Stampin Up Demo Christmas Party

My Stampin Up upline demo threw her Christmas party for all of us in her downline. We got to hang out, do a make and take, did a card swap, and participated in a homemade white elephant exchange. For the exchange, the item had to use mostly Stampin Up products.

Since my craft room is mostly boxed up at the moment, (see post about my closet) I was somewhat limited on what all I could make since there was only so much I could actually FIND and get to. :) Thanks to Pinterest, I saw an idea about making bookmarks out of ribbon. Since my Stampin Up ribbon is in a big box, I grabbed out the first ones I saw and got to work.

These we super easy to make so I made a bunch of them. Great gifts or gift toppers for the readers you know. I did a mix of sizes depending on how big the pendant I used.

  

I love the polka dot ribbon. Anything with polka dots makes me smile. The crosses, butterfly, and clear flower were pendants I've had in my jewelry box forever. I've either lost the chains or use them for other pendants so I figured I'd give them new life.

 

The velvet ribbon is from a package that was on the SU clearance rack for awhile. I bought the pack for the ruffled ribbon, but never found a use for the velvet until now. The love, #1 mom, shoe, and purse were all part of a charm bracelet I bought for like $8 so I took them all off to use for multiple gifts instead. There's still more charms on the bracelet which means more bookmarks in the future :)

These were so easy to make. A few jump rings, some jewelry pliers, and the ribbon clamps are the only extra things you need. It's a great way to reuse jewelry that's no longer your style or that pair of earrings where you lost the mate.

I've had these magnetic picture frames forever so finally put them to use. I put some stickers from the Simply Scrappin kit on some coordinating paper and slid them into the frames. They are reversible so 2 patterns per frame.

 

I hot glued on the mini clips from SU. I think I got these from the clearance rack too? Then clipped in some Whisper White cardstock for memos. These are super easy to switch out for different seasons and since they are magnetic, they are really handy. 

Instead of buying gift bags or trying to wrap the items, I decided to re-purpose some more of my JewelMint boxes. I have 100's of these lying around my house and they are too nice to just toss. I made a post before where I covered some, but I'm also using them for Christmas gifts.

 They have a magnetic closure and are the perfect size for little gifts.

 

Since my gifts for the white elephant were pretty simple, I made them for my demo as well. 

 

Bonus on the JewelMint boxes: they are the PERFECT size for my cards. So I decided to put my cards for the swap in one too since I would need a way to bring my new cards home. 

Now I just need to cover a ton more to "wrap" other packages for family/friends. The boxes are so sturdy that they can easily be reused or they can be used for decor to hold small items during the holidays.

For the card swap, I stuck to the Simply Scrappin kit since it was what I could find. I also used the Jolly Bingo Bits stamp set.

 

They were all slightly different because I used all the bingo stamps. The rickrack was from the same ribbon set as the velvet from SU and the twine was from my recent SU order. 

Considering I had limited resources with my craft room a mess, I think I turned out pretty good gifts/cards. I only used 1 Simply Scrappin kit for all 16 cards, the card boxes, and the frames and I still have some left over! The only other paper I added was Whisper White card stock. So those SS kits really are a great deal even if you aren't using them for scrapbooking!

If you are wanting to buy any of the Stampin Up products, please shop my website: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/crystalmincher/ or contact me! And if you are interested in signing up for a demo, let me know. I don't do workshops like some do, I just enjoy the discount and it's worth it! I love it.

Where have I been?

Yep, I've been busy. I have been a super bad blogger and haven't posted in MONTHS! I was crazy with school and after some set backs, I'm taking online classes this semester. My husband also came home on leave which is always fun, but also always hectic! We only had 2 weeks this time so it was the shortest leave yet. We spent most of our time doing house stuff since as anyone who owns a home knows, it's never really finished. lol

In about March, I had pretty much all the rooms most of the way done. They were organized, things puts away, etc. Just needed some accent walls painted and some extra decorations on the wall. Well, then the hubby decided to give me the greatest gift EVER. It's like my Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, etc gift for the next year or 2. He gave me a room turned into a closet!!! One of the only things I didn't like about our house is the small master closet. It's not really THAT small, but compared to my old closet, it's tiny. So I told him if I got my own room for a closet, he could turn our closet into a gun space. I never thought he'd actually go for it though. So, now I'm in the process of completely moving 3 rooms full of stuff around. By myself. While taking classes. And around the holidays. haha So, very little has been finished so far.

