Two Shades of Pink

Pretty Packaging: Tags & Clips

2012-05-17T11:03:00.000-04:00

My packaging loving heart has been craving to make some pretty stuff. I was hoping to have this post ready well before Mother's Day but as good plans always go...I am posting it now.

I have been working for a few weeks on my craft studio/homeschool room. Cleaning and organizing has helped me find supplies that were crammed in the bottom of baskets and other nooks and crannies. It made it fun to take a crafty break and make some of these.

I used unfinished wood tags and bobby pins with other little paper scraps and random craft bits to make sweet little clips and tags.

I especially love glassine and paper bags for gifts and thought these bobby pins would make such cute and different ways to wrap them. Tiny buttons, crochet flowers and a pom pom glued to the end of each painted bobby pin make easy and pretty bag clips.

A little crochet flower with some distressed and painted bobby pins make a simple bag clip. Wrap with some fun twine and you have a simple little bag closure.

Decoupage paper to the wood tags to pretty them up and glue a clothespin to it to hold your message. It makes them reusable and adds a unique touch to a gift.

Use washi tape to add a cute flag or attach a note. Glue a binder clip to one and make a mini clipboard! So many ideas for simple little tags! Attach a clothespin to the back to clip to a gift or bag too!

You can make them like little dry erase boards by laminating them or covering them with packaging tape before gluing them to the wooden tag. You could do this with regular paper but I like that the wood keeps them from getting bent and will last longer. Write a message with a dry erase pen and you have a reusable tag to pass along!

I love playing with pretty packaging. Enjoy the ideas and hope to see you again soon!

Blessings my sweet friends!

Pinwheel on a Stick

2012-05-15T22:16:00.000-04:00

Hello there!

I wanted to peek in with a quick and easy tutorial to make easy pinwheel picks. Yesterday I made these and the cupcakes because we celebrated Cati's birthday at school today. Her birthday is not until the end of the summer but they celebrate all the summer birthdays during the last few weeks of school.

Which is rather confusing for Cati. :) She keeps asking, "Am I six now?"

But hey...she got some yummy cupcakes out of it.

I honestly think these are more versatile then just popping them into a cupcake. Embellish a package or bag, a garland or wreath, or pop a big one into a goody bag.

Sorry that I forgot to remove all those hot glue strings before styling these cuties. :)

It just proves us bloggers are real people with real lives. And some of us...maybe, kinda, might be...legally blind and failed to catch this until photo editing. So there. You now know I am legally blind even behind a lens.

I love the colors and patterns of this paper so much. :)

Here are some quick and easy steps to make these lovelies...
(sorry...they don't spin) :)

Cut two 3x3 inch squares from 2 pieces of paper. Double sided paper would be easier!

Using double sided tape, tape wrong sides of paper squares together to create a two sided square.

Fold one corner to the opposite corner on both sides creating a crease shaped like an "X." Cut on the folds until you almost get to the middle leaving about 1/2 inch.

Fold the left point down with the point towards the middle. If you start with the left like I did, pull the left side of the other three triangles too. Secure them with hot glue in the center.

Embellish the middle with a button or bead and hot glue a lollipop stick or skewer to the back.

That's it!

Happy Day Sweet Friends!

A Letter to those of you in my Heart on Mother's Day

2012-05-13T23:38:00.000-04:00

Dear Sweet Friends,
As many of you know, I have a very tender heart for so many women on Mother's Day. I wish many of you a happy one as you cherish those precious blessings in your life.

My own day started so sweet as I opened hand picked gifts from both my girls. They each got me gum, picked out precious cards and wrote in their endearingly sweet handwriting of a child. They drew me beautiful pictures that I look at with a heart that swells with a love I did not know possible.

My oldest picked out a hot pink cell phone case for me knowing mine was broken. And my youngest got me a hot pink set of tools. I know I will be a smiling fool whacking at some nails with that delicious pink hammer some day soon. Those girls are so precious. They even picked out flip flops for me. Ella chose green (her favorite color) and Cati chose pink (her favorite color). When I got dressed for the day, I could not choose which ones to wear.

So I wore both. ♥

Who knew what a mother's heart will do for her precious babies? People looked at my feet and then at me like I was a complete nut but so be it. I am nuts...about my girls!

But my heart typically focuses on many women whose pain was great today. For many years, this day brought me pain as I ached for a baby. As I prayed year after year to be called that beautiful name that would belong only to me from my own precious child...Mommy. This day was one where I would wish the hours away, avert my eyes from the the bouquets of flowers being bought or received, or sadly witness happy families with the mother (yet again) bursting with child as they ushered their other children here and there. Sitting with pain and an odd sense of shame as mother's were asked to stand in church to be honored for their so coveted role and title.

It was typically a dark day year after year.

So today is the day I stand up for women who I share a bond with for always. Where this day brings pain, grief, and maybe even anger. Because I have walked in your pain. And carry a bit with me now so I will never forget my journey. Or your fragile heart as you courageously work out these emotions in your heart.

To you...

Women (and men) who have lost their mother in death.

Mother's who have lost a child to death or miscarriage.

Mother's who are not yet mother's because they are waiting for God to bless them by conceiving yet in their hearts they are a mother already without a baby to hold.

Mother's who anxiously wait to adopt and still have not wrapped their arms around their babies and ache for them to be home soon.

Mother's who have courageously given their children up for adoption knowing they will have a better life.

Mother's who may be estranged from their children or vice versa due to past hurts and mistakes.

For you I stand because I have a special place in my heart for you.

Today I prayed for you all day.

Loving you without knowing your name and seeing your precious face. But knowing you are there. Praying that this day will somehow bring you peace and a knowing of God's perfect love.

My daughter's birth mother was on my mind a lot too.

Does she miss her? Is her heart full of regret?

I know she has other children she has lost too. Sadly, due to poor choices.

Does she feel like a childless mother? Does she know that her ultimate, sacrficial decision allowed me to gain that glorious name...that her birth child made ME a mother? Does she know?

So I prayed.

For her and each and every one of you.

With more love in my heart then you may ever even know.

And I stand for you this day letting you know that a person you have never met...honored YOU.

Lots of love and blessings,

Jessica

Craft Room Feature: Raising Up Rubies Blog

2012-05-09T09:41:00.001-04:00

All righty. Be prepared to swoon. This craft room is seriously my favorite craft room ever. I'm currently working on my own but this one...THIS ONE...(sigh)! I have seen a lot, pinned a lot, loved a lot. But this one is so me, so perfect down to the itty bittiest little detail that I am over the moon smitten with it!

Miss Jaime from Raising Up Rubies DIYed this gorgeous room to complete brilliance. And I just love Jaime. She just launched her new blog and she has tons of talent. She was a contributor over at Seven Sisters but decided to go on her own and I am so excited to see what she has up her sleeve. If this craft room is any indication of what she has in store...we will NOT be disappointed. I am already uber inspired by this room!

Um, this table was made from scratch.

She can have crafty get togethers. For real.
I think I'm coveting this table.
(I am amazed at how she did the bookshelf in the background there too)

And her sewing area is just amazing.

