Gus Has Made the Christmas Card

 I wasn't going to send a Christmas card this year because our computer crashed in Nov. and I lost all my pics from the last year, then I came home the other day and Gus had been busy opening a present that was under the Christmas tree.  Busted!  I had to tell the girls to keep out of the room while I checked out whose present he got into.  Luckily, no one saw anything.  He also nibbled on the corner of the box, but it is still usable.

 I couldn't believe he sat still for this photo. (Okay, I put the ribbon around his neck instead of leaving it on the ground).

So all my friends and family that read this blog, you are getting a sneak peak at the Gore Family Christmas Card this year!

Black and Gold Christmas

Black and Gold Christmas by janiegore featuring pearl jewelry

Doesn't this look like a fun Christmas party outfit?  I never wear flats like the ones pictured above, they make my stubby little legs look more stubbier, but I love them.  Kate Spade is a favorite of mine this season, I'm mesmerized when I go into her store at Fashion Island.  So bright and cheery.  Of course, everyone knows Jo Malone is my FAVORITE perfume, I never leave home without it.  

MICHAEL Michael Kors cable sweater
$260 - net-a-porter.com

Black skater skirt
topshop.com

Kate Spade ballerina flat
bergdorfgoodman.com

Jimmy Choo gold handbag
shirise.com

J Crew bracelets bangle
jcrew.com

Kate Spade pearl jewelry
katespade.com

Kate spade
katespade.com

Jo malone
nordstrom.com

Buffet Trees

After Thanksgiving, I took the pumpkin topiaries off the urns and created these little christmas trees for the buffet.  It was really quite easy.

 I placed styrofoam in the urns (top of styrofoam sticking past the edge of the urn slightly) and took my little tinsle trees from target and settled them into the styrofoam.  I then wrapped the base of the tree and the top of the urn with garland from Michaels (gold leaves with pearls).

 Next I added pinecone picks and flowers to fill in all the space between the urn, garland and the tree.

I used little mini bulbs from target, some glittery pinecones, and flowers to decorate the tree.  I also used a little bitty gold garland to tone down the silver tree.  

 I used my urn that I bought from The Enchanted Home and filled it with pinecones and small ornaments.  Easy-Peasy.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

 I've decided to go silver and gold this year for Christmas.  It wasn't that much of a departure from my usual, I am just giving up the red.  I started with this little silver tree and added some gold mini ornaments from Target.  The Mariposa tray hold everyone's keys and glasses as they come in.  I need to get a little skirt for this tree to complete the look.

 I'm also using a lot of pinecones in my decorating, so I added a couple of pinecone picks to my flower arrangement and a nutcracker I picked up at Joann's for 60% off who has a pinecone hat.

 I tossed a couple of pinecones on the tray to tie it into the decorating scheme.

 The table is set with a woodland theme.  I found these cute deer at HomeGoods and the bottle brush trees at Target.  I added some iced pine branches with pinecones to complete the look.  

I am enjoying the change, a softer look. 

I will show you the buffet trees tomorrow.

Finished Wainscoting and Painting

 It started out as a small project...it always does.  We were going to paint the downstairs, but if I change the paint color, I had to take down the red drapes, so I needed to encase the windows.  When the guy was here to encase the windows, I asked how much to install crown moulding...then wainscoting...6 months later we are done.  I had to wait 3 months before the guys were available to install the wainscoting, so I had plenty of time to pick out paint.  Which is a nightmare, by the way! The Handsome Husband got so sick of all the paint blotches on the walls and my asking him which one he liked.  I must have bought 25 samples of different whites, blues and taupes!

 My former color scheme was gold walls, green accent wall and red drapes and accents.  I thought it looked cozy, but apparently, after talking to people looking at the new room, it was dark and gloomy.  I had no idea.

 I never knew there was so much involved in painting wainscoting.  Filling holes, sanding, primer, paint, and wax.  What a job!  I spent a whole week hanging out at Alyssa's while the painters took over my house.

 The reward was great!  I love the new lighter look.  I'm not sure if I am going to add drapes, if so, they would be just silk panels down the sides of the windows, no valances.

 The accent wall is painted a blue green.  I was really stumped trying to pick a blue.  They were too shallow, too cool, too bright but then I bought two pillows for the couch and I had my inspiration.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.  

The colors I used are:

wainscoting - whisper white - dunn edwards

walls - parisian taupe - behr, home depot

ceiling - baby's breath - dunn edwards

accent wall - patina creek - dunn edwards

I wanted so much to use Benjamin Moore, everyone uses Benjamin Moore, but in the end, I just couldn't find a color that was right for me.  As an added benefit, I also saved myself some money.  

Place Card Holders

 I decided to make some place card holders for our Thanksgiving meal.  I used these little silver sugar bowls that I got last year for Christmas.  They can be bought in a set of six at Layla Grace.  I filled the containers with styrofoam cut down to size and then glued the moss on top of the styrofoam, careful not to get any glue on the silver sugar bowls.

 I bought these cute felted acorns from Stone House Crafts off of Etsy.  They are beautifully made and high quality.  I also used this moss from Michaels and went outside to collect these little sticker balls from the Liquid Amber trees.

 I was spending the day at Greg & Alyssa's house because our house was being painted.  She has these cute little flowers growing in her front yard and they were the perfect size for the place card holder.  I love the color of these flowers.  I ended up not using these flowers because I didn't put florist foam (I just used styrofoam, lesson learned) in the containers and they wilted after an hour.

 I then added the sticker ball with tacky glue.

 I secured the acorn and let it hang off the side.

I then added the names.  I ended up using a creamy paper instead of white, but you get the picture.

I also ended up using fake flowers instead of real due to the fact that I didn't use florist foam.  

For this project you need:

containers

florist foam

moss

tacky glue

small scale flowers

natural element (such as the sticky balls)

felted acorns

name cards

Post Thanksgiving Post

 I'm back, finally, after a month!  Our computer crashed the day after my last post and we have been waiting so patiently for the new iMac to come out and we finally got one Friday!  Yippee!
Here is a picture of our Thanksgiving table.  As they say, better late than never!

 I got a floral table cloth from TJMax with rich burgundies and purples, I used velvet pumpkins and pinecones for my centerpiece.

 I added flowers in the rich burgandies, purples and some bright orange and green.

 I made place card holders out of some silver creamers I received last year for Christmas.  I believe my daughters got them at Layla Grace.

We had a wonderful, tasty thanksgiving and we are truly grateful for all our blessings.