BONJOUR and HELLO

2012-01-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

Hello new world!

It's official, my site has launched and it looks amazing, thanks to my awesome friend Josiah! There are so many new features and neat little things, so please explore! This will be the last post you see on this blog, but don't fret! You can find me at my new blog....simply hellolidy.com or you can click the Bonjour and Hello banner above.

Don't go anywhere, I would love to hear from all of you....feel free to comment on upcoming posts, that way I know you found the new site too!

Love to you all, thank you for being such faithful followers during this time here!

xoxo

2012-01-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

Bang clad ladies

Well, today will most likely be my last post at this location! I may do one more to remind all my wonderful readers of where I will be relocating! I know moving around is never a fun thing, but I assure you the blog will still be the same....just better.

Recently I have had the bang itch. I get this every few months or couple of years. I finally grow out my bangs where they start looking lovely again. Then, it's like my eyes start wondering and I begin to see all these fabulous hair cuts! I love having long bangs, but it's just too safe for me. I feel like everyday is the same thing. Down straight, down curly, parted in the middle, parted off to the side, up in a pony, up in a bun. It gets slightly boring, don't you think? When I see gals with bangs, it automatically looks cute, stylish and funky. Doesn't matter if its down messy or curled. Up in a crazy bun or braid. It's adorable! I love this blog and I highly recommend you check it out! It has all sorts of beauty tips and tricks. Feel free to check it out if you are in the in-between phase: to have bangs or not to have bangs.

Here are a few cuts that I fell in love with, thanks to Bang Boom Pow!

Well, I finally bit the bullet and got my hair cut. I love it and don't regret it one bit! I feel like this suits my personality and lifestyle, weird how a simple cut can do that to a woman! So, what do you think your hair style says about you?

xoxo

Baby Chronicles

2012-01-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

Baby on the way

*My sweet nephew a few weeks old

Don't get too excited, no we are not pregnant. Not yet anyway! I decided I would start documenting our story on my blog. This way I can keep my family and close friends up to date with our journey. Besides, it's always a good thing to be able to look back and remember every detail of our baby's story. Beware, this might get sappy and/or emotional!

I'm sure I began our baby story on a previous post, but I'm gonna tell you again. It's all a part of the journey. When we decided to try for a baby I thought it was going to be easy. I mean, it seemed like it for everyone else. I was so foolish to think it would be that way for us. I realize now, everyone is different and for reasons unknown. Nonetheless, we are who we are and our situations are as difficult as we allow them to be. So, it's important to always be positive and try to remember all your blessings. After a year of no baby, I was reassured by doctors and friends that it was normal for these things to take time. So, we kept our chins up and pressed on. As more months went by with no change, I started researching ways to get my body prepared for having a baby. Like cutting out caffeine, taking folic acid and fun stuff like that. Let's just say, the caffein thing didn't last long. Still, things didn't seem to change. I remember hearing friends and family announce their pregnancies, watch their bellies grow, feel their tummies and their little miracles inside as they moved and kicked. It was a joy, but painful at times too. It made it that much more difficult to stay positive and hopeful. I still have to take deep breaths and fight tears when I hold someones newborn or see more friends become mothers and fathers, but I know that I have a greater strength deep within to sustain me. It gets stronger by the minute, hour and day. It might sound cliche, but God truly knows best. His ways are truly not our ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts. I have to remind myself of this. Daily.

It wasn't too long ago that I finally decided to go to the doctors to get things checked out. Make sure things were ok with me and my husband. We have had some tests done, most coming back normal. But more tests are needed and it gets frustrating and tiring. I often find myself becoming angry. If only people knew how blessed they were. I mean, more than just the normal blessed. I mean REALLY blessed. It's not as easy as some may think it to be. When you don't have to lift a finger and BAM you're pregnant. Just like that. Maybe if they were us for just one day. Month. Year. Maybe then they would truly know. I realize this isn't fair to say. And not everybody has scenarios like that. It's just a thought I have when it feels like I'm about to rip at the seams and it passes. It always does. So, we stay hopeful and keep moving forward.

