Christmas crafting

Oh, Pinterest. I don't think you realize how incredibly helpful/addicting you really are :)

A couple months back, I stumbled across an absolutely adorable picture of a linen and burlap Christmas tree skirt that a girl made. I found it on Pinterest, of course, with a blog including instructions and all. Well, during my two days off this weekend, I decided to dive in and give it a shot! And now that it's complete, I'm going to attempt my first "instructional blog"... hopefully it's not too confusing and you can follow along!

You will need:

one old Christmas tree skirt

rotary board and cutter

scissors

long sewing pins to pin the burlap

about 4 yards of fabric (2 of each fabric you use)

glue gun and glue sticks (lots of them!)

First, you are going to cut lots and lots and lots of strips of each fabric. The length of each strip doesn't matter, but the width does. It's actually easier to manage shorter strips, so I recommend cutting them to about 3 or 4 feet in length each. Also, keep the fabric folded and use the rotary board and cutter on the folded fabric. I learned from experience -- it's much easier to cut lots of layers instead of one at a time. I cut mine to 3 inches wide, but 4 inches would be fine, too. I wouldn't cut any less than 3 inches, because you'll need enough to overlap once you start gluing. 

My other fabric was burlap (thanks to Amy for having leftovers from her wedding!), and it was much easier to just use scissors on the burlap instead of the cutter. But, same thing here. Cut to the same width as the previous fabric.

Here's all the cut fabric. You'll need more than you think. This is what I started with and ended up having to cut two more piles halfway through!

To start, use hot glue and simply start folding the fabric back on itself as you glue. 

Here's what it will look like once the first layer is done.

Then, after each layer, glue the second layer a few inches above so that it overlaps the previous layer a little bit. If using burlap, it's easiest to pin the layer and then go back and glue -- because guess what, hot glue burns your fingers as it goes through the holes in the fabric. Also, please excuse my shopping list on my hand. Guess what I was shopping for?!

Here's layer number two pinned above layer number one. Keep going! It's going to get easier the more you do. 

Once each layer is glued, pinned and glued, pinned and glued, etc, you can use some twine and make a tie at the opening to secure it around the base of the tree once it's up.

And there you go! A finished burlap and linen-like (because it's much cheaper haha) Christmas tree skirt!!!! 

I AM SO PROUD :)

Thanksgiving!

There are so many things to be thankful for in this life. Family, friends, friends that are like family, a nice place to call home filled with things that make me happy, a job, my health, the health of those I care for most... just so many things that I can be grateful for every single day. I wish more often than not that I took the time to really appreciate and value each of those things. But, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, so often those simple things go unaccounted for and are taken for granted. I am so grateful for a holiday that makes me sit back and realize everything I have been blessed with.

This year has been an incredible one for me and my family. We have not only been blessed by each other, but we have gained three ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL men in our family that we get to call "ours". I have been beyond blessed with not only gaining an incredible husband, but the love of his family, as well. The Abbeys are my second family, no doubt about it. They have seen me grow as a person from the age of 15 and have seen me and Chuck grow as a couple just as much as my family. I am as grateful for them as much as I am my own side of the family. 

We are learning that holidays become super difficult once marriage happens, and now we have to learn to incorporate my family, Chuck's family, and Greg's family into the mix... and all in one year! Not the easiest of tasks. Unfortunately, I had to work Thanksgiving night, so my family got together on Wednesday so we could celebrate as a family before Mom, Dwayne, Emily, Greg, and Amy all headed to Georgia for three days to celebrate Thanksgiving with Greg's family. I am so grateful that the Boggs have opened their arms to us and welcomed us as a whole as a family. This is now two years in a row that they have allowed us to celebrate Thanksgiving with them! I'm just sad Chuck and I couldn't tag along to Georgia. I guess that's what I signed up for when I decided to be a nurse... (have I mentioned that I really really really need a day shift job? Or a normal 8-5 job as a nurse?? Because I do!)

So on Wednesday, we gathered at my Mom and Dwayne's house for a family gathering!

My beautiful Mom in the kitchen.

Sister and brother-in-law. The tennis ball was for Jack, their dog. haha

We will always be "The Graves Girls"

me and hubs.

Pretty set-up table. And just fyi, that's our dining room table. Please, take a moment, and soak that in and realize how big of a deal that is. Normally, that's covered with papers or other items and is hardly in useable condition. Have you soaked in the momentous occasion yet? Ok, good.

The following day (Thursday), Chuck and I drove down to LaFayette, AL, to see Ruth (my grandmother-in-law). We spent the morning/early afternoon with Chuck's side of the family before we had to drive back to Birmingham so I could head in to work that night. It's no fun working the holidays. As much as I enjoy having four days off a week due to working three 12-hour shifts, I honestly think I would give that up and work an 8-5 nursing job 5 days a week if I didn't involve weekends or holidays. But anyways, that's a whole 'nother story in itself.

So, to sum it up, this Thanksgiving I was/am so thankful for...

1. my husband

2. my family, all of it. married in, immediate, old and new.

3. time with my family

4. my health, my home, and my job (as much as night shift may pain me, it's a job nonetheless!)

What are YOU grateful for this holiday season?!

tinyprints

So, who doesn't love getting Christmas cards in the mail? I know I do... and I've been so excited about sending some out this year of me and Chuck. We are having a photo session soon with our good friends Nate and Kayla, and will send out Christmas cards shortly after! 

So, I was thrilled when I found out that tinyprints is giving away 50 FREE (yes, free!) cards from their new 2011 Christmas or Holiday line in exchange for mentioning them in a blog. 

Mentioned? Done. Recommended? YES. Now all I need are some cute Christmas pictures of me and Chuck :)

If you are interested in mentioning them, as well, and checking out what they've got, pay them a visit! www.tinyprints.com. And fill out this form once your post is complete! 

happy autumn!

Well, well, well... if you had to pick one out of a million as the worst blogger in the history of ever, I'd probably win the prize! I realized just the other day that I hadn't blogged in, oh, a month? Terrible, people. I mean, it's not like I've been busy or anything..... ha.

So much has happened since my last post! Amy and Greg got hitched on a beautiful (yet strangely hot) October day, but the heat subsided just in time for probably the MOST BEAUTIFUL reception you could ever imagine. And not to mention the most beautiful BRIDE you could imagine. She was utterly and completely gorgous... and as many of the people who I've shown pictures said (because, yes, I think I've shown just about everyone I know pictures.... I'm surprised the lady at the grocery store got away without seeing any) she looked "timeless and elegant". Just flat out stunning if you ask me. And Greg was quite the handsome groom, suspenders and beard and all. 

You can check out Amy's posts of her wedding day here! She's recounted the wedding events and their honeymoon (in a total of about 5 blogs.... did I mention you may need to spare a few minutes quite some time ...) 

And, to top of the already-so-much-fun reception, they had a photo booth at their wedding, too! They decided that the photo booth at our wedding was so much fun and provided so many pictures you wouldn't otherwise get on the wedding day, that they opted to have one, too. And I must say.... the pictures turned out HILARIOUS!

The awesome bride and groom.

The hilarious groom and his groomsmen.

Some sister love.

 And lovely friends.

Their wedding went off without a hitch, and I am so happy for the Boggs... or Boggs'.... or Boggs's.... whatever. 

So, since then, I've just been a busy little bee working and doing other things like thoroughly enjoying my time off when I can catch some. I seemed to have sprouted a decorative hand (or maybe just the itch for one) so the house has welcomed fall with full force around here.

There's an autumn welcome at the front door, thanks to the mums from Amy's wedding decor that I sneaked home with me :)

And I tried my hand at another Pinterest-inspired wreath. Simple, yet very fall-ish. 

Just some simple touches that I'm more than likely overly excited about. It's the little things, right?

I am so excited to start the holiday celebrations. It's unbelievable to me that it's already November. Thanksgiving will be here in just a few short weeks.... and then it's CHRISTMAS!!!! I am thrilled to decorate the house in a Christmas explosion. I cannot wait... 1. because who doesn't love Christmas and 2. because it's my first Christmas as a wife where Chuck and I will wake up together in our home and celebrate. 

Who's excited?! ME! 

I hope you are all having a wonderful fall. I know I am!

Love you all!