Jennifer Michie

Category: The Holidays (page 31 of 38)

March 14, 2011 / 0 Comments

A Lucky Brooch

St. Patrick’s Day, is this Thursday and I can’t wait! There is still plenty of time to make something for your lapel, so you too, will be “Wearin’ O’ the Green”, as they say.

I spotted these cute shamrock pins on Martha Stewart’s website and I thought they were very sweet. They have an air of vintageness about them. Something you could have seen your grandmother wearing on the side of her hat, or pinned to her smartest coat. The perfect thing to bring you luck any time of year!

For the full directions and pattern, go here.

*Watch this space, I am giving away my FIRST ever FREEBIE this week and it may or may not be St. Patty’s Day related! ♧

February 12, 2011 / 3 Comments

Valentine’s Round-Up

Valentine’s Day is almost here and I have collected a few last minute ideas, recipes and sweetness from some of my favorite places to share with you. Click on the images below to be taken directly to the featured project:

Jenny B. Harris of Allsorts has done it again, with this cute Valentine’s Paper Angel. A fun project for your little ones to decorate your kitchen table with:

Serena of The Farm Chicks has created adorably wrapped chocolate brownie bites. A cute idea for the little Valentine Love Bugs in your life:

Eat, Drink, Chic has the most wonderful answer to staying in for Valentine’s. Amy Moss, has designed a DIY Valentine’s popcorn bucket to invite your Honey Bunny to spend a night snuggled next to you on the couch. You just have to provide the popcorn and the right movie:

The lovely Bridget, of Bake @ 350 has taken “bark” to a whole new level with her Sweet Heart Conversation Candy Bark. A great idea to hand out to your neighbours or any little Valentine’s fingers that might be around on the day:

The cute girls at One Charming Party have come up with simple yet effective idea. If you are stuck cooking on Valentine’s night, why not bring as many hearts into the mix as you can. These home made heart shaped pepperoni pieces add a cute flair to store bought pizza for your sweetie pie:

And, just in case you forgot to get a card head on over to Eat, Drink, Chic for some DIY printable Valentine’s cards and envelopes. You can never go wrong with polka dots!:

February 5, 2011 / 2 Comments

Sweet

Valentine’s is fast approaching now. One week to go! When I decorate for  a holiday, I do it in pretty much every room in my house, just like my Mom. So, it only makes sense to me, that my computer has a touch of Valentine’s as well!

I love the Gooseberry Patch wallpapers and from time to time I use them as my computer background. I loved their Valentine pancakes backdrop for this month and that is what is bringing a little pink Valentine’s sweetness to my desktop, every time I turn on my computer.

We are working on Valentine’s plans together. Maybe just a romantic dinner, maybe dinner and a movie, the cinema down the road is doing a one night only showing of Ghost, so that sounds like fun.

But first things first, will be Valentine’s breakfast, I think Mr. Michie just might find some heart shaped pancakes waiting for him when he comes downstairs that morning like the ones pictured above, with fresh strawberries and whipped cream! I think that would start our day out perfectly!

(To get your own Valentine’s backdrop go to Gooseberry Patch downloads)

February 3, 2011 / 1 Comment

Year of the Rabbit

Happy Chinese New Year! 

This is the year of the rabbit. I hope it hops into your lives followed by oodles of good luck!

In honor of the day we shall be feasting on delicious Chinese food in our house tonight! I can’t wait!

(This image was posted on In the Art Cupboard today, don’t you just love it! It is part of a beautiful paper collection of the Chinese zodiac that I found stashed in a box of items from a long ago school trip to China.)

February 1, 2011 / 2 Comments

A New Years Card

I have kept you guessing for the past few days and today I am finally revealing what my secret project was: a New Years postcard. Did you already deduce that? This past year, Christmas arrived in such a whirlwind and with everything that was going on in and around our lives, I had no time to send out my usual Christmas cards.  But, I was not going to feel guilty about that, I had a plan, and that was send out New Year’s cards instead.

