A Snowman Sock Craft - Too Cute!

When I was teaching, there was a kindergarten teacher who made these adorable sock snowmen every year for Christmas.  This year, I thought that would be our special Christmas craft too.  After a quick internet search, I came across this wonderful tutorial here.  Amy's snowmen were the cutest out of all the ones I saw, and her tutorial is awesome.  Very easy to follow!

So... I dug around the house and found several old tube socks that we were going to donate.  Amy was right, Target carries a ton of cute ankle socks in all sorts of patterns for just $1.  I used my little girls' hair elastic which worked great and we just needed a few buttons, googly eyes, beans/rice and we were good to go!

Here are the inspiration snowmen from here:

Here are our snowmen!

10 little snowmen in all!

We had a great time and I just can't help but smile when I look at these lil' guys.  Seriously, super easy, fast, affordable and you get a great finished product.  They make wonderful gifts!  Click here for the how-to.

Here are a few more pictures of our day:

Our supplies.  Socks, elastic ties and rice/beans. 

Of course, working over a rimmed baking sheet helps to keep all the rice and beans contained!

 Everyone was so proud of their little creations!

TGIF - A Great Deal from Mink Cards!

Hello everyone!

TGIF!  If you're like me, your weekends from now until Christmas are probably packed!  I hope you find some time to stop and enjoy the season and not be running around like a crazy person.  :p

Well, if you haven't finished up your Christmas card for this year, you're in luck!  I'm happy to extend a special discount to you from minkcards.com.  Last Sunday, I wrote about how I found mink through etsy and am so happy with our cards this year. 

If you go to their website, minkcards.com and use the couponcode MERRY15, you will receie 15% off your order PLUS FREE fedex overnight shipping!  Can't beat that!  Minkcards.com is a full service, design and print website.  Their customer service is superb and turn around time is fast!  Melody, the owner and designer, is great with follow-up.  In fact, most of the time, I got my proofs before the promised 2 business days.  You'll definitely get your cards done before Christmas.

**  Offer good until Dec. 15th!  **

(image via minkcards.com)

Have a great weekend!

Recycle Those Lights!

This is a purely practical post people.  Well... it's taken a couple of weeks, but our Christmas tree is *almost* done.  I don't know about you, but for us, the Christmas decorating process is never a one day deal.  I wish!  It generally takes at least a week for the boxes to come down, the decorations to go up, the clutter to be put away and for the boxes to return back out of sight. 

This year, I found several strings of lights that didn't work.  They've been sitting in a big bin, right next to our tree.  I haven't wanted to just throw them in the garbage, so I did a little bit of googling today and found an answer!

Did you know that Whole Foods actually recycles broken Christmas lights?  YES!  I called my local Whole Foods and yup, they've been doing it for several years and just set up a bin for collecting lights. 

WOOHOO!  I'm bringing my lights down asap!

OK... Happy Decorating (and Recycling) Everyone!  :)

Our Christmas Cards

One of my all time favorite Christmas Songs is Merry Christmas, Darling by the Carpenters.  The first line goes... "Greeting cards have all been sent... the Christmas rush is through...."

Well for me... my greeting cards have not been sent out, but they've been sent to the printers!  :)  I'm excited, this is way ahead of schedule for me.  This year, I tried something new.  We've done Tiny Prints cards in the past and have loved them, but I wanted to try something different this year and maybe save some pennies.  So I did some browsing around on etsy and of course, they have a ton of options!  I wanted something simple this year and found minkcards!

Here are some of their great designs:



(all images via minkcards.om)

 
I love that you can customize it and pay only for the jpeg and then can get them printed anywhere you like.  Plus, always love supporting a small business!  The turn around was great and Melody was fun to work with.

So, if you're still looking for inspiration for your Christmas cards, check out etsy and minkcards.  I'm sure you'll find something you like!

(all images via minkcards.com)



Fab. Advent Chain Idea



(image via spelloutloud.com)


I discovered this awesome advent chain idea idea here.  Spell Outloud is a blog written by Maureen, a Christian homeschooling mom of 6 and former teacher.  I've loved reading all her wonderful ideas. 

There are so many ways to celebrate the days leading up to Christmas and there are a ton of fun advent calendars that you can make or buy.  And I mean a TON!  This one is different from all the ones that I've seen.  I love how it really points back to the real reason for Christmas and the idea of reading a short verse from the bible that is relevant to this season. 

It's a free printable and is so easy to use.  It also made for great patterning and counting practice.  We can't wait to start this tomorrow!

Here's ours:

Merry Christmas - He is the Reason

And so another year...  Christmas cards have been sent, presents have been bought,

the decorations are up, the rush is over... and so we anxiously wait... 

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2: 11-12

Merry Christmas!

