Bliss Images and Beyond

Compilation of vacation pics

2012-03-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

Instagrams, instagrams...all I ever hear about is instagrams for the iphone!

Well, I'm a Droider, and I keep hearing that they are "working on" Instagram for the Droid, but I have yet to see the app...BUT, I am here to tell you fellow Droiders (if you don't know yet), there is a free app that's almost as cool!! Lomo Camera...I had an awesome time with this app yesterday on our trip to Inner Harbor, Maryland.

Here are some pics

We decided to surprise our two older kids with a trip just for them yesterday to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. We got the total experience tickets, which included the Dolphin Show and a 4D Planet Earth movie. Then, we visited three historic war ships and ended our day at Phillips seafood house. It was an outstanding day! Well, until we left all of our souvenirs in the parking garage...thank goodness for online gift shops when stuff like that happens. We went from being the Best Parents of the Year to the Worst Parents and back to the Best Parents...whew!

Anyway, I had a blast snapping pics and wanted a way to commemorate the day, so I made this 11x14 of all the Lomo Camera pics taken throughout the day...

Now we'll always remember the day!

The Journey: Being Selfish

2012-03-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

I have heard it SO many times..."You have to take care of you in order to be a better mom to them." And I would nod my head and say, "I know, I know." But, truth be told...you just can't do that in the first six months of a baby's life. Unless you happen to have a non-colicky, sleep-through-the-night, nothing phases me at all kind of child. Then, maybe you can start before the 6 month point. But, for me, this 6 month milestone marks a time where I can actually spring into action instead of just nodding.

I actually thought I would wait until Avery was a year old to take her into the gym. I didn't want her catching anything or getting hurt. You know, all of those paranoid mom thoughts were running through my over-imaginative brain.

Then, last week, as I had just gotten out of the shower and put my second outfit of the day on, only to get spit up on again (consequently leading me to my third outfit) and Emma was screaming, "Max, you are the WORST big brother ever," because he wouldn't play house with her anymore, and Max was running around acting like he was in a Pokemon episode making the noise of something I am convinced only another six year old boy would understand, I realized that I had HAD it! Mama needs some alone time to clear her head on a regular basis...

I have been going to the gym, but I have been going to the gym that is right down the street from my house because it's $10/month...but no childcare. Which means, I have to work around my husband's crazy work schedule to fit any workouts in. It's OK for occasional times when he's home and I need to get something in quick, but I need something more scheduled. I work well on schedules.

This is when it dawned on me that I should get my butt back to the gym that I used to teach Zumba at twice a week, a great gym with great childcare. WHY was I not doing this for myself?

I had some trepidation, believe me..."how will Avery do, will she cry when I leave, will they be able to pay adequate attention to her needs." OY...I really need to worry a LOT less. Turns out she was absolutely fine...she was with her brother and sister and four (yes, four) other children.

Best part, I was able to clear my head while I ran/walked a 5K in 38 minutes. Not a great time, I know, but I'll get there. I didn't collapse, so I was happy! I haven't done a full 5K since I ran an organized one in October of 2010. The Warrior Dash is in two months. I'll get there.

I plan to go to the gym on Tuesday and Thursday mornings as a regimen from here on out. And, if I can get any other workouts in during the week, that will be a bonus. As long as the kids are doing fine, I can get a one hour workout in and we are all better off because of this. I gotta tell you, I am a much more patient mommy when I can get these workouts in. :-)

This realization that I need to be a little selfish to be better all around is a small victory in my journey and I had to share!

Handmade Housewarming

2012-03-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

We have friends who unfortunately, and so sadly, lost their house to flooding in the Fall of 2011. It was the "100 year flood" here in southcentral PA and it devastated a part of my home town.

By the grace of God and some help from family and friends, they are about to move into a new house. :-) I knew that I wanted to make them something, so this is what I came up with.

I recently bought a damask stencil for my master bedroom accent wall from Royal Design Stencil. I just love it and knew that it could be perfect for this project, too.

I had a piece of wood that I bought from AC Moore a long time ago. So, I painted it white with latex paint in an eggshell finish.

Then, I mixed two Folk Art metallic acrylic paints to reach my desired color...light gray/silver. The colors are Pearl White and Metallic Gunmetal Gray.

I used a sponge brush to stipple on the paint. Next, I cut out a vinyl "W" in Iskoola Pota font and placed it in the middle. Two coats of matte finish polyurethane and it's complete.

This was really easy and I think looks very elegant. A perfect housewarming gift!

Here you can get an idea of the metallic paint...

Linking Up!

Seuss-cakes

2012-03-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ok, so in my last post I said I wasn't going to do any creative food or snack for Dr. Seuss Birthday, because of the lack of time, but I literally woke up this morning with this idea, and it was super simple!

I think they turned out awesome and the kids loved them...the pic was taken with my phone, so not the best quality, but you get the idea! :-)

Just a little food coloring and some round tupperware and we've got ourselves some Cat in the Hat pancakes! What a fun day!

Linking up!

It's Seuss-tastic!!

2012-03-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

He is my favorite author.

He is beyond brilliant.

He makes reading FUN!

He's Dr. Seuss and he deserves a proper birthday celebration!!

While I would have loved to bake some fabulous themed cupcakes or cookies, or created some witty play on words with a snack...well, I just don't have the time. Between feedings, diaper changes, baths, basketball, dance, gymnastics and taking and picking up at school, I barely have time for sleep these days. So maybe next year for a super creative Seuss Day surprise.