This colorful and pretty thread storage is made from an old typesetting box.

The table was decoupaged with a dress pattern and a fabric measuring tape on the edge.

♥The pretty, ruffled table skirt is made from a shower curtain.♥

All this storage is well thought out and so, so pretty too!

{I especially love the vintage pillowcases in the birdcage.}

Please check out Jaime's full post on her gorgeous craft room. There is so much more to this room but if I share it all, you won't get to meet the lovely Jaime. :) Her sweet blog is sure to be an absolute delight and I adore her beautiful style. She has been blessed with so many creative gifts and I am excited to follow her and be inspired time and time again.

Thanks Jaime for being incredibly, wonderfully YOU!
{oh, and tell your hubby he is pretty amazing for all he did for this space too}
♥
P.S. If any of you dear, precious friends would like to pin this craft room, please pin it from Jaime's blog so it will link back to HER. Thanks so much!

Instagram Love

2012-05-04T23:09:00.000-04:00

Oh my word. I seriously wonder why I drag my feet to try new things.
Like my new crush on instagram. ♥
It was one of the first apps to be downloaded on my phone. And then it just sat there. Just chillling between the little Joann's app that I use to scan coupons and the ihandy level that I have never used but find incredibly awesome that my phone can be a level. I mean, who knows when you need to hang a gallery wall on the fly? You just don't know.

But anyway. Instagram. I love that it can be personal, day to day stuff. I love photos. I love capturing the normal moments that are really precious and easily forgotten. Like eating ice cream, or flowers you just planted. Just awesome.

And I know I hardly ever show pictures of me on my blog. Probably because you come here to see crafts and not my goofy face. But I do more me pics on Instagram. My kids. My life.

See? It's like a more personal side of a blogger. Pinterest is their tastes and interests, a blog is like a specific niche. Facebook is reconnecting. Twitter is updates and funny stuff said. Instagram is daily life. All your social needs to get to know someone without laying eyes on that person in real life.

OK. That made me a little sad. I'm officially inviting you all over for coffee.

And then there is all the fun with Photo a Day challenges. It is so stinkin' easy and takes like 5 minutes each day. Just snap a pic matching the category, upload to Instagram, use a filter, add a hash tag so others can see your photo, and share it! So fun! I heard about the one below at Fat Mum Slim from wonderfully sweet and funny Kellie from Nest of Posies.

I had no idea how fun this is! If any of you are interested, you can find me here on Instagram. Or just search out twoshadesofpink. :) I just got started. I mean...like this WEEK just got started. So if you have any tips for me I am ALL EARS!

To challenge myself, I think I'm going to photograph all my favorite craft supplies. Is that weird? I just love looking a pretty photos of beautiful crafty bits. Like who is not drawn in by the beauty of a pile of yarn, a jar of buttons, a stack of washi tape, or a row of bakers twine? Or maybe this is my own weirdness that I have just spewed out all over this blog post to the point of no return.

Either way, it will challenge me to photograph things purposefully, easily and of things I love.

So let me know if you are on Instagram! I would love to get a peek in on you. It will be such fun!

D.I.Y. Burlap Bags + Mason Jar Favors

2012-04-24T22:04:00.001-04:00

Hey sweet friends!

Ready for more tablescape fun?

Today I have a simple tutorial to make burlap bags to cover mason jars along with some wood circle tags.

I have seen photos of pretty flower arrangements wrapped in burlap and I loved the idea for little favors for my table. But I imagined me wasting more burlap then necessary and got very sad. I remembered I still had some burlap garland lying around from another project and found it to be the perfect solution.

And it ended up being crazy easy!

Here is what you need to make these...

Burlap Garland (found in the wreath section of a craft store)

Mason jars (size optional)

Twine

Natural Wood Circle tags (Or buy those unfinished wooden tags like these)

glue gun

scissors

First, I laid a mason jar on the strip of burlap to size the bag.

Then I folded the burlap over until it was slightly higher then my jar and cut.

I did this for all of them at the same time and just used the first piece to measure the rest.

To make the bags, I went for my glue gun. I actually glued both sides at the bottom first so I knew how to line up the sides. This stuff can shift on you pretty easy.

Like this.

Then I glued the rest of the way up on each side being careful that it adhered because it is so thinly woven.

Trim the top to make it straight and cut loose fibers.

Now you have a bag!

I placed my mason jar inside all snug and cute!

Next...Wood Circle Tags.

I made these from a branch from my yard during the fall and had a bunch left over. I simply sawed off the circles and drilled holes in each one. I used alphabet stamps for the names of each guest at my table.

(that's me!)

Using twine, I threaded the two ends through the backside of the tag to the front leaving a circle of twine in the back to put around my bag covered jar.

After slipping it over the top, I pulled the two pieces to tighten it and tied a bow.

You end up with really sweet and pretty favors.

(I added tulips which are my favorite flower)

And of course, you can use the bags in other ways...

Fill them with goodies and tie them off with ribbon, twine, a clothespin, or unique clip.

Package a small, handmade gift.

Make a longer bag to present a pretty bouquet of flowers.

Wrap it around a candle or potted plant.

Gift some organic, whole bean coffee or scented soaps.
May Day flower gifts

So many uses!

Obviously, they are porous so use them wisely (like don't pour ground coffee in there...hahaha!)

But I think they are so fabulously versatile.

Pretty easy bags for a pretty presentation.

What do you think?

Love and hugs to each and every one of you!

♥

Coffee Filter Flowers and Video Tutorial

2012-04-21T22:44:00.001-04:00

Hello sweet friends!

It has been inexcusably long since I have posted. I know. But I do have legitimate reasoning.

The kiddos got sick.

The kiddos got ME sick.

Been preparing for an upcoming gala next weekend.

I have had 101 appointments and hence...no access to blog land.

We actually have been going through a lot of personal stuff with our oldest daughter. I promise, nothing alarming or worrisome. But she has been having behavioral problems and struggling in school. So I have been determined to get to the bottom of it and I think we are on our way to a solution. It has taken all my time and energy which I have no doubt all of you are amazingly understanding about.

But GOOD NEWS...I am going to be sharing all the elements of this DIY Tablescape I have been working on. I think you will like some of the ideas I have come up with. The gala theme this year is "A Knight in the Garden." Garden? Flowers? I am so in.

Do you remember last year's table? Here are some photos to jog your memory...

1. family nest centerpiece

2. twig and paper leaf place cards

3. napkin ring wraps

4. bird house with bird magnet favors

5. diy fabric square chargers

So here we go with the first part of Gala Tablescape 2012...

My idea was to have a bunch of flowers...I mean A LOT...all over my table. I was going to make a runner, inspired by this, but my table is round so I figured I could just arrange a bunch in the center with some candle light. I realized coffee filters could be my solution.

I think I am the last person to get on the coffee filter flower train. I have always admired them but to be honest, my crafty self can NOT pull it off. I tried all the different methods I have seen (rolling them with masking tape, roses) but for some reason, I am missing some coffee filter flower making gene. So while ~~failing miserably~~ trying this...quite by accident...I came up with my own way of making them.

And it's easy!

Everyone chic scream for easy!

