26th Birthday : High Expectations

Did you see the Birthday episode of New Girl?

Well, Jess and I can relate. If you haven't seen it, here's a recap of the most significant part...

[Jess opening gift and pulls out a sweater from Cece. Jess reads the tag on the sweater.]

Jess: "Made in CHINA?! You're taking me to CHINA!!!"

Expectations. 

SUPER high expectations, at that.

I've really tried to chill out about birthdays. I'm not a kid anymore. I'm 26. Should I really expect people to throw me a surprise party every year?

No. But I do.

Which is why I persuaded JD to watch the New Girl episode with me, so that he would know I have high expectations even though I say every year, "No, it's cool. We can keep it super low key."

As long as you know "super low key" means balloons, kazoos, ice cream cake and celebrating with all of our friends. 

Curious to see how my big day played out?

Here's a play-by-play...

Delicious breakfast at Another Broken Egg...

{Quickly after this breakfast, JD started putting plans into action... as in, he realized that I wasn't honest with him about keeping it low key so he sent out an email inviting our friends out to celebrate with us later that night.}

--

Annual Bday Gift from JD: Moleskine Journal

Side note: Gifts are not a big deal to me on my birthday, except for this one. The journal sets the precedent for my year, the theme of my year, etc. I'll tell you more about this later. This is the first page I've illustrated on for the year. 

Halfway through the day, my friends next door rung the doorbell and hid so I couldn't see them. They popped out from beside the door frame and yelled, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" 

Thanks Alyssa, Ava, and Elizabeth, for being sneaky and for bringing me a butterfly balloon, card and delicious cupcakes!!

Alyssa: Make a wish and blow out the candle!

Me: What should I wish for?

Alyssa: How about a very happy Swan Day??

Me: Ok!

{not sure what a Swan Day is... but I wished for a very happy one.}

--

Mom told me that she sent a special gift, but stated that it wasn't sent through USPS nor did it have a tracking number. "Just look out of your peephole when someone rings the doorbell. And make sure you answer it right away." I was curious all day until around 5:00 when a man was holding this lovely Edible Arrangement outside the door.

It is amazing! We can't stop eating this delicious, pre-cut fruit. 

Please note that the card says "Happy 22nd Birthday". My parents are too hysterical. I love them. Also, "Shining Star" was my indian princess name growing up and also my aspiration career-wise when I was a kid. 

Mrs. Donna: What do you want to be when you grow up, Whit?

Me: I'm going to be a Shining Star, of course!

{Mrs. Donna reminded me of that childhood conversation during our wedding reception.}

--

Finally, JD took me to my favorite restaurant (Casa Blanca) for dinner. He was being super devious throughout the meal. We made plans to go to Cold Stone for dessert and I was super surprised when several of our friends were there waiting for us!!

Well done, my sneaky husband. Well done! 

Thank you Robinsons, Longs, Seth, Brad, John and Rebecca, and Hardins for celebrating with us!! We are so thankful for y'all!! 

--

26th Birthday Summary: My expectations were blown out of the water by amazing friends and family. 

Loved. 

That is the one word that could sum up my day. Love was flowing from all directions. I was surrounded by it, engulfed by it. What a beautiful year this will be!

Save On Your Electric Bill : Free Energy Audit

Do you feel like your electric bill is outrageous??

We kind of did.

So I called Huntsville Utilities and asked for an explanation as to why our reading was that high.

We only turn lights on if absolutely necessary, utilizing every last drop of sunshine our large windows can hold.

Our thermostat is set at a brisk 61 degrees in the winter, using our fireplace to heat up the house.

What other extremes could we explore?

"We offer free energy audits for all of our customers," the kind HSV Utilities employee responded.

Sign. Me. Up.

A couple of days later, Brad (the energy audit man) walked around our house with me, pointing out areas where we could do a little handiwork while saving a lot. 

Do we recommend this program? Absolutely. It's free and Brad printed out a full-blown Energy Audit Report that explained areas where most cold / warm air is lost and how we can improve those areas for better energy usage. The report also includes an estimated cost of repairs along with a Quality Program Participant List if we choose to hire someone to fix the problems. 

