Happy New Year!

Game On

Shamus, Sage and I having a late night game sesh

We're having a few people over for a little game night tonight!
 

We have Balderdash, Pop 5, and a few other board games to try out.

I picked up some yummy snacks at the grocery store this afternoon.

We've got coconut chai tea, egg nog, and rhubarb cordial on tap.

Our little apartment is tidied and swept.

There's a pumpkin spice diffuser in the living room.

My friend Julie did the calling and inviting...

if she didn't call you, consider yourself still invited :)

Sound fun?

Put on your game face and bring it!

Project Restyle

I signed up to be a part of a great new project for 2011!

Elsie Flannigan and Rachel Denbow have collaborated on a 

new year's project that forms a creative group. 

Project Restyle takes currently unuseable projects 

and flips them into new and interesting pieces. 

If you've got a creative itch and want some inspiration, 

this project is a great place to start. 

Click the link to sign up and for more information.

Happy Thursday!

Ooh La La!

Here's a dose of prettiness for your evening. 

How adorable is this bath sponge that Mom gave me? 

Eeek!

1000 Awesome Things

 (The beautiful view from our hotel room a few weeks ago)

I'm not sure if you've heard of this fantastic book and website before, but you should check it out: 1000 Awesome Things and The Book of Awesome. I copied Heidi's post and picked out a few of my favourite awesome things... take a look!

#345 When the Christmas tree gives the only light in the room
 

#364 When you get caught in the rain and just don’t care
 

#365 Getting dressed out of the dryer or laundry basket
 

#395 When your taxi driver knows all the shortcuts
 

#413 Trying on your new clothes again as soon as you get home from the store
 

#449 Staying up so late that everything becomes funny
 

#473 When that social event you didn’t want to go to gets cancelled
 

#520 When a baby falls asleep on you
 

#575 When the guy with a full cart of groceries lets you go ahead because 

you’re only buying one thing
 

#585 Figuring out the plot twist just before they reveal it
 

#626 Riding home with a box of pizza on your lap

Happy Wednesday!

Tips and Tricks

 

I've brainstormed up a new batch of "Tips 'n' Tricks" for you -
feel free to add your favourite ones in the comments!

Save butter or margarine packaging to grease your baking pans.

Freeze peeled bananas for smoothies and muffins.

Add any last bits of veggies to rice for an instant meal.

Make ice cubes out of juice so you don't dilute your drink.

Heat lemon peels or slices in water in your microwave for a quick fresh burst.

Simmer cinnamon and apple peelings on the stove for a festive scent.

Happy Tuesday!

Multitude Monday

It's Multitude Monday! This week, I'm thankful for:

130 - the fact that I'm married to my best friend (don't groan - it's true!)

131 - being spoiled silly over the holidays by my friends and loved ones

132 - the thoughtfulness of my family

133 - goodies upon goodies at our disposal :)

134 - blasting Snow Patrol on long drives

135 - lots of beautiful cards in the mail

136 - the best handmade present ever from my darling

137 - oodles of candles in the yummiest scents ever

138 - the prettiest antique industrial-chic basket ever!

139 - mentioning Florence and the Machine and a random friend getting excited

I'm soaking up the last of the holidays here at our place. Enjoy your Monday!

Happy Holidays!

 

Merry Christmas!

We hope you have a lovely holiday - see you on the 27th.
Love, the MacLennans

For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Christmas Photo Rejects.

This year, we attempted an indoor, formal, night-time Christmas photo. Bad idea, I know. There's an awesome website, La PhotoCabine, that takes photos with your webcam that look like photo-booth pics. I found it a couple of months ago and I had planned on using the site for our Christmas photo as soon as I saw it.

Try the website out if you have a few minutes to spare. 

Our photo taking was a little tedious, as Sage wanted to go play and didn't want to look at the webcam, but here are our two favourite strips. We let Sage do a few shots by himself, too :) He's quite the showboat.

I had wanted to crop and enlarge my favourites, and print them for our Christmas cards. Unfortunately, the quality isn't terrific and the photos get crazy pixelated when enlarged. I guess these shots are just for fun. Oh, well, they are a great memory maker of 2010.

Happy Wednesday - I'm off to help Dad with Mom's Christmas shopping - that's another special tradition in our family :)

DIY - Monster Stuffies

I just finished making three monsters for my little monsters. They are loosely based on this tutorial. Talk about cutting it close - we're exchanging gifts and celebrating Christmas with my in-laws in a couple of hours :) I am world's worst procrastinator.

The little green monsters are a super fun gift for the little ones - it makes monsters fun and not scary. I think that the design turned out fairly well! I hope that they love them.

Happy Tuesday!

Multitude Monday

It's the Christmas Multitude Monday!

This week, I'm thankful for...

