Emma in the snow

I bribed (yep, resorting to bribes now...shameful) my four year old to go out in the first significant snow of the winter to take some pictures.  But, come on!  I had to...look how cute she is...and I bought a new action set from Oh So Posh Photography that I was DYING to try out!  

I am in love with these!  And it only cost me $3 and some skittles!! I call that a bargain.

Here's a before and after to show you how sweet the actions are...I love editing!

And my fave...this is being printed now to go into my 20x30 frame from The Organic Bloom.

They like me...they really like me!

Well...she does anyway!  Thank you to Angela at Unexpected Elegance for the Liebster Award.

Liebster is German and means ‘dearest’ or ‘beloved’ but it can also mean ‘favorite’. The idea of the Liebster award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers. So, in the spirit of good fun I am passing this award on to five other bloggers. Please stop by and visit them.

The Rules are:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2. Reveal your five picks for the award and let them know.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blogshare-other bloggers.

5. Finally and the best rule of all……….have fun and spread the love!

  It's now my turn to pass the award along.  And the Liebster goes to...

Sarah at Becoming Martha.

Katie at Little Becky Homecky.

Bethany at Pitter and Glink.

Lisa at The Sweet Talk Shop.

and

Sharon at Angeltouch and Fuzzy Feelings, who is just starting out and is taking on the 365 day photography challenge.  She's doing great!  I tried the 52 week challenge last year and only made it about two months...it's harder than one thinks. :-)

Please take the time to visit these awesome blogs...you'll be glad that you did!

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone!

Three Little Mailboxes

I bought these cuties for $1 a piece at Target...man, I just couldn't pass them up!  I thought I could personalize them for my kids for Valentine's Day morning.

So I went directly to the craft/scrapbooking aisle and found these letter and heart stickers for $0.99 each.  Sold!

The rest is pretty simple, except I did paint a layer of mod podge over them because I wanted them to last for a few more years...you can see it if you get really close, but I don't mind, and I KNOW my kids don't mind. :)  

I have them on my mantel til Feb. 14th! 

Linking up!

Repurposed Message Boards

A big project on my "to do" list is to convert an old entertainment armoire into a kids organizational center...for their coats, hats, gloves, bags, papers, etc.   The center is currently in my garage, awaiting some attention from my hubby...a new piece of trim, some bead board and a coat of primer.  Then, she's all mine.  

She's going right inside our front door so the kids don't have far to go.  I had these square metal signs hanging there and decided I liked them enough to repurpose them.  I bought these a while ago at Christmas Tree Shop for $2 each.  They were originally brown with a quote painted on them.  I painted them white and sanded them and that's how they've been hanging until recently.  I thought they would make good magnetic message boards to hang beside the new kids center.  

All I did was mod podge scrapbook paper on the inside square and add a magnet...I love them.  One for each of my kiddos!

I had these magnets I bought at Target a long time ago...they work perfectly!

I had one square left over, so I used  it on the wall leading into my kitchen...right now it has a favorite quote of mine on it!

Can't wait to finish the kids center and share it with you. 

Linking up!

There's a BOA in my cloche!

I could only get away with putting a feather boa in my gorgeous cloche on one occasion...Valentine's Day!  I just thought it would add a little pizazz to the mantle this year.  :-)

 It was borrowed from my four year old's dress up set and she will get it back come February 15th...promise.  Along with the boa, I have my Love blocks, a free printable I got from Pinterest and my lovebirds. 

I must confess, this is the first year that I have a mantle dedicated to Valentine's Day...I guess that's what blogging does to a person!  :-)

Next up, Easter.  I'll be skipping St. Patrick's Day this year, maybe I'll squeeze it in 2013! 

Linking up!

EASY Frame makeover

I saw these frames over the summer at Christmas Tree Shop for $1.99...but sailboats and lighthouses aren't really my style.  I just knew I could make them over somehow, so I bought three of them.

I am in the process of making over my master bedroom and I thought I could make a cute frame for one of my accessories.  I made this no sew accent pillow for the bed, so I thought maybe I could mimic the idea on a frame and use it on a nightstand.  I started with my scrapbook paper (I have gotten some mileage out of this paper, I just love it) I used for this clothespin wreath project.

I simply used mod podge to attach the paper to the frame.  Then I painted three more coats of the mod podge over it.  A pretty yellow rosette like the one on my pillow and it was done!

It couldn't get much easier than that!  Can't wait to get this room done...slow and steady!

Linking up!

Quick and Easy Valentines Decor

I wanted to decorate my mantle for Valentines Day.  I started with my "LOVE" Wood Blocks and when I completed them, I had a great idea.  I don't know if you have seen the awesome, funky frames from The Organic Bloom...if you haven't, you must.  Jump on over to the right of this post and click on their button.  I sell these cool frames through my photography business, Bliss Images.  If you are interested or have questions, just let me know.  

Anyway, I have a bunch of their frames, because I love them so.  I happen to have a red one and had a great idea to do something really simple for the holiday.  I grabbed a piece of cardboard and cut it to 8x10 inches.  Then took a cotton drop cloth from my local paint store and covered the piece of cardboard using a glue gun.  Next, I cut out two lovebirds and two hearts from scrapbook paper that I had and glued them to my "canvas."  Last, I wrote the word "love" with a paint pen across the top.

That's it...but, when you put it in this frame, it looks brilliant!

I am almost done with my mantle.  Just a few more touches and I will share the whole look with you.

Linking up!

I'm a WARRIOR! Well, at least I will be...

My husband and I have decided to participate in a Warrior Dash on May 19th...have you heard of these?  Here's your link, take a gander!

