Make it Pretty Monday - Week 30

Hello World!  The year has flown by.  Christmas is over.  And, my pants are tighter.  lol.  I hope all have a very happy time ringing in the New Year.  Here at The Dedicated House, we are party animals!  Scrabble tournament, baby!  I know, I know, you are seething with jealousy.  I love fireworks, but it's supposed to rain.  So, inside we go.  We'll have some really good sandwiches, soup, salad, and a chocolate satin pie.  

Let's ring in the New Year with the last Make it Pretty Monday of 2012.  

Make it Pretty Monday

Your Favorite - Most Views

Pretty Shenita knows how to dazzle and dazzle she does with her pretty foyer table all dressed for Christmas.  Pop on over to Embellishments by SLR to view more. 

Make it Pretty Monday

Craft Queen

Pretty Diana made these fantastic Custom Iphone Cases.  To view the tutorial, head on over to Diana Rambles.   

Make it Pretty Monday

Shopping Queen

Pretty Kathe went on a little thrift outing with another blog friend and came away with some really great finds.  The place mats above were my favorite along with her pretty little feet.  The see the spoils, pop on over to 
Kathe with an E. 

Make it Pretty Monday

Sewing Queen

Pretty Annie has been busy making some beautiful things for her daughter.  The above dress is just one of the lovelies.  Visit 

Peaches and Bees to see more pretty offerings. 

Make it Pretty Monday

Culinary Delight Queen

Pretty Linda is tempting us to be bad just one more time this year with these little Chili Bites.  To get the recipe, head on over to 

With a Blast.  

Make it Pretty Monday

Dessert Queen

 Pretty Lyuba is doing her best to tempt us with her super Easy Cannoli Cups.  Don't these look delicious?  Go to 

Will Cook for Smiles to get the recipe. 

Make it Pretty Monday

DIY Queen

Pretty Fabrizia showed us how to fix a huge hole in a wall.  To view the tutorial, scoot on over to Fab Twigs for a visit.  

Make it Pretty Monday

Tablescape Queen

Pretty Janet shows us how to make a simple arrangement to add to our holiday table.  Head on over to Rosemary & Thyme to 

see more. 

Make it Pretty Monday

Home Decor Queen

Pretty Terry had a busy year in 2012.  She took on some major projects and finished them well.  To see all of her projects, go pay her a visit at forever decorating!.  

Make it Pretty Monday

My Favorite

 Pretty Andie gave us such a lovely tour of some of her Christmas decor.  The above caught my eye.  Just stunning.  Please pay Andie a visit at Divine Theatre to see her beauties.  

If you were featured, please grab a feature button for your blog.

<center> <a href="http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IL4Vc6UtZk8/T94AxGWJFQI/AAAAAAAACDQ/q_JfSdnF8RU/h120/I+was+Featured+fotoflexer+button.jpg"/></a></center> Here are a few guidelines to follow. 
1. Link up anything Family friendly...DIY, decor, crafts, recipes, gardening, shopping finds, sewing, inspirational stories, and beautiful photography.    2.  If you are participating in Make it Pretty Monday, be sure to link up your "permalink" post and not your general blog address.   3.  No etsy shops, giveaways and no sponsor pages.  I might have a separate party for those when I see how well this one goes.   4.  Please grab my button below, or have a link back to my blog so everyone can enjoy the party!  No Link Back, No Feature.  Boo.
5.  Please become a follower of The Dedicated House via Google Friend Connect or Linky Followers.
6.  Be sure to visit at least two of the other pretties at the party. Show them some love and let them know you popped in for a visit.  You know how we all love comments. <center> <a href="http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-34rwXflBxZc/T9QhyqESPyI/AAAAAAAACCw/F_HXVlKX1bA/h120/MakeitPrettyMonday.jpg"/></a></center> Wishing all a safe and Happy New Year!  Remember to be kind to one another.  Fear Not!
Toodles,
Kathryn

It's All About the Home

Hello World!  Can you believe the end of the year is here?  It went by so fast.  Next year at The Dedicated House we have plans to really get some rooms completely decorated so that we can move onto several rooms that have been completely neglected.  Isn't that always how it goes?  

Today I have another site review.  It is for a Real Estate Franchise. I've purchased and sold a couple of homes in my lifetime and fortunately my sister was my real estate agent and made the process much easier.  Buying or selling a home can be such a stressful time.    

Picture Source:  This Old House

The Home Smart Real Estate Franchise makes is so easy to buy or sell a property.  With offices located California, Arizona, Utah, Washington, and Colorado they are available to help make buying or selling a home in those states a much easier process.  

Home Smart has become a leader in the real estate industry by implementing technologies that empower its agents to provide excellent customer service to their clients.  If you are located in or relocating to California, Arizona, Utah, Washington, and Colorado, let Home Smart help you make the transition by taking out the guesswork.  

Thanks for popping in for the visit.  Make it Pretty Monday will go live either Sunday evening or Monday morning.  It depends on if I can get the post written in time for a Sunday night publish.  Have a happy time getting prepared for New Year's Eve and remember to be kind to one another.  Fear Not!

