Free December 2013 Wallpaper: Deck the Halls

Free December 2013 Deck the Devices Desktop and iPad Wallpaper from B.Nute productions

Time to deck the halls (and your electronic devices) with holiday cheer! This month's free desktop and iPad wallpaper is adorned with hand drawn holiday ornaments, bright and cheery for this festive month. Enjoy!

Free December 2013 Desktop and iPad Wallpaper

Free December 2013 Ornament Desktop and iPad Wallpaper by B.Nute productions

1900x1200 December 2013 Deck the Halls Desktop Wallpaper

1980x1600 December 2013 Deck the Halls iPad Wallpaper

To set as your desktop image

Click on the 1900x1200 link above. When the image in view, on a PC, right click and select “Use Picture as Desktop Image”; For a Mac, Control-click and select “Use Image as Desktop Picture”. 

To set at your ipad wallpaper

Click on the 1980x1600 link above. When the image in in view, click and hold. Select "Save Image" from the popup menu. Once saved, select your "Settings -->Brightness & Wallpaper" and change your wall paper to the newly saved image in your photos.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving at the Nute Home, 1959

I love this photo. It was taken Thanksgiving, 1959 at my grandparent's house. My parents were just newlyweds of 5 months (they are not in this picture), and I was not even an inkling in their mind (perhaps my older brother and sister were-- but definitely not me!)

I love this photo so much because it just says "family Thanksgiving." The men are in ties, the women are dressed up. The china is being used and my grandmother's fancy goblets are out. The candles are lit, and there is a welcoming pineapple/fruit centerpiece on display. It's not a Martha Stewart affair, and would not grace the boards of Pinterest for it's recipe or party idea potential, but it sure looks like a festive gathering.

The best part about this picture is everyone has a smile on their face. So even if this was just a down-home Thanksgiving, it must have been fun!

Wishing you and your family have a wonderful, down-home Thanksgiving of your own!

Free Printable Poinsettia Holiday Tags

Free Printable Hand Drawn Poinsettia Holiday Tags by B.Nute productions

Presents, hostess gifts, homemade goodies and more... the holidays are ramping up and gift giving is upon us! I had fun drawing these bright, cheerful and modern poinsettia tags perfect for this time of year. Tie one to a bottle of wine as you head over to a holiday party, or perhaps attach to a poinsettia plant and give to a neighbor to let them know how thankful you are to have them next door. Enjoy.

Free Printable Poinsettia Holiday Tags

Free Printable Hand Drawn Poinsettia Holiday Tags by B.Nute productions

Instructions for Making Your Poinsettia Tags
1. Select the link above, and print out the page on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. Print on white cardstock to give some weight to the tags.
2. Cut out the tags, and use as you'd like! Cut a small hole and string with ribbon to put on a gift of any kind.

Printable items are copyright protected, and provided free of charge by B.Nute productions for personal use only. B.Nute's printables can not be sold, altered, or provided for download on any other site. For questions or inquiries, please contact B.Nute productions.

Free Printable Thank You Notecards: Giving Thanks to Everyday Helpers

Free Printable Thank You Notecards for Everyday Helpers by B.Nute productions

We order pizza almost once a week from our favorite local restaurant. We've been doing this for some time now, and of course now we recognize the friendly guys that always deliver it to us. There is also our UPS man. Our house is at the end of his route, and sometimes he's dropping packages off past 7pm! Although these great folks are "just doing their job" sometimes it's nice to give them that extra thank you to let them know you appreciate their hard work.

Free Printable Thank You Note Card for the Delivery Person by B.Nute productions

In the spirit of thankfulness this holiday season, I've created a few hand drawn mini note cards specifically for those everyday helpers like your pizza delivery person, your package delivery person and your mail carrier. So print a few out, and write a quick note of thanks to let them know you appreciate what they do. Of course, these note cards can be used all year round so print a few extra to use just when the moment strikes.

Free Printable Thank You Note Card for the Mail Person from B.Nute productions

Free Printable Mini Thank You Notecards
for Everyday Helpers

Free Printable Mini Notecards for Everyday Helpers from B.Nute productions

Instructions for Printing Your Mini Thank You Notecards
1. Select the link above at the bottom of the image, and print out the artwork on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper (in landscape mode.) Use white card stock to add some weight to the card.
2. Cut out the mini notecards and fold in half. Give to your pizza delivery person, package delivery person or mail carrier.

Printable items are copyright protected, and provided free of charge by B.Nute productions for personal use only. B.Nute's printables can not be sold, altered, or provided for download on any other site. For questions or inquiries, please contact B.Nute productions.

Free Printable Thanksgiving Cootie Catchers / Fortune Tellers

Free Printable Thanksgiving Cootie Catchers from B.Nute productions

Here's the perfect printable to add some fun to your Thanksgiving celebration- 2 free Thanksgiving themed cootie catcher/fortune tellers. One is full of fun Thanksgiving facts, and the other will hopefully spur some great conversations about being thankful.