Well, New Year’s Eve came and went and I began my mission, I was on the hunt for Happy New Years cards. I had absolutely no luck. What was I going to do, I thought? And, then I realized, I am from a very long line of creative and artistic people, why was I even looking for a pack of cards. I would simply create my own.

I decided, that instead of drawing one, or creating one through a paper or fabric medium, I would design one using Photoshop. I went through a series of ideas, as all creating processes take and I stumbled on one that I liked.

I used images from a vintage children’s book and pieced different parts together to create my card. Using the background of one page, I removed items that I liked from others. Placing a little gnome in the corner and darkening his hat to a more Christmassy red. I put a glowing candle from the Christmas tree into his hand and placed a friendly woodland squirrel next to him.

Next, I placed “Happy New Years” on my card using pink and white as a highlighting color and the front was finished. Then, I moved on to the back, again using the same pink as on the front but with red as a highlighting color. After doing some more nerdy computer work, they were ready to upload. I have used a variety of printing services for different projects along the way, but this time I used MOO. They were a dream to work with!

Since, this was not going to be your normal “Christmas Card”, I decided that I would send out postcards instead. After uploading my design, I got envelopes to put them in and even had the chance to design my own sticker book. Everything arrived in my postbox this past week and this weekend I got down to business and wrote them.

I had so much fun coming up with a design and seeing the final piece printed up and in my hands, I don’t think I will go back, to buying cards again. So, look out, next Christmas I hope to be sending out cards designed by yours truly.

(Copyright, this design was created by Jennifer Michie and is not to be used without permission. All images property of Jennifer Michie)

January 20, 2011 / 1 Comment

More Clues

The week has just gotten away from me and I have a terrible cold, so I haven’t had a chance to write a full post on my little project yet.

But, in the meantime here are a few more clues to keep you going. All will be revealed soon! I promise!

January 8, 2011 / 1 Comment

Rain

I looked at the weather report and what does it say for the next 10 days? Rain! I don’t want rain, I want to look out my window and see snow. Oh, Mother Nature, hear my plea, please bring snow to me! 

I am only a few days in to the new school term and I already need a break. I am ready for a day to snuggle up under blankets, put on my twinkle lights and watch a holiday movie.

I know, I know, I am sorry for all of you who are cringing right now, Christmas is probably long gone in your house, but in mine I always have to keep one small bit of Christmas out all year long, just something teeny tiny. And, since we were having work done to our little cottage in the weeks leading up to Christmas, I only got to put out one teeny tiny tree and I haven’t been up the attic to put it back yet. So, that little miniature tree is bringing me joy on these dark nights.

I also have not gotten around to putting away my Christmas movies, and since I go to work before the sun rises and come home long after the sun has set, I am going to keep those movies out for a small while longer. Because, Judy Garland crooning away on my TV in “Meet Me in St. Louis”, a good blanket, the glow of a candle and Mr. Michie next to me, just makes me happy! So, please bring on the snow, I am ready!(Image found on Flickr)

January 6, 2011 / 0 Comments

Follow that Star

Today is one of my most favourite days! It is Epiphany, the day of “Little Christmas”, the last day of the 12 days of Christmas and most importantly the day the Wise Men arrived.

We were always given a little something to celebrate the day in my family.  One year, we received a big something: George Winston tickets to all go and see him as a family and what a night to remember that was! He walked onto the stage in blue jeans a plaid shirt and best of all: barefoot!

It has been such a crazy start up to the new school term that I do not have an Epiphany gift for Mr. Michie, so I think tonight on the way home, I will let him pick out a really yummy dessert with an I.O.U. for the weekend.

This last day of the season is one to treasure, and although your Christmas lights should come down after today, with all the rain and darkness here in England, I think mine will be staying up a little bit longer, because those twinkle lights just make me happy!

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