Out with the Old and in with the New Year {2017} Styled Shoot

There is no better way to ring in the New Year than with heaps of delicious sweets made by the Lovely and talented Saima of Saima's Cake Parlour !
Photos By : KM Photography

I styled the Shoot at my dearest friend Kristen's, The baked goods were absolutely the center of attention! The Sugar cookies were decorated with such ornate detail using Royal Icing and of course copious amounts of gold & glitter as per my request! 

Cake Pops, This was actually my First  {EVER} Taste of a cake pop & my word these did not disappoint! They were devoured very quickly & almost didn't make it into the shoot due to their deliciousness! See image of me Chowing the last of them mid-take!

Black & White ; Silver & Gold ; Confetti & Glitter
But alas the Baked Goods got to me &, besides a Puggle who was desperate to get a taste of the Cake Pops things got so much more manageable!
Maybe it was the Hanger; But It was Treats to the rescue!
 & After a few frantic moments, cookies, and cake pops later, I just saw it as one last purge of that struggling energy before 2017 brings in an entirely New Attitude! 

Gratitude is the Best Attitude 

10 DIY Christmas Decor Projects Under $10.00

Christmas will be here before we know it & as much as I was panicking on December 1st when I realized that for the first time in about 10 years I hadn't started decorating, or shopping, when usually I would be about done... As I looked around though, I noticed I certainly wasn't the only one. Christmas snuck up on a lot of people this year & I am not quite sure why.
I don't know if it is all the Grinch I have been watching, but I feel like he was really onto something when he said " Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a Store, Maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more"! So I decided to hand make every single Gift this year (wherever possible). &  In true elf fashion (as Cody would say) I got my Butt in gear, & with a few mental break downs managed to get it all done, just in the nic' of time! 

In honor of today being #FriDIY, & tomorrow being Christmas Eve;
 I have put together A List of 10 (in reality their is 17) DIY Projects perfect for Christmas decor or last minute gift ideas & ALL under $10 !


1. DIY Yarn Wall Hanging HERE

2. DIY #NotYourGrandmasPotPourri HERE

3. DIY Christmas Ornament(s)

Bird Seed Ornaments HERE

Snow Flake Ornaments HERE

Dried Flower Petal / Memorial Tree Ornament HERE

Natural Rustic Ornaments HERE

Wrapped Hemp Tree Ornament HERE

DIY Toboggan Gift Tag & Tree Ornament HERE

Sparkle Vintage Paper Tree Ornament HERE

4. DIY Sparkle Raindeer Silhouette Canvas HERE

5. DIY Popsicle Stick Snowflakes HERE

6. DIY Sparkle 'Fa La La La La' Christmas Tree Garland HERE

7. DIY Christmas Mug(s) HERE

8. DIY Branch Advent Calendar HERE

9. DIY Barn-Board Advent Calendar HERE

10. DIY 

Wreath(s) 

Yarn Wreaths HERE & HERE

DIY Recycled / Music Paper Wreath HERE

Wishing you and yours and Merry Christmas & I will see you soon as the celebrations and continue and we count down to 2017 together!

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

DIY Recycled Paper Yarn Wreath

I shared a DIY Yarn & Christmas Light Wreath tutorial a few years back when I had just started the Blog & took even worse photos, this is a different more modern take on that! 

It is very simple, a great project to do with kids & you need very few supplies, which again you probably already have (a bit of trend going on there)!

I love how snugly Yarn wreaths always look & decided to make myself a mini Wreath to hang above my bed so I can remain in the spirit even while sleeping! 

A want a real 'Whoville' vibe going on in there in time for Christmas! 

Since this is an update of a pre-exhisting Blog, where I have already shared How To create your own Recycled Paper Wreath Base, I will link that HERE & skip those steps for now!

What You Will Need:

How To:

This photo is from the original blog posting.

Step 1. Once your Recycled Paper Wreath Base has been made begin wrapping it in Yarn. (It's actually that simple ) The only recommendation I would have is to be sure to un-spool your yarn as you go to avoid tangling.
Step 2. Decorate with Christmas Foliage (which i found stuffed in a Christmas Bin but you could easily find at Dollerama) or a Bow.
Step 3. Be sure to attach a length of Ribbon / Yarn for hanging & go ahead & do so!

OR Wrap it up and Gift it!

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

DIY Snowflake Tree Ornaments

According to the Calendar which is apparently oblivious of the weather Today is the First day of Winter, and so in honor of THAT... & In Keeping with the DIY Ornament(s) theme I have shared these DIY Snowflake Tree Ornament(s)!

Another great project to do with the kiddies, with the girls, boys, or by yourself & you undoubtedly already have the supplies at home!
 & You could also Add names to create personalized Ornaments that could double as non-disposable Gift Tag!