First I dyed them.

I experimented with tea, food coloring, washable markers, and watered down acrylic paint. They all work great but I had the most fun with food coloring. I found I had a lot of leeway with it. You can even use kool aid too! I just soaked them for about 10 minutes and dried them in individual layers.

The soft colors of these are so lovely.

Here they are folded twice into cones and cut with a scalloped edge all ready to make the flowers.

Check out my video below with a step by step on how to make the flowers. I needed both hands and I figured using my tripod for a picture tutorial would be more time consuming then just doing a video.

I don't necessarily call this a vlog because only my hands are in the video. But I guess it is. I was probably sporting yoga pants, a hoodie, and working on day 2 of needing a shower.

I love being a mom. :)

Oh, and my voice sounds funny. Kinda valley girlish. Never knew that about me but whatever.

Or...WHAT-everrrr. ;)

Hope you like the step by step and let me know if you would want more vloggy tutes.

What do you think? Aren't they crazy easy for being so pretty?

BTW...if you want me to show you how to make these with a stem, I can do that too.

Here are a bunch as I was playing with as a practice run on my kitchen table (which is round like my gala table). I think I am just going to have all the flowers loose to work as the centerpiece with those candlesticks in the middle to add height. Sorry you can't see a completed look but at least you see the flowers!

I will check in with you soon for another fun tutorial. It's a favor and a place card in one. I'm just plain tickled I actually will be back soon! I hope you will be back too. :)

Blessings lovelies!

P.S. I hope this will launch an upcoming 2x a month series called Tablescape Tuesday.
Details to come!

Pretty Skewers for Yummy Treats!

2012-04-06T17:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Good Friday my sweet friends!

This day is a precious one as I ponder what my Savior did for me on this very day. I think of Him confronting death in the face, being rejected by His Father, and suffering tremendous pain.

And He did it willingly. For me. And you.

I am in awe of His love.

So I do wonder how many of you are actually reading blogs on this often busy weekend. But I came up with a really cute, last minute Easter favor for the kiddos or the kid at heart.

These DIY Wood Skewers are made simply by painting and gluing wood beads on the end.

That's it!

You need pastel paint (or any paint of your choice), paintbrush, glue gun, some wood beads (preferably unfinished), and some bamboo skewers.

OK. So don't laugh.

I could not figure out a simple way to paint these without smudging or spinning them. So I stuck two wooden beads on either side of a Q-tip to paint them. I pulled off some of the cotton until I knew it would fit but snugly. Then I dried them with a hair dryer.

That's right people. We can find craft supplies in the loo.

After the beads are dry, I put a little hot glue inside the wood bead and them pushed the blunt end of the skewer in and held it a few seconds until set.

Aren't they pretty?

Now make some Rice Krispies Treats.

I personally could eat a whole pan with no regret. I love them!

Now just cut out some small squares and put your sweet kebabs together!

I topped them off with a mini marshmallow, (so they would not poke an eye out or through the bags) wrapped them in cellophane, and tied them off with baker's twine.

A great treat for family, neighbors, friends, or a homemade treat for the Easter basket.

You could even dye the marshmallow pastel colors to make them fun and colorful. Or shape them like eggs or flowers or whatever. I was all about easy today. :)

I hope you enjoyed this and that you enjoy the precious time of Easter.

Hugs and so much love to each of you!

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:10-12

A New Look for my Old Table

2012-04-02T23:55:00.003-04:00

Hey sweet, lovelies!

Alrighty.

Spring Break is officially over so me, the hubs and our pinks are back to the old routine. We had such fun relaxing and doing family stuff over the last week.

I was so happy to even have the time to work on two, dejected little tables. I endeavored to save them from an empty existence in our attic due to my best intentions of a makeover never actually happening outside the part of my brain overflowing with ideas. I have hung on to these tables picked up from Wal Mart several years ago because we needed end tables in our bedroom. I have not used them in years (I'm kinda not a dark wood kind of girl) but figured I could give them some love and sweet talking to make them happy, useful tables again. They are sorta dark with this rattan thing in the center that chipped stain very easily. But they were cheap and I needed to put my lamps on something. :)I wanted to go light and bright with a cottage feel. We had leftover bead board from the previous owners so I figured we could cut some squares and attach them to the recessed part of the table.

So first things first...I sanded those bad boys.

Don't you love the simplicity of that sentence even though the reality is that sanding takes forever, reveals sweat glands you did not know you had, and did I mention takes forever?

Then some painting. Much more fun.

I picked Martha Stewart's Driftwood Gray. Such a pretty color.

I decided to add castors to create height for the table. These don't have brakes and at first I was afraid I would set a drink on one of these and I would go to reach for it and the thing would be skating across the living room. But they stay still even on our wood floors. They are really easy to install...just drill a hole, insert the little casing, hammer it in, and then snap in the castor.

Next, I used liquid nails to attach the bead board to the inside of the rattan inset. I put a blanket over it and laid free weights on the corners overnight to be sure it adhered. It worked great!

My poor husband and I could not perfectly cut that stuff to save our weary souls and my man was about to heave the thing into oblivion. So I told him as long as it fit inside, I did not care if it was not perfect. I just filled the gaps with wood filler and left it at that.

I love a good before and after. :)

What do you think?

Does it have the second chance now at being all kinds of cottage cute now?

I'm pretty smitten with them.

Hugs to all you fabulous friends!

linking to:
the 36th avenue
the shabby creek cottage
crafty, scrappy, happy
52 mantels

Spiraled Yarn Circle Garland

2012-03-29T06:30:00.002-04:00

Whoa. Two posts in two days. Shocking. But I wanted to share this fun tutorial to make this happy little garland. I shared it last week on Kimberly's blog...bugaboo, mini, mr. and me. She has a great Yarn It All series going on sharing all things yarn. It is awesome.

I have been drooling over all the colorful crochet garlands I see out there. So I decided to make my own version without the awesome crochet skills but still all the pretty. I am excited to share it with all of you!

Here's what you do to start making cute little yarn circles with the help of some paper and glue...

It's pretty easy and quick too! If you don't have a circle punch just trace and cut a circle with scissors. I suggest using card stock the same color as the yarn in case you have some gaps. Also, I find hot glue to be the easiest to work with since it dries so fast and keeps the yarn from un-spiraling. You just have to be careful not to burn yourself. I have worked with hot glue so much I think I no longer possess fingerprints. :)

Here it is in my Spring Vignette that is still a work in progress. Fun!

Hugs and blessings!

Distressing Paint w/ a Sponge

2012-03-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

Hey sweet friends! OK, I know. I hardly post anymore. The last few months have been full of tons of stuff and my priorities have heavily shifted on family and helping my oldest with school. My poor girl is having a tough time in math. But...I also have been focusing a lot on my house too.

I do love crafts. But I have a sweet spot in my heart for decorating. I've always been too shy to share stuff on my blog because I kind of wing it when it comes to decor and furniture redo's but I figured I could start sharing with you some upcoming things I have planned.

For those of you who don't know, we bought this house about 2 years ago but 3 months after moving in my husband lost his job (he found an even BETTER one now) in the middle of us remodeling our master bath. And to this day, it sits unfinished.

