Day 12 - 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge


Last Day people! Hope you have had a Super Fantastic Christmas Day! I know I have. Our last challenge is just one question -

If money were not an object....what presents would you buy and
who would you buy them for?

I hope you have had a great time doing this challenge with us, we have had a lot of fun coming up with these. :)

~Hello Ladies~


Day 11 - 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge



SOOOOO we are a day late with this, but hey, it's Christmas! Today's (yesterday's) challenge is to share some past christmas photos. We didn't take a whole bunch of pics when we were growing up on Christmas morning, so I am going to share a few from yesterday and last years' festivities.  :)
I think this was 2 years ago... this is me unwrapping my gift card from my brother ..... it took me 2 minutes and 32 seconds.... we timed and filmed it. We laughed SOOO much!

Also 2 years ago, maybe 3. I gave all the girls handmade kitty cat dolls, they LOVED them! :)

This year! Gabby and Krystle working on some fashions.

This year, Gabby is playing with her new fashion designed toy!

Also, this year, Gabby got a few Silly Bands. (note: we did make her put some on the other arm, they were starting to cut off some circulation.)

This year! My mom found this cute item at the antique store she works at....I LOVED it so much!

It was a great Christmas Eve for us, we had a great time! Hope yours was also!
~mandy~

Day 10 - 12 Days of Christmas


Share a Christmas Recipe

What makes a recipe a Christmas one you ask. Well, simple...if you eat it at Christmastime we consider it a Christmas recipe. :-)

I'm going to share Krystle and Ty's Green Bean Casserole (ty is my big bro). It's not your typical green bean casserole but we think you'll like it.

you need:
2 cans of green beans or 16oz bag of frozen ones
1 can cream of mushroom (or chicken)
1 can of rotel
1 can of Frenches French Fried Onions
1lb block of Velveeta Cheese
8 strips of bacon

Okay, so first of all cook your bacon - microwave or frying pan doesn't really matter. After that's done start mixing up your casserole. In a 9x13in casserole dish pour out your cream of mushroom and your green beans and your rotel (drain it first!) and about half of the onions - stir to coat. Next cut up 1/2 - 3/4 lb of the velveeta cheese into small cubes and place them all over the top of the casserole. Bake in the oven like a regular green bean casserole 15 - 20 minutes at 350. Take the casserole out and stir it up to mix the cheese in. Now crush up the strips of bacon and sprinkle the pieces all over the top of the dish and add the remaining onions around the borders of the casserole. Bake for another 5 minutes and then serve!

Sorry there are no pictures :-( technical difficulties abound at Christmastime apparently...
It's so delicious and if you like spicy food you can get the spicy rotel...if not you can leave it out. We view recipes more like suggestions in this house anyways...so feel free to make this one your own!

Merry Christmas!!

xoxo
Krystle

Day 9 - 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge


Today we are gonna have a little Do It Yourself FUN!!!! When Krystle and I were putting this challenge together I was excited about sharing my own DIY, but ...... the holiday's hit ...... hard, and I was not able to get my act together. I did make a Yarn Wrapped Wreath, but I had everything done, when the thought struck me that I should have made THAT my DIY.... good intentions. SO, to make up for my epic failure, I searched the Internet high and low for some pretty amazing DIY's. I plan to make most, if not all of these in 2011..... Enjoy!

The Blog Challenge is for you to come up with your own DIY and share with us! We would love it hear them. The prize today is a custom beaded bracelet and earring set. You pick out the color, we send you the gift! :)

AUTUMN FABRIC WREATH
I think this would be the cutest Christmas fabric wreath! SUCH an easy tutorial, I am thinking my girls would LOVE to make one....or two.  :)

PAPER ORNAMENTS 
I have not made this particular ornament, but I have made some stars with Christmas paper....SUPER easy, and people think you are amazing for putting them together..... It's a great self esteem booster.  :)

REMOVABLE FABRIC WALLPAPER 
Be still my heart!!!! I wanted to rummage through my fabric immediately! This will definitely be done in my house in 2011 - I will share the whole story with ya!

CHIFFON & TULLE FLOWERS
I have always, always, always wanted to make these, but never found a tutorial I liked.... Now i found one... look for these to be on EVERYTHING I own next year!

FAUX SUGAR COOKIE ORNAMENTS
I wish I would have found this tutorial earlier in the season! My girls would have gone CRAZY over these! Oh well, I have a plan for next year.

