Midwestern Sewing Girl

5 blog posts that have changed my life...

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

I started (routinely) blogging exactly 1 year ago tomorrow, and it was around that time that I found some of my most favorite blogs...and over the past year there have been a few posts that have truly changed the way I do or look at things...(don't expect anything too deep...these things aren't exactly emotional, philosophical or mentally inspirational {well, with the exception of one of them}...but they are AWESOME, all the same)...

#5: This post from Shelley at House of Smith's introduced me to the most wonderful shampoo ever...ENJOY...

Truly...I have never before used a better shampoo or conditioner. The shampoo smells soooo good (and it continues to keep your hair smelling good for days...don't ask me how I know that...), and the conditioner really does detangle my over-tangly hair (I'm telling you, I get more tangles than anyone I know and this conditioner is a miracle at helping to smooth them out). It is a bit pricey, but, for me, it's definitely worth it. Love this stuff.

#4: This post from Rachel at Maybe Matilda changed the way I use makeup...

Not only did it encourage me to wear just a little more eye makeup (which I LOVE the look of now), but it also clued me in about this...Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel

And NO...not for it's intended use, but for wearing over your moisturizer and under your foundation. And, can I just tell you...this stuff is da' bomb! Truly...I can't believe just how soft it makes my skin and how well my foundation goes on...and how little said foundation gets caught in my crow's feet when I wear it underneath. Just amazing...

#3: My post on Fish Foam...

This window/mirror cleaner is truly the best I've EVER used. I use it on all my windows & mirrors and I couldn't be happier...it really is that good...

#2: Vivienne's post here on The V Spot...detailing how to clean your stove burners with ammonia.

Oh my heck, this is out of this world amazing...and EASY...and CHEAP...and it REALLY WORKS. Exactly the way she says it does...you HAVE to try this...

and the number 1 post that has changed my life over the past year...

#1: Nester's post here...it was originally posted in 2010, but she re-posted it a few months ago and that's when I saw it...

You see, the motto on Nesting Place is IDHTBPTBB...It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to be Beautiful. This phrase has stuck with me since I first read it...I can't get it out of my head...and I try to remember it in everything I do.

So, there you go...my top 5 life-changing posts...

What have you read recently that has changed your life?

new winner...

2012-01-26T04:01:00.004-06:00

Unfortunately, I never heard from one of the winners from the Fish Foam giveaway...sooooo, I chose a new one - yay!

Congratulations, Bonnie from A Wee Meenit!

Bonnie ~ a wee Meenit 43

I follow you by email!

I've sent you an email...please contact me asap so we can get your prize to you...thank you!

organize your weekend...printable

2012-01-25T07:32:00.000-06:00

If you're anything like me, then your weekends are sometimes really hectic...sometimes I lose site of the things I want to get done.

I have my regular, weekly to-do list...but on the weekends I like to focus on tasks that maybe the kids can help with, or that I need my husband to do part of.

So, last weekend, when I was making another to-do list, I threw together this "weekend goals" printable...just to keep those things separate from everything else...

Want it?

It's yours...

Weekend Goals

Enjoy!

i feel so scattered...

2012-01-20T10:15:00.000-06:00

Have you ever just felt...crazy? Like completely scattered and messy?
That's how I feel right now.

I've been working on getting my house organized and "clean-swept" for the new year, but, in the process, I've really made a messy house. Rarely do I have the time to start a project and finish it in the same sitting...so I've perfected the 10-minute cleaning ritual. OK, "perfected" may be a ~~little~~ incredibly generous...but, because I have only about 10 minutes at a time, I have a number of different organization projects going on at once.

Here's how it went yesterday morning...

I woke up, got Ty breakfast & tore out all of the things on one shelf in my closet. Then I made the beds and got Gray breakfast. Kate got up and Ty had his second breakfast. I organized the shelf I'd just torn apart and started a load of laundry. While I was in the laundry room, I pulled down some board games and started going through them to make sure they were all intact. Then Kate and Gray ate and I made the kids' lunches. The driveway needed a'shovelin', so I did that...then I came in to get Ty his third breakfast (yes, I know...he eats 3 breakfasts and then hardly anything for the rest of the day...except yogurt...he has about 4 yogurts for dinner...I don't even try anymore...). When I was done with that, I put the laundry in the dryer and grabbed a bin full of Kate's crafting stuff from the basement to go through. Then I put the clothes in the dryer, called my mom and got the kids on the bus. Then I cleaned up the kitchen (sorta) and got Ty's shoes on...drove him to school and headed to the grocery store...

Now, I know this probably sounds exactly like most moms' mornings...in fact, this day was really pretty tame compared to some. But, in just those 2 hours I managed to start 4 organizing tasks and to finish exactly none of them. A few days of that and my house looks like little mini tornadoes hit every. single. room.

source

Not to mention I'm changing my blog look...again...I know, I know. I just have this picture in my mind of how I want it to look and I haven't been able to translate that into reality. Yet. It'll happen...but, in the meantime, please forgive the craziness.

So that's where we are now. I'm making progress...but slowly. And that's OK. It's a lot easier to just shove things into the closet and shut the door...but the mess is still there. At least now that it's out in the open I'm forced to deal with it. And it feels good. I keep thinking about my "one word" - ACCOMPLISH...and I'm making strides to do just that...amidst the craziness, scatter & mess...

How are you coming with your goals so far this year?

l.o.v.e. glittered

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

I wouldn't describe myself as a particularly "girly" girl...I've always preferred jeans to dresses, flip-flops to high-heals...you get the picture.

BUT, I do love glitter...

So, when I was cleaning out my huge stash of scrapbook items earlier this week and I ran across some chipboard letters, I decided to bust out the glitter and make us a little Valentine's Day decoration.

Easy-peasy to make...

Chipboard letters
Glitter
Glue
Twine
Tape

I have this branch nestled in a basket with some evergreens and pinecones...I love how the glitter looks against the natural colors and textures.

Here are the parties I'm linking up to this week...

we have some winners!

2012-01-17T20:19:00.002-06:00

We have our 3 winners for the 3-can cases of Fish Foam!

Thank you so so much to everyone who entered! I hope that you all get a chance to try Fish Foam for yourselves...it is truly amazing...

OK - so here we go!
Here are the winners!

Cheryl S. 40

My least favorite cleaning chore is the bathroom.

6 Steph @ Crafting in the Rain

My least favorite chore is putting away laundry!

Anonymous 20

I can't stand dusting. Moving all that stuff, wiping off the dust, then putting it all back. So much time, blech. -Emily

Emily & Steph, look for an email from me...Cheryl S - I don't have your email! Yikes! Please contact me before Friday so that we can get your prize to you...thank you!

I love surprises...#CBias #IcedCoffee

2012-01-17T15:00:00.000-06:00

I do...I love love love surprises...but I'm not very great at keeping them secret.

Let me explain...

Remember that post I did a couple of weeks ago about the new iced coffee from International Delight? (Which, by the way, is now available in Walmart & Sam's Club stores everywhere!!! Yay! Yay! Yay!)

This is what I received from International Delight...the 3 different flavors of their new iced coffee...

Well, not only was I lucky enough to get to participate in the preview taste testing of this awesome coffee, I was also asked to give some away to the blogger of my choice...I love love love doing things like this. I think giving things away is even more fun that getting them for myself. Weird? Maybe. True? Yep.

Now here's the part where I can't keep a surprise secret...

I knew immediately who I wanted to send the coffee to...Holly from 504 Main. Not only does she "rely on mochas to get her through the day," but she is also one heck of a cool chick.

So, the first thing I did when I decided on Holly was to send her an email letting her know that the coffee would be coming (I'm telling you...I just can't keep all of that good stuff bottled up inside).

I adore Holly's blog...she has some of the coolest projects around and her sense of humor and writing style are things I really love. Sending her this "surprise" was just a little way to for me to say "thank you, Holly" for being such an inspiration to me.

When was the last time you surprised (or un-surprised) someone with something fun...just because?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't forget to pick up some International Delight Iced Coffee next time you're at Walmart or Sam's Club...maybe pick up 2 cartons...and surprise a friend with one...

DISCLOSURE: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own...this #icedcoffee truly rocks...

Valentine's Day...a printable

2012-01-16T08:40:00.001-06:00

When we were young, my Mom would always tuck us in at night with the same little phrase...and now I say that same phrase to my kids every night...

"I love you round the world, and back again, more times than tongues can tell..."

I really love these words...and I've created a printable with them for you to share...enjoy...

iloveyou

PDF is created as an 8x10, but you can resize it to anything smaller in a photo editing program...I think this would make a darling Valentine's Day card...

Here are some of the parties I'll be linking up to...

...plus: Today's Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight...no, wait, strike that...I Feel Like Chicken This Morning! #TysonGoodness #CBias

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you're anything like me (and I hope you are, because I don't want to think I'm weird...), then breakfast can become a pain sometimes.

In my family, each kid wants something different...and I usually get so bored with breakfast I won't eat until almost lunch time (and then I just end up eating lunch...). Kinsley & Tyler like cereal - but they will eat only certain kinds of cereal...and it has to be in the "right" bowl with the "right" amount of milk...and they won't drink their water or juice if it's not in a glass cup (???). Grayson will eat things other than cereal...but the things he'll eat, I have to actually make for him- egg sandwiches, toast, salami sandwiches (don't judge), etc.

One thing I really love about my kids is just how flexible they are. (I hope you're sensing the sarcasm here...'cause I'm layin' it on pretty thick).

So when I was asked to change things up a bit at breakfast time, I was a little excited...and...a little worried.

Tyson...you know the awesome chicken guys? have a new product available...Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches. Here's why I was a little worried...ummm...chicken for breakfast? Yep. I was asked to feed these to my brood for breakfast. OK. I can do that. I think.

These babies are available at Walmart (BUT only certain stores, in only 25 states, carry them...click here to check if yours does). Check out my Google+ album to see how Tyler and I found some in a nearby Walmart...

So, here's how the morning went...

ME:

"Come on up and have some breakfast!"

THEM:

"Hold on!"

ME:

"NOW!"

THEM:

"...fine..."

ME:

"You guys wanna try something new?"

KINSLEY & TYLER:

"NO!!!"

GRAYSON:

"OK"

(that's my boy...)

ME:

"It's these new chicken sandwiches...they look really good"

GRAYSON:

"mm-hmm"

(he's a boy of few words)

So, I took a package out of the box (each serving consists of 2 little sandwiches)...

Popped it in the microwave for a little under 2 minutes...

Gave one to Gray (I was saving the other one for me...)...

And sat back patiently waiting for him to try it...

Just look at that tired little boy...

Here's the verdict...

So now I had to try this little sammie for myself...and, I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of frozen sandwich products, so I wasn't holding out much hope. I took a bite and...oh my gosh. This little sandwich is seriously good...I mean seriously good. The little roll that the chicken patty is on is a real roll...not a hamburger bun...it's chewy and super good. The chicken is flavored really nicely and the sandwich is filling...without being heavy. AND, two little sandwiches have less than 400 calories (that's awesome).

My husband made a couple for breakfast this morning and he agrees with us...these little sandwiches are absolutely perfect for breakfast...or lunch...or dinner...they're just perfect.

I hope you're able to give these a try...and hopefully Tyson will get them into more Walmart stores soon.
Yep...they're that good...

***And here's a little tip...if they are available at your local Walmart, check for them in the Snacks & Appetizers section if you can't find them anywhere else. This is where they were in our store...***

DISCLOSURE: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own...these sandwiches are awesome...

