a Christmas-y things Tutorial & Giveaway

So remember this post when I said I was going to be making one of these sweeties?

Well...I did. Not the same colors, but close. My version. :)

And I loves it.

Here's how it went down!

I bought some small styrofoam balls and wrapped them in yarn...

Aren't they cute...!?

Then I started assembling them along with my brightly colored and glittery ornaments...

After assembling for a little bit, I realized I needed more yarn balls...geeesshhhhh...

There we go, assembly was done...

Did I mention I LOVES it?!

...a few close up's of the beauty! :)

SO...I figured with  my leftovers and a few other ornaments that I picked up from the dollar bin at Target...that I would whip  up a smaller version for a little Christmas LOVE Giveaway!

Aren't you excited?! Here it is...

*Isn't Husby's arm so cute?!*

Well, it's up for grabs!!! And there are TWO ways to enter the giveaway!

#1 - Post about this giveaway on your Blog OR Facebook. (Leave me a comment telling me you did, and link to your post)
#2 - Leave me a separate comment telling me about your favorite Christmas memory!

This giveaway will end at midnight on Saturday,  December 4th. So be sure to get your entries in soon!!

Great FABRIC online!!

If you are looking for a great spot to purchase Fabric online at great prices...well look no further. I recently placed an order with Fabric.com and fell in love. The Customer Service was amazing and the order shipped quickly!!

Here are some of my fav fabrics right now...

Check them out!! :)



Fabric.com

7 Days of Thankfulness - Day 1 - Family

I am thankful for my Family. There's really not too much more to be said...where would be be without Family. I especially love the way mine can laugh and laugh at anything. There is never a dull moment there. Husby's side of the Family is great too...the way they are the "drop-everything" and help kind!

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with Family."
-Anthony Brandt

7 Days of Thankfulness - Day 2 - Friends

Today I am thankful for my Friends. My girls who make me laugh, make me cry. The ones I dream my dreams with. I am thankful for the new friends I am making, through Church, Work, and our Small Group.

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
- Anais Nin

What are you thankful for today?

7 Days of Thankfulness - Day 3 - Church

Today I am thankful for my Church.

Growing up in Church with a Pastor as your Father can be tough at times. You see the downside, the business side of things sometimes...but then you also hear all the stories. Stories of how your Church has helped a Family in need. I have seen many times where our Church has helped  my Family when in need. I am proud of where our Church has come from, our roots that have made us who we are today. I am so excited to see where God is going to take our Church in the coming years.

Thankful to God for this Church home we have been given.

What are you thankful for today?

Getting into the Holiday spirit...

So my plan is to make one of these cuties tonight...

My colors are similar, but not exactly the same; and I am terribly excited!!

+ as a BONUS for me oh-so-special readers, I will be making a smaller version for a special Holiday Giveaway! So keep your eyes out for how to enter!

Under my belt...

I have three more photo shoots under my belt...it was one busy weekend!!

Here are some teaser photos...

 

 
You can follow my Photography Blog to see the rest of the photos as well!

(oh and while you are there...can you check out my latest creation? I made a quiz to help my Clients determine their "photography style." Check out the quiz here and come back and let me know how it matched up to you. THANKS :)

Feelin' nostalgic...

I hopped over to my Vimeo site to check out some older videos that I have posted. So I now declare today...

VIDEO DAY!


Here are some of my favorites...

You have to let yourself get a little silly when it comes to home improvement...I'm always a little silly...or alot silly...whatever :)





Chariots of Fire - The Home Remodel Edit from April Eslick on Vimeo.

Fun with the Family always makes for the best memories...like this memory from my Nieces birthday...Rockband with the Family...Oh Husby...such a sweet singing voice! :P





ROCKBAND - Hannah's Birthday Jam Session from April Eslick on Vimeo.

Our Valentine's Day Clue Hunts are a tradition...this year I loved taping Husby while he searched. One of my favorite parts is watching the pups follow his every move.





Valentine's Day 09 - Clue Hunt from April Eslick on Vimeo.

This one is kinda schmoopy...but it shows alot of my favorite pictures, many that are older, of Husby and I. :)





Happy 6th Anniversary...I Love You from April Eslick on Vimeo.

