Favorite Things!

My wish is that something on this little list inspires you today!


Here are some of my favorite things:


BOOKS/QUOTES

BRIGHT IDEA:
Find out who in your circle LOVES to read.  Find out what they love to read about OR who their favorite author is.  Buy a book, wrap it pretty...add a bookmark with the gift or make one!

tea stained bookmarks

KTP

OR


print out a famous quote by that author or a favorite line in the book or a picture of the book cover (you can go on line and type in the book/author's name to get that info) or the title of their favorite book...paste it to some nice scrapbook paper or parchment paper and frame it!


BRIGHT IDEA:


Hand Written Cards about (insert name)  .  In a moment of inspiration I began doing this for friends.  Writing about who they are and what they mean to me.  A few of these friends have reciprocated this meaningful gesture.  Those cards are on my bulletin board or mirror to read over and over to remind myself of who I am - to them and to myself.  Our friends really do know us the best!  They speak the truth with open hearts!

Purchase a box of gorgeous cards.  It's more economical that way. I have found that Barnes and Noble has the most gorgeous box sets of blank cards.  Find some quiet time and write about your friend/family member.  Use a piece of scrap paper first or type the words on the computer until you express exactly what you mean to say.  Then, transfer the words to the card.  Include a picture of you and your friend or family member if you have one.  Decorate the envelope with ribbon or twine.

Beautiful Chocolate

I know this will most likely be on everyone's list.  We're women, for one.  It helps us in our daily lives, for two.  We NEED to eat it, three and .... I guess there does not have to be any more reasons.








BRIGHT IDEA:
Wrap a chocolate bar in a pretty doily or towel or small piece of fabric or ladies handkerchief.  Instant gift!

Music

Christmas Caroling I LOVE going Christmas caroling.  We go every year with our boys' home school group. Before children, we would collect a group of friends and go around the neighborhood.  It is one of the warmest gatherings.(usually on the coldest night of the year. brrr!) Every door that welcomes the music of the season is touched. Seeing the faces of the children and the older folks at the door is a sight of light and joy! I wouldn't miss singing out in the snow for the presence that is felt - truly a gift!

BRIGHT IDEA:

Grab a bunch of friends, practice 2 or 3 Christmas songs, pick a night and go sing to your neighbors.  Afterwards you can gather at someone's house for cookies & hot cocoa!  It's nice to do with a category of friends - all the moms and dads and kids, or all the single friends you have or your girlfriends or guy friends or whoever wants to join in.  Usually 2 songs is the limit for folks standing with the door open.  Have a third at the ready, for encores!!!!

Live music. In our city we have the delights of the Eastman Theatre and Kilbourn Hall.  Many concerts are FREE.  OR we visit a coffee house.  Make a date with a friend or your honey, sip something warm and listen.  It's a wonderful relaxer during the holiday season.  During this time of the year, specials are offered at music halls for upcoming performances in January. Get a ticket for the two of you as a gift!  Check the local churches in the area, too, for Christmas concerts. Many times these performances are FREE!

OR at our house we'll have an evening of music with our friends.  We make some food, invite friends over and JAM! If you're not a musician, play some CD's with holiday music and have a small gathering! Buy a box of ornaments and hand out one to each guest, wrapped in tissue paper, tied with some twine!

HOME MADE

BRIGHT IDEA:

Specialty items

For the cooks in our family and circle of friends we make  - sugars, salts, peppers, vinegars, oils, sauces, jellies, etc.  This year I'm making quite the batch of homemade baking vanilla!  It is by far the EASIEST thing I have ever made as a gift!!(And I make LOTS of presents for people!!!)

tutorial to follow in the next day or so!

These are just a few of my favorite things.  I hope some of them inspire you to add to your list of gifts!  I may be adding to this list as my brain is on overdrive now with ideas.  If I do, I will post more here!

Happy Creating!

I'll be over here a lot this holiday season

SOURCES for all pictures from the web are right here!

ehow.com

christmas-activities.com

eatboutique.com

baltimore-esty.blogspot.com

freshestdesigns.com

shutterstock.com

missom.wordpress.com

I LOVE LOWES

I headed out early today (11am) to run some errands.

