Every night…

December 14, 2011 4 Comments

Every night this time of year, goes a little something like this.

We play with the train that my cousins and I played with at my Grandparents when I was little.

(Isn’t it so neat that is STILL works?!)

The wheels squeak, the music sounds like it is coming from a fried record player and the horn is an ear piercing, screeching noise that I can’t even begin to describe…

but the littles LOVE it and so do I!

We have been through 5 packs of C batteries because they only last about 10 laps around the track before the horn stops chooooo choooooing.

And according to Cliff, EVERY train HAS to Choo Choo!

We also have Christmas movies on.

Every night after dinner and bath we tune in to some of the old school movies that Ross and I enjoyed when we were little – our favorite is How The Grinch Stole Christmas, of course.

But on the weekends, we mix it up with a little Polar Express – LOVE it!

Then, once the movie is over, the boy lines up his “Christmas Friends” aka Alvin and the penguin who both sing.

Different songs.

And we watch the three of them perform in less than perfect harmony.

Each performance is followed by hoops, hollers and very exaggerated claps because to us,

it’s beautiful.

Then it’s prayers and to bed they go!

We LOVE this time of year!

Filed Under: Family, Holidays, Seasons

{Christmas} with One Artsy Mama

December 13, 2011 3 Comments

Hi!

I’m Amy, aka One Artsy Mama, and I am so excited to be here at Johnny in a Dress today! I just love all things artistic and crafty, and I’m happiest when I’m creating something. I’ve been married to my best friend and dance partner for almost ten years, and we have an adorable 3-year old “Little Crafter” who brings more joy to our lives than we ever imagined was possible.

I’m passionate about my family, Jesus, and ballroom/latin dance, and I’m addicted to Starbucks.

Peppermint mocha, anyone?

This holiday season is my very favorite time of year, and December is especially fun for me since it’s not only Advent, Christmas, and New Year’s, but also my birthday and our wedding anniversary.

One of the things I enjoy most about preparing for the holidays is making meaningful gifts for the people I love. Natalie asked me if I’d share one of those gift ideas with you today, and I couldn’t be more honored by her invitation!

So, here is a quick, easy little project you can whip up for anyone on your list, and are you ready for the best part…it’s FREE!

ONE ARTSY MAMA’S HOLIDAY COUPON BOOK

Materials:

holiday coupon template {I made it up for you and you can download it right from this post!}

scissors

small hole punch

ribbon, cord, or twine

marker or pen

STEP 1: Save the coupon templates {just open the link for each page, right click and save to your computer}. Print out as many copies as you like. You only need to print the first page once. If you want more than six coupons, print pages 2-3 multiple times until you have your desired number. I printed mine on cardstock so the coupons are a little sturdier.

Page 1: Instructions and cover

Page 2: Coupon designs 1-3

Page 3: Coupon designs 4-6

STEP 2: Cut out coupons and arrange in whatever order you like. Place the cover on top.

STEP 3: Punch a hole in the upper left corner of each coupon. Tie together with ribbon or cord.

STEP 4: Fill in whatever you want each coupon to be redeemable for!

Here are a few ideas for a significant other:

a massage {you can specify back rub, foot rub, etc}

dinner out

your favorite dinner at home

a movie night

a coffeehouse date

doing your least favorite household chore for you

A few ideas for a neighbor or friend:

one night of free babysitting

one girls’ day out

one trip to the mall/Michael’s/clothing store together

one afternoon at the coffeehouse

one drink at Starbucks on me

one meal delivered to your house

one lesson in {whatever kind of craft you do best}

Have fun, be creative, and try to think of what that person would appreciate most!

This little book makes a great stocking stuffer or a gift for the person on your list who’s impossible to buy for! Hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much, Natalie, for sharing your fabulous blog with me today. I hope you all will come and visit me sometime at One Artsy Mama; I love making new friends, and I have some exciting things going on for the holidays!

Happy crafting,

Isn’t that the cutest gift idea EVER?!?

Make sure to head on over to One Artsy Mama and check out more of Amy’s fabulous tutorials!

Thank you for sharing a fun Christmas Craft with us Amy!

Filed Under: Crafting, Crafts, Guest Post, Holidays, Seasons

Rag Wreath… with Lights!

December 12, 2011 5 Comments

Wanna see our new wreath?!

Yep.

It’s a Rag Wreath…

WITH Lights!

Does it get any more fabulous than THIS?!

Stay tuned…

Because in a few days, I will show you how to make your very own!

Merry Christmas!

Filed Under: Crafts, Holidays, Seasons

{Operation} Christmas Tree

December 10, 2011 11 Comments

Just like every year, we packed up the littles and went on a journey to find the “perfect” tree!

(…well, if this was Ross’s story, he would change “perfect” to “BIGGEST”)

The entire way we got the littles all excited about “going on a tree hunt!”

Harper could not contain her excitement.
She walked around like this for the first 10 minutes, pausing every few steps to point and yell “tweee!”

The Girl most definitely has her Mama’s love for Christmas in her!
Well, she calls it “Kwissy!”

