A Glimpse Inside

Catch a Glimpse Party #67

2012-02-16T04:00:00.001-07:00

It's Party Day!

I am sharing my first nursery project today.
Check out my Stenciled Initial Canvases here.
And while you are visiting, I would love your input on the two questions I have at the bottom of my post.

What fabulous ideas do you have to share this week?

Rules:

1.) Link up any crafts, recipes, home decor, tips, etc.

2.) PLEASE be sure to link to your specific post not your general blog. (I will delete any posts that do not follow this criteria.)

3.) Add my button or a link to my blog in your post or somewhere on your blog so others can come party too. (You can find my button code by clicking on the button icon in the top, left column.)

4.) PLEASE visit and comment on the post before you and after you, on top of any others that catch your eye. Everyone loves comment love!

5.) And most importantly... HAVE FUN!!

Nursery Project 1: Stenciled Initial Canvases

2012-02-15T06:00:00.010-07:00

I finished my first project for the nursery... well maybe!
It is done and up on the wall but I am still debating over a thing or two so I am hoping you guys can help me out a bit with those things.

But here is my project and a glimpse into the colors I will be using in the nursery:

This wasn't too hard to make so here is how you can make one for yourself.

Supplies:
-Canvases- I used two 8x8 squares and 1 12x12 square
-Wooden letters
-Stencil
-Paint
-Stencil Paint Brush

To start:
Center your stencil on your canvas and tape in place.
You could also cut out vinyl to use as a stencil if you would like.

On a paper plate, put a glob (that's a good word for it, right?) of paint. Take your stencil paint brush and dip in paint. Pounce off extra paint on the plate.

Begin filling in your stencil by using the pounce method.

Continue filling in the entire stencil.

(Sorry- darn picture turned and can't fix it!)
Fill the entire stencil and then remove it while the paint is still wet.

Once the paint is dry, shift your stencil over and line up the pattern.

Continue to fill in the stencil. (No brainer there!)

I wanted the patten on the edge of the canvas as well so I just folded the stencil over the edge to complete.

Keep shifting the stencil around the canvas until you have your desired pattern.

Here is the completed canvas.
At this point, I took some white paint and fixed any areas where the yellow paint may have bleed under the stencil.

I painted one yellow, one coral, and one turquoise.

Onto the letters:
I sanded them a little and painted them gray.
I also painted them with silver glitter paint for a little something extra.

I just glued the letters onto the canvas and hung them on the wall above the crib using Command picture hanging strips.

You can see the glitter a little better in this shot.

I think they look great above the crib!

But..... here is my question: I am trying to decide if it needs something else, perhaps some little rosettes or something or will that be TOO much?!

Also, I am not sure if I like the spacing of them. I kinda want them closer together but with the battens I think it would look strange. What do you think?!

Help a sista out and tell me what you think in the comments!

Linking up to some of these parties!
Wow Us Wednesdays
My Repurposed Life- Catch as Catch Can

Tasty Tuesday: Valentine's Day Edition

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

I searched Kraft Foods website and decided to share a couple different Valentine's Day recipes today.
Click on the name of the recipe under the photo to view the recipe.

Breakfast:
Puffed Dutch NILLA Pancake

Drink:
Pomegranate Margarita

Dinner for 2:
Lasagna Bake for Two

Dessert:
Cupid's Cups

ENJOY!!

24 weeks- Baby M Update

2012-02-13T06:00:00.003-07:00

Baby M is roughly the size of a Grapefruit this week.

Hello Baby M! Didn't you decide to pop out this week!?

How far along? 24 weeks

Total weight gain: I don't know how to actually tally my total weight gain since I lost SO much weight in the beginning. But after getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight, I have gained 3 additional pounds.
Maternity clothes? Still in my normal clothes but I have a feeling I will be busting out my pregnancy jeans this week.
Stretch marks? nope :)
Sleep: Slept well in the beginning of the week and it just gradually got worse and worse each night! UGH!
Best moment this week: Hmmmm.... with Travis out of town, I didn't do ANYTHING to have a best moment of the week. I guess at my appt. on Monday, found out all is well and I get another ultrasound at 28 weeks. :)
Miss Anything? Sleeping well. Being pain free.
Movement: Yep! I feel a lot of movement on my lower left side and her kicks up high.
Food cravings: Nothing specific just still have a sweet tooth.
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really
Gender: GIRL!!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button (in or out): Still in but slowly but surely making it's way out!
Wedding Rings (on or off): On
Symptoms: Back pain, no surprise there! Starting to have trouble catching my breath now. And through out my whole pregnancy so far, my gums have swollen and this week was no exception. I have one spot in my mouth where my gums are so swollen and it just won't go down! :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Travis returning from his training at the end of the month and my next ultrasound on Mar. 6th.

{Feature Friday} #60

2012-02-10T06:00:00.001-07:00

You guys sure are talented!

Here are some great ideas from this week's party.

Space 46 shared this great vintage desk makeover.

Burlap Bubble Wreath created by Love Sweet Love

No Sew Fabric Flowers shared by Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Ladybird Ln. shared these "You Drive Me Wild" Valentines

Learn to shoot in Manual Mode from Sweet C's Designs

Rustic Wine Cabinet from Rain and Roses

DIY Canvas Silhouettes created by The Space Between

My Girlish Whims shared jewelry tips on how to Wire Wrap.

Thanks for linking up!
Feel free to grab a Featured Button!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Catch a Glimpse Party #66

2012-02-09T04:00:00.005-07:00

Before I get to the party today, I just wanted to tell you guys that I am the Guest Judge this week over at The CSI Project!

This week's theme is Yarn, Knitting, and Crochet Projects so go link up your projects!
Who knows, I may pick you as the winner or to be in the top ten! :)

It's Party Day!

I am sharing my tutorial for my Ruffled Heart Wreath today.

Ruffled Heart Wreath Tutorial

2012-02-08T06:00:00.006-07:00

I FINALLY made something!
I haven't really crafted in SO long!

Here is my one and only Valentine's Day craft.
I had a picture in my head of what I wanted to make and I had to change it when I started but I am happy with the results.

Ruffled Heart Wreath

Here is how to make one:
Supplies:
-Heart shaped wreath form
-Felt
- Burlap
- Ribbon
- Glue Gun (I used my low temp gun)

Getting started:

Cut your burlap into 2 inch wide strips.
I only had short pieces of burlap so I had to cut many strips but you could probably cut one or two long strips if you have a large piece.

I then placed glue in the crease of the heart and down one side of the point and glued down the burlap.

As I was gluing the burlap down, I pulled it really tight.

I then wrapped the burlap back on itself to the opposite side, pulling tight as I went.
I made sure to start and end each burlap strip on the back side of my wreath so the ends would not be visible.

I wrapped the burlap down the side and stop before I got to the end.
Place glue along the tip and center a piece of burlap on the point of the heart.
Place hot glue in the crease of the point and pull the burlap tight.

Fold the sides of the burlap like a present and glue down.

Continue to wrap the wreath until it is fully covered by the burlap.

Before adding the ruffles, I added ribbon to hang the wreath from.

I also added some turquoise yarn across the wreath for a bunting banner.

Next, I cut my pink felt into 2 inch wide strips.

Place hot glue on the back of the wreath.
Glue down the felt, bunching it as gluing to create the ruffles.

Continue around the whole wreath.

I then cut purple felt to create little bunting flags and used a fabric marker to write out Love.

Hung the wreath on my shutters for a little Valentine's Day decor.

I think it looks perfect there!

Here is a shot of my Valentine's Day shutter decor with the new addition of the wreath.

Linking up to some of these parties.
My Repurposed Life- Catch as Catch Can
Get Your Craft On

Tasty Tuesday: Strawberry-Banana Parfaits

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

I did a little searching on Betty Crocker's website and came across this recipe.
It would make a great Valentine's Day breakfast or just an any time breakfast really.

Strawberry-Banana Parfaits

(image)

Prep Time: 10 mins.
Total Time: 10 mins
Makes: 4 Servings

What you Need:

-2 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free strawberry yogurt
-2 cups Fiber One® Honey Clusters® cereal
-1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
-1 medium banana, thinly sliced
-4 fresh strawberries

Make It:
- In each of 4 (10-oz) plastic cups or parfait glasses, layer 2 tablespoons yogurt, 1/4 cup cereal, 1/4 cup strawberry slices and 1/4 of the banana slices.
-Top each with 2 tablespoons yogurt, 1/4 cup cereal and remaining yogurt. Garnish top of each parfait with whole strawberry.

Variations:
-Make one big parfait and let everyone serve themselves.
-Use your favorite fruits for the strawberries and banana.

ENJOY!!

Baby M Update- Week 23

2012-02-06T06:00:00.003-07:00

Baby M was the size of a pomegranate this week. :)

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain: Dr. appt today so I will find out then.
Maternity clothes? Still in my normal clothes. I did buy my first few pairs of maternity pants this week but still don't actually need them so they are on stand by.
Stretch marks? nope :)
Sleep: Slept very good this week! YAHOO!
Best moment this week: Picking up and putting together the crib! :) So happy it finally came in.
Miss Anything? Still miss being pain free.
Movement: Yep! I feel a lot of movement on my lower left side and her kicks up high.
Food cravings: Junk food. Nothing specific just have a sweet tooth.
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really
Gender: GIRL!!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button (in or out): Still an innie but it isn't quite the innie it used to be!
Wedding Rings (on or off): On
Symptoms: Back pain, no surprise there! And I noticed that I am starting to have trouble breathing now.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Doctor's appt. today and then Travis returning from his training at the end of the month.

More fun Features!

2012-02-03T20:53:00.007-07:00

I told you guys that I MAY be back with more features and here I am!!

This time, these have nothing to do with food or Valentine's Day so enjoy!

Bliss Images and Beyond shared this idea of how to show off your children's birth times.

Yellow Felt Flower Scarf created by The Crafty Blog Stalker

Dresser Makeover from Procraftination Station

Snug as a Bug Baby shared this Repurposed Fence Post Wall Art

Coffee Filter Flowers created by Revamp Homegoods

Small Home Love shared her Yellow Zebra Striped Magazine Storage Boxes

Thanks so much for linking up your ideas!
Feel free to grab a Featured Button! :)

{Feature Friday} #59

2012-02-03T12:00:00.003-07:00

You guys sure know how to make a pregnant woman hungry!

There were so many yummy looking recipes linked up to this week's party that I thought I would make another Feature Friday post.
If you missed the first Feature Friday post, you can check it out here.

Here ya go!

Chocolate Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Filling and Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting made by Somewhere in the Middle.

The Seven Year Cottage shared a White Hot Chocolate Recipe

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas shared by The Traveling Spoon

Lady with the Red Rocker created this Beyond Goodness Egg Casserole

Mini Stuffed Heart French Toast from Will Cook for Smiles

Feeding my Temple shared her Baked Cake Doughnuts

Easiest Pulled Pork Ever from the Artsy-Fartsy Mama

Thanks for linking up!
Feel free to grab a Featured Button!

I MAY be back at some point with another Feature post so stay tuned! ;)

Have a great weekend everyone!
Travis leaves for training for a month on Sunday so I get to watch the Super Bowl by myself but I will go ahead and say: GO GIANTS!

Who are you rooting for?

{Feature Friday} #58

2012-02-03T06:00:00.001-07:00

Lots of fabulous ideas have been linked up this week and of course, many of them were for Valentine's Day.

So here are some great ideas for Valentine's day!

Shaken Together shared this "Key to my Heart" Valentine Art

Cute Valentine Light bulb from Saleena Marie

Valentine's Day decorations from Alderberry Hill

One Orange Giraffe shared her Valentine's Day mantle

Sparkly Hearts created by Just Us Four

Chocolate Playdough Valentines shared by Blue Skies Ahead

Digiart Cafe shared these cute Valentine freebies

The Crafty Blog Stalker created these Paper Strip Hearts

Thanks so much for linking up everyone!
Feel free to grab a Featured Button!! :)

Stay tuned later today for another fun Feature Friday post!

Catch a Glimpse Party #65

2012-02-02T04:00:00.005-07:00

It's Party Day!

Last week was the largest Catch a Glimpse party yet!!
Thanks so much to everyone that links up every week and for all the newbies out there!!
I LOVE seeing all your fabulous ideas!

This week, I want to show off the board and batten treatment we did in the nursery.
I love how it turned out and I can't wait to add more things to the nursery now.
To see how we did the board and batten, check out my Nursery Progress post.

So what fabulous ideas do you have to share this week?

Rules:

1.) Link up any crafts, recipes, home decor, tips, etc.

2.) PLEASE be sure to link to your specific post not your general blog. (I will delete any posts that do not follow this criteria.)

3.) Add my button or a link to my blog in your post or somewhere on your blog so others can come party too. (You can find my button code by clicking on the button icon in the top, left column.)

4.) PLEASE visit and comment on the post before you and after you, on top of any others that catch your eye. Everyone loves comment love!

5.) And most importantly... HAVE FUN!!

New Shaklee Winner!

2012-02-01T20:38:00.003-07:00

So I never heard from 1 of the 5 winners from the Shaklee Basic H Giveaway and I totally got way behind on picking a new winner!
SORRY!!!

But the new winner of the free sample of the Shaklee Basic H is:

-Kristen

Congratulations!!!!

Please email me or leave a comment with your email address so Andrea can get in touch with you. You will have 2 days to contact me!

Nursery Progress: Board and Batten Tutorial

2012-02-01T06:00:00.011-07:00

Right after we found out we were pregnant, I immediately knew I wanted to do board and batten on the walls of the nursery.
And I am so excited that it is complete!
I think it looks so good and I can't wait until the room as a whole is complete.

There are many tutorials around blogland on board and batten and I looked at a few of them for inspiration and then we got started.

Here is how we did it:

First, here is a shot of the nursery when we moved in.
Peachy, beige walls and nothing exciting.

My dad primed the walls when he was in painting mode after helping us move in so the walls were ready to be treated.

We first used painter's tape to figure out the total height of the wall treatment and the distance between batten boards.
We went around the entire room and taped it off. This way we were able to count how many battens we would need to get.

We chose to make the baseboard and the top board 4 inches wide.
The batten boards themselves are 3 inches wide and we spaced the boards 24 inches apart.
The total height of the board and batten is 70 inches so it is rather high but the crib we ordered is 50 inches high so I wanted a good amount of the treatment showing above the crib.

We went to the Home Depot to get all our boards.
We bought 2 sheets of 1/2 in. MDF boards for $25 each and had them cut them down for us on their giant saw into the sizes we needed.
This was MUCH cheaper than buying boards individually.

We got all the baseboards and batten cut by them.
Then we bought some additional boards that were 2 1/2 in. wide to use as a picture ledge on top and some molding to use just under the picture ledge.

After we got it all home, I went ahead and primed all the boards before we put them up on the wall.
I also did 2 finishing coats on the baseboards that way I would not have to paint them against the carpet.

In the mean time, Travis painted the nursery walls.
We both separately thought that we should do yellow in the nursery, so the upper portion of the wall is yellow then the walls where the batten will be, is painted in Semi-Gloss Ultra White by Valspar.

Travis got the walls all painted and I did the cutting in since he doesn't have patience for it! lol

We weren't too worried about making a straight line where the two paint colors met since the top board would just be covering it up anyways.

Time to start the install.
Travis ripped out the old baseboards and replaced it with the new 4" baseboards.

To install the batten, Travis started by using Liquid Nails to place them on the wall.
He then went back with a nail gun to make sure they were secure.

Until the glue was fully dry, we used painter's tape to hold the top and bottom edge of the boards flush against the walls.

In each corner of the room, Travis cut a 3" board in half placing a half on each wall until the met in the corner.

After all the batten was up, it was time to put the top 4" board up to cap it all off.

It was then time to add the ledge on top.
A little glue and then nailed it into the top board.

We added the molding under the ledge for a little added detail and support for the top ledge.

All done!

We framed out the window as well but the sill of the window was all messed up from the previous owners. Travis bought a piece of wood, routered the edge of it, and nailed it down for a small ledge.

Before we painted, I went through and filled all the holes with wood putty and sanded the boards.
After that was complete, we caulked around all the boards before we painted.

Once all the caulk dried, we painted the boards with the same Ultra White paint as the walls.

It looks fantastic and I can't wait until the room is complete.
Just wish the crib would come in! lol

Linking up to some of these parties.
Today's Creative Blog
Savvy Southern Style

Tasty Tuesday: Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

With the Super Bowl this weekend, (Go Giants!), I thought I would find something that could be used at a Super Bowl party.

I saw this dip on the front page of the Kraft Food website and immediately knew that I would share it.

Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip (image)

Prep Time: 10 mins.
Total Time: 10 mins.
Servings: 32 servings

What You Need:
-1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
-1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
-4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
-1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
-8 slices cooked OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crumbled

Make It:

MICROWAVE ingredients in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 3 min.

Kraft Kitchens Tips:
Serving Suggestion:
Serve with tortilla chips and cut-up fresh vegetables. (Tortilla chips and vegetables are not included in nutrition information.)

Variation:
Prepare using 2% Milk VELVEETA and PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese.

Use Your Slow Cooker:
When serving this dip at a party, pour the prepared dip into a small slow cooker set on Low. This will keep the dip warm and at the ideal consistency for several hours. For best results, stir the dip occasionally to prevent hot spots.

ENJOY!!

Baby M Update- Week 22

2012-01-30T06:00:00.003-07:00

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain: Haven't weighed myself at home to know.
Maternity clothes? Still in my normal clothes besides the few shirts I got for Christmas that are maternity. Not sure when I will have to venture into maternity pants.
Stretch marks? nope :)
Sleep: Slept relatively well this past week, thank goodness!
Best moment this week: hmmm.... not too sure. We didn't do anything exciting this week.
Miss Anything? Still miss being pain free.
Movement: Yep! I feel a lot of movement on my lower left side and her kicks up high. Travis has even gotten to feel her! :)
Food cravings: Junk food. Nothing specific just have a sweet tooth.
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really
Gender: GIRL!!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button: Still an innie but it isn't quite the innie it used to be!
Wedding Rings: On
Symptoms: Back pain, no surprise there!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Ordering fabric for the nursery and starting projects with that.

