crafty Christmas cards

Need a last minute Christmas gift? Have some leftover ribbon?

These DIY Christmas cards are a thrifty, efficient, and let's be honest - adorable - alternative to store-bought cards!

What you need:

- blank greeting cards (I found some on sale at Michael's - 50 for only $5!)

- leftover ribbon

- yellow construction paper (or any color of your choice)

- hot glue gun

- scissors

- pencil

- paper bag (or other protective surface cover for the hot glue gun)

All you do:

cut scraps of ribbon and arrange them like so.

cut a star from construction paper.

(helpful tip: use a pencil to draw a star, cut around it, and just flip it over so the "non-pencil" side is face up)

glue pieces from the bottom up.

(helpful tip: use a very small dot of hot glue on each of the four "corners" of ribbon. it also helps to use wire-edged ribbon - that way you can glue it down without having to really touch the corners and deal with a hot glue mess on your fingers.)

Once the glue is dry, gently remove any stringy hot glue leftovers, and voila! A handmade greeting card made with love.

Merry Christmas. And a crafty New Year.

pine cone ornaments

Last year my mom told me how she made her own pine cone ornaments at our lakehouse in Texas and suggested I do the same. I was all, "Where am I going to find pine cones lying around LA?" 

Well, turns out there are pine cones lying around LA... about two blocks from where I live to be exact. Tons of them. An entire street lined with perfect pine cones that have freshly fallen from the trees above.

So this year, I made... 

pine cone ornaments

The best part about them? They are virtually free! (If you don't have pine trees closeby, of course you could always purchase some... but take a walk around your neighborhood before you jump to any rash conclusions about a lack of pine trees... just sayin'...)

All you need:

- pine cones

- red ribbon 

- scissors

All you do:

take a pine cone

string ribbon under first layer of... what are those called? Just looked it up; they're called "scales."

cross the ribbon

and bring it back around the first layer of scales, but only halfway this time

tie into a bow (it helps to tie a knot first)

trim

adorn

And voila! A hint of country in your Christmas. You can take the girl out of Texas...

holiday coffee table decor

So, true confession: I may or may not have already decorated for Christmas. Whoops.

Normally, I wait until after Thanksgiving to do so. But I just couldn't help myself; Christmas is my favorite time of the year. It truly brings warm fuzzies to my soul.

I went on a retreat with my church last weekend, and it was all about anxiety, stress, and "fear of missing out." It was truly amazing and just what I needed to hear. I felt the Lord telling me I need to take my Sabbaths more seriously. 

So after church on Sunday, I turned on some Christmas music, cranked up the fire, and decorated for Christmas, naturally.

I wanted some decor for my coffee table that didn't break the bank. (I'd rather spend money on gifts for my family!) I literally had everything pictured here already:

- pine cones

- corks

- twigs

- glitter spray
- vase/bowl

Last year I made these homemade wine bottle vases. They were great, but the "snow" on the bottles didn't hold up so well in storage. So I just took the twigs from those, put them in a vase, and filled the rest of the space with some corks.

All you have to do for the twigs if you haven't prepared those already is lay them on some newspaper outside, spray them with a layer of glitter spray, and let them dry!

And I literally just picked up the pine cones on a walk one morning...

Simple, sparkly, seasonal... and to be fair, I think this decor is appropriate for Thanksgiving as well (minus the Christmas coffee table book!)

the longest lasting base coat (DIY manicure)

What started out as a post about the best base coat has now turned into an all out DIY manicure post! 

So, first of all. Orly has a great line of base and top coats that I love. 

handmade greeting cards

Monday nights mean my girls Bible study. And occasionally Bible study means "Prayer and Potluck." And occasionally "Prayer and Potluck" means frozen margaritas in celebration of Cinco de Mayo while we make Mother's Day cards for our mommas.

That was this Monday night. I wish I had taken pictures, but I have to be honest - sometimes I just enjoy being in the moment 100% without the interruption and distraction of a camera.

But just picture an array of Mexican-inspired snacks and my dining room table completely covered with craft supplies.

I happened to be sitting next to my friend, Aubrey, who is a very talented artist. She is an accomplished painter, but one look at her handmade greeting cards and you can't help but think she'd be a fool to not open up her own Etsy shop just for those.

So naturally, I copied her adorable idea. Don't they say mimicry is the highest form of flattery?