Sorry I haven't been blogging. I haven't been on the computer for the longest time. I have been out of town and really busy with lots of little things. Sorry. Hopefully won't happen again. I am alive. Here's my projects newest to oldest:
Nativity Wall Hanging: Just finished sewing this the other day. I love it. My mom gave me the fabric like the first year I was married for Christmas and I haven't made it until now. I think maybe when I get time another year I might quilt it with glittery, sparkly metallic thread around each character and thing. Big project. Someday.
Clay Pot Nativity: I made the little baby Jesus in manger pots for each of my Beehive girls for our Christmas Activity. We did a parade of rooms and then tied it in to "Make Room" for the Savior in our lives and in our hearts. It was really fun to see a little bit of each girl and the girls had fun showing off their rooms to us. We have really good Young Women in our ward. Each of their rooms had something in it to show their commitment to God and Jesus Christ and that they have a testimony. They were so excited to get their little Baby Jesus and put it in their room. And they are so easy and cheap to make.
Stake YW in Excellence Display: I was the YW representative for our ward for the YW in Excellence Celebration of Virtue that we had in November. It provided for a really busy 2 weeks while I tried to round up everyone's things, make a plan for some cohesion in the display, and stay on top of everyone to finish reading the Book of Mormon in time to receive their Virtue Value medallion that the stake created just for this event. It was a really great night and what more deserving for so much work and dedication than the new value of Virtue. SO cool! I was so suprised by some of the girls who previously had been uninterested in finishing the BOM in time and then really kicked it in gear and finished. Some of them even had other family members do it. It was cool too because the men who finished the whole virtue value project including reading the BOM in time, received a gold tie. It was an awesome night and so amazing to see all of these girls in our stake committing to be virtuous when the world says it is not cool and so not fun. This display took me about two hours to put together and I think it was beautiful. One of the best there. Our girls really helped by contributing their projects. We used gold balls, gold ribbon, large white Christmas light bulbs, our gold service chain, camp flag, gold curly sprigs, and gold framed pictures of of each girl with their name on it. Each girl's BOM and journal were also displayed by their picture. It was really neat.
Little Beehive Treat Jars: inspired by Make it and Love it Blog. I made these to go in our Beehive welcome kit for girls who turned 12 recently and filled them with M&Ms. A bee modge podged on top and ribbon glued around the outside of the lid. Sorry the pic is poor. Oh and a monogram sticker for their name on the front. Cute for Christmas treats for neighbors. Just use Christmas paper and ribbon.
Stuffed pumpkins: I copied this from J'lene's blog. She had one picture and I thought for sure I could make these up quick so I did. I got carried away and made a couple of sets of 3 each for my friends. Large, medium, and small. Anyhow, all it took was fabric in a circle, batting, rubber bands, green stem fabric and some sort of ribbon or raffia. And a little bit of hand sewing the stitch it closed. So easy. After making these I used the same technique to make a set of 3 Christmas Trees for my mom. I forgot to take a picture, but I am so proud of myself cause I made it up from this technique and a picture I saw on a Joann's coupon. Just make small stuffed circles of reducing size and stack them on top of each other. String it together tight with a thread and attach a small stuffed star on top. They were really cute. I will see if I can get a picture when I go home for Christmas.
Hair clip/bow holder for Gracie's room: Sick of not having a place to put all of Gracie's clippies and bows so I made this with some leftover pink paint from her shelf, some green fabric and batting and ribbon, and a frame from a garage sale for 1.00. I think it turned out way cute. Oh and I used some rub-on word transfers that my mother-in-law gave me. They are words like memories, wish, celebrate, fun, surpise, baby, princess, first, forever, smile, giggle, etc. in all different fonts. And I guess you can say her hair clips and headbands not pictured are always an ongoing project. Gracie, however still gets called a boy much to my dismay and despite all of my girly antics. I don't get it. People assume if there is short hair then it is automatically a boy. The last time she got called a boy, I went and made a sympathy purchase of a set of 3 girly butterfly earrings for Gracie. That way people have to know, boys don't wear butterflies as if wearing earrings isn't enough. And I just finished making a cute pearl necklace for Gracie as well. (She didn't get called a boy when I let her wear my necklace one time hence the necklace!) Regardless she always gets called cute. :) Back on track, this bow holder is super easy and took less than 1 hour.
My hair: This has been a project on my mind a lot. I don't know what to do. I have tried going brown for a while and I really like it, but everyday I want to go back to blonde. But then I like it again. My natural hair color has gotten darker as I have grown older but it really is one of those colors with fine hair that just is blah-looking and just like a really dirty dark blonde brown. It is just a lot of work to keep on highlighting and lots of money. But pretty soon that is probably what I am going to do. My goal is to just get to a point to where I can just do my own highlights. I just bought a box with a magic highlighting wand in it. Sometime I will give it a try. Also trying to find a new hair cut. Bangs, no bangs, up to my chin or keep it long. Never ending project. This picture is with it diffused. Lucky I can go curly to change it up.
Re-covered my old trunk: It was all yellow and knicked-up with old kitties on each side of it. I love my trunk. I have always had it by the side of my bed growing up but I have always loved the kitties. So when I came across the wonders of modge podge I decided to try it out with some cute scrapbook paper. Walah! The only thing I wish I would have done is paint all the gold trim white first, then it would have really popped and looked new. Oh well. It is the perfect toy box for Gracie.
Window Treatments: Palmet Boxes inspired by the Little Green Notebook Blog, made to help me like my all-in-one combined room of kitchen, office, living room, and dining room that Gracie and I live in. It definitely makes it more homey and ours... really easy made with foam board, batting, glue, fabric, bias tape, and duct tape.
We are also eating good... white chocolate popcorn, mmmm!
Enjoying Christmas updates on friends and family...
Tasting yummy gingerbread cookies brought by neighbors (no these are not the real cookies)
Welcoming friends and good company...
Loving our Christmas letters from Megan and the 3 other santas that matched from Lenna.
Hanging our wreath with care... (I made this wreath with my MIL a couple of years ago)
Kissing our Christmas fence post toppers everytime we go by (just Gracie that is) and enjoying our lights outside (thanks dad)...
And we have a fire place with garland, stockings, and a sleigh...
Our tree is the perfect size for us... for a while that is!
But most of all...
Thinking about how Christ is the Center of Christmas. I love the Savior Jesus Christ with all my heart. I am so grateful that he came to this earth to show by example how we should live, never getting angry, being selfish, or prideful, and then dieing out of true charity and love/compassion for us so that we may obtain forgiveness for our mistakes and return to live with our families in eternal happiness. aka happily ever after. Hope you feel the love of the Savior this Christmas and that you help someone else feel it too.
