Handmade Christmas Ornaments

These handmade ornaments are cute and not too time consuming or tricky. Would also be cute as monogramed initials attached to gift tags. From here. Merry Christmas!. All the best & see you after the holidays!

Candy Cane Sign Post

I love this craft! I think it would be neat to make one of those road signs that points to places in all directions - where family & friends live, where we've traveled and where we'd like to go.

From here.

Family Tree Skirt

I love this Family Tree Skirt so much it almost brought a tear to my eye! From here.

Snowflake Curtain

This is such a lovely idea. From here.

Elf Entrance

This Elf Entrance is hilarious. It reminds me of the leprechaun door my aunt and uncle have at their Irish pub in Saskatoon called O'Sheas (if you're in Saskatoon go check it out). From here.

Curly Paper Christmas Wreath

A little labour intensive (cutting & curling) but if you're crafty and like to keep you hands busy this may be the craft of the season for you! Scroll down for the helpful How To video. From here.

Card Catalog Display and Storage

This is a cute way to display and store holiday (or birthday, or anniversary, etc.) cards you receive. I wish I would have know of this sooner! From here.

Santa Handprint Craft

Another cute handprint card from here.

Reindeer Craft - Child's Feet and Hand Prints

This is a cute craft my daughter brought home from daycare. It's a great keepsake for the holidays and I would never have thought of doing something like this :)

Santa's Belly Christmas Ornament

From here.

Felt Tree Bottle Holder

This is a nice host/hostess gift for sure, but I'd suggest one modification, be sure to make the base of the tree big enough so the opportunity arises for someone to wear it on their head after the bottle has been polished off (!) From here.

Candy Cane Mice

From here. I think these would be just as sweet made in paper versus felt. A lot easier and kid friendly. Just draw faces on with marker & and glue ears to the body instead of threading them through. Instead of mice you could also make paper ornaments (even easier - cut out a circle/other shape, colour and/or glitter it up) and hang them on the tree via the candy cane hook. Voila! Take that Martha.

Twinkle Lights

Twinkle lights are one of my favorite things. Don't they look nice draped down the wall?
From here.

Cute DIY Clothing Stenciling with Freezer Paper

I like this cute idea - you could customize your child's favorite tee w/ their favorite character (our daughters is Dora right now) without having to dip in to the college fund! From here.

http://www.sprinklebakes.com/

This great beaking website was forwarded to my by a friend. The photos are great, the featured items look delish, it's updated frequently and the author hosts a lot of giveaways. Check out Sprinkle Bakes here.

Motherhood is not for the faint of heart...

My daughter has recently started daycare. She's just over 2 years old and my husband and I have decided that right now daycare is a 3 day a week necessity. Apart from the heartache I feel as she gulped back the tears at home, in the car and on the way to daycare, I know she will be fine. I know she won't remember this by the time she's ready to get married (I pray) and I know that other mothers have it so much harder than I do.

Still, I'm having a hard time accepting and adjusting to this change. I feel know that I am pushing our daughter to do something that she is not ready to do, and although she will adjust, be fine and other kids have it worse than she does it's still hard on all of us.

Us mothers are always in some sort of state of letting go of our babies.

This is a great book that my mother gave me after our daughter was born.

Momma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood

by Karen Maezen Miller 

You can find her website here and her blog here. It is helping me cope with our family's current situation. Perhaps you may find something valuable that applies to your life. Happy reading.

Photojojo - How to Take Spinning Photos of your Kids

I've always wanted to try this! From here.

Step One

Position your friend behind you and the child in front, with your friend holding the camera above your arms and pointing it down toward the child. Select a slow-ish shutter speed of 1/15th sec to blur the background.

Step Two
Altogether now: spin!

Step Three

Once our giddy little subject is aloft, advise your friend to start snapping.

Step Four
Review your photos, and repeat as necessary. (We’d wait for your head to stop spinning first.)

http://content.photojojo.com/photo-projects/spinning-children-photos/

http://content.photojojo.com/photo-projects/spinning-children-photos/

Make It and Love It - Re-purposing: Stained Tee shirt into a Shrug

This is a cool website that is full of projects to make and love.

Here's a cute post that turns a stained tee shirt into a cute shrug. Maybe I'll make one for myself... If fact, I could probably make about 18! 'Tis the life of a parent :)

New Find - Delish Website!

I've found a food website I like - Delish.com.

Why do I like it? Because it is SIMPLE & ORGANIZED.

Some features include - Recipes, Celebs & Shows, Parties & Holidays, Recipe Ratings, Cookware, Chat, Grocery Shopping Lists & Newsletters

Advertisements delay navigating the site here and there but at least they offer a "skip this add" button, or else I wouldn't be recommending you check it out.

I'm into the Parties and Holidays section right now - especially the homemade food gifts found here.

FaLaLaLaLa...La La La La!!!

Snickers Salad (?)

A tasty use for leftover chocolate bars after halloween - Snicker Salad from here. Really? I asked myself the same question...but it looks tasty and it's got fruit in it so it's health-eee right?

Mmmmm, salad!

Matchbox Monsters - Chez Beeper Bebe

I have a cavity. I got it from these Matchbox Monsters. They are too sweet!

P.S. She has an Esty site. I'm just saying...

Apartment Therapy - House Tour - Antoine Roset

"Be yourself, not what you see in a magazine," implored Antoine to those who think they can replicate a showroom layout and their apartment will feel instantly like home. Antoine runs a high end furniture company and is surrounded by sleekness much of the day. At the same time, he fully understands that without a personal touch and without the warmth of art and the dynamism that comes from mixing sources and styles that a home will feel cold and lifeless.

I Love This Lamp.

sHoUt OuT - Lil & Yacine

I Dream In Colour's First Official sHoUt OuT goes to:

Lil and her two and a half year old son Yacine for their 

BOOtiful 3-Tiered Halloween 
Pumpkin Ball Cake!

Not only did Lil complete the baking at midnight, stirring the batter by hand so she wouldn't wake her infant and toddler, she waited until the next morning to finish so Yacine could help her decorate the cake. If it tastes as good as it looks Lil, your family must be in heaven - great work!

Big-Eyed Alien Cupcakes!

My husband took our daughter his folks place so I could "tidy up and prepare for tonight" (we're having friends over for dinner and pumpkin carving)... SeCrEt - the TV is on TLC, I've been facebooking & now blogging and next is a long hot shower, then I'll think about power cleaning (!)

I'm proud to say I gave Delish.com's Big-Eyed Alien Cupcake recipe a try...from here (actually it's Martha Stewart's recipe but she gets enough props). The recipe says to use a thin layer of meringue buttercream, instead, I used a thick layer of plain buttercream b/c that's how I roll. 

Their food-photographed end result:

And: Bahh Ba Ba BaHHH!! Our results:

Side note: I had "help" from our ambitious 2 year old and we had a blast as I practiced my zen mantras - ummmmm, sprinnnklessss allll over the flloooor can be swwweeped uppppp....

Did the multi colour batter dump from this post

12 little aliens with chocolate blood shot eyes!

This is Marvin. His hours are numbered.

If you bake something email me a photo, I'd love to post it! Take care and have a great weekend!

Disney Family Fun Website - Pumpkin Carving

Cute and Easy Creative Pumpkin Carving. From here.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

http://www.annetaintor.com/

If you haven't heard of her before, Anne Taintor is a woman's woman. 

Here are some little ditties from her website. If you like what you see may I suggest stopping by the cute little online store where you can pick yourself up something pretty.

Christmas is Coming!

I love Christmas. It is my favorite holiday, by far.

