It's the busiest time of the year…

Aren't the holidays so crazy??? I find my self running around doing so many things that it's hard to slow down and really enjoy the holiday season. I feel like I blinked and Halloween and Thanksgiving just flew by. I had so many more craft projects I wanted to work on, so many more things to do, and now it's almost Christmas! There is so much to do, presents to buy, family to visit, and then my kids get hit with the flu! It has been so crazy I tell you!

Last night we finally decorated our Christmas tree. I love decorating the tree. It is one of my favorite things that we do as a family. We have wonderful Christmas music playing and cookies in the oven. The kids are so sweet as they get out our fun and funky ornaments and laugh about who made them or what they represent. I watch our little 1 1/2 year old put 10 ornaments on the same branch and she was so proud of herself!!! She would do a little dance every time she got a new ornament on. It was pure Christmas magic. I was watching our oldest who is now 6 standing on a chair to put some up high and kept thinking, where did the time go? She is growing up so fast. I know life is crazy and having lots of little kids can be challenging, but I wouldn't trade it! I know these are the moments I will treasure for the rest of my life. 

So what have you been up to lately?

I have been making a million bows!! Here is a big stack of ribbon I was working on while watching the Artsy Ornaments class. This class has really been amazing this year. I have loved getting to know so many different artist and learning from their different styles. I know I'll only have time to make a few  artsy ornaments, but after I watch each video I think, "ok, I've got to make that one too!!!" These teachers are all so talented.

The weather has been getting cold here in Colorado. We got our decorations out and have been trying to get our Christmas shopping done!! Only 20 more days to go!

So my awesome friend Becky and I are throwing a jujuB party this week. We used to run a little crafty business together called jujuB, where we made and sold bows, jewelry, headbands, and other fun girlie stuff! Since we always have so much fun together we decided to get together again and throw a holiday party. I'm so excited to share a sneak peak of what we have been working!!! And don't worry I'll be opening my Etsy store soon, so you can all get in on the action!

So check it out...

Pink chevron, perfect for little pig tails.

These lace bows sell so fast, this is an extra large one that my girls love, and I just designed this new Watermelon Bubble Gum necklace. I love pink and turquoise together. It's a match made in heaven. 

lots of beautiful bubble gum necklaces...

These work great on kids of all ages, babies to teens to adults. They have an adjustable chain in the back so you simply adjust them to your preference and go.

These Bubble Gum necklaces come in a ton of colors and are great stocking stuffers...

We also have these amazing Christmas necklaces that say, "Believe." There are so perfect for the Christmas season and look so cute with any Christmas outfit!

Now on to BOWS!!!! These are super cute and fun Christmas bows which are a great addition to any girl's holiday outfit! 

We have tons of beautiful neutrals, which work great for everyday or a fancy dress. 

Becky and I are kind of in love with these new gold bows!! They are amazing.

And these silver chevron bows and lace burlap bows!!! These go great with everything!! I had to make extras to keep some for myself!

We have lots of fun character bows, which your little girl will flip out for!! My girls wear their My Little Pony bows probably more then anything else! We have La La Loopsy, Hello Kitty, My Little Pony, Tinkerbell, and Minnie Mouse!

We also have lots of white and blue bows for those who wear uniforms to school! 

And don't worry is your are looking for something else, we probably have it. These is lots more to chose from...

So I have to share my latest bow design!! Introducing the new layered bow!! I was so excited when I put these together. I am totally in love. I love love how you can get more texture and color and pattern all wrapped up in one little bow! These are so perfect and I can't wait for my girls to wear them! I love mixing patterns and color and these will be such a great fashion statement! I love them!

teal and silver? yes please!!!

pink and pink and more pink!!! I love it!

I love ribbon and love making bows! If you live locally I hope to see you on Friday, if not, be watching for my Etsy store to open soon!!!

We also have lots of other great items for sale as well. 

crocheted headbands

adorable baby headbands and flowers

Also fabric headbands and necklaces, we will also have some of our amazing flower earrings too!!!

I also will have prints of my favorite art work for sale!

It'll be a party with lots of goodies! I hope you enjoyed your sneak peak!! See you there!