40 (well, actually 38) before 40

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

Guess who's turning 40 this year? Yep! It's me! I know, I know, I don't look a day over 39...I'm one of the lucky ones...ha.

Actually, it's a pretty weird thing to think about...I mean, I don't feel almost 40...but then again, what's a 40-year-old supposed to feel like? I just know that I feel better now than I ever have...and I look forward to the decade ahead of me...

Here are some of the things I wanna get done before November 3rd...my 40 Before 40...(in no specific order)...

1. Finish the guest room/office
2. Make myself some ruffle pants
3. Drop 10 pounds
4. Read Atlas Shrugged
5. Crochet an afghan
6. Finish my first quilt
7. Learn to knit - make a hat or scarf or something
8. Finish rehabbing the "barn dresser"
9. Get the kitchen/living room trim painted
10. Get new hardware for the living room windows
11. Sort/Organize fabric stash
12. Write love notes to the kids
13. Teach Gray to tie his shoes
14. Bake a pie and bring it to a friend
15. Send birthday cards to friends and family (something I always forget to do)
16. Go out for a fancy dinner with the whole family
17. Learn to use my DSLR in Manual Mode
18. Take 1 photo each day for a month...make a mini-book
19. Clean out basement
20. Go to dentist (this is something I'm soooo bad at...sorry, Jaime-girl!)
21. Make sheers for the living/dining room
22. Plan a little garden...and actually plant it.
23. Repaint the house
24. Organize the kids' memory boxes
25. Take a weekend family trip
26. Start a "Gratitude Book"
27. Reupholster arm chair
28. Organize my computer files
29. Use my cookies press to make cookies
30. Host an ice cream party for the kids and their friends
31. Complete at least one scrapbook page per month
32. Get a pedicure
33. Spend one week without TV
34. Make myself a bag
35. Spend a day reading
36. Make a slipcover for the blue recliner
37. Organize Pinterest boards
38. Get better about returning emails (oh man, I am sooo bad at this...)
39.
40.

I'm leaving the last two open for two reasons: one; I can't think of a darn thing more that I want to do right now, two; I'm sure I'll come up with a couple more things sometime in the next few months...

I'll be leaving my 40 Before 40 button up on my sidebar all year...so, if you suddenly get the urge to check on my progress, you can just click on it...I'll keep this list updated throughout the year.

I can't wait to see how I do...(smile).

What are some of your "now" goals? I would love to hear...

Fish Foam...a giveaway NOW CLOSED

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have a secret to tell you...

I don't like to clean. I love to have things clean...I just don't like to have to make them that way. So, when it comes time for me to clean, it has to be easy...and convenient...and not too time consuming.

I keep a basket full of cleaning stuff in each of the bathrooms...this way I can give them a quick scrubbin' while the kids are in the bath or shower...or before I head to bed at night. I also keep one in the laundry room and one in the kitchen. I guarantee, if the supplies weren't as handy as they are, my house wouldn't be cleaned half as often as it is now.

Even though all around cleaning is not really my thang, there is one aspect of housekeeping that I absolutely have to stay on top of...like every.single. day. Mirrors & windows. My absolute biggest cleaning pet peeve is yucky, finger-printed, toothpaste flecked, smudgy glass...yuck. HATE IT. In fact, I have been known to stand in front of a mirror for ever, checking it out from every angle, just to make sure you can't see any smudges.

I've tried almost every product on the market to eliminate those dreadful streaks...nothing works. They've all promised me "no streaks, no smudges," and I've been disappointed over and over.

So, when Nathan from Fish Foam contacted me regarding a product review for Fish Foam Glass Cleaner, I was really skeptical. I've tried foam cleaners...and, while they do work better than sprays (in my opinion), I still haven't found one that eliminates the smudges...and the odor associated with some of these? Oh my heck, I have to hurry up and clean the windows and then run from the room before I pass out.

But, I thought, what the heck...I have nothing to lose. About a week later, this is what showed up at my door (this photo is just a representation...obviously...if just the three cans had appeared at my door, I'd have been scared).

I grabbed a can and ran right upstairs and sprayed & wiped down the mirrors in the bathroom...

Wait a minute...what was going on? No smudges. No really...no smudges. And the foam was thick and not runny and just a quick spray was enough to do the entire mirror...no respraying. AND, NO deadly odor...none...this had to be a fluke. Even the worst products work sometimes, right? So, I took my can and went down to the kitchen...where our sliding glass door is... it's one of the dirtiest "windows" in our entire house...the kids hands are like magnets to this door, so it's constantly gross.

Just a quick spray and wipe...and again, perfection. I was starting to get excited...so I headed to our dining room and the large mirror that sits on our buffet...this is the mirror I'll stand in front of and buff and buff and buff until my arms are tired. Spray, wipe...awesome. Again. I'm sold. Fish Foam is awesome. And by awesome, I mean AWESOME...bold AND in italics...that's pretty awesome.

And guess what else? You can win some...woo hoo! Yep! Fish Foam is generously giving away 3 cans of it's amazing window cleaner to 3 winners!!! You heard me right! 3 WINNERS!

Here's all you have to do...please leave a separate comment for each entry...

1. Be a follower of M{S}G...our giveaways are for our awesome followers only...

2. "Like" Fish Foam on Facebook...

3. Let me know your least favorite cleaning chore...

3 chances to win! Yay!

The contest will run from right now until January 16 at midnight CST...the winners will be announced Tuesday, January 17.

Good luck!

...one word...

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from Big Picture Classes detailing a new class they were starting for the New Year...One Little Word. The idea is to pick a "word of the year" and to focus on that word...to let it shape your year...to use it to help define your projects and your life. I was inspired immediately...and I knew exactly what word I would pick to be my word...ACCOMPLISH.

You see...I am a list maker...I make lists for everything. To Do lists, To Buy lists, To Make lists, you name it, I have a list for it...I am AWESOME at making lists. What I'm not so awesome at is finishing the tasks that fill up my lists...(except my "To Buy" list...I'm pretty darn good at completing that list...). So this year, I'm going to focus on accomplishing things...things that have been left undone in my home, and in my life.

I am also turning 40 this November...so I will be concentrating on completing my 40 Before 40 list, too...yikes...I hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew.

Anyone wanna join me?
Do you have "one word" you are focusing on this year?

link

Well, hello! It's good to be back...

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Have you noticed that I've been a little absent as of late? Gee, I hope you have...

Well, we just got back from an awesome vacation! We decided right before Christmas that we needed a vacation...like really needed a vacation...so, the day after The Big C, we jumped in the car and headed south...this is where we wound up...

yep...that's the Gulf of Mexico...

...the beach...somewhere in Florida...

And oh yeah, here, too...

Universal Studios, Orlando

...again at Universal Studios...

And let's not forget here...

DISNEY WORLD!

Oh my heck...what a wonderful time we had!!! No plans, no reservations, no schedule, no NOTHING. And it was perfect...absolutely perfect. I had never been to Disney before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But I felt like a little tike when I first saw that amazing castle...I was giddy...it was like I was 6 years old again...truly. It was really so neat. We had the absolute best time...and I can't wait to go back. The kids LOVED playing on the beach and riding all of the rides at Disney & seeing all of the "shows" at Universal...but we are all glad to be home. 17 hours each way in the car with 3 kids can be hard...but, if I'm being honest, I gotta say the kids were amazing. Really, truly amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better trip.

Here are just a few things I learned during our week away...

1. You can never pack enough Cheetos...you just can't...it's not possible.

2. 8 year old girls are not exactly the tidiest creatures around...

3. Brothers will manage to wrestle anywhere and anytime...even across car seats...at 6:00 in the morning.

4. I am a much better traveler when my Kindle is charged...

5. Always buy the Giant Souvenir Popcorn Container with $.89 refills from Universal...this is crucial...

6. Don't leave a hermit crab (yes, we were down to just one) with what you think is enough water and food alone for a week (we are now down to none).

7. Eating countless calories while on vacation is not necessarily the best idea...

8. Using GPS on your phone sucks up batteries...FAST.

9. People in Tennessee move waaaay more slowly than people in Chicago...this is a good thing...

10. And finally, under no circumstances whatsoever, NEVER, EVER, EVER, speed in Georgia. I have a $125.00 money order just waiting to be mailed to the GA Court Clerk for my indiscretion...suck.

So, we are home now & I can't wait to get right back into the swing of things. I have a few fun things that will be happening soon...as soon as I can get the posts together...including an explanation of my little link over there "One Word: Accomplish."

I hope you all had a wonderful, wonderful holiday...

Coffee Lover? Then this is for you...#IcedCoffee #CBias

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

There is no question...I love coffee. And by "love," I mean adore...seriously...adore. And need. It's probably kinda weird.

Let me give you a graphic to help explain just what coffee means to me...

Here is me in the morning...before my coffee...

Not pretty.

BUT, here I am after my first cup...

Muuuuch better...

My kids learned long ago that you don't ask me for anything until I've had coffee...it's true.

So, when I got the opportunity to try a BRAND SPANKING NEW coffee product, I jumped at the opportunity.

International Delight (you know, the flavored creamer people...) sent me some of their soon-to-be-released (January 15 to be exact) newest product...ICED COFFEE! You heard me right...iced coffee! And not only that...it comes in 3 flavors! Original, Vanilla & Mocha! oh. yes. awesome. Here's what I received:

When I opened this box, I just knew it was going to be a good day...yup.

I love iced coffee almost as much as I love it hot...but, to be honest, I don't have it very often, because I usually just make one (hot) cup at a time at home, and, quite frankly, I would go broke stopping at Bucky's (Starbucks...adorably nicknamed by my awesome friend, Amy) all the time. And even those tiny little bottles of iced Starbucks are a bank-buster...so I rarely pick those up when I'm out shopping. But here is a product I can buy a whole half gallon of, and it's already made and perfect? I can definitely do that...definitely...

As I mentioned before, this coffee will be available in 3 flavors...and I wasn't sure which I wanted to try first...

So, I went with the Vanilla...

It's kind of neat trying a product that hasn't been released to the public yet...and I was excited!

I filled up my new blue cup with ice and poured in the coffee...I held the straw to my lips and took my first sip...and...OH MY GOSH!!! Are you kidding me? It was DELICIOUS! I mean absolutely delicious.

The coffee is sweet & creamy (not at all watery) (just like it says on the package) and wonderful... and...dare I say...better than the mermaid-branded competitor?

I really really loved the Vanilla, but I didn't want to try the others right away, because, to be honest, I knew that after I opened them I would have only about a week to finish them and I didn't want to risk having to throw any of the coffee away...yes, I'm a dork.

So, when it came time for Christmas Eve brunch at my parents' house, I grabbed the Original Iced Coffee and brought it along so that my family could try it...

My Mom, my brother & I each had a glass and, again, it was delicious. My brother likes his coffee with about 6 lbs. of sugar, and this was sweet enough for him (I like mine with 1 Sweet & Low and it's perfectly sweetened for me, too). I think I liked the Vanilla better than the Original, but only because I love flavored coffee...and the Original was still better than any iced coffee I've ever made for myself...by a longshot.

So now it was time for me to try the third, and final, flavor...Mocha...

I saved this one for last because I thought it might be my favorite...(I do this with my food, too...I eat the stuff I like least first...)...we were heading out on a driving trip so I included the container in our cooler...

I first tried the Mocha while I was waiting for my husband to pump gas at a station outside of Paducah, KY...I didn't have any ice, so I just poured some cold coffee into my awesome new cup...

And guess what? I did love the Mocha the best...I knew I would. I know myself so well...

What I like about the Mocha flavor is that it's not overly chocolate-y...it's really pretty subtle...and really, really good. No aftertaste...just yum.

