You know I love crafty stuff. I’m not great at it myself. But I love it. And I usually love to bask in the presence of actual crafty people. During Blissdom, I tried to hang out with the Crafty/DIY tribe. Mainly to help me out on Impress Your Kids. But also, because I think they are famous. So as a thank you to all the crafty peeps who let me tag along, here are the

TOP TEN CRAFTY FUN PEOPLE I MET AT BLISSDOM {AND THEIR SUPER CUTE WARES}

1. Mique from Thirty Handmade Days

Where I met her: I’ve been stalking her blog for months. I think I shrieked when I discovered that she was actually, you know, herself.

Why you should love her: She is adorable. She wasn’t afraid when I acted like I had been stalking her all weekend. She made me (well, anyone she came in contact with) purple polka dot earrings. *swoon*

2. Hilary from The Other Mama and Mint Julep Monograms

Where I met her…I can’t remember where we met. But now I can’t imagine not knowing her. She’s one of my bbb, to be sure.

Why you should love her: She made me a purple luggage tag with my blog name on it! She is hilarious. She coined the term, “Gaggity, Gag, Gag”.

3. Melissa from The Pleated PolkaDot (and shop!)

Where we met: We literally ran into each other at the (in)courage party. After snooping around her blog I have discovered a kindred spirit!

Why you should love her: Because she is adorable. She has a sweet blog and really, look at that purse!

4. Cha Cha from Cha Cha’s Treasures and Sit Relax and Read

Where we met: Cha Cha found me when I (for the first and only time) tweeted my exact location during Atlanta’s big ice storm. Apparently, we live 5 minutes from each other.

Why you should love her: Her name is Cha Cha for goodness sakes!

5. Kelly from Team Sparkle

Where we met: At a Crafty/DIY roundtable when she handed out like 5 business cards to her many blogging endeavors.

Why you should love her: SHE MAKES SPARKLY RUNNING SKIRTS. And her hair is awesome.

6. Bag Full of Posies

Where we met: I actually think we just sat next to each other at lunch one day. And she and the rest of the famous etsy shop owners were talking about some amazing business-y stuff. But I grabbed her card because her bag was SO CUTE.

Why you should love her: HER BAG IS SO CUTE.

7. Marie from Make and Takes

{my make and take}

Where I met her: I knew her before Blissdom. We actually met in California at N*stle. (Shhh….don’t tell!)

Why you should love her: Her business card at Blissdom was a bag of beads, a little bell and a pipe cleaner. Get it? A make and take? 

8. Red Letter Words

Where I met her: Actually. I didn’t meet her. I just needed a 10th and asked the awesomeness that is Jill of Diaper Diaries if she had met any cool crafty peeps at Blissdom. She said Deb from Red Letter Words was there! EEK! I can’t believe I missed her!

Why you should love her: Scripture art. I mean, COOL Scripture art. How can you NOT love her?

9. Megan at Half Pint House

Where I met her: I honestly have no memory of meeting her. And I’m bummed about it. And will probably be embarrassed when she comments and says, “We sat next to each other and laughed for 2 hours, remember?!”

Why you should love her: When I went through her blog, I said, “ME, TOO!” about 12 times.

10. Lori Mahon from Overture Media {not crafty, per se but fun!}

Where I met her: Kat from Inspired to Action hooked us up via Twitter during Blissdom. We met in front of Kellogg’s booth and immediately hit it off.

Why you should love her: She is a publicist for Christian Music Artists. And she likes TobyMac. And Sandi Patty. So there.

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Link up your Top Ten list and join in the Top Ten {Tuesday} fun! All you have to do is WRITE a top ten list, PASTE it  below, LINK back to me in your post & then start LOVIN’ on the rest of the participants with facebook likes, stumbles, comments and tweets! For better and more succinct guidelines see my Top Ten {Tuesday} page!

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why this post is awesome: I love promoting other people’s work.

Crafty Fun People I Met at Blissdom: Top Ten {Tuesday} is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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My friend Christine from Dates to Diapers is challenging herself to make a craft every day this week with her kids. (And this is quite a feat considering she has six kids and she homeschools and runs a hugely popular blog!) To help her out, I’m guest posting about a fun winter craft Lydia and I did this week. Your kids will love it. We have the dyed fingers to prove it!

