Christmas Eve

It has been such a beautifully chill day, that I had no problem finding time to write this post. I woke up and watched The Grinch, Rudolph, and Charlie Brown with my family. Then I started wrapping presents when I realized I was a little short for one person's gift, so I ran to Starbucks for a giftcard. And maybe a little hot chocolate for myself. However, I totally didn't need that hit chocolate because its 73 degrees, and I was finally able to take part in Dressember! My second half of the family will be here in a few hours, so we're just relaxing until then. If I don't get to post tomorrow, I wish you a very merry Christmas!

Still Wrapping?

I can't be the only one pushing off wrapping my Christmas presents this late, right? In my defense, I bought them all about a month ago, but have just taken my time with the wrapping. As of today, I have one wrapped. It's obviously going very well. ;)

However, that one present turned out super cute! Aerie is giving away HUGE giftboxes this year, so I'm picking them up for all of my presents. However, it looks kinda silly for the men if it says "Merry Aerie" on it. So I decided instead of wrapping the box, I could just wrap the lid and it'd probably turn out alright. I got a little carried away when I found some extra twine though. And then of course, this graphic design student had to make her own gift tags in Illustrator. Needless to say, wrapping one gift took about an hour, but look at how cute it turned out!

Except for the one stupid piece of tape to keep the bow in place, I'm in love! I found a whole bunch of cute gift tag templates using Google search, and put the chalkboard effect behind it. I can't wait to show yall the rest! 

What I'm Possibly Wearing Not on a Wednesday

A complicated title for a complicated post! 

There's a small chance I'll be going out for New Year's Eve. Seeing how Melissa and I will be making a 12 hour roadtrip that day, I'll probably just want to crash way before this shindig ever starts. However, if I do go out, this is the outfit I have halfway planned in my head. (Yes, halfway. Keep reading, because I need your help!)

Kinda beautiful, right? And for under $50, I'm basically in love!

However, seeing there's a chance it might snow the weekend before, and maybe even that night, I'd pretty much need a cardigan/heavy winter coat. So I've got a few questions for my fellow bloggers:

1. Where in the world does one find a blush cardigan? Seriously, I've looked all over.

2. If I don't find a blush cardigan, would an unbuttoned chambray top be cute or too casual?

3. My peacoat would probably look really silly with this, right?

So many questions for one outfit! I'd appreciate any and all advice. :)

A Blogger Day of Silence

Thankful Thursdays

I love the way that Sarah words Thankful Thursdays on her beautiful blog:

"I feel like it is so important to give thanks throughout the year - not just when there is a designated holiday for doing so.  In fact, it's important to give thanks each day - for all things and in all situations.  That's what this link up is all about, and I hope you'll join in by sharing your "thankful" posts!"

Is she not just the sweetest thing? So make sure you go link up! :)

I'm thankful for

1. The Grinch. 

The cartoon version, or the people version. I love them both! But the poem is by far my favorite.

2. Heating pads. Ohhh yes. They are little pieces of magic. :)

3. Daddies and grandpas to fix dead car batteries. Even if it just got changed 2 years ago. Sighh.

4. FREE Starbucks. :) I have any drink free and I'm stoked! Venti White Peppermint Mocha, here I come!

5. My blogger community! I am SO close to 200 followers, and there's no way in the world I could've done it without my favorite sweeties.

I hope you lovelies have a fantastic and safe weekend!

Sunday Social

Linking up again for the Sunday Social, and am super stoked! I honestly can't even remember the last time I posted three days in a row. Y'all should consider yourselves lucky. ;) Anyways, we've got Ashley and Neely hosting this week's social again! Go check them out, and then totally link up too.

1. Favorite Holiday Movies/TV Specials? Well since I answered about holiday movies, I guess I'll focus on the TV specials. There's so many I love, it'd be hard to name them all! I'm always up for a little Rudolph, Frosty, and The Grinch though!
2. Do you do any volunteering during the holidays? If so, what? I volunteer in my church's cafe all year round, but I try to do a Christmas shoebox with Samaritan's Purse at least once a year. :)
3. Favorite toy received as a present as a child for the holidays? A gigapet. This one to be exact:

4. What was your must have item in high school for the holidays?

That's when I started building up my Christmas village collection. I was such a dork.