{Feature Friday} #58

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone!
Are you glad it is Friday?

I sure am because it means I can actually see Travis for a few days since he has been so busy training the past few weeks and has been gone LONG hours.

But anyways- here are some great ideas that were linked up this week.

Sara's Closet shared this fabulous DIY Herringbone Wall Treatment

Pelmet Box Tutorial created by No. 29 Design

Country Momma Cooks shared this Lemon Shortbread Cookie Recipe.

The Reasons I love You Advent Calendar from Shaken Together

Jilly's Stampin Studio shared some super cute Valentine's Day cards

Valentine's Day Printables created by Sugar Tot Designs
Find them over at I Heart Naptime.

Prickly Banana created this Tissue Paper Heart

Feather Wreath from The Diary of Dave's Wife

Feel free to grab a "Featured Button."

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Catch a Glimpse Party #64

2012-01-26T04:00:00.001-07:00

It's Party Day!

Tasty Tuesday: Triple-Layer Peanut Butter Brownies

2012-01-24T10:29:00.002-07:00

It is apparently National Peanut Butter Day!!

I am not a peanut butter fan but I'm sure many of you are so I thought I would find a peanut butter recipe to share with you all today. I found this recipe on Kraft Food.

Triple-Layer Peanut Butter Brownies (image)

Prep Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 2 hr and 10 mins
Serves: 32 servings

What You Need:
-1 pkg. (19 to 21 oz.) brownie mix (13x9-inch pan size)
-1 cup cold milk
-1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
-1 cup PLANTERS Creamy Peanut Butter
-1/2 cup powdered sugar
-1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)
-3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
-1/2cup PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped

Make It:

-PREPARE and bake brownies in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package; cool. Meanwhile, beat milk and pudding mix with whisk 2 min. Add peanut butter and sugar; mix well. Refrigerate until brownies are completely cooled.

S-PREAD over brownies.

-MICROWAVE COOL WHIP and chocolate on HIGH 1 min., stirring every 30 sec. Spread over pudding; top with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Kraft Kitchens Tips:
-Serving Suggestion:
Make your brownies stand out even more at the party by making them in a CORNINGWARE® etch™ Baking Dish. Its artisan-quality design has a ribbon-like weave and colorful finish that give a modern touch to favorite desserts.

-Substitute
Prepare using JELL-O White Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding.

Baby M Update: Week 21

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001-07:00

How far along? 21 weeks
Total weight gain: I assume that after this week, I have finally reached and passed my pre-pregnancy weight. Haven't weighed myself at home at all.
Maternity clothes? Still in my normal clothes besides the few shirts I got for Christmas that are maternity. Not sure when I will have to venture into maternity pants.
Stretch marks? nope :)
Sleep: Had a few rough nights but a few really good nights as well. In fact, I slept in twice this week and it was fabulous!
Best moment this week: Finishing the walls of the nursery! It looks fabulous!
Miss Anything? Still miss being pain free.
Movement: Yep! I feel a lot of movement in on my lower left side.
Food cravings: not really craving anything this week
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really
Gender: GIRL!!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button: I noticed a week or so ago that my belly button is starting to get pushed out. Isn't quite the innie it used to be!
Symptoms: Still my killer lower back pain and also killer hip pain, more congestion this week than I've had in the past.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time but have had some bitchy moments from not sleeping
Looking forward to: Ordering fabric for the nursery and starting projects with that.

{Feature Friday} #57

2012-01-20T06:00:00.001-07:00

Is it really Friday already?!
I've been so busy around the house this week that I feel like this week flew by!

But since it really IS Friday, it is time for another fabulous Feature Friday post!

Ribbon and Lace Mason Jar Cups from I Heart Naptime

The Hobby Room shared these Quilted Glasses Cases.

Quick Quilted Pillow (say that 5x's fast!) created by Little Becky Homecky

Homemade Chalk Paint Table Makeover from Elizabeth & Co.

Bliss Images and Beyond created this cute Love Birds Valentine's Day Art.

DIY Fabric Bucket created by Michael Ann Made. Find the tutorial at Inspired by Family Magazine

Valentine's Day Printable created by Yankee Doodle Designs

Double Bubble Tulle Skirt shared by Babblings and More

Bead Board Snowman created by Adventures of a DIY Mom

Fabulous Headboard Makeover from Too Much Time on My Hands

Thanks so much for linking up your awesome ideas everyone!
Feel Free to grab a Featured Button!

I hope you all have a great weekend!
Hopefully, it won't be too cold in your neck of the woods!

Catch a Glimpse Party #63

2012-01-19T06:00:00.003-07:00

It's Party Day!

This week I am sharing the decorations I made for our gender reveal.
To see what all I made and how we did the reveal, check out my Gender Reveal Decorations post.

Gender Reveal Decorations

2012-01-18T06:00:00.002-07:00

You may recall from my latest Baby M Update post that I said we had a small mini gender reveal party through webcam for our families. Google Hangout is awesome if you've never tried it before!
Well, even though we were just doing it through a computer instead of in person, I wanted to make it fun and still have decorations.

So here is what I made:

I made the banner with my Cricut machine and the bee balloons to hang behind us during the reveal.

Here is how I made the little bee balloons:

I had left over pink and blue balloons from when I told Travis we were pregnant so I pulled out one of each color.

I then just blew up the balloons with one good breath each.
I didn't need them to be large.

I then took black electrical tape and wrapped it around the balloon three times to create the stripes of the bee.

My bees needed some wings so I took a white sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper to create 2 wings.

Cut the paper in half.

Then just folded each piece in half.

Starting at the crease side, I drew out the shape of the wing.

Then just cut out.

Flip open and you will have some nice wings.

I then used a bone folder to crease where the wings meet the center so I would get a nice fold.

I taped in this small piece of paper between the wings so they would stay up and not fall flat.

Then, I just used double sided tape to add the wings to the center of the balloon.

I then created little bees on sticks.
One side, the bees were yellow which we first showed to our families.
On the other side, I made pink or blue bees depending on what the gender turned out to be.

Here is another shot of the shutters with the banner and bees.

On the pink balloon, I drew a little girlie face.

On the boy balloon, I drew a little boy face.

When it came time for the reveal, we decided to play a little trick on our families.
We each started with a bee of a different color so when we flipped the bees around the family would be confused and not find out immediately.
We acted like we made a mistake and were getting the proper bees, instead we just switch colors and flipped them again.
Finally, the third time we both grab the girl bees to flip around to actually reveal the gender.

Of course, everyone was thrilled!

I am glad that we decided to do it this way. It was fun to see everyone's faces when we announced the gender of Baby M!

Linking up to some of these parties.

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2012-01-17T06:00:00.001-07:00

I wrote this after finding out some bad news on Jan. 3rd. so this is me venting.

It's days like today that I hate being a military wife.

Days when you officially get the news of something that you don't want to hear but it has been lurking in the background for some time.

Days when all you want to do is stay strong for the one you love but tears keep coming out of your eyes uncontrollably.

Days when your spouse comes home with the news that they are deploying. Soon.
And to top it all off, they will more than likely be missing the birth of your first child together.

I knew what I was getting myself into when I started dating and then married a man that was entering the military but it is still so hard to accept the challenges that his job entails.

We waited 3 years for this baby and when we moved to CO for this new assignment, his unit was not scheduled to deploy.
Suddenly, everyone is pulled out of Iraq and within a week talk began to throw tons of men into Afghanistan. We knew there was a very good chance of deployment before Christmas but it has now become very real that it is happening and of course Travis' unit would be one of the units to get thrown into the mix. Which SUCKS!

He leaves the beginning of February for training and will be gone for a month.
He will then be home for about a week or so before officially deploying to Afghanistan in March.
As of right now, they are scheduled to return home early December so we'll see if that happens. I have learned quickly not to trust the military and their word.

After making it through a 15 month deployment right after we got married, I know 9 months will be nothing but I absolutely can't stop thinking about having our first child without him by my side. Not having him there to experience all the emotions of having our first baby, encouraging me, and then seeing him hold our newborn baby for the first time. And this may be selfish but I hate that there won't be a first family picture with our new baby right after it is born.
Since it is such a short deployment, he won't get R&R to try to come home for the birth. There is a small chance he can come home on emergency family leave for the birth but we won't know if that will be possible until he get there and they start their mission.

I was already nervous about having our first child with Travis here but now I am even more scared. I will be all alone in a new state very far away from family and friends where I barely know anyone. What if something bad happens? What if my parents don't make it to CO in time for the birth? Who will I now have by my side as our baby enters the world? How will it be once my family goes home and I become a single parent until he comes home?

