Nest of Posies

the BIG Valentine's Linkup Party! It's here!

2012-01-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

Here we are at the Grand Finale of Valentine's week, where you all get to share your projects for Valentine's. I cannot wait to see them! You're welcome to link up any type of project related to Valentines! Craft, handmade gift, mantels, sweets, decor ~ you name it, we'd love to see it!

Here's a quick recap of the week's projects.

Hoosier Homemade made fabulous mini Pink Lemonade Pies with heart shaped crusts.

The Shabby Creek Cottage created a crisp & fresh Valentine's mantel.

Yours truly crafted up some Valentine's envelopes.

The Idea Room made a super cute Chalkboard Mug as a perfect gift for anyone.

We also have a special treat for all of you!

The Paper Cupcake made an adorable FREE subway art printable.

click here for the PDF file of a 8x10 size

or here for a 11x14 size

How cool is that??? Yours for the taking. Many thanks to The Paper Cupcake!!!

also.....
if you haven't entered all the giveaways from this week, here's some quick links that will take you to the various posts:

$25 shop credit towards The Paper Cupcake

A burlap LOVE bunting garland from Baybee Dahl Boutique

Polka Dot Farmhouse table runner from The Shabby Creek Cottage Shop

Posie Cluster giveaway from Nest of Posies Shop

Alright, my lovelies - that's it! Go enter all the giveaways & print out a copy or 2 of the fun subway art for your decor. Don't forget we'll be pinning your ideas throughout the weekend on our Valentine's boards. So make sure you are following so you can repin some of the incredible ideas that I'm sure will be linked up!

Can't wait to see!

shake & shimmy mantel

2012-01-26T12:50:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks back I mentioned how my little girl has a thing for anything that's fuzzy, pink or filled with glitter. She will be the one with pink flamingos in her yard, there's no question about it. She even wants horned rimmed glasses with sequins. So when we're in the fabric stores, she makes a mad dash to the clearance scrap bins & picks out anything with fur, glitter or pink. So with all that on hand ~ the shake & shimmy frame was created. Trust me, it doesn't go with *a thing* in our house, but it's Valentines & she's in love with the display.

I've been wanting to display some of my casual instagram pics around the house. So I thought it would be fun to display some in old jars on the mantel. Nothing permanent, but just to display some of my faves. I made them all black & white using picasa & printed them out on cardstock. I am loving the contrast of the black & whites against all the shake & shimmy trim. It just kinda evolved into this direction & I'm loving it for a fun Valentine's mantel.

linking with:

Home Stories A2Z, Tatertots & Jello, Positively Splendid, Decor Chick

come find me on instagram! warning: i'm kinda obsessed with it! ;)

DIY Valentine Envelopes + a GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-25T08:03:00.002-05:00

It's finally my turn to have a little pink explosion on the 'ole blog for Valentine's Week. I am thrilled to be teaming up with Hoosier Homemade, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Idea Room & The Paper Cupcake for a week to celebrate pink, sweets, love & treats. Each day this week we're sharing Valentine ideas & then on Friday we want all of you to take part & share all things Valentine's for one.big.link.party! We will all be hosting the same party & between the 5 of us, that's over 30,000 readers. Hello! So make sure you link up on Friday!

Now for the scoop on the DIY Valentine Envelopes. Really they're quite simple to make. They take a few supplies that most of you probably have on hand & really, this post took much longer to write than these little envelopes took to make. I promise!

For your supplies, you'll need:

felt

sewing machine -or- needle & embroidery thread

cutting mat, ruler edge & a roller cutting blade

buttons

fabric

stamp & ink *optional

lavender *optional

You'll cut your felt in a shape of a house with a pointed roof. (That's the simplest way to explain it ;) Then using a sewing machine (or needle & thread) stitch along the edges. I used a decorative stitch, but any stitch will do. Follow along the point of the envelope with a stitch if you so desire. I used covered buttons to embellish the envelopes, but plain buttons will look just as cute! Honestly, after I finished cutting, sewing 5 of these envelopes took less than 15 minutes. They really are that fast & simple to make!

I also made little sachets of lavender to place in the envelopes to give to all the grown ups in our lives. The kids can't have all the fun, now can they?