Our dogs provide...well endless hours of entertainment. Here are two videos to prove why. Pickle always hides from medicine and plays a nightly round of "ball" with Dad and Olive...well she LOVES water.





Pickle Runs from the Medicine from April Eslick on Vimeo.





Pickle & Dad play ball. from April Eslick on Vimeo.





Olive in the Rain (9-27-08) from April Eslick on Vimeo.


This past Spring my family and I went out to TN to bury my Mother's Father...and while we were there we got to spend some time with my Father's parents. And Grandpa tells some of the funniest stories...I just had to share this one with you...





Grandpa Sharpe talks about Elvis from April Eslick on Vimeo.


and to round out our VIDEO DAY...I'll add one more of the pups...as they were watching some basement remodeling.





Pickle hits the basetment Drive-thru from April Eslick on Vimeo.

I can't fight this feeling anymore...

I've forgotten what I started fightin' for...

I need my Christmas music.

I can't wait any longer.

I have been waiting, and waiting to put up the tree (I've wanted to do it for the past two weeks.) But I have my strict no Christmas before Thanksgiving rule.

I broke that rule today.

Pandora is pleasing me with it's soothing Christmas melodies.

I couldn't fight it any longer.

The tree however, will be waiting until Friday. Hopefully. :D

How do you feel about the upcoming Holidays...Thanksgiving and Christmas? What are your families traditions? More on our Traditions coming soon :)

7 Days of Thankfulness - Day 4 - Health

Today I am thankful for my health; and the health of those around me. We may not be getting pregnant in our time, but I am thankful that we haven't been told that we can't carry a baby. It's hard many days but we have to strive to find the positive.

I am thankful for the health of my Husband, and his Family, my Family, my Friends and their children.

God has truly taken care of all of us and brought us through some scary times.

What are you thankful for today?

7 Days of Thankfulness - Day 5 - Job

Today, I am thankful for my job(s). In these days when so many are out of work, I am thankful for the position that God granted me at my current company three years ago. It's an amazing company that affords me the ability to pay our bills and to have the time to grow and develop creatively. I have time to create for our Youth Ministry and for myself. I am thankful for their generosity, in finding ways to support us as employees with bonuses when many companies can't.

I am also thankful for my drive and determination to find a job that is just for me. My Photography business is thriving and it's all that I could have ever imagined. I am thankful for my creativity and my energy and my talents, all from God. I can't wait to see where this business venture takes me!

What are you thankful for today?

7 Days of Thankfulness - Day 6 - Husband

 

Today, I am oh so thankful for my Husband. God has truly blessed me with a strong and faithful Man of God and a wonderful helpmate. He is my best friend. And many days he is my backbone,  my push to be a better person. He is my silly buddy when we need a laugh, my shoulder to cry on during a trial and my confidant. I have been so happily married to him for almost 8 years and I couldn't ask for anything more in a Husband.

We have had our share of trials and even know going through a growth period and trying to start a Family, I know that at the end of the day I have my Man by my side and God as the center of our relationship. There's not much more that I need.

Thank you baby for being you.

What are you thankful for today?

7 Days of Thankfulness - Day 7 - Faith

First off I have to start by saying...wow. November 17th already!! Well..by the time you read this it will be November 18th. So even more...wow. Are you feeling the urge to Christmas shop yet? Got your Turkey and dressing recipes all ready? Well, at least while you are here...for the next 7 days...take a breather. Stop and remember what you are truly Thankful for.

One of my favorite Family Traditions is each year at Thanksgiving we share our Blessings and Thankfulness on a small 3x5 card, and each of us reads it outloud and we keep each years cards in a "Blessings" tin. This will be our 4 year I believe doing it...and I love going back to all to other years and seeing what God has done for our families! :)

So this year, I thought it would be a great idea to share with you all what I am Thankful for and possibly spur on a few (albeit brief) moments of thankfulness and moments to just think about all the GOOD!

Today. I am THANKFUL first and foremost for my Faith.

I am thankful that I live in a Country where I have the freedom to worship the way I believe. I am thankful for God and His Son's sacrifice on the cross for me so many years ago. He died that I may live and have eternal life. I am thankful for the strength He gives me on the hard days, the people he has put in my life and the many, many, many blessings I have in my life.
I am thankful for the stretching that our Church is experiencing right now, to learn how to love God with a crazy kind of love...that all the world may see.