I normally feel obligated to working with a company if they come out to give us an estimate or to evaluate an issue at our house. But there is no obligation in working with the utility company as a contractor... because it's not a contractor. They aren't the ones who will be doing any of the work required to make our house keep more energy efficient. This also makes their evaluations more trustworthy.

Fortunately, we will be able to DIY most of the stuff from our report. For those of you who may not have this free service offered through your utility company, here is a list of things that Brad recommended we do...

Also, please remember that our house was built in 1965. There are a few issues that stem from the age of the home.

• Spray expansion foam around pluming openings under the sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms 
• Glaze single pane windows around the panes and caulk all windows at the edges to prevent air and moisture from coming in
• Ensure all of the doors leading to the outside of the home are actual exterior doors and not interior doors
• Exterior doors should be sealed on the sides, top, and bottom to prevent air and moisture from coming in (jamb-up weatherstripping and thresholds with vinyl bulbs are recommended for sealing existing doors)
• Attic access doors and pull down stairs should be insulated and weatherstripped if located within conditioned areas
• Make sure your HVAC system is serviced annually if more than ten years old, and on a two to three year basis for systems less than then years old
  Maintenance should always include cleaning the coils and an inspection of the condensate drain and overflow system.
• Check for places where air may be penetrating your house and either caulk the openings or add a foam seal where you find the problem
  This may include exterior / interior wall receptacles, outside walls at floor, wiring openings, fireplace damper, and / or light fixtures.

Needless to say, we have a lot of weatherstripping to put up, pipes to warm with foam sealant and cracks to caulk. 

If you would like a free energy audit from HSV Utilities, call the number from the website and ask the operator to connect you with the energy department. They'll be able to help you from there. Good luck! 

Postscript: There tend to be many frustrations with utility companies but I have been incredibly impressed with the immediacy of HSV Util. to solve the problems we've had so far. We owe about 98% of this post to Huntsville Utilities and give them the credit for it. We wouldn't have any of this information if it wasn't for their guidance and service. Thank you, HSV Utilities for going above and beyond.

Jitney's Journeys : Joys of the Job {Working with Scripture}

My favorite part of the creative side of Jitney's Journeys is having the opportunity to envision really cool pieces with inspiration from my friends. Judy asked me if I could make a couple of Christmas gifts for her in December. One being a heart piece for Emma, personalized with "Emma... God's words for you"and Jeremiah 29:11-13; and the other being a diamond piece for Kim, personalized with "Kim, you are worth far more than diamonds" and Proverbs 31. With Judy's enthusiasm and inspiration, it didn't take much more for me to design these pieces...

It's such an encouragement to design custom work with scripture. I haven't even had the pleasure of meeting Kim and Emma but they have been poured over in prayer in the hours worked on those pieces. The words of God have dwelt deep in my spirit and settled gently into my heart. It is my prayer that God's words will penetrate their hearts in the same way. Working with scripture is a constant reminder of God's love for us, His mercy and His longing to know us.

I need that reminder.

Constantly.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

Proverbs 31

Marriage : Transparency

I don’t share a lot of deep - or even “on a whim” - thoughts on our blog. Most of those thoughts are sitting in a Jitney Blog Draft folder on my hard drive. Others have been jotted down in my Moleskine with a buffalo leatherskin and turquoise cord wrapping them up unnoticed. Still, some, are logged away in the back of my brain tucked away so nobody can ever read or hear them.

JD and I had the opportunity of sharing our testimonies with our new small group this past Sunday. Normally I love sharing my testimony because each person’s story is a story of redemption and grace that can only be given by Christ alone. But JD wanted to share about a few of our ugliest struggles both pre-marriage and inter-marriage. He told me the things he felt led to share as I responded with, “Are you sure you want to share that?” We shared things with them that we had only shared with a handful of friends, our closest confidants. 

Somehow we also - non-purposely - entered into a time of confession with one another the Thursday before we sat with our small group. It was a time of embarrassing confession. A time of fearing judgment from one another. A time of releasing our deepest, darkest secrets in which we had shared with either maybe one or two friends or nobody at all. 

It was also a time of liberation. A time of uncontrollable laughter. A time of true intimacy. 

It was beautiful to feel so free, so unshackled, so unburdened. 

