Apple Bookmarks for Teacher [Belated] Making Christmas

I have found that I spent so much time focusing on my Christmas makes this year that I didn't find time to post them on the blog.  Instead of stressing over it I've decided I will simply share them after the fact!  After all, we will all be considering "hmmm what do I make for that person" next year as well right?

This year for Miss E's two Pre-K teachers I knew I wanted to make this apple bookmark which I saw here. Isn't it just perfect?  I've been itching to make one ever since seeing it.  The only change I made to the design was to add a topstitch at the edge of the bookmark.  I whipped these up in one evening and highly recommend making a few for the teachers in your life!

Hope you are enjoying the post-holiday glow we are in the MRL household...

- rebecca lynne

p.s.  Fabriholic Anonymous 5 Day Countdown!  Are you ready?

Christmas Countdown

These photos pretty much sums up life over the past weeks...

- lots of sweets, both making and eating

- lots of glitter, glue, and brown paper packages tied up with string

- lots of last minute Makes in the sewing room too

Hope you are all enjoying the countdown to Christmas as much as we are!

- rebecca lynne

DIY Sparkle Pinecones

One beautiful quiet night as I prepared a delicious dinner which required a lot of involved prep I threw my husband under the bus by suggesting that the girls ask him to help them make glitter pinecones...hahahahaaa.  Well, that's what you get when you have me make dinner.  Surprisingly I didn't hear a peep out of him other than a stifled sigh as acquiesced and gathered all the supplies while the girls' eyeballs almost popped out of their heads in anticipation...

Supplies

- Gather Pinecones

- Elmer's glue

- Glitter

- Paper plates

- Paper bowls

- Small Brushes (expect to throw away or save for other craft projects if you don't mind the glitter forever)

- Patience if doing with children; Glass of wine if doing with adults

Steps

Optional Step 1: Convince your children who, naturally, are also wearing glitter princess dresses in order to get into the glittery mood, to wear bibs lest they get glue all over themselves.  If you have a curious babe in a highchair as we do I also highly recommend giving him or her a paper plate of their own and a pinecone minus the glitter of course.  It will alleviate any crying which will inevitably take place happen later on once they realize that they are not an active participant in the ensuing glitter-bomb mayhem...hahahahaa!

1.  Take the pinecones and cover in glue.  The glue covering in my house consisted of brushing the glue on with tender patience at first...and then eventually deviated to drizzling on the pinecone with wreckless abandon.  Both methods work, I suppose it depends on how particular you are!

2. Hold the pinecone over a paper bowl and sprinkle glitter over your gluey pinecone.  My children decided that it was more fun to "paint" the glitter on with their now gluey brushes...I am not sure how effective that was but they thought it was great so we let them have at it!

3. Place your now glittery pinecone on a paper plate for drying.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 and if you are a *don't throw anything away* type of person like I am you will eventually take the glitter in your glitter bowl and use that to sprinkle over your pinecones over another bowl.  Yes, I even took a funnel and put all the extra glitter back into the container because that is how ooh we could use that again I'm sure I am.  :p

For those of you who are wondering or who have a natural aversion to mess -- yes, this will absolutely result in your house being covered in glitter for at least a week or any time you move any of the pinecones or the bowl they are set in.  This is not for the faint of heart.  For those of us made of stouter stuff (i.e. mess isn't going to kill anyone or let's face it, half of the items owned by my daughters are decorated in glitter so what is a little more going to hurt any of us?) these pinecones and the ridiculous joy it gave the girls in making them is totally worth sweeping up glitter throughout the holidays.  

The girls and the Mr. made enough pinecones to have a beautiful centerpiece and a small accent bowl in the bathroom.  I smile each time I look at them!

I know I've been missing in action but we've had a serious gastrointestinal bug that keeps getting passed between us...believe me when I say that it Has Not Been Pleasant.  I am a tad late but I am linking up this week with Making Christmas.  Go check out Erin's tutorial!

- rebecca lynne

Making Christmas: Preparing for Thanksgiving

The MRL household has promptly shifted from Halloween decor into Thanksgiving prep...  I spent some time wrestling with the white lights and stringing them across for a bistro effect in the dining area.  In the evening when the sun is down it really gives a soft atmosphere perfect for drinking wine and enjoying dessert.  The Mr. and I will enjoy this most during the upcoming snowy winter evenings!

I rolled out our this grainsack table runner which lightens up our dark wood French Country Style kitchen table.  I love that the turquoise stripe down its center pulls the otherwise nondescript blue chair cushions into focus.  This casual rustic look matches our anything goes style and yet still dresses up the table just a bit.
As we are hosting Thanksgiving this year I really wanted to do something festive for a centerpiece.  My goal was to incorporate some light colored gourds and do a big bountiful pile of them for the table like this.  But, I must've missed gourd season because I can't find any!  I've opted for these mercury glass globes with cording which will double for Christmas as well.

The girls had so much fun helping with the Halloween decorations that they happily helped out with this informal turkey garland.

I was told to inform you all that this red and orange turkey is the Daddy turkey.

Not sure if this yellowish turkey has a designation and I wasn't given any further instruction so he must be a distant cousin that no one really knows!

