Our Holiday Card - 2019, and more!

It’s December 20th and we’re winding down the school week and getting ready to head to northern California to spend Christmas with family. As of today, I’m no longer accepting custom orders for holiday cards for 2019. If you card is already in progress, then I’ll get your order finished before we leave. All listings in my Etsy shop are either Instant Downloads or calendars. I can still handle orders for custom family calendars since I will have my laptop with me when traveling.

In the meantime, both my Hanukkah and Christmas cootie catchers are on sale for just $1 in my Etsy shop. Show your kids how much fun these were when you were a kid. The Christmas cootie catcher will remain $1 until December 25th and the Hanukkah cootie catcher will be $1 until December 30th. A page of folding instructions is included with your instant download. You know… in case it’s been a while since you’ve folded one of these. They look best and are easiest to fold when printed on plain paper.

Click on either image to get to the listings in my Etsy shop.

For our family holiday card, we’ve been going to a local photo studio for Santa photos for the last six years called FotoFly. They have one of the parents wear the Santa suit so the kids are comfortable and your chances of getting smiling faces is much higher. It’s been a family tradition to figure out whether our boys will wear matching clothes or PJs or if we’ll do a theme or not. This year, both boys wanted to wear their taekwondo uniforms and we borrowed a black belt from our studio so Santa could wear it. Because, of course Santa would be a black belt.

I had actually created a more traditional design with a lovely script font and Christmas-y plaid background, but it was way too serious for the photo. A comic book theme just worked the best. I had these printed at Office Depot instead of my usual Overnight Prints because I ran out of time. Gotta love having them ready in an hour.

Wishing you and yours a joyful and peaceful holiday season, no matter what you celebrate.

Janet & Jack's 50th Anniversary

My dear friend, Krista was helping with the planning of a celebration for her in-laws’ 50th wedding anniversary. We were brainstorming some table signage ideas for this travel-themed event when I brought up the idea of making a custom cootie catcher for the party. Janet and Jack have traveled all over the world and visited all of the continents, so creating a travel-themed cootie catcher was a perfect little accessory to add to the tablescape. I used world maps for background images and rather than add fortunes to the inside panels, I found some travel-themed trivia questions. It was so fun to make!! I matched the fonts that Krista used on the invitation that she created and voile!

Thank you so much Krista for the great photos and a heartfelt happy anniversary Janet and Jack!

Happy Hanukkah!

Last year I created this fun Hanukkah-themed cootie catcher. My youngest loved figuring out how to make it work. Today through Monday, December 10th, it’s just $1.00 in my Etsy shop. After purchasing you just download the file and print as many as you need. The file is sized to print on 8.5x11 paper and folding instructions are included… you know, in case it’s been while since you’ve folded one! If you live where A4 paper is the norm, shoot me an email and I’ll be happy to send you the file at that size.

Here are the “fortunes on the inside:”

·Keep your head high and watch birds soar, keep your head low and find four-leaf clovers.
·Let your heart make decisions, it does not get as confused as your head.
·Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.
·Sun always shines after a downpour.
·You will see something today that will make your heart shine.
·Today is the day to show someone you care.
·Happiness is hidden everywhere, you just have to look for it.
·Your life will be healthy and harmonious.

Enjoy!!

Hanukkah Cootie Catcher

I have been thinking about more holiday-themed cootie catchers that I can create, and this year I added a Hanukkah one to my shop. I chatted with a couple of Jewish ladies in a group I'm in and they helped me choose the right cartoons and Hanukkah-related terms. That ways it's not glaringly obvious that this Gentile had no idea what she was doing when she made this. 

The file is set up to be printed on 8.5x11 paper and the downloadable file includes a page of folding instructions; in case it's been a while since you've folded one. You can purchase it from my Etsy shop. If you live somewhere where A4 paper is the norm, shoot me an email and I will happily send you the file at that size.

My 8yo just started teaching my 3yo how to work a cootie catcher, so he's still a little awkward on how to hold it. My favorite part was when my 8yo thought he had to show ME how a cootie catcher worked. 

Happy Hanukkah!!

What holidays should I do next?? 
Christmas DONE
Thanksgiving DONE
Halloween DONE
Independence Day??
Valentine's Day??

Halloween Cootie Catcher

Last year I created this Halloween-themed cootie catcher and I put it up on Mama Say What?! as a free download. It's also for sale in my Etsy shop for a few bucks, but if you're a follower of Mama Say What?!, then you know where you can get it for free. 

I wanted to go a little more colorful than the standard black and orange usually associated with Halloween, and I love to find excuses to use purple where I can. 

My seven-year-old was happy to play with it so I could snap a few photos. He's asked if I can create one for his birthday that showcases all of his favorite things. I might just have to do that!

Happy Halloween!!

Jackie's Bridal Shower

My sister Jackie got married last October, but before she walked down the aisle, her BFF Joanna and I planned a super fun 1980s-themed bridal shower for her.

When we got started, we were kind of at a loss for theme ideas. The venue was going to be the CrossFit gym where Jackie works, so that somewhat limited theme ideas. She had mentioned doing a "sporty spice" theme, but we really had no great ideas to go with it. 

Finally, Joanna and I ran across some inspiration on Pinterest for a 1980s theme, complete with big hair, leg warmers, Jazzercise, and lots of Spandex. We loved it! So we decided to change the theme and not tell Jackie about it. My sister is a planner and admittedly, a bit of a control freak. It was a struggle for her to not be involved at all in the planning of her shower. Joanna and I loved every minute!

I'm really proud of how the invitation turned out.

I printed them at my local Office Depot and mounted them onto Sour Apple card stock that I purchased from Cards & Pockets.

I created a wraparound address label that continued the theme and used Watermelon envelopes, also from Cards & Pockets. 

For favors, we filled cellophane bags with jelly bracelets, Pop Rocks and a Ring Pop and I created a tag that was folded and stapled to each bag.

I created a water bottle label too. Is the theme from Flashdance stuck in your head yet?

For refreshments we came up with foods that were popular in the 80s, so friends made Sloppy Joes, cocktail weiners, 7-layer dip, and deviled eggs. We also had Capri Suns and wine coolers. We tried to find the old school Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers, but the local BevMo didn't carry them.  

For the food labels, I tried to pair each item with a hit song from the 80s.

For a fun little extra, I created a cootie catcher that I had a blast creating. I was definitely chaneling Lisa Frank with the rainbow animal prints.

Just like the cootie catchers we created as kids, I created "fortunes" for the insides, describing your future, in full 1980s style.

These two futures say:

1. You will settle on an island in the South Pacific where you make exotic bath products with your wife of 20 years who looks just like Brooke Shields.

2. You will shack up with David Hasslehoff and work on the set of Knight Rider where your daughter Kitt will be both conceived and born.

These two fortunes say:

1. After a 6-week whirlwind marriage to Tom Selleck, you will become the graphic designer who builds a fortune putting a mustache on EVERYTHING. (This one is one of my favorites)

2. You will marry Kirk Cameron, have 6 children, and you will live in a seaside New England cottage where you make and sell jam locally.

I created six more futures that I'd be happy to share if you ask. ;-)

This shower was such a blast to create, I am going to try and create a version I can put in my Etsy shop! 

Thanksgiving Cootie Catcher

All month I've been thinking about creating a Thanksgiving themed cootie catcher like I did for Christmas a couple of years ago. This morning, I finally got a chance to get it done. 

For today only it's available as a free download! A second page with folding instructions is also included. HERE is the link to download.

Teach your kids about this fun DIY toy that we all enjoyed when we were kids!

Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy!