Advent calendar for Hubby - Day 110

I saw this adorable idea to make an advent calendar for my husband. I made it to help get him in the Christmas spirit and for us to be able to spend time doing holiday things. I always get way to busy during the month of December, so this way we will do it for sure. I wrote 24 date ideas, love notes, or activities for the family. I put each day in an envelope  and a number on the front. Then I used clothes pins and pinned them on a ribbon on my kitchen windows. Each day he will open a new envelope. The 25th day I wrote him a heart felt letter. Here is a link to my ideas for the days. You can use them if you want. Here is a link to the original idea.

Lasagna soup and Olive Garden - Day 109

I made this yummo soup and I also made Olive Garden bread sticks! It was so yummo alone and when you combine them...!!!!!!!!!!!!! yes, it was that good. It was a hit with the boys too. Here is the link to both:

Lasagna 

Bread sticks

Card wreath - Day 108

For years I have displayed my Christmas cards the same way. This way I made it more permanent. I would make a wreath out of cardboard and tape the cards in a circle so it looks like a picture wreath!

Previously I had made a mobile with little lambs, but Tayrien has grown out of it and I decided to use the ring as a wreath! So I made a simple bow and glued it on the top. I took mini clothes pins and hot glued them on the rest of the wreath. I made sure to rotate the pins in opposite way so the cards don't hit each other. 

Wise men - Day 107

I made this tile last year at an enrichment. They ordered the saying, but you could totally make it on a cricut with vinyl. You simply place the saying where you want on the tile. I placed it on a tile and display it on an easel.

Cutest ornament on the block - Day 107

I thought I would share last years Christmas ornament that was made. I took a block about 2x2" and sanded it. I printed and cut a photo to fit that size. Make sure the photo you choose is one where the heads are small. Then I used wrapping paper, craft paper, or other embellishments and place them on the sides. I used modge podge on all the sides including the photo, on the bottom and top to secure. Then you take an eye hook and screw it in the top and string ribbon through to hang! Super simple and oh so cute!

Christmas card 2011 - Day 106

I saw this adorable picture on Pinterest and had to do it. They turned out great, but am torn between color and black and white. The B&W is my favorite, but I think I have to do the color as a card. Please help me! Look at them by themselves. I think when they are next to each other it skews the beauty.

 

 Or do I go totally random and funny and do this one?

Totally just made up my mind. 

I like the bloopers one!

Snow globe - Day 105

 I found this adorable DIY Snow globe at Michaels the same time as the plastic ornaments and had to get it. It was very cheap and so much fun! I inherited the trees from my mom's craft bin, so I can't tell you where to get some, but the snowman is made of buttons glued together with hot glue. I used the hot glue to glue them to the bottom of the globe. There are three pieces to the globe. The ball, the bottom, and the lid. Glue your pieces to the bottom. You will push it up into the globe. I filled the ball up with water to the very bottom ring (look for the arrow). then turn the bottom upside down and put it into the globe. Some water will spill, but that is ok, you don't want a lot of air bubbles. Then you screw on the lid. I showed Ben and he was so excited! I then put it way up high and told him he could play with it only with me. I could foresee a disaster!

Air dry clay - Day 104

Today Ben and I made clay ornaments. I have this little tree that Daniel and I used when we lived a little hole in the garage a few years ago and this year I thought I would put it up in the boys room, kind of like a night light. Here is the Recipe for making the clay. We let it dry for a few days. I made sure to put holes in the clay so we can put strings through. I think we might paint them too. Super simple and so fun! We used cookie cutters! Go have fun! We will show you the tree when it is finished.

A Christ centered Christmas - Day 103

I purchased a book at Time out for Women by Emily Freeman called “A Christ-Centered Christmas” and started reading it last week. She takes seven points from the birth of Christ and helps us apply them to our Holiday season. We started early and are doing one point each week for FHE, and an extra two during the week until Christmas.

Last night we started with the first point, Mary the mother of Jesus. It talks about her sacrifice and what she might have been thinking. It says “she pondered these things in her heart” so I used that in my lesson last night. We talked about what pondering was, that Christmas is Jesus birthday, and that we need to ponder about him. At the end of each chapter she gives a song, scripture, and an activity that applies that we sang for FHE and then gives the main points of the chapter for a lesson.  The song was Silent Night. The scriptures were Luke 1:25-56 and Luke 2:5-7, 19. The activity she provided was to make a heart ornament and hang it on the Christmas tree or make heart shaped cookies. We collected red paper and cut out a heart. Then we punched a hole and used string to hang it on the tree. It is the first ornament and I think I like that tradition.  Stay tuned to tomorrow, I think we will have another lesson today that I can share with you!

Dear Santa - Day 102

 When I was little it was all about Santa. My parents gave a few gifts, but the main event was Santa. I thought I was so clever when I found out he wasn't real. My brothers didn't know and I felt so special that I was in on it! I also felt so loved by my parents that they gave all the credit to Santa and let me believe in something so magical! I remember not being able to sleep on Christmas eve. The excitement was to great!! I wanted my children to have just as much magic in their lives. So in our little family Santa is included, but not as big a part as in my childhood. The main event is the Wisemen. They each get one gift from each of the Wisemen. I feel like it keeps the focus on Christ. Ok, back to the point....So Santa gets the stockings. We still write to him, because our stockings are kind of big and lots of gifts can fit in them.

For about three years now we have written letters to Santa. I write a reply to them in a sealed envelope and address it to my children. You have place a stamp on both the inside and outside letters. Then I place that envelope in a larger envelope and send it to this address:

Santa Claus
North Pole, AK
5400 Mail Trail
Fairbanks, AK 99709-9999

The post office will open the bigger envelope and stamp the letter to your child like it is from the North Pole. Then send it back as if Santa wrote them, because it really came from the North Pole!


Here are the papers I am using this year for the kids to write their letters on. I found it at Michaels for $1 each. I am a sucker for cool envelopes an it was all matching and i couldn't help myself. I could have totally made it myself, but it would have been about the same price to print it at Staples in color.

Doggie biscuts - Day 101

I juice my own carrots for my shakes in the morning and with that comes a lot of left over carrot pulp. I call it carrot crap. My Granny used to put it in green jello. Ewwwwwww. It was so disgusting, by I appreciate her use of the whole carrot. She grew up in the depression. I get it, but I can't handle carrot crap in my jello. So I hate throwing it out. I thought this time I would try making dog biscuts and putting some carrot crap into it. The recipe I used was here. I added about four tablespoons of carrot crap in the recipe and more applesauce because it was too dry. Ben helped me cut them out with cookie cutters and I will be giving them away at Christmas to our puppy friends! Shhh, don't tell!

Giveaway - Day 100

Today is the day! I have reached 100 days straight! I really didn't think it would get this far. I am so thankful for the inspiration and ideas that come to me so that I can bless your lives! I am so grateful for all you followers! I would be nothing without you! Ok so tell me what you guys want to know. I want to share my knowledge and talent with you. What has been your favorite post or what did I miss?

I thought I would share this photo of me with the single carrot I grew this year. It was so small, but oh so yummy...... Random I know.


The Winner is

{Jeanie Hills}

Photo shop - Day 99

 Before

 After

So I recently discovered this awesome tool in Photoshop that I have to share. It is the healing tool. It is # 7 from the top and it looks like a little band aid. You  zoom way close and use the Alt button to pick up a sample and click on the blemish or imperfection you want to dissolve. You need to use the blur tool to soften your lines. You should re-sample by using the Alt button every few clicks. It is AMAZING! Now go and try it!

(I also whitened my teeth and took out the red eye.)

Don't forget to enter the giveaway. Today is the last day! Click here.

Temple etch - Day 98

A friend of mine wanted to do some etching last Saturday at our Enrichment party and she was so busy teaching she didn't get to! So I did it for her. I cut a stencil out of vinyl on the cricut and slathered the armor etch on it. Then I was looking for scrap book paper to put behind it and I found a temple picture! It looks so good and she wanted to switch the paper out with each season. It is a super fun idea!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway. Click here.

My latest piece of art and a {Giveaway} - Day 97

I recently started painting again and right now I am into watercolor. I love when Ben wakes up from a nap because his eyes are the biggest of the day. I snapped a pic and used it as my inspiration for this painting. I used a new technique. I LOVED it! I used Miskit. It is a repellent of paint. It is the bright orange stuff. You erase it off when you are done and it leaves bright white.

 

Origonal inspiration

 black and white

Miskit and a little color

A little blue

 A LOT more color 

(notice the blow dryer, you can only do one color at a time or it will run together, 

so this speeds things up)

Here is the finished project. 

On a different note this is day 97 and I thought a {giveaway} was in order for making it this far! I will announce the winner on day 100!  It will be chosen by a random generator. All you have to do is follow my blog and leave a comment under this post.  The prize is a... 

$10 Michael's gift card 

Christmas wreath - Day 96

I bought a Christmas wreath last year that was just pine branches. I decorated it with fake flowers and berries. This year it didn't look as cute to me, so I decorated it differently this year. I found this amazing chip board collection in the scrapbook section of Wal-Mart for .97! It had a Santa, snowman, the word Happy Holidays in flags, mittens, snowflakes and some word strips.

I made some rosettes out of scrap fabric and hot glue. I will do a tutorial for tomorrow on how to make rosettes.

Then I glues felt to the back and cut around the edges so you couldn't see it from the front. Then you glue the rosette edges together so they have more stability. 

I glued string in three places on the back of the felt so I could tie it to my wreath (in case I want to change it next year).

Then I glued the Santa, snowman, snowflakes, and the saying "Jingle all the way" on the front of the rosettes.Then I tied it to the wreath.

 Next I glued one long string on the back of  the "Happy" letters, and another on the back of the "Holidays" letters. I tied them to the wreath. I placed the mittens and another word strip over where I tied them .I didn't glue them to the wreath, so they will eventually fall off and I will tape them on.

 

 

Here is the final project

Here it is on my door!

Pocket Nativity - Day 95

When I was at Time Out For Women I bought this cute little nativity pocket. I think they well them at Deseret Book. I love the design of the actual pocket, but the finger puppets were missing some essence parts. I didn't worry too much because they were an easy fix for me. Take a look at the before and after pics. I don't know what kind of cows they have in China (that is where this was made). I plan to add more puppets later.

Sure cuts a lot - Day 94

I have had a cricut machine for about a year now. I have never purchased a cartridge except the ones that came with the machine. I have used my machine a thousand times and 99% of the time I use sure cuts a lot. It is a program that lets you use a computer to layout where you want to place things, how big, and what font. It uses every font you have on your computer. I also download a free font everyday or every other day from this blogs:

svgcuts

svgshop

If you have a cricut machine you need to get this program to make your life easier!

Christmas props - Day 93

My dear friend Miss Lori is a photographer and has taken every momentous photo in our family since Daniel and I were married. She was needing a prop for Christmas photo session and she spotted one in Pinterest and asked if I would make it for her. It was a bit tricky, but I used dowel rods, hot glue and a power drill. I only wish that I could keep this beautiful display!

Christmas ornaments - Day 92

 Every year the boys get to make a new ornament for the Christmas tree. I have made them so far because they are so little. This year we made hand print ornaments. I found these awesome bulbs that are PLASTIC! I used the larger one for Ben and the smaller one for Tayrien. We used regular acrylic paint and applied it to their hands. Ben did awesome and it only took one try. Tayrien took about 8 times. I would have to wipe it off and try again. He would grab the globe like he should, but then he would move his hands side to side. The final time I had to just let him touch it for a second and then quickly move it away. I applied a ribbon to the top and it added their names and the date on the opposite side of the hand.

 Tayrien

 Benjamin