Silver bells... Silver .. mason jar!

I made this quick centerpiece a few weeks ago (yes! i did it early!) ... but haven't gotten the chance to share it (or much) on here.  I know it's a little late to inspire Christmas decorating.. so Pin it for next year :)  lol! 

Of course It started with spray paint!  I sprayed a mason jar silver. The sleigh bells were from the Dollar Store .. and already silver. I had the red sprigs and the faux cranberries.  Add some cotton balls and a dish lined with silver from my Grandma... and there it is!  A statement of a centerpiece, I think!

To get the red sprigs to say put.. I cut a Styrofoam ball in half and stuck them in.

I am Loving the turquoise and red!  So Festive!!

linking:
Whatever Goes Wednesday 
Christmas Categorically Crafting

Glass Glitter Trees

"Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy" as Addison would say... and that is exactly what this project was. 

I found these glass Christmas tree jars at Walmart.  I didn't know what I was going to try with them, but they had potential & clearly needed a makeover.

Glass Tree... less than $2

I decided that since i loved how the Glitter Bulbs turned out, why not try the same technique here.

Here is another set of the glitter bulbs.. so festive!

We whipped up thees trees in no time for an after school project one day on our back porch.  Yes, I am rubbing it in that we were on the porch in tees in December :)  sorry. 

Pour the Mop and Glow inside the glass jar and rotate it so that  the entire inside surface is coated.  Drain the excess.  Then sprinkle the "Extra Fine" Glitter inside and tap the sides to get it covered. (see post on Glitter Bulbs for extra fine glitter info.)

These would make great gifts... teachers, neighbors, friends :)  Who doesn't love a little glitter?!

Ta-Da!  Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

I don't think the project took quite long enough... after was homework time!

linking...
Craft-o-matic Monday
Get Your Craft On

BELIEVE

These turned out cute .. if i do say so myself.  

 I have liked the "block words" idea for a few years now.. and it has never made the cut of things i could find time to make.  This year, however, was the year!  ...basically because it was done for me!  While Matt and I took apart some pallets for other projects.. I saw these cute- perfect sized- cubes.  So like any crafting wife... I asked him to take apart more of the pallet to get enough cubes.  (I realize I recently claimed that the crow bar is mine.. and it is.. but these cubes were a little tough so I enlisted help.)

Thanks Hun!

So I said they were done for me.. the cubes "appeared" as part of another project. check

                                                   silver spray paint (i had it of course). check

                                                   BELIEVE letters... I got those at Micheal's - already painted, glittered,

                                                   and on clearance. Check!                                    
    

A few things found new life.. as silver :)

Just glued the letters on and .. BELIEVE it or not.. I got it done so quickly!

The next photo was supposed to be one of the blocks on my mantle.  They looked so pretty. (and they will again.)  If you follow me on Instagram.. you saw my sad fallen mantel.  My wreath, made of glass beads on a styrofoam wreath form, fell and broke in a few pieces.  :(   Just after I had finished the mantel yesterday too.. finally locating the red glitter trees I was hunting for.  I didn't get a pic.. that was on the plans for today... but nothing goes as planned sometimes.  My baby has an ear infection...

sad boy

... and after the doctor visit we found this (made me sick!)

See the blocks?

so tonight i relaxed with a glass of wine.. my poor wreath!  (Micah is feeling a little better already with the medicine... I'm not really more upset over the wreath!)

not sure what i'm going to do in place of the wreath... my goal was to be done with the house by the 15th! and i was oh so close!   ... stay tuned!

Christmas Address

For some reason I am into having our address numbers worked into some decor on our front porch.  Maybe it's because I have been practicing our address with Addie.. or maybe since it is our address :) It's probably really because I never sent out an address update and everyone keeps asking me for it.. sorry!   who knows!
I liked the wreath that featured our 513 for the fall.  I decided to use the same numbers and make a Christmas display.. but for once.. I did not want to have a wreath (gasp!)  I didn't have a plan for what I was going to do but I walked out of Michael's with a few clearance items to go with the red sparkly ribbon I got at Walmart (seriously,  it was sparkly, cheap, and a big spool.). I went home and made and hung this during nap time. That never happens.. doing it all in one day.  I felt so accomplished.  But a short nap time it was and I didn't get to post it then.  So here I am... a week or more later.

You may want to throw something like this together if you have a Christmas gathering coming up.. the numbers are large making it easy to see from the road and at night.  :)

Wooden snowflake ready to be spray painted!

I added a coat of white to brighten up the G.  I also sprinkled it with some extra fine glitter. 

and hung it up over the start of the front porch decorating

10 years!

Last week, November 30, was our 10 year anniversary :)  In some ways it is hard to believe it has been 10 years.  I wonder where the time went.  Then, I think of all the things that have happened over the span of 10 years... and it's hard to believe it all fit in! ..  3 beautiful kids, 7 homes, 6 duty stations, so many trips visiting the surrounding areas of our temporary homes,  too many friends to count blessing us richly, deployments and various times apart,  and memorable homecomings!
We have learned to take life as it comes and roll with it.  I used to be so not flexible when life threw curves.. it really messed me up!  But between having kids and living a military life, I have learned to be "a willow and not an oak" (a phase that used to annoy me in grad school when my supervisor would say it).   I wish she knew how I appreciate that phrase now!
Last night Matt and I got to enjoy a night away thanks to some of those dear friends I mentioned...  they kept all 3 kiddos! Basically saints ;).  Matt arranged for a stay at the Bayfront Westcott House, an adorable little bed and breakfast right on the water in St. Augustine.. America's oldest city.
We had a great time talking to each other (wow) and not using a stroller!  And the weather was perfect to walk around till 11.. yes.. all kinds of crazy!

down town st. augustine

sipping some wine on the porch

the bed and breakfast at night

view from the porch during breakfast

Much TO DO.. but Nothing

Today was one of those days. The kind where at the end it is frustrating to realize all that did not get accomplished. I let these kind of days have too much of an impact on myself. I get so hard on myself and so critical. It is pretty ugly.. the pity party. Days like this are "Unacceptable".. but it's me that can't accept... even though i completely expect. so today was going fine.. and then boom.. total wrench. I shattered a jar of spaghetti sauce all over the kitchen and Micah was not down with napping today. So during the time I was supposed to be checking things off my To Do list.. i was cleaning a mess and dealing with cranky baby that didn't accept that he was tired. Turns out we both were having issues accepting! I think accepting the present, what I am facing, is a huge stumbling block for me. I waste so much time and I use so much energy trying to alter the immediate present... trying to change it to what I think would be better for the path I see. In other words.. I am choosing to not accept. Accept what it is and move on. I may have to change paths.. and that is okay. Easier said than done. Does anyone else feel this way? How do you move past it? Do you let it ruin the rest of your day? .... Too often I do let it ruin my day. It's a choice though. Indeed I make the choice to not accept the situation. I chose to fight it, sometimes in various waves and with lots of ammunition. but it is a futile attempt. If I drop the sauce all over the floor, there is little I can do to fix the situation without first cleaning. so don't fight it.. clean it.. and move forward. and .. here's the key..don't forget to instagram it .. because wasting that little bit of time to put it out there for everyone to share in your anguish.. or maybe to laugh at you.. or maybe to tag you later after the same thing happens to them (totally happened today!).. is just totally worth it!! :) supposed to have my artsy pic right here.. but my blogger has reverted back to an old version and isn't letting me upload the pic. going to have to figure this one out at a later date. i'm choosing to ACCEPT it and move on :) perfect timing! You can see the picture as well as all my snap shots of our days by visiting the link below. check out my instagram here... www.instagram.com/amielgriffin