I will never forget the day I found myself drawn to this idea. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to pursue this or why I was even acting on it. I just remember feeling like this was what I was suppose to do. This is why I am at this place in my life right now. Effortlessly, I found myself emailing a wonderful lady from our church who works with adoption placement in our area. I remember asking questions and getting answers right away. I remember getting a warm invitation to come with her to some finalized adoptions and being so moved that day, something inside of me changed. Perhaps it's what you feel when you first see that positive sign, the heartbeat of your little one, a kick inside or when you finally hold your baby for the first time. An overwhelming warmth that hits you from your head down to your toes. Tears just fill up and pour down your cheeks without warning. You don't know how you can feel this much compassion and love for such a stranger, but you know they are yours. For me, I don't yet know them by name nor the dimples on their face. I don't know their tiny movements, snorts, cry or laugh. I haven't seen the shape of their eyes, the color of their skin or whether they are a boy or a girl. I just know they are ours. Ours for life. To love, to nurture, to bless, to spoil, to share in struggles and blessings. It's true, we have started the most amazing journey as husband and wife. Not only to become parents, but to experience the blessings of adoption. Tonight we went to our first meeting, the early steps in the process. I already feel like an emotional wreck. We have SO much support from family, friends and others in this whole process. We are already blessed and changed. I am going to be destroyed (in a good way) when I finally set eyes on my baby. When I finally hold their tiny bodies against my chest. I can't wait to whisper to them how much I love them and how long I have been praying for them. What a joy they are to their mommy and daddy.

God is good. He takes away, but He gives you something so much better in return.

xoxo

Home

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Wallpaper 101

This new year, it seems to be all about finishing projects on last years list. I am really good at making a to do list, but really bad at crossing them off! Am I the only one that feels that way?

One of the projects we had hanging over our heads: finally getting the wallpaper up on the dining room wall. For weeks it just sat in the closet, waiting for us to use it. I was so excited, but mostly nervous. I have heard horror stories....I was too afraid to waste it, wreck it, or do something terrible in the process. Yesterday, my husband and I finally buckled down and geared up for the task ahead.

Things I learned about wallpapering:

1. It's super slimy
2. You are crazy if you think you can do it solo
3. It involves a lot of water (you might even get prune fingers)
4. If bubbling occurs, it will be enough to drive you mad
5. The paper rips easily
6. You need to be super precise in cutting, measuring and lining things up
7. It's a good idea to have ALL the right equipment
8. Doesn't matter how many times you flatten the edges, they still will lift slightly so don't obsess
9. One wall is more than enough to wallpaper, unless you can afford to lose a lot of hair
10. Next time, hire someone else to do it. Wouldn't that just make everything so much easier?

All in all, it was worth it. I love the paper we chose and our room has transformed completely. It just takes some getting use to. Would I do it again? Call me crazy, but I think I might. It's a lot of fun, after it's all complete!

So happy with the results! A simple, yet funky design.

Blends well into the next room

LOVE!

Just have to trim the last panel and it's looking great!

xoxo

Home

2012-01-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Finally!

Back in October I was on a hunt for the perfect chevron run. I looked at all kinds of stores and fell in love with several, like this one from West Elm! Unfortunately, I'm always looking for the best deal and knew I could do better. I finally came across a decent chevron rug at Urban Outfitters! Of course, I found the link on Pinterest and it seemed to be the best deal for the size of rug I was looking for. I was in love with all the colors: the grey was wonderful and the blue so unique! I just needed a little bit more funk in my house. Don't get me wrong, the grey was fabulously sleek and modern. The blue was calming and feminine (I may order this for our nursery in the future). The black and white, however, makes a statement...it's spunky and confident! So, I put my order in and after almost 3 months of patiently waiting...yes, 3 months on backorder.....it came in the mail! I am in love love love with it. This is the perfect size for our living room, bedroom or even kitchen.