All of that being said, we still had to do something! I found this All About Me printable...it has pages to fill in info about "you." Your birthday, your family, your house, your favorites. So we printed 20 copies for Max's class and 14 for Emma's. And, I bought the cute Seuss pencils with erasers on Amazon.

I had Max and Emma complete theirs so they can share it at school.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

Happy Birthday to the late, great Dr. Seuss!!

Irish I Had A Drink Coasters

2012-03-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

A few years back I found a t-shirt that read, "Irish I had a beer" and bought it for a St. Patty's Day party...it remains one of my favorite t-shirts of all time. :-)

Fast forward to present day, I have these white, square tiles that I bought at Lowe's for $0.16 a piece a few weeks ago and I wanted to make some coasters for St. Patty's Day. I have a ton of scrapbook paper, and I recently bought a Silhouette with money I won in a photo contest. This is my first project using it. It takes some getting used to, but I really love it.

For the coasters, I decided on a generic "Irish I had a DRINK." I thought it best, since sometimes I like to drink wine. :-) And, if you make these as a gift, it's always best to go generic.

I made a set of four coasters. Two with designs, two without. I cut out four different squares of scrapbook paper, mod podged the back of the paper and the top of the coaster and stuck it on. Next, I put two coats of mod podge over all four coasters. Then came the fun part with the Silhouette. I found a free celtic font on dafont.com. It was just perfect!

After I adhered the vinyl, I put MANY more coats of mod podge on. I think it was about five more coats. Once the weather gets nicer, I plan to spray them with a waterproof sealer. I haven't decided whether I want to use felt on the bottom or cork. But, either works just fine. I use contact cement for that.

Linking up!

Gettin' My $$ Worth From Expensive Formula

2012-02-27T08:16:00.001-08:00

It takes a little insanity to get to sanity...did you know?? Insanity in the form of a $24 12 oz. can of Nutramigen Formula to help with colic...sanity for mommy, because the stuff actually works! We go through between 1-2 cans of the stuff per week...ouch! And, though this may be a small thing, it makes me feel good knowing that I am using these $24 cans for something useful after draining all of the powder.

We recently bought a new desk for our loft that will be the Bliss Images hub, if you will. I am still working on it, painting, organizing, etc. So, no sneak peek yet. BUT, I decided to make some pretty organizers with my formula cans and scrapbook paper.

I love 'em!

I started with my supplies...cans, modpodge, a ruler and scrapbook paper.

I measured the can from top to bottom, then flipped the paper over and drew a guideline on the back.

Then I painted mod podge on the back of the paper and to the can. Then simply placed it on.

My 12x12 paper left a bit open at the end...

No biggie...I just cut a strip and mod podged. :) It'll be facing the wall, so no need to worry too much about that side.

I made four to start out...they are holding, pens, pencils, brushes, scissors. I'll probably make more...cuz it feels like I'm stickin' it to the expensive formula makers. ;-)

Linking up!

What's A Journey Without A Few Bumps?

2012-02-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

I started off with a bang and for the days that followed, I kept it up. I was very aware of the food passing my lips. I was doing crunches and push ups with my 4 yr old (even bench pressed my five month old). I was in the zone...then BAM! Sinus infection from Hell invaded me and took over. Plus, we had friends over on Friday night and went to a party on Saturday, so let's just say I had a more wine calories then I care to mention. But, we had some fun and I am starting fresh today, feeling much better and back to calorie awareness!! Full speed ahead!

My breakfasts have been the yummy banana/granola wraps or Kashi Go Lean Crunch with blackberries. Lunches are usually turkey and cheese with mustard on whole wheat flatbread and veggies and dip (Knorrs dry vegetable soup mixed with light sour cream). Our dinners have varied. We LOVED the Tortellini and Garden Veggie Bake and tonight I made the popular Pinterest recipe, Crock Pot Chicken Tacos. Hit it out of the ball park with this one. My six year old had FOUR of them and my super picky four year old had TWO...I couldn't believe it. This recipe is the easiest I have ever made and the chicken is so juicy. If you haven't pinned it, DO IT NOW!

My goal for this week is to add this into my routine...

Ready, set, go!

The Start of the Journey Back to Me

2012-02-15T06:32:00.000-08:00

Let me explain...before I got pregnant with my third child, I made healthy eating and exercise a priority! I was a Zumba Instructor and at the height of my teaching days, I was teaching 5-7 classes a week (burning at least 700 calories per class). Bottom line, I was in shape...great shape. I loved the way I looked, I was in a size I hadn't seen since my sophomore year in high school!

Then, I got pregnant...it was most definitely an "oops." If anyone asked me if we were planning to have a third, I would say, "no, we are very happy with our family of four and I didn't work this hard to get where I am just to get pregnant and gain a ton of weight." Famous last words. Let me paint the picture for you...

It was the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve, 2010. Both of my kids had the stomach flu, so I was knee deep in throw up and something just didn't seem right with me (I have always known early that I am pregnant). The kicker? My hubby was scheduled for a vasectomy in 10 days (it's a funny story now to tell, but at the time, believe me, I was doing everything but laughing). So, that's how I found out...I peed on the stick between throw up bouts and proceeded to weep uncontrollably on the floor, then to my mom and then to my BFF. I was a hot mess.

