Thursday, December 31, 2009

happy new year...

happy-new-year-revelers-in-old-car

May the memories of 2009 be forever happy ones -

and may 2010 be a year full of even happier moments to remember!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

holiday wishes...

May your holidays be filled with happiness, joy,and lots & lots of peppermint!!

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{This tin was published in Holiday Cards & More Volume 4.

and was mentioned in this blog post.}

 

ETA:  Speaking of PEPPERMINT...check out this page full of peppermint desserts - YUM!!!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

be merry...

Guess what?  I finished my Christmas shopping yesterday!  woohoo!!! 

I swear I heard angels singing on my drive home through Provo Canyon.  Okay, it was probably the FM 100 holiday tunes pumping through the speakers, but still...

Now I'm ready to spend the day wrapping, delivering, baking, and cleaning while the storm rolls in and the snow falls gently outside my windows and turns my world into a winter wonderland. 

And you know what?  I'm really excited about all of it! 

merry even!

Speaking of being merry...

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This card is in the Nov/Dec issue of Paper Crafts Magazine

It's bright and fun and little non-traditional - and it makes me happy.

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I added stickles to trim the tree.  And I love love love these doodlebug glitter letter stickers -

that is my favorite font EVER.

So, today I'm trying to decide what to prepare for dinner on Christmas Eve.  I am thinking probably ham and some type of potatoey side dish...but I'm not sure what yet.  Do you have any Christmas Eve meal traditions?  I remember going out to a restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner when I was a little girl.  Then we would drive around looking at Christmas lights, singing Christmas songs, watching the sky for signs of Rudolph's nose.  Good, good memories.

Just in case you're looking for a yummy (and EASY) dinner idea, here's a recipe for a really good baked potato topping.  My brother made it for our whole family a few months ago (when we got together for lunch between sessions of General Conference.  I think everyone enjoyed it.  Meagan doesn't like baked potatoes, so she just put some in a bowl and ate it like soup with a roll - she loved it that way.  I liked it so much that I made it when I hosted an evening with a bunch of fun friends at our house in October.  And then a couple of weeks ago, we were in charge of Brad's family Christmas party...and we made it again.  It was a hit!  Brad's oldest brother even requested that it become a new tradition.  (He and his family are vegetarians, so I think they appreciated the non-meat main course).  Anyway, it's easy and it's yummy and it's warm, and you just can't get any better than that.  So, here's the recipe - if you're looking for a quick and easy meal - one you can prepare early in the day so it's low-stress at meal time.  (Thanks again, Rustin!)  :o)

rustins_yummy_baked_potato_topping

[I used this (older) FREE digital kit for the background paper on the recipe card.]

And now I'm off to wrap and clean and bake...and sing! 

Hope your day is merry too!!

 

 

Monday, December 21, 2009

the top shelf...

I have a tall black bookshelf in my office. 

I love it. 

Besides being functional, I love how the colors of my supplies look when they're sitting on the black shelf.

It makes me happy just to look at it.

And although I love each individual shelf on the unit (for each serves a very important purpose),

today, I'd like to share the TOP shelf with you.

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Don't you just love the way the teal and green look up there?

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Oh..yeah - love my Slice.  Love it. Love it.  LOVE it.

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Do you have one to love as well?  If not, would you like one?  Yeah?  I thought so. 

Click on over HERE for a chance to win one!

HURRY though - they're picking a winner at 2:00 today (MST). 

Then your shelf can look as bright and happy as mine! :o)

Good luck!

joy...

...I'm starting to feel it...

I can tell the full-blown version is lurking just around the corner. 

The pure  joy of the season. 

The deep happiness and contentment. 

The gladness and delight. 

The festivity.

december

Yeah, it's coming...

As soon as I finish my shopping (hopefully by Monday night),

wrap the gifts, and get neighbor presents delivered....

then I'll be feeling it...

for sure...

JOY!

