24 Days of Glam: DIY Advent Gifts for Girls

I've been absolutely near to bursting with excitement to get this project out of the gate - I've designed 24 pieces of fabulous, glamorous and girly jewelry and hair accessories that even I go giggly over.  I will be releasing one free diy tutorial each and every day of December up until Christmas this year - yowsers!

Its funny how these things strike.  I never know what will bring me to my next creative project. This collection just seemed to spring up like it was meant to happen. It all started because my boys are obsessed with legos. They are obsessed to the point that when I saw the Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar this year, I started jumping up and down.  Luckily, the boys' birthdays are close enough to the holidays to justify a birthday purchase for their advent calendar. But, this left me stymied for Allie.  How could the boys have something special to open every day and she have nothing?  That's when I decided to make her a little something for every day leading into Christmas.  I wasn't sure I could come up with that many, but once I started, I couldn't stop.  I have had a ball creating each and every one of these designs. They are all so simple and easy to make - but they come out so darn cute!  I am tickled pink . . . and blue and yellow and green.

I'm sure you have collected many fabulous ideas for phenomenal advent calendars this year as they abound across the internet. Well, here is your source for 24 different things to fill them with.  Though I know the timing is a bit off for you to make each of these to fill the calendar, hopefully you'll find some time to fill a few Advent slots and maybe stuff a piece or two into that stocking, or these would be perfect as Hanukkah gifts.

I'll be posting a photo of and link to the tutorial for each piece of jewelry or accessory on a dedicated 24 Days of Glam page of my blog as each day of December passes.  Starting December 1st, you can reach it by this link or the button in the sidebar.  The page will grow every day with a new photo and link as the month goes on. At the end of the day (or should I say month?), you can go to one place to see all the goodies at once–necklaces, bracelets, hair binders, barrettes, headbands, rings and more. There will absolutely be something for everyone, including a few things you may want to make for yourself–or even a sister-in-law.  Giddy to get started.  Day 1 begins tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, it has been nutty around here as the fall brings two birthdays and the holidays and all the commensurate festivities.  I am trying to remind myself to breathe deeply and not get overwhelmed by my long list of things to do.  I am trying to stop, notice and be thankful for the small things.  

A heart shaped stone . . .

Our newest addition, lucy, in a quiet second (okay, adding puppy to family not good for relaxed holidays). . . 

The kids in a getting-along-moment . . . 

A sweet kiddo-dog snuggle (see puppy has brought much love to our lives) . . .

A grin after your first lost tooth . . . 

A finished project . . . 

A kiddo working hard . . . 

A spot of warmth . . .

Happy Thanksgiving.

Grandmother's Needles

I show you the knitting above because of those dear, crooked needles - they were my grandmother's.  She knit with them and now, I do.  This means a lot to me.  

I love knitting.  I love its repetitive nature and its soothing and meditative hand movement.  I love that you can create something amazing with only a ball of yarn.  A morning of knitting is indulgent and lovely–but knitting on these red needles is something else.  They have a history, a past, and it has me thinking about family, about my grandmother.  I think about the things she made on these needles and wonder what was going on in her life as she made them. What did she make? What were her worries, her concerns, her dreams, her passions?  Was she happy? Was she sad? Did she love it the way I love it?

My mother gave me the collection of my grandmother's needles, including the handmade case that holds them.  The needles are old, bent, loved.  The case is torn, ragged and virtually useless, but I love them all. There are lots of three needle sets and single needles, also needles with dried and disintegrated rubber bands still half stuck to their shiny surface.  I can't bring myself to throw out a single one. 

I wish I had known my grandmother better.  If you are lucky, you may know your grandparent past your childhood.  If you are fortunate, you spend a lot of time with your grandparent.  But if those things don't occur for you, that relationship is limited to the time when you are young and forming.  When grandparents live far away, that relationship is flickering and tender.  This is how my relationship with my grandmother was - periodic and slow-growing.   She was gone before I knew it, before I knew her.

Now I wonder, what would my grandmother say if she saw the things I've made with her needles?  Would she like my blog?  I think of her independent and practical nature. She may have said, what a waste of time.  She may have wondered how I find the time.  She may have wished she could have done something similar.  I look at her collection of needles, and the cherished charm bracelet of hers that I have, the one with the thimble and scissors charms.  I think she must have loved to make things, she must have.  In an odd way, I feel I am communing with that part of her when I use her needles.  

