I fell in love with this image I found on Pinterest (where else?).

Pinspiration here.

It was a perfect fit for my wrapping-paper embargo since I already had neutral-colored wrap and lots of burlap left over from a certain handsome guy’s first birthday party.

So away I went. I used a lot of chipboard letters I was given in a craft kit one year for Christmas.

I incorporated some scrapbook letters I bought at the thrift store in the summer, which included four full sets for $1 or so.

The pinwheels from the pinspiration above really got me excited me.  Hot glue gun in hand, I had many sticky failures.  This was one of the two survivors and was still a little too tight and split at the end.  Too bad for E.

I purchased an old dictionary from the thrift store this summer for some craft project that never was completed.  So when I saw this image, I knew I could put that dictionary to at least some use.

Pinspiration found here.

I didn’t stamp mine because I used the Christmas page of the dictionary.  (How clever I think I am!)

Just another reminder that I’m so glad I learned to sew!

I only needed to make one Christmas card.  Being limited to what I had on hand, I set out to recreate this Pin.

Pinspiration found here.

For the ten minutes I spent on it, I don’t think it turned out half bad.

I stuffed some boxes with some tinsel I had laying around from an Alvin and the Chipmunks party I threw two years ago! I know there is just no need to hang on to tinsel for two years but I did just that.

Who else loves wrapping? Any one ever tried a pinwheel? Oy vey!

Image and tutorial found here

Unfortunately for me, this was a bit of a Pinterest fail. I bought these mugs at Ikea for $1 each and used a glass paint pen to outline a cardboard stencil I created of the mustaches.

Instead, I advised the girls to consider the mugs as more of a Rorschach blot test.  You know, the psychological test designed to figure out what’s bothering you by showing you an inkblot of nonsense and asking what you see?

I think the one below resembles a crab but another popular answer is a muscle man flexing.

What do you see in these inkblot tests?

Now, the problem with this task is that I’m actually a pretty horrible cook.  So, as usual, I teamed with Mama Judd for this task.  (And by “teamed” I mean “took pictures of her while she did it.”)

We used this recipe, which is from the restaurant that claims to have created the dish in 1951.  It was delicious!

Some fun gals from work invited me to Witches Night Out this Halloween at Gardner’s Village.  Little did I know the DJ’s big finale was one big Thriller party!

It was super dark that night but if you click here you will see 11 seconds of me living the dream!

Almost too organized to use….

Earlier this month I ran the Color Run 5k, completing the fifth item on my 30 Before 30 list.  This seemed like an appropriate little race considering every kilometer they throw colored corn starch at you.  Keeps interest up, I think.  A lot of girls from work were running and I joined their team.  I have been wogging (walking + jogging) throughout the summer at Liberty Park by my house.  But I hadn’t been for several weeks when I ran the 5K.  I was sore for 2 days!

We made this wreath based on this tutorial.  By “we” I mean “I” – my BFF has this strange thing about touching rubber.  I have no idea what to do with her.

Pardon the poor lighting.  I am camera illiterate.

We used dollar store tablecloths to create the colored backdrop.

My BFF found a lot of the Yo Gabba Gabba paraphernalia online.

We made cheap favors using red favor bags and cut paper.

We created fun boom box animal crackers from online printables.

The birthday boy loves Yo Gabba Gabba but it sure creeped me out! What children’s program gives you the willies?