{merry Christmas to all!}

I wish you all a blessed merry Christmas, and hope that you enjoy this wonderful time with friends and family. I have SO enjoyed each moment this year, it has been wonderful! We did an advent calender again this year with our kids and each day was doing something together. I love that it made us ALL stop and enjoy moments and fun together, something that often gets put aside due to busy schedules. We made cards, a snowflake tree, baked desserts, read stories around the tree lights, crazy dance night, and breakfast for dinner in our  pj’s. :)

This little picture above is a figurine that my grandma passed down to me that was my granny’s (her mom) I have quite a few things around this year that remind me of my family in the past. What wonderful memories we have to pass down to our kids. I just love that.

ALSO, I actually DID OUR Christmas pictures this year. It is the first time we have had family pictures in over 8 years! Usually, it is just a quick snap of us each year but I was so over it. I bought a remote for my camera so I did not have to use the timer and scramble in place and let me just tell you how amazing it was! WHY OH WHY have I waited SO long to do this. ugh.

SO, I thought I would share a few of my family shots. :) I told myself from the beginning I did not care HOW they came out, even out of focus a bit, i was just longing to have them. And much to my suprise they did come out. I am so thrilled to finally have prints in our home of US all. :)

I will be back soon with more families!! Merry Christmas!

*printables*

I am back with just a few gift tags that you can print out and use for gifts. So hopefully everyone can use these for those late night wrappings, or if you ran out of tags! There are alot of great artful tags, so these are just a few. ENJOY!

these are fun and colorful, I think kids would enjoy using them! You can find them HERE.

LOVE deer and these are a colorful fun way to do gifts. Print them out HERE.

I love these, one of my faves. The colors and art is just perfect! You can find them HERE.

And another from domestifluff she has some great ones! You can print these HERE.

these are actually cookie bag tags, but could be used for just gifts as well! Print them HERE.

Christmas loves!

I wanted today to give some inspiration and pass along some things that I am in love with right now! Ideas for crafting, gifts or decorations. I just love this cold winter, with a warm fire in the eve and crafting or sewing away!

Hope you enjoy!

Up next….I will be putting up a few FREE printable gift tags like last year, and a few recipes that would be great to bring to a festivity. Also, a few more family sessions….so stay tuned!

First up I thought I would share a few diy gifts, and then some etsy love that anyone would love getting for Christmas!

1.This is a SO cute trivet from Martha Stewart and seems pretty simple. I love the results!! Directions HERE.

2.This is a really great diy that you literally could do for under $5! I am thinking something like this would look so great in Hazel (our trailer). You can find out how to do it HERE.

3.Chocolate cupcakes WITH cookie dough in the middle. Yes please. On those days that I am craving something ooey and gooey this would completely fufill that! Recipe found HERE.

4. This has to be THE cutest crochetted tutorial ever! The animals are just as cute. Someday I will learn to do this. WILL! You can find it HERE.

5. This is a shower scrub that would make a wonderful gift. You can find directions HERE.

6. An awesome re-purposed sweater bag HERE.

7. An apron for gardening or baking. Tutorial HERE.

8. These lavender sachets are easy to put together, and I adore the smell! Found HERE.

9. This little owl is just simply cute, it could be used as a tree ornament or even turned into a keychain or gift topper. Found HERE.

Ok. now on to a few etsy loves….

I love etsy for so many reasons, one being that each thing created is so unique and original and I love that! And another reason is that things are created by individuals with passion and love. Something you will NOT find at the big box stores. These days small businesses struggle to make it, and let me tell you owning your own business is not so easy anymore. SO, show some local and  handmade love this year for Christmas….there are really so many amazing things to buy.

These are just a few of MY faves.

1. I am thinking this is a must for me, every year I get a new day to day planner and I am in love with this one!

2. Bike pendant LOVE it!

3. Would love this by my bedside table.

4. A vintage trailer bird house, yes please.

5. I love beantown and know that Opal would look wonderful in this sweater. Not sure how thrilled she would be with me however.

