Better Late Than Never?

Fun Gift Sites

Don't you just love all the articles in magazines and on blogs for gift ideas? I always gravitate towards Real Simple's "50 Gifts Under $50." When I think about it, I haven't actually bought many presents based on these lists. I just like the new shopping sites they introduce you to or remind you about. This year I'm perusing

 Top Left: Scratch off map for just $24

Top Right: Ping Pong anywhere! May need this just for me and the hubs.

Bottom: Presidential blocks. I want writers! Get it? Writers Blocks? haha (sorry nerding out a bit)

They also have literary iPhone covers! Ack! I need one!

Left: Autobahn tape and car kit. This may be calling my nephews name...

Middle: Five pound gummy bear. Really. It's five pounds. I love gummy bears, but that's just too much.

Right: Cardboard rocket ship...random but I like it.

Okay those are mostly silliness. A good girly one is

http://www.seejanework.com/

They've got items from Lucky Magazine, Lilly Pulitzer, Jonathon Adler, Dwell Studio, and Kate Spade. So many feminine and stylish office stuffs!

The Problem With Improvising

After seeing numerous deco mesh wreaths on Pinterest, I decided to whip one up.

Cute, how I thought this would be easy.

When I got to the good ol' Hobby Lobby, they were out of poly deco mesh in any color but HOT pink. I found mesh garland.  Then I got a wreath form and some pipe cleaners to twist around my mesh garland.

I attached the pipe cleaners to a 20" wreath (the only size left at my neighborhood HobLob)  form every couple inches.

First problem: 20" makes an enormous deco mesh wreath.

The wreath form wasn't going to work. My friend Magan made one using a wire hanger. Phew, that was easy to fix.

Once I switched my wreath form, I went back and put my pipe cleaners on again.

Second Problem: pipe cleaner slides all over the place

I had no real solution for this without waiting to order one of THESE. The wires on that guy are attached and won't slide all over like the pipe cleaners.

Finally, I started to add the mesh garland. I attached the end of the mesh garland to one pipe cleaner, measured off about a foot of garland and attached it to a pipe cleaner 2" (before they started sliding...) away from the last one. I continued that around the my wreath and used 18 ft of mesh garland.

Third Problem: Mesh garland does not equal poly deco mesh. Looks fairly similar...shoulda thought about the texture. It doesn't fluff the same. The little bubbles or puffs between each tie down do not stay bubbled or puffed up very well.

I wrapped silver ribbon around the wreath, added a few sprigs of sparkly stuff, and put a letter in the middle. Here is the final product:

It is still festive and cute.

The mesh isn't as poofy as I'd like it to be. If I had picked up the right materials to begin with...things may have gone a little smoother..... : /

Actually Completed Pinterest Project!

Almost unbelievable, right? I made this waaaay back in July. It's just now making it on the blog.

Our friends Wynter and Jeric, previously seen HERE, were married this fall. For a shower gift, I whipped up this fun ornament I saw on Pinterest.

Easy breezy. I had the clear ornaments leftover from a craft fail last Christmas.

The invite conveniently included a ribbon that was the color of the bridesmaids' dresses. I just curled lines of the invite around a pencil and stuck them in the ornament. It turned out really sweet. When you turn it different ways you see a strip with the date or their names. :)

Christmas Mantel

Okay..I know Christmas is Saturday and I'm just now posting my Christmas mantel. It was up all December but I haven't been blogging all December! So, here it is:

You were just blown away, right? I know...not really.

I really only had to make the "Noel" letters. Basically I went to Hobby Lobby and picked out four different style letters around the same size. Here's how it turned out:

 The "n" and "e" were those cardboard letters and the "o" and "l" were made of wood. A little craft paint and they still look half finished somehow.... I can't figure it out.

This rotund couple were made by Mom when I was younger. She used to make all kinds of adorable Santas. They are really really cute! Mrs. Claus' apron and Santa's hat are both navy with gold stars. I wish I had more of her creations to show you. I'm not sure where they all went.

After I had those things up, it seemed lopsided. I glittered up some pinecones. I threw those in a lantern with cranberries and some silver ornaments. It was still missing something, so I added a bow. It still seems to need height. Ah well...next year! 

I'm so excited about the item in the next pic! It's my future kitchen lamp! Do you see it? I didn't at first either. Mom saw it at the Wisteria Outlet. It's a capital...or "cool hunk of wood with my favorite colors" I'll show you pics of how it goes together when we actually get it together.