So there you have it, another fantastic piece for our home! I love getting little treats like this once in a while, it sure makes things come together little by little around here!

xoxo

2012-01-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

Green with envy

This year, I am going on an amazing adventure to Ireland over spring break! I am SO excited, words cannot begin to express. It's been a dream of mine to go to Europe for YEARS and it's finally going to happen. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and blog all about it, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

I have been eyeing lots of stuff since then. When I say stuff I mean clothes mostly...seriously, I could buy a whole new wardrobe just for this trip. It's scary. And sad. Or even both. Since I've never been anywhere really, especially not Ireland, I have been researching the climate during that time of the year. As far as I can tell, it rains a lot and it's a bit cooler than what I'm use to here in California. I slowly became obsessed with boots: Leather boots, furry boots, comfy boots, impractical boots, any kind of boots. If only you could see how many I own already...shhhhh, the hubby doesn't need to know this secret obsession of mine. Well, long story short I was pleasantly surprised with my first EVER rubber boots this Christmas (geez, thanks ma and pa!). Did I mention that they are even green....one of my many favorite colors! They are perfectly wonderful!

I find myself trying them on periodically in the house, but boy are they hard to get off! I usually need my strong man to pull these suckers off. Best part is, I didn't have to go out and spend tons of money on them (nor did my fabulous folks) like these Hunter boots I've been eyeing. Sometimes thrift shopping goes a long way, you never know what you might find (did I just sound like Forest Gump?). Surprisingly, my mom got a great deal on these Steve Madden boots: regular $125.00 for $50.00 at a wonderful consignment shop back in Canada (I actually use to work there back in the day) called Trend Fashions. Can you believe they've never been worn? Who knows why they were there on that fateful day, but thank you to the gal who decided to give these beauties away!

How about you? Find any great discoveries at your local thrift store lately?! Do share, I love to hear about a good find.

xoxo

Bon Appetit

2012-01-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Quinoa Salad

This is one of my new favorites! While in Canada, amongst all the junk food my mom whipped up this salad one day. Probably the first healthy thing I had eaten in days. I was instantly hooked and needed the recipe! I finally made it last night for dinner and I am looking forward to the leftovers for lunch! This is such a delicious salad and it doesn't hurt that it is full of healthy ingredients.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa (pinch of salt) and cook in rice cooker. When done, let it completely cool. In a large bowl:

- 2 avocados cut up

- 1 can black beans rinsed

- 1 cup pumpkin seed

- 1 can black sliced olives or chop whole ones (pitted)

- cilantro chopped about 1/2 cup

- 5 green onions sliced on the angle

- 3-4 large celery sticks cut lengthwise then chopped

- 2-3 cloves of garlic (you may do more or less, depends on you)

For the dressing you will need:

- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 1/4 cup lime juice

- 1 tablespoon honey

- 2 tablespoons coarse mustard

- salt and black pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients together and gently mix. Whisk dressing well or shake in a shaker. Taste and adjust as needed. Pour over ingredients and gently toss, refridgerate and gently toss once more before eating. Makes a fair amount. Now enjoy!!!

xoxo

Home

2012-01-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Seven lovely things for your home

Here are seven things I am loving for my home right now. If I could, I would go out and buy them all today. Somethings are just not meant to be....for now anyway! I will list the sources at the bottom of the post! Hope you enjoy these unique items as well!

1. I am loving this walnut ledge. I could use this in our living room and mount our flat screen above the ledge for a sleek and vintage look! I am fond of the idea of open floors, free from clutter.

2. This shabby rustic tin magnetic board would be perfect for our vintage inspired house! How cute would these looks if you had a group of 4-6 on a wall!? Perhaps I need these for my kitchen!

3. I think I might need an oversized topographic wall map somewhere in our home. Not only is it educational, but it would make a cute piece of art on our walls! Globes and maps are very popular this year.

4. I think every room deserves a good pillow! I am loving these screen printed tree patterns. Anything that reminds me of nature and my Canadian roots is ok with me!

5. Love the look of a vintage inspired, tweed chair. This would be great in your living room, nursery or even a pair in your entryway!

6. One of my favorite things to do is relax and enjoy a good cup of tea. My cupboard has a large variety of all kinds....I think I could use these fabulous mustache tea cups. You can never have too many, am I right?!

7. Lastly, I think it's a lot of fun to have a piece in your home that you created yourself. Whether it's wall art, a refurnished chair or a knitted throw. I am loving chevron this year...if I had more time, I would love to try this DIY chevron rug!

SOURCES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week so far!

xoxo

Random but lovely

2012-01-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Good Monday to you

It's the beginning of a new week. Back to work, school, normal life. I am busy catching up around our home, doing chores and getting back into the swing of things. I've decided to start organizing a bit around the house. I finally packed away our Christmas stuff. The house feels so much more open and clean. I love our Christmas goodies, but it feels so good to have the house back to normal.

