Category Archives: Decor

From Kiddush to Bar Mitzvah Party – Marigolds Pop!

| | Posted in Bat Mitzvah, Celebrations, Crafts, Decor, Misc, Summer | Tagged , , , , , ,

[Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.]

Lately, all my craftiness goes to Instagram since it’s a quick way to share my creativity without all the work that goes into a blog. Life is just BUSY at the moment! But, I haven’t forgotten about my avid blog readers who have supported me from the beginning. I’ve actually had this post in mind for almost a year and decided today was finally the day to share it.

Photo credit: Sparkfly Photography

Last summer I was in the thick of it so didn’t really post much about it, but in August, we celebrated my son’s Bar Mitzvah! It was a wonderful day from start to finish and we loved every minute of it. But, what I really want to share today, is one very simple craft I did for the big day.

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Gearing up for Hanukkah – a few of my favorite things

| | Posted in Crafts, Decor, Dreidel, Gifts, Hanukkah, Kids, Menorah | Tagged , , , , , ,

[Disclosure: This post contains some Amazon affiliate links.]

Ugh!  Halloween is over and it appears as though Christmas has settled in to stay – it is EVERYWHERE already!  And I am not even going into it having had a nice solid dose of the Jewish holidays to sustain me since I spent Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah with pneumonia (and I am not talking just take a Z-pack and be okay pneumonia, we’re talking hospitalized for a couple days, out of the office for five weeks pneumonia – but don’t worry I am finally on the mend).  Anyway, Christmas is exploding already and so my natural response is to start thinking about Hanukkah.  My son and I went to JoAnn on Saturday to pick up some craft supplies and were very sad to not find a single Hanukkah thing amidst all of the Christmas stuff.  In addition, as we were checking out the checker commented on my pretty blue glitter cardstock and then proceeded to ask what color our Christmas tree was.   While I really wanted to be like WTF?! and ask why that even seemed like a sensible question, all I said was “Oh, we celebrate Hanukkah, this is the perfect color for that.”  Then she was either too scared to say anything else or was trying to wrap her head around the fact I didn’t celebrate Christmas.

OY.

Despite this experience, there is some fabulous Hanukkah stuff out there already which is the inspiration for today’s post.  It can go quickly so no time like the present to start your Hanukkah planning and shopping!resw

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Elul and Gratitude

| | Posted in Celebrations, Decor, Hanukkah, Misc, Papercrafts, Rubber Stamps | Tagged , , , ,

[Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.]

Gratitude Confetti

It’s the month of Elul, the end of the Jewish Year 5779. We prepare to enter 5780 and dip apples in honey for a sweet year ahead. Elul is a time of contemplation and return as we prepare to enter the high holy days. I feel guilt for my poor neglected blog, perhaps an unanswered email or two to mamaleh, a lack of intentionality in my content. But, beyond that guilt I also feel immense gratitude. If you are reading this right now, that gratitude goes to you for despite my lack of posts on the blog itself, you are still here, reading, commenting, sharing, fueling my creative outlet. Continue reading →

Another holiday, another wreath!

| | Posted in Crafts, Decor, Tu B'Shevat | Tagged , ,

[Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.]

I had so much fun creating the dreidel wreath for Hanukkah and have decided that my door now feels naked without a wreath smiling at me when I arrive home.  So, I had a fun idea for a Tu B’Shevat wreath that really could work any time of year!  I’ve said it before but I will say it again, Tu B’Shevat is one of those holidays that without a Jewish calendar staring you down or a kid in religious school, you might not give it much thought.  It’s basically the new year of the trees, a Jewish celebration of the environment and it has some beautiful traditions but you can acknowledge it in a subtle way like creating a piece of kid tree art or even giving a silly gift like I have in the past. Continue reading →

A Hanukkah wreath?!