Fast forward to present day...I have a BEAUTIFUL baby girl (5 1/2 months old) that I cannot imagine our lives without. It is like she has always been with us. I would not wish my life any other way than a family of five. I am blissfully happy...for the most part.

The fact still remains, I gained weight with this pregnancy. Even though I remained active, walked, lifted light weights, zumba classes, etc., I still put on a significant amount, and as I have heard many times before, "the third is the hardest to come off." Boy, they weren't kidding. To make matters even worse, she was born in September, so I had Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years to stuff my face with delectable goodies.

So, yesterday was Valentine's Day and it marked the day that I got back on the horse. I decided that I truly love myself and it was time I start acting that way. I am eating healthier and exercising more. I plan to check in to the blog on a regular basis to keep myself in check. I expect that I will indulge every now and then...but, I will remain on track.

I have the Warrior Dash on May 19th and I plan to be FIERCE! And then keep that fierceness into bathing suit season. YIKES! :-)

So today, my first day of blogging about this, I started out with a breakfast that I found on Pinterest (thank heavens for Pinterest, I have found so many fabulous recipes).

This is sooooo good and keeps me full til lunch.

Peanut Butter, banana, granola

And, I am planning to make this for dinner tonight.

Tortellini and garden veggie bake

Here we go! Time to get back into my jeans! :-)

St. Patty's Day Printable

2012-02-14T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a printable for St. Patrick's Day...simple. :) I finally figured out how to convert to pdf and I think I have figured out how to attach it, see below the picture.

Click here to download.

Linking up!

No Stress Tooth Fairy Basket

2012-02-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

This project came as a result of my EXTREME anxiety when it came time for me to play "Tooth Fairy." My son recently lost his first tooth, and subsequent 2nd and 3rd teeth and has about four more that are ready to go. The first time I had to go into his room while he was asleep my heart was beating so fast I thought that was the sound that would wake him up for sure. But then, I stepped on a creaky spot of the floor and stopped dead in my tracks...I almost fled the scene, but I looked over and he was fast asleep. I decided to go for it, so I crept over to the pillow, reached under, pulled out the baggy with the tooth (easier for me to find with it in a baggy) and slipped the money in. It wasn't this easy, though, he turned in bed while I was doing this and I almost had the big one! I managed to make it out, but it really shouldn't be this stressful! The last time the Tooth Fairy came, Max put his tooth on his dresser and she left the money there...a little easier on the old ticker, but I was still determined to find a better way.

And my extreme anxiety led me to this...our Tooth Fairy Basket.

When I was at the thrift store the other day, I found this basket for $0.65...it was THE perfect size for a Tooth Fairy basket.

I cut out a square of my cork and a square of scrapbook paper and used rubber cement to attach them. Then I cut out a tooth, drew a little smiley face on him and wrote "Tooth Fairy" with a sharpie. I used two coats of Mod Podge for a protective layer, then used rubber cement to attach the cork to the basket.

For the inside, to lay the tooth on, I simply put some cotton balls in a square piece of red felt and then wrapped it up and attached the ends with a glue gun. So now the kids have a little tooth pillow to put their tooth on. And, this basket, my friends, will hang on the OUTSIDE of their room door, so the Tooth Fairy can simply take the tooth and leave the money for the kids to find the next day.

And, mommy will have one less thing to stress about! :-)

Linking up!

My Awesome Vintage Find

2012-02-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

I went on a spontaneous thrifting adventure with my 5 month old last week and boy, am I glad that I did! A local antique store was having a sale, 25% off all items. I ended up finding two end tables for $4.25 a piece, that I will be refurbishing (you'll see them soon enough) and this old Ansco Color Clipper camera with case and flash for $2.50! Score!! I did some research on the internet when I got home and it looks like it's from the late 50s, early 60s. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I took pictures yesterday and I plan to print this out in a 24x30 to hang in my master bedroom re-do. The color scheme is primarily yellow, gray and white, so this will look awesome, I think!

I am also selling this in my Etsy Shop, head on over and take a look...the listing is for an 8x10, but if you are interested in another size, just message me and I can create a custom listing.

A Nod To My Little Artists

2012-02-04T14:55:00.000-08:00

With a Preschooler and a Kindergartener (who was a preschooler not too long ago), we are inundated with artwork...who's with me on this? I love that they are fostering their artistic sides, but EVERYTHING comes home! If they make two lines with a pencil on a sheet of paper, it is sent home and I look like a wicked witch if I throw anything away. Believe me, the trashcan gets a workout after hours, when the kids are nestled, all snug in their beds. BUT, there are still many, MANY pieces that I just couldn't bring myself to throw out...however, the problem of the ever-increasing pile 'o art remains.

Sooooo, I was watching the HGTV show with the Novigratz's (husband/wife design team) and they were designing a basement playroom and they printed this huge collage of the kids' artwork...yes, please! I can SO do that...and, I did! My kids even helped me sort. :-) I picked 12 pieces for each of my older kids. Avery has a while til she starts her pile. I decided I would print out one large poster-sized piece and hang it in my new office (still in progress).

Well, what do you think? I happen to love it, especially since I scaled down the pile and the kids are cool with it, because there will be a whole wall dedicated to their masterpieces. Believe me, I still have a ridiculous amount of paperwork that I will never toss, but I feel like I definitely accomplished something.

Linking up!

