2011 Wrap that Christmas Crap Theme

How many have been wrapping crap this week?

I wrap Christmas crap in fits and bursts in between finalizing wedding plans.  

You know... burlap and pinecones?

The last few years, I've kept the actual wrap pretty simple, 

then embellished with ribbons and neato-frito tags.  

See 2009's crap wrapped HERE

See 2010's crap wrapped HERE

Everything coordinates with the brown, white and green natural look of my mantel,

but I add a bit of gold sparkle to tie in the glitterfied rusticness of the dining room next door.

This year I found some vintagey scrap-book paper that I used for tags and embellishments here and there.

Got that idea from that ever-awesome, crap-wrappin' diva, Rebecca over at Older and Wisor.

                                         I rarely use 'christmas' wrap or ribbon anymore. 

I love these scrapbook stickers on tags.  

There's more where this came from, but that crap is Santa's job Saturday night.

Here's a couple night time shots with some more wrapped crap added....

All that's missing is what Santa brings!

And that, my dear readers is all I have for this blog for the rest of the year.

I'll be back in January with lots of wedding pictures

and crafty wedding projects.

Have an excellent holiday season, and may all the wrapped crap you get 

be stuff you can actually use.

Breakfast at Tiffany's Bridal Shower.

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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Can I just say how awesome I think it is that I've passed along the 

"take on too much and still rock the house" genes onto another generation?

Now that's something to be proud of.

This little bean (oldest daughter) orchestrated a fantabulous bridal shower yesterday for her little sis.

She accomplished this while tackling college finals.

And work.

And Christmas.  

Maddie does nothing without tackling it.

(the spread with slideshow featuring famous Audrey Hepburn quotes and pics of the couple-to-be)

Here's the Guest of Honor herself, daughter Kristen 

(wearing Maddie's wedding veil....awwwww):

Thankfully, most of the decor was recycled from Maddie's own wedding.

(see pics here and here).

But not the cupcakes.  

That would be gross.

The flower arrangements were, as I mentioned, from Maddie's wedding,

 and were all designed by my talented mama.

I made the cupcake serving platters with Dollar Store candlesticks, plates/bowls and epoxy glue.

(fairly lights with mini-muffin papers)

(keepsake printouts Maddie designed)

(Who knew salt and sugar dispensers could round out a centerpiece?)

Maddie had a partner in crime (besides myself), her other lil' sis Gracie:

(notice iPhone in death grip.)

I mostly contributed moral support and some decor from home, 

but I did manage to make a big pennant banner, 

which of course no one snapped a picture of.

But you can see a blurry bit of  it in the background here, in this goofy pic of Kristen:

(it said "he put a ring on it")

Almost every gal wore black as requested....

We played a super hilarious game where Maddie had asked Kristen's fiance questions, 

and we had to guess how many Kristen would answer correctly.

The sweetest one was:

"What's your favorite quality about Kristen?"

He said: "She's the most unitentionally funny person I know."

Sah-weet!

(this is who she gets it from....sporting a new curly-do,

 'cause evidently that's what I do when my kids get married, get permed.

Which is better, I suppose, than to get sloshed.)

Then there were the presents.

The two wee helpers are cousins, the one on the right will be in the wedding.

She informs me she will be 'soooo beee-oooo-ti-ful' that day.

Then everyone divided up into two teams to design wedding gowns for Kristen and Maddie.

Outta toilet paper.

I'm tellin' ya, set a group of women to work with ANYTHING,

and they'll create magic.

Here's Maddie's gown, which the judges deemed the winner (mostly because Kristen went all Bridezilla on us and ripped her bow out of her hair!)
Doesn't she look right out of the roarin' 20's?

My favorite pic of the day:

Kristen with my mama.

Kudos to my awesome daughter Maddie for throwing the perfectly elegant and totally fun par-tay!

You owned it Schmodie!

Edited to add this to Donna's Saturday Nite Special Party Themed link-up.

What to do with old windows.

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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Basically, store them in your garage for a few years, 

set them against the wall in different rooms hoping for some inspiration for another few years,

then steal ideas from pinterest and make them a picture frame. 

(who noticed the sneak peek of these frames in this post?)

Hang those puppies up on a big ole wall that really should already *have* a window,

and voila, instant brag board.

You could even add wood letters down the middle so's folks don't think you just stole faces 

from the inside of Walmart frames.  

I stained mine 'special walnut' or some such, and didn't even sand 'em.  

Used command hooks to adhere to the wall.

Luxuriate in the chippy goodness with me...

Here's how I attached the pictures to the back of the glass.

There's prolly some better way, but this is workin' for me.

Get those clear picture corners and put them on backwards so the sticky side goes toward the window.

You prolly knew that.

Here's a somewhat awkward shot of the one taken of hubs and I.

I was too tired to climb on a chair to get even with the picture.

I think I look tired.  

Wait. I am tired. 

Which is why I just snapped this picture from my seated position in the first place.

So there ya go.  What to do with old windows. 

Have a butt-load of kids and get a big black dog to fill the panes,

then show 'em off. 

Prolly taking this post to some of my favorite PARTIES, listed in the link on my side bar.

Halls are Decked.

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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Welcome to my holiday home tour!

I thought I'd spare you a post o' pics that went on to tomorrow by making tacky, disjointed collages with my sub-par point and shoot camera and free picasa editing program.

If you really wanna see more, just clickety click the linkety links below each, 

although you'll note not all have links.  

Just so ya know.

Ye Olde Mantel 2011

Crafty Christmas Vignettes

Glitterfied Rusticness in the Dining Room

O Tannenbaum(s)

Who noticed I did some tweaking?  I added my gramma's crocheted snowflakes to the mantel.  

And some glowey-ness in picasa.

And some extra greenery to the chandy 'cause it told me it wanted some. 

So there.

You might have guessed I'll be linking to a ton of holiday home tour linkys,
as well as some of my favorite regulars from my Link Party Page.  

Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

Hooked On Houses Dec. 9th

Jennifer Rizzo Dec. 12

The Inspired Room Dec. 12

Nesting Place Dec. 15th

Michaela Noelle Designs Dec. 15th

Funky Junk Interiors Dec. 23rd