 

(P.S. The card is the December chapter opener in THIS fun book! ;)

I couldn't resist sharing it again.)

Sunday, December 20, 2009

snow day...

This is actually a "snow day" from last winter, but I'm sure we'll be having many more in the near future! :)

And if we're lucky, our neighbors will build another cool snowman like this one they built last year! ;)

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I love the snowmen in this Cosmo Cricket line - Jolly By Golly...

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I got out a snowflake stamp and lots of embossing powders to play with...

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ZING! by American Crafts is my fave...

I used TEAL, PINK, and RED on this layout.

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And, of course, I used my favorite textured white cardstock and my favorite journaling pen.

Can't wait to take more snow day pictures this season!!

Friday, December 18, 2009

christmas eve album...

I love making mini-albums...and even though I've failed miserably at completing "december daily" albums for the last couple of years, I've taken plenty of pictures.  When I got this very cool album/binder from O'Scrap I decided to create a mini-album to document some of our Christmas Eve traditions (at least the ones I have pictures of). 

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eve08_1

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eve08_back

I can't believe it's less than ONE WEEK until Christmas Eve!!!  I'm sure I'll have lots of similar pictures - but I've made a list of pictures I want to take so I can document the other traditions we have. :o)

supplies2

binder

cut-outs, cut-outs, cut-outs, and cut-outs

patterned cardstock

cardstock

my favorite pen (you can also buy a multi-pack with several tip sizes)

scallop circle punch

scallop border punch

corner rounder punch (but THIS is on my wish-list)

foam adhesive squares (I used white on this project, but I love that they are available in black too!)

buttons, buttons

ribbon

string

Thursday, December 17, 2009

another card-to-bag project...

I thought I'd share another recycled card project - same idea as before, but with a larger bag.

Here are the ingredients...a plain old white gift bag and a super cute snowman card from my cute friend, Holly. :)

mission3_cardtobag2

First of all, I cut the front off the card and then distressed the edges with sandpaper.  Next, I mounted the card on green cardstock...because the bag was larger than the card.  I used my sewing machine to stitch the card around the edges.  And I distressed the edges of the cardstock with a scraper.

(All of the distressing tools you could ever want can be found in this awesome kit...and here's a different version of the kit with more files.)

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Obviously, since the bag is square and the card is rectangular, there was extra space below the card - to fill it in, I simply wrapped red string (I love using crochet thread, but I think I'm going to order this set to try.) around a few times, then tied a bow.  Then I added this cute layered snowflake sticker next to the bow.

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Did you notice the cute image on the inside of the card?  I used my fun circle scallop punch to punch out the snowman. Since I had to cut part of him off in order to use the punch, I used the same distressing technique I used on the card front - simply sanding all of the edges.  I used a little rub-on word next to the snowman.  Then I added a circle punched from a coordinating patterned paper, punched a small hole through the center, and tied the tag onto the bag.

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I tucked in some coordinating tissue and my bag is complete. :o)mission3_cardtobag2a

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

kitchen tree...

Most of my holiday décor is traditional - reds, greens, creams, etc.  So I guess I'm breaking out a bit with this fun little tree. 

jolly_tree_small

I bought this little white tree several years ago after Christmas at Borders.  Meagan actually took it over and used it in her room for a couple of years, but last year she got a fun PINK tree, so I got this one back.  I think it's super cute...and if I didn't already have this one, you can bet I'd be buying THIS cute tree from Doodlebug.  And I just might have to buy one of the Doodlebug trees anyway...I love the size and the fun base.  Anyway...I just love the Jolly by Golly line by Cosmo Cricket and thought it would be really fun to use on this little white tree.  I love bright colored decorations on white trees!  (So does Brad...he actually considered buying a big white tree for our home this year, but I vetoed his idea.  Maybe we'll buy one after Christmas to use for next year...as a second (or third) tree...but probably not as our main tree...I'm just too traditional!) 

cc_white_tree

Anyway....that's a long story just to explain this cute little guy.  I used the chipboard shapes from the Jolly by Golly line to decorate him.  I punched a small hole in the top of each shape, strung a jingle bell onto white wire, then threaded the wire through the hole,  I couldn't resist putting the cute skating bird on the top, and tucking in a few of the berry "sprigs" here and there. Super easy...and I think it's bright and fun and cheery!  Plus it looks super cute on our kitchen counter! :o)

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

recycled...