So, print out a bunch out, and set them around the table to keep the conversation going between young and old this Thanksgiving!

Free Printable Thanksgiving Cootie Catchers

Thanksgiving "Thankful" Cootie Catcher

Free Printable Thankful Thanksgiving Cootie Catcher from B.Nute productions

Thanksgiving "Fun Facts" Cootie Catcher

Free Printable Fun Facts Thanksgiving Cootie Catcher from B.Nute productions

Instructions for Making Your Thanksgiving Cootie Catchers
1. Select link above (below each image), and print out from your browser. 
2. Trim the edges/extra paper.
3. Now begin to fold. For detailed folding instructions, see Cootie Catcher Folding Instructions from the Daring Book for Girls.
4. Now read your Thanksgiving fun facts and think of all the things you are thankful for this year!

Printable items are copyright protected, and provided free of charge by B.Nute productions for personal use only. B.Nute's printables can not be sold, altered, or provided for download on any other site. For questions or inquiries, please contact B.Nute productions.

Free Printable Today I am Thankful Artwork

Free Printable "Today I Am Thankful" Artwork from B.Nute productions

The holiday season is officially upon us. There is just a little more than a week until Thanksgiving, and then December festivities follow quickly behind. To celebrate this year I've decided to dedicate the next 6 weeks to a free holiday printables spree! I look forward to creating all sorts of goodies you can use through out the season and beyond.

First up is a whimsical, hand drawn "Today I Am Thankful" printable. It's perfect to frame and place on your fireplace mantle, bookshelf, or shelf behind your kitchen sink. When things get really hectic this season, read it (and reread again) and remember to take a deep breathe and be thankful!

There's a lot going on in my family right now, and although some has been quite stressful, I do realize everyday that I am VERY thankful! It's hard to remember when times are tough, but perhaps that's when it's an even better reminder.

So, enjoy this free printable, and the printables to come in the next coming weeks, and today be thankful!

Free Printable "Today I Am Thankful" Artwork

Today I Am Thankful Free Printable 5"x7" Artwork by B.Nute productions

Instructions for Printing Your "Today I Am Thankful" 5x7 Artwork
1. Select the link above at the bottom of the image, and print out the artwork on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. Use white card stock to add some weight to the art.
2. Cut out the sign and put in an festive 5"x7" frame. Decorate your space with the art.

Printable items are copyright protected, and provided free of charge by B.Nute productions for personal use only. B.Nute's printables can not be sold, altered, or provided for download on any other site. For questions or inquiries, please contact B.Nute productions.

Free Printable "It's a Party" Invitation

Free Printable "It's a Party" Hand Drawn Party Hat Invitation from B.Nute productions

I'm back from my long weekend in New York City, and ready to dive into the holidays... well, almost! Before the holiday rush, we still have a few birthdays to celebrate around my house.

As I was planning out those celebrations, I had fun doodling various party hats. I just love party hats. My mom has always been a fan as well. To this day, for family birthday celebrations she'll always have hats at the table. Newcomers to the scene may be tentative to put the hats on, but the rest of the family happily grab there's and gets ready to celebrate. There's nothing like a party hat to signify it's time to party!

So in honor of parties and birthdays at anytime of the year, I've created this Free Printable "It's a Party" Party Hat invitation. Just print it out, fill in your details and send it off. A whimsical and playful way to let folks know it's time to celebrate!

Free Printable "It's a Party" Invitation

Free Printable "It's a Party" Party Hat Invitations by B.Nute productions

Instructions for Making "It's a Party" Party Hat Invitations
1. Select link above, and print out the invitations on 8.5" x 11" white card stock from your browser. (Print in landscape mode.) I suggest using a heavier card stock to give the invitations some weight. 
2. Cut out each invitation.
3. Fill in with your party information!

Printable items are copyright protected, and provided free of charge by B.Nute productions for personal use only. B.Nute's printables can not be sold, altered, or provided for download on any other site. For questions or inquiries, please contact B.Nute productions.

Notes from the Studio: New York City Here I Come!

New York City Memories from When I Lived There 20 Years Ago!

Right now, I'm heading on a big jet plane to New York City! I'm off on a girls weekend, meeting up with a college friend for fun. I just can't wait.

It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since I lived in New York City. What?! 20 years? How on earth has time gone by so fast? In some ways, it seems like just yesterday, and in others, a lifetime ago. So many things have changed, but then again, so many things remain the same.

At the top is a collage of pictures I took of New York when I lived there. I was going to graduate art school at Pratt Institute and thoroughly engrossed in computers and art. At the time, multi-media (on CD-ROMs) was blossoming and I wanted to be a part of it. I got my first email address through a very progressive community called EchoNYC. It was dial-up with a command line interface, but the "chat" feature was very cool. The web was in it's absolute infancy. There was talk that the Whitney Museum (in New York) was building a website, and everyone wanted to know more. There were no cell phones, no iPads, no digital cameras, no texting. These things may have been invented, but were definitely not part of everyday living like today. When I think how far technology has come since I lived in New York, it's clear 20 years has passed.

