Delicious Recipes to Keep my Family of Four Happy and Full
I have talked before about the challenges of my mantle and fireplace. After managing to decorate the mantle in a way that I actually liked for fall, I was determined to step it up a notch for Christmas too. Of course, you can guess where I turned for ideas: Pinterest. In my search, I found this
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I know, I know…you probably came here today with your grocery list in hand looking for recipes. I’m taking a brief hiatus from WTCW (one week). I’ve been prepping some guest posts and getting ready to co-host Crafty Scrappy Happy Me Thursday with my blogger friend, Jaime.
So, today, instead, I am bringing back a post from the past that I did for Emily over at Naptime is My Time. I did a guest post for her and shared how to make a paper Christmas tree decoration with scrapbook paper and Styrofoam.
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So, I’ve been on a decorating kick recently…have you noticed? Last year, we moved into a much larger house but our decoration collection hasn’t quite grown as much as our available decorating space! So, I have been slowly adding to my collection and putting more homemade items out than before.
One of my recent projects were a set of Styrofoam trees that I used everyday items to transform into decorations.
For the larger block, I picked up some peppermint candies from the dollar store and used those to cover the Styrofoam. I purposefully selected the green blocks for this project because I knew some of it might show through.
So, on my to-do list for fall and Christmas, I have about half a dozen projects that require spray paint. The problem:
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| [UMN] |
Yes, wind. Just about any day I have available to actually spray paint it is too darn windy! I finally gave up the dreams of spray painted and broke out the ole paint brush.
In June, we took a beach vacation (relive it here, here and here). While we were there, Junior and I escaped for thrift store shopping. It was there that I stumbled upon these wooden lanterns
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I feel like I should just make my decorating posts a series! I never seem to get to more than one room at a time. With my mantle complete, I turned my attention to the dining room!
I used to set the dining room table from the start of December with my Reindeer dishes BUT we host a fairly large Christmas party so I was always taking them back up for that. So, now the table stays free of actual place settings until Christmas Eve.
Less talk, more pictures is probably what you are thinking about right now.
I made this centerpiece using an old green wreath, an old sugar berry wreath (which I disassembled) and one of my homemade hurricane vases.
Little groupings of candles and vases sit on either side of the centerpiece.
On the light fixture above the table, I hung little gold snowflakes.
To the side of the table, we have a wine rack/buffet piece that I also like to decorate for Christmas.
Yes, that is the tag from the store around the reindeer’s neck. H is convinced it is his collar so she won’t let me take it off.
Now, I guess I should start thinking about what cook for the Christmas meal that will be eaten in this room!
Don’t forget that today is the final day to enter the giveaway for a Crocheted with Care Hungry Caterpillar Hat! I’ll be drawing the winner first thing Friday morning!
© 2012 Just Us Four. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
In early fall, I tackled the challenge of decorating my mantle. I had long avoided the task but was really happy I took the plunge.
Now that Christmas is upon us, my mantle desperately needed some new “clothes”. So, I dug through our sea of plastic bins to see what I could fish out of there to decorate it.
Of course, one thing I knew would go on there were our stockings. We all have stockings embroidered with our names and they hang across the front of the mantle.
From there, I grabbed my bay leaf garland (Pottery Barn circa 2004 I think) and a few other things and just started playing around with the placement.
I really love the mercury glass candle holders I scored at the Pottery Barn outlet this year!
Have you gotten your mantle all decorated for Christmas? Do you hang stockings by the fireside?
© 2012 Just Us Four. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Haha…I can’t believe it is almost 2pm on a Tuesday and I am just getting this post completed. I can only blame the most wonderful time of year for diverting my attention away from you dear readers. I promise that I have been working on some fun projects that I will share with you in the coming days/weeks.
Today, I am going to share a project that I had absolutely nothing to do with (well, except for providing 1/2 the stuff needed to create the little girl who did make this project)! H and her Grandma made a gingerbread house on Saturday (grandma did the baking…H did the decorating). It turned absolutely amazing.
Now, I am going to put a disclaimer here because, honestly, you are going to look at these pictures and think I am totally fibbing on how much input H had into this house. I promise you…she decorated it from concept to completion. All her. Grandma was simply the “assistant” handing supplies once the baking was done.
