2014 class valentines

these valentines were the easiest.  and free!  and the kiddos did most of the work themselves!
(picking out the rocks was super fun, i was told.)

30 minutes to whip up about 30 homemade goodies is a-okay with me.  they were passed out to their classical conversations classmates today.  oh the sweetness of hearing enzo show me treasured "vawentimes" from his little friends.

i haven't decided how we will celebrate at home this week.  i love lovin' on my crew with a little something special. (2013 and 2012)  my best ideas usually come at the last minute, so i still have 3 days, right?

valentine inspiration from deliajude

why we love

"We love because He first loved us."     -1 John 4:19

:: february 2014 chalkboard art ::

the month of love, according to the world (at least in our country)
a reminder of why, directly from the truth (for all people and nations)

1 john 4 is legit and convicts me. read the whole chapter, folks. and then come back and share your thoughts. 

xoxo,
annalea

handmade giving - wood bead barrettes

happy wednesday, folks!  i am over at la famille today with a simple, quick, but oh so good tutorial for wood bead barrettes.  alicia is one of my favorites and it won't take long over at her place to see why.  and this handmade giving series she is running is chock full of lovely ideas for all sorts of people in your life.  go take a look if you are still in need of christmas gift inspiration or pin away for future occasions.  happy making and giving!

xoxo,

annalea

 

last of autumn wreath

before we officially plunge into christmas/winter mode, i thought i would share some details on my autumn wreath now gracing the front door.  i waited on this post, because we have been hoping our landlord will let us repaint the front door turquoise - which is so very new mexican - but no word back yet on the approval.  so can you just imagine this wreath sitting on a turquoise door?  okay, thanks.

also, this is not a true tutorial.  there are so many wreath DIYs out there and this was a dipping-my-toes-back-in-the-creative-water type project.  but here are the quick details:  

one straw wreath without the plastic wrap removed

2" strips of fabric wrapped around it

lots and lots of felt roses hot glued to the bottom, as well as a few rolled wool buds

add in some orange berries i found in the stash

burlap leaves tucked here and there

and a strip of burlap to tie the wreath up on the door

without counting time to make the flowers (which i had premade a couple years ago when i was still selling on etsy), the wreath took me maybe an hour.  and that is with kiddos afoot.  plus needing to pull out and choose the materials.  it was such a breath of fresh crafty air in our full homeschooling days.  i need to remember it is okay to do that.

i do like my house to feel decidedly autumnish through thanksgiving, so i have another week with this pretty thing.  but, yes, i have begun some christmas crafting in preparation for a total house swap next friday.

how about you?  is your tree already up and the christmas music a'playing?  or will you wait until next weekend?  

simple pendant light diy

the need for better lighting over our piano has become more obvious with the shorter days.  practice in the evenings after dusk was not happening.  combine that with my deep desire to not spend any unnecessary money (did i mention i even cut my own hair last week?) and this simple diy was born.  it as completely free (except i need to replace the edison bulb i stole from another lamp) and was super fast.  those are my favorite kind of solutions.  especially when they produce something nice to look at.

the hemma cord from ikea was used in my old illinois studio space, but has been gathering dust since the move.  and the gold krylon paint pen was thrifted (unopened) with lots of other crafting goodies for my stash by my grandmother a while back.  all i did was paint the black plastic.  simple and fast.  three coats later and voila!  taping off the cord near the plastic would have been good, but i was able to scrub away the gold smudges.

i remember thinking the cord length was ridiculously long in the past.  but it is absolutely just right for our tall ceilings here.  i apologize, ikea, for my shortsightedness.  we screwed in two mug hooks to one of the ceiling beams and attached the included cord clips.  the cord is lightweight with just an exposed bulb and didn't need anything else for support.

the pendant also has very little visual weight, which i think pairs nicely with my grandfather's painting and jesse's guitar.  i also like having the space on top of the piano free when our teacher comes for lessons.  or when i need a place to set keys and such while getting ready to leave.  or when all other spots are covered with school books and paperwork, but i still have one more pile needing a home.

the new light has made such a difference.  like moths to a flame, the kiddos have taken to playing at night again.  (and it is much brighter than the above photo appears.  but not too bright that the shade-less bulb is annoying.  a happy medium of brightness.)

have you made up any simple and fast hacks lately?  don't keep them to yourself! share and inspire, friends.
xoxo,
annalea

i am joining the nester and will be blogging every single day in october! 

full list of posts here.

how to make dried orangeaments

i am smitten with the stained glass effect of our dried orange slice ornaments (aka orangements).  this is the first year i have attempted this project and the results did not disappoint.  i am continually drawn to natural christmas decorations and love finding new ways to bring handmade beauty into our home.

slice your oranges thinly and arrange on a baking sheet.  bake a few hours in a low temp oven (150-200 degrees), turning occasionally.  our first batch burned when left in too long.  it is a learning experience, right?

on a side note, i took the unbaked round ends of each orange and have been simmering them with cinnamon sticks and cloves.  this casita smells delicious!

it is pretty simple to add the string.  after cutting 5-6 inches of thread, i poked it through the dried fruit, under the hardened peel, and then back a few millimeters over.  a couple of knots later and voila!

i would like to make some with twine and perhaps some ornate ribbons too.  but this year i am keeping things visually calm to counterbalance the craziness of these past 6 months.

