dec. daily {no. 22} photo ornament tutorial

Time for the second annual handmade ornament tutorial + grand finale of my December dailies. (Am bugging out early, I know!) This year, I made a big batch of these baby block ornaments to give as gifts to all of Graham's doting grand and great-grandparents and saved one for our little family. These make perfect baby's 1st Christmas ornaments, but of course you could decorate yours with absolutely any theme.

Supply round up:
1. glitter, lots of glorious glitter
2. tiny eyelet screws (found these in the wood section at Michael's)
3. wooden baby blocks
4. pretty scrapbook paper
5. foam brush
6. embellishments (I am a button freak)
7. small paint brushes
8. paint
9. decoupage (because no great ornament tutorial would be complete without it!)
10. glue
11. ink pad (I'm obsessed with Staz On ink)
12. scissors
13. ribbon, twine, or ric rac
14. photos, printed in 1" squares
Start out by painting your blocks. I lightly painted over the carved out letters to give it more depth and a two-tone effect. Allow to dry.Next, glue on paper squares and glitter as many sides as you please.To create the itty-bitty photos, I created a collage of our latest family photo shoot using Photoshop. It just cost 15 cents to have this printed as a 4x6 at Walgreens.Once your paint and glue have dried, it's time to decoupage on your mini pictures. I choose to cut mine small enough to leave a small border around the photo. Use your decoupage to coat entire block. Once sealed, use hot glue or tacky glue to adhere buttons or other fun embellishments. To give it a bit of an antique look--lightly swipe ink pad over corners. I used rubber and acrylic stamps to add Graham's initials and the date to the top of the block. And to finish it off--screw eyelet hook into top of block and lace with a pretty piece of ribbon or twine and hang it on your Christmas tree!

In hindsight, I might have saved the glittered side for the absolute last step. It works either way, but you're probably familiar with the wandering tendencies of glitter...I had some trouble keeping it off of my pictures and ink pad.

This is the part where I wish you the warmest, most wonderful Christmas yet. Am wrapping up early, packing up the car, and heading home for the rest of the week to celebrate Christ's coming and indulge on cookies. Will be back in 2010. Wouldn't miss it.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas + Happy New Year!!

dec. daily {no. 18} : baby stocking stuffers

I'm not shedding a single bead of sweat over Christmas gifts for Graham this year. I'm fully aware that he'll have much more fun with all of the big cardboard boxes, shiny bows, and crinkly wrapping paper involved. However, I am still planning to stuff his little stocking with a few fun items:1. Wooden stacking rings from Ikea.
2. Applique onesies. (I had aspirations of making the whole alphabet, but stopped after just 2 of his initials. He didn't need 26 onesies anyway!)
3. Apple Cinnamon Puffs. The poor boy is a bit young for peppermint bon bons and fudge, so these are the next best thing. Although they are too spendy to justify buying every week, they will make a tasty Christmas treat...And the only way we can make it through church these days without growling. :)
4. Sheep in a Shop. We are expanding our literary horizons after becoming hooked on reading Sheep in a Jeep. It's a big family fav around here; it cracks me up every time. We still need to check out Sheep on a Ship and Sheep out to Eat and Sheep take a Hike. But that's another day my friends.
It's been a pretty productive week around here. We are officially all set for Christmas--the tree trimmed, the cards mailed, the shops shopped, gifts wrapped and stockings stuffed. I'd like to say that I am kicking back with a tall glass of eggnog to enjoy it all for the next week...but instead I am working four 12-hour shifts in a row before heading to my parents' house on Tuesday. Yikes! Happy weekend one and all. Will be back sometime next week with a last minute Christmas ornament tutorial. (In the mean time, check out last year's birdie ornament.)

dec. daily {no. 17} holly pins (my take)