Before telling each other these things, we both felt ashamed, embarrassed and judged - even though we hadn’t even told each other. We assumed the other would think of us differently or - worse - have a thought of, “Who is this person I thought I knew so well?!” While, yes, we will forever learn about one another, these could’ve been game-changers (or at least, in our own minds, they could’ve been). Fortunately, they were game-changers in the sense of directing our hearts to grow deeper with one another, to forgive one another (if needed) and to laugh at each other’s strange quirks.

Fast forward to yesterday… Our friend Karen is leading a bible study at the YMCA which started yesterday. She spoke about guarding our hearts (which I’m afraid is too often associated with single women and not associated enough with every person, regardless of gender or season of life). In Psalm 139:23-24, David pleads with the Lord, “Search me, God, and know my heart.” David is longing for the same knowing and intimacy God allowed JD and I to share last week. David is offering - exposing - his heart to the Lord. What a joy it was to see the dynamics in intimacy between marriage versus our relationships with Christ. God longs to know us, way deeper than I could ever long for JD to know me or for me to know him. Whether in your marriage or, more importantly, in your relationship with Christ - I challenge you to pour your heart out. Be vulnerable. Our Father longs to know you, longs to know your needs and your struggles. He offers grace freely and abundantly. He has made His dwelling among us. Through His word and the Spirit, God will speak truth over your struggles. 

It will be a time of feeling so free, so unshackled, so unburdened. 

---

PS: We finally won at trivia night last night!! 

We won second place (which was amazing because we're normally towards the bottom of the list). 

Final Bonus Answer: Germany. 

Way to go Team Shermanators. 

DIY Todd Nest : Hymnal Banner {Come Thou Fount}

After we took down our Christmas decorations, the front entryway seemed so bland. 

Solution: Banner across the glass block wall (can you tell I'm really embracing it these days?)

I wanted to make a banner that would fill the entire wall so it needed to be a phrase with either three words of similar length or three phrases that could be made into one. 

Micah 6:8 stuck out to me. I could have one banner with "act justly", one with "love mercy" and one with "walk humbly with your God". I got super attached to this idea but it wouldn't work out the way I had planned. 

Next idea. Mama E sent us home with a box of old books and hymnals when we came back from our Christmas visit. "Come Thou Fount" had just about the same number of letters, it's one of our favorite hymns and it was the first hymn in sight when I opened up the book. It's a song of redemption and Christ seeking us out while we were but strangers.

It was the obvious choice. 

My original plan was to feed the hymnal pages through the printer but they looked like this (two examples on the left) when they came out. The color didn't hold well and the printer devoured the top of the page (see the wrinkled ink-blotted top). Instead, I decided to print each letter off on cardstock and trace the letters onto the hymn. Time-consuming, yes. But so worth it.

Supplies:

Hymnal Pages (I used 14 pages since I made a flower for one)

Pencil

Black Marker (or whatever color your heart desires)

Hole Punch

Jute

This is the pen and pencil I used...

I printed two letters to one page since the hymnal page is about half of an 8.5" x 11".

Then I went old school and traced the letter silhouette using a sunlit window.

After you have traced your letters, fill them in with a brush pen or marker.

I like to put a decorative paper on the back for more support and to give the banner a finished design. Hole punch the tops and string jute through. If you use only the hymn, be very gentle in stringing the jute!

The banner is a lovely complement to the three palette frames my dad made us!! I still need to put some photos in them but I'm also kind of okay with them being empty for now. 

I used the actual "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" hymn for the first flag and added a paper flower onto it.

What is your favorite hymn?

The CD

Music embraces us. It comforts us. It energizes us to move. It may even compel us to cry. 

When JD and I first started dating, I made him a smörgåsbord of awesome mixed CDs. 

I'd give up forever to touch you 

Cause I know that you'd feel me somehow

Those are the first words JD heard when he popped in the first CD I had made him as he embarked on a summer-long mission trip to Mobile, Ala.  

What was I thinking...?

The songs ranged from "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls to "Grillz" by Nelly... the song Iris (lyrics above) because that is the name I so lovingly bestowed upon his Impala after finding out he hadn't given it a name yet. I shouldn't even have to mention why I would put a song like Grillz on the CD!! Come on.

Anyway, we had no doubt that we wanted to share our passion for music with our wedding guests. Don't worry. Our music choices were much more viable than what I would put on his CDs. Mama E (Whit's mom) designed the CD covers. We gave her an idea of what we wanted. She worked her magic and produced these lovely designs for our wedding CD and Year One.

