Calendar Girls December Blog Hop

Welcome to our December Calendar Girls' Blog Hop. It’s absolutely amazing when you do a Google search the interesting facts you may find. Such a find is special and unique occasions throughout the year!!! These unique holidays are our inspiration. As Neil Sedaka sang in his song "Calendar Girls" - "December, you’re the present ‘neath my Christmas tree!!"

Our hop begins Lynne aka Her Craftiness which may be found at http://slasewcraftiness.blogspot.com/. The entire line-up is available just in case you get bogged down with all theholidaze and craziness with decorating, shopping, wrapping, and getting ready for Santa and I know you won’t want to miss a single stop along the way! I know you wouldn't want to miss any of the cards, lay-outs and super creativity of the marvelous Calendar Girls:

Lynne ~ http://slasewcraftiness.blogspot.com/
Edwina ~ http://edwinascreations.blogspot.com/
Sandy ~  http://aworkingmomsjoy.blogspot.com
Laura -  http://www.lauraleesdream.blogspot.com
Jearise ~ http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com


The Blog Candy being offered this month is amachine-embroidered angel which can be used as a bookmark or an early start todecorate your Christmas Tree!!!! Winner gets to chose the color of her angel from pink, white, ivory, or gold.


Bingo Month
Write a Friend Month

December, 2013 Daily Holidays, Special and Wacky Days:

1 Eat a Red Apple Day
4 Santas' List Day -we hope you are on the "Nice" list ~ Jearise
5 Bathtub Party Day 
6 St. Nicholas Day - Lynne
6 Mitten Tree Day - Lynne
7 Pearl Harbor Day
8 International Children's Day
8 National Brownie Day ~ Jearise
9 Christmas Card Day ~ Sandy
12 Poinsettia Day    Laura, Edwina
18 Bake Cookies Day- Edwina
19 Look for an Evergreen Day Sandy
20  Go Caroling Day Sandy
21  Humbug Day 
21  National Flashlight Day 
21  Look on the Bright Side Day 
23  Festivus  - Lynne
24  National Chocolate Day 
25  Christmas Day  -Laura, 
26  Boxing Day
27  Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day 
28  Card Playing Day 
31  New Year's Eve 

Santa's List Day - December 4th

I made these cards to send out to friends and family this year. I love this old world stamp. Santa doesn't have a list but he does have an arm full of toys.

I colored his suit with red chalk and the border and windowpane is a file I created a cut out in svg format.  If you would like this file for the background and windowpane, please let me know in your comment and add your email address and I would be happy to send it to you. The background is embossed using my Big Shot. I used some Tim Holz distress ink on the windowpane.

National Brownie Day - December 8th

Last year I showed a brownie box I created and this year I made brownie using one of my favorite recipes. The problem is that we ate up the brownies and I forgot to take a picture but I'm still posting the recipe because it is so yummy!

COCOA BROWNIES

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, margarine (butter), vanilla and eggs, Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in greased square pan, 8x8x2 inches.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center coumes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes; cool. Cut into about 2-inch squares. 16 brownies; 160 calories per brownie.

Taken from the Better Crocker's Cookbook; 1989 version.

I am last on the hop list so I will wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year and may blessing abound in 2014.

On the 11th Day of Christmas

Welcome back! Today I get to share my second project I have made and again it is a paper mache ornament. I am addicted to these ornaments and how easy they are to make and how beautiful they are when you're done.

I used Mod Podge to attache my paper to each side. I cut the paper in a 3 3/4 circle. The background of the paper is black so I sprayed some Glitter Mist in red on it. I sprayed after I had put on a top coat of Mod Podge and that's why you get the neat look to the background. I used Stickles to accent each candle and then added some rhinestones and a bow.

I painted the side of the ornament black and then used the ribbon for the bow to wrap around  the side of the ornament as well.

Products used:

Mod Podge
Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium Double-Sided Paper Pad 12" X 12"
Stickles in Christmas Red and Yellow
Perfect Pearls in Interference Red

Thanks for stopping by today and Merry Christmas!

Twine Christmas Tree Ornament

Hello again.

Today I have a simple but fun ornament that works well on the country themed tree. I picked up this cute little twine wrapped ornament awhile ago and thought what can I do with it and this is what happened...

I used my Stickles glitter glue to add some red tinsel and some shades of brown Stickles glitter glue for the stump and then I started added half pearls (from Miriam's Crafting Supplies) in different colors and sizes. I used 3 mm and 7 mm for the ornaments. The back of the ornament is the same as the front and I just love it!

This is a wonderful project that even older children can do. I used a low heat heat gun to adhere the half pearls so you may need to do that for your children but they can do the glitter glue and tell you where they want the pearls to go and what color and sizes to use. One gift for Auntie May down and only 10, 000 more to go. :)

Check out my other post today where I used one of Miriam's Crafting Supplies beautiful embellishments to make a simple but elegant looking paper mache ornament.

Elegant Paper Mache' Ornament

I decorated a few paper mache ornaments a few years back and fell in love. Back then, I just painted the ornaments, added some glitter and some stickers and called it finished but over the years I have tried new things and this is one of my favorite ways of decorating them.

 I used Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the ornament after cutting it out. You can trace around your ornament and then cut it out but since I was using a flat round ornament I was able to cut a circle at 3 3/4 inches and that was almost perfect. I just trimmed off the extra. I used a bray to make sure the paper was on flat but it's not necessary. Once the paper was dry, I inked the edges and then added my ribbon going around the front and back and then around the sides. The side view is below. I went back and added the beautiful embellishment from Miriam's Crafting Supplies. The paper, ribbon, and ink came from Cutter's Creek.

Thank you so much for stopping by today and keep coming back because I have more paper mache ornaments with different techniques to share.

Happy Holidays! Jearise

Thanksgiving Traditions

My mother never complimented me on much when I was young. I was a very scattered brained child but once she told me how I had written a paper about Thanksgiving and she had loved it so much that she had kept it. It was about my reaction upon waking on Thanksgiving morning.  I know that paper is long gone but my memories of my childhood Thanksgiving still float through my mind and that is why Thanksgiving means so much to me still today.

My bedroom was on the third floor of a tri-level house and on Thanksgiving morning I would wake up to the smell of roasting turkey with homemade stuffing. I remember how the buttery crisp smell of the turkey combined with the herbs in the dressing would rise up the stairs and into my bedroom to tickle my nose and coax body awake. 

My mother and father would wake up early to "prep" the bird. They would wash it, clean it out, stuff it with homemade dressing and tie the legs up and pop it in the oven. This was always a joint effort that brought about some arguing on how things should be done but in the end, the bird was perfectly placed in the baking pan and ready to go. This was also a special ritual of love between my parents. At the time I didn't see it but now being married, I understand how cooking together can strengthen a marriage and show love.

From there the smells just got better. My mother would make mashed potatoes with gravy using the drippings from the turkey. Sometimes the gravy was lumpy but the great taste made up for it. I loved that salty sweet gravy poured over creamy buttery mashed potatoes. 

Then there was the string bean casserole which was a simple recipe my mother had found: canned string beans, mushroom soup and onion crisps on top. She took advantage of our microwave for this dish. Microwaves became the big rage during the 70's and my parents had one of the biggest and heaviest one I had ever or have ever seen to this day.

Finally, she had steamed carrots and whatever other side dish she decided to try that year.

Now the dessert was my Aunt Betty's pride and joy and that was her homemade pecan pie. Oh, I just LOVED that pie. I think it is because of her pecan pies that I prefer pies over cake any day. I wish I had her recipe because I haven't found any as good to this day. They were just the prefect sweetness that would melt in your mouth. She would drive all over Detroit to get fresh pecans for those pies. Needless to say, she would bring two and there would be none left when it was time for her to go home. 

I miss those days of family and food. My parents and my aunt are gone now and my cousins and I have gone in different directions in life and have lost touch but the memories of Thanksgiving food, laughs, and love will live on.

