So I did a little shopping.....

So this weekend, I did a little shopping....did you?!?!

Like I mentioned in a previous post....I DON'T do Black Friday shopping, however I did manage to snag a few good deals on Sunday and then again on cyber Monday!  Whoo go me!  I think I'm now done all my BIG gift items......only I can't tell you what I got or how much I saved.....just because some people reading this.....would find out what they were getting for Christmas!

So.... suffice it to say.....I did get a few goodies on sale!

One of my absolute favorite items I got this weekend, was a little white table top Christmas tree!!

I love it!!

I'll give you a little sneak peak of how it looks, only this is not really how it looks now.  I was testing a few different things, you know to check out how I liked the color of ornaments and such against the white.

So this is kinda how it looks and kinda not!  

I would show you it how it is now, except my lighting in here is not good!  I've been taking all my photos on my iphone.......hopefully Santa will bring me that Cannon Rebel T2i! 

Anywhooo....here's a little sneak peak on of my lovely new tree!

How did you all do this weekend?  Get any good deals?!?!

I've been working on a few non-Christmas related things....so stay tuned for some updates on those!

Happy Shopping Weekend!

Do you all do the whole Black Friday shopping at midnight thing?!?!  I'm not sure I'm brave enough to ever give that a shot!   Have any of you all gotten some really amazing deals this  way?   

I don't shop well with crowds, so I don't think I'll ever be able to go!   I like when I have an entire store to myself, and I can take my time and actually look at things!   I do however always like to browse threw the fliers just to see what I'm missing.    

One of my favorite things to watch are the Target two day sale commercials!  

I think they are hilarious!

For some reason, Josh thinks this is totally me.  He even wants to get a video of me doing crunches on the Target ball!

Wouldn't this be fun to try?!?!

Anywhooooo......did any of you all score any great deals this weekend??

I think my one may be a this white tabletop tree from Macy's!

This three foot tree is on sale at Macy's for $32!  It was originally $80!  

I'm heading out soon to go get one!

Here's to hoping there is still some left in the store!

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Turkey Day!!

I hope you all are having a wonderful, fun and relaxing Thanksgiving Day!

Mine will be nice and relaxing....I don't do the cooking!   I do look forward to hosting the BIG Holiday meals, but I don't know how you all handle the timing of all the cooking!!

That just makes me nervous!

Guess I'll find out some day.   But for now Josh and I will be heading over to my sisters to play with the nephews for a bit, then off to his families house for the main meal!

I did manage to cook one delicious dessert to bring with us today,  guess where I found the recipe! 

 Pinterest!

Let me just tell you it's delicious too!

I made this Chocolate Bread with Peanut Butter Spread!

So yummy!!

Not super Thanksgiving-y but sometimes it's nice to have something unexpected on the Holidays!  Besides I make pumpkin stuff year round! 

Have you all found any fabulous recipes on Pinterest!  Do share!!

I hope all of you have a fabulous day today!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A little more Christmas decor!

So by now you know that I am OBSESSED with Christmas.   In fact, I'm watching my all time FAVORITE Christmas movie while I'm writing this post, White Christmas!   

I just wanted to share with you all a few more pictures of some of the Holiday decor I've started to sprinkle around the apartment.

I guess you can say my Christmas theme, or what I'm drawn to is sparkle!  Gold or silver, it doesn't matter as long as it sparkles I'm all over it!

The white deer I found at Micheal's and only cost around $7!  They have super sales all the time!  What you can't see in the photo is that he is covered is white glitter!  

I added  five gold glitter balls to the turquoise bowl, they were a whopping $1.50 a piece at Pier 1.

  

 These ornaments I found at Target for $2, will probably not make it onto my tree this year.  The gold glitter is the perfect touch to coffee table Christmas decor!

I can't wait to put up my tree in the next week!  

What are you all doing to get ready for Thanksgiving this week?!  I'm lucky and really don't have much to do, as I'm not the one that cooks in my family!  Whew!  I get off easy this week!

I bet you all are cooking up a storm, any delicious fun old or new recipes that you just love to cook?!

I'd love to hear what they are!

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas!

So in case you haven't noticed I have a thing for white with pops of color!  Did you notice?!?

Well it would seem to follow then, that I would fall in love with white Christmas trees!

I'm totally head over heals in LOVE with this idea!  

Again I wish we had the room to decorate TWO trees.....

Hmmm..... maybe I'll find a cute tabletop one.....

Have any of you fallen in love with a look your dying to incorporate this Christmas?!   Or are you strictly a traditional Christmas color  girl ( or boy! )  either is perfect!  The ONLY Christmas must ( in my opinion ) is use LOTS of twinkle lights!

DIY-ing a little Christmas Decor.

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner?!?!

EeeCK!  Me either!
 I don't even have to cook the whole Thanksgiving feast, it just means that the Holidays are fast approaching!
 While some of you may think that Christmas decor shouldn't be out before Turkey day, ( though  from  the comments I got on my last Christmas post,  SOOOO many of you have already started putting out your Holiday decor. ) I like to get the majority of my goodies out and about before then.  The goal is to spend all of  December relaxing and enjoying the Holidays!  In between shopping, cooking and cleaning for all the get togethers that are sure to happen!  Whew,  sometimes I wonder how it all comes together!

A little Christmas inspiration hit last week and after a quick trip to Micheal's to pick up a few supplies I got to work making a Winter Wonderland!  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may have heard me talking about it!

Here's what I picked up from Micheal's for my Winter Wonderland project.

Three large paper mache cones. ( I had one left over from last year, for a total of four.)

Four small cones.

Nine marabou feather boas. 

The paint and glitter I used for the project I already had in my stash!

I gave all the cones a few coats of Martha Stewart,  Mother of Pearl paint!  This color is gorgeous!!

