So the Christmas season is officially in full swing at our house. I can now openly listen to my Christmas music, watch my Christmas movies, enjoy my Christmas decorations, and be Merry! Hooray! This weekend my family and I spent a majority of our time decorating, yet we still have more to finish up. I'll be sure to share pictures. Now we did take a break for a trip to the movies to see Tangled  and it was agreed, the movies was absolutely adorable!!! I just love Disney! I can get the same warm, fuzzy feeling from a good Disney movie that I get from the Christmas season. And Tangled was no exception--I laughed, I cried, I had a great time. The animation was gorgeous, the music was beautiful and the story was sweet. There was a lot of talk about the importance of following your dreams. Now you can't argue with that, can you?

Today is the first Small Business Saturday . If it sticks, it's the small, local business's answer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It's a great way to support the small business that keep our communities going. I am offering some fun holiday specials at my shop . I may not be local for most, but you can't get much smaller. So come visit me , or have fun shopping local today. And enjoy the holiday weekend with your loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Not only am I celebrating Thanksgiving with my family, but I am also celebrating 100 blog posts here at By Jen with you! I noticed that I was getting closer to 100 posts a few weeks ago, so I thought I should do something fun to celebrate. After much thought, I decided it would be fun to put together a list of 100 things that inspire me and make me happy as I travel along my creative path. Seems like a good idea, right? Well not only is my 100th post later than I first calculated, I also procrastinated in putting together my list. So here I am, Thanksgiving Eve and I have a list of 18 and I need to get some sleep. I had better start planning my celebration for 200 (as if a procrastinator at heart can really plan ahead). Well anyways....E njoy, feel free to chime in, and make sure to peek at the bottom because I've shared a little something extra for you. HAPPY INSPIRATION 1. The support I get from my family, especially my husband and two little girl...

Craft Night , originally uploaded by byjen . Last night was our monthly craft night and we made these adorable little holiday decorations with instruction from Paula. It ended up being a small group because of the holiday (me, Tina , Paula, and Paula's mom), but that just meant we got to make more projects. Can you believe these are made with brown paper bags? Too cute!!! And don't forget to check back on Thursday because not only will I be celebrating Thanksgiving, but it'll be my 100th blog post here at By Jen. I have a lot to be thankful for =)

Classic Without Edge Holiday 5x7 folded card Christmas cards and holiday thank you cards by Shutterfly. View the entire collection of cards. Can you believe it? Thanksgiving is just days away and Christmas is right around the corner. I must admit I have skipped over Thanksgiving a bit, but I just can't help it. Christmas is such a magical time of year. There's the music and movies, making gifts and treats, the lights and decorations, time spent with family and friends, etc.. It's also that time to be thinking of Christmas cards. I haven't quite figured out this year's design, but I do know that I hope to incorporate photos of my precious girls in two different Christmas dresses (it was just too hard to choose one) and maybe some with Sprinkles, too. And on top of that tall order, it's going to be tough to top last year's card. I captured the perfect Christmas photo by shear luck and, using Shutterfly , I made a simple but elegant card. The card was perfect...

Precious Moments , originally uploaded by byjen . This past weekend the girls had the opportunity to ride horses at a special birthday party. I was worried that Katherine would be hesitant because she can be a bit cautious at times. But I was pleasantly surprised as I witnessed the joy on her face. She grinned from ear to ear the whole time. And she was able to do everything the "big" girls did. It was magical to see her fully embrace the experience. It made me appreciate all the experiences we have been able to offer the girls. Life is to be experienced, right? So here's to embracing life and all it has to offer!

This past weekend I was excited to receive my pre-ordered copy of Creative Bloom by Jen Swift , a fellow Kelly Rae Robert's flyer . I've truly enjoyed all the artists and blogs I have found by way of Kelly Rae Robert's past e-course. Sometimes it's hard to explain why we gravitate towards one blog or artist, but Jen was one of them. Her blog is well written (and updated regularly--something I'd like to be better about), her wire art was something new (and I seem to collect hobbies), and it was just really fun to see someone "real" in the final stages of getting a book published (I just LOVE craft books). She's been a great inspiration. Her success makes me feel as if I can dream big, too. So I knew I wanted to get her book when it came out, if anything just to be supportive of a fellow flyer. So I snatched up one of her pre-order packages and I'm so glad I did. The package arrived beautifully wrapped with precious wire art gifts and her book. I ...

