Five Ideas for Christmas Washi Tape

I snagged this great Christmas patterned washi tape on the Plaid Barn. When I ordered it, I didn't really know what I was going to to do with it. I just knew that I liked it and would find some way to use it up. I have been having such fun figuring out different ways of using it and thought that I would share some with you today.

1) Sealing Christmas Cards: I started using it to spice up the backs of the envelopes for our Christmas cards. A couple of strips over the sealed flap added some great visual interest. (I am not sure how the postal service feels about using it this way. I am hoping my washi tape isn't jamming up all of their machines.)

2) Decorating Buckets and Dishes: We had a little hot chocolate bar here the other day and I used the washi tape to turn ordinary buckets and dishes into festive serving pieces. When I was done, I just removed the tape.

3) Christmas Packages: Before I mail a package this year, whether for myself or my business, I have been adding a couple of strips of washi tape. Sure does liven up a plain cardboard box! (Once again, I may be on the postal service's naughty list for this one.)

4) Christmas Present Tags: I usually make some sort of homemade tag for our Christmas gifts. This year, I am using my washi tape. The best part is that I know it will stay put through shipping and hauling.

5) Labeling Containers: Whether you are handing out Christmas treats or just taking a dish to a potluck, this is a great way to keep track of whose is whose. And when you are done? Simply remove the tape for the next time.

Do you have any unique uses for washi tape?

Dare to DIY: Deck the Halls: Advent Wreath

I have been wanting to start the tradition of having an Advent wreath at our home. Of course, I wanted something a little bit different, so I was dragging my feet on the entire project. I got the boost I needed when I said that I would bring one to church for an Advent event.

I started by looking on Pinterest where I found this blog post on Groovie Mom that featured a wreath that was similar to what I wanted to make. I started by looking for a base for the wreath. I ended up with a white cake stand from Pier 1. (I can't find the exact one I purchased, but this one is similar.) Then I purchased and chopped apart floral sticks for the greenery.

I got mine from Michaels. The hardest part in this project was tracking down the candles. I could find tapers, but finding purple and pink pillars was hard. Finally I got the purple and white ones at Target and the pink one at Hobby Lobby. At first I just laid the greenery around the candles, but it kept falling off and needing to be rearranged.

So, I cut a piece of white card stock into a circle, traced the candle placement onto it, and then hot glued the greenery around the outside edge. That way I can remove the greenery after Christmas and have a white cake stand to use. We have been enjoying our new Advent wreath tradition. Every night after supper we light the appropriate candles for the week and read a devotion out of an Advent book I found online. The girls look forward to it every night.

I am linking up to the Dare to DIY link party.

Christmas Planning

I knew it was going to happen, and I tried to be on the ball this year, but here it is 3 weeks until Christmas and I still have so many things I would like to get done. Thankfully, I have the Christmas cards almost ready to go out. And I do have the majority of my shopping done. Now it is on to the things that I would like to do. (Oh, and a whole ton of sewing.) At least they are all fun things, for the most part.
I was just looking through my Pinterest Christmas board and decided that I should make a list of what I would like to all get done in the next three weeks.

(From top clockwise) 1) Woven Cookie Stars from The Crafty Crow, 2) Pom Pom Crafts from Preschool Crafts for Kids, 3) Pipe Cleaner Advent Wreath from When Running Amok, 4) Decorate your own Gingerbread Man from ikatbag

(From top clockwise) 1) Window Snowflakes from Small Wonder, 2) Pipe Cleaner Initials from Your Cozy Home, 3) Vintage Linen Bunting from So Into Vintage, 4) Twine Star from Lowes

(From top clockwise) 1) Eggnog Cookies from Cooking Classy, 2) Cranberry Dip from Jamie Cooks It Up, 3) Party Loaf from Rhodes, 4) Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

Christmas Dolls: Holly and Jingle

My sister-in-law challenged me to make an ugly Christmas sweater doll for my Etsy shop. I tried to find ugly Christmas sweater fabric, but couldn't.

I did find a funky piece of Christmas fabric that I thought would work, however. (I found the fabric at our fabric warehouse which is closing! Boo!!) Anyway, I set to work on the ugly Christmas sweater dolls. And do you know what?

They turned out too cute to use the term ugly in the title. So, I am now selling Christmas dolls. Meet Holly and Jingle. They were super fun to create and I just love how they turned out.

  If you would like one or a pair or 50! stop on by my Etsy store kiki b omi designs!

Christmas Craft Show

This weekend I got into the upcoming Christmas spirit a bit early by participating in a local Boutique. It was held in connection with a holiday tour of 7 decorated homes in the area. 

As usual, I was a crafting whirlwind right up until the night before the show, but all of my work paid off with a great booth and a good show. I had my every growing and changing menagerie of up-cycled friends there, in addition to my art caddies, large and small, and crayon rolls. 

As a special to the show, I also offered some Christmas scrappy bunting. It was my biggest booth to date, 10 feet by 10 feet. Mr. Cherry helped me plan my booth floor plan once again. (I am so thankful for a suppirtive and helpful husband!! Especially one who has such better spacial skills than I.) I used my basket and hook set up on my craft paper covered peg board walls. 

I also added two small Christmas trees to each side. And of course I had to get out my vintage Christmas linens.

And since it was a two day show, there was some inevitable down time. I had brought along my Christmas cards and almost finished working on addressing them! It feels so good to get ahead a bit.

I would like to use this time as a little reminder to you all of the importance of shopping handmade and small local businesses all throughout the year, but especially at Christmas. 

