Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Snow and curtains.

First a note to Mother Nature.

Mother Nature: It is a week before Christmas and there is still no snow. Hurry it up because my outside decor will look much better covered in a white blanket of cold glittery goodness. 

Next subject: curtains. 

I really really wanted yellow chevron striped curtains for my living room windows. Well I did until I saw the price tag for the fabric of $9 a yard and I need 20 yards, so that wasn't going to happen. I have since decided to make my own. They won't have chevron stripes because that's too much work, but they will have really wide horizontal stripes. I'm hoping to start working on them today, and once they're done and hopefully a success I will share how I did it. Total this whole project should cost around $30 which makes this girl extra happy.   

TV

Cute and Crafty Cupcake Stands

Here is the video from my little TV appearance this morning.

The Daily Dish.

On Wednesday I will be on a local morning show called the Daily Dish. I am extra excited and nervous all at the same time. From now until the show goes on I will be preparing my cake and cupcake stands. I worked on projects all day long today so that I could take it easy tomorrow and not stress, but knowing myself I will add 15 more projects to my list by 10 am tomorrow. 

Alright off to finish the laundry that has now taken me 6 days to finish. Yep just in time to start again. 

This was the tree our first Christmas together.

Details.

Hello lovelies!

My shop is being featured over on Hannah's cute blog today. You can check it out here.

Motivation.

I'm finally starting to feel normal again, still have a hard time breathing but breathing is overrated right? Yeah, I think so too. Now I just need my motivation back.As I was staring at Christmas tree today (yes it all up and decorated and I will post pictures later) I decided that I want to start a tradition of taking a family picture in front of it every year. Well in order for that to happen I need to paint the wall and finish my curtains so tonight I will begin that process. Painting our little home has turned into a much bigger process than I first thought, which is why it's taken me forever and a day to begin. Here is the plan for tonight:

-Remove and replace old caulking

-fill holes

-clean walls

-start painting the trim

Fingers crossed I get it all done.

The following pictures have absolutely nothing to do with the above.

Last night I was going back looking through all of our pictures and it reminded me how much fun we've had together over the last 4 years. Oh. My. Goodness. I can't believe we been together for 4 years and married for 3. I love Husby so so much, all these pictures bring back the best memories.

New Years 2008

Our 1st wedding anniversary in Seattle

Husby's 25th birthday party

I found this gem on my camera months after it had been taken

This sickness needs to be gone.

So I may not be as sick as I was yesterday but I still feel like the only sensible thing to do is lay on the couch. My plans, however, were interpreted when 3 of my 4 dogs escaped and the neighbor came knocking on the door to let me know. Imagine me in my bright pink robe my hair all over the place and my most attractive gray sweats (yeah they are Husband favorite) walking down the street trying to yell with my man voice at my dogs to get in the backyard. Thankfully my neighbor helped me gather my animals and I was back inside, on my couch in no time. About 30 min later I heard cracking noises and got up to see what it was, yep my pet dinosaur apparently LOVES walnuts because I found 4 of these lovely little messes around the house. I was just thinking how I wanted to spend my day cleaning. Thanks dog. 

Saturday.

On Saturday I participated in little holiday boutique. It wasn't anything big and exciting but it meant I got to spend 4ish hours hanging out with Misso and that always a good time. Below are pictures from the boutique and the little raccoon at the end, well Miss Misso made that herself out of clay. I love it.

Today my almost gone sinus infection morphed into something more terrible and I don't any plans to move from the couch. Ok, I take that back, I want my Christmas tree and if Husband agrees to go tonight I will move from this couch and make myself somewhat presentable to the world.

Fingers crossed tomorrow I get something more done than watching 14 episodes of Kitchen Nightmares. 

Baby Lifestyles Magazine Holiday 2011

Today has been so so busy. 

There is a holiday boutique I'm participating in tomorrow so I've been trying to prepare for that plus get all of my holiday stuff done for my shop. I was hoping to have all that done last week but my supplies came in 3 weeks late!! So now I'm running around like a mad woman trying to get everything done. 

One of my stands was in Baby Lifestyles Magazine Holiday issue. You can go check it here and then pop on over to Michelle's blog for all of the party details. 

Wreath.

I began decorating my front porch for Christmas on Thanksgiving night. The next morning I woke up and realized I didn't have a wreath and the failed wreath experiment from last year was in pieces in the basement. I thought about trying to fix it and use it for this yes but then I went and looked at it, and to the trash it went. Feeling defeated about a failed crafty project I called my mother for some wreath advice and that's how my new wreath came about. It took total maybe and hour to make and I think it's super cute and exactly what I was looking for. Below are the instructions on how to make it.

