The Secret Santa Project (gift #3)

I left this on her car window yesterday.  It's a travel back pack. 

The Secret Santa Project (gift #2)

So yesterday I put my cute little message in a bottle in my my co-workers communication slot.  She never checked it all day long!!  Guess today, the addition of this adorable panda luggage tag with the phrase "Not all those who wonder are lost" will go in beside it & hopefully catch her attention.  I also made several tags from scrapbook paper, a vintage atlas, and printed phrases and quotes.  This one is the first of 7. 

Secret Santa Project Gift #1

Message in a bottle, explaining the journey

Secret Santa

We do Secret Santa at the veterinary hospital I work at every year.  We draw names at the last staff meeting in November and that gives us a month to spoil our co-worker with little trinkets, candy and gifts until the reveil gift is given just before Christmas.  I am fortunate enough to have several dollar stores nearby and also a recovery sales outlet so sometimes I can find really great deals for next to nothing.  The plan is to spend up to $20 on small things that are given once in a while and then get the bigger reveil gift for about $20.  Not everyone has to play, you sign up if you want to participate.  It is always really fun and some people come up with great ideas.  One of the doctors always spells out Santa Claus and looks for gifts that begin with those letters. 

This year I am sending my person on a vacation.  Hmmm?  How can I do that for under $40?  I will post photos as I go to let you see what is being left for them in their boxes or on their desk.  Check back often between now and Christmas so you won't miss out!

Ideas for home decor

Love this idea in Pottery Barn of using an old ladder suspended from the ceiling done up with  Christmas decor .



This one is too darn cute!  Who would of thought of making a sock monkey trophy deer?! Love it!




These are streamers made of book pages sewn together.  Great idea!




Mason jars hanging from a tree branch (suspended from the ceiling)with pages of an old book & sticks in each jar.




Same jars but closer look of stick and cut out corrugated leaves and cut out copper sheeting leaves-Colorful & Pretty

I'm fortunate enough to live by the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.  Unfortunately, I can't really afford to buy many of the things that sell there... but I still enjoy going and looking around & "window" shopping.  After Thanksgiving all the windows will be decorated for Christmas and it's a real treat to see what all they do for a Holiday display.

I wanted to take photos in this one store (I won't mention the name) but the ladies that worked  there gave me and my friend that same look that Julia Roberts got when she walked into that shop on Rodeo Drive- you know the scene from Pretty Woman?  I must of looked too poor to stand outside and even window shop so how dare I actually enter the store.   I didn't want to whip out my camera under those conditions but maybe I should have anyway~  Kudos to them as they really had a very nicely decorated store with a mix of antique and modern decor.  Maybe next time I won't feel so intimadated?

However, nothing they had beats the Sock Monkey Deer!  That was the Anthropologie Store.  Exceptional handcrafted decorations all over this store!  Maybe you will get some ideas for your home from some of my photos.



Heart Catch lights

I took Senior pictures of this darling girl and had to share this one.  If you look at her eyes her catch lights were perfect hearts!  I dodged them a bit in photoshop for this picture to really make them pop but they are all her's. 

On another note my cousin Darren is improving!  His 51st birthday is TODAY.  He is celebrating in the hospital but he is out of ICU.  We sent him a cookie cake with a balloon for fun but doubt he will be able to enjoy eating it much as he is only eating jello and broth still...but he will love to share with all those nurses and doctors and his Dad and sis. 
     Thanks for the prayers!

Valentine says to tell you all hello :)