120 - our presents being almost finished

121 - a great ladies' Christmas celebration on Friday

122 - a sneak peek at my present from Daniel - eeeeeeekers! :)

123 - the last online purchase arriving today - whew!

124 - a Christmas supper with friends tonight

125 - lots of friends coming home for the holidays

126 - a tentative New Year's party at our place

127 - a cookie exchange at my crafting buddy's place yesterday

128 - a few new recipes from the exchange

129 - a safe road trip by myself yesterday

Have a great Monday!

DIY - Kid's Art Journal

Aren't kids to best to make presents for? They love colour, abstract ideas, and creativity - a perfect combination for a handmade gift! This DIY is with the kiddos in mind.

An art journal is a great way to get little ones in a creative mindset. This project helps them to get their juices flowing. Give them a journal that you have made, along with crayons, pencils, or markers, whatever is best for their age group. The project is appropriate for ages two to ten, and even higher, depending on the child. The only difference is the questions or prompts that you put inside the journal. Let's get started!

To begin, gather your supplies:

• a journal of some sort - I picked up several leather bound books at a ridiculous clearance price
• markers - I love American Crafts Slick Writers and Sharpies
• scissors
• glue, double sided tape, or any other form of adhesive
• embellishment - sequins, brads, flowers, you name it
• printed scrapbooking paper or cardstock - little scraps are great for this project

I made a title page in each journal to set the tone for the book. For my niece, I made the page below so she can write her own name before she gets started.

Each journal page is a little bit different. The general style was a handwritten (printed, written, bubble letters) topic and a scrap of brightly coloured paper per page, cut into any shape: stripes, squares, frames. Here are a list of possible page topics to get you started:

• My favourite colour is...
• My favourite snack is...
• Here is my mommy...
• Here is my daddy...
• These are my siblings...
• I laugh when...
• I am .... years old
• I like to sing...
• My Sunday School teacher's name is...
• Here are my friends...
• I like to eat...
• I like to drink...
• My favourite toy is...
• I can count to...
• This is my house...
• I can say this Bible verse...
• Here is my bike...

You can change the topics for each child. My nephew loves Thomas the Tank Engine, so I made this page in his journal:

At the end of the book, the final page reads, "this is me". I thought that it would be a fun note to end on: a little self-portrait. Depending on the age, it could be detailed or an adorable stick man. 

Kids are so naturally creative, it's great to encourage their development. This project is incredibly inexpensive, and it only takes an hour to make. The parent will really appreciate the effort that you've put into their child's gift, and the kiddo will have a lot of fun, too!

Hope you enjoyed this project! Give it a shot - you can have a little creative release making the journal, too.

Happy Sunday!

Sincerest Apology.

I'm sorry for the lack of a juicy post today. 

I was distracted by going to pick up this bad boy.

Yay for new furniture!

Have a great weekend!

Polyvore Loves

It's Polyvore Loves time!

Every year, we have to portion out our time between our two families at Christmas. It can be quite the challenge, considering they live minutes apart - how do you make sure to spend equal amounts with each family?! Oh, the joys of the family ties :)

Conveniently Daniel's dad has to work this Christmas, so we're celebrating with his side early - Tuesday, to be exact. We'll have supper at his dad's place, and open gifts at ours. The little kiddos will be there, too, so it's extra special - I love how excited they get!

In an ideal world, I'd be wearing this dreamy outfit to our gift opening. Dream on, eh?

P.S. If anyone wants to give me a $1 000 000 gift card for Anthropologie for Christmas, I promise you will be my favourite. 

giftopening by littleohme featuring a cashmere tank

Oh, Etsy

If Etsy was free...

this is what would be on my walls.

(Click on the photos for their links)

 

 Oh, if only.

:)

Scrappy

Scrapbooking. Let's not talk about how long it's been since I made a page. I miss my little craft room like crazy. It was so easy to go in, sit down, and have everything at my fingertips. Now I've got to dig a box out from here, one out of there, clear the kitchen table, and set up shop. My nearest photo lab is 25 minutes away, too - instead of two minutes. It seriously puts a kink in my style. I'm totally not the type to plan ahead either - who develops one hundred photos anymore? :) 

Once the holidays are over, I have got to get a craft set up... or at least know where everything is. My supplies are scattered between our coat closet, our laundry room, my closet, and the basement. How's that for chaos?

It's been a while since I've shared some scrappy goodness with you. These are the last three pages that I've done. 

Happy Wednesday!

Peekeroo

I'm just popping in with a little festive evening sneak peek of our Christmas-ness. I hope your holiday is in full swing!

Happy Tuesday!

