Mandy's Holiday NDAD Creation

This just popped in my inbox today and I had to post being that we're still Christmas-adjacent.  I mean I just watched a medley of Bad Santa/Elf a few hours ago.

Greetings from South Dakota, Marisa!  I love seeing your creations and all the great reader creations out there!  The weekend before Christmas, all my daughter could talk about was the Elf on the Shelf – she really thought we needed one in our house.  For a moment, I contemplated running out to the stores after she went to bed, but a few things stopped me in my tracks…

1. We live in Sioux Falls, the biggest shopping center in South Dakota. Stores would be super busy.

2. It was the weekend before Christmas, and the Elves might be sold out.

3. The Elf retails for $29.95, and I can't see myself spending that kind of money on a toy we only see one month per year and the kids can't actually play with it (if you touch the elf, it will lose it's magic!)

4. The weather outside was freezing, and I was snuggled up on the couch with a nice, warm blanket watching movies with the family.

That last #4 is reason enough to get crafty!

A few weeks earlier, my coworker gave me a bag full of clothes (yay free!) to try on and this is the piece that got my internal wheels turning… 

How will Miss Mandy transform this into something Elf on the Shelf-y??

I printed a few doll clothing patterns from the internet to give me a guide for the shirt...

...and skirt...

The ruffle on the sleeves served as the perfect over-skirt for the dress. 

My daughter has so many Barbie dolls, so I knew she wouldn't miss one.  I added the newly made ensemble to the doll and, voila!!  Homemade Elf on the Shelf!

My daughter was so excited to see our elf in the fruit basket on the kitchen table the next morning.  All day long, I would catch her sneaking up to her new elf and whispering in her ear.  Thanks so much for your inspiring blog!

Mandy, thank you so much for sharing this amazing piece with us.  I think you recreated something really fantastic and how special that your daughter had her own, one-of-a-kind elf.  Kudos to a fabulous remake - I would totally wear this if it came in my size - Marisa Elf on the Shelf next year!

80s Velvet & Plaid Remake

The full holiday dress post has arrived!! Here's the before dress in its deep green velvet and plaid glory...

Time to get (nut)-crackin'!  (I take full responsibility of the holiday puns...)

I started with a trim...

I wanted the dress to hit me above that lovely cankle area where it was in the original, so I trimmed off about nine inches from the bottom.

Instead of hemming the piece, I took some Fray Check to manage the raw edges after I was finished!

The top of the dress came next - with my seam ripper, I started to remove those sleeves thread by thread!

I got my sleeves off...

...and then trimmed the seam at the shoulder in half to work into a strapless number!!  I pinned all the raw edges under...

...and then sewed down my new seams on the top of the dress.  I had this piece finished for Hallmark's Home & Family show, so it looked like this, styled on the dress forms.

For the real deal, I adjusted the brooch and paired the dress with some black tights, boots, and a decorated Christmas tree!!

It was too cold to wear the dress without anything over it, so I threw on my grey Cynthia Rowley beaded cardi (a Boston Goodwill $4 find) on top!!

I then layered my vintage red coat to have my outfit totally complete.

And being in the holiday spirit, as well as being hopped up on sugar thanks to all those seasonal treats in candy dishes all over the house (I'm talking about you Peppermint Patties & Rochers), I couldn't resist a little fun with a cane of Hershey Kisses that my brother got from one of his students for Christmas.  I mean when there's a cane, you obviously have to tap dance.

I mean, it's what you do...

OK, it's what I do :)

I hope everyone had a most beautiful day and I'm also hoping that there are vacation days ahead for many of you this week!

PS, for those of you having fun from home this week, the episode of Ricki Lake that I did in November is re-airing today!  Check your local listings, but the show it titled "A New Attitude" and is vintage themed.  It originally aired during the thick of the hurricane, so I know many of you missed it and emailed me about it.  Here's your second chance!

Merry Christmas!!

I just want to wish you all the most wonderful holiday and I hope that you're all surrounded with lots of love, friends, and family today!  I am so lucky to get to be spending Christmas with my family and have already started enjoying the seasonal traditions...a viewing of Home Alone with my brother, check! I wore my velvet and plaid dress...

...which you'll get the full rundown on later today.

I'm sending little (electronic) balls of joys, smiles, and goodness your way - the happiest of holidays to you all today!  Lots of love, Marisa