Happy Friday, y'all!  I'm sorry I'm so late on posting this week - it's been a busy one.  My mama is having surgery today (prayers appreciated!) so I spent some time at her house helping her get ready for it.  And while, as always, I have a zillion projects in progress at my house, I wasn't able to shoot them all just yet.  But I did pull one together that has injected some much needed cheer into one of my least favorite spots in the house.

As you know, we rent, and our apartment is not huge.  In particular, our kitchen is a bit outdated and small and I don't often do projects in it because it frustrates me (I desperately want to paint the cabinets, replace the hardware, upgrade the appliances, change out the lighting, etc. Alas...).  However, I really felt it needed some holiday spirit.  There aren't any free walls in the kitchen, so the window was the only available spot. 

I started with a small faux cedar and pine cone wreath (I highly recommend investing in a good quality wreath or two that you can use year after year.  This one has been reinvented at least 6 times now and it still looks great.) 


I found these adorable little chipboard and metallic tags in the Dollar Spot at Target (3 for a dollar! So cute!).


I pulled out some large chipboard letters from my scrapbooking supplies (Ahhh scrapbooking.  Remember when there was time?  Those were the days...).  I actually really liked the color and designs of the letters, but they didn't show up well on the natural color of the tags, so I decided to paint them with some acrylic paint.  Besides, the red looked much more festive. 


After the red paint dried, I added some gold metallic wax finish to bring out the design of the glitter underneath. 

Once everything was dry, I used a hot glue gun to adhere the letters to the tags and then attached them to the bottom of the wreath with green florist wire (I love florist wire.  To me, it's the crafter's equivalent of duct tape).


Finally, I added a sparkly red ribbon to the top and tied it to the oh-so-fabulous curtain rod provided by the apartment complex (we're not allowed to attach anything to the windows.  Sigh.). 


I love the result!  So simple, and yet it really made a difference in the workhorse of a room.  In particular, I love the message: JOY.  It's a good reminder to focus on the truly important things I've been given - my family, my husband, my beautiful, beautiful baby.  If the kitchen truly is the heart of the home, then it seems important that the spirit we choose to embed is one of joy and thanksgiving. 


Happy Christmasing, guys! More holiday projects and decor to come!!