Next, I wrapped half of the cones with the marabou feather boas, using hot glue generously in between wrapping to keep everything down!  The other half got a generous sprinkling of Martha Stewart's Antique white gold glitter!  This entire project cost me around $25!

I did add a few little things to spice up my Winter Wonderland,  like this gorgeous peacock ornament!  I  am soooo in love with peacock colors right now!!  If only we decorated TWO Christmas trees!  One would most definitely be decked out in the fabulous colors of a peacock! 

 I bought a whole mess of peacock ornaments, I guess they'll just have to all go on my one tree.

I also added the Glam Wreath I DIY-ed last year to my Gallery Wall  above my sofa.  I love  how well it looks with my glittery trees!

Gosh that one black and white photo always manages to get just a little bit lop-sided every time I want to take a photo!   Sometimes I think it has a mind of it's own,  ohhh well,  I guess it just doesn't like to conform like the other images up there!

I decided to DIY these white trees with marabou feather boas instead of just buying regular white feather trees.   While I like feather trees,  I've gotten tired of seeing them in every bit of Christmas decor out there!  I think the softness of the marabou boa gives me that snowy white look, while just being a bit different from other things I've seen.  

   

I love how my new Christmas decor turned out!  I just can't believe how easy it was to make.   The hardest part was having the patience to let the paint dry!

So what have you all been up to this week?  Planning the Turkey Day menu? Pulling out the Christmas Decor? 

Houston, we have a winner!

I have a winner to announce for the fabulous Shabby Apple Necklace Giveaway!

Just to recap, Shabby Apple offered this fabulous necklace to one reader of A {Blonde's} DIY Life!

Now on to the good stuff,  the winner is Alison from Stuff and Nonsense!

She said,  "it's hard to choose a Shabby Apple favorite

but i do love the tuxedo III dress!".

Congrats Alison!  

Email me and I'll let you know what the next step is!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Ok, now I'm singing that song in my head!  Are you?

I realize for some of you it may be a bit early to even start thinking about  putting out  the Christmas decor, but I have a little confessions to make.....

I have!

No, we haven't put up our tree...yet, but that's only because we always use a live tree!  AND I admit it is a little early for that if I want my tree to last till after Christmas!  When we have a place big enough to do TWO trees, one live and one fake, I will be putting the fake tree up around this time each year!  Don't judge me for wanting Christmas to be out before Thanksgiving,  I just can't help loving things that sparkle!!

Here are a few little things I have started to put out....

I've added these great sparkly gold balls to my Zgallerie elephant!  I found them at Pier 1 for just $1.50 apiece!  I wish the camera did a better job of picking up all the shimmer on them! They look fantastic with my DIY Gold Leaf Lamps!

I've also started sprinkling some mercury glass around the space.   Do you think I have a thing for metallics?!?

I found this piece sign fingers at Tjmaxx,  it reminded me of a Jonathan Adler piece I've seen,  but at $7.99 it is  a much more reasonable price  for something so trendy!  It just makes me happy to look at it, so it wasn't put away when I brought out the mercury glass!

While all this mercury glass is part of my Holiday decorations, it's not TOO Christmasy looking the way I have it displayed now.  I'll be adding some tinkle lights, candles, ornaments, and/or fresh garland to the whole thing as it gets closer to the Holidays!  I never quite know what I'm going to do until I'm knee deep in the Holiday decor! 

So what about you, have you been itching to add some Christmas decor to your space?!  Or can you not stand seeing anything out until after Thanksgiving has had it's turn!?  Either way is just fine by me!  I just can't help myself though, I love the sparkle!

Don't forget to enter my Shabby Apple Giveaway!!

Shabby Apple Necklace Giveaway!!

At the end of yesterdays post I mentioned that I had a super exciting giveaway that I would announce today.....are you ready?!?!!

The lovely people at the fabulous online vintage women's dress boutique Shabby Apple have offered this gorgeous Key to My Heart necklace to one lucky reader of A {Blonde's} DIY Life!

Isn't it gorgeous!  I've loved  key necklaces ever since I saw a Tiffany & Co one on Gossip Girl last year!

If you win you could keep it for yourself or it would also make a fabulous Christmas gift for one lucky lady!

Shabby Apple also has some GORGEOUS vintage inspired dresses to wear to work or to a party this Holiday Season!

I adore this white skirt!!

This navy and white dress would definitely be perfect for a little beach vacation!

Don't think they forgot about all you fashionable mommy's-to-be out there, Shabby Apple offers plenty of chic little options for you too!

This dress is such a happy red!

For those of you who spied the perfect dress you just can't live without, Shabby Apple is generously offering a discount to all of you!!

Just use this code  blondeDIY10off  as you check out to get 10% off your purchase!

The discount is good for one month,

so you have plenty of time to find that perfect little Holiday outfit, or gift for that special someone!

Don't forget to check out the Shabby Apple Facebook page to stay up to date on all their specials and promotions!

Ok so here's how you enter to win the fabulous Key to My Heart necklace,

1) Follow A {Blonde's} DIY Life via Google Friend Connect.

2) Like A {Blonde's} DIY Life on Facebook.

3) Hop on over to Shabby Apple and let me know what your favorite dress, skirt, or piece of jewelry is!

That gives you three chances to win, just leave a comment for EACH one, if you already are a follower or Facebook friend just leave a comment that you already are!

I can't wait to see which dresses are your favorite either!

You have one week to enter, I'll be announcing a winner Tuesday, November 15th. 

I'm pretty much in LOVE with the gorgeous white tulle skirt!  I may just have to get Josh to take me somewhere fun so I can wear it on New Year's Eve!!

* You must be have a U.S shipping address to win, and there are no exchanges on the giveaway item.