I made a simple rectangle cut. One that would fit inside the Valentine envelopes. I used the same decorative stitch to seal the envelope, but I left the edges raw. Lavender to me, is a little luxury gift that you can give your friends. It doesn't matter how big or small, the smell is also so lovely & refreshing. Believe it or not, I buy my lavender from a vendor on eBay & I just store the leftovers in a jar until the next project comes along.

Click over to see Hoosier Homemade's darling heart shaped pink lemonade pies & enter the giveaway from The Paper Cupcake..

The Shabby Creek Cottage decorated a gorgeous Valentine's mantel & has a fun giveaway!

Tomorrow Amy from The Idea Room is going to make something that I'm sure will blow our socks off!

And then - don't forget FRIDAY is the big link up party! You can link up from any of the blogs listed above, but all the links will show up on all of our blogs. Whoo Hoo.

***We have all started a Valentine's board on Pinterest. We will all be pinning ideas that YOU link up on Friday to those boards. So be ready to party on Friday!***

Now about the giveaway...

The talented Gina (who I love & adore) blogs & runs The Shabby Creek Shop. Gina is giving away a Polka Dot Farmhouse Table Runner from her shop here today!

I mean, seriously...how cute is that? Perfect for Valentine's Day & any day in between!

It measures 12 inches X 72 inches.

And it is up for grabs!!!!

To enter:

Simply leave a comment below.

For additional entries:

* follow The Shabby Creek Cottage & leave an additional comment

*share this giveaway on your FB page (including the link) & leave an additional comment

Winner Winner of The No Brainer Wardrobe

2012-01-24T22:08:00.000-05:00

Ack! I forgot to announce the winner of the fabulous No Brainer Wardrobe ebook!

Well...random.org picked...

Jenni!!!!

Congrats! Jenni, I'm leaving a comment on your blog now...or you can email me at:

nestofposies@gmail.com and the book shall be yours!

remember you can always get a copy for yourself by going here.

mango tango inspiration - shop update

2012-01-23T08:03:00.001-05:00

It's funny - you never know when inspiration is going to hit.
I've been *trying* to find a way to keep my embroidery thread neat & tidy. So I placed them in a clear vase. I got a color idea from that vase the other day & ran with the idea.

It may just be my most favorite yet...

Anybody want to do the Mango Tango with me?

Tangerine Tango, Flamingo Pink & Pink all nestled together in one bright & cheery cluster.

It will make you have sunshine on a cloudy day & when it's cold outside - well, you know...you'll be thinking about the month of May. It will, I promise.

Have I mentioned it's been raining here?

Like everyday, raining.

Like cabin fever to the maxx - raining.

I think that's why God created color. Because it can change a mood in a heartbeat!

And let me just say, I've had some moods!

Whoa!

The Spring Collection - The Sunshine on a Cloudy Day Collection - is available in the shop.

Just in case - you wanted to hear more. I love this song. Talk about doing the mango tango - check out those moves!!! Love them. ;)

***

***Also, today is the first day of Valentine's Week! Head on over to Hoosier Homemade & see what Liz has been cooking up for your Valentine!***

Announcing Valentine's Week

2012-01-21T00:29:00.000-05:00

Hello Lovelies!

Just popping in for a sec & sharing what will be happening next week around these parts.

I've been invited to celebrate Valentine's with these lovely ladies listed above. Each day next week we will be sharing all things related to pink, red, love, kisses, cuteness & sweets. It will be a pink explosion, I'm sure of it! But the fun thing is....on Friday January 27th there will be one - big - huge - nothing but love for ya - link up party!!!

But this link party will be different!!!! It will be a link party from ALL of our blogs, linking up to ONE linky party! You will be able to join the party from any blog listed above, but the same party will show up with all the links on all 5 blogs on Friday. Umm, let's go ahead & say - that's a whole lot of people that will be showing up for this party!

You name it, why, you can link it - home decor, crafts, homemade gift ideas, sweet treats & anything else your heart desires to focus around Valentine's on Friday January 27th!

Oops! I almost forgot...each day next week we will all take turns hosting fabulous giveaways that anyone can enter! So basically you don't want to miss a day.

It's gonna be good, y'all! Any chance I get to be around my signature colors of blush & bashful + some sweets, I'll gladly show up with bells on! Hope you will too!

Have a fabulous weekend.

Holga iPhone Lens = I'm in love.

2012-01-18T00:31:00.001-05:00

Most of you all know about my love & affection for my iPhone. Seriously, it's usually the last thing I use when I go to sleep & the first thing I use when I wake up. Crazy love, right there.