I know people do this all the time, especially military wives, but I was truly hoping I would never have to go through it. I hate he will miss the birth. I hate he will not see his first child in real life until the baby is almost 6 mths old. I hate that he won't get to hold the baby until he comes home. I hate that he will miss some of the fun, early milestones. I hate that he will have to try to get to know our baby and watch it grow through pictures or hopefully, on a computer screen through video chat. I hate everything about this!

I know I will shed many more tears all the while trying to stay strong and just focus on bringing this baby into the world safely when it is suppose to arrive in May. Wish me luck!

So, if I disappear every so often in the next coming months, you know why.
I would greatly appreciate any prayers you are willing to give for Travis' safe return and for me as I will now be embarking into parenthood alone until he comes home.
Also, say a little prayer that he will be able to come home for the birth of Baby M!

Week 20 Update: Baby M's BIG Reveal

2012-01-16T06:00:00.002-07:00

Week 20!
YAHOOOOOOO!!!
I am halfway through this pregnancy!
I really can't believe it but I am thrilled about it.

Here is my 20 week picture.
I have quite the bump now and obviously still growing.

Of course this week, we got to see our sweet Baby M again!
AND perhaps found out the gender.

Here are some new ultrasound pictures.
Cute profile with mouth open a little.

Hand up over eyes and forehead.

So do you want to know if Baby M is a boy or a girl?
Well... do ya?!
I guess I'll tell ya! ;)

Baby M is a......

GIRL!!!! :)
I used this picture to announce the gender on FB.
I put it as my profile picture instead of saying the gender in my status so people had to pay attention! ;)

And you guys are good!
Girl got the most votes in the poll.

After we got home from our ultrasound, we had a mini gender reveal party for our families over webcam (yeah for Google Hangouts!).

I made some decorations and props to reveal the gender.
Here we are holding our little"girl" bee props to show we are having a girl.
I will be back this week with a post all about what I made and to explain more about the gender reveal.

I just had to get a belly picture with the ultrasound pic of our baby girl and the pink bee.

Now, onto the facts of the week:

How far along? 20 weeks
Total weight gain: I have finally gained some weight back after being so sick in the beginning but I actually am about 1 or 2 lbs. less than my pre pregnancy weight still.
Maternity clothes? Still in my normal clothes besides the few shirts I got for Christmas that are maternity. Not sure when I will have to venture into maternity pants.
Stretch marks? nope :)
Sleep: Man... sleep? Do people need sleep? Apparently this week I did not because I have only slept well for 2 nights. BLAH!
Best moment this week: Finding out the gender of course!! And now being able to call Baby M by her name.
Miss Anything? hmmmm.... do I miss anything this week? I'm sure I do but can't think of something right now.
Movement: YES!! After talking to my doctor, she was positive the feelings that I have been having for weeks now has been the baby but Friday night after the ultrasound, Baby M was moving non stop!
Food cravings: Cookie dough, Watermelon Cream Slush from Sonic
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really
Gender: GIRL!!
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Still my killer lower back pain and also killer hip pain
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time but was have had some bitchy moments from not sleeping
Looking forward to: Finishing up the nursery walls. Board and batten is up on the wall, just needs the final coat(s) of paint.

{Feature Friday} #56

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone!!
Did you get some snow in your area and possibly get a 4 day weekend?

Here are some fun features from this week's party:

Happy Go Lucky shared this great idea for a DIY Fabric and Vinyl Rug

Homemade Patio Furniture from Natural Nester

Home Grown Beanes shared this Lemonade Cake Recipe

Winter Tree Jars created by Homespun with Love

Cute Little Love Birds from Happy Hour Projects
Craft Whatever shared how to create your own Facebook Landing Page

Thanks for linking up everyone!
Feel free to grab a Featured Button!!

We find out the gender of Baby M this evening and I can't wait!
Our weekend will be full of working on the nursery, registering for the baby, and doing other small projects around the house.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Catch a Glimpse Party #62

2012-01-12T04:00:00.001-07:00

It's Party Day!

Shaklee Basic H2 Giveaway Winners!

2012-01-11T10:42:00.002-07:00

Oooops!
I was suppose to announce the 5 winners of the Basic H2 Giveaway yesterday and totally forgot!
I'm sorry!!

Here are the 5 Winners:

1. Colleen

2.) Ashleigh

3.) Ashley Williams

4.) Lindsay @ Artsy-Fartsy Mama

5.) Sherry L.

Congratulations everyone!!
You need to comment here or send me an email (allison.michelena@gmail.com) with YOUR email address.
I will then pass your information onto Andrea so she can contact you to get your mailing address.

You have 3 days to contact me or I will have to choose a new winner!

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate-Caramel CremePie

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Received this recipe in an email from Kraft Food.

Chocolate-Caramel Creme Pie

(image)

Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 3 hr. 30 mins
Servings: 8 servings

What You Need:
-18 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
-3 Tbsp. butter, melted
-4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
-2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping
-1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
-1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
-1-1/2 cups cold milk

Make It:

-COMBINE cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate until ready to use.

-MIX cream cheese and caramel topping in medium bowl until well blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP; spread onto bottom of crust.

-BEAT pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min.; pour over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours.

ENJOY!!

Baby M Update: Week 19

2012-01-09T06:00:00.001-07:00

** Before I get into my update post for this week, I just want to remind you all about the Giveaway for a free sample of Basic H2 Cleaner. 5 Winners will be chosen and the entries are VERY LOW! **

Holy Moly!
Tomorrow I will be 20 wks along in this pregnancy! Halfway through!!
I can't believe it! I feel like this pregnancy is going by so fast. Let's see if I still think that when I get bigger and am miserable! lol

Here is my 19 week picture and update:

How far along? 19 weeks
Total weight gain: still no idea! Going to the doctor on Weds. so I will have a better idea then.
Maternity clothes? Still in my normal clothes besides the few shirts I got for Christmas that are maternity. Not sure when I will have to venture into maternity pants.
Stretch marks? nope :)
Sleep: I had more good nights than bad this week but still waking up often and tossing and turning.
Best moment this week: We got the nursery painted and bought the wood for the board and batten treatment and got those primed. So the nursery is on it's way!
Miss Anything? I'm going to stick with being pain free although I didn't hurt too bad this week.
Movement: Man... I have no clue! There are times I think I feel movement but then am like "Was that really the baby?" So no idea!
Food cravings: Still no cravings for the most part. Is something wrong with me? lol
Anything making you queasy or sick: Huh, I had a few nights this week that dinner or lunch didn't agree with me very well but I can't think what it was at this point.
Gender: FIND OUT FRIDAY!!!!! YEAH!!!
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Still my killer lower back pain and also killer hip pain. A little indigestion.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time but was sad in the beginning of the week.
Looking forward to: My doctor's appt. on Weds. and obviously Friday, Jan. 13 to find out the gender! Just hate that my appt. is at 5 pm!! Gonna be a LONG day!!

Don't forget to cast your votes for whether you think Baby M will be a Boy or a Girl!

5 Years

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

5 years ago today, I married my best friend!

The day was perfect!
Warm day, tons of family and friends surrounding us, and lots of love to go around.

I can't wait to finally bring our first child into the world in May and see who they become.
I know you will be a fabulous father!

I am so happy to be your wife and can't wait for the many, many, more years to come!
I LOVE YOU!!!

{Feature Friday} #55

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

It is Friday once again which means it is time for another Feature Friday full of fabulous ideas!

Here are the features for this week.

Melting Snowman Sugar Cookies from Totally Lauren Amber

Mom vs. Design School shared this Chevron Coffee Table

Ruffle Front Cardigan created by The Little Giggler.
And what a cute model that is too!

DIY Dishwasher Soap Packets made by Lady with the Red Rocker

Make the Best of Everything shared this great idea for Heart Shaped Tortilla Chips

Master Bedroom Redo from bebe a la mode designs

Feeding My Temple shared a recipe for Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

DIY Party Hats created by A Pumpkin and a Princess

Thanks so much for linking up everyone!!
Feel free to grab a Featured Button.

I hope you all have a great weekend!!

OH!! Don't forget to Enter the Giveaway for a free sample of Basic H2!!
Entries are VERY LOW and 5 winners will be chosen!

Catch a Glimpse Party #61

2012-01-05T04:00:00.001-07:00

It's Party Day!

Unfortunately, we have been working on lots of house projects so I yet again, don't have anything to share but hopefully soon! I FINALLY got everything in my craft room put away! YEAH!

So what fabulous ideas do you have to share this week?

Rules:

1.) Link up any crafts, recipes, home decor, tips, etc.

2.) PLEASE be sure to link to your specific post not your general blog. (I will delete any posts that do not follow this criteria.)

3.) Add my button or a link to my blog in your post or somewhere on your blog so others can come party too. (You can find my button code by clicking on the button icon in the top, left column.)

4.) PLEASE visit and comment on the post before you and after you, on top of any others that catch your eye. Everyone loves comment love!

5.) And most importantly... HAVE FUN!!

House Update #3

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now that the floors are complete, we've been able to finish some smaller projects.

Here is a quick update on where the house is now.

