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A Very Kimba Christmas ~ The Ebook

I am thrilled to announce the release of my new ebook, A Very Kimba Christmas.

It is being released at the new and improved A Soft Place to Land.

http://asoftplace.net

Come visit my new bloggy home.

Reminder! ASPTL has Moved!

Please come find me at my new bloggy home:

http://asoftplace.net

While you're there, please sign up for my brand-spankin' new RSS feed.

You can also Follow Me using my new Google Friend Connect. Then my posts will show up in your Blogger Dashboard like always.

If you Followed Me on Monday, you'll need to add your pretty face again. Something was wonky with Google Friend Connect and the only way to fix it was to trash it and start over.

A Soft Place to Land is Moving!

Important News!

I am so glad you're here! But please, please, please come find me in my new digs. A Soft Place to Land is now at...

www.asoftplace.net

I should have given you all some notice so you could come and help me pack. Now, I'm settling in and it would be so much better with you there. This moving business can get messy and I need all my blog friends to help me through it.

Click here to fly straight to my new blog home.

See you there!

photo credit: Mpopp

DIY Day Recap and a Winner!

10 Minute Curtains @ Funky Junk Interiors (I NEVER would have thought to use hangers to hang my curtains. She's a genius!)

Farmhouse master bath @ Continental Calliope (Oh my goodness! What a beautiful bathroom!)

DIY Heather Chadduck Hanging Light @ For the Love of Older Homes (Heather is one of my favorite real designers and I have been in love with this lamp.)

Dining Room Reveal @ Cottage Instincts (If you think you can't makeover a dated, wallpapered mess of a room, think again. And check out this makeover.)

Burlap Dollar Store Wall Grouping @ Tatertots and Jello (I love that she used her kids initials in these!)

Book page wreath tutorial @ Living with Lindsay (WOW! Thrifty and beautiful!)

Craiglist Hutch Makeover @ Invited Inn (The green color she used is perfect!)

Revamped Dresser @ Centsational Girl (She did this for her brother's bachelor pad. It's perfect!)

Thanksgiving Countdown Thankful Jar @ Somewhat Simple (What a great idea to help us be purposefully thankful this month.)

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The winner of the $50 gift certificate from Molly Caroline Designs is Sherry from Creations from My Heart. Congratulations, Sherry! Shoot me an email and we'll get you set up.

A million thank-yous to Molly Caroline Designs for sponsoring DIY Day this week! Be sure to swing by her shop for tons of personalized goodies.

Quick Projects with Foam Stamps: A Guest Post

Today's post comes from Sara at Creative Jewish Mom. Sara and I connected a few months ago and I am a huge fan of her site where she shares the joys of crafting, decorating, cooking, and gardening. I think you're going to love her too!

A scrap of awning fabric stamped with fabric paint makes a casual table runner.

The craft of stamping images onto fabric or paper is always fun and satisfying, so when I spotted a collection of large foam stamps at the dollar store a few years back, I scooped them all up, and wish I had bought duplicates! Foam stamping does not produce the crisp results one can obtain with stenciling so I wouldn't recommend doing it on your walls, but there are so many other ways to use this quick decorative technique.

Cover the blank walls at a school or community function with long stamped banners!

I have used these stamps for projects with children as young as 5 years old and fun was had by all. Even imperfect results are charming and can be used as wrapping paper or for gift cards and tags.

Plain brown boxes : now wonderful gift boxes or decorative storage containers!

Stamping is the kind of thing you just can't get enough of, so before you get started make sure you have a whole bunch of boxes, paper and anything else you can think of on hand! I used one of these stamps on cracker boxes turned inside out to make really festive Purim containers, but you'll just have to wait awhile to see them!

Stamping on colored paper with white or creme paint is quite successful. Cut your paper to the exact height of some good recycled cans, and make useful containers that look great!

These are the stamps that I used to make all the above examples in this post!