Check it out and if you don’t already read Chrsitine’s blog make sure you click and get to know her. She’s fantastic!

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Wintery Crafts is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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In keeping with my one-word New Year’s Resolution, I want to do MORE for our Compassion kids, Alizeta and Rasmane. (Have I told you about Rasmane? Oh, he’s so cute. After Asa was born, we decided to support a little boy, too. We chose Rasmane because he goes to the same “church” as Alizeta. So, hopefully, one day, when the kids are big enough, we can go to Burkina Faso and meet them! How cool would that be after years of supporting and getting to know them?!)

So, Lydia and I made gifts for Alizeta and Rasmane this week. And because I’m super creative, I stole this idea straight from No Time For Flash Cards. But here’s my mini-tutorial, just for the record…

Supplies:

leftover glittery craft foam (or regular craft foam works, too.)
glue
string
adorable picture of children

Directions:
1. Cut a piece of regular craft foam (or cardboard/cardstock would work here, too) to the size of desired frame. This will be the back.

2. Place photo in the middle.

(so I can’t cut straight…)

3. Cut glittery craft foam into same size as backing. This will be the frame. Then cut another hole in the middle…big enough to see the picture.

(yes, she has a runny nose…)

4. If your craft foam is sticky on the back, simply peel off the plastic layer and place on top of picture and backing. If not, glue in place. (I cut the frame small enough that it stuck right to the picture and the backing. So, I didn’t even glue the photo down.)

5. Use leftover foam pieces cut into shapes to decorate.

6. Attach string to back for hanging.

Cute, right? I’m pretty sure Alizeta and Rasmane are going to like them! I would! Who doesn’t like glitter?! Plus, when sending something to your Compassion kids, it can only be 1/4″ thick, so I think once I smash these a little, they’ll be the perfect gift!

Lydia loves to talk about Rasmane and Alizeta. I pray little things like this craft will keep them in her mind and keep her heart tender towards others.

This is my contribution to Impress Your Kids’ New Impressions Carnival! If you have something fun to do with your kids this new year, please link up and show off!

New Impressions (a Craft Foam Picture Frame mini Tutorial) is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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When I was little, my brother and I had advent calendars. They were just paper and we tacked them up to our basement door in the living room. But I loved opening up those flaps every day and seeing the picture and verse inside. I still have my advent calendar and treasure it!

Advent calendars are one of my favorite Christmas traditions. I have about four and would gladly spend all day opening up those lovely little doors, flaps or boxes! I started looking all over the internet for more advent calendars to add to my growing addiction collection. And as I looked, I found some great ideas for what you can put inside your advent calendar:

• a Scripture that tells the story of Jesus’ birth
• a small piece of candy
• an ornament
• a charm (that could be made into a bracelet or necklace)
• a piece of paper with an activity (ie. “let’s make Christmas cookies” OR “we’re going Christmas light watching tonight!”)
• a clue to an activity, craft, story (that’s kinda what we’re doing. I put in a sticker of a king yesterday because we read Isaiah 9:6-7)
• a small toy
• the title of a Christmas story to read

Now, are you ready for the calendars? I seriously get giddy looking at these pictures! I’ve linked each one to the blog, tutorial or store so you can make/buy/mail one to me! Please click on them, there’s more pics on each one!
1. The Box. I’ve been wanting one of these for awhile. And I just happen to get this one at Thanksachristmas from my sister-in-law. I adore it. This is where I’m putting the verse or picture of what we’re doing for our “jesse tree“.

2. The Best One I’ve Ever Seen In My Life. Do you see what this is? GUM! She just decorated the outside of gum…like Dentyne Ice or one of those in a blister pack. What a fun gift for kids to make their friends!

3. The Recycled One. It’s just made out of paper bags! How cute is that?!

4. The Muy Expensive One. I found this in Pottery Barn Kids and I ADORE IT!

5. The One You Get To Destroy. I discovered this at Thanksgiving as a way to used leftover Halloween candy. Such an easy idea—put candy inside, glue a piece of tissue paper on top and let your kids bust it open! You need to click on this one, there’s some great pictures!

6. The One I Wish I Had Come Up With. Can you tell what this is? It’s a MUFFIN PAN! With little magnetic covers over it! Just scrapbook a square and put it over each little muffin hole. What a fabulous idea!

