Knitting, Travelling, and a Cat Scarf

I put quite a few miles on the vehicle this past week.  We went to the opposite side of our state, dipped over to Texas, swooped through Louisiana, back to Texas, and home again.  During my travels, a gained a new skill.  I made a comment or two a while back that I wished I could knit.  My mother in law tucked those comments in the back of her mind and made a great gift out of them.  One of her gifts to me was a knitting bag, complete with circular needles, a book full of great info and patterns, a counter, and some beautiful chunky thread.  As I opened it, wondering how I would ever teach myself, she explained that part of the gift was that her sister was going to teach me!  So I spent a day with my husband's Aunt Joan (I have an Aunt Joan too!) and she patiently taught me how to get started knitting.  Here is a picture of her with the Mr.

 Yes, she is as sweet as she looks!  The entire trip home, I steadily worked on my first project, a scarf with no end.  I made a few mistakes here and there, but kept persevering.  Last night, after unpacking, I started at it again.  A few more mistakes later, I thought that I had plenty of practice and would start fresh to try and make one with no errors.  I cut the project short, and found that the scarf fit perfectly....on Macy!  So I put it around her neck and asked her to strike a pose.

 Surprisingly, she seemed to enjoy it, and wore her new accessory around all evening.  She even stopped to pose by the knitting bag and yarn.

 Not only does she love her new scarf, but she has an unusual fascination with my circular needles.  This could be a problem, especially if she starts showing interest in the yarn!

 Dear "new" Aunt Joan,

Thank you for your knitting lesson, I cannot put a price tag on that.  I will forever be a knitter!

Dear other Aunt Joan,

You have not been replaced, I love you both!

-Dana

Strut your Stuff for Christmas

Normally, I do a giveaway on this post, but I have such an amazing giveaway going on already I am just going to remind you to go

HERE

to enter for a chance to win the $50 American Express card! You have until Christmas Eve!

Here we go, on with the last link party before Christmas, and I want to see your best of Christmas past and present.  So go ahead and link up your creations, recipes, gift ideas, anything you have up your sleeve, and then dig through your archives and link one of your favorites from years gone by.  As a matter of fact, link up as many as you like, no limit, because this is your last chance to share the holiday cheer! 

Here are the best of the best from last week!  If you get featured, don't forget to grab the button on the right sidebar.  After all, you earned, now go brag about it! 

I hope I still have time to make this fantastic ice wreath by From the V Side!  You don't have to worry about where to store it, and that's a plus for me!

I am a soup lover all year, but now is the perfect time to savor the flavor of something like this yummy cheeseburger soup from Cheri Quite Contrary.  I wonder if she delivers?!

And you know me, there is nothing I appreciate more than a frugal decorator!  La Force Be With You nailed it with this easy but chic dollar store hurricane!

I normally only feature one recipe, but these pulled pork sandwiches have my mouth watering to the point that I cannot even think about decorations.  Loving Life has me loving my slow cooker!



But since I still have some wrapping to do, I wanted to share this idea from Crystal's Creations. Yep, she revamped an Altoid tin and I may use her tutorial to make gift card holders and other stocking stuffers.  Go check it out!

Go ahead, link up, check out the other fun bloggers, enjoy the holidays, and don't forget to enter the American Express giveaway by clicking HERE!

If you feel super nice today, grab my strut your stuff button on the sidebar and add it to your blog or post. By entering your link, you are giving me permission to use any part of your post including pictures in a spotlight on Saturday Mornings. (Proper credit and links will be given to you, of course!)

BIG BIG EXCITING NEWS!

First off, thank you to everyone who has been taking time out to vote for me for Top Blog!  Last week there was an amazing turnout of support for Saturday Mornings!  This morning, I woke up to the exciting news that I am now in the TOP FIVE!  The voting started over today with a clean slate, and this round will only leave two blogs in the running, so keep up the voting!  Also as of this morning, there was an important announcement on the Blog Guidebook website:

We're going to mix it up a little this round and have everyone vote through COMMENTS. We know this is a little more time consuming, but we want to see how the numbers compare to the number of votes we've been receiving, just to make sure there aren't any discrepancies.
We'd really consider it a great kindness if you would be a follower here and at the blog you vote for.

So just a quick comment to get your vote in, if you do not have a google account just leave the comment using the name option and type your name in to make it count!  No sign up required, but anonymous votes do not count.  Plus I will enjoy seeing the names of my friends and family who are helping out!  Let's see if Saturday Mornings can stay in the running!  Thanks again to everyone who has been loyal and supportive!  VOTE HERE NOW!

Stocking Stuffer Deal Arrives in Time for Christmas!

There is only a little time left to finish shopping!  Are you looking for something last minute, adorable, and at a totally affordable price?  Oh, and did I mention they are BUY TWO GET ONE FREE OF ANY PRICE?!  Check out the Saturday Mornings Etsy Shop for the perfect gift under ten bucks!  They will ship in time for Christmas, and they make great stocking stuffers, gifts for neighbors and friends, teacher gifts, I could go on, but honestly, they work great for just about anyone!  Have you seen the latest rage, the newest trend, the mysterious book thong?!  They fit into a book without turning or damaging your pages, and on top of that, they adorable little works of art!  Here are a few of the best sellers:

WILD HORSES

  

PEWTER CROSS

BUTTERFLY KISSES

BRIDE AND GROOM

So go HERE or to the button on my sidebar and the gift that will reach the thoughtfulness and personalized level of giving that makes people smile! 