A small order can make someone like my day. Before you go out to Target and the mall to do your shopping, maybe take a look at your downtown and see what gifts you can purchase there. 

Or stop by Etsy and browse all of the great handmade items for the people on your giving list. (And if you just so happen to need something for a little person, my shop is kiki b omi designs. I hope to have it filled with soon!!)

Christmas Vacation 2012

Opening Christmas Jammies at home

Opening Christmas Jammies at Home

On the afternoon of Saturday, December 22 we loaded up the van and hit the road for Mr. Cherry's parents' house. We had celebrated Christmas with just the four of us the afternoon before.

Quiet Time with Grandpa

After spending some quiet time at grandma and grandpa's we headed for the airport Christmas Eve morning and flew to Denver. My sister and her husband are spending the year in a Denver suburb as he completes his internship/vicarship at a church there. Even though we couldn't all sit together on the plane, we had a good flight. I had Cream on my lap in the middle of two gentlemen. Thankfully they were both very kind and one was a father of 11 and 13 year old boys who were sitting in front of us. If I peaked through the seats I could see Mr. Cherry and Peachy enjoying the flight together. (They had so much fun that Peachy told me her favorite part of flying was not sitting by me. Ouch!) One of Mr. Cherry's brothers also lives in the Denver area and was able to lend us his Yukon for the duration of our stay. So nice to have a vehicle we were all comfortable in that could handle the Colorado roads. (And that we didn't have to pay to rent.)

Enjoying some time with Uncle J

My parents drove to Colorado and met us there a little later on Christmas Eve. Since Peachy was a bit wore out from a cold and the trip, she and Mr. Cherry took an afternoon nap together. Apparently after waking up and making it down stairs of my sister's condo she promptly threw up. It was back up to bed for her. While the rest of us made our way to Christmas Eve church, Mr. Cherry and Peachy stayed home. Thankfully she only threw up that one time and was feeling better quickly.

Peachy and Papa at the Cabin

We awoke to a lovely snow cover on Christmas Day and made our way through it to the Christmas church service. What a near blessing to be able to worship together as a family with one of the family leading the service!

Cream and Daddy at the Cabin

My brother-in-law's family was also able to join us for Christmas and together they made a delicious Christmas lunch after which we went to spend a couple of hours with Mr. Cherry's brother and girlfriend.
The next day it was time to pack up and head up into the mountains. My Aunt and Uncle live in Eagle, Colorado and rented a cabin at a state park for all of us for two nights. We have been going to this particular state park with them off and on for many years now.

All bundled up at the cabin

Despite some sickness and rough nights we all had a good time being together in the beauty of God's creation. There was sledding, snowshoeing, relaxing, and lots of good food. On Friday, we all packed up and headed down the mountain for our flight back. Cream was running a fever at this point and a bit on the cranky side. But she did pretty well on the flight. It helped that we were all able to be together without a lot of people around us.

Peachy enjoying the flight home

We spent the next three full days with Mr. Cherry's family for their Christmas celebration. In all there were 19 of us staying in the same house. It means some creative sleeping arrangements and table settings, but also lots of fun togetherness. Peachy was in heaven playing with her cousins whom she adores and who treat her so kindly.

Cream playing with cousin J

Cream was okay, but really only wanted me and if I wasn't available, Mr. Cherry. She ended up staying home from Sunday church and New Year's Eve church and was in her pajamas for family pictures.
After over a week of fun, it was time to pack up and head home.

Peachy jamming on one of her cousins' Paper Jams

All told we drove over 1000 miles and flew over 1400. Thank goodness for children who for the most part traveled well, airplanes, and favorable travel conditions. What a wonderful way to celebrate the best Christmas gift of all, our infant King, Jesus.

Mr. Cherry's family

Everyone minus one cousin and one grandma at the table

Merry Christmas 2012

I am taking the week off to celebrate the birth of our Savior King. May you all be blessed with a wonderful Christmas surrounded by those you love. We will see you in 2013!!

Christmas Tour 2012

I promised you a while back for the complete tour of our home with its Christmas decorations. I finally got a sunny day to snap some shots. (Yes, while many other states are dealing with rain and snow today, we got sun. I am a happy lady. I know that we will get plenty of snow. I am okay with putting it off a little while longer.)

You have seen the entryway decor and can read about it here.

And you can read about my table off-center piece and chalkboard here.

Here is our tree. We seem to relocate it every year. This year it is more out in the open. I like that because we can use the entire tree. It is a small tree and we have many ornaments. It is always such fun getting the ornaments out of the box and remembering where they are all from.

Here is a new addition this year. I knew I wanted to do something with my window. I ended up going with a fabric garland and simple wreath. I really like how it turned out.

I made this Christmas banner last year. It hangs on our hutch with the snowflake ornaments on each side.

At the top of the stairs we have a little table that has my favorite Christmas decorations on it. I have been saving vintage glass ball ornaments for a while and now have enough to fill a small hurricane jar. (With a fun little vintage elf thrown in.) My mom bought me these pine cone elves last year at a great little store in my hometown. I love their character and whimsy! And then there is this fun little deer as well. Peachy also really likes this area as she is constantly rearranging the elves and trees.

This is our third year of hanging our stockings and Christmas cards on the curtain rod where the picture frames usually hang. (You can see how it normally looks here.)

I got these fun glass ornaments on Christmas clearance one year. I vary how I use them from year to year, but this year they are all nestled in a bowl with a birdie friend.

The girls have several toy nativity scenes. I couldn't resist adding this picture in of their FisherPrice set. Love that there is an unknown gentleman talking on his phone in front of the manger. Wouldn't that be the case if Jesus were born today?