Abracadabra. Here's my take on the lovely Martha pins from earlier. {I almost want to take that post down...Honestly, I am embarrassed by the comparison!} I didn't have the same velvet ribbon and puff balls that were used in the magazine, so I just scrounged for some fun buttons + trims that I had on hand. Mine are definitely a bit more scrappy looking. Whether that's a plus or a minus, I'll let you decide. But as Julia Child would say, "never apologize, no excuses." I love that motto--and I believe it translates well from cooking to crafting. BTW, I finally saw Julie + Julia last weekend. Loooved it. Even more charming than I imagined it would be. And even Jeff liked it! Maybe I should write a blog about being a wannabe Martha. Mmm, no thanks.
All in all, I'd say this is a pretty quick + simple project to undertake. Just be sure to stock up on sticks for your hot glue gun! I went through 2, although half of it came out on my fingers.

felt holly pin

I have tons of extra felt lying around after making our stockings, so this afternoon I am trying my hand at making one of these holly pins {via Martha}. Hoping mine will turn out half as cute!

dec. daily {no. 16} : oh christmas tree

Just a quick snapshot from Monday afternoon's cookie extravaganza with my mom. (Sorry little brother--your Michael Jackson gingerbread man did not make the cut.) Christmas is just 9 short days away and there's still so much to do this week! Am dreading that line at the post office...

dec. daily {no. 15} handmade tags

Am proud to report that last weekend I officially wrapped up the shopping and hauled out the wrapping paper. With the right tools--pretty paper, a pile o' ribbon, at least 3 rolls of Scotch tape, and snazzy tags--wrapping presents can be a dream come true. Seriously, this is my favorite part of Christmas prep. (I realize I say that about everything.) And making your own merry mini gift tags is a quick craft that can add a whole lot of pizazz to the simplest of gifts. I cranked almost 2 dozen of these out in an hour, while a certain creepy crawler played under the table with my ribbon stash and a big jar of buttons.
{Fun button embellishments from here were a gift last year from a sweet friend.}

dec. daily {no. 14} oreo truffles

As promised, the recipe you've been awaiting+craving. These little morsels are among the most tasty Christmas treats you can crank out in the least amount of time. They are getting super popular these days, so please don't mind me pretending like I've invented them. My grandma first discovered them 10 years ago and passed me the recipe long before I had a kitchen of my own. But with a name like Reindeer droppings it's no wonder the recipe fell by the wayside for a few years...

And now here's how:

Ingredients:
4 oz softened cream cheese
A package of oreos
Vanilla almond bark
(yes, that's all!)

1. Smash your Oreos. (It's ok if you cheat and eat one out of the package before beginning. I promise I won't tell because I do the same thing. And I promise it won't throw off your recipe.) It doesn't matter how you smash them, just turn them into the tiniest Oreo particles possible. If you're lucky enough to have a food processor, go for it. If you're old school like me, just toss them into a Ziploc bag and beat them to smithereens with your burliest rolling pin. It's a good way to release some of your holiday angst.
2. Toss your Oreo bits into a bowl and combine with cream cheese until the mixture is even and moist

3. Roll into 1" balls

4. Freeze for 1 hour or until balls are firm for dipping

5. Melt almond bark, dunk your Oreo balls, tap off excess...you know the drill

6. Add chocolate sprinkles, allow coating to harden, and store in fridge
Enjoy your sugar high!

As we speak, I am on my way home to bake the day away w/ my mom. Can't wait. Have a great week everyone!

dec. daily {no. 11} : cookies commence

For obvious reasons, Christmas baking is one of my all-time favorite traditions. Every December my mom would (and still does!) turn the house into a cookie factory. Not even exaggerating--she would spend an entire week baking from dawn until dusk plus chase 5 stinking kids in between. And she would not stop 'til every piece of Tupperware was filled with every form of Christmas cookie known to man. Call it overkill, but come Christmas Eve, our fam would feast on the sugary delights and my mom would not need to lift a finger to bake again 'til Easter.