I'm all out of my coffee now. And that's sad. BUT, in less than 2 weeks (like I said before, January 15, to be exact) I can head out to the dairy section at Wal-Mart and pick up some more. And I. can't. wait. It's really that good...

So...how about you? Do you drink iced coffee?

DISCLOSURE: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are 100% mine...this stuff rocks.

we have a winner!!!

2012-01-03T06:12:00.000-06:00

The winner of the awesome $25 bag of wonderful from Pick Your Plum is...

Jennifer 66

I am one of the few that didn't know about Pick Your Plum, so thank you! I signed up for their newsletter. I don't FB or tweet but I do think this is an awesome giveaway.

December 28, 2011 8:18 AM

Congratulations, Jennifer!
I'm so jealous!!!

A couple of fun things are coming!

2011-12-29T09:31:00.003-06:00

Well, hello everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmases...we had a wonderful holiday...very quiet...just perfect. The kids were happy, we were happy...what more could you ask for?

And now here we are...just a few days before 2012...can you believe it? Me? No.

The new year will bring a couple of fun things here at MSG, too! Yay! A new look (so if things here look funny and scattered for a day or two, I apologize...), some new features, and tons more projects & makeovers...I'm getting so excited I can hardly stand it!

In the meantime, have you entered the Pick Your Plum giveaway yet? If not, you can do so here...

Talk soon!

Pick Your Plum...a giveaway NOW CLOSED

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

You've heard of Pick Your Plum, right?

Well, on the off-chance that you haven't...let me tell you all about it...

Pick Your Plum is an AH-MAZING deal-of-the-day site specifically for creative people like YOU. Just take a look at some of the items recently up-for-grabs...

...adhesive chalkboard paper...

...feathers in gorgeous colors...

...this fold-over elastic is awesome...I bought this and LOVE it...I've made some headbands for my daughter (which I love to wear) with it...and you get SOOOO much of it...

...beautiful peacock feathers...wouldn't these be gorgeous adorning a gift?

...a diy magnetic stand...

...diy frame charms...

...this is one of the best offers...personalized stamps...so cool...

...and trendy belt bracelets...

Awesome, huh?

But here's the catch...there's only 1 deal offered every day...and there are limited supplies of each deal...so you have to "Get it before your neighbor does!" (That's their slogan...isn't that the coolest?)

A new deal is offered every day at 9 AM Eastern...and let me tell you, every single day holds a new fantastic product...

And see over there on my sidebar? There's a button over there that can take you right to the daily deal every single day...so, if you ever forget to check the site, you can get there easily right from my blog! Woo hoo!

Now, how would you like to win some super-cool crafting swag? Yep! That's right! Pick Your Plum is offering up a box full o' stuff from their site...$25.00 worth! Now, the contents are a surprise, but I guarantee, you will not be disappointed.

Here's how you can enter to win...(leave 1 comment for each, please)

*Like Pick Your Plum on Facebook (and let them know how awesome they are for offering up this giveaway!)

*Register at Pick Your Plum to receive the newsletter informing you of the daily deals.

*Become a follower of Midwestern {Sewing} Girl (or leave a comment say you already are).

*Share this giveaway via Facebook or Twitter (you can just click the FB or Twitter icon at the bottom of this post and it should take care of pretty much everything for you...)

*This giveaway is open to US residents only*

Contest will run from now until January 2, 2012 at midnight central time.

The winner will be announced Tuesday, January 3.

Now go sign up at Pick Your Plum! You'll thank me...

It's almost time...

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Well, it's almost here...the day we've all been waiting for...the day that seems to have come much too quickly this year...Christmas Day. I hope you will all be spending tomorrow with loved ones...Merry Christmas, everyone...

My 8-year-old will be reading us this poem tonight...I can't wait...

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

-Clement C. Moore

2 days...

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Decorating It Forward with Kmart...

2011-12-22T17:26:00.000-06:00

A week or so ago I shared my Christmas decor...most of which was purchased at Kmart. I was amazed by the selection I found in Kmart's Holiday Shop...everything was really just so gorgeous...

My favorite collection of the many available was the Golden Heritage Collection by Jaclyn Smith...

So, imagine just how excited I was when I was asked to take this collection and "Decorate It Forward" to someone in need this Christmas! Seriously?!?! I love love love stuff like this...just the thought of possibly making someone else smile makes me feel awesome...

Kmart generously sent me a HUGE box filled with a million pieces of the Golden Heritage Collection...these photos do not do these pieces justice (I didn't want to unwrap them...I was afraid I might hurt them somehow)...they were so wonderful...

OK...so I unwrapped a few...I just had to see these nutcracker ornaments...oh my heck...so adorable...

I chose a family to send the items to...a family that is affiliated with our church that has come on some really tough times lately (the father, the leader of the family and the sole monetary provider, recently lost his job)...AND THEN, just as I was getting everything all re-bundled up to send along to them, I got an email from my kids' school district...one of the school's bus drivers had lost her entire house to fire just the day before...the house she shared with her husband, daughter-in-law & three grandkids (her son is in the Army)...oh my gosh, my heart sank...and I knew what I ~~wanted~~ needed to do.

The school was asking for donations to help the family...oh my goodness - just 5 days before Christmas (I couldn't get this thought out of my head)...so, I divided the box into 2 piles (seriously, there was enough in this box to decorate more than 2 homes for the holidays), and took one over to the school's transportation department. I know that our decoration donation was probably not exactly necessary, but I pray that it helps give this family some degree of normalcy this Christmas...

The family that received the other box was able to provide some much-needed Christmas cheer in their home as well...and they were so happy that another family was also helped with a donation. Here are some photos they sent to me...complete with some new Christmas decor...thanks to Kmart...

I love how they used the beaded garland to make a tree skirt for their little tree...

A wreath was dolled-up with some ornaments & one of the collection's beautiful bird clips...

One of the family's girls adores ballet...I was told she has these pink glitter ballerina ornaments all over her room...

Now, thanks to Kmart, there is a little more joy in the world this Christmas...

Thank you so so much, Kmart & Collective Bias, for giving me the chance to participate in this wonderful holiday project!

DISCLOSURE: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias - all opinions are 100% mine...but the joy that was created during this project is shared by many...

Karas Kustoms...a winner!

2011-12-21T14:00:00.000-06:00

Thank you so so much to everyone who entered the Karas Kustoms giveaway!

We have a winner!

Desi @ Wee Share 9

I like Karas Kustoms on FB

Yay, Desi!

Congratulations! I've sent you an email...let me know if you didn't get it...

And enjoy your new piece of machined art!

Christmas Tree Linky Party features...

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much to everyone who linked up their Christmas trees to my linky party...all of the trees are just gorgeous...I loved checking them all out. I got a million ideas for next year, too...

Wanna see some of 'em? Here are just a few that caught my eye...

I absolutely ADORE this tree from Chris at Red Gate Farm...the boxes of vintage ornaments and wrapping papers around the room are just wonderful...and the story that goes along with this tree is one you must read...

The colors and textures in the tree by Elizabeth at Blue Clear Sky are just to die for...and the mix of modern, primitive, rustic & Victorian ornaments is brilliant...love love love...

This tree by Stephany at home is...what you make it is absolutely out of this world. Just look at those big bright poms!!! And on the ceiling, too?!?! Oh my heck...awesome...

This candy cane tree by Priscilla at Priscillas is so much fun! She has this in her kitchen...what a perfect place...this would make me LOVE being in the kitchen...

And this tree gets the "ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW???" award...Ela from Scrapidoodleicious created this gorgeous tree from a million little paper flowers...each individually hand-rolled...so beautiful...

Beautiful, right?

Guess what? 4 days left...

we have some winners...

2011-12-20T14:00:00.000-06:00

First off, let me say thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. The comments you guys left for this giveaway were so wonderful and sweet...thank you. I wish I could send each and every one of you a gift...

But we have our winners...and let me tell you...it was so weird...I was getting all nervous and excited when I was hitting the "generate" button on random.org. Yikes...it was stressful...BUT SO FUN!

Here we go...the three winners of the My Favorite Things giveaway are...

Anonymous 52

I am a follower and am so excited!!

Lindsey 13

I follow you through Google Reader! Thanks for such an awesome give-away!

Tonia @ TheGunnySack.com 120

Fantastic Giveaway! And you already know that I am a longtime follower and fan!

Congratulations, ladies!!! And thank you, again, to everyone who entered...you are awesome.

Last Minute Gift/Ornament/Tag idea...

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

I originally shared this project with the adorable Katie at Sew Woodsy during her 12 Days of Handmade Ornaments party...these really don't take much time to make, but they can take your gift wrapped package from great to fantastic...

I got the inspiration for my ornaments when I was taking out my Christmas decor...I came across some old ornaments that the kids had made in preschool...you know the kind...the teacher takes one of the kids' school photos and puts it in as the face of a snowman or reindeer or something equally cute?

Well, I thought it would be neat to do sort-of the same thing...minus the snowman or reindeer or something equally cute...

I started searching through my photos and came across a couple of cute ones I wanted to use...specifically one of my niece, Ellie, at Thanksgiving, & one of my nephew, Grahm, last summer...I popped these into Photoshop and...

1. ...printed them out onto matte photo paper...I really like this type of paper...it's thicker than most cardstock, but not so thick you can't work with it.

2. Then I cut the photos out and found some fabric scraps I thought would look good with them.

3. Next, I sewed all of the layers together (sewing over paper is just as easy as sewing over fabric - but you may want to use a needle made for denim or canvas in your machine...and it's kinda hard to pin to the fabric you are using without bending the paper & leaving pin-holes, so forgo the pinning & just make sure you have a good hold on your layers...go more slowly if you need to),

4. ...and added a little ribbon hanger...

Now, wasn't that easy? And I love all of the variations you can create...

For example:

With Ellie's ornament, I frayed the edges a little to it a more whimsical look...then I used a random zigzag stitch - twice - around the photo & added a little gem to the flower on her headband...

The burlap I used on the back provided a nice heavy base for the photo...it makes the whole thing feel a bit more substantial...

With Grahm's, I embroidered a couple of borders & added a scrapbook sticker...small details with what I hope is big impact...

I used 2 layers of decorator-weight fabric with Grahm's (right sides out on both pieces so that the back is finished, too)...I also added a piece of firm stabilizer between the layers to make them a little more resistant to wear & bending...

Then I thought it would be fun to just use my sister- and brother-in-law's last name...I printed out the year in this awesome font and then filled in the empty circles with little brown rhinestones...the houndstooth print is 2 layers of decorator-weight fabric...

Don't have a sewing machine? You can try hand-stitching or even hot glue!

The possibilites are endless with these little beauties...truly. I think I'm going to use these ornaments as the tags on the pictured person's gift...wouldn't that be fun? To get a gift with your photo on it instead of just a plain old "to: from:?" Ooooh, I would love that...

my new go-to breakfast strata...from Midwest Living #CBias

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

We have a very small family...it's just me & my husband & our kids...my brother, his wife & their kids and my parents. Everyone in my husband's family lives too far away for us all to be together for the holidays...so we usually spend Christmas Eve together at my parents' house...and then have a quiet Christmas with the just 5 of us at home. I love it that way...it's really comfy & lazy & wonderful.

Of course, this year we'll have church on Christmas Day, but that's really it...I can't wait. OH! And if there is snow on the ground we go sledding...(fingers crossed).

This year we're going to my parents' house for brunch...and my sister-in-law and I are each cooking a few dishes to pass. I had no idea what to bring...seriously, no idea. I wanted something breakfast-y, but filling...and it had to be yummy.