Word Art , originally uploaded by byjen . So this weekend was crazy! Crazy fun and just plain crazy. Rebecca's Build-A-Bear birthday was a great success. The kids had a blast, as well as the parents and grandparents. We had a great time Trick-Or-Treating. It was really fun to see the neighborhood so festive and so many trick-or-treaters. Unfortunately, we all ended up with a cold by Monday afternoon, so the girls and I stayed home to rest yesterday. I think I might have got more rest had I gone to work. You gotta love all the energy of a 3 and 6 year old, even when they're under the weather. So in my time at home, I stumbled upon Scrapbook Expo's Creativity Showcase and I have to enter! They are looking for creative uses of scrapbooking supplies and I think my words would be perfect. Trouble is I can only enter two of my pieces and I am having a tough time deciding. Any suggestions?

Today is Halloween. And as you may already know, Halloween is pretty special around my house. Just six short years ago my first baby was born, Rebecca. So today not only do we get the fun of celebrating Halloween, but we also get to celebrate Rebecca's birthday. So Happy Halloween to All! And Happy Birthday to my Becca !

Yesterday was a crazy day. Yet it was filled with lots of happy energy. At times I was reminded of the snowball effect where things build on each other, but the more I thought about it, it really wasn't one big snowball building up in size but rather a lot of little ones. So forgive me as I shower you with some of my happy snowflakes. It started with the realization that Rebecca's pumpkin patch birthday party this coming weekend was going to be rained out. So I spent the morning calling around to find a Plan B. I know we could have switched to a party at home, but each time I throw one at home I am exhausted afterwards. So I did find a Plan B that made everyone happy: Build-A-Bear in the mall. Rebecca adores Build-A-Bear right now, so I am excited! There's one happy snowflake. I also learned that a blog friend of mine, Leslie at Words of Me Project , chose to honor my blog with her Blog of the Week. I  just love reading Leslie's blog. A lot of times when I read her...

Earth laughs in flowe rs.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson   Flowers make me happy. I imagine they make a majority of us happy. I especially enjoy flowers that last forever, like paper and fabric flowers. This past week, including today, I tried several different techniques for making flowers. I finally tried making accordion flowers and spiral flowers from paper. And I tried two Donna Downey fabric flowers, one of which is this darling daisy . Everything was so simple, yet turned out so adorable. And the possibilities are endless: gift wrapping and scrapbooking embellishments, hair clips and head bands, holiday wreaths and flower arrangements, etc.. I see loads of flowers in my future. I promise to share as I make more, k?

Christmas organizer made from a plain manila folder Inside the organizer Outside the organizer More in the works Lately I've been trying to get a little more organized. I imagine I'm not alone in my pursuit of a simple and organized life. I've been adding list after list to my phone: daily goals, weekly goals, menu plans, shopping lists, projects to make, etc.. So when we got together for our monthly craft night, hosted by my friend Tina , I was excited that we'd be trying our hand at an adorable organizer made from a manila folder. It's really so simple, yet the possibilities are endless. We basically took a manila file folder and opened it up. We then scored it about 4" from the bottom and folded that up for our pockets. Now the accordion style folds were a little more controversial in the group. Everyone had different thoughts on which edges should line up, but that was part of the fun. I scored my folder 4" from the center fold on both side...

I'm excited to say I have a few new and old word art creations for sale at Polka Dots in Granite Bay. Polka Dots is the cutest little store next to my daughters' dance studio. They sell leotards, tutus, and all things cute and pink. So a few weeks ago I asked if they'd consider my word art for their shop and they said "yes." I already had Dance and Princess completed, but I also added Tumble and Reach for the gymnasts and Love to Dance for the dancers. I'm excited to see them displayed in the shop! I will be sure to share photos. Fun!!

I am busy finishing some projects that I hope to share in the next couple days. Until then I must share with you a recent discovery. Last week, I tried the Caramel Apple Spice drink at the Seattle's Best inside Border's Books and it was amazing. So the next time I went I asked if they sold it to make at home. I learned that they do not sell it, but the woman helping me was kind enough to share their secret. It is TreeTop's Spiced Apple Cider with some caramel sauce mixed in. So I made some caramel sauce yesterday and sat down to enjoy a warm cup of caramel apple cider. Yum! You should try it =)

Several months ago a friend asked me if I could help her design the "guestbook" for her 350 guest wedding. I type "guestbook" in quotes because she wanted me to create a tree that her guests could add thumb print leaves to. I was really honored and excited to help! And here is the almost finished tree. The wedding is this Saturday so I can't wait to see the tree filled with "leaves." I may just have to try a smaller scale family tree for a Christmas present or two.