Hello World,

I'm so excited about this blog space. I'm excited for a place to be me. I'm excited to share my adventures in motherhood and crafting. I feel like there is so much possibility, so much hope to share, and crazy dreams to dream. I'm excited to meet all of you. I'm excited to connect with other devoted mothers, other adventurous scrapbookers, other crazy mixed media artist. I'm excited to meet all of you and since we have never met I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself. 

I am Juliana Hall and I'm a mom.

I love my children more then I could ever put into words, more then I could ever imagine, and I'm pretty sure I loved my kids more then any mom ever loved her kids ever. Ok, well except for all you other mom's out there. 

I was one of those little girls who said, when I grow up I want to be a mom. The greatest blessing that God has given me in this life is my children. 

I love being a mom. I love that sweet newborn smell. I love putting little pig tails in my girls hair. I love watching them play and seeing their endless imaginations. I love the giggling, story time, playing dress up and playing hide and seek. I find that they teach me and are helping me become the person I want to be. 

 I love connecting with other moms who are going through the same things. Great girls friends who support you and love your children too, mom's who've been there and help you see things in perspective, wonderful women you are not yet moms, but smile at the craziness and offer a helping hand. I love you all and the strength you give me. 

Now, don't get me wrong, being a mom is not always glamorous, I have swept enough cheerios off the floor to last a life time!! And even though being a mom involves endless nights of not enough sleep, picking up more socks off the floor then I could ever count, worry, and stress and my hips have doubled in size… it is all worth it. They are worth it all.  Family is so special to me.

I also am a mormon,

I thought long and hard about sharing my religion, but it is such a part of me that I want to share it with you. I really can't imagine anyone knowing who I am and not knowing what I stand for. I believe there is a God in heaven and that he loves us and answers our prayers. I believe in Jesus Christ and his healing power. I believe we have a living prophet today who leads and guides Christ's church. I believe the Book of Mormon is scripture and it's true. These really are the foundation pieces of my life. 

We go to church on Sunday. I try to teach my children to pray and know that God loves them. We believe in hope and forgiveness and love. And it is because of these things I have such peace and joy in my life. I try to have a grateful heart and look for the little things that are God's blessings in my life. 

I am a mixed media artist.

While I enjoy so many different types of crafting. I am above all a mixed media artist. Check out my art work on my art page. I love to paint and I love exploring other mediums. I love scrapbooking, photography, sewing, crocheting, painting, and everything in between.  I just love to make things. I love trying new things and am up for any challenge!

(my daughter is such a good helper and loves taking pictures too!)

My grandma is an artist and my great-grandma was an artist. My mom is an amazing scrapbooker. I kind of feel like crafting was in my blood and when I finally answered it's been happiness ever since. Now, let me let you in on a secret... I am by no means a professional! I am still learning and growing and developing my own style. If you love to craft, or paint or any of the above, then come on this crazy adventure with me and lets learn and grow together. I love to create and I am excited to learn more as we go. 

Some other random bits and pieces...

I teach preschool

I love painting and crafting with my kids.

My husband is a great landscaper and creates amazing things like this water feature. 

I adore chocolate.

My favorite color was always blue, but with so many girls in the house I've really grown to love pink. And now with a new baby boy in the mix, navy blue is a new love. 

I love making bows, necklaces, headbands and other fun accessories. I am excited to open my Etsy store soon.

I so grateful to have an amazing husband who loves and supports me in all that I do. Tyler is the man of my dreams, an amazing father, and I love that he works so hard for us. 

It was nice to meet you. I'm excited to paint, create and share together. 

Love, Juliana 

And the Winner is...

Thank you all so much for commenting and coming over to my blog! I am really excited for this Artsy Ornaments Class. Be sure to check back in to what projects I come up with as we go through the class together. If you didn't win a shop, hop over to Christy's blog and sign up. It's not too late. 

And the winner is…

Jennifer {Studio JRU}November 16, 2013 at 7:36 PM

ohh... sounds like so much fun!! :)

Congrats! I am so excited for you! Email me at julianahall33@gmail.com and make sure and leave your email so I can email the class to you. 

Also our winner for the cards giveaway is…

Lexi RollenderNovember 14, 2013 at 12:00 PM

these are so cute! I love love homemade cards!

What, what!!! You're cards will be in the mail soon. I'm so happy for both of you. Enjoy your crafty goodness and I hope you have a great day!

