Gift Exchange

This past month I participated in the Craftaholics Anonymous handmade gift exchange. I was lucky enough to be partnered with the lovely Veronnica from the Adventures of Miss V. You are going to be SOOOO jealous when you see what I got!



I found a large box on my front porch with these two beautifully wrapped gifts inside. I was so touched that she took the time to wrap the packages- and gave me 2 gifts! It was an early Christmas!

The first gift was this darling "Merry Christmas" banner for me to hang in my retro room. Doesn't it look so cute?! It matches my decor perfectly!

Here is a close up of the banner. I love it!


The second gift was this lovely camera strap cover. I am getting an SLR for Christmas so this is going to be perfect.

I almost feel kind of dumb in comparison. I sent her this rosette necklace and two rosette bobby pins. Yeah, it wasn't beautifully packaged. But at least it was on time! : )

You ought to bribe Linda to set you up with Veronnica for the next gift exchange. She was wonderful! Thanks so much Veronnica! It was great getting to know you.

Go check out The Adventures of Miss V. She is a fabulous photographer and has AMAZING ideas for parties and decorations.

Also a big thanks to Linda for organizing all this! Click the button below to see what other gifts were exchanged.

What I Wore

If you are visiting from the Pleated Poppy you may be interested in this post about my closet! :)

I only managed to get two pictures this week. It's so hard to leave and come home in the dark! I even wore my red shoes again with a different outfit and didn't get to snap a photo.

I LOVE this sweater from Express. This time I wore it with a skirt and all black accessories. You've seen them all before except the little jacket. It's new and has little lace detailng on the shoulders and back.

This outfit was inspired by What Would a Nerd Wear. She has some similar clothes so I follower her blog. I, of course, had to add a belt to my outfit. I wore this on Saturday and then never left the house in it so I wore it to a family get together on Monday night with brown boots like Tania did in her post.

So much to blog about- so little time! I have tons of pictures on my camera card just waiting to be blogged. I have a necklace tutorial, Christmas gift idea, my gingerbread house, my finished bedroom and kitchen, and I REALLY need to find some time when it is light to blog about my gift from the gift exchange at Craftaholics Anonymous!

How I Organize My Closet

I have a lot of clothes. They are mostly inexpensive clothes, but a lot nonetheless. It has taken quite a few years to find a closet system that works for me but I have gotten to the point where I can stay organized, even sharing with my husband now. I thought I would share some tips in case you need some help with your closet.

I inherited this wire shelf from a friend who was moving and couldn't take it with her. It fits perfectly in every closet I have ever had. It adds an extra shelf to my closet to stack my pants on. I have one pile each for jeans, work pants, denim shorts and capris, and other shorts and capris, and old pants.



I have found this to be the best system for my shoes. I have tons of shoes and cannot seem to just put them back where they go when they are all laid out on the ground. I just end up chucking them in the closet. This way I can still chuck them in the closet. but they are organized by type of shoe so I only have to look through one cube instead of all the shoes.

Flats Heels

Sandals Wedges

Flip-flops Tennis shoes

Random shoes I can't seem Boots

to get rid of


All of the shirts hang over this shelf. This is my shirts all piled up on my bed. I pulled them all out to straighten them on the hangers, see what had fallen off the hanger,s and fix the color order so it was perfect.

Yes, I hang my shirts in color order: maroon, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, navy, purple, pink, melon/salmon, brown, cream, white, gray, black with various shades in between. This makes it SO much easier to find what I am looking for.



Color order also helps a lot with mixing and matching outfits. When I buy a new cardigan, it's easy to look in the color sections to find all tops that can go under it. If you haven't tried color order and are looking for a way to organize your closet- THIS IS IT!

Skirts hang in the bottom section. I have fewer than I do shirts that I don't do color order.

Jackets- also in no order (coats go in the coat closet by the front door).

Dresses and belts. Only skinny belts fit on this organizer so...

... I recently asked my husband to hang more hooks in the closet. They are perfect for wide belts and long necklaces that don't fit in my jewelry organizer.

Scarves go on the back of the door with Spencer's hats.

Purses up on a high shelf.

Plus, all of Spencer's clothes are in there too.

Cleaning out the closet every once in awhile can remind you of peices you may have forgotten about or inspire you to create new outfit combinations.

For example, I had totally forgot about this blue Old Navy t-shirt. I think it would be a great layering peice for this gray jacket. I might wear it tomorrow, in fact.

I also think this is a fun combo. I have had all 4 of these tops for a long time and hadn't put them together until I cleaned out the closet again.

And the best part? I found that Spencer has a tie that matches my jacket almost perfectly! We need to take new family photos! Ha ha!