Link Up, WINNERS, and Giveaway

Once again, a good turnout for the link up!  Let's have another good showing this week as well! I have seen a ton of ideas that I plan to try out myself!  First of all, last week's winners for the book thongs are....

Linda McClain and Laurie!

*Please contact me as soon as possible, and congrats!*

 

This week I will be giving away a $15 gift card to my Etsy shop!  There is a link ot my shop on the right sidebar if you want to check it out! Here is the lowdown...

 

Everyone has a chance to win. As most of you know, my blog was nominated for top blog of the year. I have made it through another week and am now in the TOP FIVE, but to continue to be eligible, I have to have votes. Everyone can vote once so, you can get one entry by voting and it is just that simple. There is no sign up required, you just simply leave a comment. So go HERE to cast your vote, it will be in the middle of the page. Then come back and let me know you did so. Thank you in advance and good luck!

 

Now let's party! Here are some of the best entries from last week. If you get featured, make sure to grab the button on my sidebar so that you can brag about it!

I love these unique holiday puppy cookies by Copy Craft!  They are almost too cute too eat!

And this simple decoration makes a blod holiday statement.  See how they are done at Stephanie at Home.

And I am totally nabbing this idea for firestarter logs from Rob's World!

To link up:

Please be a follower before you link, it's the nice thing to do. But you can link up whatever you want to show off, from before and afters to recipes, and there is no limit to the number of links, so go ahead and start strutting! Also, if you feel super nice today, grab my strut your stuff button on the sidebar and add it to your blog or post. By entering your link, you are giving me permission to use any part of your post including pictures in a spotlight on Saturday Mornings. (Proper credit and links will be given to you, of course!)

No L Christmas Wreath

I am, after this project, officially banned from Christmas wreaths for the year.  But, I think this may be my favorite!  I had a pretty standard fir wreath form, and I did not set out with much of a plan but I had tons of things to work with.  I started with some cute wooden letters.

 I painted them and attached them to some little wood circles, then splashed on a little sparkle Mod Podge.  I then took some cute wire edge ribbon to make a bow with a long tail to adhere my "NOEL" wooden letters to.  

After that was complete, it was cute but I felt as though it needed a few more accessories.  I dug through my holiday stash and added some of last year's leftovers!  Suddenly, I had an original wreath!

Wreath Form:  $3.50

Wooden Parts:  $2.00

Everything Else:  on hand/leftover

Total Cost:  $5.50

Christmas Wreath in Craft Store:  $30.00

Completely Puzzled

I have endless ideas when creating things for myself and my home, and if it turns out bad, I am not really disappointing anyone.  However, Christmas gifts this year have been a struggle.  If I give a gift that I put a lot of time and heart into, my expectations for that project often become too high.  I have to keep in mind that people appreciate unique and heartfelt gifts.  For the next two weeks, many of the posts will feature gifts I am giving this year and how you can do the same!

My nieces are three and four, and are getting into games, cards, puzzles, and other hands on activities.  I picked up an unfinished wooden puzzle and thought how fun it would be of they had a puzzle of themselves!  Here is the blank puzzle, and I think even a simple puzzle that is already painted would work, as well, since you are completely covering the surface.  However, this one was on sale for a dollar!  What a deal!

Print a photo of choice on plain printer paper, slightly larger than the size of the puzzle.  Adhere the picture to the entire surface using a thin coat of Mod Podge, trim the edges, and allow to dry.

As you can see above, I already began cutting the pieces out with an Exacto knife.  It is the most tedious part of the project because you have to be careful that the photo does not rip and comes apart easily.  If it does tear slightly, attach the torn piece back on with the Mod Podge, it will be almost undetectable.  Cut until the pieces are done and detached from the frame.

Finally, put two coats of Mod Podge on each piece.  Allow to dry, and you have a sturdy, wooden personalized puzzle that the kids will love!  You could even put a message underneath to remind them who gave it to them!  

Puzzle:  $1.00

Everything else:  on hand

Total Cost:  $1.00

Photo Puzzle Gifts Online:  $23.00

Subway Art Knockoff

Although I love our television, flat screen TV stands look best with a nice touch of decor.  I have arranged, rearranged, and thrown my hands up in surrender.  No matter what I do, there is a spot on the wall next to it that sticks out like a sore thumb.  It is screaming, "HEY!  Over here!  I like Christmas too!"  I finally found the perfect thing, but my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I saw the price tag.  So, in Saturday Mornings style, I set out to do it myself!  You may have seen the trend lately for "subway art."  I was on a mission for a Christmas themed piece, and crossing my fingers that my unsteady hand would be able to pull of a little painting.  One place or another almost always has blank canvas on sale... you know, the ones that are already wrapped around a wooden frame?  I scored this one for half price, and it was just the size I needed!