The flow of the song list is meant to exemplify the flow of our relationship, from start to the wedding day. In hopes that we may help to expand your musical horizons, here's our song list from our Wedding CD:

1. Enterlude - The Killers
2. You Get What You Give - New Radicals
3. Coffee - Copeland
4. Falling Slowly - The Frames
5. Hey - Backseat Goodbye
6. Closer to Love - Mat Kearney
7. Set the Fire to the Third Bar - Snow Patrol
8. Just Let Go - Mae
9. Eyes - Rogue Wave
10. Like Socrates Loved the Truth - Bradley Hathaway
11. Sunshine - Matt Costa
12. Grow Old with You - from The Wedding Singer Soundtrack
13. Daylight - Matt and Kim 
14. Stolen - Dashboard Confessional
15. First In Line - Matthew Mayfield
16. Passenger Seat - Death Cab for Cutie
17. Evolve - Bosc
18. You're Beautiful - Phil Wickham
19. First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
20. The Sun and the Moon - Mae

In honor of our friends and family that stood beside us on our wedding day, we decided to send out an annual CD, in tribute to the songs which translate into the past year of our life. Thus, we introduce Jitney: Year One.

We found some sweet envelopes at The Container Store, stamped them with a little fleur-de-lis and snuck in a tiny note to remind the recipients just how amazing they are. We loved being able to send these to our new friends we've made in the past year too. In fact, we implemented one of our newlywed couple friends' songs from their first dance at their wedding {She Knows Her Way Around}. 

Song List for Year One:

1. Generator (First Floor) - Freelance Whales
2. Spinning - Jack's Mannequin 
3. Home - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
4. Down River - The Temper Trap
5. Your Love Is Strong - Jon Foreman
6. Lead Me - Sanctus Real
7. She Knows Her Way Around - Act of Congress
8. Garden - Needtobreathe
9. Bennie and the Jets - Elton John
10. Green and Gray - Nickel Creek
11. Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie
12. Forever Young - Bob Dylan
13. Losing You - John Butler Trio
14. Cielo - Phil Wickham
15. Dance - Derek Webb
16. Secret Song [aka: The Office theme song]

- - > Year 2 Soundtrack...

Song List for Year Two:

1. Mountain Music - Alabama
2. The Cave - Mumford & Sons
3. Down to the River to Pray - Alison Krauss
4. Washed by the Water - Needtobreathe
5. Take Our Turn - The J Band
6. Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root
7. All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar
8. Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
9. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
10. One Day - Matisyahu
11. Comes and Goes (In Waves) - Greg Laswell
12. Carry Me Through - Dave Barnes
13. Safe & Sound - Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars)
14. Happy As the Sun - Tyrone Wells
15. Sun Down - Iver
16. Something In the Water - Brooke Fraser
17. White Dress - Ben Rector
18. One Voice - The Wailin' Jennys
19. What Do I Know of Holy - Addison Road
20. Shalom Chaverim - The Weavers

- - > Year 3 Soundtrack...

Theme: Wake Up, O Sleeper

  

 

Song List for Year Three:

1. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons

2. Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding

3. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

4. Ho Hey - The Lumineers

5. Lover of the Light - Mumford & Sons

6. Slumber - Needtobreathe

7. Overwhelmed - Tim McMorris

8. That's What's Up - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

9. Hold On - Alabama Shakes

10. Where I Land - JJ Heller

11. A City No Longer Forsaken - Sojourn

12. All the Poor and Powerless - The Digital Age

13. Wait - Caleb

14. Awake My Soul - Chris Tomlin

15. In Tenderness - Citizens

16. It Is Finished - Matt Papa

Etsy Shop : Annual Planner / Agenda / Calendar

Now announcing the Jitney's Journeys line for the 2014 Agenda.

Call me old school, but nothing helps me to get more organized than pencil and paper. I love flipping through pages without having to scroll down a screen. Writing something down helps me remember dates way more than typing it in a phone. I try to utilize Google Calendar the best I can since it syncs mine and JD's calendars but I still run to my written out planner when the time beckons.

Like all of our printables, the annual planner set was designed for personal purposes but with hopes that others could find good use in it as well. My 2014 agenda is already bound up with dates penciled in. 