Do you still have your Christmas cards from last year?  or the year before?  or the year before that?   I have stacks of old cards.  Please tell me I'm not the only one who just can't seem to part with them.  I always save the cute family pictures we get of friends and family, and I try to incorporate those in a holiday layout or something...but sometimes the cards are just too big or bulky or there are just too many to include every single card in our albums.  SO...here's an idea to use/re-use those cute cards you've been hanging on to.

Here's a stack of cards - this cute Santa one looks fun...and here's a quick picture of the back of it too. mission3_cardtobag1

Next, I went through my assortment of blank gift bags - just waiting to be decorated and used.  I found one just the right size.

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After I cut the front off the card, I stitched around the edges with my sewing machine.  I also cut a scalloped edge from a piece of scrap paper (this is my favorite border punch).

  mission3_cardtobag1a

See the cute little tag?  Recognize the tree?  It's from the BACK of the card!  I used some foam squares to give it a little bit of dimension.

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I added some buttons with thread on top of the cute tree ornaments, and on Santa's hat.

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I thought this little Santa bag turned out cute - and it's super unique - there's not another one like it anywhere!

So...do you have any fun ideas for recycling your holiday cards?

 

Friday, December 11, 2009

be merry...

Sometimes it's so easy to get wrapped up in the "busy-ness" of the holiday season. 

I am glad I stumbled upon this video this morning.

(see that widget I just added over there------->, check it out...lots of great stuff!)

We'll be spending the weekend with extended family, celebrating the holiday.  I am hoping to stay calm and enjoy their company - hoping to NOT stress about the "stuff" - hoping the snow and cold will be mild so everyone can travel safely - hoping to "rejoice and be merry!"

Thursday, December 10, 2009

15 days...

...but I just saw this 12 days video, and wanted to share. :o)

And while I'm sharing, here's a peek of a fun little project I made for the American Crafts Blog last week.

ac_joy_countdown_j

You can see the entire project and read more about it here:

And you can purchase the super fun Christmas products here or here (be sure to watch the video on scrapbook.com for a great look at ALL of the merriment line pieces - it's just under the product image, about half way down the page).

Looks like it's going to be another "turn on the fireplace and drink plenty of hot cocoa" day!

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Hope you're staying warm wherever you are!!  :o)

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

toys, toys, toys...

Our house is all abuzz with toy talk lately.  Chances are, if you have little ones in your home, you are hearing lots of toy talk too!  The only problem is the toy of choice changes on a daily basis (thanks to lots of tv commercials, toy ads, and friends who want something new and great)!  We've already written and revised several letters to Santa.  I actually told the boys they needed to write their FINAL letters TODAY or Santa wouldn't have time to get them anything...so hopefully they have their choices narrowed down.

In case any of you are in the same situation, and still have no idea what to buy, I thought I'd pass along a couple of websites that were recently brought to my attention:

ToyInfo.org is a site full of information you need to choose the right toys foryour family - and help ensure safety and fun play in your home.  There are videos, free downloadable play guides, safety and recall information, discussion boards, and lots more!

ToyAwards.org is a brand new web site that lists the best toys of the year!  It was fun to see that the mythbusters kits (that I posted about a while ago) were at the top of the educational toy category.   I found several great toy ideas (a new bop-it, and scrabble slam to name a couple) I probably never would have noticed while browsing the toy aisles - can't wait to see the looks on my kid's faces on Christmas morning when they open some of these!  Oh yeah, you can also register to win one 11 prize packages they're giving away!

