Saturday, November 28, 2009

Holiday Gift Tags!


I made these little gift tags recently and plan to attach them to the gifts I give to family and friends this year. I used the scalloped cupcake topper design customized for the holiday season and attached it to a rectangular green or red dot tag. I think I may punch holes in the upper left corner of the tags and attach them to my gifts with pretty ribbon.

Address Tags

Mary wanted address tags to match her Christmas cards this year. I coordinated the tags with the maroon color on her cards and incorporated some scroll work since it also appears on her cards. Lastly, a scalloped square punch was used to give these address tags a unique look.

Baby Shower Invites & Thank You's


My friend from work's son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first baby this winter. The baby shower is going to have a garden tea party theme, and Linda requested that a tea cup and some scroll work be on the invite. Green is used as the font color because it's the color of choice for this event. Linda also choose an ivory cardstock and matching envelopes for both pieces to be printed on.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Holiday Decor - I heart Christmas

My little red and silver tree....it always looks so much prettier in person. My tree skirt was a monogrammed aisle runner at my wedding. I love that I found a practical way to use it that will be enjoyed by me and my husband years from now!
The mantle....need one more stocking for Ginger Girl and then another one next year for my baby boy.

My good ole' trusty centerpiece now filled with sparkly Christmas balls and a huge sparkly white pillar candle.

More Shimmer, Sparkle, and Shine!

I threw my "kissing ball" and another huge glittery, red ball on top of my candle holders that held my white pumpkins during the fall.

More balls....

I love this wreath. I bought it on sale at Pier One two years ago and have been dying to use it. Finally!

Last but not least....my front porch. We added a new storm door this week because Ginger destroyed the screen in the one that came with the house. I didn't care much for it anyway, so I was happy to replace it. It kind of hides my new wreath though....
I hosted Thanksgiving at my home two days ago, and finally finished cleaning everything up yesterday morning (phew....lots of work) only to begin putting up the Christmas decorations. I can't mix the two holidays....they are two different feelings for me. One has to be over before I begin thinking about the other. And now that Turkey Day is over.....I'm moving on!

I'm a red and silver girl through and through when it comes to Christmas (I like a little lime green in there too). And I love anything that sparkles and shimmers. Last year during the holiday season, I was moving out of my condo and into my in-laws home for a few months while we searched for a house. Needless to say, I couldn't decorate at all for Christmas and it killed me! So, I felt like I was a kid in a candy shop this year as I broke out all my boxes filled with decorations that I hadn't see in two years! I'd forgotten about half of the decorations I had - so much fun!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

PB - L.O.V.E!

I can't help it....I love Pottery Barn. Everything.In.The.Catalog. Well, everything except the prices that is. I actually rarely purchase anything from PB and instead use the catalog/store for inspiration. Then, I find something similar at Target, TJ Maxx, Home Goods or another store that I can afford. With that being said, I have paid the PB Outlet (much better prices) a visit once or twice in the last 6 months and had very successful trips. So, my mom and I had a girls' shopping extravaganza on Saturday, and with her help, I set out to find a new rug for my family room. I love the one I purchased when I first moved into my home in May, but it was just too small for the room, and with a baby on the way that will one day be crawling, I wanted a bigger rug to cover my hardword floors.

Found one! For an awesome price! Warm cream with touches of gray and tan! Not at all what I would have choosen originally but love how it looks in my family room! And I was able to move my old blue and green rug upstairs into my master bedroom at the foot of my bed, and I love the way that looks, too!

Turkey Day Tablescape!






So, I worked on my tablescape for Thanksgiving this afternoon. It's VERY SIMPLE, but I'm pleased with the way it turned out. I'm not a tablecover type of girl so I didn't use one, which adds to the simplicity of the overall look. I also added pinecones and acorns to my centerpiece that was filled with candy corn for Halloween. You can also see my dinner menu, invitation that I sent about 2 weeks ago to my guests, and the placecards I created for each family member's seat. I just have to get started on the food now!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Look Who's Turning 2!

I can't believe it....my nephew, Jack, will be two-years-old in late December. Where did the last two years go? He was just a baby! In any case, my sister is having a small family birthday party for him while she is visiting from Virginia over Christmas. Becky requested simple stripes using the colors lime, orange, and blue. These birthday invites will be mailed in coodinating white shimmery envelopes. I also made her address tags for the back of the envelope that I will turn into stickers using my Xyron machine. They are orange to add a punch of color to the white envelope.

Baby Announcements for Michael


My friend Kathy just had her second little boy in October, and I put together a simple baby announcement for her. I used two different colors of blue and his first initial along with all his details. Along with a solo pic of Michael, Kathy also wanted to include a picture of him with his big brother, AJ. Awwww....cute little brothers:) These were printed on white cardstock and paired with a matte white envelope.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Holiday Party Invites

We work on teams in my middle school, and I am hosting a little holiday get-together for the team of teachers I teach with in early December. These are the invitations I created for the event. I have a serious obsession with chandeliers and absolutley love the look of them! I was actually planning to use them on baby related goods if I was having a girl. WELL....since I'm having a boy, I decided that I needed to find another use for my love of chandeliers. A holiday party was the perfect excuse. I added a few strings of Christmas lights to the chandelier and presto....the look was complete! I also made a little scalloped label with my last name for the back of the envelope (don't be surprised if you see these again on my Christmas cards!). These labels are basically the same template used for the cupcake toppers I made about a month ago. I love the way they turned out! These invites were paired with red envelopes to complete the festive holiday look!
COMING SOON:
1. Thanksgiving invites, menu, placecards, and my table setting (I'm the host this year!)
2. Baby announcements for Michael (my friend Kathy's new baby boy)
3. Baby shower invites for Cheryl
4. Bridal shower invites for Jen
5. Birthday party invites for my nephew Jack
6. Christmas decor at my house
7. My holiday gift tags
8. Christmas cards for my sister Becky
9. My Christmas cards
and MORE!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Retirement Invitation


The above invitation is for a guidance counselor at my school who is retiring in December. The retirement committee asked if I could put together an invitation inviting him to his retirement dinner in early January. This will be presented to him next week. I kept this simple just using the school's colors and some different fonts to make certain words pop.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Mommom's 82nd Birthday Party Invites


My mom is having a little family birthday party for my grandmom's 82nd birthday in early November. When my mom asks me to make something for her, she gives me complete and total freedom to pretty much do whatever I want. Upon this request, I knew immediately that I wanted to use an old picture of my grandmom that my mom has in her living room as the backdrop of the invitation. I scanned this old photo of my mommom when she was very young and just added the party details in a small box at the bottom of the invite. I paired it with some pale lavendar envelopes. My mom is also going to place one on an easel during the party. I hope my grandmom likes it!