the craft house & a wood sign tutorial

December started off with one of my favorite weekends of the year!

15 of us rent Megan's Craft House for the weekend and just get away (even if I was 2 minutes from my house, it's still an awesome get away).  

Dave had been sick for Thanksgiving and got better JUST in time that I could leave him with the kiddos for the weekend.  It was a much needed break after our first month of being sick. 

It's such a fun house.  But more than anything it's an escape from mama and wife duties to just get some personal things done, enjoy time with friends, sleep in, stay in our pajamas all weekend and just relax and be creative.

 

I got more projects done this year than any other.  Mostly because I stayed off my computer and away from some of the time-sucking projects I've done in the past. 

My first goal was to get a piece of barn door that we took from the original family homestead, Dave's great grandparents' farm, turned into a keepsake.  I debated and debated doing something that would be up all year long, or just Christmasy, and I went with Christmas, because that's where all my inspiration was coming from at the time.

I've had so many people asking me how I did it, and I am NO expert, I was nervous and scared to mess it up.  I kind of went in without an exact plan so it was nice to have lots of girls talk through my plan with me. 

So here goes (sorry I had no plans of posting a tutorial until so many people have asked for instructions, so I probably don't have very good pictures to go along with the directions):

1.  I printed my words at home.  I just used Microsoft Word, but for another sign I just did I used Photoshop Elements because it allowed me to stretch my words to the size how I wanted them.  In Microsoft Word I just kept changing the font and looking at the measurements until I felt like it was the size I wanted.

I printed several test copies and laid them on the board until I knew they were the right size. 

I tried to mix fonts without over-mixing.  But I'm not a font expert that's for sure.  That was actually maybe one of the hardest parts of the entire project.

2.  There may be an easier way to do all of this but I knew that I didn't want to try free-handing any part of this, so I knew I needed to come up with a stencil of some sort. I ended up taping the papers from my computer to contact paper (making sure that the words would be the right direction when the contact paper was sticky side down). Make sure you double check this so that when you peel the contact paper apart and lay the sticky side down on your wood, the words will go the right way.

3.  I taped my words to the contact paper in order to keep them from slipping as I cut them out. 

I used an exacto knife to cut out all the words.  So i was cutting through both the paper from my computer and the contact paper at the same time.  It was time consuming and my hand cramped up by the end.  And swirly letters weren't so fun, but it was worth it.  I guess if there is a way to put your contact paper through the printer that would be the easiest.  Make sure to keep all your centers of letters, like the o's, e's, etc.

4.  One word at a time, I stuck the contact paper down on my wood and pressed it down as hard as I could.  It doesn't have the best stick, but it was enough to hold my word in place so I could paint the insides.

5.  On the edges, swipe the foam brush across the edge of the letter going in towards the letter and not away from it.  This just helps the contact paper seal down instead of my brush peeling it up.  If I was worried about bleeding under the contact paper or messing the contact paper up in spots, I just used a dabbing motion instead of brushing my foam brush across.

6.  I peeled up each word while the paint was still wet, in hopes to not peel up paint once it dried.  This worked fine. 

7.  I didn't have anything I wanted to touch up, but if you do, you could wait till it's dry and then use a tiny brush to touch up edges wherever needed.

I realized when I was done that my words all looked a little too far to the right.  I wanted them towards the right, but didn't really plan for all the blank space in that left bottom corner.  But it ended up working perfectly when the star I already had planned to use beside the sign.

 If you plan to use the sign outside like these other signs I did a few weeks later as gifts, then you need to cover them with a clear top coat/protector of some sort.

I got the sign done in a few hours and then moved on to my other projects.  

I've had throw pillows for our couch for a long time just sitting in our basement because I didn't really like them anymore.  So I made new covers for them using this tutorial.

Yay for new pillows!!

I covered cardboard JOY letters from Hobby Lobby with an old sweater (it was harder than I thought because I used a super sheer sweater that kind of shed and fell apart as I cut it up, and I burned my fingers like crazy with the hot glue).  But up on our shelf they look great!