So, I headed to the grocery store to search through some magazines...and I found the perfect thing...in one of my favorite magazines...Midwest Living. To see our entire grocery store adventure, check out my album on Google+.

So here's what we decided on:

And, of course, I had to give it a trial-run...just to make sure it would go over OK next weekend...

Here's what you need:

*6 or 7 purchased croissants
*8 slices bacon
*1 cup chopped onion
*1 cup chopped red and/or green sweet pepper or sliced, halved zucchini
*1 cup sliced fresh cremini or button mushrooms (I left these out b/c my husband is NOT a fan...)
*1 1/2 tsp. dried basil, oregano or thyme, crushed (I used oregano)
*2 cups lightly packed, coarsely chopped fresh spinach
*8 oz. colby & Monterey Jack cheese or American cheese, shredded (2 cups) (I used Kraft colby-jack)
*6 eggs
*2 cups milk
*3 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
*1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

And here's what you do:

1. Preheat the broiler. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. Arrange croissant halves, cut sides up, in a single layer on an extra-large baking sheet (I don't have an extra-large baking sheet, but a regular one worked just fine for me). Broil 4"-5" from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until light brown. Set aside.

See, I just overlapped mine a little...and it worked out great...

2. In a very large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels, reserving 1 tbsp drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon; set aside.

3. Cook onion, sweet pepper, mushrooms & basil (again, we used oregano & no mushrooms) in hot bacon drippings 5 minutes or until onion is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Add spinach; stir until wilted and well coated. Transfer onion mixture to colander set in sink; drain. Stir in bacon.

This smelled so amazing with the oregano...just like pizza cooking...yum.

4. In a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish, arrange croissant bottoms, cut sides up, in a single layer, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle cheese over croissants. Spoon onion mixture over cheese; add croissant tops, cut sides down.

...before I put the croissant tops on...

5. In a large bowl, whisk eggs; beat in milk, mustard and black pepper.

Carefully pour over strata; gently press down on croissants. Cover, chill in refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours. (we chilled ours for about 18).

I can not even tell you how amazing this smelled at this point...

So then I put the strata in the refrigerator and waited until the next morning...here's what you do next...

6. Uncover strata. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake, uncovered in 325° oven 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean and strata puffs, covering with foil the last 15 minutes to avoid overbrowning. Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 10-12 servings.

OK...this is soooooo good. And it's really relatively easy to prepare...in fact, it's not hard AT ALL, it just takes a little time. I'll definitely be making this again next weekend...I think it will be a huge hit. And it's a recipe that will be added to my collection...

Thank you so much, Midwest Living & Kraft for helping me make the perfect brunch strata!

DISCLOSURE: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own...but I'm totally willing to share the recipe...it's awesome.

Need some last minute decorations? How about a printable...

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Have you entered the three giveaways I have going on right now? Well, please do! Just look over on my sidebar and you'll see the links...you don't want to miss these, my friends!

I originally shared this printable with my dear friend, Kristin, on her blog, A Simply Klassic Home, during her 12 Days of Christmas Printables party...

Need some last minute holiday decor? Or maybe a printable to use as a gift tag? Or maybe even to print out, frame & give as a gift? Well, here you go...

The printable I'm sharing today contains the words from my favorite Christmas Carol...O Holy Night. What a beautiful, beautiful song...these particular words are the ones that give me the chills each and every single time I hear them...

I've created this printable to print out at 8x10, but it can be resized to any size smaller than 8x10 as well. I've also created it in number of different colors...just click the download link below the graphic to get the ones you like.

Christmas'11-light blue

I hope you enjoy these...and Merry Christmas!

And one extra little treat...I adore this version...

Reindeer Food - A Great Neighbor & Classroom gift

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

I orignally shared this post with Nikki from Everything Under the Moon at her 12 Days of Christmas Holiday Party...

Go on over and check it out...she's got some great holiday inspiration over there...

My project today is something my kids and I do every year...it's definitely become one of our Christmas traditions...and it's the easiest thing in the whole wide world to make...

You know, the stuff you sprinkle on your lawn to help Santa's reindeer find your home?

Now, I'm sure most (if not all) of you know what I'm talking about...but for those of you who may not, I'm going to share my ultra-special top-secret recipe...are you ready for it???

Amazing, huh? Yep, that's all it is...colored sugar & oats...

My kids really love making this on their own & then packaging it up to give to neighbors & classmates...

This year I've whipped up some printables to attach to our little gifts...just download and print!

Here's a little preview of the tag...

Reindeer Food 2011

This is a really fun craft for the kids and should take you all of about 3 minutes to do...and make sure to whip-up some extra for your neighbors & friends! You want to make sure you've covered all the bases when it comes to getting Santa to land at your house...

My Holiday Home Decor...a little tour...

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

This year I've been a little late in getting all of our Christmas decorations out...not because I've been lazy, or not inclined to, or anything like that...but because I've just been moving slowly. And, I wasn't really sure exactly what I wanted to do...

I've been trying to have fun with decorating this year...instead of just "puttin' stuff out." The kids have been really interested in helping getting things ready, and, to avoid fights, I've been letting them do just that. And they've actually been pretty helpful! Surprise, surprise...

Up until a few days ago, the only thing completely done in the house was our tree...

And then I was given a challenge...

Shop at Kmart for some holiday tabletop decorations...and don't spend more than $100.00. Oh, yes. This was EXACTLY what I needed to get my rear in gear!

Over the years, our tree has taken on a sort-of rustic, outdoorsy-but-still-pretty feel...a lot of red, plaid, gold, pinecones, etc. so I decided I really wanted to stick with this theme...at least throughout the living & dining rooms.

I was hoping Kmart would be able to accommodate my wishes...it had been a loooong time since I'd shopped there & I didn't know what to expect...and man, would $100 be enough? I grabbed the boys and decided to see what I could find...you can read all about our shopping trip here on Google +, but here are a couple of shots I got while we were there...

I'm really starting to dig these white trees...maybe next year? And look at those fun cookie & cupcake ornaments!!!

I had no idea Kmart had such a huge holiday decorating selection! I honestly thought I would have a hard time with this challenge, but no, just the opposite...I had a hard time not buying one of everything!

And lookie here...just colors I'm looking for...

The boys and I spent about an hour just taking in all of the choices before we made our decisions...and I think we ended up with some wonderful things...

Here's everything I bought...

Various ornaments, mini pine trees, some garland, a pine-scented candle, some LED candles, candy, a jar, fake snow, a 2' tree & some ribbon...whew...

you can see the ornaments a little more clearly here...

And guess what? With all of the amazing sales that are going on right now, I spent less than my alloted $100.00...woo hoo!

Wanna see what I did with all of my wonderful new decorations?

Let's start with that 2' tree & the wonderful yo-yo garland I bought...I wanted to dress up our kitchen just a bit this year...I didn't stick with the rustic look in here...the colors are a little brighter & a little more fun...

...and because this tree was for the kitchen, I thought the colander and the clementines were the perfect finishing touches...

Isn't this yo-yo garland just wonderful? And the tree is the perfect size to set on our kitchen table...

I love the turquoise with the orange & red & pink...so festive!

OK...so let's move on upstairs to the bathroom...I don't have too many decorations up there usually, so I didn't want to go overboard for Christmas. We have a wonderful, oil-rubbed bronze chandelier that classes up the joint a bit, so I wanted to keep things low key...I grabbed one of the ornaments from our buy (from the Country Living Vintage Christmas line) & simply placed it into my great-grandmother's silver candy dish...

I think it's perfect...and it really adds just the right amount of Christmas...

OK...so let's go back downstairs and into the living room...

I have a little side table next to our couch...I already had the mini tree & the photo (purchased at a craft show years ago)...but I added the jar, faux snow & another one of our new ornaments...

I love how simple & clean this looks...and it fits right in...

Over on the other table in the living room I had a basket with a couple of little holiday pillows in it...I added all 3 of our new mercury-glass acorn ornaments here...

I really didn't realize this little basket was missing anything until I added the acorns...now it's perfect...

Now...finally...our dining room table. This is always the spot I have a tough time decorating...I'm never quite sure if I'm doing it right...I already had a couple of outdoorsy-looking trees (aka jute-covered styrofoam cones) on the table...but that was it. Boring.

I took two more of our new ornaments (this one & this one) and just tucked them into the tops of the "trees"...

Aren't they so pretty?

Then I took the LED candles that we purchased, removed the bottoms from them & placed them into my vintage brass candlesticks...

These candles are awesome...you just turn them on once...they stay lit for 8 hours and then turn off for 16 hours...you never once need to turn them on or off again for the entire holiday season! Now that's my kind of candle...no worries at all...

You can see from the photo above that I took another ornament (just like the one in the jar on the side table) and dropped it into a silver wine glass...I love the way this turned out...

Doesn't that look neat?

I've seen little mini Christmas trees in ornaments all over blogland...I think they're so adorable. So I took a couple of the Lemax Village Collection mini pine trees that we bought and put them under glass...with some more of our "snow."

...one in a little mini-cloche on a candlestick...

...and a few on a cakestand...

I loved the little sweater-covered candle we purchased...but I wasn't jazzed about the ribbon that came around it...so I just took off that little ribbon & added a piece of jute. I pinned the jute together (with a straight pin) because I thought tying it would be too bulky...

I really just love this candle...and I can use the little sweater over and over again! Aaaand this decoration can stay out until spring!

And here is the whole table...all put together...what do you think?

For the dining room chairs, I took the garlands that we bought and fashioned little wreaths. I took some floral wire, formed some circles & wired the garland to the wire...super-easy...then I just took the ribbon that we got and attached the little wreaths to the backs of the chairs...

These little wreaths are my favorite things...I think I will do this every year...I love how festive they look - without being completely over the top and cutesy...

Finally...I mentioned that I had bought some candy with my Kmart money...I always like to have little treats around to offer guests that visit during the holidays...not just a piece, but a little box of something to take home...a little gift.

When I saw these little Whitman's & Russell Stover mini chocolate boxes ($1.00 each!) I knew just what I would do. I dressed them up a little with some ribbon & such and arranged them in a little metal box to set on the bench near our front door. Now guests can help themselves as they leave...

So there you have it...a little tour of my holiday decor...all thanks to Kmart and their Holiday Shop (oh, and two very patient little boys)...I have some wonderful decor that I can use year after year...and I found a new store to shop...definitely win-win...

What do you think? Have you finished decorating yet? Have you even started? Do you do a theme throughout your house? Or room by room? Or is everything just random? Do you change your decorations every year? Or stick with the same things? Can you believe Christmas is only 9 days away?

**This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias**

While I have been compensated for this post, all opinions are 100% mine.

Elmer's Holiday #GlueNGlitter #CBias : Do you love wrapping gifts as much as I do? No, I'm serious...I absolutely love it...

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

Holy moly...10 days left. Did you hear me? 10 DAYS! Ten short, crazy-busy, fun-filled, hectic, absolutely wonderful days before THE day...I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

This year I've been working my tail off to get everything done early so that I can enjoy time with my family (now that the kids are getting older, being together for extended periods of time is actually enjoyable...crazy, right?)

This last week+ is just so exciting...I've put together my top 5 reasons why I love it soooo much...

I really, really, truly do. I love it. Now, don't get me wrong...I don't love wrapping every. single. gift...in fact, I think we are pretty lucky that Santa does a not-so-great job of wrapping...he just sort of slaps the red wrapping paper on...the kids are lucky if they get an initial scribbled on the front to make it clear who the gift belongs to...

No, I love wrapping the other gifts...the gifts that we buy for the kids...the ones for friends and family...the gifts we give to the kids' teachers and pastors at church...those gifts. Love. it.