Over time, I have acquired a stash of acrylic paint in almost every color, so I chose red and white, along with two sizes of stencils, which is all I had.

Unless you have a large collection of stencils in different sizes and fonts, you will have to do some free hand painting!  Scary, huh?!  I learned while doing this project that if you write in pencil and then paint over that, it is easier to stick to form.  I was more than pleased with the outcome, and can see more of these in my future!

Canvas:  $3.50

Paint and stencils:  on hand (paint will be about $2 if you buy it)

Total cost:  $3.50

Christmas subway art in local home decor boutique:  $125.00

Strut Your Stuff, Winner and Giveaway!

Once again, a good turnout for the link up!  Christmas is fast approaching, and I am loving all of the great ideas!  Let's have another good showing this week as well!  First of all, last week's winner for the free ad is....

DENISE from Junkdog Designs!

*Please contact me as soon as possible, and congrats!*

This week I will be giving away two prizes!  Two winners will each win a hand beaded book thong of choice from my Etsy shop!  There is a link ot my shop on the right sidebar if you want to check them out!  Here is the lowdown...

Everyone has two chances to win. As most of you know, my blog was nominated for top blog of the year. I have made it through another week and am now in the top 18, but to continue to be eligible, I have to have votes. Everyone can vote once a week. So, you can get one entry by voting today through Friday, and one for voting Saturday through Monday. There is no sign up required, you just simply click your choice. So go HERE to cast your vote, it will be on the right side of the page. Then come back and let me know you did so. Thank you in advance and good luck!

Now let's party! Here are some of the best entries from last week. If you get featured, make sure to grab the button on my sidebar so that you can brag about it!

I may go home today and make this holiday card holder from Brassy Apple because it is very frugal and cute!

Reading the recipe for pork fried rice byMostly Food and Crafts makes my stomach growl!

And I will never be happy with my boring teapot after seeing this revamp by Forever Decorating!

To link up:

Please be a follower before you link, it's the nice thing to do. But you can link up whatever you want to show off, from before and afters to recipes, and there is no limit to the number of links, so go ahead and start strutting! Also, if you feel super nice today, grab my strut your stuff button on the sidebar and add it to your blog or post. By entering your link, you are giving me permission to use any part of your post including pictures in a spotlight on Saturday Mornings. (Proper credit and links will be given to you, of course!)

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?

Dear Mod Podge,

Sometimes I am not very open about my feelings.  I use you every day and although I think you are OK with that, I need to start opening up more.  I must tell you that there are others.  I cannot go on like this, I think you would all like each other for your own unique qualities.  You have been my rock, but sometimes I feel like there is something missing.  Some of them have other things to offer.  Like that sparkle I long for...

That artsy side...

The outdoorsy type...

The great fashion sense...

Some of them just really shine...

And then there is one with a whole new dimension...

I know that this is hard to take in, but I will never desert you, I will always need you and want you in my life.  But if you can all learn to love each other and work together, I think we will have a great thing.  For example, I made this trio of trees with the help of several of you.  It was only possible because you all did your part.  Thank you for understanding.

*On a side note, I used these ingredients as well...

Beads!

Pom poms!

Yarn!

Foam cones!

As well as acrylic paint, bells, and tacky glue.  The yarn tree was possible thanks to Mod Podge and three shades of yarn, along with a patient hand.  The beaded tree is held together by a strand of beads, tacky glue, paint, and a jingle bell!  And last but not least, the shining red tree is due in part to acrylic paint, shimmer Mod Podge, and pom poms!  Thank you to each and every participant!

It is hard to judge the price of these festive decorations because Mod Podge goes a long way.  I can honestly say that I still have a bottle I bought of the original matte and I have been using it frequently since long before this blog was born.  On another note, I have not been given anything to hype up this product, I honestly love it!  I also love a *certain* blog written by Amy, who I am inspired by daily!  To see an endless amount of projects to use this eighth wonder of the world on, check out her Mod Podge Rocks blog!  I love my little trees and hope you do as well!

Foam cones:  $2.00 each

Everything else:  on hand or from dollar store 

Tulle Wreath

I will tell you to start that this project is pretty time consuming, but it lends to tons of possibilities!  I have a traditional wreath with the greenery and the poinsettias, so I wanted to do something completely different.  All you need for this is a base for the shape (I chose foam), a few rolls of tulle, and odds and ends to decorate the finished wreath with.  No glue, no paint, nothing messy for a change!  Cut the tulle in pieces about nine inches long, or determine a length that works for the look you want.  You will need tons of these strips, so go ahead and stockpile some.

Wrap each piece around the base and tie the ends together so that they point in the direction appropriate for the look of a wreath.  Continue doing this until the entire base is completely covered.

Take some ornaments, pine cones, bells, or anything you have laying around and attach them to the wreath by tying a piece of the tulle to them at the base.  You may have items that you will want to hot glue, but I chose things that could be attached using the tulle that is already on the wreath.

After this, you are done!  I may add some more decor to mine, but this is what the finished project will look similar to!

 Tulle:  $4.00

Foam:  $2.00

Decorations:  on hand

Total cost:  $6.00

Christmas wreath in store:  $30.00