monthly craft challenge winner

Thank you to everyone who participated in this month's craft challenge - Christmas-themed decor. I know it has been a busy month for everyone, so I appreciate those who took the time to join in the fun! Please be sure to go visit if you haven't gotten the chance.

According to random.org, the lucky winner is Katie @ Katie's Nesting Spot! She shared the cutest handmade paper plate wreath...if you haven't seen it, please go look! It's stinkin' adorable and I'm hoping to get to it for grandparent Christmas gifts.

What has she won, you might ask??

A "Let it Snow" goodie package!

Can you tell I'm ready for a {light} dusting of snow!?
Congrats, Katie! E-mail me your mailing address at heidilynneboos@hotmail.com and I'll send you a little Christmas gift!

So....if you haven't figured it out yet, we're not doing a monthly craft challenge for December. Too much going on with all of the fun festivities of the holidays. In fact, I'm not sure if I'll be hosting the monthly challenges anymore. I need to re-evaluate a little bit more on some priorities for the coming year, so I'll let you know the first part of January!

monthly craft challenge - Christmas decor!

It's time!!

Let's link up and show off all of our fun Christmas crafty decor and spread the JOY of the season!

For Mikayla's 1st Christmas (2006) we bought these wooden letters that spelled JOY and had her pose with them for our Christmas card.

{isn't this card darling!?}

After this one time use, I tucked them away to do something with them in the future. Well, I finally pulled them out...nothing like some craft challenge motivation!

I Mod Podged some coordinating paper onto each of the letters, sanded the edges, and then put another layer of Mod Podge on top to seal it.
But, I didn't stop there...
I decided these stars needed a makeover, too!

...to match the paper colors I used to cover the letters.
I cut out each triangle, Mod Podged them to the star then used another layer of Mod Podge to coat the entire star.
And now they hang on the wall together...and I love it!
The colors are a little unconventional for Christmas, but I went a little daring for a change!
(wish it was a better picture...weird wall angle)
Updated to add:
I found the cutest little blog called Blue Cricket Designs. She holds Show & Tell Wednesdays, and although I'm a day late, I couldn't help but share my creation since it fit the Christmas theme.


Updated to add (again):

Thank you to Rachel at One Pretty Thing for featuring this project.


And head on over to Xamin's at This is The Year for some...

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Now, it's YOUR TURN!!

1. Link up using MckLinky below.
2. In your post, either use the craft challenge button on the top left side bar of my blog or a link to my site for others to be able to join in the fun or to come on by to see what everyone has created. If you're using a post from the past, edit in the information or write a new post that will lead everyone to your creation.
3. Try to visit as many of the participants as you can and comment on their creations. Share the comment love, please!!
4. This month's craft challenge will end on Thursday,December 10th. You have ONE week!
5. A random winner will be chosen from the participants and be announced next Friday.
6. Link up and let's see what masterpiece you have created!

Get creative, get crafty, and be inspired!!

it's a new challenge...come play along!

Guess who gets these goodies??

Kelli @ Random Thoughts of a Supermom!

Why, you ask?
Kelli was the randomly drawn winner for this month's craft challenge - photo projects! My lovely assistant, Mikayla, was already in bed, so I had to pull the winner out of a hat myself. (I promise it's legit!) Kelli, send me your address at heidilynneboos@hotmail.com and you'll get your Christmas goodies in the mail very soon!

Thank you everyone who joined the challenge and for the fun photo projects you shared. Go take a peek if you haven't seen them yet.

Now, onto some business...since we (I) postponed the photo project challenge by a week, we're a little behind for the next one, but have no fear because I think you're gonna like this month's craft challenge:

~ Christmas Themed Decor ~

Show me your holiday magic and craft something great for the upcoming season. Since I know that many of you are already crafting away, I think you'll have no problem being ready in 2 weeks! Am I right? We want time to display our hard work in our homes, don't we? Plus, you'll still have the usual one week to link up for a chance to win a little something, so really you'll have until December 10th if you're choosing to procrastinate! *wink*

So, come on back to link up your Christmas themed craft for this month's craft challenge on Thursday, December 3rd. Hope to see you there! And spread the word, will you? I'd love to have 30 participants!! That's my goal for this month. We had 26 participants for the Halloween themed edition, so why not!?