We'll be writing our FINAL DRAFTS to Santa tonight - so he can start shopping, wrapping, and hopefully relaxing very soon! :o)

Monday, December 07, 2009

december 7...

Well, it's been almost a week since my sad sad post about having nothing done for the holiday season.  I'm happy to report that since that day, I have made a dent (albeit a small dent) in our holiday preparations.

I've purchased gift wrap - thanks to the American Crafts warehouse sale (if you are local, you definitely should visit them).

Grand_opening

I've purchased a handful of gifts...sorry no pictures or words about this one - too many little eyes might see.

We put up the tree and decorations yesterday (though I'm limiting the decorations this year - trying to keep the house simple and clutter free, yet festive and fun for our family).

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I made simple Christmas cards and picked them up - thanks to Costco.com!!  Now I just need to stuff and address the envelopes.

I sent out invitations to the family Christmas party this weekend - and now I'm hoping the forecast changes so we can actually ATTEND the party in St. George next weekend.

The boys have been loving reading the books from our holiday basket again this year.  If you'd like to see what we've read already, check out my December shelf on Goodreads.

We were able to visit with Santa Claus on Saturday morning at our ward Christmas Party - it was Breakfast with Santa!  (I loved having a morning party...one less evening to fill up PLUS we got to see the big guy before he was exhausted from a long day of chatting with kiddos!!)

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And this morning, we woke up to THIS:

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...about 8 inches of snow this morning and it hasn't stopped falling yet.  It's gorgeous.  How could you NOT get in the holiday spirit when the world around you is white and bright and beautiful??

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(well, unless maybe you are these two who had to walk to the bus stop this morning)

Don't worry - the hot chocolate will be ready for them when they get home.  The Christmas songs will be playing.  The tree lights will be on.  The Christmas spirit is alive and well at our house!  

winner...

What a great way to start out a new week!

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And comment number 25 was:

I'm excited to be making the floral fabric embellished tees I've seen in a lot of blogs (including Elizabeth Kartchner's). They will make perfect gifts for some teenage cousins of mine that are picky otherwise.

Thursday, December 03, 2009 9:55:00 AM

So...Superwoman Scrapper - please e-mail me with your mailing address so I can send you your very own copy of 52 more Scrapbooking Challenges!

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment - it was inspiring to see how many of you were giving handmade gifts - and other gifts from the heart...love, time, etc. I know it's been such a hard year for so many (too many) and I hope this holiday season is one that will be remembered as being full of love and gratitude for the things we DO have, rather than the things we don't. Thank you for the sweet reminders you've left here over the last few days.

Holiday hugs to you all! :o)

Thursday, December 03, 2009

ho ho ho...

I'm thinking perhaps playing Santa Claus might help get me in the holiday spirit. 

So, lucky for YOU - that's what I'm going to do today! 

Have you seen this book yet?

 

52 more Scrapbooking Challenges

It's a sequel to the original 52 Scrapbooking Challenges by Elsie.

This one is by the super cute and talented Elizabeth Kartchner, with some contributions from more amazing scrapbookers that you probably know!

I was able to take a quick peek at the book last night and I cannot wait to sit down in front of the fire with some hot chocolate and soft holiday music playing in the background, and really enjoy it.

(see how it's helping that holiday mood??) 

There are so many fun ideas, clever pages, thoughtful insights, and unique ideas included!  You can bet I'll be taking some of the challenges, because there's nothing like a good challenge to really get your creativity flowing.  In fact, maybe I'll get really ambitious and try to do a challenge each week (since there are 52...one for each week of the year) next year.  Anybody care to join me? 

Anybody care to win a copy of the book???  It just so happens that I have one I'd love to share with one of my lucky blog readers.  Leave me a comment telling me what gift you're most excited to GIVE this holiday season. I'll draw a random winner first thing Monday morning! 

Good luck!  i mean, ho ho ho...

[p.s. for another chance to win, visit the Creating Keepsakes blog and enter there too!]