Another thing I love is that I don't have to drive all over God's green earth to pick up supplies...nope. I can get it all done in one trip...to Walmart...AND I don't have to worry that I'm spending too much, because Walmart always has the best prices...always. OH! And I don't have to remember to cut a coupon to get a discount on craft items (and not only that! Then I don't have to remember to actually bring the coupon with me...don't you hate when you forget that coupon???).

So when I was getting ready to get some supplies for gift wrapping this season, I headed out to Walmart. You can see my entire shopping trip here on Google+. But let me give you a few of the highlights...

First let me start by saying - I have TONS of wrapping paper...and by tons, I mean, miles & miles & miles. I buy it after Christmas every year (at a huge discount), and then I promptly forget that I've bought it and I buy more before Christmas (every year). So, wrapping paper was not something I needed on this trip...what I did need was inspiration. So I checked out the Elmer's CraftBond and X-ACTO items...just look at how much stuff there is to choose from!

See all that gorgeous orange & pink? Yep...that's where we're headed...(and keep reading to find out how you can WIN all of those products)...

OK...where do I start? I pondered and pondered and pondered (and walked around and got some Allegra for Ty's allergies, yogurt for eatin' & Endust...seriously, can you believe you can actually get all of that in ONE store???). Here are some of the things I found I really love...

Rulers...I loves me some rulers...

...double-sided tape...I got a tip (thanks, Amy!) that this would be perfect for wrapping gifts...um, yeah...why did I never think of that???

...and these awesome templates...bunches of different shapes in each package! All you could ever need...

After some serious deliberating...you know, whatever...who am I kidding...I grabbed every single thing I wanted and put it into my cart...

So here's what I brought home: both of the X-ACTO rulers...the 12" Metal Ruler & the Zero Centering Ruler; the Basic Shapes Templates and the Craft Swivel Knife (to be used with the templates); Glue Spots in both Thin Small & Pop-Up Medium; the Permanent Double-Sided Tape and the Thick 'n Thin Journaling Paint Pen in Silver. Now I'm ready to start wrapping...

First I got all of my stuff out...all of my paper, my embellishments, everything...

What? You don't think that looks like very much stuff? Well...I'm wrapping only a couple of things right now...I didn't haul out the big guns for these gifts...

Here's the first thing I'm wrapping...don't laugh...my kids love to unwrap gifts, so pretty much everything gets wrapped...

...yes, it's gum. But it's a BIG tin of gum...

I usually use plain ol' scissors to cut my wrapping paper, but, I gotta tell ya...a ruler & X-ACTO knife is waaaaaay easier. And you get a cleaner, faster, straighter cut...

Let me just take a minute here to offer some really quick tips on how to wrap the perfect present...

*DON'T use too much paper...place your item on your paper and roll it around so that you see just how much paper it will actually need...then cut only that much. Too much paper looks bunchy & yucky.

*DO make sure to get tight, crisp folds... loose ends look frumpy.

*DON'T use too much tape...too much tape can make a package look like a 2-year-old wrapped it...unless, of course, you have your 2-year-old wrap your gifts...in which case, the more tape the better.

*DO make sure to get printed paper on straight...if your paper has vertical lines, make sure they are still vertical while you're wrapping...not slanty.

OK...now let's move on...

I mentioned before how I hadn't thought to use double-sided tape in my gift-wrapping? Well, now I will never NOT use it...not seeing that transparent tape stuck all over the gift is wonderful...

Here I used the double sided tape to attach some embellishments to the top of the gum tins...

Here I used some of the glue-spots & the double-sided tape to attached a little bow to the top of the gift.

To make the bow, you simply take a length of tape & place a small piece of double-sided tape to the inside middle...

Then you fold in both ends into the middle to secure them...

Take another small length of ribbon and wrap it around the center of the larger piece...I secured mine with a glue-spot and then used another glue-spot to adhere the bow to the package...

Easy peasy...

Now, we usually get gift cards as part of my kids' teachers' gifts...but I hate just handing out the cards in the little envelopes that come from the store. I like to jazz them up just a little.

I found this awesome template at Lemon Jitters...I printed it onto regular printer paper, cut it out with my X-ACTO Craft Knife & my metal ruler & then traced it onto scrapbook cardstock.

Then I cut that out...I used a little Elmer's glue stick as my guide to cut out the half-circle on the front of the computer paper template...but it was a little hard to manage with the scrapbook paper.

So instead I used the circle template & my X-ACTO Craft Swivel Knife for the thicker paper...worked like a dream...

Then I used my metal ruler (love this ruler) and a bone folder (do you have one of these? If not, you must get one) to fold the card holder into shape. Once folded, I used the double-sided tape and sealed up the sides...no mess, no fuss.

I used another little glue-spot and added a little embellishment to the top...

I like it so much better than just a plain old envelope...

Another thing I like to do when wrapping gifts is add two different kinds of paper. Usually I just do a small wrap-around of one paper over another, but with these awesome templates, I can really dress that wrap-around up...

First I wrapped my gift in plain kraft paper (love this look)...using double-sided tape on the back & sides...

Then I took my other paper (this awesome aqua floral print from Martha Stewart), took the side of one of the stencils, and used my Craft Swivel Knife to cut out the design...first on one side...turned the stencil over...and then on the other side (in a random width I thought - hoped - would look good on my package).

Then I just cut two narrow strips of the floral paper (to wrap around the bottom of the package), removed the whole band from the roll of wrapping paper, and used the CraftBond double-sided tape to adhere the band to the package.

A few more embellishments (attached with the glue spots & double-sided tape) & done!

I love how neat & clean the sides look...

I almost forgot! I used yet another of the basic templates to make that tag...cool, huh?

I still have tons of packages to wrap (hopefully I will be done before Christmas Eve!), but I'm really looking forward to it...

What about you? Do you enjoy gift wrapping as much as I do? Or is it more of a chore that just has to get done? Do you think you would enjoy it more if you got some of those amazing Elmer's products? How about if you got the ENTIRE WALL of products? Yep. The entire wall. Wanna know how you can?

Just click below (or on the button on my sidebar) and you'll be taken to a giveaway for the entire wall of Elmer's Memory Keeping & X-ACTO products...that's a $250.00 value! Yeehaw!!!

Now, get on over to Walmart...pick up everything you need & then sit down and enjoy some time with your family...

DISCLOSURE: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #ElmersHoliday #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias
Yes, I was compensated for this post, but I would've written it anyway...I think these products are amazing...

Karas Kustoms ...{a giveaway} NOW CLOSED

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Cicily, from Karas Kustoms contacted me a while back to see if I would be interested in hosting a giveaway for their shop...and when I saw what they had to offer, I thought this would be an absolutely awesome giveaway! Especially since we're so close to Christmas!

Whole bunches of you will probably be getting iPads, iPods or iPhones for Christmas or Hanukkah...and you will need to protect those amazing little machines...here's the perfect way...

Karas Kustoms creates amazing, hand-crafted, made in the USA, machined Apple Cases...as well as a number of other fantastic products (we'll get to those in just a second)...

Just take a look at these...

iPad cases

iPhone cases

just look at all of those colors!

and iPod cases

...so beautiful...

But just in case you're not getting Apple products this year, that's not all Karas Kustoms creates out of metal...just check these out...

little toy speedsters

toy tops (oh my heck, how fantastic is this???)

and...coming soon...

refillable pens...this is just gorgeous...

How perfect would any one of these be as a gift?

I was sent a speedster for my boys to try out, and I am truly impressed. When the boys opened the box, all I heard was "woooow" - they were both speechless. This little speedster is absolutely gorgeous...it's a true work of art.

They fought over who would play with it for a while...it has been tossed around the family room and played with hard...and it's still as gorgeous as it was when we opened it's box. When the boys aren't playing with it, it holds a prominent spot on a shelf on their new gallery wall.

Wanna get some awesome Karas Kustoms stuff of your very own? You know you do...

Here's how to win a $40.00 gift certificate...

1. Like Karas Kustoms on Facebook (leave them a note letting them know I sent M{S}G sent you)

2. Check out the Karas Kustoms site and let me know what you would get with your $40.00

3. Like Midwestern {Sewing} Girl on Facebook

4. Follow M{S}G publicly via Google Friend Connect (and leave a comment letting me know you do/did)

So there you go! 4 chances to win this fantastic prize!

You have until next Tuesday, December 20, at midnight to enter. The winner will be announed next Wednesday, December 21...yay!

Karas Kustoms

My Favorite Things HUGE giveaway!!! - NOW CLOSED

2011-12-13T14:00:00.000-06:00

I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate you...I really, truly do. I've made so many friends through blogging...found so many like-minded people...realized that my love for crafting & decorating is shared by so many...it's really amazing.

So, because I think you're the absolute coolest...I want to say thank you by offering a few of my favorite things! Yay!

So, here's what's up for grabs...there will be 3 prizes, awarded to 3 different readers... (the first number picked by random.org will win prize 1, the second number will will prize 2 & the 3 number picked will win prize 3) all three prizes are filled with things I love...and who knows? the winners may find some surprises tucked into their packages, too!

Here's all you have to do...

Follow Midwestern {Sewing} Girl. Yep, that's it. One entry per person. And because this giveaway is for my fantastic readers/followers, you must be a follower to win. The giveaway will run from now until Monday, December 19 at midnight central...the winner will be announced Tuesday, December 20.

Here are the goods...

$25.00 gift card

$25.00 Target gift card

$20.00 gift card

$5.00 Starbucks gift card

1 year subscription to HGTV magazine

SHINE necklace from The Shine Project

fun, huh?

$15.00 gift card

1 year subscription to Country Living magazine

and a few other goodies...(smile)

$10.00 gift card

the Winter 2011 issue of do it Yourself magazine

and a few things thrown in for good measure...

So there you have it. What do you think? Wanna win? Then just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower & you'll be in the running! Best of luck, everyone! And thank you so much for being so awesome!

AND WAIT! One more quick thing...I have ANOTHER awesome giveaway for you tomorrow!!! Woo hoo!

Linking this giveaway up here:

My Christmas Tree...

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited that a whole bunch of you have already linked up to the Christmas tree linky!!! I've had THE BEST time looking at everyone's trees. It's so neat how everyone's tree is just so unique and lovely...

Wanna show off your tree? 'Cause I wanna see it...just go here...

I grabbed some shots of our tree yesterday...here it is...

I took this shot from right inside the front door, and I didn't have quite enough room to get the star on top (you can see that in a minute...)...

...there it is...

Over the years our tree has taken on a rustic, woodsy feel...I really like it. I'm not really a cabin-y-type decorator, but it really seems to work for Christmas (at least in my home)...I love these Santas...they are HUGE! If you've been into a Michaels during Christmas time, I'm sure you've seen them. They have new ones every year...I have 3 now and I LOVE them...

I have clip-on poinsettias all over the tree, too. Every year I add a few more. I love love love the look of a full, completely over-decorated tree...

A lot of our ornaments were passed down from my in-laws to my husband...I love these little guys. They have so much character...

This was another of our Christmas cards from this year (from Paper Coterie). I didn't feature these in my Christmas cards post because I didn't have them finished yet, but I love them. They are little 3"x3" booklets filled with photos of the kids...LOVE.

I have little banners in various places around the tree, too...

I just thought this shot looking up the tree from the floor was cool...(smile)

And here's the tree skirt I made from a whole bunch of linen, cotton, canvas & sheer scraps...I love it...I just wish I had made it bigger...it barely comes out from under the tree...maybe next year...

