Handmade soap

So this year for Christmas, we're all about homemade. We're trying to get back to what the reason for the season really is: Christ. As a family, we made some gifts for our family and friends that we thought would be useful and fun, and we enjoyed making them :) One of our gifts is homemade soap. I made a new friend that has an old trick- soap making! Once hearing our goal of a total DIY Christmas, she offered to teach me her ways

I fear that I couldn't do it again if my life depended on it! My crazy kids couldn't leave me alone or not need to go potty or behave with each other long enough for me to do anything! I watched some of the process, stirred, and got to wear some pretty cool looking safety gear. The outcome? Lovely Cocoa-Peppermint soap. Smells SOOOOOO good!!

Ugly sweater time!

It's that time of year again... time to go in public in the most hideous, gaudy, most disgustingly ugly sweater that you can possibly buy (or in this case, make). Ahhh, Christmas. With it's many perks, lovelies, decor, and traditions. We made ugly sweaters a few years ago, however due to mold issues in our home (gotta love the Pacific Northwest!!) they were burnt earlier this year. Once the invitation arrived for our church's ugly sweater contest/Christmas party, I made a trip to the thrift store! Now I prefer the hole-in-the-wall shops over the Goodwill. Most of them have lower prices and support a local cause. Sometimes you can even barter with them! Since I consider myself the queen of frugality, cheaper is better! Step 1- Purchase sweater. I opted for a cardigan style, just a plain green thing.

Step 2- Gather your decorations. I bought two bags of misc. Christmas stuff at the thrift store. My bags had everything from tinsel to stockings, stockings to candle holders, bows to bulbs. A "plethora" of decorations, if you will (wanna play name that movie? "If you do not know what a plethora means, then why do you say I have a plethora of gifts?")

Step 3- Start hot glueing anything (and everything) on. Last time we decorated sweaters, I sewed most of it on. I busted both sweaters out in two evenings. Love the convenience of a glue gun! Note: With using hot glue on a sweater, might want to place something in between the layers of material (I used a cut up cereal box) to prevent glueing the front to the back

Step 4- Glue more on. There's always room for more.

Step 5- Add more decorations. Elbow pads, shoulder pads, trim, collar.... what else could we add?

The finished product, front ^ and back v.

The start of hubby's sweater (just the sweater is seriously so ugly. It reminds me of Fozzy bear)

Made a tree out of the leaves from the poinsettias on my sweater. Wreath on one shoulder, dove on the other. Hubby needs a birdy on his shoulder, like a Christmas pirate!

Decorate the tree!

Hubby's finished sweater from the back

Hubby's finished sweater from the front. Yes, that's tinsel chest and armpit hair. I know. Super gross (but totally hilarious!!)

Our finished products. Yes, I'm wearing a tree skirt. It seemed fitting. Yes,we won the ugly sweater contest. Yes, one of my daughters also made one. Yes, my little boys are both in Christmas sweaters (not quite ugly though), and one of them has a thing for Power Rangers currently). And yes, my oldest daughter is too cool to play along.

Thanks for visiting! If you make ugly Christmas sweaters, I'd love for you to share them with me!

Lip & body balm

Yay for homemade products!

I got the idea/recipe from: http://teacupsandpearls.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/frankincense-and-cinnamon-winter-balm/

In her recipe she didn't specify amounts... I used 1/4 cup of cocoa butter, 1/4 cup beeswax,  1/2 cup of coconut oil, and 7 drops of EO.

Excited to hear the reviews on them! 

'Hang Your Stockings' card

Mitten Card

SO, so, so cute! Love how this one turned out, and love the versatility! Did this one at a stamp-a-stack and it was awesome to see how the ladies colored their mittens. Since we used the markers to color the stamp different colors, they each got to do whatever they wanted. Some ladies just did shades of blue & purple, they turned out lovely! This mitten punch is just too cute! Stamp your image (see the stamp set HERE), punch it out (see the punch HERE). Someone is genius and deserves a raise!

3-D Christmas Ornament card

Almost Christmas time!!

Nothing tells me that the holidays are closer than the arrival of Egg Nog. And guess what that means? It means that I get to have my very special super duper favorite drink of all time!! Egg Nog spiced Chai Latte!! Yummy. Seriously. Best thing that has EVER been in my mouth! We used Stampin' Up!s new scented embossing powder on this card, "Sugar and Spice" (get more info on it HERE) so when the recipient opens the envelope, they smell the goodness. Pretty simple card, love those frame dies, the possibilities are endless with them! See the whole SU collection of framelits HERE