Thoughtful Thursday – Last Minute Ideas To Save the (Holi)Day!

Put on that antler headband, and beat the bah-humbugs with our list of last minute holiday cheer!

Christmas is less than a week away, and yuletide is upon us. If you haven’t made your home festive (or you want to add some extra,) or if you just haven’t been able to come up with gifts for you friends, neighbors, or that relative that’s really hard to shop for, here are some last minute ideas to make your season merry and bright. (Click on the images for more info.)

Easy Decorations:

 

This has to be the prettiest, simplest tree I can imagine. Outline with lights and add paper cutouts of stars (or snowflakes!)

Speaking of snowflakes, here are some beautiful patterns to use!

 

Make an inexpensive outdoor star decoration with yard sticks.

 

Forego the can of fake snow, and break out your glue gun instead!

Free Printables:

Buddy the Elf printable.

 

 

Holiday subway art printable.

“Noel” banner printable.

 

Forget the expensive wrapping supplies. Use magazine or newspaper, plus these cute printable tags.

Quick Gifts:

An adorable gift for the women in your life!

A natural home fragrance that smells like the holidays. A great gift for the neighbors!

 

What tween or teen girl wouldn’t love some pretty lip gloss in their stocking?

 

Whip up a big batch of this manly smelling shaving cream, and divide into small containers for a great gift. Add a straight razor (and print out a good how-to) for a gift the guys will use all year!

Of course, don’t forget our giveaway to enter to win this gift-able handmade necklace:

 

Share the Love,

Chelsea

 

Tuesday’s Treasure – On Wednesday

Do you ever have one of those days where you’re aware that it’s one day, but it feels so much like a different day that it throws you off? I was so tired and useless on Monday that yesterday (Tuesday) felt like Monday and I totally forgot a blog post. Ooops! I have some good ones to share with you, too.

Pretty treasury made up entirely of decoration for your decolletage by our friend from Etsy817, larkspurstudios:

16 Reasons To Fancify Your Neck by larkspurstudios

 I’ve made 2 treasuries in the past week under our new account, JuJu Eyeball. One showcases members of the AbbyNormal team:

Weird Is The New Black by moi

The other is for all the troublemaking men out there, who we love so much. Featuring members of the Clickety team:

Here Comes Trouble! by moi

Don’t forget – Father’s Day is Sunday! If you are fortunate enough for you father to still be around, be sure to at least send him a card to tell him you love him.

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Weird Wednesday – Let’s Hear It For The Boys

Let’s be honest – every guy you know is weird. Today, though, we salute those especially strange earthlings with a Y chromosome!

For the funny nerd with glasses:

Nose Eyeglass Holder by ArtAkimbo

 For the one who really loves his grandma:

Rainbow Granny Square Handmade Scarf by RogueRetro

 For the clean, but creepy one:

Goat Milk Skull Soap by iamhome

 For the couch potato who just wants to cuddle:

Couch Potato Pillow by MrRaccoonsempire

 For the dapper fella:

Mushroom Cap Floppy Hat by ObeyMyBrain

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Make It Monday – Quick and Easy DIY Gift For The Guys

Now that I’ve posted an easy and inexpensive Christmas gift idea for the ladies, let’s focus on the guys. Besides food, (because what guy doesn’t like food?) it can sometimes be hard to come up with a unique gift for the men in your life. There are only so many tools, ties, and gadgets out there, and it can get tiring trying to find something you haven’t already given them. If you’re stuck trying to find a gift for the guy who has everything, think practical. One of the easiest materials in the world to work with is fleece. Choose a blizzard fleece (it won’t fray or pill) in a solid or print – favorite sports teams are a hit – and you can make all kinds of things! A no-sew blanket or scarf, a beanie, bag, the list goes on and on. One of my favorite things to make, though, are hand or foot warmers.

What you need:

Sewing machine and basic sewing skills

Scraps to 1 yd. blizzard fleece (depending on the number of warmers you’re making)

Scissors or pinking shears

Dry rice

Optional – manly essential oils, like sandalwood, citrus, or even lavender or peppermint

How to Make It:

For hand warmers, cut 4 squares from the fleece, approximately the size of a manly palm. Stack two squares together and sew around the edges (get fancy by using zig zag or specialty stitches.) Leave about an inch long gap in the seam to fill the pouch with rice. Fill it so that the pouch is firm, but still flexible and not overly full – you want to be able to sew the gap without rice spilling everywhere! Add a drop or two of essential oil into the pouch, and sew up the gap. Repeat for the other two squares, and you’ve made handwarmers your favorite guy can pop in the microwave for 30 seconds and stick in his pockets before heading out into the cold.

An alternative to the handwarmers is the foot warmer. The idea is the same, but the shape and size is different. Cut a rectangle, approximately 1.5 feet long and 6 inches wide, from your fleece. Sew and fill the pouch like the instructions for the hand warmers above. The warmer can be placed in the microwave for about a minute and a half, and placed under the covers at the foot of the bed, under a blanket, or could even be used on pillows or on top of socks and slippers before putting them on.

To go along with the cold weather theme, you can whip up a quick batch of window defroster (fill a spray bottle with 3 parts white vinegar and 1 part water) and tie it up with a scarf, or with something equally useful, like bungee cord or rope. They’ll appreciate the fact that even the “wrapping” is part of the gift!

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Tuesday’s Treasure – Dress Up and Man Gifts

Um, hi. It’s November, and I feel like I haven’t blogged in ages. Yesterday I didn’t even realize Monday had passed me by without blogging until I was in bed, falling asleep.

First of all, Trunk or Treat was a huge success! Lots of kids and parents came, all decked out, to get candy for being so cute. Here’s how our trunk and costumes turned out:

Follow the yellow brick road!

 It was worth all the hard work just to see the little kids’ faces light up! Parents wanted to take pictures of their kids with us, and the kids were surprised to hear the Wizard of Oz music in the background. Oh, and we won the prize for best trunk! I was just expecting a “hey, good job – you’re the best!” but we also got a $15 Target gift card. Pretty snazzy.

Now it’s time to kick it into Christmas gear. We’ve filled up about half our vendor spaces for the Winter Wonderland Festival, and the rest is starting to fall into place. I drove around like a crazy person in the rain today, delivering flyers and posters to our local Starbucks. By the way, Starbucks has awesome bulletin boards where you can post non-profit event flyers! I was tired, cold, and damp by the time I got home, but it was worth it.

Speaking of Christmas, I guess I should get to the point. Today’s treasury comes to you super hot from the etsy presses! One of the most elusive subjects for women: what to buy for the men in your life.

Men - They are really not that hard to buy for ...

I don’t know about the treasury title. My man is pretty easy to please, but sometimes so easy to please that I can’t think of anything unique to get him. I think this treasury not only has some beautiful imagery, but good ideas – check out that reclaimed wood desk caddy! Tom would dig it. Of course, he’d dig just about anything …

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Thoughtful Thursday – Holiday Countdown

Here in the U.S., there are only 41 days until Thanksgiving. That means Christmas is a mere 71 days away – that’s 10 weeks!

I have made one Christmas present. Holiday fail. That countdown definitely motivates me to get them made, though!

If you’re in the buying mode (but haven’t bought much yet), here are some thoughtful (and affordable) gift suggestions for your friends and family.

Wrap It Up, I’ll Take It

Eli The Elephant Christmas Card by ScribblyKids

Cross Greeting Card by ArtworkSW

Personalized Christmas Tags by mccaligiuri

For People Who Talk To Their Animals

Under The Sea Organic Cotton Cat Collar by collarswithcolor

Rear Gear for your cat and dog by reargear

Pet Bling Tag by hownice

For Cool Nerds

Applique Glasses Case by scotatto

Computer Key Switch Plate ctrl alt del by alamodestuff

Computer Power Button Symbol Necklace by DesertArtisan

For The Gals

Pink Bath Puff by AddSomeStitches

Jumbo Cinnamon Roll Double Goat's Milk Soap by soapopotamus

Beaded Vintage Austrian Crystal & Glass Bracelet by BuyMeLove

Cake Cruffes by KGSweets - 1 Dozen

For The Guys

Shaving Soap - Pepperberry

Mayfly Streamber Brown and Yellow Trout Fly by NoFlysOnYou

Keep It Level In Blue Cufflinks by blinkphoto

Dark Maple One Pound Hand Crafted Coffee by DowntownRoasters

Of course, the holiday season isn’t about gifts, but it is pretty nice to see the look on someone’s face when they open a cool present. If you don’t have the money to give material things, just give a little extra of your time and love. The people who love you back will appreciate it!

Share the Love,

Chelsea