Supplies Needed: 

~ Clothes Pins

~ Hot Glue Gun / Super Glue 

~ Paint & Brushes

~ Jute Twine / Ribbon

~ Stamps & Ink Pad (optional)

How To:

Step 1. Start by removing the metal spring from your Clothes Pins
Step 2, Using your Hot Glue Gun / Super Glue ~ Adhere the back(s) of both pieces of a clothes pin back together as shown in Imagine 1 above. (You will need 5 of these to create each snow flake)
Step 3. Using a very small drop of Hot Glue adhere the edge to another.
Continue This process 5 times until the Entire Snow Flake takes shape. As Shown in Images 3 - 5.
Step 4. Paint your Snow Flake(s)
Step 5. Cut lengths of Jute Twine to 6 & 12"
Step 6.  Adhere 6" piece of Jute Twine to the end of one of the clothes pins as shown in Image 7.
Step 7. Wrap the 12" piece around the end & secure it with Glue.
Step 8.  I decided to flash mine up a bit by Adding snow flake stamps in silver.

Hang Them on your Tree,
Wrap & Gift them,
Or Personalize & use as a Gift Tag to take your Gift Wrapping up a notch!
Be sure to keep your eye's locked on the Blog for Tomorrow's Christmas DIY ~~ I promise it's NOT Ornament related in the least! 

& keep on using #Upcy & #AnUpcyChristmas

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

DIY Bird Seed Ornaments

These DIY Bird Feed Ornaments have been on my Want To Make list for a while now, they make a cute little handmade Gift for the Bird Lover in your life & The project is also Kid Friendly ~ Which is great because as your little ones approach Christmas I am sure this will help to keep their little hands busy! 

Supplies Needed:

~ packets Flavorless Gelatin

~ 1 1/2 cups Water

~ 2 cups Small Bird Seed

~ Jute Twine / Ribbon

How To:

Step 1. Start by boiling 1 1/2 cups of water on the stove
Step 2. Slowly & one at a time, mix in 2 packets of Flavorless gelatin
Step 3. Remove from heat and let sit for 3 min
Step 4. Mix in 2 cups of Bird Seed
Step 5. Let sit again for a few moments while you prepare your cookie cutters or molds.
Cody made mine super easy to do by carefully covering each cookie cutter in tin foil to create little molds. If you're lazier than he is most of us are, don't feel bad, you can set them onto a sheet of parchment - but be super careful not to move or lift them once you begin
Step 6. Carefully spoon mix into cookie cutter molds.
Step 7. insert a length of straw {will form the hole to later hang them}.
Step 8. firmly press them down with a iece of parchment
Step 9. Put in the freezer for 20 min OR outside (fellow Canadians) for 10-30 min depending on the temperature.
Step 10. once hardened remove straw and string onto a 6 inch piece of Jute Twine

Wrap & Gift to your favourite bird lover 

Hang them on an outdoor tree; not only do they look super pretty but they will serve to feed the hungry birdies this winter as most of their food sources are covered in snow and ice!

While I have shared this as a Christmas Gift it can absolutely be made & used All Year Round!

Be sure to check back for Tomorrows DIY of the Day & share your projects with #Upcy OR #AnUpcyChristmas!

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude

Nice & Naughty {Day & Night} Holiday Makeup Looks

I think we have all seen those meme's floating around to the effect of "I Only Have Two Moods" & I know that I can't be the only one who relates to them on such a profound level.
& So, in true blogger fashion I decided to re-create my own Cruelty Free Version! 

Both eye & lip look's were created over the same basic face that I do everyday. Playing with soft & deep colours on the lip & cheek,
as well as switching up three different eye shadows in the exact same way to create to very different moods!

These two make-up looks also work very well as Day to Night look(s)

OR Christmas Family Gathering Vs New Years Eve with Friends!!

Back to Basics // Products Used

{If you'd like a more detailed look at how I do my base you can view that HERE}

CC Cream ~ Fair

Sheer Glow Highlighter

Bronzer

It's A Long Story Mascara

"I'm On The Nice List"

Peachy Sweet // Products Used

This look is created I ditch the eyeliner when I wear this look which is probably half the reason I love it so much , but certainly don't skimp on the mascara!
I have done a few different looks in the past that could all be seen as slight variations of the exact same look; my favourite look! It's sweet, flirty, a little bit girly and very natural!

Eyeshadow(s):

Base ~ Quartz (flat)

Contour / Crease ~ Dawn (has a metalic undertone)

Highlight ~ Slate (has a slight shimmer)

Blush ~ Apricot

Lipliner ~ Peach

Lipgloss ~ Mallow

"Be Naughty & Save Santa The Trip"

Dark & Dreamy // Products Used

I am starting to fall more & more in love with dark lipstick & eyelooks the more I play with them. 'They' used to say that you could only do one of these at a time, but with the right balance the pairing can look striking! & who listened tho 'Those Guys' anyways!

Eyeshadow(s):

Base ~ Sienna (flat)

Contour ~ Storm (has a slight sparkle)

Highlight ~ Mist (has a slight shimmer)

Liquid Eyeliner ~ Black

Blush ~ Merlot

Lip Liner ~ Berry

Lipstick ~ Iris

The Brush(s) I used to create these look(s) can be found HERE & HERE

I will be sharing a Tutorial / DIY A DAY All Week As Count Down To Christmas Together!If you do end up creating one of the projects I share don't forget to tag #AnUpcyChristmas on Instagram so I can tell you how beautiful it is!!

Gratitude Is The Best Attitude