BFF Open House Link Party

Well, I hope your week is ending better than mine. My laptop decided to be very uncooperative when I most need it for a few things so this week's party will be just party no features since I need to to do this on my phone. 

Here's to the weekend !

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party : On Time and With Features

Happy New Year all! Hope everyone's 2019 is off to a great start. After being sick over most of the holidays  I'm actually here on time with features this week.

We don't take our Christmas stuff down right after Christmas so I still have Christmas everywhere and on the brain. I'm not quite ready for all of the Valentine's stuff I've seen in stores. Pin this  lovely DIY Ornament Centerpiece project for next year from Miss Kopy Kat. 

I also fell in love with this beautiful Christmas Cake from Liz at Howling At The Moon: 

Now that the holidays are over, I'm excited to get back to my newest passion I started in late 2018, paint pouring. This Happy Mommy has a take on it with this fun  Drip Painting project:

Finally, when I moved to the desert, I must say I didn't expect to see snow! Yep. It snowed on NYE and it's been cooooolllllld , which makes this Tortilla Soup recipe from All That's Jas a must make! 

Now let's see what everyone's been up to so far this year!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party : Britney Spears Edition

As in..."Oops I did it again" and forgot my own party. Blame it on getting back to work and still recovering from this cold that's lingered too long. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed some down time with loved ones. Despite being sick, it's been a fantastic visit with our son and for the first time in 7 years, got to spend Christmas with the Mumster which was lovely. 

Very excited that Santa (aka Mr. Chocolate) brought a Cricut Explore Air2 for me to play with and it's in my signature color: BLACK! 

OK I'll get back to features ( and an on time party ) next week. Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Year!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

YIKES! Not just that Christmas is four days away but I forgot my own party! It's been a crazy week. Took it off to spend time w/ family including PhD man (son) who's here for the holidays and instead......came down with the worst cold courtesy of Mr. Chocolate which we have unavoidably passed on to the son and it's just been a lovely hackathon week. How're you all? 

Hopefully you can understand why I'm late w/ the party which we'll just jump right into OK? 

Wishing you all a very Merry ( and healthy) Christmas!!!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Friday Eve all. Can you believe we're already at the end of the second week of December? Preparations are kicking into high ( higher?) gear! 

Let's take a look at some inspiring ideas from last week's party!

If (unlike me)  you're down to the wrapping stage, The Organized Dream has some wonderful ideas to up your wrapping game. 

If you're still decorating or making handmade gifts, check out Our Hopeful Home for some very easy but elegant DIY Christmas Pillow ideas. 

Here's a new take on a DIY snow globe that's absolutely genius....a Dollar Store Gumball Machine! From Repurpose and Upcycle.

Finally, I love this idea for an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party from Mamas Wallet ( isn't that an accurate blog name?!) 

Complete with ideas for everything from invitations, printables, games, foods, and places for guests to get their sweaters or resources to make them. 

OK now let's see what you've all been up to this week !

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

2018 Christmas Cards

I haven't been posting a lot, but I have been busy making things including my 2018 Christmas cards. I'm old school and while I know there are all kinds of cool things you can order online I still like making my cards. 

I was a little frustrated this year ( and have seen other card makers and paper crafters express similar frustration) that both Michaels and JoAnn had very paltry supplies to choose from. Usually there are several paper stacks and coordinating embellishments but both stores disappointed this year. I was able to find two stacks by Recollections that I liked and who am I kidding? Like all crafters, I had "stash" from prior years. Not the point Mr. Chocolate so don't even start. 

This year, I incorporated adhesive foils in my card making. I like to spread the love so I used my Cameo 3 to cut my Cricut adhesive foils :) 

For this one, I went with a monochromatic approach using SEI white on white papers, silver glitter paper, silver metallic foil and iridescent sequins. Sized and cut the "dot tree" (Silhouette Online Store) and then layered onto a metallic white panel, then glitter panel and SEI panel as shown. Finish with iridescent sequins. 

Since I can never settle on one card to make, I usually make a few different ones. This year, I made three different versions. For the second one, I used black cardstock as the base card, and then cut my focal using metallic gold foil (Cricut) , layered onto black cardstock, trimmed closely and then layered using foam tape onto red velvet paper panel, matted with black and onto coordinating papers. Finished with iridescent sequins and red self adhesive rhinestones. 

For the third card, I cut a snowglobe image ( Silhouette Online Store) from the gold foil and like the ornament card, layered onto cardstock, trimmed, layered onto white and silver panel as shown and then used panels cut from the Recollections pack I did find this year. Again finished with iridescent sequins. 

While I might have been cranky that my favorite stores didn't have the selection I wanted and I am happy with the papers I did find, c'mon, we're creatives...less is not more. More is more!! 

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy December all! Hope you're staying warm and cozy. We finally turned our heat on here in the desert! Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating and for those of us counting down to Christmas....YIKES! My halls are about 85% decked and cards went out today. Let's see some ideas from last week's party. 

I've seen these cookie displays in bakeries and boutiques and just love them. All That's Jas has a tutorial on how to do your own. 