It's a new year and new things are about to begin. In the upcoming weeks I am going to be transitioning to my new site. It might be a bit bumpy at first, since I am still learning how to work the new site. I have faith you will be patient with me and forgive the hiccups along the way! I am so excited, I hope you are too!! There will be a few new features, so stay tuned!

xoxo

Random but lovely

2012-01-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

Current Happenings

We are back safely from our trip to Canada. The holidays were wonderful this year, I must say. We enjoyed the mild winter and enjoyed the outdoors as much as possible. Went on nice walks and ice skated a few times too. It was perfectly lovely. I miss the winter season and all it's magic. Although, living in California has many fabulous benefits. Alas, some things just cannot be forgotten in this Canadian girls heart!

Here are a few fun pictures of our time in Canada...hope you enjoy this little peek into our Christmas.

Banff, Alberta, Canada

More Banff

New Years!

Skating day and night

xoxo

Bon Appetit

2011-12-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Popcorn twist caramel corn

Once again we approach the end of another year. It seems to go by faster and faster! I am looking toward the future with new hope, excitement and trust. Hope that the year to come will bring answered prayers. Excitement for what is to come and what lies ahead! Trust that we will continue to have good health, a roof over our head, food on our table and many, many more blessings we have already at our finger tips.

Today I thought I would share with you a quick and tasty treat to share with your family and friends! This takes minutes to prep and prepare! It's also the perfect snack for your New Years party!

You will need one bag of these popcorn twists, not your traditional popcorn! That means no husks! Yay!

You will also need:

1/2 lb butter (do not substitute margarine)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon baking soda

In a Large (2 qt) sauce pan, cook together butter, brown sugar and corn syrup for 2 minutes after butter has melted and it starts to gently boil. Add baking soda to mixture. This will cause mixture to foam - that is why you need a large saucepan. Allow to foam to cook down slightly.

Pour caramel mixture over popcorn twists and stir until mixed.

Place in oven for 35-45 minutes, (35 for chewy corn, 45 for crunchy), stirring at least every 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and pour on wax paper. Allow to cool slightly and break apart.

These are truly delicious and super addictive! They are so buttery, salty, sweet and crunchy: perfect combo if you ask me!

Hope you have a great New Years day! Enjoy!

Random but lovely

2011-12-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

So far this morning has been wonderful sharing this Christmas with my family! We opened our stockings and shared a delicious breakfast together. We are just waiting for my husband to fly in later this evening and open the rest of the presents with him! I hope you all had a great Christmas eve and morning with your loved ones. Here is a little song to wish you all a Merry Christmas from me to you! Thanks for being such wonderful followers!

xoxo

Random but lovely

2011-12-24T17:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

Our family Christmas card this year

It is finally here. Another Christmas is just one sleep away. It feels a little odd this year. I don't know if it's because it's during the weekend and everybody just started their holidays as of yesterday. Perhaps it's the fact that my husband has not yet joined me and arrives later tomorrow evening. Or if it's because the weather has been insanely gorgeous for the middle of December and I haven't seen any snow fall yet. I'm thinking it's a bit of all the above. Either way, I feel like I need to snap out of this feeling or I am going to miss out on this joyous occasion!

I cannot forget the true reason for the season. I know many people have their traditions and beliefs revolving around Christmas. Mine is simply the amazing birth of Jesus. A savior who has changed my life in so many ways, no words could begin to express. It's part of my story. Something so dear to me. A season that reminds me that I am here on earth for a bigger purpose. I'm not an accident and that I am loved more than I will ever know. Christmas is so magical, isn't it?! One of my fondest memories is simply sitting on my couch looking outside one year when I still lived in Canada. I was sipping a warm drink, listening to O come, O come, Emmanuel. I listened as I watched the snow fall out of the dark sky that night. A street light made the snow appear so mysterious and magical. I was overcome with a feeling I cannot describe, just peace. I hope and pray that you will have a blessed Christmas this year. May you find peace in the simple things. Hope you enjoy this song. It is simply calming, perfect for the Eve of Christmas.

