Here comes Santa!

Last night was our small group's Christmas party!  I made a little prop for our pictures if you'd like to watch the tutorial!

I made a little photo backdrop using a sheet and some hand made snowflakes!  I think the pictures captured the abundance of fun we had last night!  Great times!

Merry Christmas!

My first Vlog!

I recorded this a while ago, but Big A just helped me figure out how to get it up on my blog!  It's super fun, and I have a feeling that there will be many more to come! :D  Enjoy!  Also, feel free to subscribe to my YouTube page!

Spreading Christmas Cheer

Today I made little treats for Andy's coworkers.  I really jump at any chance I get to bake :)  So, of course I made chocolate chip cookies!

 They turned out so perfect, soft and fluffy!  I got these adorable little treat bags at Wal*Mart for $1.27, and they came with the twisty ties.

 I packaged up 8 cookies in each bag, and added some delicious mint hot chocolate to put into the neat little tins that were only $1!

 Tucker was really wanting to get in on the action, so I suggested he make the cards.  I think he did a great job! ;)

 Aren't his little hand prints adorable?!  They make cute little reindeer :)  (oh my goodness, the crafts you can do with little hands and feet!!!  I am LOVING this age!)

 Everything got neatly packed inside (it all fit perfectly!)

 And the card really tops it off!!!

Each gift was made for under $2 each, but the love that was put into it is priceless!!! :)  I love making great gifts at little to no cost!!!  Enjoy!

Under the weather

I seem to have a caught a bug (oooooorrrrr gave my family food poisoning :/) this week.  It started Monday night, and then Andy got it Tuesday at work :/  T has been doing great the whole time, which I'm so thankful for, but the last couple of days we've allowed the couch to mold to our bodies.

I have actually been doing some orders, which I'll post pictures of later, but other than that, I don't have much to talk about.  I don't want to deprive you of the whirlwind of randomness that is my mind, so here are a few thoughts I've had recently!!!

*I struggle to come up with a Christmas list every year, and as soon as I get other people's lists and go shopping for them, I find a MILLION things I want!!!

*I LOVE the Christmas decorations in my house!  It's not so bad being sick when you're surrounded by a colorful winter wonderland!  ...have i talked about my decorations too much?!

*I anticipate the sound of the mail man each day so I can run out and see if we have gotten more Christmas cards to hang on the fridge! :)

*No matter how hard I work on the house or laundry, it is never apparent to anyone who comes into my house :( I kind of feel like a failure...a lot

*I'm hoping that the lack of snow so far will promise for quite a bit of snow days and 2 hour delays for Andy after Christmas break!!!

*I only want to wear sweat pants.  Every day.  All the time.  And never have to wear "real" pants again.

*I'm almost done with my Christmas wrapping!  I can't wait to stuff stockings this year, and am SO excited that the Hinton's will be staying with us during Christmas! :D

I hope you're having a great Thursday! I'll try to be more exciting next week!  Any random thoughts you want to share?!  Go ahead! I'd love to read them!

Oh, I SEEEEEE!

 This weekend our church celebrated Belle's Brunch, all the tables get decorated by different women, brunch is served to us by the men, and music and a speaker is enjoyed by all.  I LOVE doing this!  This year my mom and I created the theme "Kid's Christmas," using many of the traditions my sisters and I had growing up!  It was SO much fun!

 Afterward, mom and I got to wander through the mall, stroller free (thanks, A!)) and browse through shops we usually just rush through.  We were soaking up Anthropologie when I spotted these:

 YES! New blue glasses!!! Unfortunately they are reading glasses and not fit to my specific prescription... so mom got them :/

 I'm a little jealous, to say the least, but it seems only fitting that my crafty partner in crime would dawn a similiarly-hued pair of specks!!!  Aren't they just gorgeous?! Speck so ;)

 Let's just say we weren't feeling the Sally-Jessie/Harry Potter look, so I think she made the best choice :)

It was a great weekend!  Did anyone try the hanging ornament craft this weekend?!  If so, send me pictures! :)

Ooooh, also, does anyone know of a cheap website where I could possibly find an adorable pair of turquoise frames?!

Christmas Craft!

Hanging Ornaments:

The last couple of years we've gone the "simplistic" route of trimming the tree.  I've only put the brightly colored balls on the tree, and kept the other fancier ones in the box.  ...I had a kid, don't judge! ;)

Anyways, I wanted to do a little extra this year to make it feel more like the North Pole :)  After hanging the ornaments on the tree, I still had a good bit left over, so I came up with this little decoration!

 Supplies:
*Ornaments-colorful, different sizes, your favorites!
*Ribbon-different colors, sizes, textures (use your scraps, or buy some on sale!)
*pretty easy, huh?!

