The Girls

Here's me and my SIL's. And one of my MIL and her girls.

Favorite Find

Okay anyone who knows me knows I love a bargain.

With that said I'm an avid thrift store shopper. Not to mention garage sales and auctions. But my latest find or finds came from our local thrift store. Now.... 99% of the time I find nothing, I mean nothing, that really causes my heart to skip a beat. But that 1% when I do find that "something" that I didn't even know I was looking for. Well it's just pure and simple pleasure. I don't go in knowing what I'm looking for. (Never go to one of the above mention places looking for something specific, most of the time you'll never find it and you'll be disappointed.) So on this day I was just looking and what to my surprise did I stumble on you might ask? What could have me so excited? It must be something really great, right? Well to me they are priceless but for less than $2 I found the most beautiful vintage Christmas ornaments! Their colors are simply breath taking! The green is a green that you couldn't find today if you looked at every Christmas ornaments made. And the pink ones... oh my just delicious I tell you. For some unexplained reason they reminded me of my Grandmother. I don't recall Christmas' with her nor do I remember her decorations. She passed away when I was very young. But these are the ornaments I imagine her tree to have hanging on every branch.

I knew right away I had to have them and where they would be lovingly placed once they arrived safely and unbroken at my home. They would take up residents on my dining room table in my Grandmothers old antique wooden bread bowl. I love that bowl. I do remember my Grandmother making biscuits in it, this was something she did every morning. I love that bowl. My dad had it for many years and just a few years ago he gave it to me as a birthday gift. It was the most precious and meaningful gift I've ever received. Did I tell you how much I loved that bowl?

Once home I carefully removed the ornaments from their packages and placed them in their new home. Every time I walk by them I smile.... and sometimes a tear or two come to my eyes. Thinking of family this time of year.. how much I love all of my family and how very blessed I am. So with my walk down memory lane and a sniffle or two I remind you to share with your family how much they are loved. Today!

Teacher Gifts.

Here are the pictures of the heating pads I made as gifts. For instructions on how to make these check out Creative Outlet Designs. She has great pictures of some she made and the step by step instructions are so simple. Thanks Kim for sharing with us!

the countdown

And it begins. The countdown until the kids are out of school. The countdown until dh is off work for the Holidays. The countdown of how many days left to shop for "those" gifts that I still haven't gotten yet. The countdown until Christmas!!!! I love this week. The anticipation of it all has me so excited I cant stand it. Today I made 13 gifts for teachers, coaches, neighbors and the mailman. I'll post pictures of them tomorrow. But I'll share what I made. I'm not sure of the technical name but I call them heating pads. You know.... they're fabric filled with rice. Well mine are filled with rice and rosemary from my garden. For some reason I always have so much rosemary?? But I'm glad I do, I use it for so many things besides cooking. I use it in flower arrangements, the thick stems are perfect skewers for meat, tuck it in your drawers, in the bottom of trashcans.... oh and in my heating pads. I also went a step further and embroidered some of the heating pads with the teachers names, neighbors last names, school mascot name and some even have Merry Christmas on them. I did leave a few blank for those drop by guest that I need a quick little gift for. We packed them with bows and instruction tags and then tucked them safely under the tree. I'll pull them out tomorrow and get some photos of them. I also embroidered 2 towels and two fleece throws. And made 40+ chocolate covered marshmallows. Oh and my favorite tread... Magic Cookie Bars. So I was a bit busy today. As I sit here typing away, My girls are tucked safely in bed and my sweet little man... well he's playing with his cars at my feet. Way pasts his bed time, I know, but he's such the night owl. We have a busy day tomorrow so I'm off to get a few things done before bed.

But until then I'll leave you with another Scrapbook Obsessions December project. You can find the supply list and instructions in the December Newsletter at Scrapbook Obsessions.

Family Album in a Tin

Todays Creative blog!

Its starting to look alot like Christmas....

everywhere you go!

I am really getting into the Christmas spirit. Finally....it was 72 degrees here yesterday! Now.. if I lived in Florida or Hawaii that would be okay. But in the southeast??? We usually have some cool weather. After watching the weather this morning, they are forecasting some snow showers on Saturday. Yea!!! Even if we have a birthday party and a basketball game to go to that afternoon, I welcome any reason to wear some cool weather clothes. Its been a site to see my girls in flip flops and Capri's the last few days. But No more... Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow.

Now on to the fun stuff!

There's this totally fun blog that I love to check out and I thought I would share it with you guys. Its call Today's Creative Blog. And everyday (except Wednesday) Kim shares with all of us a crafty and very talented blogger. I get so many ideas from the blogs she shares. Its like a mall of blogs!!! And I love to shop! Stop by and tell her how much you love the blogs she shares. How she finds such creative people I'll never know??? But she does just for us. You must look at the blog TIP JUNKIE there are so many cool and easy gifts for neighbors, teachers and friends. Actually I'm planning on using a few.

Now for a few pictures of my Scrapbook Obsessions December Kit projects

How about a Mitten and Stocking garland? That's what I made as one of my projects this month. And I want you to make one too!

