Last month I was pinning a lot of Christmas inspiration ideas on Pinterest, and of course I ran out of time to do all the items I was inspired by.  I was able to get this quick and easy ornament flower holder done.  Well, my version that is.

It is an ornament glued to a small round mirror to hold flowers.  For mine, I used light bulb ornaments that I got in a 3 pack from the dollar store

I used my glue gun rather than the glue they recommended and it worked perfect.  The ornaments even held water for the fresh flower I put in it from Costco

It was a super quick, inexpensive and an easy project to do, I made 10 of them in probably 15 minutes.  I will for sure be using them again next year. {I got the round mirrors from Michaels, I think they were 8 in a pack for a couple of bucks}

But what I am really proud of, is that I did a LAST minute non-Pinterest inspired idea.  Can you believe  it?

I needed something other than putting cash in an envelope to give to the younger kids in the family on Christmas.  We do this every year, rather than try and figure out what each kid wants, we figure we can’t go wrong with cash right? Last year I made cute felt envelopes to hold the cash and hung them on a tree

So this year, I was going to do fold the money into a Christmas tree, which I pinned on Pinterest.   But you had to buy the instructions!  Lame.

I started messing around with the bills, and realized that it was going to take some time to figure it out on my own, time which I didn’t have.  So I did what I always do, come up with a plan “b”.  I made money wallet cards using my Silhouette machine.

I purchased the gift tag template from Silhouette for .99.   I adjusted the size to 3″ wide by 7″ long and cut it out on Christmas scrapbook paper, using my Silhouette machine.  I then laid out the money on the inside of the card and tied the bakers twine across the middle of the cash to hold it in place.   Then I wrapped the twine around the front of the card and tied a bow.

Pretty simple, and they all loved them.  {I don’t know if it was the cash inside or my cute holder though LOL}

I am pretty proud that I actually made something where the inspiration came from me and not pinterest.  Feel free to pin it LOL

You don’t have to have a silhouette machine to make these though.   You can achieve this same concept by using decorative card stock and 2 inexpensive punches

The corner punch (rounds the outer corners of the paper)

And a Christmas tree punch

I liked how easy and fun my plan “b” turned out, I am thinking I might do a birthday version and cut some out to have on hand when I am in a pinch.  A Valentine version would be cute too with a heart cutout.  I might just have to experiment with all the holidays, I love any excuse to use my silhouette machine again!  Plus now that I know I still have some non-Pinterest creativity left in me, it has motivated me to come up with more of my own ideas {when I am not pinning of course}

Something I actually made without Pinterest inspiration is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Santa was good to me this year, and I couldn’t be more happier with the thoughtful and generous gifts I received.  Wanna know what I got?

My early Christmas present was my new Nikon d5100 camera

My favorite perfume Carolina Herrera Parfum Spray

Dance Wii {need to jump start my cardio, what better way than to dance!}

 A new iPhone 4s and cute phone case.  I was due for an upgrade a year ago, but was holding out just in case a newer model was going to come along.  My family surprised me and made the decision for me, woohoo!  Now I can facetime with my grandson Carter!

And something only an interior designer could want…12 chavari chairs in silver

Goodbye plastic Costco folding chairs hello chavari! {this picture was taken after we had cleared the dinner and all my pretty decorations, but don’t they look great?}

What a difference they made this year at our Christmas dinner for the extra seating.  Should of asked for these years ago.  And they stack 7 high, so they store nicely.

Which I immediately put them to use for my this inspiration pin for our Christmas dinner {I even already had those cute polka dot cups to use}

What I got for Christmas is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

The thing I am most excited about is how I was able to re-create this inspiration picture form BHG that I pinned on Pinterest

Oh how I fell hard for this centerpiece.  I just knew I wanted it on my table.  I saw the boxwood wreaths on sale at Joss & Main online right after Christmas and got giddy over finding them so soon. So I anxiously waited for them to come in the mail.  When they finally did, I was just a tad surprised.  They were smaller than what I had expected, and I hoped that my glass cake plates I already had would work.  Well, two out of the three did, and so I went on a hunt for the third, the smallest one.  Luckily, it only took me 4 stores to find the perfect small glass cake plate, Pier One had just the right size

I was shocked when I found the silver bird at HomeGoods, I wasn’t even looking for it and there it was!  It was if this centerpiece was meant to be

I liked adding a little bit of depth and color when I decorate, so I changed it up a bit from the inspiration picture

I got the little glittery reindeer ornaments at Steinmart, they are just so cute the way their heads are looking up at the arrangement

I used the Christmas plates, glassware, place mats and most of the other stuff on my table I have had from years past.