Toodles,
Kathryn

How to Protect your Investment

Hello World!  I've got another website review for you.  This one is specific to my readers in the Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona areas.  But, it is good information nonetheless for those of us not in the area.  Home Warranty.  Do you have one?  They are such a good thing to have and they are not expensive at all.  The review for today is for Phoenix Home Warranty.  

For less than $1.00 a day, they have a basic plan that covers air conditioning system, heating system, duct work, plumbing, dishwasher, oven/range, built-in microwave, and hot water heater to name just a few.  They also have other plans that cover the refrigerator, food spoilage, smoke detectors, disposal, garage door opener, washer, dryer, trash compactor, and so much more.  

In addition, Phoenix Home Warranty has service people standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  They also do 90% of the work with their own technicians, so they don't need to send an appliance or part all across the country to get it back up and running.  If you are in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area you might want to look into protecting your investment with a home warranty from Phoenix Home Warranty. The rest of us should really take a look at our Home Warranty plans to make sure they fit the needs of our individual households.

Thank you for popping in for the visit.  Click here if you want to check out how Make it Pretty Monday is doing.  Have a pretty day and remember to be kind to one another.  Fear Not!

Toodles,
Kathryn

Banister Decked out for Christmas at The Dedicated House

***This post was originally posted on Salt Tree where The Dedicated House was one of the guest posts for Christmas Cavalcade.***

Hi Loves!  I'm Kathryn from The Dedicated House.  How excited I am to be over here at Salt Tree today!  Thank you, Amber for this fun opportunity. 

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At The Dedicated House I blog about decorating my house, cooking, baking, painting anything I can get my hands on, and sewing.  On Monday I host a weekly party called Make it Pretty Monday.  It's a fun bash where you can find a ton of inspiration from decor, painting, sewing, cooking, and baking.  Pop on in and join in the fun.  When I'm not blogging, I teach private voice lessons, and run around with The Dedicated Daughter. 

Today I will be sharing my decked out banister for Christmas.  It's super easy to do and so fun and festive.  

1.  Wrap garland in lights and ribbon of your choice.

2.  Use plastic ornaments.  Sparkly and solid colors are the best.  
3.  Take the tops off of the ornaments and shove the garland inside of the ornament.  This allows for better placement of the ornament.

4.  Attach your garland to your banister.  I use twine.  

5.  Attach bows or any bling that you want.

6.  After the season is over, take the garland down and store exactly as is.  The only time I take my garlands apart is when the light strand has blown.  

There you have it.  Easy decked out banister for Christmas!  Thanks again Amber for having me over.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you lovelies!  Pop on over to The Dedicated House for a little visit.  Hope to see you soon.  

Toodles,
Kathryn

You can find The Dedicated House on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.  

Time to Get Organized

Hello World!  I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas holiday.  Ours was quite splendid.  Currently we are surrounded by new toys.  So, of course the organization bug has hit.  This coming year I really want to focus on getting my house and garage organized.  I'm ready for more efficiency.  For the garage I was asked to review this great site that has, you guessed it, garage organization systems.  Let's take a look shall we?

GarageAppeal.com offers cabinets, cabinet sets, garage flooring, wall organization, ceiling storage, and toolboxes.  Like most families, we have quite a bit of stuff in the garage.  Lawn equipment, outside toys, lawn furniture (that I get to work on making it pretty in the Spring), and tools.  We have plenty of space in the garage, but I think we could have much more if some of the items were either in a cabinet, hanging on the wall, or even suspended from the ceiling.  After perusing all of the garage organization systems, it looks like quite a bit of their products would work quite nicely in our garage.  Looks like my wish list is expanding.  

If garage organization is your game, you might want to check out GarageAppeal.com to see if they could possibly have something to get your garage in tip top shape.  

Thanks for popping in for a visit.  Make it Pretty Monday is still happening.  Click here to go straight to the party.  Have a pretty day and remember to be kind to one another.  Fear Not!

Toodles,
Kathryn

Make it Pretty Monday - Week 29

Hello World!  No chatting today.  I have a slew of things to get done, so we are going to get right to it.  Week 29 of 

Make it Pretty Monday

Your Favorite - Most Views

Pretty Nichole had us drooling for her S'mores Brownies.  To get the recipe, head on over to Pinkie for Pink.  

Make it Pretty Monday

Craft Queen

Pretty Katie made this too cute Wood Shim Tree.  Go to The Crafty Blog Stalker to get the tutorial. 

Make it Pretty Monday 

Shopping Queen

 Pretty Tracie found these fantastic ice skates and has displayed them with her vintage sled.  To see her front porch decor, pop on in for a visit at Fishtail Cottage. 

Make it Pretty Monday

Furniture Transformation Queen

Pretty Titia found the the tabletop, base, and chairs within two weeks and set to work.  To see more pictures, go pay Titia a visit at Crafty in Canada. 

Make it Pretty Monday

Sewing Queen

 Pretty Kathy made these super cute boot socks from some sweaters she picked up at Goodwill.  To see these fantastic little items, head on over to Creative Home Expressions.

