Crochet earrings

Scott and I tried very hard to have a *mostly* handmade Christmas this year. We made *almost* everyone's gift. I crocheted these little earrings for his sister, my friend Sarah, and my cousin, Ashton. They took mere minutes to crochet, and the possibilities for different styles are endless! I have an Etsy store (with nothing in it yet, mind you), and I'm thinking these are going to be one of my first items...

*what you need*

-yarn, anything but heavy weight will work

-size 6 crochet hook

-pair of earring hooks

-yarn needle

*what to do*

I will be using crochet abbreviations for this portion. You can easily Google the abbreviations, if you are not familiar with them.

-ch 4

-sl st into first chain to make a tiny loop

-ch 4 into the loop

-dc into the loop 10 times, working your way around the loop to make a larger circle

-sl st into the 3 chain of the ch 4 to join

-tie off and cut yarn, leaving about 3 inches of extra yarn

-use yarn needle to thread the extra yarn into the work, hiding the yarn

-attach earring hook to the crocheted circle

Variation:

These really are very quick and simple to make, but the perfect touch to any outfit--enjoy!

Roses are.... white

There were quite a few beautiful white roses left over from Mo's wedding, and so as not to burden her with what to do with them (/my own selfish desire to use them!), I created this very simple arrangement that sits in an antique wooden chair in our dining room.

*what you need*

-12 or more white roses

-shallow, round vase or other container

-scissors

*what to do*

-cut roses such that the tops of the flower just peak over the top of the vase

-fill container with water

-place roses tightly together inside the container

-enjoy for 7 to 10 days!

Gift Wrapping Ideas

This post would have been more helpful, oh... say..... 2 weeks ago? But, like you, the holiday season has been busy, busy!

For the past few years, I have tried to be more creative with my gift wrapping. Not creative to the point of making gift wrapping a living nightmare (though, for some, it might already be...). This is simple creative. Little, 2 minute touches that add some personal flair to gift wrapping. Please tailor these ideas to reflect your personality. See these ideas as inspiration for your own creativity!

Other things to use besides traditional, pre packaged wrapping paper:

-newspaper

-brown bags

-butcher paper

-fabric

Little touches to add some flair:

-doilies

-charms

-paper punch-outs

-newspaper flowers (see tutorial below!)

-ribbon

-string

Other things to consider:

-Instead of putting the ribbon on across the middle of the package, try placing it in the top or bottom 1/3 of the package

-Rather than putting a bow in the middle, try a corner or off-center

-Layer different pieces! Maybe wrap the package in brown paper, place a doily on top, then wrap with brown string...

So, here is what I did this year for gifts! We had some left over newspaper and two drawers of loose ribbon (I really like ribbon). With these two items, I had a field day decorating!!

To make the newspaper flowers:

*What you need*

-newspaper scraps

-thread

-needle

-scissors

*What to do*

-Cut three circles out of the newspaper, mixing black/white with colored pieces. They don't have to be the same size, nor a perfect circle! Remember, this is supposed to be quick!

-Using your scissors, make tiny slits around the perimeter of the circles

-Stack the three circles, placing larger circles on the bottom

-Thread the needle and sew the circles together like you were sewing on a button (criss-crossing the stitches on the top surface of the circles)

-Now, working one circle at a time, scrunch up of the paper so that some "petals" are raised, and others lay flat

-Tape to your package!!

HK

Sweet Mo's Wedding

So, my best friend got married on Saturday, Dec. 18th. I was the Matron of Honor and hopefully lived up to my duties. Saturday was a BUSY day of decorating, doing makeup, making bouquets, and finally throwing myself together 30 minutes before pictures--EEK. Good thing the wedding was not about me :-) I could not have done it all without the help of Elizabeth and Hannah--thank you, thank you, thank you! God is good, though, and everything came together beautifully. Melissa loved the decor (whew!) and her makeup (whew!) and her bouquet (whew!), so my job was done. I love this girl so much and was truly happy to be able to help her.

Here are some photos I snapped of the Big Event...

Rehearsal dinner:

Groom's sister

Bridesmaid

Mother of the bride

Bridesmaid

Mother of the groom

Bride and father of the bride

Flower girl and ring barer

Snagged a photo with the bride :-)

The bridal party went out for dessert after the rehearsal

Preparations:

The Event:

Reception:

I get to see this girl in Oregon!!

Gave my speech :-)

Best Man gave his speech

He threw the garter