Multitude Monday

Today, I'm thankful for:

111 - memories of summer vacation (the photo was taken in Sherbrooke Village, a historical village)

112 - the scent of our Christmas tree and watching the lights twinkle against the balls

113 - a tidy kitchen with all of the dishes done and counters cleaned - the best feeling ever.

114 - patchouli incense burning and making our apartment all warm and cozy

115 - my husband downstairs working on my present - it's going to be a beauty.

116 - our new couch arriving Friday - eekers, I can't wait!

117 - a trip to the post office to send out half of our cards - now to get the rest out!

118 - stocking stuffers being just about done - Daniel likes them wrapped :)

119 - Lush goodies arriving in the mail - and more to come!

120 - fun links from a bunch of darlings - thanks, gals!

I can't wait to share some DIY goodness with you this week - I've been brainstorming which ideas I can share with you. I don't want to give anyone a sneak peek of their present, so I've got to be particular about what I share. There will be a few easy projects that anyone can manage...

Happy Monday!

Weiner.

Give It Away Giveaway

Giveaway time!

This little giveaway is one of a different sort. The give-it-away giveaway. 

The prize consists of five special Christmas cards that I've made... the type you want to share with your extra-special friends. The messages are typewritten with "season's greetings" or "happy holidays". I chose pretty papers in non-traditional colours and inked the edges to give the cards a pretty worn look. I know you will love them!

There are also ten "joy" gift tags, the shabby-chic type that would look dreamy on a present wrapped with fabric or handmade paper. I handstamped them and inked the edges, and there's lots of room on the back to write a message to your loved one.

 

Since you will be sharing your prize with the special people in your life, I thought that you deserved something special, too. I chose a handful of vintage buttons and sewed them on this cream toque. It's perfect to wear caroling or taking a chilly stroll to look at the Christmas lights. 

 

All blog readers are eligible, regardless of their country.

Here's how to enter:

• Leave a comment on this post, a Facebook messge, or an e-mail (polkadotsoup@live.ca)
• Let me know what your favourite blog feature is
• Tell me what you would like to see more of... or something entirely new
• Include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win

The contest closes Saturday night (12/11) so I can contact the winner on Sunday and get the package shipped out on Monday. I want you to have your prize as soon as possible! 

After entering the giveaway, keep an eye on your inbox on Sunday!

Polyvore Loves

It's a holiday Polyvore Loves!

This adorable little ensemble is for Jacalyn. I know she likes navy and white, and what better way to wear it than with a hip little polka-dotted dress? The one-shouldered style is perfect for the holidays, and I love the little self-belt that it has going on. It's a short dress, but not too short if you know what I mean. A girl has to have some class, you know.

I'm loving gold lately, so I decided to go all out with gold accessories. The present-like shoes - a darling find from ModCloth, where else? The vintage Dior earrings - just the right combination of kitsch and class. The glitzy key ring - a current trend that's still timeless. The stack of bangles - classic look that can be dressed up or down. Wowee! Top it all off with a quirky pair of glasses - bam! Cute outfit coming right up! 

If you show up at a holiday event with this ensemble on, I guarantee that you will look fab. Also - I'll be jealous :)

Lush Holiday Showdown

I bought some Lush goodies on the weekend, and got some new holiday samples to try out. Both of them are new to me... so here we go...

It's a holiday Lush showdown! The battle between bath supplies - may the best product win!

First up, Angel's Delight soap. This product's pros: smells delish, and has a creamy texture. It's cons: it's a bar soap, and there is not a lot of lather. I love the scent, but bar soap kills me: you've got to let it dry thoroughly and it doesn't lather very much.

Next, we have Glogg shower gel. This product's pros: there is oodles of lather, and it's easy to dispense. It's cons: it smells like Buckley's, and it smells like Buckley's. This bad boy is supposed to be mulled wine scented, and all I get is cinnamon and cough syrup. Not cherry flavoured, cough syrup either: Buckley's. The cinnamon scent does stay on your skin once you're dried off, so that helps.

Final verdict? I'm going to have to go with Angel's Delight. It smells like jelly beans and feel smooth on the skin. I can't wash myself with cough syrup, sorry.

Have you tried any new products lately?

Giveaway...

Scissor Quirk Blog Party

- click the photo for the link -

Lunch in a Jiffy

Since I'm home more during the day now, I find it challenging to make a satisfying lunch for one. I like quick, healthy meals that make just enough for one portion. Today's recipe comes together in 10 minutes flat. It's a yummy spicy noodle dish that can be jazzed up by whatever veggies you have on hand or that you would like to use up. If you like spice, give this recipe a go.

