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	<title> &#187; Stuff I Love</title>
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		<title>How to Make a Butterfly Chandelier</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/09/02/how-to-make-a-butterfly-chandelier/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/09/02/how-to-make-a-butterfly-chandelier/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:24:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tutorials]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=3250</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I made this fun little chandelier for my girls&#8217; room a month ago using my Back to Basic&#8217;s digital line. It&#8217;s been a cute addition to their room, and it was pretty easy to make. Check out the tutorial below.
Want to cut it with your silhouette machine (or any other machine that cuts Illustrator files?). [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/IMG_4390_1.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3251" title="IMG_4390_1" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/IMG_4390_1.jpg" alt="IMG_4390_1" width="525" height="535" /></a></p>
<p>I made this fun little chandelier for my girls&#8217; room a month ago using my Back to Basic&#8217;s digital line. It&#8217;s been a cute addition to their room, and it was pretty easy to make. Check out the tutorial below.</p>
<p>Want to cut it with your silhouette machine (or any other machine that cuts Illustrator files?). Download the ai file here (not for commercial use or resale).It&#8217;s already set up with 6 butterflies to a sheet.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/studio/freedownloads/carinagardner_butterfly.ai"  target="_blank">ILLUSTRATOR FILE DOWNLOAD</a></p>
<p>If you want a pdf version of all six butterflies already setup for you (if you need to cut them out by hand), don&#8217;t worry! I&#8217;ve hooked you up too.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/studio/freedownloads/carinagardner_butterfly.pdf" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/downloads/studio/freedownloads/carinagardner_butterfly.pdf');" target="_blank">PDF FILE DOWNLOAD</a></p>
<p>Download the tutorial with instructions here:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/studio/freedownloads/Butterfly_Chandelier_Instructions.pdf" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/downloads/studio/freedownloads/Butterfly_Chandelier_Instructions.pdf');" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3255" style="border: 1px solid black;" title="carinagardner2010_butterflychandelier_dwnld_banner 1" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/carinagardner2010_butterflychandelier_dwnld_banner-1.gif" alt="carinagardner2010_butterflychandelier_dwnld_banner 1" width="525" height="350" /></a></p>

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		<item>
		<title>How to Brighten a Skimpy Wreath</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/07/15/how-to-brighten-a-skimpy-wreath/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/07/15/how-to-brighten-a-skimpy-wreath/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:06:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Project Mania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quick Fixes & Projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tutorials]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=3134</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love a white wreath on a black door and I found a really skimpy wreath marked down at my local craft store. Luckily there was also a few white flowers marked down. If you want a cheap wreath (and don&#8217;t want to create one from scratch), this is the best way to go!
Start with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I love a white wreath on a black door and I found a really skimpy wreath marked down at my local craft store. Luckily there was also a few white flowers marked down. If you want a cheap wreath (and don&#8217;t want to create one from scratch), this is the best way to go!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_3673.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3135" title="IMG_3673" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_3673.jpg" alt="IMG_3673" width="530" height="358" /></a>Start with a wreath with the colors in it you want. I liked this wreath but I wanted something fuller.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_3680.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3136" title="IMG_3680" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_3680.jpg" alt="IMG_3680" width="530" height="353" /></a></p>
<p>I bought these big white flowers (2 bunched) on clearance and simply hot glued them to fill it in.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_3692.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3137" title="IMG_3692" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_3692.jpg" alt="IMG_3692" width="530" height="346" /></a></p>
<p>Easy, instant wreath! It&#8217;s different than anyone else&#8217;s and so much fuller!</p>

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		<title>Summer Favorite Friday</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/07/02/summer-favorite-friday/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/07/02/summer-favorite-friday/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:54:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Favorite 5 Friday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=3075</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
It&#8217;s been a long time since I&#8217;ve done a Favorite Friday, but I need to get back to it because I&#8217;ve seen so many things that I love, love, love recently. Never read a Favorite Friday before? You can check them out here.

