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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Smile


My girl has a whole repertoire of gorgeous smiles
This is my most recent favorite
It's the running while giggling uncontrollably smile

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Check out all the other infectious smiles at The Paper Mama.

The Paper Mama

DIY: Ornament Tree


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In our house we have two big closets in our foyer that are not only great for storage but they have ledges on top that are great for putting holiday decorations on. For Christmas we usually put a bunch of poinsettias up there but this year we are changing it up.

When I was at Home Goods a few weeks ago I found some good deals on cone style Christmas trees. I snagged about 8 of them but my price tag was getting a little high so I stopped there. When I got home I had the genius idea that I could make a few of my own using foam cones from the craft store.

For the first one I decided to attempt an ornament tree. These types of trees can be pretty pricey when they are bought already made. They can actually be pretty pricey to make too if you don't hit good sales or use old ornaments that you already have in the house. I fortunately hit up Joann's when they were having a 60% off sale so I was able to get boxes of 27 ornaments for a little under $2.50.


Alright~ enough back story. Here is what you will need:

Lots of small glass ball ornaments. I used 3 boxes of red, 3 boxes of green and 3 1/2 boxes of gold. I used roughly around 250 ornaments. You may need more or less depending on how large your cone is.
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A foam cone from a craft store such as Joann Fabrics, Michael's or A.C. Moore.
Mine was 15" x 4"
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A glue gun
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This is what you are going to do to create that fabulous tree!

First remove the top piece that holds the hanging hooks from your ornaments.
If you remove all of them before hand the process of covering the cone will go a lot smoother.
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Now comes the fun part. Starting from the the base of the cone you are going to push the lip of the ornament into the foam. If the ornament feels firmly planted in the foam then there is no need to hot glue it. If it feels a little loose or if you'd just like the reassurance you can remove the ornament from the foam, add a bit of hot glue and put back into the same stop you had it in before. I up ended hot glueing my whole first row because it was the part that I held onto the most and some of the ornements became loose after so much handling.
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Continue doing this row by row. There are going to be small gaps here and there but once it is completely covered they will be unnoticeable. This is pretty much all you do. It is a little tedious but as it gets smaller towards the top the process speeds up.
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One you have the cone completely covered check to see if there are any loose ornaments. You can to this by light feeling around with the palm of your hand to see if any of them move. Glue any ornaments that feel wobbly. After you glue your last few in place, wait a few minutes and then remove any hot glue strings that may have formed.

That's it- simple and beautiful!
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I have three other cones that I am in the process of decorating also.
If they all turn out as good as this one I will definitely be sharing.





Monday, November 28, 2011

Mondays are for Music V.3


I was planning on sharing an old favorite today but then I found this on Vevo when I was at the gym.
The song is great but the video is even better.






This is for any Gaga fans out there
I was pretty disappointed it wasn't a music video but it's still pretty awesome and weird


It's beginning to look....


a lot like Christmas!

We decorated the house yesterday, inside and out. We usually do it on Black Friday but we were pretty beat from the day before so we decided to lay low until Sunday. Aubrey loves all the lights. She was barely 9 months old last year so it's exciting to see her genuine reaction to all of the decorations.


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If you like the ornament tree, stop by tomorrow. I am putting up a tutorial on how to make your own.

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Gobble 'til you Wobble


I thought that I'd share a few pictures from our Thanksgiving.
It was one of the better ones that we've had in years
I think that the key to having a good family get together is that the kids are having fun

They all totally wore themselves out playing outside for the whole afternoon
Which was great because they actually worked up an appetite and ate their dinners
Except Aubs, the only thing she really ate was a cookie.

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Working hard on the feast!
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Yum!
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I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
If you posted about your holiday, let me know so I can stop by and check it out.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

New Hair!


I got my hair done this afternoon. It's the first time that I've gotten my hair done besides one trim since the baby has been born. Considering that she is almost 2, I think I was long over due. I had highlighted my hair from the time I was 14 until I was 26 and had Aubs. (Besides a 4 month period when I was 24 and decided to go dark.) When Aubrey was about 4 months old and my roots were about 4 inches long, I decided that I was going to go back to my natural color because it would be easier. The next time I was at the supermarket I grabbed a box of dye and never looked back.... until today. I'm glad to have a little bit of blonde back. I am also happy that the 4 to 5 inches of dead ends are now gone. I was contemplating bangs and was even triple dog dared to get them by my girl Chelsea but I just couldn't commit.
What do you think?

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I also got a new camera lens this weekend and I am absolutely in love with it. It's a Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 and it is awesome for shooting with a really shallow depth of field. I took this gem this morning, it is SOOC.

