Christmas {What it Means to Us- Take 2}

So, why is this Take 2? Well, last year we shared what Christmas really means to us: it represents one DIY project that we could never do ourselves. And guess what? Nothing has changed. We still feel the same way. But in in light of the tragedy that occurred last week, the Hurricane that wiped out a huge part of the East Coast, and all of the other pain and hurt we see every day, the biggest thing that stands out to us about Christmas this year is this: Hope. Our world is full of darkness, but because of that little baby who was born in a manger so long ago and then died and rose again to save us from our sins, we have hope that one day He will return and rid the world of evil and sadness. Our hearts go out to each and every one of you are hurting, are lonely or have no reason for hope this Christmas, and our prayer is that you'll look beyond the hoopla of Christmas and even the manger, to see what Christ has done for you. He can give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11) that this world can not take away, if you'll just accept the gift He has offered to you. We promise you it'll be the best present you will ever receive.

A Worthwhile Evening {Recap}

 

 

A while ago we talked all about our decorating plans for the event, A Worthwhile Evening, benefitting our friend's non-profit organization, Worthwhile Wear. We even shared some mood boards, but wanted to show you how it actually turned out!

 

 

Illuminated Deer Art

Hey Everyone! We're super excited to share this simple, yet majorly cool project with you today!  Two weeks ago  I got back from my 8 day trip to London and Paris with my hubs (Recap post coming after Christmas). It was an amazing, kid-free trip that allowed us to do adult things like visit museums, eat at fun restaurants, see a musical, and do some shopping.  

Favorite Things Party Recap

 

Before we get into today's post, we wanted to take a minute to stop and express our extreme sadness over what happened in Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday. We know that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and we pray that that is true for every person affected by this tragedy. Please keep those sweet children and their families in your prayers as you go through this holiday season and beyond. If you'd like to help in some way, you can donate here.

 

Psalm 34:18

 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 

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A few weeks ago we filled you in on one of our most-anticipated holiday traditions: a Favorite Things Party (we even explained what we do in a fun video which revealed that we really are dorks). To make it even easier for you to host your own, I created this adorable chalkboard-inspired printable invitation.

Jessica's Christmas House Tour 2012

 

 

Only 11 days until Christmas, everyone! Start panicking! Just kidding- I absolutely love this holiday season (September through December is my FAVORITE time of year!) and have been tweaking, arranging and rearranging my Christmas decor for the last few weeks. And guess what? I probably won't stop until I take the stuff down on January 1st. I'm so excited to show you around on my first official home tour. Come on in and make yourself comfortable! (Warming: LOTS of pictures to follow, and hopefully, I'll be able to keep my mouth shut and let you enjoy it! :)

 

Wood Grain Christmas Countdown 2012

Hey Everyone! I'm so excited that I can finally share my Christmas Countdown with all of you! I had  to wait until P&G was ready for it on their pgtryit.com site, so I'm sure you've already created yours for 2012, but hey, Pin it for next year! Tomorrow is Jess' Christmas home tour and I don't know about you, but I'm really super excited (okay, yes I've seen it all, but not in pictures!)  

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Hope your Thanksgiving was awesome and you're ready for the crazy holiday marathon that is the next few weeks! I don't know about you, but the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is probably the most exciting time of the year for my family. It's also really easy to get so busy that we miss taking time to do some of the things we love!

As the Trend Trio Home Expert from P&G’s Have You Tried This Yet? I'm going to share with you a fun craft that you can make to ensure the month doesn't pass you by!

 

Host a Cookie Decorating Party with Dollar General

This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sometimes party planning can cost a pretty penny! I love hosting parties, but this time of year is expensive all around.  Jess and I were super excited when Dollar General challenged us to create a fun Christmas party using Dollar General Holiday décor items.  For only $20 we prepared an adorable Christmas Cookie Decorating Party.  

Monica's Christmas House Tour 2012

Welcome to my Christmas House Tour! Last year our homes were decked out for all of America to see on Nate Berkus, but this year it's just for my family to enjoy.  Sometimes in the blogging world it can feel like there's a lot of pressure to have an HGTV worthy home, but guess what?  This mom of four, that works a full-time job, is not going to cave under the pressure. 

 I proudly present to you, our Very Merry & Realistic Christmas Decorating for 2012! 

(it's going to be a picture heavy post, so get ready and Pin it if you like it!)

Reindeer Artwork {Nate Berkus Blast From the Past}

It's amazing to think that it's already been a year since our whirlwind season on the Nate Berkus Show.  Jess and I wanted to share the full segments from our Christmas Episodes with you today, but unfortunately the widgets aren't working. Boo!  Instead, we're going to share one of my favorite projects from our holiday episode.  I was at Jess' house tonight for our Favorite Things Party (re-cap post coming later this week!) and she had her deer hung proudly again this year! 

Also, tomorrow we're going to begin our 2012 Christmas House Tours.  We're both excited to welcome you guys into our homes and show you how we fancied them up for Christmas this year! 

Okay, without further ado, here's a great DIY from 2011!

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I'm so excited to share this project today!  It was by far my favorite project in the room! Lots of fabulous Nate Show viewers have contacted us over the last week asking when this tutorial was coming... well, the wait is over, here is is!

The Grinch Front Door {Christmas 2012}

Here in the Mangin household, the holiday season is fully underway! We're kind of lame and don't put lights up outside the house, but we do have a rockin' front door! I actually have to give the hubs credit on this idea, I was considering painting my front door (just for Christmas- yes, I'm crazy like that) until Eric made a joke about it being the right color for The Grinch. I gasped in delight and told him that could be epic and amazing!

Welcome to my Grinch Christmas Door! 

Wood Slice Christmas Canvas

Happy Thursday! A few weeks ago, we had the priviledge of sharing this fun project on I Heart Naptime (if you haven't ever stopped over there, do it! Jamielyn is such a sweetie, and her blog is super fun!). We hope you enjoy it!

 

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We don't know about you, but one of our favorite things to do is decorate for Christmas, and we absolutely thrive on challenging ourselves to come up with decorations that are new and different each year. Last year, we tried our hand at creating ornaments out of slices of wood, and since we loved them so much, we decided to create a piece of holiday art with them!

DIY Wood Slice Wreath

You guys. Every once in a while one of my crazy ideas actually pans out and is awesome. I have to say, that in my opinion, this project is one of them. You know me, I'm a whole lot less modern than Monica when it comes to decor (and most things, come to think of it), so I surprised myself with how much I liked this wreath!! Without further ado, here's my little bit modern/little bit rustic Wood Slice Wreath:

 

Christmas Card Love 2012 {Send Us Your Card!}

One of our blogging icons Shelley from The House of Smiths had a great idea that we're totally borrowing. We SO appreciate all of YOU-our readers- and believe it or not, we think of you guys as our really BIG group of friends! I don't know about you, but we send our friends and family Christmas Cards... hint, hint... We'd LOVE to receive your Christmas Card!  

It doesn't matter if we receive 1 or 1 million (a girl can dream right?!?) we'll be so excited with each card that arrives! 

11 DIY Christmas Gift Ideas

 

We love a good DIY project so, of course, it comes as no big surprise that we automatically think DIY when it comes to gift-giving, as well. It's so fun to see a resurgence of all things handmade, and trust me, your friends and family won't miss that scarf and mitten set from one of those big box stores. I've rounded up 11 fun gift ideas for everyone on your list- most of them are easy to do and under $20. Let's get started!