The Art of Rest

This past snowstorm we had really caught me by surprise. It came the day after Christmas, after all of the preparations and work were all done. What a wonderful gift! Now, I have to tell you that honestly I used to dread snow. The thought of shoveling a driveway that was 3 cars in length and twice as wide as a single car use to really upset me. After that was done, there were some really long sidewalks to clean, all on the North side of the house. So, of course that all froze solid. Well, I was pleasantly surprised by my reaction to this snowstorm. My husband and I have moved to a community where the snow is shoveled for us when it snows so I had a totally different outlook on this past snowstorm. I loved watching the beauty of the snow and didn't mind at all when we had 24 inches plus of accumulation. I actually enjoyed it! That was a nice feeling after 25 years of dread! This snowstorm also taught me something. I learned a bit about REST. The timing of this storm was perfect! It forced me to stay home and since the holidays were over I really did not have anything pressing I had to do. so I rested! I had not realized how tired and busy I had really been. For the first time in a really long time, I sat in my recliner during the afternoon and actually fell asleep. Then I watched a movie at night. It was really great! I guess I needed that rest. The next day was beautifully sunny but windy with snow blowing everywhere! The snow swirled around and around blowing drifts high and low. As I sat at my kitchen table looking out onto our deck, I noticed a small, brownish bird sitting on the end table next to my loveseat on our deck. There she was; a beautiful mourning dove. The picure above is the actual bird on my covered porch. She had decided that my covered porch was a good choice for her to rest. The sun was shining brightly on this wind-chilled bird and you could see she was so thankful for the brief respite she had found. She basked in the sun for over an hour and I could see her appreciation of the warmth that the sun offered her. As I observed her, I realized that we all need to stop and rest sometimes. I could relate to her as I also needed the rest after a busy time such as Christmas. I would like to inspire you to rest as we begin this new year. I realize that my most creative of all times usually comes after a period of rest. I am extremely inspired and creative after a vacation on the beach where I have had time to think and rest. I am energized after several days of rest after this snowstorm and I cannot wait to start on some more creative projects. Giving ourselves the time to think is imperative to our creativity. If we continuously push ourselves, even when we are tired, we will burn out. But if we allow ourselves the time to rest without feeling guilty about it we can truly get in touch with our inner selves and what our hearts are yearning for. So, my wish for you this New Year is guiltless rest and lots of creativity! May you also have a blessed, healthy, prosperous New Year filled with the love of your family and friends, old and new! Thank you for your continued support of our blog and please contine to post your thoughts and ideas so we can see what you are thinking about!

Coming Up...

To all of our wonderful readers:
We have had a minor lull in posting due to the holiday rush and family getting snowed in and stuck here in New Jersey. But....I just wanted to inform you that January is right around the corner and in honor of my birthday month we will be blogging all about celebrations and festivities from party planning to gift giving and all of the details in between.  Stay tuned for a wonderful month of fun ideas! If you would like us to blog about anything specific on this topic, please post and we would be happy to try and accommodate you!

And...as always, BE INSPIRED!

Yummy Pizza Pasta Recipe

Well, Christmas day has come and gone. It was a very quick and enjoyable time for my family. We all had so many things to be thankful for - good health and healing for our family members, two beautiful little boys in our family, visits from children that live in another state, great food and company, relatives that really get along and enjoy each other's company, and a nice warm house. Whew! I don't know about you, but I was tired today. This snowstorm was a welcome relief for me because it forced me to slow down and just enjoy my day doing nothing. I actually relaxed most of the day on the recliner and fell asleep for a good part of the afternoon! It felt so good! It was a feeling of contentment that all of the holiday preparations were completed and now the new year will be beginning. While I was relaxing, my husband, Chet decided to treat me to one of his fabulous cooking creations. He is a very good and creative cook. He just heads to the kitchen, sees what is in the refrigerator and starts cooking. You never really know what will come out of that kitchen but it is always something really good! Today it was what I named his Pizza Pasta. Oh my gosh, it was so yummy I had to share this recipe with you. I will warn you that it is not lowfat. But, a splurge now and then is okay. Your family will love this dish. Serve it up with a green salad (that is the healthy part) and just enjoy this wonderful dish! Bon Appetit!

Chet’s Pizza Pasta (named b/c it tastes just like pizza but better!)

This is NOT a low-fat dish but every now and then when you want to splurge you will really enjoy this!

