Insta Replay Monday #8

Welcome to week 8 of Insta Replay Monday! Oh my goodness, how is it Monday already?! Time seriously flies. I had a roller coaster week but then a super productive weekend. Somehow I even squeezed in some babysitting for a few hours. Still, I forgot a huge must do: planting the spring bulbs in the garden. Ugh, I guess I'll be doing that each night this week before the sun sets. 

As chaotic as this week was, I wasn't very active on Instagram until this weekend; take a look!

By the way, be sure to check back this week for some really exceptional holiday projects. You won't want to miss it!

Washi Tape Luminary

I'm apologizing ahead of time... If you're anything like the Mr. with his "one holiday at a time" ideal, you won't be getting that from me this year. I am like 99.9% dedicated to Christmas at this point.  We aren't hosting Thanksgiving so I'm all about getting prepared for my favorite time of year. It's only the second week of November and we're already onto the third part of The 25 Projects of Christmas!

Number three is a Washi Tape Luminary.

Not only is this a festive decoration, it would be a simple DIY gift (and not necessarily in holiday colors in that case).

The Grinch {Printable}

Number 2 of the 25 Projects of Christmas is a "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" Printable. Enjoy!

DIY Pine Cone and Lace Angel

Is it bad that I have a countdown for Christmas on my phone? Is it worse that I've had this countdown going on since September? I'm slightly embarrassed to have even admitted that. Now that it's out in the open, you can understand why I have plans for a ton of holiday projects which will be filed under The 25 Projects of Christmas. The series will include DIY gifts, decorations, recipes, printables and activities! Today is the first post: Pine Cone & Lace Angel Ornament.

This rustic angel ornament is made out of a pine cone and a lace remnant and was incredibly easy to assemble.

Insta Replay Monday #7

Wow, it's Monday already? I hope you had a really nice weekend. Last week was a blur due to the chaos that ensued in the tri-state area after Hurricane Sandy. Even though it's in the past for just about everyone I know, there are still a ton of people out there where this is very much a present reality. If you have the resources to help, please consider doing what you can. Okay okay, I'm off my soapbox now.

Now, my week in pictures. 

And no, Quinn didn't shrink. That's the Mr.'s parents' puppy, Buddy. Can you believe that little fatty is only 4 months old? Spending quality time with him was definitely a highlight but there were plenty of other special memories as well.

Now that you've seen the past, on to the future: Christmas! Here at Spool and Spoon, I'll be featuring 25 Projects of Christmas so I hope you check back soon. Project #1 is tomorrow!

Handmade Gift Exchange - Holiday 2012

Christmas is only right around the corner! Can you believe it? As with just about everyone else on God's green Earth, it's my absolute favorite time of year. I always go overboard on gifts and the Mr. and I are trying to cut back a teency-weency little bit. There are no guarantees that I can stick to the plan though haha. Still, I'm actually participating in Craftaholics Anonymous's Handmade Gift Exchange this year and I couldn't be more thrilled. 

Guess what, you can do it too! You don't even need a blog, just a big heart and some crafty talents. If you're interested, sign ups are open between November 1st and 7th at Craftaholics Anonymous. As of right this second there are already 130 people signed up for the US exchange and that's from today only! This is a great opportunity to pay it forward but also get something wonderful in return. Even better yet is that this is not limited to the great US of A; crafters from around the world are invited to participate as well!

If the idea of doing anything extra at Christmastime is too much for you to handle, consider signing up for alerts about the Summer 2013 exchange. I hope you'll consider taking part because this is sure to be a fun memory in the making.

Día de los Muertos

You may have thought that Halloween was over and you'd be right but today is yet another "morbid" holiday: Día de los Muertos!

As creepy as it might seem with all of the skeletons and what not, it's actually a very special time of year. The day is dedicated to memorializing, remembering, and including the special people in our lives who have passed. Throughout Mexico you'll find altars of all sizes complete with photos, skulls, flowers, art, and gifts to the dead.