11 Quick & Easy Items to Make this Christmas

Still looking for something special to make this Christmas season?  Maybe your house or apartment is needing a little extra cheer or you're desperately seeking ideas for homemade gifts to give.  Or perhaps their are a couple of kiddos running around your home who really need something to occupy their time while they are off of school.  Whatever the reason may be I've rounded up my favorite crafts from this past year to help give you a bit of inspiration.  Enjoy!

Wedding Album Wonders

This past Sunday marked one year since The Husband and I were married.  A lot can happen in one year and for us a lot did.  The Husband got a new job resulting in our move across the country, I stopped working, we both went about the daunting process of finding a new church, a new group of friends, learning how to get around, all while working hard on our still new relationship.  At times it's been rough, but other times it's been fantastic and those are the ones that I strive to remember the most.  Now, as we close on our first year of marriage it feels that we have a bit of a routine, we're learning more and more about how we think and react, things seem to fall into place more frequently without needing a shove from us.  The year ahead fills us with hope and joy to see how God will continue to work in us and through us.  It was with my brain reeling with these thoughts that I knew it was time to finally sit down and work on our wedding album.

Pinterest vs. Pillows

If you've been reading this blog for a while you have probably picked up on the fact that I frequently turn to Pinterest for inspiration.  I have a tendency to look for crafts or recipes that are most likely to be a success and pride myself on my ability to look at a pin and immediately think through all of the ways it could go wrong thereby avoiding the most fantastic of screw-ups.  Even with all of my careful attention it's inevitable that something will not work and I remember that I am not a professional seamstress, at least the process is usually entertaining for me.  This entertainment factor is the whole reason I find the Pintester on a short list of blogs to read when I'm looking for a laugh or quick pick-me-up.  If you've never read anything there go ahead, I can wait.

Back?  Laughed until you've cried?  Good!  There was recently a challenge put out to fellow bloggers to dig deep into our boards on Pinterest and find one that we've been meaning to attempt but haven't yet.  Without further ado let us join:

Cross Stitch Coupling

Spring is undoubtedly upon us and with that comes Wedding Season.  It's easy to get bogged down by your lack of free weekends and forget that you've been invited because YOU are important to the couple.  There is a great honor bestowed upon each guest when asked to witness the joining of two people in matrimony and that is not something to be taken lightly.  So how do you go about trying to stay focused on what is truly important?  For me this frequently means spending a great deal of time making a gift for the couple.  Yes, this does usually end up being the cheaper way to go, but what I truly love about it is that I relish the time put into it where I am able to reflect on the couple and how important they are and causing me to stay centered on what the day is truly about.  

One Spice, Two Spice

I wanted to share something a little different with you this week.  It's not quite a recipe, not quite a tutorial, and yet something you can do at home all the same.  We're talking about making your own spice rubs!