It's lookin' a lot like Christmas!

Well it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but it certainly does not feel like it! It has been in the high 70's all this month. Last week I had on a dress with short sleeves while listening to Christmas music with the AC turned on in my car, what happened to winter? Global warming? Last year was my first white Christmas and this year it feels like sunny California! However, with only THREE days until Christmas it's coming whether I'm ready for it or not!

Anyways, I'm DONE with all my shopping. Every present is wrapped with a bow and now the madness of packing the car and hoping that the luggage and all presents for two sets of families will fit in my sedan with two dogs in the back. Sedan... that makes me sound so old, sigh. I digress, but it's safe to say I went way overboard on buying Christmas presents for everyone... it's like I was buying for this Christmas and the next... there's a thought... maybe this could count for two years so I wont have to go shopping or spend hours wrapping next year? I don't see that going over well, especially with my nephew, ha.

I recently created a new Christmas ball wreath for my front door. I followed this pintrest tutorial. http://www.eddieross.com/eddie_ross/crafts/page/14/

Above is the pintrest wreath I found. I wanted a Christmas one so I found red and green glitter plastic shatter proof ornaments from Walmart. I skipped the step with the hot glue, because if you have plastic shatter proof ornaments you wont have to worry about the metal tops coming off.

What you need is around 80-90 ornaments, a metal hanger, and ribbon.

1. Just get a metal hanger and pull it into the shape of a circle.

2. Untwist the top of the hanger and start putting the ornaments on it in whatever pattern you like.

3. Re-twist the top of the hanger closed and tie a ribbon to hide the hook of the hanger and you're done!

MY {pepperoni} WREATH

In the fall I made a garnet felt wreath and hung it on my front door. Scott informed me that I made a pepperoni wreath... it kind of does look like pepperonis after he mentioned it. Anways I repourposed it from fall and found a Merry Christmas ornamanet (from walmart of all places) and hung it on the mirror in the den. I went to Hobby Lobby in Columbia, which I miss because there is not one anywhere in the near vicinity in Charleston, and bough one yard of felt and a half of yard of burlap. Keep in mind felt is "double backed" so when you ask for one yard it really is two.

The things you need:

-One foam wreath

-One yard of felt

-Half a yard of burlap

-Needle stick pins (at least 150)

-A glue gun

How to make it:

Step 1: short cut! Get a cup and a white stamp pad! It creates the perfect circle everytime and makes it so much easier! I made at least 150 circles and probably could've used more for the wreath!

Step 2: Cut all those suckers out. You could use scalloped shears or any type of design shears to create a different type of edge, I went with regular scissors and made simple edges.

Step 3: Fold the circle in half once.

Step 4: Fold the circle in half again, which means the circle has now been folded twice now creating a triangle.

Step 5: Put a needle stick pin in the corner of the "triangle" and put it directly into the foam wreath.

The Burlap Bow

I in no way was going to hand sew anything for this wreath. So I pulled out the handy glue gun. I cut a strip of burlap about 5 inches wide and 28 inches long. I didnt want to have the fraying edges showing so I folded the burlap in about a 1/4 of an inch and glued it down, hiding all the fraying. I made the bow seperate by gluing a strip of fabric into a loop and then scrunched the middle and glued a little tiny piece of burlap around the middle of it. I glued the bow to the long burlap strip and then viola!

Happy Crafting!

Pilgrim Hats, Indian Feathers and Bad Pumpkins.

So November just came to a close and so much has happened this month. First, my BIRTHDAY, which Ive decided from this year forward I will go back in years; for example, this year I am 26th for the second time, next year 25 etc. Scott and I went to celebrate my birthday with friends in Greenville. It was really fun seeing everyone and catching up, its weird to go back to Greenville as tourist when recently it was our home. While in Greenville I decided to get a pumpkin peel facial... if you want your face to burn and basically fall off in a scaly mess, go for it! It was a complete disaster... apparently the peel was left on too long (damn esthetician) and my skin had an allergic reaction to it and left little blisters... so word of friendly advice STEER CLEAR OF PUMPKIN PEEL FACIALS! Just a few days after my birthday was Thanksgiving. We always have our Thanksgiving at my Aunts Cabin in the middle of no where... and I really mean in a you-must-have-a-four-wheel-drive-truck-to-get-to-the-cabin kind of no where. My family is similar to the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding in that we are all eclectic and huge in numbers, but its more like My Big Fat Southern Family! We cook and eat outside like pilgrims... the only thing that's missing are the pilgrim hats and Indian feathers, hmm... maybe Ill make hats or Indian headdresses for next year!

Three Things I am Thankful for this November:

1. My face not completely falling off.

2. My Big Fat Southern Family.

3. Being 26 for the 2nd time.

Exploring "the old village"

In what is called the "old village" in Mt. Pleasant is the cutest most eclectic store called Oh! Events. One side of the store has everything for planning an event especially weddings, the middle is the floral design area and the other side has clothes and accessories and needless to say it is the most amazing store! If I won the lottery, Oh! Events is what I would buy! The place is just so creative and cute.

A full wall of beautiful wrapping paper.

Hanging on the wall of Oh! Events is this huge flower sculpture, its made of metal and probably half the size of my car! I love it!

A few stores down is the most delicious restaurant called The Village Bakery, they have great lunches and of course amazing baked goods. I could spend all day in the old village. Oh, and the old village is exactly where I want to live when I grow up, ha! The old village is off of shem creek and just so seemingly cozy, moss hangs on all the trees and all the houses are old and full of charm. I'm hoping within the next year I will be house shopping and this is the exact area I will look first, especially since I can walk to the cutest store everyday!

"Marriage is a fairy tale. Once you find that lucky man when you join each other in hands you celebrate with noisy cans then you party all night, in love with the ring is sight. Once they join for the dance they realize it was love at first glance. -EW"

Everytime I have visited Oh! Events, they always have a new quote on a chalk board outside. I have collected quotes in a book since I was in middle school. Something about quotes are just uplifting, so this quote will also be added!

Motivation.

Since I have recently moved to Charleston I have been exploring the city every chance I get. I love finding new places to eat and bargain/thrift shops, it seems everything here is just another aspect to inspire you to create and just take in its natural eclectic beauty. Lately my friend Erin and I have been trying to squeeze in some exercise time, and what better way than on the Ravenel bridge? Its been so nice outside, 80 degree weather in mid November, so its been beautiful and even a little warm huffing up the steep parts of the bridge. I'm getting running shoes for my birthday next week, Ill be 26 for the second time whoohoo, so hopefully this will help me get motivated to get into shape and begin running. The couch to 5k seems like a good idea so I'm going to try to begin that, wish me luck! Below are a few pictures I took while on the bridge last week!

Southern Happy Hour

Hello and welcome to my blog Southern Happy Hour! I racked my brain trying to think of a clever blog name... it seemed so many cute ones were already taken! I chose Southern Happy Hour because it embodies me and my favorite time of the day! First Happy Hour does not mean a time for drinking, "happy hour" is taking time out of the day for yourself to do what you enjoy! For me that is cooking, crafting, socializing, exploring my new city, spending time with family and friends and designing... and that's what this blog is about! Second, Im Southern born and raised, and have recently moved to Charleston which exudes everything of rich southern history. Therefore my blogs name is Southern Happy Hour! I look forward to sharing bits of my life here.