Corner News-December 18, 2015

Yay! My last Friday for a couple of weeks! Of course, I already have too much planned for my vacation and probably most of it won’t get done. Oh well! I will just enjoy the time I have.

In other Corner News, Haley and I moved the Christmas Tree to a new corner this week! Ha! Have you ever done this? Since we put up the fireplace, I rearranged the room and then there didn’t seem to be a good place for the tree. I had it one place and it finally drove me so crazy I had to move it. It’s much better now! 🙂 (and so am I!)

christmas tree

Here are a couple of my thrift store finds this week. I also found a Nate Berkus tray for $5.00, and a new lampshade. This metal basket with a liner is filled with silvery leaves. Can’t wait to see what else will work in here!

thrift store finds

I had my husband cut these wood slices last year and have used them so many different way. I hot glued tacks to the back so they can be rearranged easily. Here are a couple more ideas. I filled a glass candle holder with some ornaments and added a couple of Turkmenistan Camels to the display.

Christmas Woodchip Joy

I hope your holiday is filled with joy and time spent with family and friends!

Sunshine and Blessings

 

Last Minute Gift! Orange, Cinnamon, & Clove Simmer Pot

I love the smell the cinnamon! And oranges! and cloves! Here is a simple way to get these wonderful scents into your home!

These are great if you are looking for a few last minute gifts! They can be made quickly and easily. I made a few of these last year as gifts for my friends and gave one to my sister for her birthday this year. Then my sis asked me to make some for her friends as Christmas gifts! They are that good!! And so easy!

Here is what you will need:

  • glass jar
  • orange peels-I used 6 pieces for my size jar-I let them dry for a couple of days
  • cinnamon sticks-2 sticks broken in half
  • cloves-about 1 tsp.
  • any other goodies you like, such as cranberries, evergreen, vanilla, ect.

Simmer pot supplies

This is what is looks like in the pot. I use a small crock pot that I can leave on when I am home and enjoy the smell all day. You can also use a small sauce pan on the stove and let it simmer, just be sure to regularly check the water level.

Simmer Pot Crock Pot

I started with some glass jars from Michaels. Since these were for a group, I did them all the same, but I have used a variety of jars in the past. Mason jars or spaghetti sauce jars or any other kind work just as well. I bought a few different ribbons to tie around the top. I put a small dot of hot glue on the back to hold the ribbon and then a little more on the front so it wouldn’t slip.

Simmer Pot and Ribbon

I tied the ribbon different ways. Some were a bow and some just crossed over each other. I added a little bell, that I already had, to each one tied on with bakers twine or plain twine.

Simmer Pot Ribbon and Bell

Here is the jar filled with yummy goodness!

Simmer Pot Jar

Here they are, almost ready to go! I will let the orange peels dry for a couple of days, add a tag with directions and they are ready to go to their new homes. I did end up adding some cranberries too. They looked really nice with a little touch of red.

Simmer Pot Stack of Jars

You can customize these many different ways. They would make great gifts for teachers, co-workers or anyone who needs a little extra something.  Have you ever mixed together different goodies for a simmer pot? What did you use? I would love to try some different scents!

Sunshine and Blessings

Creating Your Own Sweater Stockings

The stockings were hung by the chimney in care…okay, we don’t have a chimney, but we do have a fireplace now! But I still didn’t hang the stockings there. Instead I used an old ladder for some and a new one for the others! I love how they look on the ladders with some cozy blankets thrown over. I showed you the stockings I was making for my pooches and kitties, but I thought I would give you a little more of a tutorial for them.

I started out with a pile of sweaters from a thrift store. They have a deal where you fill a handheld shopping basket and get the whole thing for $7.00. Pretty good deal! I found 7 sweaters in colors that I liked and thought would work for this project. Only 1 buck each! I looked for sweaters with a design, or pockets or buttons that I thought would add something extra to the stocking. (only 6 made it in the picture :))Sweater Stocking Tutorial Pile

Here is the stocking I used for the pattern. As you can tell, not really my style. After sewing this one, I realized I should have put the top of the stocking at the bottom of the sweater. The tops didn’t stretch out so much when I used the binding at the bottom or the neckline at the top of the sweater.