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I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!
Make sure to check back this week.
I have some awesome Christmas decoration DIYs, a delicious dip recipe and lots of lovely pictures to share.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Feeling Christmassy


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Aubs and Ruby last Christmas


1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wraps!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
I like white but we have a pre-lit tree that we got for free that has colored lights- so colored it is. For the house we use white on the actual house and colored wrapped around the palm trees.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but I want to.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Should be doing it now but I have to clean the floors first so I'm putting it off.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
My mother in-laws lobster tails and fried flounder.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
My brother and I waking up when it was still dark and sneaking downstairs to shake all of our presents.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I was about 7 and I think my older brother told me after I had my own suspicions.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
When I was younger we always got one on Christmas Eve, usually pajamas.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
With memento ornaments we have gathered over the years plus a few fillers.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
It's not an issue because I live in Florida. I grew up in North Eastern Pennsylvania and back then I liked a white Christmas.

12. Can you ice skate?
I used to work in an ice skating rink in high school and spent a lot of time skating on slow nights. I haven't skated in years but back then I could do crossovers, skate backwards and spin. Now, who knows.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Childhood- American Doll accessories that my Nana used to wrap in beautiful towers.
Adulthood- Diamond earrings that my husband bought be a few years ago.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Hanging with family and making sure my daughter is having a good time.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Cookies! All kinds

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Baking Christmas cookies and watching Christmas movies.

17. What tops your tree?
A star

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
I like giving when I come up with a really great gift idea.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?
Yum! Starburst are the ultimate.

20. Favorite Christmas show?
Elf, It's a Wonderful Life and Home Alone

21. Saddest Christmas Song?
I'll be Home for Christmas

22. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Traditional- O Holy Night
Fun- Waitress's "Christmas Wrapping"




young and restless

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Cookie



I guess when they say m & m's melt in your mouth and not in your hand they didn't consider chubby little toddler hands.

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Linking up with my usual lovely wordless Wednesday ladies
The Paper Mama, Baby Baby Lemon, and then, she {snapped}, Parenting By Dummies and Jenni from the Blog

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thankful Swappers


I'd like to introduce my readers to some very lovely ladies. Since it is days before Thanksgiving I figured a good way for you to get to know them is for them to tell you what they are thankful for. Make sure you head on over to their blogs and check them out.

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What Chelsea is thankful for:
My health and the health of my family and finally having the opportunity to pursue my dreams of becoming a nurse.



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You can also find Faith at The Bartering Blogger.

What Faith is thankful for:
All of the wonderful new friends that I have made this year online and IRL


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Jenna is also hosting a give away and the last day to enter is tomorrow so hurry on over.
Sparrow Nest Designs Giveaway

What Jenna is thankful for:
My sweet fiance who I can't wait til I can call him husband (38 days), a fun family, good health, and just a blessed life overall!


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What Lauren is thankful for:

I'm thankful to have my baby girl here with us for the holidays this year since last year I was very pregnant and anxiously awaiting her arrival!


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What Rachel is thankful for:

I am so very thankful for my handsome husband who is my soul mate and best friend. He is my true love, my heart-throb, my confidante, and my shoulder to lean on. I am so blessed to be his wife!
I am so eternally grateful for our gorgeous daughter Lillian. We prayed for a child. We prayed to have a healthy, beautiful baby girl and we were blessed with our amazing Lillian Eve. She is everything we ever dreamed of and more!
I am so blessed and thankful for my wonderful parents and family. They are so important to me in all aspects of life and always have been. I am so thankful we are all blessed with health and happiness.
I am so thankful for our very own shelter from the world, our cozy havenhill, our home. I am so thankful for our wonderful cat Shadow who is such an important part of our family. I am thankful she is off the streets now and in a happy home.
I am so thankful to be celebrating Lillian's first holidays this year! I am looking forward to building a lifetime of memories with her. I am so thankful that Josh and my legendary love is now immortal. Pieces of him and pieces of me have combined to make the most wonderful baby. I am so thankful to be a Mama. God has truly blessed me!



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What Sandra is thankful for:

I'm thankful for all of my family, especially my husband and daughters. Steve is my best friend and the most amazing father I've ever seen. My daughters bring me incredible joy each day, and while it is difficult to have twins, I can't imagine life without them.



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What Stephanie is thankful for:

I am thankful for my super awesome family. An adorable husband and sweet daughter. I am truly blessed!.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Mondays are for Music V.2


One of my new favorites, enjoy!

Radical Face "Welcome Home"



Oh and this one too, but you've probably heard it.

Peter, Bjorn & John "Young Folks"




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Sanding Ovation


We had no plans for the weekend so when my friend Kristen mentioned that she was going to a sand sculpture event on the beach, I figured we should go too. I ran it by the husband and he agreed that it would be a good way to spend a Saturday morning.

The sculptures were amazing. I wonder how one acquires the desire and skill to professionally sculpt sand. It's not exactly something you can google. Maybe it's a family thing passed down through the generations. I should have asked one of them but then again they seemed pretty in to what they were doing so I don't think they would appreciate the lame questions.

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The kids were more into the sand trikes and the kayaks

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