Please ignore the icky white door, instead pretend it's the pretty apple red it will become in spring 

1. Find some logs at the width you want, mine were around 4-5" in diameter.

2. Cut them into 1-2" pieces.

3. Once you have them all cut lay them out in a circle about 2" apart. Once those are laid out lay out the second layer out on top of them. I used a scrap piece of wood to use a gauge how big I wanted my wreath to be.  Adjust as necessary and make sure you have enough pieces.

4.  Once you have the shape you like start gluing. I used hot glue and wood glue, hot glue because I'm impatient and wood glue because I want it to last. When it's dry turn it over and pound two nails into the back. After you pound the nails in take some wire or string and wrap between the two nails.

3. After you are done gluing time to add the pretties. I used real pine branches, fake berries, alder cones and some ribbon I had around the house.

And you're all done! It's so quick and easy the perfect holiday project!

Lately.

So much is going on right now and needs to be done I don't know where to start. 

Right now we are currently living in a little house attached to Husbands parents and it's fantastic. We have been on the fence about whether or not to move out but we have decided to stay until we are ready to buy our own house. This means it's time to start making this little place our own! I don't want to spend too much money because we won't be here for more than a few years but I do want to make it some place that I feel comfortable in. First step: switching out all of the furniture in the house for ours, which has been in storage. 

I'm really excited to get everything done and can't wait for this to feel like home. Here are some before pictures of what our place looks like. It's really blah and a 90's flashback but that's all about to change. I plan to show little projects that I'm working on plus before and afters and can't wait to see how it turns out. I know the holidays are the absolute perfect time to start this but I just couldn't wait! Here's hoping I finish before we move out. 

 

Twinkle Lights.

I LOVE Christmas lights!!

And by love I mean I would keep them up year round if I could, and put them everywhere. everywhere.

Well tonight I might just have put them all over my shop and I can't wait to do the house and yard next!

Besties.

My bestest friend in the whole world in South Africa right now on the World Race. She left in September and won't be home until August of 2012, and will only be home for a week before she moves across the country to attend Johns Hopkins for her graduate degree. 

I am so super proud of her and she amazes me everyday. Even though we are the same age she is someone I will always look up to, I can't imagine where my life would be without her. 

We aren't just besties we are sisters. 

Love you James, and come home safely. 

If you would like to follow her adventure here is the link to her blog http://jamiesmith.theworldrace.org. 

Halloween

Happy Halloween!

From, Ursula, Ariel, Crab and the dog. 

Montana.

Our quick trip to Montana was perfect.

We got to catch up with friends and help with the Smith's big day.

They got married at a ranch in Helena and it was BEAUTIFUL! Here are some pictures we took and I will share more once the photographer's come back. 

In other news... I have a new shop!!!!! **squeal** 

A big thanks to my Mother and Father in law because they totally surprised me the other night at dinner. I will be moving in this weekend and will share pictures once I've got it all set up.  I can't wait, there will be so much more room for activities (Stepbrothers, anyone?). 

Front of the party barn

The view from every direction

Signs I made for all of the cupcakes

Cute sign by Jacqui

Carrot Cupcakes on a new cake stand design

Me and Husby

Snowflakes and Sparkles.

I'm super excited to announce that I am working on a Christmas/Holiday line of cupcake trees, cake plates and maybe some other little lovelies. 

Everything will be available to order the day after Thanksgiving and will be ready to ship. So no lead time...YAY!! 

Once I start working on everything I will post sneak peeks of what's to come. 

Here are some photos of inspiration for everything. 

all images via weheartit

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A few other things not related to Christmas:

1. I am running around like crazy trying to get ready to leave for Montana tonight.

2. I'm not ready for snow yet, so Mother Nature take note.

3. I may be getting a big kid job. (boo)

4. I just now realized how much I LOVE mermaids. Thank you pinterest for bringing that to my attention.

5. Glitter may or may not be the best. invention. ever.

Simply Utah

Hey ya'll (confession: I secretly wish I had a southern accent).

Anyway onto what I came here say. 

Delightfully Lovely is being featured on Simply Utah today and I'm offering  25% the Jaclyn cupcake tree. So hop on over and check them out there are some super cool ladies with super cool shops. 

...this picture has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the above info but is a sneak peak of what I'm working on for Halloween. oooh if my grandmother only knew what I was up to with our family pictures...

Fort Stevens, OR