By now I'm sure you've seen an old piece of furniture that has been beautifully repurposed and painted using chalk paint. Curious about this? Well we were, so we found an Annie Sloan chalk painting workshop through our local Southbank Gift Company.
Annie Sloan developed this unique paint that can be beautifully done in several techniques but the item you're painting does not have to be primed or sanded and is easy to use and quick to dry, and it's super durable. She called it chalk paint, which is her patented name, because of it's velvety ultra matte finish.
Before taking this workshop, I have to say I had my doubts about how different this paint could really be compared to your typical latex...wow, was I shocked! We were taught 5 different techniques using pieces of plain wood trim. We did everything from a normal one color all over finish, to layering multiple colors, different brush strokes, sanding to get the distressed look and learning to use the wax that gives it the perfect finish. There are 33 colors to choose from and all the colors can be specially combined to practically any shade you can imagine. So much fun to finally learn about this!
If you have an old piece that you've thought about painting or want to go thrift shopping to acquire that perfect piece, I would highly recommend finding Annie Sloan chalk paint in your area. This stuff is amazing!
Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!
Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com
February is the month of LOVE! Although Valentine's Day only comes once a year there's never a bad time to tell the one you're with how much you love them.
Some may view this holiday as being commercialized by card, candy, and flower companies to do nothing more than sell products, however, if you're that true romantic it can be so much more than that. Bigger is not always better.
This day does not have to be all about spending, as some will say, sometimes it's all about the small things. Leave a love note and their favorite candy, make a romantic candlelit dinner at home, or maybe something as simple as taking a walk around the park.
Then there's the other end of the spectrum with the gift of jewelry, roses and fine dining. If you're looking for something extra unique ,Ornaments for Keeps has a great idea...a personalized couple ornament. This is a gift that will be brought out year after year to remind that special someone just how much you love them. Whichever you may chose, make the most out of this special day!
Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!
Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com
Buying Christmas presents can be a fun yet daunting experience...will they like it, will they want to exchange it, is it something they can really use? So after you find just the right gift, you guessed it, time to start thinking about the stocking stuffers. What?? To help you out I've gone in search of a few of the most sought after tiny gifts that fit in that giant sock.
1. CANDY!
Who doesn't love all of that sugary goodness that can cause you to feel like you want to run a marathon until you get down the road and decide maybe a nap would be good too. Yes I know, sugar is horrible for you but surely having a treat once a year won't hurt, right? Well then there's Halloween, Valentine's Day, and Easter too but who's counting, it makes a geart stuffer!
2. THE SELFIE STICK. With the world of social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the fifty others I didn't mention, we all want that perfect selfie. This portable wonder stick makes it super easy to get just that.
3. SLIPPER SOCKS, HATS, SCARVES AND MITTENS. Christmas is at the end of December, I think this gift is self-explanatory.
4. LOTTERY TICKETS. This little game of luck is so fun! I tend to only win a lottery ticket or a few bucks but you never know, there's always that chance of hitting the jackpot!
5. $10 GIFT CARD TO FAVORITE RESTAURANT. This amount will probably not cover the entire cost of the meal but every little bit helps and it might allow them to splurge on something they don't normally buy...like dessert.
6. PERSONALIZED ORNAMENTS. Yes, these keepsakes from Ornaments for Keeps make wonderful gifts and just so happen to fit perfectly in a stocking. Something that can be kept and treasured forever and brought out every year to remember this special holiday.
While these only scratch the surface of the endless possibilities, hopefully this will help take some of the pressure off and let you enjoy your holidays that much more. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!
Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com
Once upon a time, a long time ago, Santa Claus sat in his workshop at the North Pole thinking. He knew he needed to get presents to all the good little boys and girls across the world, but how would he really know if they had been good or bad all year? One day, he had a wonderful idea. He gathered his elves around him and delivered an important message. He was going to send each of them to a home with young children, where they would live from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. Each night, the elves were to travel back to the North Pole and tell Santa everything the children had done had been good. Each morning, the elves would arrive back at the house before the children awoke so they could hid in a different place. The children would excitedly seek them out so they could whisper their Christmas wishes to the elves.
So goes the story of a delightful children's book, written by a woman named, Carol Aebersold and her daughter, Chanda Bell. Since it's publication in 2005, The Elf on the Shelf has won multiple awards and inspired many families around the world to begin their own Elf on the Shelf Christmas traditions.
Elf on the Shelf has become a wonderful source of inspiration for all of us at Ornaments for Keeps. We fell in love with the story the first time we heard it, and we have loved getting to participate in this adorable family tradition through the creation of our personalized elf ornaments.
This year, we invite you and your family to join in the fun! Our customized elf Christmas ornaments make the perfect elves for your children to search the house for every morning. Though we live in an increasingly digital world, we don't want the next generation to grow up without the same sense of imagination and wonder that filled our hearts when we were young. It's through fanciful traditions like these that we help keep our children's imaginations alive.
We hope you'll start a new family tradition this year by inviting the elves into your home, and we would be honored to get to be part of it!
Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!