Below you will find a by-the-hour daily printable planner that includes extra room for notes and checklists.

It is available for instant download in our Etsy Shop here. 

It is available for instant download in our Etsy Shop here. 

This annual calendar includes the scripture Zephaniah 3:16-17, our theme for the year.

It is available for instant download in our Etsy Shop here. 

List out your upcoming events on this page.

 This set includes a calendar for every month in 2014 and pairs perfectly with the set when bound into a notebook.

Don't forget to stop by our shop and see what other items we have stocked. 

Are you a digital planner (using Google Calendar, etc.) or do you still prefer a good ole' fashioned date book?

Todd Nest Holiday Recap : Featuring Mama E's Spicy Mac & Cheese Recipe

The worst part about not posting anything over the holidays is deciding on what the most "Post Worthy" post could be for our comeback in 2014. 

I've been trying to decide on the topic for at least a week now... which means if I don't post something soon, the buildup will only become too heavy with pressure and then we'll just stop posting altogether. 

This Christmas was much like every year, filled with tons of laughter and sweet little moments. 

Mom and Dad had a sweet surprise waiting in Georgia for us - an overnight trip to Stone Mountain filled with snow tubing, Polar Express 4-D, funnel cakes and a restful hotel stay. We also watched a man perform the art of glass blowing, which in turn blew our minds. It may be one of the most exhilarating art forms I've witnessed in years. 

We enjoyed time with extended family, the guys watched movies while mom and I planned our goals for our businesses, and my parents gave us a ridiculously awesome pocket projector that we have thoroughly enjoyed in our den upon our return home. 

Tag (Chase and Jackie's pup) broke his little leg at the dog park prior to their journey to Georgia so they had to stay in Vegas to doctor him up. 

As long as he's feeling up to par, they should be able to fly over in February for the annual Birthday Throwdown (aka : dinner with the family). 

Then we drove over to JD's parents as they greeted us with a warm welcome and amazing feast. Brandon and Theresa came in a few days later (but we didn't wait on them to open presents - whoops!). 

The best part of that trip was Sunday morning. Our church in HSV didn't have service (in hopes that families would stay at home and worship together with their family or small group) and instead posted a video and discussion questions online. It was one of the most intimate and sweetest times I've had with the Todd family. We sang praises and discussed the Word at length. It was truly beautiful. 

We returned to HSV knowing that we wouldn't be able to drive to our families' homes for a New Year's Day feast so we decided to seize the day by making our own. Risky but gosh, it was well worth it. We invited our friends (Matt and Julie) over to help us take down black eye peas, collard greens, spicy mac and cheese, cornbread (courtesy of Julie).... and a rotisserie chicken from the Kroger deli.... I promise everything else was homemade though.

Because I'm not a chef or anywhere remotely close to it, I feel that it is safe to say that it was - by far - the best meal I've ever cooked. Not to brag or anything, but I was pleased to start my 2014 off in such a successful way. Ok. So that's totally bragging but I'm afraid I won't be able to replicate that goodness ever again. Just run a victory lap with me and I'll digress. 

As I get to the end of writing this post, I realize that the most "Post Worthy" thing I could leave you with is Mama E's Spicy Mac and Cheese recipe. She worked on perfecting this recipe for YEARS. All of that hard work and macaroni paid off. Be careful when eating it though. Nothing else will ever taste as good. 

Mama E' Spicy Mac & Cheese

by: Yvette Adams

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups Velveeta cheese, shredded
2 cups Jack cheese
1.5 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 tsp. salt
(we like to mix in a few diced jalapeños too)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9 x 13 baking dish; set aside. In a saucepan, cook macaroni according to package directions, drain. Return macaroni to saucepan.

While macaroni is hot, add the cheeses to the pan; stir well. Spread the macaroni mixture in the prepared baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, eggs, butter and salt. Pour the milk mixture over the macaroni. Top with a little extra Cheddar cheese.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy the spicy goodness!!

The Best of Etsy, Huntsville Edition : Why It Fueled Us

You would’ve thought that Jitney’s Journeys had been announced as the Top 100 young businesses to watch. We were that excited. The honor was basically the equivalent for us. As far as we know, this is the first list (outside of Etsy treasuries) that someone has recognized Jitney’s Journeys in some form or another for our products. [We should really put a marketing strategy in place for 2014.]