You can imagine how excited I was when I received the Holga Lens from Photojojo for my iPhone 4.

Let's just say it's crazy cool! And you all know I am one picture takin' mama!

It's shaped like a old rotary phone with jeweled buttons & it snaps right on to your iPhone 4 or 4S.

You really don't have to read any of the instructions - you just snap it on & start clickin'. My favorite kind of assembly required.

So that's exactly what I did....

The first heart pic is with the Holga lens only. The second heart pic is with the Holga lens & the Instagram app. Let me stop here & say, yes - Instagram has *some* features like a Holga camera, but the lenses on the Holga are so much more intensified. Plus they're a lot more fun to play around with on the jeweled dial. But when you add the two - oh my stars! What a fun combo!

Here's some more pics from the Holga Lenses taken by me around town.

There's 9 different lenses. Bright lenses like red & green. A macro lens, double, triple & even a quadruple lens maker. It's like 9 different cameras all in one. It's available at Photojojo at such a great price. It's an awesome camera gadget where you can feel all geeky & cool at the same time!

Photojojo has other gadgets that are too cool for school! Amazing products & great prices, they all are a must see! And the shipping...holy cow ~ lightening fast!

*I received the Holga Lens from Photojojo for this review. All opinions are my own & I highly recommend.*

image 1&2 from Photojojo

what I'm getting the hubs (and me) for Vday

2012-01-16T22:55:00.000-05:00

When I laid my eyes on the Poppy and Pinecone etsy shop, I knew it had to be! She has every state in a watercolor print. Since I am a born & raised California girl & hubs is a tried & true, Southern as they come Tennessean, it was meant to be.

California & Tennessee in watercolors with a heart - no less! Perfect for Vday!

I also have plans for this print below.

She'll add the hearts to every state that you love to personalize it.

Such a lovely idea.

To get your state visit The Poppy and Pinecone.

tangerine tango, scarves & more - shop update

2012-01-15T23:15:00.000-05:00

Tangerine Tango, as in Pantone's color of the year for 2012 = Yep, I've got it right in the shop for you.

You can grab just a cluster to spice up your wardrobe & get the sassiest color of the year or grab a NEW infinity scarf to go with it. It's totally up to you. I am in love with the beautiful aqua & pistachio colors up against the tangerine tango. To me, they're all gorgeous mixed together~!

There's also a new color combo of the same aqua, yellow & gray now available. I'm calling it Mediterranean Sea. I don't know about you, but it would be really nice to get away to the Mediterranean during the Winter, So we can dream a little while we're wearing this bright, sunny mix of colors, can't we???

Infinity scarves are made out of a lightweight knit & of course are extremely soft. You will love them. No doubt about it.

I'm also debuting a new idea of fabric covered button necklaces. Aren't they adorable? My intent was to make them very colorful, but also have some basic colors in them so you can wear with just about anything. Everything is handmade. Although, I will try my best to duplicate the pictures above to the best of my ability, they will vary. That's the true beauty of handmade. The necklaces will not always be in stock. I plan on making them as I go & then list them. So when they're sold out, I will make more & list eventually.

All new items are available in my shop right now...so c'mon over & have a peek.

in search of:

2012-01-14T23:20:00.000-05:00

I've just got to find her.

The No Brainer Wardrobe + a giveaway!

2012-01-12T01:40:00.002-05:00

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!

If I were to ask you how many pieces of clothing you have in your closet, what would your answer be?
40, 60, 80? Too stuffed to count?

When was the last time you cleaned out your closet?
Maybe some of you have - since it's January, but I know I have yet to tackle mine.

What about your wardrobe itself - do you like it? Are you always shopping for more? Better yet, do you feel confident in the clothes you have?

While you're thinking about your wardrobe & your closet can we talk about this lady for a sec?

This is Hayley. Her blog is The Tiny Twig. Her reputation is growing by leaps & bounds in blogland & in the real world. Her awesome sense of style, her tips & suggestions are for real women of all sizes with real budgets. She just finished her ebook, The No Brainer Wardrobe.

In her ebook, she'll take you through the process of cleaning out your closet. = GETTING ORGANIZED! whoohoo!

She'll share tips on finding your style, inspiration or how to dress & get ideas.

What to buy. How to plan ahead.