I even kept the runner on the table that I used for Thanksgiving and just added glittery birds, ornaments, xmas greenery, and some fun green pear candles

I did buy these two large reindeer this year, {Homegoods, where else?} they were just so striking I couldn’t pass them up.  The height and the size works really well in the room, plus I love the pop of color it gives the table

I added just a tad of greenery and glitter to my chandelier

I love the overall look of the whole table

I guess I had an eye for reindeer this year because I bought this white reindeer head from West Elm.  I put it on my buffet where I will put all the desserts come Christmas day

Whew that was a lot of pictures! Gotta love a new camera! But wait there is more!

I am finishing up my hot chocolate/apple cider station that I did last year, which was a huge hit.  I don’t know if I will have time to post about it before Christmas, but here is a glimpse of how it is coming along

Ok, I am done with bombarding you with pictures.  I hope you were able to stay with me on this long post. I don’t know about you, but I am running way behind on getting prepared for Christmas. I still have lots of wrapping to do, {actually all of my wrapping to do, who am I kidding} food shopping and a few decorating details I am hoping to get done.  Christams comes way too fast every year, I would just like for one year to be done by now…oh well, there is always next year right?

Linking up to My Crazy Beautiful Life Holiday Link Party

Christmas tablescape is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Subway style Christmas signs and printables are all over blogland and Pinterest, and I was itching to make one myself.  I am also loving the use of turquoise and red everyone is using for decorating this year.

I had some leftover oak cabinet fronts that were perfect to use for this project. My original plan was to stencil the letters in white,  but I really liked the look of the white contact paper that I used, so I just went that route. If you have a Silhouette machine, I highly recommend buying a roll of white contact paper to use for your vinyl.  It is way cheaper, easy to use and goes a long way.

This is the sign I made for myself

I bought the actual words from the Silhouette on line store when they were having their .50 sale after Thanksgiving.  It took the guess work out of trying to find the right font for a saying.  Plus I can use them again next year for another sign or project.

I think it turned out pretty cute.  I spray painted the red first, Colonel Red, then I brushed on the turquiose color from a left over sample pot I had in my stash.  The white contact paper is very forgiving, I was able to pull off  the letters easily if I needed to, and re-adjust them.  I had to do this a lot since I didn’t really have a template that I was going by.

Not to let things go to waste, I put the ones that I had cut out in the wrong size on a crate in my office.

Since I was on a roll using my Silhouette machine, and had all the supplies out already, I decided to make a sign for my friend to bring to her Christmas party.  The is the same party that I posted about yesterday on my plan “b” desserts. The cabinet front that I used on her sign was long and narrow.  I still used the same sayings but had to adjust the sizes and positions differently from my sign.  This time I was smarter, and actually measured the actual space that I had on the front of the cabinet and input those numbers into the paper size on the Silloutte layout.

This saved a lot of time that is for sure!

I know it is an odd hostess gift to give, but I knew she would love this more than the standard bottle of wine

And I was right, she loved it!

Now that I have a little experience under my belt using the Silhouette machine, I can’t wait to make more signs! I gotta tell ya,  I am finding this machine a little addicting. I am so glad I finally pulled the trigger and bought one this year,  I see a lot of future sign making for me  in 2012.

Christmas Subway Style Sign is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

Santa Hat Brownies

“No problem” I said, “I will bring them!”  She was SUPER excited.  I decided to follow this recipe which seemed simpler because they used melted white chocolate chips for the white on the hat

I was hoping to buy ready made brownies, but decided, like an idiot,  to make my own,  Well,  in my baking skills kinda way, from a box mix.   To eliminate cutting out circles from a large pan of brownies,  I decided to pour the batter into mini cupcake pans.  Fail.  Where I went wrong I have no idea. I greased the pan, I pre-heated the oven, I left them in for as long as the box said.  When I took them out of the oven, they were hard as a rock,  and wouldn’t even come out of the pan with a sharp knife! Seriously, I am so not a baker!