My First Printables

2012-02-03T17:19:00.000-08:00

I tried my hand at a Printable today...I need more practice for sure, but for my first go around, I think it's kind of cute. I'll be framing it for my Spring mantle.

I am not sure how to link a printable file here, so if anyone knows and can share with me, thank you. They are both 11x14 jpg files (one without a border, one with a border)...if you click on the file, you can save it to your computer and print it out, I think. I will figure out how to share this and future printables with you, I promise! :-)

There you have it...and for the record, BRING ON SPRING!!!

(Fast forward a few hours later... )

OK, and now I can't stop...I really need to go to bed! I just made this one for Valentines Day...

The Best of Times

2012-02-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

I went to an Uppercase Living Party a few months back and the host passed around a book of pictures, showing the way people used the vinyl. One of them jumped out at me, it was such a cool idea. A woman used clocks, stopped on her childrens' times of birth with a saying (can't remember what it was). Since then, I have been on a mission to put my spin on it, and I am happy to say, I'm finished and it turned out even better than I had imagined!!

I had three photos of my kiddos already (the photos are 8x10, matted to 11x14 frames), I needed clocks. I didn't want to spend too much on three clocks, because let's face it, I didn't even need them to work, just needed them to look nice. So, I went to Amazon first, like I always do, and found these small 8" clocks for $11.49 a piece and they were the PERFECT size!

They are plastic and don't weigh much at all, but they look good and that's all that matters.

Then, my bff has a cricut and is generous enough to let me use it from time to time til I can get one of my own, so I printed out "The Best of Times" and added it above. I wanted something simple and to the point. I was back and forth on the font selection, but I am very happy with the font we ultimately chose.

There you have it...my best of times.

Linking up!

Emma in the snow

2012-01-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

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!

2012-01-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-18T13:45:00.000-08:00

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!

2012-01-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-16T08:44:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

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...

2012-01-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

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.

Valentines - Pinterest Inspired

2012-01-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen some form of these Valentines on Pinterest, well then, you're just not paying close enough attention. I think everyone has pinned them. Just in case you haven't, I put my spin on them here.

First, the Crayon Hearts...these are SO cool and so easy to do. My kids helped me peel and break the crayons.

The link says 230 degrees for 15 minutes, mine took more like 25 minutes.

I bought a big box of crayons from Amazon, along with the silicone heart tray. Some of the crayons were metallic, which added some cool effects to some of them. Here they are...after they cooled, they literally popped right out for us.

Second, the lollipop card (I would love to give this person credit, but there is no link back on my pin). I thought they were so cute! I just took the picture and added the words in Photoshop, printed them, cut the slits and slid the lollipop through.

I bought small bags at Oriental Trading and attached them to squares of scrapbook paper (just cut two slits and tied the drawstring in the back). I also added a disclaimer "DO NOT EAT." :-)

We did these for my daughter and son's classes. Just couldn't pick a favorite, so we did both for each!

Linking up!

Wedding Lyric Subway Art

2012-01-03T10:06:00.000-08:00

Subway art is everywhere these days...here is my take on it. I needed some art for my master bedroom, which is in the process of a makeover.. I decided to design some subway art with our wedding song lyrics and the color scheme, yellow, gray and white. I made a 10x20 design and I love the way it turned out!

I was married in September of 2002 and our wedding song was "When We Dance" by Sting. It is a beautiful song, if you've never heard it, take a listen.

Linking up!

Key Lime Cake

2012-01-03T04:49:00.000-08:00

I was forwarded this recipe from my Aunt and don't know where it originated, but it is WAY too good not to share. Key Lime cake...it is a moist cake that tastes just like the pie, but if you're like me and prefer cakes over pies, this is perfection!

1 box lemon cake mix

1 1/3 c. vegetable oil

4 eggs

One 3oz. package of lime flavored gelatin mix

3/4 c. orange juice

Mix all together and pour into a 13x9 pan.

Bake according to instructions on cake box.

Frosting

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

One 8oz. package cream cheese

3 tbsp. fresh lime juice

4 c. confectioners sugar

In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese til fluffy...add the lime juice and beat together, then add the confectioners sugar and beat.

(This is A LOT of frosting...if you are a frosting lover, this will be great, but I use about 2/3 of it and that's good for me)

So so good...

Enjoy!

Linking up!

Carnival Party...six months later

2012-01-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

Taking a look back at 2011 and my blog posts made me realize that I forgot to post one very important event...my son's 6th birthday carnival party! I can't even believe it, I suppose life got in the way. Let me take you back to July, 2011...

It was a scorcher of a summer day. My son's birthday is in September mind you, but I happened to be preggers and due on September 2nd, just a mere 11 days before his actual birthday and I was not keen on preparing for and throwing a carnival party when I was about to pop. So, Max, being the easy going kid he is, agreed to throw his birthday party early for the sake of his mother. I love that kid! :-)

My BFF over at A Turtle's Life For Me threw an end of the year carnival party for her son's class and made these fabulous carnival booths and signs, which she lent to me for this party. Huge help! Though my husband still whined about all of the prep work that had to be done. OY!

She also made the cupcakes for the party...she is awesome like that. I got cute stickers on Etsy for the toppers.

I had a food table with hotdogs (I found the plastic hot dog plates for 25 cents each at Target) and some other treats with tags to match each. Popcorn ("POP it"), Rice Krispie Treats ("TREAT Yourself"), Cheese Balls ("Have a BALL") and Animal Crackers ("You're an ANIMAL").

