Not the Same 'Ole Thing! (but from some 'ole thing...)

I recently bought a set of nesting measuring spoons, each in the shape of a gardening shovel with birds on the handles, as a thank you gift for my mom. I wanted to wrap it in a unique way and was inspired to try my hand at making paper bows after coming across an article in the spring 2011 issue of GreenCraft Magazine, published by Stampington & Company. (Tracie Lampie of www.radicalrecycks.com was the contributing designer.)

What I especially love about this idea is how each and every bow is unique and you can easily create any “theme” you want just by choosing a page from a related publication that has whatever images you like or need. In the image above I found a feature on homemade chutney in a 2009 Country Living.

So, for my mom’s present I selected a page that featured garden images. Some other ideas I’ve come up with include using typeface for a book or stationary present, pages from a tool or golf catalog for a guy's gift, fashion images for a clothing item… can you see the possibilities? I like how clean the look can be, too.

One year at Christmas I used fresh flowers from the garden (it was southern California and there were roses, bougainvillea, pansies and a few other things I can’t remember now) with various satin ribbons. Each person’s “bow” was one of a kind and they loved them!

What unique ideas have you come across or devised for embellishing presents? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Blast from the Not-So-Distant Past - The "Bobba-Loo"

Here's one of Alec when he was about five. We've called Alec "Bobba-Loo" since he was a baby. Eric became the "Gabba-Goo" and Beth, "Betty-Boo." (Only a few of many nick-names.)

We were in the Outer Banks vacationing with family friends and it was my first time at an east coast beach. I enjoyed how warm the water was and how sandy the beach was. That might sound funny, but at a lot of west coast beaches it's often quite rocky with cliffs and pebbles and they actually import sand for some of the public beaches. It was very relaxing and warm, even in the evenings - which again was in contrast to the colder water and breezes you get on the Pacific side.

I love how atmospheric this shot is - of course totally by accident as I was trying to learn how to shoot in fading light!

From Our Gnome to Yours... Season's Greetings!

Awhile back our beloved gnome took off for parts unknown. He'd had enough of our cushy suburban plot, I guess. Personally, I think he was gnome-napped, but any-who... (I can't help but notice how he is glowing with happiness in our garden in the first photo...)

We received a mischievous call that he had found his way to a friend's house and was enjoying the "wilds" of Colorado. While I totally understand having a bit of wanderlust, I was still a bit miffed he hadn't said goodbye.

But this morning, this little fellow just showed up! I guess he'd heard we were missing his friend and came to surprise us for Christmas...

...and apparently, he came to party!

Merry Christmas!

I definitely think that cookie decorating is an art form - and I do not possess a particular talent for it. :) I see those gorgeous magazine covers for holiday cookies every year and think, "I could do that!" Hm. Not so much.

But, we did have a lot of fun this year making our ginger bread cookies from scratch and the traditional Christmas Eve fudge. Mine didn't turn out as good as mom's. It occurred to me while I was working away that usually I'm the casual observer, not the confection chef, and that perhaps that would be why it didn't turn out as well as in years past. Hmmm...

Blast from the Not-So-Distant Past - Betty Boo

A sweet little moment from a couple of years ago...

The Golden State of My Soul

 

I get nostalgic when I visit home. I live in a beautiful area now, but California is where my soul belongs. My hope is that the next time I’m there I’ll have a good quality camera and will be able to more properly capture all the scenes I find so lovely and inspiring. I love the quality of the air and light and the diversity of scenery and the character and history all throughout the Golden State. I’ll definitely be aiming to post more from Cali in the future!

All these were shot on the fly out of the car window - I know they aren't the best in terms of focus or composition, but I was enjoying the day. :)

Blast from the Not-So-Distant Past - Apple Bobbing!

The other day I was going through photos from the past several years looking for a few mile-stone images that my son could use for a timeline project at school. It was a lot of fun (and very distracting) to see all the great photos I’d forgotten about – of the kids and of fun little projects I’ve done over the years. It made me think it would be fun to share them so I’m thinking of doing a weekly “blast from the not-so-distant past” posting.

To kick off the weekly theme I’ve picked a couple of images from this past Halloween. It’s the first time we hosted a pumpkin carving party. I finally felt like the kids were old enough that I, as the harried mom, could handle it. :) In addition to the pumpkin carving we had set up corn-hole toss, pumpkin bowling, apple bobbing and a fire pit for s’mores. Everyone had a great time! (Funny how that carving was pretty much left to the dads and moms, though…)

Small Gestures

It's the holidays... :) I'm definitely someone who likes to fantasize about all the fantastic things I will do for the holiday season - the decorating, gift-giving, baking, entertainments, all the beautiful, personal gifts and decorations I'll make... and the list goes on! But the reality is that most years I barely make it through with getting the gifts on time! I really do think it's a matter of planning months in advance - and I think the end result would be rewarding, but, I worry I'd be so sick of seeing and thinking about Christmas things for so long that it would lose it's magic by the time Christmas really did arrive.

I "whipped" up these cute little gift tags (and coordinating table place cards not pictured) one evening after visiting a craft supply store and being inspired by a couple of punches. I didn't plan out what I'd do in advance, but I was tickled with the end result.

I gave the set to a friend as a hostess gift one afternoon when she had me over for a lovely little lunch of handmade pasta featuring butternut squash that her daughter had prepared. (yum!) It felt good to have something on hand to give her - something also handmade, to boot! It was a small gesture, but seeing her smile and appreciation was warming and made me realize I'd like to do more of those small types of gestures more often.

Happy Holidays!