DIY Christmas Wreath!

This year I wanted to make an addition to my christmas decorations. My friend Allie brought me this idea and I fell in love! 

DIY Yarn Wreath! (sorry about the poor quality of this picture, it's from my iPhone...the cannon was uber dead and I was just too excited to post!)

Things you need: 

(that can all be purchased at your local hobby lobby or walmart)

One 12-inch foam wreath

A giant roll of yarn: you choose your colors

roughly 3-5 Sheets of "felt paper" - two for the roses...in case you want to try different styles of petals

and then variations of green for leaves. 

Bells, pearls etc: any small accent feature you like. gems work too!

glue gun and glue

HOW TO: 

Wrap your foam wreath with the yarn...let it look jumbled. imperfections are ok! (im a perfectionist and i had a hard time with this. but it turned out great! 

I wrapped mine twice to make it look thicker. its a preference thing.

Then tie off the end of the yarn and glue it in the back to make sure it doesn't unravel. 

Take a piece of felt about 10 inches in length and make a loop, this will be the hanging piece, so glue WELL! 

For the rosettes, take a plastic cup and trace the bottom circle so that you have some the same size. you can wrap them tighter for smaller ones and loosely for bigger roses. 

-- cut out the circle, then cut into the circle in a spiral pattern. Once you have done this you can start to wrap the spiral tight and you will see the rosette effect appear. 

Then cut leave shapes out of the green.

Then start gluing: attach leaves and rosettes in a fun pattern all together or in a row like i did. It makes for a fun project and something you can reuse over and over again! 

Feel free to make it your own and take any creative liberty you like. I had fun and I'm sure you will too!

love,

the craftaholic,  

~shadia

Funny Halloween :-)

So my best friends are just the most amazing people and they are always sending me the most hilarious pictures!....

Not only do they crack me up, they show people that Halloween doesn't have to be scary! It can be fun and more about the autumn season than costumes and skeletons.

Hope everyone is enjoying the gorgeous weather and beginning of the holiday season.

~ Shadia ~

DIY NYE Party

Anyone having a hard time deciding on plans for new years? The crowds are crazy if you go out and you end up spending too much money on things you don't even really enjoy. Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands and plan the party yourself! 

Here are a few ways to make the most of your New Years Holiday. 

Family Fun Block Party - Designed w/ Kids in Mind

Use Sparkling Cider in place of champagne so that kids can take part too.

HEB sells party plastic champagne glasses that everyone can use! Cheap and easy to jazz up- add stickers or different colored ribbon on the bottom to designate who's glass is who's. 

DIY new years hats etc. - or wal-mart has party packages with hats and noise makers. 

Board, card and dice games - set prizes for each game winner  

Fireworks - if you live near a cold-a-sac, invite neighbors and volunteer the idea that everyone share the show! Give everyone a chance to light up the sky.  

Do finger foods like pizza rolls and bagel bites. This will limit the mess and makes prep time a snap! 

If you decide on a block party, coordinate with moms and dads around the neighborhood. Each family can bring something. 

Food Ideas: begal bits, pizza rolls, Fruit, chips, scooby snacks (chex cereal mixed with chocolate, peanut butter and sprinkled with powdered sugar. YUM! 

21 & Up Party :-)

 Have a 'Key Bowl'- anyone who plans to drink must give up keys either to the host/hostess or to their designated driver. If you plan to host, be prepared to keep a few friends over night. Better safe than sorry is my motto.

Champagne or my personal favorite, Botega: Petalo Moscato Spumante, also known as, a sparkling wine. Imported from Italy. 

Lighting, if done right, can give a party the right mood to bring everyone out of their shell. String up some white christmas lights around the perimeter of the room, use low light lamps and set out candles in darker areas. 

Karaoke! who doesn't love to watch other people make a fool of themselves, its a great way to liven up a party where the guests might not know each other. 

Photobooth! if you have a computer or a camera and tripod - grab everything prop style you can think of and put it in a box near the photo booth. Hang a black sheet over a wall as a backdrop. You can FB, email or tweet the photos so that everyone can share!

Games w/ Incentive : win a bottle of liquor or fine wine

Play a game where you have to name everyone at the party by a certain time in the evening. This will get your friends to mix and mingle faster. Once everyone is acquainted they will have more fun! 

Dress Code: set a dress code based on the style of party you wish to have. Formal, Semi-formal, or Casual. Personally i prefer the semi-formal because you can be comfortable and still get a little snazzy.  

I could go on forever with ideas, but that's all for now. Happy Hosting. 

Be safe and Happy New Year!!

Shadia Phillips 

It's never too early

I know its not even December but I am already dreaming about Christmas!!
The music, the decorations, the fun goodies and the cool weather that we get to enjoy.
Last weekend we had a bit of a cold front. I was so excited to break out the hot cocoa and tea and turn the heater on!

Here are a few popular Christmas gifts that I like and have found very useful! Maybe it can help you find ideas for your friends and family's gifts.

1. Roll up/hanging make-up bags.
2. Perfume
3. Heeled boots, flat boots all kinds of materials
4. Cannon SLR cameras
5. Macbooks
6. Make up brushes
7. Running/ipod/phone accessories
8. Tiffany's charms and pendants
9. Diamonds - always on my list.
10. Luggage - there are great places to find sets- marshalls, ross, walmart (believe it or not-"jeep"brand)
11. Holiday decorations
....
Ill update as the holiday gets closer. Good luck finding the perfect gifts for your loved ones.
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