I will start with the piece of molding we put up on the wall heading up the stairs.We didn't want to carry to color of downstairs up into the bonus room so we stopped the blue color downstairs just below the railing upstairs and drew a line.

We then just took a simple piece of molding and put it on the wall. So there is the blue color below it and we will paint the wall above it the same color as the rest of the bonus room.

Next project was replacing all the baseboards downstairs since we had to rip them out when the carpet was removed.
Travis busy painting the base boards.

We put up a regular base board around the whole room and then also added a show molding as well.

Travis touching up the base boards after installing them.

Next came the stair risers.
We bought some thin pieces of wood and Travis cut them down to size to fit the risers.
Primed and painted them and they were ready to install.

Started by using liquid nails to put in place.

Then, Travis used his nail gun to nail them up.

Here they are complete and they look great!!

Next, we tackled painting the bonus room.
WHICH SUCKED!

We have a knock down texture on our walls and this turned out to be such a pain to cover and took forever!
Travis rolled on the paint.

While I cut in the corners and baseboards.

And the cut in the ceilings of course, which took forever as well!
Happy that room is complete!

We still have our master bedroom and bathroom to paint along with completing the nursery.

And we are in the process of finally finishing the stairs.
We had to patch and paint the sides of the stairs. So far they are patched and primed, just need a few finishing coats and the stairs will finally be complete.

So there will be a few more project update posts to go and then I will officially give a full house tour. Yeah!
So stay tuned!!

Sponsor Love: Maia the Bee + GIVEAWAY

2012-01-03T06:00:00.002-07:00

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!

I want to introduce you all the A Glimpse Inside's newest Sponsor, Andrea from Maia the Bee!

Hi! I'm Andrea from Maia the Bee and I am so excited to be featured today!

I'm a Kindergarten teacher turned stay-at-home-mom. My husband is in the US Army and we've been stationed in Germany since 2007. Our little Maia Bee was born here last year and is now 13 months old! It's incredible how fast time flies when they're so little!

We'd love for you to stop by and visit us as Maia the Bee. We're always up to something over here in Europe and I love to share our adventures with our readers!

***

What I'm about to share with you is my personal weight loss story. I think as Americans we have all had a period of time in our lives when we weren't happy with our weight. My period started with my pregnancy almost 2 years ago when I gained 60 pounds.

Everyone tells you it takes time to lose the weight, your body will come back, give it a year, blah, blah, blah. I heard it all but after 11 months I was still really far off track!

I decided to do something about it I'm so glad I did!

Ok, enough with introductions! Let's get to the good stuff!! :)

Many of us end the year by making resolutions and promises to ourselves for the coming year. What about YOU? What do you want to change for 2012?

Raise your hand if "Weight Loss" has made your list of resolutions?

Shaklee is kicking off the year with an incredible opportunity for those of us who are serious about losing weight…and keeping it OFF!

Remember when I told you about our Healthiest Loser Cinch Challenge? Back on November 1st, I started using Shaklee's Cinch products to lose the rest of my pregnancy weight. I was on a roll throughout the month, losing 5 pounds and an entire dress size! Do you know how great that feels?!?! I was able to go through my closet and pull out a bunch of pants that haven't fit in two years. TWO YEARS!!! Just ask my husband…I model my "new" clothes for him everyday! To say I'm thrilled would be a huge understatement!!

Want to see the results so far??

Remember, this is that I looked like in August 2009. I was 138 pounds. My goal is to get back to this size again:

This next photo is where I started just a year ago. It was taken at the end of December last year (2010). Maia was born on December 1, 2010 and in this photo, about three weeks later, I still look pregnant. In fact, I wore maternity clothes for about 3 or 4 more months! I was about 185 pounds when this photo was taken (I was up to 204 pounds when Maia was born!!)

You can see my face if round, my arms are big and my stomach fills up the entire shirt! To say I was uncomfortable in my own skin would be an understatement. Do you know how depressing it is to have a closet full of clothes but nothing fits! And even worse, is the feeling you get when you try your clothes on and realize just how big you've gotten. I was miserable.

I was losing weight gradually by myself after Maia was born but by July I had hit a plateau. My weight was stuck at 165 pounds and I still couldn't wear most of the clothes I owned. In August I found Shaklee and by November 1st, I was using Cinch.

Today I weigh 159 pounds. I've lost an entire dress size and I can wear almost all of the clothes in my closet now!! I can't tell you how excited I am! The best part is that people are stopping me to tell me how good I look! It's the best feeling!! People are noticing my weight loss and the changes in my body. It's amazing and I can't wait to blast the last few pounds this month!!

Here I am today!!

Here is a side-by-side comparison in the same clothes!

On the left, my "before" from 2009 and on the right, the picture of me today. (On a side note, I'm in desperate need of a tan!! Yikes!!) You can see that I still fill out the shirt a little more than I used to…but I can wear it and look good!! Have I mentioned how excited I am?!?! :)

The holidays have set me back a couple pounds but it has only solidified my resolve to be honest with myself and lose the rest of my weight for good. I've been such a cheater this month but I have a plan to get back on track!

I'm working on getting Maia enrolled in a gym-related childcare program. It's a little more difficult because she needs medical paperwork completed to document her food allergies, but I've gotten the ball rolling. It's the only opportunity I'll have to use a gym - living on a military installation in Germany is NOT convenient! The weather is getting worse here and most outdoor activities with a one year old are out of the question. This program will give me 90 minutes two to four times a week to work out.

So while I'm not yet at my goal weight, I am well on my way! Between my cinch products and some gym time, I plan on making January one heck of a month for weight loss!!

Want to join me?

Remember how I said Shaklee is kicking off the year with an incredible opportunity? I can't wait to tell you about it! HERE IT IS:

From now until March 31, 2012 when you join as a member and purchase $70 worth of products, you'll get the NEW Cinch Sampler Pack for FREE! That's over $100 savings!! What a way to start the new year!!

The Cinch Sampler comes with the following items (valued at over $100!

An assorted Cinch Snack Bar pack

A box of Pomegranate Cinch Tea

2-week supply of Cinch 3-in-1 Boost

Single sample of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Blueberry Almond Crisp Meal-in-a-Bars

One Chocolate Shake Packet and one Vanilla Shake Packet

Want to maximize your dollar? Purchase Shaklee's Vitalizer multivitamins for $79.25 and get a FREE lifetime membership AND the Cinch Taste Sampler!

How many other times have you spent $70 and been given a $100 gift?? This is unbelievable and will help each of you jump start your weight loss for 2012!

Shaklee is also unveiling a new product called the Cinch Transformation Pack (formerly Cinch Ultra). Each order of the Cinch Transformation Pack ($299.95) contains enough Cinch products to last you an entire month! Not only that, but when you order Cinch Transformation for 3 consecutive months, your 4th month is FREE!

This used to be known as Cinch Ultra, but it was "ultra" confusing to make sure you had enough products! Everything used to be manual but now, Shaklee has everything all set for you! I'm currently in my 3rd month of Cinch Ultra…which means that all of my Cinch products for the month of January are FREE! I'm sooooo excited! What an incredible deal!

Worried you'll be alone in your effort to lose the weight? Order Cinch and join our Online Community where we encourage, support, and cheer each other on as we meet our weight loss goals.

***

GIVEAWAY:

Shaklee also makes non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies that I absolutely LOVE! Looking to make 2012 a healthier year? Switch to cleaners that will not only save you money, but also keep your family safe from harmful chemicals.

I'd like to share samples of Shaklee's most popular non-toxic cleaner Basic H2 with 5 lucky readers!

Want to win one? Go to my Shaklee Store and leave a comment saying which product you'd most like to try and why!
Five winners will be chosen at random and their samples will be sent!

Winners will be announced Tuesday, January 10th.

***

What a great opportunity to start a New Year with a New YOU! Make 2012 a healthier year for you and your family!

Cheers!

Thanks so much Andrea for sponsoring A Glimpse Inside and doing this great giveaway!

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!

Baby M Update: Week 18

2012-01-02T06:00:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I can't believe it is already 2012. Where in the world did 2011 go?
I also can't believe that I am about to start week 19 of my pregnancy and that we get to find out soon what Baby M is.

Here is my week 18 picture.
I was trying to hold my cardigan in a little so you could see my belly better.
I do feel like I "popped" a little more this week.
Want to know more about this week? Here ya go!

How far along? 18 weeks
Total weight gain: still no idea!
Maternity clothes? I got a few new shirts for Christmas and I have worn a few. Although, only one was really a straight maternity shirt. The others were just baggier.
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep: Still not great! :(
Best moment this week: Finally finding and buying furniture for the nursery! So glad that task is over. That was a lot harder than I thought it would be. lol
Miss Anything? Being pain free!! I really don't remember what it feels like to not have my back and hips hurt!
Movement: I still don't think I have felt anything but again... I could have and not realized.
Food cravings: Nope! Still no cravings! Travis appreciates it but I can't believe it.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I had a pretty good week this week- yeah!
Gender: Don't know yet but as long as Baby M cooperates we will find out January 13!!
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Still my killer lower back pain and also killer hip pain.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time with the occasional swing. ;)
Looking forward to: Jan. 6th is our 5 yr. wedding anniversary so can't wait for that day! And obviously, Jan. 13 to find out the gender!