Without God, or my Faith I wouldn't have these blessings. I wouldn't have much to be thankful for. Thank you God...for everything you have done for me.

On this 7th day till Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for?

Super cute Aprons!

Some of these are JUST too cute!!

They even have great ones for the guys who love to cook/grill!

haha...that last one cracked me up when I saw it!!

Look at this darling little cupcake apron!!!

So go now!!! Check out Flirty Aprons.com!!! a Great gift idea for Christmas!

How would I spend...

$1000?

Gosh. So...if I had no debt that cried out to be paid off with the $1000...here's how I would spend it.

First off:
I would get the Silhouette SD. I want one so badly...but it's like too big for a once at a time purchase with a holiday or just everyday...

See...this would set me back $299.99.

Oh and I would need some rolls of vinyl and some of the other fun stuff to go along with it...
Maybe 3 rolls of vinyl $23.97

Two rolls of heat transfer paper $30.00
The Magnet paper is pretty sweet $9.99
There goes another $63.96

Then I would want to set aside at least $300 for some updates to my wardrobe. Including new bras.  

Don't even get me started on how much the good ones cost and how much I am willing to pay...it's a sickness really, but I can't help it!

Then I want to purchase my night stands from IKEA to complete my bedroom suite.

There goes $119.98.

So then, gosh let's see I have $216.07 left...

I think there is a part of my that really wants to buy a dress-form. So I can make my own dresses, skirts and shirts.

So there I am looking at around $125 if I got it on the cheap.

Now, I would love to find a good pair of cute boots that fit my ever so muscular/big calves, and that looked good on it.

Those would probably set me back about $65, after doing a quick search for prices.

So I am left with $26.07. And I really didn't account for taxes, shipping, etc. So all my money is spent.

And I am sure if you asked me on another day I could probably come up with a TON of other things I wanted to spend $1000 on.

But for today...how would YOU spend $1000? Go ahead post it and link back to this post so I can see!

Christmas.

We are decorating the house for Christmas this year. Something we haven't done for almost three years.

We aren't grinches or anything. It's just that we spend most of the Holidays at Friends and Families homes that there doesn't seem like there's a need to.

But this year...Husby and I are exchanging gifts again. We missed it too much. (but we do have a limit!)


And I want a little Christmas cheer around the home. I want to start now.


But I have a strict No-Decorating-before-Thanksgiving rule. Doing so seems like I'm rushing it.

But we are doing it. Putting up the tree. Laying out the Dining Room Decor.

I'd also really like to make something like these for my table...

Adorable right? Maybe Goodwill has some cheapy candlestick holders that I could spray paint...hmmmm. Oh and check out the tutorial for Napkin Snowballs.

Got any Christmas Decor projects to share?

Houses into Homes

So I want to share with you guys two of my FAVORITE Houses that I have come across in the Bloggy world.

Both have made their houses into beautiful, warm homes...and boy do I wanna steal some of their ideas...here are some of what I consider "theft worthy." :)

...by the way...all pics come from House of Smiths and House*Tweaking

I love this entry way...the muted colors...the sense of Family...love.it.

I love this Board and Batten wall...I want one...somewhere in my home!

I love how she decorates her Kitchen/Dining Room wall for each season...

 

So cute!


And of course, we all know how I feel about her Pantry...seeing as how I completely made my pantry to look like hers...somewhat.

Drop by her Blog...House of Smiths...check out all her tutorials...it's just a super cute Home!

Now...onto House*Tweaking...seriously. I want to just move into her Home...

I love her Dining Area...

 

And her Kitchen...love.it.

Ugh...and I LOVE this wall leading into that area...

Don't even get me started on how wide-open and airy it is...

Then...there's the Powder Room...I so wanna try that circle painting technique somewhere in my home!

And see that over there...

Yeah. That's her tucked away mud-room. *sigh*

I know...it's bad looking at all this...makes me wanna dip out of work early and go home to make my home even more HOMEY...haha! But I need money to do that...and need my job to get money. Ugh. Vicious cycle. :P

So what homes are you lovin'??