And the rest of the house needs some work. I love our house but we still need to tweak things to have it fit the way we live. So I hope to share this journey with you friends to keep me accountable to get it done.

But in the meantime I have small little projects I am working on. One project is this set of shutters we found for free on the side of the road. It looks like they were a closet door or something. My plan was to cut them half to make four shutters are create a headboard for out queen size bed. But they come up short. And if I kept them intact, and lie them horizontally, they are too long. Bummer.

So I think I may use them for interest in a bookshelf vignette or something. Not sure what. I have enough memo boards but I do love that idea. I just don't "need" it. Wall space in my home is precious and I don't want to clutter them with too much "stuff."

But I did decide to distress them a bit with paint. I ended up using a sponge instead of sandpaper to do this so that I could go faster and layer it with paint for the look I want. I wanted it to kind of look like it had paint layers peeling back over time.

So the first thing I did was paint it a really pale blue...almost white but dry brushing it lightly.

When it was dry to the touch, I took a really wet sponge and lightly wiped it back and forth to start peeling back paint.

Then I used a darker light blue and did the same thing. Dry brushed it one and sponged it off. I did this several times leaving a bit more paint on then the last time. This is what it looks like with a lot of dark wood showing though. I was looking for it to be lighter so using a light grey paint, I began covering up more of the dark wood.

This is actually the back but wanted you to see the color before :)

I like both distressed looks but ended up happy with this lighter look.

The sponge made it much easier to work with. Faster too. I found that the less wet the sponge was, the harder it was to get the paint off. So I kept the sponge wet but not soaking wet and full. It was so much easier then using sandpaper and much faster too. :)

So here it will sit in my bedroom next to my ugly fake tree until I can decide what to do next. :)

(So sorry for the weird pictures. Something is up with my camera but I can't figure out what I did to it.)

Until the next time my friends!

Easy Fabric Flip Flops

2012-03-09T13:05:00.002-05:00

Spring is almost here which means a fun wardrobe change like sandals and flip flops to show those toes!

Although us Floridians wear flip flops all year...even when I wear a sweater you can see me sporting the flops. :) I have...I think...1,002 pairs of them. OK. Maybe not that many but I have more than I can count. Dressy, casual, beachy, girly, whatever. And my crafty self loved the idea of making my own using fabric scraps to make them custom and super fun.

I had the privilege to speak to a fabulous group of women last week for a local MOPS group about gift giving ideas for Spring. This was one of the projects I shared and I figured I could share an easy peasy tutorial using flips flops for my girls. (It's been WAY TOO LONG since I did one).

Oh and sorry if the flip flops don't look pristine. They were worn a few times by my little pinks until I snagged them to pretty them up. :) Here goes...

I know there are other fun tutorials out there by taking the whole thong out and just using fabric...so cute! Check out this one and this one from The Mother Huddle which are FABULOUS! I just happen to prefer the support these give while making them feel a bit more comfortable and a whole lot prettier.

Oh, and please know I will be getting back to visiting all of you very soon. Life has gotten VERY busy for me so sadly I have not been able to visit all you fabulous friends in A LONG WHILE! Just know I appreciate every one of you who read my blog even with YOUR busy lives and schedules and it means so much to me knowing you come to visit again and again.

Hugs all my fabulous friends!

linking to:

tatertots and jello

lolly jane

crafty scrappy happy

it's overflowing

A Pretty Baby Shower

2012-02-26T13:16:00.004-05:00

Happy Sunday y'all!

It has been a jam packed week over here with all the baby shower planning. But yesterday was the day and we had such a lovely time. So I just wanted to share some of the fun things I made to put this party together. I don't have a lot of photos because playing the hostess makes it hard to pick up a camera.

My friend Laura made these amazing cupcakes...they are SO GOOD! And I love that the cupcake picks were really tall. I like the look. I made them from a curtain panel I thrifted and some buttons.

I know you have seen me do a paper doily garland before but maybe it is still exciting since I added buttons? Hmmm...

Yes. Yes, I believe it is in fact thrilling to see a paper doily garland and now with added buttons.

I made this with bakers twine and double sided tape. So easy. And I used what I had on hand to cut costs too. Thrifty and thrilling. Oh yeah.

This was the only decent shot (even with an arm in the pic and looking a tad overexposed) I got of the embroidery hoop art hung over the fireplace. Thought you might want a peek. :)

This is my BFF opening my gift to her. I am smitten with this diaper/messenger bag from the etsy shop, ikabags. I love, love these bags and I am so getting one for me! Here are some of my favorites...

Stripes make me ridiculously happy.

The shop is from France so you will pay extra for shipping but the quality of these handmade bags are amazing! I love them and wished I owned about 10 of them.

Now back to other party details...:)

I made these cards for all the guests to write a prayer, blessing, or well wishing for the baby and Kelly. They are made with scrapbook paper and embellished with bakers twine and buttons. I had so much fun making these!

I found the frame on the side of the road ready for the trash during a little ride to look at Christmas lights back in December. Since my arm is still weak, I had my husband do the work of sanding, painting and adding the chicken wire to the frame. Then I just hung the cards with little wood clothespins.

Here are a bunch filled out. Aren't they so pretty like this?

The favors waiting by the front door were 4 oz mason jars filled with sugar scrub. A friend and I put these together and made two batches to fill 24 jars. One batch (doubled the original recipe) was 5 cups of sugar, 2 cups of olive oil, and 8 tablespoons of lemon juice. I got the recipe from Stephanie Lynn over at Under the Table and Dreaming. Her original recipe makes 12 oz so we just doubled it to save time.

I would have tied them up with string and pretty labels but with around 22 women there, I was just plain done in! And I figured the pretty tops were enough. :)

So happy I got to share this with all of you wonderful friends.

Have a fabulous day!

P.S. Sometime today or tomorrow, check out sweet Kimberly's blog who will be doing a series on parties all week. A great bunch of bloggers are sharing tips and tricks and I think some of my ideas will be included today..

Go check it out!:)

Embroidery Hoop Wall Art

2012-02-21T12:50:00.004-05:00

Well here I go again. I am in PARTY MODE. I am planning a baby shower for my very best friend in the whole wide world this Saturday. Kelly is having her 3rd child and it is her first GIRL! Being a girl mom myself, I am pretty excited and can't wait to meet her precious daughter.

So one project I have done is this HUGE embroidery hoop wall art. I think it is 2 ft in diameter. Kelly is naming her daughter Elizabeth Joy and I thought it would be so sweet to make something to both decorate for the shower and also bring home for the baby's room walls. I plan on putting it above my fireplace since it is pretty large.

Here's a photo with my lens cap so you can see how big it is.

I used a pink and white striped bed sheet as the background fabric and free handed the name lightly in pencil. I then just embroidered over the lettering with a back stitch.

The flowers are made from fabric scraps and all have a button for the center which ties into my "Cute as a Button" theme.

I hope to show you more and I am praying Kelly listens to me since I banned her from my blog for the week. :) I think this idea has lots of potential for other creative word fun! Hmmmm...I need to find a way to do this somewhere in my craft room. :)

Happy Crafting my sweet friends!