She'll even share how she uses Pinterest for wardrobe planning & inspiration. Then, she'll take you shopping at Goodwill in her book, to share tips on what to look for while shopping at a thrift store.

image from Topshop

She pulls it all together for you & will make your mornings so much easier with her No Brainer Wardrobe suggestions.

She'll cover it all in her easy, helpful way. I love what she has to say about Accessories for example:

"Accessories are like the cinnamon on your toast, the syrup on your pancakes, the sprinkles on your sundae. They make things sweet and fun. Accessories are also an inexpensive way to make you outﬁt more ﬁnished and polished."

She knows how to do it.

Isn't she cute?

So who would like a copy of The No Brainer Wardrobe???

She's giving one away! Right here, right now. Woot Woot!

To Enter:

*simply leave a comment below telling us what you fell victim to in the 80's.

big hair, leg warmers, a flashdance sweatshirt perhaps??? - let us know in your comment!

*for an extra entry - follow Hayley on twitter! - leave a separate comment

*or, if you would like to partner with Hayley & tweet or FB post about The No Brainer Wardrobe, click the button below. - please leave a separate comment for an additional entry.

OR..want to buy The No Brainer Wardrobe now? The first 10 readers will get the ebook for 50% off!

enter: posies

at checkout. Click here to purchase The No Brainer Wardrobe.

umm, hello - that's $3.99 to 10 lucky people. ((Hurry!))

Giveaway ends Sunday, January 15th.

winner will be chosen by random.org

*I received a copy of this ebook for this review. All opinions are my very own.

Basically, that's the short version of saying, "I loved it!"*

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!

Candy Cane Hearts

2012-01-09T23:22:00.001-05:00

Well, paint my door red & call me the peppermint queen. By golly, I've found a way to keep peppermint around just a little bit longer! Just to clarify, I've saw this a couple of years ago, but I've never tried it until the other day.

I feel like this is more of a supply list, than a recipe -
But before I go any further...RUN! to your store & snatch up those mini candy canes before they get gone! At 70% off they wont be around much longer. Hurry. My box of 30 cost me .50 cents. Buy some extras too. Because those little suckers break easily!

Okay - back to supplies.

*Candy cane minis. unwrap & place in heart shape on wax paper

*Lollipop sticks (Wilton's)

*Wilton's pink Chocolate Melts. Melt per directions on the package. umm, hello Mr. Wilton, I'm helping your retirement fund grow here on my blog - how about you & I have a cuppa coffee one day & chat ;)

*note - you will not have to use a lot of melts, I just melted as I went along today.*

*(use an ice tea spoon to spread the chocolate in your hearts)

*Sprinkles

*allow time to dry & firm

There you have it. I dare ya not to smile with all the visions of pink that will be floating around in your kitchen. I always say bring on the pink right after Christmas, because the power of pink fades those ole' Winter blues away!

linking with:

Tatertots & Jello, Tidy Mom, Home Stories A2Z, 30 Handmade Days, Tip Junkie, Positively Splendid

Conversation Heart hair clips - {felt}

2012-01-08T22:57:00.002-05:00

The Nest of Posies SHOP is back open for business!

Of course, being the seasonal lover that I am, I had to do something for Valentines. So may I introduce these darling Conversation Heart hair clips for all the little girls in your life.

They come in Red, Pink & Flamingo Pink.

They have a simple snap/clip barrette on the back of each one. All are embroidered with thread in your choice of:

LOVE

XOXO

CUTE

I tried to get my girl to model one for me to snap a pic. As you can see below I don't have to worry about having a model wanna-be daughter on my hands, just yet. Have mercy that child cannot stand still for anything.

But she finally managed to stand still for just a second while she was stirring a cup of imaginary hot chocolate. Busy busy, I tell ya.

The price is $8 each.

But for a limited time, I am running a special. You can get 2 Conversation Heart hair clips for $12.00.

enter the code: 2for12

at checkout & the price will be adjusted.

You can pick any color & any saying. It's totally up to you.

These are all handmade by yours truly & are available now in the shop!

In other news...because 'tis the season for blog conferences. I decided I would put all blog name bags on sale for the next 2 weeks. Can I get a woot woot???

All blog name bags will be $40 (normally $50.00) That will include a threaded embroidery stitch of your blog name & 6-8 fabric rosettes or felt flowers to coordinate with the colors of your blog. The number of flowers depends on the size of your blog name & layout of the bag. You can also see some examples in the shop.

