Dare to DIY Week Six (Final Week)

Dare to ... have traditions!
Everyone has traditions for the holidays. Tell us all about your favorites or start a new tradition to share.

Traditions are pretty important to me. Last year I told you about where we usually go, and about Cory's strange gift list (this year was no exception, BTW.). This year I tout I would tell you about three Nora-specific traditions.

The first one is the ornaments. When Cory was a kid, his mom bought him a Hallmark car ornament every year. When Nora was born, my MIL also started the tradition with her. Each year Nora gets a new ornament for the tree from the "Child's Age Collection". She got very excited this year about hanging her old baby ornament on the tree because the bear has a binky. :)

The second one is . . . the slumber party! Nora's second cousins have an all-girls slumber party every year at the oldest cousin's house, complete with a fashion show, movies, and junk food. Just last year Nora got to go to the party for the first time (although it will be awhile before she spends the night!) This year is no exception, and she's pretty excited! Last year she had no idea what was going on, and spent most of the time looking in the mirror at her cute little self:


The last tradition is a new one that I am starting this year. I "interviewed" Nora with some Christmas questions and wrote down her responses. I am displaying it in the house since we have company actually coming over this year:


The responses were really cute. She told me she wants a snowman for Christmas and that she wants to give gifts to baby Jesus. It will be so neat to ask her these year to year!

That's our traditions! Don't forget to check out the completed advent calendar from last week if ya missed it. ;)

Until next time . . .

DONE! :)

A few days ago, I showed you all the unfinished Christmas Advent Abacus, based off of this picture that I saw on Pinterest:


Well here is the finished product!:


A coat hanger, some spray paint, and some wooden beads was all it took. I think it turned out really neat! :) The shape of the "tree" still has a lot to be desired, but I am done with it for now. I might tackle the wire bending again next year . . . :)

Until next time . . .

Dare to DIY Week Five

Dare to ... deck the halls!
Make something new to deck your halls. Did you find something in a catalog that you wish you had? Wreaths, stockings, pillows or advent calendars? Make it! Inspire us all to do the same.

Recently someone I know posted this:

on her Pinterest page. I don't think I actually repinned it, but I remember thinking "I could do that." And for about a month now, I have been meaning to do it for this specific week of the DIY Challenge . . .

. . . and I didn't get it done. I am such a slacker this year! BUT, I did start it:

I am still messing around with bending it just right (which will be easier when the beads are done) but this is the general gist of it. I plan on finishing it up today or tomorrow. But since it was my 30th birthday this weekend, plus all the Christmas stuff going on, I just haven't had the time to finish it up.

So check back this week for the finished product. :) I want it done tonight or tomorrow, but who knows. It's a busy week.

. . . And . . . OK, I may have intentionally skipped over the part where I said it was my 30th Birthday. Yes, it was. I am 30. And it feels a lot like 29. :) I had a wonderful weekend - my husband threw me a party on Friday, and Saturday was a family reunion and then we went out with some friends, and then Sunday was shopping all day with my MIL. I am pooped!!

Until next time . . .

Dare to DIY Week Four

Dare to . . . give homemade gifts!
Nothing is more special than a gift made by you. Try out something new to give this year - ideas include bath and body items, kitchen gifts, hand-sewn clothing or home decor.

Confession - I have yet to make any Christmas gifts this year.

I KNOW! Since I made nearly every gift last year, this is just craziness. But I do have plans to make two gifts and I am waiting on the supplies to arrive this week. The gifts I am planning to make are similar to these:

(Source).
Mine will be different, but the concept is the same. I am only waiting on the photos themselves to arrive.

The only thing I did make so far this year was a new card organizer, based off something I pinned on Pinterest:

(Source)
It's a neat version of a card holder, using only ribbon, glue, and an old frame. I went ahead and made a simple version of one for myself:

I like it, but I do think it looks a little TOO simple. I may decide to embellish it sometime before Christmas is over, but for now - here it is, holding our one and only Christmas card that we have received so far this early in the season. And it will do for now - until I can learn to make my dream Christmas card holder. Someday, someday . . . :)

Until next time . . .

Some of our Christmas Decor

I had to occupy myself Friday while my husband and daughter went to Thanksgiving without me. Even though I felt better, I was likely still contagious. So, when my fever broke and I got my energy back, I went ahead and started putting up Christmas decor (WAYYYYY before I usually do!) I got everything done but the tree - which I cannot haul up the stairs alone - while "watching" football, drinking lots of water, and trying to decide what I could eat besides toast (and then settling on toast!) It helped me to not focus on how sulky I was feeling that I couldn't go to Thanksgiving. Nothing like a little holiday cheer to brighten my sulky, sorry mood!








I haven't made anything new this year, and I don't think I will - I have plenty of stuff!! I didn't even use it all. But . . . if I do feel the creative bug bite me, I have two different projects in mind that could still be completed. :)

Until next time . . .

Dare to DIY Week Three

Dare to . . . eat cookies!
As we begin to attend holiday parties, share your favorite cookie recipe for all to enjoy. It’s like a digital cookie swap. Share the recipe and a review of the cookie. If you can, add a picture. And don't worry about the extra calories. At Christmas, cookies are calorie-free.

First of all, every one of you have got to go check out Kim's "cookie". Oh. My. Goodness. That looks so amazing!

Second of all, I had a horrible, painful stomach flu this past week. In fact, I am STILL a little bit nauseated here and there. I got officially "sick" at 3:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, and it snowballed to me crying in bed Thursday afternoon. So instead of attending three Thanksgivings this year, I attended a belated one on Saturday - and I didn't eat much!!

Third of all, since I was sick I did not make my DIY cookies this week. I just can't stomach the idea of making anything like that just yet. (I had to make pasta tonight because it's a "tame" smell.) BUT! - Here is what I was going to try. Don't they look SOOOO YUMMY? I haven't ruled out making them for my birthday yet.

However, I did not fail, DIY friends! Before I got sick, I made these lame-o cookies for the kids I sit for, just as a fun treat:

They are those bake-an-image-cookies that are REALLY not very good on their own, so we jazzed them up with icing and sprinkles. :) Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuch better. We do treats right in this house! :)

Until next time . . .

Guest Post at Gluesticks

I am over at Gluesticks today!. Please stop by and say hi! Thanks!

Until next time . . .