I used my scraps from the pillow covers to cover HOME letters also, so when I take the JOY letters down and pack them up with Christmas decorations, I'll have something else to put up.

And at the last minute, because those pillow covers were so easy, I made Christmas covers for the pillows too.

Man, it feels so good to get some things done that have been on my list for so long.  And before you talk about how crafty I am, please please know that none of these ideas are unique really.  In the world of Pinterest and online tutorials, I am thankful to get to COPY.  They are things that pretty much anyone can do. While I'm not great at coming up with creative ideas of my own, I can totally use others and duplicate.  And I think that's a huge purpose of the social media community we have...to share ideas.  So copy away!  It definitely makes getting to sew and create things a little more enjoyable to me, and I can get so much more done without figuring it all out on my own...especially when I pretty much do this kind of stuff one weekend a year.

Craft Weekend 2014 is already booked!!

some of our favorite memories of the season

Although our holiday season was not even close to the one I had imagined in my head,

we still managed to have some fun and make some memories.

We baked and decorated sugar cookies, and we even let the baby participate.

 

He was so very proud of his creations.

We left a few "Light 'Em Up" notes and treats (random acts of kindness) around to spread a little love and joy. 

 We took the kids to see Frozen...even Gavin.  The other kids were at least 3 before they went to their first movie so we were a bit nervous about our active little guy who throws big fits when it comes to treats and pop.  We had Papa on backup in case he got to be too loud, but he did great!  A little on the active side...but quiet, that's all that mattered. 

He was pretty pumped to have his own pop and popcorn and chair all to himself.

We enjoyed the kids' Christmas program at school.  Mason was so cute with his Pre-K class, and Taylor is just a joy to watch sing.  She gets so into it. 

  

Dave and I hosted a Christmas party for lots of my Premier family and their spouses...at the Craft House!

We watched TONS of Christmas movies, listened to Christmas music and never got to the Christmas baking...other than the sugar cookies.

Caroling at the nursing home with friends is definitely one of our favorite things to do.

They joy on the residents' faces, their voices as they sing along with us, their shaky hands reaching out to take the cards the kids make for them, and the kids' sweet voices singing and saying "Merry Christmas" as they walk out....it's all just so precious.  I always just hope so much that there are people caroling to my Grandma's room...since she lives too far from us. 

 Oh and their instruments they bring along to make a full-out band are pretty precious too.

 We got our first snow, and the kids all stayed out to play for SOOO long.  Maybe, just maybe, we are getting past the 10 minute process to bundle them up, only to stay out for 5 minutes before getting too cold.

 Because we can't seem to get healthy we had to settle for Facetiming with our Michigan family instead of being with them this Christmas.  So thankful technology allows us to see their faces.

And this last week of the year has been spent sewing, building Legos, blowing noses, playing new games, breathing treatments, basketball at the Rec, antibiotics, football-watching, fevers, ear infections, and an ER visit.

After spending all 3 holidays sick...Thanksgiving, Christmas and now New Year's, we are ready to bring on a NEW and HEALTHY 2014!!!
If I felt like drinking champagne tonight I would definitely cheers to that!

slow down and be part of the love story {advent ideas}

I love getting ideas from others.  I love hearing traditions and ways that other families are keeping their hearts and minds focused on Christ during this season and not all the other stuff.  And I mostly love that God has ways of speaking to me, and chooses to speak to me, to teach me during this season about how he desires our house and our hearts to be.  It's definitely hard in the culture we live in. I'm learning a little more and more each year about the balance and focus of this season.  And I've definitely learned some through mistakes. There are some things we did with our first child that we want to/or have changed now, and there are things that we didn't do, that we want to do now.  But I think that's okay.  We don't have to have it perfect from the start, nor will we ever have it perfect.  But it's a work in progress.  A work of focusing our hearts and minds on the birthday of the King, and giving to Him.  And creating a legacy in our children's hearts that will point them to Jesus.

 

 

My original post idea was just to share our Advent Calendar with you.  But not because it's some crazy cute idea.  It's not in the least.  I'm sure you've seen many many like it.  But as I started getting this post ready, the Lord started to change my focus. They are things I have been learning and implementing as the Lord works in my heart this season, and I want to share them in case it can be encouraging to you.

 

 

This is our first year to do any type of Advent calendar. The other years we did small things at home, but didn't keep up anything consistent as we counted down the days till Christmas.  This year during my craft weekend, I planned out our advent calendar of activities.  It's helped us all focus on the fun of doing things rather than getting things. It's also helped me pace myself.  My natural tendency is to put things off and keep saying "oh it would be so fun to do that", and then I send myself and my family into overload by going crazy and trying to jam a whole bunch of fun into the last few days or week before Christmas.  But I've learned that Advent isn't about doing.  It's about waiting.  The true Christmas miracle comes when we wait for the baby, we seek the small, and look for every little detail of the presence of God.  If we don't slow down, we miss it completely.  So our Advent calendar this year is about slowing down.

 

See, the way I've done Christmas in the past looks more like a triumphant parade, that comes quick and is over fast.  It's packed full of as much fun, noise, chaos and cheers from the crowds (the kids) as possible, with last minute planning in order to pull off the most spectacular and memorable Christmas ever. They've been full of lofty expectations that only lead to disappointment. And can you believe that all of that great stuff has also been accompanied with yelling and anger, and frustration and tears, bad attitudes, and feelings of inadequacy.

 

But the Lord reminded me this week that Jesus didn't come with a blast of excitement (yet!) in a triumphant-parade-kind-of-way.

 Christmas is profoundly simple.  A baby born amongst the animals, wrapped in cloth, in a cold, dark, barn. But yet I can make it profoundly crazy, stressful and parade into the actual day with as much hype, high expectations, presents and cute gift wrapping as possible (okay, maybe not the gift wrapping, since I could kind of care less how my presents look. Ha! My husband is the one who wraps and then uses a black sharpie marker to write TO: and FROM: and I'm okay with it).  I have to remind myself that Jesus didn't come wrapped in silver lining with a great parade to welcome the King.  He came in the darkest hours of the day.  He came in a mess of blood and pain, and he left the same way.  The Gospel isn't a pretty picture, but it's simple and it's full of love. In fact it's the greatest love story ever told.  But what is beautiful is that the same way he came into the dark of that night, he also comes into our lives.  He meets us in the darkness, right in the middle of the blood, pain and mess. 

 

Advent is waiting and believing in Isaiah 11:1-2

"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit." 

(Do you do the Jesse Tree?  We haven't yet, but I'm thinking maybe in the  next year or so we will! The link will take you to a free family advent devotional with Jesse Tree ornaments.)

 

How can I slow down and be a part of His love story this Christmas? 
Oh, how I have missed this focus so much in the past. I have been too busy, crammed too much of the wrong things in, done things for the wrong reason. This love story began with a Christmas Baby who came silently and privately.  So privately that God made sure to put his parents in a stable with animals instead of an inn crowded with people.  This love story is displayed in marvelous and miraculous ways in my life, but also in very small ways as well.  But it takes me slowing down to notice them.

 

 

1. Our Advent calendar is a way for us to slow down.  It's not a race to fit things into the last week or so before Christmas.  It's not about trying to plan extravagant crafts and activities each day.  It keeps us focused. It's about seeing the small and loving the least.  Because that's how we can give to Him on his birthday.  Our lives can be the gift we give to him.  When we give to others, we give to Him.  When we serve others, we serve Him. When we love others, we love Him. To be a part of the love story, we can't let our minds and conversations focus on the "getting". And to be honest, I fall guilty of this in many ways. I like Christmas presents possibly as much as my kiddos. But it's the birthday of our Savior. Everyone else's birthdays we focus on the gift, why does that seem so hard for Christ's birthday? 

 

 

So our advent activities are a mix of fun things to do as as family, and ways to give to others. Every "fun" activity is simple.  So simple that sometimes it is already part of our day anyway.  This helps to keep expectations low and not to feel the pressure of having to keep up with something.

 

 But the "fun" activities are also a way for us to give our time to our family through Christmas-book-reading-and-marshmallow-snowball-fighting. The Lord brings joy into our home through these fun things, and memories are made at the same time. 

And for our "giving" tasks, we have a bag of candy canes and sweet notes packed and ready take with us anywhere, the kids have even added some of their own money to drop in the Salvation Army buckets.  We can give food and gifts to others.  We can give monetary gifts to those in need.  We can give notes and hand drawn cards.  We can give our appreciation.  We can give our time to the Lord in being in his Word.   By giving, by letting Christ's light shine through us, by loving, is how we can give to Him on his birthday, and be a part of the greatest love story ever told.

 

 

This year we've done, or are planning to do a few more things to help focus our hearts on giving to Christ on his birthday...

 

2. We can give to the Lord by thanking him for all the things he's given us.  This has already been a good reminder of taking our thankful November hearts further than just Thanksgiving.  My sister-in-law gave us a good idea in November to take the kids through each room of the house and have everyone say out loud everything in that room they are thankful for.  I brought this idea into Christmas by simply starting a list of "We've Already Been Given...".  It's posted and ready to begin listing out anything and everything we can think of.  I'm guessing our poster isn't big enough.

 

3. We can give to the Lord by giving him our hearts and time as we read daily scripture together as a family.  We are following this Advent scripture schedule.

 

 

 

4. We can make a "Giving" list, instead of a "Getting" List.  I saw this on Pinterest, it was something I just clicked on and read but didn't pin and now can't find it.  But the idea was quite simple.  And I kept it simple...poster board that's been in my office for years, with some Christmas ribbon stapled to it. Just make a list of all the things and ways you can GIVE this Christmas.  Help the kids think of ways they can use their talents, saved money, crafts, time, and love for others.  And write it down in a list.  Cross them off as you do them.
 

 

5. We can give to Him by giving to the least of them.  Have you ever shopped in the Compassion International, or World Vision Gift Catalog?  I'm embarrassed to say how much time I've spent perusing all the deals online (because that's where I do 99.9% of my shopping), trying to figure out how I can spend our money the most wisely for things we don't even need.  We don't even know what it's like to really and truly need. There are quite a few organizations and ministries who put out catalogs like these, and the ones I've seen have all been free.  Just go to the websites and request a catalog.  Have fun shopping for goats, wells, ducks, chickens and medicine.  And remember that while these gifts are for people you will never meet, they are gifts to our King.  

***This post isn't to show off what we are doing.  Most of this is new to us as well.  It's about the work God is doing in my heart as not only His child, but also the mother to my own children. It's about finding ways (even if we need to be inspired by others) to focus on what's most important at Christmas time.  If this can help bring some focus into anyone else's home like it has ours,  then that is what this post is for.  But there are so many different ways to focus your hearts and minds, and things that need to be age appropriate, these are just a mere few ideas.
My biggest advice from lessons I've learned myself, is to keep things simple and don't go overboard. Remember, we have to slow down.  It's a season of anticipation for what's coming. Not a season of busyness of what we can fit in.  Plan things in a way that when life gives you a screaming baby all day, or sickness, or just bad moods, activities can be adjusted.  When focus is on others, and giving, there is not so much pressure at home to make things so perfect.

My sweet friend Jess wrote a great post about preparing room in your hearts and home for Jesus. You should go read it. It will give you even more ideas.
 

If you haven't accepted the gift that Jesus is to you, I hope you'll receive HIM this Christmas season.  The best gift ever.

And once the gift is yours, slow down and savor this season of celebration, and be a part of God's love story.

Find ways to give to the Birthday Child.