Of course the rooms I'm moving are some of the hardest rooms because of all the STUFF. The craft room is going to take the longest because everything is so small. And as I move my closet, I'm going through and getting rid of clothes and switching everything over to matching pink hangers. It all looks more pretty that way. lol

 Almost all the building is now finished in the closet. I have a few shelves and bars to still hang. Most of the delay is because Ikea's stock is terrible. I've had to make so many trips for out of stock items. I'm also having the hardest time finding seating for that room. I really really want pink chairs/chaise but the few I've found are way out of my budget. I *might* attempt reupholstering so I can pick my fabric. We'll see how that goes.

Here's a sneak peak of my dream closet. This was just the beginning with only 1 wall done. I wanted pink walls, but hubby and my mom convinced me that blue would look better so I'm accenting with pinks and purples.

Final pics will prob be up after the holidays. Not sure I'll finish before then.

Nurse thank you card and cake toppers

For our clinical group for nursing school, we had a fab teacher and hospital to help at. So, we wanted to show our appreciation. For our instructor, we took a group pic and framed it. I bought a plain frame from Michael's and decorated it.

I made the scrubs for the paper doll nurse to match our school uniforms.

 

Card to match

 

Since it was such a large staff, we brought them some baked goods so I made these toppers to put on them. Just taped them to toothpicks and I was good to go. I made a bunch of them, but these were all the different patterns. Super easy.

I was so busy the weeks coming up to that day that I made all these the night before so they were definitely simpler than I had planned.

Baby shower decor to wall art

Since I've been a terrible blogger, I have a bunch of posts that I haven't made in forever. One of them is this pic from a few months ago. I posted about the baby shower me and another friend hosted. We made really cute 12 x 12 hangings for decor. I LOVE that the mom framed them and used them for decor in the baby's nursery.

It's also a super inexpensive way to decorate. Baby stuff can get pricey. Cute paper + frames=great deal!

Upcycled JewelMint boxes

For those that don't know, I have a *slight* obsession with JewelMint. I did a review of them month's back after I placed my first order (http://sweetteetle.blogspot.com/2010/11/jewelmint-review.html). After that first order, I didn't stop and have since ordered countless items from them. Which brings me to this post. They package their jewelry in really nice boxes. So nice that I feel bad just throwing them away. But I have no use for stacks and stacks of boxes that say JewelMint on them. Finally, I got around to doing what I've been meaning to, turn them into even cuter boxes. :)

Here's what I started with. See?! Too nice to end up in the trash!

 

Ok the pic is terrible, but here's the finished product. Keep scrolling for individual pics. 

 

I had some random feather in my craft room and knew I had to use it on one of the boxes. 

 

Great for keepsakes from a baby's 1st year. 

 

I love skulls so there had to be one with them. Made the skulls more girly by adding flowers, dragonflies, and sparkles.  (Stupid ribbon looks crooked in the pic!)

 

Cherries and polka dots. 2 other faves. I'll probably use this one as a gift box.

I took out the inside packing that holds the jewelry and removed the name cards. I put solid cardstock on the inside of the box to cover the blue/green color. I think I'm going to use that area to write notes to the person I give it to or add favorite quotes to them. Haven't decided yet. I painted the edges of all of them black which next time I'll prob wait to do last so I can distress the edges of the paper too.

I've got about 100 more boxes that I can eventually cover. I'll use most as gift boxes in place of wrapping paper.

If you haven't signed up for JewelMint yet, please sign up using my link: http://jmnt.me/gq8lXy They often have Groupons or promos for new members so you can try it for a lower price.

Shoe comparison

When I joined Sole Society, I noticed right away that the Anouk shoe looks identical to the Steve Madden Haylow which I have in the gold glitter. So I decided to buy them to compare and, well, because I LOVED the coral color.

Rather than flood the FB wall with a bunch of pics of the 2 side by side, I decided to just do a quick blog post comparing them for anyone that's interested since the SM ones were brought up a few times.

The SM's run anywhere from $70-$95 depending on material. The glitter ones are more expensive than the patent and satin ones. The SS's run $50 or $40 if you buy before 3/31 and use promo code SS10.

Here's a side by side of both. Very similar. Small differences are that SS has elastic on both sides and SM has elastic on just the inner side. Not sure which I prefer. On one hand, it's nice to not see it on the outer part of the shoe, but on the other hand, having it on both sides makes it easier to get into. The platform is also more angled in the SS one than the SM's.