Merry Christmas

xoxo

Bon Appetit

2011-12-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

Puff Wheat Square

These are a special little treat I decided I would share with you! I think they are more of a Canadian thing because I have never had them anywhere besides my hometown. This is one of my favorite treats when I come to visit my family in Canada. They are always there waiting just for me to eat, but I'm not too sure if that is a good thing or not. Since I don't have the ability to say no or know when I should stop eating them. They are just so delicious! I urge you to try these out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

1/3 cup margarine

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

8 cups puff wheat cereal

Method

Stir all the ingredients in a large pot on stove top. Heat should be at medium-high until it comes to a boil. Dissolve the sugar completely and allow to simmer for 1 extra minute. Remove from heat and add the puff wheat. Stir to coat. Press into a 9 x 13 greased pan. Let cool, then cut into squares and enjoy!!!

This is a delicious chocolatey treat, I know you will love these just as much as I do.

xoxo

2011-12-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

DIY Christmas Toques

While in Canada, it's a must to have something warm with you at all times. Although I am pretty lucky right now with this amazing weather during a Canadian Christmas, it still can reach cooler temperatures. Here is the most amazing contraption I have ever laid my eyes on....as soon as I saw how easy it was to whip up a handmade toque (or beanie to my American friends), I knew I had to have one!

My mom discovered these fantastic knitting looms. Basically, you find some fabulous yarn you love and care to sport around. Wrap your yarn around each peg and continue to work your way inside of the ring. Luckily, there are instructions that come along with this amazing device. It will explain a lot better than I did, believe me! Not only would this make an amazing gift, but you will be able to whip something up in a few short hours! Everyone will be getting something handmade with love from you for Christmas! You can buy these knitting loom sets at most craft and fabric stores. So, if you are in the mood to knit something easy and quick, this is for you!!

I am going to be having a lot of fun with this over the holidays. I've got a hot cup of tea, a Christmas classic to watch and my knitting looms ready to go!

xoxo

2011-12-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

Home for the holidays

So, I forgot to mention that I will be in Canada over the holidays! I am so happy to be back with family and friends. It feels like it's been a while since I last had a white Christmas too! I will do my best to blog while I am here, but I'm sure you will understand if you don't hear from me everyday.

Today I decided I would share with you my DIY Christmas art. I love decorations for my home, but a good print designed specifically for the season adds just a little more! I love to create fun little things like this and I am more than happy to share with my lovely followers! Feel free to download them and use them in your home!

So, how about you! Do any of you have any special plans for Christmas? Feel free to share, I would love to hear from you!

xoxo

2011-12-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

Icebox Cookies

I have been wanting to bake something in a bad way for the last few days. I mean, it is the season for that kind of thing! I decided to try a recipe in an old 1940 American Woman's Cook Book I bought at an antique store. I was curious as to whether it was going to be tasty or not...I would use my husband as the guinea pig. I think this is a recipe that passed the test. These cookies are super easy to make and would taste even more delicious with some icing! The perfect cookie to leave for Santa by the tree!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
3/4 other shortening (I just used more butter)
2 cups of medium brown sugar (I actually had none in my pantry so I used regular white sugar...and they still taste great)
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
5 cups flour

Directions:

Cream the shortenings together and sugar. Add the well-beaten eggs and beat well. Sift all the dry ingredients together and add to the first mixture. Pack dough into a roll, wrap in wax paper and put in the coolest part of the refrigerator for several hours.

Wait....wait....still waiting.........

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Slice as thin as possible with a very sharp knife, place on a greased baking sheet and bake for ten minutes in a moderate oven (mine is so not modern....more like extreme). A part of the mixture may be baked and the remainder kept in refrigerator or freezer for later use.

For a little extra goodness, feel free to add icing to your cookies...it makes it even more complete! You can find a basic buttercream icing recipe here!

Hope you enjoy!

xoxo

Bon Appetit

2011-12-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

Homemade goodness

There is nothing better than a cup of delicious hot chocolate! It's perfect for cozying up under a warm blanket while watching a Christmas movie classic. Well, that's what we did last night and it's hard to beat. I like the simple things, what more can I say. I am out of hot chocolate a lot, since I find myself drinking at least one cup a day to stay warm....and I love chocolate! Here is an easy recipe you can make in bulk and store away for later use. It can be easier than buying those expensive canisters at the store over and over again! Trust me!

