It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… Sunday, Dec 18 2011

You may have noticed the Christmas decorations popping up in many of my recent blogs.  Here are a few more photographs of our home during this festive holiday season.  I spread vintage ornaments throughout the house and made garlands using left over fraser fir branches that I collected from the Christmas tree lot down the street.  Most of the decorations were brought with us from Richmond with the exception of the Moravian star that we purchased at Dewey’s Bakery.  It adorns our front porch making the Hurts officially Winstoners!

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Framed Thursday, Dec 15 2011

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Each year I struggle to find the right spot to display all of the Christmas cards that enter our mailbox throughout the holiday season.  This year I decided to get creative and use a couple of picture frames that I bought at a yard sale for a total of two dollars. 

After disposing of the less than desirable artwork, I decided to utilize of my favorite craft materials – chicken wire.  I stapled a large piece on the back of each frame and then snipped off the sharp edges.  The whole project took less than thirty minutes, and it is easy to tuck our cards amongst the wire.  The frames are displayed in the foyer by our Christmas tree where they are slowly being filled with photographs and messages of holiday cheer!

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Cake Stand Off Wednesday, Dec 14 2011

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I made these super simple cake stands using a few odds and ends that I picked up at yard sales during the fall.  The pewter plates were $0.25 each, and the wooden candlesticks were a $1.00 for the pair.  First, I gave the candlesticks a proper dousing of gold spray paint.  Then I used  liquid cement to center and attach the plates on top of each candlestick. 

Once the glue was set, I was ready to incorporate our new cake stands into our holiday decor.  I filled them with glass Christmas balls and placed them in our guestroom where they adorn the mantle.

All in all, not too shabby for a project that only cost $1.50 and took less than fifteen minutes of hands-on time.

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Our Little Sous Chef Tuesday, Dec 13 2011

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This year our sous chef, Mattie Windsor, helped Jed and I make a few confections for her teachers and other local friends.  We made raspberry thumbprint cookies, chocolate covered graham crackers sprinkled with peppermints, and chocolate covered pretzels.  Mattie Windsor already shares her mother’s love for cookie dough and was an excellent assistant in the kitchen.

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O Christmas Tree Monday, Dec 12 2011

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After a slight struggle to put our nine-foot Christmas tree in the stand, not only did Jed and I manage to keep the colossal tree stable (and not topple over), but we also managed to get it reasonably straight.  I then proceeded to string on the lights.  I have learned my lesson from Christmases past and only used nine strands of lights instead of the twenty plus stands I used the year that I nearly cooked the tree.  Finally, it was time for the best part – hanging the ornaments.

Mattie Windsor loved digging through our boxes of ornaments, choosing her favorites, and selecting just the right spots to place them on the tree.  We sang and danced to Christmas carols while we admired our work.

We look forward to the next couple of weeks and enjoying many more evenings (and mornings!) by our Christmas tree.

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Mattie Windsor vs. Santa : Round 2 Sunday, Dec 11 2011

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In this corner, a jolly white-bearded man in a red suit.  And in this corner, a 24 pound red-head in a little red coat.  Santa never stood a chance.

The day started off well.  Mattie Windsor hung out in her pajamas and wrote her Christmas list to give to Santa.  She put on our best dress, her white tights, and her mary janes in preparation of the visit.  Then we headed off to Reynolda Village.

We walked around for a little while and snapped some photos in hopes to soften the blow.  The moment we turned the corner into Santa’s workshop, Mattie Windsor’s back immediately stiffened, and we knew it was over before it started.  There was not even time to take off her coat.  We just had to snap the pictures and get out of there before she could cause any real harm to Santa.

Mattie Windsor: 2

Santa: 0

Stay tuned for the rematch in December 2013.

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Greens(boro)leeves Saturday, Dec 10 2011

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Once again we headed off to the Greensboro Farmer’s Market to acquire the Hurt family Christmas tree.  We gave Mattie Windsor full run to weave in and out of the maze of fraser firs.  Mattie Windsor lapped the lot while we selected a handsome nine foot tree.  After receiving a fresh cut, it was promptly tied to the top of our car, and we drove home with dreams of lights and ornaments in our heads.

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Paint the Floors Red Friday, Dec 9 2011

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This time it was Jed’s idea to paint.  He recently re-glazed the outside of our claw foot tub (not an easy task) which resulted in a marvelous transformation.  As a result, we were ready to take our master bathroom to the next level.  Our bathroom has hardwood floors that were painted dark brown by the previous owner.  The walls were celery green, and overall, the bathroom was completely non-offensive.   (See The Claws Are Out for before pictures.)   With that being said, we could not resist giving it our own Hurt touch.

Jed came up with the brilliant idea to paint the floors red and bring in the gray paint (“London Coach” by Valspar) from our master bedroom (Painting, painting and more painting) to cover the walls above the wainscoting.  After careful deliberation, we selected “Chili Pepper” by Benjamin Moore for the floors.  Painting the floors is a bit of a commitment which resulted in us relocating to our downstairs bathroom for several days while we literally watched the paint dry.  In the end it was well worth it.*  Although the floors turned out to be a bit more coral than red, we love the result.

*Please note that it is highly inadvisable to suddenly become plagued with the stomach flu while not having access to the bathroom closest to your sleeping quarters.

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Painting, painting and more painting Thursday, Dec 8 2011

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November was a busy month full of giving thanks, delicious food, and . . . painting.

The walls of our master bedroom were only one of the many targets of my paintbrush.  I covered the Williamsburg blue (as seen in Saturday Morning Shopping) with ”London Coach” by Valspar.  This was the same paint that we used in our dining room (All that Glitters is not Gold), and as a result of a rare miscalculation, we had a significant amount left over.  Regardless, we found this moody gray to be a lovely compliment to our linen and coral drapes as well as the red and navy throughout our room.  I love the fact that the color transforms from gray to a soft beige throughout the day and adds an overall sense of peace to our sleeping quarters.

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Deja Vu Wednesday, Dec 7 2011

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Let me set the scene.  It is a Thursday evening at approximately 8:00pm (after Mattie Windsor has gone to sleep).  Jed and I are on the front porch enjoying our nightly cheese plate accompanied by a glass of wine.  The conversation goes something like this:

Me:  “Umm, I have something to tell you and I do not think you are going to like it.”

Jed: “Oh, what is it?”

Me: (pause) “I want to redo Mattie Windsor’s room . . . again.”

Jed:  (long sigh) “Is it because you really don’t like it or do you just need a project?”

Me: “I really don’t like it.”

Jed: ” How long have you felt this way?”

Me:  “Since I finished it the last time.  I have just never been happy with it.”

Jed: “Go ahead.  I pick my battles.”

And the rest is history!  I only made a few minor changes and kept most of it the same.  (See Purple People Eater.) For example, the chalkboard wall is here to stay.  On the other hand, all of the overly saturated colors had to go.  I opted for a more glamorous little girl’s room with a palette of soft pink, black, white, and natural linen.  The transformation of the acid green cubbies was my top priority.  I repainted them using a grayish white that I found with the “Oops paint” at Home Depot.  Next, the remaining three non-chalkboard walls went from turquoise to the perfect shade of pink (“Marry Me” by Benjamin Moore).  Finally, the whimsical chair that I upholstered in the spring (Tweenie Chair) was sold on craigslist, and I opted to make simple alphabet shades to dress her windows instead.  Winter is coming and a window treatment is definitely more energy efficient.  Last but not least, I added a globe that I picked up at goodwill and painted with chalkboard paint.

And now peace has been restored to the Hurt household.  I am finally content with Mattie Windsor’s bedroom.

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