you can enjoy years of worry-free performance.

The shades insulate homes from window drafts and the sun’s harsh rays which help create more even temperatures and fewer hot (or cold) spots.

They are designed for stylish energy savings all year. Their insulating honeycomb design paired with premium fabrics create a high-performance shade for every space and style.

On top of filtering light, the honeycomb-shaped air-filled cells insulate our room from distracting outdoor noises.

Indiana Blinds offered professional installation along with superb customer care. Installation was fast, but they made sure I knew everything I needed to know about the blinds before leaving.

Now that we have the blackout shades for our upper windows, I would love to have them for our lower windows as well. The filtered light difference between the two types of blinds is amazing.

I love how the motorized shades disappear during the day so we can enjoy the light but lower (with the touch of a button) when needed. I was a little worried about how they would look once installed, but you don’t notice the blinds when they are open. The motor is operated by batteries, and the battery pack hides neatly underneath the blind and also goes unnoticed.

See the blinds in action here:

With the remote, we can control each blind individually or as a group. Opening and shutting blinds could not be easier!

These motorized blinds are fantastic for hard-to-reach windows, but they would also be amazing for any space where you want to let light in or with the push of a button.

Where would you use motorized shades in your home?

p.s. Back in the day, I used to be Sara G. My maiden name is Graber, so I was extra excited to work with Graber Window Treatments! 🙂

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Seasonal Decor

10.02.2019

The Best Halloween Costumes

Halloween is such a fun holiday, but I have never been into the gory costumes. I rounded up the best Halloween costumes I have found this year, and the best part is that they can all be found on Amazon!

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

How can you not laugh at this adorable cowboy costume? It is perfect for cats and small dogs. Your pet will sport this getup beyond Halloween…

Mary Poppins is a classic that people old and young love. Moms, maybe you can whip your kids into shape wearing this timeless Mary Poppins costume.

If you ever feel like sending your child to the moon, then this is the costume for you! Amazon offers a huge variety of inflatable costumes at great prices including this rocket ship inflatable costume.

If pretty is the goal for your girl, then this is the costume for her. This unicorn dress will be worn beyond Halloween.

This costume is my personal favorite. It is easy and doesn’t require much effort, but it is unique and fun. Everyone will be drawn to you in this Mona Lisa costume.

This gorilla costume is so fun. It is by far the most expensive costume I am sharing, but it is unique and will get a lot of laughs.

Who can resist a dog in uniform? Show your UPS driver your dog really adores him/her with this adorable UPS dog costume.

This gumball costume is just too cute. Your girl will be the sweetest trick-or-treater out!

Hopefully this Amazon Halloween costume roundup helps make the holiday a little easier for those of that need fast (but fun) costume solutions!

Happy Halloween!

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Seasonal Decor

09.30.2019

Easy DIY Pumpkin Craft

I made this easy DIY pumpkin craft several years ago and love it so much, I decided to share again. I also wanted to make some new pumpkins to match our decor since I am always changing the colors (and styles) in our home.

You can watch the video tutorial below, and I follow with written step-by-step instructions for this craft.

To begin, you will need:

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Step 1:

Cut a hole for the pumpkin stem near the center of the tissue paper.

Step 2:

Cut off any excess tissue paper. You may want cut out sections of paper up towards the stem as well as extra paper around the bottom. It is helpful to not have too much overlapping paper.

Step 3:

Add Mod Podge to the entire pumpkin – be generous.

Step 4:

Add the tissue paper to the pumpkin. Notice in the sections that are cut out of the tissue paper in the image below. You can play around with the best solution for your pumpkin, but try not to bunch the paper too much. Use your hand to smooth out the tissue paper as much as possible.

Step 5:

Once the tissue paper is adhered to the pumpkin, add Mod Podge to the outside. Continue to smooth out the tissue paper.

Step 6:

Allow to dry fully – this usually takes 12-24 hours depending on the thickness of the Mod Podge.

Optional Step: I have found that the Mod Podge melts when I store these pumpkins in the attic. I added a finish spray (after the Mod Podge was completely dry) to try and prevent this from happening.

I made several different version to match the colors in our living room.

Want to see other easy DIY pumpkin craft ideas? Go here to see the tutorials for the fun pumpkins below. I made these several years ago, and I still use them every fall!