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Good Morning, y'all!! I was up early this morning and loved the way the sun looked shining in my dining room. I had to capture the lovely-ness. The weather was crisp and cool-felt like Fall...wonderful...
I decided to make things a little more special since there was no rush getting "The boys" off to school and work. I made quiche and semi-homemade donuts and set the table with a cloth-albeit a wrinkled one-but it just adds to the specialness.


I was tagged by Joanna, of This Southern Girl's Nest for a photo tag. So here goes...Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...
You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"
Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy
Wow, this is pretty accurate!! Almost kind of scary...let me know if you try it!! Oh, Happy New Year!!
I was excited to be able to make Emilie another package. It is so fun to give and make things for people you "get", especially like-minded peeps or ones with similar style. Emilie loves the letter E, so I knew I wanted to get her stocking monogrammed. I didn't want to pay upwards of $8-$12. I was in one of my favorite antique shops for their Christmas open house and met a lady who embroiders and she only charged $3 for this. I was sooo excited!! I didn't have the black velveteen I wanted but realized that I did have this chenille bedspread in my van still. I had tried to sell it at a yard sale this spring or summer. Yeah, I don't much like de-cluttering. ;)
Emilie uses frogs in her Christmas decor so when I found these spreaders I had to get them.
An E block. Love the shape. Found it the same night at the antique shop. I also got some that spelled Let it Snow.
I made the shutter ornaments. Love all the ribbons. I think I could have a ribbon shop. I would be happier than a pig in slop!!
The JOY sign I made also. Just took a wood plaque and wiped green craft paint on with a paper towel(couldn't find a paint brush...), modge podged some scrapbook paper, then stenciled the word.
Emilie wanted to collect Elves but didn't have any. I found some that same night at the antique shop. I thought they were scary-cute.
Some more stocking stuffers...two green mugs, Starbucks giftcard, a monogrammed key chain, cozy socks, an elf ornament, some other treats and goody bags for her kiddies.
I know I was gonna tell y'all about my fabulous package from Emilie a few days ago. Just know that sometimes a few minutes might really be a few hours(my husband can vouch for that-one time he left me at Kohl's and went home) and later on in the day might be a few days. Okay, now that we have that out of the way...I was sooo excited to be pair with Emilie for the Christmas Stocking Swap that Robin hosted. We already had an awesome Halloween Swap, so I knew this one would be just as great. I was not disappointed. Look at cute it was packaged!!
Emilie got the kids little gifties too!! Here is Fisher trying to figure out what this is. She gave them a book, a puzzle and a candy cane. Yeah, I gave my children the candy cane right after breakfast!!
Um, love the box and the glittered key. Emilie is the master of glitter. Lovin' the ribbony goodness...
The stocking. So beautiful. Her personal seamstress and my new bf ;), Jenny, made this stocking. I LOVE it!! Lilly thought it was going to be hers. Silly girl!!
Let's see what else...a vintage looking Santa plaque, a vintage style Santa glass ornament, glittery JOY garland, a glittered deer(how did she know I was heartin' deer this year??), a pretty embossed(?) mug with hot chocolate and candy canes(yum), and apple cinnamon candle that is burning right now, a wonderfully fluffy, GORGEOUS rag garland in my Christmas colors-it even has brown!!, Santa tissue that Lilly faked a snotty nose to use ;), red felt coasters, a silver tinselly ball ornament, oh, red Christmas toile fabric that I can sew with!!, a big ole' glittered snowflake...
Look at that fabulous snowflake!! That thing is as big as my face!! Love it!! I actually bought myself another one when I found it at the store. Now they are in my foyer windows.
See the key?? Isn't it a beauty?? Jackson said it was our magic key. Um, yes, I agree!! You can see the detail on the mug also. And that candy cane...swoon. Is it wrong to love a candy cane so?? If loving you is wrong, I don't wanna be right...Heck, some of my real life friends would agree that I am not right!!
Love that garland!! Oh, my, goodness, it is luscious!! And it has another one of the candy canes. Ho, ho, ho!! Look at that little round guy. Love him!!
Just wanted to show y'all what I gave Monica for the Harvest Swap. I made the Harvest verse craft. That was inspired by another project that Monica taught us to make. Her favorite Chai is packaged up already. I got her a magazine, chocolate cookbook, Thanksgiving stickers, napkins(is it bad that I push one of my obsessions onto other people??), turkey spreaders with two of my favorite spreader-needing appetizers, goody bags for her little ladies, and a pumpkin made from dried natural materials. I actually found a bunch of those pumpkins and other similar ones at Garden Ridge a few summers ago for a penny each!! Can you believe it?!?! I got at least 5o of them. If you didn't see what Monica got me, just click here.
I loved being able to tie in this verse into the swap. I feel its a very fitting verse for Monica also, as I view her blog as her mission field somewhat.
I stenciled "punkin" on an old shutter slat.
All packaged up and ready to go. I have to say, I quite love making tags now. I have two more swaps to go and I am finished!! Whew, its been a crazy, swappy season for me.
