Order from Chaos™ : Organizing~Inspiration & Delicious Eye Candy

Hello my kind friends! I have been so busy lately with a bit of business and extended family visiting from out of state...thus the quietness of my recent blog postings!!! In spite all the activities... I am keeping the back of my mind open to ideas for my current and upcoming projects! As you may have been able to deduce from these images, home order is on my mind as of late! More specifically, organizing the Gift Pantry and Entertainment/Party Pantry (s) so that I'll be able to ease the stress on time and budget during the upcoming holidays! Hope you enjoy these lovely images as much as I do!!!



Wishing you a happy, safe and festive Hallows' Eve weekend!


Love and good thoughts to all.


Warmly,


Tracey and Family


x0x






Images: Pinterest

Gift Pantry™ Cocoa Cones & Mini Marshmallows...

Good morning my kind friends! I'm still thinking ahead to the holiday season and working out ideas and strategies that will help me to preserve time and budget during that often hectic time! Thus, I thought I'd write a quick post to share this charmingly simple DIY TUTUORIAL for creating these adorable & affordable (35 cents each) cocoa cones! (There is even a download for the pretty tag!) The cocoa cones were originally made to be given out as wedding favors. However...I thought they would make...



a lovely accompaniment to a larger gift basket...



perhaps include several cocoa cones...along with a nice waffle or pancake mix and homemade or purchased syrup inside a breakfast basket.



Or...include a few with a plate of your homemade cookies...



or prop one inside a charming mug.



Or...give as a token gift along with a holiday card.



Or...make a basket of cocoa cones to keep in your entry and give them out as token gifts when friends come by during the holidays...or...!!!


Truth be told...I'm not sure exactly how I'll use them...but you can bet I'll be making up a batch to keep in my holiday gift pantry!



Hope you're enjoying a happy and harmonious weekend!


Love and good thoughts to all, as always!


Warmly,


Tracey and Family


x0x





Image: Ruffled

Autumnal Delights...

All right my kind friends...I've uncovered another treasure source to share with you. Rachel Whiting's photography site! Her visuals are phenomenal...each image is one treat after another...after another...and another! Her interiors are wondrous as well...so be sure to click on that link when you visit her HERE!


A lovely, serene weekend to all.


As always, good thoughts and love to all!


Warmly,



Tracey and Family


x0x!


Images:Rachel Whiting

It's Never Too Early...More Gift Pantry™ Ideas

Pretty packaging simplified: Solid color paper...twine...sticker in lieu of bows & name tags.




Ordinary soaps (store bought or homemade) become special when you package them with love and...buttons.




Inexpensive match boxes (with matches) become charming gifts when you cover them with scraps of wrapping paper...or...vintage/vintage style papers. They are a perfect accompaniment to gifts such as...




Pine cone & paraffin fire starters (store bought or homemade)...



...as are herb bundle fire~starters composed of dried thyme...rosemary...sage...& pepper held together with paraffin and nestled into recycled egg crates or mini peet pots. Break one off and use in the barbecue to add flavor while you grill...or use in the fireplace to scent the room!




Speaking of herbs...





...use them dried or fresh to create your own tea bags...steep a cup for yourself as you package it for your Gift Pantry!




And what better gift to give along with that lovely, home~grown tea than a home~baked pie...with the pretty pie plate as part of the gift! To learn how to make the perfect pie crust click HERE!





A lovely token gift for the crafter/sewer in your life (or a little one who loves to sort) is a special button jar!




If you have some bits of ticking lying about perhaps stitch~up a simple bag holder for the kitchen! To make fold a rectangle of fabric long ways...sew together...hem bottom and top (leave openings to add a drawstring)...thread ribbons one both sides and gather! This is a project even non~sewers could easily take on. Even more simple...purchase a charming one like this example from HERE !




As you're already stocking your gift pantry you'll want to remember to add packaging supplies as well!




And don't forget the birdies! You can make your own version of this simple bird feeder or... find one HERE!




Ornaments are always lovely when given as token gifts! This sweetheart wreath is composed of buttons threaded together with a light gauge wire...so simple...so charming




As is our classic idea of re~purposing chandelier crystals as tree ornaments (first introduced in Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons, Bantam Books, NY, 2000)



As I mentioned earlier, it's never too early to begin stocking your Gift Pantry! Put on some holiday music...enjoy the frugal luxury of candlelight using your prettiest recycled bottles as candle holders...and start your creations! Caution: Never leave candles unattended and keep away from small hands and flammables, of course!




Love and Good Thoughts to All!


Warmly,


Tracey and Family


x0x


P.S. Thanks to Terri for reminding me to include the following sources for the muslin tea bags!



SOURCES & OPTIONS FOR MUSLIN TEA BAGS

http://www.giftsintl.com/muslinbag.php This company sells 3x4 inch drawstring muslin bags for 16~cents each (in packs of 24)

http://www.sunburstbottle.com/bags/tea-muslin I also found these HEAT SEAL~ABLE TEA BAGS that look like traditional tea bags for 7 ~cents each. After filling you must seal it closed by pressing with a hot iron. (Sunburst also sells the 3 x4 inch muslin bags for 20~cents each...plus lots of other packaging items that send my creative juices into overdrive! Yet one more option is to MAKE~YOUR~OWN muslin tea bag! This is what I do when I have only a half dozen bags to make. Here's a link for how~to's

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1296694/how_to_make_a_muslin_tea_bag.html

All images borrowed from the wonderful online catalog of: A Decorative Home — Cox & Cox, the difference between house and home. If you're at all familiar with my books you'll recognize that they are most definitely kindred spirits! Please stop by their amazing Site as I know your creative juices and holiday spirit will be ignited!!!