giveaways make me happy

the lovely kim is hosting a giveaway today with an 'inspired by charm' twist.

head on over there ... check it out.

when you're done stop back and leave a comment here for another chance to win!

thanks everyone! especially kim! love it!!


oh ... and in other news eddie ross is having a great giveaway to via his blog.

check out the videos he did with sears and kmart - i love his enthusiasm!







check out the videos and enter the giveaway! i know i could use an extra $250 for my holiday decorating.

dare to ... eat cookies ... well, fudge

this is the longest and probably the most creative parties i've ever been a part of. i love it! this week over at kim's, she dared us to eat cookies. not that anyone really needs to dare me to eat cookies, i'm happy to eat cookies any time!

i haven't started my holiday baking, but i did want to make some treats for my customers coming into the shoppe. who doesn't like to be welcomed with a treat, right?

so i whipped up some of the easiest, creamiest and most delicious fudge. honestly this fudge should be a sin it's that good.

so you only need three ingredients. yeah, that's it! one bag of white chocolate candy melts (14 oz). one bag of milk chocolate candy melts (14 oz). and one jar creamy peanut butter (14 oz). i got my candy melts at joann fabrics.

simply put all three ingredients in a double broiler. i used a glass bowl and sauce pan.

heat until everything is melted and smooth.

then pour into a 8x8 square baking pan,  lick your spatula and pop the pan into the refrigerator until hard.

cut, serve and enjoy! i topped my with some sugar candies i found at the grocery store for some added holiday cheer!

thanks for another fun party kim!

need more cookie ideas? check out more amazing recipes here.

dare to ... entertain

so this week over at the newlywoodwards my friend kim dared us to entertain. she wants to see our tables! i don't host any major holiday dinners, so i thought i would show a few ideas for table settings for two. which, of course, could be multiplied by any number of people.

this little table and built-in bench is in my kitchen. i cleared the decks, and started gathering! (and yes ... i'm going with christmas themes. it's been christmas around here since the first of november.)

first up is a fun take on the traditional red and green. i got these amazing glitter houses and trees at wal-mart for a buck! score! i used them in my dining room for a display (which i'll show you another time). i'm a big fan of all things glittery!

paired with fiestaware, place mats from the gift shoppe and my glitter trees ... i think it looks pretty darn festive and fun!

next up is a bit of rustic glamour! burlap makes a quick table cloth (great minds think alike - kim used a burlap piece in her table setting!). a twig star painted red adds some holiday cheer.

hobnail mercury glass and glittery pine adds sparkle and glamour! i love the mix of rustic and glamour.

and for the third and final setting .... {thrifty} holiday elegance.

you remember the tree i painted white. i also found this metal candelabra at goodwill for a buck which i painted white and topped it with some vintage red glass ornaments (also from goodwill) instead of candles.

no tablecloth necessary with these beautiful ivory, gold and red place mats.

and a few cupcakes under glass cloches complete the look.

i hope you enjoyed my settings. do you have a favorite? if you want to see more amazing table settings, be sure to head over to newlywoodwards. have a table setting of your own? be sure to link it up!

stealing or smart?

so, i've been admiring this print from one sydney road since they opened their shop several weeks ago.

i had some successes (and here) with my other homemade signs/art, so i thought i'd give this one a try.

i downloaded this font (and several others while i was there), and got started. and while it's not an exact match, this is what i came up with.

part of me feels kind of bad for taking someone's idea and thoughtful planning, but why spend $35 plus shipping for something i can create on my own. right?

inspired by ... miss effie

 this morning as i was browsing the internet, after cooking pumpkin pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage, i stubbled across the cutest snowman painted window via miss effie's diary.

via here and here

to be honest with you, i'm not a big fan of snowmen and santas. i know, i know ... blasphemy. but they're just too literal for me. especially plush snowmen and santas. agh. with that being said, i actually really like this snowan painted window. go figure.

so i did what i normally do when i'm insipred.  i stopped what i was doing, dishes still on the counter from breakfast, ran downstairs, found an old window i'd been saving for such a project (don't worry i have two more just like it), grabbed my paints, ran back upstairs and sat in the middle of the kitchen floor.

i hadn't painted in a really long time, so it was almost therapeutic. i actually love the smell of that acrylic craft paint in those little bottles. reminds me of simpler times. pre-internet internet times.

while the glass on the window is a bit dirty (i think there are two pieces of glass sandwiched together and there is dirt in between), the window is in great shape and has this amazing little handle on it. and, to be honest,  i actually don't mind the dirty glass and paint splatter. adds character.

and here he is! so now i have a snowman as part of my holiday decor. but he's mine own creation, so i kinda love him.

 and he matches my walls. thanks for the inspiration miss effie!!



first holiday basket

my first holiday basket went out the door yesterday.

can anyone tell me where in the heck november went? or where 2010 went for that matter? this year has been a blur.

and yep, in addition to running my little b and b and gift shoppe, i also make baskets full of wonderful goodies made here in st. marys. here is a little info sheet if you wanted to read more about that. (if you click on the image it may be a bit easier to read.)

and i love, seriously love, making bows! (is that weird?) i'll show you more as the season progresses!

yes, i've started playing christmas music

i'm very proud of my collection of christmas cds. i probably have way more than i should, but i love getting them all out this time of year, trimming the tree and singing away.

we all have our favorite traditional christmas songs, so i thought i'd share some of my favorite non traditional christmas songs.


