Merry Christmas To You

Sparkle Clothespins| A tutorial and last minute gift idea

You all know that I love me some Instagram.  I finally printed some off through PostalPix - which I love by the way.  They came super quick and I have thumbed through them several times, loving them and thinking of a way to share them as gifts for Christmas.  Ivy and I put together a few little photo display kits using some mini clothespins, string and our favorite photos.   

We love the glitz of the holidays and just had to add some of that sparkle to our kits.  So we glittered up the clothespins and they turned out so dang cute.  Just right to go with photos of my silly girl.  

All you need is some glitter, glue and clothespins.  Ivy picked Martha Stewart glitter in Turquoise.  Our clothespins are from Michaels, $2.99 for a pack of 25 I think.  

Apply a thin layer of mod podge to one side of your clothespins and go crazy with the glitter.  After they are dry you just dump off the excess glitter.  I like to spray the glitter with a spray adhesive or even a clear coat of spraypaint when I'm done.  Simple,  so sparkly and sweet.  

{ahhh the sun is shining!  For the first time in like 4 weeks!}

Package up some photos with some string and the clothespins to make your own photo display kit, which would be a perfect for Grandma, don't you agree?  We also took the prints of Ivy with her cousins and gave them as little 

Cinnamon Ornaments

I've really enjoyed making more crafts with Ivy lately.  She has a bit longer attention span and I'm learning not to be so worried about how she does things.  We made cinnamon ornaments with our little preschool group last week and it was a huge hit.  BONUS... If you bake them in the oven at 200 degrees for a couple hours your house will smell amazing!

CINNAMON ORNAMENT DOUGH

3/4 cup applesauce

just over 1 cup of cinnamon

I added a pinch of clove

Mix ingredients together until a dough forms.  Roll out and cut with cookie cutters.  Using a straw poke holes for string to tie to your tree.  Either bake at 200 for a couple hours or air dry on a rack for a couple of days.  

I pulled out some rubber stamps to make a couple too.  Use ink on your stamps to help your letters show up a bit better.   

 Maybe this can help keep your kids busy while you are finishing up the last of your Christmas list!

Inspire Me...So fun I had to share!

I've been bringing back Inspire Me posts because I love sharing beautiful pictures or fabulous things I've seen around.  This weeks is a little random post of awesomeness and fun things that I just had to share right away.  

Handmade Ryan Gosling. So so funny.   The one about the craft stuff everywhere made me think of Darin.

If you have an apple device run to the app store and get the Red Stamp app!  Its free and fabulous.  As my friend Julie said... its a marry-able app.  It sends cards right from your phone by text, email or post em online.    Now you don't have to stress about not having a Christmas card done!

My friend Marilyn is fabulous and she did the most fabulous thing with her instagrams.  I use a lot of exclamation points when I talk about how much I love this.  You can get your very own calendar in Marilyn's etsy shop.

Source: katiespencilbox.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

 A Let your Heart Be Light printable banner tutorial from Katies Pencil Box.  I love the sparkle.  

Source: abeautifulmess.typepad.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Every time she posts a hair tutorial I die.  I love the color and her style.  Slowly but surely my hair is growing out again.  Hopefully next holiday season I can rock it.  

Source: thirtyhandmadedays.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I heart these free snowflake embroidery patterns.  Found on 30 Days Blog.

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What has been inspiring you this week?

Photoshop Tutorial | Using FILL to make your own patterned paper

The other day I gave you a gift tag download I made using colourlovers.  Colourlovers is a rad website where you can make your own palettes of colors and you can use all of the designs, color them and come up with some fun patterns.  You can then use the patterns in Photoshop to make your own printable paper.  

So hurry and sign up  for colourlovers so I can walk you through how to make a fill in photoshop. Then you can make all sorts of fun paper for Christmas tags or just about anything else.

Lets start with this polka dot pattern.  Once you have found the pattern you like * don't worry I will wait * you can then change the colors from grayscale by clicking on each color box and finding the colors you want.

{Its a little detailed so click through to get the full tutorial} 

Making your packages Merry & Bright {download}

One of the best parts of all of the treat and gift giving this time of year is the packaging.  Don't you agree? I've been heading to the post office just about every other day with happy mail I have been sending for Ruffled Sunshine and gifts I've been giving.  Luckily I have a post office just down the road in the grocery store so I can skip the lines!