What&#8217;s Fav Friday all about? It&#8217;s stuff I&#8217;ve found, oggled over, loved,  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1906" title="favoritefriday_carinagardner" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/favoritefriday_carinagardner.jpg" alt="favoritefriday_carinagardner" width="600" height="57" /></p>
<p>It&#8217;s been a long time since I&#8217;ve done a Favorite Friday, but I need to get back to it because I&#8217;ve seen so many things that I love, love, love recently. Never read a Favorite Friday before? You can check them out <a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/category/favorite5friday/"  target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/favfriday_july1.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3076" title="favfriday_july1" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/favfriday_july1.jpg" alt="favfriday_july1" width="530" height="478" /></a></p>
<p>What&#8217;s Fav Friday all about? It&#8217;s stuff I&#8217;ve found, oggled over, loved,  or bought. Things that have been designed well or things that make life a  little more beautiful. Here&#8217;s my five for the week:</p>
<p>1-<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/45095282/custom-decorative-tile?ref=fp_feat_4" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.etsy.com');" target="_blank">Custom Decorative Tile</a> by ioanab on etsy. I&#8217;ve been searching etsy alot recently&#8230;even bought a few goodies for my studio. This one is so sweet!</p>
<p>2-<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/46123913/hello-i-am-in-love-with-you-ok?ref=sc_22" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.etsy.com');" target="_blank">Hi. I&#8217;m in love with you. ok. </a>by adamcohn249 on etsy. I&#8217;m always a sucker for these bold graphic prints. This one is so&#8230;honest. Okay, I&#8217;m in love with you too!</p>
<p>3-<a href="http://www.ballarddesigns.com/comShop/customProdAction.do%3Faction%3DinitCustom?ruleID=2357&amp;itemID=5177&amp;itemType=PRODUCT&amp;path=1%2C2%2C1443%2C1475%2C1691&amp;iProductID=5177" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.ballarddesigns.com');" target="_blank">Colefax Chair in Green Geo</a> from Ballard Designs. I&#8217;ve been trying to decide on living room chairs for, well, since we moved in. These have been at the top of my list forever. I might have to take the plunge soon because the more me seeie, the more me likie.</p>
<p>4-<a href="http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/Seasonal/tabid/467/List/0/CategoryID/90/level/a/ProductID/4060/ProductName/Battery-Paper-Lanterns--White/Default.aspx" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.pier1.com');" target="_blank">Battery Paper Lanterns</a> from Pier 1 Imports. I just bought these for a summer night party in our backyard (for which I still have not planned). I saw them displayed in the store on the edges of the umbrella over a dining table. It was too cute.</p>
<p>5-<a href="http://www.lonnymag.com/Home.html" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.lonnymag.com');" target="_blank">Lonny Magazine</a> is a digital magazine that I&#8217;ve mentioned before. It&#8217;s my replacement for Domino Mag which tanked when the recession hit. It has a youthfulness and style that my other magazines haven&#8217;t been able to give me. A new issue is up (thank goodness!).</p>
<p>Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July this weekend! We are going out of town for a little r&amp;r.</p>

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		<title>Old School Fun-Paint and Play in a Cardboard Box</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/06/21/old-school-fun-paint-and-play-in-a-cardboard-box/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/06/21/old-school-fun-paint-and-play-in-a-cardboard-box/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:32:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Design Lessons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jessica Sprague]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=3029</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I bought a dresser last week and, of course, the best part is that it came in a box. After playing with it for a week inside, we dragged it outside to paint it and let the neighborhood play in it.