The games were fabulous...we had Plinko, frog jump, ring toss, tic tac toe, free throw, and penny toss. The kids got tickets at each game that they could later redeem at the prize table. We also had face painting and sand art.

The prizes were my favorite part...I pretty much scoured the Dollar Tree and Target's $1 aisle every chance I got for some great deals and mark-downs. We had mini-cards, bouncy balls, bubble wands, hula hoops, pens, pencils, erasers, water guns, yo-yo's...too many to even remember. The kids loved it. They would earn their tickets and redeem them. I made favor bags for all of them with their names on them. My friend found the bags at AC Moore...I think they were 25 cents a piece, and I drew a carnival tent silhouette and an elephant silhouette in different cardstock and glued them to the bags. I think they are my favorite part. :-)

I also had all of the kids sign a frame that I painted for him.

He loved this party...we all had a great time, despite the heat. I had a ton of help from other parents and some friends and family, which I am very thankful for. Max told me that he wants a birthday party at Adventure Sports this year...I am a little disappointed that I won't be planning a party, but hey, at least I have two girls' parties to work on. Yay!

Linking up!

Best Appetizer Ever - Spinach Balls

2012-01-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

First, let me wish all of you a Happy 2012! My official resolution is to be more frugal this year..this is going to be quite a task for me, but I am hoping to get some guidance from fellow bloggers. :-)

I do not know where this recipe originated...I do know that my mom, her sisters and my cousins and I all have the coveted recipe. It is, by far, a favorite of our family. I cannot remember a Christmas Eve family gathering without these delicious spinach balls. I hope you love them as much as we do!

You will need:

2 10 oz packages of frozen spinach

2 c. flavored stuffing mix

1 large onion finely chopped

6 eggs well beaten

3/4 c. melted margarine

1/2 c. grated or shredded parmesan

3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste)

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

You will need about 3-4 hours for the mixture to chill in the fridge.

Thaw the spinach and squeeze out the excess moisture (very important). If you are like me and forget to thaw til the last minute, I have been known to just run the spinach under hot water to help the thawing along. :-)

Combine the spinach, dried stuffing, chopped onion, eggs, margarine, cheese, cayenne pepper and garlic salt. Mix well (I usually get in there with my hands to mix it together).

Chill the mixture in the fridge for about 3-4 hours before shaping.

Lightly grease your cookie sheet. Shape the mixture into balls. This recipe yields 6-8 dozen small spinach balls...I tend to make mine larger and it usually makes about 4 dozen. You can play around with the size, depending on the size of your guest list. Here they are before going in the oven...325 degrees for 15-20 min.

And, here they are after...it's making my mouth water just posting these!

Enjoy and may you have a healthy and happy new year!

Linking Up!

Super Simple Sweater Bangle

2011-12-31T08:23:00.000-08:00

The project started as something different...a rosette headband made from an old sweater shrug I never wear. Well, it turned into an epic fail! The rosettes turned out ok, but I used too much glue in spots and because the sweater is black, it shows. Boooo!

Anyway, here is the sweater shrug I used...

And, my fail...

At least she doesn't really care about the glue and will wear it proudly. :-)

BUT, I didn't let it get me down! I grabbed one of my wooden bangle bracelets and literally just cut the bottom of the sweater and wrapped it around the bracelet and glued the end. That is IT! I think it looks really cute. It couldn't get much easier.

I happen to like it plain, but I thought you could jazz it up with a flower...I bought this one a while ago and attached a pin to the back, so now it's a removable option.

Linking up!

Master Bedroom Makeover - Some Goodies

2011-12-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

I am probably doing my Master Bedroom Makeover in the reverse order most people would, but we won't be able to paint this room til February as my husband and I are both having outpatient surgeries done in January...what fun?!

So, to keep me occupied and happy, I have been busy shopping for decor! Retail therapy anyone? I call on it often...ask the hubby! But I say if it works, don't fix it, am I right? :-)

So, here are my latest finds...

The curtains, found at Kohl's online, on sale for $22 a panel...love the simple stitching. And, I almost fell over when my husband actually said (out loud) that he liked them! He never sees my vision in the process, but he likes my stuff when it's complete...thank goodness.

And, my light yellow blanket found at Amazon for $24.99 for the foot of the bed. I think it will look nice paired with the decorative pillow I made for the head.

And I can't wait to start working on the project I have in mind for these babies I picked up at Kohls for $7 a piece...

I'm off to do more shopping...have a wonderful weekend!

New Year, New Look

2011-12-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

A BIG thank you to Designer Blogs for the cool new look for my blog! This just feels more like ME...it's fun and colorful, which is just what this blog needed, I think.

With 2012 fast approaching, I want to wish you all a safe, healthy and happy new year! I will be focusing on the "healthy" aspect for sure. Less hospital visits in 2012 we hope!

For the record, my resolution is to be more frugal...this pleases my husband immensely. Hoping the blogging world will be a key resource in helping me achieve my goal.

I'm off to start my "to do" list...

Master Bedroom Makeover - Decorative Pillow

2011-12-28T13:10:00.000-08:00

My winter project is underway...I have thus far ordered a damask wall stencil, a white down comforter, a yellow throw, two gray throw pillow covers, three very cool silver frames, curtains and the materials for this little number I made today. Don't worry, I will share the other stuff as it comes in. :-)

Update (12/30)...here is a look at some of the goodies.