 Cut your ribbon to different lengths, and tie them to your ornaments.  Next, either tie them to your curtain rod, or use an ornament hook and attach it to your blinds. 

It brings a color and cheer to your windows, especially on those gloomier days, and it's a great way to display some of your favorite ornaments!  Enjoy!

Christmas Crafts!

Hanging Gifts!

I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving!  We sure did!  What a wonderful week full of family, food, and fun! :)  

I am soooooo excited to finally be getting the Christmas decorations up!  It just feels so magical now that T is a little bit older, and I wanted the whole house (well, at least the downstairs) to be completely decorated!  

I know that we're on a bit of a tight budget, so I've been creative with a bunch of my decorations. I wanted a "new" look, but without having to buy anything.  I thought I'd share some of my crafts this week with you so you can make "free" new decorations, too!

For these little cuties, here's all you'll need:

*Cardboard- I used diaper boxes because I had an abundance!

*Wrapping paper.  I bought a double sided roll at Sam's 4 years ago, and I still have about half of it left!

*Ribbon, whatever you have!

*Tape

*Hot glue

*Push pin

For starters, I cut long, skinny rectangles out of the cardboard.  I made 3 pieces because I'm a big fan of odd numbers :)

 Next, get out your wrapping paper and ribbons (I actually got my ribbon this year at Michael's on Black Friday for 70% off!)

 Then, just wrap your "present!" I put the brown side of the cardboard towards the front in case my papers were thin.  I didn't want that baby peeking through on the front!

 Apparently I forgot to photograph this next step, but add your ribbon to the "gift."  Make whatever kind of bow you like (or know how to make!).  They don't even have to be centered, or tied in the same place or way!  They'll look adorable if it's all mix 'n matched!!!

Finally, add a little loop on the back to make them easy to hang *DISCLAIMER*  Do NOT use tape, as shown in the picture!  I did, and all 3 fell down in the first hour. There are currently 2 on the floor again, so I will be fixing this with hot glue!  I should have done this in the beginning, but wasn't thinking :)

 Finally, hang them up!!!  They add just a bit of color and festivity to an otherwise boring space! 

Enjoy!  If you make these, please link up in the comments below!  I'd love to see yours, too!!!

Stay tuned for a few more easy Christmas decorations this week!!!!

Finale

Last weekend was my last art show of the year.  I was invited to it by Erica's Mom who puts it on each year.  Originally I didn't think I'd be able to make it, but after the Oktoberfest fiasco, I had tons of stock, and no where to sell it! :)

Mom and I got up and headed out at 4:15 with no expectations, except to have FUN!  It turned out to be just that!

 Each of the ladies who hosted a booth brought cookies for the fair-goers, and I really liked this personal touch!  It smelled amazing in there, too :)

 Our booth was in between Lynn's and Peggy's booths.  Peggy was sooooooo sweet, and actually taught Mom and I how to knit during the slower times!!!

 We were thrilled, to say the least, to have "mastered" a new craft, and can't wait to knit away!

 It was a wonderful day!  My new necklaces and prints sold like hot cakes! :)

 Thank you, Lynn, for inviting us, and Peggy for teaching us your craft!  We had a great time, and look forward to next year!

 And, of course, we bought our own knitting needles on the way home :)

And the winner is......

Jess from http://lifestyle-eating.blogspot.com/  Congratulations, Jess!!!  Please email me @ SimplySmithDesigns@gmail.com and send me your address!!!

Well, I'm off to finish up supplies for my last show of the year!  I'm probably a little more behind than I would like, so I'll be a busy little bee today! Wish me luck! :)

Giveaway time!!!

 Y'all, I'm soooooooooooo excited to share this gift with you!!!!  My family fell in love with the movie, Julie and Julia, a few years ago.  My mom has since then perfected Julia's amazing Beef Burgeon on various special occasions! Let's just say it's more amazing than it even looks in the movie!!

 One lucky winner will be the owner of this fabulous cookbook just in time for the holidays!!!

Here's all you have to do:

1) (required) Leave me a comment telling me your favorite holiday tradition (Thanksgiving or Christmas).


2) For a second (and separate) entry, become a follower, or let me know if you already are.


3) For an extra 2 entries (both separate) Like me on Facebook, and repost about this either on your blog, twitter, or facebook!

If you do not have a blog, you can still enter!  Here's how:

1. Click on "Paint Splatters" below this post.  Type your entry in the box under "Post a Comment." *Be sure that leave your NAME and EMAIL address at the end of your entry so I can contact you if you win!!!