So here's a tutorial, a supply list and a pattern so you can make your own.

Supplies

4 or 5 different pattern papers

eyelets

fabric strips

ink

embellishments - stickers, ribbon, rub ons, deco edge paper etc...

1. Trace pattern onto back of pattern paper and cut out. Cut out as many as you need to make your garland. I cut 4 of each mitten and stocking. (save scraps)

2. Use scraps to embellish the heel and toe of the stockings and the cuff of the mittens. (I free handed these)

3. Punch holes in top edges and add eyelets. (the eyelets add strength so that the fabric strips won't rip the holes)

4. Embellish Mittens and Stockings with ink, stickers, ribbon, rubons, glitter or any other embellishments.

5. Tie together with fabric strips. You can use ribbon if you wish.

6. Hang and enjoy!

Family wreath and our cookie exchange

Okay Okay here it is. This is a wreath I made for my Mother in law (and now I guess for my sister in laws too). It has pics of most of the grand kids... Emily I need a pic of Gracie. I use the fabulous kit from Scrapbook Obsessions it was their Dec Kit. You should stop by the site and pick up the January Kit. Its packed with such great papers and the embellishments this month... oh my. Let me just say they are to good to miss.

Ladies I want to see you make your own wreath.... so I've posted directions below. (I'm going to make scrappers out of all of you, Heather, Melissa, Bethany, Mary Helen)

Supplies

Foam core board

Pictures
Pop Dots

Ink (Chestnut Roan by Color box... Hobby Lobby)

4 or 5 pattern papers

Christmas theme rub ons or stickers

Ribbon

To make the wreath

1. Start by cutting a large circle from chipboard or foam core board. This can be any size you want. I used chipboard from my 12x12 paper, so mine was 12 inches. Cut the center out. This will form a ring.

2. Cut circles from pattern papers in various sizes. Mine are 2 inches to 4 inches in size.

3. Ink edges of circles.

4. Cut pictures to fit on desired circles.

5. Start by gluing larger circles to ring form. Not all of the form will be covered with the larger ones.

6. Choose a few circles and add rubons to them.

7. Using pop dots add other size circles. Noting where you want to place your photos. ( I do a test run before I glue anything down)

8. Add photos and ribbon to hang.

9. Hang and enjoy.

Also we had a fun time at the cookie exchange on Saturday. Just to tempt you to start baking here are some ever so delicious pictures of some of the wonderful and may I add too beautiful to eat cookies.

These are Hershey Candy bars that I covered with paper rubons, ribbon and
Mistletoe. I gave these to everyone at the cookie exchange.

Soccer paper bag album

Its the eve of our Christmas Party and I'm blogging.... What!!! I have a huge list of things that need to be done but I have such a wonderful husband that has just told me to sit down and don't worry about cleaning. He will be taking care of it tomorrow morning while the girls and I attend a cookie exchange with my mother in law, sister in laws and a few friends. My 80+ cookies are decorated, packaged and ready to go.

I did do something today....My office is clean. Which reminds me I should really take a picture of what it CAN look like instead of what it looks like 90% of the time.

So tonight as my husband puts the kids to bed I'm going to work on our Christmas cards. Thanks to two of my on the ball sister in laws who I received cards from today. (Thanks Heather and Melissa)

Here's a Soccer paper bag album that I finished last weekend.

Memories Paper Bag Album

Busy busy busy, that's the word of the day today. I paid a quick visit to Sam's Club this morning for party essentials. But before that a day of shopping wouldn't be complete without a stop at my favorite store...Target. After a few Christmas gifts, new pillows and bedding I had successfully overcome my shopping fix. After a late night of baking 100+ candy cane shaped cookies and of course watching Heroes. Oh and a little one up at 3am because she was sick. I was completely wiped out. So I took a quick nap..... only about 30 min. And I must say it totally gave me so fantastic energy. I have great plans to get a ton done this afternoon. But where am I? on the computer!!!! My plan for this afternoon is to get a small project done, clean my office and decorate cookies. And make dinner too. Do you think its okay for kids to have popcorn for dinner? Its a veggie.. right? Kinda....

Here are some pics of another album for my SIL a paper bag album I finished this past weekend. I'll be posting my Scrapbook Obsessions December projects soon.

Family Flip album

Good morning! Its the beginning of another busy week here at my house. With a list of things to do I'm here on the computer this morning....why do I procrastinate??? This week is pretty simple but this weekend we're having a Christmas party on Saturday and a cookie swap with my sister in laws Saturday also. That means this week I'll be shopping, cleaning, cooking and decorating. Today I'm making 80+ cookies and shopping for drinks and paper products for the party Saturday. Which leaves little time for playing my my office. But I did spend most of the past weekend working on a few projects. 3 are for Scrapbook Obsessions December newsletter. And here is another album for my SIL Emily. I just love this one. The colors, the top flip and the theme all just work! Enjoy your week!

Grandma Album

This is an album for my SIL Emily to give as a gift.

(Hope you like it Emily)