For now, my cute throw pillow which will accent my pretty, clean, white bedding. I bought a small pillow on Amazon for $13 and a ton of yellow ribbon for $8.

I started by stitching the ribbon to the middle of the pillow (I am not a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination, as you will read further on in this post, so don't be scared if you aren't either!).

And this is where I put away the needle and thread and manned my glue gun! I just twisted and glued, twisted and glued...it's as simple as that.

And when I was finished with the flower, I decided I would like to add a stripe, don't worry, I glued this too! If this pillow wasn't strictly decorative, I would think about stitching it, but it will go from the bed to the bench and back again, day after day after day. No worries on whether it will hold up or not.

I really love the way it turned out and all in all, it took me about an hour to complete. Luckily my older kids were at the movies and my 4 month old was napping. Sweet alone time...just me and my glue gun. :-)

Oh and here is one of the 10x10 initial pictures I made and put into the frames. I think they turned out pretty cool...simple and clean.

Linking up here.

Master Bedroom Makeover - A Retreat in the Making...

2011-12-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

I have decided that my winter project will be our Master Bedroom! This will be a slow process...I will have to do small projects here and there, interspersed throughout hubby's crazy work schedule, school, gymnastics, dance, basketball and diaper changes and feedings! BUT, I will work diligently to complete this project by springtime (and will chronicle my progress here).

I can do this...I CAN do this! :-)

I love change, too much so if you ask my hubby. It's been close to six years now that we have had the same colors, decor, configuration in this bedroom and I am decidedly getting bored.

Sage green walls...HAD to have them. While I do like the bedding, it won't go with my new color scheme, so I will be storing it...because I just might get bored again. The furniture is very traditional and if I had unlimited funds, I would definitely be upgrading, but alas, it needs to stay. No worries, I can work with it!

This wall will be the future accent wall...in a shade of yellow, with a gray damask stencil overlay. The other walls will all be a shade of gray. Bright white trim and crown molding will finish it off.

The color inspiration...

The bedding will be simple, probably a white down comforter with fun accent pillows and I hope to find a yellow throw for the foot of the bed.

Bathroom on the left, closet on the right...the bathroom will be getting a MUCH needed makeover, too!

I started on some of my accessories, including this wall art. These were made from digital scrapbook paper and Photoshop. Our initials...I have the perfect frames for them, too!

And, I ordered this adorable piece from Etsy, except I ordered a gray background, white tree and yellow birds. I just love it. :-)

I am going to be tracking the progress of the room as I move forward...I hope you enjoy reading it.

Linking here.

Handprint Christmas Tree

2011-12-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

This year I wanted to make a keepsake gift for the grandparents, because we welcomed our third (and, final) child into the world in September. I don't know if I should admit this, but we gave the handprint ornaments a try (the ones that have been pinned like crazy). Well, they didn't turn out...Max's (my 6 yr old) turned out too big and Avery's (the baby) dried out because she took a LONG nap before I was able to get her handprint. Oh well...moving on. I decided that the kids' hands would make a perfect tree, so we gave it a try.

A while back I purchased a bundle of 8x10 canvas panels on Amazon and they were perfect for this project. I got my acrylic paints out, two shades of green, some brown for the stump, red for the ornaments and yellow for the star and that's it!!

I painted each kid's hand and pressed it on the canvas. Max first, the biggest at the bottom, then Emma (a different green) in the middle overlapping Max's slightly, and finally Avery's little hand (this was tough with a 3-month old) at the top.

I think they turned out really cute!

Linking here.

Important Date Art

2011-12-14T05:06:00.000-08:00

I pinned this idea on Pinterest a while ago. Important dates in your life, made into a cool, contemporary art piece. Your birth dates first, then your anniversary highlighted, and finally your kids' birthdays. Love it!

I thought it could make a cool grandparent gift...with just a few more dates. :-) And I made this one a color scheme instead of highlighting just one date. My parents birthdays first, their anniversary, mine and my brother's birthdays, and the grandkids' birthdays.

And, here is one with some scrapbook digital paper as a background...I made this for a friend's birthday.

So simple, but I think they will have a huge impact as a 16x20 piece of art!! And quite a conversation piece, which you gotta love, right? :-)

Linking here.

Who's the tackiest of them all?

2011-12-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

We have waited all year for this night! The night of the 2nd Annual Tacky Sweater Party...and let me say that this year we stepped it up as hosts and more importantly our guests got crazy with the tacky!!

First, the preparations...I love this stuff!

We had an 8 ft. table that was for drinks only...seriously.

These are some of my appetizers...did I mention, I LOVE Pinterest?!

Doughnut reindeer...chocolate doughnuts, red peanut M&Ms, sprinkles and pretzels. :-)

Club crackers with parmesan cheese, wrapped in bacon...yummy!

My cute mini sausage wreath...sausages, crescent rolls and a red pepper bow!

Here are my ReinBEER hanging in the fridge getting ready for the big party...

And at the party...they were a hit and so festive!

This year, all of our guests voted for their favorite sweater.

And the lucky winner won a MAJOR AWARD!

And now for the fun part...check these lovelies out.

Third place goes to the upside down snowman...

Second place for this beauty...check out the rear. :-)

And, drumroll please....the winner is...

It not only had lights, but it had music (to which the owner danced a little elf jig) and the green pants and the tight turtleneck...man, it was great! And, the finishing touch...