Grab the (yet again) new button and help spread the word!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Exciting news!
Austin's 2nd birthday "construction themed" party is featured at The Creative Party Place today! You really need to go check out this site if you're looking to do some party planning any time soon! It's filled with so much inspiration!


Have a wonderful weekend!!

it can be something simple

I decided to do a little search through my past photo gift ideas (the ones I actually took pictures of!) and wanted to share these to go along with this month's craft challenge. Making a photo project can actually be something really simple! It is all in the thought that counts and giving a gift that has a picture attached to it somehow is ALWAYS thoughtful!

~ Bookmark ~
Handmade for Father's Day
with the Top 1o Reasons I Love My Dad

~ Shadow Box ~
To add a little something to it,
I used a rub-on on the outside of the glass,
along with a heart sticker embellishment.
This was a gift for my mom for Mother's Day/birthday.

~ DIY Coffee Mug ~
Ryan got this coffee mug for his first Christmas as a Daddy.
I found one of those mugs that you can slip the pictures in.
I used scrapbook paper and just cut out the pictures of his little girl.

See? Something simple, but these are all still considered being crafty!

Now, it's your turn! Help us get ideas for those extra special Christmas gifts. Show us what you've got and go link up HERE!

monthly craft challenge - show me your photo projects!

Monthly Craft Challenge Time!

Thanks for letting me postpone by a week, but now I'm ready to see what you all have to share! This month's challenge is all about sharing fun, photo project ideas that can be used for gifts, especially for the upcoming holiday season. Like I said in yesterday's post, I know how busy this time of year is, so dig deep in your archives or find something that fits the bill that is already around your house that you could share with us.

With so much going on this past month, I didn't quite get around to completing a photo project... yet. Just like you, I have a week to get it done! In the meantime, visit the following links that I have shared from the past:

Make Your Own Puzzle
Memory Game
Keepsake Box

Recently, my mom made each of her grandkids an accordion book that had pictures of the kids with their Grammy & Papa. I thought this was a perfect gift to share as a possibility for something fun you could make for a loved one for Christmas. The tutorial to make one of these can be found HERE.

**Edited to add on 11/14/09: My friend, Kira, wanted to do this month's craft challenge, but she doesn't have a blog, so she sent me a couple of pictures of her project and I told her I would love to put it on my blog. She used glossy pictures and Mod Podged them onto these two projects. They are both puzzles where you move around the pieces to get the correct picture. Great job, Kira!

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Now, it's YOUR TURN!!

1. Link up using MckLinky below.
2. In your post, either use the craft challenge button on the left side bar of my blog or a link to my site for others to be able to join in the fun or to come on by to see what everyone has created. If you're using a post from the past, edit in the information or write a new post that will lead everyone to your creation.
3. Try to visit as many of the participants as you can and comment on their creations. Share the comment love, please!!
4. This month's craft challenge will end on Thursday, November 19th. You have one week!
5. A random winner will be chosen from the participants and be announced next Friday.
6. Link up and let's see what masterpiece you have created! Get creative, get crafty, and be inspired!!

Halloween fun & traditions

I'm back!! With lots to share, too.

First up...some Halloween fun! As like most of you, I'm sure your Halloween week was jam-packed with some fun, Fall festivities. Ours was no different. Although it was a busy last month in preparing for our MOPS Holiday Bazaar (post about that coming soon!), I tried hard to keep up with the traditions of the season. My kids definitely deserved this, so I did the best I could to squeeze it all in!

Fall Festival
October 28, 2009
The Wednesday evening before Halloween, we rushed out of the house on a last minute decision to take the kids to the Fall Festival that was happening at a local church in Newberg. The kids had a great time playing the different games and of course, getting candy was a hit! We won some baked goods in the cake walk and Mikayla had her first (small) taste of cotton candy, which we hid from Austin. Dressing up in costumes was encouraged, but we opted for putting the kids in something festive, but quick and easy...an orange shirt for the little guy and a candy corn shirt for big sister.

Pumpkin Decorating
October 30, 2009
This year we decided to simplify our pumpkin decorating and instead of carving the pumpkins like last year (which is always a lot of work AND mess), we let the kids make silly faces instead using stickers we had found at a local pumpkin patch. Mikayla enjoyed making the faces on each of the pumpkins and we made a Boos pumpkin family of four. I must admit I think we'll be going this pumpkin decorating route for another couple of years!

Mikayla & Austin got a Halloween card and pumpkin stickers in the mail from Grammy & Papa. Apparently, this is what Austin likes to do with his stickers...

