More handmade holidays

This time it's gifts! I broke my sewing machine sewing straight lines for this one, but luckily enough was able to get it all fixed in time to wrap these lovely presents.

I followed this diy from an amazing blogger that used to live in Kansas as well. I find myself visiting her blog quite often. I then made some cute custom labels for them. I will be making more of these in the future. I used duck cloth instead of linen as her diy says only because linen is not that easy to find in Kansas in December. The people in fabric stores looked at me like I was crazy. When I did find some it was unwilling to pay $18-29/yard! It was in Lawrence and made partially from hemp, which sounds lovely but not my budget. 

Then I made manly onesies for the future baby Briscoe, working on a matchy one for brother. It is very adorable, but not as easy to make as I thought. Not 100% sure it will survive a wash, but will make for a very cute photo opportunity.

Handmade Christmas

We have been trying to increase our spirit this holiday by creating fun stuff around the house. Pictured are our clay hand painted ornaments, gingerbread house and xmas cards for Grammy!

Christmas Cake Pops

So I spend too much time on pinterest and saw all the lovely cake pops by bakerella (the very creator of the adorable pops). I thought I would give them a try at our annual cookie making day at my lovely mother-in-law's house with my lovely grandma and sister-in-law. I fell in love with the adorable reindeer with pretzel ears and the snowman with oreo cookie hat. I am still in love with bakerella's version, not so impressed with what I made. They did taste amazing. I followed the basic recipe from foodcomma's Emma.  I am sure that practice makes perfect with these little guys but I found that I couldn't make them stay on the sticks (that's why mine are upside down). Mine are red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and cocoa candy melts for the coating.

Cake Pops=1 Amanda =0

Technically Cake Pops=2 Amanda =0 because I never even tried a snowman

creative christmas

all the beautiful wreaths by this flickr member inspired me to buy yarn for the first time. wow what amazing wreaths she has made. ( i have a serious itch to learn to crochet or knit lately) so with a styrofoam wreath form and some goodies from home i made this, and i adore it!

i used a peice of white felt (i really wanted red but had used it to make my dog a cape for halloween!) and some corsage pins and voila! instant embellishment!

i also finally got to Target's dollar bins early enough this season to pick some adorable socks for joey's advent calendar. i numbered them with some old Making Memories stickers.

here is 2008 advent when i couldn't find socks. it worked just as well, and its so fun for joey! (same dark green ribbon used to hang both, i don't think i'll ever use up that spool!)

reason to revel wednesday candy cane stripes

photo cred

one of my favorite things about this time of year is the availability of Bob’s Sweet Stripes.
i love, love, love them! they have inspired this week’s reason to revel with their red and white Christmas-y striped goodness.

1. candy cane shot glass, these were given as a secret santa/white elephant gift at a recent party with peppermint schnapps. yummy

2. candy cane cocktail from miss martha

3. candy colored tree

4. holiday cupcakes, these are the cutest things ever!

christmas cards

whoa! I 've been away awhile! tis the season to be busy i guess. here are some very colorful x-mas cards i made for my wonderful mother in law. and below that is a card that came to the office at my 9-5 job! a pop up snowglobe. you can get similar ones here. i still prefer paper and glue but they are very unique!