So yes, I admit it. I've been perusing the web looking for cute holiday crafts to share with you. Here's the first one I've really liked - from here:

Nice hey? But something was missing for me. It's pretty, yes, but looks like you could buy it anywhere. Here are my thoughts on how to personalize this kind of wreath:

1. Use the front covers of holiday cards from last year
2. Use photos of family and friends from past holiday celebrations
3. Instead of the word Joy, replace it with your family's last name, or another word that sums of the spirit of the holiday season
4. Use pages from an old dictionary as paper with words you love 
5. Use pages from your favorite catalogue and compose a wreath of all the gifts you'd like your husband to get for you this year (I'm joking but I know you're imagining what your wreath would look like - I did!)

If the wreath shape just doesn't do it for you try stringing the circles (or squares, or rhombus) along a straight line and prop it up on your mantle. There's no need to discriminate here - we celebrate Christmas but I think this style of craft would be fabulous for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and any other holidays that you love to celebrate in your home! 

Oh man. I've just realized that we haven't even passed Halloween yet - who cares?!

Apartment Therapy - Children -10 Colorful Projects For Less Than $10

These are great ideas. I'm determined to make the Amazing Animal Coat Rack (1st row #4) and the DIY Rainbow Crayons (2nd row #3)...If you decide to make something email me a photo and I'll post it!

First Row, Left To Right
1. DIY: Colorful Mosaic Wall: This bright and bold look can be done with small amounts of left over paint or even paint chips if you want to make the project totally free. Try asking around with friends to borrow a few "squares" worth of paint.

2. Easy Peasy DIY Alphabet Canvases: These canvases are a great way to add a little punch to any space. Spell out your children's name or just make a random assortment of letters! To make things less pricey (though you can usually find canvas on sale) try using thrifted art and using the existing print to provide the interior color of each letter, painting a solid color around the exterior of the letter.

3. DIY Felted Toy iPhone: What child can resist colorful little buttons, or in this case, application icons? It's simple to make and if you're not big on needle felting try using the computer and making iron ons instead. You can find paper for around $5 at office supply stores.

4. DIY An Amazing Animal Coat Rack: This rack can be made from old toys and scrap lumber. Paint each one a solid color if you wish or coat them in Plati-Dip for an all one color look.

5. Charming DIY Mini Bunting: Although the bunting in this photo is a nice soft pastel (which is fine by us), it can be made in any shade you wish. Go bright and bold or even all white to make a fun statement across an already brightly painted wall.

Second Row, Left To Right
6. DIY Vintage-Inspired Arrows: A stick and a feather from an afternoon walk, combined with a little paint makes these arrows come to life. It's a great look at an almost non-existent cost. Make a bow while you're at it and you have a great gift for a friend (if you can stand to give it away!).

7. DIY Clock Pillows: These pillows can be made from fabric scraps you already own, old tshirts or linens or thrift store material. Though no matter what you choose, it's a great time to get started on one!

8. DIY Rainbow Crayons: We love making crayons no matter what shape they're in, but these big chunky ones are perfect for little paws. See how to get the look from old broken bits without spending a dime!

9. DIY Project: Faux Japanese Masking Tapes: There's a good chance you have the supplies for this project and if not all it requires is a quick trip to your local drug store!

10. DIY Fabric Mirror: This mirror can be made from scraps and in any shape you want. Check IKEA or even the home improvement store nearest you for inexpensive mirror tile squares (usually $1-$2 each), then dress it up as you see fit!

(Image: 1. The Swell Life, 2. Erin for Flor, 3. Neva Brasher, 4. The Future Perfect, JD Copeland, mj, Animal World, 5. Little House Blog, 6. Thompson Family Life, 7. Silly Precious Piggies, 8. Momtastic, 9. Julie K in Taiwan, 10. Katie Steuernagle)

Apartment Therapy - Children's Rooms

Dear Apartment Therapy,
How do you find all these talented people with fabulous style and good sense for form follows function deign? You're put the mmm in yummm (!)

Here are some of my favorite bits from 10 Blue Rooms For Boys and Girls Alike

Cloud Shelves

Paper Lantern Cluster

ABC Framed Artwork

Paper Crane Mobile, White Shutters, Patchwork Quilt