These are a Few of My Favorite Pins

Source: laviepetite.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

I love this outfit. I copied Cori another time she wore this dress (outfit 15 here) and will probably do so again.

Source: meggielynne.tumblr.com via Aubree on Pinterest

This is just so cute. The title of the pin was "Oh please let it snow!" and I agree! Christmas is over and winter hasn't even begun here in Utah. The predicted high temp today was 60 degrees!

Source: quilling.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

More quilling inspiration for me. Love the bird (duh).

Source: igottacreate.blogspot.com via Aubree on Pinterest

This is a cardboard food box turned inside out to use as gift wrap. Thrifty! Genius!

If you want to follow me on Pinterest, find my boards here.

See you tomorrow for What I Wore. I hope you have enjoyed my top 10 posts this week. I haven't had any comments on them so I hope someone is reading them! : )

Paper Christmas Trees

I really didn't mean to go the whole week without posting. I had several things planned, but I had more to do to get ready for Christmas than I thought. In fact, I still have a few gifts to wrap and my entire house is covered in spray adhesive and glitter, but I am going to take a minute to share one of the Christmas crafts I did this year (and I will do a second post on my favorite pins since it is Friday). It's likely too late to be of any use to you now, but pin it for next year!


I originally saw the idea for these paper trees in my paper copy of Better Homes and Gardens and didn't look twice at them because there weren't any instructions in the mag, rather one was to go online for the template. Later I saw them on my favorite local lifestyle show and have even linked you there before. The pattern was posted so I downloaded it and printed it off.

They were really easy to make. I filled the trees with candy and a little gift for the recipients.

The guest on the TV show suggested using wrapping paper... because that is what company she represented. Wrapping paper is decidedly less expensive than scrapbooking paper so I tried it. The wrapping paper I used was too lightweight and the trees collapsed a little bit. I gave them to some eight year old girls in my church and would wager that by the time the trees got home a few no longer resembled trees. You should make some, but I would suggest using heavier paper.

Merry Christmas!!

Embellished Brown Paper Packages

Wrapping gifts is not one my talents. Most of the time my presents come out looking horrible. I tend to stick with gift bags (usually ones that someone has already given me, including the tissue paper!). This year I decided to skip all the wrapping paper and bows and go with simple brown "Kraft" paper as my blank canvas. Now I can be creative and have fun!

I had to make these particular gifts flat without much dimension because I was sending them home on a long road trip over Thanksgiving weekend with Spencer's sister's family and I didn't want the wrappings to get squished.

If you want to make your gift all coordinate, consider buying a few sheets of matching scrapbook paper, stickers, and a little bit of ribbon. All the paper I used was from the same line so the gift somewhat go together.

This one turned out to by my favorite. I used a simple strip of paper with the word lyrics, some neat letter stickers, and some holly leaf stickers. So quick and easy, yet personalized and cute!

This one used another strip of the paper and a few strands of ribbon that are each taped to the back of the package. The tag came printed on the paper. After the photos were already taken I filled in the to and from.

The present for Anne is the first one I did, and obviously I was more ambitous at the beginning. I painted the snowflakes on the package using a stencil. I added a ribbon and another tag cut from the paper. I finished it off with letter stickers to spell out the name of the recipient.

This was for a nephew (rather than the other three for nieces) so I figured I could go a little more simple. I punched three circles out of coordinated scrapbook paper and added a simple sticker for a monogram. I love putting monograms on gifts and tags. It's easy and stylish.

For the parents I used the same ideas as above- strips of paper, a tag cut from paper, and monogram stickers. I like it.

I still have some wrapping paper left that I will use this year (probably for Spencer's gifts) but from this point forward I am going to stick with the brown paper. It can be customized for any person on any occasion!

I want to show you what's in these packages, since I made the gifts. I don't think anyone in that family reads my blog, but if you do, be warned that later these week I will be posting photos of the gifts and don't want to spoil your surprise! : )