FRIENDSHIP AND FLOWERS

FRIENDSHIP

Today I am thinking of all the wonderful people I have met through my life that I can call friend. Some have slipped through while others have lingered for awhile and finally those few have stayed around to be with me through all sorts of ups and downs.

I've learned that friends don't have to be someone you see every day or call once a week. A friend is someone that you might not see for years and then cross paths again and the years that you've been apart just melt away. 

I have many friends but I have only a few that are close enough that I would call them sister even though no family blood runs through our veins and those are the ones that I don't talk to as much as I should or see as often as I should but I am still there for them in spirit during good times and bad and they are there for me also. We might not always see eye to eye but our friendship is deeper than that and we can feel comfortable being different with each other. Friendships are built on similarities but these friendships go deeper and last a lifetime and you can't explain why.

As I have gotten older, friendship has taken on a new meaning, not one of sister but as mother. I have a few friends that are young enough to be my daughters and even though I am only a friend, they still turn to me for motherly advice as well as friendship.

Finally, there are those that have become close to my heart and I've never met them in person. We have forged a bond through our crafting and the internet. I talk with them on Facebook almost daily or at least once a week and our casual crafting acquaintance has become a true friendship where we feel comfortable enough to open up and tell things that even our family might not know about us. I know some will say it's because we can hide behind a computer screen that we feel we can bare our soul. I disagree. I feel it is because the computer takes down the boundaries of distance so that we can make friends we may never meet in person but if we did, we would also become close.

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Today I am showing another project I made for the teacher's lounge as a decoration and then had a drawing and gave it away. I was in the checkout line at Marshall's when I saw this awesome big mug. The price was right so I just had to grab it. 

Once it was home, I decided I needed to give it something special so I filled it with a fall bouquet of paper mums from SVG Attic. I received lots of compliments on the flowers and you can certainly see why. The flowers were made from the Autumn Speldor Set. I embossed the leaves and added a touch of Stickles glitter glue to the center of each flower.

Monday on my week of Thanksgiving

I can honestly say I am thankful for everything that has happened in my life. The good and the bad. I feel the bad has made me a stronger person and the good has made me a kinder person. I have learned through my mistakes to love life and ALL people and to greet everyone I meet with a smile. 

This week I want to reflect on Thanksgiving and some memories from my past and hopes and dreams for my future and I hope you will join me. I'll also be showing off some of the things I have been working on for Thanksgiving as well.

THANKFUL FOR TEACHERS

Each month at our elementary a great group of parents come together with the help of the PTO to do nice things for the teachers so that they know they are appreciated. A lot of parents, I have found, were teachers themselves before putting their jobs on hold to raise a family, so they personally know the long hours that go into being a teacher. 

I was a teacher myself once and will probably start teaching again once my little ones are older. I know that the job isn't just 9 to 5. Teachers are up early and out the door so that they can get to their classrooms to make sure everything is in order so the day runs smoothly and then they stay late to help tutor or correct papers or get things organized for the next day and it doesn't stop there. They leave, go home to make supper, take care of their own children and then once the children are in bed they are writing lesson plans or correcting more papers or doing a whole lot of extra stuff for the next day, week, month.

With this being said, I decided last month that each month I would make a banner to hang in the teacher's lounge with a holiday theme. Last month was Halloween and this month is Thanksgiving. I showed the Halloween banner on an earlier post and you can click here to see if but the Thanksgiving banner is here today for you to look at.

I had to take individual pictures of each section because it was hanging in the teacher's lounge and I  couldn't get a good whole picture. I apologize for that and next time will take the pictures here at home.

The photos are in the order that the banner was made. I just love the way this banner turned out and it wasn't that hard to make either. All the cutting file sets came from SVG Attic. 

Maple leaf rosettes are from one of the newer cutting file called Autumn Splendor.
3D pumpkins that graced both ends are from the Fall Celebration Kit. 
Family and Friends caption is from the Thankful Captions set.
The caramel apple and apple pie are from the Apple Picking set.

Four sets = one easy yet beautiful banner.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow with another Thankful creation and story.