Spicy Asian Noodles

1/2 small onion, diced

1/2 c broccoli

oil, enough to coat pan

pepper, freshly ground

1/3 c chicken broth

1/4 c soy sauce

1 tsp hoisin sauce

1 can spicy thai chili tuna

1 pkg. udon noodles *

Preheat pan over med-high heat; add oil
Add onion; once softened, add broccoli
Season with pepper
Add broth, soy sauce, and hoisin; let simmer 2 minutes
Add tuna; heat
Place noodles in pan; stir until heated through
Plate and enjoy!

* Udon noodles can be found at Asian grocery stores, or even in your local supermarket's international isle if they have an extensive selection. Udon noodles are my favourite! I even found a recipe to make a homemade version, but I haven't tried it. If you give it a go, let me know. 

This recipe is nice and spicy. You know it's a good sign when you go through three tissues in a meal :) I love me some spicy!

Things I Heart II

It's time to bust out this blog feature again! 

Things I Heart is a compilation of current loves. They can be ideas, combinations, inspiring thoughts, recipes, or actual items: sky's the limit, as long as it's something that makes me smile. The giveaway comments with your favourite colour combinations certainly made me smile:

• brown and baby blue
• green and brown
• deep purple and apple green
• mustard yellow and plum purple
• navy and white

I had so much fun compiling a Things I Heart list back in September. I had forgotten about it, and as soon as I saw the post, I knew I had to give it another shot. Here are the things I heart this month:

1. kraft paper and twine
2. thick acid green yarn
3. concrete and butcher block countertops
4. milk glass
5. Dear Lizzy scrapbooking line
6. light and dark wood tones together
7. colour coded bookshelves
8. turquoise and yellow
9. homemade chocolates
10. obscure Etsy treasures

What are you hearting?

Wrap It

I'd like to share some Christmas wrapping ideas with you. None of these thoughts are in any way original, but they may help to spark an idea or two. 

I love using items that I have saved throughout the year to package up the presents. A cereal box may be the perfect size for that long, flat gift. Don't be proud - you don't have to buy boxes if you have some already in your recycling bin!

Everyone knows that the best time to pick up wrapping paper is after Christmas. At some shops, they start putting wrap on clearance a few weeks before. You can find the prettiest paper and colour combos at your local craft store. Kraft paper is also very inexpensive and incredibly versatile.

Pretty little ribbons don't need to be bought on a roll. Twine and string are great for rustic, natural looking gifts. Cloth ribbon and yarn come in hundreds of styles, and you can find them at thrift stores, too. Ric-rak and hem tape can be beautiful as well.

Don't be caught up with matching and colour coordinating. Take out all of your supplies and spread them across a table or the floor. Reach out and grab things that catch your eye, regardless of their colour. Use up bits and bobbins of random supplies, the more the merrier.

Want to take a peek at a few gifts that I wrapped?

Tie boxes are the perfect size for little jam jars or Christmas ornaments. Grab a piece of pretty tissue, stick it in, and nestle your gift for safe keeping. Done!

I saved a piece of handmade paper that someone had given to me. I love the look of this paper with twine as the ribbon, wrapped all willy-nilly around the package and tied in the back. I stuck a handmade ornament behind the twine as an extra little something. Bam!

This gift is a prime example of using up what you already have. The paper is the last of what I used last year, and I had some shiny purple ribbon and a red bow that were itching to be used. Good to go!

You can use metallics in unexpected colours. These magenta bias stripes are glam and playful at the same time. Add a funky gift tags and you're all set!

I hope these wrapping ideas helped you with some new thoughts on what looks cute together. The key thought is to not be afraid! Mix things up! Use things up! That piece of newspaper and that shiny gold ribbon might look perfect together, you just need to try it out.

In my next Christmas present installment, I'll share some fun and inexpensive tag ideas. I'm sure you have scraps of paper laying around. Gather them up and we'll put them to use!

Multitude Monday

It's time for Multitude Monday... can you believe it? We're starting off from 100! 

This week, I'm thankful for:

100 - these cuties, Kelsie and Adam...

101 - a Christmas present finished up, wrapped, and mailed out

102 - some homemade goodies in the freezer

103 - shopping with Heidi this weekend

104 - an awesome time in Halifax

105 - a super big canvas (24" x 48") for over our sofa

106 - a bright, sunshiney morning - that will put anyone in a good mood

107 - presents galore from a certain friend who spoils me :)

108 - lots of new Lush goodies to try out and share reviews on

109 - a trip to our favourite restaurant, Baan Thai

110 - lots of new fabric to craft up some presents with

I hope that your weekend was fabulous! We spent our time in Halifax, shopping at markets and craft shows. I picked up two pretty flannel shirts for myself, and we browsed around a bit, too. We finished off my brother-in-law's present and got it ready to go. I have to get a few more packages ready to mail out, just to make sure that they arrive by Christmas.

I'll be back with some wrapping ideas to spark your interest. I find I always need a little creative juice to get me started.

Happy Monday!