Don't forget to cast your votes for whether you think Baby M will be a Boy or a Girl!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T11:23:00.004-07:00

Happy 2012 Everyone!!!

I hope that you all had fabulous and safe New Year's Eve!

I want to thank each and every one of you that followed me in 2011 here on A Glimpse Inside, Facebook and Twitter.
Thanks for every comment, email, link up to the Catch a Glimpse party, and for letting me share my ideas.
I appreciate each and every one of you that are active on the blog and of course, those of you that quietly sit in the background.

I hope you will continue to follow along with me in 2012.
A whole new year full of brand new ideas and adventures!

{Feature Friday} #54

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone!
Are you ready for the weekend?

Well before that arrives, some fun features need to be shown.

Shredded Pork Tacos shared by Polish the Stars

Yellow Drop-Leaf Table redone by Picked & Painted

Pocket Full of Pink created a Framed Burlap Earring Holder

Shabby Love created this pretty Wall of Mirrors

New Year's Eve Cocktail Napkins created by Homespun with Love

Buffet Redo from Dumped and Discovered

No Sew Rosette Pillow created by Bliss Images and Beyond

Thanks so much for linking up everyone!
Feel free to grab a Featured Button!

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and a super safe, fun time ringing in 2012!
See you in the new year! :)

Catch a Glimpse Party #60

2011-12-29T06:00:00.001-07:00

It's Party Day!

2011 Tutorial Recap

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a little recap post of most of the Tutorials I shared through the year.

How to apply Vinyl

Valentine Topiaries and mailbox

T.P Roll Flower Garland

3D Tulip Art

Woven Spring Plaid Ribbon Art

Rosette Easter Basket

Summer Frame Wreath

Spider Web Wreath

3D Halloween Canvas Art

Halloween Bunting Banner

Burlap Christmas Art

Ribbon Ornament

Cardboard Snowflake Ornament

Thanks for letting me share my creativity with you all!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas.

Are some of you still getting together with family celebrating Christmas?

Even though I may totally bore you with this post, I am going to risk it and share some pictures from our Christmas.

We stayed in CO this year and celebrated just the two of us.

On Christmas Eve we busted out the tripod and took a couple pictures.
In front of the tree.

The two (three with bump) of us in front of the shutters.

Christmas morning we woke up and got straight to business at opening all our presents.
Here are some of the items we received.

A Xbox game for Travis

I finally got a Jo Tote camera bag! YEAH!!!

Travis and Oscar taking a break from opening gift for a little snuggle time.

I got a few new shirts, some maternity and some regular.

I also got a pretty heart necklace with a baby and mother from my in-laws.

Travis got not 1 but 3 of the exact same hiking backpack.
One from me, one from my mother, and one from his mom.
Oops! Guess we all should have talked more! lol

I got a little craft caddy from Travis along with some other crafting supplies.

And Baby M even got a few gifts already.

Patton was much more interested in all the boxes and paper then his new toy he received.

And Oscar just wanted to be right in the middle of everything to see what each of us received.

Patton was happy in this spot.

The mess after we finished!

And just like a guy, Travis got busy putting together another one of his toys, I mean presents, as soon as we were done.

In his brand new tent.

Oscar is ready to go camping with dad.
Well, not really but he sure was cute!

So what did you get for Christmas?

Baby M- Week 17

2011-12-26T06:00:00.004-07:00

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas!
Did you get everything that you asked for?

Here is my week 17 belly shot.
We took it on Christmas Eve this week.

Alright, here are some more little fun facts:

I forgot to mention last week that I am borrowing this little idea from the Little Baby Gavin blog.

How far along? 17 weeks
Total weight gain: still no idea!
Maternity clothes? nope but I did get a few tops for Christmas
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep: Still not great! :(
Best moment this week: Getting our baby heart rate monitor in the mail and hearing Baby M's heart beat again.
Miss Anything? Not being hungry all the time!
Movement: I still don't think I have felt anything but again... I could have and not realized.
Food cravings: Nothing special this week. I occasional want something but it isn't like a "I need it now!" craving. If I don't eat it, I'm ok with that.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I had a pretty good week this week- yeah!
Gender: Don't know yet but as long as Baby M cooperates we will find out January 13!!
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Still my killer lower back pain. And Travis and I played wii Friday night and I apparently got into it a little too much! lol Woke up with sore hips and other sore body parts! Haven't really had any heart burn. I can get extremely uncomfortable feeling after eating dinner and even if I don't eat a lot. That stinks!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time with the occasional swing. ;)
Looking forward to: Obviously, Jan. 13 to find out the gender!

Don't forget to cast your votes for whether you think Baby M will be a Boy or a Girl!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T11:39:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

I hope that you all have a fabulous day with your family and friends!

I also hope that Santa brought you everything you wanted. :)

{Feature Friday} #53

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

There were a ton of fabulous ideas linked up!

Especially holiday food ideas, so if you need some more ideas on what to create for Christmas this weekend, be sure to go back through the links and check them out!

Here are this week's Features:

The Bold Abode shared her "Impostor" Wreath

Christmas Tree Button Headband from Loopy Loop Creations

Small Home Love created these Paper Doily Christmas Trees

Christmas Wreath from Tousled Day

Fabric Magnet Board created by Burton Avenue

Redo 101 shared her Christmas Table Runner

Thanks for linking up everyone!
Feel free to grab a Featured Button!!

I hope that each of you have a fabulous Christmas with your family and friends!
Hope Santa brings you everything that you asked for!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Catch a Glimpse Party #59

2011-12-22T04:00:00.002-07:00

It's Party Day!

Before we get to this week's party, I just want to remind you about the Holiday Open House Party. Go link up your pretty Outdoor Decor!

I am sharing my Cardboard Snowflake Ornament today.

Holiday Open House: Week 4

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the last week of the Holiday Open House!

This week you can show off your Outdoor decor and lights!

PLEASE ONLY LINK UP YOUR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS!
This party is NOT for tutorials!!

I don't have too many outdoor pics to share. Ok, only 3.
We only decorated our porch this year since it was our first year in the house and we've been working inside so much.

But here is what we did!

White LED icicle lights on the porch
Garland with white lights and some bows
and our Little pine trees on the porch

Here is an up close shot of the bows.

And here is our little tree grouping.
We had to use some big rocks to weight them down with the crazy winds we have here but it made it look a little mountainy so it was cute!

And that'd be it! lol

Now I want to see how you decorated your houses!

RULES:

1.) Your post must be of your Holiday Decorations not of a tutorial.

2.) Link up to a specific post not your blog in general.

3.) Stop and visit a couple links to get new ideas!

4.) HAVE FUN!!!

Grab a button if you'd like!

Cardboard Snowflake Ornament

2011-12-20T06:00:00.001-07:00

I shared this ornament over at Under the Table and Dreaming during Stephanie Lynn's Handmade Ornament Series.

I got to thinking about what I could make after Stephanie asked me to participate and since I love to use old cardboard tubes for different projects, I pulled out my stash, played around a bit, and come up with this simple ornament for all of you.

Cardboard Snowflake Ornament

Here is how you can make your own.

Supplies:
-Cardboard tubes cut into 1/2 in. strips
-White acrylic paint
-Glitter paint
Glue Gun
-Buttons

Paint the tubes white inside and out.
Let dry.

Then coat the cardboard with the glitter paint also inside and out.

Dry fit your design.
Once you got it how you would like, begin gluing the pieces together.

Add a button to the center for a little something extra.

I decided to add a glittery button on top of the first to bring the glitter to the front.
Tied some embroidery string onto it for hanging and done!

Hang it on the tree and let the lights catch the glitter.

This is a simple project but looks great on the tree!

If you would like, you could add another layer of the tubes to add more dimension to the snowflake. Just play around and make it your own!

Update on Baby M

2011-12-19T20:18:00.006-07:00

I just realized yesterday that I haven't written one update on Baby M since announcing the pregnancy. So without further ado, here ya go!

Here are the last few weekly pictures that I have taken.

As you can see, I am slowly growing a little belly! :)

I went to the doctor for the first time here in CO during week 15.
Everything looks great and Baby M's heart rate was a fast 160.

Here are some more little fun facts:
I am borrowing this little idea from the Little Baby Gavin blog.

