A Tale of Two Wreaths

This was last year's DIY wreath.

It so fluffy and white and ruffle-y and best of all....cheap! Plus, you can display it all winter long since it's not too Christmas-y. 

Tutorial found here.

You only need coffee filters, a foam wreath form, and hot glue. Total cost is less than $10 (with the wreath form being the most expensive part). In 2010, I hung it in front of a big mirror, but this year it got relocated to the front door to make room for....

...this year's DIY wreath.

Go ahead and break into refrains of "Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful?" (I know I am. And I bet you are singing it now too, at least in your head.)

I am so happy with the way this wreath turned out! It's shiny and glittery and a nice diversion from the red & green-ness of the traditional holiday colors.

Tutorial found here.

You'll need shatterproof ornaments and a coat hanger. Can you believe the hanger was the hardest for me to procure? Mine are all the hard plastic kind! I used one full bucket of 26 medium ornaments from Wal-Mart ($4.97), about 10-12 more medium ones from a second bucket ($4.97), and one full tree-shaped package of small Wal-Mart ornaments ($4.97). If you wait to find them on clearance after the holidays, your project will be even cheaper! (I can vouch for the WM kind that the ornaments are fairly sturdily attached to the ornament tops. If you buy another brand, you *might* have to hot glue all the tops to the ornaments so they don't easily come apart. But this is too much work for me so thankfully I didn't have to.)

Any questions? Other favorite DIY wreath ideas?

Prepare for Take-off

I have scheduled this post to occur at the exact same time our flight will be lifting off, taking us to Orlando. This Disney World trip has been years in the making and it's so exciting to see it finally come to fruition! I am in charge of all the planning and Grandma (my mom) is in charge of all the paying. (Quite the deal, huh?!) I think all the months I have spent on researching details (both big and small) nearly amounts to a part-time job. And being the creative spirit that I am, I just couldn't help but add as many little *magic* touches as possible. Here are a few, in no particular order:

:: Disney themed korker ribbon pony tail holders ::

 :: invitation cards for all our special Disney meals ::

:: jewelry, courtesty of Grandma. bracelet for me, earrings for the girls. that middle pair are clip-ons since Sienna doesn't have her ears pierced. ::

:: sweatshirts for the our all-girl gang. i couldn't find one in Tatiana's size so I purchased a zip up hoodie from the thrift store::

:: close-up of the applique work ::

:: id tag. i made one for both girls because you just never know ::

A Thanksgiving Photo Timeline

 Wednesday, 8:16 pm

The turkey has been brined. I am looking mean and ready to break in my new kitchen shears by attacking preparing my turkey. This will be my first attempt at a high-heat butterflied roast turkey.

8: 57 pm

After fretting, chatting with a friend for a few minutes, lots of consulting with a cookbook (and Google), I finally was able to successfully hack out the turkey's backbone. Good Lord, what have I done? Now this gobbler goes back in the fridge, uncovered, so that the moisture from the brine can evaporate from the skin.

10:06 pm

Well, if my roasted turkey doesn't turn out and we end up ordering pizza at least the kids will have these cute little gobblers to play with. (I have Martha Stewart to thank for the template!)

Thanksgiving Day, 8:32 am

Roll out of bed. Since my high-heat turkey will only take about 2 hours, I don't have to worry about starting the oven at the crack of dawn. I spared you from having to see what I look like when I first wake-up.

10:45 am

Show Tatiana how to make pretty stamped napkin rings. I am intentionally trying to teach the girls how to 'practice hospitality' and am internally thanking myself for not planning a crazy-complicated menu.

10: 48 am

Sienna is given the task of counting out the silverware. I want to make even my small children feel like they are a part of hosting The Big Day.

11:06 am

Nice little napkin rings are complete!

11:28 am

Sienna is bored. I take out our Fun with Fingerprinting book to keep her entertained while I tidy the house.

12: 31 pm

Call Mom to see how her Thanksgiving Day is going. She nearly has a coronary when she hears that I haven't even turned on my oven yet. She says she's heard about this fandangled high-heat method on the radio. Well, if it was on the radio, then it must have some validity right? My confidence is boosted.

1:12 pm

Husband has me watch the intro and first 10 minutes of the movie Up, which he rented for the kids. After those first several scenes (if you've seen it, you'll know what I mean), I go and shut myself in the bathroom and have a good cry. I think to myself that at exactly this time last year, I was discovering that I was pregnant with Olivia and had cried on the very same bathroom floor. I contemplate just canceling my Thanksgiving dinner. But I dry my eyes and decide to forge ahead.

1:45 pm

Start the dough for World's Best Rolls. With a recipe name like that, I have pretty high expectations. The last time I tried a recipe that said "Best"-whatever, it did not live up to the promise. I hope this one will be different.

3:18 pm

My turkey goes in the oven 3 minutes late.

3:33 pm

Why do I feel like I am already behind my pre-planned timeline even though I've barely started cooking? I decide to move a little faster than I had planned. Good thing I have a lot of kitchen experience and many of my cooking skills can go on auto-pilot.