AL.com included Jitney’s Journeys in “The Best of Etsy, Huntsville Edition” earlier this week. We were one of twelve companies featured. Even though we’re the last photo in the list, our placemat photo headlined for the article when the author posted to Facebook. That counts for something, right? We wouldn’t have even known about it if it had not been for my sweet friend Rebekah who texted me with, “Jitney’s Journeys was featured on AL.com!!!!” Haha!

This announcement fueled me.

I began writing out 2014 goals (personal and for business), class lists, mixed media ideas, even Christmas products for next year’s line, all in the midst of finishing current orders for Christmas.

Encouragement fuels us to move forward faster and with more stamina, a clearer mind.

I keep a file of encouraging letters and emails from past customers (doesn’t everybody?). 

Those letters and emails fuel me.

You know why?

Because those letters and emails… and even this article… they’re not about us.

The majority of the letters and emails include gratitude, not as much about the placemats or the actual product. The words of gratitude are targeted toward the small piece of cardstock we include in every package with a peacock feather on one side and a verse on the other:

But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

It is so not about us.

This article... that was Jesus. As far as we're concerned, Jesus led her to our page and that's the only explanation of her finding us in order to announce us as a "Best of" candidate. 

Jitney’s Journeys was featured.

While, yes, it is “our” company; it’s first and foremost Jesus’ company.

That’s the reason we can boast (1 Cor. 1:31).

It is not about us, has never been about us, and never will be about us.

It’s about Jesus and bringing glory and praise to His name.

If we ever lose focus of that, it is our daily prayer that He will take it away from us.

He’s the reason we have what we have - from talent to skill to creativity to tangible materials to accolades.

He’s the Creator, the Lifeline, and the Sustainer of our marriage and our business.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever and ever. (Romans 11:36)

Christmas Decor at the Todd Nest : Staircase Edition

I really love our house. 

Maybe that's a little vain sounding, but I feel like it should be a good thing too, right? We should be happy and content with what we have -- and we really could not be happier. This house is perfect for us. 

Decorating for Christmas has only made me more excited about this house, the house in which God has graciously made our home. We'll start out posting about our decor with the entrance to our home, which we have yet to reveal on our blog. Our house is a split level, so as soon as you walk in, you have the choice of either going up or going down. This was one of the "negative" features of the house, according to our real estate agent but we haven't found any fault in it. 

JD and I finished putting up the barnwood wall Tuesday night. This project has been on our list for a while. I hate bare walls, especially this one above the lower staircase. I realize there is a potential beauty in bare walls - and some people can really make them work - but that just won't do in the Todd Nest. Our plan is to put up a few large photos and interchange handwritten signs that correlate to the seasons. My vision for it is totally there, now it's just a matter of making it happen.

Color inspiration for this season: golds and browns

As soon as you walk in, you're greeted by this lovely arrangement. Basically, I went to Hobby Lobby's floral section, started piecing things together that appealed to my eye and topped it off with a neutral peacock feather. That's the main statement piece when you walk into the tiny foyer. 

We draped the handrail with garland and put a burlap bow at each break. Three ornaments are draped from each bow. One of the ornaments is a rustic jingle bell. You may recognize the larger white "ornament"from our Thanksgiving table centerpiece jar. It's actually a larger decor ball I found sitting beside the smaller box of decor balls in the home decor section at HL. I made it into an ornament by twisting in a metal hook (I had to hot glue the hook into the other two balls because they are a little different from this one) and then hanging it from string. Super easy homemade ornament. ;)

How amazing is this glass block wall? It's one of those statement pieces in the house that you decide to either hate or embrace. Surprisingly, I have very-much-so embraced it. As Mama E says, "This house will have no style (categorically) because it will be made up of sooo many different styles, which will then be created into a style of its own." With the barnwood wall perpendicular to this glass wall, we're combining modern and cottage chic. Hopefully my vision will turn out as great as I'm thinking.... 

Anyway, we draped garland from this wall as well and hung a burlap bow with three smaller ornaments hanging from the bows. 

What is your color / material(s) inspiration for this season?

PS: We'll try to post about the barnwood wall steps after Christmas. :)