Ingredients:

2 boxes Pasta Roni shells & white cheddar

3 large shallots, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tomatoes (fresh and coarsely chopped)

1 pkg. grated 3 cheese blend, 8oz.

8 oz. ricotta cheese

4 crumbled slices of cooked bacon (or I use the crumbled bacon in the bag that I keep in the freezer)

¼ C. olive oil

2 tsp. butter

½ C. milk

1 tbsp. tomato paste

4 tbsp. red pesto with sun-dried tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped

Black pepper to taste

Directions:

In large saute’ pan, saute’ shallots, garlic, tomato paste and tomato pesto in ¼ cup olive oil and 2 tsp. butter.  Add ground pepper and cooked bacon and tomatoes.  Cook until shallots are translucent.

In another pot, boil macaroni shells until al dente’.  Drain shells and add cooked pasta to saute’ pan with other ingredients already in the pan.  Add two packages of special seasonings from Pasta Roni to this mixture.  Add ½ cup milk to thin out and cook until heated through. 

Transfer mixture to greased baking pan.  We used a 11 X 11 pan, approximately with 2 inch high sides, Corningware.  Add grated 3 cheese, folding into mixture.  Using a tablespoon drop the ricotta cheese randomly into the mixture. 

Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until nicely browned and bubbly. 

Enjoy.  

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of our readers! 

May you have a day that is blessed by family, friends and good times! In response to the last post about "What Christmas means to me," here is what some of our readers had to say...(remember the idea was to pick one letter from the word "Christmas" and begin your "What Christmas means to me" statement with that letter. Please feel free to add your thoughts in a comment at the end of this post.

•So I chose "M" for the Spanish word mas which means more. I see Christmas as a time for more giving, more togetherness, more hope, more love, more understanding, and more peace. It is a time to do more for your fellow man. A time for families to spend more time with one another. And hopefully in the midst of it all we explain that Christmas is about much more than getting gifts. It's about the one who gave the greatest gift of all to the world... Jesus Christ.

•C- Celebrating Christ's birth!!

•S- Surrounded by family and loved ones.


Thank you to all of the participants!
P.S. That is my dog Tyson posing for a Christmas photo op above!!!

BE INSPIRED!

What does Christmas mean to you?

With a few days left before Christmas, I would like to gather your thoughts on what Christmas means to you. Choosing any letter from the word "Christmas," create a statement about what Christmas means to you and post it in a comment. For example, choosing the letter "C," Christ's birth, the true meaning of Christmas or Caroling all the way! It can be serious or funny!

I would love to compile all of your thoughts and publish a post for Christmas on "What Christmas means to you." There is absolutely no right or wrong answer and I appreciate all of your input!

BE INSPIRED!

The Gift of the Magi

Did you ever read The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry? It is a beautiful story of unselfish love, sacrifice, giving and receiving. It is one of my all-time favorites and perfect for this time of year. If you click on the link, you will be in for a literary treat that will be immensely inspiring! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/GifMag.shtml

BE INSPIRED!

The True Meaning of Christmas

 If your to-do list is as long as Santa's nice list, you are not alone, however, let's not forget the true meaning of Christmas. After all, we are celebrating, decorating, gifting, gathering, and baking all because our Savior was born! Without Him, we wouldn't even have Christmas!

The Christmas story is one of my favorites! If you have a bible, open it up and read along or go to www.blueletterbible.org and find the following passages to celebrate the birth of Christ! You will be in for an exciting journey as you explore the true meaning of Christmas!

•A Savior King is Promised: Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5; Micah 5:2-5a
•The Angel Visits Mary: Luke 1:26-38
•The Angel Visits Joseph: Matthew 1:18-25
•The trip to Bethlehem and Stable Lodging: Luke 2:1-7
•The Christ Child is Born: Luke 2:6-7
•Angels Visit the Shepherds: Luke 2:8-14
•The Shepherds Visit the Manger: Luke 2:15-18
•The Wise Men Travel to Jerusalem: Matthew 2:1-8
•The Wise Men Worship the Christ Child: Matthew 2:9-12
•The Trip to Egypt: Matthew 2:13-15

Share the Christmas story with loved ones on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day! I found one special verse from each point in the story and copied it onto place cards to share with you. Have each person read aloud as you go around the table. This is a beautiful way to celebrate the true meaning of the word Christmas!