How To:

1. Buy some foam stamps like these, if you can't find them sit tight, I'll hopefully be teaching you how to make something similar in the future!
2. Using acrylic craft paint, apply paint to the stamp with a large brush
3. Carefully place stamp on paper and press down
4. Lift from paper to enjoy the results

Note from Kimba: Thanks Sara! I've always wondered what to do with those huge foam stamps at the craft store. Now I know. Here are just a few of my favorite posts from Creative Jewish Mom:

Container Gardening with Houseplants
Dimensional Fall Tree with Felt Leaves
Floral Pomander Balls
Whole Wheat and Yogurt Pancakes

Sara was born and raised in California, educated in New York and now lives in the gorgeous rolling hills of Northern Israel with her Israeli husband and five children.

She left a high profile designer life in Manhattan for spiritual pursuits and ended up meeting her husband in Israel. They have chosen to live in the North of the country to give their children a quiet upbringing close to nature and away from the distractions of commercialization.

Make Your Home More Welcoming - Challenge #8

Foof up your entry way door.

Today's "welcoming" idea came right from one of my readers, Lynda from Ramblings of a Sports Mad Southern Girl.

I spend a lot of time making wreaths and pretty things for my front door. I love doing it and it makes the front of the house look great. I can't believe it never occurred to me to give the same treatment to the door that our family uses.

Today, we're going to hang something pretty on the door that our family usually uses. For me, that's the door from the garage into our kitchen. Maybe you use your front door and you already have something pretty hanging there. In that case, yay you! Now go hug someone. :)

I have no shortage of wreaths, so that's what I'll do. I also have my eye on a vinyl Welcome sign like this one from Back 40 Life.