12 Artsy Ornaments Giveaway!!!

I know your probably thinking, what????? Another giveaway?? Well, it is the holiday season after all and I am so excited for Christy Tomlinson's 12 Artsy Ornament Class to begin this week!! I am a huge fan of Christy's classes and have taken several. My favorite class of all time was the She Art 3 class. It is amazing. You can find more information about that and her other classes here. Christy is a very talented artist and a great teacher. This Artsy Ornaments class is great because there are lots of different teachers who all have their own unique style. It's going to be so fun! You can see some of the projects Christy has been working on on her blog here.

There is an amazing line up of new teachers that I can't wait to get to know! Join me in this amazing class by leaving a comment below and I'll announce the winner Tuesday morning, just in time fir the class to start!! Happy Holidays! I'm humming Christmas music already!

Card Club and a GIVEAWAY!!!

So to be totally honest, I have never taken much time to make cards before because I always have so many other project going on. I just joined a card club, where we make cards and swap, so we all come home with a few different kinds. I made these wild and fun Happy Birthday cards. I'm sure some people thought they were a little crazy, but I totally love them!!!

I took neon paint and splattered it on the back ground. I wanted to look kind of like confetti. I love how bright the neon paint is. I can't wait to actually paint with it! It will be awesome on a canvas of a girl! I also splattered a few 4 x 6 cards. I thought it would be a fun background for some Project Life pictures. 

Then I cut out some vellum rectangles to soften the look up a bit and used it as a base for my washi tape birthday cake. Washi tape is awesome!

Lastly I stapled it together and doodled on my cakes with a silver roller doodle pen. I love the doodled look. 

On the inside of the card I used my Gelatos and some Stampin Up stamps to create this beautiful watercolor look. I love it and want Gelatos in every color now. 

So you want to hear the really fun news?? Leave a comment and I'll randomly pick one winner to receive 4 free cards!! I'll send you two boy cards and two girl cards, just to share the love a bit! I'll pick a winner next Monday!! I'm so excited! 

Have a Happy Wednesday!

A Thankful Heart

As thanksgiving approaches I have been thinking about being grateful. Having a grateful heart. I am mormon and twice a year we get to listen to words of our prophet and leaders at General Conference. I can't get this talk by Elder Bednar out of my head called The Windows of Heaven.  I know that through giving to the Lord our lives have been blessed. It has been blessed beyond my greatest hopes. Not in anything big, in "small but significant ways." If I wasn't looking for the Lord's hand in my life I might have missed it. But I know He's there and I know He blesses us. 

I have been trying to have a grateful heart. I have been trying to be content with the things that we have. Isn't that hard to do, in a world where we always need the bigger, better, next great thing. How can I be content, be more grateful, and have a thankful heart? 

I have so much to be grateful for. 

We had a great Halloween. I love trick or treating with the kids. We all have so much fun! This year I bought a few backdrops and we have the funnest Halloween themed photo shoot! Here are a few of my favorite shots. 

I have been really busy making Bubble Gum Necklaces. I love making things. Making jewelry is a fun past time when I get in the mood. I made Halloween necklaces for my girls, (you can see them in the photo above) then I made a ton more!!!

I am so excited to open my Etsy store soon and share them with all of you. Watch for more details soon. You can also follow me on my Facebook page here, for more details on opening and sales. 

These are a few of my favorites. 

While I'm working the girls are at my side painting away. I love sharing my passion for crafting and art with my children, even if it often makes a huge mess!!

I'm trying desperately to catch up on Project Life. I love taking a picture everyday and capturing moments with my children that I normally wouldn't remember. I love how Project Life tells the story of our lives. I've done it for 2 years and really need to get caught up on this year. If you can make out the date on this layout, yes it's February. I have a long way to go!

I am totally smitten with the new Dear Lizzy Line, Polka Dot Party. My favorite party is the pencil doodle detail throughout the collection. You can see some in the upper left hand corner of this layout. 

Above all I am grateful to be a mother. I am grateful that these little sweeties fill me with love everyday.  I am grateful for all the cuddles, the hugs, the peaceful sleeping faces. Don't get me wrong having 4 children is very challenging, but it's worth it. They make it all worth it.