Magic of Christmas

Hello friends. Are you all scurrying to finish your Christmas shopping and holiday decorating. Do you have lots of parties to attend and goodies to bake? Have you been looking for opportunities to give this holiday season? Read on..


Growing up my parents always made sure we had presents under the tree. When you are younger you don't even thing of the financial side of Christmas. As we grow older we come to realize just how blessed we are to have presents under the tree. 


Is it really about presents? This year my siblings and I are tossing around the idea of not giving each other gifts. A lot of time throughout the year we will surprise one another with a little something just because and that is enough for me. Honestly now that I have moved ten hours away from my family, time is the only gift I want this year. Spending time with them is priceless. We always have a good time, always. As our family begins to expand with husbands and girlfriends it just becomes that much more fun!



There is something that has been heavy on my heart the last few weeks. I want to be able to give. I want to be able to help, even just one person this Christmas. I know how blessed I am and I want to share that with someone else. If I can help more, wonderful, but one was what I was looking for. 


I have been praying for an opportunity to be able to help someone in need this holiday season.


I received a text asking if I would like to help a child in need. I asked for more info and this is the email that followed.

Hey Lauren,

Here’s the info

I have a partnership with Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Right now we are selling gift albums for the children there as a Christmas gift. We have specific albums geared toward boys and girls filled with about 20 different toys and gifts for Christmas. Here is a picture of the album they get to choose from:

 

They are $30 per album with free shipping. We will be delivering them to the kids at Children’s Mercy on December 23^rd. For some of the kids, this will be their last Christmas…. and we’re trying to make it as special as possible. We did it last year and it was very well received by the children and their families! Please let me know what you think or if you know anyone else that wants to donate too.

Answered prayer? I think so. I asked Brandon if he cared if I bought two. I absolutely love kids, if you know me, you know this. Two children in particular.  Honestly if we could afford it, I would buy 50. I hope that is the case some day. 

Would you like to help?

Here's how:

Go to this website.

Item # 747910 for Kaleidoscope Ribbon Ensemble

Ship to: (make sure you ship to this address so they arrive there so she can deliver them)

Chelsea Weingarten

14009 Barkley St. Apt 802

Overland Park, Kansas

66223

If you've been praying to help make a difference, this might be the answer you were looking for also. If you decide to donate an album or two please leave me a comment or email me so I can let Chelsea know. - Thanks!

Happy Holidays. 

Stocking Stuffer Magnets {A Tutorial}

I took a tiny break from signs although I'm thankful I have several orders to fill before the holidays. 

Today I decided to make some small crafts. Actually I decided I was making a gift for my neighbor based on the CSI Project. I've always wanted to enter but I don't have a porch I've redone, couch reupholstered, or any of the larger challenges, at least not yet. So I am starting small and hopefully inspiring. 

I made these adorable fabric magnets. They are sorda like rosettes but kinda not. They are pretty simple to make and require few supplies.

What you will need:

Fabric

Button assortment

Thread & needle

Liquid Stitch - or sewing machine

Hot glue gun

Scissors

Magnets

First cut strips of fabric into 1" wide by 14-15"

I fold the 1" strip in half and used Liquid Stitch to stitch together the raw edges.

Okay, this part is tricky. I did it different on each magnet and couldn't come up with a good way to get these started. See photo.

Then I stitch from the back and gathering the fabric in a spiral, stitching as I go.

It looks pretty messy in the back, that means your doing it right. 

But it's okay cause then you hot glue a 3/4" power magnet over that stitched up mess. 

Flip it over and add whatever type of topper you like.

I used some plain black buttons and turquoise buttons for mine but other ideas include decorative beads or brads. This is where you can personalize your magnets. 

I love them for a few reasons. They are cute. They are something you can use. They are something you may need. They are relatively easy to make require little supplies and frustration. They will stuff a stocking. 

Christmas Challenge

This Christmas will be our first as a married couple. Since we have our own place together I realize there is no longer all of my favorite decorations that I have gotten used to over the past 24 years. And this made me sad. I absolutely love Christmas decorations. We have had none.

I was in town and I was going to look for some new decorations for the house. As of late, I have been investing quite a bit in my new shop and therefore came to the realization that it might be smarter to save the money. I had some help with this realization...(ahem) thanks hubs. Let me be clear. He never said, 'you can't buy any decorations.' He kindly reminded me that neither of us are working at this point and we won't have any income until this spring. Reality, yes. Guilt trip set in. I wasn't the happiest, but he was right. What is the point of spending lots of dough on decoration for will stay up for about thirty days?


This created a new challenge for me and an opportunity to take lemons and make lemonade as they say. I headed to the house and began right away pulling things to transform into our Christmas decor.  I didn't spend a single cent. I created our Christmas shelf from ONLY stuff I already had. I also created a HUGE mess. But we all know that messy spaces are productive spaces. 


This was my result. I'm pretty much in love and catch myself staring at my sweet little Christmas haven. Ahhh. Christmas.  