A Day Shopping in My Old Neighborhood

2012-02-10T23:58:00.000-05:00

Today was one of those days where I wonder why I don't have more like them. After dropping off my oldest child at school, I decided to spend the day in my old neighborhood in Dunedin, FL.

(not my house but wish it had been)

Dunedin is a fabulous historic town with cottage homes and perfect rocking chair front porches along brick paved streets. It is right near the water where you have view of Clearwater Beach. The town sports a fabulous downtown area with restaurants, antique shops, and boutiques. There are a ton of weekend activities like antique and craft festivals, a weekly farmers market, and holiday celebrations.

And we used to live in walking distance to downtown.

I miss it.

But...we rented because a place like this is pretty touristy, and can be pricey. But I miss being able to walk downtown for dinner and an ice cream cone, or walk to the library. We even had an AMAZING playground and park in walking distance next to the marina. It really is a sweet place to live.

So today I took my Ella to that very park after knowing exactly where to park before the crowds came. Local knowledge is rather handy. :) And I decided to take photos of my day to let y'all get to know me a little bit better. So come shopping with me.

And I did get permission from all the shop owners to take photos.

First we hit the Farmer's market which is always packed. Produce, cheese, fresh bread, homemade salsa, gourmet coffee and jams, fresh flowers and plants...all just fabulous. I about fell face first into those pastries there.

This place, Merchants on Main, is pretty sweet with so many beautiful antiques. I fell in love with that ticking bolster pillow white tool box looking thing. Oh that round table! And I was so bummed when this woman scored this chippy blue window frame with hooks on it. I even made suggestions how she could use it! I am either really nice or highly stupid. (wink)

This antique place is called Knot on Main Street and actually had another location ON MAIN STREET but it closed. And this just reopened after BURNING DOWN! Talk about a town with some resilient local merchants!! I love this place and was actually on the hunt for something specific. No go but these old windows, chalkboard frames, and crates were talking to me and making my heart so happy. I ached to take it all home with me. And that dresser still might!

Then there is this amazing shop, Rainbow's End Quilt Shoppe. It is the largest quilt shop in Florida and they boast 20,000 bolts of fabric. I walked in and almost fell over! They carry every designer I have ever heard of and it is so GORGEOUS...a total happy place for me. And I bought nothing. If I bought anything...I would have spent $500 in 2 minutes. But I did love those little handmade cinch bags tied together like a little garland. How cute is that? (top left photo) ♥

Well, there were more places I visited and I could show you my daughter Ella swinging on the swings or eating an ice cream cone but are you even interested? Well, heck...I'll share anyway.
Here's Ella enjoying our day...

Such a fun day doing what I love with someone I love.

Can't get better then that. :)

A Sweet Valentine Breakfast

2012-02-07T13:04:00.007-05:00

Oh Happy Day!

♥ I am actually writing a post! ♥

It feels so good to be using both my arms and crafting again. I have to tell you that all your emails to see how I am doing has filled my heart to overflowing. It never ceases to amaze me that blogging has brought so many of you beautiful friends into my life. To sum up, I am about 70% healed and I am about to start a little physical therapy to get this old elbow to straighten. But I am doing great!

So getting a little crafting in has been soothing to my soul! I feel like I am using a part of my brain that was lying dormant this past month. And I have to tell ya...Valentine's Day is one of my FAVORITE holidays to create for...maybe it is being a mom to girls? Or my love of red and pink? Who knows but this particular project was fun because I used my favorite method of crafting: USE WHAT YOU HAVE to make it SIMPLE.

I came up with a little Valentine breakfast for Daddy (or Hubby ♥). Obviously, the men in our lives may possibly get the short end of the stick on this particular love day so what better way to celebrate them? And a little attention to detail makes this oh so fun!

Your first little project is this easy DIY tray made from a large picture frame. Attach two handles by screwing it in on the sides and put pretty fabric or a Valentine message inside the glass and you have a perfect tray for your breakfast!

Next, I gave some coffee mugs a little "heart." A fabric heart, that is. As many of you know, I will cover anything with fabric or yarn if I am able. And how fun to make an everyday mug festive that can be removed later?

I cut out some hearts from scrap fabric and used my little Xyron sticker maker.

Then I simply attached them to the mugs. Um, so simple I probably did not need photos. :)

Now fill your pretty mug (In this case we used tea since that is what my husband and I drink). I also attached a pretty paper tag made from scraps with a fabric heart.

Just another personal touch to add more looooove.

These heart skewers are made with fabric and yarn wrapped pipe cleaners.

Here's a quick how to:

1. Wrap a strip of fabric tightly around your pipe cleaner. The color does not matter with fabric but with yarn, try to match the color because the yarn is so thin.

2. Secure the ends with some fabric glue ensuring you can't see the end of the pipe cleaner and form a heart.
3. Trim a bamboo skewer to size to twist your heart onto.
4. Twist the ends around the skewer tightly and glue to your skewer.
5. You have a pretty DIY heart!

Pop your cute skewers into some yummy chocolate chip scones (a favorite at our house) or use them in cupcakes or on a cake. Add these cute heart doilies colored by the kiddos for an extra dash of sweetness.

Cut some from flowers from your yard (if you are from Florida like me), make your own from fabric or paper, or of course you can buy some! My friend gave these pretties to me when she brought me dinner and covered it with a little sweater sleeve. Just perfect!

And look...it's a little water bottle! How smart! (thanks Lisa!)

Wasn't this fun?

I hope you like all the simple ideas to make Valentine's Day special. Husband's and daddy's deserve a little extra love and thought and what better way then with some yummy goodies and precious touches from the little ones?

Hugs and loads of blessings to each of you!

♥XO♥

linking to:
show and share
creative me @ the southern institute
oopsey daisy
the 36th avenue
lollyjane
a crafty soiree
tatertots and jello weekend wrap up
be different...act normal
under the table and dreaming

DIY Arrow Valentines

2012-01-16T18:50:00.000-05:00

Did you all think I forgot you? Could never happen...you are all so dear to me. But I have been trying to let this broken arm heal and it has made me a bit restless. I actually walked around the block the other day and just basked in the glorious solidarity of it. Meaning...I was alone!! And my girls became dreadfully sick. I truly wish you could see me propelling my one armed self out of bed at all hours of the night. My husband yells at me to lay down but those are my babies...broken arm or not I have to take care of them. :)

So I got in some crafting. I almost did not post these. Taking photos was totally challenging and one arm crafting is just plain hilarious! But then I figured with all the flaws, it might impress some of you that I did these one handed. Well, one handed with some right handed holding of objects. So take these with a grain of salt and hopefully you can at least come away a wee bit inspired.

These are made with wood dowels painted white. I glued fabric, felt, and lace arrow heads and "feathers" while wrapping the middles with odds and ends like pieces of measuring tape, washi tape, yarn, and ribbon. I love the look of the random numbers from the measuring tape. Really fun.

I attached these painted wooden tags tied on with bakers twine. From left to right the hearts are made from red ticking, pink yarn, red felt, and white lace.

