alittlesweetness

merry christmas!

Just thought I'd pop in and wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS!  I want to say thank you to all my readers and customers who keep me going and being just the sweetest people EVER!!

Also, wanted to show the CUTEST EVER ornaments I ordered from the oh, so amazingly talented Jessica of Petite House.  Seriously, they are as adorable in person as they are in this photo. 

I was basically able to 'custom design' each of these!  A couple details where I didn't know what to do, she added her creativity and I love them!  Definitly keepsakes for our family.  Thank you Jessica!  I'll be back for more next year.  ;)  Visit her shop for year round cuteness and bookmark her for your ornament happiness next Christmas! (photo is by Jessica)

Well, I better be off for some last minute Christmas to-do's and yep, still working on those stockings!  They're coming along though.  I'll have to show them after the holidays.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Tasha

time to make.....

This week there will be lots of making going on!  Or as Soule Mama would call it.....'Elving' .  I've been so inspired the last few years by Amanda, and also Gabrielle of Design Mom, who each lead their children in making gifts for one another at Christmastime.  I admire their dedication to their children and families and the effort they put forth to teach their children to be giving and thoughtful.  Now, let's see if I can pull that off too.  ;)

We announced the idea to our children back in November and pretty much have had mainly brainstorming going around.....a little making, but mostly ideas.  So here we are...the week of Christmas and we have some work to do to make this happen!

My oldest loves to do art, so he decided to draw each siblings name on paper in one of his favorite artistic ways and then frame it for hanging in their bedrooms.  I supplied him with the art paper (that was easy!) and purchased a nice set of Sharpies (they're his favorite marker). 

For frames we decided to see what we could thrift and paint.  So this week he's got a little painting to do.

My 2 youngest sons are going to embellish some inexpensive headbands for their sister.

We've got a couple ideas and need a trip to the craft store and I think we'll be set on the others. 

I've decided to make a few stockings for the younger ones.  Ava doesn't have one at all and the other boys stockings were quick purchases a few years ago that we aren't too crazy about.  My 2 older boys love the stockings I made them when they were very young and were not interested in a new one.  I guess I should be happy about that except they won't go with the new ones, but oh well.

I'm excited to use these cute pom poms for trim!  My mom had done that on our stockings, so the idea to do the same was perfect. 

For the stockings, I'm going off patterns and ideas from these and these.  Here are some fabric options for my daughters stocking:

So, I better get to it!  Wish me luck. 

Oh, and you should get some pom poms.  ;)

Merry Making!

Tasha

christmas decorating + a SALE!

Christmas decorating this year has been pretty simplistic so far.   One fun change though is that I finally painted my hutch white and I love it.  (It used to be black).  It's so bright and cheery now!

I've kept several things behind in the storage boxes, mainly because I just don't know what to do with them and also because things have gotten to be a bit dated.  (ie: out of style).  There's nothing sentimental about any of those items so I don't feel bad.  And although I would love to make some new things because there are so many super cute ideas, projects, books, blogs for amazingly adorable decorating inspiration and I wish I could wave a magic wand and be able to DO IT ALL, I don't think I'll be to.  I need to move on to some other things and I'm happy with that too, so it's okay.  ;)  

So anyway, here's what things looked like when my house was all cleaned up and the sun was brightly shining for 1/2 a day before the clouds and rain came storming through, so I snagged the chance to photograph it:  ;)

 

Now, I know I have a patchwork wall.  I am slowly painting the khaki walls to gray....it's a process and that armoire can't be moved without the hubby's help.  Hopefully it won't be that way too long.  :)

Here's a closer peek of the tree:

We have a little village that the kids love.

We always restock candy canes regularly during December....I'm pretty flexible about a healthy dose of good 'ole fashioned peppermint candy canes.  I really don't buy the other flavors.  I think they aren't real candy canes.  ;)  The peppermint ones look cute and authentic. 

Ava was with me, of course, when I was taking pictures.  (All the boys were at school) 

She had a candy cane.  Mmmmm.....

Here's her sticky and adorable face:

She also loved playing with my green pear candles that my sweet visiting teachers brought me.  She kept posing with them for me so I would keep taking her picture.  Such a girly girl.   

SOOOO....In celebration of all the fun the holiday brings, I'M HAVING A SALE!!!  YAY!

All week, EVERYTHING IN THE SHOP IS 20% OFF.....that's right, everything is 20% off!! 

And it's super easy too!  Etsy has a new tool for entering coupon codes at checkout, so your savings is instant, instead of waiting for new invoices or refunds.  LOVE IT! 

The coupon code for this sale is.................. candycane20. 

And that's it....instant discount at checkout off your total order!  How fun is that?!

To clarify....This sale begins Monday, December 13th and runs through Sunday, December 19th (2010) and is for 20% off your total order. 

ENJOY!!

And hey, I'd love to see your Christmas decorating too!!

Tasha

lately....

Goodness gracious!  Where is the time going?!  We've really been enjoying the coming of winter and the holiday season......spending time with family, shopping, our first snow (that's melted now!) and redecorating the house for christmas!  Not to mention the beginning of basketball season for a couple of my boys, making life extra full, but wonderful.

Even still, I've been able to do some new artwork for the shop!  Yay!  Artwork is an interesting thing.  Finding the time, inspiration and motivation can be tricky at times.  Some illustrations have been drawn out on paper for months before coloring starts taking place and then it slowly transforms to a finished product.  Other times it will come together very quickly, from paper to a finished product in just a couple days.  It just depends and varies from one illustration to another.   

Here's Winter Pixie.....she was practically ready a few weeks ago and then just getting the last details finished took time.  Well, more like finding the time to really pay attention to it.  I think she's a cutie!

 

Here's the postcard pack (with or without the text):

Story Time comes in 3 colorways.  Pink, Gray and Aqua because I couldn't decide. 

Miss Lolly, she's just plain sweet:

and how could I resist drawing a Mushroom Fairy. 

I have really enjoyed getting these finished lately and I hope you all like 'em too!  :)

And just for fun, some pictures I've taken of the kids lately.....

Ava in the snow...

A day trip to Seattle with cousins!  (My kids and my brother's kids)

 

Seattle from the car...

Ava on the peir.....(seriously, I want her sweater!  Why don't they make that in my size? why!?)

The tiny white scarf around her neck was made by her brother for her before she was born. 

We had a full house for Thanksgiving and we couldn't have been happier!  Here's a few pic's from the weekend:

Happy Monday!

Tasha