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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Have a Very Crafty Christmas!

This year has been by far my most crafty Christmas of all. I've made salt dough ornaments, a Christmas wreath, felt mistletoe, a blanket for Noah, chocolate covered pretzels, etc. and I've loved every minute of it!

I don't know why I've never made salt dough ornaments before, they're so simple and fun to make! My friend Samantha and I gathered our kids together and made a few one afternoon. We had a lot of fun even if our youngest kiddos didn't participate much. Noah kept trying to eat the dough so I sent him off to play. Maybe next year he'll have more fun with it.


Fresh out of the oven.  See those hand prints? Those are sweet baby Noah hands. Some very special people are going to receive those as gifts tomorrow. :) I made these a few days after our get together at Samantha's. Yes, they are that fun to make. You're adding this to your Christmas to-do list right now aren't you?! You can google the recipe. Bake the ornaments in the oven for 2 hours on 250.


Don't you love the moose? He thinks he's one of Santa's reindeers. Thanks Esther for the AWESOME cookie cutters they've come in really handy.


Noah had a lot of fun painting his initials. I may be biased but I think they turned out really awesome!





Merry Christmas Eve!!

-Mandy

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Cold Hands Warm Hearts Gift Swap

This was the first year I have participated in the Cold Hands Warm Hearts gift swap and it was so fun! I hope I can do it again next year. :) My partner this year was Ashley and I LOVE everything she sent me! The girl did a good job.

 Haha! And this is why I don't do outfit posts. I don't know how to pose.
 It looks like I'm saying "I caught a fish and it was this big!"
Outfit deets: 
Ear/ Head Warmer (Cold Hands Warm Hearts)
Gloves (Cold Hands Warm Hearts -Old Navy)
Shirt - Ann Taylor Loft
Jeans - Forever 21
Boots - Steve Madden


This was the little handmade tag she wrote a note to me on. 
It's so cute, I had to use it as an ornament. :)

Aren't these little doves just gorgeous? I'm pretty sure she made them herself and that just makes them extra special. They're so sweet, I love them!



I don't know if she read my mind or what but I've been wanting some feather earrings. :) 
And who doesn't love Tazo tea? 

Ashley has an etsy shop, My Little Sunshine, where she sells lots of beautiful handmade goodies as well as a fabric shop, My Sunshine Fabric. You definitely need to check both out and get yourself some pretties. 

Thanks Ashley!




Thursday, December 8, 2011

Christmas Craftings


So, I've noticed a lot of felt holly on the good ol' internet lately; like here. I'm kind of in love with felt at the moment. There are so many wonderful things you can make with it and so many beautiful colors to choose from. To sum it up, felt is great. Anywho, I decided to make a little holly with berries as part of my Christmas decor. 







And hot glue those berries down. I also hot glued a yarn loop in behind and backed it with felt so that I could hang the holly. :) That was so easy you're probably thinking, 'I don't think I needed all those pictures and step by step instructions, but thanks.' Well, you're welcome. Winky wink. Also, I know the first picture has led you to believe that my felt holly/mistletoe thingy is hanging on my Christmas tree right now. Well, it's not...it's actually a part of another Christmas craft that I've got in the works. You'll just have to stay tuned for that one. Until then...GET YOUR CRAFT ON!

-Mandy

P.S. Did you know I'm doing my very first giveaway on someone else's blog? Yep, I am. You should definitely check it out. While you're there you should dive into Anne's blog (Wattlebird), it's full of outfit inspiration, diy's and just lots and lots of craftiness.

{EDIT}
<<GIVEAWAY CLOSED>>

Monday, November 21, 2011

Inspiration Workshop: Thanksgiving!

We all know Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two absolute best times of the year. Thanksgiving is all about being thankful, it's good to remind ourselves of all the things we have been blessed with even things we normally take for granted like microwaves, electricity, running water. Now that I think about it, it's really crazy that we don't think twice about having those things. People lived without them {some still do} for thousands of years and suddenly we have them within the last hundred years or so. We are so blessed beyond measure that I'm sure we witness miracles daily without even realizing it. I praise God that I was born in this country and for the friends and family in my life. I thank God that I'm free to worship him here openly and that he answers my prayers. Amen? Amen!

And I'm thankful that I get to make the green bean casserole and the pumpkin pie for my families' Thanksgiving meal! I love pretty food pictures, they always make me hungry. 

Doesn't this version of green bean casserole look delish? And I LOVE the vintage dish it's in. 

Pumpkin pie is my absolute favorite dessert of all time, especially {make that only} if it's homemade. 


And lastly, for all of you out there who are in charge of bringing the pie this year I give you the EASIEST homemade pie crust recipe from The Italian Dish. I used it recently for a pumpkin pie and it was so good. I'm definitely using it again for my Thanksgiving pumpkin pie! :)

Happy THANKSGIVING!
Let your hearts {& bellies} be thankful and filled with love. 

