Christmas/Holiday ideas/inspiration: Christmas Trees!

We bought the cutest 2 foot live tree for our table this weekend! Hope you all are surviving the holiday season for whatever your beliefs - the traffic and crazy shoppers affect us all!!!

Here are some tree ideas...

MY kind of tree! Wine corks glued together - count me in! I'll start finishing off bottles ;o)  (you can cheat and get corks at the craft store too) Source and tutorial

Use chocolate drizzled strawberries and a foam tree form to create a (mostly!) healthy tree centerpiece! Source and tutorial

Super cute dipped high-hat cupcakes that are transformed into christmas trees! Perfect for any events! Source and tutorial

Cake pops taken to the next level! Double-sided!!! Think of the possibilities people! (can you tell I am excited? heehee) YUM! Source and tutorial

Shopping Saturday!

We just got home from a great roadtrip into Maryland for the day! We got a few of our holiday shopping items crossed off and settling in to a good cup of coffee and some internet time! Hope you guys are enjoying your weekend so far!

Here are some of the things I peeped today at local stores(but National chains) today that might help you stash for a future event...

Having a Polar Bear Express or Train themed party? This box of animal cookies would be a great centerpiece!

Found: Burlington Coat Factory
Section: Housewares
Price: $4.99

 

For a House Painting or Art themed party pick up these adorable paint sticks that are plastic, food safe spatula like material.  Use for favors or in the buffet!


Found: Sur-la-table
Section: Housewares
Price: $6.99

Tons of Hello Kitty items for your Hello Kitty themed party...

Found: Michael's Craft
Section: $1 bins
Price: $1

For those cookie making or Chef themed parties, pick up these chef hat/apron sets!

Found: Michael's Craft
Section: Near $1 bins
Price: $3.00

Great items right next to the aprons for your Robot themed party!


Found: Michael's Craft
Section: Near $1 bins
Price: $3.00

Cute new line of Girl Scouts items! This craft kit would be perfect for activities at your Camping themed party...

Found: Michael's Craft
Section: Center aisle
Price: $4.99

Always stacking up my book collection! this one is adorable!

Found: Amazon.com (here)
Section: Cake decorating
Price: $12.99

Tangled party ideas/inspiration

TGIF!!! I am so glad it's time to relax! My "day" job has definitely taken away from a lot of down time in the evenings this week - ew! Hope you all have great plans for the weekend!

Here are some ideas/inspiration for a Tangled movie themed party...

How cute is this invite?! Perfect for the occasion! Source

 Use yarn to create the perfect hair centerpiece! Source

Do a pin the frying pan game! Source

Cute dessert setup idea... Love the donut tower! Source

Glitter Nutcracker Tutorial

Wanted to share a tutorial I guest posted last holiday season... hope you enjoy!

 Glitter Nutcracker Guys

Materials:
Hideous Dollar Store Nutcracker guys
Spray Adhesive
Glitter
Box
Paper (anything large will do)
Wine (optional, but recommended)

Step 1:  Rip hair off of ugly nutcracker guy - recommended to do in private as to not scare the children

Step 2: Place in a box in a well ventilated area (a little stinky) and spray well with adhesive - leave weapons in place

Step 3:  Immediately come in from the cold garage holding him by as little touching as possible, stand him up and start shaking glitter.  Keep repeating steps 2 and 3 until fully covered - make sure to pour while he is right side up and upside down to help coat all spaces.

special note - crease your paper before doing the glitter, this will help when you pour the glitter back into the jar

extra special note - you WILL get glitter everywhere no matter how hard you try - I find wet paper towels to be the best cleanup and nail polish remover to help with any adhesive on your hands...and then assure everyone that sees glitter in your hair the next day that you have NOT been dancing on a pole all weekend ;o)  

Step 4:  You can add a clear final coat - but I found that it dulled the glitter shine a bit... so I just say stop here and enjoy! Simple and VERY inexpensive!

Miscellaneous Monday! - Holiday linky party!

It's been forever since I have done a link party - shame on me!!

Please link up your holiday tutorial or downloadables below

Shopping Saturday!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! We spent the day out in the park and some shopping after - very nice day out! Still getting over my sinus infection (ew!) but getting a little better!

Here are some local finds (at National Chains) that I have seen along my way this week that might help you stash for your next event...

Stash these Sports piggy banks away for your next Football, Baseball (wink wink Brittanie!) or Soccer parties

Found: Dollar Tree
Section: Ceramics
Price: $1

More Sports stash... bubbles and bouncy balls!

Found: Dollar Tree
Section: Christmas
Price: $1

Lip gloss that would make the perfect stash for your next Birthday or Cupcake party or Icecream social!

Found: Dollar Tree
Section: Make-up
Price: $1

Hard to get a good look, but these Snowflake swizzlers would turn any holiday glass festive!



Found: Michael's
Section: Christmas
Price: $2.99/4

Have you seen this new stuff?! It's like tape-kinda-wallpaper-kinda (technical description!) - for packaging, furniture, walls, etc - think of the possibilities! Animal prints, Butterflies and all kinds of patterns!

Found: Michaels
Section: Stencils
Price: $6.99

...and of course I am always growing my cookie book library!

Found: Amazon (here)
Section: Cookbooks
Price: $15.14

First Christmas post for 2011! Advent calendars!

I always force myself to wait till December before I get to talking about Christmas decorating! So today's the 1st! Get to decorating people! ;o)

Here are some Advent ideas...

Super simple spool advent! You can write a special something on the paper before you wrap each on up! Source

You know I would be all for this nature inspired one! Branches with hanging buckets! Source

Traditional wall ones don't have to be boring! Use coordinating papers to make them colorful and fun! Source and template

A simple candy with a glue dot on the back would be a quick (and yummy!) way to count down the days... and who doesn't want to start the day with chocolate?! Source unknown :o(