Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Hats off to

Snowmen!
Or in this case.....tipping snowmen hats to fill with a sweet surprise.


 


These little snowman came to mind while I was constructing last months   
Thanksgiving pumpkin favors.
Once again the seasonal napkins were my first thought for a snowman favor, then I found an array of cute Christmas themed tissue paper.
I don't see why you couldn't use leftover Christmas wrap as well.



List of supplies: glue gun/sticks
tissue paper or gift wrap  or napkins
Styrofoam balls 
polyfill
party nut cups
 puff paint
candy canes
ribbon
twine
white paint 
candy for filling




Prep snowman with one generous coat of white paint. 
*A toothpick enables you to hold and paint the entire ball.

Drill a hole into the base of the styrofoam ball with a pair of (closed) pointed scissor.  This opening will help prevent the (wrapped) candy cane from breaking when it's inserted.
*A piece of double stick tape wrapped around the cane helps secure it inside the head.



Cut a 9inch circle from the paper.
Lay filled candy cup in the center, gather and tie the hat with a bow.


Glue head and hat together.    
  Until the polyfill is attached the hat will seem large .
Take a strip of polyfill, wrap and glue around the base of the hat.  

Paint his face.

*I used a dotting tool with the puff paint,  a toothpick works too.
With a Q-tip add a smidge of blush to his cheeks.
Yup actual blush from your makeup bag.



Tie wired ribbon around the candy cane to create the effect of a wind blown scarf. 




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Rudolph The Red Nose
Lollipop


 These little Rudolph's were made with.... mini candy canes for the antlers, peppermint candies for the face/head, red hot  candies for the nose and a toothpick dot of melted chocolate for the eyes.
Candy melts were used to glue everything together including the lolli stick.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!!
See you in the New Year!

Friday, December 13, 2013

Whats in store....

"Just hanging around".....A handcrafted design by Sara's Sweet Surprise.  Three new styles of jingle bell hangers. First up...Extra large glitter florist bow with 3 different glitter ribbon patterns. A white  jingle bell hangs from a Merry Christmas ribbon. There are accent touches of gold & red glittered leaves on both bow and bell.
Measures (approx) 19" length 10"width (at widest point of bow).









 

Design 2~Frosty Snowman (plush) has a embroidered message that reads...Let it snow. Extra large florist bow with 3 different ribbon patterns. A white  jingle bell hangs from a Snowman ribbon. There are accent touches of silver glittered berries. Measures (approx) 19" length 10"width (at widest point of bow). 









 Design 3~ Turtle Dove.  A  beautiful winged, white ceramic clay dove,  lightly dusted in a opalescent glitter.
It has the same measurements as the two previous designs. 







 


  These designs can be special ordered to meet your ribbon preference.
 Message me or leave a comment if you're interested in purchasing or have any questions. 


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Whoever said you can't wear white after Labor Day must not have seen these winter whites.

Bejeweled coat and slacks!
I would love this wrapped up under my Christmas tree!


A few ensembles for any festive event.......
Chiffon


Faux fur trimmed



Form fitting






T-U-L-L-E!




Cowl & petticoat.



 To work or play the versatile skinny jeans, structured coat and blouse.
 The finishing touch...
strappy sandals.



A Mitten and scarf combo to cuddle up in.
 (photo sources Tumblr & Pinterest)










Wednesday, December 4, 2013



Decorating for Christmas can seem daunting when Thanksgiving has barely made it's way back into storage.  
After eyeing this inspirational photo... I took a trip to our local craft stores searching for the pictured items. What I found were expensive prices for silk flowers and picks. So, onward to the Dollar Tree & Goodwill. This is where I found several picks and florals at a fraction of the price. Purchasing large inexpensive styrofoam or polymer candy canes  for your focal point will provide the bulk for your arrangement. Poke in a few faux berries & greenery picks as fillers. Spritz with artificial snow and or glitter, this spruces up any faux foliage. 
Now you've created a beautiful affordable arrangement for any, vase, urn, basket or bowl. 






Trimming the kitchen.....stamp a cotton tea towel with a simple Christmas tree design, embellish with a few(glued)sequins,  to resemble Christmas balls. 
A blanket stitch (edging)is nice but optional.
(Don't forget to heat set the stamped image by ironing or tossing the tea towel into the dryer before applying the embellishments).
One of each...sequins, flat back rhinestones and pearl beads tea towels would make a nice bundled gift.

  

Monday, December 2, 2013

HAVE YOU HEARD!!



 I've created a new Facebook page! 
By adding this FB page it will allow me to post  at my whim.
Everything that tickles my fancy...... 


 DIY's




RECIPES






  DECORATING TIPS




 FASHION



 SHOPPING



MAKEUP

I'll also be linking previews to upcoming blog post on my Facebook page.
Along with taking request for future posts.
Sooo,
please bring your friends and come "join the fun!
I'd love to see your support and especially your comments!


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

A FALL favor

With all the preparations of Thanksgiving in the midst, T-day favors are usually left to the last minute.  Which then calls for something simple to create.  
I wanted a little something that swayed from the usual suspects.....candies, only because most of us are still recovering from Halloween's  sugar rush. 