They get to use their creativity and it&#8217;s free&#8230;man, I love a good box!
Also a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I bought a dresser last week and, of course, the best part is that it came in a box. After playing with it for a week inside, we dragged it outside to paint it and let the neighborhood play in it.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_2955-copy.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3030" title="IMG_2955 copy" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_2955-copy.jpg" alt="IMG_2955 copy" width="520" height="346" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_3033_1.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3031" title="IMG_3033_1" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_3033_1.jpg" alt="IMG_3033_1" width="520" height="520" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_2998.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3032" title="IMG_2998" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_2998.jpg" alt="IMG_2998" width="520" height="347" /></a></p>
<p>They get to use their creativity and it&#8217;s free&#8230;man, I love a good box!</p>
<p>Also a shout out to everyone taking Jessica Sprague and my course: The <a href="http://www.jessicasprague.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&amp;flypage=flypage.pbv.tabs.tpl&amp;product_id=340&amp;category_id=60&amp;option=com_virtuemart&amp;Itemid=85" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.jessicasprague.com');" target="_blank">Art of Digital Design</a> today! It&#8217;s week 5 and you are stuck with me (whaaahaaaaa)! Excited for all the fun we&#8217;re going to have this week!</p>

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		<title>Just a Bit of Love From Me to You</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/06/13/just-a-bit-of-love-from-me-to-you/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/06/13/just-a-bit-of-love-from-me-to-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:48:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=2982</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love peonies. They make me SOOOO happy. One of my friends told me once that when she has flowers in her house, she feels like she is motivated to keep it clean. I totally agree. Who wants a mess around these beauties? So at least my kitchen is clean:). I probably ought to buy [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I love peonies. They make me SOOOO happy. One of my friends told me once that when she has flowers in her house, she feels like she is motivated to keep it clean. I totally agree. Who wants a mess around these beauties? So at least my kitchen is clean:). I probably ought to buy flowers for the rest of the house.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_29001.jpg" ><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2986" title="IMG_2900" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_29001.jpg" alt="IMG_2900" width="530" height="353" /></a></p>
<p>Hope you are having a happy day too.</p>

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		<title>How to Change a Skirt into a Dress</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/06/04/change-a-skirt-into-a-dress/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/06/04/change-a-skirt-into-a-dress/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Project Mania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quick Fixes & Projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sewing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skirt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=2915</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I found these darling skirts at Gymboree clearanced out. So of course, the only sizes left were 9 and 10&#8230;a bit big for a 3 and 6 year old (and I wasn&#8217;t about to let these bad boys sit idly in a closet for a few years!). So I made these skirts into dresses.
With just [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2916" title="IMG_2549 copy" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_2549-copy.jpg" alt="IMG_2549 copy" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2917" style="margin-right: 5px;" title="IMG_2509 copy" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_2509-copy.jpg" alt="IMG_2509 copy" width="300" height="379" />I found these darling skirts at <a href="http://www.gymboree.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.gymboree.com');" target="_blank">Gymboree</a> clearanced out. So of course, the only sizes left were 9 and 10&#8230;a bit big for a 3 and 6 year old (and I wasn&#8217;t about to let these bad boys sit idly in a closet for a few years!). So I made these skirts into dresses.</p>
<p>With just a bit of ribbon and a giant flower (I got mine from <a href="http://thelaceplaceribbons.blogspot.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/thelaceplaceribbons.blogspot.com');" target="_blank">The Lace Place</a>), these skirts become dresses for my girls. Here&#8217;s what you&#8217;ll need to do a project like this:</p>
<p>+ 1/2 yard to 1 yard of ribbon that matches or contrasts your skirt (I went with the pink satin ribbon)</p>
<p>+ 1 yard of ribbon for a bow or silk flower</p>
<p>+ large safety pin</p>
<p>+ Fray check</p>
<p>+ small, squirmy child to try it all on</p>
<p>1. Fit the skirt to your child. Most likely you&#8217;ll need to bring it in a little. I&#8217;m not the kind to pick apart the whole thing and put it back together. I just turn it inside out and sew an inch (or whatever) into the seam. I don&#8217;t even sew the length of the dress! I just taper off after a couple of inches.</p>
<p>2. Cut the ribbon in 1/4 to 1/6 lengths and fit to your child ( you&#8217;ll need 2 lengths for each &#8220;sleeve&#8221;).</p>
<p>3. Sew the ribbon into the skirt wrong side out (You&#8217;ll do this four times&#8230;one at each point the skirt and ribbon connect). Sew at least two lines of stitches. Put fray check on the raw edges.<img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2920" title="IMG_2528 copy" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_2528-copy.jpg" alt="IMG_2528 copy" width="300" height="268" /></p>
<p>4. Put the safety pin through the large flower or bow you&#8217;ve made. Then attach it to the dress. I like the safety pin because then you can take it off when you wash the dress or use it as an accessory on other clothing.</p>
<p>I think this project took me an hour from start to finish. Modeling for me is my darling niece Lola (I think my own kids have had it with me and the blog modeling!). She was actually excited about wearing Felicity&#8217;s dress (that&#8217;s a welcome change!).</p>

