Elf on the Shelf: Your Favorite Time of Year!

For most parents, you either love or strongly dislike the tradition of Elf on the Shelf. This time of year, your social media feeds become flooded with Elf ideas. I have to admit, it can be a little overwhelming. I mean, some of us have to set reminders and alarms just to remind us to move the elf each night. The holiday season is busy, but don't fret, my friend over at Cassia Leigh Designs has you covered and not just for your Elf on the Shelf needs. She has a full Etsy shop full of amazing party printables, invitations and everything you need to throw an amazing party (Charlotte's Mermaid Party came from her shop). I love printables because they are SO easy. You download, customize and print. The best part? You can do it last minute! Great for all of the procrastinators out there!

In our house, our elf makes his first appearance on December 1st! So, head over to the shop to get started on ideas for your family! There is even a printable calendar to help you plan the month and your Elf's activities!

A small sampling of Cassia Leigh Designs printables!

Cassia Leigh Designs offers "The Ginormous Printable Elf" package that includes 35 pages of Elf Fun! This is great for anyone who wants to be one and done! She also offers a la carte packages if you are just looking for a few different ideas. Some of my favorites include, "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" ,  Good Deed Cards and Rudolph Lollipop Holder.  The Elf Arrival Set is perfect for your Elf's debut on December 1st! 

I know the Elf on the Shelf tradition can be overwhelming, but all of the guesswork is taken away with these fun printables and the kids really love waking up to something fun! We all know Jesus is the reason for the season and there is no judgement if you decide to have an Elf of the Shelf or not, but if you do, I hope this simplifies the process for you!

Merry Christmas! 

Budget-Friendly Fall Front Porch Decor

I know I say this every year, but fall really is my favorite time of year. You know fall is in the air when, Bath & Body Works starts advertising their fall scents (my favorite is Leaves), Costco gets their giant mums and pumpkin patches and fall festivals start popping up all over!

I love transforming my front porch into all things fall and this year I got started a little early. So early, that I didn't find pumpkins until Saturday of last week! Finally my front porch is complete, with the exception of some extra pumpkins I'll add from our pumpkin patch visits over the next month. Here are some tips to get your front porch ready for fall without breaking the bank!

Mums. Costco is my go-to when it comes to large potted plants. They have the best prices and products. Their mums are $14.99. I picked up this one last week and many of the buds were still closed. Pick a mum with less open buds so that it will last longer! 

Orange Pumpkins. Walmart isn't my favorite place to shop, but they do have some amazing deals. This is where I got all of my pumpkins pictured and the Indian corn. I'm hoping to accent with some more eclectic pumpkins after our next visit to the pumpkin patch. $3.88 for large pumpkins and $2.88 for pie pumpkins. 

Mini White Pumpkins. These were cute and 3 for $3.88. You could substitute these and add gourds as well. 

Indian Corn. Also, 3 for $3.88 at Walmart! I love the different colors and varieties. 

Hay Bales. I picked these up at Michael's during a sale. I got two of them for $6.00 each with my military discount. I placed one vertical and one horizontal to add some dimension. If I had more space, I would have added more hay bales! 

Scarecrow. This was a request from Charlotte. I am not in love with it, but Charlotte liked it and loved her pigtails. At $5.99, how can you go wrong?! I also purchased this at Michael's. 

The wreath that is pictured is from Hobby Lobby from 6 seasons ago. The little pumpkins are starting to peel, but it has definitely served its purpose. Here are some additional wreath options from Michael's that would be a good substitute. I also added a monogram on top of the wreath. You can purchase a monogram from one of my favorite small-businesses, Boogie & Bear. It is a great investment because you can use it with all of your holiday wreaths and paint as needed! 

Both wreaths currently on sale for $25 

I haven't gotten down my bins to decorate the interior of our house yet, but I did attend an awesome craft night with some girlfriends last night and wanted to share the final product! We used Annie Sloan chalk paint, gold leaf and wax to design to fall pumpkins. I put my finished pumpkins with some other fall accents into a shallow basket tray as a centerpiece for my dining room table. 

The before paper mache pumpkins!

Crafting Away!

Finished Product!

Happy Fall Y'all! 