I stopped at the S A and scored very well.

Then, I was going to go to Target, but once in the parking lot, the mad crowd was everywhere.  I couldn't do it.  Drove across to Lowes - where I've been BUYING our boughs ever since we trimmed all that we could from our evergreens without making them look like they were just shaved for surgery.  EC wasn't too happy with me doing all this trimming.  I just thought the branches might grow back.  Live and learn.

So every year I plan on getting them at Lowes.  They are gorgeous and last all winter into the spring, hanging outdoors in our window boxes.  $7 a bunch.

NOT TODAY.

I walk up to the very cold sales clerks who are standing in the opening of the garden center, trying to stay warm.  I walk passed them and see some boughs in a box.  

I ask, in my most delicate voice, "How much are these?"

The gal responds, "free. you can take them."

"What?"

"Oh, they're free.  take whatever you want."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, I meant to say, "What?"

"yeah, they're the trimmings from the trees people buy....blah, blah...."

"What?"

(the whole time I'm screaming in my head, thinking about all of you and how happy-dancing you would be for me, and then thinking who are these people who buy the trees and leave the boughs!!!!!)

Then, delicately, I say, "how many can I have?"

"take whatever you want."

"What?"

And then with my body all scrunched up and my head cocked to the left I sheepishly say, "can I have the whole box?"

"sure."

"What?"

I just know you'll forgive me for all these photos.

Had to show you how happy I am.

This kinda stuff NEVER happens to me!!!!!

Look!  Tree stump coasters!!!

See you soon

I got some work to do

Yes, Anita, I will be removing the gourds today!

Onto Christmas!

Love you!

 

TWIG SNOW "fakes" - tutorial

Hi yall!

TWIG LOVER HERE!

TWIG SNOW FAKES

Tutorial:

Collect twigs from backyard

"Mom, we can't carry these all out front!"

Grab wagon

Gather cutter and twine

Make little twigs

Designate:

Art Day for school that day!

Put the little gentlemen to work

Christmas music DaNcE break

Position twigs

**remember, no two snow fakes are alike!!!

Dab hot glue in centers

Spray paint white

Add twine

LOVE

Dangle about

NEXT PROJECT:

Eat lots of oranges

leave the peels to dry out

I have an idea for these citrus curlies, too!

Happy Decorating!

Playing over here tonight:

The Shabby Nest - Frugal Friday

Mantle is an Armoire

 First inspired armoire top,

EVER.

(for me, that is)

I'm joining in on the fun over at

THE LETTERED COTTAGE

I was not intending to do this today.

You know how it goes...

you're grabbing boxes of tree lights and ornaments and pine cones, running too and fro to check your Facebook and gmail...

then you see this

You don't want to look because you know, deep in your soul, it will put a kink in your decorating plans.

(I never have plans, but I might.)

So I go over to Miss Mustard Seed's place and look.

Bad.  Very bad.

(in a good way)

I already had this in my life,

from Donna.

but, this is the only thing close to a mantle I've got

 Just for the record I had NO INTENTION of doing this mantle thing today.

(I'm not blaming anyone, ok)

I got inspired.

Really inspired.

Here goes.

In our crawl space in the basement, I came across the antique chair that my husband used to have in his apartment many moons ago.

We loved that little chair.

It started to lose it's strength and we couldn't get rid of it.  So it's been sitting down there for years.

I have NEVER looked at it with any inspiration before.

NEVER, I tell ya.

Til today.

You gals.

What have you done to me?

What did I let you do to me?

Here are the photos.

rusty metal numbers

twig wreath

iron candle holder

large vase from GW

our antique chair, resting on top of the armoire

threw in some real branches with the faux greenery

drapery panel underneath it all

spray painted twig "snow flakes" dangling about

(the boys and I made these the other day)

(large ones are bean pods from our garden)

this armoire sits in the middle of our life

computer

work station

catch all

(when the doors are open, that is!)

Well, girls, it looks like I'll be decorating this holiday season!

Smack!

Thank you Kevin and Layla for having the party!

Kolein