Phone: (573) 893-3272www.ornamentsforkeeps.com
The past several years, ever since the Ugly Sweater party was made popular, it seems like that's the theme of every holiday party I've attended. Don't get me wrong, this has made for some very fun nights but my creative mind started thinking there is so much about Christmas and everything to do with Christmas, surely there has to be something else...so here I go!
1. Pet Party
Our pets have become part of the family. Why not have a party where they're invited too? Dress them up in their favorite Christmas outfit and have a parade with a contest at the end. Of course, you'll need pet friendly appetizers too:)
2. Charity Night
Most of us are so blessed, why not give back a little at the holidays? With your invitation, send each guest a pick from the Angel tree. These can be found almost anywhere such as Church, stores and restaurants. Then, on the night of the party, have everyone bring their specially picked gifts for the family in need.
3. White Christmas
I know this may be a little non-traditional considering most holiday wear revolves around red and green. But everyone dreams of a white Christmas so make it happen. Have all of your guests come dressed in white. Make it a chili night and do a white chicken chili and white cocktails like the White Lady. I could go on and on about all the ideas, this one would be really fun!
4. Ornament Making Party
This one is right up our alley! Get a whole bunch of the clear ball ornaments found in any hobby store. Lay out paints, glitter, beads and glue and let your guests go to town! Not only will this be a blast but everyone can take home a memory of the night.
5. Elfin' Around
Just like it sounds, this party will be all about the little guys that work at the North Pole. It would be great if you could get everyone to dress up, but if not, maybe just the host and hostess could be Santa's little helpers. Use elf themed décor and mini appetizers. I'd say mini cocktails but...nah:)
So I hope this helps give you some creative inspiration on getting out the rut of the same ole, same ole. Follow us for more great holiday ideas to come!
Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!
So this year I opted out of the whole carving of the pumpkin. While I do love it and have done it for as long as I can remember, after trying to help the kids do theirs, I wanted something a little more simple for myself because I'm always exhausted from all the festivities. Of course I turned to Pinterest for my inspiration! I found everything from painting to drilling to bedazzling to melting crayons over the pumpkin, the possibilities are endless!
The style that caught my eye was using things found in a hardware store. Instead of going shopping I headed into the garage to rifle through my husband's territory full of things that I don't know what the heck they are. I took a couple of ideas from Pinterest and merged them together. I started out spraying the entire pumpkin except the stem with an off white, glossy color. The, with the wire I found, I just began to twist and wrap until I was happy with the design and then randomly placed each piece. The eyelets I used to fill in the extra space and to give it a bit of a pop. This was actually very easy and a lot less work than sawing through those big ole pumpkins...plus it looks super cute! I might be doing something new from now on.
Each year our family congregates at my parents' house for a fun night of chili and pumpkins. While this is such a busy time for our ornament company, we love having family traditions to look forward to!
Follow us on Pinterest to see what else we come up with!
Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!
Here's a few of the nice notes that we've been receiving from our wonderful customers...LOVE hearing from you!
- Just wanted you to know I did receive my two ornaments today. Your writing is beautiful, they turned out even nicer than expected. Such a nice keepsake!
- My ornaments arrived today, I LOVE them! Thank you so much!
- I just wanted to thank you for the lovely ornaments and prompt shipping.
- All of my ornaments are so beautiful and my friends and family loved them!! Thank you! I will definitely be ordering more!
- My ornaments came in today! They are beautiful! Thank you so much!
- Amazing quality! Always brings more beauty and personalization to our Christmas tree. Treasures that will last a lifetime!
- Wonderful customer service and as a business owner myself, I hope to get what I myself give as customer service and I did!! And the products? BEYOND AWESOME! I asked for some custom stuff and they did a great job! I have found my ornament place from now on and couldn't be more thrilled!! Thank you! You have a customer for life!
- This will forever be our family ornament store! Everything is spot on and you can tell they take pride in their work. Can't wait to see our collection grow year by year!
- Just got my order, the ornaments are even better than they look online!
We LOVE our customers and strive to bring you the best products and customer service around! Happy Holidays!
"MAKING MEMORIES ONE ORNAMENT AT A TIME"
Connect with us for the latest inspired, creative ideas!
Phone: (573) 893-3272
www.ornamentsforkeeps.com
By now I'm sure you've seen an old piece of furniture that has been beautifully repurposed and painted using chalk paint. Curious about this? Well we were, so we found an Annie Sloan chalk painting workshop through our local Southbank Gift Company. 
Before taking this workshop, I have to say I had my doubts about how different this paint could really be compared to your typical latex...wow, was I shocked! We were taught 5 different techniques using pieces of plain wood trim. We did everything from a normal one color all over finish, to layering multiple colors, different brush strokes, sanding to get the distressed look and learning to use the wax that gives it the perfect finish. There are 33 colors to choose from and all the colors can be specially combined to practically any shade you can imagine. So much fun to finally learn about this!
If you have an old piece that you've thought about painting or want to go thrift shopping to acquire that perfect piece, I would highly recommend finding Annie Sloan chalk paint in your area. This stuff is amazing!