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

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Make sure you check out the beautiful collection of Christmas stationery items and stamps that Purple Lemon Designs made just for A Soft Place to Land readers! There's a giveaway!

~~~~~~~~~~And DIY Day is still going strong! You can still enter your project and be in the running for our prize!

photo credit: Puzzler4879

DIY Day and a Giveaway!

Welcome to DIY Day! Are you ready to share your latest project?

If you're new here, every Tuesday we get together to share our newest DIY projects. I'm really flexible about what constitutes a DIY project. A furniture makeover, an outdoor project, an indoor project, some new artwork...heck, even a great recipe could qualify as DIY, right?

Today, we have a fantastic prize from Molly Caroline Designs. This adorable etsy shop is full of so much personalized goodness that I could hardly decide what to show you!

Polka Dot Customized Plate

There are personalized plates and placemats that my kids would flip for (make sure to look in the Seasonal section to for Thanksgiving and Christmas designs).

Personalized water bottle

And I don't know about you, but my kids are always using plastic water bottles for sports and such. The plastic ones become totally YUCK after a while. We would love a couple of nice aluminum ones.

You definitely want to go browse around Molly Caroline Designs. She has the most adorable stickers and stamps, customized kids t-shirts, and stationery items. And her seasonal designs are too cute.

One lucky winner will get $50 to spend at Molly Caroline Designs!!! Yeeehaw! That'll take care of some of your Christmas shopping, huh?

All you have to do is link up a post to DIY Day and you're entered to win!

Just a couple of guidelines to help things run smoothly.

1. Link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog. I HATE having to delete these. It makes me feel like a big meanie.
2. Include a short description of your DIY project in parenthesis after the name of your blog. This helps people browse the HUGE number of projects. And you get MORE clicks!
3. Link to this party from your post so everyone can get in on the fun.

Now let's see those projects!

Broken Sugar Bowl

I have a broken sugar bowl. My caffeine-deprived fingers fumbled its lid one morning as I was getting my coffee. My oldest son was nearby and said, "Don't worry mommy. You can get a new one."

Simple words that were meant to comfort me. Instead, they broke my heart.

My kids don't have a spirit of thankfulness. Things like toys, games, books and clothes come easily for them. They have generous grandparents, aunts and uncles. And they have a mom who is an uber-bargain-shopper. This has all lead to too much stuff.

And not enough gratitude. When something breaks, we just get a new one.

I decided that moment would be a teaching moment. We talked about being grateful for what we have and caring for our things because sometimes, when something breaks, it can't be replaced. Sometimes we fix what's been broken and sometimes we make due (do?) without.

And so we carefully pieced back together the lid of my sugar bowl. We found each little sliver of ceramic and super-glued it in place.

Nearly 2 years later, I still have my broken sugar bowl. I could run to Target and buy a new one for $6. I could probably find a nearly new one at Goodwill for $1. But the lesson that is remembered every single time we use that sugar bowl is worth more than a new one.

We still have too much stuff and not enough gratitude. We also have a bunch of friends who probably wonder why I have a busted sugar bowl. But now we also have a reminder. Even if it's only me that gets the reminding.

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I don't pretend to be a writer. But Emily from Chatting at the Sky IS a writer. And she has written the most beautiful post on brokenness. Trust me. You want to read it.

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Keep scrolling down or click here to read today's Make Your Home More Welcoming Challenge.

Make Your Home More Welcoming - Challenge #7

Use the good stuff.

Do you have a china cabinet full of wedding china (or Grandma's china or thrift store china?) that only gets pulled out for a holiday or special occasion? How about some pretty glasses that don't get used because they're fragile? Is it REALLY the end of the world if one gets broken?

What's the point? Let's get out the good stuff and use it for our own family. Now, I'm not telling you to use Grandma's china if that's going to mean hours of hand washing afterward, but if it can go in the dishwasher...why not?

Me? I'm going to pull out some fun appetizer plates that I only use for parties and use them to serve lunch to the kids. Fun, right? And easy.

And I'm going to pull out my fancy goblets and use them for dinner.

Do you have something special that you don't use. Get it out and give it a spin! Maybe there's a bottle of champagne in the back of your fridge that's just waiting for a special occasion.

I say Monday is a special occasion. How about you?

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

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I have 1 or 2 spots left for holiday advertising. If you'd like information on reaching ASPTL readers with your fabulous goodies for Christmas, email me and I'll send you all the details.

photo credit DeusXFlorida

Sunday Morning

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4: 8-9

photo credit: Roger Lynn

Purple Lemon Designs For You!

Kelly from Purple Lemon Designs has designed a set of awesome stationery items and address stamps just for the readers of A Soft Place to Land! I am so full of myself today.

Psssst. There's a giveaway at the end of this post.

Kelly is a really talented designer and her printable stationery is pure brilliance. This Celebration Wreath design will be customized with your family's name.

Then you'll receive an electronic file that you can use to print as much as you want from your own printer. Each set includes folded cards, flat cards, note paper, enclosure cards/gift tags and an A-2 envelope template. The best part? It's only $10!!!!

The Message printable stationery is only $5.00! Seriously! $5.00, people!

