decorating for New Year's Eve

What are your plans for tonight? Staying up to welcome the New Year? Crashing early? Celebrating with loved ones, yummy munchies and board games? Snuggling up warm and watching a movie? Doing some online shopping of after Christmas sales (if so, don't forget the coupon code for 15% off of the shop - maybe a good time to pick up the Garland for Every Holiday set?)? If you're online, stop by the temporary landing page for our new website - still can hardly believe it's actually happening! - and sign up for the newsletter so you can stay up to date on sales and things :)

Right now, crashing early sounds really good, but I'm looking forward to a fun evening with extended family, maybe a game or two and some delicious goodies. And enjoying watching it snow. :)

 (one of the lovely bits of living in the midwest is having a snowy mailbox :D)

Have you seen the glittered votives making their way around Pinterest? I made some after seeing them and now think I need to make a few more - maybe in pinks and red for Valentine's Day ... :) These have been adding such a festive touch to our Christmas and New Year's decorations!

The rest of our New Year's decor is centered around our upstairs window. I recently found a small disco ball on Etsy (probably one of my most frivolous purchases yet :D) and combined it with a Snowflake Garland from the shop and a printable Happy New Year banner from theTomKatStudio.

Last year's version of the same window (minus the disco ball) - I made up the twinkle star garland as a last minute way to add a bit of festivity to our house and it ended up going in the shop and becoming quite popular! Kind of fun to see how God uses some of my random ramblings and spurts of creative experimenting :)
I'm thinking that some large balloons (maybe like these) and twinkle lights would round this out nicely - maybe next year!


I've been reflecting back on 2012 for the past few days (and would enjoy making up a year-end round-up post here) and can only come to the conclusion that God is amazing. And, because He doesn't change, that amazingness will continue in 2013.

Here's to a wonder-ful new year!


xo

"I LOVE YOU"

I've been loving Pinterest. Just loving it. I've been pinning just about everything and have a board for just about everything. Including Valentine's Day.

 {via}

One of the things I pinned was this sweet "I LOVE YOU" banner.

As I started writing this post I realized that the woman who made the original banner has a very nice post about how she made it - I of course didn't even think to click through to her blog to see if there were instructions or not. I just muddled though and made my own. : )

I used the font Arial Black in 400 point to write out "I LOVE YOU" and printed it onto white cardstock in very light gray.
Emma Grace chose the color of the glitter - pink, of course. : )

After trying a light layer of glue, I realized that, to get the nice thick and full look, I needed to put a heavy layer of glue on. A very heavy layer!

Once they were dry I cut slits in in the sides of the letters and threaded a creamy ribbon through.

It turned out quite well, but the sweetest part of the process was my helpers! They were so proud to be able to "help" with things like glue and glitter that are normally off limits to them.
And - even though there were a few moments where I was quite nervous about them smearing glue where it shouldn't be - their joy was more than worth it.


If you haven't joined Pinterest yet and would like an invitation, let me know - I've got several left. : )

(I'm linking this at a few of these crafty blogs)

a giveaway!

And ooo, just in time for Valentine's Day, too!

I'd like to offer one of my 8-foot Romantic Heart Garlands in red to one of you sweet readers <3

Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to enter! (pretty easy :D)
For a second chance, click over to my shop and then leave a comment telling me what might go on to your wishlist.
And for a third chance? Share the giveaway! (and then leave a comment here letting me know that you shared and where)

The winner will be posted here on Thursday <3 {giveaway closed}

garlands

It's really fun to realize that some of the things in the shop are getting featured on websites and blogs (a huge thank you to all the wonderful people featuring them!!!). It brings a huge smile to my face. : )

I was so excited this afternoon to see that it had happened again last week! The blog that carried that post is called It's A Brides Life (here's the post). The author was writing about Etsy wedding decor and included the Romantic Vintage Hearts garland. :)

Scrolling through some of the posts reminded me of the hours I spent getting ideas from wedding blogs 4 years ago. *sigh* It was so much fun!

kind of fun :)

can you see my garland up in the middle?

