Insta-Friday. Instagram Weekly Photos.

Linking up with Life Rearranged
It's a great way to share all those photos and it's got me taking more pictures!
Sooooo here we go!

My Dad is a handy man out here in Arizona, and he's the keeper of this castle up on Camel back Mountain. He had to do some handy stuff so we went up with him to take a look around. 

The whole driveway was decorated with all these white stones. The whole castle was built with the rock of the area. Pretty cool.. actually really cool, it was freezing up there!

This is my arty pic from the balcony. I love cacti and wrought iron. 

And the door knockers were epic. The whole place really! I kept saying "Nice Knockers". Nobody laughed. *sigh*

The stain glass alone was amazing! This place is like an actual castle. It's nuts. 

Then we bundled up and headed to the Grand Canyon! My brother and his girlfriend had never been. And Emily kept calling it the "Green Canyon", at first it was really what she thought we were saying... then it became her own little joke! 

It was cold and this little girl did so good! She's happy no matter what! Such a blessing from God!

My brother and his girlfriend are down there somewhere.... it was too scary for me! But I loved the view!

These are just a few of the other pics of Thanksgiving weekend. Yes my daughter is still wearing her Tinkerbell costume as often as she can! This girl loves holidays!

This is how my daughter "helps". She wanted to give Sandie a treat! Sure the door is closed and she can't get to them... DETAILS!!!!.... she'll just let her STARE at her treats! Hilarious!

We don't have a tree yet but we were looking! 

This is my favorite! We are all getting into the Christmas spirit in our house! I love that EmJ is so silly! Merry Christmas!!!!!

Find me on Instagram : @chasing31

Love ya!

Bri

Turkey Christmas Santa Comics

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love this time of year! I get to cozy up with my family and laugh and joke and remissness about the year and previous years! My brother and his girlfriend have just flown in to visit for Thanksgiving. I'm so happy to have loved ones around! EmJ was so excited for her Uncle Nick to come and visit that she stayed up till midnight! And she kept saying "all my friends are home". Just melts my heart!

My brain starts to wander to Christmas already, but I have to remind myself to stay in the moment, enjoy and be thankful for today!

{via} and also on Pinterest

{via} and also on Pinterest

Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Bri

Pinterest Advent Calendar - Inspirations

So now that I've got an Advent Calendar for EmJ, the one I made last year (found here)
I've decided that I want one of my own. I'm all for the cheesy cheese of holiday prints and festive greens and reds, but I also really love the updated versions. And who says you can't have 2 Advent Calendars in your home!!???!! I'd like to meet that person and give them a piece of my Christmas! (Ok I'll calm down)

So here is some Pinterest inspiration for my next Advent Calendar!

{via} also on my Pinterest Board

I love this one, there are so many possibilities and it still looks so clean and pretty! I might do shells or metallics or all my favorite ornaments I have from my childhood. See!!??!?!? The possibilities ARE endless!

{via} also on my Pinterest Board

Another simple yet stunning advent calendar! And this could use up more of my stash of clothespins!!
 

{via} also on my Pinterest Board

This one is a little more cutsie, more for kids, but I love that it's an updated version. And seems easy enough to tie up the presents and pull them off.

{via} also on my Pinterest Board

I like this one, mostly because I'm obsessed with those little tins from Ikea. Also because it's super easy! And I could just hide the date inside to be posted on the outside. Oh who am I kidding!? I'll hide candy in there too! You wouldn't want the numbers to be lonely would you???!!!

Well this has been fun. We'll see which one I decide to copy be inspired by.

Thanks for stopping in!

Advent Calendar DIY

Advent Calendar

Stamping out the tree

Sooo last year I made an Advent Calendar for myself and my sister in law....

As you can see I used my daughters hand and foot prints as my stamps for a Christmas tree.

#1 I bought about a yard of plain muslin, and 2 yards of the christmas fabric.
#2 Purchased the little ornaments that are meant for the pint sized mini-trees. 25 of em.
#3 Lots and LOTS of iron tape. (I don't sew!! I wish I could)
#4 Green yarn
#5 Two different colors of Green, and 1 brown.
#6 The little clasp fasteners "Hook and Eyes"
#7 Some green-ish thread for stitching on the previous item.
#8 Green felt - for the top star.
#9 Wooden Dowel and round ends.
#10 Ribbon that I already had to hang the calendar onto the dowel.

This took me forever and since I made two I did each one a little different.
First I made the one for my sister in law

I took this picture only so that she'd see how it was meant to work. (I mailed this to India, where she was living and working, with the paints included for her to stamp her sons hands and feet with. So that's why the tree is blank.)

On mine I went ahead and puffy painted the numbers on. It was MUCH faster and easier to read.

Here is how I did it:


A) Iron tape the green and blue pieces together (these would be your festive fabrics) all around the edges.  Be sure to place your loops of ribbon in that sticky iron on tape too! This will hold onto the dowel at the end for easier hanging later.

B) Iron tape the three rectangles to the lower portion of your Advent Calendar. Only iron tape the two sides and the bottom. You want to leave to top open for your ornaments later.

C) Take Your Muslin fabric (which will become the triangle) and stamp your child's hands and feet in the shape of a Christmas tree. I put cardboard under mine so that the paint didn't ruin my floors!

D) Carefully cut around their tree leaving about an inch of extra muslin.

E) Stitch on the tree to your Advent Calendar using the green yarn. Also sew "pockets" for separation of your ornaments and days. 

The lines above are not exact. And as you can see from my pics, neither one was the same. 

F) Stitch on the "hook and eyes" to the calendar and the ornaments you've purchased. I sewed the "Eye" portion onto my tree and the "Hook" portions onto my ornaments. Some were sewn into the ornaments, hot glued, and even knotted onto them. Depending on which method worked the best. 

G) Puffy paint on your numbers.

H) Insert Dowel (and hot glue the round ends on if you want to) and Hang up! 

Tada! 2010 Christmas.

My little girl loves this Calendar! And when she's all grown up we'll marvel at how tiny her hands used to be! 

Time, stop going so fast!

 I love you EmJ, you are the light of my life. 

Thanks for stopping in!

Love,

Bri