But when I look through the images above, it's fun to see that a lot of what was attractive to me then, still interests me today. Finding back streets with colorful street art, exploring the whimsical Coney Island, the adventure I took to Fulton Fish Market at 5AM, the beauty of the subway that got me everywhere - at any time... For this weekend away, I hope to have some crazy adventures like those back then.

I'll definitely be posting some pictures from the road. As the saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Look forward to finding out if this is true!

Party Planning 101: Resources for Planning Your Next Party

Party Planning 101: Resources for Planning Your Next Party

My daughter's birthday is coming up, and we are ready to try something different. Now that she's a tween, she's ready to take over the reigns and plan her own party! Although I've always loved to plan my kids' parties, I must say, I'm excited to see what she'll come up with. She already has several themes bubbling in her head, including games, crafts and more. Of course, I know I won't be completely out of the picture (she'll need me to drive her to buy the supplies, food, etc.), I think this will be a great experience for her.

We're going to give her a budget, and I thought instead of reinventing the wheel, I'd look out on the web for party planning worksheets, tips and more she can use.  Within only a few clicks, I found loads of wonderful free party planning resources just waiting to be printed up. There's pretty much a planning printable for any type of party, from your kid's birthday party to your annual holiday get together.

Below is just a partial list of the resources I've gathered. I've also created a Pinterest board: Party Planning 101 with loads more ideas. Such a wonderful party community on the web-- everyone seems to want to help you get plan the perfect party and have fun! So get ready and start planning.

Party Planning Resources from Around the Web

General Party Planning Worksheets, Checklists and Apps

• Party Planning Worksheets (Checklists, Guest List, Gift Record, etc) from A Pair of Pears
• One Page Party Planning Sheet from Printed Ink
• Let's Boogie - Fun Party Planning Worksheets from ARMommy
• Loads of Party Planning Templates on Tip Junkie
• Detailed Kids Party Planning Guide from Start to Finish on The Momiverse from the Party Pail
• Hosting by the Numbers

Budget Planning for a Party

• Party Budget Printable from Parties for Pennies
• Party Budget Checklist from Confetti Sunshine

Theme Ideas

• *The* List of Party Themes
• List of Holiday Party Themes
• List of Baby Shower Themes
• List of Bridal Shower Themes

Places to have a Party

• List of Places to Have a Party

People to Hire to Help at a Party

• List of People to Hire for your Party

Food Ideas and Amount of Food Needed

• List of Party Foods
• Party Drinks - Planning Guide (for Adult Parties)
• How Much Food to Serve at a Party from Chickabug

Game Ideas for Parties

• List of Traditional Party Games

Free November 2013 Wallpaper: A Thanksgiving Feast and a Contest

Free November 2013 Wallpaper: A Thanksgiving Feast from B.Nute productions

November is here! Can you believe it? I can practically hear the jingle bells of Christmas and the holiday season taking over... but before it does, I'm here to get you ready to celebrate Thanksgiving.

For this months free desktop and iPad calendar, I've created a Thanksgiving feast, every possible food I could think of that might be served on Thanksgiving arranged in a calendar. I must admit, although there has never been a shortage of food at our Thanksgiving celebrations, it was somewhat challenging to come up with 30 different items. I'd love to know if I've missed one of your family favorites!

Thanksgiving Giveaway Contest
To add a little fun to this months wallpaper give-away, I thought I'd also hold a CONTEST. Yes, a contest with a PRIZE too! The first person to guess the most number of Thanksgiving foods I have illustrated in this free wallpaper wins. Simple as that! And, what's the prize you ask, I'll send the winner a set of stylish notecards, matching envelopes, and matching stickers, perfect for writing thank yous or greetings to friends and family.

So, here's what you have to do to enter:
1. Send me an email to questions@bnute.com with all your guesses of the food items illustrated in my November 2013 Thanksgiving Feast wallpaper.
2. The first person to guess the most correct number of food items illustrated wins!
3. The contest will end November 30, 2013. On that date, I'll tally up all the answers and see who got the most food items correct.

Look forward to your guesses!

Free November 2013 Desktop and iPad Wallpaper

Free November 2013 Thanksgiving Feast Wallpaper from B.Nute productions

1900x1200 November 2013 Thanksgiving Feast Desktop Wallpaper

1980x1600 November 2013 Thanksgiving Feast iPad Wallpaper

To set as your desktop image

Click on the 1900x1200 link above. When the image in view, on a PC, right click and select “Use Picture as Desktop Image”; For a Mac, Control-click and select “Use Image as Desktop Picture”. 

To set at your ipad wallpaper

Click on the 1980x1600 link above. When the image in in view, click and hold. Select "Save Image" from the popup menu. Once saved, select your "Settings -->Brightness & Wallpaper" and change your wall paper to the newly saved image in your photos.