Bye, bye, dear (Pinterest) Christmas

A few years ago my blogger daughter, Ali, told me about her newest passion...Pinterest. I listened, looked at some pics and thought "what's the big deal?". Honestly, the whole Pinterest thing didn't make sense to me. Then last year at our annual Nashville Needlework Market, I was visiting Anne in her room at R & R Reproductions and she showed me Pinterest...again. Suddenly it made sense and I got inspired to give it a try!

Ali set me up a page (yes, I still need help on these things) and I slowly started pinning things. Then I started to get a nudge to actually DO and MAKE some of these great projects on my Pinterest board. When some girlfriends asked me to join their little Holiday House Tour, I found the motivation to bring my Pinterest board to life! It turns out, you not only can PIN ideas on Pinterest, you can follow the tutorials and do it yourself!

My personal challenge for our casual tour of each other's houses was to 1) shop only at Dollar Store, Hobby Lobby and Michaels and 2) to re-purpose and re-use alot of stuff I already had.

So, several cans of spray paint, 3 yards of burlap, tons of brown kraft paper, many blobs of hot glue and 2 balls of twine LATER...here are some of my (successful) projects!

This was my first Pinterest project - the coffee filter wreath hanging over my fireplace. The tutorial said to glue the filters on the foam wreath, but I used T-pins. I wasn't patient enough to wait for the glue to dry!

The fireplace looks much different this year, because I went with a winter white sort of look (inspired by Pinterest posts, of course!). I gathered up white pottery I had scattered around the house and office, and filled them with real greens from my yard. I jazzed up my Walmart stockings with some letters from Michael's (first can of black spray paint) and hung them with twine.

This project was TOO easy, but I guess it counts, because it was on my Pinterest feed. I downloaded this free 16" x 20" art, picked it up at Walgreen's an hour later and popped it in a frame I already had. This was so fun and easy,  I want to rotate other seasonal stuff in the same frame.

Also in my kitchen, I did some decorating with one of my favorite things...peppermint candy! I bought lots of peppermints at the Dollar store, then artfully arranged them with some other favorite things. The little glass pedestal thing holding the big candy sticks is a Pinterest project. I bought a glass vase and glass candle base at Dollar Tree, then glued them total and...voila...chic holder for $2!!!

While we're in my colorful kitchen, I got the inspiration for the little edible centerpiece from Pinterest. I used some of my giant roll of brown paper as a table runner, then put out chalk so everyone could leave holiday messages.  Of course, a couple men tried to eat the chalk. REALLY...they couldn't tell the different between chalk and appetizers?

OK...these little Santa mugs have nothing to do with Pinterest. I just remember having them as a child, so I picked these up at the antique mall for a little vintage decor. They even had the original box...so cute!

And now for the scary part of the projects...I got out the SEWING MACHINE!  Yes, I put my high school Kenmore to work making pillow shams for some of my sofa pillows. I saw similar pillows on Pinterest, but they were for sale, so I made my own, using fonts I printed off my computer.  I transfered them using my light box, then went over them with a Sharpee marker pen.

Yet another Pinterest project....an Advent calendar. I used a cork bulletin board, attached tags with pins, added some numbers, and hung a little ornament each day. It was strangely satisfying to select and hang a little ornament every day!

I used some old sheet music (my daughter graciously dedicated a book of Italian arias from college) for all sorts of things. I wrapped gifts, made little ornaments for the tree...

even used Modge Podge to attach some sheet music to some old candles. I collect old toy pianos...does it count as a "collection" if you only have two? If anyone has anymore of these these don't want, let me know!

I put some creamy spray paint to work (actually went through 2 cans) updating some stuff. My nice husband sprayed several old picture frames, candle holders, baskets, all sorts of stuff for my winter white theme. I created this Joy to the World art on my computer, sent it to my pals at Walgreen's to print and popped it in a newly painted creamy frame.

I used more brown paper to make little bookjackets for some old books. I know it's silly, but they look really nice, dressed in their brown paper uniforms with white marker text on the outside. I had never bought a white market before, and I'm hooked!

Speaking of updating frames, I used bright red spray paint on this old frame for my front door. I used leftover burlap and random stuff I already had to sew the stocking and added our initial with...what else...a  Sharpee marker!

My creative sister-in-law, Donna, visited one afternoon and helped me create an over-the-top tablescape for my dining room table. The tabletop was a festival of Pinterest projects...topiaries wrapped in paper, little individual ornaments filled with tiny branches in center of each plate, red tags tied around each napking...the craziness continues! We left just enough room on the table to actually EAT a meal!

Finally, the laundry room needed a little Christmas cheer. I spray painted some black branches, then hugn a few ornaments. Can you spot the little L*K 2011 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue pillow? I completed the scene by displaying our grand dog's holiday wardrobe on top of the washer!