If you would like to make someone's day Merry and Bright, get the tag printables by clicking through...

Gingersnaps are my fave.

Around here Santa Claus's favorite cookies might be Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies.  But Mrs.  Claus LOVES her some gingersnaps. In fact Mrs. Claus loves them so much she only makes them once, maybe twice, in December so that they are a special treat.  After she makes them she has to promptly give them away or put them in the freezer so that they don't all get eaten!  This year a sneaky little elf has discovered the joy of gingersnaps too.  Her little hand snatches those cookies every chance she gets.  

{A friend brought me these cookies after I had surgery a few years ago and they instantly became my most favorite cookie.}  

Every year we leave out cookies and eggnog for Santa. We also make sure and leave a carrot for Rudolph.   Rudolph loves carrots just like Ivy.   

Santa leaves a little bit of magic {glitter} behind and a note thanking Ivy for the cookies and for being such a good girl that year.   We'll be leaving gingersnaps for Santa {and Mrs. Claus!} this year. 

What do you leave for Santa at your house? 

  

Inspire Me. Winter

Umm hello coolest fonts you've seen in a while.  I've used several already.  Ribbon will probably make it on to our Christmas cards.  If I ever get around to Christmas cards!

Source: Uploaded by user via Reeve on Pinterest

Twinkle Lights

Source: fun.kyti.me via Jennifer on Pinterest

 Funkytime's printable tape downloads are so so fun.   Funkytime is so so fun.

Source: twoshadesofpink.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

A pinecone flower garland from Two Shades Of Pink.

Source: shop.finelittleday.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Trees Wallpaper from Fine Little Day

Source: etsy.com via mime on Pinterest

Wishing for just a little snow

Mindy Gledhill. In Concert

Remember when I went to this magical concert last year?  Well she's coming back to town.  

Mindy + Christmastime.   Doesn't that sound fabulous?!  So click here so you can snag your tickets to the show.  

Presented by Marilyn Lott

Artwork by Lindsay Stoyan

Photo by Jefra Starr Linn

Five Gratefuls

... my cozy home and Christmas tree lights.

... not just learning new things, but using what I learn.

... black ink + kraft paper

... a friend that braves the cold every morning.

... little girls that cuddle up on my lap and are snoring 2 minutes later.  

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{inspired by Passionista}

Service Advent Ideas

Source: collectedblog.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

{visit collectedblog for her free download and allaround awesomeness}


Coming up with 25 days of service projects can be hard work!  We made our service advents with 14 and 15 year old girls so a lot of the ideas we came up with were fairly simple, and a lot were repeated.  But I thought I would share some of our ideas with you and some that I added to mine in case you were a little stumped for ideas.

Doing someone's elses chore for the day.

Making dinner

Cleaning out closets and donating clothes.

Donating coats for the coat drive.

Make cookies and take them to someone who could use cheering up.

Visit an elderly friend or neighbor and talk to them about their Holiday traditions.

Visit someone who is sick.

Give a meal or gift card to the homeless

Write a thank you note to your parents

Do something to help out a teacher at school

Buy a book for the Joyful Life Library

Donate toys or blankets to a shelter

Secret Santa for a less active girl at church

Babysit so parents or a friend can go Christmas Shopping

Play a game with younger siblings

Visit a nursing home 

Read the Christmas story from the bible to younger siblings

Toys for Tots or similar

Ask your bishop or church leader for ideas of who could use a little help

Missionary/Military letters or packages

Litter clean up

Clean someone's car

Open the door for someone

Pay It Forward

Donate Blood

Donate food to the food bank

Send someone a letter in the mail

Help serve at a soup kitchen or similar

Hope that helps!  What are some of your service ideas?!

Library Pocket Advent | Tutorial

Here it is!  Can I tell you how much I love it?!   It is exactly how I wanted it to turn out.  Well maybe even better than I hoped.    I love it when that happens.     

Each and every tiny detail brings a smile to my face.  The colors, the bling, the tape and twine,  the unperfect perfectness, all in one happy, christmas-y place.

