Santa Hand Ornaments...

Sadly, I haven't had the time (or energy) to do many craft projects since Lucy was born.  I enjoy being crafty, but motherhood changes your priorities and I've been forced to let go of some things that use to be important to me. So I decided that this little blog would be my creative outlet in the little free time that I do have (hopefully the girls will appreciate my efforts to document their lives).  But, ever since I started planning for our December advent activities, my creative juices have been flowing!  I pinned several holiday crafts on Pinterest that I wanted to attempt.  These santa hand ornaments were one of them and I'm so glad I made the time to make them!  I think they turned out super cute...definitely an easy evening craft (enjoyed with a glass of wine, of course) after the girls went to bed!  

PLEASE do not think that I have it all together...because let me tell you....I DON'T.  My house is messier than I'd like it be, we may have eaten frozen pizza for dinner twice last week, I've been staying up way later than I should, and I'm not sending out Christmas cards this year (boo, hiss)...this list could go on and on.  But, I'm trying to let go of some of those things and enjoy my creative side this Christmas!   

Advent Calendar Christmas Tree...

Last December I was inspired at a MOPS meeting to create an advent activity calendar for the month of December.  Instead of the traditional candy treat, each day is filled with a fun Christmas activity for your kids/family to participate in.  I tucked this little nugget of information in my brain and promised myself that I would start this tradition with Lucy the following year.  Even though I'm still in the trenches of having a new baby...I was determined to make this promise a reality for Lucy (and June) this year!  I didn't want to spend tons of money on an advent calendar, so after searching Pinterest, I decided to make my own.  I combined a few different ideas I saw online...and after a botched attempt of hanging the little envelopes on ribbon over the mantle (they were too heavy for the ribbon), I ended up with what I call an "Advent Calendar Christmas Tree!"

I ordered the number printables off of Etsy (they were like $3.50)...printed, cut and glued them on miniature treat bags/envelopes from Michaels.  I bought mini clothes pins from Michael's, tied bows around each one with red ribbon I already had, filled each envelope with a Christmas activity and hung them on our kitchen tree.  I think I spent around $15 for the entire project!

Coming up with 25 activities was surprisingly not that difficult.  I'm sure our activities will evolve each year as the girls get older, but for now while they are super young, I need to keep them simple...and cheap!  When planning for each day, I looked at our December calendar and thought through the potential activities for each day accordingly.  For example, on Tuesdays and Thursdays (the days I work), I knew I'd need super simple activities that did not require much planning ahead of time (i.e. eat a candy cane, wear Christmas PJ's, read Christmas books by the tree, etc.).  On the days I'm at home and on the weekends when Josh is at home, I planned more crafty activities or fun outings (sit on Santa's lap, look at Christmas lights, ride on the Polar Express, etc).  I even incorporated events/parties that I knew we would attend (i.e. my nieces annual hot chocolate party).  I made a list of the 25 activities I came up with and highlighted the ones that I needed to plan for ahead of time (i.e. get supplies)...like decorating a gingerbread house, making Christmas cookies, Christmas crafts, etc.  So far it's been a huge hit.  I know Lucy will probably "get it" more next year, but it's never too early to start a new tradition!  I'm so excited to do this with the girls each year.  Yes, it takes some planning ahead of time (and a little bit of money and errand running)...but it really was not that hard and will hopefully make many fun memories for our family in the years to come!  My goal is to capture each day/activity with a picture, but we'll see if that actually happens.  So far so good with days 1, 2 & 3...

Tutu Craft...

I saw this on Pinterest (my new favorite obsession) and just had to make it! I decided to make one for Eleanor's 1st birthday and I ended up making one for Lucy as well because it was just too cute! I added my own little touch with the Psalm 149:3 bible verse...

I found out real quick that taking hand prints of a 9 month old is no easy task! Oh well...you get the idea!

I haven't added any pink to Lucy's nursery, so this was the perfect pink addition!

Find step by step instructions here.

Valentine's Treats...

When I think of Valentine's treats, I automatically think of chocolate. But, this year I decided to do something a little different. Instead of the typical chocolates and heart shaped goodies that I usually give, our family will be receiving homemade bread! This is the Kindergarten Bread recipe that I posted last month...it's so good, it's like you're eating dessert! Josh and I have to pace ourselves when I make it. Hopefully our family will enjoy it as well! After all, homemade treats are best....especially when they're made with L♥VE!

Enjoy the weekend!!

X♥X♥,
Mindy

Holiday Entertaining Tips for being Merry and "Bright"

This past week at work we hosted an event for the Dallas Pi Phi alumni at our office (Ali was a Pi Phi at SMU). The Pi Phi girls came by to get easy and creative tips for holiday entertaining. It was so much fun preparing for the event, that I thought I might as well blog about the fun ideas we came up with. They're super easy (and economical) and will make your next holiday party a sure hit!

