Our Simplified Christmas Home Tour!

Welcome Everyone!!

This year we simplified...and I must say it has feels really good!!

By simplified, I mean, all my Christmas containers are still up in the attic!! The only things we took down were our tree and a box of lights...that's it!! 

I have been so inspired by The Nester to simplify.

 We decorated with things we already had around our home.

 We have been adding little by little each day.

At first we started off with only lights..and soon the kids started with paper snowflakes. We have all sizes!! It has been so sweet to watch them..we have square, rectangular...you name it. Our kids range from 2 yrs to 13 yrs old, and I must say they did a sweet job! For me to sit back and let them make completely decorate it and make these memories has been humbling. I did however handknit the garland, again inspired by The Nester . Can you tell I'm a big fan? :)

My mantel is simple and clean for now, and I'm sure the stockings will come out in a few days too.

This door!! Oh I love old doors, and a friend of ours let us pull it out of an old house along with some planking!! 

Have you made these snowflakes yet?! Button Bird Designs has the best tutorial! We made a few of these beauties..so easy, so fun!

This is what our Hot chocolate & Cider bar looked like when I first set it up...quite fun for the little ones. It took a whole day before the candy's were put behind doors. There was a certain 2 yr old who decided he could climb up and eat every single one!

One of hubby's deer came back in, after being outside on our fence for years, and was added to our Chalkboard. Hubbys deer...as in many, were band after years of hanging on our walls. they now live in the man cave. 

Hallelujah!!!! 

I love love love this chalkboard! It's been the best thing with 4 kiddos! We write each other sweet reminders, holds a bible verse for the day, and the little ones enjoy to simple doodle on it's big surface. You can find more on how we made it Here.

I set our table very simple. 

Gold chargers hold my collection of thrifted white dishes.

Napkins tucked into pockets from old jeans.. which I've slowly been collecting them over the years, and Green stemware for everyone including the little ones. At our house we always drink out of pretty stemware. Sometimes kids come to our home and will look at me so surprised as I hand them water in a pretty glass. Yes, my kids have broken many over the years..and that's where we can take the opportunity to teach them that they are only things.

Our chandelier was a fun rescue project. You can read more about it Here. More on adding the pretties to come! I love it! Rust with a bit of Glam...YES!!

A few little cedars are here and there in our house..we cut them down at our sweet little cabin. 

Do you have a little getaway? Come see what we did with a teeny tiny storage building in a 4 part series starting Here. and how we turned it into a fun little getaway that is only 30 minutes away!

Opposite of our large chalkboard is another favorite of mine..Huge EAT letters made out of an old fence..more on them Here and my collection of silver platters is slowly growing too. I love patina!

Our bedroom called for a simple strand of lights. They make me smile. Our wall is filled with Shakespeare book pages..they too make me smile. 

Simplest of things right?!

If you'd like to read about them too, you can Here.

Thank you for stopping in at our simplified Christmas. 

I wish you all the most wonderful Christmas this year! 

Enjoy your families and loved ones!!

Love,

Naomi

Oh ya...I have a blog?!

You know those days where you don't get much done?!  

Your list just keeps going...and on that list you see and realize you haven't blogged in almost 2 months!! 

I'm still here...hahaa! 

Really...I am!!! ;)

For those of you who follow me on Instagram (hastobepretty), you understand when I say this...it's eating this blog these days! 

Instagram just seems so easy to quickly post to. 

I really need to be more committed to this blogging thing..I do enjoy sharing what's on my heart and my projects with you on here.

I've been super busy these last 2 months! A long time dream of mine was to have a booth with my sweet sister...well a few weeks ago that dream became reality!! 

It was all we ever hoped for and more!! 

We giggled our way through 4 fun days of pure sister time!! 

We literally had 3 weeks to create enough to fill a 10x10 booth! 

Now you understand..busy?! 

Ya..we had so much fun and to all of you who came to support us...you blessed us so!! 

Thank you!!!

All of this has me in a mood to simplify once again! 

A simplified Christmas is going on at our house. 

We are slowly...really slowly, pulling out Christmas decor. 

Everything has been so busy that I feel if I quickly do it, that I won't enjoy each moment.

We brought home a sweet little cedar from the cabin. 

I'm madly in love with these wings from decorsteals.com. 

They are so fun!

And that mantel? 

Yes, is still empty too...

We still have not added ornaments to our trees...I'd like to keep it simply the way it is! 

However, as predicted...kids are ready for them. 

We buy everyone a special ornament each year and pulling them out brings back wonderful memories for sure!! 

So I'm sure at some point they will be added.

A few strands of lights in unexpected places..they make me smile!

I have 1 more goal left for 2013!!

 I'm a goal gal...I'm realizing this more each day!!  

Just need them!

This past January, I set a few goals and opening an Etsy shop was one of them!! 

Yes!! 

Last goal and we are in December!!! 

Procrastinate much?! 

 I'd love to have you stop in and visit Hastobepretty on Etsy!!

Shop will go live by the end of this week!! 

Ekkkk....gets me thinking on what goals to have for 2014!

Thanks for stopping in..You guys have a great & blessed day today!!