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
October 30, 2009
Last year, we started a tradition by making a goodie to eat, and then enjoy that goodie while we watched the movie "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". Last year we made chocolate chip pumpkin bread. This year, we were pretty much maxed out with our indulgences over that bread already, so we opted for caramel corn. Mikayla "helped" me make it as best she could, but taking pictures was difficult since making the caramel corn required me to have watchful eyes because it involved the stove top.

Here are the kiddos "zoned out" with the movie and munching on their treat!

I ended up making another batch when the kids went down for the night and made little "caramel corn pumpkins" for our annual holiday treats for our neighbors. The kids and I have been doing this for every holiday for the last few years. It's just so much fun for me to put a smile on someone's face! Last year we made cookies. Most of our neighbors are a little older and do not have young children, so they always get a kick out of seeing the kiddos show up on their door step with a goody in hand. And Mikayla is beginning to really love it. When we were finished, she wanted to go make more so we could find other neighbors to give it to. That's what I want to instill in my daughter..a heart for giving!

The Pumpkin Fairy
October 31, 2009
Another tradition I started last year was for the pumpkin fairy to show up on our door step sometime on Halloween. He (or she) leaves a little bucket of goodies for the kids. I purposefully made the buckets small, so that it wouldn't get overwhelming for me (I mean the pumpkin fairy) to have to fill it up with a lot. Just a couple of fun Halloween things that make the kids go oooh! The pumpkin fairy rings the doorbell and runs (or flies) away!

Who could it be?
The pumpkin fairy!

This year the pumpkin fairy came 15 minutes before we headed out the door for an evening of Halloween festivities. He (or she) barely made it! Last year, he (or she) came in the morning.
Halloween Night
October 31, 2009
Mikayla, the cheerleader
& Austin as Lightning McQueen
(Let's just say I was happy to get out the door with Austin wearing something other than his own "regular 2-year old boy clothes". This year his Cars jammies (which I had bought the morning of), Cars shoes, and a Cars hat fit the bill!)

I was so happy that Halloween was on a Saturday this year because that meant we could get the day started early because Ryan didn't have to work. First stop was to go visit the great-grandparents. They both live in a retirement community in the neighboring town, so we headed over there to show off the costumes. We try to do this every year. After that, we grabbed a bite to eat at our favorite sandwich shop and then headed on over to my own college stomping grounds where they were having some activities. The kids had a blast and I loved how low key it ended up being. We drove home and hit up the neighborhood to do some trick or treating. It was such a gorgeous evening and I have never seen so many people out and about all at once in our own neighborhood. It was pretty cool. We came home a little bit before bed time and let the kiddos hand out candy to the straggling trick or treaters. This was Mikayla's favorite part of the evening. Then it was off to bed...only past bed time by 15 minutes. Not bad for a full evening of fun!
Although I know it's been a good week since this is all happened, I just say...
better late than never!

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MONTHLY CRAFT CHALLENGE

FYI: I still plan on having you all link up THIS Thursday for the Monthly Craft Challenge. I postponed it by a week because everything was just too overwhelming and I had to take a break from something. It's been 2 weeks since I have blogged, but now I'm ready to re-join this little world. Trust me, I realize how busy this time of year is, so if you haven't made something for the Photo Project yet, just dig through past projects you have posted before or even projects you see around the house that would work for this theme. I want to pool together lots of photo projects that would be great for Christmas presents for loved ones! Leave a comment if you have a question, but check it out HERE if you'd like a little more detail for this month's challenge.

fall festivities, a winner, and the new challenge!

September and the beginning of October here in Oregon have been amazing! I wore capris and flip flops yesterday on a walk to the store. That's unheard of this time of year! We're usually known for rain, rain, and more rain here in the Pacific NW. I'm sure it's coming, but for now we are loving this weather and how perfect it is for all of the Fall time fun!

MOPS Outing
(Mothers of Preschoolers)
Fir Point Farms
September 28, 2009

Pumpkin Painting
~our front yard~
October 5, 2009

Pumpkin Patch Fun
Baggenstos Farms
October 6, 2009

I LOVE FALL!

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Thank you to everyone who participated in September's craft challenge by making something Fall or Halloween-themed. We had 26 participants!! I also want to say thank you to the readers who took the time to go check out all of the great crafts and left comments. The purpose for this craft challenge is to inspire and be inspired and we are all doing that for each other!

