Lego Advent Calendar {and the life lesson it brings}

As a child I celebrated Advent every year with my mother. She had a sweet little set from Unity that we would listen to (on a cassette tape!) and we would light the candles on our wreath. The memory is a dear one and I wanted to recreate that feeling of closeness, reverence and gentility that my mother had with me. I had really considered doing a cute little one that I had to fill myself (ha maybe next year) but when we visited the Lego Store last month in OKC with Girl Scouts I found two Advent Calendars there and opted for easy and fun. Something I knew that would entice them into this celebration. You could make a cute one and fill it with Lego's though and that would be pretty awesome too!

So far, it's love at first open! They had two options in store and I picked both so that the boys and girls can take turns opening one each day. As they opened their first one (littles got to go first) the excitement was palpable. It was then that I realized the main lesson it was teaching them, patience. Patience, something we are not born with but must learn and practice.

It also teaches so many other things. In our case, there was graciousness of the older kids, allowing to let the younger ones go first. It teaches them that they do not always have instant gratification and that its okay when you don't! They will also have to share the sets once they are complete, which isn't anything new when it comes to Lego's, but a good lesson to reinforce nonetheless. I also love that it fosters the anticipation of something and then having to be patient in order to get it. The lessons all tie together and are interwoven. They may not realize what the tradition is teaching them right away, but what they learn from it will spill through in their daily life for the rest of their lives.

You can check out all of the Advent items The Lego Store has to offer here. I could spend all day looking at Lego's, shhhhhh don't tell the kids though!

Mason Jar Makeup Brush Holder DIY

I did this project over three years ago, so I can say with conviction that it lasts. I didn't used to wear makeup consistently, especially when I was staying at home with my kiddos. Now that I have been in the workforce and I'm getting older I almost always wear something. This was one of the easiest little projects. Antique white spray paint + little jelly mason jar = fabulous makeup brush holder. You could spray it with any color and I am sure it would be just as fab. I sprayed the inside and the outside. I have since added a cute little tie.

This would make a really cute gift for a tween or teen! Makeup brushes and a cute little holder along with some new makeup. Okay maybe it would make a cute gift for an adult...I love mine.

Without the tie. I love the texture of the jelly jars.

With the tie. I like that you can change it up!

Room with a View

If you are like me you spend more time in the kitchen than you'd probably like.  My kitchen window, above my sink, has a view of our fence.  Not exactly what I would like it to be.  So when I change out my wreath I change out my window display to give myself a room with a view.  It makes such a difference to do this little thing just for me.  It also makes doing dishes and shining my sink not such a chore.

The fence, what a view!  Now I only see the things that make me happy!

Epsom salt, red bird and branches.  In the other jar I have coffee beans and a candle.  When the candle melts into the coffee beans it looks really neat.  Also a place to put my jewelry.

Epsom salt on pine cones to look like snow.  Epsom salt in a jar with a candle.  

Same wreath from Christmas, minus the ornaments.

I added Epsom salt snow to the pine cones and the ribbon has snow flakes on it.   Simplicity!

Decorating my house is like pampering myself.  I love a few touches of vintage and making it feel like the season inside, even if sometimes I could go outside in a t-shirt.

DIY: Make Your Own Christmas Stockings

In keeping green (both environmentally and monetarily, I mean this is JulieBGreen right?) I made my families Christmas Stockings from a set of old curtains I had made for our last house.  They were a chocolate brown corduroy and since I had made them especially for that house they were just taking up closet space.  I used McCall's pattern M4990.  You certainly don't have to have a pattern though, if you have old stockings use them as a pattern!  I picked this pattern up a few years ago for really cheap and it is one of my favorites.  I made different stockings for the kids and bigger ones for Dale and I.  It pays to be an adult!  For embellishments I used old and broken jewelry and ribbon.  The kids love their stockings and I love that they were basically free.  I also love the contrast of the sparkly jewelry and the durability of the corduroy, making it gender friendly.  Either that or boys just really don't care what is on their stocking, just what's in it!

For the kids stockings I made the pattern which has an overlap, which can be tricky if you aren't a "sewer" but for the adults I used the top of the fabric that had already been sewn down for a curtain rod, thus eliminating that step.  The adult ones were so easy.  I made both adult ones (the ones with ribbon) in less than an hour, including cut time.  Don't forget to add the loop to hang it with.  I almost forgot on the adult ones and caught myself just in time!  If you are embellishing with ribbon make sure that you put the ribbon on before you sew the two sides together.

I haven't decided what to do on the top of the stocking holders yet, maybe little frames with everyone's picture in them?  I want something cool and hip and totally awesome.  That probably won't happen until next year, or after Christmas when all the stuff goes on sale ;).

How to make a new stocking using an old one:


Get a large piece of paper, any will do and place your old stocking on top.  Trace around the old stocking making sure to leave about 1/2 inch for seam allowance.  Next cut a strip of fabric for your loop, 8 inches by 2 inches, or however long you want yours to be.  Sew it closed making sure to tuck the raw edges inside.  Sew on any embellishments to your stocking now.  Place the wrong sides together and pin the end of each end of the loop onto the inside of each side of the stocking.  Sew each loop side on and then pin the stocking together with wrong sides facing out.  Make sure that the top is even when you start to sew or your stocking will look wonky.  Stitch along the edge and make sure that the top on the other side is even as well.   Trim along your seam.  Turn out and admire your work.

I hate the lighting in my living room.  It is absolutely horrible for getting a natural light shot of anything and I just don't have the time to fiddle in Picnik to get them the way I want them.  Oh well.  I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and if you're celebrating Hanukkah, Happy Hanukkah!  I'll see you all next week after the crazy dies down.

DIY: Wall Letters

This year I made two wall letters for friends.  They asked others to choose and decorate a letter for their children for Christmas.  How cool is that?  So I worked on an "O" and an "&." I know an ampersand isn't a letter but it does join Y and Z right?

For the O I wrapped yarn around it and cut out our state from a felted sweater.  I hot glued two pieces of the sweater to a cut out cereal box.  Then glued on a heart to the Oklahoma.  I love this one!

The ampersand sat and stared at me for awhile before I saw some episode of Martha Stewart where they were using glitter and a little light bulb went off in my head.  So off I went and started glittering away.  I used red glitter for the top and black glitter for the sides.  I wish I had spray painted it red first, but that was an afterthought unfortunately!

I'm hoping to finish up our stockings this evening.  Somehow I've managed to get sick and I feel like I'm just barely keeping my head above water!  If Jack wasn't asleep in my bed I'd be sewing right now!  I should probably stay away from Pinterest and do some picking up, but I can pick up anytime right?