Ornament Exchange

I'm officially changing my name. Ok, not really. But I should. To Lucy. Yes, as in last minute Lucy. Yes, I know I already had a post called that. What's your point? ;)

I am my neighborhood's social coordinator. You probably knew that already. I am the one that sends out the invitations, evites, etc. for all the events we have. Yeah, so I should really know when things are happening, right? Well, I do. Um, somewhere in my boggled mind. I knew last night was the annual Ornament Exchange. I mean, it's not like it just "happened" - the invitations have been out for a month, I think. And no, it did not sneak up on me. It's just that I couldn't think of the "PERFECT" ornament. I (stupidly) started making my ornaments every year since the first. And I wouldn't be able to live it down if I didn't continue the tradition. We do the ornament exchange like a white elephant type of thing - stealing and the whole bit! FUN! FUN! Anyway, I did make my ornament.

The party was when?... right, LAST night... when did I make my ornament? YESTERDAY morning with the "wrapping" starting at 5:30pm (party at 7) - with boys around. In the morning, I only (HA!) had my 21 month old with me. And just so you get the full effect of this story, check out what my 21 month old was doing while I was hurrying to make this ornament:

(he LOVES to take things out and put things back and take them out and well... he didn't put them back yet!)... it's like 52 card pickup but with 48 markers... and magnets...

Okay, so the ornament. My problem with making ornaments is I don't want to make a paper one but I want it to be sparkly and shiny and get lots of OOOHS and AAAHS. And well, of course, I want it to be "stolen" several times during the party so as to get some love. But paper wouldn't get that. So, what should it be? Last year, I used some leftover faux wood blinds as my base and stamped on that. But this year, I wanted GLITTER. I had ordered a couple of those acrylic frames from PaperTrey recently. Ah ha! That might just work. I used 2 pieces of acetate and sprayed glue on one, covered it with SU! Dazzling Diamond Glitter, then spray glued the other piece and stuck it to the glittery side. The point being to sandwich the glitter but still have it visible. Then I stamped the EVER SO CUTE A Muse Holiday House (see - perfect image for the "neighborhood" ornament party) on white and used stickles and my Spica pens to make him sparkle. Then attached them all, added some ribbon, and Voila! I was really pleased with the end result.

Here's another look just to see all the sparkles...

Okay, great. Ornament is done. It's only 9:30am! Wohoo! Uh, now what. It's supposed to be wrapped up. And yes, it is supposed to be wrapped so no one can see what it is OR know who it came from. But I'm the social party planner lady... I get to make the rules. I have to package it well, don't I? Yeah, so they know it's me but these lovely ladies tolerate me so well. They are just so sweet about it ... and now after 11 years, they get me.

Package. Right. Focus, Geeta. Well, I bought this Stampendous Pail Topper stamp recently thinking that I might make up some of the slew of acrylic pails I'm hoarding. But then when I finalized my list, I decided not to do them. WELL, the stamp is "Happy Holidays". Better use that.

The pail went together VERY quickly. I was running out of time. I had to get dinner ready, pail ready, and boys in bed in 1 1/2 hour time frame so I could go to the party! I used my Spicas on the top and then sprayed glue (loving this stuff) and covered with dazzling diamonds again. That iridescent party stuff on this inside covered my ornament well enough. But boy, is that stuff clingy and MESSY.

There you have it. Maybe next year I can get creative earlier. Lately I feel like if I'm not pressured/stressed to do something, I can't create. Hmm. Gotta work on that.

In the end my ornament was stolen 3 times. That's some love. And the person that originally picked it first, ended up with it at the end of the night!