Holiday decor and crafts

So sorry it has been awhile since I have posted anything. I have been extremely busy pursuing my passions, taking care of my business and most important of all being a mom to my two amazing girls. This year I bit off a lot more than usual and have been learning the best way to find balance and time for myself also.

2014 is going to be an important year for me, I love my baking, event planning and decor business a lot but it is so hard to run solo and I never like to do anything half hearted or have to say no to anyone. My cousin had moved back down here and was helping me out but she let me know that she was heading back north for awhile and isn't sure when she will return. With that being said it is hard to find anyone else I trust enough to work with me and help me with this business. I had been ready to start my photography business but decided to put the on the bam burner and continue to grow artistically and gain more experience first while focusing more on the business I already have established. I will still be making cakes, decor and doing design stuff along with my crafts cause they are all passions of mine, but 2014 I am really going to focus on starting the photography business. 

I have been shooting a lot and working on running shoot specials to build my portfolio. My true passion is landscape and scenic photography, I consider myself more an artist then a photographer but photography has been an amazing outlet for me to show my creative and artistic talents. I will be doing  lifestyle and family portraits as my focus and I prefer outdoor, natural light photography. This will be and include family photos, maternity, engagement, bridal, senior and children portraits. There will be a lot more to come about this after the New Year, along with launching a website and other surprises. I can't wait to share. 

My main focus has been on my daughters and family. This year my youngest started kindergarten and my oldest is in her last year of middle school. My amazing husband has been very busy with work and that means I am extremely busy with my girls. I took on being class mom for my youngest, volunteering a lot at the school, then my oldest is cheering right now so that has my schedule all over going to games and picking her up from practices along with my youngest daughter's schedule it is hectic.

For Christmas we got our daughters a puppy! It is very exciting but also again time consuming. We got them a mini schnauzer, my oldest has bad allergies and they are hypo allergenic and one of the only smaller to mid sized hypo allergenic dogs my hubby liked. She has been an amazing addition to our family. We named her Piper and we have had her a little over a week now, she is amazing. I have never had such a sweet, smart and well behaved puppy in my life. She is already house broken, trained to sit and crate trained. I adore her and this is huge cause I am not a dog person. 

I started my holiday decor the week of thanksgiving. It took me some time because I love the holidays and love to go all out for my girls. I want them to always remember the holidays being very happy times and joyful. We have two large trees along with three smaller trees inside, each of my girls has a tree in their room and I had a small one left over fr my youngest room that she doesn't use now that she has her pink tree that was small enough to use in the kitchen. Every room in my home except my bedroom is Christmas crazy:). 

Below I am posting some of my decor photos along with some photos of some simple easy diy crafts I do every year. I am still working on a wreath made with the handprints of all the children in my daughters kindergarten class, which I am going to give to the teacher, some ornaments made out light bulbs and goody bags for the class.

I made some amazing jars with lights, potpourri, ornaments and berries for the bathrooms, vases from dollar store with ornaments in them, custom snowman wreath (similar to the ones I sell every year), and some other cute ideas.  We also have my grandma's Anna Lee elf that we use as our elf on the shelf that my youngest named Edward:). He has been found in some amazing places or getting into trouble since Dec started and I have some photos below to share. Let me apologize for the photos being all scattered and not labeled cause I am using my iPhone to post this since time is not something I have a lot of and wanted to get a post in before my hectic week begins. I plan to spend a lot of quality time making crafts, doing family things, planning our Christmas Eve party, making desserts, and just enjoying every secondy girls are off for Christmas break. 

Enjoy my photos and I will have more photos, crafts and a post on holiday gift wrapping coming once I get thru this week. I hope everyone has an amazing holiday and winter break. Remember the holidays are all about family and enjoying time with the ones we love. Enjoy every moment and cherish the small things and all the memories. Happy holidays and have a safe New Years:). 

That's just a few and more to come tomorrow night along with some of my wreaths I made this year, the pictured I threw together last minute for myself and didn't have any white lights left so used white garland and colored led mini lights that I love:). They are battery operated and have a timer amazing.

Ending this with a football comment I have been a FSU fan since I was five or six for over thirty years basically and was lucky to be present at the orange bowl when they won a national title years ago, I am over the moon and so proud to be a Seminole fan we have had an amazing season. Winston winning the Heisman and now heading to Pasadena to play for the title, all I have to say is GO NOLES! Couldn't be a happier or prouder fan. 

Sorry been MIA

I have been struggling with horrible migraines for the passed month. Think I have gotten things back under control thanks to my doctor and neurologist but still have some tests I am waiting on. The holidays have been amazing:). Had a great time and have been back to baking, event/party planning and did a few holiday decor jobs. I love to get back to what I love. Went to the art institute in Miami for their open house last week and am back to considering design school and event planning. I have taken courses but need to complete my degree.

I am also excited to say my holiday wreath sales went good. Etsy isn't as good as I hoped and store envy wasn't any good at all. I found that Craigslist, and local craft shows were where it was at. In my area the city has four different holiday craft events and by my house the city has a retirement and adult living community they host craft shows along with antique sales every other weekend, I sold a lot and got a lot of custom orders too;). I expanded to floral centerpieces, arrangements, holiday ornaments, and more. Then when I was baking for thanksgiving decided to make samples which helped me a lot with Christmas orders;).

I also am excited to say I got some great new polished during the past month and some other great items to sample for everyone. I had one of the prizes for my contest in fall come back the week before Christmas and am sending that out this Thursday. I am going to get settled then extend the Joby nail art contest another couple of weeks. Had three prizes and only two people entered. Please help me spread the word and by the end of this week will have the contest extended:). Sorry for the inconvenience I usually am on top of my blog and site just with the migraines then my kids holiday events had no free time till today to even update.

Excited for all that is to come in 2013! I will have contest and giveaways along with great reviews and samples of items, new baking and craft photos and ideas plus a lot more. Please stay tuned and thank you to everyone for your support. Below are some photos of polish and other things from the past months or so:). Enjoy.

Happy new year xoxo

Melissa

So fall, Essie Decadent Dish

I picked up this color at kohl's the other day when I ran in to grab a jacket for a night out. I love dark colors and this one caught my eye. It is called Decadent Dish and is an amazing almost brown burgundy. At first thought may be similar to Oktoberfest OPI but this is darker less purple color.

Has a gorgeous shine and the color is perfect from fall. It is brown with burgundy shimmer took two coats but worth it for sure love it:). I applied a base coat of Sally Hansen maximum growth base cause since I started kickboxing and boxing my hands fake a beating punching and doing burpees or push ups with gloves and wraps on.

I have broken my nails a lot lately but I like them kind of short and they grow fast. The Sally Hansen formula works amazing for nurturing my nails and supporting strong growth as well as protecting against polish stain and makes a good neutral base:). Then came two coats of Essie Decadent Dish and followed with Out The Door top coat. I alternate monthly between out the door and Poshe top coat love them both.

Enjoy the photos and off to kick some butt at box fit class now been dropping weight so fast in a month my body is transforming so quick and I can kick some butt lol. Not just strong and can hold me own anymore I know some moves. Amazing classes. Have a good week and will have some more posts just finished a design project and a event:). Also check out some of my fall and Christmas wreaths as well as all occasion wreaths and much more decor to come. Xoxo

Meli~

Amazing mail day Birchbox November and hgtv holiday magazine:)

I absolutely love mail, wether surprises, subscriptions, gifts or stuff I purchase I enjoy receiving mail. Samples are always a favorite of mine cause I love to try new things. I also like magazines:). I am a reader, I love to read and write always have since I was young. I use to write little fiction novels when I was ten to fifteen still have them along with my journals.

Reading is a passion I love books, religious historical reads and anything fashion, baking, event or party planning and design! I always am excited for my seasonal hgtv magazine and this one has to be my favorite issue yet cause it is holiday issue. I love the holidays already have my Christmas decor out of storage and attic in my office ready to break out Thanksgiving morning:).

I have been making garland, wreaths, centerpieces, personalized ornaments and more. I go all out every holiday. However I do not get corny and decorate my car that is to much lol. Besides my hubby would never drive in it he already refuses to drive in my car with my FSU sticker and some other ones. Mostly I have support causes like lupus, leukemia, and breast cancer cause I have lost my dad, a close friends sister who was younger then me and a few friends to these awful diseases.

I got my November Birchbox. I got home and my mom was saying my youngest daughter said to her ah man it's a box but just mom's Birchbox lpl. My kids know already it is funny. I am waiting for my new Marc Jacobs buys and have some craft stuff coming I got from Cricut online:).

In my nov Birchbox was some great items. Starting with Archipelago Pomegranate Body Soap, I love new soaps:). I also got Marula The Leakey Collection which is an Omega rich pure Marula oil. I have read amazing things about these products. Helps reverse and reduce the signs of aging excited to try this.

Also got a bottle of Model Co fibre lashxtend lengthening mascara with a built in mirror on the bottle love that feature! Oscar Blandi pronto texture and volume hair spray and to give since it is the month of being thankful and giving a bottle of John Varvatos Artisan. I love John Varvatos fragrances for men amazing.

They also sent a box to give a gift in and a coupon. I always love my Birchbox. Never been disappointed:). I can't wait to read my magazine but have to relax for a few before I head out to a hard core night of training and boxing at the gym. Love Tonight's trainer he is amazing:). I see big changes in a month! It has been one month a down three sizes and 18lbs I see the inches the most cause I have got a lot of tone and definition.

Have a great week all and so excited for the week ahead and next week with thanksgiving. I had my oldest daughter on thanksgiving 13 years ago this year best thanksgiving ever:). Have a lot to be thankful for especially when so many people are struggling with jobs, paying bills losing homes etc. I hope everyone has an amazing holiday and a lot to be thankful for also:). Xoxo

Melissa