More Christmas stuff

This here is a wreath I made with dollar store stuff.

Bought a wood wreath and wrapped it with ribbon.  Also bought at the dollar store, bow, sign, foam for hand cut outs, pom-poms, and the left over candy canes from a garland.

The things I made were those lollipops from 40 cent wood cut-outs and chopsticks. Glue two to chopstick and paint and add glitter.  Then use small ribbon to cover the edges.  This is for the family I mention previously, so I went over to outline their children's hands.  The foam sheets last so much better than paper.

I also added stickers to mark the year.

I also made another cake stand.  This one I went for a nature inspired feel.

Once again dollar store goodies inside and inserted into Styrofoam disc that is secured to bowl by hot glue.

Glue bowls together with glue for glass.

This is the back side.

Once again  Tada!!

I am going to go decorate the family's living room sometime this week.  So hope to post pics of the completed room. :)

Yes, I ripped off this idea

Ok so over at http://sunnyslifeinrehab.blogspot.com/ is this amazing woman who comes up with some awesome ideas.  She is funny and down to earth and I think this is the first time I have ever tried the link thing.  So bear with me as I am now in unknown territory.  At least unknown to me.

So back before Halloween she made a cake stand out of three bowls and a plate.  It was cute and I decided to use the idea to make a Christmas one.

 This is the stuff I am using, all found at the dollar store.

The back side, I made a snowman out of ornaments and toothpicks

The hat is scrap paper

I also bought a Styrofoam disc that I covered in fluff and hot glued to bowl.

I popped the plastic candy canes off the garland.

Glued the bowls together.  All objects inside have been glued and secured so they don't move.

This is the backside.  Really hard to take a picture and not have flash jack it up.

This is it complete!  Tada!!

Thank you so much http://sunnyslifeinrehab.blogspot.com/ for your wonderful idea.

The Goose is getting fat......

I'm gonna try to put a penny in an old man's hat.  The season is coming, yes, Christmas!!!!!  My daughter asked what scheme I was up to this year.  I asked her what she meant.  She reminded me of past Christmases and how I tried to get people involved with giving of themselves instead of stuff.  Sometimes it succeeded but it never became tradition. 

So this is my new "scheme" there is a young family I know (actually they are related to me) and money is tight and they have two little kids and a mom with disabilities.  I do not have the abilities to change any of that and buying gifts seems......well, too common. 

The other day while talking to the mom she mentioned her husband would love for her to decorate the house but she doesn't trust her craft ability and climbing on a ladder is not possible.   That's when it hit me!  I would come in and decorate their house for the family.  It would be a way of blessing the whole family to make it fun and magical.  I could use my frugality with my crafting abilities and make the stuff as well as incorporate help from friends to really do it up.   I am giddy with excitement.

 These are the things I've been working on....

I went to the dollar store and gathered supplies.

I have achieved 2 dollar store hurricane vase things  With filler.

I would tell you how but it's too easy.  Glue a candlestick to the bottom of vase.

Then fill with stuff.  I used some scrap paper as a ribbon.

I am going to stick with the basic red, green and white colors and make that the theme.

Got a few more things to make so will be posting them.

I love using the gifts given to me by God to help others.

Final Word on Retro Zombie Ball

The final word about the Retro Zombie Party is FRIENDS!!

Helpers!

WORKERS

FAMILY

Just really great people.

 They were awesome

and we all had fun!!

It was an act of love <3

Part Two of the Retro Zombie Ball.......

The food was amazing and sooooo creepy.  Why yes that is guacamole in the skull head.  What else could it be?

The benches looked great although we weren't allowed to use the fog machine.  Something about setting off alarms and fire dept.

The cupcake stand worked!!!  With a few modifications of course.  The chains just added to the vibe even more.

Everyone loved the dip heads, although I now have them staring at me while I type this.

The centerpiece was easy, moss mat from dollar store with little skulls and vase and glitter skull.

The mini coffins were a sacrifice of extreme love.  Both me and my husband was up past midnight folding and taping together.  Just so I could put gummi brains in them.  And various other candy body parts.

I was hoping to have more dead roses in the vases but I only had an hour to set everything up and a lot of teenagers helping me.  Yeah, so I am happy that it got done.

Party dippers.  :)

We did have security to restrain any stray zombie but then it became fun.  And they found reasons to attack and restrain.

The melon brains were too good.  No one knew they were edible until I ripped one open.  Now there could be brain feasting.

The stand held up so well.  It also now sits here staring at me next to the dip heads.  With these words emanating "now whatcha gonna do?"  To which I sigh "I don't know".  Can't throw you away, and don't know who wants you.

Part One of the Retro Zombie Ball

There was dancing!

There was socializing.

There was laughter

Even old school follow the lyrics dancing.Not quite a hundred but it was fun.  I will post more pictures when I get them. A fabulous friend of mine took pictures for me and I am waiting for those.  So until then......

update:  more dancing shots

ok maybe it's not actually dancing but more or a standing in a herd thing.

What can I say they are teenagers.

Security Shirts

Wow had to shake some serious cobwebs off my brain.  I decided I was going to make special security shirts for the Retro Zombie Ball, that is my son's birthday.  I would find some bright colored t-shirts and silkscreen them.  I learned how to do this back in high school.  Yeah, a few decades ago.  So I find some supplies in a thrift store and came up with my design.  So far it's a piece of cake.  I get out the drawing fluid and I'm like hmmmmmmm never used this.  We had to hand cut or use the machine in high school.
That's ok I can fake my way through.  It's a little lumpy but I'll work with it.  I followed the directions (which is a rarity for me) and then apply the screen filler after the other was completely dry.

So I rinse it and what was suppose to be the drawing fluid is suppose to come off.  In theory it worked but not so much with my reality.  So I started scrubbing a little to help it.  Then more than I wanted, started to come off.  This simple project is going south.  So I stop and figure, "well I'll just hand paint the gaps".  I am now on day two of this project and the party is Sunday!  Ok I remained calm and I carried on.

Unbelievable the amount of information I have forgotten.  I finally finished them and now they hang drying and still I am not done.  I still have to heat set them and wash them.  To find out if it really worked.  So I post a picture of them now just in case they dissolve and I burst into tears.

My husband wanted to put a teenager target thingy on it.  I gently reminded him we were not out to get the teenagers, that it was a party for them.  He is the head of the security and needed as there will be over a hundred teenagers there. 

It's funny about 15 years ago I use to bar tend and bounce in a heavy metal bar, that had live music every night.  I am applying all my knowledge into this event.  Just without the alcohol.