6. All these pieces are incredible, art for sure. I would love one.

7. Warm Sugar has to be one of my fave doll makers. So SO cute and detailed. I think one just might be on my daughters bed soon. :)

8. These hooks are awesome, and love using them as jewelry holders.

9. I love Nan Lawson’s art, and having so many artists that speak to my heart throughout my home. I love this print SO.

10. Another one of my fave prints.

11. I love these letterpress prints, there is also an awesome camera print.

12. Ok. yes, I love most things boston terriers and this shirt is adorable!

{the M family}

Another wonderful family that I had the pleasure of capturing again this year.  Little Addison is so cute, and full of spunk! I just love it!!

I love the fun we have! Thank you M family for another wonderful year!

On a side note….great gift ideas, some on my list and some diy’s coming up next!!

and a few of the extended family :)

Falalalalalalalahhhhh….

Can you believe that Christmas is SO close? crazy how fast it has flown by! The Christmas decorating and crafting hit me hard, I think it was due to the cold weather. I have made a few things for gifts, and some for our home. I will be able to share those gift photos later but thought I would give you guys hopefully some sort of inspiration for inexpensive decor.

Ok. first up, this is NOT the greatest shot, so bear with me here. These are the windows that are behind where our Christmas tree will be and I wanted to add something. So I strung some super thick yarn that I thrifted long ago all the way across the windows. Then I made some pom poms from the same yarn and hung them randomly throughout. I used pom poms last year and will again this year for present toppers on gifts, it was SO much fun and yarn goes a looong way!

We had a pink Christmas last year and the vote is in for this year, and it will be pink again :)

{ALSO…some family posts, diy, and etsy love coming soon!}

Next up is my little wonderland. I already had the vintage deer, and had purchased the little bottle brush trees for a dollar awhile back. So, I thought I would make a little woodsy wonderland area with them. All i did was gather a few clear glass vases that I had and filled them with sugar, for the “snow”. Easy to do and so cute. Maybe not so easy to keep my little one’s hands OUT of the sugar.  hmmm.

This little project is my FAVE! I am a huge west elm fan, and usually want most everything that they sell. Their new Christmas line came out, and it is all solid white…oh, i fell in love and wanted the nutcracker, owl, and all the other eye candy they were selling. THEN out  one day and saw a nutcracker for sale, that was in the raw wood form..a do it your self sort of project. UGH, I knew it was mine. AND it was only 4$ yeaaaa! So, I took it home pulled off the beard, and little knick knacks on the bottom. Sanded it. And then gave it a few light coats of white spray paint.  Let it dry, and then hand painted the mustache on there, just for some added charm. :) I LOVE it! and then kids cannot stop making him talk. ha.

This is another great project, I have seen this being done all over cyber space and just love that the combination’s are endless! These make amazing gifts, and am putting together a few for birthday gifts for friends. Finding the right combo, AND making sure that the height is right is key. If the base is to high it gets a bit wobbly.

So, you begin by finding two pieces that will form your cake plate. You can really get creative, using cups without handles more like a goblet, candle holders, vases. you get the idea. You need to also get extra strength durable glue for ceramics.

Turn plate upside down and measure where the center is. You can make erasable marks around the base on the plate so you know exactly where it should sit. Put some glue around the lip of base and put it on. You will want to secure the base to the plate using tape so that it does not move or slip.  Drying time is usually quite a few hours, but will depend on what glue you use.

I love this!! Friends, know you may just be receiving one on your birthday because I love making them. :)

*Happy Thanksgiving*

I absolutely love this time of they year but it has unfortunately been overhauled by Christmas and often gets overlooked at just how important of a time of the year it is.  Of course retail has to push what will make money, and sadly being thankful is not one of them.  It is such a wonderful reminder to me of how many blessings we have as a family, and as Americans.  We forget while living here in the USofA of how much we all have, and what the word NEED really means. We as a family have been completely taken care of by God this year, He has never once let us go from His arms, He has shown us over and over again that He loves us. Wonderful blessings this year, and so many things to thank HIM for!

I want to also send a HUGE thank you to all my clients this year. I am so wonderfully thankful for all of you, and the joy that you bring ME! I truly have SO much fun capturing all my clients, and the encouragement that you all give me makes my job even more wonderful. Thank you all!

Have a wonderful thankful day! xo

{this is a school craft that my son made, i just love this little turkey!} :)