OH, MY WHERE TO START ???
WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I GIVE THANKS TODAY FOR THE BOUNTY THAT I AM ABOUT TO RECEIVE.....
THEN I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME IDEAS FOR DIYed GIFTS BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT TOMORROW DURING THE MOST PROFITABLE RETAIL DAY OF THE YEAR:
BLACK FRIDAY !!!!
I'll start with my favorite DIY idea of the year!
An Angora Beret with vintage buttons :) ~ this one is a Jacklyn Smith, under $15. The buttons are from old sweaters/tops with a few vintage ones sewn on. I do the thread in black for the hand-made appeal. There are many shops on Etsy and the Citizen Rosebud does vintage buttons really well on sweaters and other neat stuff. This year, my goal is to spend minimal, but give something unique.
CUSTOM FRAMED COLLAGE
I made this one years ago, but for Mom or Grandma, print some photos on heavy paper, tear the edges, paste on a large piece of paper or poster board and find a great frame at a charity shop! ( I prefer black and whites as they will go with any decor.) ~ Or find some old magazines and do one in a 'theme'. This one is celebrating women :) ~ How about a Fashion Theme for your gal pals ?
A 'MEMORIES' PHOTO
I found this very old polaroid from a vacation we took in the 70's to Florida. I took a photo of the original and edited out all the nicks and scratches, then designed a 'frame'. I'm gonna put it in a thrifted wooden frame for my Dad. Great Memories make Great Gifts :)
CUSTOM TEES OR SWEATSHIRTS !
This is one of my favorites ;) You can buy tees or sweatshirts for a few bucks! Then find an image that the 'giftee' would like. ( Or a favorite Quote! ) Get some printable iron-ons for about $10 for 10 pages, and get print happy! ~ This year cropped tees and sweatshirts are on my Santa list :)
A CUSTOM QUOTE PAGE
Everyone has a favorite quote :) or even a favorite landmark !
Print and frame. WA-LA !
DIY BELTS AND CORSETS
( This is not for beginners ;) It requires sewing skills....)
CUSTOM PRINTS
Find an image that you're 'giftee' really likes, hit print (use photo paper for best quality) and Wa-La!
HAND-MADE CHIP CLIPS :)
This company has a great web-site ( naturallife.com ) ~ but doing it yourself is much better ( and thriftier ;) ~ These go for $12 bucks!
HAND-MADE TEA TOWELS
( also by Natural life ) ~ Now by YOU ;)
AND THE DREAM DIYer'S AREA !!!
MY OH MY !!!!!
( THE CENTER-POINT AT TOKO BARU, CINCINNATI )
Most items are from Natural Life. A DIY DREAM SOFA .......
THE COOLEST AND MOST INFORMATIVE FASHION BOOK EVER!
THIS ONE ISN'T CHEAP ( FROM $30 USED TO $45 NEW, BORDERS BOOKS .COM ) But is highly recommended for it's fantastic real-time images and information on all styles from the 1900's til 2000. ~ ( I got this one from the Library ;)
Some of the most beautiful photos I've ever seen...
and tons of information :)
WOW ! Guess what Era this is ? ;)
And if you didn't buy your Christmas cards at the end-of-season last year,
WHY NOT MAKE THEM ?
All you need: a photo (which we all have ;), a text/paint program and a printer. Glue image (on heavy card-stock or paper) to another heavy card-stock, and WA LA ! Everyone gets to look at you hanging on the mantle ;) TEE, HEE ;)
I HOPE YOU HAVE SOME COOL IDEAS BEFORE YOU GO OUT TOMORROW AND HAND OVER YOUR HARD-EARNED CASH TO THE MAN !
NOW THIS IS FOR MY BRITISH FRIEND, VIX !
ENJOY ........
THANKSGIVING: WHY AND WHAT FOR ???
A brief tale by me...........
When I was a little girl, growing up in the Mid-Western US, and living amongst the Children Of The Corn, I was taught a story about a bunch of 'Pilgrims', 'Indians', and really big belt buckles.
Where a bunch of nice people made friends with the natives and they all ate turkey, 'maize' and pumpkin pie.
Fast forward to Adulthood and this is the real scoop ( at least in my opinion........)
Thanksgiving is a "Harvest Festival" in which we give thanks each year for all our blessings, then proceed to stuff ourselves with turkey, pie, a huge fat-filled dinner and lay back on the couch and watch football. It falls on the 4th Thursday of November since 1863.
A day of Parades, School plays about "befriending" Native Americans, and the count-down to a Christmas shopping fiasco named "Black Friday" because this day sends most retailers who were in the 'red' all year, into the 'black', or in the profit zone. ( I believe Black Friday has a double meaning- just ask any retail worker............)
It's a day filled with "myths" as well.
1. If the 'pilgrims' actually landed on Plymouth Rock, the boat would have been smashed to smithereens ;)
( Supposidly the Pilgrims were the first settlers in America......) ~ though the Spanish arrived way earlier.
2. The first settlers weren't even called 'pilgrims' but 'saints', 'seperatists' or 'puritans'.
They were strict rigid fundamentalists, who thought the "new world" (their 'escape' from European religious persecution), was theirs for the taking, not caring that the land was already occupied by Native Americans.
Thanksgiving is a time of mourning for many Native Americans, a bitter reminder of 500 yrs. of betrayal as the land was over-taken by the White Man who spread disease and basically wiped out the Native Tribes.
(Diclaimer: these are just my ideas and opinions....... )
So basically it can be summed up by these words: Holiday, Turkey, Shopping, Tradition, Family, Misguided History Lessons ;)
PUMPKIN PIE ANYONE ?
( facts/info: Wikipedia.com and oyate.com )
I like to think of Thanksgiving as a time of Thanks. Period. But isn't everyday Thanksgiving really?
xXx
Reva
