Midnights With Molly

I snagged this idea on Pinterest from this wonderful blog http://www.ourunexpectedjourney.blogspot.com/2011/11/let-decorating-begin.html .  (Check out her blog for detailed instructions on how to make this for your own front door!)  Thanks for the fantastic idea!  I love it as a simple alternative to the traditional wreath.  I just wish I was a better photographer...it's on my list of things to do one day.  :)

My sister and I were looking through a Taste of Home Christmas recipe book the other day and we came across a few craft ideas.  Tammy thought it would be fun to try the ribbon Christmas trees...so here's how it went!  :) All we used was a styrofoam cone, some felt, ribbon of various sizes and straight pins. Cut out a circle of felt and glue it to the bottom of the cone. Cut the ribbon in strips from 2 to 5 inches long.  Start with the longer strips around the bottom portion of the cone.  Loop the strips of ribbon and pin them.  Continue doing this in layers, gradually making the loops of ribbon shorter as you make your way up to the top of the cone.   I learned from doing this ribbon tree that it will work better if you use WIDER ribbon towards the bottom of the tree and SKINNIER ribbon towards the top.  I wish I had some wider ribbon when I did this one...I'll try it on the next one.  :) We also tried some good cookie & candy recipes...more to come!  :)

I got the idea for this project from a magazine that was laying on the break table at work.  I snapped a picture of it with my phone and then went shopping!  :)  I already had the glass votives and the iron holder, so all I had to buy was a few decorations...and here is the result: There are a ton of ways you can make these original...use different colors, try different types of flowers or winter-ish looking twigs.  I used powder "snow" for every other votive and found sparkly little red votive candles to set on top of the snow.  Then, I broke up a few bunches of twigs and red sparkly twirly things and placed them in the empty votive along with some miniature silver bulbs.  So easy and fun and it looks lovely in our living room.  :)

It's Saturday...and I made the mistake of walking into Pat Catan's this afternoon for just a FEW things.  But every time I walk in that store, my mind starts racing with ideas for fun projects and I start wishing I didn't have a job so that I could spend more time in my craft room and less time in the NICU!  Let's just say I came out with a few more things than I originally planned.  ;)  Oops!  Here's what I made with my unplanned purchases... Custom-Made Dry-Erase Calendars I found this really cool clear calendar sheet at Pat Catans.  I don't know about you, but I LIVE by my calendars!  I keep 2 of the dry-erase calendars on my refrigerator so I can keep track of the current month and plan for the upcoming month.  But when I saw these clear calendar sheets, I thought it might be fun to create my own dry-erase calendar...one that will match my kitchen!  So here's what I did! Supplies:    1 Clear Calendar Sheet 12x12 1 12x12 Scrapbook frame 1 sheet of 12x12

I love my nieces and nephews!  After a long week at work, I was more than ready to leave the NICU behind, cuddle my own sweet kiddos and soak up their dimpled smiles, soggy kisses, and goofy giggles.  So this afternoon I took a trip to my sister's house for some "Friday night entertainment".  :) All was quiet when I arrived so Tammy and I took a few moments for ourselves before the kiddos woke up from their naps.  We spent an hour looking through cookbooks for delicious cookie recipes to try for the holidays this year.  We found MANY recipes that will be sure to satisfy any chocolate cravings we might have, and we also discovered a few craft projects that we'd like to try!  We're hoping to attempt some ribbon Christmas trees and Christmas gift tags...stay tuned for pictures of our creations!  :) Once naptime was over, the REAL entertainment began!  Ruth and I put on matching aprons and made "cookies" together in the kitchen.  When we were done

I do most of my best thinking at night.  I don't know why, but after midnight, my mind takes off with all kinds of thoughts and ideas!  My job keeps me up until 4am on a regular basis so I have LOTS of thinking time and I need a place to release all these things that accumulate in my head.  What better place to share those thoughts, ideas, recipes, crafts, and pictures of family and friends than on a blog!? I have to give credit for the title, "Midnights with Molly," to one of my best friends, Lindsey .  She has a super-creative mind and has a knack for naming things.  In college, we brainstormed names for our children while sitting through a junior year nursing lecture.  (I might even still have the notebook that we wrote them in!)  She also had suggestions for me when I adopted my first kitten after college.  So when I thought I might try my hand at blogging, of course, I asked Lindsey for suggestions for a blog name.  Within a few hours, I had an e-mail waiting for m