COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - Ribbon Ball Ornament

Here is an ornament for you to try. It only takes a few minutes to make, so go ahead and put on some fun Christmas music and play. I found it on this site, complete with a tutorial (Thanks Sarah) that is excellent. Originally, these ornaments were sold at Pottery Barn for like $6 each, but this is a much cheaper way of getting some of these gorgeous ones for your tree.

The first two were easier, for some reason the third one with the satin ribbon was hard to get looking perfect. The middle one I added some gem brads in red for a little extra sparkle. I think it worked well.

Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

MISSION: Play with some snow -- Flagstaff Day Trip

We decided to make a day trip to Flagstaff, AZ to play in the snow. It is one of the coolest things about AZ -- we drive 3 hours North, we are still in AZ, but there is winter weather and pretty mountains.

All the babies dressed warm and in the car waiting while dad buys a sled

Baby E's First Reaction to snow . . . he sat and then wanted to crawl

Coming down the hill -- they look like a huge snowball

E playing in the snow and making a snow angel

J dashing through the snow and crying with cold gloves and hands

Daddy and Little E

Mom, Baby Megan (in my tummy) and Baby E

3 Babies in a sled . . . two cold, one happy . . . after an hour, they were ready to go home. I was not all that surprised by this though since they just had on jeans over thermal jammies. They were warm until they got really wet. We decided to check out Crowley Pit, after the Wing Mountain Snow play and sledding area closed and E made a snowman with her daddy. They I changed all the kids into warm dry clothes while Mic took a trip down the hill. It was a fun trip! I really enjoyed it!

E, Daddy and their first snowman together

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - Yummy Peppermint Bark

Peppermint Bark Recipe HERE

This is like the easiest and yummiest holiday treat! Seriously - if you have 30 minutes, make some for your neighbors! They will love you for it.

Top a ziplock bag with a cute homemade bag topper (seriously easy) and VOILA - you have a sweet homemade gift. The rice crispies cereal make it just perfectly crunchy and not too overwhelmingly sweet like some "barks" tend to be.

Hope you are having a happy holidays so far. My family and I are headed to Northern Arizona to find some snow to play in because it's just not Christmas till you get to make a snow angel and throw a snowball at someone! Merry Christmas!

Paper: Trendy Christmas Mix - The Paper Studio - HobbyLobby, Green Galore (SU!)

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: Reverse Half Apron

I've been wanting to create one of these for awhile, and what a perfect excuse -- baking Christmas cookies with my sweet little girlie. I started to get out the stuff to bake, and E reminded me I had not made her apron yet, so we had to work on that first. This is her in her finished apron -- it took about an hour from start to finish to make and I used this pattern to make it: HERE

Here are a couple of pictures of her "breaking it in" while cutting out some gingerbread. I think it turned out really sweet! We had fun baking lots this weekend . . .

Here are some of the treats and cookies we made this year:

Jam Filled Cream Cheese Cookies (Dec 2009 - Everyday Food Magazine)

Peppermint Fudge (Dec 2009 - Everyday Food Magazine)

Sugar Cookies (from frozen dough - yes, I cheat)

Gingerbread (from frozen dough)

Pumpkin Bread Mini Loaves (Krusteaz)

JIF Buckeyes

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - Quilted Holiday Coasters

Here is my finished project all packaged up (set of 6 coasters) and ready to be sent off. I used one of my old Papertrey Ink boxes (the ones the stamps come in), and altered it up to be a coaster holder box. I added my own vanilla crimped paper on the sides to keep the coasters in place.

Stamps: Small Casual (Karen Foster Design - Snap Stamps) Paper: Sage Shadow (SU!), Textured Vanilla (Hobby Lobby), Very Vanilla (SU!) Ink: Sage Shadow Classic (SU!) Accessories: Sewing Machine (Singer), sage thread (Coats & Clark), Poinsettia Blossoms (Making Memories - Mistletoe Collection), Pearl brads (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby), Paper crimper (Fiskars), Nestabilities Scalloped and plain circle dies (Spellbinders)

Sorry I have been MIA this week . . . been busy having fun with my family, creating, and of course, shopping! I love the hustle and bustle of this time of year. I love having most of my shopping done and being able to browse while everyone else is rushing around frantically. It is fun to me. I know, I am weird.

