Monday, December 20, 2010

Gifts for Friends

Hooking up with Craftomaniac Monday, Making the World Cuter and Skip to My Lou,  Nifty Thrifty Tuesday's, All Things Merry and Brite - Show and Tell Wednesday - links in my side bar.
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I found this wonderful idea on  Creations from My Heart  I thought they were so unique and beautiful that I thought I would do it for my friends.  Here is a step by step of how to do it.
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I filled up the cans half way with leftover batting and then in the top half I  put the cut the floral foam and stuffed it in. Then I added the pine - cheap way to do this is to buy a garland and cut it up. I put about 6 pieces around the back and side.      
                                                                  
 I bought a bunch of poinsettias at a garage sale for 25 cents and used them in these cans.  I put 3 per can.
 Then I added the embellishments.  I cut up some floral picks, some wire stars and circled some metallic pipe cleaners and put them all in.  I added the ribbon to the can and the back to hang it and this is what I it looks like all finished.

 Here it is wrapped in cellophane and ready to give to my special friends. 

I also added a thought that said.  "These Christmas cans are like our friendship - bound together with love."   I added instructions to hang them over any door knob.

 Here is a picture of the white ones I did.
I made these pot pourrie jars for our neighbors and other friends.
I saved salsa jars and then added cute labels and decorated the top with all my odd's and ends Christmas greenery. I added a few drops of pine, cinamon and cloves and they smell heavenly! 
The next picture shows it wrapped in cellophane ready to be delivered.  Recipes for the pot pourie at the end of this post.


13 Simmering Pot Recipes
This is a lovely way to make your home smell warm and inviting. Just fill a pot with water, add your favorite ingredients and simmer all day. This also helps humidify the home a bit.
The recipes below are just guidelines, you can use different amounts and mix up ingredients as you like. Experiment to find your favorite smells.
Save: orange, lemon and lime peels, apple skins (dry them out first before storing in a container)
Frugal idea: For apple juice, cranberry juice, herbs and spices that are outdated, don’’t throw out––just add to your simmering pot. You can refrigerate your simmering recipe and reuse daily for up to one week. Just keep adding water as needed.
Directions: Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the ingredients from your favorite recipe, boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer all day. Top up water as needed.
Caution: Set your timer for 30 minutes so you remember to top up with water. You don’’t want the pot burning dry. Do not leave the house with this left heating on the stove.
Simmering Pot Potpourri Recipes
Recipe #1 -Cinnamon sticks Apple peels Orange rinds Whole cloves
Recipe #2 - Apple juice Cinnamon sticksWhole cloves
Recipe #3 Vanilla (a few drops)Orange peels
Recipe #4 - Christmas Potpourri Simmering Pot 3 sprigs evergreen or handful pine needles 2 cinnamon sticks 2 TBS whole cloves 2 bay leaves 2 pieces orange rind 2 pieces lemon rind
Recipe #5 - 2 TBS whole cloves 2 cinnamon sticks5 star anise1 orange peel
Recipe #6 - Whole cloves1 tsp nutmeg
Recipe #7 - Peel from a whole orange Whole cloves2 Cinnamon sticks
Recipe #8 - 5 bay leaves 1 TBS whole cloves 2 sticks cinnamon
Recipe #9 - Peel from 1 lemon Peel from 1 orange 2 bay leaves 3 cinnamon sticks 2 TBS whole cloves
Recipe #10 - 1/8 cup cloves 1/8 cup allspice 2 cinnamon sticks
Recipe #11 - 6 whole cloves1 cinnamon stick 1 tsp vanilla
Recipe #12 - 1 cup dried lavender1 tsp anise 1 TBS nutmeg 1 TBS whole cloves1 Cinnamon stick
Recipe #13 - 2 sticks cinnamon Peel from one lemon Fresh rosemary Whole cloves

For the Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a piece of tinfoil (a few inches wide), pour a teaspoon of vanilla on top and place the foil in the oven. Turn off oven and prop the door open a bit. Fill a loaf pan with water and your favorite recipe from above. Set in oven on high heat until it starts filling your home with lovely smells. Turn off oven, then prop the door open.

A crock of simmering potpourri spices
Put this mixture into an earthenware or painted crock. 1/3 cup simmered in a saucepan of water will scent the house with the deliciously spicy aromas associated with the holidays 4 oranges 4 tangerines 4 lemons 24 3 inch cinnamon sticks broken into 1 inch lengths1/4 cup whole cloves 1/4 cup juniper berries 2 tsp nutmeg Remove the peeling from the fruits with a vegetable peeler and place on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in a 200F oven for 10 minutes, then turn off and leave overnight. (in a turned off gas oven overnight or until dried). Combine all the ingredients in an airtight container. Makes about 1 1/2 cups .An Edible Christmas 1992 Irena Chalmers

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Gift Pot Pourri - 1 jar5 min 5 min prep 2 to 4 Tbsp. Whole cloves (or leave them out if you wish) 2 to 4 cinnamon sticks 4 bay leaves1/2 orange, sliced 1/2 lemon, sliced Add orange and lemon slices to dry mixture of spices. Put in a small sauce pan with 4 cups of water. Simmer on low to release the fragrance.

