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More Gift Ideas for the Book Lover in Your Life

I t's that gift giving time of year again!  If you've already finished your Christmas shopping you may not want to read this. But ...

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HI, I'M TINA...

and welcome to MapleStone! I’m so glad you’re here!
I'm the creator & owner of MapleStone; a diy, home decor & lifestyle blog established in 2011. This is where I share crafts, diy's, a few recipes, & happenings in my North Carolina home. Here's hoping this little corner of the blogging world inspires you to go 'from house living to home loving' using what you have, love and your budget allows.


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More Gift Ideas for the Book Lover in Your Life



It's that gift giving time of year again!  If you've already finished your Christmas shopping you may not want to read this. But if you haven't or you are gathering ideas for next year,  I hope this post gives you some ideas for the bibliophile in your life or maybe you're the bibliophile and you're looking for something for your self, just cause.



ELECTRONIC: 





PERSONLIZED BOOK SUBSCRIPTION: 

Not sure how good these are but who doesn't like receiving a monthly book picked especially to your liking. 


JEWELRY: 

A subtle way to show your love of books.

  • ETSY a whole lot of inspiration 
  • AMAZON for the necklace lover 
  • AMAZON for the bracelet lover


COFFEE,TEA,WINE:

 For those who enjoy a good cuppa and/or glass while enjoying a good book. 


AND MORE: 

Ideas/Gifts from clothing to bookshelves to throws.

  • Another I-Phone case HERE
  • Don't forget about Gift Cards 

Happy Gift Giving! 




That's all for now! xo, Tina ❦



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Holiday/Seasonal Decorating Tips


Oh boy am I way late in posting this! This post was supposed to be published in September! But...better late than never. So, do you decorate for every holiday and season? Are you an only holiday decorator? Or do you decorate for the seasons and sprinkle in a little holiday? Maybe your like me; and decorate for holidays/seasons when or if you feel like it? Well, I have some ideas for you. They can be inexpensive, one doesn't require separate storage containers. They can save you time & money (we all like to save money). If you do decorate for every holiday and/or season you can add these, if you don't already.





6 Holiday/Seasonal Decorating Tips 

 1: shop your home before you purchase new holiday/ seasonal decor. You may have something you can Re-use! This is economical and it requires less stuff going to the landfill. 

 2: don't overspend on holiday decor that you will only use once (I've done this a few times over the years) 

 3: if you can make it yourself! DO SO! Again this can be economical. 

 4: If you buy new items try to find ones you can use for multiple holidays and/or season. Again economical and a space/storage saver. 

 5: Use pictures, reproductions you purchase through a online store, like (link). From Etsy where you can download and print them yourself (8x10 or smaller) or have them printed at office depot in larger sizes. Or ones you find at thrift stores/yard sales. The added plus? You can store them in the picture frame! I do this and I love it! 

 6: No matter what social media or influencers tell you . . . You don't have to decorate for the holidays differently every year! If you love the same look every year then so be it! You do you! 


 There you have it, 6 tips for decorating for all your Holidays/Seasons.



That's all for now! xo, Tina ❦



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Notes from Tina | №25

A monthly behind the scenes look at whats been happening around my home, plus articles from around the web and posts you may have missed. So grab a drink, get comfy and enjoy!

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated" ~ Confucius



What We've Been Up To


Happy Halloween!  🎃 

Are y'all ready for the trick or treaters? We haven't given out candy for several years now. I usually make some popcorn and watch horror movies! Or do you live in an area that changes when trick or treating is held? It really annoys the 💩 out of me when they do that! Just leave things alone!

There weren't any birthdays, per se, this month. If my momma (2024) was still with us she would have turned 91. I really do miss her and my daddy (2023) so much. The holidays just aren't the same. 😪

Well, after months of going back and forth on how I wanted to finish our bathroom; extend beadboard around the sink and wallpaper above or wallpaper from floor to ceiling...
I decided to wallpaper from floor to ceiling around the sink area. I'm so glad I did! Got the curtains hung. I'm still tweaking a few little things, but I'm loving it! Then I moved to the bedroom...sigh...hung the curtains & made the bed...and 😡🤬🤬 The curtains look great, but the bedding...aahh! And no matter how many times I try to walk away and work on something else it doesn't work because it's our bedroom! I've got an idea that I hope works out...if not? 🤷‍♀️😪 I'll just deal with it! 

DH has been spending the government shutdown working on some projects for and with me. I get so excited when things get rolling that sometimes my mind starts racing with ideas on how I'm going to finish it off, that I get impatient! 

NOTE: I have 3 posts scheduled for November and none for December. I'm taking some time off for the holidays, to finish a few things, and really think about how much longer I want to continue blogging.

I hope everyone has a Happy & Safe Thanksgiving! 


Around the Web + Recipes

  • I follow Kelly on Instagram, but you can see her home Here
  • Love this lampshade BUT the price? $519? Ain't no way! 
  • A little late, but you can bookmark for next year Southern Living articles about mums  Here, Here, Here, Here, Here & Here


*Recipes/food that look and sound delicious (that I will probably never try or make 😆🤷‍♀️)




Recent Posts You May Have Missed


◇ A Note from Tina #24
◇ What I've Read | Oct 2025 (😆 I just realized I never finished writing this post before I published it!)



That's all for now! xoxo Tina



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What I've Read | October 2025



What I've Read is where I share book(s) from true crime, who done its, historical, and other genres that I've read this month. My hope is you find a new book, author or genre to add to your reading list.

Happy Reading! 



"A ROOM WITHOUT BOOKS IS LIKE A BODY WITHOUT A SOUL" ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero


That's all for now! xoxo Tina



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I'm On Spotify!

Well Hello There!

Just wanted to drop this quick note, that you can now follow me on Spotify. I do have a Pandora profile, but you can't embed it on your website, so I decided to create a profile on Spotify too.



A little about what you'll find. 

  • My playlists are a work in progress. I'll go through spurts of binge adding songs.
  • I love a variety of genres, i.e. opera, classical, heavy metal, etc.
  • Majority of the playlists are broken down into categories, such as: sounds of Halloween, sounds of the 70's, and so on.
  • The sounds of Christmas playlist may have a few repeat songs! My all time favorite Christmas Carol is "Carol of the Bells" and I love the subtle differences in performances. 
For those of you who may be wondering...

YES! The vinyl records in the photo are just a few of mine! 



That's all for now!
xo,Tina ❦



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DIY Halloween Pumpkin Wreath

It has been a while since I've made a wreath! But I just had this overwhelming urge to make a couple,the other wreath will be posted later. Halloween is just around the corner and although I don't decorate like I used too (here), this year I wanted to add just a little bit in with my fall decor.

I know you've seen these in the store and they are so easy to make. They can be customized for almost any holiday/season too. Not to mention you can use them anywhere in your home. So let me show you just how easy they are...








Wreath Supplies




How-to

  1. Remove plastic wrap from wreath
  2. Add wire for hanging, if hanging it from a hook (mine is hanging on a peg, so no wire needed) 
  3. Lay wreath on a flat surface 
  4. Start gluing pumpkins around the wreath
  5. Carefully add glue and Spanish moss in open areas between pumpkins 
  6. If you want add ribbon 
*Please excuse photo quality. 


 Although Spanish moss can be messy, I enjoyed making it. Just not sure if I'll use it next year, 🤔


That's all for now!
xoxo Tina



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"A HOUSE IS MADE WITH WALLS AND BEAMS; A HOME IS BUILT WITH LOVE AND DREAMS." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson