Time to Say Thanks!

As 2011 comes to a close, let me just say—Thanks for reading! I appreciate each and every click and comment on Host-It Notes. Let me know what you'd like to see more of in 2012.

In the meantime, here are two super cute printable thank you cards I spotted for those of us who haven't gotten our holiday thank yous in the mail. At the top is a card from Creature Comforts blog. And what about this sweet little bird from Living Locurto? It's a "thanks" and "Happy New Year" all in one! Click to head to each of the sites, enjoy, and see you in 2012!!

New Year's Eve Party Printables

You still have time to make your New Year's Eve party pretty! I think my favorite look is this free yellow and gray (silver and gold?) set of printables from Paper and Pigtails. Click here to see the full set and download!

TomKat Studio has a cute, understated NYE set as well, featuring lots of black and stripes. Check it out, and happy printing!

Printable 2012 Calendars

2012 is almost here. Can you believe it? Get ready for the new year by printing yourself a free or super affordable 2012 calendar. Here are a few of my favorites:

Seasonal produce inspired calendar by Cottage Industrialist

Customizable owl calendar from My Owl Barn

Animal Calendar ($8)

Luvalexa 2012 Calendar ($7)

Creativitae Bunting Calendar ($6)

Pinecone Cheeseball

Hah! This cheese ball is so cute! You should serve it for New Year's Eve. Maybe I will too! I found it over at at Paula Deen online. Mold your flavored cream cheese mixture into a pinecone shape then dress it up with almonds. Get all the details after the link.

New Year's Eve Party Decor

I love the gorgeous shapes and colors in this New Year's Eve party inspiration shoot by Lisa Storms for Fiskars. Accordion circles made to look like clocks are my favorite part, but the vellum confetti packs are lovely as well. Check it out!

A Better Burger Wrap

This is the most clever wrapping idea I've seen in ages. With the help of Kickstarter, a cool new gift wrap company called Gift Couture has created a set of wrapping paper that mimics a hamburger.

Complete with bun, lettuce, meat, cheese and tomato, now you can stack up a heapin' helpin' of tasty looking prezzies.

Gift Couture is currently accepting pre-orders and contributions to help them reach their minimum print number. Once they are up and running they'll start creating a variety of designs. I can't wait to see what they come up with next!

Click here to find out more and help kick off this fun new project!

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

I don't know about you, but I've been drinking Peppermint Mocha coffee drinks since the weather turned cold. Naturally that makes me want to try these beautiful cupcakes over at Bakers Royale. These Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes have espresso and peppermint extract plus peppermint Andes and chocolate pouring sauce. Drool.... Visit Bakers Royale to get the recipe!

Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats

Mmm...these look delicious! Visit Our Best Bites to find out how to make Peppermint Bark Rice Krispie Treats. For starters, did you know there are peppermint mini marshmallows? Must get some!!

Glass Ornament Crafts

I can't resist getting in one last Christmas craft round-up, mainly because this is what I'm working on this week! Here are four makeovers for ordinary glass ornaments:

Glitter {Photos by Elle G. Photography for Valley & Co.}

Paint {Fancy House Road}

Paper {I Heart Nap Time}

Fabric {Sew to Speak}

Cookie Cutter Wreath

How clever is this cookie cutter wreath from Better Homes and Gardens?! Simple to make, you just need cookie cutters, tacky wax, paper clips and ribbon. So fun to see something a bit different. You can also make this with cutters of the same shape in different sizes (like loads of stars) or paint the finished wreath a fun color. Click here for the BHG tutorial.

Crafty Cards

If you're looking for some last minute Christmas crafting to do, here are three fun pop-up card and 3-D tutorials you'll love! Spotted via Tip Junkie, the card up top is a printable, cuttable tri-fold card from Papervine.

I also love this pop up card from Sweet Paul. Click here for the tutorial.

TomKat created these excellent cards for HGTV. All the printable components and instructions are online here and here.

Happy crafting!

Free Holiday Printable Tags

If you're anything like me you've got some gift wrapping to do this week! Here are some of my favorite holiday printables for labeling your packages. Up top, cutie-cutes from Orange You Lucky.

Feather tags from Love Vs. Design.

Red and Teal tags from Paper Crave.

Like that? How about this adorable Holiday Mail Stripes gift tag from Eat Drink Chic? So great! And it doesn't stop there. The internet is such a wonderful treasure trove for holiday printables. Have fun finding the perfect tag for you!

Yoga Gingerbread Men

These are so silly and cute! Perfect for yoga lovers, now you can find gingerbread cookie cutters that bake up bendy-twisty gingerbread men in a variety of yoga poses. I love seeing something as unique as this! You can buy the cookie cutters in two shape sets, or take the easy route and just buy the cookies. Either way they make a great gift. Find them online at Patti Paige Baked Ideas: http://bakedideas.com/store/.

Whale Ornaments

This little elf sewed up some homemade ornaments last night. I made a big plushie whale ornament to give as a gift, and a skinny mini version for my own tree. For the plush ornament I traced a whale pattern and sewed the fabric together inside out, making sure to sandwich the ornament loop within. To finish I turned it rightside out, sewed on the button eye and stuffed it. To make the smaller whale I sandwiched the loop and a layer of batting (okay, okay, it was actually a piece of a cut up bath towel...) between two right-side out layers, sewed around my shape, then used pinking shears to pretty up the edges. Add a button eye and you're done!

I hope my gift recipient enjoys his/her new whale! What ornament shape should I make next?

Holiday Giveaway Winner: I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Congratulations to our giveaway winner! Our randomly selected winner (using Random.org) is Carrie Hamm! Congrats, Carrie, and enjoy your green holiday this year! Thank you to those who entered. I'll try to have another giveaway soon.

Cake Stand Love: Big Box Stores

Even though I'm a cake stand collector, I'm no cake stand snob. It doesn't matter to me if a piece is vintage, or from the coolest designer or brand. While I find some of the best cake stands at well curated boutiques, I often love stuff straight off the shelf of a big box or chain store too. Two shoutouts today for cakestands you'll find in stores or online today: up top is a two-tier beaded server from Target that looks perfect for the holidays; below is a seagrass pedestal from Williams-Sonoma. W-S actually has a very fun collection—check it out here. What big stores do you find your favorite serveware at?

What I Forgot to Tell You: The Best of Bazaar Bizarre

Shame on me for not reporting back on this last week. I went to the lovely Bazaar Bizarre in San Francisco, and while it was full of delightful pretties only one table blew me away. I am still both kicking myself and a little proud that I didn't purchase at least two items from here (only because we're trying to save money for the holidays...). It was majorly hard to resist.

What is it that astounded me so? Beautiful resin coated plates and platters from Why Girls Go Astray. It's a shame you have only these photos to judge by—even these pretty pics don't do their work justice! Such gorgeous, quality pieces with remarkable designs. It's like Anthropologie and John Derian had a plate baby. Check them out online at Why Girls Go Astray. I hope I see them at another fair soon!

Holiday Giveaway: I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Who could use a little freebie right now? I thought I'd get in the holiday spirit with a Christmasy giveaway today! One lucky winner will get a copy of I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations and Recipes That Use Less and Mean More, by Anna Getty.

Want to win? To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment saying whatever you'd like! Feel free to tell me about your favorite holiday craft or tradition or just say hello! I'll end the giveaway on Wednesday the 28th and announce the randomly chosen winner the following day. Good luck!!

Letters from Santa

Oh, such a sweet little idea! Have you ever written a letter from Santa to your child for the holidays? Spruce up your tradition—or start a new one—by using official "From the Desk Of Santa Claus" stationery! Here are two free designs you can print yourself. Up top is a design from Living Locurto. Below, one from Design Editor. Don't forget to postmark your letter from the North Pole!

Gift Card Pockets from JSIM

Cathe from Just Something I Made posted pretty little gift card enclosures that are perfect for sprucing up your holiday gifting. Download, print and fold, and you're gift cards will look anything but generic.

Gumdrop Pomanders

Ooh! I'm not sure where I first saw a link to this, but I'm thrilled by these cute little candy pomanders. So easy and affordable, they're a great decor craft for the holidays. You'll find the photos and full tutorial over at My Blessed Life. Yet another project for my handy dandy glue gun! As long as I can avoid eating my materials...

DIY Stocking Stuffers Inspiration

Know you want to create your stocking stuffer by hand this year, but not sure what to make? Head to Kirtsy for a great slideshow of DIY ideas and links to full tutorials. The projects are fun, budget friendly and perfect for beginning crafters. Click here to check out each and every terrific idea—including these beautiful magnetic paper dolls!

Cake Stand Love: Delightfully Lovely

Ooh! Fun new cake stand find! I just stumbled across the online shop Delightfully Lovely (aka OliviaDru, it seems), by Danielle Marshall. These cake stands and cupcake stands are cute as a button without being overly sweet. Check out all the colorful cake stand fun at www.etsy.com/shop/OliviaDru!