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Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy 2013!

2013. A new year, a new beginning.  There is something refreshing about that.



What do you think about the odd number?  I like it.  I find that the best things happen on odd-numbered years.  Probaby just my perception since I was born on an odd-numbered year, got married on an odd-numbered year and am married to someone who has had many birthdays on Friday the 13th... dah-dah-dum....  Not to mention several major world events (mainly wars) coming to an end on odd-number years.  I know, I'm grasping... I have hope though that 2013 is a peaceful and healing year.
 
Have a wonderful and safe New Year!


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Friday, December 28, 2012

[Year in Review] My Favorite Projects in 2012

Yesterday I shared the Top 12 most Popular bb{b} Posts in 2012.  Now I'm sharing MY favorite posts. Sometimes overlooked but these projects hold a special place in my heart. Mmm hmm... Eh.  I just like 'em, kay?

best project for those with a brown black thumb

maps, globes, glitter... what's not to love?

i still adore chalkboard anything.


i'm a sucker for anything translucent... even if it's just paint on a jar.



gold + polka dots = happy face


concealer for the walls... best cover-up ever!

Click "Read more" for the full post

Thursday, December 27, 2012

[Year in Review] Top 12 Projects of 2012

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  We're still in recovery mode (our house is a disaster!) but are pretty much enjoying our unstructured schedule.

At the end of each year I like to reflect upon the year gone by. It really puts time into perspective and, when I look at these projects, it also reminds me of my family and their many activities and milestones throughout the year.

In descending order, here are bb{b}'s  Top 12 Projects in 2012...








Click "Read more" to view the full post

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas

Wishing you a beautiful Christmas!

image via carolyn cochrane on etsy


With Love,

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

[Home] Our Christmas Home

With the last minute Christmas shuffle and two little guys that are out of school and stir crazy, our home is rarely photo-ready this time of year (or ever, to be honest). The rest of the house is still in disarray, but I wanted to drop off a few photos of our Christmas decorations... if anything for posterity's sake!

Our Tree...
after almost buying a new tree because of broken strands of light, this gadget came to the rescue! no black hole in the christmas tree this year!

Some of the handmade ornaments that I've made in the last few years...

clockwise from top left-- burlap stamped ornament : giant muslin ornament : lace pinecone : crushed shell ornament : old ornament upcycled with puffy paint (snowflake design), spray paint and glitter paint.

 The back of the tree (facing our great room) has an entirely different vibe...
 vintage ornaments from my childhood and my kids' creations. some day i'll have enough handmade ornaments so that these guys will get their own tree.

The Living Room...

our card display.  i just took these branches, punched holes in the cards and... voila, instant card tree!

The Santa Photo Display...
the only downside of having these photos together... when your kids start asking why all the santa's look different.  oops!

The Tree Vignette in our Entry...
details and links to the diy here


The Family Room...

i embraced my inner-girl and purchased this mini white tree and candy-themed ornaments on deep discount. it's the Martha Stewart brand from Macys and i LOVE it!

i used gold lame (my old diy tree skirt) and my snowflake garland to spiff it up.

and our very cheery JOY mantel.  


And THAT is a wrap!  I have a couple more errands to run and we should be set for Christmas!


UndertheTableandDreaming

Saturday, December 22, 2012

[Make] Destash and Wrap

Like most people who like to craft, I have a TON of stuff just waiting to be used-- leftovers of this and unopened packages of that.  Instead of buying more (so tempting sometimes), I decided to dig into my container of this-n-thats for some gift wrapping inspiration.  After the dust & fluff had settled, here's what emerged...

Happy Pom-Pom Gift Wrap (inspired by the popular Anthro wrap of course)--
free ticket gift tag download from how about orange
mini pom-poms (similar)

Click "Read more" for the rest of the post

Friday, December 21, 2012

[Make] Stamped Wrapping Paper

Instead of buying a bunch of wrapping paper, this year I decided to invest in a bolt of craft paper-- A ginormous bolt that will literally last a lifetime.  I kept it simple and used stamps, fun tags, twine and pompom yarn to keep it interesting.




I usually dread wrapping presents, but this is kinda fun!

Click "Read more" for the details

[Our Lives] Holiday Card 2012

Our 2012 Holiday Card!  



My duties are done.  Now I can relax under the tree with a jug of egg nog.  :)


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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

[Our Lives] 12.19.12

The kids are officially on Winter Break (yee haw!) and the holiday preparation craziness is subsiding (phew!).  Here's what we've been up to this week... Is it only Wednesday???

