still me

gingerbread houses!

You will be SOOO proud of me.
We did GINGERBREAD HOUSES…

This, coming from a woman who has banned play-doh from her house forever… gingerbread houses has to be in that same category! Serious mess. But I took the tradition highroad! We PLANNED a night to have everyone over for the event. Eric’s mom brought the gingerbread KITS (Wilton- bed, bath & beyond) I have to say, it was really pretty easy and very painless! The kids had a blast! I bought a few extra candies, pretzels and we had some ‘peeps’ trees and snowmen to add to the houses. They all turned out beautifully! That is untili woke up this morning and found them half-eaten and quite mangled… I guess the dog got them. He must have been pretty determined, and I should have created our gingerbread village much higher than the kitchen table! SO SAD! At least we have LOTS of photos to memorialize the event!

this morning, i decided to for-go the huge santa wreath that has been my front door ornament for a few years and replace it with yet another pink tree... never too much of a good thing!

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NARNIA... i thought was amazing! i had 5 little kids with me and they were truly frightened... but they loved every minute of it. the wicked witch was so evil and passionate... she was SO scary and mean...and the lion was such a presence and power. the children loved him and were so amazed by his sacrifice. as an adult, and after reading the first 2 books in the series, of course there is so much to think about. i thought the film was very thought provoking and full of meaning, as well as full of teaching opportunities.... as well as fanciful and engaging for the imagination! it is scary... and there have been some 'bad dreams'... quincy is 4, cory is 6 and colton is 8... but the end was so fabulous and happy that they loved it! they want to go see it again!

in case you don't like PINK!

(which i can't imagine anyone not liking pink!)
here is a little peak into emily water's christmas forest that we put up couple nights ago.
dang this turned out SOOO cute!
i bought these cute signs 2 years ago at target and have had them on my trees for 2 years, and then i wasn't using them this year, and emily has always loved them... so we decided to make a christmas forest at her house too! her family is coming to her house for christmas, so they will enjoy it!
we glittered the signs up... that just made them POP! so i made another photo album for her stuff... it's so cute! i love it.
i have had so much going on... so many obligatory creative projects, that it was so fun to PLAY!
going to take the kids to see NARNIA today! i hope it doesn't scare them to death!

the pink christmas forest

so instead of a christmas tree, i decided to create a christmas forest! i ended up with 4 pink trees, and combined them with 4 gree trees...
and now after 2 days and some serious gitty enthusiasm... this is how it looks now! so enjoyable!

i added another photo album that has close ups of each little tree so you could take a look if you'd like! i am LOVING christmas ... and even the THOUGHT of taking it down is making me sad! (can you believe that!) i have been having SO much fuN!

originally i wanted to maybe try to put the large pink tree inside the tree, but that didn't really work, so em and i just started playing with configuration.. it's kindof like arranging a family portraiT! with the trees arranged and wired together, i did the white lights on the green trees, and the little pink lights on the pink ones. then i just started placing the ornaments randomly all over the trees.... it looked out of control, so i decided to make each tree have it's own identity! i make quite a few of the ornaments and embellishments, but i RECYCLED most of my old ornaments! it was so cool! i had this pink spray paint (krylon) that matched the pink trees exactly, and did silver and chrome on everything else. the balls, holly, berries, garlands, twigs, birds etc.......... lots of spray paint!
pretty groovy! i still need to make a few more ornaments to fill in some spots, another word or 2 and i need to come up with some tree skirts!
i might need some of those lite up deer that have their heads going up and down! it is a forest after all!
check out the photo album to see it a little more up close!

well, i need to take a break from all the FUN i have been having and deal with a few deadlines! and work on the christmas card needs to get underway!
enjoy your sunday!

i officially have the christmas spirit... even if it comes from pink trees... they have done the trick!

pink christmas spirit!

you know that i am not the most christmassy person... but i have been trying... working on the christmas advent albums has been so fun- and helpful, for me! but there has been something that totally has excited me about christmas! it's a little silly- doesn't really have anything to do with the 'real' reason for the season... just plain and simply makes me HAPPY! that can't be all bad!
i bought pink tinsel christmas trees...
i have been having such fun creating ornaments with my scrapbook products. i have 4 trees... 3 i bought at Urban Outfitters... and one my friend Monique from the ETC. events sent to me!(thanks monique!!) so i have 2 three footers, 1 four footer and 1 six footer. i am not sure how i am going to create the pink wonderland yet, but i thought i would share a few of the ornaments... not even close to being done, but i have a little start... and i am LOVING it! eric likes it... thinks it's totally cool!- my colton, however, is NOT impressed... hmmm.

just a little 4-1-1 on the goods...

*the pink snowflake is the silhouettes with the backs spraypainted hot pink. i made some in silver and left some clear.
* i sewed onto the ornaments and used the thread as hangers
*the flowers i heat embossed with glitter silver embossing powder...loving the silver...
*glue gun came out to create the jewel encrusted centers for the flowers. glue gun really hasn't been out in a long time!
*covered the chipboard letters w/ silver embossing powder.
*i applied my NEW (exciting) "fuzzy rub-ons" to the glass ornaments from michaels... (they are 50% off right now, of course i bought mine full price) - sorry but the hot pink fuzzy damask has to be close to my favorite thing on the planet. (close as in top 25) they fit on this ornament SO perfectly as if it were made for it!

anyway.. like i said... it's a start... i got little (mini) pink twinkle lights also at urban outfitters and check it... mini-disco ball ornaments... they were a little pricey, so i only got 6. ok... we'll see if i can pull this all together. i might have a hard tiem taking christmas down this year! (IMAGINE THAT!)