To download the Christmas Story Place Cards, go here:

<a href="<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56153724@N05/5272803614/" title="ChristmasStoryPlaceCards by vwoods64, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5246/5272803614_1730bac529.jpg" width="386" height="500" alt="ChristmasStoryPlaceCards" /></a>">DOWNLOAD FILE</a

BE INSPIRED!

Christmas Card Garland

As Christmas approaches my mailbox is brimming with Christmas Greetings from friends and family! I love all of these special cards and didn't want them to start piling up with no place to shine....so, this is what I did....

With a little bit of yarn, scissors, tape and a stapler, I cut a length of yarn to span between my two cabinets in the kitchen. With tape, I adhered the yarn to each side and then began to staple each and every card to the yarn creating a Greeting Card Garland.

This process takes no time at all and looks very festive and colorful anywhere you decide to hang it!

BE INSPIRED!

Easy Holiday Fudge-Thrifty Gifty #12

For those of you who really only have about an hour to dedicate to whipping up a holiday treat...this EASY holiday fudge is for you!

INGREDIENTS (to make one batch of fudge):

•1 can sweetened condensed milk
•1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz)
•A package of candy or a couple candy bars
 (m&m's, peppermints, heath bar, reese's peanut butter cups, etc.)
•Saucepan
•Spatula
•Can Opener
•Round cake pan
•Saran wrap
•Crisco or non-stick baking spray

DIRECTIONS:

•Grease a round cake pan
•In a saucepan, add 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
•On medium heat, stir consistently until all ingredients are well melted and mixed.
•While the ingredients are melting on the stove, rinse out milk can and cover with saran wrap. Grease the covered can with Crisco and place in the middle of the greased round cake pan. 
This will create a wreath shape when the fudge is removed!

•Pour the melted ingredients into the round cake pan and around the milk can that is in the center.
•Add crushed candy to the top of your fudge and place immediately into the refrigerator to cool for at least four hours.
•Cut up and enjoy!

IDEAS:

•This holiday treat is great as gifts for teachers as you and your child can make it together!
•Plate up some cookies and add a few sweet fudgie treats to the platter and give to a neighbor or friend!
•Pop out of the mold and serve on a beautiful dish with a knife and let guests enjoy their own personal sized samples.
 

Gifts in a Jar, Thrifty Gifty #11

Time is passing quickly and Christmas is around the corner! Uh oh, do you still have people that you wanted to give gifts to??? Here is a great solution to your dilemma. This is such a fun idea and it does not take a lot of time. You will be assembling the ingredients for a wonderful, yummy treat but you will not be cooking it. You will provide directions on how to complete the "treat" whenever the recipient would like to. You can make several of these "gifts in a jar" at one time and have them ready to give to friends at a moment's notice. This is a great gift to make and have on hand just in case someone stops over and gives you a little something. Then you have something very nice to reciprocate with. I have been making these little gifts for a long time. You can vary the recipes from year to year and always have something new and fun to give. These gifts are fun for all ages.

Supplies:

Mason jar with lid

Nice small piece of fabric

Gift tag or label (see our other post on how to make recycled gift tags - http://allaboutbeinginspired.blogspot.com/2010/12/thrifty-gifty-8-gift-tags-recycled-from.html

Ribbon or raffia

Rubber band

Kitchen supplies - bowls for mixing, measuring cups and spoons, spoons for stirring

Recipe for a Gift in a Jar and those particular ingredients

Directions:

1.Find a great recipe you like for your Gift in a Jar. Here is a great link I found for some awesome recipes. There are so many, I am sure you will love them.

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/index.shtml

2. Gather your ingredients and mix all together according to the recipe.

3. Follow the recipe and layer the ingredients correctly.

4. Print out the recipe directions for the recipient of your gift so they know how to make whatever you are giving them (hot cocoa, cake, cookies, soup,etc.) and attach to the gift tag or label.

5. Close the jar with the lid. Use the small piece of fabric and cut a square or circle about 3 inches larger than the lid of your jar. Use pinking shears if you have them so your fabric does not fray.

6. Center the fabric on the jar lid and use a rubber band to secure around the neck of the jar.

7. Tie a piece of ribbon or raffia around the rubber band so it looks pretty.

8. You can make a nice label for your jar stating what the treat will be.

For example: Yummy Peppermint Hot Cocoa

These make very nice gifts for teachers, bus drivers, friends and family. I would love hear your comments on these ideas. Let us know what you made!

