Candle tea party

I haven't gotten all the things done that I hoped on the weekend, but today I finally made the teacup candles that I saw in Martha Stewart's magazine last year!

I picked the teacups up at yard sales this summer and cut store-bought cafe candles to the right size because I didn't have any place to buy wicks around here. These candles were about $4.00 for a box of 20, I think. Then, I melted the remainder of the cut candle , along with ends of scented pillar candles, in a 9" pie plate over a pot of boiling water. I poured the melted wax in the cup around the candle and added a teabag tag with a heart stamped on it. I will give these to pre-school teachers for Christmas.

The wheels are in motion!

Well, I cut my Christmas card list unmercilessly this year and they are addressed and waiting for pictures. Maybe I can take the Christmas picture this weekend...
I also did the home spruce up worksheet from organized Christmas. I would really like to complete something on that sheet this week! Guess I'll start with finishing the paint in the boy's room. I'll have to post before and afters , as DH did a fabulous job building a bed in the eaves for DS8. I need to oil the wood on the bed, too! Sheesh-forgot about that! I'd love to do a Suessical, Mount Crumpet/Whoville theme for Christmas in there. I'll have to see what I can come up with.
I've got to do a bit more digging in the storage space, as there are a few gifts I've bought and just stuffed in there!(Not good!)
To Do(Weekend edition!)

1. stitch snowflakes on apron
2. take Christmas card photo
3. paint in boys room
4. take Christmas totes out of storage, put summer totes in storage, put Christmas totes back in storage!Phew!

I'll let you know how I make out! Happy Weekend!

Okay, so I didn't quite FINALIZE my craft list. I got hyperfocused on my gift tote and ended up wrapping one gift! One down! Anywho... I'm classifying anything I have to make as a craft!
Here's something tentative...(I'm so lucky my hubby can build things, too!)

1. Christmas cookies gift 'basket'. This consists of a metal lunchbox I have to alter with "born to shop, forced to cook" saying on it; recipe cards scrapped with family favorites on them; a store bought apron with blue snoflakes stitched on it; and copper cookie cutters.
2. 2 crokinole boards(hubby)
3. recycle centre(hubby)
4. 2 bedpockets with books and flashlights
5. Lasagna wih garlic bread
6. Chili basket packed with western hat and bandana, veggie tales movie, french onion soup bowls, corn chips and chili of course!
7. Tree in a box-pine cone garland, pine cone carolers, tree topper, tree skirt, painted ornaments(rustic). Lights and tree stand.

That's it for now. I'm sure to add more baking as I finish these things up! Better get started!

Holiday Preparations

Today, I got together with my sister and niece and donned my 'Naughty or Nice' Christmas vest to start 'honest to goodness' preparations for that merry old time of the year! They got out their laptops and I got out the looseleaf and we collectively logged on to Organized Christmas to begin the Christmas Countdown, albeit, one week early. We gave ourselves a daily task this week in order to stay on track. My weekly list looks like this;

1. Monday- Talk to my spouse to find out what things he enjoyed most in past celebrations. This I did, and after a few strange looks(Christmas already?) I found out we agree that church service on Christmas Eve doesn't work for us, yet. (We need to give our youngest child a couple of more years)
2. Tuesday- Work on Master gift list and finalize a craft list.
3. Wednesday-Christmas card list (with addresses)
4. Thursday-Home Spruce up list. This could take more time than I've allotted...
5. Friday- inventory and gather card supplies
6. Saturday and Sunday- fine tune this week's work and prepare for next week.

I guess the Christmas bug is quite contagious, as I recieved an excited call from my niece, after she left. She had picked up a gift for my son and that was one more checkmark on her list! Way to Go!

Hope to post my craft list tomorrow evening! See you then!