A message is easily written on the back to your special Valentine. These would make great gift embellishments or even use as clues for a scavenger hunt. Leave them around the house attached to little treats for your spouse or kids. They were a ton of fun to make and I bet more so with two hands!

I have more fun ideas coming...slowly. But they will come. :)

I am also dreadfully notorious for sharing big news here on the blog and then show up with a craft and never mention anything else. So here is the latest on my arm...I have an appointment Thursday and I am praying I can be cleared to DRIVE! I am pain free and can move a lot better but the arm is atrophied so I am working on that. I do not have a true cast. Just a splint and ace bandage that I can take off to shower and work on moving my arm. I am assuming some PT is in my near future.

We have had neighbors and friends blessing our family with meals, driving Cati home from school, and just loving our family up. I am humbled by our friends and church family.

But the reality of it all set in this week when I found out from a neighbor that the paramedics said people typically don't survive a fall like that. Then yesterday my husband was up in the attic and I literally started crying in a full fledged panic. Those who know me in real life know this is not really me. I guess seeing the ceiling move and buckle as my husband walked around that hole FREAKED ME OUT!

Here's a pic of me and my girls so you can see I am doing ok. And here's some things I noticed while looking at this photo...because a photo can tell quite a story...

1. Apparently when I take a leave of absence as home manager, pictures and lampshades go askew.Pillows flung wherever. Stuff on tables and floors. Utter chaos to this neat freak.
2. Batwing sleeved shirt + full arm cast thing = ENORMOUS guns in photo op. Stellar.
3. Hands down...those are my most favorite, most comfortable jeans. Ever.
4. That long hair was cut Saturday. I have tried to make this appointment stay put since October. I was thinking shorter, bolder layers and realized I can't even style it. So it's now shorter and all one length. Who knew a broken arm would impose itself on my style?
5. Fuller face indicates all resting, and constant eating makes Jess a bigger girl. Yikes.Time to walk around the block again. But my friends make good food and it all tastes sooooooo good. :)
6. Those are the two sweetest girls in the whole wide world. My heart just squeezed in my chest looking at them in this pic.

I'll catch up with you soon friends. Hugs to each of you!

♥

Arm Update and Best of 2011

2011-12-31T21:15:00.000-05:00

I just have to say that all of you are some of the sweetest people I have ever encountered. All your sweet comments about my broken arm are permanently embedded in my heart! You mean so much to me and the friendships I have developed through blogging are a treasure to me. If I could, I would write every single one of you a special note, but all this typing with my left hand takes a bit of time so I am thanking you in this post. I love you and I am so thankful to have you in my life. I truly believe the blogging community is one of the most supportive and encouraging. I so appreciate you.

Just so you know, I keep falling asleep as I type this. Too funny.

So the arm. Yesterday I had surgery to put a metal plate in (kind of like a bracket) to hold the bone in place. This helps it to heal faster too. They were hoping not to go that route but this was a pretty bad break and the only solution. It went great and now I'm officially on the mend.

Last night was a little tough with all the pain but I woke up feeling pretty good. I'm trying to only take pain medication as needed because it makes me so loopy and sleepy. My Ella climbed into bed with me last night and held my good arm like a teddy bear the entire time which is so unlike her.It was so precious...it reminded me that these innocent little hearts need reassuring that their Mommy is ok and they still need some snuggles and hugs so that all is right with their world. And my incredible, gentle, and sweet husband is taking such good care of me and there is no on else who could give me better care. I love and appreciate him. And wasn't his post just the cutest?

I'm kinda sad that it will be awhile until I can post an actual craft again, but I knew I could come up with a photo collage of my favorite projects of 2011. A wireless mouse and laptop make life easy for this newly left-handed girl, :)

Here are my personal favorites:

clockwise from top left:

white ruffle wreath made from an old bed skirt

twine and chiffon napkin rings made from pvc pipe

fabric leaf and flower vine part 1 and part 2

twig and paper leaf place cards

fabric coil wrapped coasters

clockwise from top left:

mason jar sippy cups here and here

crazy cans game with beanbags made of ipod cozies

old fashioned ring toss game

fabric bird cage

yarn wrapped pumpkins and gourds

clockwise from top left:

pink felt ruffle garland

pine cone flower garland

textured ball garland

heart garland

clockwise from top left:

pom pom gift tags

aqua and red packaging

vintage and natural packaging

peppermint and lace packaging

pretty teacher gift and pencil coaster

Happy, Happy New Year Sweet And Dear Friends!!!

So I broke my arm today.

2011-12-29T03:07:00.000-05:00

My right arm too.
And believe it or not, that in itself is a blessing.

Here's the story in a nutshell. I was putting Christmas decorations away. We store them in our attic which is above the garage. From the high peaks in our house, there is a nice tall walkway down the middle of the attic. However, in the middle of that is a 2' x 2' foot hole, which for some reason is missing plywood to walk on (who knows why) where you do not want to step. I must have forgotten that important point along the way because while putting boxes away I stepped in that spot, busted through the drywall and fell 10 feet to the cement floor of my garage.

(note, the shade of blue...aka Brandon her husband... in the house is typing this, and getting a little queasy as he does, but not like she can type right now. Although even with one hand and pain killers she could do a better job than me).

Somehow, only my arm was broken, no damage to my elbow or shoulder, no damage to my ribs nor did I hit my head. The hand of God truly was around me as I took that fall. This could have been so much worse.

Now I lay in my bed, arm in a splint planning on going to an orthopedic specialist in the morning. Chances are they will do surgery to put a plate in to aid the healing of my arm. But for now, I imagine the crafts will have to take a back seat as I heal, rest and promise my hubby that I never, never ever go up there again.

If parts of this sound nothing like my wife, it is because she feel asleep, and I took free reign of the post. please don't hold my lack of good sentence formation against her. She is definitely the creative, brilliant writer in this family. By the way, we had been texting earlier in the day about her putting away the decorations. One of her last texts to me said: But a perfect day to climb that ladder (referring to the one to the attic). I am not digging the irony at all...
Please keep my beautiful wife in your prayers.

Simple New Years Horn Favor

2011-12-28T09:50:00.002-05:00

Well hey there sweet friends!

I am hoping you had an amazing Christmas and enjoyed every memory making moment. Ours was absolutely lovely until sickness fell over all of us. I have completely lost my voice! But I still have my blog voice so I still can write! Woo Hoo!

I am on a creative hiatus at the moment. To be honest, I am enjoying just being a mom and a wife. Keeping house. Photographing the girls instead of pretty things (though they are 2 of the prettiest things I have ever seen ♥).

In the meantime, since I am contracted each holiday to make cute favors, I thought I would share another one I did for New Years.

I ordered a bulk amount of silver party horns and decided to make a little mini subway art styled card to attach to each one with some pink ribbon. For those I used Avery's printable post cards. I'm not even sure I did the subway art correctly...I kind of crammed some phrases together until I liked it. :) But it turned out cute so that's all that matters.

I have to send all these favors all over the country so obviously they need to be mailed. I am always challenged to come up with a cost effective way to make and ship these favorss. To avoid being crushed, I filled the inside with filler. In case you like this idea to send to people, I included what I did.