Love, 

Naomi

Our Fall Mantel and Will You Join Me In Being Thankful For 40 Days?!!

Good Morning Friends!

...This season, isn't it so wonderful?!

I want to say it's my favorite season!

I may also say that with every change of any season..hahaha!

A season when we all look at what we are thankful for! 

A season where families become closer than ever, and gather together to celebrate. 

A season where we are all reminded to look around at what we are Thankful for!

My Friend Tisha from On The Wings of Gratitude started 40 days of Thankfulness.

This is the 6th year!! We begin tomorrow, Oct 7th!!

Will you join me? 

40 days of sharing what you are thankful for?

I promise, it will bless you!

Get all the details Here.

I'm excited to start, this will be my 5th year!

There are amazing things that happen once you start paying attention to what you are thankful for!

It has been so healing for me, a big part in overcoming anxiety which robbed me of many years. 

Thankfulness can change the world, I tell you!!!

Love,

Naomi

Galvanized with Rust!!

Hi Everyone...It's been awhile since I blogged. 

You know summer, the one season which go's by so fast?! The one where you sleep in, where no major schedules exist...I have been trying to savor every moment!!

Today, however I want to share with you my favorite find from this past weekend. 

My mama, sisters and I went to spend the weekend in my favorite town...Fredericksburg!!

 I adore this sweet place...

I think it may be my German roots, 

or the fact that the hill country has always been dreamy to me. 

Have you ever been to Fredericksburg trade days? 

Have you visited House Wren's booth?!

Oh Goodness...I stalked their booth! My all time favorite booth ever.

See this mirror?

I spotted this fun galvanized piece, then found out it was made from a chicken feeder top...I squealed...I may have done one to many happy dances (sorry sister)!!

So when I say stalked their booth, I'm not kidding!! 

We literally stopped 4-5 times..you must go see them! I could have bought their entire booth!! 

Too fun!

I love, love, love this piece!! 

So so fun...thanks for stopping in. 

I hope your day is filled with tons of fun. 

Enjoy these last days of summer!

Love,

Naomi

Thrifting!!

My mother-in-law came to stay with me for a day...she was chatting with me about wanting to find a particular piece for an auction in an upcoming family reunion. Well, you know me, I offered to take her to some of my favorite thrift shops in town to help her find what she was looking for. 

My first stop was our local ReStore..3 steps in and I knew I was once again going to be walking out with a great find!! This mirror was a score at $20! We didn't find what she was looking for until stop #5...but we did find it!! If you have never gone thrifting, you are missing out!!

When thrift store shopping, you know you will usually have something that not everyone else has and talk about great prices! You can refinish and play around with your finds and you if things just don't turn out, you don't lose out on a lot of money.

Some pieces just need a little work to make them become something great again! This piece took me less than an hour to refinish and I think it will look great above our Mantel!!

Here is another after...not bad for a bit of paint!

Enjoy your day and go do some thrift shopping for me!!

Love,

Naomi

Oh you know...more drenching in Whites!

Remember This piece?

...this is what it looks like now! All drenched in my favorite creamy shade...Cream in my coffee! 

I adore this piece!! 

I finished this piece pretty much the same way I usually do...Clean and wipe it down with a deglosser, then painted it.

A bit of distressing with my sander, and finished it with a coat of wax. 

Super simple and didn't take me too long at all. 

Part of me wants to distress it more...maybe soon?!  I'm trying to hold back on it for now, just let it be...it's an addiction!! It's still a complete surprise to me that my kitchen cabinetry hasn't been added to the list! Somebody stop me..

...and if you follow Has to be Pretty on instagram, you have seen that this addiction continues!!

...more to come on this pretty find!! 

Have a great day!!

Love,

Naomi

I walked in..and fell in Love!!

Over the past months, my house has gone through a big change. It all started at the heart of any home, our Kitchen! 

It's spilled into every room..we are in such a crazy transition right now! I'm crossing my fingers to have the main living space finished before summer is over!! Well at our house things are really never done!! We have now started on changing things in the family room. It all started over Father's Day weekend...hubby got a bigger TV, which meant our current armor was not going to work anymore.

This was exciting! It was a win, win!!

 I've been wanting to change it ever since I seen this sweet thing...

She is a beauty, isn't she!!! 

I always ok every purchase with hubby...I snapped a picture, and when hubby came home he gladly said go get it. I walked into the sweet shop and there before my eyes hung a big ole' sold tag...my heart broke...I had fallen in love!!

If you don't know me by now, one thing you should know is I am a sucker for furniture!!! 

Especially if it's a piece that resembles a piece your grandparents had.

Weeks went by as week after week I would re-enter this sweet shop to find the one again..

Well this week, I was greeted by the owner and her face said it all...

She came across another one that is in the same beautiful style that the first one had.

I adore this one just as much as the first!!

And this time,

This sweet thing came home with me!!!

I've learned if you really love a piece, don't leave the store!! Hahaha

 I really do like this one more..it's chunkier! 

I can not wait to show you her after...stay tuned!!

..For now, enjoy your weekend y'all!!!

Love, 

Naomi