Ornament Wreath's

To give you an idea of what they look like I am attaching pictures of ornament wreaths to the post. See below for the directions in making this wreath. 

By Eddie Ross (above)

 

 

 

 

 

I recently saw these ornament wreath's and absolutely loved them. I thought it was a creative, and fun way to express your personality and colors through a wreath.

It can be inexpensive and such a neat little project to do on your own or with friends. 

As most of you know, this past Monday we had a guest writer on Mommy Buzz.

Taylor from Perfectly Talor'd

Well on her blog she has a post where she and some friends made these ornament wreath's. I really enjoyed reading and seeing the fun that they had while putting all the work into the wreaths.

So I thought I would share with you all how to make this and let you try it for yourself!

Now, I have to give all the credit for the idea to Eddie Ross .

 He made the wreath at the top of this post last year and it got a ton of talk.  See the picture below for his 1 page article.

But it is easy enough for you (the readers from home) to make....

You don't have to have a huge Christmas Decorating budget to do this either. You can find ornament packages from the Dollar Store, Target, Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Micheal's, etc. to start this project.

I also think this is a GREAT idea to give as a gift to friends and family, or take as a house warming present during the Christmas season; or give as a hosting gift.

Now, I know you are wondering what supplies do I need for this and how do I do it?

Supplies needed:

Newspaper to spread your work on

A glue gun

A container of ornaments

 (these were my choice-above-the large ornament where in a container behind the small ones, I got them at target)

A wire hanger

Matching ribbon

I will let the expert explain the steps in making this adorable wreath:

Click here for Eddie Ross' tutorial

Also you can see the ornament challenge, for this years wreaths, on his site and choose for yourself which wreath you like.

Ornament Challenge

If you make one of these, please comment and let us know you made one.

Have fun!

12 Days of Cookies

I thought I would share with you Food Networks 12 days of Cookies. I realize that some of you have probably read the recipes or have tried to cook these but I thought I would share them with you anyway.

I know I have said before that sweets are definitely a weakness for me. Each Christmas (if time allows) I make these tins full of sweet and hand them out to family and friends. Last year, since I was 8 months pregnant, I did not do this. I just couldn't spend a lot of time on my feet baking in the kitchen (even though I wanted to.) Now this year-- I would love to do that but with everything else going on I am not for sure time will allow.

Don't you hate that? I do... Running of out of time--that is... There always seems to not be enough time in the day.

Hopefully this will help with your cookie recipe collection and you will be able to find some good ones to add to your family favorites.

So for those of you ladies who have not seen these recipes yet here they are: 
 the recipes include 

Gingerbread Cookie  
Cherry and Almond Cookie  
Butter Cookie  
Linzer Cookie  
Cinnamon Chocolate Cookie  
Citrus Butter Dipping Cookie  
Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch bars  
Orange Current and Polenta Cookie  
Mexican Wedding Cookie  
Peanut Butter S'more Bites  
Shortbread Cookie  
Peppermint Snowballs

{Good Morning Mondays- Guest Writer: Taylor Garrison}

{Good Morning Monday}

This morning we have a guest writer: Taylor Garrison

This morning she is going to show you how you can Decorate for Less in December!

Hope you enjoy!

Decorating For Less In December

 

When I tell people that my husband and I don't decorate much for Christmas they usually gasp in disapproval. They are reacting that way for two reasons, one, because I am in school for interior design (so I should jump at any chance to decorate!) and, two, because it just isn't typical for someone to not fill their home with Christmas/ Holiday decor this time of year. I would say that my reasoning comes from a strong belief that the reason for celebrating December 25th is something that can and should be honored all year. I think all holidays should be held in that perspective. A home should be lovely and inviting year round just as our hearts should be too. That doesn't mean to completely leave out some special decorating though! I decided to purchase one yard of fabric to see what I could do to snazz up the little table in our kitchen.

 

 

Next, I gathered up Christmas cards, a tray, a cute little plate, a tiny Christmas book, paper whites in a pot -all from other areas in my home. I folded and ironed the plaid fabric into a runner and laid it over the table first. You can't beat having a brand-new runner for less than $5! I didn't sew it yet, but even if you want to have a hem and can't sew, you can always use an adhesive iron-on hem.

 

 Then I began to position the other items around it. Most of the decor in my home is blue and white. The fun thing about plaid is that you don't have to get matchy-matchy with it. Have some fun and blend items you already own with any new decor that is specifically seasonal. This will help you keep costs down as well.

Small books are wonderful because they add whimsy. If you have small children that are learning to read, placing a fun story specific to the season on a table can be an easy way to encourage them to read.

 

 

 

As I looked at all the beautiful faces gracing the fronts of the cards, I thought of some pictures I recently had developed that a relative took a long time ago. A lot of the pictures she took included family members that have since passed away. I wanted to somehow include them with the cards so I found an appropriate frame and put it front and center. It is nice to have a special reminder of people I love, even if they are no longer on this earth. You could also showcase your own family's Christmas card in a special way by framing it too.

 

 

As you can see, it doesn't take much to make a holiday table. A little old and a little new can mix together to provide a beautiful showcase of the things you cherish most this Christmas. Decorating isn't hard if it comes from the heart.

 

 

I'll leave you with one more creative idea that I haven't done because I don't have any little ones yet:) You can purchase a big blank canvas (or several smaller ones) at your local craft store (there range from $10-$25) along with some fun paint that matches your Christmas decor. Have (or help) your child(ren) make a "masterpiece" to be hung in your home every December. You could paint the canvas(es) one color all over if you wanted and then ask them to paint shapes of things that remind them of Christmas. If they are too young to come up with shapes, help them use their hands and feet! Make sure it is signed with names and the year. That would be a fun way of keeping track of how big they are each Christmas, and how much they have developed artistically too.

I enjoyed visiting on Mommy Buzz today! You can follow me every day over at Perfectly Taylor'd

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 

{Taylor}

 

Clever decorating with Cranberries

So as you can see-- this week was basically about cookie recipes, decorations,  and gift ideas. I would love to hear from you as to what you would enjoy reading for the month of December. I know this is a busy time of year and everyone has tons of things going on but let share some ways to juggle everything we do. So send me an e-mail or post a comment!! Come on you momma and wives, lets get things rolling!

Here are some
Clever and simple ways to decorate with cranberries.

Cranberries are easy to buy and can be used in all kinds of ways...

To decorate at the base of your vases

A Wreath

 

 To add red around a candle

In a flower arrangement 

 

As your last name initial

 

or Chocolate covered Cranberries--Lay them around in candy dishes or place them in your guest's bedroom. Give a small gift basket to your holiday guest and add some of these to your holiday bags. It will sure be a hit.

 

Have a wonderful weekend...and be on the lookout for the Christmas Giveaway!!

Christmas Gift Ideas

This Christmas everyone is cutting back on how much money they spend on holiday gifts, festive food and Christmas decorations. I know I am looking at Christmas gift ideas  differently when I go shopping this season. 

Do you need new Christmas gift ideas this year? Great... This post might help!

So as for those Christmas Gift Ideas, what is there to buy that says Happy Holidays without breaking the bank? 
See below for the 7 ideas!!

6 Great Cookie Ideas and Recipes

 These are some great Christmas Cookie ideas. The recipes are easy and you couldn't go with wrong making any of them. They will sure be a hit at your next gathering.

You could even make some for a cookie exchange ;)

 They would even be great to do with your older children... Have fun and enjoy the season! 

 

12 Styles of Christmas

12 Styles of Christmas
Also included is a picture for each idea! 


Which style are you?
I know I am a few of them but my favorite color scheme is the red and green!