5. Item you begged for the most and never got?

I can't honestly think of anything for this one. I was pretty blessed in my childhood.

6. What do you do on Christmas Eve?

Open one present and watch as many Christmas movies as humanly possible with my family. :)

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer...

...is singing loud for all to hear!

While watching Elf and playing with Illustrator, this is obviously the only reasonable thing I could create. Right? Such a great way to spend the morning.

High Five for Life Friday!

I've been super, really far behind on my H54F posts, much less all of my blogger posts. So I figured I'd just give a little update on the exciting things in my life, in high five form!

1. I'm moving in 24 days!

Holy crap, that's sooner than I expected. Thankfully, the beautiful Melissa of Your Perfect Peace is flying down so I don't have to make the 12 hour move on my own. Don't you just love her?!

2. I have a nephew!

Have I told you about him yet? He's barely 3 weeks old, and I don't think I could love anything as much as I love that boy. And let's just say that he's SO blessed, because he literally has the best parents anyone could ask for. They're figuring out parenting so quickly as it's happening to them. It's truly a beautiful experience to watch. I don't know how I'm going to survive living so far from him.

3. I have a puppy!

And by puppy, I mean 3 years old. But he's just about the sweetest thing I've ever met. I can't have him until I move though. It's so hard!

4. I'm going back to school!

That's right! I'm getting my education again! And in something I actually want this time. Don't get me wrong, I still love the education field, and still totally consider it a viable backup option, BUT I love graphic design! (And run-on sentences.) In a way, I'm really happy that I was able to take this time off of school, because if I hadn't my life would've been in a completely different place right now. That's a whole post in itself, so we'll hold off for now. ;)

5. I made the best Christmas present EVER.
I can't go into details quite yet on what it is, but it will seriously blow some people's minds. :)

Tuesday 10: Favorite Holiday Songs!

In an attempt to be a good blogger, I started to write up some great drafts of some posts for this week. I'm kind of sick of writing my posts at the last second hoping for some kind of good quality! I got really far along, until I decided to check the prompt for Lena's Tuesday 10 for next week. Until I realized today was Tuesday, and how in the world could I say no to her perfect prompt of  my 10 favorite holiday songs?! And yes, these are in order. No, I'm not obsessed with Christmas. ;)

1. I am unabashedly proud to say that my favorite song this holiday season is 

Glee's "Merry Christmas Darling." 

That is my number one go to song for driving in the car, and it always makes for a fun time!!

2. Bing Crosby's "The Christmas Song"

3. Dean Martin's "Baby It's Cold Outside"

4. Dianne Reeve's "Christmas Time is Here"

5. Frank Sinatra's "Jingle Bells." 

I may or may not have six different variations of this song.

6. She and Him's "Little Saint Nick"

7. Michael Buble's "All I Want for Christmas is You"

8. Josh Groban's "Believe"

Because who didn't love The Polar Express?

9. "Zat You Santa Claus" by some girl that I wish I knew her name. 

They play it at my work all the time and I thoroughly enjoy it. Sorry Louis. ;)

10. Bing Crosby's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

This is my perfect playlist for Christmas! I cannot wait to go driving again to play it. 

What about you?What song can you not live without this holiday season?

Sunday Social- Holiday Traditions

Do you ever find a linkup and think "Holy crap!! How have I never seen this linkup before? It's totally fine to post twice in a day to be a part of this."? I've only found a few like this, but Sunday Social is 100% my new linkup party. Maybe because they started me out with some pretty fun Christmasy questions, but I'm still super stoked. Check out the sweet hosts Ashley and Neely and see for yourself just how fun this linky is!

