2010 Christmas Cards

It took a few hours of browsing, but I finally picked and ordered our Christmas cards!

Can I just tell you again how much I LOVE Shutterfly!

Here is our card for 2010:

Color Me Merry Christmas Card

Click here to browse hundreds of Christmas card designs.

View the entire collection of cards.

If you haven't ordered Christmas cards yet, you still have a few more days before Shutterfly's deadline. Hop over and check out all the great cards they have to offer, and while you're there you can also check out all the great gift ideas too!!

Simple Snowman Snack

Christmas is a great time for fun snacks! Here is a quick and simply snowman snack that even the kiddos can help make:)

*A FEW HELPFUL TIPS*

You can put the marshmallows either way shown above, but I found that the marsmallows tend to spin out of place if you put them on like the one in the middle.

Dip all three marshmallows in melted candy coating and let the excess drip off before you start to decorate.

Put the Twizzlers in the freezer rolled up in the shapes needed to make the smile and the top of the earmuffs. This helps them stay curved while the candy coating dries.

Empty Frame Wall

My third craft using all those old, dusty frames isn't exactly a craft, but I did manage to find another use for them! They are now decorating the ones very plain wall in our half bath. I love the look of a big wall of empty frames, but I really had to sell it to my hubby before he would help be hang them up:)

 Not too bad for free! All I did was pop the back and the glass out of the frames, Jason pulled off the metal tabs in the back, and they are simply hanging on a small nail.

And because we actually redid the entire bathroom, I figured I would share pictures of the finished project. Let me just preface these pics with: It is REALLY difficult to take good pictures in a tiny bathroom that has no natural light!!

 Jason put up some great textured paintable wallpaper that I found at Lowe's. One roll cost $18 and I think he only used half a roll to cover the one wall in our bathroom. We used paint from our living room....mainly because that color is hard to coordinate with and the half bath is right by the living room. It was also a nice perk that I didn't have to spend money to buy paint!

 I picked up a big frame at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, and spray painted the garbage can and basket with black spray paint.

 Jason hung up this new mirror that I ordered from CSNstores.com. I love it! It was such a great price, and the mirror is really great quality! I painted a few extra pieces of the wallpaper and framed them, and we added a new towel rack.

Our half bath went from boring beige walls, to chic and colorful with a few days work and not a whole lot of money.

Recycled Frame Wreath

I have been wanting to make a square wreath for a while...the only problem was I couldn't seem to find a wreath form that was square! So when I decided to finally do something with my big stack of old dusty picture frames, I realized that I didn't need to buy a square wreath form:) I could just recycle some old frames and turn them into a cute wreath! 

Recycled Picture Frame Craft #2

I started with an 8X10 frame {that's what I had on hand, but I think a bigger frame would look even better},
some red burlap, and some fun polka dot Christmas fabric.

I cut the burlap into long strips that were about 4 inches wide, and I cut the polka dot fabric into long strips that were about two inches wide. You are going to layer the polka dot fabric on top of the burlap, so you can make your pieces any width that you like, just make sure that the burlap is bigger so it can be seen under the polka dot material.

Layer the polka dot material on top of the burlap and the make ruffles.

**Use whatever technique works for you or google instructions for how to make ruffles, because I have no tips on ruffling...I had a really difficult time with them {this is the project I was working on when I burned my thumb with hot glue}! I'm even thinking of getting a ruffle foot for my sewing machine after the fun I had trying to get my ruffles to work:)**
After you get your ruffles made, line them up along the length of your frame, measure, cut, and hot glue them in place.

Use your hot glue gun to add a strip of fabric or some coordinating ribbon to the top of the wreath as a hanger, and then marvel at how lovely your old dusty picture frame is as a Christmas wreath!

My sweet friend Liz is having a fun Countdown to Christmas every Thursday in December. Hop over and check out all the fun Christmas things that she and everyone else are doing this year:)

Wordless Wednesday: Boys and Beignets

Countdown to Christmas Craft

A few months ago we redecorated our living room. That left with me with a ton of old and really dusty black frames that had previously been on the walls of our living room. I didn't throw them away because I knew at some point I would find a good use for them. This week I'm going to share three uses for old and really dusty picture frames with you!

Recycled Picture Frame Craft #1

Countdown to Christmas
{Just in case there was any confusion, the SUPER cute printable that I used for this craft was designed by Sarah at Life Sweet Life. I simply printed it out and mod podged it!}

Supplies:

glass insert from picture frame

mod podge

Christmas printable {I found mine HERE}

ribbon

black paper

Coat one side of the glass with mod podge.

Lay your printable, print side down and coat the backside of it with a layer of mod podge. I also added a few strips of black paper because my printable wasn't the exact same size as my glass. Make sure to smooth your paper while the mod podge is drying to prevent any bubbles in the paper from forming.

