We had one of the best weekends ever.  Christmas tree?  Check.  Gift list nearly complete?  Check.  Christmas tunes party playlist?  Check.  Trip to the movies?  Check.  We saw the new Muppets movie, so cute!  It brought back memories of watching the show as a child, I confess I was nodding my head back and forth to the Muppets Show theme…”it’s time to put on music, it’s time to light the lights…”

Today is a great day, as we kick off  the Holiday Home Parties, and today Layla is hosting table decor.  I hosted a tablescape contest last week (announcing the winners soon!) so I thought I’d create something for the host or hostess you can make and give that they’d be proud to place on their  table!  The best news is these wine bags can be made with scraps of fabric you have leftover from other projects. They’re easy to make and a great way to personalize a gift of wine or bubbly.   

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Greetings all, I hope you’ve enjoyed your turkey day with friends and family!  Black Friday is upon us and I’ll probably head out to do some shopping during actual daylight hours. If you’ve had your eye on a Silhouette electronic cutting tool, there’s a great deal that starts at midnight that I want to share with you.   

I’ve owned a Silhouette for over a year and it’s such great crafting tool. Last year, I made a seasonal noel pillow and here is this year’s version made with the very same Silhouette cutting tool.  I found a simple red velvet pillow at World Market for $10 and used the white heat transfer material to make this modern wish pillow.   

For the Black Friday discount, enter the promo code CENTSATIONAL at the Black Friday page for a discount on the Cameo starting at midnight and continuing through the 28th. If you use the code CENTSATIONAL, you’ll get a 40% discount off everything else in the Silhouette online store for crafting (excluding the Cameo, subscriptions, download cards, and gift cards). 

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Greetings all, are you feeling the frenzy yet?  I started to feel it today, with a million things on my plate. The kids are home from school this week (who’s idea was that?) which adds to the craziness, but I finally got a chance to sit down for a spell to answer some emails and create this list.

I was asked by several readers this month to recommend some gifts for a host or hostess that don’t cost a fortune.  Most of us will be invited to a soirée or two this holiday season, whether a big Christmas party or smaller get together with friends. It’s a gracious gesture to bring your host or hostess something special they’ll use or appreciate but I don’t think you need to spend a lot of money. 

Of course, there’s always the lovely gift of a bottle of wine or bubbly (forever welcome at my house!) or the thoughtful presentation of a homemade treat if time permits. Here are eight more ideas for less predictable stylish gifts for your entertainer: 

1.  Bowl Her (or Him) Over.  Little sets of bowls are perfect for smaller amounts of sauces or condiments.  Bright colors or rustic wood bowls will blend well with so many table settings, stack them up and tie them with a big bow, they’re sure to be a hit. 

Lacquerware bowls, $17 each, Branch Home; Acacia Bowls; $6-$11, One Sydney Road

2.  Shake Shake Shake.  Salt and pepper shakers or mills are such a great gift, they’re one of those necessary items required for any dinner or buffet but something one rarely buys for oneself. Find a rustic, nostalgic, quirky, or colorful version to give to your host or hostess and you’ll be thought of fondly every time he or she seasons the food!    King + Queen salt and pepper, $40 Perpetual Kid; Mason Jar salt and pepper; $16 Terrain; Turquoise Pepper Mill, $42 Target

3.  Spread the Love.   Cheese spreaders are universally appreciated and so useful for all those dips, spreads, and appetizers.  I know I could certainly use a new set, and these are two of my recently found favorites.  

Vintage Cheese Knives, $29 Williams Sonoma;  Wine Cork Spreaders, $15, Z Gallerie

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I love to take my kids to the library to borrow books and also to the bookstore to look for new favorites. I’m always on the hunt for new books to add to their library or give as gifts to other children. This past weekend we visited the local bookstore which has a great children’s section. There were so many great books, we stayed for two hours!

I’m really picky when it comes to children’s books, they have to well written and wonderfully illustrated. Great pictures are a must for me, if I don’t love the illustrations I won’t buy the book! Quite a few new books caught my eye while I was at the bookstore, so I thought I’d compile a list with my quick synopsis of the tales within. 

All of these children’s books include either a heartwarming story or a fun adventure combined with great illustrations. I’ve read and love them all, and even bought a few to tuck under the Christmas tree. If you’re looking for a charming gift for boys and girls this holiday season, I highly recommend these for children ages 4 to 9.  Listed in no order of preference.

#1  Kiki & Coco in Paris, Stephanie Rausser and Nina Gruener

Hot of the presses, and perfect for fans of the famous city of Paris.  Kiki is a girl, Coco is her handmade cloth doll, and the two are inseparable. Together they travel to the City of Lights but Coco gets lost!  This tale of friendship will delight, and is filled with gorgeous photography of Paris seen through the eyes of Kiki & Coco.

       #2  Fandango Stew, David Davis

Two penniless and famished cowboys ride in to Skinflint and try to convince the stingy townsfolk to help them cook up some fandango stew. Cooperation leads to a tasty concoction everyone loves in this humorous take on the folktale Stone Soup.  It’s as fun to look at as it is to read out loud, filled with all the best of the Old West slang.  

#3  E-mergency!  Tom Lichtenheld & Ezra Fields Meyer

The alphabet all lives together in harmony until one day the letter E takes a tumble down the stairs.  Chaos ensues!  How will the world function without the letter E?  While E recovers, the letter O fills in, and the jokes and puns keep readers laughing throughout.  

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That time of year is here again – we’ve got guests visiting from all over just about every weekend until the end of the year. With all the festivities planned over the next few months, I wanted to make some wine glass charms to help keep everyone’s glass identified during all the celebrating.

I first found out about an embossing powder called Amazing Glaze that hardens to a resin from my friend Cathe, she had used it to to make a memory pet tag and decal penny pendant in the past and I really wanted to try it out!  I ordered the powder, some pendant bases and earwires, then came up with several versions of DIY wine glass charms. The first are these blingy sparklers which will work for just about any occasion.

With the right supplies, these are so easy to make!  Find some earwires, pendant bases, and some Amazing Glaze, and you’re in business (my sources below).

The sparkling gem versions were made with simple colorful glitter from my stash that was layered along the bottom of the pendant base, then topped with a small amount of the powder glaze (seen below). 

Using aluminum foil beneath, I simply baked the first layer of powder inside the pendants in a 350 degree oven for two minutes and allowed it to cool for 5 minutes. Then I applied two more thin layers following the same technique, 2 minutes in a 350 degree oven until the powder melts and turns clear.

It hardens into a resin to make these little gems for your wineglass!

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