Getting all decked out!

Well, I'm back from my unintended week long blog break! We had a lovely Thanksgiving and enjoyed out of town family visiting. And ate LOTS of yummy food! :) So now I'm full out Christmas! I've been decorating in the last week preparing for another girl's night out holiday party. More on that later this week!

So just sharing some of the festive-ness going on over here. I am still in love with my felt trees. Haven't hung the red sweater stockings yet, but if you'd like a little tutorial on those follow the link. :)

I made a couple small felt wreaths to go over the kid's kitchen and a little tin Christmas tea set (found this year at Target).

These were so simple! And I used up scraps from those sweater stockings too!

This is one of my stockings as a child. It's handmade. It was our 'fruit' stocking. :) We got 2 stockings every year growing up. One with goodies and this one with a couple of oranges and apples and a banana. The one with goodies had a few things that were always in them as far as I could remember til I moved out: chapstick, hershey kisses and a coloring book with a new pack of crayons.

And lastly, we have quite the stash of non breakable ornaments for this rowdy bunch! I have them in a metal basket on a low shelf in my living room for a dash of color. :)

More DIY decorating projects coming up this week! Snowball ornaments, cool metal card display and more! :)

Get Well Gifty

A young lady at my church was feeling bad after a procedure she had done. So I had the idea to send her a cheer up/get well soon package. I made some smiley face cookies and this black apple doll...in a variation she shows here. I wanted so bad for the doll to hold something and it has to be somewhat small. So I used some printed cardboard (from a sticker package) and white card stock to make this tiny book. I cut the cardboard down, added white pages and sewed down the middle. Used red electrical tape for the 'binding' and added an initial. Fun printed pencil and my gift was complete! Boy I loved how this turned out. How I would love to make a row of these for myself! And oh how Kalla drooled over it. Thinking a stubby-legged black apple doll would be the perfect thing for her stocking! Shhhh! Don't tell her! :)

LOVE this skirt

I was smitten by the Bo Peep skirt in Anna Maria Horner's book, Seams to Me when I first saw it. So of course I had to make one..or a few! So far I've only got this one done (Maressa's skirt on the right). Kalla's is just a 3 tier twirly skirt. I'm making her a bo peep skirt next.

They love their matching skirts too.

And because my oldest daughter won't wear much else on top than a t-shirt, we just made one to match. Plain tee from Target and she choose 3 circles she liked from the fabric and I sewed them on with extra stitching all around the circles. Cute, simple and comfy...mama and daughter BOTH happy! :)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese=YUM!

Yesterday I had my monthly sewing day where I lead a sewing project with ladies who want to gain experience using a sewing machine, just learning and those who just want to fellowship and make fun projects. *If you live in the Huntsville AL area and want to join, click on the Huntsville Craft Club link for more info!* Anyway, it's just not a proper gathering to me if there isn't yummy snacks. So I make goodies for it too. Well, my oven just decided to get sick on me and won't even get diagnosed til Wednesday, so all my goodie making is limited.

So I made yummy pumpkin cream cheese. I love pumpkin so much that I think I look to add it to nearly every thing during the fall. So this seemed like a logical choice. Add a box of crisp ginger snaps and you've got a most delicious snack. Course it would be great spread on whole grain bagels as well. So if you are having company staying with you this Thanksgiving, why not whip some up for snacking and/or breakfast?

Ok, so to the recipe. I used a BHG recipe as follows:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1/2 C canned pumpkin

1/4 C sugar

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat together and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

I also made those MS cereal bon bons from my edible gift list for the first time. Just cornflakes and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also drizzled white chocolate on top. These disappeared at my sewing day. One of the easiest and most yummy treats I've made! Will be making these again!

For this month's project I used a free pattern/tutorial for our project (usually I use my own pattern/tutorial but there are already so many cute aprons ones on the net). Go here to get the tutorial (I googled for a tutorial and this is the link I found and can't really figure out how to get there from the actual blog). It's super cute and easy and would make a great gift!