4:20 pm

Sienna is bored. Again. She decides to write out a dinner menu. So, in between mixing, measuring, recipe-checking, timeline consulting, and stirring, I am dictating words to her and pointing out which letters on her letter chart are for each word. Yes. Homeschooling to the core. Plus, I couldn't resist how cute she looked. First thing on her Thanksgiving menu? Hot dogs. Um, I don't think so, sweetie.

4:29 pm

My guests are on their way. Due to some family issues, we decided to keep things low-key and just invite a family of dear friends over for dinner. No turning back now!

4: 33 pm

My timer goes off. A fully-cooked turkey in just 80 minutes seems too good to be true. Will we be ordering pizza?

4:39 pm

Success!

4:56 pm

Guests arrive! I am busily attending to the stove & can't 'meet and greet' like I wanted to. Please know that I spent time today praying for you, my guests. I think that is more important than arranging the perfect centerpiece.

5:21 pm

I set out several side dishes and finish up the rest. I had to have Sweet Potato Casserole and Tatiana requested macaroni and cheese.

5:26 pm

I complete my Thanksgiving meal 4 minutes ahead of schedule. I really only spent about 2 1/2 hours cooking. Amazing.

5: 32 pm

My wonderful Husbands says grace. I get choked up. Despite the trials of this last year, we really do have a lot to be thankful for.

6:48 pm

We all ate at the same table. I love that. No 'kiddie table' here. The World's Best Rolls lived up their name. They were soooo yummy. My new simpler recipe for cranberry sauce was even good. I love when something done more simply is just as good as something complicated. We have tidied up, packed up leftovers, and moved into the family room so the kids can play and the adults can relax.

7:11 pm

What's that Sebastian? You don't want Thanksgiving to end? I guess he's too young to understand what I have been telling the kids all day, "Thanksgiving should be everyday". It's not just one day a year; we should strive daily to have thankful hearts.

7:25 pm

The kids are all in their jammies & have an impromptu 'build-your-own-sundae' for dessert.

7:51 pm

Even though she creates a small fuss, I take a picture with Stephanie anyways.

7:52 pm

The Husband (right) and the best man at our wedding (Stephanie's husband).

10:46 pm

The littlest boys are passed out and our guests get ready to leave. I almost thought it was gonna be a sleepover for a minute there! This little fella looks how I feel. Happy First Thanksgiving Davis!

10: 58 pm

I am lying in bed and trying to figure out the funny feeling that I have in my face. It finally occurs to me. My cheeks are sore from smiling and laughing so much. And that, my friends, hasn't happened in a really long time.

11: 06 pm

I drift off to sleep feeling happy that I decided not to cancel Thanksgiving afterall.

Hair Candy

It has been quite the stressful week, to put it mildly. Thankfully not particularly grief related stress, but more business/financial stress. That and we dove into our homeschooling year with a 3rd grader and a newly crowned preschooler. What's a girl to do when the stress-o-meter is in the red zone? A whole lotta prayin' of course!

But a little crafty project doesn't hurt either and since I've been wanting to make some of these 'boutique-style hairbows' for quite a bit now, this seemed like the perfect time to do it. I headed over to Hobby Lobby where all the ribbons where 50% off to get some supplies. Armed with a slew of tutorials from this website, a good chick flick, and my design consultant (a.k.a. world's best sister-in-law), I was ready to get creative!

The results?

:: close-up ::

:: the daughters & my niece 'putting their heads together' ::

Some of the ribbon folding (or in my case, finnagling) was a little trickier than I expected, but I muddled through. Unfortunately, one of my creations came a little 'undone' the next day, which I consider a lesson to be learned. The whole idea is a totally-over-the-top accessory that is the icing on the cake of a cute outfit or cute kid, as it were.



I really do love these. Love 'em. I was especially tickled that my four-year-old was just delighted throughout the day to have it in her hair. She even requested to wear it again when we went out later that night. I can't wait to make more, but am waiting until the ribbons go on sale again, of course!

And since I've really felt the love from your comments lately, I am giving one away! This creation (slightly different than the ones above) can be yours for a sweet little girl in your life.


It is attached to a metal french clip, so your girlie would have to have some hair to clip it to (or maybe save it for when she has enough)! Simply leave your name in the comments section to enter. You have until Tuesday at midnight to comment and I will announce the winner on Wednesday morning.

Good luck!

My Creative Touch

What else can I do at a time like this other than make creative stuff to include in Olivia's memorial service? I guess creativity is just such a part of me, it can't help but show itself during whatever season of life I'm in. Here's just a small part of what I worked on today:




Those are each of my daughter's hands, holding something meaningful to our life with Olivia. I had previously scanned Olivia's footprints, so I've been using those as accents to the program and handouts for her service. Maybe people will think they are just a cute little pink decoration, but I think it's all the more special that they are her actual footprints! I have this intense need to make everything as special as possible. I think it's because I feel like this is the last thing we will ever do for Olivia. I don't know if other parents who have gone through this have felt that way or not. Having lots of little details to take care of is pretty exhausting, not to mention the grief itself, but it is kinda healing in a way to be able to do all of these creative little things for my daughter. Guess it's just another small way of expressing my love for her.