I had also decided to make some Christmas styled parfaits that I pinned on Pinterest.

Christmas Parfaits

So while the brownies were baking, I made a red velvet cake {boxed mix}.  Again, following all the directions to a “T”.  Yeah, well, that didn’t turn out so great either.  The whole bottom of the cake was burnt.  Here it was 6:00 in the evening, I hadn’t showered, and the party was an hour and I at this point had NO dessert to bring.  So like I always do when something doesn’t turn out the way I had planned, I try to think of a plan “b”

Since I already had the strawberries, all I needed was a bottom to sit the strawberries on and some type of white top for the hat.  And it came to me.  Oreo cookies!  I always have those on hand and today was no exception.  I pulled apart the oreo cookie very carefully keeping the thin frosting part in tack on one side of the cookie.  I put the strawberry on the top of the icing, and split a tooth pick in half and attached a mini marshmallow to the strawberry.  I really didn’t know how these would taste, so I figured I better display them really cute, since that is one of things I am actually good at, unlike baking.  I added red and green sprinkles to the dish along with some white snow like sprinkles.

Ta Da!  My “plan b” Santa Hats

Now that those were done, I needed to finish my parfaits.  I decided to cut the burnt part of the cake off and cut the good part into cubes.  I used the rest of my strawberries, and added vanilla pudding {colored with red food coloring}.  I just layered them in cute glasses that I had used for my parfaits on 4th of July.  I topped these off with the other half of the Oreo cookie I had left over.  I ran out of vanilla pudding, so I made a cool whip with white chocolate pudding for the remaining parfaits.  Crumbling up the over-cooked-brownies as a topper.

And just in case they might not of tasted good, I made sure the presentation was super cute.  I added Martha Stewart Christmas tape around the small glasses and glued together some felt into a santa’s hat to the plastic spoon like the original pinterest picture.  And then set them on my “go to” cake stands.

These are the only pictures I have of my “plan b” desserts.  Since I was running so far behind, I wasn’t able to get out my NEW camera and take pictures.  My friend took these for me at the party.  And oh yeah, SHE LOVED them.  As did everyone else.  I think it was the presentation really.

But if you aren’t a baker like me, I think my Oreo version works just as good, and is just as cute.  Except either you have to tell people to watch out for the toothpick when they bite into them {like I did at my friends party} or add a little frosting or something to the marshmellow to make it stick to the strawberry.  I think I am going to stick to decorating, and leave the baking to my sister, who really is the baker in the family.

Santa Hat & Parfait Desserts is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

This year I started digitally subscribing to a couple of magazines.  Another love/hate relationship I have.  What is nice, is that I always have the magazines at my finger tips via my iPhone or my iPad. But, unlike a paper magazine that you can see sitting on your table, the magazines are kept in a neat app on your device.  So I don’t see them until I click on the app.  Which means I forget to read them…

I just got the latest digital issue of Martha Stewart Living.  It would say it was a pretty good issue, nice recipes, an article about sugar, exercising, you know the usual.  But then it got swoon worthy when I clicked to turn to page 99.

via Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Check out those stools!  The are knitted slipcovers.  So stinkin cute!  Wish I liked to knit, because on page 128 they give you the instructions on how to make them.  {so Martha!} I am also loving the legs dipped in a tad of color.  Oh I would buy these for sure if someone sold them.  I love the texture and the inviting cozy feel you get looking at them.

Then I turn the page and see this!  A knitted quilt with a linen duvet underneath it.  Not to mention it is grey and mustard, one of my two favorite colors.

via Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Oh baby, it has been so cold here in San Diego, I would love to cozy up to this bed at night.  Instructions are given as well on this one.  Sigh, if only I knitted.

