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For the most part, I don't use a lot of Martha Stewart's ideas.  I think she's a very creative woman with lovely projects, but I just don't have much need for a fancy centerpiece when our table is usually set with mismatched cups and plastic plates.  However, when I came across this idea for ornament storage on Pinterest, I knew that it was a Martha Stewart tip I would actually use.  Before I took down our Christmas tree the other day, I got my supplies ready. Check it out... Pretty smart, isn't it?  I already had the large storage box, but the flimsy little cardboard dividers it came with were pretty much worthless.  I just cut two pieces the same size as the storage bin from a large cardboard box, then hot glued on some plastic cups.  As I took the ornaments off the tree, I put them into the plastic cups, filled up one layer, then added the second piece of cardboard and cups! Thanks, Martha, for this smart and easy solution.   (Now if only she had s...

I love making recipes that are easy and delicious, but have a cool little twist.  I first found this Saltine Toffee recipe years ago in one of those community cookbooks where everyone submits their favorite recipes.  I love making it because it's so super simple, but tastes absolutely awesome.  (I've heard of it referred to as "Christmas Crack" and I can see why, it's really addicting!)  You wouldn't think saltine crackers would belong in a candy recipe, but the slight saltiness and crunch that they give this toffee is just perfect. Take a peek... Here's what you need:   (It's only 5 ingredients!) saltine crackers (about 1 sleeve of crackers out of a box, plus a few extras) 1 cup of butter (that's 2 sticks) 1 cup of brown sugar, lightly packed 2 cups of chocolate chips, either milk chocolate or semi sweet (that's about 1 bag) approx 3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional) Here's what to do: 1.  Preheat your oven to 400*. 2.  Line a jelly roll pan ...

We've decorated plain candles using the tissue paper technique a few times now and the results have always been cute.  First we made some Artwork Candles ~ we drew our own pictures with markers on tissue paper, then put them on a plain white candle.  Then, for Mother's Day , we used paint to make some cute thumbprint designs which we also put on candles for the grandmothers.  For both of those projects, we used white tissue paper which "disappeared" into the candle as it was fused on.  This time, we used darker blue tissue paper to make some cute, winter snowman candles. Check them out... Cute, aren't they?  I like how we were able to make the handprint snowmen I'd seen done on ornaments, but we did them on candles which can be displayed long after the Christmas trees are taken down.  The dark blue tissue paper also fused into the candle, but the brighter blue color really stands out and shows off the kids' white handprints. Here's what you'll nee...

Need a quick and easy idea for drinks for your kids' classroom party?  Maybe you're having a party at your house this winter and want something cute and simple?  Do you wait till the last minute, but still want something fun?   Check out how I added a little extra cheer to some regular bottled water... So cute and super quick and easy.  I made up little labels that I could cut out and stick on the water bottles using regular clear packing tape.  I opted for this method over printing directly on regular sticky labels for a couple reasons.  One, I can never figure out how to get my images the right size to align properly on the labels.  They're always too big, too small or running off one side.  The other, more practical reason, is by using packing tape over the label, I avoid the chance of the ink running and the image being ruined by a drip of water.  I wouldn't put these bottles in a cooler full of ice, but the image should be fine if j...