I love how crazy, uncoordinated, busy & memory-filled it is...it really makes me so happy...

So that's our tree...

Aaaand, I wanted to share something super-awesome...my wonderful, beautiful, & insanely talented friend, Amy Tripple (who also happens to be an amazing professional photographer - she gets the best photos of my kids), has just released the must-have photographer's posing guide...

Amy gives you detailed instructions on how to achieve each of 17 different holiday poses to capture with your kids...AND she even gives you camera settings!!! Seriously...could it be any easier? Click here for more details...

Now, go link up your tree shots!

And don't fret! I'll be posting giveaway details in a little while...

Linking up to some of these awesome parties...and Savvy Southern Style

The Christmas Tree Linky Party Starts Today!

2011-12-12T14:00:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to see what your trees look like! I can hardly stand it!

Grab a button from my sidebar and help spread the word!

But before we get to the party, here is some amazing tree inspiration I found around Pinterest...there are a lot of photos...I just kept seeing ones I loved!!!

Isn't this ornament mobile from Megan at not martha wonderful?

I love love love the large ornaments on this tree...and that wreath!

These are so cool...and I love the papers that were used! Especially that faux-bois! How perfect!

Oh. my. heck. I LOVE that you can't even see the tree on this tree!!! The ornaments are perfect! I would to have decorated this tree...I would not love, however, taking all of the ornaments off of it...

Not only do I love the colors & ornaments used on this tree by Happy Mundane...I love the little stuffty (what Ty calls stuffed animals) that crashed the photo...I know he has a name, but it's escaping me right now...

Leave it to Martha Stewart's design team to come up with something so amazing...this beautiful tree is made from old newspapers! I think these would be beautiful in all different sizes placed all over the house...

I am not a girly-girl...but pink has really been doin' it for me lately...this tree is gorgeous and not the least bit gaudy when paired with the beautiful wall color & soft, feminine shelf decoration...soooo pretty...

These ruffle trees by Jen @ Scissors & Spatulas and featured on Positively Splendid look so vintage-y and lovely... and I love the stripey bow...

OK...that's it...there were probably 18,000 more that I loved, but I figured you'd want to start the par-tay! So here we go! Show me those trees! And please...try to limit your entries to photos of your trees only...I would love to see your other decor, too...but this linky is just for trees...thank you!!!!

I'll be sharing some of my tree photos tomorrow...and I'll be giving you the deets on my FAVORITE THINGS GIVEAWAY! That is something you are not going to want to miss! 3 winners! 3 prize packages! Yay!!! But make sure you're a follower for this one...it's the only requirement...and I will be checking this time...

Now link up those trees!

Wanna know where I'm guest-posting today?

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Well, today is Day 3 of my blogville guest-posting tour...I'm sad now that my journey is coming to an end...but it'll be good to be home...I'm tired...and the road is a hard place to live...(alright, enough...right?)

Anyway...today I'm at Sew Woodsy with sweet-faced Katie! I'm sharing a handmade ornament for Katie's 12 Days of Handmade Ornaments Party!

Here's a little preview...

Come on back a little later today (2 pm Central) when we'll be starting the Christmas Tree Linky Party! Yay! I CAN NOT WAIT to see what your trees look like!!!! Woo hoo!!!

Guess where I am today?

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm at A Simply Klassic Home! Yay! I'm sharing a Christmas printable at Kristin's 12 Days of Christmas Printables party!

My project is the second-to-last one...so, if you've missed the first 10, head on over there to grab 'em! They are all fantastic...you won't want to be without them this Christmas!

Here's a little clue to my printable...

Confused? (smile...)

Queen of the Guest-Posters...that's me...today I'm at EUTM!

2011-12-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

3 days...3 different guest-posts...3 awesome blogs...thus, my self-given new title...Queen of the Guest-Posters...oh. yes.

Today I'm over at Everything Under The Moon with the fabulous Nikki...showing off my Christmas craft in her 12 Days of Christmas Holiday Party!

Here's a little sneak peak at what I'm sharing today...

Plus, there's a printable...don't miss it!

See you tomorrow when I'll be sharing another printable at my girl, Kristin's, blog!

All I Want For Christmas...Wish List & Gift Guide for Crafters #GlueNGlitter #CBias @Elmers

2011-12-08T05:47:00.000-06:00

A few days ago I was asked to put together my holiday wish list and a crafter's gift guide...umm, are you kidding me? Done.

So, I loaded up my kids and headed to Wal-Mart...I mean, truly...where else can you find everything you need? Check out my entire shopping trip here, on Google+...

Are you shopping for a crafter this Christmas? Maybe putting a gift basket together for a friend or *ahem* certain blogger *ahem* hint hint *cough* and don't know what to buy? Or maybe you're just starting to enter the crafting world and you aren't sure what you need? Here are some of the things that are definitely must-haves in any crafter's arsenal...

Please try to overlook the fuzzy quality of some of the photos...I get so stinkin' excited when craft shopping that I can't always keep my hand still...don't judge.

The X-ACTO 12" Rotary Trimmer and Self-Healing Mat are definitely necessary...

Precise straight-line cuts are no problem with the trimmer...if you do any kind of paper crafting at all, make sure you have one of these...

And the self-healing mat is the ideal surface for cutting for both fabric & paper...and, hello...they're pink.

An X-ACTO #11 Craft Knife (which I couldn't make it out of the store without buying) is perfect for making more precise cuts...or for cutting things that are thicker than the 5 sheets of cardstock that the Rotary Trimmer can cut...I used an X-ACTO knife to cut the foam board I used for my Advent Calendar...it was an older version, but it worked like a charm...

A good pair of precision scissors is wonderful for tons of different projects. I use mine for embroidery, crochet, cutting small bits of paper or ribbon, you name it...

A Corner Rounder Punch is perfect for adding that little extra oomph to photographs or cards...it's amazing what little details can do...

Remember the foam board I mentioned a little earlier? Before a week or so ago, I don't think I would have added something like foam board to a Christmas Gift Guide...but...I gotta tell ya...since I used the Elmer's Acid-Free Foam Board for my Advent Calendar project, I have had occasion to use it twice more (for one of Tyler's school projects and as the front and back of a little Christmas scrapbook album I'm currently working on...). I really do love it. And it's not like a lot of other foam boards...the surfaces aren't shiny and slippery, they're just like paper...which is awesome. They paint easily, they cut easily & things adhere easily to them.

And they come in different colors...

Now, glue is, without doubt, one of the most important items any crafter will need...and you wouldn't believe how many different types are out there...here are a few of the different types you should always have around...

These CraftBond Glue Spots are awesome...and they're completely mess-free. How can you go wrong? They come in a bunch of different sizes and they even have Pop-Up Glue Spots to add a little dimension to your projects.

Anyone who works with paper knows how annoying it is to glue two sheets of paper together just to have them wrinkle all up if you happen to add a little too much glue. It's horrible. But Elmer's has solved that problem with their No-Wrinkle Dual Tip Glue Pen. Absolutely perfect for craft projects or school projects...and the dual tip lets you use a little glue, or a lot...awesome. And it's under $2.00...again, awesome.

CraftBond Spray Adhesive is the perfect type of glue for any project that calls for you to reposition or temporarily adhere two items together. I love this glue...it's completely repositionable until it dries, so I use it on things like fabric projects. Because fabric can be stretchy and super-pliable, I don't always get it laid out where I need it perfectly the first time. Using the spray lets me pick up the fabric and replace it. I also use it on items that I Mod-Podge. I spray the entire surface of whatever I'm Mod-Podging, place it where I need it, then lift up a little at a time to spread the Mod-Podge. It works perfectly...

Make sure to include some adhesive remover in your craft-bag or gift basket. My kids love to use my stuff and, inevitably, the glue ends up where it shouldn't be (like on my self-healing mat)...this takes care of that, easy-peasy. And you don't need to use much, so that bottle should last you a good long time.

And last, but certainly not least...how about a subscription to one of the many craft magazines out there? You never know when you'll need some outside inspiration for using all of your cool new goodies...

And, you know, walking through those aisles I found there were whole bunches of things that I'm adding to my Christmas list...wanna see???

Let's start with some of this tape...I loves me some CraftBond Double-Sided Scrapbooking Tape...and they have some that is removable! Not quite sure what I'd use the removable tape for, but I gotta have it...and that Foam Mounting Tape? - yep, I need some of that, too...I love adding dimension to my photos and embellishments in my scrapbook pages and this would definitely fit the bill...

More yarn. Oh. Man. Now that I am crocheting (and trying to learn to knit), my yarn addiction is starting to rival my fabric & paper addictions. Just look at all of the beautiful colors!

...speaking of fabric...

OH! And spray paint...don't forget the spray paint!

I used glitter glue in my last project and I couldn't believe how easy it was to use...I will definitely need more of this...

Ooooh, and I need more of these Sharpie pens...I am a total pen snob...these are the only ones I can use...is that weird that I am a discriminating pen-user? Again, don't judge. I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm left-handed. Or maybe I just made that excuse up...

I could always use more crafting magazines...I love 'em. All of 'em.

...especially this one...

...and construction paper...I always need more of this. I can't tell you how many times construction paper has saved me from a day full of whiny kids...I just put the stack in front of them and say "here...make --- (fill in the blank)." Awesome.

So there you have it! MY Craft Wish List for this Christmas...

I have a secret, though...don't tell Santa...

I couldn't wait for some of these things and I already picked them up...that's one of the things I love about being an adult...when I want something, I can buy it...I don't have to wait for Christmas. Being an adult totally rocks.

This is what I came home with...

I used my No-Wrinkle Dual Tip Glue Pen to adhere the flower, the gem & the ric-rac to this card...

And Tyler snagged my Glitter Glue to make a rainbow for one of his friends...I really love this stuff...it's easy enough for a four-year-old to use, but not so easy that it just runs out of the tube...it's awesome.

And you know my Favorite Things giveaway I'm having next week? You may just see some of these items show up there...(hint, hint).

So there you have it...my Gift Guide & my Wish List...whaddaya think? Do you use any of these products? What would you add to a Craft Gift Guide or Wish List???

Disclosure: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Elmer's #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias

While I was compensated for this project, all opinions are my own.

My cabinets are a disgrace - Part 1

2011-12-06T07:04:00.001-06:00

Let's take just a small break from Christmas stuff today...

I was flipping through my HGTV Magazine (which has got to be my new co-favorite magazine - along with Country Living - both of which may or may not be part of my favorite things giveaway next week...shhhh) and they had a little snippet with under-the-sink photos from some of their contributors...I was totally inspired...

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you may already know that my kitchen is the complete opposite of awesome. Our cabinets are in weird places, and we have virtually NO counter space...this makes for a challenge when storing stuff...and by challenge, I mean it's a no-fun, next-to-impossible task.

Here...let me show you. And try not to gag.

PLEASE do not tell me I'm the only one with cabinets who look like this...pleeeeeeease.

These are 2 of the cabinets I have for stuff storage...now, I realize that my lack of organization is not the cabinet's fault...but, because they can't defend themselves, I will blame them...

I was tired of the balancing act I was perfecting in the larger cabinets. I can't tell you just how many times I pulled out a bowl or something and 3 other things came flying out toward me...scary stuff.

I emptied out the cabinets entirely (no small feat), took out the things I rarely use but can't part with(like the fondue pots - I don't think I've even taken these down for the past 8 years) and put them in a bigger storage cabinet in the garage. I also re-evaluated just how many plastic storage bowls I needed and chucked the overflow. I tried to keep like items together (novel idea, huh?) and put the things I use the most toward the bottom...here's what I have now...

