Merry Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you! :) I hope you’ve had a great day so far and continue to enjoy the Christmas spirit throughout the weekend.

Here’s a cute little survey I saw over on Mindy’s (Road Runner Girl) blog and decided to fill it out, too! Enjoy! :)



Egg Nog or hot chocolate?
Both! :)

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa wrapped presents when I was a child, so we’ve kept that tradition going!

Colored lights on tree/house or white?
I’ve always been a fan of white lights. My brother and I would get in arguments over which set belonged on the tree…so we took turns each year.

Do you hang mistletoe?
Of course! :)

When do you hang your decorations up?
Well, I usually get antsy and decorations go up a week or two before Thanksgiving. I love Christmas and want to enjoy it for as long as possible!

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)
My mom’s sweet potato casserole! It’s delicious!!

Favorite holiday memory as a child?
My brother and I used to have “operation Santa” every year, complete with walkie-talkies and a game plan. Our plan was to try and see Santa, but it never failed…we always fell asleep!

What is on your Christmas wish-list?
KT Tape, a Mickey Waffle iron, Alex & Ani, and something shiny” (seriously, that’s what I wrote…haha!)

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
No, never have…I want Christmas to last as looooong as possible!

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Mostly Hallmark ornaments that I’ve collected over the years.

Snow? Love it or dread it?
I’ve only experienced true snow one time – it was in Oklahoma for a friend’s wedding and it was literally a blizzard. I’ve never had a White Christmas although I do think it would be fun! :)

Real tree or fake tree?
Fake…

Do you remember your favorite gift?
I sure don’t…but each year I’ve received great presents from family and friends so they are all favorite to me!

What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?
Celebrating the true reason of the season, the main reason we celebrate this holiday to begin with – the birth of Christ.

What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Reindeer Food…it’s soooo yummy!

What is your favorite tradition?
Watching Christmas Vacation with the family after eating Christmas Dinner.

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
I love to give! I always try to think of something special or a meaningful gift – and I love the look on their face when they open their gifts. Makes my heart happy!  :) I also like receiving gifts too, of course…but mostly giving!

What is your favorite Christmas song?
Silver Bells – I used to take piano lessons (from my now mother-in-law)…weird, right? Well, we had a Christmas concert one year and that’s the song I requested!  I also like the NSYNC and Plus One Christmas albums and pretty much any song on either one of those!

Candy canes, yuck or yum?
LOVE LOVE LOVE! Peppermint is my favorite! The cherry flavored ones are pretty good, too!

Favorite Christmas Movie?
The Holiday and Mickey’s Christmas Carol

Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?
Eating Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls, opening gifts, and watching the Disney Parks Christmas Day parade!

(Snow globe collection from JCPenney on Black Friday since 2000!)

Do you prefer to shop online or at the mall?
The Mall! Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year!

Christmas letter or Christmas card?
Cards…I love sending them out! :) This year, I displayed a Christmas card from each year we’ve been married!

I pray blessings on you and your family during this Christmas season and throughout the next year!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Don’t forget about the FitMas Week #4 giveaway happening right now! Giveaway ends on Sunday night at midnight – be sure to check it out and enter now for your chance to win! This is the final giveaway of the year so don’t miss out! :)

DIY: Creating A Deco Mesh Wreath

On Sunday afternoon, a group of ladies and I got together for a DIY Deco Mesh Wreath Party. We had SO much fun and this wreath was much easier to make than I expected. My mind came alive with so many wreath possibilities -

• Holidays/Seasonal
• Disney Themed
• Front door address (with numbers)
• How about a wreath showcasing your marathon accomplishments? Hey, it could be done!

I’m going to show you a few images from our party followed by a step by step photo tutorial.

I decided I wanted to make a Valentines Day wreath. My current wreath was sadly faded and I was in need of something new! I pinterested a few ideas, then hunted through Hobby Lobby for my supplies.

Several ladies gathered for the party with lots of different ideas.

Our wreaths ranged from Mardi Gras, Spring, 4th of July, and even one that included house numbers for a front door (and it was burlap, too)! I wish I had a picture of it, but I don’t – it was a super cute idea!

After finishing with the deco mesh, I applied ribbon. Tip: Don’t wrap the ribbon all the way around. Measure your loops and cut your ribbon. It wastes ribbon if you continuously loop it around your wreath.

Co-workers with their finished Mardi Gras and 4th of July wreaths.

Valentines Day wreath complete!

Here’s the supplies you’ll need:

• 16” wreath form with tinsel ties
  (not plain green wire form; this will be wire form with tinsel tree like branches on it)
• 2 rolls of deco mesh (the big rolls, not the small ones); these could be the same color or different colors, doesn’t matter
• Pipe Cleaners
• Wired Ribbon (if you choose to add this)
• Light weighing décor that can be hot glued to the mesh

All of my supplies were purchased at Hobby Lobby with the exception of the heart ribbon which came from Michaels.

Source

Your wreath form will have two layers – point the wire pieces up towards you.

Roll out your mesh

Grab the starting end of your garland and bunch it together. Then, fold the end down to form a “pony tail”. The area where my fist is located is the area that will begin the wreath on the frame.

Find a starting location on the outer ring – doesn’t matter where. Double twist the garland/twist tie/wire around the “pony tail” and twist it tight!

Now the fun begins!

Measure out about 12 inches, then secure again on the OUTER ring. You can make it a little smaller than 12 inches for a less “poofier” wreath.  Double twist each twist tie – also make these tight.

I  used about 8 inches here. My completed wreath from the party was about 12 inches.

Continue looping your mesh around the outside edge of the wreath form.

When you reach your starting location, secure your current end to the same twist tie/wire where your beginning loop is located.

If you have a second color, secure a pony tail loop to the same twist tie you used previously for your starting location. It might look like you are running out of room with your wire, don’t panic, that’s why you have extra twist ties!

If using the same color, carry on with the next step as described. If you run out of one roll, begin the new roll where you left off.

Now you are going to begin an in-out pattern with your mesh.

Instead of following around on the outside loop, use the closest wire/garland tie on the inside loop. Secure, then bring your mesh up to the next outside garland/wire tie and secure over the mesh already there. Bring your mesh back to the next inside garland/wire, then again to the next outside wire. Continue this pattern until you reach your starting location. By the end, all of your inside loops will include mesh and your outside loops will have been used twice.

Your second roll WILL overlap with your first roll and that’s ok, that’s what you want!

After completing an entire round of pink and an entire round of white, I decided my wreath didn’t include enough pink, so I went back in and added another layer of pink to the inside loops. The options are limitless!

When ready to add your ribbon, don’t loop ribbon all the way around your wreath. Measure out your loops, then secure ends with the garland/wire ties. You’ll waste ribbon otherwise.

You can see on the back of mine, I didn’t loop anything around.

Hot glue embellishments throughout your wreath.

Hang and enjoy! Again, the options are endless.

I created a board on Pinterest especially for Deco Mesh wreaths. Check it out, you might find something that inspires you!

I’m thinking a Disney wreath might be next…or possibly a race inspired wreath – I’m going to have to think about it a bit more.  I’m afraid I’ve created a monster…uhoh.

Have you ever made a Deco Mesh wreath? How about any DIY projects off Pinterest?