 PHOTO ART WALL
The lady who wrote this tutorial starts out by saying that blank walls intimidate her......they do me too! I hate blank walls, but I also hate trying to figure out what to put on those walls! This is a perfect solution for me, I love taking pictures.....and not having blank walls! Done!

FABRIC BIRTHDAY CORSAGE 
They called it a birthday corsage, but I am sure you can use it in any other possible situation. I personally think it would make cute Christmas Bows! Or to go on hats, or purses.....

STRING QUILT BLOCK
I love crazy patterned quilts....love them. This is a great tutorial that I will most likely use to make the craziest fabric pattern quilt you have every seen.... and of course, I will share pics and the story behind it.

FABRIC ROSES
Another item that will probably end up on every available item in my home.....SOOO easy!




So hopefully I have inspired you to get out there and make some amazing things next year!
~mandy~



Day 8 - 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge

After some technical difficulties this week, we are getting back to the correct days of the challenge. Have you had fun? We have had great fun getting all this together for you.

Today - Day 8 - Your challenge is to make a Christmas Collage! This can be done either digitally or with magazines. I did mine digitally (obviously....hehehee) it was a lot of fun to pick out the colors and then search the internet for pics that matched and worked in the theme. Have a blast working on this - I did!


For the prize today ...... drum roll ...... we are gonna send you a Digital or Non- Digital Scrapbook magazine (your choice) also with some scrapbooking goodies we have stored in the sweat shop. SUPER CUTE! I can't wait to see what you guys come up with.

Only 4 days till Christmas - have you finished your shopping??? Me....nope.....ugh!  :)

Have a great day!
~mandy~


Day 7 - 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge

Today - Day 7 - we want to you take a wacky cute Christmas Pic!!!!! We don't care where you post it, just leave us a link to enter! I want to see some craziness, because ours did not turn out as crazy as we had hoped. 


Josh's Christmas tree decorting!  :)

Prize today........we have a super cute frame to send you (sorry for not having a pic of it), but trust me, you will love it! AND we are gonna throw in some Hello Ladies merch....it's a surprise and you will love that also. 

Hope your Christmas week is going week!!!!!
~mandy~


Day 6 - 12 Days of Christmas

What's on your Christmas wishlist?

Mandy and I are doing this post together :-) so here's my wishlist. (I'll try to keep it short...haha)

1. This dress from Modcloth...or practically anything from Modcloth honestly.



2. An Amazon Kindle. OMG I can't even express to you how much I want this...




3. RECORDS!! I'm not picky I'm an eclectic soul. So I really just want records...of course there are a few I'd like to have more than others.

















4. A family portrait with me, my roomies, and our cat and dog. I want this more than anything!!

5. Groceries!! Haha, we've been keeping our eating to a minimum at the 205 here lately...

This list could go on for ages...so that's all I'll share for now.

_____________________________________________________

Mandy here!!! I am excited about my wish list as well....though it's a little late on the shipping end, so I am open to getting these presents any time of year.  :)

1. Mario the Hedgehog - this is SOOOOOOO cute!!!! eek! It's a pattern (hint, hint).... here is the link.


2. THIS SHOULDER BAG makes my heart go crazy! I love it.


3. The A-Team Movie - some may not have loved it.....but I was not one of those people. I adored this movie!


4. THIS dress from shoprouche.com - I think I would look yucky in it, but hey, a girl can dream.  :)

5.  Another Spoon Ring. I have Brand's grandmother's spoon ring and I absolutely love it. I would really like in the next year to make some to sell here on Hello Ladies...... we shall see.


Day 5 - 12 Days of Christmas

What's the most random/odd Christmas present you've ever gotten?

Okay, in high school, a club I was in had a Christmas party and we played dirty santa. The rule was you had to spend $0 - $5 on the gift. So most of the gifts were pretty hilarious. This is where I got the weirdest present ever (and I'm pretty sure it was one of the $0 presents haha). I got a hunter orange toboggan but that's not the best part... inside the toboggan was a cow keychain and when you squeezed it, it looked like it was pooping. ...yea.

kinda like this only a cow...haha


My dad has some of the best odd present stories though...
One year at the office Christmas party (they play dirty santa every year) he got a plastic fireman's hat from Firehouse Subs lol and one year he got a bowling ball that someone had stolen from their neighbor's yard.

So tell us about your random Christmas presents!
I'm so excited about the prize for today...it's a random surprise present from me :-)! Paired with a cute bowtie hairbow...just in case you don't appreciate my random gift hehe.

smooches!
Krackle

Day 4 - 12 Days of Christmas

What's your favorite Christmas movie(s)?

