An Illinois Farmhouse and Christmas Ideas: Friday Finds

All of us get bombarded with Christmas ideas and inspiration during the month of December, so I’m hoping to mix in everyday inspiration along with holiday treasures here on the blog. Once Christmas is over I have some projects at the house that I want to tackle – starting with the bathrooms. I’m not looking forward to the work, but I AM looking forward to the results – which won’t be major. I’ll be decorating on a shoestring budget. Now on to this week’s Friday Finds …

Let’s start the day off with a tour of this fresh and bright idyllic Illinois home. It’s sure to put you in a better mood. The owner’s decorating philosophy is to having nothing in her home that isn’t or beautiful.

Tell me if you fall in love when you see this stunning Christmas mantel at Haneen’s Haven. The draped garland is artfully displayed and the stockings are made from Turkish rugs.

Do you like to read during the winter months? Check out this little reading nook that replaced an unused built-in bar. The transformation is amazing.

And speaking of transformations, you don’t want to miss the bathroom makeover from Prepford Wife (another new-to-me blog). The sink is a little rough, but that’s part of its charm – like chippy, distressed furniture.

Need Christmas gift wrapping ideas? Check out these wrapping options by Cindy Hattersley that all use plain paper. So clever and festive!

Crate and Barrel created an article on decorating small spaces for Christmas. The ideas will work in big rooms too – especially if you don’t want to create a lot of holiday fuss while decorating.

Looking for a new recipe to use over the holidays (or anytime for that matter)? Check out this recipe for Italian cream-filled pasticciotto. YUM!!

And for the final icing on the cake – enjoy this colorful and whimsical holiday home tour from Courtney at Golden Boys and Me. Thanks to one of my readers (Susan) for sharing this with me!!

Have an enjoyable first weekend of December and remember to give yourself a rest from time to time during the hustle and bustle of the holidays!