Stitches

In the few days after our level II ultrasound which revealed some of Olivia's imperfections {can you believe that was exactly 2 weeks ago?}, I dug out a bunch of my unfinished cross-stitching projects. I think keeping my hands busy and seeing the seemingly random stitches come together to make something beautiful is just what I needed. It's proved to be calming during a very stormy season. Speaking of......


Tatiana {7 1/2}: Mom, do you think God will answer our prayers and Olivia will be able to come home with us?

Me: I sure hope so! God always answers our prayers, it's just that....sometimes the answer is "no".

T: If God does a miracle and Olivia is healed and is able to live on earth with us, what will we do about the hole in her mouth? {cleft lip/palate}

Me: Well, she'd have to have surgery. They would stitch up that part of her mouth.

T: {thinking} Kinda like cross-stitching..only...on people!

Me: {chuckling} Yep. Kinda like that.

There have been so many precious conversations similar to this one. Tatiana is just....sometimes so wise beyond her years. It has been amazing to see her understand more about miracles, God, life beyond this earth, healing and more. And since this is just as much my childrens' journey as it is mine, I figure I better preserve a few of these sweet talks for us to look back on in the years to come. Hope this one brought a smile for today.

More Blessed than I Deserve~

:: Project Love ::

Let the creative juices flow! I love the internet as an endless source of inspiration! I usually like to make one mini-scrapbook for summer {remember this one??} & Christmas since these each produce a lot of pictures, so when I came across this tutorial in an email newsletter & knew I had to run out and make one.

:: exploding box w/lid ::

:: box opened ::

It's hard to tell, but the lid has an uber cute print on it with the words play, sing, laugh woven throughout. The box is far from complete without any embellishments or photos. I'm not sure what kind of pictures to use. Summer '08? Tatiana's 7th birthday? Sisters? I was thinking of doing all black & white pictures.....

I also bought the plastic name badge holders to make this. Isn't it just the cutest? Perfect to keep in your purse or in your desk or give to grandma as a brag book! I think I might just do a Baby's First Year-type theme. Office Depot had the name badge holders on sale, 12 for $2.99 so I bought 2 packs. Maybe one will end up as a Christmas or baby gift.

And for the Project Love finale....

I just came across this idea. I think this would rock as an easy homemade gift for a teacher/friend/mom/mailman. You could personalize it in about a thousand different ways. Maybe add a set of handmade cards & tie it up in a pretty bow. I wonder if the $13 is worth it for the gluing compound.....

Can you tell I have gifts on the brain??

After all, it is only 99 days until Christmas!

Pretty Little Things

Um, yeah. So this is not deja vu or anything, but yet another post on pretty little things. I think I have been experiencing a resurgency in my creative juices because a) my baby is getting older & not so needy-as-a-newborn and b) necessity indicates that we be "creative" with our finances. That second one is important because making/finding/admiring pretty little things gives me a sense of satisfaction & feeling-goodness in the same way that retail therapy does {but of course you have no clue about retail therapy, right}? Plus, learning to see beauty, even in the smallest thing, is just plain enjoyable.

First up....Not quite a pretty little thing, but more of a nifty thing. I finally figured out how to use a feed reader, which is totally revolutionizing my computer time. A glance at one page tells me who's posted something new for me to read. Totally sweet! Along with some of my blogging friends, I am keeping track of Today's Creative Blog and How About Orange {Money Saving Mom, Simple Mom & Sew, Mama, Sew are givens}! If you don't use a feed reader, you should. Seriously.

Here's a pretty little thing I made recently:


Tatiana collected the rock on a birthday adventure at Lake Michigan. The only supplies you need are a BIG rock that has a large semi-flat surface & rub-ons {a scrapbooking product}. I was going to do the words "Pure Joy" or "Faith", but somehow this verse came to me. If you look it up, you'll see why {I know, I know, I have a corny sense of humor}. Best part = FREE!

Did you know that every month I download a free creatively designed desktop from the Shabby Princess blog? You need some sort of photo-editing program to add your pics, but it only takes a couple of minutes for a pretty little desktop that lasts all month. Here's the one I made for this month:


The nice thing about it is that, besides being totally cute & free, there is always a space for the desktop icons on the left-hand side, so it's not like you have to move them around every month.

Have you discovered Wordle yet? You just enter in the addy of your blog & pick your design/colors & then it will make this creative little wordle picture for you. Here is mine:



If you click on it, you can see it much bigger. It takes all the words from whatever URL you enter & makes a fun wordie image. You can play around with the layout, fonts, colors, etc. Looks like I should rename this blog: Just One Detergent Party.

Enjoying any pretty little things lately? If you decide to wordle, please leave me a comment so I can come check it out!