The Digital Nativity

Many of you may have already seen this.  I thought this was so creative - it brought a smile to my face.  The world is different, but the story is the same.

Hoping the rush is through and you're enjoying the true magic and meaning of Christmas!

Christmas Card Displays

Are the Christmas cards starting to come in?  At our home, our cards go up on this card holder from Pottery Barn.  I LOVE this holder because it doesn't take up a lot of space, you can hang it vertically or horizontally and you can leave it up all year long.  After the holidays, I usually trim our Christmas card so that we have just the photos.  I put them back up on our holder and our kids love to see pictures of their friends and family all year long.  This is a seasonal item at Pottery Barn, so get it in now if you're interested.

Here's another idea that I love!  This is very simple to make.  It's just an embroidery hoop with mini clothes pins glued on in an alternating pattern, in and out.  This would look great in a group of 2 or 3.

Lastly, this is a super easy one, we did this at our house last year. 

Just tape your cards on a framed mirror you already have!  It looks great!



(sorry... this is the best pic that I have from last year. 
Can you see the photos in the back?)  :)



Christmas Gift Tags

When I was looking at the Christmas photos over at My Sweet Savannah, I spotted these fabulous gift tags!  I would've been willing to pay good money for these beautiful tags, but I won't have to!  Emily at Jones Design Company has them on her blog and we can all download them for FREE.  Whee! THANK YOU!!  I WILL be using these!

Martha Stewart also has a TON of tags that you can download and print for free.  Here are 2 of my favorites.

Click here for the monogram gift tag.

Click here for the mitten and stocking gift tag.

 

Happy Gifting!





WHY IT WORKS - More Christmas!

Ok, for all of you who found my post last week inspiring, you will be even more inspired this week!  Melanie, over at My Sweet Savannah, has taken Christmas decorating to a whole nother level!  Melanie's home was the one that inspired my striped entry way.  When I first saw her holiday decorating post, all I could say was, "wow!"  Her home is GORgeous!  She has a hot chocolate making station!  Nuff said!  I've posted some of my favorite pics, but go over to her blog to see more photos.  Well done Melanie!  Thanks for inspiring me to kick it up a notch! 


WHY IT WORKS:

• In my opinion, there are a few key reasons Melanie's decor works so well.  First is color.  Even with her holiday decor, Melanie stays true to the creamy color palette of her home, so everything flows seamlessly.  The best way to acheive this is with careful editing.
• Natural elements.  Adding natural elements is fool proof.  It adds life and texture to any space.  I love how the natural elements she used still ties into her color palette, using creams and whites.
• Mixing old and new.  Her home is so interesting to look at because so many of the pieces look like they could tell a story.  Whether truly aged or aged looking, mixing old and new is a great way to add interest.



(Hot chocolate making station!  It doesn't get much more welcoming than this!)




(Christmas balls in an urn.  Simple and beautiful.)




(White poinsettia, beautiful)




(Paperwhites and reindeer moss.  Nice)




(An understated, yet festive mantle)

 INSPIRATION

• Be a careful editor.  Remember, you don't have to display everything, all at once.  What feel do you want to convey this year?  What's your color palette?  Red/Green?  Metallics?  Creams?  Commit to it.
• Add natural elements.  There are so many options for holiday decorating!  They all look great!  Branches, greenery, holly, poinsettias, paperwhites, and amaryllis, even cyclamen.  I also love miniature lemon cypress trees like these.

• In the end, anything that brings you joy and peace this season goes!  The holidays are about traditions and family.  So, if you really love your singing reindeers and snowmen... GO FOR IT and HAVE FUN!  :D

Christmas cards!

I LOVE Christmas!  I've been playing Christmas music since Thanksgiving!  One of my favorite parts is sending and receiving Christmas cards!  I hope it's a tradition that never goes out of style.  Last week, I was so excited when this box arrived at our doorstep!  Our Christmas cards!  Woohoo!

I have to admit, I spent way too many hours in the last couple of weeks browsing online card sites.  There is just soo much good stuff out there!  My kind of eye candy!  :)  Plus, the way I make decisions,  I have to look at every possible design before I'm sure I've picked the right one.  Anyone else?

This year, I ordered from Tiny Prints.  They are great, and for some reason, their prices seem better this year.  Wonderful customer service, quick proofs and delivered earlier than expected!

I also really like minted.  They are a little pricier, but have GORGEOUS, fresh designs. 









I've also ordered through Pear Tree Greetings.  They have beautiful, simple, classic cards and probably have the best prices of all 3. 

I also recently came across a Shutterfly catalog and their cards have come a LONG way!  This is a great choice if you are already sharing your photos on shutterfly.

Lastly, Etsy, is another GREAT choice for cards.  Just search for holiday photo cards and you'll get a tons of options.  A lot of these, you pay for the jpeg image and you can save money and time,  by printing them yourself!

