And the stockings were hung…

Well since we’ve moved in and finally gotten settled, I have been decorating like mad and collecting cute Christmas stuff for cheap (dollar stores are amazing!). Anyway, I’ve also become obsessed with all the great crafts out there, and I have about a meeeelion ideas of things I want to do…but this was a top priority and I’m so so happy about how it turned out!

I saw an idea similar to this on a blog somewhere and since we don’t have a fireplace, I loved the idea for a stocking holder. It was pretty dang cheap and easy. I got a board for about 5 bucks and had them cut it at Home Depot. I had the vinyl letters made in the cute font for about $3. I bought the snowflake stickers for a buck and the spray paint the day after Thanksgiving for $2. I was going to use wooden pegs, but then I saw these cool iron fleur de lis hangers at Hobby Lobby! They were $2 each (50% off).

It took 3 coats of spray paint, and I only sanded the edges. After I put on the vinyl letters and snowflakes, I covered the entire thing with a thin layer of mod podge to seal it. Then we drilled in the hangers and I painted the silver screws black.

I bought little metal hooks for the back so I could hang it. They were $1.50 at Michaels (without my coupon dangit!).

Total price: about $16. I absolutely LOVE the finished product and I’m so happy we have such a cute way to display our stockings this year! I cant wait for my next craft! YAY!

Christmas & Housewarming Party!

Dan and I had a Christmas/Housewarming party for our families on Saturday and it was a blast! I was so stinkin’ excited to have people over to our house and to make treats and everything! So almost everyone was able to come (except Dan’s sister and her family, my sister, and Dan’s brother and fam in Idah0). We had about 19 people there so it was a pretty good turn out!

My digital invitation. Made it in photoshop by copying one I found online for a different party last year. I just covered up their words with my own! Saweeet.

Dan of course checking out the game scores before everyone came over. He is so great to help me so much and I have OCD and he totally puts up with it and doesn’t even act like I’m crazy (which I kind of am). He just does things and makes me laugh along the way!

The house before people came over. We had some extra chairs Dan had gotten from work for a good deal and he also got a cute little kid table (under the bay window) which worked out great for the grandkids!

I love to bake and I had to restrain myself or I would have made a lot more! I made yummy 7 layer dip, chocolate chip cookies, Christmas tree cookies, buckeyes and Fresca/Limeade. The Christmas cookies were an idea from Thrifty Decor Chick,

and the Buckeyes were from Beneath My Heart.

I love the awesome blogs I read and their great ideas!

I made the super cute JOY candlesticks which I saw on Shanty2Chic!

Jon, Joe, Julie and Wellyn in the family room and cutie pie Wellyn just chillin’ on the couch.

The cute girlies enjoying their cookies. I think Sarah ate about twice her body weight in cookies. No joke.

Wellyn loves to sit and watch the picture slideshow on the laptop! He’s so funny when he recognizes someone or something.

The girls playing with Dan and my parents enjoying the food!

Grandpa and Ryan (above) and Dave and Amanda (below).

Joe, Debbie and Grandpa Goates.

Jon and Mike.