Christmas Gift Tag Tutorial

Are you ready for Christmas?! It's almost here! 

I came up with some cute DIY gift tags so I thought I'd share with you how easy they are to make!

Can you say helllloooo glitter paint and polka dots?!!

Supplies:

paper punch of your choice

hole punch (not pictured)

jute (string, yarn, whatevs)

glitter paint

stamp {the hello stamp pictured is from Perrodin Supply Co. on etsy! Love them.)

ink 

I just use a pencil eraser to put the glitter polka dots on my tag. 

When the paint dries on the eraser it just peels right off...no harm done.

And voila you have yourself a cute little gift tag.

I'd suggest putting to and from on the back side. 

Hope you enjoyed!

And here's a little extra because it's the season of giving after all.
Check out those gift tags in action:

Would you like to know how to make the felt holly too?
They make wonderful gift box decorations as well as inexpensive ornaments for your tree!
Check out the tutorial <<here>>

Now go and make your presents pretty!

-Mandy

$15 and Under Gift Guide // Cyber Monday

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We sure did!

In the spirit of Christmas I thought I would share some neat shops that offer great products at $15 and under. The items from these wonderful shops would be perfect for your best friend, for a gift swap, or for any person on your list! Check out these awesome shops for fantastic products and great deals!

Andrea of Bubblewrapp'd on etsy offers cute painted wood blocks for home decor! She has some really cute Christmas themed blocks right now if you still need a few more items on your mantle. This 'you are so loved' block is listed at just $11!

Use "CYBER15" for 15% off of your order for today only!! :)

blog  etsy

Chealsea blogs over at Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles and she has a shop on Storenvy called Sunny Sprinkles where she sells braided headbands. She offers them in an array of beautiful colors and they only cost $8 plus free shipping!! Can't beat that!

blog    storenvy

Jacky blogs over at The Sweetest Petunia and she has two shops: Petunia Blooms on etsy and Petunia Blooms on Storenvy. She sells pretty yo yo hair pins, fabric flower clips, zippered pouches, and earrings. The yo yos pictured are listed at just $6!

Coupon Code: CYBERMONDAY for 20% off in her shop (good until midnight 11/26)

blog   storenvy   etsy 

Emily blogs over at Emerging Em and she sells pretties on etsy like the ones pictured above for your hair, ribbon rose necklaces, knitted items and rings. These pretty peach rose pins are only $8!

*CYBER MONDAY SALE: Take 25% off your entire order with the code HOLIDAY25!*

blog  etsy

Marquia sells awesome handmade embroidery hoops in her etsy Shop alt3! She has beautiful sets as well as single hoops like this lovely burlap heart hoop that's listed at just $10! This would be a wonderful gift for a lover of handmade home decor.

etsy

Tricia blogs at Mama Marchand's Nest and sells her whimsical handmade jewelry in her etsy store called Mama's Nest Designs. I absolutely adore these earrings entitled 'indian summer'. And they're listed at just $11!!

*CYBER MONDAY - use CYBERMONDAYROCKS for 25% off or SHIPITFREE2ME for free shipping, anywhere! Feel free to use whichever gives you a bigger discount. Begins at midnight EST on 11/26!*

blog   etsy

Lastly! I have a couple new products in my shop that would be PERFECT for stocking stuffers including glitter headbands and crochet fingerless gloves. And guess what!! I'm offering 25% off in both my etsy and storenvy shops. That means you can get yourself a pair of handmade gloves that are normally $16 for just $12 (plus shipping)!!!

COUPON CODE: 25% off with PUMPKINPIE (ends TONIGHT @ midnight)

etsy   storenvy

Now go shopping! Woo! 

WIWW

Well, look at me I'm back again for another installation of What I Wore Wednesday! Woohoo! I actually wore this outfit yesterday to run errands and wolf/bear hunt with my two year old by the cow pasture near our neighborhood. You know how we mama's of boys do. Anyway, I hope you're having a fantastic Wednesday!

(24 week baby bump!)

top: target

skinnies: motherhood

shoes: toms

necklace: handmade

some day i'll clean that mirror. 

someday i'll take better photos too. :)

Want to make this necklace too? Little Miss Momma has a wonderful tutorial!

Check it out here!

 

After we returned from our bear hunt we made a tent in the living room.

This was the first time we've ever made an inside tent! And I have no idea why we haven't done this before. We had too much fun. 

This is a pic from a previous bear hunt that I thought was too cute not to share. ;)

On another note: Yesterday I took a break from checking twitter, facebook, and instagram because I have noticed them becoming a problem for me (maybe even an idol...eek). I had been checking them constantly looking at what everyone else in the world was up to. I have wasted a lot of precious time sitting and hanging out on social media when I could have been doing something (anything) much more valuable. I even think they can can be creatively draining. Know what I mean?

Do you ever find yourself constantly checking a social media outlet? Is your smart phone always in your hand? Just something to think about...

Hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving with your families!

-Mandy

WIWW & a Discount Code

Hey y'all! I thought I'd link up with all you WIWW ladies. Please excuse my dirty mirror & my closet. I wish I had someone to take my pictures for me but that's just not the case what with the hubby at work all day. :) 

Anywho, do you see that baby bump? That bump is 22 weeks and 3 days old today. 

