Valleymagpie, you are certainly more than welcome to join in here--the more the merrier! You are relocating to a beautiful area, and you will probably have access to lots of those natural items to use in your decorating. I will look forward to seeing some of your projects in the future. Even if you are not decorating for the holidays this year, feel free to jump in and comment on any of our posts, we love comments and fresh ideas almost as much as we love pics. ;o) Luvs

Welcome, I hope you have as much fun here as we do.

hugs, Karen

It sounds like you may enjoy the garden junk site to...I start there and make my rounds to see what wonderful ideals these ladies come up with. They are so talented, and I have learned alot...Welcome...

Welcome valleymagpie. And congrats on your move and new home. I 2nd Luvs & Purplemoon. And leveta. Jump in anytime.

Everyone,

Thanks for the welcome! All the GardenWeb forums seem like big happy families, but this one especially so.

I'm going to try to be a good contributing member. I have some ideas but need to learn how to post pics, but first to FIND stuff to photograph!

Welcome valleymagpie. Don't get rid of any ornaments. Use them for vignettes! Then post pics for us!! Keep the rustic style, but you can still share the others with us!

You will learn here. There are never enough "Pretties"!!
Betty

Welcome VM...hope you enjoy it here!

Magpie, I was just thinking too, with all us Enablers here, you might not be getting rid of any ornaments afterall. LOL. By the way, if you go to our Inspiration Albums, you can also check out the ones I made for the Garden Junk gang too if you are interested in neat stuff for the yard. Just click back to my main album and you'll see link for the GJ ones.

hugs, Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Holidays Inspiration Albums

Karen,
The Holiday Inspiration Album was wonderful! Tam's village-in-a-suitcase and icicle swag started the wheels turning in my head. The bare branch Christmas tree topper is right up my alley, and the tree toppers in candlesticks--I have the candlesticks, now I need to start collecting tree toppers. Hmmm...I see what you all mean when you talk about enablers!

Now I have lots to think about when I drift off to sleep tonight...

Welcome valleymagpie-I'm so glad you're joining us. Your plans for your tree sound very much the direction I've been going with my big tree since last year. It's not quite how I want it yet but I add each year to the 'bird/woodland' theme.
Every single person here is an enabler...LOL it's a viscious cycle...LOL

Purplemoon how beautiful is that album....Wow, I wish I had that knowhow...

Tam,
I'm going to pull out my vintage suitcase and start building houses--or maybe "log cabins" to make a village like yours. Then I absolutely must find a place to put an icicle swag. We get some snow here but it doesn't stick around long so I kind of have to make my own.

I'm looking forward to seeing your Christmas tree--I'm just starting and you've been working on yours--I'll bet it's fabulous.

- Magpie

Welcome Valleymagpie...so glad you joined us. Sounds like you've got some excitement going on with building your New Home..Congratulations. I agree w/the others..Don't Throw Away Any Ornaments..So many times, I've put a box together to donate, then find myself rummaging thru..and picking out items to use again. You never know. Look forward to your future posts and again, Welcome.
jane

Thanks, Leveta. Glad you like the album's new look. Photobucket came up with all these neat special effects to use, and I started playing around one night with backgrounds and frames and such. I was sort of learning as I went, LOL, but it turned out ok in the end.

Magpie, you already sound pretty "inspired" and excited!
That's how I feel when I see all the talented decor ideas too. So many things to do, so little time and space. LOL.

hugs, Karen

Okay, I won't throw away any ornaments (maybe the REALLY ugly ones)...Jane, you're so right. If you don't get your "donation" stuff out of there right away you'll start looking at it, and one-by-one, things will go back in the house again!

Karen, I AM inspired. All these gorgeous things make me want to decorate the house top-to-bottom. My biggest problem is budget (was there ever a house built that DIDN'T go over budget LOL!) Maybe I'll have a Christmas in March, after we move in...

- Magpie

Welcome Magpie! I'll look for pics of your new home over on the Decorating Forum. I saw you there today, I think. Your style sounds really unique (and wonderful). It will be a lot of fun to see your holiday decs, as well.
Lynn

Magpie, a gal I know did an icicle swag over her bathroom mirror (its a big mirror.) and the icicles really sparkled in there. She does her bathrooms as pretty as all get out.
I had to laugh when I peeked into her guest bath shower...there was a huge wreath on the floor of it with a yellow ducky "swimming" in the middle. What a hoot.

hugs, Karen

Lynn,

We're texturing the drywall today, then we'll be painting, then come the cabinets, and floor, etc. This is the exciting (and unnerving) part! Since my lodge-y decor will be in greens, browns, reds, and variants thereof, it ought to be PERFECT for Christmas!

Karen, icicles in the bath--what a great idea. I was thinking of making an outside icicle garland to put along my rail fence (when I get a rail fence!)

- Magpie