I heart you berry much

Merry Christmas!

In our city, they broadcast a fire place scene on TV all during the Holidays. It even has a flanneled arm reach out and poke the logs so they burn better.  We don't have a fireplace but we do have one of those huge deep old T'V's which takes up so much room.

So I made a faux fireplace surround for our TV out of cardboard. I printed out a pattern of natural stone and granite and Mod Podged it onto the boxes.  We had been given a slab of wood which I used for the mantle, but  you could make that out of cardboard as well.

I really like it and it gives our Living Room a totally different look than having that old TV sitting out. Plus now there's a real place to hang our stockings.

Here are some home made Origami ornaments we folded up. My daughter is 10 and really enjoyed this. It's much easier than you think and once you master it, you can really churn them out. Click  here for the folding pattern, it is called Good Luck Box from Richard Alexander. You can make some modifications to this pattern as we did to get different looks.

Have a Merry Christmas!

The Barbie's Christmas Nativity

Back in 2008 my daughter was 7 and I got inspired to make a Barbie's Nativity Scene. I never got pictures of the finished display,  but with a little digital enhancement, I present to you the Nativity Scene re-enacted by our "Barbino" Family and Friends. 

Merry Christmas!

Pink and Blue Crocheted Afghan

I crocheted this afghan over the last year during my visits to my Mom. She wanted to make just one more afghan for my daughter, and so we went out and picked out the yarn. Mom ended up being the inspiration and moral support, and I got to crochet something while we visited. The bright blue is one of my daughter's favorite colors and I somehow felt it needed an even brighter pop of colour so I picked pink. I wasn't too sure about the color choices, but my daughter loves it, so all is good. It's big enough to use for a spread on her bed and really thick and warm since this pattern kinda doubles over on itself.

So, now I've kept the dogs off of it long enough to get pictures...
and it will begin its real life on a bed covered in dogs and eventually dog hair.

Putting away Halloween till next year.

I think I've finally put away the final things from Halloween. Every day I think I've got it all, then just one more thing comes to the surface. Now I realize I have this huge orange inflatable love seat in the middle of my living room, but it sure is fun to turn upside down and jump on. Here it is up in the apple tree. Maybe one more day will have to go by with Halloween on the brain. 

Here's some more random pictures of our yard. I really am getting a bit carried away, but it sure is fun. We do it for the little kids, so it's not all that scary here, more just neat to look at.

I weave this spider web in this spot  each year. There's something relaxing about weaving a web.

Mr. Wrinkles isn't all that spooky in the daylight, but at night we had him digging up the bones of the dead. With christmas lights coming up out of the ground. 

Our spiral boulevard cypress became a march of white animal ghosts up to the great beyond. Definitely have to expand on this idea next year.

Eboneezer and Ophelia hung out at the top of our driveway this year. Here's the very little headed man, the hippy and Medusa. Check out those hippy pants! I had great fun making them.

There's a column in the middle of our living space - we wrap it in different things depending on the season. Sometimes wrapping paper, but this year it was black cloth for Halloween. Then we drew on it with chalk as if it was a blackboard .

That apple was a great amusement to one 10 year old. "Boy this apple has a bite to it!"

This is an old outdoor light sphere, drawn on with sharpie and lit up from the inside. Quite effective, although this photo doesn't do it justice.

My friend made this brilliant spider from packing tape.  He made a balloon form and newspaper form for the legs. Wrapped them in clear plastic wrap, then clear packing tape. Cut apart the final form and remove the paper then tape it back together.  This is by far my favorite Halloween decoration.

He also made this great little guy from a butternut squash. Even better we got to eat him the next day - yum.

Hope you had a fun one. Happy Halloween till next year!