Snowflake Garland

First of all, I am so thankful to all of our readers! We have had such an overwhelming response in the past couple of weeks! What I am posting today is a how-to on making a snowflake garland, which can be hung anywhere in your home! It will add that extra-special wintry feeling to your home or office and can be left up even after the holidays!

For those of you who read the last post on the Martha Stewart Craft Show, I was inspired to make this craft from there! I purchased a snowflake paper punch and went to town! I hope you enjoy this idea!

The materials featured in the image above are some of the things you will need to make this craft. You will need the snowflake paper punch (found at Michael's Arts and Crafts), thread, a paint brush, Elmer's glue and I also used a pen glue for getting the tips of the snowflakes to glue together. The snowflakes seen above are how they look after being punched out!

Martha Stewart Crafts also puts out a beautiful assortment of fine glitter that comes in a variety of colors! It is perfect for this project. If you opt not to glitter your snowflakes, they will still be gorgeous! I wanted to glitter mine because I will hang mine in my bay window and the backdrop is white blinds so I wanted them to stand out a bit.

1. Cut a thread that is long enough for your liking. 
2. Punch a bunch of snowflakes with your craft punch. 
3. Sandwich two of the snowflakes with glue between a piece of thread and space them neatly and evenly down the thread to create a garland. 

4. Paint your paper snowflakes with glue and sprinkle with glitter to cover the snowflake.
5. Repeat the process until all the snowflakes are covered front and back. 


***This process takes some time, that is why my garland is not posted as complete yet. Stay tuned and hopefully, I will post the finished product soon. My garland is going to hang vertically, however, you can make one that hangs in a swag-like fashion as well. ***

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST OR ANY PREVIOUS POSTS, PLEASE COMMENT TO BE ENTERED INTO OUR DECEMBER 17TH GIVEAWAY!

BE INSPIRED!

The Martha Stewart Craft Show

This past weekend my mom, dad and I took a trip into New York City. Amongst many other stops, our last was The Martha Stewart Craft Show, which was the initial reason for our venture into the Big Apple. With stops at Bryant Park, Chelsea Market and a couple of cab rides we finally arrived to find ourselves pretty chilly amongst many other people waiting in line with us to get into the craft show! We waited about 40 minutes to get into the building and then another 20 once we stepped inside.

The show was a crafter's delight! Paper crafts, crocheted scarves, spun cotton figurines, hand-sculpted pottery, silkscreened dishtowels, gyotaku prints and so much more hovered around the open spaces in the Starrett-Lehigh Building.

The chandeliers that hung high amongst the white washed walls were created out of strands of silver mylar--a very "Martha" touch! It wasn't until I got right under them that I realized that they were not really made out of crystal! Amazing!

The show was inspirational because it provided ideas that the everyday crafter is able to recreate. I purchased a Martha Stewart Snowflake hole punch and I am now in the process of making a snowflake garland, which I will be posting on the blog as soon as it is complete.

So, all-in-all, it was a fruitful adventure and I hope to attend again next year...better yet, I hope to sell there next year! I hope you can make it too!

Now the "mom" version: I also had a great day. Spending time with my daughter and my husband (yes, he is a very good sport to take us scampering all over NYC!) was a day well spent. I have to add that my son-in-law is also a great sport since he stayed home and babysat 15 month old Charlie! We explored many different areas of NY and really enjoyed seeing all of the sights! I was excited to see what crafts "Martha" would be featuring. I especially enjoyed the "spun cotton" figurines and have decided that I have to teach myself that new craft! Being there made me realize how much pleasure people get from handmade and homemade items. The people that displayed their goods were as pleased as the people who came to see the displays. I came home with an awesome hand-crocheted scarf/hat combo that is absolutely beautiful and was very reasonably priced. I could not resist buying some of the Martha Stewart craft materials either. What I really appreciated was that they offered them at the same sales prices as you would pay for them at Michaels with a coupon. Needless to say, I bought several things to add to my collection of craft supplies. Now I better get busy!

Presence-Thrifty Gifty #10

This thrifty gifty is the thriftiest gifty yet! It will also make the biggest impact on the receiver! So what is this wonderful gift??? Presence! What, did you spell this word wrong? Is it supposed to be "presents?", you ask. NO! Presence, that is how it is spelled. Okay, so what is "presence?" 

I was giving this a lot of thought. What is the spirit of Christmas? It was God's gift to us, the gift of His son, Jesus. It was the "presence" of a newborn baby that came to this earth as a gift to us for our salvation. It was Jesus' "presence" on earth during his short lifetime that taught us how to live. It was His "presence" on the cross that enabled us to have eternal life. God gave us a lot of "presence" didn't He?