Hot Cocoa

Total Time:: 5 min
Prep: 5 min

Yield:: 5 1/2 cups dry mix

Level:: Easy

What you will need:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Hot water
What to do:

Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry. This also works great with warm milk. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water.

Hope you enjoy this recipe to cozy up and enjoy!

xoxo

DIY

2011-12-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tag DIY

During the craziness of this season I am grateful I can squeeze some time in for my little blog! Thank you for being patient with me...it's been a BUSY week! Not to mention, I leave in 7 days for Canada to see family and friends. I'm super excited, but have a lot to do yet. I find myself doing my Christmas shopping last minute and quickly as possible! Eeks! Well that's my tidbit for the day, back to my post!!!

Today I decided to share with you an easy DIY tag you can use on your gifts, cards or anything you can think of! It's all about handmade goodies and having fun in the process!

What you will need:

Yarn or twine

Martha Stewart doily lace coaster and/or

doily adhesives (or good card stock you can cut snowflake shapes from)

Hole puncher

Scissors

What to do:

Simply cut a piece of yarn or twine long enough to wrap around your gift or card a few times. Put aside for later use.

Take your coaster or card stock and punch a whole at the top, not too close to the edge.

Wrap the yarn around your item a few times until you have enough to tie a knot in the back.

Slide yarn or twine through the hole on your coaster or card stock and bring to the front of your gift or card. Secure the back by tying a knot.

Write a festive message and presto: you are finished! Did I mention it's really easy?! I hope you find this helpful and have fun doing your own little twist on your Christmas cards or wrapping this year!

xoxo

2011-12-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

Illustrated Portrait

While in one of my classes at school, I sat by a very talented young lady. She was and is an amazingly talented artist, which I strongly advice you to check her out on facebook or her online portfolio! I'm sure she would kill me to see this post, but I had to support another design students work in some way!!!

I am a huge fan of Rifle Paper Co. I am particularly in love with these Christmas cards, they are so unique and wonderful! I can't really afford to spend that kind of money on our cards this year, so we did the regular picture card thing! I asked my friend if she would mind drawing our portrait based on a picture I had given her. I was thinking I might try to replicate it, which I did not end up doing. Perhaps next year! I did get my cute portrait drawn and decided to use it as part of our decor! I love it, it's so cute and quirky!

Thanks Priscilla for being so sweet, it was a pleasure having class with you this year!

xoxo

2011-12-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas Blocks

A few weeks ago we got up nice and early to grab some warm coffee and hunt for some yards sales! We came across an estate sale which had all kinds of interesting things. We got an assortment of fun pieces, one of the items we took home were some vintage letter blocks. I thought it would be neat if we could use them as part of Christmas decor this year. I really wanted our home to feel woodsy, unique and playful this year! These are one of those special pieces you can easily find and add something a little different!

I went through the box and found enough letters to spell our "Twenty Five" and the number "25" to display on one of our shelves in our living room. I love the small impact it has with the rest of our stuff! I could have easily spelled "Merry Christmas" but I wanted something a little different (let's face it, our household is not normal by any means!), so we decided to focus on Christmas day: twenty five!

Do you have any unique decorations this year for Christmas?! I'de love to hear about them!

xoxo

2011-12-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday

So today I am running out the door to continue my errands for the house. The wallpaper is in, now I need to make a trip to Ikea to pick out a few fun things to complete the transformation! I am super excited for this to all be done! Hope you have a fabulous Monday everyone! Until tomorrow (which the fun Christmas posts shall continue), you can check out my new website here! It's still in the works, but should be up and running real soon....these things take time....so I'm told!

xoxo

2011-12-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

WE ARE MOVING LOCATION!!!! I thought I would interrupt our wonderful Christmas theme just for today to tell you some important news!! In a couple weeks I will be launching my new website, which I hope you will continue to follow! Content, crafts, projects, recipes, pictures, people and a whole lot more will be the same, just a big facelift and more pretty things to look at and play with! It's just in the middle of construction, but be prepared for a change...don't worry, I will remind you a few more times between now and then!

