Christmas in July! (Day Two)

Welcome to Day Two of... Christmas in July!

We just couldn't stop playing with the holiday theme, so we've got a second day filled with great ideas that you can start creating now for Christmas. Along the way today, you'll find card and gift ideas, a scrapbook layout page or two and even a couple great decorating ideas.

We hope this hop gets you in the holiday spirit a little early this year.

We'd like to say a HUGE THANKS to our sponsor today.

Theresa is giving away a $20 Stampin' Up Gift Certificate to one lucky winner AND take 10% off any order placed through her (not available on website) by July 30th. Email her at scrapsbygracie@gmail.com with your order.

All you have to do to win this fabulous prize is comment on each of the blogs. That's it! It really is easy. Of course, we would love it if you became a follower too.

Comment buttons can be found at the bottom of the post (on most of the blogs). (and for those that you can't find... it's probably at the top next to the title of the post!)

Now on with the hop!

Can you tell I'm not all about cards or layouts at Christmas YET?

I'm extremely cheap! frugal. I saw some stand-up letters somewhere, all decorated and such... and they cost $30! per set!!!! of two!!!! OMG!!!! He** NO! I would NEVER pay that. That'd be $90 for Santa to laugh!

So I bought some paper mache letters at Michaels remember I'm cheap... so of course I used a coupon! and painted them up. I was going for the "snowy mist" look... it didn't work. How do most of us fix mistakes? Cover them up! Work with them. I applied a ton of Mod Podge then sprinkled a ton of ultra-fine red glitter. Remember... it gets EVERYWHERE!!!! Just a little note here... There aren't painting pics because I probably accidentally deleted couldn't find them. So sorry. Not sorry. They really were kind of boring pics...

I wanted my letters to sit together permanently, but be separated. Make sense? Well! It does to me! I used my FAVORITE silicone caulking! It's not just for cards and layouts, people!!! and made three little lifted blobs and set them together, making sure they were the perfect distance apart. And no... I didn't glue the three sets of letters together, Silly! Can you imagine the nightmare of storage?

More up-closes of my beauteous letters! Sorry I don't have a Christmas-sy background... it's a little early in the year for that! Also... I hope you don't take the "HO, HO HO" personally.. if you do, please get therapy for your issues and don't take them out on me!

and here are all three sets! I haven't decided yet if they'll go on different shelves... or all in a row... or strung out... the possibilities are endless. But I love how they turned out! Don't you? And I did have a friend ask me, "Where's mine?" LMAO! Are you kidding? Wait for your birthday, girl!

Miranda's up next, and I'm pretty positive she's got some more holiday bling to share with you.

Here is today's hop line-up in case you get lost along the way:

Theresa ~ http://scrapsbygracie.blogspot.com
Barbara ~ http://barbarab3.blogspot.com
Kim ~ www.katydidcards.com
Alicia ~ http://goldengoddessdesigns.blogspot.com
Lisa ~ http://lisaslittlerascals.blogspot.com/
Miranda ~ www.nanasscrapspot.com
Daphne ~ http://craftyscrapsofstuff.blogspot.com/
Holli ~ Sunflowerholli.blogspot.com
Sharon ~ http://piece-ofheart.blogspot.com
Sarah ~ www.sarahbiswabic.blogspot.com
Amanda ~ http://salnclts76.blogspot.com
Jearise ~ http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com

If you missed Christmas in July! (Day One), please go to Theresa's blog and scroll down a post. Or... you can start HERE! and hop on through.