It’s high time…

that I share a fun craft around here.

I haven’t done many crafts around J and A since we moved into our rental house last summer. It seems kind of silly to create something for a specific space that really isn’t mine.  Besides the fact that we will only reside here for 5 or 6 more months.

Yes! We are in the process of making some big life decisions here in the J and A household.

I would love to tell them to you. If I new exactly what they were.

Decision. Decisions.

…and so while I wait out these winter blues and think about our future; I will create:

My Winter Wreath.

I wanted something that reminded me of winter; so off I went to the thrift store looking for the perfect sweater that I could cut up and put on my wreath. A winter wreath should certainly be made out of a winter sweater.

I knew this was it.  My original plan in my head was a really pretty cream sweater.  Then I saw it… this beautiful grey and cream chevron like sweater; and I just knew.

I used a straw wreath as my form.  I started by cutting off both sleeves.

Then I cut open the sleeves until I had a nice rectangle shape.

I laid my wreath on top and started by pulling one side of the sweater fabric around.  I used hot glue to attach it.

Then I brought the other side around ( making sure that the front of the wreath was nice and smooth before I did any gluing)

See the front is smooth.

The back not so much.

I did this with both sleeves.

 

However; I tucked the raw end of the sleeve in to the finished edge so that I had two nice finished edges on the wreath.

Next, I used this fun grey yarn, and wrapped it in five places.  I just wanted it to give some texture to the wreath.  I made sure to wrap it over the part where the two sleeves met as to cover that part up some.

Then I added this small pom trim near the grey string.I found this trim in the $2.00 section at Michaels.  It was on a card with several other trims on it which I will use later on.

 

Now I started the process of making the flowers.  I bought grey and cream felt. I started by cutting three skinny strips of felt for each flower.

 

Then I started rolling it up.

 

I would hot glue the end when I came to it, and added another strip and rolled that until I had used three strips. Secure the final end with glue.

 

This is what it looks like when you have rolled all three strips.  Then it is fun to push some parts out to give it a little texture.

I made these in grey and cream.

Once I was done with the flowers, I started laying them out on my wreath.  I put them over the other part of the sleeve that was joined together to cover that up as well. 

Once I liked how they looked; I started gluing them down.

Then I cut small pieces of the trim that I had bought and folded them in half.

I put glue on the end and stuck them down inside the flowers as a leaf of sorts.  I just did this in random places.

My favorite addition is the red cardinals.  Also found at Michaels. 

I sat my wreath up before attaching those; so they were actually sitting up and not doing a nose dive.

Next I grabbed my $2.00 glitter “S” also found in the cheap section at Michaels and hung it in the center with some red pom pom trim.

I used the same red pom trim as my hanger to hang it on the door.

I am absolutely in love with how it turned out.

I love that it screams winter.

It just feels cozy.

I am grateful for the reminder of how much I enjoy creating. 

It has helped me remember to find ways to create; even in this space that isn’t mine.

finishing up my year in review.

I am going to wrap up my picture collages today.

Here are our family memories from July to December 2012.

All wrapped up in to little collages.

Enjoy!

Fourth of July pictures with cousins right before we said goodbye to move to PA; Jonathan’s birthday in our new house; Jex finds his way around our new neighborhood; moving in to our new home.

Jex has some friends over for his tenth birthday; Stella has some girlfriends over for a cake boss party; Stella breaks her wrist; the kids start school; Isaac starts Kindergarten; Isaac turns five; Stella turns seven; Jex turns ten; Jex takes good care of Stella; Tess settles in to our new house; we enjoying the beauty of PA; Tess and Stella paint faces

Stella Grace prepares for her baptism day; she looks so beautiful in her white dress; mom and dad go to a couple of concerts; Jex works hard to get his bear badge at cub scouts; Daddy baptizes Stella on Sept. 16, 2012; Kristin and Lindsay come for Stella’s baptism; we go to Hershey World; the cousins enjoy time together; we visit Dutch Wonderland over Labor Day weekend; Whoopie pie festival with our visitors, complete with a whoopie pie launch; our family gets a new piano and kids start lessons

Stella and Isaac have a dance a thon at school; Tess turns three and wants a cake with suckers; Tess is so excited to be three; G&G Swenson come for a visit; we celebrate Ruby’s first birthday; Hurricane Sandi almost prevents Halloween; but it didn’t'; Spooky Halloween dinner with G&G; Jex and Stella play fall soccer; mom and dad dress up for Halloween

making Thanksgiving crafts; Eastern Market with Krysta; chicken pot pie for lunch; our November mantle; we put up our Christmas tree; Krysta takes our family pictures; voting in a big election; Tess is a turkey; saying goodbye to Krysta, it was a great visit; thankful for sisters that love each other; Thanksgiving with the Woodruffs; Justin Moore concert, front row, go HOGS!!