Mandy

Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop!

Friday, November 18, 2011

New Product: Fingerless Gloves!

I'm so excited to share a sneak peak of a new product for Fireflies & Cattails....fingerless gloves!
My sweet friend Samantha of The White Orchid Studio and her two adorable girls agreed to be my models. And this photo shoot was TOO CUTE to not share at least a few pictures. 









Aww! Sister love. :)

If you like these gloves, you'll soon be able to purchase them from the shop. They'll be made to order so that means you get to choose your colors. Yippee!
I feel kind of crazy for adding them right now since I'm participating in The Little Craft Show in a couple of weeks and I'll need product to bring with me but I'm just too excited not to. 

Let me know what you think...
Have a great weekend everyone!

Mandy 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop: Flowers

Hey guys! I'm linking up with GussySews this week for Inspiration workshop: FLOWERS!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner and all the crisp, cool air we've been having I've certainly been inspired by the season! I think Autumn must be my favorite time of year; you can definitely tell from the color scheme in our living room. Our fireplace mantle is jam packed with Autumn colors like brown, deep red, burnt orange, cream, and blue all year 'round. I love it!

My favorite part about this time of year is when the leaves change color. You probably couldn't tell but the flowers in the picture below were actually made with LEAVES! Be sure and click on the link to see the awesome DIY. Wouldn't this make a lovely thanksgiving centerpiece?!


I love how whimsical this next centerpiece is. How cute are the mini pumpkin candle holders?! I can just imagine the magical mood of the evening; with such a heart warming surrounding I'm sure wonderful memories would be made.

{via}

I love this 'fall foliage headband' from Ruche. Why not decorate yourself for the season too?


And finally, I had to share this cute little plate that I scored at a garage sale recently. I wish I had a whole set. They would definitely be our Thanksgiving plates. :)


Well, I hope you enjoy your Thursday everyone!

Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Free Shipping & a Discount Code

Happy November 1st y'all! I've got a couple of orders to ship tomorrow so I thought why not go ahead and ship a few more?
I went through all my items and changed the shipping cost to $0.00. YEP! That's free!
AND
I'm so excited about the upcoming holidays that I created a coupon code {HAPPYNOVEMBER} for 15% off!

If you're NOT a procrastinator like me and you like to get your Christmas shopping done early then you should definitely stop by my shop. Here's a couple of my favorite items:

I made the EXACT same clutch for myself. I've been carrying it for months. I just love the Fall colors!


This sweet fabric flower headband has a few admirers. I love turquoise & yellow. Such a sweet color scheme.

Last but not least, fabric flower earrings...and they're hypoallergenic! 

So there you have it, I've got a mixture of items for you to peruse, clutches, headbands, and earrings. Don't forget to enter HAPPYNOVEMBER at check out for 15% off. Everything ships for free!

Now get to shopping!

Tickle Me Tuesday

I've been having a lot of fun on Pinterest lately! I thought I'd share the latest pins that have been tickling my fancy. There are a couple of gift ideas for Christmas and neat tutorials below. Be sure to click the links to check them out!

I think these are made of clay but they would make awesome salt dough Christmas ornaments and such an easy and lovely present for friends and family. All they're missing is pretty ribbon and tree to hang them on. 

I adore this kitchen. I wish it was mine! I love everything about it especially that the color scheme is light turquoise and creme (my absolute favorite colors!).

We all know coffee/tea lovers even if we aren't one ourselves. I love that this mug is hand painted and I love the pattern! So cool. I would love a present like this. :)


I've been crocheting lately because the weather is finally getting cooler and I can just tell you that this cabinet full of yummy yarns is a crocheter's dream.

Frosting recipes! {caramel, chocolate ganache, vanila, etc.} Everyone needs to go ahead and just repin this one. :)

This tutorial shows you how to transfer a photocopy to canvas. I haven't tried it yet so I don't know how easy it is but this would also be a wonderful present for family members.

And that my lovelies, is what has been tickling my fancy!




xoxo,
Mandy

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Fun in the Sun

Noah and I went to Granny's house today. We always have lots of fun over there. We always head over around lunch time because she enjoys watching Noah eat. I guess most Grannies are like that, they like to be sure their grandkids and great grandkids are nice and healthy and plump. After we ate lunch we went for a walk to the neighborhood park to watch the fish. I took a few pictures along the way. :)



He loves Granny's neighbor's dog. She's so sweet!

On another note, I think I know what I want Noah to be for Halloween: 
A ROOSTER! Or a Turkey...Now I just need to figure out how to make it and get it done. :)

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

This is what we had for dinner last night...



Taco Cupcakes AND Grilled Corn & Avocado Salad
Recipes here & here