2. Below that box, choose "Anonymous" from the pull down box next to "Comment as."

3. Click "Post Comment" and voila! :)

The winner will be chosen on Friday Morning!

Mustaches and Lips!

More Kellys!!! Last weekend, my roomie, Kelli,  from college came to visit!  We had a wonderful weekend, and it was topped off with chaperoning the Masquerade Ball at Andy's school!  I was in charge of doing the pictures, and I wanted everything to be more fun than just the "Prom pose."

So, I fashioned a few mustaches and kissy lips, attached them to some sticks from the backyard (I'm frugal, what can I say?!) and Voila!!!  The kids LOVED this!!!

I think their favorite part was getting to use the frames.  I had 3 of them, so they looked really cool in group shots.  I can't wait to do come up with more ideas for the next dance!!! :) 

We had a good time testing out the props as well, and I must say, we look pretty good :)

Kelly Squared

This weekend, Courtney and I went to Chica Boutiqua, a local art fair made up of mostly Etsy sellers.  I was supposed to be a part of the show, but I didn't think I had enough art left, so I'm going to do it next year!  There were some amazing booths there, including my friend, Barbie, but I was actually super excited to meet Kelly Barton!...in person!  I taught with Kelly's brother, and we've emailed back and forth for a while now.  I actually recognized her art first!  I said, "oh, now this is my kind of stuff!" As I walked closer, I knew it was hers!!! :)  I bought one of her gorgeous prints, and I'll show you a picture once I get it framed and hung!

I also thought I'd share this little table cloth that I snagged at Goodwill a while back. At first I was afraid it was too "grandma-y," but I think I like it.  It's not out all the time, so for special occasions, it will be nice!

See-great details and colors!

Happy Halloween!

afternoon painting

 We've been living in our house for about 4 years now.  I love my house, but I am ready for a few slight changes to keep things feeling fresh.  After I finished the place mats, I decided that the painting in the kitchen needed a bit of an update.

 The colors are pretty, but I got very inspired by Mati Rose, and wanted to try to experiment with her style. So, the cover up began.

 I did leave some of the pieces of the original painting show through, but I also masked those pieces.

 It was nice to have my easel out and paint again.  I just LOVE to paint!!!  I've been playing around with abstract after my class I took last spring, and really hadn't done it in a while.  I think I was just in the zone because it all just kind of flowed!!! ...did I mention that I did all of this during T's nap time?!

 And, ta da!  The finished product!!!

 It goes really well with the orange piece bellow, and it's a nice compliment to the kitchen!!! 

Ahhh, to paint again!  :)

Funky Place Mat in a Day Tutorial!

I have recently been wanting a neat set of place mats.  I had an idea in mind, and found some neat ones at Pier 1, but not exactly what I was looking for.  Then, I found some fabrics at Goodwill and they were perfect to make my own!!!

They were a thick linen and were previously some very LARGE skirts, but I knew I could transform them!!!  This is really all you need:

*fabric- a large amount to be your base, smaller amounts to cut into strips for the front.
*rick rack, ribbon, bias tape, anything snazy!!!
*pom pom ribbon.

First, I cut the base fabric (the pieces I got from Goodwill, but also 6 different  scrap pieces for the back of the mats.  Each back is different!) using an existing place mat.

Next, I cut scrap fabrics into strips and searched through my ribbon, rick rack and other goodies to find additional stripes.

I played around with the arrangements until I liked how each mat would look.

Notice that there's a separate back fabric with each set.

Next, I ironed the edges of each of the strips and began sewing them to the top of the place mat (don't connect the back piece yet, or you'll see all of your stitches on the back side...unless you like that!)

Don't be afraid to play around with all of those stitch options on your machine!  I used almost all of them to add a bit of *pizazz!!!*  I also used a variety of thread colors to add more interest.

*It's also good to have some moral support through your project.  T was very interested in the machine that made weird noises!

Don't worry if your lines are straight, or if the fabric isn't perfect, these are FUNKY place mats!  They're not meant to be perfect! Just have fun with this project!!!

Once your front side is sewn, iron the edges of your top and bottom pieces so they they will match.  Pin your pom pom ribbon into the sides, and begin sewing away!  I used a small zig zag stitch for this step to give me a bit more wiggle room for making sure I sewed that pom pom ribbon in really well.

Again, more moral support.  T was sleeping, so Sookie stepped in for this tedious process...well, not so much tedious as super exciting because I wanted to see the finished product!

And, let me tell you, it was worth the wait!!! I LOVE how these turned out!!!

No two are the same, and each has a different pom pom color and backing!

They just looked so adorable with my dishes and kitchen!

I think we'll be eating at the table a lot more now :)

Happy sewing!!!