What I Wore

Wednesday night was FREEZING! I just kep piling on layers until I came up with this outfit. I am wearing a belted orange cardigan, gray cardigan, gold scarf, and furry boots. I LOVE how it turned out. Wintery and warm, but cute and colorful!

This is what I wore on Thanksgiving. The sweater is from Coldwater Creek. I would have worn brown boots but I never left the house because we hosted it.

I loved Wednesday outfit so much I decided to wear something like it for Black Friday shopping. A belted shirt isn't the best idea for trying on clothes...

It snowed on Sunday so once again I wore boots to church. I just love these pieces.

Gold necklace from Charlotte-Russe.

I don't remember where I got this skirt but just look at all the great detial- the chenille flowers, the stiching, the lace. So pretty!

This is a shirt that was altered from a dress, as shown here.

I am so excited that it is Christmas time! Happy December 1!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for my blog readers and those who have supported my Etsy shop, Yellow Blackbird.

I am offering a discount OR free gift to my blog readers this Black Friday weekend.

Choose to get 10% off your entire order by entering code BLACKFRIDAY10 at checkout

OR

Choose 2 free rosette bobby pins from the following colors:

White, lime green, orange, black, turquoise blue

Yellow, purple, pink, red

Be sure to indicate in your message to seller that you are a Yellow Blackbird reader, what colors you want, and if you want dark or light colored bobby pins.

With over 60 items for sale, there is something for every lady on your list!

Gifts range from $4 to $22.50

Great gifts from Yellow Blackbird

Blooming Sash Belts

Available in red, black, white, hot pink, light pink, or your custom color. The ribbon is 2 yards long to tie as a sash. For only $15, this makes such a beautiful gift.

Snowflake Necklace

This pendant is so cute. It looks like a snowflake so it can be a seasonal item, but it can also be seen as just a pretty pendant that can be worn year round. $15


Ribbon Flower Necklace

According to a few magazines and websites I have seen lately- blue is the "it" color. But if it isn't for you, place a custom order to get this necklace in almost any color. $12

Silver Shooting Star Necklace

Statement necklaces are all the rage! This is a beautiful statement peice with that pretty star. Necklaces make great gifts because you don't have to worry about their fit! $16

Lace Belt with Yellow Ribbon

I love this belt because it is so unique! Feel free to contact me to order a different color ribbon! $13.

Hot Pink Flower Statement Necklace

This shade of pink is so pretty! It also comes in a hair clip. What a fun gift to get! $14



Retro Button Necklace

For a truely unique gift, get her this one-of-a-kind button necklace! $15


Faux Leather Flower Belt

This pretty belt would be a delight to give and to get! Order in the size you need! $17



Rosette Bobby Pin Gift Set

Purchase all of the rosette bobby pins together in this great gift set. Please specify in message to seller if you want dark or light bobby pins. $14

The deals start NOW and last through Monday, November 30!

I am participating in the Somewhat Simple Holiday Boutique and the Black Friday on Craftaholics Anonymous. Check out their sites to find more Black Friday deals on handmade items.

What I Wore

Today was sweater day. Argyle sweater day. Not very fashion forward but I like it.

I *heart* this skirt. I had to sew up where the zipper was coming out that morning but it was worth it. Brown tights and brown boots- I *heart* them too!

I love the pops of lime green! I have on a lime green beaded watch too. I call this necklace my "kryptonite" necklace.

Did you notice that I chopped 3 inches off my hair? Yeah, neither did anyone else. People that I see every day had no idea so... I don't know what to conclude! Are they unobservant? Is 3 inches just not that much? Or does it look bad? I like it a lot and that is all that matters!

This outfit was inspired by Kohl's ad that I saw. But, after I took the picture I realized I have actually worn something similar a lot (esp. the cardi and belt). Oh well.

Isn't this dress gorgeous? I really wore it yesterday! We had a colonial festival at school for our 8th graders. My favorite part of the festival is getting to wear the beautiful dresses.

Come back tomorrow for a preview of my Black Friday deals! I will be giving either 10% off your entire order or 2 free rosette bobby pins with every purchase. Your choice! Browse the shop now so you know what to order this week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Quick and Simple: Making a Poster with Packing Tape

I needed to make a poster to advertise a church activity. I only had white poster board and white paper to print on. I wanted it to look festive and nice, but not take forever since it will be thrown away in just a few weeks.

I searched through my craft closet and found this cute patterned packing tape. It made a perfect border for this poster.

Just make sure the space from the words to the end of the poster are wide enough for your size of tape.

This tape was purchased from JoAnn's for only $1.

Quick and simple- but maybe it will help you if you are ever in a bind.

Be sure to check back this week to see my Black Friday deals!