I think it was well-deserved! :-) We had such a wonderful time with great friends and family. And, man did we get AWESOME!!

Now, I must go start planning the 3rd Annual...there are only 12 more months! Oh my!

Linking up here.

Beautiful day for some pictures!

2011-12-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

The weather here in the northeast was downright gorgeous for December...and lucky me, I had a photo shoot scheduled. What's more? The kids are unbelievably adorable!

I mean, come ON! Look at these eyes...

And what a handsome young man he is...

And what a lucky photographer I am!

Holiday Teacher's Gift

2011-11-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

I have seen this "play on words" before and loved it. It's just perfect for the kids' teachers this year for holiday gifts. So, here it is...all for under $20!

I included:

an eco-friendly travel mug from Amazon.com for $7
a $10 Dunkin' Donuts gift card
the homemade salt scrub I made
a bottle of bath gel I found at Kohls (12-pk for $6)
a "Good Work" stamp and pad from Target for $1

I had the basket, so that was free...

And finished it off with a card, "Thanks a Latte!" Cute little basket to say thanks to the teachers for all that they do for our most precious of gifts. :)

Linking up here!

Frosted Candles

2011-11-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

I decided to take the frosted centerpiece I made and expand it. I went to the Dollar Store and bought these glass candle holders for $1 a piece (go figure ;) ). I bought a pack of 8 Apple Cinnamon votive candles for $1 as well, so this project cost me approx $1.15 each.

I did the same thing I did for the centerpiece...wrapped each with rubberbands.

Spray painted them with frosted spray paint and removed the rubber bands!

I paired one with my homemade bath scrub for a Christmas gift under $5 total! Love them!

Linking up here!

Maddie

2011-10-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Megin

2011-10-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Fall Family of Five

2011-10-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

$2 Frosted Centerpiece

2011-10-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

I bought this "goblet" at the thrift store for $1.75 a while ago, and have used it for many things since then. Recently, I spotted and pinned these candles made with yarn and frosted spray paint and LOVED the way they looked. I thought rubber bands would work, too. With Christmas coming, I was looking for ideas for a table centerpiece and this seemed a good starting point.

So, I grabbed the goblet and added the rubber bands.

Next, I gave it two coats of frosted spray paint. I used Rustoleum Frosted Glass Spray Paint. I got it a while ago at the local hardware store, but I did find it at Amazon...Frosted Glass Spray Paint. Only had to wait about two minutes between coats...

Ten minutes later it was dry! I removed the rubber bands and voila! You will want to use a sealer for this to make it water resistant...I found this one on Amazon from Krylon, or this one. It's a spray and I have not used it, so I can't comment on the quality. Or you could use polyurethane and brush it on very carefully. I'll be honest, I take a feather duster to this for cleaning or I wipe it down with a dry towel, but if you will be washing it, then definitely seal it!

Isn't it gorgeous?! I love it so much, and for under two bucks! :) It looks awesome with a candle flickering inside. This picture doesn't do it justice...

I will probably add some winter greens to the base and use it as a centerpiece for the holidays.

Linking up here.

Homemade Christmas

2011-10-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to try homemade salt scrubs...and, I thought this, the year we welcomed our third child into the world, would be the year to give it a try. You see, Santa will be tightening the purse strings with three sets of gifts, so it's time to get frugal. I found so many different recipes for these scrubs, but I settled on this one. And I'll be honest, I don't measure, I go by consistency. I like mine more salty (exfoliating) than oily, so I go easy on the oil, heavy on the salt, but you could obviously reverse it if you'd prefer.

I bought the jars online, and found these cute Merry Christmas labels here, she has so many cute things! I added a label for ingredients, a cute ribbon and done!!

Ingredients:

Epsom Salt

Dead Sea Salt

Sweet Almond Oil

Essential Oil (I use 4-5 drops for 4 oz. jar)

Easy! These make great gifts for teachers, hairstylists, babysitters, neighbors, etc.

Linking up here

I'm a BUSY Mom of Three!!

2011-10-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

As I write this post, I have my newest baby doll, Avery on my lap, my middle child is in the bathtub and my oldest is rummaging in the kitchen for a snack! Life with three is quite different and there is NEVER a dull moment!

Avery Ryan was born on September 2nd and it's been a crazy roller coaster ride ever since. Now, at the 7-week mark I am starting to feel like some normalcy is coming back. I am hoping to get back to blogging soon...I miss it. In the meantime, enjoy some cuteness...

FUN With Bleach!

2011-08-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

I saw these cute shirts here a few weeks ago and it's been on my
"To Do" list to try my hand at it. Well, I finally got around to crossing it off of my list!

I decided I would try it out with a maternity tank (I'll be having my baby girl in about two weeks, so I thought, if I screw this up, no big loss). I have always loved the tanks that say, "Rock the Bump," but never wanted to pay the ridiculous price for one. So, that was my inspiration.

I bought a Clorox Bleach Pen and got started. I put wax paper between the front and back of the shirt to protect it from the bleach running through. I also put some newspaper down to protect the table, because I wanted to be EXTRA safe! Then, I just used the pen to draw on the shirt.

I let the shirt sit for maybe 10 minutes or so, then rinsed the bleach off with cold water...

Then I washed and dried it like I normally would and voila...my homemade "Rock the Bump" shirt! :) Pretty good for my first attempt, I think!

