Cute Alert!!

Shannon at Bless Our Nest just mentioned this on her blog... Sarah+Abraham. It's adorable! I checked it out. They would be perfect for gifts or fun things for your family!

I am looking forward to checking out some personalized options for my family! I loved the water bottles and notepads.




Photos from Sarah+Abraham's site

Bedside Table

Yes, I know. It's March. But, it did snow last week...does that excuse the fact that my last post was for Christmas?!

In my defense though...this little man makes it very hard to sit and post. He also makes it very hard to finish a project to post about!



But this little man also inspired this recent project! He needed a bedside table. Yes, sippy cups, board books, and flashlights need their place! So, maybe his Mama thought his room needed a bedside table!

I did not want to spend money. I did not want to search for the perfect thing.

I did want it to be cute. And easy.

When I was cleaning his room the other day, his suitcase caught my eye. I bought it when he was born for a room decoration. It just sits doing nothing on his dresser. But I realized it was the perfect size for beside his bed. He can store treasures and hide treasures! I painted some legs that I had on hand. The base board is just stained plywood. It's actually the perfect size for a basket. Enjoy!






I may eventually add some casters to the bottom, but I just finished and I was too excited not to post it!

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Merry Christmas 2010

Sometimes we don't see situations for the blessing they are intended to be. Often the biggest blessings come in the disguise of the biggest frustrations. I wonder if this is the way Mary felt when she heard of the census order?

How dare Caesar Augustus order a census the same time her baby was due. The logistics of this were all wrong. She was young, scared, and very pregnant. She would be away from all she knew. Away from her family. Traveling far...at the worst possible time. To a little town that would be very crowded.

Every new mother wants her baby to have their time. Their welcoming. Their own place. I wonder if Mary felt like all of that would be lost in the midst of their traveling. In the midst of everyone's distractions.

God knew differently. He knew His plan. His time. His welcoming. God knew that His place for Jesus was going to be in a manger with two ordinary people that were going to welcome and raise the Son of God. Talk about the ultimate way to disguise a blessing!! A blessing that would change eternity!

This blessing was "good news of a great joy that will be for ALL the people." This blessing was worthy of the appearance of a multitude of Heavenly Hosts...singing in the sky!

Even if it did not start out the way Mary had planned, she was able to treasure up all of these things in her heart. Her baby boy; they called Him Jesus.

This blessing that took place so long ago is still very much our blessing today. A great joy for ALL people. An opportunity for us to experience life forevermore.

Glory to God in the Highest...truly a merry Christmas to all.

Love,
The Kintigh Family
If you are looking for the whole Christmas story, read Luke 2:1-21 in the Holy Bible.

We at Bananas and Damask Interiors will be back on January 1st with fresh, new year inspirations!!

Holiday Tip...Frame Pictures/Magazine Pictures for Art

I wanted to dress up our foyer and hallway with some holiday cheer...but the decorating budget was zero. So, I pulled out my holiday magazines that had come and then been tucked away. There was art and holiday cheer for free!

(This tip works the best with smaller pictures; it is a little less obvious that they are magazine pages that way! Thanks to my December issue of Better Homes and Gardens and my holiday issue of Pottery Barn)

At Home for Christmas

I showed you the play room festivities, but here is downstairs. It's more of the classic tones...the grown up decor. The holidays have so many different tones, I feel that it's fine to have different tones in your home as well. Just avoid doing it all in the same space. Avoid the clashing or busy looks.


















When the weather calms...we'll work on outdoors!

Linking up on

Christmas Home Tours 2010 at the Nesting Place




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Hooked on Houses

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Crazy Domestic

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Silent Night...

This is the playroom at night. The kiddos and the toys are all put to bed and the colored lights twinkle. I chose to decorate with festive colors and non-breakable ornaments to keep the fun up and the stress down! The kids got to be a part of the decorating since this is mostly their space.



You may notice my "mantel" is not really. However, in a rental home, you do not always choose the foundations of your home. We love the rental home we are in, but I no longer have a mantel. Thus, a shelf is a great option when your decorating needs call for a mantel. This particular model is the Lack Shelf from Ikea. When decorating a fun space, it is often easier and cheaper to save items to use for later decoration. The nesting boxes were from a chocolate company that wrapped chocolates came in one year. The candy was wrapped, so the nesting boxes were ready to use! The ornament wreath was a DIY project with balls from the dollar tree. My point being that decorations, especially in the holidays do not have to be difficult or expensive. A little creativity will save your self...stress and money!

Incorporating Family Traditions Into Your Home's Atmosphere

As I began preparing for Christmas this year, I have to slow myself down. It becomes so easy, when decorating, to pull everything out quickly. To know where it looks good. To hurry the process along and move onto the next item on your list. It seems especially rushed this year because we are in a new home and I'm still trying to decide on everything while balancing my small children. They are so busy and into everything...it changes how you're able to decorate! Oh how I remember the days I didn't have to factor "reaching fingers" into my placement of breakables!

I want to avoid that pitfall this season. I want to slow down and remember traditions. Remember people. Remember what Christmas is really about. Sure, I have my bins of decorations ready. But as I take out each item, I want to show my children where they come from. What they mean to our family. Why I want them to know. To remember. Decorations are beautiful but if they are tied with memories, they become treasures. In today's world, we need treasures. We need things to mean something because we're all on a budget and cannot always go out and buy new decorations. We need to find value and joy in what we have and who we are with!

This season, Shutterfly, is aiding us in the process of our traditions becoming treasures. They are providing 50 free cards for writing about their promotion on your blog! Now, these are beautiful, quality, stationary-like greeting cards! The tradition of sending cards has become my favorite over the years. As a little girl, I remember my mom writing a letter every year and picking pictures of what we had done. Now, I know what a feat that is! It's almost impossible to pick out a picture where everyone is behaving, looking joyful, even looking at the camera at all! Haha. As I look at their selection, I do believe they could make any family picture look presentable! One of my favorites that I may use is their ""It's the Most Wonderful Time of Year">The Most Wonderful Time of Year" selection. It's a classic look but also has room for 1 photo. Like I mentioned, I have young children. One happy picture is a Christmas miracle!!

I love sending our cards out and I love receiving them! It always amazes me how much changes in a year and how much kids and families grow! Each one we receive helps me remember how God has been so faithful. When I was little, my sister and I would sit with the stack of cards and talk about the friends. We'd read letters as a family, praying for the people. And, of course, we always had certain cards we looked forward to! I remember hoping when I was little that one day I could send out cards like the ones that Shutterfly offers.

If you and yours are interested in more than Christmas cards this season, Shutterfly also is a great place to shop for your personalized photo calendars or your holiday party invitations! They provide quality you will delight in, making every event special throughout the year.

Check out all the promotion details here.

However you choose to capture your memories and traditions, enjoy the season. Choose to slow down and remember what is important. Teach your children. Find inspiration and bring it into your home.

Have a blessed holiday season. I will be back with some Christmas decor with the next post!!