So...one lucky participant was randomly chosen to win some fun Fall/Halloween crafty goodies: 2 packages Halloween stickers, 1 package Fall stickers, 12 Halloween 6x6 patterned paper, a Halloween card (made by me!) and a Halloween themed magazine by Better Homes & Garden. And I may just throw in a surprise!

And that lucky winner is...

a fellow Oregonian
Liz @ Sugar Plum Creations!!
{Liz, e-mail me your address and I'll get these goodies in the mail to you.}

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You might also be wondering what the next challenge is going to be?? Well, wait no more!

PHOTO PROJECTS

Christmas is coming up (only 11 weeks away...not to stress you out or anything!) and what better way to get ready than to start crackin' on some fun, photo project ideas for gifts. I'm not just talking about getting your picture printed on a coffee mug or mouse pad, but what are some fun, crafty projects you could do using a photo? You have until Thursday, November 5th to start working on something for October's challenge. This one could get a bit tricky, especially if it's a gift for someone that happens to read your blog. Feel free to share about past projects that you have done using photos or just spoil the surprise...your choice!

Here are some ideas that I have blogged about in the past if you're stumped on what I mean about using a photo for a craft project:

Puzzle
Memory Game
Mod Podged Box

I can't wait to steal...I mean borrow some of the ideas that you all will share! Looking forward to our next linking up party on Thursday, November 5th. Spread the word...

craft challenge - Halloween or Fall themed

Well, friends...are you ready to get inspired? I am! I look forward to seeing all of the great Halloween or Fall-themed craft projects that you have been working on.

The monthly craft challenge is simple: Each month, I give you an embellishment, tool, or idea and you get to create something fun to share with the rest of us! You have one month to work on the project (big or small) and then you come back to share your creation on the first Thursday of the month. You'll have one week to link up...so don't fret if you're not quite finished on "due date" time. September's theme is Halloween or Fall.

I shared with you yesterday my little Fall decor project from last year that I just didn't think was quite right for my style of home decor. After pulling it out of the Fall decor box this year, I decided to start over and still use the wooden plaques to create something new and fun for Halloween!

BEFORE

*presto chango*
AFTER
{click to view larger}

My plans for this will be each year, I will display a few "trick or treat" pictures of the kids from the previous year. Each of the blocks with pictures have photo corners that I can just slip the picture in and out of. I used chipboard sparkly letters for the "trick or treat", re-painted the edges to a deep orange and mod podged the Halloween themed polka dotted paper onto the faces of each plaque. Then I hot glued black gingham ribbon down the back of the plaques to attach together. I love it! The only thing I'm not sure about is where I have it hanging. It might find a new home in the next few days, but that's kind of how I work!

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Now, it's YOUR TURN!!

1. Link up using MckLinky below.
2. In your post, either use the button on the left side bar or a link to my site for others to be able to join in the fun or to come on by to see what everyone has created.
3. Try to visit as many of the participants as you can and comment on their creations.
4. This month's craft challenge will end on Thursday, October 8th.
5. A random winner will be chosen from the participants and be announced next Friday. The winner will receive something Fall/Halloween themed, of course!

6. So...what are you waiting for!? Link up and let's see what masterpiece you have created! Get creative, get crafty, and be inspired!!

Mod Podge makeover coming soon!

Are you ready?

The fun begins tomorrow - October 1st!

Come back to link up with your
Halloween or Fall themed craft.
Don't stress if you aren't quite ready...
you'll have ONE WEEK to link up!

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In the meantime, head on over to
Xazmin's for her Monthly Mod Podge Mania!

This was a holiday decor project from last Fall.
I painted each of these wooden plaques and then Mod Podged paper onto the "faces". Then I went to my local scrapbooking store (because I don't have a Cricut!) and had them custom make the letters to spell FALL. I thought this would do the trick to add a little extra flair to my simple Fall decor (take a peek at last year's Fall decor).


However...
in true Heidi fashion, after pulling them out of the Fall decor box this year, I just wasn't satisfied with it! I am just not in love with the colors and the choice of patterned paper. I realized it really wasn't the look I was going for, which I had kind of thought last year after I had completed the project, but at the time I couldn't bare to destroy all of my hard work.

So, what did I do, you might ask?
You'll just have to come back tomorrow to find out!
*wink*