This is a fun easy project. I worked on these the other night while Michael had to go to the church . . . they only took one night for a set of 6 and were very inexpensive to make (I used a fabric bandana that I got at Hobby Lobby for $0.63 on sale to make all 6 with extra fabric leftover). Here is the link to the instructions from Martha Stewart's site:

Quilted Coaster Set http://www.marthastewart.com/article/quilted-coaster-set?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/stocking-stuffers#slide_18

Off to get J ready for Pajama Friday . . . he is so excited to get to wear his pajamas school. Should be fun! So excited for vacation to begin and for relaxing with my kids, sipping cocoa, and spending time together! I'll be back sometime soon . . . .

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: Christmas Cookie Exchange Invitations

I have been wanting to hostess a small scale cookie exchange at my house for a few years, but this year I started planning it in advance so I could make it happen. Flash forward, I got kinda busy, and with only a little over a week left till Christmas, I don't think it will happen this year . . . but I figure I can use the invites as a jump start for next year *giggles*

Sometimes I hate how disorganized I am . . . maybe that will have to be one of my resolutions . . .

INVITES (Made using layout from Mojo Monday blog -- Mojo 111)

Stamps: Holiday Button Bits (Papertrey Ink) Paper: Old Olive (SU!), Wizard Dark (Prism Papers), Eskimo Kisses - Snow Globe (Basic Grey), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Garden Green Classic Ink (SU!), Encore Ultimate Metallic Bronze (Tsukineko) Accessories: Sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), Pop Dots, Vintage Buttons - Assorted Colors (Papertrey Ink), Cranberry Crisp Ribbon (Retired SU!), Diamond Stickles (Ranger)

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - Hot Cocoa in a Jar

I have a thing for cocoa! M and I like to sit together late at night after the kids are in bed and drink cocoa and just relax.

Here is a way to share a love for cocoa, and a recipe on how to make your own.

All over the jar are rub ons (I got at Michaels last year) and they just add a little shimmer to the jar.

From familyfun.com:

BEST HOT COCOA MIX

Ingredients
2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer
1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions

Measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk them until they are evenly blended. Store the mix in a tightly covered container at room temperature until you're ready to package it. Makes about 4 cups of mix. Spoon 3-4 teaspoons full into a mug of warm water, mix and top with whipped cream! Enjoy!

I covered the tag with fabric (one side paper) that matched the lid cover. The big bow on the back side holds the tag in place. Such an easy project! Keep nice and warm!!!

Stamps: Christmas Swirls (Skipping Stones Design) Ink: Ultimate Metallic - Gold (Tsuineko) Accessories: Dark Chocolate Swiss Dot Satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Sheer Creations Gold Organdy ribbon (Michaels Stores Inc.), EZ Rub On Transfers (Royal & Langnickel), Chocolate Chip Marker (SU!), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky)

Mesa Temple Christmas Lights and Concert Series

http://mesatemplechristmas.com/pages/concerts.html

I had planned to go to this closer to Christmas on a weekend, but the elders in our ward decided to have pizza and hot cocoa, and who am I to resist yummy stuff. We met Michael after work and drove over and met everyone. It was fun. A great way to spend family night together. We only had one mishap where J ran under the rope lighted area to try and join one of the scenes. *thankfully*

This was at the beginning - J was clearly tired already

Me and my big boy with one of the huge Christmas trees

My beautiful and tired princess E

Daddy and Baby E

Viewing the nativity and baby Jesus

Me and Michael, and the choir that performed

E's First Movie - "Copper" by Diane M. Dresback (Day 3)

The shoot tonight took us to a train station. E was really excited to go. She is just so funny. She truly believes she is a movie star! When we went to record some sound in a quiet location at the end of the shoot -- we pulled up in the van and she was getting out and she said: "The E has arrived" -- It is adorable and I never want her to lose that star quality!

We all went together so that we could have some more family time together on the weekend on the drive there and back. J and the baby hung out with me in the van for the hour or so that they were filming and Michael went with E to do her stuff. I think she has really grown to love her daddy time as he has helped her out with the movie. I can't believe the shooting is done already and I eagerly await seeing the finished results. What a fun time this has been!

Practicing her lines with film grandpa Michael and getting instructions from Diane

Kimber, E and Michael (chilling out)

Setting up, getting final instructions, etc. . .

