0 Personalized Gifts are so Meaningful!

I've already told you guys about how my mom's family is very large, so we draw family names and exchange gifts that way.  My cousin Rebekah, her husband and baby boy, drew my family and I think they came up with a really fun and creative gift for us:

1 What are little boys made of? #143

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Party Guidelines: 1) please link to your blog post (not your blog main page) so people can go directly to your project and 2) Enter your blog name and in parenthesis add the name of your project so we can clearly see what it is 3) Don't forget, these should be BOY RELATED (Big Boy projects are accepted too)! AND PLEASE grab my button!

1 Sugar & Spice #143

I got so caught up in the after Christmas fun, I forgot to schedule today's party!
Better late than never, right?

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The party guidelines are: 1) please link to your blog post (not your blog main page) so people can go directly to your project 2) Don't forget, these should be GIRL RELATED (can be for us grown up girls too)! 3) AND PLEASE grab my button and add it to your post so that other crafty ladies can come join the fun.

2 Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours!   {I purchased our Christmas Cards from Cardstore.com this year - totally recommend them!  I paid $.29 per card - MAILED!}

Kim is a Marketing Director by day and Crafter/Blogger/Blog Designer by night. She lives with her husband, three beautiful children, and her dog and cat. You can also visit her design site, seven thirty three – – – creative blog design.  For even more seven thirty three fun, like her on Facebook or follow along via Twitter!

1 Mini {Christmas} Pinata

Most of you know that there is always at least one person on my list that I give cash to for Christmas.  I have younger siblings that tend to want cash because they are saving up for big ticket items, or want to go out with friends, etc.  But it isn't in me to just put cash in a card, so this year (actually THIS MORNING) I created this mini pinata for my little brother.  I got the idea from One Charming Party, but I didn't have paper cone cups on hand, so I came up with my own way!

Supplies needed:
Two sheets of {festive} patterned paper - I used 12x12 scrapbook paper Hot Glue Gun Scissors Streamers

The first step is to create the two cones.  I rolled up my scrapbook paper, starting in the corner. Once I got it the way I wanted it, I secured it with a bit of hot glue.

Then I cut straight across the paper to create the first cone. I did have to trim it up a bit to get a straight edge, but it was easy.

Do the steps above again to get your second cone, referencing your first cone for size.

The next step is to create your streamer fringe.  I cut a length of streamer that could be wrapped around my cones several times.  Fold it up and then cut little slits on each side to create the fringe. Set that aside.

Next you will cut a few strips of ribbon to create the loop to hang the pinata and also to add a bit of fringe at the bottom.  My loop piece was about 3".  I then pushed it into the little hole at the top of the paper cone and secured with hot glue.  If you're hole isn't big enough for the ribbon, just snip off the tip.

For the bottom fringe I cut two 3" pieces of ribbon, crossed them and secured with a dab of hot glue. Folding it in half, I pushed it into the hole at the bottom of the paper cone and secured with glue.

Fill the two cones with whatever you want - I added cash, paper strips and paper confetti.

Now place your cones together - I was able to push one inside the other - and secure with hot glue.

The next step is to glue your fringe around the middle seam.  Just keep going around until you've used it all, securing with hot glue along the way.  Fluff to desired look.  You can add embellishments as desired.

That's it, you're done! A fun and festive way to give a small gift! I also put together this Dinner & A Movie Gift Basket for my brother and his fiance.

Inside is two sodas, two boxes of their favorite candies, a gift certificate to a local restaurant and a gift certificate to the movie theater. I also made a fun little "admission ticket" to hold the theater gift card:

This little add-on was last minute too so I did it by hand rather than designing one on the computer, which is obviously my preference! 

Kim is a Marketing Director by day and Crafter/Blogger/Blog Designer by night. She lives with her husband, three beautiful children, and her dog and cat. You can also visit her design site, seven thirty three – – – creative blog design.  For even more seven thirty three fun, like her on Facebook or follow along via Twitter!