So many options!  Have fun!  And don't be stressed!  New Years cards are fabulous too!  :)

WHY IT WORKS - Christmas!

I have to admit, I feel a little hesitant posting my own photos as inspiration photos this week.  As with many people, I feel like my spaces are always a work in process and they get better and better with time.  But, many of you have also commented how you really enjoy seeing my own personal projects and rooms.  So... here goes!

WHY IT WORKS:

Our garland going up our staircase



For our tree this year, I tied glass ornaments in 3s
with lime green ribbon



Faux branches covered in snow and tied with
the same lime green ribbon





One of my favorite things! 


 

Another one of my favorites!  I carted these 2 back from Italy!



INSPIRATION

• EDIT!  You don't have to put EVERYTHING out!  This is something I'm working on too.  Especially with holiday decor that you only get to put out once a year, we have a tendency to want to display everything!  So display prudently and selectively.  It will make what you do put out that much more special and there's always next year.
• Color palette.  Things look more cohesive if they relate to each other.  This year, I really wanted to highlight lime/moss green, one of my favorite colors.  An easy way to do this is with ribbon.  You can incorporate ribbon in so many ways and you only need to invest in one bolt.  Use it as a garland on your tree and mantle, tie bows on a wreath, and hang your ornaments with the same ribbon.  It really makes everything look put together.  
• Find inspiration NOW and shop LATER.  Again, good design does not have to cost a lot of money.  I'd say 90% of my Christmas decorations were purchased after Christmas, marked down at least 50% off.  So start looking at things that you love and get ready to go out there after Christmas!
• Buy basics.  I love great design, but I want to be practical too.  When I'm buying ornaments or other decorative objects, I try to stick with silver or gold.  I love mercuy glass too!  Silver and gold will never go out of style and you can easily use them throughout the year.  One year, when I was starting to build my collection, everything I bought was gold, silver or lime green.  For example, get basic candle holders and you can change the color of the candles each year, basic ornaments and change the ribbons each year, basic pots and vases and change the color of the flowers or greenery each year. 

In the midst of all the projects and running around that comes during this season, I hope you're able to slow down and enjoy all the beauty around you.  It truly is a magical time of year.

IKEA FRIDAYS - Meet SNOA

Happy Day After Thanksgiving or Black Friday!  Hope you had a good one!

I've been talking alot about using fabric for entertaining.  IKEA always comes out with some great seasonal items in December.  Here are some of my favorite holiday fabrics that would look great for any holiday party!  Here are 3 reasons I love using cut fabric.

1.  They are usually cheaper than traditional tablecloths.
2.  They look way better than plastic/paper tablecloths from the party store. 
3.  They can be used over and over again. 

So... meet the multiple variations of the SNOA fabric. 

This first one is SNOA FLINGA for $4.99/yd.  It comes in red, navy blue and gray!  LOVE the pattern!  I can totally see this being used as a runner on a buffet or table.  Isn't it just beautiful?  You could also cut small strips of this fabric and incorporate into your decor by tying them on your tree or garlands throughout the house. 

(Snoa Flinga)

Next, SNOA RUTAN for $5.99 yard.  Doesn't this one look so classic and cozy?!  Of course, great for a table but I'm also seeing this cut into smaller strips, maybe 12" x 36" and tied around the back of your dining chairs.  So welcoming! 



(Snoa Rutan)



Lastly, SNOA STJARNA for $4.99/yd.  Isn't this one cute?  What I love about this one is that it is so versatile!  You could easily pull this out for a birthday party or bbqs in the summer!

(Snoa Stjarna)

The great thing about all these fabrics is that they also come with a variety of coordinating accessories like these little bags and stockings.  What a great way to wrap up a favor or a gift and have all your decor and gifts coordinated.  LOVE IT!



(Snoa bag, $2.99)



(Snoa stocking, $2.99)



Frosty the Snowman

We just had a our first snowfall of the year and our family LOVES snow!  When I was a school teacher, I would be just as excited as the kids, waiting to see if school was cancelled for the day.  My husband turns into a meterologist and gives us hour by hour updates of the "storm".  Snow is so beautiful and what a great excuse to slow down and stay home!

With Christmas, just around the corner, I know we're looking for great gift ideas.  I love giving and receiving small, thoughtful gifts.  I love gifts that just make you say... "Aww... thanks for thinking of me!"  :) 

Here's a great one!  A Snowman Kit!  Click on over to A Girl and a Glue Gun for all the details.  How creative! 

You could easily start assembling this gift now by collecting rocks.  And if you don't want to buy scarves, I think inexpensive fleece from the fabric store would work great too.  You could get several scarves out of one yard of fabric.    This would be such a fun gift for the kids to help you put together!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I'll see you Friday!