Description: I made an Advent Calendar Kit complete with pockets, tags to put into the pockets, clothespins and string to hang the pockets on. Each tag has an activity to do with your family on the 12 days leading up to Christmas. The activity tags can be put into whatever pocket works best for your family's schedule.
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Snowflakes : Jennie
Okay, the real one is the small 4x4 canvas, painted with burlap and then vintage map hearts of the city. The ribbon around the edge makes it more decorative.
(thanks Jess for the pix)
The second one was just quick because I felt like the first might be inadequate! A framed "what's for dinner" for every night of the week. You can write on it with dry erase marker and your family should be in the know!
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Mistletoes : Lindz
Day number 1... oh the pressure! I wanted to create something that could be "heirloom" as well as fun and functional. My crafty idea spawned from a project I did for another occasion... a wedding gift for my childhood best friend. I found this tutorial on Pinterest for a project using maps to memorialize the special events in a couple's life... where they met, or fell in love, or got married. After creating a "memory map" for the bff's wedding present, I was left with an entire atlas of pages begging to be made into more crafties.
Keeping in mind my goal of "heirloom/fun/functional" as well as the lessons learned in past swaps concerning shipping prices, my idea was born to make miniature memory maps for Christmas 2011. A couple of my team members recently purchased new homes in which they will celebrate Christmas this year, and what is a more traditional celebratory knick-knack than a tree ornament? So I went to work butchering the atlas and came up with 7 pint size, framed map ornaments marking where each family will celebrate Christmas 2011.
I got them all wrapped up and felt like something was missing. I was day 1, for goodness sake! I wanted to really start the swap with a bang and I felt the packages were missing just a teeny smidge of jujj. So I went flipping through the atlas again and the compass on every page marking North caught my eye... my mind went to "North pole... true north... your heart is your compass..." and ended up settling on "May your travels always bring you "home for the holidays." The map compasses found their way onto glass marble pendants and bam! The gifts felt complete.
May your travels always bring you "home" for the holidays!
Much love to my Mistletoe girlies,
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18 comments:
Oh Lindsay...how I do love my giftie!!! It is just adorable...and clever..and oh so sweet.
And I will admit, I am still jealous of the other gifts. Jennie and Michelle I love your gifts as well. They are both so thoughtful and useful!!!
I just LOVE this swap!
WOW! All those gifties are A-MAZING! Seriously -- Jennie, inadequate?? You #1s sure set the bar high!!
Love EVERYTHING!!!
I love Michelle's scrappy awesomeness.
I ADORE Jennie's - ALL of it!
I love how personal Lindsey's is!
#1's what an awesome job! Fantastic!
Just because we need more !'s I am so glad we did it this way this year! Everyone is going to get such amazing things and have links to make things they didn't get! hahahaha.
I love that two of you had similar thinking with the maps! Great minds....
Lindz~I wish you had taken a picture of the pendant.... :)
Michelle~I am SO excited to organize my advent calendar tonight and get started on the activities! LOVE IT!
What a way to start the swap, #1's!!!
Michelle!! Thank you so much! I love love love my 12 days of Christmas calendar.
Way to go Jennie and Lindz. Totally jealous!
I knew I was gonna regret not doing this swap...love what I've seen so far and can't wait to see the rest!!!
JENNIE! I love, love, love my gifts. Everything about them is just perfect! Thank you.
Nice jobs all around, #1s!!
Oh, Jennie, my dear, it's perfect. I love my gifts so much - the map canvas is my favorite color and my fav place - truly perfect. And I have been meaning to make a menu planning board forever - thank you! Amazing.
The wrapping was perfection, too!
Lindz - Your map and pendants are beautiful! I love the personalization and the compass idea.
Michelle - Your advent calendars are gorgeous! Such thought and care - a true gift for the whole family.
Wow. What amazing gifts you all came up with. Thank you!
What a great way to start the week! I adore my Lindz ornament and necklace! Nolan is fascinated by the map. I love that it pinponts a specific moment in everyone's lives & is so personal.
& Jennie and Michelle! Geez! It's already been said, but the bar has been set HIGH! I am already having anxiety. :)
lindz, so great. i love that we will have such an awesome keepsake to remember our first xmas in our new house.
jennie, that menu frame is perfect. i am definitely going to make one for myself since matt always bugs me about what's for dinner.
michelle, simply perfect. love the idea of the little pockets and clothespins.
Oh my goodness. I've been drooling over those menu things for a long time, jealous...I mean envious...I mean, whichever, both ;) The heart plaque is super sweet and cute, great idea. LOVE the advent with the ideas, what a great gift!
Lindsey, I may or may not have teared up a bit, thank you so much!!! And I'm wearing the pendant now, what a great touch. Funny because the perfect spot on my tree for the ornament happened to have Michelle's from last time, so they're hanging together :)
Awesome awesome awesome! We should do all swaps like this! :)
Jennie--I love this mini! Love. It. And Allie has claimed the menu board. I will let her claim cooking as well.
Michelle--Love all the little details on the calendar and 12 days is so doable!
Lindsey--So sweet. And funny it was map-themed too.
Lindz and Michelle, you both did amazing work! Great job -- I would have been thrilled to receive them both!!
What a fun start to the week! I was petrified of being day one, but you ladies have put my mind at ease and now I'm even more excited to start opening pressies tomorrow!
Michelle, that advent calendar is so great... simple, clean, and cute! What a fun "instant tradition." :)
And Jennie, of course you know I'm loving the map idea. :) And I'm totally jelly about the weekly menu... I've had some of those pinned for months!
Fantastic start to the swap!
Jennie and Lindsey - What super cute ideas with the maps! I just LOVE it! I'm thinking of a cute anniversary gift for the DH!
Lindsey- I adore your gift! I cried as soon as I opened it! I get all gushy about sentimental things, and this is an ornament I will hold close to my heart. I love the necklace too, and such a neat idea to use the compass!
Jennie- I've been eyeing those menu boards for a while now. I need to make one! Great job!
Michelle- awesome job! Love the clothespins and all the details. Just perfect!!
Michelle- I love the advent calendar! I can't wait to get started. I just hope we can fit it all in with Billy's new schedule. :)
Lindz and Jennie- Fabulous! I want one for myself! ;)
The 1's rocked it out!! Way to go, those day one gifties are AWESOME!
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