Super Simple Last Minute Gift Idea!

Sorry my posts have been scarce lately...this is my first handmade Christmas and I must admit, I've been a very poor planner :(

I will be starting next year's Christmas gifts in January...whenever I see a cute idea on a blog and think "Wow, that would be a great gift for so and so..." I will stop what I'm doing and make the gift right then and there! When the gift is finished, it will be stored in a big plastic bin along with all of my other handmade gifts, and then, come December, I will be able to enjoy the holidays, sit on the couch with my girl, snuggle with my hubby, enjoy freshly baked cookies and hot cocoa and relax...

Yes, that's what I will do...but right now, I'm recovering from an achy neck and shoulder, trying to pack to move to an undetermined house, and trying to enjoy the sense of accomplishment of finishing one batch of Christmas gifts for my family in Canada while also trying to find the energy to get to work on the gifts for friends and family here in California...

So, as I sat here browsing the blogs of other crafty women, I came across this super cool, super simple calendar idea and it will be one of my first projects in January! So, if you're a poor planner like me and you're still trying to find simple gifts to make...check this out!

Favorite Holiday Pics

These are some of my favorite photos from Christmas of 2007.

Just wanted to share them with you!

This is Baby Stella, who has become Taylor's beloved "Sally" she has truly adopted this baby and talks about her all the time! She cuddles her, feeds her, dresses her, changes her diaper, and puts her to sleep. She's such a good little mommy!

I hope you're enjoying your this holiday season!

Our valley was hit with a lot of rain on Monday and I woke up on Tuesday morning to snow covered mountains. I'm itching to drive up the mountains this weekend and build a snowman! Taylor just keeps saying "I don't know how to build a snowman". Poor California girl!

I was born and raised in a snow belt in Canada and have made many a snowman in my life.

Have no fear little one, Mommy will show you how it's done!

Can I just tell you...

• Our Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful! I hope yours was, too.
• My mom flew in on Friday to visit for the week and I'm loving having her around! So is a certain 3 yr old.
• My house is scattered with bins filled with Christmas decorations waiting to be displayed.
• Our tree is up, patiently awaiting it's decorations. A certain 3 yr old (the same one who's loving having Grammie here) isn't so patiently waiting. Apparently she remembers putting the candy canes on the tree last year and has adopted that as her official holiday assignment. She's eager to fulfill her duty.
• Blogger is totally frustrating me! My layout is totally messed up! When I try to change it around or add buttons to my blog, or blogs to my blog list in my sidebar, Blogger either deletes some things I've already got in my sidebar or rearranges my layout! I want my blog list on the bottom of my right sidebar, I want my photo and profile on the top left of my blog and I want all my "I was featured" buttons on the left sidebar. At this point I've been featured on One Pretty Thing, The Crafty Crow and Craft Gossip -- Thanks for featuring my projects :)!!! So, when you visit here, just envision the beautiful layout I've described. At some point I'll take the time to try sort it out.
• Mom and I hit Kohl's yesterday for their Thanksgiving weekend sales. Mom got me some adorable Christmas decorations, and some micro-fleece pajamas that I am absolutely in-love with! (Tip- if you wish your spouse was more cuddly in bed, get these pajamas!)
• My pantry is stocked full of holiday baking essentials and the aroma of sugar cookies will soon fill our house! Yummy...
• Have I mentioned I love the holidays??? ;)

Projects in Progress

WOW! When I said I couldn't get in the groove, I didn't think I'd be taking such a long blogging break! Well, I've been crafting for the past week, but I kind of have crafty ADD. I'm starting lots of projects and finishing very few. But I have finished one skein of my wrap that I'm knitting. And I've made lots of progress cutting felt food pieces that will become yummy play treats for Taylor for Christmas...

And, I started 2 sewing projects, actually feeding my fabric through the machine. Problem was, the upper thread kept breaking, leaving me completely frustrated during the first project, so I ditched it, started a second project, had the same problem and finally realized my thread tension was too high. Interesting parallel between my crafting and my life right now...tension...LOL.

I've got pieces cut for a 3rd sewing project, too. I'm making my first quilt. It's not a traditional quilt, but I've saved all of Taylor's knit jammies from her baby and toddler years. I cut up my favorite ones and am sewing them into a quilt as a Christmas gift for her.

I've got some other random projects that I need to add some finishing touches to before I can call them complete and wrap them all!

Of course, I'm still stumped as to what to make some people on my list. My sister is particularly difficult to make things for. My niece, on the other hand could have a whole house full of gifts from me! At 9 yrs old she has an incredible artistic side. She's very good at drawing, has an eye for photography and wants to get into scrapbooking. I think I should kidnap her and adopt her as my own! Maybe someday she'll at least come to visit!

What are your projects in progress?

Just can't get in the groove

I've got several gifts to make for Christmas and for some reason, I just can't get in the groove. I don't know where my craftiness has gone? I have a head full of ideas but lack the motivation to follow through on the creation...perhaps once I perk up this morning I'll be able to finish a project I've started. It's not difficult and I've made one before, but for some reason it's just taking me forever to complete it. I've also got a gift on my list that I'm excited to see the finished product, and give it to the recipient, but I'm a little intimidated by the process of making it. Again, not something that's terribly difficult, but the project uses some techniques I've never tried so I'm not feeling super confident about the endeavor...I think I just need to jump in and get 'er done!

And then there's the realization that Thanksgiving is only 10 days away!!!! Did you hear my panicked screams when I realized that this morning???

And then, come January 1st, we will likely be living in another house. Where? You ask. I don't know. Somewhere within the same area that we are now, but we need to move for financial reasons and not really sure how it will all work out. I don't do well with uncertainty. I'm not overly stressed about it, but house hunting and moving is one more thing that's weighing on me in addition to the responsibilities of the holiday season....

One day at a time, right? How do you manage uncertainty, challenging tasks and major changes? What do you do to get back in the groove, when you've lost your creative zest? I'd love to hear your ideas...

Simple Fall Decor

This is what the top of the armoire looks like in our living room right now. All decked out for fall!

What are your favorite fall decorations?

Tissue Paper Decoupaged Picture Frame

Taylor made this picture frame for Daddy's birthday back in September and I'm just now getting around to posting it.

I know I say this about most of my tutorials, but this is a super simple, easy, fun, inexpensive project. My daughter LOVES to play with glue. I have been known to give her a full bottle of white glue and some paper and other bits and have her sit at her table in the craft room, and empty the whole bottle and just play with it however she chooses (keeping it confined to the table, of course). It drives my husband crazy but is one of the best ways to keep her occupied!

Anyway, I knew she would love decoupage with her love of glue! So I decided this was the perfect project to create for Daddy.

Set up: Tear bits of tissue paper in desired colors. Pour white glue or Mod Podge into a small container.

Process: Have your child brush glue onto the frame,

then press tissue paper onto the frame, then brush another layer of glue.

Let dry.

It doesn't matter how "messy" it looks, the finished product will look beautiful!

These are on our holiday gift list, too!