Archive for December 2013

Monday, December 30, 2013

New Years Eve: Bring It


A fancy version of a night at home is my preferred way to celebrate New Year's Eve. A nicely set table, good food, great champagne, and a few fun activities to make it special for the kiddos too. Here's a glimpse of how we will be celebrating this year. 

 The dining room table will be set with similar gold ikat placemats, white plates, and white monogrammed napkins. The main centerpiece is a cloche stuffed with the string lights above and groupings of candles on either side. Even though it's messy, the kids will have fun sprinkling shiny confetti around the table.

Have you seen all the cute NYE printables going around? I'll print some out to recognize the 2013 best of's and also one for resolutions. Gotta start the year off on the right foot!

I love having the kids help plan the menu. For apps Vance chose cheese and crackers and fruit and Vaughn chose calamari. Since everyone loves pizza the main course was a no brainer. We picked up pre-made dough, sausage for Vance, cheese for Vaughn, and veggies and goat cheese for Justin and I. I'll pre cook the toppings and lay everything out so we can each make our own. Kale chips dusted with parmesan will round the menu out and will be our token green of the night. Dessert is still up in the air right now but how cute are the cupcakes pictured above?

After dinner we'll play a bunch of games - a mix of card games, board games, and video games. I'm hoping my family will humor me and give in when I ask to play Trouble. Any other Trouble lovers out there?!?

Last but not least, we'll celebrate with our favorite champagne and hope to keep our eyes open to see the ball drop. 

How will you be celebrating? 
Will you make it until 12?
Happy New Years!!!

...sources...
New Years Eve by charisadee featuring christmas home decor

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Happy Holidays!


Take some time off and surround yourself with those whom you love best. I am looking forward to doing just this! Thanks to all of you for making this year so bright.  

Happy Holidays!!!

Friday, December 20, 2013

Friday 5: Celebrating Simplicity

5 noteworthy and toast worthy happenings from the week.

Here's to golden swan shoes and seeing The Nutcracker with my favorite little fancy lady. 

Here's to our fire department for bringing Santa to our neighborhood every year.  

 Here's to Vaughn and her advancement to the "big girl" gymnastic class!

Here's to classroom parties being over.

Here's to helping Vaughn's class make gingerbread houses. 


Cheers!
What are you toasting to tonight? 

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Winter Party!


I have been stressing about Vance's class party for the past month. Silly, I know but having never planned one or never even attending one I didn't know how it would go. Craft or no craft? Prizes or no prizes? Goodie bags or no goodie bags? Bottom line I just wanted to give the kids a fun party.

I am happy to announce that it is over. The party went smoothly and I think the kids had a good time. However it was a reminder on how accurate one must be when giving a group of kids directions. For example....

The direction given: 
Use chopsticks to pick up marshmallows and put them in your cup. 
The direction that should have been given: 
Use the chopsticks in the correct manner as if you were eating with them (one handed) to pick up one marshmallow at a time. Do not stab the marshmallows and skewer them onto the chopstick and slide them into your cup. Do not use your hands to dump a pile of marshmallows onto the chopsticks and then dump them into your cup. (All the different ways they came up with other than the correct way was impressive. 

They found loopholes with every game and it's just another reason how awesome kids are. They know how to have a good time! It is without a doubt I picked up many good lessons to use/not use for the next party. 

Do you attend your kid's classroom parties?    
   

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Saturday 6: Celebrating Simplicity

Here's to 6 noteworthy and toast worthy happenings from the week. 
*******
(When life gets too busy for the Friday 5 a Saturday 6 is the next best thing!)

Here's to a good day at work for Justin and to our 2nd anniversary of moving into our current house.

 Here's to writing Buddy the Elf quotes in Vance's lunchbox.  

Here's to celebrating Justin's birthday.


Here's to re-doing a bathroom in the midst of Christmas chaos!(It's almost done. More to come!)

Here's to finally getting a new phone. My old one was on its last leg. 

Here's to finding old pictures that instantly melt your heart. 

So much to celebrate and to be thankful for!
Cheers!
What are you toasting to tonight?

Friday, December 06, 2013

Friday 5: Celebrating Simplicity

5 noteworthy and toast worthy happenings from the week.

Here's to Harry and David Pears. 
(I look forward to these every year.)

Here's to awesome socks. 

Here's to fairy lights and timers that work. 
(In real life they aren't yellow and they turn themselves on at 5 and off at 11. They're fantastic.)

Here's to the first snowfall of the season.
(I'll let you guess which child felt compelled to go out and feel the snow between her toes.) 

Here's to snow days.
(I woke up early to do a little recon and start DVR'ing movies. He woke up early because he's exactly like me.)

Cheers!
What are you toasting to tonight?

Thursday, December 05, 2013

DIY Ornament: Printed Picture on Fabric

   
For me (and so many others I am sure) Instagram has changed how I take and share pictures. Using inspiration from IG and canvas photos I created this homemade ornament and am excited to share it as part of Tawny's 12 Days of DIY Ornaments. Let's get to it!


I used Bubble Jet Set to print my picture onto fabric. Never heard of it? Click here for a Bubble Jet Set How To


Here is what my fabric looked like after printing. (The blurred object on the right was for another project. Please ignore!) 


I found a small hoop at the craft store and used it to hold everything together and as a way to hang the ornament.

Here it is in the hoop. 

 I then used embroidery floss to bring out details. I separated the strands and used 2 strands for some places and one strand for others. I love the texture that the stitching adds. 


After stitching I took it out of the hoop, covered the messy backside with the other piece of fabric, then secured everything back into the hoop. 


Tie a bow and your done!

  

I was so happy to be able to catch this moment between my son and daughter as we were walking him to baseball camp. I love that I will be reminded of this moment every year when we decorate the tree. That is why handmade ornaments are so great! 

Are you an Instagram fan? I'm charisadee on Instagram. Feel free to follow along! 

Hope you enjoyed this ornament and check Tawny's site for links to other great ornaments!

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Santa pictures through the years

Every year I put less and less decorations up but the one thing I always look forward to yanking out of the decoration box is the Santa picture frame.

I keep all the old Santa pictures behind the newest one so when it is time to add one I can go back and look at the oldies.



I used to have a fancier frame but it broke last year so I had to find a quick replacement for this year. 


Do you have a favorite decoration?

 

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