7. The EASY One. Envelopes. Hung up with clothespins. My kinda craft! I think this is the perfect one for putting scriptures or activities in.

8. For the Uber Talented. Quilted, etc. etc. You pull an ornament out of each box and hang it on the tree! So cute. But I got an idea from this one…just attach buttons to anything and hang ornaments on it. How cute would that be? Even on a plain sheet. Or a garland. You could buy ornaments and just hang them up until each button was used.

9. The Other Magnet One. I love this whole magnet idea—scrapbooked magnets on a cookie sheet! Clever, indeed!

10. The Modern Box One. This is way cute. Small little boxes (maybe matchbox, jewelry boxes, etc.) with small covers (I think some of these are playing cards!). Then just stick them to the wall in any pattern and open the box on the appropriate day. You have to click over to this blog because she’s got tons of sweet pictures of it.

11. The Mitten One. My sisterchick, Kristen made this for me (and Lydia) last year at my sisterchick party. It’s just mittens with numbers made from sticky ribbon (is that right, Kristen?) It’s only got 12 numbers on it, for the 12 Days of Christmas. But since I don’t really know what that is (outside of a really annoying song), I use it as a birthday countdown. Lydia’s birthday is 12 days after Christmas. The only bad thing is now I’m going to have to come up with a countdown for Asa’s birthday. Pirate ships, perhaps?

12. The Recycled One Part 2. Now this one is really recycled. The circles are old Christmas cards and the little “box” underneath is milk tops! I think this one would be really fun to make!

13. The Pirate One. Yes, you read that correctly. A pirate advent calendar. I really do not get the connection. But how could I NOT include this on on my list?!

See my 2009 picks for best advent calendars!

Best Advent Calendars EVER is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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Why I Didn’t Have Time To Post Today is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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When we were Children’s Pastors in Birmingham, I wrote a two week lesson about Thanksgiving. It was entitled, “Thanks and Giving”. I have no idea what it entailed. But the title always stuck with me. (Did I make that title up? Or did I steal it? I hope I made it up. It’s catchy.) I want my Thanksgiving season to be filled with THANKS and GIVING.

So, this year, I am trying to do the same with Lydia. Last week we did GIVING. Our church collected 12 tons of canned food for a local charity. We gave about 8 of those cans. We made a very big deal about collecting and giving those cans to the people that needed it. (You can see the pics here.) Lydia was so excited and proud to bring her canned veggies to church!

This week is THANKS. So, to help Lydia focus on being thankful, we made a Thankful Countdown Turkey. Creative title, huh? And it just so happens to be a great craft to link up with the Fall Impressions carnival Leigh and I are hosting over at our blog, Impress Your Kids! (Was that a great commercial or what?!)

First I cut a huge piece of brown craft paper. (That was the best purchase ever. It’s like 300 yards long. I’m going to have it forever!) Then a little bowling pin shaped turkey body.  I let Lydia cut out the beak and I cut out the gobble. We glued on some wiggly eyes and our turkey was ready!

Then, I cut out fourteen feathers from assorted colored construction paper.

But we didn’t glue ANY of the feathers to our turkey. We chose one feather and I asked Lydia, “What are you thankful for? What do you really like that you could say thank you for?” She said, “I like flowers.”

So, I wrote flowers. She drew some great flowers..er, uhm some colored lines.

Then we attached it to our turkey and then hung the whole thing up on the wall.

Over the next 13 days, we’re going to pick a feather each day and write down something we’re thankful for on each one. By the time Thanksgiving arrives, our little turkey will be sporting some beautful feathers and we’ll have documented everything we’re thankful for!

Hopefully, Lydia gets the gist of it. I’m excited to see our little turkey and it’s thankful feathers grow!

(To see more fun Thanksgiving-ish crafts, visit Impress Your Kids. And if you’ve got a cool craft to share, link up!)

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don’t forget about my giveaways: tummy time safari, $50 to bn.com, anthropologie s&p shakers and a shutterfly print pack.
I’m going to announce the winners on Saturday…or Sunday…soon.

Thanks & Giving is a post from: ohamanda.com
Happy New Year! Here are some of my favorite resources to help you make the most of 2012! One Bite At A Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, an ebook by Simple Mom!
Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule, finally get your house under control!
E-Mealz, online meal-planning with shopping lists! {20% off with code SKINNY when you choose one of their healthy menus}
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