When the first fall leaf makes it's appearance  so do these.  My cubboards are stocked with several boxes of my favorite teas..... Celestial Seasons Sweet Pumpkin Harvest, (only available in fall).  For me,  the flavor has the perfect blend of pumpkin with a hint of spices.  Bigelows Constant Comment (love the name) is an orange spice blend (offered year round).  Most teas are tasty on their own but, in our house a splash of vanilla creamer takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness.


The idea for my petite tea-pumpkins came to me while preparing a cup of this intoxicating brew.   The  fragrance provided the inspiration I was searching for.   



 Most of the supplies I had on hand except for the packaging.  My first thought was the obvious...fabric.    But, wanting something organic/disposable is where the fall themed napkins came to mind.  I really hit the jackpot when I found matching place cards which were repurposed into tags.





After cutting a few circles from the napkins and sewing a running stitch, I popped in my tea bags.  Along with paper shreds to form the pumpkin shape.  I knew at this point a cinnamon stick would make a perfect stem.  Which could be added to the tea when brewed. The ribbon, leaves and tag pulled all the cuteness together. 
They truly made me smile.






The tags were quite tiny so, they read...T4U.



 An added bonus is the aroma from the tea bags permeates through the packaging, filling the air with a fall fragrance.




(please click images to enlarge)

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

How 's your garden growing?



Once I gathered a few garden essentials I got to work on growing a few blooms of my own.

1.Clay flower pots
2. Trader Joes dehydrated pineapple slices
3. World Market Choco Rocks



 Pineapple Roses

This is when the package of dehydrated pineapple slices comes into play.
(These were purchased from Trader Joes)
(Wendy you're going love this)  two step directions.
Cut a slit into the pineapple ring,  roll  slice until it resembles a Rose...easy peasy!
 I cut various lengths of the pineapple to achieve the perfect sized flower for my cupcakes.






I pre-made a batch of (paperless) cup cakes frosted with chocolate mousse.
The mousse acts like a glue to hold the chocolate gravel and pebbles into place.




The cupcake is nestled in a  bowl filled with Gelato and a
topping of crushed chocolate cookies to resemble soil.




 Dessert to you from my garden.




If dehydrated pineapples are scarce in your area, here is a wonderful option using a fresh pineapple.

( source with directions )




Sweet Wishes,
Sara

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

BUYER BEWARE!!!

 I have recently been trying to make some healthier food choices.   I thought Julian Bakery's low carb bread was a healthier choice but, found out I was terribly wrong.  Fortunately after the bread arrived I took one bite and immediately spit it out! I didn't eat the bread I received.  I've learned there are some who have eaten it and experienced terrible digestive stomach cramps/pains
 
  HERE'S THE DETAILS WHEN I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE.  I WAS INFORMED... JULIAN BAKERY OFFERS NO REFUNDS FOR TASTE OR TEXTURE, WHICH WAS NEVER EXPRESSED WHEN I PLACED MY ORDER. NOR DO THEY OFFER STORE CREDIT! AS A PROPRIETOR MYSELF I FIND THIS BUSINESS PRACTICE APPALLING! I WILL CONTINUE TO POST WARNINGS ABOUT THIS UNSCRUPULOUS COMPANY AND POTENTIAL HARMFUL BREAD! THE FACT THAT JULIAN BAKERY DOESN'T BACK THEIR PRODUCT WITH ANY GUARANTEE SPEAKS VOLUMES. 
I APPLAUD THE GENTLEMAN WHO MADE THIS VIDEO!!  ALBEIT ENTERTAINING IT WAS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE!!  
PLEASE WATCH THIS> JULIAN BAKERY SPONGE BREAD
 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Not always as easy as it looks!


 Like many of you...I've enjoyed  the inspiration on Pinterest.  But, not all inspirations are easy to recreate.  I can't tell you how many fails I've gotten before the final product (slightly) resembles the original photo. 


Source: lolsnaps.com via Maggie on Pinterest




I hope this brought a smile to your day!


Monday, February 4, 2013

Sharing the love for Michael Kors!





To know me is to know my love for
the  designer Michael Kors.





His fashions, carry a classic beauty.
Similar to my other love...
Chanel! 




The  rose gold Bel Aire watch was a must have for my collection.  The rose gold baguettes are stunning!
A girl can never have too much bling!





Here's my latest purchase...the Hamilton Red Quilted (large) tote with gold studded detailing.
My perfect Valentine.
I'll be picking her up this weekend.
CAN'T WAIT!
Whats more phenomanl then a new MK handbag?



A Sale!!
Here's how you can grab the deal for yourself. T
oday i
f you wear red into Macy's they're offering the MK's red quilted Lrg. Hamilton for 50% off sale price, around $172 w/tax. Originally priced @$448.
 You can also call your local Macy's and purchase it over the phone with your Macy CC and they will honor the discount.
It's less expensive than their website discount.
 
  
.