Marshalls, Target & Ikea

My daughter-in-law just made a statement that made me realize that I am seriously in love  my family is seriously in love with a few stores. She said her Mom asked her where I got a gift I had bought my adorable granddaughter.  She told her Mom, "Probably Marshalls or Target."  I hadn't realized till then that whenever someone asks me where I bought something (translation:  Where did you get that, cause I love it!), my answer is usually, "Marshalls or Target."  Are there other stores I love? Definitely!  I love Ikea but the nearest one is hours and hours away.  Does that stop me from shopping there - no but I only go about 3 or 4 times a year.  This is a pic of my hallway.  Don't you just looovve the Ikea low profile shoe cabinets.  I also love that there is a small space to add a little holiday décor.
 

Gotta love those Target antlers.  I used them for my fall décor and I still can't get enough of them, so I kept them up for Christmas.  The reindeer and silver star is also from Target in the ornament section.  The cranberry garland is from Marshalls. 

I Need Minions > Christmas Dough

Who doesn't need some Christmas Dough?  

If you are looking for a gift this year, you can't go wrong with some cold, hard, "Christmas Dough." The extra thigh jiggles from all the calories alone are really a gift in itself, don't ya think?  But this dough is jiggle free!

I have a bunch of nieces and nephews who most of the time I can't remember how old they are so you know I really don't have any idea if they're into Hello Kitty or Transformers or whatever the new hot thing is.  Every year I give them a gift card to McDonald's or Burger King - the one size fits all gift.  This year I got this brilliant idea from all the other bloggers out there, wrapping up cookie dough in a roll, just like those New Year's Poppers.  

What? You don't think they want to bake up a batch of cookies?  Well, maybe they won't be all that excited about baking but my "Dough" is special - we're talking cold, hard, cash!  It might also be funny to watch their faces as I take their gifts out of a cooler and give it to them because you know they will be thinking, "Oh, wonderful, cookie dough.  Thank you so much. :("  


This is also a wonderful way to recycle all the paper towel rolls after you've used all the paper towels.

Cut your empty roll in half. You've heard measure twice, cut once - well I obviously didn't do that - check out that little piece I had to cut off because I don't know how to measure.   

Center roll on paper and attach roll to wrapping paper with double stick tape.

Start rolling until paper towel roll is almost covered, put another piece of double stick down and keep rolling - this will cover the ugly paper towel roll.  Put your money in and continue to roll.  Secure bottom with another piece of tape.  Scrunch ends, tie with ribbon and stick on your "Christmas Dough" label.   

Ho! Ho! Ho!
Or maybe Mo! Mo! Mo!
Ya know, as in...mo - money!

- Laurie

Things Will Go Wrong > Holiday Shopping Dress Code

Here I am hiding in shame between paper plates and the frozen vegetable section of my local everything store. You know, no man's land. It's that dim place in every store along the back wall, where people go to guiltily abandon full carts and where employees go hide to use their cell phones. It 's the same place where you find the moth balls (Who uses those things?!) in case you were wondering.

I started this trip feeling pretty good about myself. It was later in the evening, and I had a glorious free moment to get some holiday shopping in while shopping for other mundane stuff everyone always dreads having to buy; and I was getting it done early! No last minute Christmas shopping out of the dredges that no one else wanted, for me! Yay me!

Except no one told me that there was an Holiday dress code in effect. Did someone forget to forward me the mass email? Had I been distracted by all the holiday ads and missed the newspaper announcement stating that when heading to the stores this season, everyone is dressing up? Whether it be shopping for toilet paper or for a Nerf super shooter, everyone will be dressed in their finest outfits?!



As I was out schlumping around in my fake uggs with a spaghetti stain from that night's dinner, the horror of my under dress-ness hit me. It was not just all those people who put on clean jeans - we're talking about a parade of cute winter hats, stylish boots, festive sweaters, hair that has seen a brush, and even (gasp!) maybe a curling iron, and full make up. We're talking date night make up, or parent teacher conference make up,( and not just the under eye concealer you slap on so people don't think you drink all night after the kids are in bed.)

Oh, and I had forgot the cardinal rule of Holiday shopping no matter where you go: you will run into EVERYONE. By everyone I mean your old boyfriend and his gorgeous wife, your arch nemesis from high school, your neighbors from your old house where you grew up, your children's teachers, and probably even some of the very same family members that you are trying to shop for. Basically no one you'd EVER want to see running around in your "mom" uniform.

And here I am, out looking like a super nanny reject, panicking, because I've already seen a couple of people that can pick me out in a line up. I have no shame in admitting that I'm rounding those end caps like a secret agent and ninja crawling past the aisles that might have a person that could possibly identify me, my special "mom" jeans, and old sweatshirt - complete with dog hair applique. I'm satellite tracking those familiar voices, making sure I'm keeping the minimum, 2 aisle safety barrier, between me and an awkward conversation; which would end with them eyeballing my spaghetti stain.

Why did no one send me the memo!!