How is your decorating going???

Be sure to check out this week's (well last, as today is Monday!) Making Christmas tutorial over at Whims and Fancies....

- rebecca lynne

Miss Os Zig Zag Quilt: A Making Christmas Finish!

Miss O's Zig Zag Flannel and Fleece Quilt is finally finished!  Actually, it has been finished all week, but it has been pouring here so I was waiting for a photo op to become available.  Unfortunately, my only option was to brave the snow and take it outside this morning!  

I have a feeling this will be my last outdoor photoshoot for some time.  Ah, winter...

Can you see the snow falling in this shot?  I was trying to tale the photo so it would appear against the flannel.  Anna Maria Horner  Good Folks and Lou Lou Thi flannel of course.  You can read more about the progression of this quilt here.

I chose a durable fleece for the back and was just going to knot it or do little x's with my machine to quilt the back to the top.  But I ended up doing these little swirls and the flannel/fleece combination was like butter for the Juki!  I rather like the pattern it creates on the back.

I have quite a few strands to cut from the swirls now that it is complete - I am looking forward snipping those while sitting under it in the evening as we watch tele.

Even Miss Portia was dying to go in during this photoshoot...can you spot here there amidst the snow and grass?  She almost looks like a large leaf!

And as promised - me as a Sugar Skull!  

[The Beer Pong going on in the background is NOT at my house but at a Halloween Party we attended!  Hahahahaa...]

Don't forget to stop by Quilt Matters to see how everyone's holiday makes are progressing and to learn about how to create a Holiday Card Holder!

- rebecca lynne

Making Christmas - Still Halloween!

I followed through on my pledge to do Day of the Dead decor!  I had to hold myself back from buying a million things under the sun to make it all perfect this year...I am trying to remind myself that it will be more meaningful if I build up our decorations over time (not to mention help our budget!).  

So, I had the girls make Sugar Skull Banners to place on our front door.  They had so much fun coloring them!

Then right inside the entryway I moved my precious bird cage, an awesome thrift store snag from when I just moved to Far Far Away, and used some fake cobwebs to make it look ghastly.  

I found this Sparkly Raven for $7 and was psyched because it was originally priced at $22!  A benefit to being behind on the holiday decorating is all the discounts you can find...

And the Mr. even got involved and changed our lightbulb to match the atmosphere!  Next year I hope we can string sugar skulls from our tree outside!  Oooh and add orange lights...yeah...

You MUST go check out Kristy's amazing Christmas paper pieced pattern.  Quick!  The download is free for a limited time.  And don't forget to link up while you are there!

- rebecca lynne

Making Christmas: The Halloween Edition {Week 2}

Welcome to Making Christmas - The Halloween Edition!

Personally I have always struggled with decorating for Halloween.  It wasn't until recently that I realized that it is probably because my family didn't really do much Halloween decorating when I was growing up.  But, I would really like to do some decorating for my girls to get them in the mood for the holiday.  Lots of people on our street already have ghosts, ghouls, and pumpkins all over their front yards!

But - I wasn't feeling the ghosts and ghouls too much.  I thought about doing a bat theme, or witches, or just keeping it simple with pumpkins but nothing was really grabbing me.  With the young Misses in the house I am just not gravitating towards the very dark Halloween I used to love in the past.  Our house decor is lots of bright tertiary colors (hence the green banner above which is our playroom!) and tons of wood...making all of that dark and mystery just seems wrong...I guess I don't think scary is the only way to go when talking about the unknown and ghosts and death.  I want my kids to think about it differently.

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That is when it hit me...The Day of the Dead!
The bright colors, the celebration of death and respect for the souls that have moved on and annually come back to visit...yes, I could totally teach my children about that!  It is still a lot of skulls but with bright colors and a fascinating history involving the native beliefs being co-mingled with the Spanish conquistadors introduction of Catholicism...  Much like how many Christians visit gravesites to leave flowers and say prayers Dia de los Muertos is a larger celebration with a similar sentiment.  I began exploring Day of the Dead decor to inspire our Halloween season decorations.

Day of the Dead Skull Garland

Embroidered Banner

Day of the Dead Banner

Retro Skull Garland

Sugar Skull Pillow

Cookies

flowers used for celebration

paper flowers

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I am thinking we need to decorate some sugar skull banners and hang those up...if I cut the eyes out then they will glow from our windows and look spooky from outside while remaining festive inside.  Paper flowers and yummy sugar cookies will be fun to make with the girls...

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And who knows...maybe I'll just have to do myself up as a Sugar Skull just to top it off!

Now don't forget to link up any of your Making Christmas or Halloween ideas to our Making Christmas Linky Party in order to be eligible for the prizes!

  Join Along and Remember to:

1. Grab the button from my sidebar 

2. Make a holiday related post; update your Making Christmas List and show us your makes from the past week!

3. Link your post below, Title your Link with the Theme/Name of your Post (i.e. Christmas Pillows or Sugar Cookies)
 (Yes, visit each Making Christmas Blogger and add a new link each week, more chances to win!)

4. Visit the other links

5. Remember to visit Kristy next week for the next installment of Making Christmas!

- rebecca lynne