Handmade Recycled Christmas!

Since Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year and I usually go all out, I kinda run out of steam by the time it gets to Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, but I'm not usually at my house for the holiday and so I don't decorate very much for it. I love the buying presents part, but I kinda of slack on the rest of it (compared with the Halloween celebrations, anyway).

But not this year! There have been so many good ideas for cute holiday decorations that this year, I'm going all out on a Handmade Recycled Christmas! I've been even more inspired to use things I have around the house, rather than going and out and buying new ornaments. We're having a special Holiday Party that I'll be posting about soon, so I'm trying to get the house festive in time. Here's a few of the things I've started making and plan to finish asap:

Paper Bag Ornaments:

So easy and fun to make! I'm going to hang them over the table in our bay window. I made a few different sizes and may also make smaller ones to hang from the wreath on our front door to tie everything together. I used Trader Joe's paper bags like she used as well and I love the way they look, although I might make some smaller ones out of festive scrapbooking paper I have lying around.

Circular Ornaments:

I plan on making these a little more simple by just using my craft punch and then instead of alternating gluing sides, I'm just going to use a scrapbooking adhesive square to attach each one. Kind of like the ones here, only with more circles!

More fun handmade ornament ideas to try:
String Snowballs
Lots of ornaments to make


Shimmering Stacked Trees:

These are made from newspaper, but I'm also recycling my old magazines that I'm going to throw away.

Paper Evergreens:

I'm also making paper trees like these out of the same Trader Joe paper bags to match the ornaments!

Plastic Bag Pom-Poms:

I think these would be fun attached together to make a garland, I guess I'd just need a *lot* of plastic bags... Target here I come!

Cardboard wreath:

Now I wish I hadn't thrown out my Piperlime box! And here's another fun idea if I only had some fun bottle caps in festive colors.

Other great ideas:
Card Display
Advent Calendar
Fabric Garland


So, I'll be sure to post pics after our party and when everything's all done! Happy Holidays!

The only way to travel

And it continues! The warm weather, while slightly interrupted by some rain, crazy lightning and thunder, and a little cold yesterday, is looking promising. This week the forecast so far is sunny or partly cloudy! And although it was supposed to rain all last weekend, it was actually beautiful on Sat. morning!

Perfectly timed as well, since I needed to run some errands and the only available ZipCar was a Mini Cooper Convertible. I know, my life is hard sometimes. I figure if I can't have a car full time, at least I can drive something fun when I do. And man, was this fun! I didn't think a trip to Target could have gotten any better, but I was wrong, obviously. A fast, fire engine red sports car, with the wind whipping through you hair is the equivalent of a big cherry on top of a banana split. And maybe the whip cream too.

Anyway, I had to commemorate the occasion with some pics on my iPhone. Edwin really is the best, although the same can't be said for my photo skills, my only claim is that some of these were taken while at a light, so I had to hurry. If only the one in front of my house was a permanent sight. Man, am I glad it's spring.

See how cute my house is? And wouldn't it just be so much cuter if this was parked in front all the time? (I'll have to post a photo tour of the house at some time, it's as charming inside as out)

Target is my favorite.

Mmmm.... mini......

Had to take a drvie along the Charles on my way to return the car. This is near Harvard. Sunshine!

The closest I'll get to a scooter.

Well I've wanted a scooter for quite some time now and I finally had the chance to drive one, although it wasn't quite what I had in mind.

Let me explain. You see, about a year and a half ago I fell while walking in Harvard Square. Since that time I've had hip problems that come and go. I was in physical therapy for about 4 months last year and thought I'd solved the problem but this last month the other hip has started giving me problems.

The pain makes it really hard to walk, sit, stand and sleep, basically to move. It got especially bad this last week and to top it off I was also having chest pain, which according to the NP I saw, is a strange condition where the cartilage in my chest is inflamed, so it hurts to breathe and move my upper body as well. I was pretty much in bed or on the couch this last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A person will go a little stir crazy from that, I don't know how women on bed rest do it, maybe its because they usually aren't in too much pain.

Anyway I needed to get out of the house, plus I needed more pain meds so my roomie and I went to Target, but how do I get around this huge store when it hurts to move? Scooter to the rescue! So embarrassing, but I really couldn't stop giggling, which, of course, only hurt more. Oh well! I guess I'll be back to normal soon! At least I hope so, this is the longest its ever lasted, but I'm back to work today. I didn't care what it took, I've watched as much TV as even I can handle!