1. What is your favorite holiday season tradition?

Painting cookies, without a doubt! I'm now always on the lookout for the most detail oriented cookie cutters that would be perfect for this. You can totally expect to see a post on this soon. 

2. Do you have a certain holiday movie you watch more than others? If so what is it?

Sadly, Elf is pretty much on nonstop in our house. We LOVE it, but we've seen it so many times!! Charlie Brown Christmas is a close second. I have the tree and everything. Of course, he's in North Carolina though. It's so hard having all your Christmas decorations 12 hours away!

3. Show us your favorite decoration or pinterest decoration you wish you could have.

The Grinch wreath I made this year! Isn't he presh?

4. What is your favorite holiday song?

Glee's version of Merry Christmas Darling. I don't even watch the show anymore, but their entire Christmas album last year was spectacular. Anything by Michael Buble (except Santa Baby) is a close second.

5. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Candy Cane cookies. Mmmm. I'm hoping to have the yummy recipe up sometime this week!

6. What is on your wish list this year?

Pretty much everything in the Target holiday section. For a better list, see here. :)

Happy Birthday to my Dad!

He never looks for praises
He's never one to boast
He just goes on quietly working
For those he loves the most
His dreams are seldom spoken
His wants are very few
And most of the time his worries
Will go unspoken too
He's there A firm foundation
Through all our storms of life
A sturdy hand to hold to
In times of stress and strife
A true friend we can turn to
When times are good or bad
One of our greatest blessings,
The man that we call Dad.
Source: Poem About A Silent Strong Dad http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/silent-strong-dad#ixzz2DuQbTRh1 

Happy birthday Dad!!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things

Somehow this song has become a Christmas classic. I'm not quite sure how, but there is no complaining in my car when this song comes on the radio. Since it's finally this lovely holiday season, here are a few of my favorite things:

Source: letitbeweeds.tumblr.com via Kara on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Kara on Pinterest

Source: designworklife.com via Kara on Pinterest

Source: repinly.com via Kara on Pinterest


What are your favorite things surrounding the winter holidays?

Source: hypebeast.com via Kara on Pinterest

Target Christmas List. Swoon!

It's no question that I'm addicted to Target. But now that I'm moving, and trying to redecorate my color schemes, Target has become a true inspiration for everything I want in a room. Especially their holiday collection. Crazy, right? Who would want holiday decor up all year round? Um, this girl! Check out some of the crazy cute stuff I'm dying to have this holiday season:

Threshold Set of 2 Acorn Votive Holders
But for $18?! I don't think so!

Threshold Embroidery Linen Arrow Decorative Pillow

Threshold Figural Fox Decor
Picture this little fella painted yellow. 

Porcelain Reindeer Pillar Candle Holder
I already have the perfect yellow candle for this cutie!

Tall Silver Vase
Spray painted grey, imagine it with me!
With maybe some cute yellow flowers year round?

Short Silver VaseSuch imaginative titles, right?I imagine this one white next to the
other one for pens and pencils!

White Resin Photo Frame

And my favorite piece of the holiday collection. 

What this has all been building up to. 

What all Target employees make fun of me for asking where its located. 

This cute cutie:

Ceramic Stag Head
And of course I think this would look better in grey, but I'd be so scared to ruin it!

So friends, family members, loved ones, this is the perfect collective list of every Christmas present I would take with a glad smile on my face!

UPDATE: I totally bought the two silver vases. I couldn't hold out on my cuties!

Serious Advice Needed

Alright guys, I have a huge dilemma that needs to be solved by Black Friday. I'm going to give you all the variables, and let you decide what needs to be done. Pretty please.

I have three jobs. Between the three of them, I'd be working 25 hours straight on Black Friday. Crazy, right?! But people have done it before.

So I guess my real question is should I try really hard to stick through all of these hours? Or should I quit the job that won't transfer when I move in a month?

Any and all answers are appreciated!

Free Christmas Cards!

Alright followers, here's the deal. I just moved all of my belongings to North Carolina, where I won't be for a little more than a month. This is the only little Christmas decoration I could contribute to the apartment this year.