When Monica at The Homespun Heart and her sister, Carrie, posted about their upcoming Harvest swap I just knew I had to join. Big surprise, right?!?! This blog has become nothing but swappy almost. Anyway, I was fortunate to be paired up with Monica herself. I was so excited!! This girl is like Martha but so sweet and thrifty. Anyhow, this is what she got me. Knowing I love embroidery hoops, she made a stitchery and framed it in an old metal one(which I have never seen before.) Let's see...she also got me stickers, a leaf punch(my kids love this-they could punch all day), a fun Harvest notepad, ribbon(I do love me some ribbon!), vintage cookbooks(love 'em), some food markers that she made(I loved these ever since I saw them on her Anne post-I tried to link directly to the post, but it won't let me. Its in her September 2008 archives.), a pot with a cute fall mini wreath, a card making kit, a candle(its French, what, you've never heard of Glade'-hee, hee!! Sorry, couldn't resist!!), Indian corn, and a cute crate that says Thanks in orange glitter letters with a pumpkin pod. Love it all!!
The cookbooks...
Fabulous Fall ribbon, the punch...
I love the wreath on the pot-I have never seen one like that before...
I love the Harvest of Thanks stitchery and the food markers. I suppose I could use them for something else also. They have cute little acorns on them. I tell you, Jenny's love of acorns are seriously rubbing off on me!!
When Emilie decided to host a Thanksgiving Mini Swap, I jumped at it. I just love swaps(obviously) and had a great experience with Emilie as my Ghoulishly Glamorous Swap partner. This swap was supposed to be mini, but my partner, Jenny, decided to throw mini out the window. Works for me!! I have such a hard time narrowing down what to do. Believe me, I had so many ideas for this one, especially since Jenny loves acorns. Above you can see what all I got/made for her. A chalkboard that my husband cut out and painted for me. He's the best!! A mug with acorns, a glittered Give Thanks garland, a notepad(love em), a towel with a turkey cookie cutter, acorn salt and pepper shakers, a big, shiny acorn(bought myself one too), a tassel, and a chicken wire vase/wall hanger. I got the idea from this very talented lady.
Here's a close-up of the acorn. Just tied some pretty fall ribbon from Wal-Mart on the hanger part. I was thinking Jenny could change out the ribbon for Christmas if she wanted. Below you can see the wall hanger/vase. It is made of chicken wire with a mason jar inside to hold the flowers.
A more detailed shot. I used green velvet ribbon, brown crocheted lace, and some of that ribbon from Wal-Mart, an acorn wreath/candle ring, and some beaded fall garland. A nest with a bird and eggs top it off.
The chalkboard. I want my husband to make me a squirrel one.
For those of you who didn't/couldn't/wouldn't believe I have a squirrel tattoo and those of you who didn't doubt it, here it is. This is a photo of a photo and not very good. The original photo itself is a little fuzzy as it is. This picture was taken at one of my best friend's weddings. I would say this was my "heyday", when I was my cutest!!
Hmmm...these pictures loaded up backwards...maybe blogger is tired. Maybe I did it wrong. Whatever.
I think this has got to be my favorite thing. Look at the squirrel love...So cute!! I believe Jenny painted this. The girl is talented-look at her blog!!
An acorn she handmade. Love it!! Y'all like my new quilt?? I got that thing for a steal at Marshall's for $33 and it came with shams!! I'm gettin' off track...
Here are all the goodies, minus the banner. Love the paper napkins. Slightly addicted to them, I am. She made the little turkey guy. He will go in my dough bowl with my pumpkins. A pottery pumpkin that says Thanks Giving, pumpkin s/p shakers, a raffia pumpkin, a mini pillow, and that gorgeous straw squirrel picture holder. I think Jenny did a great job!! Agree??
Ok, so I have been telling y'all about all the fun stuff the mail lady has been dropping off lately. I am finally ready to show you!! The above photo is some super fun stuff that I won from Joyfullness. I so love her blog. She is so hopeful, Joyful(duh!), and a great girl!! She has some super cute craftyness in her etsy shop as well. You can click here to see better photos of what she gave away. I only took one picture. I had little helpers if you know what I mean.
This I won from Carol at Pure Sugar. A knitting book-some neat projects in there!! Look at that yarn. If I was one for describing non-food items with an adjective that would pertain to food the word would be yummy!! So lovin' the green!!
Onto my swap items from Michelle. Here it is all neatly packaged. Before my "Little Helpers" ransacked it.
This picture is really more of an after. A much later after. A few weeks after. Love the little witchie. I all but begged for one of those. She is so cute!! I always name Lilly's dolls. I like to give them names that fit them. Of course, I do occasionally let the little dear name her own dolls. Anyhow, what shall we call the witchie?? Gelda?? I am open to opinions...
Something that didn't make it to the "after" photo...Surely you can tell why-candy doesn't last long with "helpers"!!
A very fuzzy close-up of the pin. My fingers aren't quite that obese in person!!