In action

Some cute shots of E and her film Grandpa

Tempe Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade

I decided to do something Christmas-like every weekend and this weekend I heard about a boat parade in Tempe on the lake. I decided it could be fun. I used to go to the Santa Claus parade every year at home in Canada with my family, and thus far have not found a parade here in AZ to attend as a tradition with my family.

We got a little bit of a late start on going, so we missed the 10 Year Birthday Celebrations during the afternoon, but we made it in time for the parade. It was chilly but we had fun. Our favorites this year were the "UP" boat (with hot air balloons, a house and a whole bunch of balloons on top), pirate ship (they were totally in character and CUTE), the rudolph the red nosed boat (J thought it looked like a dragon head), and the cool rocker band on a boat playing their rendition of some christmas carols! (We heard them play jingle bells. It was RAD)!

http://phoenix.about.com/od/holidayevents/a/TempeFOL.htm

My family watching along the parade route (love J's grumpy face)

We liked this entry complete with a fish and a christmas tree! Very fun! I was impressed with how festive everyone in the parade was with singing, and shouting Merry Christmas to the people along the parade route!

E couldn't resist looking at the boat again, even for two seconds to take the picture. J was tired (he fell asleep on the way there) and was sad he could not go on the boats.

The funniest kid memories were:

1) J really wanted to ride on the boats and asked where we had to go to get on them and was sad when we told him we just got to watch them.

2) E told us that this was not how to celebrate Hanukkah (she had seen earlier on the calendar it said it started) -- she was quite upset that everyone was saying "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Hanukkah." Too funny!

Afterwards we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for hot chocolate (for everyone) and a donut (for the kids). In hind site, I would make that stop before we went next year, to keep us warm while we were there. The cocoa was SUPER HOT for like 30 minutes before we could let the kids drink it. Oh well, I guess you live and learn right? All in all, a fun night with my family!

My favorite pictures from the night are the three I took when I got home . . . my little tuckered out babies:

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - Ribbon Wreath

I fell in love with this wreath in "Seasons of Joy" (page 54) and knew I had to make one. Mine is not quite as elaborate -- they did a cool ribbon flower thingy with the year -- maybe I will add that if I come across something in one of the scrap stores that I like -- but I think it turned out cool!

I used a metal embroidery ring (I think that is what it is -- it was in the section of JoAnn's with all the magnets, mirrors, etc). Then it is as simple as choosing the colors of ribbon, and tying them on, cutting their ends in fishtail, or just on a diagonal.

For the picture, I sewed two pieces of acetate on three sides, to form a pocket. Then I punched a hole in three of the corners and sewed the acetate so it hangs centered in the wreath "frame." The ribbons cover up the sewing/fiber you use, so I used crochet thread so it would be stronger. The picture is fully removable so I can put a new one in next year! YAY!

My final addition was the red ribbon on the top, which I just formed off of the wreath, and then sewed through the back of and around the hanger ribbon to hold it on. VOILA! Off to watch "Gotta Catch that Santa Claus" with my kiddies and start some dinner. Hope you have a lovely and craft filled evening!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS - Riley Pillow Ornaments

I promise you, I am no seamstress. I seriously lack sewing skill . . . I mean, I try, and I can sew a straight line, usually, but basically, I am trying to say -- even if you suck at sewing, you too can make one of these easy pillow ornaments.

I saw these in Oct 2008 Crafts N Things magazine (Sherrie Siemans made them originally - page 111), and I adapted them to work with the stuff I wanted to use. I had these awesome Riley moose images from Hanna Stamps -- and I stamped them, but then found that even after heat setting, when I colored them with copics - they bled. (Clearly a sign that I need more black inks that won't bleed even on linen fabric). Anyway, I decided to stitch (embroider - or whatever it is actually called), the outside of the image, and THEN color it with copics, and this worked.

Would you believe I used my cuttlebug and nestabilities ovals to cut out my fabric in perfect ovals --yup, amazingly it did in fact work on fabric! Then I just zig zagged around the oval, stitched the edges, filled it up with fluff, and hand stitched it closed and then added the ribbon hanger and button. Cute and easy!!! I need to make some more of these to go on my tree with the new baby coming -- I am working on having less breakable ornaments and more baby friendly ornaments and this totally qualifies!

I will see you back here soon for some more christmas crafting tomorrow! Hope you are enjoying some snow for me since I know big storm just dumped on a lot of the US, and being here in AZ, we just got rain. *missing snow*