A Christmas Resolution

I have a Pinterest album full of holiday crafts, décor, and projects that I fully intended to do. However, due to a million tiny things that have all combined to bring on a bit of a bummer Christmas, I’ve been pretty blah this year. Even M has commented on how weird it is that I’m not really into Christmas, since I’m normally ALL OVER IT.

Seriously, I’m the person singing Christmas music in July. I’d have a tree up in every room and bake Christmas cookies nonstop if I could. I love me some Christmas. So this is my promise to you.

Next year will be awesome.

C will be three years old and can really get into it with me. We will have saved up enough money to have someone put up our exterior lights (no way we are brave enough to do it ourselves, have you SEEN our roofline?!?) I will complete my gift shopping by Thanksgiving so I’m not stressing about it come December. The house will be clean and organized so I can have a holiday party. We will take family photos. I will make lots of cookies and treats. And I will get all my crafts and projects done in advance! 

Here are some of my favorite holiday crafts and ideas that I really really really meant to do this year. But I didn’t. So I will do them next year. I will.

Don’t laugh, I WILL!

Okay, to go with my grumpy holiday mood this year, I’d like to present my first selection. Scrapcation Getaway made these fun boxes of “Grinch Pills.” So awesome. M would definitely appreciate these, since he’s not the biggest fan of the holidays.


Snowflakes and Dragonflies made these awesome frosted bulbs and I WANT THEM!

The girls at The Ivy Cottage had an ornament party and made their own ornaments, including a beautiful one filled with pearls. Bet I can find some pearls at Goodwill!

Bunny Hill Designs has the cutest snowmen ornaments ever, I am so going to make them.

Any Harry Potter fan would looove these cute golden snitch ornaments from Tiny Apartment Crafts. I know I do!

It’s not all about the ornaments, though. Two Junk Chix made a beautiful holiday “wreath” out of balls of yarn… definitely recreating this! (Watch out, their site contains MUSIC so be sure to turn down your sound if you are trying to be quiet!)

What about the chandeliers? I didn’t have enough greenery to do something as festive as the chandelier from Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour, but I will next year! It’s on my list of things to buy at the post holiday sales!

A Step in the Journey used what is probably one of my favorite holiday phrases to accent her décor, I’m bound and determined to use it somewhere in the house next year!

Last but certainly not least we have stockings. For years I’ve been looking for the perfect stocking. One that I have a vague vision of. One that will match our regular décor, AND match both of our regular holiday themes (red white and green, and blue white and silver). And now I’ve finally found it.

Well. Almost.

Just imagine a lovely white, knit stocking. Now add a beautiful fur cuff and pom poms. I haven’t been able to find them yet, but I think I could make them. Or if you happen to see them anywhere, please let me know!

  

Well folks, that’s my list. I fully intend to make each and every thing on this list for Christmas 2012, and you are my witnesses. I can’t very well change my mind now that it’s out there, right?

Do you have a list of things you wish you had made or decorated this year? Are you going to try again next year, or just cross them off the list?

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Mommy by day... Crafter by Night

Homemade Poptarts

I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but M works crazy shifts. They are 12 hours long, and every two months he switches from days to nights and then back again two months later. Couple that with his weird need to be at work an hour early and a 30 minute commute, and you have long 14 hour days.

I don’t know how he does it. But he’s told me many times that he would never want to switch “jobs” with me because he doesn’t know how I do it, so I guess it works out for us.

Right now he is on the night shift which means we do a lot of breakfast for dinner. C and I definitely don’t mind having pancakes for dinner, but M isn’t too enthusiastic about a pot roast for breakfast (I don’t know why, I think it sounds… okay yeah, that doesn’t really sound good at all).

M is a big fan of pop tarts so when I saw a recipe for homemade pop tarts from Bake Me More, I decided to go for it.

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The only thing is that M doesn’t really like the fruity pop tarts, he’s more into the cinnamon ones. But I decided that it should be fairly easy to adjust the recipe if I used a cinnamon and sugar mixture instead of jam.

Since I didn’t have a ready-made pie crust in the fridge, I just made my own. I accidentally added double flour so I just doubled the whole recipe. Extra pop tarts definitely won’t go to waste in our house. Then I rolled the dough flat and cut little rectangles to make my pop tart shapes.



Then I mixed up a cinnamon and sugar mixture that I borrowed from another recipe…



… and scooped a few spoonfuls onto half my rectangles. The rest of the rectangles were used as a top layer…



… and then I pinched the edges together to hold everything in.



Tossed them into the oven at 425 for about 8 minutes…



… and they came out looking like this.



Yeah.

I think OMG is the appropriate term for this situation.

Apparently the butter holding the cinnamon-sugar mixture together just completely melted in the oven. Oops.



I am SO glad that I thought to cover the cookie sheet with foil before cooking.

Needless to say, these were not edible. No, seriously. I actually tried one, just in case. The dough was all… doughy… and not in a good way.



And just in case you are thinking they don’t look too bad… here’s what they were supposed to look like...

 

My first attempt at a pie crust?    Fail. 

My first attempt at homemade pop tarts?    Definite fail!


Ah well, it’s not all sunshine and roses. I had a good laugh at my cooking misadventure because, well, what else can you do? I’ll probably try again some day, and hopefully that batch will turn out better.

Anyone else have an embarrassing baking mishap? OH, and by any chance do you have a recipe for cinnamon-sugar pop tarts?

Linked to:

Hating Martha
Between Naps on the Porch
Debbiedoos
Ask Anna

A gift from Santa… built by me

This year Santa is bringing C a fabulous custom built train table. But the super special thing about this train table is that it will double as a fabulous custom built coffee table (when C isn’t playing with it of course)!
The thing is, I’ve never actually built anything before. Sure, I’m great at designing, and organizing, and the Spray Paint Queen, but actually building furniture? With power tools?

Nope. Never once.

So this will be my first attempt. And I’m a little nervous, I want it to be super duper spectacular. And perfect. Something I’d pay hundreds for, only I don’t want to actually pay hundreds. Because I’m cheap like that.

I must’ve spent hours drawing up plans for my fabulous coffee table… I mean, for C’s fabulous train table. Anyway after what seemed like forever, I had my basic design.



Looks like a cute, simple table, right? But after looking at it for a while, I couldn’t help but think I’ve actually seen it somewhere before. This exact table. Serious deja vu, people.



After a quick internet search, I realized why my design looked so familiar.



Ah right. There it is. At Pottery Barn.

For $200.

Yup, that’s the table I want. But not for two-hundred freaking dollars. Because that’s just silly. I mean, look at it. It’s just a few pieces of wood slapped together, right? A few nails and some wood glue, anyone could make that. Even someone with little to absolutely zero carpentry experience. Right?

In less than 12 days... Well I'm not saying it's going to be easy.

During the 2 hours a day that C is napping... Sure, I mean, that's plenty of time.

In the 30 degree garage. With a chance of snow... Okay now you're just being mean.

Yes, I have inner monologues. And it's going to be ok. I have faith in me. I can do this.




Where are Santa’s elves when I need them?

My First Holiday Tablescape

Okay everyone, I’ve never really set up a holiday table before, so this was definitely a fun experience for me. Hope you like it!

Check out my fabulous new vases from last year’s post holiday sales!

These red glitter birds are so fun! They didn’t look that great on the tree, but they look awesome floating in my fancy vases with a few other leftover ornaments.

I love my little “centerpiece,” and it was oh-so-easy! Just took a serving platter I already had, topped it with a Dollar Store stocking (that I already had), and scattered a bunch of glass ornaments (that I already had). Sooo… didn’t cost me a thing! And see how easy?

