X-Mas Cookies - click image for more details

We decorated Christmas cookies this afternoon.  I am so enjoying the Christmas sweater and mitten cookie cutters, any way you decorate they look neat.  Before baking I made a toothpick impression in the arms so it was easier to follow once baked and cooled.

I found a "In the Mix" Ninja gingerbread set at Winners, it came with plastic cutters so it was a must have for my hubby and kids. *Note for next year, flip some Ninja's over before baking to have more fighting options.

I mixed Moss Green Wilton dye paste with Wilton red paste to make the black icing.

Kinda looks like Colonel Sanders?

of course the hubby got creative, EVERY YEAR!  Usually it's extra dangley bits on the gingerbread men.

Quickie Joy - click image for more

I did this project a few weeks ago, but didn't get around to posting it. I purchased the the letters and snowflake wood cutouts from Michael's.  

I painted them with Acrylic craft paint,and free hand painted the polka dots.  
I didn't have to do anything to the snowflake, it was already shabby chic'd.

I glued clothes pins to the back sides and attached them to the chicken wire on the old window frame that adorns my fence during the nicer weather.

Merry Ho Ho Everyone!

The window frame is mounted to the brick using a brick clip from Canadian Tire.

Basement Before and After - Click on Image to see more

Okay okay, so our basement renovation has been a long time coming, it's why we bought the house 10 years ago.

Fall 2016 (Before)

During...

During... (hurray, bye-bye cinder block support)

After (X-Mas 2017)

The hubby has to finish the bricking the fireplace sides paint the beam and the floor.  We have some shelving projects planned for the New Year.  Soooo close to being done.  Hubby done good!

Faux Metalic Letter - Click image to read whole post

I wanted to get my hubby a metallic riveted alphabet letter for his man cave, similar to the one from my son's room, but couldn't find one.

What's a girl to do? Maker her own!

I bought a canvas letter form from Michael's using my 40% off coupon and bought a bottle of silver craft paint.  Everything else I already had on hand.

• Craft alphabet letter form
• Silver craft paint
• Burnt umber craft paint
• Pearl stickers (metal push brads would work too)
• Craft glue (I used Ranger Glossy Accents)

1.  Glue sticker pearls in place of rivets, let dry.

2.  Paint everything silver & let dry.

3.  Using burnt umber to dirty up the silver, adding more where dirt and rust are most likely to collect.  Using a clean wet paint brush and drag down from rivets while the burnt umber is still wet for rusty water marks/drips.

Designing for the Boy

We finally got around to painting the Boys room,  his only request was that hey wanted one navy blue wall.  I picked up a swatch from Benjamin Moore and he chose Newbury Port Blue.  The surrounding walls are Revere Pewter (we had left over from doing the hallway).

Notice the skateboard shelves, and Buddy's newly painted IKEA TARVA night stand.  We used a LEGO tire tread around the drawer knob. 

Grandma and Grandpa bought him a new bedside lamp, but we weren't able to go up on Easter to pick it up - he picked that out too from Target.com.

I think it turned out fantastic.  He did a great job picking the colour.  The cool numeral canvas I found at HomeSense for $22.00, what a steal.

We are thinking of building a floating desk below the kite.  Maybe if we have some barn boards left over from Sean's desk project?

Halloween Bliss

My sister was asking about my Halloween decorations while at the baby shower.  She thought all my Fall things were Halloween.  This post is for her.

I almost didn't get my Halloween stuff out this year due to the shower.  I was over decorating, but I CAN'T miss Halloween.  Here's what I rushed out on Tuesday.

Console Table

 Console close up

 Wall shelf

Wall shelf close up

Fireplace

Side table

Side shelf

Witch wreath

FREE Baby Shower Printables

Baby Shower - Freebies

Here are some of the cool "free printable" Nautical baby shower themed items I have found online.  Some I have modified for my own use or created myself.

I Photoshoped using a free chalkboard background and chalkboard fonts, creating this SIGNAGE  for the baby shower reminding guest to sign the wishes and advice cards.

FREE -  Wishes Chalkboard pdf (by. S. Clark)

FREE Aqua & Blue "Don't Say Baby" game printable (by S. Clark)

Using Photoshop, I created these Nautical themed Tic Tac Thank You Labels - here are blank ones for you to download, add your own name and date.

The upside down portion reads:Thank you for sharing this special day with us!

Check out ClipArtBest.com, they have a many popular trendy themes for Diaper Raffles tickets.  I downloaded their Dipper Raffle Ticket, modified it in Photoshop to make the food labels.

 Catch of the Day pdf (by S. Clark)

Fish & Chips pdf (by S. Clark)

Diaper Raffles tickets - by ClipArtBest.com

ONLINE FINDS (Again - FREE for you to use):

Ian and Lola - Free Nautical Party

I used Ian and Nola's "menu tents" to make Book raffle tickets

 Red & Blue - I simply inserted the mmodified images into a Word document and printed.

My Sister's Suitcase has very creative food label printables

Free Invitation Template from Printabell - fill in the information and she will email you the file.I modified my file in Photoshop to add some extra information it required.  I also added the whales, ship wheel and sail boat images.  She  carry's quite a few themes on her site.

For Olivia's Baby Shower Keepsake book I found a large selection, of FREE Wishes for Baby and Advice for mommy printable cards on Shower of Fun.com.  I used a combination of both the Whale and Boat themes.

The Shower of Fun site has several free Baby Shower Printables, such as Invitations, Guest Sign In (animals holding balloons), Bring Books request, Diaper Raffle tickets and Thank You tags.  If you are trying to do a shower on the cheap, check them out.

                               

                               

The only thing I was not able to find online for free (or wanted to make myself) was a the Gift List.  I paid $1.35 for one from Studio20Designs off of Etsy.com.

Aqua & Blue "Don't Say Baby" game printable

Free printable Baby Shower Games at Babyshowerideas4u.com. I used this free one here.

Water bottle labels from Pinterest.

See this post for Shower photos.