My home makes me happy [part 3]... especially at Christmas.

Once upon a time I saw a chalkboard painted globe in the Restoration Hardware Catalog.  I loved it.  It looked similar to this...

And then I found this little article on Design Sponge with this photo...

I love the look of these painted simple globes...
So, naturally, I'd been thinking about which one of my globes that I bought from the antique market a while back that I could paint.  In order to keep the correct topography, I decided to use PUFF PAINT (do you remember loving this when you were 9 yrs. old?  Me too.) to outline the continents.  My plan is to paint the entire globe a light blue or a pale yellow and then outline the continents again using the relief puff paint job as my guide.  Make sense?
Anyway, I did the puff paint and now I'm wondering if I should stop?  I kind of like the fat white outlines.  Any suggestions?  Votes?  Hollah if you'd like to give me your input.

oh, yes I did.  Utah and Texas, represent!

::: In other news, we're decking the halls and cleaning the crap (pardon my french).  In order to make room for a few new toys for Christmas, we're cleaning and going through all the toys that our kids don't need/play with.  And, then I hit our bedroom and got rid of all the "clutter" that has been littering our two dressers.  Things like random paperwork, sewing supplies, buttons, extra pens... things that have just been SITTING there forever waiting to find their home.  So, I cleared it off, and got to work.

Oh, and I finally hung some of our travel pictures up on the wall last night.  It feels so good to check some of these random things off my list.

 

 

I think I'm so funny with this figure.  I love that he's running away. I chuckle to myself EVERY time I see it.

Here's another part of our room.  I think I've posted about my little bulletin board before, but here it is with a CLEAN dresser top.  :)  My mom and sisters (and I) collect charms and here is where I put them.  A bunch of them have tarnished, so I gotta polish them up again.  But, I like this little spot a lot.

 

 let's zoom in.

 

And zoom in some more.  Maybe one day I'll tell you about ALL the charms.  Then again, maybe not.  Here were some that caught my eye.  

Go Lone Peak.  Represent.  (I think I've said "represent" twice in this post. nice.)

 

Aaron went on a business trip to Illinois a few weeks ago.  The place he went to wasn't a big tourist spot, so there wasn't much to bring back, but he did see this little charms so he got one of Tillie and Cal.  I thought that was pretty sweet of Aaron.  What a good guy!

 

 2002 Winter Olympics in SALT LAKE CITY.  That's right, for a third time... Represent.

 

And, although she isn't a "charm" per say, I love this little gal that used to hang from my cuckoo clock.  Check out the uni-brow.  So funny.  I think her little UNI is endearing.  Let's super-size this picture:

 

Now let's take a little walk into the middle chunk of the house.  Some call it a dining room, but it's really the den/dining area/play room/middle chunk of the house.  We put these frames up a month or so ago and I finally put things in them (well, all except that tiny middle one above the plate. still debating about that one.).  I love this wall.  It makes me glad every time I see it.  And, since we live in the middle chunk of our house, we see it a lot.  Calvin's new trick is taking his finger and pointing to the pictures and laughing.  It's great.  We love it and think he's so funny.

Normally the little elf door is blank, but b/c it's Christmas, that's where I'm displaying some of our cards. 

Let's take some close up shots.  You might notice some new darling pictures of the family.  Yes, we had a REAL legit photographer, Krista, take them this year.  This is the first year we've ever done REAL TRUE FAMILY PHOTOS.  I'll have to post some of them later.  She did great.  And that painting in the top left?  Remember when I made it for my mom last year and then decided to keep it for her (she didn't know where to put it, so until she decides, I'm keeping it.  hA!).

all time favorite picture of Aaron.  He let me paint his face when we were dating.  He doesn't let me paint his face anymore. That's weird.  Ahhh, the things you'll do when you are dating...

you see, we had this thermostat and doorbell speaker delight we had to work around... so doing a collage like this is really a nice way of hiding it all.  oh, and my professional hanger (aaron) accidentally hung the little lemon collage painting upside down.  I'm lazy and haven't turned it right side up, but in case you were wondering if it was on purpose, it wasn't.

 

And, while we're at it, let's take a look at the awesome Nativity we received two years ago from Aaron's parents.  I love it.  So much.  My family has one just like it.  We display it on our piano.  And, Becca gave us a mini olive wood one from Jerusalem.  Double awesome.

The stockings are really finished.  Let's see some close up shots...

 

 

 

And then here are a few of Calvin's plaid stocking...

 

I embroidered their names on them too and am fairly pleased with the results.  We still need to find another stocking hanger.  Until then, Aaron (who wanted a very plain stocking) is teaming up with Matilda's.  Oh, and I squish them together so tight, b/c otherwise Calvin can reach up and pull them down (we store our ottoman directly under this).  Those heavy stocking hangers could do a number on his little soft bald head.  I'd rather compromise the overall design aesthetic instead of my baby's head.  Catch my drift?

Between the Nativity on the piano and our little niche' ---that's the extent of our Christmas decor.  Oh, I have a wreath on the front door too, but that's it.  I know, I know.  We were going to set up our big tree this year, but since Calvin is totally crazy and into EVERYthing, I didn't feel like playing police-man all day long.  Call me the Grinch.  It's okay.  We'll try again next year.  And, I think our kids will be well adjusted individuals, even though their mom skipped the big tree this year.  Here's hoping...

 

Again, sorry for the blurry photo.  But, you gotta love our little Elf on the Shelf.  Have you ever heard of this?  Pretty fun concept. And one of our most TREASURED ornaments is Aaron's Noodle Angel.  Do you see it?  Yes, made mostly from little noodles.  Genius.  He made it when he was little and it gets a place of honor on our tree each year.

So, there's the 411 on Christmas in our house and our latest house projects.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.