Sweater Stocking Tutorial Traceing

I’m going to be using a different sweater for the rest of the tutorial, because it was an oops. I traced the pattern on the outside of the sweater instead of the inside. 😦 But it still ended up working out! I actually got 2 stockings from the sweater. I think it was actually a dress. Notice how the top of the stocking will be on the neck of the sweater.

Sweater Stocking Tutorial Outline

After tracing the pattern it was time to sew. My favorite thing! NOT! But I did it anyway! I sewed right along the line I had drawn. Just don’t sew the top! That is your opening to put the gifts in!

Sweater Stocking Tutorial Seam

Once the sewing is done, cut around the edge. I cut just to the outside of the stitching.

Sweater Stocking Tutorial Cut

Here is the stocking all cut out.

Sweater Stocking Tutorial Inside Out

I turned the stocking right side out, which was actually inside out, but whatever! Then I took a piece of the binding from the neck that was left over and cut a little strip off.

Sweater Stocking Tutorial Ribbing

This will make my loop for hanging. I sewed it on with the machine, but it could easily be hand-stitched too.

Sweater Stocking Tutorial Loop

The collar of the sweater had some buttons on it so I cut them off and added them to the front of the stocking where the diamonds of the argyle met.

sweater stocking tutorial buttons

And there it is! It doesn’t looks to bad being inside out! I hung this one in my bedroom.

sweater stocking tutorial finished

Here are a couple of the others hanging by the dining room tree. I finished 8 of them in all! If I can make these, anybody can! I love how they look warm and cozy plus you can make them to match any decor,

sweater christmas stockings

Thanks for following along! Hope you have a wonderful week!

Sunshine and Blessings

 

 

 

Corner News-December 11,2015

Welcome to another edition of the Corner News.  Christmas is just around the corner and finals are upon us.  Hooray…

But on a happier note, I got myself an early Christmas present.  Even though I won’t be able to actually bring it home for a little while, it is still very exciting.

Meet Zoella!

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This little bundle of joy is only 5 weeks old, but I was able to put down a deposit on her yesterday.  She is at the animal shelter that my family volunteers with, Valley Animal Haven, and she is absolutely precious!  My mom and sister were actually at the shelter when she and her two brothers were born.  And, I fell in love with her as soon as I saw her and I can’t wait to bring her home!

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By the way, the first picture was taken two weeks ago and the second one was taken yesterday.  I am so excited to bring her home and watch her grow up.

So, that is definitely the most exciting thing that happened these past two weeks.  Hope everyone is doing well and if you have finals, good luck!

sparkle

Soup Party Table Setting

As the weather is changing and getting colder, there is nothing better than having a nice bowl of warm soup.  And sometimes, people have a soup party where they invite others over to bring a type of soup to share with everyone.  And even though I will not be hosting a soup party this year, I wanted to show what my table setting would be if I hosting a soup party.DSCF5201

It is very simple, I know.  But it looks elegant.

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I have grey place mats at each place setting.  I have added a bowl, a small plate for bread, a small mug, and a soup spoon.  It looks so nice!DSCF5207

I added a nice bowl that has woodsy stuff in it.  My roommate Hannah put this together, so I don’t know where she bought everything from, but it looks really pretty!

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The next thing I added was a glass cylinder full of colorful disco balls.  I bought the disco ball ornaments from Grocery Outlet for $1 a package.  I added a book underneath the cylinder to add height.  Plus all of the colors look cool when I take the picture with flash.

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The last thing I added was this decoupaged  candlestick that I’ve shown you before.  It goes great with just about anything that I decorate with.  It adds a lot of variety in the heights of the centerpieces.

So that is it.  That is my table setting.  Nothing super fancy, but it does look very nice and inviting.

sparkle