So those of you that live between NY and Virginia and are "foodies" like I am will doubtless know the identity of the red-coated individual in the above picture. That's right, it's Danny Wegman. The Danny Wegman, CEO of Wegmans grocery stores. For those of you who are not familiar, Wegmans is the most well-stocked, well-designed, well-staffed, and all around best grocery store out there. They are the Mercedes-Benz of grocery stores (coming from me, that means something). Plus, their prices are lower than Wal-Mart's!!!

So I was on business in the metro Philly area a few weeks ago and decided to stop by the Downingtown Wegmans to grab a bite to eat for lunch. As I enter the Market Cafe, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but Danny Wegman and 8 tiny reindeer. By "reindeer", I mean 8 other Wegmans executives. They were making their annual holiday rounds, visiting all of their stores and thanking all of their employees personally.

So I was a big Wegmans evangelist before this fateful day. Now, I'm an apostle.

I wanted to find something for my older nieces that would be more fitting for their maturity for Christmas. For Natalie and Kimberly, I came up with a jewelry and keepsake box.

If you want to do this project, allow yourself about an hour per box. I bought unfinished cigar boxes from the craft store. I painted and antiqued the boxes. For example, when using black, I would paint a side of the box black and then immediately wipe off the paint. It reveals the wood grain and leaves you with a beautiful finish.

Then I adhere a piece of felt inside the box for their jewelry. I then take the 8 x 10 photo and carefully tear the edges to fit the cover of the box to look artsy.

Have fun manipulating the photo before you print it. For this box, I faded all of the colors from the photo so that the focus of the photo was her pink sweater. Then I could play off that color with the interior felt and ribbon. For the next box's photo, I turned it sepia so the whole box would be warm in color.


Then adhere the photo.


I then sealed in the entire box, except the photo, with my adhesive (Mod Podge, of course.) I sealed in the torn edges of the photo, but not the photo because I wanted to keep the matte finish of the photo prominent.


Then have fun embellishing the box! I love using the initials of the receiver.

It is a lot of fun and goes by fast. You could use the same concept for most unfinished boxes at the craft store.

I know, I know, it's the middle of December and I'm just now starting some Christmas gifts. May I quote Bobby, "Nothing else takes precedence over getting the house on the market!" Well, it's officially on the market, so may the projects begin!

Here's a great gift idea for your children or a "stay at the in-laws house so all their grand children can match their cousins" gift. It is a personalized memory game. I saw an idea for it once, but it wasn't very durable, just glued cardstock to a photo.

Here's how I did it more durable and lasting:

Mod Podge will become your friend with many of my projects. It is an awesome sealer and adhesive. I cut and cornered cardstock to fit craft coasters and adhered. Push all the bubbles out when adhering.

Once dry, about 15 minutes, do the same to two of each cousin's photos, per memory game that you're making.
And yes, I adhered the photos from photo paper. I think black and white photos are more dramatic and classic looking.




I then went back and sealed in the front and back with the same adhesive. Although Mod Podge can work with sealing in photos, because my coasters stack together when not being played, they began sticking together. I striped the adhesive off the photos, which left not a trace of damage to them. So don't seal in the photo side, just the cardstock side and edges.


You can be creative on the memory game boxes. I picked these lid-boxes up at the craft store, painted, embellished, and sealed in with the Mod Podge.



(Well, Tracy, now you know why I needed coasters... but at least Courtney can be surprised! )

My lack of posting on my blog has reflected the total apathy I've felt for all things this pregnancy. It has been a most unusual pregnancy: lots of emotional and mental lows along with my morning sickness. The only reason I'm up for writing about it is because the light at the end of the tunnel has been slowly emerging.

Despite the past 3 months, two things have remained constant for me: Bobby and Twilight.

Bobby has been everything to me. He cooks, straightens, bathes kids, puts to sleep, listens to me crying over Edward and Bella or whatever is making me emotional that day, puts up with me falling asleep on the couch most nights at 8pm, and by the end of the day, he says he's still proud of me.

I can get through this with him.


And then there's Twilight. Edward and Bella have reentered my life at the perfect time--as a total distraction. And yes, it has been one. After my rereading the book after seeing the movie twice, Bobby's consented to let me read Twilight to him at night, to be followed up by seeing the movie together this weekend. (Thanks Sarah and Joe for having the kids!)


And by the way, the twins are apparently identical! We'll know if they're girls or boys at the end of January. Thanks to all of you who have made meals, called and checked in, and looked out for us these past months.