Sara Barelilles & Ingrid Michaelson - Winter Song



Sugarland - Gold and Green



Jewel - Face of Love



Faith Hill - A Baby Changes Everything



Faith Hill - Where Are You Christmas



Kristin Chenoweth - Christmas Island



John Mayer - St. Patrick's Day



and although this song is very traditional it's probably my favorite. and martina blows it out of the park. acapella no less. goosebumps people!
Martina McBride - Oh Holy Night



i'm always looking for new christmas music. what's your favorite album? what's your favorite holiday song?

advice needed ... sewing machine

i don't own a sewing machine. there, i said it. i know you're probably thinking, 'how are you going to make a quilt or curtains with out a sewing machine?' and you're right. i can't.

so, i think i need to get a sewing machine. and i think it the perfect time of year to ask that special someone to bring it to me ... santa that is.

and because i don't know a whole lot about sewing machines, i'm going to turn to you for advice. (you haven't let me down in the past.) as i assume most of you have one ... or know a little (or a lot) more than me.

so based on a couple online reviews i've found and read, i've picked three four options that i think would work well for me. i do realize that sewing machine range from $25 - $4,000+ dollars. with that being said, i looking for a basic sewing machine. something simple, yet effective. something around or under $200. not to complicated, but quality. here goes ...

 Brother CS6000I Sew Advance Sew Affordable 60-Stitch Computerized Free-Arm Sewing Machine
$169.99

these seems to be one of the highest rated machines for it's price range on amazon. rated about 4.5 stars. lots of reviews.

SINGER 4423 Heavy Duty Model Sewing Machine
$147.13

i saw this machine at joann's on sunday. i was initially attracted to it because of it looks. as sewing machines go, it has a 'manly' look. (i guess) it was also recommend as a good machine for a beginner.


 

Janome Sewist 500 Sewing Machine with 25 Built-In Stitches and Hard Case

$249.00

 

this is the priciest machine of the three four i found this via a search for sewing machines for beginners. comes with a hardcase.

 

***updated - based on the first couple comments i've decided to add a kenmore sewing machine to my list.

Kenmore Drop-In Bobbin Sewing Machine 

$179.99  - this is from sears, so i assume i could use a coupon and get a better deal. i'm all about the coupon!

has a five star rating based on 45 reviews. and i think my mom has a kenmore and i'm pretty sure it's older than me.

 

so what do you think? what machine do you have? what do you love about it? what do you hate about it? other advice for a first time sewing machine buyer? any advice would be really appreciated. and don't worry, i'll share what i've learned and what machine i do get.

 

in other news, thanks to a great blogger friend, i do have enough bloggers for my 12 days of christmas. i'll be in touch within the next couple days for those of you participating.

we have a winner

seriously, this has been one of the best giveaways i've done.

not necessarily because of the actually prize, which by the way is super cute, but because i loved reading your comments. thank you so much for sharing. but know that you are now officially 'screwed' because i'm going to continue to ask you personal information every time you want to enter a giveaway. lucky me.

any who, to be fair i used random.org to choose a winner and it spit out the following:

no need to count, i did the work for you, the winner is ...

tammy @ tattered and timeless! woot! woot!

i found tammys site maybe a week ago and she looks like a crafting goddess. serious. check out this link to these amazing stockings she made from burlap! continue scroll down her site to see more amazingness.

just email me your address tammy and i'll get your cute little birds out asap.

in other news, i still need seven (yes, sadly only five people want to host a free and amazing giveaway via inspired by charm)  fellow bloggers to host a giveaway. please don't make me beg. anyway, the first seven people to email me will get the last seven spots.

and for the five of you that have already volunteered (thank you, thank you, thank you) i will email you later today just to confirm.

congrats again to tammy and have a great monday ya'll!

oh, and yes, i did get my christmas lights put up (thankfully it was a beautiful weekend here) and that image of the house from friday is the bed and breakfast and my house. i live at the bed and breakfast. thanks!

dare to ... be thankful

ooh, i'm so excited. this is the first week for my lovely friend kim's dare to diy blog party. the first week was was a dare to create a thanksgiving project.

i'm not a huge thanksgiving decorator. it's sort of a forgotten holiday as christmas sweeps in quickly around here. so, this challenge was particularly tough.

but, the other day, while shoppin' around the local goodwill, i found this amazing mirror! it was priced at $2.99 and they were having 50% off everything. crazy, i know. so for about a buck and two quarters, here's what i came up with.

a chalkboard serving tray! tada.

now, i know what you're thinking, 'this isn't thankgiving-y'. i know. i know. but the pumpkins help, right? ...and the cocktail ... apple cider topped with prosecco. yum! and that's festive!

and it's so pretty. i just removed the mirror. there was wood behind it, so i spray painted that part with chalkboard paint. then painted the frame lacquer white, then reassembled. i also sprayed some mini pumpkins white. cute!

when you're not using this lovely guy as a tray it can be hung on the wall as a great chalkboard. i love multi use items.

i also update my homemade prints in my kitchen. this was the before. you can seem them closer up here.

 and these are the newly themed prints!

this is my colorful thankgiving, inspired subway art. fun! randomly chosen words and fonts. and i love the color.

and my thanksgiving take on the famous 'keep calm and carry on'. yeah, that's a turkey. cute, right? if you would like to have either of these prints, just shoot me an email and i'll send you a digital copy. i made them in publisher, but i can send you a jpg if you don't have that program.

soooo ... what do you think? how'd i do? did i pass the diy dare?  let me know what you think in the comments below.

then, be sure to head on over to newlywoodwards to checkout the amazingness created by many other talented folks. i'm loving some of their projects! click here or the image below to head on over.