X. Glitz & Glam

This weeks challenge is something fun, different and just for you! 

Because of what this week holds, if you will accept, I challenge you to a Glitz & Glam makeover!

One may question what exactly is a Glitz & Glam makeover. This week is your birthday week. It is also the 'end of the world', and the shortest day of the year. Being who we are (Carlson's -- because even though you changed your last names, doesn't mean you can change your roots), we always look for the best deal, and a way to get the biggest bang for our buck. So this birthday season I challenge you to take $100 and try to find yourself a COMPLETE birthday/end of the world/shortest day of the year outfit so that you can celebrate with true Glitz & Glam.

So shop wisely, use your fashion meter, but more importantly, just take sometime to go out and have a fun little stress free shopping spree where you get to focus on your big day! 

CHALLENGE DETAILS:

Inspiration: Every reason needed to buy a new outfit

Medium: $100 to be designated to the perfect Birthday Outfit

Deadline: Sunday 12/23/12 11:59pm -- though your birthday is on Friday --- so maybe Friday should be your deadline ;)

VIIII. ELVES RESULTS

So there was many ways I could have taken this. Sure I thought about cleaning out the cob webs and working on my writing skills with a new holiday poem to send home, but I just couldn't resist the urge to lock in on the tradition of the ELF ON THE SHELF!

The creativity for this challenge came not so much in the plotting and gathering of my elf but figuring out what mischievous activity she will do each day. My elf has been named Idella, for the mere reason that Grandma Idella was a spunky one. She was a firecracker, a mischievous wonder and always fun to play games with. And as the purpose of Elf On The Shelf, she is watching us and reporting back to Santa about our behaviors. Just a fun way to get into the spirit of Christmas. 

So here's a list of all the activities that Idella has been spotted doing...

Of course -- she will continue to battle her way thru our house until Christmas morning. We can only hope she continues to bring laughter to the house full of fun. 

VIIII. Elves

Q: What holiday character do IYthe most?

A: Elves!

For this challenge, I challenge you to elves.  Is this a vague suggestion?  Of course it is!  Do what you can with elves.  Create a cute elf to watch over your home to see who is naughty or nice or you could write a touching poem about an elf who lives at the North Pole or ________.

This challenge is limited only by your creativity and as I am giving you no direction, I'm am anxiously awaiting to see your results because you never cease to amaze me!

Challenge details:

Inspiration: Christmas Elves!

Medium: To be decided by you.

Deadline: Sunday, December 16th, 11:59 p.m.

VIII. Candy Cane Results

I could have made a candy cane dish every day of this month, so it was hard to zone in and focus on one treat.  When I first received my challenge, i immediately was going to make a holiday mixer, but I opted for something sweeter instead. I made Holiday Cupcakes with a Candy Cane Swirl!

Ingredients:

• 1 box of cake mix (I had confetti cake on hand, I would definitely suggest using a white cake mix)
• 1 jar of Betty Crocker Whipped Vanilla Frosting
• 15-20 drops of red food coloring
• 2 4 tbsp peppermint extract (thanks Jamin for the correction)
• 24 cute muffin baking cups

Steps:

1. Preheat oven and prepare the cake mix per instructions on the box.
2. Enlist a helper.  Have said helper hammer peppermints into crumbs.
3. Add the crushed mint and 2 tbsp peppermint extract to cake batter and mix with standing mixer.
4. Reserve 1 cup of batter and put in a small bowl.
5. Scoop cake batter into lined muffin pan.
6. With reserved batter stir in 15-20 drops of red food coloring.
7. Spoon red batter in to muffin cups and swirl with a knife.
8. Bake for 18-22 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
10. Once cool, frost with Whipped Vanilla Frosting, serve and enjoy!

And Voila!
They are rather tasty, but there is no way that Jamin and I can eat 24 cupcakes before they spoil, so we both will be bringing a treat to work this week!

VIII. Candy Canes

Christmas is on the countdown, so fa la la la la la la la laaaaa!!! Christmas time is candy time. And who doesn't love a candy cane???