So yes, I made the most out of this experience that I could. As I unpacked the little guy, and put him on his tv tray, I was singing Christmas carols, and trying to get my family's attention. We always "trim the tree" together. It just wasn't the same as every other year!

So to get myself a little more into the Christmas spirit, I decided to give my fellow bloggers a FREE gift. That's right, 4 different designs of Christmas cards to print and share!

 I strongly suggest printing these babies on card stock before mailing. They should download as a 5x7, if not, you can send an email to kara@thesnuglyduckling.com and I'll send you the correct file size!

PS And you can email me just to tell me if you used any of them. It'd make my lifetime goal of making Christmas cards (that people would actually want to use) a reality.

High Five For Friday!

Oh, I'm so slow!! Today has just been a little bit crazy. 

BUT here's my high fives from the week:

1. November has been all about thankfulness for me. I've recently started posting on Instagram (@snugly_duckling) the things that I'm thankful for. A different thing for every day, and it's been such a great experience! On days that I forget until very late, I've learned to be thankful for just the things around me.

Use the hashtag

#thankfulduckling

on Twitter or Instagram if you want to join me!

2. I registered for classes this week! That's right, this girl is finally going back to school!!

I had to register at the Apple Store because my phone had bad signal! Thank goodness for Apple!

3. I've started taking Nicole's Classes! I'm planning on doing Graphic Design for all you newbies, and this is the perfect start!

4. I have three jobs.

Don't think I'm crazy, I just love the employee discounts!

I'm so thankful for the three that I have while we're at such a high unemployment rate.

5. I made this fun stamp! I was so proud of my work. :) Check out the tutorial here!

Linking up with the fabulous Lauren as always!!

Best Homemade Hot Chocolate

I have been searching high and low for the perfect homemade hot chocolate recipe, especially just for one serving. Whenever I'm craving it, I'm almost always in my pj's, and going to the store is out of the question. I found a great recipe online, and had to tweak it just a little bit. Here's the original recipe. And my tweaks:

Directions:

1. Mix cocoa, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan at a very low heat, somewhere between 1 and 2. Make sure you are stirring constantly at this point. It will become very thick.

2. After about 2 minutes, add the milk and flavoring of choice.

I chose hazelnut, and it was so yummy! You could use mint, almond, strawberry, coconut (totally want to try this one!), peppermint, vanilla, or pretty much anything. Only use a dash though, it can get strong quickly!

3. Turn the heat up to about 5-6, and heat it up until you are in love with the temperature. :)

4. Enjoy your homemade hot chocolate!

As easy as can be? Heck yeah. I can't wait for winter to try all of these flavors!

I Am Not A Fashion Blogger

It's true! The only way I keep up with the trends is because I love shopping. But I don't repin fashion pins, I don't follow too many fashion bloggers, etc. 

However, I have really come to LOVE What I Wear Wednesday posts and being able to use the #ootd hashtag. The past few weeks I've been taking all kinds of pictures of my outfits, but I haven't posted any of them! Today, my amazing followers, you get to see what I've been holding back. I personally think that yall will love the scarves I've been breaking out (and buying, shhh)! Without further ado, the most fashion this blog has seen in a long time:

Scarf: Some itty bitty scarf store in the mall
Dolman Sweater: American Eagle

Chambray Top and Awesome Mustache Necklace: Forever 21
Ruffle Top: Old Navy
Coral Pants: Charlotte Russe

Scarf, Sweater, and Jeans: American Eagle
Boots: Target

Top and Mint Jeggings: American Eagle
Cardigan: JC Penny
Undershirt: Forever 21
Boots: Target

Scarf (AKA serious love of my life): Aerie
Sweater and Jeans: American Eagle
Boots: Target

Election Day outfit!
Sweater and White Jeans: American Eagle
Undershirt: Forever 21

If you noticed, pretty much all of my sweaters are from American Eagle. They were all on sale this past May for about $5 a piece on their factory website. I can never say no to a good deal!

