Fabulous Friday {54}

Welcome to Fabulous Friday!

      

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I'm very sorry that I don't have any features today.  It's been a very busy week and I'm going out of town this weekend.  But I still wanted to get this party going.

A few things to note before you link up..

1. Please become follower of my blog if you would like to link up.  

2. Feel free to link up as many projects as you like but please link to your specific post and not your entire blog.

3. Please no linking to Etsy shops, giveaways or businesses.

4. Visit some links and leave some comments.  Everyone wants to feel loved!

5. I would appreciate a link back to my blog using either a text link or my button.  You can add the button to a separate " link party page" if you have one.  It does not have to be on the actual post.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Red and Silver Christmas Wreath

DECK THE HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF HOLLY

Another season, another wreath.  I took down my grapevine Autumn Wreath the other day and replaced it with my Christmas Wreath.

This year, I went sparkly with my wreath decorations.  I got my wreath decorations down from the attic and just wasn't liking any of the ones that I had.  In the past, I have decorated with blue and white and also red and gold.  So off to the store it was to stock up with a new color combo...

RED AND SILVER 

{with a bit of sparkle}

I use an artificial wreath just so I don't have to buy one every year but I just love the smell of fresh wreaths so I think I may get some scented spray.  They make that, right?  I grew up with a real Christmas tree and loved the smell.  When I got married, I convinced my husband to get a real tree one year.  It wasn't so much fun when I was the one vacuuming up all the needles.  So we have used artificial ever since and I miss the smell of fresh.

I used the same technique as I did with my Autumn Wreath.  I bought the picks and just stuck them in the wreath. Some of the picks that you buy are flexible so you can adjust them to how you want them.

What colors are you using for your wreath?

Fingerprint Snowman Ornament

I heard from a friend the other day that she went to get her ornaments out of her shed and the box had filled with water and ALL the ornaments were ruined; everything from when she was a kid and all the ornaments that her kids had made over the years.

I would have a serious meltdown if that happened to us.  I think I am going to schedule a playdate at our house and make some ornaments so she can start to rebuild her collection.

This ornament is definitely on my list:

You will need:

Clear ornament

White tempera or acrylic paint

Paintbrush

Sharpies

Pour some white paint onto a plate and then brush the paint onto your child's hand.  This makes everything a little less gloppy.  

Have your child cup their hand around the ornament and press with their fingers (not too hard though; you don't want the ornament to break.)

Place the ornament to dry in the ornament box or an egg carton.

When it is dry, use a sharpie marker to give your snowman a face, hat and scarf.

Don't forget to write the year on the bottom!

I'm so excited to add to our handmade ornament collection this year. 

What would be the first ornament you would make if you had to start your collection over?

Felt Ribbon Candy

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Well,at my house, anyway. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and decorated the house this weekend.  Our Christmas kickoff started with a viewing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation while we put up the tree. Anyone else love that movie?  No matter how many times I watch it, it never gets old.

 Every year, I like to add one new decoration to my holiday decor.  This year I added a *smidge* more than one so you will get to see them all in the next couple weeks.

This one is one of my favorites that I have added this year.  I saw this tutorial here and knew right away that I had to make it.

It is quick and easy and can be done while you watch your favorite holiday classic on tv.

Here is what you will need:

Felt 

(the sheets that come approximately 8.5 x 11)

Glue gun

Rotary cutter and mat

And here is how to make your Felt Ribbon Candy:

1. Cut your felt into strips that are 1 inch wide and 11 inches long.  A rotary blade makes this step very quick.  

2. For the candy rolls, layer one white piece of felt and one red/green/piece and roll tightly.  Secure the end with a dab of hot glue.

3. For the candy ribbons, layer a piece of white felt in between two green or two red pieces. Glue the layers together.Fold the layers back and forth like an accordian and place hot glue between each fold to hold the candy together.

Now you have a pretty display of candy for your house that will last the entire holiday season without getting eaten!

What is your favorite decoration that you use in your home?

Fabulous Friday {53}

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope everyone had a good day filled with food, football, and more food.  Now that the turkey (and the sweet potato casserole and the pumpkin pie and the chocolate pie and...) has digested, it's time to keep the festivities going.  

Welcome to Fabulous Friday

      

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Here are some of my favs from last week's party:

Homemade Pumpkin Soup 
from Nifty Thrifty Things

Chalkboard Art and Free Printable 
from Second Chance to Dream

Wispy Winter Wreath from Made in A Day


Nutella Cheesecake Bites from Addicted to Recipes


If you were featured, grab a button from my sidebar.  I pin all features to my Pinterest Board.  I would love it if you would hop on over and check it out.  I also put some features on my Facebook page from time to time.

A few things to note before you link up..

1. Please become follower of my blog if you would like to link up.  

2. Feel free to link up as many projects as you like but please link to your specific post and not your entire blog.

3. Please no linking to Etsy shops, giveaways or businesses.

4. Visit some links and leave some comments.  Everyone wants to feel loved!

5. I would appreciate a link back to my blog using either a text link or my button.  You can add the button to a separate " link party page" if you have one.  It does not have to be on the actual post.

Jingle All the Way Napkin Ring

Tis the Season to be Jolly

(take it Russ...)