How far along? 17 weeks as of Tuesday, Dec. 20
Total weight gain: I have no idea! lol I lost so much weight the first trimester (about 10 lbs or so) that I really don't know. I think I have gained about 2 or 3 lbs. back since I have been feeling better.
Maternity clothes? nope and I think I still have a few weeks until I have too
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep: Oh, how I miss a good night sleep! I haven't slept very well in far too long and I wish I would since I know once the baby comes I really won't be getting much sleep. :(
Best moment this week: Getting my prescription of Zofran refilled! lol I ran out of it for a couple days and was immediately sick again. SO NOT FUN! Guess I will be sticking with this for a few more months.
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back! Week 16 was the first week that you are officially not allowed to sleep on your back but I have been trying to do it for a few weeks now. I must admit, I do end up that way a few times during the night but not for very long. But I miss it oh so much!
Movement: Not feeling anything yet or at least to my knowledge. I could be and just haven't realized it yet.
Food cravings: I actually haven't had any cravings yet. Ok, I take that back. I had 1 a few weeks ago for chips and salsa but that came and went and I don't have anything else. In fact, I am actually so tired of food! I am probably the only pregnant person to ever say that but I am tired of always having to eat something.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not so much anymore, unless I don't have my meds or I wait to long to eat something. Also, I discovered that I just can't eat a steak anymore.
Gender: Don't know yet but as long as Baby M cooperates we will find out January 13!!
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: INSANE back pain! Have had it for weeks and depending on how much I try to do, it gets worse. I frequently walk like a little old lady who lost her cane. My hips also hurt if I sleep on one side too long.
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy
Looking forward to: Obviously, Jan. 13 to find out the gender but also Christmas this weekend. Family has already sent Baby M some presents so it will be fun opening them up to see what they have received.

I will do my best to update every week.
I normally take my weekly picture at the end of each week so that my belly grows that whole week so look for updates at the end of the week.

Also, I want to know what you think Baby M will be!!
I added a poll in the top, left hand column so please cast your votes for whether you think Baby M will be a Boy or a Girl!

House Update #2

2011-12-19T06:00:00.002-07:00

Here is another house update for you guys.

I'll start with move in day...

One of the trucks with all our stuff.

I pretty much sat in this chair directing the movers where to go the whole time.
Gotta love morning sickness and just relaxing! ;)

Oscar sat on his little bench and helped me direct traffic.

We needed to buy a fridge so that was also delivered on move in day.
Travis, of course, had to check out our big new toy.

Movers left... time to begin unpacking what we could.
We only unpacked the kitchen since we had no flooring in the house we left everything else in boxes.

And while we unpacked, my dad was STILL painting!

Everything sitting in the loft area until we got carpet and it can be unpacked.

And again since we didn't have carpet, we didn't set up our bedroom so for the first week or so in our house, we slept with our mattresses on the floor.

Oh yeah, our hardwood floors were also delivered on move in day!
Travis cutting open all the boxes so the wood could acclimate to the house.

The wood is finally acclimated and we can start laying it down!

My dad and Travis making progress with the floor in the living and dining room area.

And I even got in on the floor laying act in the family room area.

A couple days later, we finally got our carpet installed upstairs and could set up! YEAH!!!

Well, kinda set up!
More like move things to where they are actually going to live and slowly unpack! lol

Here is a glimpse of our family room set up with the new hardwood floors.

Instead of putting carpet back on the stairs, we had someone come and install our hardwood floors on them. They look great!

All the flooring was completed before Thanksgiving.
We have been working on installing the stair risers and putting down base boards this past week and weekend and it is all looking fabulous!

Of course, stay tuned for more house updates as time goes on!

{Feature Friday} #52

2011-12-16T20:35:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone!
I hope you all had a fabulous Friday!

I am so sorry that I am JUST NOW getting this week's Feature Friday post up!
I had a busy day yesterday and hubby and I had a date this afternoon so I have just now been able to make my way through the fabulous links and get the post together.

So here are this week's Features!

Tattered & Inked shared her Linen Candy Cane Striped Wreath

Gift Wrapped Gallery Wall from Mom on Timeout

Cute Christmas Mailbox created by Digiart Cafe

c.w.frosting shared her Beach Holiday Wreath

Be Merry Music Banner made by Moments with the Montano's

live.laugh.rowe created this awesome Burlap Bows

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Sticks shared by Homespun with Love

Christmas Tree Card Holder created by Little Lucy Lu

Thanks so much for linking up all your fabulous ideas!!
Feel free to grab a Feature Button!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!
Stay warm and get ready for the fun Holidays ahead! :)

Catch a Glimpse Party #58

2011-12-15T04:00:00.001-07:00

It's Party Day!

Before we get to this week's party, I just want to remind you about the Holiday Open House Party. Go link up your pretty Christmas trees!

Now what fabulous ideas do you have to share this week?

Rules:

1.) Link up any crafts, recipes, home decor, tips, etc.

2.) PLEASE be sure to link to your specific post not your general blog. (I will delete any posts that do not follow this criteria.)

3.) Add my button or a link to my blog in your post or somewhere on your blog so others can come party too. (You can find my button code by clicking on the button icon in the top, left column.)

4.) PLEASE visit and comment on the post before you and after you, on top of any others that catch your eye. Everyone loves comment love!

5.) And most importantly... HAVE FUN!!

I'm visiting....

2011-12-14T19:13:00.005-07:00

Over at Under the Table and Dreaming today sharing a handmade ornament in Stephanie Lynn's:

So if you would like to see how I made this little cutie:
Pop on over to Under the Table and Dreaming to see the tutorial.

Holiday Open House Party- Week 3

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

O, Christmas Tree! O, Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me;
How often has the Christmas tree
Afforded me the greatest glee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me.

Welcome to Week 3 of the Holiday Open House!

It's time to show off those fabulous Christmas trees!
If you have more than one tree, then show them all off!

I can't wait to see them!

I have showed you glimpses of mine but would you like to take a closer look?
I'll show you some of my favorite ornaments and the other things that adorn our tree.

Here is a view of our whole tree.
I have a red tree skirt under it. I think it is Martha Stewart.

Here is my tree topper.
I'm totally drawing a blank on the name of this thing. It is normally just a table top decoration but there is the perfect sized hole on the bottom of it to slip onto the top of my tree.

I wrapped the tree in two different Silver ribbons. The first is this ribbon that I have had for a few years now and it is Martha Stewart. Love the silver, glittery swirls.

The next ribbon is this shiny dot ribbon. It really bounces the light around and off the tree.

I made these Tree picks this year and they add a little dimension to the tree.
Tutorial coming up for these!

On to the ornaments:

This is Travis' hand blown ornament.
It is blue and orange but the blue pretty much overtook the orange.

And here is my hand blown ornament. I choose yellow and a light blue.

My little Noel Santa was a gift from my Aunt when I was younger. She would give my sister and I an ornament every year with our gift.

Every year, my mom buys my sister and I an ornament and vice versa.
This is the ornament I got from her in 2008. I love the unique little trees. There is a single tree on the back of it as well.

I'm a big glass, glittery ornament girl (I'm sure you're not surprised). I just love the simplicity of this white ornament with the snowflakes on it.

This was the ornament from my mom one year.
It actually came from Cracker Barrel Restaurant (they have awesome Christmas decor in their Country Store).

What's a tree without a Santa on it?!
This was a gift from my aunt growing up and he is still one of my favorites.

Chartreuse egg shaped ornament.

I love the shape of this and how simple it is!

I bought this one year from Hobby Lobby.

My sister actually gave me this hand blown ornament a couple years ago.

My mom gave me this ornament the year Travis and I got married.
We got married in January and one of our wedding colors was Chartreuse so she thought it worked well for our wedding ornament without literally being a "First Married Christmas" ornament.

I bought this one year also at Cracker Barrel Restaurant.
Perfect saying for the season!

Holly ornament.

Fun red and green glittery ornament.

Light blue snowflake teardrop ornament.

Most of my ornaments are light colors or red but I fell in love with this pink polka dot ornament and had to have it.

Glittery ornament was a gift from a friend in high school.

Another simple yet elegant ornament.

I bought this one this year as well at Hobby Lobby. I love the mirrored look of it.

Festive polka dot ornament.

I love this ornament as well since it is different from all the rest.
I also got this one from a friend in high school.

White teardrop snowflake ornament.

Another Santa ornament that was a gift from my aunt growing up.

I love the dark gray color of this one.

Simple, white ornament.

Love the glow of the tree at night!

So that's my tree!
I can't wait to see yours now.

Just a reminder that next week is the Last Holiday Open House and it is your Outdoor decor!

Now, SHOW ME THOSE TREES!

RULES:

1.) Your post must be of your Holiday Decorations not of a tutorial.

2.) Link up to a specific post not your blog in general.

3.) Stop and visit a couple links to get new ideas!

4.) HAVE FUN!!!

Grab a button if you'd like!

House Update 1

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

So last week I gave you a tour of a new house before all the work we had to do began.

Today I will show you what went down the first week or so of home ownership BEFORE all of our house hold goods showed up.

Travis and my parents worked their butts off. I, on the other hand, stayed in our hotel room with morning sickness and the fumes were way to strong for me to be at the house.

The morning after closing, all of the urine stained carpets in the whole house, were ripped out.
After the carpet was ripped out, the concrete had to be cleaned and primed so the smell would not return.

The linoleum flooring in the kitchen was also ripped out since we were putting hardwood all downstairs.

The carpet on the stairs was also pulled up.
We lived without flooring for about 3 weeks. It was quite dirty!