Whew...better.
I feel like a weight's been lifted. And it really took only about 1/2 hour...Ty was playing Angry Birds on my phone (did you know they have that for Android now? Am I the last to know?) so he didn't even try to "help" - which was the biggest help of all...(smile).

Now I have all of my fun plates (the single ones I love for photos and serving) in one area...

...and my favorite cups & saucers are visible & accessible...

...AND I found this awesome little black metal container (shoved waaaaay in the back) that now is holding my leftover bowl lids...

Now, on to my spice cabinets...

Do you have anything in your kitchen that could use 30 minutes of attention?

Tips for photographing your Christmas tree...

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

In just one week the Christmas tree linky & giveaway will begin! Yay!

I thought I would put together some tips on how to photograph your tree...because we all want to see your tree in all of it's splendor...not just a mass of green or a mass of lights...unless of course, that's what you want...(smile).

Here are a couple of tips I've found around blogville...(I'm tired of using the words "blogland" and "the blogosphere" - "I'm a loner, Dottie, a rebel" - name that movie)...

No, that's not my house...I wish...

source

Some exposure tips...

http://www.betterphoto.com/article.asp?id=107

http://blog.webshots.com/2007/12/exposure-tips-for-photographing-the-christmas-tree-and-lights/

How to photograph Christmas lights...

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-to-photograph-christmas-lights.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Digital-Photography-Tip---How-To-Photograph-Christmas-Lights&id=389858

http://www.nyip.com/ezine/holidays/holidaylights.html

Here's a great forum discussion on how to do it...

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/photography-beginners-forum-photo-gallery/227070-photographing-indoor-christmas-tree.html

***And this is a great post from Ashley @ lil blue boo - do you read her blog? You should. She's amazing. She's been through a lifetime of crazy and she has the most amazing attitude and insane talent...seriously.

http://www.lilblueboo.com/2011/11/christmas-tree-photography-with-your-dslr-a-tutorial.html

Now, of course, that's certainly not all of the information on the web...I just found a few that seemed to contain a lot of good information...

I hope you all had a great weekend! We had our Polar Express weekend at church (all of the volunteers dress up like train conductors & we serve hot chocolate & ice cream sandwiches to all of the guests - this year we had 1300 people!...then we pass out Santa hats & bells...it's so so so much fun...the kids love it!)

I was able to finish the Christmas cards & get some handmade gifts done (yay!) - all of the gift cards & teacher's gifts have been purchased and most of the other gifts, too...woo hoo!!! I am bound and determined not to spend my entire Christmas Eve wrapping gifts!!!

Did you get anything Christmas-y done this weekend?

My Elmer's Advent Calendar #GlueNGlitter #cbias collectivebias

2011-12-03T06:45:00.001-06:00

OK...so here was my challenge...

Make an advent calendar.

Sounds easy, right?

Yeah...no.See, we already have an advent calendar. You know, one of those little store-bought houses that has 24 doors, each of which need to be opened every day on the way to Christmas day. My kids really love this little house. But there's a problem...I have 3 kids...each of whom wants to open a door every day.

Do the math. It doesn't work.So I set out to solve our little "problem." And here were my parameters...

Use an Elmer's foam board plus one of Elmer's Memory Keeping items. I can so do this...can't I?

I started by heading to Wal-Mart to find my supplies...
check out my shopping experience here...Ty and I had so much fun...(well, at least I did...I think Ty got a little impatient with me...)

When we got home I laid out my supplies...

...and tried to figure out what to do...

Ever have everything you need for a project, but don't know how to start?

Suddenly, it dawned on me...what if each child had his/her OWN advent calendar...and what if each of those individual calendars could create ONE calendar? I wanted to use the idea of opening "experiences" on the calendar, too - rather than just a piece of candy. Yeah...this could work.

I started by cutting my foam boards into 4 pieces...1 piece for each of the kids and 1 for the combined board...cutting the board was surprisingly easy with my X-Acto knife...

Then I grabbed some Christmas-y scrapbook paper and glued it to the foam board with an Elmer's Wet & Dry Dual Tip Glue Pen.

I don't usually use normal glue to adhere paper to things...but, I gotta tell ya...this glue was great - especially because one end of the glue stick was really wide & included a spreader. It made the gluing part really quick...

Then I ran upstairs and spray-painted my foam board a light blue...I'm really digging the light blue/red combo for Christmas. The boards do come in a variety of different colors, but I wasn't really sure what I was going to do for this project while I was shopping, so I went with the white. The spray paint worked perfectly, though, and I was left with a great base for my calendar...

Here was my next obstacle...how to make the boards so that each of my children could open an "experience."

Bingo...turn the calendar into a sort of puzzle! Each child can open part of the puzzle...and together, the parts make the "experience!" Yay!!!

I sat down at my laptop, opened up MicroSoft Office & started typing...trying to keep my "experiences" to 3-word phrases (good thing I have only 3...this would have been waaaaay more challenging with more kids)...

Here's what I did:

Then I cut the pages down into "days" and the "days" into separate words or phrases (making sure to keep my days together...how confusing would it be if just random words were on each kids' calendar?)

In order to place the words on each calendar, I decided to make little envelopes for each day, and then put the envelopes onto each board...but I really didn't have the time or inclination to make actual envelopes for each word...here's my cheat...

I found some small-ish paper bags that I had bought from Whisker Graphics and cut them (first in half length-wise and then into smaller sections) so that I got a bunch of little folders...I got 8 folders out of each of the larger bags and 6 out of the smaller ones...this was really easy to do, and it took hardly any time...

Then I grabbed some of my scrapbook number stickers and started numbering away...

Once I had this done, I decided to focus some attention on the bigger board...I cut a large ornament out of card stock on my Silhouette and glued it to the board...then I used the Elmer's Wet & Dry Dual Tip Glue Pen again, this time on the front of the ornament (the large white lines on the photo below) and with the repositionable option (this was really easy...you just spread the glue where you want it and let it dry...it dries to this clear tacky surface...so cool...and definitely something that will remain a staple in my supply).

You'll see what I did with this "today" in just a second...

Then I used some of the Elmer's Sparkle Glue around the ornament and on some of the little day envelopes...just to perk them up a bit...(you can see the gold outlining my ornament above). This glue has a really fine tip and comes out very easily...so adding the sparkle is really easy...

While everything was drying on the larger board, I turned my attention back to the smaller boards...I added the kids names to the boards (cut from my Silhouette), and then added repositionable glue dots (just like a did above on the ornament...24 of them) to each board so there would be a way to hang each folder...confused yet? (smile)

While these dots were drying (which took about 30 minutes), I took each phrase and put them into the appropriate day folders...I added a tiny tiny glue dot to the backs of the phrases so that they wouldn't fall out of the folders when I hung them on the wall.

After the glue dots were dry, I added each folder to each of the kids' boards...

This part was really fun...the tacky glue is really awesome...things stick instantly and are pretty easy to remove...

OK...now that the smaller boards were all done, I went back, AGAIN, to the larger board. I decided that I wanted to have a place to list all of the things we had already done for the holiday so I added this...

After we're done with a day's adventure we can pin it up here (the plus side of using an Elmer's foam board & not just paper...you can stick pins in it...)

Then I added a couple of these with the sparkle glue...

And then...guess what? I was done! Woo hoo!!!!

Here are the finished individual boards...

Kinsley's

Grayson's

Tyler's

And here's the whole thing put together on the kitchen wall...

Each of the boards are at the individual child's height...it might not look perfect, but there are fewer fights this way...

When the kids opened their folders yesterday morning, they had to "solve" the puzzle before they could stick it on the board...right smack dab on the "today" ornament...marking the ornament like this should keep it pretty obvious what our daily goal is...I think they thought this was pretty cool...

I'm really happy with the way it turned out. The Elmer's products were incredible easy to use and the kids love that they can each participate in the advent...every. single. day.

Thank you so much to Elmer's and to Social Fabric & Collective Bias for this Shoppertunity!

This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Elmer's #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias

While I was compensated for my participation, all opinions are 100% mine.

I have something really fun coming up in 10 days!

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I guess the title of my post explains it all...

Have a great day!

Nawwww, I'm jus' kiddin'...I'll fill ya in...

Starting December 12, one week from Monday, I'm having a Christmas tree linky party! Yay!

I just love seeing other people's Christmas trees...I feel like ours looks the same every year. Don't get me wrong - I love our tree - I really, really do...but I really like seeing how other people decorate theirs...

So, please - grab a button, help spread the word & let's check out those trees! I can't wait!

OH! And you may have noticed...the button says "linky party & giveaway" - that's right! I know how hard & crazy & exhilarating & fun & exhausting & stressful the holidays can be...that's why I'm giving away an ultimate prize package filled with MY favorite things to one of you...just in time for Christmas. After all...don't you deserve it?

Want a hint at what will be included? OK...twist my arm...let's just say one of the gifts rhymes with Path & Toddy Works...and another one rhymes with Carchucks...hmmm...but That's Not All! (said in my best The Price is Right Rod Roddy voice)...no, no, no...there will be much much more...because, again, don't you deserve it?

The only requirement for this giveaway is that you be a follower of Midwestern {Sewing} Girl...I normally don't make that a prerequisite for my giveaways, but I really want this gift to go to one of my readers...there will be only 1 entry per person, so go ahead and follow if you haven't already!

And get those trees all ready! Cause I wanna see 'em...

J-O-Y - with decoupage...

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

I originally shared this project over on Lines Across My Face as part of Rachel's The 13 Crafts of Christmas series...but I wanted to run it again, just in case you may have missed it...(smile)...

Today I want to share a little project I did to spruce up some cardboard letters I had left over from my kids' Christmas card photo shoot...

These are the letters pre-makeover...they are about 24" tall and are made of cardboard (I got them at Jo-Ann)...I had spray-painted them white for the photos, but they got kind of nicked up and dirty from being outside for the photos...

I knew I wanted to add some design and color to them, but I wasn't quite sure how...I CAN NOT hand-paint anything (except walls and stuff that can be messy...painted details ain't my thang)...so I knew I would probably have to decoupage them. But with what paper? These letters are big...and paper's not...hmmm...AHA!!! Wrapping paper! The perfect sized-paper for the big ol' things! And I had just the stuff...

We were at IKEA last week and I picked up some of the most darling Christmas items...including this fantastic wrapping paper...

See it over there on the left? It's really cute...white w/charcoal grey snowflakes...
I also gathered up my white acrylic paint & decoupage...both by DecoArt...and my repositionable spray adhesive from Krylon...

I spread out the wrapping paper and laid each letter face down...make sure you lay the letters face down if you are tracing onto the white side of the paper...that way you can ensure that you cut the printed side so that it fits the letter...

After you finish tracing all of the letters, cut them out...don't worry about fussy-cutting, the edges won't really matter.

I then sprayed each of my letters with adhesive and laid my cut-out letters on top. I do this only because I find it easier to just lift up a corner of the paper and spread on some decoupage, rather than try to spread the glue all over the piece and then struggle to get the paper on right...

Decoupage your paper cut-outs onto your cardboard letters following the directions on the bottle...I ADORE the DecoArt Decoupage because it comes in a squeeze bottle...I just squeeze some of the glue directly onto my project...no need to pour a bunch into a bowl to work with. This decoupage is also a little thinner than some, so I've found I don't need to water it down at all to get it to spread nicely...

Once the decoupage dried, I turned my letters over, and, with a craft knife, I cut the hangy-over paper off...(now you see why fussy-cutting is not necessary)...

Next I took one of my little cheap paint brushes and dry-brushed the white paint over the edges of the letters...this gives them the effect of age and wear...