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		<title>Sometimes We Like Alternate Wheels</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/06/03/sometimes-we-like-alternate-wheels/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/06/03/sometimes-we-like-alternate-wheels/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:00:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wheels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=2908</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Our current wheels of choice. It&#8217;s too nice outside to be caught indoors with my computer. Apparently, Siri thinks so too.



Share and Enjoy:


	
	
	
	













]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2909" title="IMG_2285_1" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_2285_1.jpg" alt="IMG_2285_1" width="500" height="750" /></p>
<p>Our current wheels of choice. It&#8217;s too nice outside to be caught indoors with my computer. Apparently, Siri thinks so too.</p>

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		<item>
		<title>Find My Free &#8220;Stuff&#8221; Easier</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/05/31/find-my-free-stuff-easier/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/05/31/find-my-free-stuff-easier/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 May 2010 13:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fabric]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Free Digital Downloads-Freebies-Free Digital Printables]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free finds]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=2900</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, I included a link above called &#8220;free downloads.&#8221; If you have clicked on it recently, then you know that I&#8217;ve now made it a little easier for you to find the free patterns, free downloads, and free printables on this site!

This new little page can be accessed from the top navigation bar (free downloads) [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Recently, I included a link above called &#8220;free downloads.&#8221; If you have clicked on it recently, then you know that I&#8217;ve now made it a little easier for you to find the free patterns, free downloads, and free printables on this site!<br />
<a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/studio/freepattern.html"  target="_blank"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2902" style="border: 1px solid black;" title="Screenshot" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Screenshot.jpg" alt="Screenshot" width="502" height="395" /></a></p>
<p>This new little page can be accessed from the top navigation bar (<a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/studio/freepattern.html"  target="_blank">free downloads</a>) or the blog&#8217;s side bar (the lovely photo of the<a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/studio/fabric.html"  target="_blank"> Coquette</a>™ flower in that cute little red-head&#8217;s hair). It doesn&#8217;t include ALL the free stuff that you can find on this site&#8230;just my favorites! And with <a href="http://www.electricquilt.com/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.electricquilt.com');" target="_blank">EQ7</a> in hand (it just showed up this week!), I&#8217;m going to have a few more patterns before long for you (I have certainly gotten into the spirit of quilting since going to <a href="http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/05/21/quilt-market-day-1/"  target="_blank">Quilt Market</a>)!</p>
<p>And if you didn&#8217;t see the <a href="http://www.designhousedigital.com" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.designhousedigital.com');" target="_blank">Design House Digital</a> sale, yet, I&#8217;d recommend heading over. Super big kits are on sale for just $1! Have fun!</p>