I can hardly believe how long it's been since I've visited my own blog. Life always keeps me busy, right? Busy doing the necessary stuff, but not always so fun stuff. But this past week has been good because I've been really working on getting myself in gear personally--i.e. good health and organizational goals. I started walking more (reaching for 10,000 steps a day ). I've been purging household clutter, but it's going to take a lot of purging at my house before outsiders see a difference. I started listening to The Happiness Project which has inspired a lot of my get-up-and-go. Donna Downey's fabric class has started and I've been inspired to try my hand making a canvas pouch for my iPhone so that I can wear it as my pedometer. I wish I could show you the plan in my head right now--it's very cool! I got a fun date night with my hubby. We went to the grand reopening of the Crocker Art Museum and it was really nice not having little ones to chase aft...

Halloween has arrived at our house. Hooray!! We devoted most of today to decorating and crafting for this special holiday. Halloween was the first holiday that my hubby and I spent in our very own house, so Halloween holds a special place in our heart. So we've always decorated our home, inside and out, with extra joy and affection. And then to make the holiday even more special, our first baby girl arrived on Halloween, our dear Rebecca (I've always wondered what the trick-or-treaters must have thought that year when our house was dark). So Halloween is treasured at our house. Much of the day, we pulled out decorations and crafted new ones. A great deal of my inspiration this year came from the blog Eighteen 25 's Spooktacular September. For instance we started the day with Spooky Pancakes . Rebecca and I tried our hand at the Spirit Jugs  (which I had also seen in Family Fun magazine ). The girls and I made wreaths inspired by several projects I've seen online, inc...

I can't begin to tell you how happy this little cash register makes me. Every time I walk by it I smile. It is still new to me but it's been on my mind for quite a while. A few weeks ago my mom and I discovered the Antique Trove where one could spends hours lost in antiques bliss. I have never been one for collecting antiques but between my grandma and a few blog friends, I decided to take a second look. Unfortunately when we discovered this place we were tight on time so we had to peruse quickly, barely scratching the surface. As we were leaving I stopped to take a closer look at one of the seller's booths and this little cash register caught my eye. I didn't think too much of it as we hurried out, but it's image kept popping up in my head ever since. In fact, I found myself designing a whole kitchen around it.   I do have a beautiful kitchen that I love. It's just in a house that is about 25 miles away from my work, the girls' schools, the girls' e...

In the tradition of my family growing up, today I was inspired to make a special Sunday morning breakfast. Lately we've been in a bit of a pancake rut so I searched for something different. One breakfast I remember enjoying a lot as a child was Dutch Babies . I don't know exactly where our recipe came from (my grandma found us lots of yummy recipes out of magazines and books, which I also enjoy doing) but it definitely found its way into our permanent collection. But today I even wanted that to be a little different. So I did a quick internet search for "pumpkin dutch babies" (I am loving fall and what says fall more than pumpkin?) and I found this recipe on Baking Bites . It was a bit different from our recipe but I was up for the adventure. And they turned out wonderful, like a bite of pumpkin pie. Then add some maple syrup, whipped cream, and Halloween sprinkles and it was almost sinful. So if you're looking for a new breakfast adventure, I highly recommend t...

Just like I thought, I didn't get back to my blog last night. I just couldn't help myself with Glee being on (so much fun). But here I am now. I was going to show you some of the creations from this weekend but I just haven't had the time to take photos. So instead I feel like sharing a couple books I have borrowed from the library recently. You may remember my If your heart could speak post. I had found that quote but forgot to write down the name of the book. Well I figured out the book's title was Live What You Love  by Bob and Melinda Blanchard . So I requested it from the library and got it today. But a week or so ago I was able to check out another book by the same authors: Changing Your Course . I can't tell you how wonderfully inspiring this book has been. It seems to give me permission to dream and believe that anything is possible, as well as give me the tools to go after my dreams. So I was excited when their other book came today. Just reading the fir...