So how can we emulate Him during this season and give "presence" to our loved ones? We can give them "presence!"

Our presence is so important to those we love. What good is a present if we are not "present" when we give it? The ability to share our time with others is much more valuable to them than sending a gift their way. So here are ways you can share your time with others and it won't cost you a dime.  

The gift of yourself is always more valuable than anything else we can give.

1. Visit your family. Spend time with your parents, your siblings, your neices or nephews, your dear friends. It doesn't have to be a long time but the fact that you stopped by to say Hello will mean the world to them. Have a cup or tea or coffee and chat a little. You will be the bright spot in their day!

2. Offer a ride to someone in need. Is there an elderly person that cannot drive themself to the doctors or to go shopping? Take some time out of your day to serve them. They will not forget your kindness. That is the kind of "presence" that means a lot!

3. Make cookies with a child or take them to the movies or to the park. The gift of your time will send a message to them that they are important to you.

4. Create a "date night" for your spouse or significant other. Make it special: cook dinner or pack a "picnic" and enjoy your time together in your home or somewhere else you enjoy.

5. Spend a day together with someone special. Go to the park, take a walk, window shop in fun places like New Hope, Pa or even the Mall.

6. Look through old pictures with your Mom or Dad or Grandma or Grandpa. It might be a wonderful trip through memory lane, helping them remember those special people they loved and lost.

7. Call a friend who is far away and spend some time chatting on the phone. Don't unload the dishwasher or do your chores while you are talking, just sit and talk and listen. Don't multitask! Give them your full attention! It will be a more meaningful conversation.

8. Visit someone in the nursing home. If you don't have a loved one in a nursing home, then lucky you. There are many people who are in nursing homes that never receive visitors. If you have a well-behaved dog, call ahead and see if they allow you to bring your dog to see the residents. I used to do that with my dog, Stash, and everyone loved when I brought him. In fact, Stash seemed to "know" that he had to be really well-behaved and he was so much fun to have there because it made it easy to start conversation with the people there.

9. Share your talents! Can you play piano or another instrument? You don't have to be a superstar to share the gifts God gave you. Ask a nursing home if you can come and play some music for the residents of a nursing home. When my daughters were young, they were learning to play piano. We would call ahead and tell the staff that we would like to play piano for the residents and they would play. Yes, they made plenty of mistakes, but no one cared or knew. They just enjoyed the music, they sang and clapped and had a nice day.

10. Make dinner for someone. There are many people that can benefit from this! There isn't anyone I know that wouldn't enjoy a homemade dinner brought to them. Young busy moms, shut-ins, busy grandmoms and grandpas, working people, college students, you name it, they would all appreciate a homecooked dinner. Just make twice as much as your would for your own family and it isn't much more work.

11. Invite someone over. So what if your house is a mess ( as mine usually is, since I am always busy running here or there.) If you wait until your house is perfect, you will never have anyone over! True friends love you for who you are, not how your house looks!

12. Offer to babysit or "adult sit." Those who care for others need a break and your "presence" to them will offer them relief and a time to relax.

13. Share your talents (yes, this was so important I had to mention it again!) Are you a good decorator or organizer? Help someone with these tasks. Whatever you are good at can be used to help others. Maybe you are good at home repairs (or maybe the man in your life is!) Many people wish they had help with this.

14. Help someone clean. Most people can do this. Fall leaves make a mess, is there someone that still needs help picking up these things in their yard? How about cleaning a room for someone or helping them clean their floors or bathrooms?

Okay, so I think you get my jist. These are sacrifices we can make as gifts to others. We can teach our children to be sacrificial to others, too. These gifts do not cost a lot of money but they mean more than anything you can buy because it is the gift of YOU! The gift of your "presence." My final thought on all of this comes from Matthew 25: 35-40 in the bible:

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thristy and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prision and go to visit you? The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Alphabet Photography-Thrifty Gifty #9

This past Saturday I had the privilege of going into New York City with my mom and dad, with whom I went to Bryant Park, Chelsea Market and the Martha Stewart Craft Show (more details to come in an upcoming post about the MS Craft Show). Before I left, I was thinking about some very special people in my life who I would like to make a gift for, one of them including my son, Charlie!