Dollar Store chargers were placed underneath our everyday dishware and topped with my white napkins. And I wanted to bring in more crystal, so I added little crystal ornaments on top. If I get the chance, I’d like to make some type of napkin ring underneath… 

Oooh sorry, you can see my baskets full of wrapping supplies in the background!

I have exactly 6 mini wreaths that I picked up years ago from the Dollar Store, eventually I will hang them on the backs of the chairs.

A few snowflakes are scattered around the table to add a touch of winter.

My beautiful swan that matches the vases, also purchased at last year’s post holiday sale (sorry about the lighting, by the time I got to taking the picture the sun light was almost gone).

Well, what do you think of my first table setting? I’d love to hear your thoughts! I decided to stick with basic and simple, red and white. I love to go in there and look around, it always makes me smile.

And stick around, because in a few days I will have a post with my new napkin rings!

Linked to:


Uncommon Designs
No Minimalist Here
Ask Anna
Homemaker on a Dime
It's Overflowing
A Bowl Full of Lemons
The Southern Product Queen
Hating Martha
Organize and Decorate Everything

A Simple Holiday Mantle

Well, there isn’t much to say about the mantle, I went pretty simple this year!

C and I took a walk last week and snipped the ends off a few trees to bulk up our greenery. We also found a ton of pine cones all over the ground, so we brought those home as well!

I couldn’t think of anything to put next to my wreath so I just wrapped a few picture frames. I almost panicked because I didn’t have any white paper… until I realized the back of wrapping paper is white.

I have no clue what the thing underneath the wreath is, it was sitting in our garage when we bought the house. I’ve kept it around ever since thinking I would find a use for it. I was going to spray paint it but when I put it on the mantle to make sure it would fit, the colors matched! I threw my hands up and just went with it.

These stocking holders were another great Dollar Store find!

Our first holiday card of the year!

The Christmas Tree is Up!

Okay folks, I’ve finally finished my tree for the second time, and I have to give a big thank you to the puppy who decided to pull the whole thing down so I got to completely re-do it… oh wait, no, that was actually really annoying. Anyway, it’s done now… again. Please excuse my horrible photography, I know nothing  about photography and hope to get a new camera soon. Like by Christmas. Of next year. Anyway, I’m too exhausted to write much more, so enjoy the Christmas love!

We decided to put the tree in the library this year, instead of the living room. Our living room's new floor plan just doesn’t have room for a tree this size.

C’s horse was a Christmas gift from a friend last year, and it looks oh so perfect tucked next to the tree!

Check out my super awesome candy garland! I was originally planning to do pink, teal, and purple this year, but it just didn’t match the garland. So the pink, teal, and purple went out the window, and instead I’m doing red, white, and green. And it looks fab with the candy garland (which I got at Dollar Tree over 8 years ago and I WISH I’d gotten more).

I am the biggest cat lover, but it turns out that M is super allergic so I haven’t had a cat in over 10 years. The only cats I’m allowed to have are the ones decorating the house and the Christmas tree.

These guys have collars naming them “Miss” and “Chief,” and they are always getting into trouble (get it? Mischief? Heehee) . I love these guys.

Here they are again. Tsk tsk, they always have to be into something. Reminds me of a certain puppy…

I couldn’t agree more!

C’s ornament from last year, it has a side for a picture and another with a button that plays music.

A Chocolate Moose. Yum…

Hubby had his own contributions in the tree décor, like this Homer Santa.

Can’t have a Christmas tree without a nod to Texas…

and who could forget his hero, John Wayne.

These were all bought last year during the post-Christmas sale. Yay!

Love love love this red, sparkly ornament. I had no clue when I got it that I would like it so much, but it looks so beautiful on the tree and is probably one of my favorites!

Well, that’s all folks. What do you think of my tree? Should I have stuck with the pink, teal, and purple, or are you loving how the red, white, and green show off my super awesome candy garland? What are your favorite holiday colors?

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Honey We're Home

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