1. I cut strips of tissue paper and stuffed them all the way in to the bottom.
2. They were filled about 3/4 way with tissue paper
3. The ends are pink crinkle filler paper for a little festive look.
4. Using a hole punch, i made two holes at the top for the ribbon.
5. I attached the card to the horn with a little bow.

So simple and a super fun way to wish a happy new year. Or even a fun birthday or New Years party invitation. They also would make great New Year party favors too (shown in top photo) as the countdown to midnight approaches.

Grab it, print it, use it!

Oh, and soon I will be taking down my bloggy Christmas decorations and going back to normal.

It feels like it all went by so fast!

Hopefully the New year will bring more fun ideas and tutorials to share with you.

And I may be adding a linky party to the crafty sea of linky parties!

What do you think?

Hugs!

A Last Minute Neighbor Gift

2011-12-21T16:45:00.005-05:00

We are in the home stretch now! It is UNBELIEVABLE to me that Christmas is 4 days away! Maybe because it is 80 degrees here? It just seemed fast this year. Really fast. So I think this is my last post until after Christmas. Gotta snuggle with those littles and my youngest has a fever today :( but is the happiest sick kid in the universe. I could just squeeze the stuffing out of her she is so sweet.

But in the meantime, let me share the little treats I made for my neighbors.

I have to give COMPLETE AND TOTAL PROPS to Jill of Meet the Dubiens and her adorable reindeer cookies above.

Now for mine...

For those of you have been long time readers know that I am...ahem...decorative icing challenged. As in...whenever I attempt it it looks...well...it's a debacle. Let me show you with photos from previous posts...

My 4th of July cookie flags.

My daughter's birthday cake.

You get the picture.

I am truly challenged and should be stopped if ever spotted wielding a pastry bag.

It just isn't pretty.

But when I saw those, cutie patootie reindeer, I figured those were pretty easy. It was one of the first things I pinned on Pinterest. Some antlers, 2 eyes and plop a nose on there. EASY PEASY!

Well,here they are!
They certainly don't look like Jill's but I think they are cute enough to give to my neighbors and still show my face in my hood.

I decided I would give each neighbor a dozen reindeer cookies. I had bought those cute little ceramic mini loaf pans at Michael's for a $1 each. Jill made her cutie gingerbread cookies but I made sugar cookies. I decided to make 11 with brown noses (chocolate chips) and 1 with a little Rudolph nose (a red M & M) as a little giftable treat. Too cute!

Here's the Sugar Cookie recipe:
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
Beat together sugar and butter until creamy.
Add egg and extract. Mix well. Add dry ingredients a little at a time.
Roll the dough into little balls and then roll into sugar placing them on parchment covered baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Make 8-10 minutes until edges are slightly browned. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.

And I think they turned out pretty adorable.

I made the tags with a 2 inch circle punch and Martha's snowflake punch that I found at Marshall's for $4.99. Marshall's and crafty goodies on the cheap? Who knew?

I wanted the snowflakes to be 3 dimensional so I folded one so the edges would be bent and glued it to the middle of another snowflake. My message was on the back of each circle.

I slid each one into a cellophane bag, tied it off with twine and the tag and that's it!

Another idea I had is to use a plate from the dollar store and a ceramic pen. Another great way to gift some cookies. You could also use the pen on those ceramic loaf pans too but I just did not have the time this week.

I wrote around the perimeter of my plate with parts of Christmas songs, favorite things I love about Christmas, traditions etc. I am not crazy about my handwriting but the finished plate looks really cute and I like the simplicity of the wording in black.

I bought two 99¢ solid color bandannas in red and white and used a fabric marker to draw snowflakes all over the white one which was super fun to just doodle for 30 minutes.

Then using my idea here, I wrapped the cookie plate with the bandanna and tied it off with a cute little snowflake embellishment. A great way to travel with a plate of cookies, pie, etc for the holidays.

Well that's it!

Knowing many of you, your neighbor gifts are already done but I thought I would still share.

Merry Christmas my Friends!

Red & Aqua Gift Wrap Ideas

2011-12-19T12:35:00.001-05:00

Hey sweet people! I wanted to share this post of blue and red packaging ideas I did last week over at The Shabby Creek Cottage. I wanted to repost it for you before Christmas got here and you had everything wrapped already! I am for reals just getting in the door (time check: 12:21 am) from Christmas shopping. Wow. I am the most last minute ever...I think I broke a personal record for procrastination.

So I figured, I am up...let me post those packaging ideas. And I think this may be the last one of the season. I am almost sad. I still might have some gift ideas to share but wondering if I will have time to blog about them. We shall see. I also wanted to apologize for not visiting and writing to a lot of you! I always like to reply to comments but I also want to see my children too. :) So know that after the holidays I should be back to my old blogging self, peeking in on you and saying hello with my emails.

I also hope to be doing some new things in the new year...like featuring some of you lovely bloggers and your projects. And maybe getting around to that Etsy shop I talk about but never get going on. Oh the possibilities of a new year. I think I am late night rambling...let's get on with it...

First up is one of my all time craft loves...yarn. I love working with it and you know what? I don't knit or crochet even a little bit. But I wish I did. This happy yarn flower is made just like a pom pom but you don't give it a haircut. Just wrap the yarn around spread fingers about 30 times. Slide the wrapped yarn off your fingers and tie a knot around the middle. Then kind of fluff out the loops and hot glue a fabric button to the center.

How much do I adore this Rudolph-esqe Bag?

I guess it depicts Rudolph all grown up after the bullying and problem years.

I found some clip art I liked and using image editing software, I made the image a silhouette, played with the color balance and saturation (I liked this color blue), and added tiny little polka dots. I then sized, printed and cut it out and glued it to a simple white bag. Since I don't have a fancy schmancy cutting machine (I hope, I hope, I hope it will be under the tree), I went old school.

Scissors. I am talking scissors, friends.

You can even print out the image on your bag. Just set your printer to the bags dimensions and print. My cheapo printer won't let me. Boo.

To embellish, I used a red button for the nose and tied the top closed with some red ribbon. The doily is used as a filler and when punching a hole in the bag, I punched the bag and doily together and threaded the ribbon through both to keep the doily from sliding inside the bag. Perfect for reindeer feed or fun little snacks.

I think this one is my favorite. I covered this one with red and white cupcake liners using a glue stick. EASY PEASY! To flatten them, I used a warm iron and spritzed them with water to prevent burning them. I love how they are randomly placed to look like big, fancy polka dots! The tie is a blue, felt ribbon.

I love the whimsy of this white spray painted cookie tin. Here, I used a cupcake liner again in the center. It is wrapped with a pom pom tie using blue baker's twine that was needle threaded with mini pom poms. The lollipop is made from the blue twine as well. To make the lollipop, I cut a 2 inch circle from card stock with a paper punch and spiraled the twine from the center while securing it with glue. After it dried, I glued the circle to an actual lollipop stick.