I was scouring web sites and creative magazines when I stumbled upon something that I felt I could easily do on a trip to the Big Apple. My mom and I began shooting pictures of architecture, subway signs, pipes on scaffolding, and old paper plates lying in the streets that resembled Alphabet letters.

The Letter "O" found looking through part of a building.

The Letter "S" found on a mat.

The Letter "N" found on a subway sign.

 I uploaded them onto my computer, opened them up on Photoshop, altered them a bit by adjusting size to a standard photo size: 4"x 6", changed the color image to grayscale and played with the brightness/contrast.

Assemble the letters to create a name or a word, order prints on shutterfly or your favorite online photo site and frame for a beautifully, thoughtful gift!

This Thrifty-Gifty requires a camera, an image altering computer program, a little bit of a creative eye and a beautiful frame for gifting.

BE INSPIRED!

Thrifty Gifty #8, Gift tags recycled from old cards

Well, that time of year is almost here! The one where you have lots of gifts to give and have to remember who's gift is who's! A good way to set each person's gift apart is to create easy, recycled gift tags. I like to save all the beautiful cards I receive each year but then I wonder what to do with them. So I came up with the idea of using the cards and transforming them into beautiful gift tags. So here are my thoughts on making these nice and useful items.

Materials:

Old cards

Glitter

Scissors

Glue

Hole punch

String or thin ribbon

Directions:

1. Sort through your cards and pick ones that can be cut into smaller "tags" and still look well.

(Sometimes you can make more than one tag from a card.)

2. Cut Rectangular shapes (or any shape you really like) from the card with the artistic part of the card in a nice place on the tag.

3. You can cut the corners off of one side of the tag to make it in the shape of a "tag" if you wish.

4. Punch a hole in the top of the tag.

5. Cut a lenth of string or ribbon about 6 or 7 inches. Knot the two loose ends together.
6. Put the folded end of the ribbon or string through the hole and bring the knotted end through the loop and pull so the tag is secured to the ribbon.

7. Glitter small areas of the tags to make them really "pop."

8. Write your message on the back of the tag to the recipient.

You can use these tags as part of your gift or box up several of them to give as a gift to someone so they have some nice tags to use for their gifts.

Some other thoughts: You can also use copies of old photos, beautiful scrapbooking paper(heavier weight,) or copies of old postcards ( you can shrink the size at a copy store) for more tag ideas. The idea is to have fun and be creative! Please share any pictures of what you have made using some of these ideas or any new ideas you have!

Be inspired! Clare

Making a Candle Wrap-Thrifty Gifty #7

This little Thrifty-Gifty holiday project is super simple! If you can cut and paste, you can make it! I was able to put this gift together for under $3.00! Read on to find out more....

First you will need to find a beautiful candle. I found these unscented candles at the Christmas Tree Shop for $1.50 a piece. I had a coupon so it was well worth the buy! Use a candle that is dripless for safety reasons and never leave a candle unattended for fire hazard reasons.

 In terms of paper, I was looking for pieces with a holiday feel. The key to making these lovely candle wraps is layering papers. If you look at the image above, you will see a piece of corrugated paper (the one with the ridges) and I used it as my base layer. The fun, patterned pieces below I used to layer on top of the base and then chose to add detail with the glittery fun paper seen above.

Other materials you will need include a paper cutter, scissors and double-sided tape. Glue will not be a good choice for this project because it gets too stiff when it dries, whereas tape is flexible for when you wrap the layered papers around the candle. 

 I also found these cute little embellishments, which I have tied on with raffia around the base of the candle. See top of page for image using these embellishments.

Here is my layered wrap all set and ready to be put onto the candle. I measured the corrugated base layer at 3" high, the patterned holiday tree paper at 2" high, the green glittery paper at 3/4" high and the gold glittery paper at 1/4 of an inch high. All were cut to 10" long as this will vary depending on the width of your candle.

Use double-sided tape for applying all of your layers as well as for gluing your wrap to the candle.

Remember these wraps can be made for any season or birthday. Just simply switch out the theme papers to accommodate the celebration! These are wonderful table place markers for your holiday tablescape or can be given as gifts for teachers, babysitters, hairdressers and friends! They are super easy to make in mass quantity and will deliver a smile every time!

BE INSPIRED!

Dressed In Holiday Style...Your Best Holiday Outfit

Are you familiar with the holiday tune Silver Bells? You know, the one that goes 

"City Sidewalks, busy sidewalks. Dressed in holiday style. In the air there's a feeling of Christmas!"

