Crazy Cute Link Party #38 and N2design Giveaway

Welcome to the Crazy Cute Party at Between U & Me! If this is your first time here, make sure to become a follower so you don't miss any of the awesome giveaways, tutorials, before/afters, and so much more! ;D


This week's amazing sponsor is N2design and you can find all things graphic design there!

How about something for your home?

  

Or maybe a set of super inspirational cards?

  

N2design is giving away one lucky BU&M reader a $20 gift certificate to use towards anything in the shop!!

Dollar Store Favor Box Makeover - {Tutorial}

Hey everyone! Today, I have a guest post by The Rebel Crafter to share with you! This is such a unique and fun idea for any girly occasion! Enjoy!

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Happy new Year Rebel Crafters! I hope you all enjoyed your Holidays!

If you have a wedding shower, birthday, or bachelorette party coming up then this party favor makeover is a fun and inexpensive project. When I was at the dollar store I noticed a package of wedding dress party favor boxes. 10 for a dollar, what a deal! Good design is all around us, but sometimes the execution is not the greatest. In this case the dress boxes are pretty washed out, but again at 10 cents a piece I knew they had great potential. I took the package home and worked out how to easily make them over into fun, and eye catching party favors. All you need is scrapbook paper, some embellishments, and a spool of inexpensive pliable wire to make the mini hangers. This project is very similar to paper dolls, you get to "dress up" your boxes. Once made they could hold chocolates, almonds, mints, M&M's, little nail polish or a small gift. The dress theme possibilities are endless just by changing the paper style. Add tulle to the front of the dress and it could be a little girls princess dress. Use leopard print and hot pink for a bachelorette party, or shower. I made my boxes in a variety of papers so you could see how different they can look depending on the paper choice. They are fun, and easy to make. My 8 year old Daughter made a bunch!

You will need:

Wedding dress Favor Boxes (I found mine at the Dollar Tree store. They come 10 boxes for $1). I have the link to Dollar Tree at the bottom of the page but they also include the groom boxes online. 

Scrapbook Paper

Spool of pliable inexpensive wire (I used what I had on hand so I am not sure of guage. Just look at the inexpensive wire in the jewelry section at the craft stores and find one that is thick enough to make a small hanger)

Embellishments of Your Choice (I used bling on a roll for the gem sashes, and ribbon flowers).

Taper Runner and Glue Dots

Thin ribbon to tie the box together (optional) you can use the sheer white ribbon that comes with the boxes. 

Scissors 

Wire Snip (optional, you can use scissors)

ColorBox Chalk Inkpad (optional) if you want to distress your box edges.

Crazy Cute Link Party #36 and Paper Fox Designs Giveaway

Welcome to the Crazy Cute Party at Between U & Me! If this is your first time here, make sure to become a follower so you don't miss any of the awesome giveaways, tutorials, before/afters, and so much more! ;D


I am way happy to present to you this week's sponsor! I have a special place in my heart for stationary, cards, invites, and such, so I have had a really hard time deciding which of this awesome shop's listings to show you. I'd like for you to feast your eyes on Paper Fox Designs. 

This is a one woman show run by Andrea and she has a huge passion for graphic design and making sure her clients get exactly what they're searching for. Take a look at some of what she has to offer at her shop:

  

These are customizable Valentine's for your child to hand out to all their friends and they're so unique and fun! How could you pass these up! These are so much better than any store bought box of Valentine's out there!

        

 Simply awesome! Right?!?! Okay, how about something to frame and put in a nursery? Take a look:

    

Paper Fox Designs is giving one lucky BU&M reader a $25 Credit to use toward anything in the shop!!

Family Photo Shoot and Holiday Christmas Card 2011

Hi all! I thought I would share the family photo shoot we had a couple months ago. A very good friend of our family is one of the most talented photographers I have ever seen and he happens to be a good neighbor and he is also married to an incredible woman and they have a beautiful daughter together. I was so excited for this photo shoot as we haven't been as good about having E's picture taken like we were with L. I guess it's a second born, first born thing. We just never have the time for a scheduled photo shoot. However, we decided it was WAY past due and I couldn't be any happier with the way the whole thing turned out. Prepare yourself. I am sharing a TON of photos.

But first, I'll share with you the Christmas card I made this year on MY Digital Studio by Stampin' Up! It was super simple and quick! After I make my cards, I upload them to the Costco Photo Center as a 5x7 picture and they cost me next to nothing. If you haven't done your Christmas cards this year, here is a little inspiration:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

I told you there were a ton! I actually had more up there, but it was a little embarrassing how many I had so I had to comb through them and eliminate some. I hope you're having an awesome day and don't forget to enter in to the two awesome giveaways I've got going on this week! You can find the links for them in my sidebar. :D

Sentiment Challenge - {Handmade Card}

The Holiday Season is, by far, my most favorite time of the year. I love everything about it,... even the crowds. Having kids in the mix just makes everything so much better, too. The expression on my son's face XMAS morning is the kind of thing I live for. His sweet, innocent fascination with Santa and listening to him sing songs about Jesus and how he is the reason for the season absolutely tugs on my heart strings. I just love it all and every year it gets better and better as my kids get older and understand everything more and more. 


Now, when I was a kid, my mom worked super hard to make XMAS magical for me. I'm an only child and I also went to school year round, which meant that during the Winter, I wasn't in school and so I believed in a "certain somebody" a LOT longer than a lot of other kids. I would get to see things like soot handprints on the fireplace, as if Santa had been a little sloppy and I also got letters from Santa when he was unable to find the exact toy I had my heart set on that XMAS. My mom has continued to make XMAS magical for me, even as I grew to be an adult and because of that I have a special place in my heart for XMAS. I go in to each XMAS with my kids, now, hoping that I can give them the same kind of experience. 


So, here is my little shout out to my mom and I know you're reading this, Mom, and I just want to say "THANK YOU!" <3


This XMAS season was a little more hectic than past ones, mostly because I felt that I had less time to relax and therefore my crafts and other hobbies suffered. So! I am super excited to have life return to normal and to hop on those DIY projects I have had in store for awhile now. One of those projects being, my sons closet. Ever since I saw this reading nook over at Pretty Handy Girl, I have been dying to transform my son's closet. Now, that we have more time, I am ready to tackle that.


Alright, Scrappy Frogs Challenge has their next challenge up and it's super easy,... SENTIMENT! How easy is that?! I know y'all have a sentiment card you need to make. Now is the time. So, make your sentiment card and then go over to Scrappy Frogs Challenge Blog and link up. Here is some inspiration for y'all:

Click HERE to check out where I'm linking to and don't forget to join in on the fun! :D