Christmas break; Amazing; Santa comes and brings a kindle; Jonathan gets an acoustic guitar; mommy loves her new coat; make a trip to the D.C. temple;  Christmas Eve dinner; Christmas pajamas; making a gingerbread train; Isaac has his tonsils out; Jex and Stella have their first piano recital

Thanks for reviewing our year with us.

Check out January through March here.

Check out April through June here.

It’s all about the Memories.

I love the kids face when they see what was brought for them.

I think the anticipation of what’s inside is where the magic lies.

Santa brought our family a kindle HD. We are having lots of fun with it.

We tried to stick to our normal four gifts:

Something you want. Something you need. Something to wear, and Something to read.

We have done this since Jex was a baby.

This year we kind of failed miserably at keeping to that.

Oh. well. We will try again next year.

I think I started buying too early; and then forgot what I had bought.

Next year, I think I will start shopping on December 17th or so; and then my memory won’t fail me. (wink wink)

Along with the gifts from us; grandparent, aunts, uncles and cousins sent gifts to be placed under the tree.

It was nice to feel their love; even while we were so far away.

My favorite moment was watching them play with it all.

While I was making breakfast, Jex was riding his rip stick through the kitchen. Isaac was building Legos in the dining room, and Stella was giving Tess a pedicure in her new pink tent.

AWE. the memories.

Jonathan had a great Christmas as well. His favorite gift was his new acoustic guitar.

Which he is teaching himself to play with a little help from you tube. It is so fun listening to him play and sing.

Of course, my husband spoiled me. He surprised me with a massage table.

(taken with my iphone)

I have had some upper shoulder/neck problems this year. Instead of buying me a year’s worth of massage he brought the table to me. What a thoughtful gift. He is the sweetest man; and best husband EVER.

He also surprised me with a new coat, and concert tickets.

My sister sent this beautiful necklace. It says I love you to the moon and back. Which is something I say to my kids everyday. It also has all their names on it. I cried.

Speaking of. You can download this little printable here. I have had it in my house for quite some time.

Here what it looks like in our new house.

I also made this print for Valentines, and since it is right around the corner; you might be interested in it.

Can be found here.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday.

Ours was beautiful and memorable.

Our kids have already started counting down the days until next year.

I have decided that they are not counting down because of the gifts; they are counting down because of the memories.

… and I love that; all the way to the moon and back.

Simple things Sunday…

Every week Rebecca at simple as that hosts this link up.  You post a nice simple photograph to share.  I mean to do this every week, and then the weekend gets away from me.  This week; I AM NOT FORGETTING.

Here is my simple things photograph:

Snowy Hydrangea.

I am in love with Hydrangea’s and couldn’t resist snapping this simple flower dried up from the cold; still holding its shape out in the winter storm.

It really is the simple things.

Linking up to Simple things Sunday.

Not a creature was stirring…

So I am interrupting myself.  I think it is okay to interrupt when you are doing it to yourself.

I will continue on with my year in review; but it was high time that I shared some Christmas pictures on this blog.

Christmas always means a lot of pictures.  I think for everyone.  So of course for me; it means an awful lot of pictures.  I have a problem.  A serious picture taking problem.  I think I need help.

I thought a good place to start would be Christmas Eve.

We started the morning out by making some cookies for the big man.

I must say I am finally able to give the kids full reign of the frosting and sprinkles.  Ok.  So I guess my kids growing up does have some benefits.

During the after noon, we watched as the sky made it preparations for Santa.  It let down just enough snow for Santa to use his sleigh.

(taken with my iphone)

Sleigh Bells ring are you listening?

I prepared a nice little Christmas meal.

I love sharing fancy meals with my family.

After dinner it was time for our Christmas traditions.

We all presented our gift to the Savior; which is goal to change for the better.  We put them in a white box and placed them under the tree; after we read our goals from the previous years.

The kids always open two gifts on Christmas Eve.

Pajamas(made by me)

Ornaments.

The ornaments represent each child.

Jex: Star; because he shines in everything he does

Stella: White snowflake to represent baptism

Isaac: bird because he flew off to Kindergarten

Tessa:  A Santa because he is the magic of Christmas, and Tess is the magic of our house.

Then we laid out the goodies for the big man, and a few for our Elf.

 

The kids went to bed, and within 20 minutes…

Not a creature was stirring.  REALLY!! Not one sound.

They fell asleep so fast.

With visions of Sugar plums…

and they dreamed and hope that Santa would come…

…and he did.

Christmas morning coming soon.