a holiday project: i'm "joy"ful it's the 1st but not the last

Yes, it's true.  I've already been planning holiday projects... decorations and gifts... and this past Tuesday I got the first, and quite simply, the easiest checked off my list!

Now I don't want you "wait until Thanksgiving" folks to get too worked up.  I promise, I just start projects now, no decorating... I really have given November and Thanksgiving their due here at Red Gate Farm... but if I waited until December 1st to start projects they would be gifts and decor for the following year!

And just to prove my November promise... I have my decorations out.

With my Gurley pilgrims front and center... and of course a turkey or two as well.

The pumpkins left from the wedding (and yes, I'm still working on THAT post) still grace the front porch.... chippy Santa is still stashed away.

But really, before the star of the show today project of the day, I have to ask... am I the only person that gets a bit excited when the holiday cups come out at Starbucks?

Or sees the candy cane Oreos at the grocery store?  I will tell you, I look forward to seeing and hearing all the sights of the upcoming holiday season and I don't mind it out early, like November 1st!  I was watching a holiday movie (yes, they're starting already too) on my treadmill last weekend and I realized this little statement from the movie summed it up for me... It's not about the gifts.  It's about the build up... Eggnog & baking.  Decorating a Christmas tree.  Of course we all know it's not about the gifts or even that it's not about the day, but for me, it's about getting ready for the day... the build up and excitement... the preparations, cozy house, lights, holiday baking, smells...  I realized THAT, other than family, that is what I enjoy about the Christmas season.

And yes, I do admit to Christmas music playing when I'm alone in the car...

just me...

But really, I need to get back on track... with my holiday project.  I've been collecting odds and ends to add to my collection of odds and ends for many ideas I have seen and want to try my hand at.

And this first one came from something I saw on Pinterest as well as an idea from a local, favorite shopping spot.  They sell sheets of paper... you've probably seen them... in different designs like maps, wrapping style paper, holiday papers, alphabets, animals, canning images... I've seen them at art supply stores, gift wrap/paper stores (like my favorite Paper Source).  The sheets are around 20 inches by 28 inches and usually are sold singularly.

This past summer my local, favorite shopping spot sold "kits" to make a sheet of paper into something you could hang.  They were just lattice (I think) strips of wood (think 1/4 thick by 1 inch wide or so) cut to about 30 or 32 inches long... a bit wider than the paper.  They came with a piece of jute for hanging too.  I picked one up and wasn't 100% sure what I would do with it until I remembered something from Pinterest...

And I could use my favorite Scrabble tiles...

Have you seen this?  Or something similar?  I love the idea but didn't want to add something to one of my globes (yes, I collect those too... and no I'm really not a hoarder) that would permanently be stuck on or take the chance of tearing the paper when removing... So my light bulb moment was to use the PAPER instead!

First I glued the wood stripes to the top and the bottom using my hot glue gun.  I even took the extra 2 or 3 seconds to measure so that it was centered and the same on top and bottom.

Now, with this particular paper I could have saved a few Scrabble tiles and used the graphic in the lower corner with just a "joy to"...

But finally decided it was best to use the tiles for the whole saying.  Placement was so that most of the tiles covered up the Atlantic Ocean and not any of my favorite countries like Iceland... peaking out just above the "y" in joy folks.

And the obvious hanging spot?

Yup... the gate on my living room wall.  I must say, this gate really gets a workout year round.  I actually will be moving my "map" to another spot because the gate is already spoken for... for an advent kind of project actually.

The cord is difficult to see but I didn't use just the jute twine... I also used a piece of gold and white baker's twine along with an aqua and white piece of baker's twine... to really tie all the colors of the "map" in.

It was tough to get a picture with the late afternoon sun... or my constant photo bomb dogs...

Oops, now it's both of them...

And speaking of photo bombs... how did Miss B get in here?

Oops... and again.  Well she was here a week and a half ago for a little slumber party with yours truly.  We had lots of fun... and only a bit of crying when she had to go home...

But I'm ok now... and really she wore me out since that girl NEVER stops moving... see the arms?  Most of the pictures are blurry appendages, like this one... she is one busy little "b"!  But seriously, at 5 months old, she is really our very own little Joy to the World.

So the first project for the holiday season was super cheap and super fast..

Which means I should have tons of time for project number 2... right?

linking up to 

French Country Cottage

Feathered Nest Friday