Linky Party

I am getting ready for 2011, so I linked up with Trendy Treehouse for a bit!  

What is your favorite Christmas Memory?!

What is your Christmas memory?  Or your favorite time during the holidays, or a family member, or a place you would visit.  I want to know about it!  I want to spread some Christmas cheer, and share my favorite memories with you as you share with me.  So send me a note and let me know what makes the holidays special for you and your family.  Send me links or photos, whatever will make you reminisce your childhood or something that makes you smile. 

My Christmas memory, well I have a few!  My family is German, well my dad's side.  And so for Christmas Eve, we would make German sandwiches, little cookies, candies, potato salad, and other little German treats.  After we ate, we would all open presents, and just enjoy each others company.  We still do this when I am home for Christmas, it reminds me of being little :) 

Another memory is visiting my grandparents at Wrightsville Beach, NC on Thanksgiving. I know that is the wrong holiday, but each year we would go, and watch the parade of boats all lit up for Christmas.  They had a contest in the bay, and everyone decorated their boats with lights and music, getting everyone in the holiday spirit.  It was my favorite!  And usually it was cold, but we would bundle up and watch from the porch.  Such a fun time. Then my grandmother would get out the ornaments and decorations and let my sister and I start trimming her little mini tree, and her house with Christmas! 

Something simple, is that we would decorate a large spruce tree in our front yard with colored lights each year.  But now the tree is too tall to decorate, but it was such a symbol in our neighborhood, the big Christmas tree on the corner! 

These are all little memories, some of you I know have some great ones!  Share with me and everyone else, spread some Christmas cheer : ) 

Merry Mercury Glass!

I have fallen in love!  Well don't tell my husband, he is still my one and only, but in love with mercury glass!!!  Its not something that is all over the stores, but I just started seeing it here and there over the years and turns out, I love it!  I am not a proud owner of two new glass ornaments.  I found them at an antique mall in the San Marco area of Jacksonville Florida.  But these are only my first of many.  Each year I plan on collecting a couple, and soon I will have a beautiful collection.  Its my little splurge at Christmas, since all my ornaments on my tree are fabric, wood, or plastic.  My cat and dog like to un-decorate the tree, hence the non-breakable ornaments!  Here are some beautiful inspirations! 

I just got an acorn like this one in the middle : ) It reminded me of NC!  Sadie and Olive

Love these!

Corn on the cob anyone? 

Love them all!  Need these too, heart the pink!

Merry Christmas.....

Projects projects projects!  Here is my latest!  A friend of mine in NC asked me to make some pillows for her front porch, and we found some inspiration from the internet and from Anthropologie.  We found this pillow with a deer head on it, made from  a dark felt material and embroidery.  We decided to change it up a bit but use the ideas for a great holiday pillow, that could also be used in the fall and winter.  Its holiday generic : )  But very different and is made of burlap.  I used a stencil for the lettering of the Merry Christmas, and of course my signature fabric transfer for the initials of her son's rocking chair pillow.  These are just too fun and I have so much fabric left over, Etsy may have some new things soon ; ) Enjoy!

Can you see the photo inspiration in this one?  Thats the best thing, to find something you love, and recreate the idea!  Always up for that challenge!
Much love on Friday!

Would you like a mint on your pillow?

I have been very busy, hence why my blog posts have been a little less than usual!  Of course, there is the holidays, shopping, decorating, visiting, its a mad house!  We have the tree up and the house is trimmed, but not all the presents are wrapped.  But its a work in progress.  I am also making a few fabulous things for a friend in NC.  I made a few pillows for her not long ago, here are the photos of her first set.  She has 4 more coming, and then 4 more after that in the new year.  I will keep sharing the creations we have come up with, since they are oh so neat and fun!  I took some ideas from online, and then some inspiration from various stores.  It has been fun so far, I can't wait to share more with you! Enjoy!

 Oh and I threw in a little something I made for my mom the last time I went home.  I made a cute bag for a bar of lavender goat soap I picked up at Whole Foods.  It was just a little thing, but I wanted to make it personal!

 This below is something I am working on, a project I will share when its complete!  Sneak peak ; ) 

Recycling for Christmas!

I know most people may not have this around their house, but then again, I think alot of people may!  Left over screen from fixing a screen door, or an old window screen that has started to tear.  And there is something you can do with that!  Christmas ornaments!  I was in a boutique in Wake Forest, NC while visiting my family over Thanksgiving, and my mother and I saw the cutest decorations, little stars painted in whimsical designs.  After examining the ornaments, we figured out they were made of old window screen!  We decided to try out the craft when we got home, knowing that we knew we had all the materials we needed.  And here is small description of how to do it.  I wished I had taken more photos, but a description will work as well. 
Oh and use wax paper and something under the paper for the paint to drip on : ) 

1. You need old window screen, and make a pattern of your choice, stars, trees, hearts, etc. 
2. Double up your screen and sew the edges with yarn, very loosely, and doesn't have the be beautiful because you are going to paint over it!
3.  Paint the stars cut outs with a latex waterbased primer, including the edges.
4.  Then use acrylic paint to paint both sides with whatever colors and designs you want.
5.  Let dry, and decorate however you would like : )  Enjoy!

They took a little bit of time, since you have to wait to let them dry, but they turned out so cute, and so personalized!  Enjoy!
C