What am I thinking, you ask?  Not sure exactly...lol.  I did a 5K in October of 2010 and never thought that I could do it.  It was EXHILLERATING!  I told everyone that I wanted to do at least one a year, because it gave me a goal, which made me train, which is something I need to stay fit and healthy...then, I got pregnant.  

And, it was a surprise.  

Needless to say, I was a ball of emotions, happy that I would be bringing another beautiful child into this world, happy that I was going to give my kids the gift of a sibling, but sad that all of my hard work was sure to go down the drain with nine months of pregnancy.  

I kept exercising, but not to the degree that I was.  And, I gained about 40 lbs.  And, what's worse, I had complications after my daughter's birth, so I had to go back into the hospital for four days, which led to the ultimate demise of breastfeeding, something I was sure would help me take the baby weight off quicker.  

So, now I am left with a squishy belly and the extra 15-20 lbs. everywhere else that I just can't seem to shake, even with the occasional zumba class. 

What's more?  Today I get to go in for outpatient hernia surgery, yet another complication of my third birth (luckily my hubby's having an outpatient surgery the end of the month so this doesn't happen again...wink, wink).  After I recover from this surgery and get the green light to exercise again, the training for the WARRIOR DASH begins.  And, I have decided to blog about my journey to anyone who is interested.  Even if that is no one, I am still determined to do it, because it will help to keep me accountable.  I am thinking I'll be ready in about 2-3 weeks.

This journey, complete with a full body picture (something I was unsure of, but I think it'll be more motivation to get my butt in gear) will track my progress until May 19th.  Hopefully I will be posting a killer "AFTER" picture.  I plan to post once a week to highlight my progress.  Not sure what day of the week yet.

For today, I am off to shower and get ready for surgery.  Just made my kids a yummy breakfast and my tummy is growling, because I haven't been able to eat since midnight and my surgery is 2 pm.  

Til next time, warriors!

Linking up!

Philly inspired Valentine Blocks

Expanding on my wood block idea (I got approx. 13 5.5 x 5.5 inch blocks from a 2x6 for under $5), I decided to make some Valentines Decor.  I love the way they turned out and I'm thinking I'll make some for the kids' teachers.  They are REALLY easy to make.

You'll need:

- a block of wood (I cut them to squares)

- paint (I used acrylic)

- scrapbook paper of your choice

- Mod Podge

- Sandpaper

- Scissors

I sanded my block, then painted a coat of brown paint, then sanded again for a distressed look.  I cut out hearts and shapes from scrapbook paper, I did this free-hand because I liked that they would all be different and imperfect.  

I mod-podged the shapes to the wood, then painted a coat all over.  Once it was dry, I sanded the block again, so that I could distress the shapes.  Lastly, a few more coats of mod podge all over.  

For the Philly inspired "LOVE" block, I have to admit, the paint was just me trying different things...I started with dark brown, then added a white over it, then sort of swirled the colors together (which made a suede/leather effect).  I drew the letters free-hand and then cut them out.  Anyway, it turned out pretty cool...I like the textured gray look.

I am really happy with these...and so cheap and easy.  My favorite! :-)

Linking up!

Crafty Pair

I have been wanting to try this wreath that I pinned around Christmas. I wanted to use it the rest of the year, not just at Christmastime, so I decided to use black and white scrapbook paper, found at Amazon. It was an easy project.

I simply cut out scraps of paper and mod podged them to the clothespins. Then I used one of my kids' bowls to draw a circle, then cut out the circle and cut another circle opening in the middle.

Then I simply attached the finished pins to the cardboard circle...

Another project I have wanted to try is a photo block, so I went and bought a 2x6 piece of wood for a little over $4 and had my husband cut into squares, which are really 5 1/2" x 5 1/2", because a 2x6 really isn't 6".  I sanded the block, then mod podged a piece of the same scrapbook paper and a photo of my kiddos...I painted strokes down (vertically) then across (horizontally) to give it a textured look.  A piece of twine finished it off.  

I love them...can't wait to make these for gifts. I'm going to try a paint technique with them next.  I'll be sure to share.  :-)

And I paired it with my wreath...love 'em!

Linking up!

"New" Garage Doors

I love my house...I really do!  It's small, but it's a great house.  But, when looking at the front, it is 80% garage. 
I have been talking about wanting new, more decorative garage doors for years now.  We would drive through neighborhoods and I would stare adoringly, somewhat enviously at those houses with the pretty garage doors.  I knew we couldn't afford new doors for a while...they are low on the priority totem pole, you know?

So imagine my elation when I stumbled upon a garage door makeover with simple hardware (I'm sorry, I can't find the original inspiration to link)!  Brilliant, I tell you...I was on Amazon the same day ordering the hardware (see links at bottom of post) and my handy hubby installed over the unseasonably warm PA weekend!

The hardware cost us a total of $70...and what can I say?  Minimal cost for major impact!

They were plain, builder grade garage doors.  Functional yes, but certainly not fabulous.

Seriously loving the transformation!

Linking up!

Mom's Birthday Dinner

My mama turned the big 5-7 yesterday!  I hope she passed on her anti-aging genes to me and my girls, because she's seriously rocking middle-age!!  She and I take zumba together and she's getting certified to teach a dance/yoga class...she's like a fine wine, I tell ya!  

We had her over last night to celebrate and I made dinner...a grilled chicken salad and this yummy number from, you guessed it, Pinterest!  This one's been really popular, and for a good reason...YUMM-O!!  I will absolutely make this again.  I followed the recipe to a T, except I used the garlic and basil diced tomatos and instead of 2 cups of half and half I used 3/4  c. half and half and 1 1/4 c. skim milk.  Everyone raved over it and it's so easy to make.

Source: 365daysofcrockpot.com via Erika on Pinterest

And I even got to snap a pic of the birthday girl and her newest grandbaby...

Picture perfect.