Follow the instructions found here except stamp on days to countdown the final week of the year, include treats to indulge yourself in before the season is officially over and before your important resolutions begin!

Stamp on an hour countdown and give your guests a new treat to open as you await the clock together. Stamp on a minute countdown, including sweet wishes for the New Year to share in the final moments of 2010. Add a pretty bold ribbon for tying and make the favor molds with festive metallic thread for a celebration truly worthy of ending the year right!

Photos of my work by Carly Taylor

blessings.

One tradition we surely agree on is awaking Christmas morning to warm gooey cinnamon rolls! I took inspiration for my third Christmas shoot from this beloved tradition and styled a festive brunch table. Although I must wait a few more days before sharing the complete shoot, I wanted to give you a little download from it today, incase you might be able to use it for your own Christmas morning tradition.

A sweet celebratory flag to print off in any color you’d like, for dressing up your Christmas table and perhaps starting a new tradition- you can totally steal our cinnamon roll one, it’s okay;)

Download by clicking above, cut the flags and dab with a bit of glue to attach them to toothpicks. Pop into your brunch for a festive touch.

blessings.

Take down the red and replace with pretty newsprint ornaments! This would amazing if done with old newspapers and sentimental notes complied from the last year. A lovely way to commemorate what has been and say hello to a new year ahead. Find tutorials for paper ornaments here, here and here.

Photo via Madera

blessings.

In an effort to have this fabulously trendy treat but stay within budget, I decided to try my hand at making them. I found a great recipe until 16 steps in when I realized it was not very simple at all! Instead I grabbed a box of vanilla wafers, a jar of marshmallow fluff and went to work creating my own version of this beloved french treat!

I topped each macaroon with a dusting of baking glitter. They were incredibly pretty to look at and quite amazing to taste.

Photography by Carly Taylor

blessings.

You should definitely make one for your wall as well! It is a super easy project that brings a heavy dose of holiday cheer.

To recreate: Cover a large embroidery hoop with a pretty holiday print and cut the fabric in back down to size. Search online for whatever animal silhouette you would like to use (there are thousands you could choose from). If you have access to a photo program you can change the sizing and dimensions to fit well with your ornament, then print and cut out your animal head. Lastly, trace your design onto the back of a piece of fabric, cut once again and attach with spray adhesive to the hung fabric.

A very happy moose indeed!

Photography by Carly Taylor

blessings.

(Photography by Jill Thomas)

Plus, they would be easy to recreate in matching hues for the holidays.

The process: Trace and cut out stars in natural colored felt. Coat the stars with spray adhesive and then glitter with your favorite celebration colors. Attach two stars back to back with fabric glue, placing a kitchen skewer inside the two layers. Let dry and stick in drinks for a festive holiday splash!

blessings.

For a great kick off to celebrating this year why not make a few of these shamrock cupcakes. They would be a fun gift for any child- a much healthier alternative to the holiday class treats this year. The cupcakes would also be lovely as party favors for your Saint Patrick’s Day celebration.

The cupcakes are easy to make. Simply take a small patch of a shamrock plant (dirt and all) and place it in a cupcake wrapper. You can buy these plants for just a few bucks, or pick them somewhere wild (mine are from my yard).

Use a ribbon to compact the dirt together and to make the small plant easy to transport and pot when received. Punch two holes in the sides of the cupcake wrapper to tie the ribbon in front, making a pretty delivery package for your cupcake.

Be sure to label your cupcakes so that others will know what they are- no accidental digestion of dirt at your party. I designed a sheet of labels so there would be no confusion;)

There are eight labels per page, you can download them by clicking here. Attach the labels to your plant using the ribbon, adhere them to the cupcake wrapper, or stick into the dirt with a toothpick.

blessings.

Because I added a small square of chalk-board paint, wrote out the word LOVE.

Bought a few pink tulips,

and made this…

Which, I think might be my favorite project yet,

and so incredibly easy to make.

In case you missed the Advent Wreath tutorial here are the simple steps to create these vases:

• Collect a few wine bottles
• Spray paint them white, doing multiple light coats to prevent dripping
  
• Using a felt brush paint on two coats of chalkboard paint in an imperfect square, centered on the front
• Write in the word LOVE
  
• Add water and then a few simple, pretty flowers

They make me smile. I am excited to share with you tomorrow a few other lovely items going into the store to continue our Black & White LOVE for this Valentines Day.

I cannot wait to share with you the many ideas I have brewing for this most wonderful day, but first… a little inspiration for a day filled with black and white love.

A scene set in black and white, the tea looks heavenly.  A banner of stripes.  A gift for him, if he would wear love links.  Kisses and hugs.  A flower that will last.  Hand strewn love.  Light up the night in black and white.  A fabulous gift of warmth to make or buy, for any woman who is loved.  A way with words and scrabble.  It can be a splurge to enjoy a drink together.  A bouquet of these will brighten up a room.  A very sweet party invite.  A serving of black and white bliss, in a cup.

blessings.

This project was inspired by a morning meandering through my favorite store where I happened upon the sales staff making snowflakes out of tissue paper, tulle and chicken wire for their winter window display. It looked so lovely I just had to recreate a similar project at home.

We used these props first for our winter photo shoot. They created a whimsical feeling of winter even in the desert. Here is a sneak peak-

After coming home I tied the two boxes together to make one large snowflake. It is lovely and it fits the free & recyclable Christmas decorating plan of the year.

The snowflakes were made out of empty tissue boxes and white present paper. I first poked holes in all but one side of the tissue box. I stuffed it with the paper and used a bit of leftover tulle to give it that snowy bling. Super easy and basically free.

Now it hangs in our living room and where we can cozy up under it and pretend that it really is blistery outside.

Is it snowing where you live? Lately, I have been really hoping for a white Christmas to visit us here in the desert.

blessings.