I have used her printable stationery before and it couldn't be easier. It comes with step by step instructions for printing, cutting and assembling. So easy even this Cave Kimba can do it.

And if you're looking for some professionally printed stationery, Kelly has designed these Swirly Fun Flat Note Cards. Wouldn't these make a fantastic Christmas gift? Of course, yours wouldn't say Kimba. Unless that's your name. Which it probably isn't.

And yes, my friends, it is time to start thinking about your Christmas cards. Especially if you want something beautifully customized like these Red and Green Goodness Christmas Cards.

I have one of Purple Lemon Designs' Customized Address Stamps that I use for my business. I love it! And I'm totally wild for this Celebration Wreath Address Stamp! Your Christmas cards will thank you.

And this Ornamental Stamp is perfect for everyday use. I think it would make a fantastic Christmas gift for those newlyweds or someone who recently moved...or anyone with an address.

Stamps ordered from Purple Lemon Designs will be customized with your information and your choice of fonts.

Kelly has set up a special page on her site just for readers of ASPTL. Click here to shop these exclusive designs. They will be available at these prices for a limited time.

If you don't see exactly what you're looking for, you can also browse Purple Lemon Designs Etsy shop for a huge selection of custom stamps and stationery.

GIVEAWAY!

Would you like to win a Celebration Wreath Address Stamp from Purple Lemon Designs? I thought you might! Leave a comment here telling us your favorite item from Purple Lemon Designs ASPTL Collection. I giggle every time I write that!

And if you tweet about this new collection, then come back and leave another comment and you'll be entered again!

This post is sponsored by Purple Lemon Designs.

DIY Day Recap & Linky Love

An amazing $200 kitchen makeover @ Blue Castle (It just goes to show what you can do with a small budget and some creativity.)

DIY Play Kitchen @ Mommy Words (Who needs Pottery Barn? You rock, Brittany!)

Pretty, pretty pumpkins @ Sweet Paisley (Wow! What a carving job!)


Wallpapering with fabric @ infarrantly creative (This is adorable!)

Sweater stockings @ Life in Grace (Could Edie be any more creative? I think not!)

Brilliant storage idea @ Classy and Sophisticated (I literally squealed when I saw this idea! Squealed and ran to show The Hubster.)


Before & After: Half bath makeover: Mabel's House (Liz has such killer taste. I love her use of grey in this bathroom.)

How to reupholster dining room chairs @ Thrifty Decor Chick (Great tutorial! And I love the new design over at TDC!)

Top 10 list for home decor bloggers @ The Stories of A to Z (This cracked me up! Thanks, Beth!)

Keep scrolling down or click here for today's Make Your Home More Welcoming Challenge!

Make Your Home More Welcoming - Challenge #6

Make them something yummy.

Even if you regularly have a homemade dinner on the table at 6pm sharp (I don't!), there's something extra special about having a little something sweet made for the one's you love.

It doesn't have to be some takes-all-day project. I'm a huge fan of popping some break-and-bake or slice-and-bake cookies in the oven. It makes the house smell divine and when you serve them with a glass of cold milk, you'll get no complaints.

If you're looking for something a little more special (but still easy), try my Apple and Pear Crisp Fake Out. No one will EVER guess how easy it is.

Just joining our Make Your Home More Welcoming Challenge? Click here to read all about it and join in.

photo credit: ilmungo

Make Your Own Stick Bundles

I love those expensive stick/grass/willow bundles (what are they called, anyway?) that you see in all the stores. But the ones I was looking at the other day were between $25 & $35. YIKES! Not happening!

Here's how to make your own. So easy and only $4.00!

Supplies:

• Tin can
• Brown spray paint
• Plaster of paris
• Grass, sticks or branches
• Jute rope
• Hot glue

Step 1: Paint your tin can brown (or another color that matches your sticks/grass/branches. That's so that if a bit of the can shows through the final product, you won't really be able to tell.

Step 2: Mix up some plaster of paris and put it in the bottom of each can for weight. You could use anything you wanted to give them some weight. But I wanted to make sure that whatever was in mine didn't spill out when my little hooligans knock them over.

Step 3: Hot glue a piece of floral foam into the can right on top of the hardened plaster.

Step 4: Start sticking in your sticks. My stick-grass stuff came in a big bundle from Joann for $4.00 (50% off!). You can find it at any craft store.

Step 5: Hot glue the sticks, grass or brances around the outside of the can. Don't worry if a bit of the can shows through because you painted the can brown, remember?

Step 6: A little rustic twine to finish off the bottom.

Step 7: Wrap it around a few times.

Step 8: Tie another piece of twine around the grass right above the top of the can. If you're using something stiff like sticks, you won't need to cinch it so tight.


This article was originally posted on October 16, 2008.

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My newest sponsor, Completely Coastal, is hosting A Cool Coastal Giveaway on her blog today. Check it out! Her site is full of all things beachy, nautical and coastal.

DIY Day!

Welcome to DIY Day! Are you ready to share your latest project?

If you're new here, every Tuesday we get together to share our newest DIY projects. I'm really flexible about what constitutes a DIY project. A furniture makeover, an outdoor project, an indoor project, some new artwork...heck, even a great recipe could qualify as DIY, right?

I've been a smidge disorganized this week so we don't have a prize but I love seeing all of your projects even without a giveaway. So let's see 'em!

Just a couple of guidelines to help things run smoothly.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog.
2. Include a short description of your DIY project in parenthesis after the name of your blog. For example, A Soft Place to Land (painted pumpkins).
3. Link to this party from your post so everyone can get in on the fun.
4. Double-check to make sure your link works and goes to the right page so it doesn’t get deleted! If you come back and see your link is gone, re-read these rules and try again. No worries!

Now let's see those projects!