Sand Dollar Ornament Gifts

**WARNING- If you are a close family or friend and like suprises do NOT read on**

This summer my daughter got to spend some time at the beach. While she was there she had the experience of finding LOTS of sand dollars. So many it was slightly embarrassing. They were of all sizes and just beautiful!! This year our gift to our family and friends is a handcrafted sand dollar ornament.

I used a sand dollar, scrapbooking letters (yeah, I tried painting a letter on there I am not that talented) ribbon, glitter, glue, felt (for the back) and 1/8" ribbon for the hanger.

And because life happens when you have 2 small children about 10 of the sand dollars broke. So only select family and friends will receive a sand dollar ornament this year!! Sorry!!

Thanks Lawson for being the gatherer!!


I hope our family and friends will love them!!

Today I am participating in Kimba's DIY Day.

And Tattertots Homemade Gift Party Ideas!!

5 Year Christmas Tree Skirt

I am the self-proclaimed "Procrastinator" for a reason...It has taken my 5 years to make a new Tree Skirt. How do I know it has been 5 years? The proof is on the receipt that is still attached to the material...


I remember purchasing this at Walmart when my husband was buying a duck stamp!

If my memory serves me correctly in November 2004 I was 4 months pregnant...did not have a sewing machine and had a month to make a skirt. What in the world was I thinking? There is no way it was going to get done then.

Then last year I decided I was finally going to make a skirt...and I did get started...I made the pattern using a little 9th grade geometry...but I never finished it, and put it back in the attic.

FINALLY, early October 2009 I pulled out the skirt and MADE myself FINISH!! Because I don't want to make another tree skirt until I make my daughter one...I decided to put some extra love into this skirt to make it extra special and one that I won't want to replace.

I hand stitched gold thread around flowers


Added some red roping...


TA-DA it is FINISHED!!

After 5 years it is done!!

Now we are ready for the Christmas Tree!!!

Thanksgiving Decor Brings up Fond Memories

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was wonderful. To be with my family, in my home is so unbelievably special to me!!

As for most women I LOVE having the opportunity to pull out the nice china, silver and crystal. Not only is it all beautiful, it brings back so many memories!! Ones that I love to reminisce about...

My china was started by my husband's Grandmother, Fitts, while we were dating. She had the foresight to start me on my pattern because she knew we would be married one day and she would most likely not be there. That was approximately 4 years before we finally got married (she was a wise woman.) Then many many people have contributed to our pattern for wedding gifts and/or Christmas gifts!

My silver was an anniversary gift from my Grandmommy. What a treasured, timeless gift! I am so lucky to have a full set of silver!! I love eating off it. As they say "Food always tastes better off of silver." I have to agree!

Lots of my accessories to the Lennox Holiday pattern my mom and dad have purchased for me over the years. These pieces are really the accent touches that pull it all together, some examples are the chargers and the napkin ring. There is LOTS more but I pull that out at Christmas.

I realized while eating dinner that I have lived in this house for almost 4 years, been married 8 years and it was the first time my parents had eaten with my fine china, my silver, and in my dining room. I am not sure why it took so long! I guess it has never worked out for them to be at my house for a holiday!!

My centerpiece was my fall centerpiece but I just added some Holly leaves and berries from the bushes outside.


Then my daughter had her hand (literally) in decorating our home. She made 20+ hand turkeys and stuck them all around the house.


More examples...

I am so thankful for my memories from the past & being able to create new ones!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Final Touches for Halloween

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! Ours was very nice. My grandmother drove up from SC to visit and my parents came down from VA. It was a very busy weekend but not too busy to throw in a few projects!!

Thursday evening I was looking through some friends Halloween pictures and saw they had the cutest personalized Treat-or-Treat Bags...and my kids had none...Oops a little bit of an oversight on my part.

At 10PM I decided that was going to change. I was going to make my kids some custom trick-or-treat bags. No pattern...no problem. I've never appliqued...I'm not afraid!! A couple hours later....TA-DA!

This was my first attempt at applique and let me tell you I am hooked!! I won a give-away from Katie's Nesting Spot from You Can Make This and it had all of these wonderful applique projects. I didn't have time to read or attempt my hand at these complex projects. So I skimmed over the "How-to booklet" and just made my own templates and just went for it! I can totally see a lot more applique projects in my future!

My kids got to do a trial run on Friday and we went Trick-or-Treating in the Living room. Yep, they will work!


Here they are all done up for the big night!! W- is a dog "Butler" and L- is a cat- "Buster" my parents animals!


The fun didn't stop there. My wonderful and creative grandma rolled into town with her own project for the kids and everyone participated!!


Mamma II brought the supplies to make Chocolate-Peanut butter Spiders! YUMMY!


Here is our spooky spider!!


I hope everyone had a fun-filled Halloween!

BTW- Did anyone else heart start beating a little bit faster now that Halloween is over and Christmas is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!?!? Yikes!!

Decorating for Fall/Halloween Procrastinator Style

This is call the Procrastinator Crafter Blog for a reason...Once again I have seemed to wait until the last day to decorate for the Holiday. Like every other mother our there I have been busy!! There just doesn't seem to be enough time to decorate!!

Today I had both children home in the morning (by choice not because of illness) so I decided we were going to work on some Fall/Halloween projects!! If there is one thing my daughter loves is decorating or craft projects (I am so lucky.)

Our first project was to decorate some wood figures my mom sent the kids a month ago! Once they were colored I added them to a wreath. This isn't just any wreath! My Maternal grandmother (Mamma II) made this from grape vines my Paternal Grandfather grew at his home in SC. My Grandfather has been in heaven for 13yrs and my Grandmother has not lived in that home for 5 years so this wreath is extra special too me! I realize not much of it is showing but I know the history. Then I added a bow. Can you tell I have no bow making skills? Everything is upside down except for one side...gee wiz! Oh Well, I love it and so do the kids!


Then it was time to decorate with the gifts from mother nature. Lawson was a BIG help!


The finished product!!

I think my daughter has a better eye for decor then I do!! She really did this all herself. I just picked out the holder! I love the contrast in textures!

Then I filled in some picture frames that I had on display EMPTY for way too long...


Then I added little bit of whimsy to keep things fun...

Now I wish I had decorated for the Fall/Halloween sooner. I love Fall decor!! The house seems so festive now!!

A couple of other projects I completed earlier this month to finish out the tour...

Greeting my guests in the foyer is this sign...


And this is on my dining room table. I love this because it isn't moving until after Thanksgiving!!


Too be completely honest there is one project I just didn't have enough time to complete. I was hoping to make a topiary and use a painting technique I saw on V-spot. Oh well!! Maybe it will be done by Thanksgiving or maybe next Halloween!! Until then here it sits...