I included this Instagram photo collage of blog name/business name bag that I had the pleasure of working on before Christmas. I could just kick myself now, for not taking real picture of some of these. But all that takes a lot of time & needless to say it got a little crazy around Fall & just stayed that way all the way through Christmas.

So please excuse some of these photos are not the best, but some of these I've never shown on the blog before. They are all new fresh designs with fun mixes of colors in fabric rosettes or the felt flowers.

So basically, to sum up this post -

Conversation Heart Hair Clips. $8 each or 2for12. (Don't forget the code!!!)
All blog name bags or business name bags are on special for the next 2 weeks for $40.00.

email me & we can discuss in detail the design for your blog name bag. nestofposies@gmail.com

there's a new kinda blog & linky in town

2012-01-07T07:46:00.001-05:00

LINKY HERE. Have you heard of it?

More than likely you haven't because it's brand spakin' new. But it's a super duper great idea.

If you have a linky party that you host on your blog, for anything - register it on LINKY HERE! It's free & they'll keep a register of it, what type of party it is & what day of the week it goes up for free. One of the beauties of LINKY HERE, is that it is also a blog. But it's the kind of blog that gives shout out's to giveaways, linkys, or a special promo that you might be doing for YOUR blog.

Don't host a linky party? Well LINKY HERE is a great tool of reference if you like to join link parties around blog land. Just use their directory bar at the top & locate specific parties that may be of interest to you. It's that easy.

They're just getting started, so hop on over there & register your linky or check out the parties. Join their site, because I'm sure it will be the "go-to" place for a quick reference or directory!

a balloon invite

2012-01-05T11:00:00.002-05:00

Wouldn't you just squeal your heart out, if you got one of these in the mail?

So adorable.

found via edyta's blog

5 things I'm loving right now

2012-01-04T12:02:00.000-05:00

Source: letslassothemoon.com via Kellie on Pinterest

I'm joining my cousin Maegan & her new linky party - 5 Things I'm Loving Right Now. She's having this party once a month. I love love love this idea. I'm predicting that this may become a party every other week, if not every week. It's such a fun, easy topic that can cover everything across the board. And let's face it, we all love a good tip on something people are loving!

1. Alright - here we go - I included my resolutions for the 5 things. Because I do love a fresh start. Wipe the slate clean & begin all over again. My resolutions are pretty generic, but I have key words I really want to focus on for TWENTY 12.

Grow. Plan. Learn. Exercise. Read. Aim High.

2. Right before Christmas, Anthropologie had their Homegrown Monogram mugs on sale for $4 each. I am in love with them. I ordered one for all our first name initials, a couple of our last name initials & even the dog's initial! oh.yes.i.did!

3. I think I finally understand why Essie nail polish is so pricey. It stays on! I swear I usually can peel my nail polish off within 10 minutes of putting it on. Not with Essie.

4. Peppermint Bark - after Christmas sale @ 70% off. Need I say more?

5. iPhone photo apps! Love them, love them, love them. photo via my pinterest stream.

So what are you loving right now? Do a quick post & join in with Maegan. It's a monthly linky (for now) - so mark your calendars!

Passion, Profit & your Pajamas

2012-01-03T09:19:00.002-05:00

Have you made New Year's resolutions?
Do you have an idea or even a dream of having your own business from home?
Do you dream of having a really messy room in your house dedicated to that dream?
You love to create or have such a strong passion for something, it's all you can think about?
Dreaming of working in your pjs?
Needing to make some extra cash - don't we all?
Or perhaps your kids are soon off to school & you are thinking of ways to help pay for that school or extra activities, vacays, pedis or manis???
Or for heaven sakes, actually pay some bills off! Wow, wouldn't that be great?!

Well, in all seriousness my friend Gina from Shabby Creek Cottage, who I admire & truly respect from the bottom of my heart has written an e-book on how to make your passion into profit!

You know Gina has one of the most successful home shops on etsy. Yep, she sure does.

And one of the many things I love about Gina, is that her advice & suggestions are so easy. Simple, true, reality driven tips that make perfect sense. I learned a ton from her last year when I met her in real life at Blissdom. If you have a handmade business or are thinking of starting one up this year, you will not be sorry for purchasing her ebook for just $10.00. It's written beautifully & is so easy to read. With true fact suggestions & tips on how to make your passion become real profit. Signing up for an etsy space, big cartel or a ".com" is the easy part. Trust me. Stocking, advertising, pr, design, photos, new ideas & creating new products become the hard part. Gina will guide you through running a successful shop & keeping it that way in her ebook.

