Tired of being tired?

Newport, Oregon at Christmas

After picking out the most wonderful Christmas tree this year, we headed over to the Newport to spend the evening. We hit the Oregon Coast Aquarium and ended the evening eating at Mo's.  Here is a recap of our fun night over on the Pacific Coast.



The NOAA fleet was parked along the bay front while we were there.  It was a bit foggy, but it was still an interesting view.  The Coast Guard ships were cruising up and down the bay front as well.  The lights from their ships almost looked like Christmas lights.





After watching the ships move around the bay front, we headed to Mo's to have some clam chowder and hot cocoa.  I just loved how our tree looked on top of the car; so festive!

"Rain or shine, Mo's is always fine."

While at Mo's we had a few oyster shooters.  If you haven't had these, they are fab!


The Coast Guard station at Newport was all festive for the holidays.  

After Mo's we walked through the Sea of Lights at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

The entire aquarium was decorated for the holidays.




And, watched Santa scuba dive into the tanks to talk with the kids about ocean life.  


He even asked each child what they wanted for Christmas.


He sang them a few Christmas carols and answered questions.

We then headed out to the otter tank to see the otters playing.



We walked through the aquarium tunnel and looked at stingrays, rock fish, and even sharks.  All fish native to the Pacific Coast.





12 days of Christmas pinspiration (day 12) DIY: Leave your holiday boots at the door

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Day Twelve:

Holiday Boots
from:  South North South

I love the holidays, as do tons of other people, but the one thing I love the most about the holidays; THE DIY CRAFTS!  For the last 11 days I have posted all sorts of great DIY ideas to add to your Christmas decor this year.  From gift tags to wreaths, there was a bit of everything this year for the "12 Days of Christmas Pinspiration."

And to add to that DIY theme, here is a fun and festive way to bring the holidays to your front door in lieu of a Christmas wreath.


What you'll need:

1.  Old rubber boots
2.  Outdoor/All-weather paints (I went with red and white)
3.  Greenery or Garland
4.  Decorations
5.  Burlap
6.  Holiday Ribbon

• Tools:
1.  Drill with bit
2.  Glue (E-6000 is best)
3.  Twine
4.  Door Hanger Hook

Start by washing the old boots with soap and water.  I used an old pair of Skylar's rubber boots from last year.  He wanted to keep them, so they worked perfect for this project.


Once the boots are dry from washing, apply your paints.  You can pretty much be as free or as disciplined with this step as you want.  If you want to use them after the holidays, then a free design that can work year around would be best.  I stuck with the Christmas theme and painted a red and white design.



After the main colors were dry I applied white polka dots to the red for a more festive design.  The eraser of a pencil works great for this.  Just dip the eraser in the paint and dot it up.

Once you've painted on your design, allow about 72 hours to dry completely, or as your paint instructions direct on the bottle.  The brand I used was DecoArt and needs to cure completely for 72 hours.

When the paint is dry, drill a small, to medium-sized hole in the "sleeve" of the boot where you want the ribbon to tie on.



Attaching a contrasting color ribbon and tie to secure.

Finally, add in your mix of spray, twigs, or clippings.  I used some small clippings from our Christmas tree when we brought home.  I also used one of these.


Add in as much or as little garland, or greenery as you like.  Even holy branches would look amazing too!


Hang from a door hook and enjoy!


Be sure and check out the rest of the "12 Days of Christmas Pinspiration" here.  

Find the entire collection of the "12 Days of Christmas Pinspirtion." on Pinterest.

Follow Shelly Hardage-Wilkerson @ SNS's board 12 Days of Pinspiration (SNS) on Pinterest.

Merry Christmas!

12 days of Christmas pinspiration (day 11)

Day Eleven:

Christmas Chalkboard Wishlist
from:  Ucreate


What you'll need:

2.  Clipboard
3.  Chalkboard Paint
4.  Transfer Paper
5.  White Paint Pen
6.  Fine Sandpaper

Apply two to three coats of chalkboard paint to the clipboard and allow to dry completely between coats and after.  Download the free printable here and tape down to your clipboard.  Be sure and tape the printable to the back of the clipboard and not across the front.  Transfer the words and image to the clipboard with transfer paper similar to this here.

Remove the transfer and fill in the image and words with a white paint pin.  Get one with a fine tip so you can stay in the lines of the image a bit easier.  Allow the paint to dry completely, overnight would be best.  Go over the entire clipboard with the fine sandpaper until you achieve the look of a chalkboard.  You can finish the board off with a coat of clear chalkboard paint to protect the image over time.  

Use chalk to let your kids fill in the lines with what they want and clip images to the board.  So fun!

Be sure and visit UCreate to learn about fun DIY ideas to do throughout the year with your kids, or on your own!

12 Days of Christmas Pinspiration (day 11) 2012

Follow the 12 Days of Christmas Pinspiration (day one-day 11) here.


Follow Shelly Hardage-Wilkerson @ SNS's board 12 Days of Pinspiration (SNS) on Pinterest.

The perfect Christmas tree

The weekend of December 14-15 we took a much needed family weekend and fit in a few things we haven't had the time to do.  One very important thing was finding the perfect Christmas tree.  We headed out to Donovan's Christmas Tree Farm in Corvallis, Oregon and went on the hunt.



After about 20 minutes we found the most wonderful tree.  It was the perfect Norwegian Spruce and smelled heavenly!  I wanted to go with a Norway Spruce this year, because it's the same tree that stands at Rockefeller Center in New York City every year.  

We sized it up, she was a whopping eight feet tall, and then cut her down.  Skylar is getting bigger now, so he is able to help cut on the tree this year.  He was so excited that he played a part in our Christmas tree.



We dragged it down the hill and through the Christmas tree forest.



It got shook and cleaned off and then loaded on top of the car.  This is always my favorite part.  The view of a Christmas tree on top of a car is so nostalgic to me.

I snagged me some cedar garland and some holy clippings too!


I love how the green tree looks on top of my red car.  Green and red just go well together.

We took a hay ride around the tree farm while we were there.



Once we got home, we cut her once more, then brought her inside.  

Shucks.....we had to take her back out and cut off a few more inches.


Perfect!  Now to move the furniture around so everything comes together.

Can't wait to show her off with all the ornaments and presents underneath.

While we were out hunting our tree for the living room, we also picked up this wonderful Blue Spruce for Skylar's room.  It is s a living tree and will serve as a wonderful addition to his own Christmas decor. He immediately covered it in all of his favorite ornaments right when we got home.  It is perfect!

Find out more about Donovan's Tree Farm here.