And there he is...our famous granddog, Henry, who has been staying with us while his Mom spends the holiday in Europe. After much sewing and ironing angst (may have ruined my ironing board cover with Wonder Under) I made the brown pillow with the 3 ornaments. Inspired by a Pinterest photo,  I used some extra brown linen and adhered the 3 ornaments to it. I'm not sure Wonder Under and I really get along that 

well!

Finally...a touch of Lizzie*Kate to finish our holiday decor. This little box is the bonus project in our 2012 Joy to the World Christmas Kit. I love the way my finisher Mona decorated this box. It opens up and there is more cuteness inside. 

Christmas isn't really over yet..remember Christmastide and the 12 Days of Christmas? So I'm not putting everything away quite yet.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!

You're never too old...

for all the fun Christmas traditions...including GINGERBREAD houses!! 

Do you remember making these (back in the day), with graham crackers, milk cartons, candy and edible glue (frosting) to hold everything together? We'll, our little houses are just as fun and yummy!

The preparation began several weeks ago when I gathered some precut gingerbread houses from a lovely lady at our church who cuts thousands....yes, THOUSANDS of these, every year for a local gingerbread house charitable event. I asked her to save me some for my special group at church, and she did! I went to her house to pick up precisely prepped graham crackers, precut foam blocks (for the inside) and a couple gallons of gooey white frosting!

Then I gathered up all kinds of candy, pretzels and other house decor-worthy goodies, loaded up the car, and headed to church. Naturally, it was the first snowy morning of the winter. But neither rain nor sleet, nor scary weatherman warnings, can keep a group of eager women away from their appointed gingerbread house assembly!

I volunteer in a women's ministry that meets with a group of Spanish speaking ladies every month. These ladies attend their children's elementary school (where our church has a partnership) every morning for their own English class. We get together monthly to hang out. We eat and chat and do projects, giving them an encouraging place to practice their language skills. And some of us reckless souls practice our (sometimes hilarious) Spanish skills!

After our excellent church lady lunch (the spaghetti casserole was a huge hit) we got to work on house construction. I showed the ladies how to glue their 4 walls and roof together, then the real fun began! Every year they amaze me with their creativity, using candy in ways I would never envision!

My good friend Connie (an excellent Spanish speaker) is standing behind, because she is craft-challenged! I promised her she would NOT have to make her own house.

Young Alvaro joined us, and he and his Mom have their finished little houses (cassitas) packed and ready for the short trip home. Alvaro LOVED this activity. He also speaks perfect English, so was a helpful translator.

Here is the whole happy gang, proudly showing off our tasty little gingerbread community. I'm on back row, far left in the green shirt. Yes, I made a house, but it wasn't a creative masterpiece.

BTW - just in case you're wondering - here is the Spanish translation for "gingerbread houses".

Casitas (small houses) de galletas (cookies) de jengibre (ginger). 

In the midst of our busy Christmas preparations, this time together was a real blessing for all. We ended our time with lots of hugs and familiar greetings...Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad! 

I'm joining bloggers across the country today to pause and remember Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Ana Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Benjamin Wheeler, Allison N Wyatt, Rachel Davino, Dawn Hochsprung, Nancy Lanza, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach and Victoria Soto. 

Please join me in taking some extra time to ponder the small ways we can each bring more peace into the world, during such a sorrowful time. 

We hold our children's hands for awhile, but their hearts forever.

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Is it Christmas already?

For the Ebright clan, it's DONE! We all met in KC last weekend and had an early family get-together.  Well, not ALL of us...that's a humongous number of Ebrights...but Alan and all of his siblings and better halves. Alan is 3rd gray-haired guy (they all have gray hair) in back row. He's the baby of the 5 sibs!

Are you noticing that Christmas traditions and celebrations have to evolve as your kids get older? The word of the holiday is now FLEXIBLE, as you try to accommodate in-laws, babies (darn, none here!) and all that. Chatting with some of my girlfriends, I realize these adjustments can be tricky (very tricky sometimes). But I am determined to be available whenever it works, and go with the (new) holiday flow. 

Since Alan's parents are no longer here to host us on the family farm, Alan's siblings have made an effort to get everyone together...if only briefly, and not on the real date. It's casual, lasts only a day, and it's really fun! Most of the gang lives in KC so we make the 3 hour drive north. We ate, talked, watched a ballgame, and enjoyed each other's company all day, sans kids and grandkids. 

Later that afternoon, we welcomed whatever kids and grandkids were able to join us. As darkness closed in we did our annual Ebright caroling. Alan's family has been doing this FOREVER...just check out the vintage family picture below. Don't they look positively Rockwell-esque? Alan is the grinner on the bottom right.

Here are a few of our caroling clan this year. I'm taking style advice from Santa, wearing my red pants!

After caroling, we settled in for an outdoor hotdog/s'more roast.

We also welcomed the newest member of the family. His older boy cousins are chatting him up below.

Thanks to Alan's sisters for organizing this and pulling it off.  The 5 Ebright siblings have certainly gotten older, but never too old for a funny face photo!

