Project Idea {Advent Calendar} Part I

11.30.2010

When I was a girl, I loved advent... I loved preparing for Christmas... And I still do! It's my favourite time of year... Several weeks ago, I decided that I would like to create an advent calendar for the girls... I spent most of last week trying to work out what to do... After an evening visit to 'Michaels', it began to come together!
I purchased brown kraft favour boxes from the wedding section at 'Michaels' along with some bamboo yarn, number stickers and some lovely snowflake stickers...
I punched a hole in the top of each of the boxes and strung the yarn through the hole, attached the number on the front and a snowflake on the back... I ended up using a bit of glue for the #'s as they weren't especially sticky...
 All the boxes... All 24, done!
On Saturday afternoon, I sent Jay out on an adventure (in our backyard) to collect twelve branches! It was a bit of an adventure for me attaching all the boxes, but here it is... All finished... 24 tiny advent boxes, awaiting their sweet little advent gifts! More to come on the finishing touches tomorrow!
And don't forget to take the time to enter this week's giveaway for a calendar all your own from 'Honeytree'!

Giveaway {Honeytree Calendar}

11.29.2010

This week, I'm so excited to introduce you to Lupen of 'Honeytree'... Lupen is offering one fortunate winner her 2011 Fine Art Perpetual Calendar, a value of $27 + shipping! The calendar is spiral bound and as far as I'm concerned, simply stunning... Dress it up with the birthdays of all those you love and use it year after year! Please scroll down below the image to find out how to enter!



This giveaway runs from November 29th to December 5th at 7pm (EST)... The winner will be chosen and announced on Sunday, December 5th
1. Visit 'Honeytree' look around and choose your favourite piece from the shop... Come back here and leave a comment along with your email address, mentioning your favourite item...

2. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on your blog, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

3. For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

4. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on Facebook, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

5. For even more entries, POST again (Blog, Twitter, Facebook) at any time later in the week, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

* YOU MAY ENTER UP TO FIVE TIMES FOR FIVE CHANCES TO WIN!

In order to keep offering these fantastic giveaways, I need to get as many comments (and visits for the sponsors) as possible... Please help me spread the word so we can keep a good thing going!

The winner will be randomly chosen and posted HERE on the blog on Sunday, December 5th... Please check the blog on Saturday to see if YOU are the winner! Enjoy... Please help spread the word and a dear thank you again to Lupen of 'Honeytree'!

Lupen has also taken the time to answer a few questions:
What does a perfectly ordinary day in your life look like?
"These days a 6:00 am alarm wakes us up , if the cat hasn't first :) Then meditation for about 1/2 hour, followed by a cup of Jasmine green tea and stretching. After breakfast I check my Etsy world and respond to customers, get a plan for the day, get prints and orders ready, updating my blog or facebook page and listing new items in my shop. After lunch is when I head out for the post office and do errands shopping etc. The afternoon is usually my creative time for an hour or two to do other projects, do yoga or play music. In the evenings I have 2 band rehearsals a week and two dance classes a week, but on the other nights my husband and I will usually watch a movie or go out sometimes to an open mic or sit and have tea somewhere.

What time of year most inspires you?
"Spring, I love flowers and new little green buds on the trees."

What do you think of as comfort food?
"Indian samosas, Goat cheese with good bread, Coconut milk ice cream"

If you could hop on a plane, without giving one thought to your budget, where would you go?
"If money was no issue, I would go to Japan, since I love and admire so much their creative arts and the food.... well I could go just for that :)

What are five things you would like to do in the next five years?
"To have an abundant full time income from my photography business, learn French, travel more, continue to grow my own food and live in a beautiful place where I can be inspired by the natural world."

{Amelia Kay Photography} Calendar Winner

11.28.2010

Congratulations to Natalie, winner of a 5x7 Calendar from 'Amelia Kay Photography'! Thank you to Amelia for sharing her beautiful photographs with us! Stay tuned for a new giveaway, beginning at midnight!

Weekend Project {Chipmunk Softie}

11.26.2010

I can't sew to save my life... But if I could, I would make this Chipmunk Softie from a recycled glove... Is it not just the cutest thing you've ever seen? Inspired? There's a whole book 'Happy Gloves'... Perhaps I need to learn to sew... My girls would more than adore these sweeties!
And don't forget to enter this week's giveaway to win a 2011 calendar from 'Amelia Kay Photography'

Sisters...

11.24.2010

November 2010
Brennah (2 years, 10 months)
Leah (13 months)

And don't forget to enter this week's giveaway to win a 2011 calendar from 'Amelia Kay Photography'

Giveaway {Amelia Kay Photography Calendar}

11.22.2010

This week, we have another lovely calendar giveaway... Amelia of 'Amelia Kay Photography' is offering one fortunate winner the choice of a 5x7 photo calendar (Value: $23 + shipping)... Scroll down, below Amelia's interview, to find out how to win one of her beautiful 2011 calendars!
 
Amelia has taken the time to answer a few questions:
What does a perfectly ordinary day in your life look like?
"I am a stay at home mom to my 5yo and 3.5yo, so my day usually revolves around them and keeping up with the house. Then, when I have some free time, you can find me on Etsy!"

What time of year most inspires you?

"Both the spring and fall. I love these two times of year! They are so pretty and really inspire me to get out and photograph my surroundings."

What do you think of as comfort food?
"Mac-n-Cheese - southern style. My mom used to make the best homemade mac-n-cheese when I was growing up. I don't get it all that often anymore, but when I do, it just brings me back to being a kid! Mmmm, yummy!"

If you could hop on a plane, without giving one thought to your budget, where would you go?
"Italy!!! A trip to Italy is one of my dream vacations (I have a few!!) and I really hope that we can go one day!"