| | Posted in Crafts, Decor, Dreidel, Hanukkah

When you hear the word “wreath” what do you think of? I immediately think of the popular Christmas decorations that are suddenly everywhere the day after Thanksgiving.  But here’s the thing… though they have taken on that connotation in modern America, wreaths have a deep history across time and the globe.  And what I have realized is that coming home to a wreath on my door is like being greeted with a nice warm smile and it makes me happy.  At Rosh Hashanah I put up a pomegranate wreath.  At Halloween, I had a monster face wreath.  For November, I have enjoyed my sweet felt flower wreath.  And now that we are entering the dark time of year and it’s almost Hanukkah, I wanted something even more fun and cheerful.  But sadly, a quick google search for “hanukkah wreath” turns up almost nothing but a few wreaths made of blue and silver ornaments (note to stores – round ornaments are pretty Christmassy even if you make them in “Hanukkah colors”).  So, what’s a girl to do?  Make something of course!

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A touch of Hiddur Mitzvah

| | Posted in Crafts, Decor, Misc, Papercrafts, Rubber Stamps, Shabbat | Tagged , ,

[Disclosure: This post contains some Amazon affiliate links for certain items.]

I am back!  Well truly I haven’t gone anywhere but I have been far too busy mamaleh-ing to be blogging. That’s just the truth. I craft and create but adding the layer of writing and photographing (especially in the mess that is my craftroom) has just exceeded my daily allotment of quiet hours. Two year olds are busy bees and they want to do whatever mom is doing!  So, it’s currently nap time in my house, or rather was until a minute ago, and I have a few minutes to share a simple and sweet creation with you.

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Not Your Kid’s Hanukkah Countdown! L’Chaim!

| | Posted in Crafts, Decor, Gifts, Hanukkah, Misc | Tagged , , ,

sealedbagswm-copy

If you look around at all of the Advent calendars out there, there are just as many designed for adults as there are for kids. But, in the land of Hanukkah decor, it seems that most of the designers seem to think only little kids celebrate Hanukkah. So last year I decided to make my husband his very own Hanukkah Countdown for each night of Hanukkah.

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Pretty pomegranates

| | Posted in Decor, Misc, Rosh Hashanah, Tu B'Shevat | Tagged , , , ,

pomegranate decor

I am still here, really. Just a bit sleep deprived and in that new baby daze. You know what feels like a super fun outing with a new baby? A trip to Target! With my baby napping away in the carrier, I was able to browse just a little and guess what I found? The perfect vignette for mantle or table for the High Holidays. Pomegranates have special symbolism in Judaism and are often associated with the new year in particular. Now I had hoped to get this posted in time that maybe you could have used it for Sukkot but alas, baby mode got in the way.  But don’t let that stop you, these are still available at Target and would still look great for fall, Tu B’Shevat or to be set aside for 5777.

pomegranate decor

The contrasting textures of the ceramic pomegranate (which has a small opening so you can put a single stem in some water), the solid red one and the wood grain are really fun.  And thanks to my slowness in posting, they are now on clearance so be quick in your shopping!  I just spotted some similar figs (also a very Jewish symbol) on sale too so maybe I’ll have to honor Tu B’Shevat a bit more this year with some decor. Hope to be back again soon (pray for some good napping) with some extreme baby cuteness and a tutorial on how to add a little Hebrew to your birth announcements!  Stay tuned!

A Very Jewish Summer Day 2: Shabbat Alfresco by Chai& Home

| | Posted in Decor, Shabbat, Summer | Tagged , ,

Welcome to Day 2 of A Very Jewish Summer.  Hope you joined us yesterday for Yenta Mamas fabulous dinosaur cookies.

Today, Dena, from Chai & Home, (and the lovely host of this blogging party), has some elegant summer Shabbat style for you.  Chai & Home is a style blog and source book for elegant Jewish living.  There you’ll find lots of inspiration to beautify your observance and really, just day-to-day life.  I love all of the ideas and finds both on the blog and on Chai & Home’s Pinterest boards.

I don’t know about you, but I love having Shabbat dinner on the porch and today’s post from Chai & Home really makes me want to step it up a notch.  So, head on over and check out the lovely Alfresco Orange Shabbat Dena has created.  You’ll be glad you did.  And stay tuned tomorrow for my post featuring (Jewish) Camp Care packages as a A Very Jewish Summer continues!