I witness the formation of that grandparent-grandchild relationship with my own children.  My kids are to the age where they ask questions, have conversations, and can form opinions. This is all good. Grandparents can be inspiring, funny, exciting, or even intimidating.  They are looked up to and seem very large in every sense of the word.  But, I can't help but think, what will happen to the memory of that relationship later? What will they remember? Will their view morph, be romanticized, altered dramatically from the reality? Was mine? What will they wish they had asked? shared? I watch them and I want to urge them to remember, to write it down, to capture it in their hearts because it will be gone before they know it.

Tracing Fun

WAIT!!  Don't throw out that old calendar!  Some young thing could use that for amazing inspiration! I absolutely adore these calendars from Snow and Graham - totally impractical in so many ways - nary a way to schedule a thing on them, but they are oh so beautiful to look at.  I buy myself one every year just to be inspired by their beautiful designs.  Also, Sandy can't bring himself to buy me something that just doesn't have much of a purpose. "You have a calendar on your computer right in front of you!"  I know. I know. But, there is something about design and *paper* that soothes and coos to my creative being.  Do you know what I mean?  I saved this calendar in my office thinking the abstract shapes could stimulate some creative brainstorming for me.  But, lo and behold, Allie got a hold of the calendar first. 
Actually, she was driving me nuts in my studio one day (me trying to get some work done; she trying to get some mommy time).  I pulled out the tracing paper and these calendar pages and she went to town making "cards" for her friends. I started by showing her what I would do.  


First, place the card under the tracing paper and use colored pencils to "recreate" some of the shapes.  My absolute favorite pencils are primsacolor pencils.  Seriously, they make a difference, even for the kids' creativity.  They are just so smooth!

Next, color and embellish to your own liking from there.

Well, she practically shoved me aside and got to work.  Here is her rif on the one I showed her.  Note the little multi-media flair with the bit of twine she attached at the bottom. 

I was amazed with her composition,

And detail–look at that little mama bird and her nest.  What a beautiful extension on the exercise.  I do hope Allie doesn't lose this ability to creatively and openly spring from inspiration.  As always, there is so much I can learn from her.

Every year I think, what can Snow & Graham do this year that could please me as much?  I am amazed  every year–just look at the images for the 2012 calendar.  Ohh, I just love them (hint to all family member who read this blog: what a perfect little Christmas present for Anne–and Allie too!)

2012 Calendar Snow & Graham: www.snowandgraham.com

Lots of good things on tap!  I have a sports birthday party coming up for my middle guy, complete with sweatband invites. And, I have a sweet set of advent calendar gifts for my girly girl that would make great, fun stocking stuffers too. 

Cinnamon Bread Sticks - Feature in Whip Up's Action Pack

I am very lucky to have not one, but two projects in Whipup.net's Action Pack this issue. This issue has a theme of Sticks and Stones and is PACKED with all sorts of great activities, including how to make a sling shot, stone art, tic tac toe games, whittling skills, and more.   I loved this project for a completely different reason than the pretzel log cabins.  My kids love to bake, and I do too.  But, it never ceases to amaze me how much I love bread dough. I love the smell of it, the look of it, the feel of it. I love the gummyness of the early stages and the floury dryness of the final stages.  I like the pressure of the dough against my hands.  Am I the only one that feels that way?

The other part about making these breadsticks that sent me over the moon was the cinnamon. Grinding the cinnamon you need from cinnamon sticks isn't a necessary part of the recipe, but ohh is it good.  Plus, I thought the more "sticks," the better for this issue.  If you haven't done it for a while, try it.  The smell of freshly ground cinnamon is beyond wonderful. The kids loved the whole grinding process too, along with the process of bread making.

The breadsticks are easy for the kiddos to help do AND super yummy. 

 We gobbled a bunch up the first night.

And then, dipped the leftovers in french toast batter the next morning.  Ohhh my was that good french toast.   Give me some mo'!!

The recipe for these cinnamon-stick breadsticks is in the magazine.  It has over 30 pages of activities for kids, specially for kids ages 7 - 10.  I love that.  

Harry Potter Party

This is my Harry Potter getting the snitch.  The 9th birthday party was an immense success.  What started out with invitations by owl delivery, turned into a Harry Potter extravaganza. The party began with an official sorting ceremony, sorting hat and all (a sorting hat was on my list to make, but after five sets of robes, I ran out of time!) Thank you Halloween store.  This is Fleur De La Coeur getting placed into Gryffindor. 