Off she went, searching for the perfect “twee!”

As soon as I rounded one corner to catch up with her, she would round another…

Then there was the Boy.

He took “Operation Christmas Tree” very, VERY seriously.

Walking down each row,

inspecting each tree.

…but he just wasn’t moving fast enough for Harper…

So, in true Harper fashion, she decided to take matters into her own hands:

And then we took a break from “Operation Christmas Tree”

and laughed…

…and laughed…

and laughed.

I felt a tear of pure happiness roll down my cheek between me and the camera.

Then the voice in my head reminded me:

These are the moments.

Stop.

Enjoy them.

Remember them like they are in this moment.
Forever.

Then it happened.

The littles spotted the BIGGEST “twee” EVER…

Before I knew it,

Ross had it (the massive tree) tied down on the top of my car!

The second we pulled into the driveway,

Ross was cutting the limbs and the base of the tree!

(gotta love a man with his tools!)

And inside it went.

Lots of lights, ornaments and ting ting now cover the three that is surrounded by presents!

…But you will have to wait to see the “finished product” another day!

Operation Christmas Tree = SUCCESS!

Filed Under: Family, Holidays, Seasons, The Boy, The Girl

Paisley or Polkadots {Review & Giveaway}

December 9, 2011 41 Comments

I am super excited to share with you one of my favorite Etsy Shops!

The woman behind the cuteness is Liz from The Quick Journey!

And YES,

she is a JIAD Sponsor (see her super cute button to the right?!)!

Love her!

Well, Liz sent me and Harper some goodies and….

WE LOVE THEM!

Seriously, does is get any sweeter than that?!

Guess what?!?

Liz wants to give one of YOU this headband:

To enter you MUST be a JIAD follower then you can:

1. Click on over the Paisley or Polkadots and leave a comment telling me which headband is your favorite!

2. Follow The Quick Journey Blog!

3. Like The Quick Journey on Facebook!

The winner will be chosen via Random.org and will be announced on 12/15/11!

Good Luck!

Filed Under: Giveaway, Review

{Christmas} with Grits and Giggles

December 8, 2011 2 Comments

I am so excited to be here at Johnny in a Dress today to share with you how to make my

{Distressed Christmas Carol Art}

I’m Jenilyn, author of Grits & Giggles, my DIY and creative outlet. I am a Laboratory Scientist by trade, but my real love is being a wife and mommy!

Let’s get started!

Materials:

8″x10″ canvas (as many as you want, I used 2)

Fabric paint

Printed Christmas Carol Lyrics (more on this later)

Ribbon

Gel Medium (found at craft stores in the paint section)

First, paint your canvases a background color with fabric paint. They can be any color that you want to fit your Christmas/holiday decor, but make sure it’s not too dark. You want black print to show up on it.

Using a pencil, lightly stencil or freehand a design on the canvas. This will be a guideline for painting.

Using fabric paint, fill in your design. Remember that you’ll have print over it, so don’t go too over the top with a beautiful and ornate image, because some of the image will be covered.

I did a ball wreath and a simple Christmas Tree.

Now you need your Christmas Carols.

Here are some notes:

You must print them Backwards. You will be transfering them face down, so they must be reversed on paper to be right on the canvas.

Use a printer or copier with TONER. You must use toner to get a transfer. Ink will not work.

Use the cheapest paper possible to print your text. No cardstock or photo paper, just the cheap white stuff is perfect.

Here are the two carols I used:

Jingle Bells

Deck the Halls

Feel free to use these or create your own!

Here is where we use our Gel Medium

Once all of your paint is dry, brush a generous, but thin layer of gel onto your canvas.

Lightly spritz one of your carol papers with water and lay it writing side down onto the gel. Use a credit card or your fingers to get out any air bubbles. Let these dry overnight.

Once they’re dry, spritz the paper with water until it’s a little see through.

Now comes the fun part….start rolling the paper off! Use your finger or a sponge to lightly pull and roll the paper off of the canvas. You’ll see the print stays on the canvas! The harder you rub, the more likely you are to remove some of the print, so be careful. I like mine “distressed” so I always rub into a few letters.

It can take several steps to remove all of the paper. Just keep rewetting and rolling until you have most of it removed. It takes me 5-6 times.

Once your canvases have dried, apply a thin coat of the gel medium to seal everything in and give it a shiny finish.

I made two canvases, so I wanted to connect them for hanging. Use hot glue to attach ribbon to the back of your canvases to connect them.

Then apply a loop of ribbon for hanging to the top of your canvas.

Hang, and ENJOY!

Thanks again to Natalie for having me over today! I’ve enjoyed sharing some Christmas crafting joy with Ya’ll. Come on over to Grits & Giggles to check out other DIY ideas in our Tutorials section. There’s lots of great ideas for Simple Christmas Gifts, Sewing Clothing, and Party Decor.

*Merry Christmas Ya’ll*

Filed Under: Christmas, Guest Post, Seasons, Tutorial

Whatcha Been Up To {Wednesday}

December 7, 2011 1 Comment

Whatcha Been Up To Christmas Edition:

I love this sweet Joy sign over at mk inspired!

