How Very Pinteresting

You can find anything on Pinterest

Christmas is just around the corner!  Less than 2 weeks away!  And I find myself amazingly calm.  Strange.  I am done shopping (not that I had much to do in the first place since we are minimalists when it comes to gifts, and we have no money), my cards were sent out 2 weeks ago (thanks to the help of my amazing husband), our Christmas Visitation schedule has been set and approved, I know what we are having for Christmas Eve dinner AND Christmas morning breakfast (as soon as  my Mom tells me what I need to bring to Christmas dinner I will be set for food!), and I found myself with some extra time this past weekend.  Once we got through Lara’s Nutcracker Dream performance, I was almost bored. (WHAT?!?!?!  I know, right?)

But never fear!  Pinterest is here!  I have been a Pinster (a Pinning Gangster) of late for some reason.  And unlike some of my awesome friends, 2/3 of what I pin, I never actually intend on acting on.  I just pin.  It’s addicting.  But somehow, a few things stick in my mind, and I act on them.  Like the crib railingcover I made for Woodchuck a few weeks ago.  Well, this weekend, I got the Christmas Pins bug, and whipped out a few cute things…

One of our family traditions (I have discovered there are lots… maybe the topic of my next post), is that every year we have a new picture ornament of the kids for the main tree.  This started way back in 2002 when Emma and Lara had their first Christmas at 7 months old.  So, for 5 Christmases, that was 2 new picture ornaments per year.  (I do know one year it is one LARGE ornament with a picture of both of them in it…, and maybe another year, too, but you get the idea…).  Add Jake in 2007, and for the last 5 years that’s 3 ornaments per year.  Last year, FOUR new picture ornaments (even though Finn’s first Christmas ornament is STILL not hung…  it got lost in the move, we found it, but it still has no picture in it!  It will be in the tree by this time next week!).  Not counting all the others we acquire and handmade kid gifts and ornament exchanges, and OHH!  Pretty!  I had to stop the madness this year!  So, inspired by this pin I saw on Pinterest, I made this:

YUP!  All four of my kiddos on ONE ornament!  It's one of those brown box ornaments from Hobby Lobby. Spray painted it silver, mod podge, the pictures, then 3 more layers if mod podge. I put the date on the top with stickers. Added a little red bow and a bell! Perfection!  Now my mom wants one, and I can’t find any more of the paper box ornaments.  So, I guess I’ll save the pictures and make it for her next year…  Along with a 2013 version for BOTH of us!

Then, I tried to wrap some of our Christmas presents.  To no avail.  I won’t go in to why, but you can ask my husband, or just trust me.  Sometimes, I don’t make the best choices.  It happens!  But, THIS little gem turned out SO CUTE and I am so proud of it!

 

It was inspired by this pin.  I thought I wanted to do snowflakes, but I LOVED the teal color of these trees, and I thought they would lend themselves well to a wreath.  I was not disappointed!  I bought a pack of 12 (I think there were 12) glitter Christmas tree ornaments at Wal-Mart. Cut the stings off, arranged them in a circle, and started hot gluing! (Is that a verb?)  Finished it off with a cute glittery snowflake ribbon. Easy Peasy!

And last but not least…  teacher presents.  On a less than shoe-string budget.  I saw this pin and made it happen!  I even found the cute tissues at WAL-MART!  I was satisfied with just using the little nondescript packs of Kleenex, but I found the cute Christmas-y “Swankie” tissues!  I got the Hand sanitizers and holders at Bath and Body Works buy 2 get one free (I got 6 of each thing), so each “gift” cost just about $2.  WORKS FOR ME!  The kids handed them out earlier this week, and their teachers LOVED them!

So, now what?  Well, I am making my Christmas Eve dinner from a Pin.  I’ll let you know how that goes!  (If you know me, you know I don’t cook often.  I think Britt was about to pass out when I told him I would pick the menu and cook that meal…)

In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures from Lara’s Nutcracker Dream rehearsal and performance.  I was not able to stay for the Dress Rehearsal, so I don’t have many pictures (no photography allowed on performance night!)  I have no idea why this is playing them in reserve order, either.  I tried... ;)