 

Back view. The SS is slightly higher and at more of an angle than the SM's

Top view. This is where I like the SS ones more. The straps are thinner and more delicate. I also like the more rounded toe on the SS.

 

Anouk on. 

SM on. The straps fit a little looser on the SMs

Top of Anouk on. The straps are a little loose around the toes, especially when just standing still. Don't think it will be a problem though.

 

SM's on. These fit better in the toes than the SS. 

Overall, they are both great shoes. The SS fit TTS. With the SM's, I went up a size because SM usually fits me small. I'd have been fine w/ only 1/2 size up I think but they didn't have my size in stock when I got them. If you like the color or would rather save the money, go with the SS Anouk since they give the same look. I can't decide which I like better. I love both colors equally, but since the SM are glitter and the SS are fuax suede, it's hard to compare since they are so different. I do like the toe shape and straps better on the SS, but the SM's are more fitted in the toes. The SS also have a type of fabric bottom which is interesting and I've never seen before.

Hope this post helps! If it does, and you haven't signed up for SS yet, please sign up through my referral link: http://www.solesociety.com/invite/CMincher989 After signing up, or if you are already a member, here's the direct link for SS Anouk  http://www.solesociety.com/product/539 (And don't forget SS10 for $10 off before 3/31)They come in the coral I showed and a really pretty royal blue. The SM's can be found on stevemadden.com and amazon.com, as well as a few other shoe sites. Let me know if you have any questions. :)

Baby shower decorations/gift

Since the baby shower is over, I can FINALLY post the pics of everything we made. It was soo hard not to share them, but I didn't want to run the risk of my friend seeing them. This post is going to be really picture heavy.

Banner over the gift table

 

cupcake tower

 

favors

And now on to part of my gift to her. Love how they turned out.

Sole Society

So ANOTHER shoe of the month club popped up the other day. Of course, me being the shoe obsessed girl that I am, HAD to try it out. They are slightly more expensive then their competitors ($50 instead of $40), but some of their items are real leather and they say their quality is better. The rest of the details are pretty much the same (free ship/exchange, referral bonuses, skip by the 5th, etc).

I chose 2 pairs of shoes to try them out so I could see how they compare. My love for SD has dwindled so I'm looking for a replacement for my fix. I still LOVE JF of course though. I went with Karla, an adorable polka dot peep toe bootie and Kayla, the sexy snakeskin pump.

These are the Karla. LOVE them.

 

They are adorable! 

 

The backs and heels are a faux suede. The polka dot is a light chiffon fabric over mesh.

Kayla. HOT!

 

Faux Snakeskin

 

Closeup

So, how does SS compare? So far, I am a BIG fan! I love both pairs as much as I thought I would and neither have any defects. I was definitely nervous about Kayla. After buying pump after pump from SD, I've come to expect "elf toe", "nippling", and "cellulite" on the toes. It's sad but true. However, the quality on these is amazing! There is none of the problems that are seen on SD. Which, in turn, means no more having to deal with exchanges. No reboxing and driving to UPS. No waiting a week or more for your credit to be available. No having your shoe sell out while waiting for your credit. And most of all no more disappointment when you get home and open your new purchase!

In my opinion, it's worth the extra $10 if you can afford it and I didn't even get ones that are real leather. The Karla is unique and fashion forward IMO and the Karla is a great sexy, but still basic pump. I can see both of these getting a lot of wear since they seem very comfy for the heel height.

As far as CS, I haven't really had to deal with them yet since both were great. I did send one email and got a somewhat sloppy response (bad grammar which drives me crazy when from a company). However, when I mentioned it on FB, a CS rep immediately messaged me asking me to forward the email so they could handle the problem. I also got a PM the next day from the director of member care apologizing and explaining things. All this, for something that was so minor, was very impressive.

I also LOVE that their FB reps actually seems to take the time to read what they are responding to. There's nothing worse IMO, than form responses that dance around the question without actually addressing people's questions. So far, they have been quick to help and actually respond with the answers needed.

Ok, so that was REALLY long winded, but hopefully it helps those of you that are hesitant about joining. It can't hurt to try it. There's no cost to sign up, but read the FAQs if you've never done a "of the month" club so that you understand how it works, most importantly the skipping by the 5th after your first purchase. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

AND, if you are considering signing up, PLEASE use my referral link so that I can get points towards a free item. http://www.solesociety.com/invite/CMincher989 

You can also use promo code SS10 for $10 off your order right now. Not sure when it expires, but great deal!