Chalkboard Painted Lids

Confession: I still haven't finished all my neighbor treats. But. I did manage to get a few done, including this one for a friend who is gluten-intolerant. She loves peppermint patties so I gave her a jar full of those. You could do hot cocoa mixes, cookie mixes, soup, etc.

I had bought some chalkboard paint for another project, and I still have a ton left over. If you want to do it, it's pretty self-explanatory. Paint the lid with 2 or 3 coats of paint and write a message on the top! You can decorate the jar too if you want, of course.
And a little tip I saw on Pinterest after doing this, you can sharpen your chalk in a pencil sharpener for more precise writing. Pin It

Christmas Wreath Make-over

My last house had a huge knotty alder stained door for the front door. And I had a cranberry wreath that looked just lovely on it. But since we moved and painted this door red-orange, the cranberries clashed. So I gave the wreath a little make-over with some silver spray paint. (Sorry I have no before photos). I much prefer the silver to the cranberry colored wreath!

I ran out of spray paint, so you can see little bits of cranberry showing through if you look closely. But I'll finish 'er off before she gets packed away for the season, don't you worry.

Merry Christmas everyone! Pin It

DIY T-shirt Wreath

I think I'm going to have to make one of these for next year. Merry Christmas!

 Head over to Cathie Filian to find the tutorial. Pin It

Pom-Pom Stocking

Just in the nick of time, here's a stocking I made actually like 3 weeks ago. Not your traditional color scheme, but I think it could be fun to work around. I'd like to embroider a name on it, in red thread, to really finish the look. (But I don't embroider.)

The top fabric is a grey linen, the stocking fabric is a home decor-weight fabric that feels a little tapestry-esque. And of course, yellow pom-pom trim! Pin It

Ornament Tree

What a wonderful idea, particularly if you have a small space or an aversion to pine needles. Or a love of great, creative design.

 Check out Not Martha for more fabulous pictures and explanations. Pin It

Birdcage Ornament

Found this darling birdcage ornament over at Pretty Ditty. She's got a full tutorial and lots more photos. Wouldn't this be a sweet little gift for coworkers and friends? Here's the link.

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Edible Stars

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away.

And now you can eat your stars too! Just what I need to make the season bright. Edible star sprinkles, from Wilton.
Add some gilded doily/lace cups, and you've got a party! (theirs are glass votive cups, but I would try it on white paper party cups). Tutorial here.

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Good Deeds Advent Calendar

Oh dear, where have I been? On holiday, I suppose.
I just had to share with you a darling tutorial about a service/good deed oriented advent calendar. Each day has a good deed to be performed (she even shares her list of deeds), and a piece of candy as a reward. I love this idea and I will be making one of these for my family! Here's the link.

From I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. Pin It

Merry Christmas in Style (with a capital S)

Some friends of ours had an Ugly Christmas Sweater party the week before Christmas. The DI was picked over already, so I went to my in-laws for help. My mother-in-law sewed this beauty of a red jumper/pant-suit herself about 20 years ago. I believe I heard her say she looked all over to find the right belt (and oh did she find it!) and finally found this beaded belt in Park City. I won the prize for "Ugliest Ensemble" by the way (I'm afraid the photos don't quite capture the full glory). You should have seen the purple, red, and gold super-puffy coat I wore with it. Enjoy our cheesy prom pictures below.
Ryan was dying to find a dickie (who is old enough to remember those?), especially because of his love of the movie Christmas Vacation. Fortunately, his parents came through again. He couldn't find a thin white sweater, so he settled for this black and white fashion no-no from his dad's closet.
Close up of my belt (made with hundreds of tiny shiny beads).Close-up of Ryan's dickie and sweater.
Friends toasting eggnog:Rihanna's sweater is hidden, but check out Dan's white pants and printed turtleneck. And oh my you should have seen his dance moves to the karaoke. Oh my.
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Stripes and Stockings

Jumping ahead in the holidays, I'm still about a year behind on this, since this was in last December's Blueprint Magazine. But it's still a great idea. I love stripes, and I love fun stockings. And here they are together. These mega long socks are from Sock Dreams. They have nearly turned socks into an art form, with many wonderful styles and colors.

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