1 10 Minute Drawstring Bag & Other Random Holiday Stuff

I needed a quick way to wrap up a present... a bottle of Switchback Ale, a Vermont brew that has been available in restaraunts and bars for a while now but has just hit the market in bottle form.  They are only sold in 22 oz bottles, either single or by the case.  They are literally selling out as fast as they hit the shelves (seriously, they have a Facebook page dedicated to where people have been able to find the stuff in stock!).  Anyway, I purchased a few for a couple that moved out of state a year ago to go in the Vermont basket I was sending their way and I wanted them to be packaged nice and cute.

I grabbed a couple of fat quarters and whipped these babies up on a whim.  Super easy and pretty versatile, I could imagine putting in some yummy homemade treats, or small toys, etc. Here's how to make one:

Grab a fat quarter.

Open it up flat, fold it in half, right sides together. Stitch up the side and across the top, leaving the bottom open.

 Flip right side out. Flip the top down about 1" and sew across, creating a casing for the drawstring. Fold in half, right sides together.

Sew across the bottom and up the side to the casing seam (don't sew the casing openings closed!). Zigzag stitch across the bottom where the unfinished seam is.

Flip right side out. Grab a length of ribbon and a safety pin and thread the ribbon through the casing.

Tie off in a knot and you are done.  Fill as desired.   My family and I made a gingerbread house last weekend:

 We went over to my parents house along with my brother and his kids and everyone made their own houses.  It was lots of fun and perfect together time!   I also wanted to share this super easy notepad I made for my daughters teacher, a big Redsox Fan:

We also made this for her teacher to hold her paperclips and other little items:

My son made his teacher this card - and the idea was all his own! The mirror is Santa's head so the person looking at the card looks like Santa. So creative, my boy!

The black lettering was from some scratch on letters Plaid sent me a while back.   My son and I used one of the Mod Podge Acrylic Shapes with Mod Podge Dimensional Magic, also sent to me by Plaid, to make my his teacher a keychain.  This was super simple to do and he was able to do most of it himself!

Lastly I purchased these sweet "Inspire" hand stamped Owl Necklaces from Distinctly Ivy for each of my kids teachers.   I LOVE Christmas time and I hope you and yours are enjoying lots of family time!  

Kim is a Marketing Director by day and Crafter/Blogger/Blog Designer by night. She lives with her husband, three beautiful children, and her dog and cat. You can also visit her design site, seven thirty three – – – creative blog design.  For even more seven thirty three fun, like her on Facebook or follow along via Twitter!

0 What are little boys made of? #142

Grab the button!

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Party Guidelines: 1) please link to your blog post (not your blog main page) so people can go directly to your project and 2) Enter your blog name and in parenthesis add the name of your project so we can clearly see what it is 3) Don't forget, these should be BOY RELATED (Big Boy projects are accepted too)! AND PLEASE grab my button!

8 Sugar & Spice #142

 Grab the button!

Copy and paste into your blog.

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The party guidelines are: 1) please link to your blog post (not your blog main page) so people can go directly to your project 2) Don't forget, these should be GIRL RELATED (can be for us grown up girls too)! 3) AND PLEASE grab my button and add it to your post so that other crafty ladies can come join the fun.

3 Meal Planner Giveaway Winner

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  Congrats to Sweet Pea Paula!  I hope you enjoy the planner.   Bummed you didn't win?  Don't worry, you can print the planner yourself for free!

Kim is a Marketing Director by day and Crafter/Blogger/Blog Designer by night. She lives with her husband, three beautiful children, and her dog and cat. You can also visit her design site, seven thirty three – – – creative blog design.  For even more seven thirty three fun, like her on Facebook or follow along via Twitter!

1 You are my sunshine - Free Printable

You may recall this print I had in my master bathroom:

4 Handmade Holiday and a Giveaway

Welcome to the final week of Handmade Holiday!  The winner of last week's giveaway from My Repurposed Life is:

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

 On to the handmade goodness:

1 What are little boys made of? #141

Grab the button!

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Party Guidelines: 1) please link to your blog post (not your blog main page) so people can go directly to your project and 2) Enter your blog name and in parenthesis add the name of your project so we can clearly see what it is 3) Don't forget, these should be BOY RELATED (Big Boy projects are accepted too)! AND PLEASE grab my button!