I've been dying to share a little crafting I did back in October but couldn't due to the fact that the crafts were gifts. So now that Christmas has come and gone, I figure it's okay to share.

I mentioned previously that I have a crafty friend, Megan, who made me that pretty Ho Ho Ho banner I showed during my Christmas house tour. Well for that exchange, I made her some cute wine glasses to give as gifts.



Using my Cricut and some outdoor vinyl, I cut out the letters and dots to make some adult "sippy" cups. I can't believe how easy they came together and so inexpensive. They should last through quite a few wine nights too, because I used outdoor/automotive grade vinyl, which was also nice and shiny.

Funny thing is, I saw wine glasses just like this at Bed, Bath, and Beyond right after I made them, but of course mine are way cuter...or at least I like to think so ; )

Happy holidays!

I am finally on winter vacation and I am loving every second of it. I slept in today, cleaned the house really well, and just generally enjoyed myself.

It was made even more pleasant when an early Christmas gift from my mom and dad was delivered mid-day.


I was so happy when this little pink box was dropped off. What is it you ask? It is a Birchbox. A "monthly delivery of high-end beauty samples from the newest and best brands, plus plenty of expert tips and tricks." I originally heard about Birchbox from The Small Things Blog and knew that this would be right up my alley. I love trying new beauty products and this is the perfect answer. And lucky me, I got a 12 month subscription. :)


Inside my first BirchBox were 6 samples, I've used about half the items so far because I was so excited!

1. Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Birchbox Pink - Woah! REALLY bright pink lip gloss in the tube. But I was pleasantly surprised when I put it on, it made my lips a perfect shade of pink. I wore it with just my foundation and bare lids with mascara. Made my low-maintenance look really come together. Will definitely go into daily rotation.

2. Laura Gellar I-Care Waterproof Eyeliner in Navy - Loved the navy color, really made my eyes look brighter. Waterproof but came right off with eye makeup remover.

3. Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo - Haven't used yet since I had clean hair, but will definitely give it a shot and see if it compares to the Tresemme version I currently use.

4. Harvey Prince Yogini Perfume - Smelled good, not sure about it yet. It takes a lot for me to try a new perfume since I can get headaches from too strong of smells.

5. ShowStoppers Designer Fashion Tape - The sample contained two strips of double stick nude tape. Don't know exactly when I will get to use these since most of my clothes fit well but they will be nice to have on hand.

6. EBOOST Orange Natural Energy Booster - This is a powder pack that you mix with water that says it is "packed with a mega dose of nutrients. Maybe I will save this for new year's day when I might be feeling a little sluggish after ringing in the new year. :)

Now that I have received my Birchbox, I went to their website and created my beauty profile so that my samples are more tailored to my skin type, preferences, etc. And if I like any sample enough to want the whole thing, I can buy them right from the Birchbox website, have them shipped free to my door, and earn loyalty points towards future purchases. These would be great gifts for any gal on your Christmas list. Who wouldn't love getting some sweet beauty swag in the mail every month?

All in all, a pretty sweet gift, thanks mom and dad! Have you gotten any early Christmas presents? The boyfriend won't even let me touch any of mine under the tree. Only 1 more day!

This evening I am attending a cocktail party at a girlfriend's house and thought it might be nice to bring her a hostess gift. I know...I feel so adult, long gone are the days of showing up with just a case of beer. And I am proud to say my idea was all my own! I bought an inexpensive bottle (under $10) and removed the labels by soaking the bottle in hot water.



Over Thanksgiving I brought the Tie the Knot cartridge which has an awesome monogram feature. Using my DesignStudio I welded together the hostess' initials

 Then I cut out the mongram onto white vinyl so it would stick to the wine bottle. I used the Provocraft brand and got it from Wal-Mart, cheap and easy! This was my first time cutting vinyl so I thought it would be a little harder but to my surprise it was just as easy as cutting paper. I followed the directions that came with the package of vinyl, setting my blade depth to 6 and pressure to 2. It was so easy!


After the Cricut did its' job I removed the excess vinyl and left the actual cut on the backing. Since the vinyl works like a sticker it is important to leave it on the backing until you are ready to use it. Now, Provocraft makes transfer tape that takes your cut from the backing to your project without any fuss, but I didn't feel like spending another $10 so off to Google I went to find an alternative and wouldn't you know it,YouTube user nancy10nl suggested painter's tape. Well, I had a roll of that lying on the kitchen table (no really, I did!) and it worked just like transfer tape.



 And voila! I have my very own, personalized hostess gift in under 30 minutes! I can see me making more of these for quick gifts to give.

 
 Well, off to go get ready for my party, back with more soon!