My mother was a cleaning machine!!
And EVERYTHING needed to be cleaned!
Kitchen cabinets, blinds, walls, bathrooms, windows, you name it, she cleaned it!

And my dad was a painting machine!!
Every room in our house was painted in some way or another except our master bathroom.

The whole downstairs was painted a gray blue color.
Turned out more blue than we both thought it would but we like it.

Our master bedroom was only primed because I can't decide what color I want it painted.
The nursery is primed waiting for final coat once we find out the baby's gender.
The bonus room just got a coat of white paint until we decide on a color.
And the guest room got a coat of a sage green that was a $5 can of Oops paint.
The guest bath was also painted a green color.

All this was done before our stuff came.
Travis and my parents were sore and exhausted every night.

Next week I will share pictures of our new floors and the house being somewhat put together so stay tuned!

{Feature Friday} #51

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! It's Friday and that means another round of Features!

Lots of fabulous ideas were linked up again this week and here are just a few of them.

Turnstyle Vogue shared her mantle decor using fresh greens and candles.

Cute Christmas 2x4's created by Keeping it Simple

Yarn Ball Wreath created by Cherished Bliss.

Mrs. Happy Homemaker made these yummy looking Speckled Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.

2 Friends and 2 Cities created this Vintage Fabric Garland for the mantle.

Cute Rolled Paper Christmas Tree from Adventures of a DIY Mom.

Beautiful Kitchen redo from The Diary of Dave's Wife.

Directions Not Included shared her Glittery Centerpieces.

Thanks for linking up everyone!
Feel free to grab a Featured Button.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Catch a Glimpse Party #57

2011-12-08T06:00:00.002-07:00

It's Party Day!

Before we get to this week's party, I just want to remind you about the Holiday Open House Party. Go link up your living room Christmas decorations!

I'm sharing my Burlap Christmas Art this week.

Holiday Open House- Week 2

2011-12-07T04:00:00.002-07:00

Welcome to Week 2 of the Holiday Open House!
This week you can show off your Living Room decor and if you decorate your kid's rooms or bonus rooms you can include that decor as well.

PLEASE ONLY LINK UP YOUR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS!
This party is NOT for tutorials!!

Here are my living room decorations.
I will start in the living room area where our tree is.

Here a shot of our tree unlit.

And here is our tree lit up at night.

Near the front door I have this little box where I put our Christmas cards as we get them.

Our shutters are hung in this area decorated with garland, a wreath, and our stockings.
I have a cute, little tree on floor in front for a little something extra.

Here is a closer shot of the upper portion of the shutters.

And here is a closer shot of the little branch tree.

Now we'll move into the family room area.

Here is our entertainment area.

I hung my embroidery hoop ornaments above the tv.

Sparkly reindeer on one side of the entertainment center.

Glittery Noel sign under the tv.

And on the other side of the entertainment center, I have some little trees and a snowman.

On our end table, I have my kissing angels.

And the last thing in our family room area would be these two small pine trees that I decorate with ornaments that Travis and I have made.

Now I want to see how you decorate your living rooms!

RULES:

1.) Your post must be of your Holiday Decorations not of a tutorial.

2.) Link up to a specific post not your blog in general.

3.) Stop and visit a couple links to get new ideas!

4.) HAVE FUN!!!

Grab a button if you'd like!

Burlap Christmas Art Tutorial

2011-12-06T06:00:00.003-07:00

I shared this tutorial over at Positively Splendid and want to share it with you all as well!

Burlap Christmas Art

Would you like to see how to create your own?
Here ya go!!

How to:
Supplies:
-Wood or Canvas (I already had the wood)
-Burlap
-Acrylic Paint
-Spray Adhesive
-Stencils (I created mine using my Silhouette)

First, cut the burlap the same size or a little smaller than your wood.
Make the edges as straight as possible.
Pull the end pieces to fray the edges to your liking.

Paint the wood or your canvas a background color.
This color will border your burlap when complete.

Then, use spray adhesive or spray mount on the back of your stencil and place on your burlap.
Begin to paint.

Make sure you use the "Pounce" method so paint doesn't get under your stencil.

All done!

I wanted to add some words to my paintings as well so repeat the same process with the spray mount.
Be sure to save any centers of your letters and spray those as well to place in your stencil!

The reindeer burlap all painted.

To mount to the wood, spray the back of the burlap with spray adhesive.
Place on the wood and smooth out flat.

I also glued some buttons or brads in the corners to make it look like those were holding down the burlap.

Here is the finished reindeer.

I created a Christmas tree one as well.

Hang them on the wall and you have some cute and easy Christmas art!

New House Tour

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I thought that today I would give you all a house tour.

There is a catch though- these are the pictures that I took before we closed on the house so these are already older pictures because we have done a lot of work to the house in the short time we have been here.
Over the next few weeks, I will share progress pictures so I am not putting them all up at once.
This house has and will provide me with MANY posts! lol

So we will start with a shot of the front of the house.

Pretty easy to see it is a 2 story house with a 2 car garage.
Has a little covered porch but then the porch extends out in front of the rest of the house as well... just waiting for some chairs!

Time to head in...

Standing in the front door this is our bowling alley.
The house has a living room, dining room, then on the other side of the wall is a family room.

Here is a shot of the dining room, which is in the center of the room, and it also has a bay window.

Here is a shot of the living room and dining room from the back of the house.
Front door to the left.

At the very back of the house is the family room.

Then across the back of the house on the across from the family room is the kitchen.

Before we head upstairs, we will head out back.

This is our GIANT patio!
We have a ton of concrete in the back of the house and it wraps around both sides of the house as well.

Our big side yard for Oscar.

Time to head upstairs...

At the top of the stairs to the left is our big master bedroom.

Master bath with double sinks.

In the back of the house are 2 bedrooms.
This one will be the nursery.

This one is the guest room.

Here is the guest bath.

And at the very top of the stairs we have this extra bonus/loft area.
Travis and I are sharing it making the far half my craft room and the half of the room a closer to you in the picture, his man cave.

So that is our house, well how it looked when we bought it.
It has already change SO much because we had to rip out every inch of carpet because the previous owner's dog peed ALL OVER IT! So we have new carpet upstairs and hardwood down.
And every room has been painted in some way so it is totally changed.

Stay tuned to future weeks to see what we have done with the house and what new projects are yet to come! :)

{Feature Friday} #50: Advent Calendar Edition

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001-07:00

Feature Friday posts are back!
Did you miss them?

There were MANY great Advent Calendar Ideas linked up to this week's Catch a Glimpse party so I thought I would devote this week's Feature Friday to those.

There is still time to make one of these great ideas for your family.

Toilet Roll Advent Calendar from Serenity You

Advent Calendar from Somewhere in the Middle

Muffin Tray Advent Calendar shared by Belle's Bazaar

Pressed Down, Shaken Together shared her Beribboned Trees Dry Erase Frame

Teach the True Meaning of Christmas Advent Calendar from Sweeter than Sweets

Nifty Thrifty Things created this DIY Advent Calendar

Boxed Advent Calendar from Adventures of a DIY Mom

Homegrown Beanes shared her Frugal Advent Calendar

Little Lucy Lu created this great DIY Advent Calendar

Thanks so much for linking all these great ideas up!

Feel free to grab a Featured Button!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Catch a Glimpse Party #56

2011-12-01T04:00:00.002-07:00

It's Party Day!

Before we get to this week's party, I just want to remind you about the Holiday Open House Party. Go link up your dining room and kitchen Christmas decorations!

Holiday Open House: Week 1

2011-11-30T04:00:00.003-07:00

Welcome to week 1 of the Holiday Open House!This is the week to share your Dining Room and Kitchen Holiday Decor!

I will start off my tour in our dining room.

I put a table runner on the table and then used some old garland as greener.
Slipped in different silver candle sticks with white or silver candles and then added some white berries and glittered pine cones to the garland.

Here is my Christmas Village.
I had to get creative with it this year because I used to put it on our hutch but I am using that in my craft room so I had to come up with a new idea. Luckily, since we just moved we had lots of empty boxes! Covered them up with different white fabrics for layers and put the houses on that.

Shot of the table and village in the background.

Moving our way to the kitchen, we'll make a stop at the bar.
Above the bar hangs the burlap art I created (tutorial next week) and then on the bar a fun Silver Tinsel Tree with 2 little snowmen.

Closer shot of the tree and snowmen.

I hung some colorful snowflakes in front of our sliding back door.

I don't decorate much in the kitchen but I have this little tree on our island with some candy dishes under it.

And under the island, I have another cute tree with my fun, tall snowman.

Above our stove we have this glass block window so I added another colorful snowflake in this window and then have my Christmas Salt and Pepper Shakers in the window.

Here is a closer shot of my salt and pepper shakers.

That is the end of my tour so I can't wait to see how you have decorated!

RULES:

1.) Link up to a specific post not your blog in general.

2.) Your post must be of your Holiday Decorations not of a tutorial.

3.) Stop and visit a couple links to get new ideas!

4.) HAVE FUN!!!

Grab a button if you'd like!