Revisitng Last Years Kids Turkey Craft

Visit this link to make your own play dough turkey craft kit for kids. It was quite the hit last year! They make great preschool party favors!

My Front Door Makeover

This my friends is the after. I am so much happier with it. You'll see why when you see the next picture.

This was the before in all it's hideous glory. And yeah, I left it like this for 3 long years! lol I was hoping for all new doors, but after exploring the price tag for such a purchase, I decided some paint and new brushed nickel hardware would do for another few years. And I got hubby to put up simple new lights to replace those sad, falling down, hanging by a thread ones. MUCH better! Next year I will have a reason to do up the porch for fall like I've always wanted. :) Planning my outdoor Christmas for in a few weeks! I can't WAIT to put my tree up and get the house all twinkly and festive!

Speaking of, being the sick person I am I've been listening to Christmas tunes every morning via Pandora Radio. Just put in your fav holiday song and they make a play list for you!

And for your viewing pleasure, check out this site for this season's tv holiday schedule so you don't miss any of your favs!

Photograph Art

A while back while flipping through a magazine I saw a picture similar to this on a table. I think it was 5x7 size. I filed it in my brain as something I'd like to do. I really like the fun way it turned out for art for my bedroom.

So here's how I did it. I got these 12x12 frames from Hobby Lobby (waiting patiently for their 50% off sale). The tricky part was finding good pics of the kids to use. For it to look the best you need a full body shot of them so you can cut all the way around. Once I found pics I wanted to use, I used a picture editing program to make them B&W.
Then I printed them up 4x6 and cut out around the picture of my kid. I used 12x12 scrapping paper and used glue dots to secure them on top of the paper. Then frame! That's it!

I then made a collection on the wall in my bedroom (minus Micah...I need to take a full body pic of him because I don't have any). You can do this with group pics as well and it would make a fun gift!

Shrinky Dink Ornaments and a list of other handmade ornaments

I am ahead of the game this season...thus far. Every year I try to have each kid make a homemade ornament. Last year we never finished them (sometimes my ideas sound better/simple than they actually turn out and sometimes they get abandoned). So this year I had the bright idea to do some shrinky dinks for our ornaments. But lo and behold, this easy project still didn't go tear free (there is no erasing on shrinky dink...at least not the outline you do in permanent marker). When it was all said and done the 2 older ones got an adorable ornament out of it (the younger 2 can't really draw and I plan to revisit the mommy-draw-a-picture-they-color for them when I'm feeling especially patient). And where else can you find an ornament with a holiday decked out unicorn in snow?? lol Gotta love it!

To make these simple ornaments, get some shrinky dink paper. I cut each sheet in half and told the kids to draw a picture filling most of the space with a sharpie. Then they colored it. I cut off unfilled edges and rounded the corners and punched a hole in the top. Follow shrinky dink directions to shrink in the oven. Let cool completely and tie a string to hang.

Here are a few other kid or mommy homemade ornament ideas:

Painted clay ornaments

LOVE this simple round felt 3D ornament

MS button wreath ornament

Felt bird cage ornament

Child's art in a clear round ornament

MS Beaded letters and stars ornaments

And I've got a few more of my own ideas to be shared soon!!

Lots of Leafy Soap!

We had our annual Harvest Banquet at my church this past weekend. It's a special dinner where the younger married people honor our older generation called the Sun Risers. For the 3rd year I was put in charge of the gifts/party favors. It is always a challenge to come up with something for 60 people that won't put a dent in the pocketbook. This year I did leaf shaped soap. Super easy to do, just takes time. Actually I spent more time sitting down to do the packaging that the soap (soap you simply melt in the microwave, mix your scent and colors and then pour into mold...I speak more of soap making here.) For the packaging I simply used small cellophane bags found in the party section of Hobby Lobby. I placed 2 small soaps with a paper leaf cut out to make pretty and then used paper to cover the top. Punched holes and then tied twine in a knot.

The past years I did marble magnets and stamped note cubes. Have no idea what I'll do next year! Might have to go the edible route.