I love that I took the time.  The time to think of what I wanted and how I wanted to make an advent calendar.  The time to dig through my supplies to find little treasures.  The time to make it just right and even redo if I wasn't perfectly in love with something.  The time to make something that can be with us for a long time.  

Are you in need of an advent calendar?  You can learn  how to make your own after the jump... 

InstaFriday. 12.2.11

Hello InstaFriday I have missed you!  I kept meaning to say I was thankful for you during my 30 days.  I guess you can count this as catching up from Day 26 or something!  I heart you and your earlybirds and your ease of use with other apps like Phonto and PicFrame.

Wanna see what we have been up to over the last month?  Don't worry I put them in collages so you don't have to scroll forever.  {Picnik is FABULOUS for that by the way}.  Look for sneak peaks of my advent calendar that I'll be posting later today!

Craft fairs are not for procrastinators.  I'm just sayin.   But in the end it was a success.  Even with all of the snow we had that day and 600 less people than last year. Afterwards I set up shop in Greenies. If you are local stop by and check it out!  There is some fun stuff for Christmas presents!

1. Thanksgiving Family night with bingo, hand turkeys and hot chocolate. 2.  Watching the Oregon Civil War with my sis.  I love that we love football.  3.  Stacks and stacks of pretty fall colors.  4.  Trying my hand at homemade caramels.  Two words.  Sea salt.  5.  Happy Thanksgiving!  6.  I made 6 dozen rolls for Thanksgiving with the extended family.  There were 90 people there!  7.  Wii party with my bro and new sis.  Ahh the newlyweds.  Thanks for coming guys!  8.  My favorite part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers and the cranberries.  I just don't like my cranberries to touch anything!  9.  Last year on Thanksgiving we had a snowstorm.  This year it was 70 degrees the day before!  There are pros and cons to both.

We pulled out our quiver of snowboards {I think we own 10} to get ready for the snow season.  Ivy can't wait to try it out this year.  

Christmas is in full swing at our house.  Is it at yours?

1.  My favorite silhouette shape.  2.  On a pillow.  3.  Ivy never lets me do her hair  unless I distract her with new games on the Ipad.  4.  Me being emo.  5.  Working on my advent calendar.  6.  Santa's little helper putting up the decorations.  7.  My silhouette has been working overtime to get my advent done.

8.  I heart buffalo check.  9.  Ivy loves her some eggnog.  I'll have to show you the video of her drinking it.   We get the light AND mix it with fat free milk.  10.  Merry + Bright.  11.  An instagram of my instagrams,  ordered from PostalPix for Christmas presents. 12.  Have you snagged a bag of the peppermint marshmallows yet?!  So good as rice krispie treats, and just right for hot chocolote.  13. Merry Christmas.  14.  Little girl is growing up,  she wasn't even scared at all.  Too bad she asked for a pony.  15.  A bag of these little cuties only lasts a few days around here.  16.  We couldn't bear to wrap up all our Christmas books so we just stuck them all under the tree to read to our hearts content.

We hit up Costco the other day.  We steered clear of it during Thanksgiving so we needed to get the essentials.  We also happened to need gas.  Ivy kept me entertained with Peek a boo while we sat in line.  Apparently Costco is still busy after Thanksgiving.  

Thank you Insta Gram and Insta Friday for capturing the everyday of our everyday!

A Little Service. Advent

Can it really be December already?  I love December, don't you?  I've had advent calendars on my mind since I've been putting one for our family together.  It just needs to be hung and I can't wait to show you.   Until then I wanted to share this little service advent calendar we made with our Young Women at church last night.  

On our schedule was a service activity.  But we also wanted to  help them have service on their minds for longer than one night, especially during the holidays.  So I came up with an easy way for them {and I} to perform service all month long, keeping Christ more centered in our Christmas.  

It is simple to put together and  if you want to make one for yourself, I bet you could even get it done today and not miss out on a day.

I found the envelopes in the gift bag section at Michaels.  I think they were $3 for 25.  I cut numbers with my Silhouette but you could use stamps or any number stickers you have on hand.  Hole punch the top and string them all together.  Tuck in a card with an act of service to do each day, and you are ready to count down the days to Christmas!  

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PS... The winner of the Level Up Intro To Photography class is Italia!  Thanks so much for entering!  And I'll let you know when the class after Christmas is so you can learn how to use your new Christmas Presents!