Simple & Serene: A Nature-Inspired Mantel

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by Thinking Out Loud Thursday today.  This is a space where I talk about something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm sharing our Christmas mantel!

There’s just something about bringing a little bit of the outdoors inside, especially this time of year. When I started decorating our mantel, I found myself drawn to soft greens, natural textures, and simple pieces that feel calm and collected rather than overdone. Pine, greenery, wood tones, and a few nature-inspired accents came together to create a mantel that feels cozy, welcoming, and perfectly in tune with the season. It’s a look that reminds me to slow down, breathe deep, and enjoy the beauty that’s already all around us.

I was thrilled when I spotted this wooden piece in our church’s bookstore—I knew right away it had to come home with me. It fits perfectly on our mantel and adds such a meaningful touch. If your church has a bookstore, be sure to stop in and see what little treasures you might discover!

All the other pieces were reused from previous years. The white trees were purchased from Hobby Lobby a few years back. I had planned to add more this year but forgot to look for them before decorating the mantel.  I'll have to try again next year!

I filled the space with a cozy mix of pinecones, dried orange slices, and a few charming owls, layering in natural textures and earthy details that bring the whole display to life.

The only thing left to do is to spend some time sitting back and enjoying the view!

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Decking the Tiers with Gingerbread Cheer

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday! This is my little space to share what’s been on my mind and to invite you to link up and do the same. And today, I can’t stop admiring our newly decorated tiered tray—decked out in the cutest gingerbread theme!

I’m loving our gingerbread-themed tiered tray in the kitchen window! This year I pulled it together using only decorations we already had—no new purchases needed. Thankfully, Hobby Lobby has carried gingerbread pieces for the past few years, so I’ve been able to collect a fun assortment to use.  

Let's take a look at each level of the tray ~

Our kitchen window is big enough that I can truly have some fun with the layout. I get to sprinkle the decorations all the way across, giving each little gingerbread piece its own moment. It feels like the whole window turned into a tiny gingerbread village!

I’ve had so much fun putting this gingerbread-themed tiered tray together, and I’m so glad I could share it with you today. It’s amazing how a few cute pieces can make the whole kitchen feel festive. Wishing you a season filled with cozy moments and a dash of gingerbread magic!

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2024 Christmas Card

As the magic of this season fills the air, I want to take a moment to thank each of you for being part of this journey. Your support, kind words, and enthusiasm mean the world to me.

In mid-November, we took a trip to Asheville with our friends, Jill and Craig. Before we left, I mentioned to Jill that I hoped to get a photo of us for our Christmas cards. They were so thoughtful and eager to help, assisting with photos and scouting out stunning backdrops for us to pose in front of. Here’s the photo we ultimately chose for our cards…

May your holiday be filled with joy, laughter, and the warm company of loved ones. Here's to creating beautiful memories, cherishing traditions, and embracing all the wonders of Christmas!

Wishing you peace, love, and happiness today and always.

With gratitude and holiday cheer,

Penny

Mantle and Family Room Christmas Tree 2024

Hello! Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday, where I share what’s on my mind and invite you to join in and do the same. December has been incredibly busy—I’m staying on top of things, but just barely! It’s definitely a day-to-day rhythm over here.

Today, I’m thinking about my family room tree and mantle and would love to share it with you. After that, it’s your turn to link up and let us know what’s on your mind. Let’s dive in!

This was the first time in nearly two decades that my friend Carol didn't decorate my house for Christmas.  She wasn't available this year so I tackled it with the help of my friend Jill.  Thank goodness for Jill!  She recognized my hesitation in knowing how to pull off the decorating and jumped right in to help.  

I'd been seeing dried orange slices all over social this year and I loved the way they looked.  So I made a batch and used them on the mantle and tree.  They were a great add this year!

When Ian was little, we always decorated the tree with garlands of popcorn, cranberries, and Cheerios. Our dog, however, thought the popcorn strings were his personal snack and would eat them right off the tree. I spent countless hours restringing popcorn—it felt like a never-ending task throughout December! A few years ago, I came across some faux popcorn garland at Hobby Lobby and bought it immediately. Now it’s on our tree, looking incredibly realistic. If only this had existed back when we had a dog!

Hobby Lobby also had the best bells! A couple of sets hang from the end of the mantle.

Each side of the fireplace sports a few holiday decorations too.

I took tons of detailed pictures this year to make next year's decorating less stressful.  Hopefully, my friend Jill will be available to help too!

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2023 Christmas Card

In case you've lost track of days this week - it's Thursday.  Thanks for stopping by Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I share something I'm thinking about and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm thinking about Christmas cards!

I love going to the mailbox this time of year and pulling out the mail to see letters from our friends in the form of Christmas cards!  I cherish peeling back the envelope flap and pulling out the card to read the message tucked inside.  It lifts my spirits every.single.time!  An added delight is when the card has pictures.  Seeing how much the kids of our friends have grown and changed each year makes me feel more connected to them.   

Some years I spend hours making our cards.  Other years I take the easier route and have them printed.  This was one of the years I took the easy route!  After doing some quick price and delivery checking, we decided to go with Photo Affections.  (This is not a paid ad for them.)  They did not disappoint!  The cards came quickly and the quality was good. 