DIY: Notecards to Artwork

Being in the military, we move locations about every two to three years. I love to commemorate each duty station with special items from the area we are in. When were stationed in Hawaii, I fell in love with pineapple items and also collected several pieces of Hawaiian inspired artwork. I love how these items have so much meaning and bring back great memories whenever I see them around our home.

Now that we are stationed in Monterey, I have been on the hunt for art and local pieces. I quickly realized that pieces were either very expensive or just not my style. One day I was shopping at the Navy Exchange at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and I stumbled upon some watercolor notecards on a spinning card rack. There were many different scenes, including the Bixby bridge, Monterey Bay, Lover's Point and of course several NPS scenes as well. I bought the items I was shopping for and didn't really think about them again until a couple of days ago. Weeks had gone by and I was still searching for the perfect "Monterey/NPS" artwork for our home. I had two 5x7 frames sitting in the closet with old photos from Hawaii and I was debating what to put in them and where to hang them. My mind instantly recalled the prints at the Navy Exchange. I couldn't remember the size of the cards, but I figured they would be 4x6 or 5x7. Worst case, I could contact the artist and have something made. I went back that afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to find they were 5x7 (and would fit perfectly in my frames) and that they were 3.99 per card! What a steal! I decided on these two NPS scenes.

I was so excited to get home and put them into the frames! I prepped and cleaned the frames and then put the prints in the frame. They were just a little too small! I was so sad! But then I realized that the envelopes were just a smidge bigger then the prints, so I mounted them onto the envelopes and then placed into the frames. Michael's or any custom frame shop could make something custom for these prints, but since I already had the frames, I really wanted to make it work.

I'm so happy with the finished product! Thanks Kyle for hanging them and getting them perfectly straight! Not bad for a DIY project under $8! 

 

Of course I want to give credit it to the watercolor artist, but unfortunately, her website is broken. 

The card has this info listed: 

Mary Lou Cortright

831-643-2295

montereywatercolors.com

Have a great Labor Day!

DIY: Bow and Headband Holder

When we found out we were having a little girl, I would be lying if I didn't say that one of the first things that came to my mind were BOWS! I mean who doesn't love a baby with a coordinating outfit, bow and shoes? Thanks to Etsy, there is no shortage of adorable bows available to purchase!! Throughout my pregnancy, I searched for a bow and headband holder that would coordinate with Charlotte's room and be functional. I never really found anything I loved, so I decided a DIY project was in store!

You have probably heard me rant about Hawaii and its lack of "normal" (or as we like to call it here "mainland" things). We don't have Hobby Lobby, Michael's or Jo-Ann's! But, we have Ben Frabklin Crafts. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible, but the selection doesn't compare and it is super pricy and they rarely have coupons. I recently discovered that Hickam Air Force Base has an arts and craft store. I initially wrote it off because I didn't think it was possible for the store to have anything, but boy was I wrong! 

My mom and I ventured there yesterday and wow, it was awesome! The store is small, but still had everything we needed and of course, the prices were great! 

So, that brings me to my DIY project! Here is what you will need:

Picture Frame (preferably 8x10 or larger, I used 11x14)

6-8 small C Hooks ( found at hardware store)

1 spool of ribbon 

hot glue gun 

Embellishments (optional) 

Remove glass and matting and push back metal holders so they are not exposed.

Depending on your size frame, measure out where you want your ribbons. This will vary depending on the different size bows that you have. 

Glue ribbons to the back of the frame. Make sure to make the ribbons tight so they don't droop. 

Next,  line up the hooks (they only had gold at HD, but you can paint them to match your frame)

Then drill the holes for the C hooks (maybe your husband can help! :)

Glue on any embellishments to complete the project!

Add your bows and headbands! How cute is this? 

Total Cost of Project:

Frame-$11.99

C-Hooks- $2.17 (for two 4 packs) 

Ribbon- $3.25 

Flower Accent-$6.00

$23.41 

When compared to Etsy, a similar product would be upwards of $30 plus shipping! You could definitely do this project for even cheaper with a more basic frame or one from Goodwill that you repurpose and paint. But, I have multiple mirrored frames in her room and it really completed the look! 

Happy Crafting!