Sandy sat under the sheet and "acted" out the sorting hat saying personalized comments for each child like, "Hmmm, very bright,  likes horses, loyal friend, . . . better be Gryffindor!"  We sorted them into two houses and pinned badges on each of them in turn.  

Once the kids were sorted into houses, we moved to Divination Class with Professor Trelawney.  My mother, eccentric and spiritual to begin with, fit the part perfectly.  We decked out a room in a white fabric tent so the kids had to crawl inside and sit on pillows on the floor.

With her bangles jingling, Trelawney laid out her tarot cards and read each of their fortunes.  

Enthralled, the kids looked wide eyed at each other's cards. With cards like "Magical and Spiritual Prosperity" or "Wise Choices" or "Truth," the fortune telling actually turned into good and lively discussion.

From Divination we moved to Potions class with Professor Snape.

We had a cauldron filled with dry ice which absolutely entranced the kids.  I never tire of it either, frankly–the bubbling, the frost, the way the steam falls - so cool!

More than one container of the dry ice might have been good :).  I was a tad concerned about freezing the fingers of a couple of 9 year olds.

The kids each mixed their own "potion" in a personal cauldron (a Halloween mug they got to take home with them) adding things like Dragon Hearts (red licorice) and Flobberworm Mucus (caramel sauce) to ice cream.  I loath little plastic bags of junk that come home from most parties! I always try to make the party favor a nice thing that will hopefully be used again.

C has never been a cake kid, so he was perfectly happy with ice cream sundaes.  Doesn't he make an adorable Harry Potter?  I might be biased.  Making the cloak was super easy.  I will share a tutorial for this at some point, though I'm a bit late for the Halloween rush!

Next came the highlight of the party, which was the Quidditch Match! The kids brought brooms of varying sorts and we struck out with a quaffle (the blue bouncy ball), the bludgers (orange soft balls), and the snitch (a sparkly super ball). 

Here are the rules:

1. The kids must keep the broom between their legs at all times.

2.  The goal is to get the quaffle into the goal by passing it from player to player.  No player can take more than three steps with the quaffle.

3. Anyone may pick up a bludger and throw it at another player.  If a player is hit by a bludger,  that player must stay still for 5 seconds, dropping the quaffle if they have it.

4. Keep an eye out for the snitch at all times, which may be released (read super high bounce of a the superball) at any time randomly during the game.

We had goals set up at either end constructed out of hula hoops and foot stools.  I had a fabric covering for the base and the clips, but it was just too windy for it to stay in place.  The game was great fun, filled with daring runs for the snitch, exciting goals, and great defense.  The kids picked up the rules amazingly fast.

 Here is the birthday boy flying on his Swiffer 3000.

I'm hoping I made some of this 9 year old's birthday wishes come true.

Pretzel Log Cabins - Feature in WhipUp's Action Pack

I have so much fun brainstorming projects for Whipup.net's Action Pack.  Kathreen always picks such great themes you can rif off of.  This issue is Sticks & Stones.  I am super excited to have these Pretzel Log Cabins in this issue.  I have one other project in this issue too! Lucky me, lucky you :)
 I wanted to build real log cabins that the kids could build by themselves, but thought the sizing and cutting would just get too time intensive.  Instead, I thought, why not build with something really consistent in size, but also something edible and easy for the kids to handle-pretzel sticks! (okay, pretzel "rods" technically, but I took some poetic license).  You'll have to get the magazine to find out what I used for glue.  But, let me tell you, its tasty.  I hadn't eaten it in years.  Throw a guess down in the comments section - see if any of you can tell.

What I love about this project is the PLAY factor.  From start to finish, the kids were giggling and building and eating and making up stories and eating some more while they thought of the most outlandish tales.   They didn't care about precision or details, but just had fun building and then interacting with the cabin.  Sometimes, in my effort to make beautiful things, I forget to just enjoy the process and let it all ride. 

These cabins provided a full day of enjoyment.  A full day! armed with only a bag of pretzels, a jar of the *special* glue, and some play things.  We tried smurfs and dolls and army guys and monsters and aliens and zoo animals and dinosaurs and on and on!  Okay, truth be told, we had a crazy mess in the basement when these were finished!

To be honest, I think the cabins provided so much fun because of their fleeting nature.  The cabins were not meant to last, but were meant to inspire.  

Of course, I think the best part was total destruction at the end! What can be more fun than that?

Go check out this issue of Action Pack - so many cool projects in this issue including slingshots, message stones, whittling, a tic tac toe game, jewelery, and my other project, yummy cinnamon "sticks!"