Before we get to that...I just want to say: awesome limericks yesterday!! They were so creative :-) good poetry skills.

Okay, as for today's challenge: I have two absolute favorites.

1. White Christmas. A classic!




2. Elf. A modern classic in my eyes. It doesn't even have to be Christmastime for me to want to watch this movie. It's so cute and funny. Here's one of my favorite clips from the movie.



So tell us your favorites!
Today's winner gets a copy of one of my favorite Christmas movies :-)!

xoxo
Krys

Day 3 - 12 Days of Christmas

Write a Christmas Limerick.

OMG so so so funnnnn! I'm super psyched about this one. If you've never written a limerick before here's the secret: it follows an AABBA pattern. So the end of every A line should rhyme and the end of every B line should rhyme. Since I'm no expert, here's a website if you want some in depth explanations.

This is my Christmas Limerick:
Snowflakes fall on the ground,
And pretty snow angels abound,
Kids bundle up tight,
And sit by firelight,
Passing hot chocolate around.


I cannot wait to read your limericks :-)
Today's winner gets a super cute pen and a stylish button ring. So you can look chic while you write more limericks, of course!

love you!
Krystle

Day 2 - 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge

 

Mandy again!!!! Day 2 of the Fabulous Blog Challenge is to share a Christmas Tradition......... We personally don't have any in the Deitering family, other than everyone comes over to our house to have the big family event. But we don't have any particular day or time or dress attire.....sooo I am stealing a family tradition from a co-worker Vicki (and Jessica's mother-in law).

Vicki never puts out presents before Christmas Eve night!!!!! Nothing gets wrapped, nothing gets peeked at, nothing gets shaken .... she spends Christmas Eve night, wrapping presents, and putting them under the tree, that way when the kids wake up ...TADA!!!! all the presents are out! I think it would be a great idea, but I would go crazy, so I wrap as I go.








I will say over the past couple of years we have started a bit of a tradition by spending Christmas Eve Night over at my parents and then wake up Christmas morning, eat breakfast, open presents and then watch some kind of Christmas movie. OH! and I don't allow clean-up of wrapping paper until all the presents are opened. I like for it to be one big mess of christmas paper and bows for just a little bit.....and then I have to clean, but cleaning as you go....takes some fun out of it. :)


What are some of your family traditions? Again, this request is paired with a prize.......A scrapbook kit made with love straight from the Hello Ladies mega stash of scrapbooking materials! So you can put your Christmas traditions into a memory book :).


So blog about this....tweet about it....facebook it.... we've got 10 more days of challenges and you might just find some new fabulous Christmas ideas in the process...... Who knows.  :)

~mandy~

Day 1 - 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge


Mandy here! I have been elected to kick off this blog challenge and for day 1 I am sharing my 5 all time favorite Christmas songs.... If I can narrow it down.  :) This may end up expanding into my 5 all time favorite Christmas movies as well.

Lets get this started:

#5 - Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me - Elvis
The whole Elvis Christmas album is genius! It may not be some peoples' cup of tea, but I love happy, fun Christmas music. Plus we have a friend who jumps on the piano and plays it and sings like Elvis at the drop of a hat....can't beat it. Another one note worthy is "It's Christmas Time Pretty Baby".....

#4 - Carol of the Bells/Sing we now of Christmas - BarlowGirl
Super song, of course I love harmonies and vocal......this group is PERFECT! I love everything they do, and this song is a perfect mash up of 2 songs, seamless. Find it on itunes, or MySpace...purchase it, you will love it, I promise!


#3 - Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
No other version compares to the fabulous Eartha Kitt. I LOVE singing to this song, I get all the words mixed up and sometimes I look like an idiot singing it in the car....but oh well! I love, love, love, love it!

#2 - I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Come on.....this should be on everyone's list......period. How can you not LOVE Bing Crosby???? Such an amazing voice, Jessica and I are on a mission to find the next Bing Crosby.

#1 - O Holy Night - by Seven Day Jesus
Best.....version.....ever! Of course I am a sucker for a guy who can sing high and sing with passion. Get on MySpace and find this version, if you have not listened to it, you have not official started your Christmas season....just sayin.  :)



okay that is my list - your challenge is to give me your top 5 Christmas Songs. We will pick a winner and the winner will receive (drum roll) a $10.00 ITunes gift card!!!!!! WooHoo!
Don't forget that this is a blog challenge, so send us a link to your blog, blog about this! It's gonna be a lot of fun.  :)

~mandy~