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		<title>Chinese New Year Party</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/05/30/chinese-new-year-party/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/05/30/chinese-new-year-party/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 May 2010 15:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chinese new year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[party]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=2889</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is a flashback post:)! You know how I mentioned that I was going to try and dig up a few things I MEANT to post about but never did? So here&#8217;s one of them! These photo are from my Annual Chinese New Year Party. I used to throw a CNY when we lived in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is a flashback post:)! You know how I mentioned that I was going to try and dig up a few things I MEANT to post about but never did? So here&#8217;s one of them! These photo are from my Annual Chinese New Year Party. I used to throw a CNY when we lived in Minnesota (in fact, Aimee and Bryant (pictured in the center) were the first attendees of my Chinese New Year Party seven years ago in MN!). This was my first attempt to throw this party in our new, little house in Utah. We managed to squish 20 people into our tiny living room. We moved out most of the furniture and put tables on the floor. It was tight, but cozy.</p>
<p>My cute husband bought me a darling set of dishes that was perfect for this party. I ended up making invitations, menu cards, and and place cards to match (I should dig those out and turn it into a digi kit, huh?).</p>
<p>I spent the day cooking the way my mom taught me (She just recently came into town and fed us our favorite dishes). My sister came over to help cook and manned the camera during the party (thanks, sis!).</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2890" title="mask" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mask.jpg" alt="mask" width="530" height="700" /></p>
<p>My favorite thing about a party like this? Getting to know new people and catching up with friends. We always invite a mix of new and old friends to a party because it adds variety to the group dynamic.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve already started thinking about next year&#8217;s party. Chinese, anyone?</p>

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		<title>How to Make an Easy Summer Wreath</title>
		<link>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/05/28/how-to-make-an-easy-summer-wreath/</link>
		<comments>http://www.carinagardner.com/2010/05/28/how-to-make-an-easy-summer-wreath/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 May 2010 16:56:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>carina</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Holiday Projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stuff I Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tutorials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crafting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.carinagardner.com/?p=2871</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I think wreaths are one of those things that are really easy to make especially when you can&#8217;t find exactly the kind of wreath you want (In my case, an all green summer wreath). Of course, I think the materials are pretty expensive (which is what keeps me from making all of my wreaths), but [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I think wreaths are one of those things that are really easy to make especially when you can&#8217;t find exactly the kind of wreath you want (In my case, an all green summer wreath). Of course, I think the materials are pretty expensive (which is what keeps me from making all of my wreaths), but if you can find a fab sale, then making a wreath is easy (and did I mention fun?). I found such a sale and stocked up with some summer and fall stuff to make a couple of wreaths.<br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2872" title="wreath1" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/wreath1.jpg" alt="wreath1" width="530" height="349" /></p>
<p>I like to keep it pretty simple. My summer wreath is made of four types of stems but they are all varying shades of green (so I can&#8217;t screw up). Then, I just layer them.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2873" title="wreath2" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/wreath2.jpg" alt="wreath2" width="530" height="349" /></p>
<p>I just put a little hot glue on the bottom of the stem as I push it into the wreath. Sometimes I put a little hot glue on top, but not always because I want some of the branches to fall out to give it volume.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2874" title="wreath4" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/wreath4.jpg" alt="wreath4" width="530" height="349" /></p>
<p>The layers for this summer wreath are 1)boxwood leaves, 2) lime green olive branches, 3) green berries, and 4) mini green apples. Group the green apples together (2 or 3 together).</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2875" title="wreath3" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/wreath3.jpg" alt="wreath3" width="530" height="349" /></p>
<p>This wreath took me less than an hour (how do I know? Because I dropped Siri off at dance and finished it before I picked her up again).</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2878" title="wreath5" src="http://www.carinagardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/wreath51.jpg" alt="wreath5" width="530" height="432" /></p>
<p>And there you go! An fun and custom wreath for your door!</p>
<p>BTW, if you haven&#8217;t taken a look at the sidebar, you&#8217;ll notice I now have a new &#8220;grab it&#8221; button! Please really take it and share it!</p>
<p>Speaking of sharing, if you have any great wreath ideas, please leave your comments here with links to wreaths you&#8217;ve made!!! I love hearing what you have to say and seeing what you are making too!</p>

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