The Greatest Benefit of My Turning 21

Is being able to vote! Seeing how 4 years ago, I was only 17, this year was just the icing on the cake after seeing all my cool older friends vote. ;)
I was so ecstatic to have this opportunity and responsibility. Instead of going into all the politics and urging you to vote, like every other person in the world. I just want to share my experience, because #youknowyoureabloggerwhen you have an outfit just for voting, and document everything through pictures.

Super Easy DIY Stamp Tute

I've seen so many cute homemade stamps all over the internet. My favorite is the cross stitch one, and let's just say, it's not as easy as it looks. My next thought was, okay, so what's my second favorite trend? 

Mustaches, duh.

Here's my finished product, followed by the tute:

Precious, right? I don't know about you, but I kind of love his little imperfections. It just reminds me that it is homemade, and I put my heart into it! And my absolute favorite part about it, was how easy it was! Just keep reading. You'll see.

First time watermarking say whattt? ;)

Step 1: Draw your shape onto the pink eraser. I chose to freehand mine, but tracing would probably work 100% better.

Step 2: Start cutting all around the shape. You'll want to cut all the way through. Don't worry too much if the base is a little thicker, it actually makes it a little easier to hold! This process probably took about a half hour. Thank goodness the men were watching football, and I had plenty of time.

And that's it! For my fellow paper crafters, this process just makes it so easy. It can be so hard finding the perfect stamps sometimes. I'm seriously considering starting a chevron one later this afternoon. I'll share pictures on Instagram if I do (Follow me @snugly_duckling to see!). 

Have any questions? Ask away! I'll be glad to answer. :)

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch!

For regular readers of The Snugly Duckling, it is no surprise that I love Christmas. Yes, it's totally normal to start decorating on Halloween Day, totally normal to listen to Christmas music since September, totally normal to start making Christmas crafts over the weekend.. Right? Right.

In honor of early Christmas, I made (in my opinion) the cutest craft ever, and I didn't even have to use Pinterest! I feel like that's a much bigger feat than it probably is, but I'm super proud.

Anyways, the finished product to my craft, followed by a short tute:

What you need:

Lion Brand Fun Fur Yarn. I used a full one, and maybe an eighth of the second one.

(And if you have the Jo-Ann's app, you can usually find a 50% coupon!)

A foam wreath of any size. I think mine is 8 inches

Hot glue

Red felt/fleece

Cotton balls

Step 1: Add a tiny dab of hot glue to whichever side you designate the back of your wreath.

Step 2: Cut about 2-3 feet of yarn. Wrap, wrap wrap. Then secure the end with hot glue.

Pay no mind to the fact that it looks like a pumpkin here. It is still totally a Christmas craft. ;)

Step 3: Repeat.

Step 5: Repeat.

Step 6: Repeat. (This part usually takes about an hour and a half and can be very boring without company.)

Step 7: Once your wreath is fully wrapped, it's time to make your Santa hat! (I considered buying one, but Mr. Grinch would've been disappointed in me.)

Step 8: Cut out a hat shape. It can be a full triangle, kind of a half triangle with some edges, or however you want. I also think it'd be super fun to have a patterned print, like flannel or something Christmas-y.

Step 9: Attach your cotton balls using hot glue again, and bam! There's your Santa hat!

Step 10: Attaching the Santa hat. This part is no bueno. 

What worked best for me, was a foam paint brush, just because I had one lying around. Using a knife, I cut a slit in my wreath in a spot the yarn was a little sparse. I cut all the foam off the paint brush, and shoved the plastic piece in with SO much hot glue. From there, you just glue the hat onto the actual wreath, and the end of the paintbrush. I'm sure you could use wire, or an actual Santa hat to make it work a little easier.

I hope you enjoyed my tute. It was honestly such a fun craft, and I was mega stoked to see the end result. Let me know if anyone tries it! I'd love to see pictures or improvements!

PS. You can check out the other wreaths I've made here and here or in my Etsy shop.