What's stopping you? Go for it, your passion that is. It wont take off, if you do nothing. You wont learn anything or have experience if you don't start trying.

Gina's book is a great starting point, or even a silent partner to have when you need help or suggestions.

You may purchase the ebook from Gina by clicking the button below. Trust me, you wont be sorry. You'll learn so much. ~ I sure did!

I received a free copy of this book for review. I also believe in Gina & her advice because she has truly helped me personally with my business, that I joined her affiliate program to help spread the word about her ebook. All opinions & testimonies are my own.

Photo a day Challenge via Instagram

2012-01-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

a couple of years back I tried, & I do repeat "tried" to do the 365 photo a day challenge. well, surprise, surprise it was a complete flop for me. I could probably do it now, because I'm in such gaga love with Instagram, but I thought I would give this 30 day photo challenge a try, first.

The best part - anyone can do it. It can be with your regular camera, cell phone, you name it. I'm just doing it with others via our Instagram stream. I don't plan on posting them daily here on the blog, but I thought I would on my FB page. And of course at the end of the month I just may post the collage here on the blog for the grand finale.

It's easy everyday topic - no biggies, nothing fancy, just capturing everyday moments in everyday life.

So...who's in?
It's not too late.
I decided to join around 11pm last night. So I kinda already cheated on my 1st pic (taken NYE) but that's ok.
C'mon, join the fun. Who's in?

you can find me on instagram via nestofposies

our year in review via Instagram

2012-01-01T08:13:00.001-05:00

Here's to happy making, merry making & many more memory making along the way in 2012.

Happy TWENTY 12!

xoxo

kellie

find me on Instagram via nestofposies

happy happy eve eve

2011-12-30T18:00:00.000-05:00

Because I double, triple <3 Zooey!
Happy New Year's Eve ~ Eve!
xoxo
***
p.s. one of my new year's resolutions was to "get techy with it" you know the song, "get jiggy with it" yea, that song, but instead "get techy with it" anyways...~ I just finally switched over to this whole Google Chrome thing, umm, let's just say it's gonna take a while for this 'ole gal to get used to it. But here's to one of my new year's resolutions happening 2 days before the new year! whoa!

Disco Ball Drop Ring

2011-12-29T16:49:00.001-05:00

I love the word disco.
And once in awhile I love some bling!
I like to boogie too.
So when I saw this toot, on how to make a ball drop ring, I knew I would have to give it a try.

The only thing I had to purchase was the silver ring @ Joann's. It was $2.99 & I had a 50% off coupon. So...basically this project cost me $1.50 + tax + scraps I already had. whoo hoo!

I've been looking at my nails & my disco ring all day now. In fact, I even called 2 bffs to tell them that I painted my nails on the 363rd day of the year. (I never paint my nails) History once again in the making.

C'mon, you know how you do when you just come from the beauty shop with a new do & look at yourself just a little more in the mirror. Well, that's me today with my disco ball ring & nails.

Sorry, dishes you'll have to wait another day. Oh, darn.

here's my strike a pose - vogue look. just for you.

Yes, it's a little gaudy & big, but SO fun!

I know you want one for yourself, now don't you?

;)

linking with:

tatertots and jello, tidy mom, life rearranged

all photos are from my instagram stream via nestofposies

New Year's Eve POP! Corn

2011-12-28T18:25:00.002-05:00

It's almost that time, to watch the ball drop & say hello to 2012!

We stay at home for the evening, but I always try to have some fun with the kids. I thought a little glitz, pop & sprinkle was needed to help ring in the New Year with our traditional popcorn recipe mix.

But obviously we needed some glitz to add to our popcorn for New Year's Eve.

We have to have glitz, ya know.

Edible glitter stars & Silver Pearlized Sprinkles both from Wilton's.

I used coupons for both of these products & found them at Joann's craft store. Along with my Wilton's White Chocolate Melts.

Like usual, I use my staples with the traditional recipe mix. Orville Redenbacher's Tender White Popcorn (trust me, use the Tender White, it will make such a difference) & Wilton's White Chocolate Melts.