After the mod podge has dried, use your hot glue gun and attach some black ribbon to the back to make a hanger.

If you are giving this for a gift, cover the back with a piece of black paper just to make it look more finished...if you are keeping this craft for yourself, this step isn't really necessary:)

And now you have a SUPER cute Countdown to Christmas that was basically FREE! This would make a really cute neighbor or teacher gift with a pack of dry erase markers!

Make sure to hop over to Sarah's cute blog and tell her thanks for sharing such a fun and original Christmas printable!

**Check back on Thursday for the first of two of my crafts using the empty frames this glass came from:)

Helpful Holiday Hint

The day your hubby gets the Christmas decorations down from the attic is a TERRIBLE day to get a stomach virus!

Beds, Baths, Burns, and Boring Blogs

Last week while the boys were out of school for Thanksgiving, we decided it was time to turn their two twin beds into bunk beds:) Henry and Grant are loving it...and surprise, surprise their favorite part is the ladder! Eli is loving it too, even though once he gets up he can't get down! And just in case you weren't sure from the picture, the boys' bed rarely get made:) I do have a question for any bunk bed veterans out there...what kind of blanket or quilt do you use on the top bunk?!? I really wish there was something that fit the top without hanging down or having to be tuck under the mattress.

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This little piggy had to take a bath.

I'm pretty sure most of you moms can figure out with two guesses or less just why this little piggy had to have a bath:) Apparently the massive amount of raisins that Eli ate last night before dinner didn't sit well with him, so around midnight last night they violently make a reappearance. Needless to say little piggy got caught in the crossfire, and into the washing machine he went along with Eli's blanket, sheet, pajamas, and the dust ruffle off his baby bed.

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This bandage:

is covering up a disgusting burn on my thumb caused by my hot glue gun. Yesterday while making new Christmas wreaths for my front door, I thought I was doing to die from attempting to make ruffles:) Now I think I might die from the huge open wound caused by HOT GLUE! Here's  a little tip for anyone who isn't sure just how much damage a hot glue gun can do:

Never attempt to wipe a big glob of hot glue off your flesh while it is still really hot...you might just take your skin off with it!

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And now that I've bored you {with three thing that start with B}, I have to say that I'm afraid my blog is getting boring! I'm a little bored with it, and it is obvious from the {very few} number of comments on my last couple of posts that you all think it is pretty boring too. The thing is, I'm not quite sure what to do about it. Do I take a break and hope that the boring goes away on its own, or do I trudge on with my boring-ness and hope that at some point the boring turns back into interesting? Any suggestions?!? Or is there something that you find interesting that you would like for my to blog about....I'm open to {almost} any suggestion for getting rid of the boring:)  Well, have a great {hopefully not too boring} weekend!

And just to make things a little more intersting, I'm linking up with Amanda's Weekend Bloggy Reading:) Go check out all the fun links!

Glittered Snowman Ornament Two Ways

{This is a tutorial that I shared over at Under the Table and Dreaming last week.}

Today I am sharing a tutorial with you on how to make a SUPER cute Glittered Snowman Ornament...two ways!

Glittered Snowman Ornament: Version One

You will need:

a clear glass ornament

black and orange felt

Mod Podge

foam brush

white glitter

clear gloss spray paint

Cut out two round black eyes and one orange triangle from your felt, then attach the felt pieces to the ornament using a hot glue gun. Using a foam brush apply Mod Podge to the ornament being careful not to get any on the felt pieces. Cover the entire ornament with glitter and shake off any excess. Spray a light coat of clear spray paint onto the ornament to help set the glitter.

Tie on a piece of felt for a hanger, and you have a SUPER cute Glittered Snowman Ornament!

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Now if you are like me, and you have more than a few curious little hands running around your house...and the thought of a glittered ornament brings visions of you & the vacuum cleaner being really good friends, then this second version of my Glittered Snowman Ornament is for YOU!

Glittered Snowman Ornament: Version Two

You will need:

a clear glass ornament {this could be done with plastic too to make it even more kid friendly}

Mod Podge

white glitter

black and orange Sharpies

Use the Sharpies and draw on two round black eyes and one orange triangle nose...I added in a cute smile too! Dilute a little bit of Mod Podge with a few drops of water, then add pour it into the ornament.

 Use your finger to cover the opening of the ornament and shake around the Mod Podge making sure to coat the entire inside surface of the ornament. Pour in some of your white glitter and shake it around {again making sure to coat the entire inside surface of the ornament}. Turn the ornament upside down and shake out any excess glitter.

Tie on some white yarn and you have a kid friendly version of a SUPER cute Glittered Snowman Ornament!