the subtle orange aroma + the gorgeous orange among the greens = a happy orange-loving me
i have yet to finish hanging them all over the tree - stay tuned for that photo update soon.

but i also like the idea of stringing some together for a mini orangeament garland.  they look particularly pretty hung in a window with that winter light streaming through.

tell me, what natural winter decor do you like to incorporate at home?  
this last week, i have also been working on assembling simple green wreaths from tree cuttings and cranberry-popcorn garlands.  last year we made cinnamon-applesauce dough ornaments (which i can't find since the move!).  any new ideas for the harts to try?  or anything you want me to share with y'all?

our 2012 advent calendar

after posting this above photo on instagram last friday night, i have had a few requests to share a tutorial on our 2012 advent calendar.  this is an easy project and uses on-hand materials, but i can share a few tips that might be helpful. 

materials used:

brown paper bags

white notecards

chocolates

twine

jingle bells

number stamps and ink

clothespins

wired picture frame

 

inside each bag, i placed 3 pieces of chocolate and an activity written on a notecard.   i folded the bags in thirds, wrapped with twine, and tied them off with jingle bells.

i was inspired by this image found via pinterest, and originally planned on stringing these bags across our giant chalkboard.  i would have written the numbers in chalk under the bags, to be revealed as each was removed from the string.  but i couldn't easily think of a way to install the strings without putting holes in our walls or chalkboard.  then i remembered these frames sitting in the garage waiting to repurposed for this house.  our 2011 advent calendar was strung on them too.  i chose the largest frame and hung it on a bare wall in our dining room.

i clipped the bags to the wired frame with clothespins and placed a stamped number underneath.  i quickly added the "start here" and "merry christmas" signs at the last minute to give my kiddos some guidance.  the evergreen sprig was my final festive touch. 

here are the activities we included in this year's calendar:

decorate the tree, dinner and pony rides with friends, make snowflakes, multiple pizza + movie nights, buy gifts for church Christmas store, bake and deliver cookies, Old Towne Holiday Stroll, a Christmas concert, make gingerbread houses, early Christmas present delivered, make ornaments, wrap and send gifts/cards, work the church Christmas store, drive up to the mountains and play in snow, family game night, celebrate Gia's birthday, drive around and look at lights, surprise weekend trip!!!, and Christmas Eve service

the bags are discreetly labeled on the back (in code), so i can switch around activities the night before if our plans need to change.  (or i can open up the bag and switch out the notecard if needed.)  in past years, we included our advent reading with our calendar, but that makes switching things up trickier.  i was planning on just keeping track of the readings on my own, but then dear heather made up this advent chain!  now we will use this.  thanks, friend!

if you didn't start an advent countdown on the 1st, perhaps you can put together a 12 days of christmas countdown for later this month.

this season of advent is so special.  i am thankful for a simplified, yet meaningful observance.

diy scrapbooking kit

pop on over to beautifully rooted for a diy scrapbooking kit i am sharing today.
it is pink and purple and girl-y all over.  and i think this makes a neat-o gift.

xoxo,
annalea

fairy costume 101: the gauzy wings

last week the final part of my fairy costume 101 series was posted at beautifully rooted.

you can easily complete these gauzy wings this weekend for a last minute halloween costume addition. 

and if you missed the first two DIYs of the series, check them out here:

the flower crown

the flower wand

i had so much fun working on this costume for the gia-bee.  we are now working out the final details of what she will be wearing to complete the look.  top contenders are a very fancy thrifted white flower girl dress or a leotard/tutu combination.  and moccasins are the footwear of choice.

if you make any of these pieces, please share in the comments.  i would love to see!

xoxo,

annalea

fairy costume 101: the flower wand

as mentioned last week, i am contributing a three part diy series to beautifully rooted this month.
the flower wand diy is up today.

fairy costume 101: the flower crown

this month i am contributing a three part diy series for beautifully rooted that will cover the basic elements of the ever popular fairy costume.  check out the flower crown diy today and stay tuned for parts 2 & 3 next week.

how to make a chile pepper garland

happy october!  it is easily my favorite month of the year.
let's celebrate with an easy and festive DIY.

my fall mantle garland collection is now complete.  sewn paper hearts to declare my affection for this gorgeous time of year.  creamy finger knit goodness to celebrate the return of scarves and sweaters.  and now a pop of fun color with this string of chile peppers.

materials used:
dried chile peppers
nylon bead string
needle

i found my peppers bagged in the produce section of the local grocery store.  these are not new mexico specific, as i have purchased them for craftiness in the past while living in the midwest.  (basically, they are not hard to find.)  but i couldn't help but be inspired by the beautiful ristras hanging everywhere here.  this is me embracing our new home.

the bead string was left over from a project long ago and it works well because it is slippery.  other types of string and thread would work too, but it can not be too thick.

if you plan on your garland laying flat against a wall or some other surface, make sure to poke the needle through the skinny end of the pepper.  then add a knot to the end of the of your string when finished.

this is almost too simple for a DIY post.  but here you have it anyway.  a little reminder to think outside the box perhaps.

i have taped a small string to my mantle for some southwest fall flavor.  i plan on also adding some to our dining room chalkboard and even the front door wreath.  (pictures to come.)  with a little tweaking, these garlands might just carry over through the winter too.

and wouldn't this make for easy party decor?
olé!