The Vintage Music Hearts Garland was featured in a treasury called "Daddy's little birthday girl" this morning, and that treasury has been on the front page of Etsy's treasury section all day! Kind of fun. : )

help me love Japan

Romantic Hearts Garland - white with a single red heart

Have you been watching the updates on t.v. and online about Japan? Every time they show images of the devastation my heart goes out to the Japanese, wanting to do something more tangible than pray (even though I know that prayer does help).

So, I decided to donate all the proceeds (that's right, 100%)  from my new garland - Romantic Hearts, white with a single red heart - to one of my favorite faith-based disaster relief organizations: Samaritan's Purse. They have a wonderful track record of not only providing relief and care to those most in need, but they also share Christ and His love with them.

If you'd like to donate directly through the website of Samaritan's Purse you can find all the info you'll need right here.


And, on a happier note, if you are itching to do some Spring-y projects you can find a ton of creative ideas over on these blogs. I'll be linking this at some of them. :)

a little lace for Spring

  *there are a few days left if you'd like to enter the CSN Stores $25 giftcard giveaway! click here to find out how to enter*

A few weeks ago I was out and about doing some shopping for Emma's birthday party and found a package of little white paper doilies at the dollar store.

I picked them up thinking it's always good to have some doilies on hand, even if they didn't make it into the party decor. :)

It turned out to be a good thing that I did, because they turned into this pretty garland. :) I folded each one in half and then simply ran them through my sewing machine.
It was incredibly easy to do, and, because the doilies are 4" across, it was quick, too!

I have them listed in the shop here if you'd like me to mail you one (or more!). <3 It's amazing how just draping a lace garland across the wall can soften it and brighten the room.

I'm linking this over at a few of these darling blogs. There are a bunch of gorgeous ideas for Spring being posted in their link parties - I highly recommend you checking them out. :)

another shop milestone :)

The shop just got its 49th single order (yippee!) - to celebrate I'm offering free shipping to the person who places the 50th! :)

sweethearts

Sweethearts

(this garland was actually my husband's idea - one day he saw me making a Hearts By the Yard garland for a customer and suggested that I make one all in red but with one white heart - my Sweetheart has the best ideas!)


I love February. It's not my absolute favorite month, but I love it.

Partly because in California where I grew up, February was the start of Spring (now, in Indiana, Spring comes more toward the middle of April - still not used to that at all). The bulbs would bloom, the trees blossom, and you could start wearing t-shirts again - on some days.

But another reason that I love February is because it marks some important "firsts" for me: the first time John told me "I love you" (it was on the phone and I was so startled that I hung up on him - poor guy!), the first time John met my family, the birth of our first baby, and the day I opened my Etsy shop, to name a few. Plus it has Valentine's Day in it. :)

I can hardly believe that the shop has been open for a year now! I've had 45 sales so far, and it's been a wonderful year. Thank you all for joining me in it. You have all been so sweet and encouraging. :)

As a special thank you to all you darling readers, I've created a coupon code just for you to use during February. When you place an order just enter the code "1YEAR" to get 10% off of your order.


So, why do you love February? I love reading your comments!
Also, I'm linking this to a few of these fun blogs. You might love heading over and checking out some of their amazing Valentine's Day ideas - and I'd love it if you would spread the word about the coupon code for the shop. :)

just a little something

I just listed a new garland in the Etsy shop - the Hearts By The Yard garland. <3

It's $8 and super sweet:

"A lighthearted and romantic decoration for any time of year, this garland is made of paper hearts sewn together and would be lovely accenting a wedding, party, bedroom or nursery!

Made using paper hearts cut from vintage book pages and white cardstock, the garland is stitched together with white thread into a piece of bunting that is over 8 feet long.

There are loops of cream ribbon sewn into the ends to use for easy hanging."