TO GIVE AS A GIFT: put ingredients in a decorative jar .Add enough water to fill jar. Add a few drops of red food coloring. Close securely and give with a small gift tag explaining how to use it. Store in refrigerator when not in use, to prevent molding. Can be simmered over and over again!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

My Darling Grandchildren's Ornies

Linking up today with Show and Tell Monday, Making the World Cuter and Skip To My Lou, Blue Cricket, All Things Heart and Home.......
Links in my side bar
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Last Friday our oldest grandson (5) said to me - "Mimi Sugar Ball" ( I don't know why he calls me all those names - but since he does the other kids do to)  anyway he said, "Mimi Sugar Ball,  will you make me an ornament that says, Grandma Mimi Sugar Ball loves Wyatt?"
So I did - and thought while I was at it I would make one for all of them - 5 little boys and 2 little girls - all but Wyatt are under 2.
I have been determined to not spend money this year and use the resources in our home.  
It has been a challenge - but so good for creativity!  
Each of these ornies have buttons and fabric on them that  was their great grandmother's.

 






Today I am grateful for our Super Seven!
(Soon to be our Exciting Eight)
Have a nice week!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

PInk Vintage Ornaments

Linking up With Common Ground and Pink Saturday today!
Links in my sidebar.
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I have lots of ornies of my grandmothers all pre and post WW11 (1940's & 50's)  I love putting up this vintage tree each year in their honor. Here are some of  the pink ornies on that tree.












My sweet husband came home th eother day with this beautiful bouquet of a dozen roses -
just had to share it too!

Thanks for stopping by! 
Enjoy your week this week - all part of the Christmas season!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Grandchildren's Forrest

Linking up also with No Minimalist Here - links in my side bar

This is my Grandchildren's Forrest for our Super Seven! 
We have seven grandchildren and each of them have a tree.  On their tree's are the things they like.  Wyatt loves helicopters so there are a bunch of  matchbox helicopters on his tree along with his ornaments from each year that we have made.   Gabe loves balls, Teague loves books, Tate loves stuffed bears, Talia is 5 months old and our princess,  Esti is 4 months old and an angel. 
This tree shown is Cody's tree and he loves cars.  The rest of the ornaments are explained in the pictures.   
This is 2010 ornie and used for the topper this year.  It is a time capsule of sorts - the inserts in the top are little things about Cody right now at his 2 1/2 year old self.

This is the ornament from last year and last years topper.   It is now an ornament on his tree.
This is the ornament from 2008 when he was just a baby.

These are a few things we have made together....top left snowman hand print,  top right a spider - which he loves, bottom left an eye spy ball, bottom right are a few of the car ornies on the tree.  He loves cars.

This is our entire forrest -they and their parents live far away so this is a little piece of them here with us at Christmas.
p.s. we are expecting #8 in May - another tree next year!
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Thanks for stopping by - hope you enjoy your entire Christmas Season!
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p.s. my entire blog is Christmas - this is the link to see the entire thing: http://bucketideasforchristmas.blogspot.com/


Thursday, December 9, 2010

Crazy for Christmas Cloches!

Linking up with Strolling Through Life Cloche Party!  Thanks for stopping by.
Permanent link in my side bar.
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My uncle carved this darling Santa for me - so he is in a cloche - a place of honor!
 This angel is made from an old flour sack that belonged to my great grandmother.  She is lovely inside this cloche.


 Cloche over a Nativity Bell from Italy

Another nativity under  a cloche

This nativity was a gift

 Love how anything glass can become a cloche!  Here is a vase full of leftover bulbs with lights - it is stunning.  

 Bowl filled with poinsettias
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I realized my hutch is the ultimate cloche! 
Pictures include a few treasures you can see through the windows.  

Stacking Tray

Linking to Trendy Thursday, Show and Tell Friday, Deck the Halls, Common Ground, and
Feathered Nest
Permanent links in my side bar
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Just wanted to share my Christmas Stacking Tray.  This has been so fun to do at each season through the year.  It is all made with left over bulbs and other things I have had around that have needed to be put in the flow and used!  Each tray is a glass tray that I picked up from garage sales with sundae cups between each to give the height and placed on a mirror.  Thanks for stopping by - have a great week.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Vintage Tree is Up!

Linking up with Craftomaniac, Skip To My Lou, Making the World Cuter Tuesday, Show and Tell Wednesday at Blue Cricket Design, All Things Heart and Home, Trendy Thursday....
Links in my sidebar
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I have a bunch of WW11 vintage ornies of my grandmothers and mom's so I decorate a live tree with ice scicles and everything in honor of these wonderful people. I am just finishing it now...it looks like the Christmas Tree's when I was little and always fills me with gratitude for these amazing people who came before me....here are a few pictures:









  Have a great week - hope you enjoy everyday during this wonderful season!
Thanks for stopping by!

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See you next Fall!