Wreath Advent

And the countdown begins.  My daughter is already asking what day Christmas is.  It seems like every commercial now has some toy or gadget and she wants every single one of them.  The toys keep getting re-made so nothing is really new.

She was excited with the snowman advent last year so I figured I had to give her something to keep up with the excitement this year too.  I already had all the supplies on hand so it made this project cheap and easy.

cardboard

scrapbook paper

clothespins

numbers

craft paint

scissors

glue

I cut the cardboard into a circle and glued a piece of scrapbook paper on top.  I had some zig zag scissors so I used those to give the edge something different.

 

I counted out 25 clothespins and had my daughter paint the fronts in red.  When they were dry, I hot glued them around the circle.

 

 

I cut out the numbers and we glued coordinating paper to the back.  Each number went into a clothespin.

 

I glued a picture hanger to the back so we can hang it somewhere close by.  Not sure where this guy is gonna end up but of course it will need to be at her level.

 

Each day's number will be associated with an activity or special treat. 

Are you ready for the countdown?  This last month of the year will be over before we know it.

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's to the gathering of family and friends and giving thanks for all the many blessings in our lives. 

Hope there's lot of turkey in it for you too.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

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... sending warm wishes and love your way!

Timeless French...

Loving the straight forward design and traditional feel of this home, I would never want to leave! 

 It's soothing color tones and traditional design is a breath of fresh air!

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... don't you just love that front door... loving the hint of ethnic feel!

Kids' Thanksgiving Tables

Last week I shared some Thanksgiving table ideas with you.  All the dishes and decor can be a too much for the little ones.  So what do you do with the kids at dinner?  Sitting with the adults probably isn't fun and they really can't let loose with mom hovering and making things stuffy.  I wanted to see what others were doing to keep their little ones busy during the big meal.

I like the idea of giving the kids a craft to do while they are eating.  It's keeps them occupied.

How cute are these turkey glasses.  It's an easy project to make the kiddos feel special drinking out of something just for them.

This table still gives them place settings but uses paper plates so you won't worry about them breaking your good dishes.

Love the pilgrim hats here.  Having costumes will surely make dinner fun.

Look at these cute pumpkin place holders.  Reminds me of a favorite toy, Mr. Potato Head.

If you really want to make the kids table simple, just cover with craft paper and draw the place settings on it.

Are you doing a separate kids' table?  How do you make your child feel special during the Thanksgiving feast?

Cuddle Up...

I love this Swedish home!  I gets me excited for the Holidays!

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DIY Zinc Letters

Last year, I made some paper mache letters.  I painted them red and they sat on my counter for over a year.  

I have slowly gotten over the red and wanted to change them.  I had planned to hang them over the pantry doors but with them being red, I never got around to it.  I guess I knew I wasn't set on the red.  Above the pantry doors was some vinyl I put up but always thought was too small there.

 

It was time to make some changes!  I removed the vinyl from above the pantry doors and gave a makeover to my letters.  Supplies I used are black and metallic silver craft paint, sponge brush and bristled paint brush. 

Using a sponge brush, I gave the letters a good coat of black paint.  After they were completely dry, I dry brushed on the silver paint.  After reading several other tutorials, I learned this was the way to go.  Dry brushing is using very little paint on the brush and using little strokes to get it on your letters.  Allowing some of the black to show through gives it the rustic, metallic look I am going for.

And the final product:

Ahhhh.  So much better.  No more red and no more itty bitty words.

Don't forget the Icon Wall Stickers giveaway ends tonight!



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