Edible Handmade Christmas Gifts

Here's my NON comprehensive list of yummies that would make quick and easy gifts. This is especially handy for teachers and friends and neighbors. I simply went down my bookmarked recipe list and my past favorites. There are a ton more out there I'm sure!
White chocolate orange crunch ...I made this for a friend's bday and it was a big hit. For teachers I'm going to let the kids help me make a different version substituting almond flavoring and dark chocolate

Chocolate truffles with sea salt

Cocoa in a jar

MS Apple Cranberry fruit leather

Iced pumpkin cookies

Spiced Pumpkin dunking sticks

White chocolate cherry shortbread

MS cheese chips

Edible Crayons

MS chocolate cereal bon bons

White Chocolate Popcorn

Chocolate Pretzel Buttons

Oreo Truffles

Gourmet Chocolate Caramel Apple

Playdough Cookie Pops

Mini Pumpkin Bread loaves

Cranberry Almond Granola

Vanilla Chai Tea Mix

Be creative with your containers! You can use anything on hand and I like to keep all sized mason jars to put goodies in. You can use anything from empty egg crates to empty takeout deli containers! For a super nice gift you can also get pretty decorative mini baking loaf pans and leave you yummy bread in it and wrap with cellophane and ribbon. If I get a chance I'll try to post some pictures of pretty packaging.

And here's some label printables to add:
Adorable Cookie Labels

I will add more printables when I find them!

Happy Baking!!

Starting to rock the holiday season, Target dollar spot style!

Ribbons, tags, packages, boxes and bags!! :) Not pictured are tags and scrapbook papers and other scrapping goodies for personalizing tags.

The boxes are to hold teacher gifts. Goodies for the kids stockings and these adorable snowflake picture ornaments (already working on those for an early gift. :)

Oh how I love the Target dollar spot! You can also get adorable wrapping paper and gift bags and many other stocking stuff type things! But as you know it won't last! Stock up now! ;)

Tomorrow, my list of favorite edible goodies!! YUM!

It's getting to be that time!

Time to start those handmade gift projects!

To get things started I'm going to put the lists I made and some others in my right hand column for those looking for ideas.

Here are a few ideas I've had over the last year:

Beary Cute Tic Tac Toe and personalized memory game

Personalized tin lunch boxes filled with craft supplies

Super simple art drawing tote

Felt plates tutorial and felt cookies/apron/doll playset

Super simple art drawing turned stuffie

Bubble letter alphabet book...this one is bunny, but you can find other bubble letters on craftjr.com

Other ideas I can't resist on other blogs:

Personalized family Yahtzee game

Book and felt food sets

I'm going to make some other lists to this year. A teacher gift list, an edible gift list and friend/sister/mom type list. :) And I'll add kid gift ideas here too when I come across them/think of them. :) Have a few ideas/tutorials coming up!

Halloween Fun

Here are 3 of them. The boys in their football glory. Splurge on my part for them, but they have already worn these uniforms/costumes a ton and I expect they will til they don't fit anymore. Kalla who reminded me that she 'doesn't wear costumes, Mom' decided she wanted to wear the cape that I was already making her (her brothers already got theirs, and she patiently waited for me to make her one~they were supposed to be gifts last Christmas). And I made her a 'K' shirt to wear with it. So she was Super Kalla. :)

This one, who normally lets me or her sister put all kinds of dress up things on her daily, did NOT want to wear anything on this day. No Cinderella dress (what was originally decided since we already had one), no tutu, not even the cute bunny ears. So we just called her bubblegum. lol Course she was not going to be left out of all the picture taking. ;)



Trick or treating with Grandma before hitting the party at our church building.

Of which I made a ton of cupcakes for.

And on Friday, Zachary's and Kalla's class were allowed to dress up as a favorite character and parade around their school. Z as none other than Charlie Brown. Kalla's was a little tricky being that she doesn't dress up and all. However, she does love wearing her pjs...even to school. So I found this book where the character wears pjs. She was so excited to participate in her own comfortable way.