Heads up ladies (and men): Tis the season for shopping and looking merry, (AKA High School Reunion Hair & Makeup.) You might even need to break out that dreaded holiday pin your grandma gave you last year. Me? I'm keeping a hair straightener and a wardrobe change in the car, just in case...



~Angela

p.s. Please do all of us a favor and leave those Christmas crop tops at home though...



Frock Me Friday > Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Yup, It's true - girls just wanna have fun and dress up and glamourize, accessorize, glitterize, jewelize and sparklize!  Okay, enough with the "ize's" but it is the season to dress up and sparkle.  There are so many options for that Christmas or New Year's Party.


If you already have a great pair of black or white pants that you love how about pairing them up with a sequined top, fantastic pashmina or a faux fur as shown in the picture below.  Nothing is more budget friendly than taking a dress you already have and pairing it with some over the top jewelry and some fantastic party shoes - who doesn't want a pair of new shoes!  Check out the Pink sweater with the red a white striped skirt below - think out of the box.  Check your closet for things you already have that can be put together for an outfit everyone will be talking about.

Source:  Polyvore, Spiegel, Lulus.com, Pinterest, Louboutin, Jimmy Choo

Lastly, do not forget your eyes - go for the gold! - or silver or feathers or drama.  Have fun and sparkle!

- Laurie

Celebrate Celebrate Celebrate > Holiday Wreaths To Dress Up Your Door

We have not forgotten you, Chaos and Gloss fans (all 10 of you. Hi Grandma)! Laurie Glossy Flossy is off having fun in sunny California this week, while I was supposed to be holding down the fort here at Chaos and Gloss. Well the only thing I've been holding down for the last week is pedialite and saltine crackers. Yes the stomach flu has hit every single person in my family for the last week and a half. "Another One Bites The Dust", is our family's new theme song. Needless to say, no blogging of anything crafty, nifty, or fabulous was coming out of me this last week, unless you wanted a post comparing the merits of seven up vs. ginger ale.

Well never fear! I have disinfected my keyboard and I'm ready to roll(and not with my stomach). How about some great ideas for the Holidays for the first thing people see when they come over? Your front door.

My angel wings are fluttering nicely on mine, but there are hundreds of great ideas out there that aren't the standard evergreen for everyone and every style. Check em out:

Yarn wrapped wreath

Pinterest

Yarn ball and ornament wreath

Pinterest

Berry Monogram

Pinterest

Santa Wreath

craft o maniac

Paper leaf

Martha Stewart

Lighted paper doilly wreath DIY



Martha Stewart

Wall medallion wreath

BHG 

Gift tag message wreath

BHG

 Vintage costume jewelry wreath

BHG

 Pom pom wreath

BHG

Family photo wreath

Rook No.17

Sweater cuff wreath

Betz White

Picture frame Wreath

Pinterest

Trash bag wreath

 Under the table and dreaming

I hope you all find some thing inspiring to dress up your front door, and make sure you send us a pic if you do!

I'm off to put a hazmat disinfecting tent over my house...

~Angela

I Need Minions > DIY Christmas Cookbook Gift

Okay, all of you amazing cooks with "secret" delicious recipes - now is the time to share the bounty with your family and friends.  A couple of years ago I made cookbooks for all my kids with all my recipes that I cooked while they were growing up, plus all the new things that I have added through the years.  This was appreciated by all - at least I think it was.  If you don't already have a cookbook for yourself this will help you out because while you're making everyone else's cookbook you can also make one for yourself.  Two gifts in one, woohoo!

This is a fairly easy project.

Supplies:
Lots of Paper and Printer Ink
Few sheets of Cardstock
All your recipes
3" 9X8 Binder - it's one of those smaller binders
2 Clear Project Files from Office Depot

I printed all my recipes out 2 to a page and cut paper in half so each recipe page is 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".  Then 3 hole punch each page to fit in binder.


Organize by category and put in binder.


Make divider sheet with tab for each category.   This one was made in Photoshop but you can make dividers in any program or you could cut scrapbook paper to the proper size and use that.

Leave the original cover or make a cute cover like the one above.

I also put 2 of these handy protectors in each cookbook so that they have a splatter free cover for easy use when they pull out a recipe.  I cut down a clear project file from Office Depot to 6" X 9" size and used my handy corner rounder to round the top right front corner.


As an extra bonus I am giving you this wonderful recipe for Pecan Tarts - I have been making these for about 30 years and they are the best tarts ever.  

PECAN TARTS

Shells:

½ c. butter                                1 tsp. almond extract

½ c. sugar                                 2 c. flour

2 egg yolks

Cream sugar & butter.  Stir in egg yolks, almond extract and flour.  Press evenly into tiny tart shells.  Bake in 400⁰ oven for 8 minutes. 

Filling:

½ c. butter                                1 c. chopped pecans

1/3 c. Karo dark corn syrup           1 c. powdered sugar

Bring butter, corn syrup and powdered sugar to boil.  Stir in pecans.  Spoon into baked shells.  Top with a pecan half.  Bake in 350⁰ oven for 5 minutes.

Note:  I don't usually top them with a pecan half before cooking.


Start printing & baking!
-Laurie