Still waiting on my new Nikon camera.  Evidently Tawain was flooded back in October, which included the Nikon factory.   So product is really low right now with all the retailers in the States. It was hard to find the one I wanted at the price I wanted.  But yahoo!  It should be here on Friday.  Here is a glimpse of what I will probably bombard you with when I get to play with my new camera

Christmas is only 11 days away, can you believe it?

Martha does it again! is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

I added ice skates to my wreaths this year and love the look!  I bought them at a consignment store a couple of months ago.  The lady who owned the booth happened to be there rearranging her booth and had them 1/2 off.  $7.50 for the pair.  Sold! She told me that they were her daughter’s and had been hanging on to them for way too long.  You know what they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!

I knew I wanted to put a holiday saying on the blades.  I really wanted red letters, but I just couldn’t get anything to look good so I used white contact paper.   I cut the letters out on my silhouette machine, which I might add I am having a love/hate relationship with right now.  I think it is a learning curve, and more the operator than the machine.  I happened to have the white faux fur in my stash, and I just hot glued it on to the top of the leather and folded the rest inside.  I laced them up with red and white polka dot ribbon and ta da!  I now get to put that ladies daughter’s skates to good use!

One side I put “Merry Christmas”

The reflection of the blade makes it hard to take a good picture of the words {especially since I am still having to use my iPhone camera UGH!}

The other side I put “Happy New Year” {since I leave all my Christmas stuff up until New Year’s day}

My husband gave me his input.  He loved them, but thought that I should of put the “Merry Christmas” on the left and “Happy New Year” on the right.  Why?  Because he says that you naturally read from the left to the right.  But I say, you walk into our house from the door on the right, and since Christmas comes before New Years, I wanted to have the “Merry Christmas” seen first.   I really don’t think there is a right or a wrong way to do it, but I am just curious what you guys think?

Ice Skates on a Xmas wreath is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.

I had a glitch last week during my wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, my camera up and broke!  My right hand man is now stuck on the shutter release mode…boo hoo.  Good thing is there are a lot of deals on new cameras right now to be had, so I am shopping for a newer one.  I haven’t even looked into fixing my camera. Even though my Nikon is only 4 years old, it just seemed so ancient once I started looking at the newer models.  I am asking my husband for a new one for Christmas.  But an EARLY Christmas present, like next week early Christmas present, I can’t go a whole month without a camera!

So now all I have is my iPhone camera to use.  That isn’t saying much since I have the oldest version of an iPhone and the camera isn’t half as good as the newer ones.  My daughter Tiffany told me to downloaded the Camera + app.   Let me tell you, it has a lot of bells and whistles that can make any picture look good!

I am so glad I have a daughter who is tech savoy.  I have been lost without my camera, and she saved the day.  Tiffany takes a lot of pictures with her iPhone {she has the newer version, yeah, what’s up with that? } and she edits them right on her phone and puts them on Instagram. She is a very good photographer and very cre8tive with her composition.   If you do Instagram, you can follower her, Pandatiff, she loves followers!

So now that I have the Camera + app installed on my iphone, I wanted to show how great my pictures are turning out and some projects I am working on.

This is a sign I made out of wood shims.  It is going to be put on a vintage suitcase dog bed I am making for a friend.  I can’t wait to show you how I did this!  So easy and cheap to do.

This picture I took of cabbage rose in my yard

Now this is random.  I couldn’t believe this shadow as I was standing in my driveway.  The shadow is me, and when I looked down at my tennis shoes, I said out loud “yeah, I wish my legs were that skinny!”  So I snapped a picture cause my legs will NEVER be that skinny, I want to savor the moment forever.

Another project I am working on is doing an advent calendar for Layla.  We have a ton of these little plastic jars that hold plastic gloves for coloring hair.

I put fabric on them and added some embellishments and a little treat inside.

They will be put in an old vintage Coke crate that looks like this

Coke crates have exactly 24 slots, how perfect is that?  I am almost done with all 24.  I have to mail these to her, so I better hurry!

Aren’t these great pictures from a phone camera?  I tell ya, if you have an iPhone get the Camera + app, you won’t be disappointed.

{I am not getting paid to promote this app nor any compensation, just passing along a great tip}

Camera + App is a post from: Cre8tive Designs Inc.