Didn’t she do an amazing job? I mean she is only 4 and her house looks much better than mine ever did.
Has there been any baking or decorating going on in your home?
© 2012 Just Us Four. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
I have a confession: I just can’t seem to step away from the yarn. I want to stop. I need to stop. My front door is begging me to stop. I keep saying: “this will be my last yarn wreath” and then I make another. This time, it was a Christmas wreath. Oh, and a Styrofoam wreath form (it was on sale and I now know why!)
Then, I wrap and wrap and wrap. Only this one was much more difficult. The yarn kept sticking to the Styrofoam which (honestly) sucked. But, I kept wrapping…
When I was tired of wrapping, I stopped to think about what I was going to do to the wreath. Obviously, I wasn’t planning to just stick a wreath form wrapped in yarn out on the door. I cruised around the web and saw all kinds of amazing wreaths! Some had felt flowers, some had beads, and some had very intricate scenes on them. I headed over to my craft room (a.k.a the basement) and took a look at what I had: random wood forms and scrapbook paper.
Oh, and clearly a ghost that was casting a shadow on my table. Yikes!
I traced the little wooden shapes onto the back of the scrapbook paper and hit them with some scissors.
I also painted the backs and sides of the shapes since some of that might be visible on my wreath. I picked silver because it pulled out the little silver threads that were woven into my yarn. I used their little wooden brothers to keep them off the paper so they wouldn’t stick while drying.
Next, it was Mod Podge time! I picked outdoor mod podge since my wreath would be handing outside. I brushed a layer of mod podge onto the wooden shape and stuck the scrapbook paper onto it. Then, I brushed a layer on the top of the scrapbook paper.
Merry Christmas!
© 2012 Just Us Four. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Even though I already shared this riveting account of our black Friday adventures today, I wanted to come and share with you my favorite crafts for the Christmas season {so far}. I {hopefully} will manage to actually complete all of these during Christmas time. You know that old saying about the best laid plans though…
Let’s start with something on the simple side – Reindeer Beer from And I Thought I Love You Then!
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| [And I Thought I Love You Then] |
Then, I’ll work on a felt Christmas tree using one of the styrofoam trees I picked up recently.
| [Scissor Variations] |
I love this simple way to display incoming Christmas cards.
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| [Red Thread DIY] |
I also can’t let the season go by without making an Advent calendar. Now, if only I could decide what kind to make!
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| [Talk Crafty to Me] |
These waterless snowglobes are absolutely gorgeous and sound pretty easy to make!
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| [Sweet Something Design] |
Of course, I am going to need a wreath for the door. Maybe a marshmallow one!
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| [Food Network] |
These yarn balls looks so cute and can be customized to match any decor!
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| [Ruche] |
These cupcake liner trees are another cute way to decorate (and maybe even get the kids involved)!
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| [The 36th Avenue via Tatertots and Jello] |
My Silhouette Cameo is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. I might try to make something similar to this stenciled sign.
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| [Tatertots and Jello] |
Then, I think I will end on another easy note with homemade glitter Christmas ornaments.
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| [Greenbean’s Crafterole] |
What is on your list for holiday crafting this year?
© 2012 Just Us Four. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my dear readers! I am thankful for all of you and hope your day is filled with laughter, happiness, family and friends.
One thing I am pretty sure it is filled with: food…and lots of it. If your house is like mine, there is always way too much food. So, I am sharing five ideas of how to transform the leftovers into new meals so that the food doesn’t go to waste but you don’t get stuck in a turkey rut either.
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| [101 Cookbooks], [Crepes of Wrath], [Culinary in the Desert] |
1) Got leftover pumpkin that didn’t make it into one of your pies? How about giving Thai-spiced pumpkin soup a try.
2) You’ve probably got lots of turkey and maybe a little cranberry sauce left. Throw it together and make a Thanksgiving sandwich.
3) Maybe you didn’t quite finish off the ham at dinner. Cut it up and make asparagus ham lasagna.
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| [Moms Who Think], [Have Recipes, Will Cook] |
4) Shepard’s pie is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.
5) Leftover sweet potatoes can be transformed into a new main dish by adding some black beans and avocado.
© 2012 Just Us Four. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