No way can I come close to producing such a bounty. (Nor do I need to--we'll be going home to a cookie extravaganza at my parents' this year for the holidays.) But I will try my hands at a few favs.

This year's short and sweet to-bake list:

Sugar cookie cut-outs, festively glazed+ sprinkled
Almond spritz cookies
Peanut butter stars
Mint brownies
Oreo truffles*

What's in your oven this year?

*More on the truffles tomorrow!

dec. daily {no. 10} dear jeff

Thanks for the million and one things you do, the dipes you change, and the joy you bring around here. But today--thanks for battling the sub-zero temps, running to 4 different stores to buy a shovel, picking up groceries for our starving family, and managing to bring a giant pot of these home with you. You are the best. xo

dec. daily {no. 9} since we've no place to go

Am loving this December blizzard business. But driving home from work this morning just about tipped me over the edge. There are some really lame drivers out there. And so for the rest of the day, I've vowed not to leave the house. Am enjoying the winter wonderland from within and sending Jeff {bless his heart} to do my dirty work at the grocery store. G and I are staying safe and warm and wishing you and your kin the same thing too.

dec. daily {no. 8} naughty or nice?

Someone's been caught red-handed undecorating and eating ornaments around here. I've got to hand it to him, those shiny gold balls are pretty tantalizing. Heaven help me. We've only just begun.

dec. daily {no.7} toys in every store

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and I'm coupon clipping big time. Although our budget is thanking us for not splurging on airfare this season (we've opted to visit Jeff's parents in January...tickets are half the price!), I am still attempting to stick to a savvy spending plan. Here's how:
*Start out with X dollars to spend on Christmas
*Divide X by all the peeps who need gift-giving
*Make list of what to give to each, and how much we can spend {and stick to it of course}
*Clip coupons galore
*Compare, compare, compare
*Buy everything on sale
*Pay with cash
*And most importantly, I have a few handmade gifts up my sleeve this year. :)
Am hoping to wrap up all of the Christmas shopping by the end of the week.

i never knew

dec. daily {no. 4} Light of the world

"And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid."

The best+brightest item on our advent agenda: Cozy up on the couch and read Luke chapter 2 family style. Pause to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

It's no Bethlehem star, but this lovely little chandie is gracing our dining room table and illuminating our nativity scene this season. An early Christmas gift from my sil--she knows my girly style all too well.

P.S. If you're feeling a bit behind the times these days and still in need of a quick advent calendar--download this one. It's simple and darling!

dec. daily {no. 3} : merry + bright

Suddenly, our new little place is beginning to feel a little like Christmas and a lot like home. Am completely charmed by our beautiful Be Merry paper banner from this dear girl.

dec. daily {no. 2} : happiness is

Watching our kiddo's face light up with the Christmas tree. I never imagined how wonderful it would be to watch him discover the world.

dec. daily {no.1} : diy stockings

Welcome blessed December. It was a light speed year, but nevertheless, I am glad to see you've rolled around again. Christmastime is here. It's officially the hap-happiest season of all. Time to trim our trees and prepare our hearts for Christ's coming. Our halls are decked and our Advent calendar is chock full of ideas to make the season bright. Am feeling a little extra merry this year at the thought of sharing the wonderment with Graham, forging new family traditions as a threesome, and (hip-hip) the prospect of enjoying a white Christmas once again as a Minnesotan. Speaking of traditions--last year, I loved every minute of sharing my December Dailies. And so, I am delighted to bring you a whole 'nother round. First up, the big reveal of my DIY stockings. I had high hopes of knitting up something truly heirloom-worthy, but my needles (and knitting aptitude) froze and fell short after the first row. Yarn aside, these are my wool felt renditions. I must say, it's the thought that counts. My lovely SIL Jenny came to spend a weekend with us in November, and we cranked out our handmade stockings like nobody's business. I am so grateful to her for inspiring + motivating me to get these made. Now all I have to do is sit back and scheme about how I will stuff them.