What are five things you would like to do in the next five years?
"1) visit my mom in Thailand
2) Take the kids to Disney
3) Go camping in National Parks in the US and Canada
4) Move to a place that gets more snow!
5) Grow my business more!"

This giveaway runs from November 22nd to 28th at 7pm (EST)... The winner will be chosen and announced on Sunday, November 28th

1. Visit 'Amelia Kay Photography' look around and choose your favourite piece from the shop... Come back here and leave a comment along with your email address, mentioning your favourite item...

2. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on your blog, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

3. For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

4. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on Facebook, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

5. For even more entries, POST again (Blog, Twitter, Facebook) at any time later in the week, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

* YOU MAY ENTER UP TO FIVE TIMES FOR FIVE CHANCES TO WIN!

In order to keep offering these fantastic giveaways, I need to get as many comments (and visits for the sponsors) as possible... Please help me spread the word so we can keep a good thing going!

The winner will be randomly chosen and posted HERE on the blog on Sunday, November 28th... Please check the blog on Saturday to see if YOU are the winner! Enjoy... Please help spread the word and a dear thank you again to Amelia of 'Amelia Kay Photography'!

{Eyeshoot} 2011 Calendar Giveaway Winner

11.21.2010

Congratulations to Lauren... The winner of this week's giveaway! Thanks to all who entered and thank you especially to Sarah of 'Eyeshoot' for offering one of her lovely calendars!

Stay tuned on Monday for a BRAND NEW giveaway!

Weekend Project {Button Magnets}

11.19.2010

I've been meaning to make some button magnets for quite some time now...

All images from 'The Happy Home'

And please take the time to enter this week's CALENDAR GIVEAWAY with 'Eyeshoot'!

{A Park on the Lake}

11.17.2010

Last week, on our way home from the 'Royal Winter Fair' we stopped to enjoy a perfect fall day on the shore of the indigo blue lake... My ladies love the park... They really do!
And please take the time to enter this week's CALENDAR GIVEAWAY with 'Eyeshoot'!

Giveaway {Eyeshoot Desktop Calendar}

11.15.2010

This week, Sarah, of 'Eyeshoot' is offering one photo calendar of the winner's choice (A value of $25 US + shipping)! I admire the breadth of Sarah's work... From the vibrant and colourful to the more subtle and subdued! Scroll down, below Sarah's interview, to find out how to win one of Sarah's 2011 desktop calendars!


Sarah has taken the time to answer a few questions:
What does a perfectly ordinary day in your life look like?
"My alarm goes off at a fairly lazy 8am, if it’s a gym day, I’m up and out and head to the gym to leap around, lift weights and do a bit of yoga for an hour or so. By the time I’ve got home, showered and had my porridge I can settle down to see what’s gone on in my Etsy shop overnight. If I’ve had sales, I’ll relist, contact my lovely customers, make the print/card/send artwork to the lab and generally get a great boost for the day - there’s nothing quite like making and posting something off to someone on the other side of the world who has found your work amongst the plethora of items out there in the wonderful world of internet shopping and spent some of their hard earned money on your goods. I’ll spend some time every day looking through my photo archive and rediscovering photos which I missed the first time round and try to bring them to life, not necessarily for selling but to keep learning new techniques and keep myself fresh. The rest of the day can just vanish in front of the computer doing this and that. I may pop out to buy food and spend some time planning a yummy meal for supper, if it’s Monday evening, I’ll venture out for my Iyengar Yoga class. The evenings are generally quiet with my partner Peter and I cooking, eating, drinking wine and watching the tv!"

What time of year most inspires you?
"I love spring and autumn, it’s the transitional seasons I like best for their drama and fabulous colours but I am also a great fan of snow and in our unusually snowy start to 2010 I had a ball photographing fantastic snowmen in Manchester and the beautiful snow covered trees."

What do you think of as comfort food?
"I love to cook and as a chef in a former life, I learned to make the best mashed potato ever and made massive pots of it every day with delicious additions like truffle oil, horseradish and grainy mustard, so that ranks pretty highly, but is a bit labour intensive for a quick fix. Home made hummus is easy, delicious and actually rather healthy. But apart from these somewhat wholesome treats, my ultimate and shameful comfort food is a whole pot of Nutella, eaten with a spoon, straight from the jar......"

If you could hop on a plane, without giving one thought to your budget, where would you go?
"India! A photographer's cliched answer perhaps, but I think that the visual onslaught would be fantastic. I have always been a bit nervous of the heat and the dread of becoming ill, but with unlimited budget, I’ll be able to travel safely and stay in good places, and travel all over the country."

What are five things you would like to do in the next five years?
"I’d love to make a good living selling my prints and my photography work.
I’d love to travel more.
I want to be able to do yoga handstands.
I want to sing in a choir.
I want to grow my own food."

 This giveaway runs from November 15th to 21st at 7pm (EST)... The winner will be chosen and announced on Sunday, November 21st

1. Visit 'Eyeshoot' look around and choose your favourite piece from the shop... Come back here and leave a comment along with your email address, mentioning your favourite item...

2. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on your blog, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

3. For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

4. For an additional entry, link to this giveaway on Facebook, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

5. For even more entries, POST again (Blog, Twitter, Facebook) at any time later in the week, come back here and post an additional comment with the link and your email address...

* YOU MAY ENTER UP TO FIVE TIMES FOR FIVE CHANCES TO WIN!

In order to keep offering these fantastic giveaways, I need to get as many comments (and visits for the sponsors) as possible... Please help me spread the word so we can keep a good thing going!

The winner will be randomly chosen and posted HERE on the blog on Sunday, November 21st... Please check the blog on Saturday to see if YOU are the winner! Enjoy... Please help spread the word and a dear thank you again to Sarah of 'Eyeshoot'!

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails