Happy New Year!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

I wish you and your family many blessings in 2011

Love, Molly

Pumpkin Cutie

Today my daughter Lilly made this pumpkin cutie to hang in our window for fall. It is a project I made up when I taught Elementary school. I always loved making them. Below I have done a tutorial so that you can make them with your children and/or students. Enjoy! Supplies you will need:

two large sheets of orange tissue paper

a wire coat hanger

white glue

scissors

brown paper bag

construction paper

marker

Step 1:

bend the coat hanger into a circle or oval shape to resemble a pumpkin,

bend the hook at the top closed to use as a hanger

Step 2:

trace the hanger with white glue,

turn the hanger over and lay it on top of the tissue paper (with the hanger sticking out over the top of the tissue)

Step 3:

trace the other side of the hanger with glue,

lay the second sheet of tissue paper on top of the hanger so that the hanger is sandwiched between the two sheets

at this point the hanger is at the top sticking out of the tissue and there is excess tissue at the bottom of the pumpkin (see picture below)

set aside and let it dry

Step 4:

use scissors and trim the left side, right side and top of the pumpkin,

leaving the long tissue at the bottom,

cut the excess tissue into strips (like streamers)

my daughter is 3 so I used a pencil to draw lines for her to cut on

Step 5: cut eyes and a nose out of construction paper, I have also used buttons and foam pieces for this step, use a marker to draw a mouth Step 6: cut the paper bag into skinny strips and glue them on as hair, you could use raffia or yarn for the hair instead if you choose

Lilly finished off her pumpkin with a big blue bow (Lilly always wears a bow) When I had my students do this project we put a construction paper hat on the pumpkin. You could also put a bow tie on your cutie. When you finish it looks great hanging in a window or from the ceiling. Happy Fall. Have fun creating with your kids!

Love, Molly

Happy 4th...I'm Back!

It has been so long since I have blogged that I almost forgot my password. I had to take a blogging hiatus due to some ups and downs in my personal world, but I'm back!

A few days ago one of my dearest friends Amy (I've blogged about her on several occasions) called and said she was heading south and going to stop by for a visit. I was super excited because she is one of my favorite people and Lilly was super excited because her son, Nolan, happens to be her "prince", that's really what she calls him. Amy and I are holiday freaks so of course with it being just days from the 4th of July I had to start whipping up a mini patriotic party for 2. Lilly and I spent the day Thursday making party preparations. First, we made cupcakes, after all no party is complete without cupcakes... Last July I did a tutorial on the patriotic crepe paper fringe and linked these printable cupcake toppers. You can find it all here.

Next, we made red and blue kool aid ice cubes... Then I made some patriotic tissue paper pom poms because I love pom poms and I have to drape something from this chandelier at every holiday... Next, I made the kiddos some festive goodies. I picked up some red and blue tin pails in the dollar spot at Target and filled them with my favorite childhood fireworks: snakes, pop-its, and smoke bombs. I also included packs of skittles that fiz and pop in your mouth! At Walmart I found some cute red and blue melamine plates and used a permanent paint pen to personalize them for the holiday. I completed the place setting with a box of Cracker Jacks tied up with sparkly stars and ribbon. I love the Cracker Jack packaging, still the same as it was when I was a kid and so perfect for the 4th!

A fun time was had by all!

Happy Birthday U.S.A.! I wish you all a blessed holiday.

~Molly

Heart-Shaped Chocolate Box Makeover

This is what a $1 box of chocolates from Walmart looks like when I'm through with it :)

The box looked like this before:

Not so cute.

I thought I could change that and make a pretty little gift for my daughter Lilly.

Here's how i did it:

First, remove cellophane and box lid. Turn the lid over and trace it onto the back of a piece of decorative scrapbook paper or cardstock (wrapping paper could be pretty too). Next, cut the heart out with scalloped scissors and use a glue stick to affix it to the box top. Now comes the fun part...Ebellish, embellish, embellish. I decided to top mine with a crepe paper flower, pearls and some paper leaves. You could use stickers, craft foam hearts, die cuts, vintage valentines or whatever else you could think of. If you want to top yours with a crepe paper flower like mine, here's how to make it:

Cut a 24 inch strips of crepe paper from a roll. Fold the strip in half lenthwise. Set the tension on your sewing machine to about 8 (you want it high) and then set your stitches long. This will cause the crepe paper to gather as you stitch. Now you will stitch down the center of the entire length of the streamer. When you begin stitching, back stitch to secure but do not back stitch at the end because you may need to adjust the amount of ruffle you want for your flower. After you have finished sewing, fold the streamer in half again along the stitches so it will be a double ruffle. Next, glue one end of the ruffle to the box (wherever you want the center of the flower to be). Begin winding the ruffle around the center, using hot glue to secure as you go.Finally, add pearls or a button to the center and some leaves and that's it you're are done. p.s. I emptied out the chocolates and filled the box with some of Lilly's favorite confections. You could also fill it with little trinkets. Remember to save your boxes you get this year and you can transform them for next year and refill them with goodies for a loved one.

XO~Molly

Valentine Crackers

I am excited to show you my latest project, Valentine crackers using things most of us have around the house. I am making them for Lilly's teachers and for some friends. They are so simple to make and can be used for so many holidays and occasions so I thought I would share a tutorial of how I put them together. Let's get started:

Supplies:

the humblest of craft supplies, a toilet paper roll

10in x10in sheet of tissue paper

crepe paper

stapler

hot glue

glue stick

heart stickers

white card stock

ribbon string

Step 1:

Cover the toilet paper roll with glue using the glue stick. Step 2:

Place the t.p. roll at the bottom, center of one of the long sides of the tissue paper. Roll the t.p. roll until it is covered with the tissue. Smooth and press the tissue paper to the tube as you roll. When you get to the end, secure top edge of the tissue paper to the tube with glue stick.

Step 3: Gather and scrunch the tissue at onen end of the roll and tie tightly with twine.

Step 4:

Hold the tube with the open end up and tied end down. Fill the tube with treats (chocolates, candy, trinkets). Then tie off the other end just as you did in step 3.

At this point you can decorate the tube any way you'd like. You could use vintage images, stickers, scrapbook paper, chipboard shapes, the possibilites are endless.

For mine, I covered the string on the ends with wired ribbon and decorated it with a crepe paper medallion. If you'd like to make medallion too, here's how I make them:

I cut about 18 inches off a roll of crepe paper. I held the streamer at one end and began gathering it along the bottom.

I did this until it formed a circle. Then I stapled an "X" in the middle to hold all the gathers together. You might have to add a third staple if your paper isn't staying ruffled. I hot glued the medallion onto the front of my cracker then added a circle punched from white cardstock. Finally, I added a glitter heart foam sticker and a little banner with the name of the recipient.

I hope you have fun trying this project. I think I will be making these for every holiday.

Have a great weekend.

Love and Blessings, Molly

Twinkly and Bright

We had a great day today. Lilly and Doug and I spent the day with my grandparents and my mom and dad. We went to my Dandaddy's (grandfather) church together and then had lunch. After lunch we looked through my Mom's old scrapbooks from jr. high and high school. Mom and Dad grew up together so it was great to see pictures and momentos from their past, times they shared together as kids. That is pretty amazing to me. Another amazing experience from the day was getting to read some of the letters my Dandaddy wrote to his mother from his ship during World War II. They were unbelievable. I couldn't put them down. So much feeling and so much history in those letters. Many of them were written during Christmas time. I can't imagine my grandfather and all those other U.S. soldiers having to spend Christmas on a beach in the South Pacific in the midst of war. We owe so much to veterans. When I got home I snapped some pictures of my living room and dining room to share with you. I love the "twinkly bright" feeling of the rooms. I use lots of gold, glitter, snow and vintage glass bead garlands.

Christmas Blessings to all, Molly

P.S. I went to breakfast at my church Saturday morning and we had an amazing speaker. She read this verse to us:

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

This is the response Mary had when the angel came to tell her she would have a baby named Jesus. Can you imagine hearing this kind of news? How would you or I react? She did not question God. Her immediate response was to serve him. What an amazing example of faith she is. This really touched me and this verse will be in my heart this Christmas season.

ready or not here comes Christmas!

We were out of the state for Thanksgiving so I wasn't able to decorate for Christmas the day after like I usually do. When I got back from vacation it was time for me to start working everyday at the preschool. I have had a lot going on and I can't believe how long is taking me to decorate the house and post about it. Christmas just snuck up on me!

I want to share some corners of my home. I'll start with my kitchen. I usually go over the top and kitschy for the kitchen with vintage santas, vintage christmas linens and lots of red, but this year I opted for a warm cozy feel with greenery, silvery and cream...

here's how it looks

my centerpiecea cozy corner

nativity my grandparents gave me for my 2nd Christmas, December 1977

I am happy with the overall calming feel of the kitchen but I couldn't be totally kitschless, so i I added some vintage greenery and a mushroom in front of a vintage recipe for fruit cake in my kitchen cupboard :)

Love to all, Molly

Don't Forget Thanksgiving!

I don't know about you guys but I am just becoming more and more frustrated and annoyed with retailers skipping Thanksgiving and going right to Christmas beginning in September! Christmas has been slowly but surely creeping farther and farther back. When I was young I remember my Mimi commenting on how terrible she thought it was that stores had Christmas out in early November. Well these days we see Chistmas popping up in stores as early as September and I think it is a crime. They use this tactic to get us to buy, buy, buy. Buy presents, buy decorations, buy clothing!. I'm not falling for it. Yes I have made a few ornaments and have been thinking of some Christmas decorating ideas but I can assure you I will not ignore Thanksgiving and to me the Christmas season does not begin until we have recovered from our turkey hangovers.

Lilly and I were at the mall a couple of days ago and Santa himself was already there! Can you believe that? He's been there for weeks already. Lilly did catch a glimpse of him and got a sparkle in her eye, but I sped by because it's not time for that yet! I went to Walmart the other day looking for Thanksgiving plates and napkins and there were none to be found. Where the fall decor once was (back in September), it was all Christmas. Last night was the Christmas light show and tree lighting here in town. We didn't go. It's not Christmas yet.

Lilly and I have been reading Thanksgiving books and talking about how important the holiday is for the past few weeks. I want my daughter to know that Thanksgiving is a very important holiday. What could be more important than being with family and thanking God for all of the blessings in our lives.

I know Thanksgiving is not a glitzy holiday and there are no presents and gobs of decorations and that is why the retailers want you to shove it to the back of your mind, but I urge you to put Christmas out of your mind for the next few days and focus on giving thanks.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving filled with family, love, and warm memories. Love, Molly

Halloween Fun

I hope you all had a night full of Halloween fun and lots of candy! Here is my Lilly as Little Red Ridinghood. I made her red cloak using a pattern from marthastewart.com. The apron she is wearing was my Mom's when she was a little girl. She loved it all and had a blast getting all dressed up.