Because I don't have all of your addresses, please consider this my card to you ~

This year I did something I've never done before.  Before dropping our cards in the mail, I paused for a moment to say a blessing over them for all the recipients.  It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle this time of year.  Pausing to say the blessing was a way for me to connect back to the reason for the season.  

I hope your holiday season is joyous!  I'm so grateful that you stop by my little corner of the internet and appreciate your comments and connections.  Thank you and happy holiday!

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Gingerbread Man Tiered Tray

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by for Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I share something I'm thinking about and invite you to link up and do the same.

We are 98% decorated for the holidays and I'm excited to start sharing elements with you.  My friend Carol and her crew come to my house each year and decorate for me.  It's the best day of the year to come home and see what they have created!  

The one place I actually decorated this season was our kitchen window.  I had decided to change up the theme slightly from years past and really lean into decorating with gingerbread men (and ladies).  Hobby Lobby had quite the selection and I couldn't resist their cute faces!

Each level of the tray is adorned with a bit of gingerbread and filled with greenery and ornaments.  

I was able to put together a whole little gingerbread family with the figurines we picked up at Hobby Lobby.  

The window is rounded out with our mailbox cookie jar, cookies for Santa sign, and an adorable little gingerbread house.  I'm looking forward to gazing at these cute little gingerbread people as I cook and bake during the holiday season!

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2022 Christmas Card

It's the holiday season and I love getting the mail this time of year!  Pulling down the lid to the mailbox and seeing holiday cards from friends and family inside makes me so happy!  Since I don't have many of your home addresses, I'm sending you our card via this post today for Thinking Out Loud Thursday.

For the last several years, I've elected to make our cards.  This year was very simple, but I love the end result!  In case you are interested in getting into card making, let me share some of my techniques ~

The front of the card was embossed using my Cuttlebug and an embossing folder.  I've had my embossing machine for years and (knock on wood) I've never had any problems with it.  It makes cardmaking a breeze!  

After finding the message to go on the inside, it's simple to lay out the cards on an 8-1/2 x 11 piece of cardstock.  Each piece of paper makes two cards.  My handy paper cutter slices them in half.  I carted my paper cutter and cards to Des Moines with me last week and worked on them in the hotel while Eric was at his company meeting.

Another tool I love is the scoring board.  It helps put the perfect crease down the middle of the card allowing it to fold in half.  

I use spray glue to connect the paper together.  After years of trying every kind of adhesive, I've found the spray to be the best.  Pair it with the handle and it makes for fast gluing!  The handle is really key.  We use it for paint, glue, really anything that comes in a can.  

Another one of my favorite tools is the brayer.  This is not what this tool is made for, but it works wonders for rolling over the paper you are gluing together to help form a strong bond with the glue.  It's supposed to be for inking stamps.  Maybe someday I'll get around to using it for its' intended purpose!

Put it all together and you have the final product!  Merry Christmas friends.  I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.

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Twelve Days of Christmas

By this point in the holiday season, we've all probably heard no less than 10 renditions of the beloved Twelve Days of Christmas song.   But did you know there's a theory claiming this song was used to secretly pass on the ideology of Christianity?  

This whole theory is new to me and I find it so interesting.  In case it's new to you too, here's the list symbolisms ~

• The Partridge in the Pear Tree is Jesus Christ.
• The 2 Turtle Doves are The Old and New Testaments.
• The 3 French hens are Faith, Hope, and Charity, the theological virtues.
• The 4 Calling Birds are the four gospels and/or the four evangelists.
• The 5 Golden Rings are the first five books of the Old Testament.
• The 6 Geese A-laying are the six days of creation.
• The 7 Swans A-swimming are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments.
• The 8 Maids A-milking are the eight beatitudes.
• The 9 Ladies Dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
• The 10 Lords A-leaping are the ten commandments.
• The 11 Pipers Piping are the eleven faithful apostles.
• The 12 Drummers Drumming are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed.

If you add all those items up, the total number of gifts would be 364.  The gifts are cumulative, so you'd be getting a new turtle dove every single day and so on.  PCN Bank tracks the prices of each item and this year the total is $41,205.58.  

Here's something else I hadn't really thought of - the twelve days actually start on Christmas day and go for the 12 days after Christmas, which represents the coming of the Magi.  This puts the last day on January 5, which is also known as the Feast of the Epiphany.

Now that we've talked about the song, I'll be humming it for the rest of the day!  How about you?

2022 Christmas Tiered Stand

The Christmas decorating at our house is almost all wrapped up and I want to share our tiered stand with you today!  True confession:  I did not decorate this area.  My friend Carol and her team visit our house every year and do the bulk of our decorating.  Our tiered tray sits in our kitchen window and I love glancing over and seeing this space when I'm doing dishes, preparing meals, or just hanging out at the kitchen table.

The kitchen window had the same decorations in it for years.  It was simple - a birdcage, some books, and a picture of our family.  Then I started decorating the tiered stand.  Now it's morphed into the entire window area!  

The stand itself is pretty simply decorated.  Cotton filler acts as snow with ornaments perched on top.  The elf ties in with our Christmas tree we have in the kitchen (I'll show you that in another post).  The Merry Christmas sign is one I printed years ago and framed.  

The left side welcomes a mailbox to deposit those letters to Santa and a sign promising Santa cookies.  

In the last few years, we've added gingerbread items and I love them!

I love this area so much it's going to be hard to take it down after Christmas!  But until then, we are enjoying the Christmas bliss in the window.