In our house, we have an after-Thanksgiving tradition. We break out the movie "Christmas Vacation" and watch it while we decorate the tree. This year, I'm excited to be adding another handmade item to our holiday decorations.

I had a field day at Hobby Lobby's sale last weekend.  It was so hard to control myself from walking out with the entire stock of Christmas decorations.  I showed some restraint and just picked up what I needed for this craft.  Then I took inventory of the rest of the store for my next visit :)

To make this festive craft, you will need:

Jingle bells

Pipe cleaners

(It doesn't get much easier than that, right?)

Step 1:  String your jingle bells onto the pipe cleaners

Step 2:  Take one end of each strand and twist together

Step 3:  Twist the jingle bell strands together

Step 4:  Bring the strands together so they form a circle and twist to secure.

These will look so pretty on your holiday table.

Do you have any special items for your table?  I would love to see them.  Leave me a link below.

Featuring YOU! Thanksgiving Link Party

GOBBLE GOBBLE 

I can just about smell the turkey in the oven!

The Thanksgiving Party is in full swing.  Have you linked up? 

Thank you to everyone who has linked up already.

Today, Barbara and I are featuring some of our favorites.

Turkey Cookie Tutorial by Lizy B. Bakes

Pallet Thankful Trays by Rustic Rediscovered


DIY Leaf Wall Art by Better Organized Living



Pumpkin Pie Tortilla Rolls by Sweet Little Bluebird


Turkey Place Setting by La-Dee-Da Creations



Keep the links coming!  The party is open till Thanksgiving Day!

Thankful Tree

This year, we have *hopefully* started a new tradition in our family... The Thankful Tree.  This project has a very simple but important concept: counting our blessings.  It also makes for a nice  holiday decoration.

The tree form is made out of brown vinyl.  I freehanded the shape, cut it out, and adhered it to the wall.  I did not take a picture of the tree on the wall without the leaves but you get the idea.  You can also use a fancy cutting machine for this step if you have one.

For the leaves, I drew a leaf shape and traced it on red, yellow, and orange paper. 

I sat down with my daughter and she came up with most of the blessings and wrote them on the leaves.

Then we just taped the leaves to the tree

I love the way this turned out.  It is a nice addition to our dining room decor right beside my DIY Chalkboard.

I personally think "desserts" is a nice choice!

Now whenever we sit down to eat, we are reminded that we have a lot more to be grateful for than just our food.

Have you made any "thankful" decor for you house?

Fabulous Friday {52}

  Welcome to 
    FABULOUS FRIDAY

      

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This party has been going for an entire year!  A year ago, I was pretty clueless about this blogging thing and decided to start this party on a whim.  I've learned a ton in the past year and am thankful for all my readers and everyone who parties here with me.

There are a few new ways to follow me:  I'm on Google+ and Twitter [@HereCTSun].  I would love for you to add me to your circle or follow me on Twitter.  I'm working on getting those social media buttons up on the blog pronto.  

Don't forget about the Thanksgiving Link Party {co-hosted by Barbara from Chase the Star} that is ongoing!  We would love for you to link up anything Thanksgiving related.  

Here are some of my favs from last week's party:

Christmas Magnets by Vixen Made

Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cane Cupcakes by Sweet Boutique

Fall Leaf Cookies by Lizy B Bakes

Simple DIY Christmas Joy Pillow by It's Overflowing




If you were featured, grab a button from my sidebar.  I pin all features to my Pinterest Board.  I would love it if you would hop on over and check it out.  I also put some features on my Facebook page from time to time.

A few things to note before you link up..

1. Please become follower of my blog if you would like to link up.  

2. Feel free to link up as many projects as you like but please link to your specific post and not your entire blog.

3. Please no linking to Etsy shops, giveaways or businesses.

4. Visit some links and leave some comments.  Everyone wants to feel loved!

5. I would appreciate a link back to my blog using either a text link or my button.  You can add the button to a separate " link party page" if you have one.  It does not have to be on the actual post.

Thumbprint Turkey Card

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching.  It's time to break out the super stretch waistband pants.  Oh wait... that is my everyday wardrobe :) How many of you send Thanksgiving cards to family?  We have never sent them in the past but this year we will be sending these cute cards.

These are made from your child's thumbprints and fingerprints.  I love doing this type of art.  It's such a great way to record your child's growth.  You can see our other handprint/footprint art here.

The cards are super easy to make.  Fold a piece of cardstock in half and then in half again to form a card. Use your child's thumbprint to make the head and body and their fingerprints to make the feathers.

I used a paintbrush to paint acrylic paint onto the kids' thumbs and fingers.  You can also use tempera paint.  I brushed it on because it can get kind of gloppy if my kids dunk their hands into the paint.  Since we are sending these to family, I wanted the turkeys to be recognizable. Keep a pack of baby wipes handy to clean little fingers between colors.

I used markers to add eyes and the red thingy below the neck.  What is that thing called anyway? I wrote simple saying below the turkey and will let the kids write their message on the inside. These would even look cute in a little frame.

I helped each kid with one of the cards and then I let them do another one completely on their own.  Here are the other three. The top left is my 3-year old's (with help). Top right is my 6-year old's on her own.  Bottom is my 3-year old's own take on a turkey.

Do you make art with your child's hand/foot/finger prints?