Make it Pretty Monday

Culinary Delight Queen

Pretty Judy is warming us up with her New England Clam Chowder.  To get her recipe, pop on over to Cranberry Morning.

Make it Pretty Monday

Dessert Queen

 Pretty Kisha's Black Forest Cake looks downright sinful and yummy!  To get the recipe, pay Kisha a visit at Sunflower Gal.  

Make it Pretty Monday

DIY Queen

Pretty Terry made this ever so pretty Putz House.  Isn't it dreamy?  To see what Terry has been up to, head on over to

Forever Decorating. 

Make it Pretty Monday

Tablescape Queen

Pretty Judy has set the most dreamy aqua sparkle table to welcome her holiday guests.  Head on over to JBigg's Little Pieces to see more.  

Make it Pretty Monday

Home Decor Queen

Pretty Diane is letting us roam though her house all decked out for Christmas.  Pop on over to 
An Extraordinary Day to snoop around.

Make it Pretty Monday

Christmas Decor Queen #1

 Pretty Kelly decked out her Mom's porch to welcome her Christmas guests.  I love her blue doors!  To see her Christmas porch, pop on over to The Lilypad Cottage.

Make it Pretty Monday

Christmas Decor Queen #2

Pretty Tuula's Scarf Christmas Tree is one I think I might make for next year.  Visit Thrifty Rebel to see the cuteness. 

Make it Pretty Monday

My Favorite

 Pretty Lee Caroline has shared some beautiful Christmas inspiration pictures.  To see the prettiness, pop on over to 

Lee Caroline for a visit.  

If you were featured, please grab a feature button for your blog. 

<center> <a href="http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IL4Vc6UtZk8/T94AxGWJFQI/AAAAAAAACDQ/q_JfSdnF8RU/h120/I+was+Featured+fotoflexer+button.jpg"/></a></center> Here are a few guidelines to follow.
1. Link up anything Family friendly...DIY, decor, crafts, recipes, gardening, shopping finds, sewing, inspirational stories, and beautiful photography.    2.  If you are participating in Make it Pretty Monday, be sure to link up your "permalink" post and not your general blog address.   3.  No etsy shops, giveaways and no sponsor pages.  I might have a separate party for those when I see how well this one goes.   4.  Please grab my button below, or have a link back to my blog so everyone can enjoy the party!  No Link Back, No Feature.  Boo.
5.  Please become a follower of The Dedicated House via Google Friend Connect or Linky Followers.
6.  Be sure to visit at least two of the other pretties at the party. Show them some love and let them know you popped in for a visit.  You know how we all love comments. <center> <a href="http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-34rwXflBxZc/T9QhyqESPyI/AAAAAAAACCw/F_HXVlKX1bA/h120/MakeitPrettyMonday.jpg"/></a></center> Wishing all a Very Merry Christmas and remember to be kind to one another.  Fear Not!
Toodles,
Kathryn

Head on over to SaltTree

Hello World!  Time has gotten away from me.  The three Christmas decor posts will have to be consolidated into one post that will basically be a House Tour.  Check back tomorrow for the Christmas House Tour.  

On another note, today I am sharing my Gorgeous Garland over at SaltTree for Amber's Christmas Cavalcade.  

Click here to head over to SaltTree.  Please poke around Amber's blog and leave her lots of fun comments.  

Make it Pretty Monday will go live this afternoon at 4pm CST so everyone can join in the fun before beginning all of the festivities.  So, be sure to pop back in to see who made the court this week.  Nothing but a court of Queens, but a court nonetheless.  

Wishing all happy Christmas prepping and remember to be kind to one another!  Fear Not!

Toodles,
Kathryn

Christmas in the Dining Room

Hello World!  Well, I got all the baking done...thank goodness!  Now, I just have to finish the wrapping.  Before I drop the little one off for her class party and start wrapping, I thought I would show you what Christmas looks like in the Dining Room.  An occasional table has been moved to the dining room to help accomodate the 10ft. tree and the sideboard in the Family Room.  I will now hush and let the pictures roll. 

I've kept the white tree really simple this year.  I wanted more white than color with just a touch of ribbon.  

I'll let you in on a little plan I have for the upcoming year.  I'm changing out the valance.  I've lived with the valance for some time and have decided I don't quite love it.  My plan is to change it out in January.  We'll see how that goes.  

The little table under the mirror used to sit in the Family Room.  

I like the touch of red and green in the dining room.  The church was one of the pieces that just wouldn't fit in the other two village displays.  She's dreamy enough so I thought she would be pretty in the dining room.  

Dreamy and simple.  How do you like it?  I've got three more Christmas decor posts to share with you as well as my guest post over at Salt Tree which happens on the 23rd.  On Christmas Eve I plan to share a recap of all the Christmas Decor at The Dedicated House.  

If you are still wanting to join in the bash, Make it Pretty Monday is rockin' along.  Click here to go straight to the party. 

Wishing all a pretty day and remember to be kind to one another.  Fear not!

Toodles,
Kathryn

Sharing this at these lovely parties:

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Between Naps on the Porch, Savvy Southern Style, My Repurposed Life, Dixie and Dottie, A Delightsome Life.