Now, I challenge you my crafty, creative friends. I'd love to see what you can come up with! Happy FREE Decorating. 

P.S. Can you believe I didn't use Pinterest ONCE to make this little shelf. I'm so proud of myself for that. I love it as a resource but I'm glad I used my own ideas this time. 

Linking up with Sundae Scoop
& 

Home Made Apple Butter {Our Wedding Favors}

I've been holding out on you for a while now.  I didn't want to give anything away before the wedding. Brandon and I decided a couple things about our weddding with little to no hesitation. 
The first was our wedding date which I've explained reasoning for that before. The second was what we wanted to give our guests as a wedding favor.  A little random right?


Brandon loves applebutter and I'm a pretty big fan of it myself. When I was younger and growing up I vaguely remember making homemade apple butter on my grandma's farm. I asked my mom if we would be able to do this for our wedding. If you know my mom she saw this as an easy task. I love her for that.


It was the perfect fall day. Cold actually. The leaves crunched beneath your feet as some color still dangled up above. The only way to stay warm is huddled around the fire. The smell - heavenly. Cinnamon and apples. Delicious.

The process was moderate difficulty and is NOT a one man job.We cooked it outside, over the fire, in the copper kettle the old fashioned way. 

I brought my little helpers out to my house for the day so they could help. The liked digging in the mud. 

Fresh applebutter is the best thing on some butter bread. Can I just say yum, again!

So here are the finished wedding favors. The lids are adorned with labels and the Bible verse Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."


The bats had our names and wedding date engraved on them - moms idea and gift to us! They were a hit. Ha Ha. I loved them, and so did our guests. Except the ones that couldn't fly the applebutter home. Each time we have apple butter now I think of this great experience I had with my mom and dad and of course our wedding. 

$10 HOLIDAY SALE HURRY

$10 + shipping

10 CUSTOM SIGNS.

A STEAL. 

Need I say more?

{Giveaway}

Hi friends. Just want to tell you I'm GIVING away a custom made sign over at the adorable Ruthie Hart's - Chronicles of Ruthie.

Something like this...

Like my kitty hehe?

I'm currently working on a sign that is SO cute. I can't wait to show you and add it to the shop. 

 Even if you hate my signs (I hope you don't) go check out Ruthie's blog she is seriously so cute and I can't forget her best bud Ernie! 

I think from now til the new year I will be doing a giveaway hoping to giveaway five. Also I'll be running some hot deals in the shop so make sure you check those out.

Happy Holidays.  

New Job {ish}

Before I moved and became a Mrs. I was nannying those two sweet children. Now that I am in Alabama some days I feel lost. Not lost because I don't love it there but because I don't have an employer that I have to report to each day. I won't say this is how it HAS to be, but if I want to be able to spend any time with  my husband the first year of our marriage, this is how I want it to be. 


As much as this is how I want it to be, it isn't easy. So I decided to start my own small business,again. I feel like I am failing I've tried several times. None the less I start the process again.  I think, and think, and think what I can create for my shop that everyone else isn't. I think about this in the car. I wonder antique shops for ideas. I browse Pinterest. I lay awake at night thinking about it. I wake up thinking about it. I let it own me. GAH GET OUT OF MY HEAD BRAINSTORMING! When I moved and went through all this craft stuff and seen all the things I've created I couldn't help but wonder why can't I build a small business. Talk about depressing.

So..I started (another) Etsy shop {laurendarlings} a week before the wedding. I create hand painted wooden signs. I love making them but I can't hang them all in our home. There is too many.  At this point I haven't made any sales, just created gifts for friends and family.


I'm not trying to become a millionaire - ha, I would've hung it up long ago. The thing I love about creating for people is building relationships, making new friends, and making unique customized products exactly like YOU want them. Not a stock item that there are hundrerds of copies just the same as yours.


Taking the leap of faith is hard. You want people to love your products as much as you love making them. It doesn't work like that though. The internet is SO huge these days and although barriers to entry are low to becoming and Etsy shop owner, its about creating something that people need or want, find affordable, good quality, and stands out from the rest. Need I add that today's economy is not in its greatest form, but don't let that get you down cause thats always an unknown.


So what I was getting at was that  I'm not giving up. No way, I'll do whatever it takes. I finally have the time to create and make things I love and I'm not a quitter. All I wanted to do was document how frustrated it is getting started so I can look back and remember - hey thats where I started. Thats where we all start when we are chasing a dream. For some its easier. Others it takes years and years of work.


What I'm asking from you (pretty please) is what would you like to see go up in my shop? I'm open for ANY and ALL ideas and I'll do my best to create something you'll love. I can do personalized wedding gifts. Gifts and decor for baby nurseries and childrens rooms. Holiday decor. Home decor. You let me know what you want. Please. 

Finally, if you are interested in doing a giveaway on YOUR blog of one custom made sign email me at larn.levy@gmail.com After all it is the season of giving.

1 Peter 4:10 

Each one should use whatever gift he has recieved to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.