This cutie topper is made from shredded paper filler! Again, I used a 2 inch circle of card stock as the base. I attached double sided tape and in a sunburst formation, began attaching the strips of paper to form a circle. Once full, I trimmed it, glued it to a 4 inch doily and topped it off with a button.

This cracker style wrapped package is actually a paper towel roll! A great way to wrap smaller items and keep 'em guessing! Think candy, small toys, kitchen utensils, scarves, ties, jewelry, and CRAFT SUPPLIES! I just wrapped the tube with tissue paper and tied off each end with yarn filling the ends with the shredded filler. Three little pom poms sit happily on top. :)

I have a thing for pockets and putting them on a gift is a little unexpected but oh so fun! It is perfect for shirt boxes. I wrapped an extra piece of wrapping paper around the box while folding it in half to strengthen it. Using double sided tape, I attached a ribbon to the top of the pocket. The pocket is great for cards or other embellishments like this sparkly snowflake.

The festive, mini bunting wrapped around the top is made from baker's twine, red felt, craft lace, and tissue paper. I showed this to you before but not on an actual package. A perfect finish!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hugs my friends!

♥

Grandparent Mugs

2011-12-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

IF YOU ARE A GRANDPARENT OF MY CHILDREN: DISCONTINUE READING!

(and I love you very much)

Happy Saturday sweet friends!

This almost NEVER happens...me posting on a Saturday. But my daughter just got finished with these ridiculously cute mugs for our 3 sets of Grandparents and I HAD to share them with you.

Hopefully if any of you need a last minute gift idea, this might work for you. :)

We bought 6 plain white mugs last night and this morning we got to work!

I buy my ceramic paint pens at Michael's. I really like them but FYI...have had some that just won't flow any ink. So keep your receipt! Or I am just doing it wrong. Which is likely.

Our red pen would not work so Cati wanted to make green and blue hearts and I am so glad!

They turned out fabulous!We will wait 24 hours and then bake them in the oven at 300 degrees for 35 minutes.

I love that this can be for Valentine's Day, birthdays, Mother's/Father's Day, etc!

Aren't they just so precious?

I think I need a I ♥ Mommy one now. :)

These little paint pen projects might make another appearance since I have a few more neighbor gift ideas to share in the coming week.

You know...

...for those of you who are like me and wait until the very last minute to do just about everything.

Hugs to each of you!

this post sponsored by the lovely and talented Andrea at:

I'm so blessed to call her friend.

♥

Mini Mason Jar Hot Chocolate

2011-12-12T12:07:00.001-05:00

Hey there wonderful friends!

I wanted to share a quick and easy holiday cutie project perfect for the kids, parties, neighbor gifts, teachers, or just some family fun!

If you did not already know, I happen to have this "thing" for mason jars...even before they became trendy. :) So when I happened upon these 1/2 pint cuties (at Wal Mart) with red and white gingham lids, I snatched them up to use for Christmas or Valentine's Day! Just adorable.

This Christmas, I thought it would be so cute to make them into ready to serve hot chocolate drinks. I know this is not a new concept by any means but I really like the idea of them being all ready to go! Just add hot water or milk and you are ready to enjoy your yummy drinkable treat!

All you need is a cute tray or cookie tin, 1/2 pint mason jars, hot chocolate (from a packet or homemade), mini marshmallows, and peppermints. I will get to the spoons in a sec. :)

Just layer your goodies in your jar for a pretty presentation.

♥ (Seriously, I can't get over their itty bitty cuteness) ♥

I love the red and white. :)

Now for the chocolate dipped spoons as an added treat.
I bought these cute coffee spoons at Marshall's which are a perfect size because they are mini. I am really rocking the mini thing and loving it. You can use plastic spoons (the red ones would look festive) or even hit thrift stores to find pretty vintage ones.

I piped in the chocolate rather then dipping the spoons. Much neater! I melted the chocolate in a pyrex cup in the microwave. Using a baggie, I snipped the corner and piped the chocolate into each spoon. I used sprinkles, a red m & m, a mini marshmallow cut in half, and crushed candy cane to embellish these. I popped them in the fridge until set.

To package them, I used candy bags and cut them to size and tied them off with baker's twine.

Now just put it all on your tray and wrap them with a festive tag and you have yourself an amazing gift or party favor. I had hoped to have a printable tag for you but there were some kinks in the process and then time got away from me. But if I end up making one I will let you know and post it back on this post for you to download. But I can't make a promise! It's a crazy time of year!

So do you like the little spin on this fun little giftable treat? What are you all making for your neighbors or teachers? I can't believe this is the last week of school before Christmas break...I need to get moving so I would love to hear your ideas. I have an idea that I will share hopefully later this week.

xoxo

♥
this post sponsored by Miss Andrea at

Gift Wrap Inspiration: Ties & Tags

2011-12-09T00:09:00.000-05:00

Hello again lovelies! How I have missed you! I've been behind the scenes crafting but have had zero time to photograph or do a lot of tutorials. I sure do miss it! Good lighting during the day is hard to come by so my chances for quality photography are pretty limited. But I put together some more packaging ideas here and there and did little mini shoots for you with some gift wrap inspiration.

Today I am focusing on tying up those packages. What is it about embellishing that makes wrapping so fun? The delicious anticipation of what hides inside a package is glorious enough! Yet the extra prettiness of ribbons and bows make it even more delightful. So I fiddled around with some ideas to see what I could come up with.

Top Left: Oh yes...you knew I would have pom poms. Their whimsy and playful cutness are too wonderful to pass up. I loved making those pretty teal-ish, aqua-ish (what color is that?) for this tie that could also be a garland. The little white ones are store bought by the package and simply threaded with a needle onto baker's twine.

Top Right: Red and white bakers twine and some jingle bells. Simple. Perfect.

Bottom Left: This is simple grey thread and sequins. Add a little sparkle goodness with a pinch of simplicity.

Bottom Right: How about using paddle wire with some pretty beads and pearls? I simply slid some wire through the bead and twisted it to stay put. Pretty, pretty.

Some cute but earthy tags made of clay and wood. I am a total novice with polymer clay but experimented with food coloring to dye it (too lazy to go out and buy the different colors) and alpha stamps. I made some mistakes but I like the imperfect feel of them. Clockwise from left: Fruit of the Spirit tags (love, joy, peace patience...from Galatians 5:22-23), wood circle tags and twine, scallop and circle tags with stamped words, clay hearts and twine with lace imprint, and clay leaves in cool blues and greens with bakers twine.

That's all I have at the moment. I have other packaging in the works but the crickets on this blog were getting LOUD! So I had to post something for fear of worrying you! :)

Tonight I am decorating a table at church for a Women's Ministry Christmas Tea Saturday morning! Oh y'all know how I like a good tablescape! But I confess to winging this one and kind of pulling something together last minute. It is definitely not my usual (it's all about the details) approach but I hope to pull it off. I have spray painted, cut, tied, and glued stuff. And shopped my house once again. All in the last 2 days and throughout the process wondering when my procrastinating self will become proactive. I have no idea what it will look like but I promise to share it with you. Success or fail!

And I have more Christmas goodies up my sleeve too.

Honest to goodness.

Hugs and Christmas love!