I love creating holiday vignettes which are a great way to use up stray ornaments or miscellaneous found pieces. Follow The Yellow Brick Home shared some wonderful ideas. 

I am a total "Potterhead". Fell in love with the Harry Potter series from the moment I read the first word to my son, and while he's moved on, I'm still enamored by the "Potterverse". If you have a beloved but worn copy ( or find one in a thrift store), here's a way to make a special ornament for the Potterhead in your life from Reviews Chews and How-Tos. 

Finally, what are the holidays without Fudge? And what's better than Fudge but Peanut Butter Fudge? From Raes Books and Recipes. 

Now let's see what you've all been up to this week! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Friday eve once again and welcome to the last BFF Open House of November. Yikes!!! Pressure's on folks. How on earth did it get to be December already? 

Let's see some inspiration from last week's party! 

Let's start with this super cute Triangle Tree from Adventures of A DIY  Mom. Love !! So many possibilities to paint / vinyl / stencil / stain / all of the above!

Speaking of wood, how about this gorgeous tray from Hazel and Gold Designs? Make one for yourself to use during the holidays and one for a gift! 

The holidays are prime baking time so how about these Double Decker Christmas Brownies from  From Playdates to Parties ? 

Or you could whip up some of these Salted Brownie Bites for entertaining, a cookie swap, or just because! From Somewhat Awry. 

Now let's see what everyone's been up to this week! Let the countdown begin!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Thanksgiving US friends. I love having a holiday that's focused on gratitude and thankfulness. I'm ever thankful for all of you who choose to share your time and talents here. Hope you've had a wonderful day filled with great food and time spent with family and friends. 

And now the countdown truly begins to Christmas and Hanukkah comes super early this year. Yikes!  Let's take a look at some ideas from last week's party. 

Nothing says Winter and Christmastime coziness like a Hot Chocolate Bar. There's something about having things to choose from to make that cup of cocoa extra special. Check out this idea from Kippi At Home. 

Faeries and Fauna reminds us to bring a little Christmas cheer and romance into the bedroom with this beautiful  Chalkboard Sign. 

When you're out tomorrow (or shopping online) don't forget to add some clear ornaments to your cart so you can whip up some of these Farmhouse Style Ornaments shared by Artsy VaVa. Great for your own tree or as gifts! 

Save any jars from today and make some of these DIY Snow Globes! Shared by Repurpose and Upcycle. 

Now let's see what you've all been up to this week! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

It's the most wonderful time.....of the week! Time to see what you've all been up to this week. Can you believe Thanksgiving is a week from today? Me either. So let's take a look at some project ideas it's not too late to whip up for next week. 

What's the best thing after finding a bargain find? Making it even better bu adding lights like Chas from Chas' Crazy Creations did with this canvas she found on sale for $5. Add battery operated lights and take it to a whole different level! 

If you're hosting, you could put this fab Gratitude Box from The CSI Project out for your guests ( or bring to your host/hostess as a great gift).

If you haven't decided on your Thanksgiving table decor yet, check out The Red Painted Cottage for some gorgeous ideas. I love the combination of naturals! 

Finally, I'm on a lifelong campaign to bring more chocolate to Thanksgiving. These Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls from Munchkin Time do just that!

Now let's see what you've all been up to this week!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Friday Eve all! Hope you've had a great and creative week. In this month of gratitude, I'm thankful for many things. This week it's some good news about my mom's health at a recent Dr. visit. As always, thankful for all of you who choose to share your creative talents here on my little corner of the internet. 

Let's see some ideas from last week's party! 

I'm always down for a good wreath project and this Drop Cloth wreath from Play Dates to Parties is one that can be up year round. 

Printables are such a great way to change things up and bring a little seasonal decor in without to much fuss. This is a beautiful one for Fall from Clearwater Cottage. 

Got fabric scraps ? That means you could easily whip up this cute Fabric Turkey Wall Hanging from Adventures Of A DIY Mom. 

Finally, I know some of you are already decorating for Christmas or planning your Christmas decorating. There are some AMAZING ideas here from Satsuma Designs. 

Now let's see what you've been up to this week! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

OMG it's NOVEMBER! How is that possible? Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. 

We are in full holiday making mode now aren't we? Let's see some inspiration from last week's party!

Love this Rag Wreath from Vintage Paint and More. How perfect is this until it's time for Christmas / Hanukkah decor ?! 

LOVE this Faux Hand-Lettered Paper Scroll from Hazel and Gold. This would be fun for every day decor or a special one for the holidays. 

You know how you can see the same thing over and over again at thrift shops? Things that were trendy at some point but no longer? Shoppe No. 5 took one of those and udpated it to still look beautifully vintage but go with today's design trends. You have to check out her post to see what "Paddle With A Heart" means! 

Finally, while caramel isn't limited to Fall, for me it's the time of year that screams it. So how about an easy 3 Ingredient Caramel sauce like this one from Fluster Buster?

Now, let's see what everyone's been up to this week! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up