Cardigan: Old Navy 

Top: Ann Taylor Loft

Skinny jeans: Motherhood

Boots: Steve Madden

Necklace: adieslovelies

And in case you didn't know I recently re-opened up shop over at storenvy! And I'm having a little sale this week. 

AND please enjoy some BLOOPERS from the new shop photoshoot below (you're welcome in advance):

If you can't make fun of yourself then do you really have a sense of humor? :)

Hope you had a fantastic Wednesday!

-Mandy

Currently

I've noticed a lot of bloggers posting about what is happening in their lives currently. I think it's really neat to see what people are actually up to and thinking about so I decided to share what's been going on in my life. Who knows, maybe it'll become a weekly thing.

Currently...

• I have started keeping a 'thankful' journal where I take a moment each day to write down a few things I'm thankful for. I also keep track of inspirational thoughts, quotes, and bible verses as well as product ideas. Since I've started the journal I've noticed a change in my perspective and I've become more positive and thankful. 
• I've started working with a couple of lovely girls who started Songs Against Slavery. I'm working on re-opening my shop so that 25% of my sales will go to SAS. Please click on the photo below and check out their website and see what they stand for. 

• Here's a preview of one of the products I'm working on (crochet turbands!):

• I've been feeling baby Estes #2 moving around a lot! I can hardly believe he's already the size of a mango. They sure do grow fast! I'm almost halfway to the finish line and he has so much more growing to do. Nothing can compare to how wonderful it is to feel your baby moving inside your abdomen. God is so good.

• Noah has Mother's Day Out today so of course I went to Target. I found this cute little clutch wallet. I'm going to use it this weekend to carry at the craft fairs. I usually bring my giant purse but I always get so tired lugging it around.

• Lastly, I think we've decided to paint our door and frame like this one! I'm so excited! It'll be a huge change from the dark grey. 

Source: designindulgences.com via Mandy on Pinterest

What are you up to lately? Have you made anything recently? Are you going to a craft fair this weekend? I'd love to hear what is going on in your life!

-Mandy

'mini' table runner DIY

Y'all, when the gals over at nwaMotherlode asked me if I would do a DIY post for them I jumped on board. I had been wanting to make something for my table anyway so I made this little Fall inspired 'mini' table runner. Go ahead and check out the DIY here. 

While you're there check out their about page and take a look around their site! :)

Have a blessed day!

-Mandy

Fall Yarn Wreath DIY

Y'all, I made a yarn wreath. I have a lot of respect and admiration for those of you who make & sell them for a living. You either know something I don't or you have an excessive amount of patience. Can I please have some of yours?! I seem to be lacking. :) Anyway, here is how she turned out!

Oops, I should've grabbed the next size bigger straw wreath....it looks a little small for my front door so I'll have to find a spot for her inside the house. I shouldn't have a problem finding a spot though. And hey, looking on the bright side, I'll get to look at her all the time. So, you know what that means...I've got to make another wreath for my front door. I'm thinking burlap.

If you want to make a yarn wreath for yourself, do it! There are lots and lots of tutorials online. Just check pinterest. Here's the link of the one I referenced for help.

Happy Fall y'all!

Mandy

Insta-Friday

Yesterday was Noah's first day back to Mom's Day Out. He only goes once a week. It's a nice break for me and really great for him because he gets to socialize with other kiddos his age. Anyway, he usually isn't too happy about me leaving him but this time he gave me a hug and told me bye-bye. I guess he won't have to get used to it again this time. :( My little man is growing up!

And look what came in the mail for me while Noah was at MDO! You can safely bet I will be attempting to make some these little beauties in the near future. 

I decided I would take Noah for ice cream and to pick out a new car after MDO yesterday but he didn't really want ice cream. He was too excited about the prospect of getting a new car. As you can see from the picture below he ended up getting a whole set...when the price is right, right? Anyway, since he didn't want ice cream, what kid turns down ice cream? I decided to get a soda from sonic and popcorn from target. It took me back to when I was in elementary school and we would have movie and popcorn days. Did your school do that every once in a while? I remember it being a welcome treat.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I know were going to a camp-fire style fellowship tonight as well as venturing out to the lake tomorrow so we're planning to have all kinds of fun. Maybe I'll manage to find a little time to make some macarons too.

-mandy

DIY PLAY DOUGH

Yesterday I perused pinterest in search of fun things to do/make with toddlers, things that help them learn as well as have fun! Among other things I found an AWESOME play dough recipe that calls for JELL-O. Um, fun! Here's the link, you'll definitely want to do this with your kiddos on a rainy day or any day, really.

Noah and I had a lot of fun playing with our home-made play dough. We made pizza, cookies, a bird, we really enjoyed just squishing it with our hands AND since we used JELL-O (the berry flavor) it smelled really good, not to mention it's a pretty color. I know Noah really enjoyed it because he played with it quietly for a good 30-40 minutes. I'd say that's pretty good. We're definitely going to be making more, maybe even tomorrow. I think we'll make yellow so we can mix some blue with some yellow and make green! 

Here's the link to the recipe again (click the picture):