So grateful for each and everyone one of my followers and hope you continue to stick around through this new and exciting change!

xoxo

2011-12-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

I decided to share this fun little DIY with you today! It has two parts to it, but it's super straight forward and practically free. Yes, free!

Part one: You will need

- an empty clean glass jar (it can be an old jam jar, any jar will do!)

- cut out snowflakes (I bought Martha Stewart adhesive doily die-cuts)

- water-resistant glue, sealer and finish (I use Collage Pauge in glossy)

Part two: You will need

-twigs (from your back yard or if you really want you can buy them from a craft store)

- yarn (in any color, but I chose cream)

- hot glue gun

Part one instructions:

Make sure your jar is nice and clean so your snowflake will stick nicely to the glass. If you want to get super creative you can make your own cut out snowflakes. For easy instructions to cut out a five-point star snowflake, click here. I bought the Martha Stewart doily die-cuts a few months ago on sale, so I am dying to use them! Note: if you use these doilies they have a sticky back, but still use the water-resistant glue to ensure your snowflake sticks real good! Take your snowflake and rub the glue on the back until it is covered well. Place it on the jar wherever you please and rub a little more glue on the front until the snowflake is secure. Dip your finger in water and rub off access glue so you don't end up with streaks. You can also use several jars and place tea-light candles in them! They make great shadows on the wall! You're done part one!

Part two instructions:

Break your twigs so they are the height you desire. Start rolling your yarn around your finger until you have a good start. Slowly slide the yarn off your finger and continue wrapping the yarn in different directions so you end up with a circular shape. The yarn pom pom ( I am calling them this because they are mini yarn balls, perhaps there is a more technical word but I'm ok with that!), can be as big or little as you desire. Make sure it is not too heavy to stick on the twig. Once you have the size you like, make several more for each twig you have. I had 6 twigs, so I made 6 pom poms. Take your hot glue gun and put some glue at the end of your stick and glue the pom pom to the top. Tip: before hand, create a tiny hole in the yarn by poking the twig in the pom pom so you have a little indentation. This will help the pom pom sit more steadily on the twig.

Now place the twigs in your jar and enjoy this cute little pom pom bouquet! I love this look, especially with my new yarn wrapped Christmas tree! It feels very homey and cozy!

Hope you enjoy!

xoxo

2011-12-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

I am super excited to show you this fabulous DIY project! As soon as I spotted it on Pinterest, I went straight to play! A few months ago I bought a bag full of retro yarn at a garage sale. I wasn't too sure at the time why I was buying it, I just loved the colors and for 25 cents you can't go wrong! Now, I can finally put it to some good use. This is a super inexpensive and easy project! It doesn't take much time to complete, so you can accomplish lots in a short period of time!

What you will need:

- a cereal box

- yarn in fabulous colors

- scissors

- a hot glue gun

- clear-drying craft glue

Directions: can also be found at this blog

Step 1: cut your box along all of the folds, so that you end up with two large flat pieces of cardboard and several smaller pieces. Keep the large pieces; stick the smaller ones back into your recycling bin.

Step 2: imagine one corner of your box as a triangle. You want to make the triangle by cutting the corner off the box, *but* with a rounded edge. Use this template from Nestle family as a guide for the shape that you want. Don't worry about being perfect here - it's not even a little bit necessary!

Step 3: Roll the flat edges of your "triangle" together to make a cone. Secure them together with hot glue.

Step 4: Using craft glue, draw a ring of glue around the very bottom of your cone. Press a single strand of yarn onto the glue. Begin wrapping up the cone, gluing down each ring of yarn. Don't worry about placing each ring perfectly next to the one under it - you can fill in holes later. Work your way up to the top of the cone. Place a dab of glue and a small loop of yarn right on the top to hide the cardboard.

Step 5: Begin winding back down, filling in any holes. Now you can be more sparing with the glue - you only need to glue down a few spots. If you still have holes when you reach the bottom, wind the yarn back up again.

Step 6: Once you have all of your holes filled in, take one more trip around the cone with your yarn, this time leaving a few inches between each round to give the tree some depth. Try not to leave perfectly even spaces between your rounds - a little bit of sloppiness will give your trees character!

And you are done! These make great Christmas decorations! Adds the perfect crafty and handmade flare to your home! I hope you enjoy, let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you.

xoxo

Let the countdown begin...