Prepping the Teachers' Gifts
some of the house boxes are printed on the diy marbled paper that i made this summer. i filled the boxes with an assortment of Dove wrapped chocolates... sea salt caramel... nom nom nom.

[house box template from design mom]

Wrapping Presents
gift wrapping is slowly coming along

Making Salt Dough Ornaments
the boys' salt dough ornaments. metallic paint & glitter "fix" everything!
[salt dough ornament tutorial]

Making Gingerbread Boys & Girls
my mom and my 30+ year tradition! each year we say "maybe not this year", but then the gingerbread guilt kicks in and by the end of the night i have tendonitis in my right paw.  ;)

Click "Read more" for the full post

Monday, December 17, 2012

Remember the Heroes, Remember the Innocent

I hope you don't mind me stepping away from my usually blissful, all is pretty and happy blog. I will be back with my usual projects and inspirations, but I though it appropriate to recognize the recent events in Connecticut.


For me, the last few days have been the most difficult since 9/11. As a parent with young children, it was incredibly hard to send my preschooler and 1st grader off to school today. They are too young and innocent to know that everything has changed. But everything has.

My feelings have run the gamut. I am sad, angry, hurt and the "fixer" part of me wants to fix what is broken and find some sort of resolution. I know this is impossible to fix, but I always find that being proactive makes me feel better and more "in control".

Sad. Sad for the families. Sad for the beautiful children who will never have a chance to grow up. Sad for the community. Sad for the teachers whose jobs have become that more tough. Sad for the loss of innocence in a world where innocence is sometimes hard to find.

Angry. Angry at our society that glorifies violence. Angry at our media that sensationalizes and misreports. Angry at movies, video games & tv shows that desensitize us to violence and brainwashes the young and feebleminded.

Resolve. Resolve to remember the victims and not the perpetrators. Resolve to remove "voluntary" violence from our lives-- inappropriate tv, violent movies & video games, toys that encourage violence. Heck, boycott those violent movies & video games.  If we don't buy them, they won't make them.  Resolve to not buy or watch sensationalistic tabloid journalism. Resolve to teach ourselves and our children anger management-- everyone gets angry, everyone needs a healthy outlet. Resolve to step away from the television, computer, smart phone and keep our families socialized and healthy.

Thankful. Thankful to our teachers and administrators who love, teach and protect our children.  Thankful to our law enforcement officers and first responders who keep us safe and who go beyond the call of duty when we are in need. Thankful to our children who love unconditionally and give us a chance at a better future.

We cannot change what has happened. But, to quote Maya Angelou "When you know better, you do better". So simple, and so true. We must do better. We ARE better than this.


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Saturday, December 15, 2012

[Round-Up] Holiday & Christmas Projects

Christmas is 10 days away.  Say it with me "What??!!!".  I think I say this every year, but this year seems EXTRA crazy! Self-imposed crazy, of course, but still enough to keep me chugging along late into the night. Anyhow, I thought it would be a good time to do a round-up of my past and present Holiday projects. After all, there are still 10 more days to create!! :)


Hope you're having an awesome weekend!
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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

[Home] JOYeux Mantel

Here's our kid friendly, "not boring", somewhat disco-like mantel in our family room.  It's bright and colorful and I think it'll transition nicely to New Year's Eve.  This all started with the water color star garland that the boys made (mini tutorial coming soon). The bright colors brings a perfect pop of "joy" as the days get shorter and the light in our house becomes more gray.  



Click "Read more" for the details

Monday, December 10, 2012

[Our Lives] 12.10.12

Hi Everyone.  Hope you had a nice weekend.  We had a productive one... Christmas tree up (although not completely decorated), Christmas cards created (although not mailed out yet), and almost all the gifts have been purchased (just need to wrap). There was even a couple of 1st grade basketball games thrown in there (so fun to watch!).

In November & December, although it seems like all I do is make things for the holidays, in reality, my kids and their activities take front stage.  Here are some moments captured on my camera phone--

happy vee's last soccer game :: happy vee's family portrait (so cute!) 

saw this at nordstroms.  my kids are not good shoppers (enuff said)

colorful diy drums @ the children's museum :: mini light trees (more on that later)

 
smarty pants gearing-up at the batting cages.

the mister and happy vee having a dance-a-thon at our condo

pretty camellia that happy vee found in our yard

smarty pant's class play  :: and after this weekend's basketball game

tiny toadstools found in our backyard.  i'm enamored with these little guys.

Have a terrific week!

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