This week, if you choose to accept, I challenge you to PEPPERMINT!

I encourage you to use peppermint in a recipe for maybe cookies, maybe candy, maybe a winter cocktail or a maybe a warm loaf of bread. Use your imagination, create a new creation! Use what it takes, create, or even bake your way into this fun Christmas time spirit!!!

On behalf of bringing us a bit closer this holiday season, I also put myself to the challenge to create your creation within 7 days of you posting it. Just a little conversation starting, taste bud mixing, moment of fun sharing that we can do while being 3,000 miles apart during the holiday season. (of course if your concoction turns out good)

Challenge Details:
Inspiration: Candy Canes
Medium: Peppermint flavoring (or Candy Canes) -- Garnishing with Candy Canes
Deadline: Sunday 9th, 11:59pm

VII. Wreath Results

I accepted the wreath challenge with great aspirations. I actually had to force myself to choose which sort of wreath I wanted to make.

From sticks, to stones, glitter and pine cones, I was prepared to create the Christmas Spirit..... So I thought.

I went to the store the next morning and walked through all the Christmas items waiting for the most perfect idea to pop. When I approached the flower isle, I nicely found a sale sign --- ALL STYROFOAM 50% off... YES, GREAT, AWESOME...NOT!!!!! All the Black Friday shoppers had cleaned the place out! Not discouraged, I wandered to the spice isle. There's just something about Cinnamon that warms me up! Looking for the Cinnamon sticks was exciting. I was already thinking about all the red fabric I had at home and how I could make my own bow and use the sticks as the core of the wreath..... til I found that a pack of 12 cinnamon stix were $9.00, and I needed easily 50 sticks.

With the tail between my legs, and 4 stores later, I found a wood wreath made up. I grabbed some fun decorations, dissembled them, and got out all my red fabric. I ripped small shreds tied the ends together to give it a rustic look and placed each festive piece to finish the puzzle. It is a fun welcoming wreath, now if it will just warm up enough so I can get something to stick so I can hang it on the front door instead of just inside the front door.

Although my wreath was not what I had wanted, hoped and expected it to be, it still turned out to pack a punch of Christmas. Don't get discouraged because all the pieces aren't falling together perfectly. Use this as a reason to go outside the boundaries!

Of course I look at yours and absolutely love it! HOW PERFECT!!!

VII. Wreath Results

Ta-Da! It's been a while, but I finally finished a challenge!  So I was browsing through Michael's last Monday  because I need to pick up stickers for work and I got stopped by the 50% OFF all Christmas decor.  My favorite holiday decor are wreaths, so I just needed to find the correct supplies in order to make it!  I looked through the floral and foam section for a foam circle to use as the base for my wreath, but they were all sold out because they were also on sale so I knew I was going to have to improvise.

I picked up some fantastic, glittery midnight blue plastic leaves that were $0.49 a piece!  For that price I was able to purchase a handful of different leave shapes.

Other supplies that I used were scissors, wire cutter, floral tape and a glue gun.  I thought that I would be able to wrap it only with floral tape and then cover that with ribbon, but I ran into problems keeping it circular in shape because it wasn't strong enough.  Therefore, I resorted to the glue gun.  I also struggled with that, I think the glue is rather old.  I started by laying the pieces for layer one face down and glued the end of the stem to the top leave of the next.  Although I bought a variety, I ended up using only the fern like stems and the broad leaf stems.

After the first layer was put together and glued securely, I layered on the fern pieces to give it some body and structure.

The minute I held up the wreath, the glue started to give way and my circle became more oblong.  I reinforced about half of it with a wire hanger to help hold it's shape.  I hot glued it to the back of the wreath and taped it in few places with the floral tape.  I used left over stems and snipped the leaves so I could hot glue them around the wreath to cover the not so good looking parts.

I used a similar colored ribbon to hang the wreath from and perched it on our door.  As you can see there are few parts that could use a little more body and it's shame isn't 100% circular, but I think it looks great!  It's simple, festive and unique!

Happy Holidays to All!