Just in the Nick of time!

We've got more stitching goodies to put under the tree, or stuff your own stocking (we'll never tell)!

Next week we're releasing our last 2 products of 2012.  I keep a list each year of our new products, as they are released. I just added these last 2 to the list and then did the yearly count!

WHEW! Between all of our different design categories...chartpaks, Snippets, Flip-its, Quick-its, Boxers and Kits...we've released 32 new designs!!! Dear Santa...we've been busy,. AND we've been good!

We think this little kit is a real Christmas gem, and it's aptly named "A Little Christmas". The colors are a muted take on the usual reds and green, and they're beautiful. The traditional design will look good year after year in your Christmas decor. Kit includes fabric, golden heart charm and burgundy beads. We hope you like it as much as we do!

These little stockings are so cute and quick, you've still got time to stitch them! You can see there are 2 stitching options. The personalized one is, perhaps, the fastest personalized stocking EVER!!!  It takes less than an hour to make a little personalized heirloom. Perfect for the grandkids, kids, pets...or even a great gift tag!

We used some little pre-finished stockings from our friends at Adam Original to stitch our stockings. They have a darling, colorful fabric that we love. Both little stockings have an opening up the back side, as well as the top, for easy stitching. You can stitch the back closed later if you choose. You handy sewers can also do your own stocking finishing.

We're shipping these new designs to needlework shops on Monday, Dec. 3. If you NEED these, be sure and let your favorite shop know so they can pre-order enough.

I gotta get back to sacking the A Little Christmas kits and gluing little snowflake embellishments inside the Merry Little Stockings.

Merry Stitching to All!

Thoughts of turkey and sad Wildcats!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I'm already in the TURKEY frame of mind. I'm not intentionally thinking "turkey", but it turkeys seem to be multiplying in my kitchen.

Yes, you've seen this one before. I make this edible guy every year for an event at church. He's fun and gets lots of admiring comments...and he keeps in the fridge and makes multiple appearances.  I just de-feather whatever is left on him, wrap him in plastic, and make more "feathers" for his next gig.

And it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without these cupcakes, which also make an annual appearance at my church event. Most of the attendee MOMS take these home to share with their kids...they're really good at sharing...and show more self-restraint than most of us.

Here's my crazy new paper-bag turkey for this year. He looked so deceivingly EASY on Pinterest, but came with alarmingly short instructions. I tried to recreate their beautiful paper Tom, but I'm not sure my turkey makes the "grade-A"!  Whatever...he was a great centerpiece for our football watch party last night. I stuffed him with little zip bags of popcorn and candy corn and garnished him with rosemary sprigs from my still growing bush. 

Want to make your own brown bag bird? Check it out...just realized it was a pin from Martha Stewart...do you really think Ms. Martha created her own brown bag beauty?!?

http://www.marthastewart.com/274713/thanksgiving-tables-for-kids/@center/276949/everything-thanksgiving#286383

So here we were, the K-State faithful, gathered at our house Saturday night for a pre-game soup supper. Out football team was ranked #1, we were so hopeful and excited...and yes, even thankful. 

I got to use my new K-State platter, which I just got back from the paint-it-yourself pottery place. Glenna (my craft buddy) and I have both bought Groupon/Coupons and we ran in there the last day to paint before they expired. Glenna had a photo of a similar tray and we tried to recreate it. Neither of us had ever painted pottery before, and we were dismayed that you had to put 3 coats of paint on EVERYTHING! It's hard to stay in the lines 3 times in a row!  But we laughed and really learned a lot. Look out family...there may be hand-painted pottery under the tree this year!

Alas, our beloved Kansas State Wildcats lost to the Baylor Bears!  Their time on the top of the polls was short, but historic. Even our game day kitchen pig put on his sad face!

Santa...one busy guy!

Every year I design a Santa Snippet...and every year it gets a little more challenging. I think..."what in the world is Santa going to do THIS year?!" 

This morning I'm assembling some Santa Packs. We put these together for the needlework shops so they can easily keep all the L*K Santas in stock...and available for all of you! Each pack includes one of all the previous years Santa Snippets. 

The only Santa NOT in the pack is the current year's Santa. He's busy "unwrapping the joy" in the pic below, all while enjoying a cup of hot cocoa! 

So, what about next year? So far, Santa has appeared in his striped nightshirt, his long underwear and suspenders, and all sorts of variations on the traditional big red coat. He's ice skated, come down the chimney, posed with his animal friends, held a lot of Christmas trees, stars, and of course, gifts!

Christmas is coming next month...yikes...but I'm already thinking about Christmas 2013. I just finished designing and stitching a group of 12 Christmas ornaments for 2013. I can't wait to get them back from my finisher, because it's "magical". I mail them away, and they return a week later looking more beautiful than they left, and exhibiting finishing skills I could never master myself. 

Meanwhile, if you have ideas for next year's Snippet Santa...leave a comment. I'll put it on Santa's list!!