it takes a (gingerbread) village

how many of you have dreamed of making REAL gingerbread houses...

and then tried it? UGH! it's an exercise in futility, in my opinion!

(i'm a pretty good baker...
it's just getting them to stay together and upright that stumps me!)

i've found a totally 'deb' solution to that dilemma: 
just PAINT some ceramic houses to LOOK like gingerbread!

i took some little ceramic houses that i've had for a few years now

and gave them a simple makeover with brown and white paint

and now i have a darling 'gingerbread' village on my mantel

that matches the big 'gingerbread' dollhouse shared in my last post.

continue reading for details (and a peek BACK at how i used them before!)

a 'gingerbread holiday' dollhouse

because i squeezed in my last Thanksgiving post on Friday of last week,
it's finally time to share holiday decor!

 this first project was inspired by some halloween decor that i saw online

and you probably saw it, too...

dollhouses painted as decrepit old haunted houses.

i saw so many amazingly creative 'takes' on that idea on social media,

and decided then to create a gingerbread dollhouse for Christmas.

and that idea launched an entire theme:

welcome to my 'Gingerbread Holiday'!

once again, i'm making use of elements i have on hand already

along with a few CHEAP additions from thrift & discount stores
to create a whole new holiday decor theme to enjoy.

continue reading to see the before shot and all the details...

words of Thanksgiving wall art

time for a BONUS POST!
i just had to fit this one in before Thanksgiving...

here's a 'fast, cheap, & easy' last-minute decor idea
that will add a touch of personalized meaning to your celebration
( and might just help to keep the kids busy, too! )

make word art to decorate your front door or entry wall

all it takes is a word program, paper, a printer, 

and some interesting 'frames' to display the completed word art...

salvaged wire fan fall wreath

i don't just make things from repurposed materials - 

i re-use the things i MAKE, too!

this wreath includes two of my recent fall decor projects

PLUS an element that i used several years ago (posts linked below)

to create a new look for this November.

perfect for a front door or hanging on a wall in your home,

it's an easy project perfect for these fall days.

continue reading for the easy details...

diy tomato cage cornucopia

one of the enduring traditions of Thanksgiving is the familiar image of a cornucopia.

also known as the 'horn of plenty', this cone-shaped basket (originally an animal's horn)

laden with an abundance of harvested food in fall

reminds us of the many ways we are provided for on this earth.

i had an element on hand that i knew would be perfect

for transforming into a cornucopia for our Thanksgiving decor,

and boy does it make an impact!

continue reading for my not-so-easy diy tutorial and detailed photos...

realistic paper leaf tutorial

dearest readers, i'm not ready for the holidays yet.
i get to this point every year, and struggle with it. why??
i feel like i need to keep up with the popular bloggers and influencers
and start posting holiday / Christmas content earlier every year.
but... i can't do it. i honestly can't. my brain revolts against it.

after spending 45 years as a retail visual merchandiser / designer / stylist
and pushing every season months beforehand,
i want to just enjoy the season i'm IN. that inspires my creativity!
and it's one of the reasons i started this blog a decade ago.

so here we are on November 1st and Deb is not even dipping a toe into Christmas decor.
instead, i'm gonna' share some simple ways to decorate your home this month,
for Thanksgiving, for Friendsgiving, for the fall season. 
because if you're looking at this the way i am, we can just enjoy this month
and the chance to embrace the lovely autumn atmosphere
before the holiday hullaballoo kicks in!

so - grab some scissors, some scrap paper in a color you love, and a branch from your yard,
and let me show you how to craft some pretty paper leaves in a jiffy...

happy MAHALOween!

i read that term - happy MAHALOween - on a tiki bar's website.

when this fun phrase gave me a way to incorporate my love of

tropicana decor and tiki culture into October celebrations, i was IN!

(truth is, i'm not really into Halloween anymore - fall, yes. pumpkins, YES!

the 'scary horror bloody zombie creepy clowns and witches' kinda' decor? nah.)

since i have NO intention of dressing up in costume, 

 i simply decided to give a pumpkin a costume. with a tiki mask!

continue reading for the details and an easy paint tutorial...

coco fiber planter liner pumpkins

i spied this item one day at Lowes - do you know what it is?

in my endless search for things i can turn into tropical decor for our home,

i'm always looking at textures and colors that work - on the cheap - 

and this looked for all the world like a giant coconut to me!

turning it into a pumpkin was easy-peasy - 

so much so that creating the tutorial for this post took me MUCH longer

than actually MAKING the pumpkin!

have you figured out what i used yet??

continue reading to see the answer... plus a few variations!

coconut tiki mug pumpkins!

i was cleaning our indoor tiki bar the other day,
and as i moved some of the tiki mug collection off of a shelf to dust it,
i sat the two ceramic coconut mugs upside down on the bar top.
my hand stopped in mid-air as i looked at what i had done
and an idea came to mind...

 yes, i turn a LOT of different things into pumpkins!
first it was plates. now it's mugs. 
and it's so easy it's not even funny!

continue reading to see the details...