I know that the city sidewalks will be dressed in holiday style and want to know that you will be too!

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me just note that I am a sale shopper! Rarely will I purchase a full price item unless it is a must have on my wish list! With stores like Kohls, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, Walmart, Annie Sez and more, you can find everything from basic tees for layering to designer labels for making a statement! 

Just a couple days ago my lovely friend and I were having a conversation that brought about an idea for my blog. She said, "You know, you don't have to have a lot of money to dress nicely. Why don't you blog about how to dress nicely for the Holidays on a budget." So taking what I thought was an awesome idea to springboard off of, I decided to ask YOU to show us how it's done!

Here's your challenge:

1. Using what is in your closet and adding accessories or a piece to compliment what you already have, take a photo of your best Holiday outfit that you put together on a budget and e-mail it to me with details and prices.

----OR----

2. Starting from scratch, visit one of your favorite discount stores and put together your best Holiday outfit and snap a photo and e-mail it to me with details and prices. (P.S. You don't even have to buy the outfit...you can just have fun trying clothes on in the fitting rooms and taking pictures!)

I would love to share your best Holiday Outfit with my readers on Friday, December 10th then we will have a vote to see who has the best Holiday Outfit on a budget!
E-mail me your photos before December 10th: vwoods27@gmail.com 

BE INSPIRED!

Spotlight on All About Being Inspired!

If you have been following All About Being Inspired from the beginning, you know that we have only been up and running for about 3 full months now! It has been a learning experience, a motivational tool to keep my mind creative and of course a brand new hobby!

I am truly enjoying this new endeavor and hope that you are reaping some of the benefits as well! Today, I am excited to announce that I am featured in an online magazine called RedRoverStyle.com spotlighting All About Being Inspired!

You can click on RedRoverStyle.com above or click here to view the article: http://redroverstyle.com/2010/11/valerie-woods-inspires/

"RedRoverStyle.com is a lifestyle and charity magazine that brings people together to dialogue and network with philanthropists and charities." I would be honored if you read my interview at RedRoverStyle. Read on to find out more behind the scenes information about All About Being Inspired and how it came to be.  While you are visiting, browse the magazine because it features some great fashion tips, beauty info, food and travel tidbits and much more! 


BE INSPIRED!

P.S. Remember to leave a comment on any one of our blog posts before December 3, 2010 (That's this Friday!) to be entered into our first Giveaway! Believe me, it's a good one...a set of 4 handpainted watercolor cards!

Beauty in Bloom

 

I belong to a Mom's group called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers...www.mops.org) and I have met so many wonderful moms in such a short period of time. Amongst them are two amazing, sincere mothers: Jamie Cone and Tara Silvestre who have recently launched a small business called Beauty in Bloom. Beauty in Bloom works to help girls build confidence and self-esteem by reminding them about what really matters and what really makes them a beautiful person; true beauty blossoms from the inside out. With character-building activities and games, crafts, face painting and/or age appropriate make-up and hair, your girls will be enjoying themselves in an educational, fun setting!

If you are looking to throw that special girl in your life an inspiring, confidence-building, beautiful party that will enlighten them about what really matters, visit www.beautyinbloomparty.com for more  information and how to book your party!

I was inspired to post about this new small business because I not only wanted to share a way to host a creative party but wanted to inspire you to go after a dream or idea that you may have in the back of your mind. Anything is possible with a little sweat and hard work! One day I was inspired to create a blog and I did just that! 

BE INSPIRED!

Fruit Filled-Thrifty Gifty #6

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday! After dinner at my in-law's house I noticed what would make another awesome "Thrifty Gifty"...a fruit filled jar of clementines! Clementines are so seasonal and delicious! The best part of this is that you can usually find them on sale at your local market or grocery store. I was at Shop Rite this morning and a whole crate of them were on sale for $4.99. Shop your local Goodwill for jars and turn up the most unique vessels for piling up these colorful treats!

You can easily put this lovely hostess gift together for under $10.00! I would love to receive something of this nature from a friend! It is healthy, delicious, makes a lovely centerpiece and adds a festive splash of color to anyone's tablescape or countertop!

Make this gift extra special by wrapping it in clear cellophane with a knot of raffia at the top! Add a gift tag and voila!

Remember that clementines aren't your end all...there are so many beautiful seasonal fruits like pears, lemons, pomegranates and apples that would fill any jar with holiday bliss!

BE INSPIRED!