I LOVE this Felted Wool Garland Tutorial shared over at Whipper Berry:

Check out this fun list of Christmas Kid’s Crafts over at My Blessed Life

Check out these free Printable Hershey’s Kiss Stickers over at Shindig Parties To Go!

Learn how to make your own Rice Krispie Treat Cupcakes at Something Swanky:
(I am making these for Cliff and Harper’s classes!)

See how Allison from A Glimpse Inside made this super cute Ribbon Christmas Ornament:

If you were featured, make sure to grab a button!

<center><a <SPAN style=”BACKGROUND: yellow” class=goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-word”>goog-spellcheck-<br /> <br /> </div><div align=”center”>Happy Wednesday! </div></body>

Happy Wednesday!

Filed Under: Featuring YOU, Whatcha Been Up To

{Christmas} with Ginger Snap Crafts

December 6, 2011 2 Comments

Hi! I’m Ginger, & I blog over at Ginger Snap Crafts.

It’s a fun place where I share my easy, simple & cute crafty ideas & projects.

{Would love to have YOU drop by sometime!}

It’s such an honor to be over here at

Johnny in a Dress!
{Isn’t Natalie fabulous??!! Love her & her blog!}

Today I’d love to share my cute & easy way to do a Christmas {countdown}.

{Supplies Needed}

wood plaque*

paint

ribbon

vinyl**

scalloped circle chalkboard vinyl***

* I bought my wood plaque at Hobby Lobby for under $2. Yay!

**I used Mr & Mrs Popsicle & His Name is Honey fonts for my vinyl.

***You could also use a stencil & chalkboard paint.

This is soooooo easy to make! First you paint your plaque white. Then drill two small holes along the top.

Apply your vinyl. Then thread a festive ribbon through your holes & tie a bow. All done!

Then use a piece of chalk or chalkboard pen to countdown to Christmas! Yay!

So fun, & your kiddos will love it!

Would love to have you over to Ginger Snap Crafts!

On my blog you’ll also find some more fun tutorials.

Like these:

outdoor chalkboard

chore sticks

family wall

I’ve also have a fun link party on Wednesdays…would LOVE to see what you’re up to!

Thanks for having me over, Natalie! I had a great time!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Merry Christmas!!!

(Hey, it’s Natalie again…)

Isn’t Ginger SUPER talented?!?

Seriously, you HAVE to go check out her awesome blog!

And in case you are wondering what I am up to today….

I am making Ginger’s super cute Christmas Countdown Plaque!

Thank you Ginger for sharing this fabulous Christmas project with us!

Merry Christmas!

Filed Under: Christmas, Guest Post, Seasons, Tutorial

Play Felt Christmas Tree & Ornaments

December 5, 2011 132 Comments

I decided that instead of having a battle over the littles tearing up the real tree this year,

they needed a tree of their own to play with!

Now they can decorate and more importantly UN decorate their tree as many times as they please.

(This is some serious entertainment… it just MAY have to stay out all year long!)

I started out by cutting a triangle then I cut out different size squares for presents and embellished them because all every Christmas Tree HAS to have presents under it, right?!

I grabbed my hot glue gun and glued the presents to the tree so they cannot be removed.

Hot glue LOVES felt!

Then I cut out different ornaments and lights, some plain, some with dots, some with stripes!

(have fun with it!)

Slap those cuties onto the Felt Tree and…

…now the littles have their own tree to do with whatever they please!

If all goes as planned, your tree will remain in tact through the Christmas Season!

Merry Christmas!

FAQ’s:

How did you attach the tree to the wall?

I actually used little dots of hot glue since the wall is brick. The hot glue peels right off the brick! Other readers have suggested Command Strips or double sided stick tape, but I have not tried these ideas. Another great idea is to trace the Christmas Tree on Foam Board and glue it directly to the foam board then you can lean it against the wall and it can easily be moved throughout your house!

How do you get the ornaments to stick to the tree?

Felt sticks to felt!

How much felt did you use to make the tree?

About one yard.

Will you make me one?!

If you would like to purchase one,
Please email me at johnnyinadress(at)hotmail(dot)com with FELT CHRISTMAS TREE ORDER as the subject and your PayPal email address. Also, please specify if this tree is for a boy, girl or both!
(“Boy” trees will not have pink on them!)
These are $35 shipped!

***********************************************************************
All orders placed after December 8, 2o12 will be shipped in January 2013!
Thank you!

THESE ARE FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY!

DO NOT sell these.

Filed Under: Crafts, Holidays, Hot Glue, Seasons, Tutorial

{Special Needs} Gift Guide Christmas 2011

December 4, 2011 4 Comments

Each year I find it a little more difficult to find proper gifts for Cliff.
So, I thought this year I would share a few things Cliff will be getting this year to help other mamas with special littles of their own!

Here is my
Special Needs Gift Guide for Christmas 2011!
(Please Note: these toys are appropriate for 4 plus years of age)

Plasma Car:
(Gross Motor, Core)