Keepsake Christmas Ornament Box

I love handmade Christmas ornaments. Throughout the years I have
collected a number of them, made by myself and several family
members. These ornaments will make great keepsakes for our
children and grandchildren.

I have been looking for a creative way to store these keepsake
ornaments. In the past I have stored them with all my other tree
ornaments, but I wanted a special place to store them, especially
my daughter's ornaments that we have been collecting for her
throughout the years. After purchasing about $20 in supplies and
spending a couple of hours working on the project, I ended up
with a beautiful keepsake ornament box that I hope my daughter
will cherish for years to come.

To complete this project, you will need:

- Unfinished wooden box with lid

- Modge Podge (for decoupaging)

- Christmas cards

- Scissors

- Paint brushes

- Craft paint (optional)

- Acrylic sealer/finisher spray

All of the above items can be purchased at a craft store. The
craft store I went to had a variety of boxes to choose from. I
chose a small box that was $12.99. It was just what I was
looking for!

The box I chose has a raised border around the edges that looked
like it would be difficult to work around with decoupaging, so I
chose to paint it instead. I painted all the borders with
several coats of red acrylic paint.

Next I went through a big pile of old Christmas cards to find
suitable images to decoupage onto the box. This was the fun
part! Not only can you cut out pictures, you can also cut out
holiday sentiments from friends and family members. Just in the
past couple of years, several members of our extended family have
passed away, and projects such as this keepsake ornament box are
a great way to remember lost loved ones. Cut the cards into a
variety of sizes and shapes.

Using a paintbrush, apply Modge Podge or a similar decoupage
medium to the back of your cut out, then place the cut out on the
box. Paint a coating of Modge Podge over the cut out. Continue
pasting cut outs to the side of the box until it is covered, then
go over the entire side again with another coating of Modge
Podge. After the box is completely dry, you can apply another
coating for good measure.

After the box is complete (and dry), you can spray an acrylic
sealer/finisher spray over the entire box to protect the artwork
and eliminate the tackiness of the decoupage.

That's it! There is no limit to the possibilities of decorating
this beautiful ornament box. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan
to line the inside of the box with felt to give it a more
finished look.

Photo of finished keepsake ornament box:
http://www.crafty-moms.com/christmas-ornament-box.shtml

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Newspaper Wedding Announcements

There is an old saying that a lady should be in the newspaper only three times in her life: when she is born, when she is married, and when she dies. You may not have too much control over the first and last of those, but it can be nice to put your wedding announcement in the paper. There is a certain protocol for how this should be done.

Some couples will put an engagement announcement in their local newspaper. This is usually a black and white photo of the couple which has been professionally taken in some sort of scenic location. It is not the time to submit a snapshot taken on the fly, because these pictures will be seen by thousands, and you want to look your best. Wear something that will look good in black and white. The trick is to look polished without looking like you tried too hard. For instance, wearing all of your bridal jewelry in the picture would be too much, but a simple strand of pearls could add the right finishing touch to a classic outfit (think Brooks Brothers). Before taking the picture, be sure that the groom has a fresh haircut and no 5 o'clock shadow (it will look awful in the grainy newspaper image).

Many more couples will decide to skip the engagement announcement and wait to do a wedding announcement. These typically show the couple on their wedding day, dressed in all of their finest. This is the time for the bride to be fully decked out in her gown, veil, and bridal jewelry (some people do take these picture before the wedding, depending on the newspaper's deadlines). Even people who do not know you will be looking at your picture, because many people read the wedding announcements in the paper just for fun.

Some brides will post an announcement in the city where they presently live, others will do it in their hometown, and others will put an announcement in both. If you have been a resident in your current city for only a brief time, it might make more sense to announce your marriage only in your hometown paper, where all of your old friends and relations can see it. However, if you have no remaining ties to your hometown, it would make sense to skip that publication.

Along with the photograph, most newspapers will include some biographical information on the newlyweds. Expect to be asked about where you attended high school and college, as well as about your current employment. The announcements will also include information about when and where the wedding took place. Many will also mention the honeymoon destination. In the old days, the wedding announcements tended to go into greater detail about the wedding, describing the bride's attire, and naming all of the members of the bridal party, but many newspapers no longer allot that much space for each announcement.

For many newspapers, all you have to do is submit your information and your announcement will be published, but this is not the case for New York brides. The ultimate wedding announcement forum is the New York Times Sunday Style section. Not only do you have to provide extensive background information on the newlyweds and their parents, but there are very particular requirements about photographic submissions as well. The funniest one is that the couples should only send in photos where the eyebrows of both people are "on exactly the same level". (I am not making this up!) The Times states up front that not all submissions will be published, and there is definitely a pecking order involved. Many a bride has wondered what she can do to get her wedding photo into the New York Times (above the fold even!), and the best advice is usually to be a Rockefeller or a Vanderbilt, marry a member of Congress, or become one yourself.

Wedding announcements are a good way to spread the word about your happy news. It is fun for your family and friends to read your announcement in the newspaper. They also make a wonderful keepsake for your wedding album.

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