To make New Year's Eve POP! corn:

2 bags of Tender White popcorn

1 bag of Wilton's White Chocolate Melts

1/2 tube of Edible glitter stars

1/2 container of Pearlized Sprinkles

pop your popcorn in the microwave. follow the directions on the package of chocolate melts & melt in the microwave. in a large bowl combine the popcorn & melted chocolate & mix together. then spread it on a large baking sheet & add your glitter stars & pearlized sprinkles. tossing around together lightly. allow the mix to dry just a little, before you add the sprinkles & stars. because the fun part is having the stars & sprinkles show up on top of your popcorn.

Store in an air tight container or in small treat bags tied with ribbon.

And you're ready to bring in the New Year with some POP!

linking with:

tatertots and jello, tidy mom, shabby creek cottage

Top Projects & Posts of 2011

2011-12-27T18:22:00.000-05:00

Hello lovelies!
Last year I joined some of the parties of the top posts of the year, and thought it was so fun to see all the projects! It was like pinterest, before pinterest. Because everyone had their best or most viewed post with links attached. This year, I'm joining in again. Here are some of my most favorite projects of 2011. The posts are in no particular order, other than the first one...

My Fashion Forward Fall Felt Flower Wreath, aka my FFFFFW. So so so fun to make, but it was even funnier to receive so many compliments from it. This was my #1 viewed post of the year. WOWZA! who knew?

For the love of cake & up cycling = dated canister project. Painted white & used vinyl on both sides to bring these babies back to the 21st century.

Valentine Confetti Popcorn. Need I say more? It's gooooood & deadly.

Mini breakfast room & painting a chevron curtain. This post is the one I get the most email questions from. Between the ceiling fan & the paint color of the room. It's a real room, for real living & eating.

And boy, can we do some eating!

Three. Sometimes, I'm known to sit on them for a bit, so they'll stop growing already!!!

Christmas in July birthday party. The cheapest party I've ever had! Just purchased some of the food items, but I went shopping in my basement in July for the decor. Can't beat it!

A wall make-over & birdcage too. I did this early in the year, and have re-decorated it for every season. One of my favorite spot in our little home.

A tooth fairy door. We started a new tradition, and have used it 3 time this year, and *maybe* a fourth if it happens in the next few days. ;)

It's hard to believe how fast the year has gone! Looking back at these posts compared to last year, I hardly did any "home improvement" projects. They were mostly crafty to help decorate. I cannot help but also mention, for all the bloggers that will understand this part - almost everyone of these most popular posts, are not SEO friendly for a title. Hmmm...it's so strange what will be liked & what wont be. It just goes to prove that the heart & mind can see beauty or knows what it like without a computer & SEO telling you what you should like with a search engine. Interesting, isn't it?

Many thanks to all of you for visiting my blog, post after post. I also, cannot fail to mention, how much I appreciate you all pinning or sharing the love. Obviously, I am a blog & a handmade shop owner. What you all have done to help advertise my handmade goodies, is all greatly appreciated. I couldn't do it without you. I try not to saturate this blog with shop stuff, but obviously both are represented here. So again, many thanks for continually coming back!

You all are a bright spot in my day. I truly mean that.

xoxo

kellie

linking with:

tatertots & jello, southern hospitality

knee deep

2011-12-26T20:26:00.001-05:00

We're knee deep in legos, transformers, a play kitchen & dishes, pretend lip gloss, nintendo & cars among other things & taking it easy. I'm just can't be one of those people that takes the tree down the day after Christmas. I guess I don't mind basking in the mess a little longer & of course eating all these Christmas treats - isn't a bad thing either!

Hope your Christmas was full of magic!

speaking of food & leftovers...do you have any leftover Ham?

click on over to see my oldie but a goodie post of Hallelujah Ham Rolls. The best thing you can make with all the leftover ham, if you ask me & the twins. ;)

Merry Making

2011-12-24T09:15:00.003-05:00

We've packed as much as we possibly could into this week. I even got out of my yoga pants for a little bit. History making, right there. We've decorated, but ate more as we went along, saw some lights, went to Santa's village & spent time with my family. All wonderful. All went by far too quickly.

Hope your Christmas is positively wonderful! And filled to the brim with those you hold dear.

Merry Christmas!

xoxo

kellie

linking with:

life rearranged

all photos are from my instagram stream via nestofposies