Finally, I spread one final coat of decoupage over each letter and let them all dry...

And here's the final product!

I really like the way they turned out...right now they're hanging on a wall all by themselves in our family room...love 'em...

Here's where I'll be sharing this project...

Christmas Tree Garland with Nikki from Everything Under the Moon

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have another wonderful blogger here today sharing her adorable Christmas project...Nikki is one of the sweetest people I've met while blogging...she, too, was a competitor in the American Crafter competition with me (and Angela from Monday's post!)...she has an amazing amount of talent and the most darling little girl in the world - just look at that photo of them! LOVE! Here she is...I know you'll love her, too...

Hi!!! My name is Nikki and I am the crazy mind behind Everything Under the Moon. I am so super excited to be over here at Midwestern Sewing Girl sharing this super simple but snazzy Christmas craft with you!

A little about me, I am mommy to our beautiful ZeeBee Moon and an aspiring photographer. I blog about crafts, photography, food, hair, and of course motherhood! I {super} love what I do and love being able to share it with all of you! :)

* * *

I've see some of the nicest Christmas garlands this year on other blogs and on Pinterest and I wanted to give one a try of my own. This is such a simple and fun tutorial and it really adds some pizzazz to your holiday decor!I started off by finding a Christmas tree template online. I used this one. I cut out the template onto a piece of white cardstock and then traced the tree onto the back of some holiday cardstock paper from Michael's.

I cut out each tree and hole-punched the top and bottom.

I strung the trees onto a piece of yarn with the yarn running through the back.

I spaced each tree the distance I wanted them and then put a dot of hot glue in the back to hold the yarn in place so the trees wouldn't slide up and down and...

Ta Da!!

There you have it. Super simple but pretty Christmas tree garland :)

I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and I would love it if you would stop by Everything Under the Moon December 10th-22nd for my 12 Days of Christmas Holiday Party. There will be lots of great bloggers there sharing their holiday projects, including Maggie!!!

Thank you so much Maggie for having me at Midwestern Sewing Girl. You totally rock!! ~xoxo

Happy Holidays!!!

Snaz up those plain ol' Christmas cards!

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make.

I am a Christmas card junkie. There. I said it. I've outed myself. I love Christmas cards. And by love, I mean obsess over. I start thinking about cards long before Thanksgiving...and I have a HORRIBLE/WONDERFUL time choosing which styles to order...this year I surfed the net for 3 days before I even narrowed down the sites I wanted to order from.

And then...as if that wasn't enough...after I had already decided which cards to order, my girl Jamielyn from I Heart Naptime told me about Paper Coterie and I had to start all over (in this case, that was a good thing...Paper Coterie is da bomb).

I finally decided on 5 different card styles...yes...5. I ended up ordering 20 each (or approximately) of the 5 different designs...is that weird?

Here's what I got (the "befores")...

from Shutterfly...

also from Shutterfly...

from Paper Coterie - this one actually comes with scalloped edges...love.

another from Paper Coterie...and this one comes in this super-cool scroll-y shape...

I also have one more that I ordered from Snapfish, but I was having trouble with their site, so I can't show you a before (frowny face)... and I was too lazy to actually walk over to the scanner and scan one...(another frowny face).

I received the cards and thought - you know, I wanna try to make these a little more personalized...a little more special...maybe not so "I just went online, typed in our names, added a photo and bang-zoom here are our cards"-ish...so I busted out the scrapbook stuff and set to work...

Here's what I did (and let me tell you, this honestly took like no time at all...I finished half the cards while we were watching TV and I'll finish the other half later this week before I drop them all in the mail)...

Here I just cut out some scallop tags, added some rub-ons & a date stamp & attached them to the corner of the card with some twine...

With the second Shutterfly card I just wrapped a doily around the side and tied on some twine...easy peasy...

I love this Paper Coterie card just as it is (aren't those scalloped edges awesome???)...but I still wanted to add a little something...a little blue bow fit the bill perfectly (the back of the card is the same color blue)...

Another awesome-ly shaped card from Paper Coterie...I added some more baker's twine & a kraft tag and sticker and now it's just a little more special...

And here's the last one...from Snapfish...just your plain jane 4x8 photo card. I wrapped a piece of Tim Holtz glassine kraft paper around the card (after I'd embossed it with a snowflake) and attached the edges in the back with a Christmas sticker...voila. I especially like the look of these cards because I think the kraft glassine looks like leather...ooooh.

There you have it! With just a few embellishments and a couple of nights in front of the TV, my Chrismtas cards are just a touch more "me."

And the obsession lives on...

I plan on sending my cards on December 1...is this too early? Too late? What's your opinion?

I'll be sharing these cards at a few of these parties this week...

Muffin Tin Advent Calendar with Angela from Love Sweet Love

2011-11-28T07:28:00.001-06:00

I have an amazing guest today, guys...I first met Angela right before we both participated in the American Crafter competition...and I immediately was struck by her kindness, beauty, creativity & talent...she is one remarkable woman...you will love her blog & you will LOVE this project...

HeLlO hElLo m{s}g readers!!! I am Angela, the voice behind Love Sweet Love, and I am super-duper EcStAtIc to be here doing a guest post for the fantastic Maggie today!

Maggie is one of my all-time favorite bloggers and Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday so putting these two together is like unwrapping the perfect gift on Christmas morning! Thank you for inviting me today Maggie!!!!

I use my little corner of the blogging universe to share my creative ideas that involve easy DIY projects for the home, craft ideas for kids, thrift store makeovers like this and this, organization ideas, and holiday decorating (the reason I started blogging!). My life is over-flowing with Sweet Love and I needed a place to share it!!

I Love LOVE Love everything about Christmas! The decorations, the lights, the music, the colors, the smells, giving gifts, mistletoe :), and the pure JOY and excitement that those 24 days leading up to it entail! I created a fun way to help your sweet families kick off your Christmas season and squeeze every ounce of tradition, laughter, service and creativity out of the month of December...a Christmas Advent with 24 Christmas activites.

I first got this idea, of using a muffin tin, from my sweet neighbor (who's not a blogger :) ). I've been wanting to make an advent for the last TWO Christmas's but couldn't find the *perfect* one for us, so when I saw this style I knew it would fit our family perfectly! I got on pinterest (BAD idea) to see if I could find an example of how to make one-thinking just because I hadn't seen it before it would be a rare, if not original, idea. HA! (Is there anything now that hasn't been done in some way before?!?!) Sooooo, there are LOTS of muffin tin advent ideas on pinterest if you care to look, but I was surprised to find that a lot of them are just for sale, or no tutorials are offered along with the picture.SO just in case you ARE interested in the 'how-to', I have written up a tutorial with some pictures to walk you through it. This would be the perfect sort of advent to make if you're looking to do something quick, cheap, easy and FuN!

Supplies:

You'll start with:-A mini 24 cupcake muffin tin (about $5 at Walmart)-A few sheets of scrapbook paper and coordinating cardstock-embellishments (stickers, buttons, ribbon, etc)-Magnet roll-glue dotsIf you have a device that cuts paper (cricut, silhouette, punches,etc) this will be LOADS easier for you :). I started by cutting out 24 small circles (using my cricut) to place into the bottom of each muffin tin.

I used mini glue dots to adhere them to the pan.**TIP**since mine is a non-stick tin just one glue dot doesn't hold it in place so you'll need to use about 3 per circle.

I wasn't sure if I was going to hang mine up or just string some ribbon through it for a little added embellishment, but either way I needed 2 small holes at the top of the pan, so the hubby drilled them right out for me! :) (you can buy pans with holes already in them, but they're about double the price).

Next I cut 12 scalloped and 12 regular circles out of 4 different types of holiday paper big enough to cover the hole. (my paper is from Hobby Lobby) I also cut 24 smaller circles out of cardstock to place one on top of each of the bigger circles so the numbers would stand out better.

Then I decided to vintagey them up a smidge so I used some brown ink and a paper towel to distress up the sides of all the paper circles. (I did not use the circle below as it turned out to be a total flop-ha! It took me a couple tries to figure out what I was doing!)

To get the look below, I found that I needed to press the paper towel into the ink and then, while the paper circle was lying flat on another paper towel, lightly swoosh the ink, quickly, back and forth around the outer perimeter of the circle. (I'm sure you all already know this but just in case there are some newbie ink distresser's out there... :) )

I think the added step gives it JUST the touch it needs to add some character to the project!

And then the BEST part about this project...embellishing!!! This is where this project becomes ALL your own!! Your style, your talent, your ideas shine through right now and it doesn't matter how many of these you find online, yours will be unique and special to you!

Detail is everything to me! I love a little bling here, a little saying there, a little glitter pretty much everywhere! So for mine, I made sure to include little tags on the presents that say 'from santa' (they were stickers I didn't actually MAKE all the tags-ha ha even I'm not that crazy), glittery numbers (stickers) for the countdown, tree toppers, tags (cut from my cricut) with some of our favorite Christmas songs hand written on them, your imagination is the limit!!

Once each circle is decorated the way you want it and they're all numbered you're ready to add some magnet to the back. I used a magnet roll I already had and just cut pieces off of it and that white part peels off and it sticks right to your paper! So easy!

Behind each day is a *Kiss* and an activity to do for that day (24 activities at the end of this post). The Christmas season is always busy so I didn't want this to become something that stressed us out and made us feel obligated to add ONE more thing to our day, so most of these activities are things we would already be doing, it just make it more fun to pull it out of a tin and get a treat! :)

And that's all!You could whip this up in 1 or 2 days EASY and your kids will LOOOOVE it, I promise!

My kids have been DYING to start doing this right away since we put it up this weekend! They love opening the little magnet "doors" and seeing their treat in there waiting for them!

I opted to set mine on an easel to display and just tie a simple bow on the top because I think there's enough going on on the advent itself and a fancy bow on top would just be distracting. Buuuut if you did simpler embellishments, a big poofy, sparkly bow would be perfect! :)

24 Christmas Activities:

Put the star on the top of the Christmas tree
First gift of Christmas*Our first gift of Christmas is a gift we set aside for our Savior. We each write down what we would like to *give* Jesus this year (talk kinder to our siblings, do one act of service everyday, etc.) and we put all the papers in a gift box and put it under the tree. A great reminder of 'the reason for the season'!
Write letters to Santa
Watch the First Presidency devotional
Decorate Gingerbread Houses
Make a Christmas craft
Serve a neighbor
Snow day (sledding, build snowman, etc)
Leave love notes for daddy around the house
Christmas craft
Drive around to see Christmas lights in the neighborhood
Pick out and donate toys to an organization
Start our '12 days of Christmas' project for a needy family
Go see the newest Christmas/kids movie at the theater
Baking Day
Go out to dinner and anonymously pay for another family's meal
Deliver Christmas treats/goodies to friends and neighbor's
Invite a new family or widow over for dinner
Christmas craft
Go see Santa
Christmas movie with popcorn night at home
Go to Salt Lake City to see the lights on Temple Square
Read Christmas stories by the tree with Hot Chocolate and cookies
Open one present!
Merry Christmas! (our family pic last year :) )

Thank you so much Maggie for letting me share a little of my passion for Christmas with your readers today! Isn't Maggie one of the most beautiful, and talented, and stylish people you have ever met?!?! I'm one lucky girl that's for sure! Stop over at my place for a visit anytime; Merry Christmas friends!!!

What did I tell you? Isn't that a wonderful project??? And I love love love that Angela shared her Christmas photo...what a lovely family...and she is definitely a girl after my own heart...details can make or break a project (in my opinion) and this girl is right on...every detail is just perfect...thank you so much for being here, Angela!