Getting Started...
Set the mood by selecting one color you love and use it throughout your event. From the invitations to the favor, everything should incorporate that color! We picked red.

Invitations...
Give your invitations an upgrade by lining the envelopes. You can use gift-wrap, specialty paper found in craft stores, pictures from a magazine or pictures of you and your friends. Paper Source has envelope lining patterns that make this a very easy project.

Décor...
You don’t have to spend a lot to make your event decor fabulous! Purchase inexpensive ornaments and Christmas décor items at a craft store and hang them from your light fixture using ribbon (Garden Ridge, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and Dollar Stores are great sources). This can include festive items or even pictures of your guests that are attending the party. If you don’t have a fixture to hang from, use tacks and adhere to your ceiling.



Place Setting...
Borrow a friend’s china/glassware and mix up the place settings! Don’t feel obligated to use everything you own. Mix in less formal elements with your nicer china/glassware to give your table a more whimsical look.



Place Cards...
Make each guest feel special and personalize his or her seat! Hang a tag from an ornament with the guest’s name and place in a glass or on the table near their place setting. The ornament can double as the favor and a reminder of the evening for years to come.



Centerpiece...
For an easy and inexpensive centerpiece, fill a glass container or vase with fresh cranberries. Use candles or greenery found at a grocery store or florist to decorate the top. Add holiday ribbon around the rim of the container and sprinkle a few ornaments around the base of the centerpiece.



Dinner Menu...
When creating your menu, select items that can be prepared at least one day in advance. You don’t want to be worrying about cooking when you need to concentrate on hosting! Consider making dishes that are not seen at a typical holiday dinner…for example, go with an Italian or Asian inspired menu. Always finish with a fabulous dessert.

Cocktail...
It’s always nice to greet your guests with a specialty drink. For a fun cocktail, serve a colored martini. For those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, have a festive punch prepared.

Atmosphere...
Always remember to have Christmas music playing in the background during your party! Have a classic Christmas movie playing on your TV (on mute) during the party too!

Conversation...
To spice up your dinner conversation, have your guests go around the table and share their favorite Christmas memory or tradition.

Favor...
Leave your guests with a small gift to remember the evening. Ideas include an ornament at each place setting, a small box of chocolates, homemade baked items for them to enjoy the next morning or a CD of your favorite Christmas songs!

Here's to your next holiday party....may it be merry and "bright!"

Fancy Schmancy Christmas Packages...

This holiday season I'm offering gift wrapping services to make your life easier....and the packages under your tree fun and festive! I'm charging $35 per hour. Depending on the size of your boxes and/or how elaborate you want your gifts wrapped, I'm estimating that I can do 8-10 gifts per hour. Here are a few samples of what I can do....

A bit of whimsy...


Whimsy details...


Traditional and formal...


Traditional/formal details...


I can come to your house to work OR you can bring everything to my house in Coppell. I can use your gift wrap and ribbon OR I can put together the look/theme that you want for your packages and go buy all of the supplies for you. I'm extremely flexible, so just let me know how I can make this process easiest for you! If you want me to purchase gift wrap and ribbon for you, my hourly charge for shopping is $20 per hour plus the cost of the paper, ribbon, boxes, etc. (I will not up charge you on the products I buy).

I will be accepting orders through Dec. 22nd....Dec. 23rd will be my last day to wrap. Beginning Dec. 20th, my hourly fee will increase to $45 per hour. If you want your packages to be fabulous this holiday season, please contact me so I can put you on my calender, especially if you want me to purchase your paper/ribbon. (mindyrives at gmail dot com)

Happy Holidays!!!

Semi Homemade...

Happy October from The Rives! I finally finished my "semi-homemade" fall wreath for our front door....I purchased this wreath from Pier One and added a glittered "R" from Paper Source. My mother-in-law gave me the "R" for my birthday (along with some other fun Paper Source goodies!) and I just slapped some glitter on it to give it some sparkle! I think it turned out pretty cute! I'm headed to the Dallas Farmers Market this week to pick out some pumpkins and gourds for our front porch to finish off our fall decor. It really is hard to believe that October is already here. Where has 2009 gone? This year had flown by!

Gingerbread!

Marina and I went to a gingerbread house decorating party last night at The Crescent for work. The Crescent's pastry chef did a demonstration for us and then we all got after our own gingerbread houses with icing and candy galore! It was so much fun....we felt like kids again! Marina and I were the last to leave the party.....kind-of embarrassing....but we were just having too much fun!

Here are a few pictures of how my house turned out....

The front...


The side...


The back...


This is who I found on top of my dinning room table this morning helping themselves to a sweet treat....


They licked the icing completely off of the Christmas tree on the left side of the door...little stinkers!


But how can you get mad at this face... :)


Have a great weekend everyone! I'm getting my Christmas party panties on...today is my last day of work for 2 full weeks....it's time to celebrate the season!

Cheers!
Mindy