What I Learned Over Christmas Vacation

Was Christmas really only three weeks and one day ago? It seems like months have passed since we celebrated the holiday with our families. And while I spent most of Christmas vacation fighting a vindictive cold which is refusing to vacate my sinuses, I did have a tiny window of health during which I learned a couple of things.

ORIGAMI MONEY


Did you know that you can fold paper money into just about any shape? A shirt and tie? Check. A giraffe? Check. Numerous flowers including a rose and a lotus? Oh, yeah. I wasn't quite that ambitious, but I was rather pleased with the money "ring" we gave to our niblings Dalton and Natalie. (I recently learned that nibling is a word meaning nieces and nephews. I'll be using it from now on.) The YouTube tutorial was everything an effective tutorial should be: precise, detailed, and easy to follow.



 Here's Dalton modeling his "bling."

MANICURE TIP

I came across this tip for creating getting rid of unwanted polish and creating a clean edge around your nails. Just dip an angled eye liner brush in polish remover and run it along the rim where the nail meets the skin. Be sure to wipe off the excess remover before doing this. You want the brush wet but not dripping. This really works!

CHALKBOARD GIFT WRAP

Beks and I talked about this on BLT, but in case you missed it, here are the details for creating packages that mimic chalkboards. Purchase matte black paper. You can use paper with a glossy finish but it doesn't have quite the impact. I purchased black matte paper at Michael's. You'll also need white markers. I followed the directions on the "Coming Home to Roost" Pinterest Board, and copied some of Bonnie's artwork. I also drew bells, stars, and snowmen because they are really simple shapes to make. As my great-nibling Beckett says, "A snowman is a circle and a circle and circle."

I tied all of the packages with wide red ribbon. They were absolutely stunning. What I especially like is the three-in-one this wrap job provides:

• A card -- because you can write a message or sentiment directly on the package
• A gift tag -- because you write the giftee's name on the package
• A one-of-a-kind wrapping paper -- because YOU create the design

I'm planning on creating chalkboard wrapping paper for all of the gifts I give this year, or at least until the paper I currently have runs out. By changing out the color of the markers and ribbon, you can make your "wrap job" fit any gift-giving occasion.

More ideas to come throughout 2014!