I realize that this is backwards, my apologies, but I didn't have anyone to take a pic of me, so I had to resort to a mirror shot...but, you get the idea, I'm sure!

Linking up here!

From Trash to "Peace"ful Treasure

2011-07-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

This trash can was on its last leg...and wasn't all that sturdy to begin with. I was going to throw it away, just to get some of the clutter out of my garage...thank heavens my bff talked some sense into me and told me to find a way to reuse it. I happened to find two (see the post below)! Go me!

This project was for my little girls' room. I used two sides of the trash can...

Patched up those holes and then painted with two coats of green. Then I used a large dinner plate and one of my kids' plates to draw the outer and inner circle of the Peace sign. I painted them and added the "a" and the "e" free hand, along with the dots. A little distressing and a coat of polyurethane later, and we've got initials for above their beds! Totally and completely FREE!

FYI...we still need to get the bed frame on the bed on the left, which is why it's lower. :)

Linking up here!

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall...

2011-07-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

OK, so I used "Autumn" instead, but I love that song, just the same! :)

I bought this old tool box at a local thrift/antique store for $4!!

I saw another one, the same size for much more money, the only difference was that it was painted red...so I did the only logical thing and bought the $4 one and painted myself...Done!

My idea for this was to use it as decoration/a place to stash the bills (the piled up paperwork in our kitchen drives us, my hubby in particular, NUTS). So, I thought of a cute idea that would allow me to change it up season by season.

I had this old trashcan that I was going to just toss, until my bff told me I was crazy and should use it for other things. Thank goodness for her voice of reason. I think it was just one of those days I was tired of looking at the clutter in the garage. Anyway, I kept it...so glad I did, because I not only used it for this project, but another one, too. :)

I used that top piece (all four as a matter of fact)...four pieces, four seasons...getting it yet?

I primed all of them.

Then gave each one a unique color and painted the seasons on them, freehand. Yes, they would have looked much nicer with some vinyl, but I didn't want to bug my friend yet again to use her cricut. Gotta get me one of those! I do kind of like them, though. I weathered them by scratching them up with some sandpaper and then gave them a coat of polyurethane.

I thought they needed something else...can anyone guess?? Aaah, yes, rosettes, of course!

I managed to find some fabric sround the house for Winter, Summer and Autumn, but I am going to have to go out to get something for Spring. That trashcan was so cheap and flimsy, so the pieces are nice and lightweight. All I have to use is some sticky tac and they stay on the box quite nicely. I can change them out and change what I put in the box each season. Love it...and for $4! Oh my! :)

Linking to these awesome sites!

Bye-bye plain white onesie!!

2011-07-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hellooooo stylish baby!

My inspiration for this came from Jessa Jill, she created one with cute little poppies and I just thought it was precious!

I started with a plain white tank onesie (size Newborn). I didn't think I needed to take a pic of the before...it's a plain white onesie, we have all seen these. :) I am expecting a baby girl 8 weeks from today and I was looking through all of the plain onesies I had and was just sort of bored with them all. So, I decided to start with one and see what I could do...I love it so much, you can bet I will be doing more! And, I may make some for my etsy shop, too.

I taught Zumba for about a year and over that year collected WAY too many expensive outfits. I had one shirt in particular that was perfect for this project. It's hot pink with black and white letters and I just never liked the fit of it. We are naming the baby Avery...Zumba has an "A" the wheels were spinning! So, I basically just cut the "A" out of the shirt, used a little bit of hot glue to hold it in place on the onesie and then stitched around it.

For the flower, I used the same shirt, cut out circles in different sizes, cut small lines around each flower to give it movement, then added a black button and stitched it to the onesie using hot pink thread that I had. I am just loving it and I am planning to bring her home from the hospital in it. I think I need some cute bottoms and a headband to complete the ensemble, so stay tuned for the whole outfit!

So, if you have a "Z"oey, "U"rsala, "M"adison, or "B"rooke, let me know if you'd like one! :)

Linking Up Here!

RETIREment Gift

2011-07-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

My mom recently retired! Whoop whoop for my mama! SO stinking happy for her. My parents had a 4th of July picnic on Monday and my dad asked the family to bring something for her, something handmade, written, creative. She is a retired English Professor, so these types of sentiments are the perfect way to say, "Congrats!"

I decided to make a sign for her new "Woman Cave." A place where she keeps her most treasured items and where she can be uber-creative.

I started out with an old sign I had that I wasn't "feeling" anymore. I painted two coats of a tan color latex paint, then I painted on the words free-hand. I distressed it and polyurethaned and then added the cute, feminine rosette at the bottom...made from an old pillow sham of mine. So, the entire project was free! But, as we all know, it's the thought that counts, and I put much thought and love into this. She deserves to Relax, Entertain, Travel, Indulge, Read and Enjoy! :)

Can I get your vote...PLEASE???

2011-07-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

I am entering a photo contest over at Shutter Speed...the theme is playful, this is a photo I took about a year ago and you don't get much more playful than these two! The contest runs through the month of July and I have a chance to win a hanging baby cocoon...just thinking of all of the super cute photos of Avery I could take with a cocoon!

So, please take a moment to visit Shutter Speed and vote for my photo below! My photo will have a number, just leave a comment with that number it will be counted. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! :)

Fabric Bangles

2011-07-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

My inspiration for these bracelets came from Once Upon A Craft Time's seersucker bracelets. I thought they were simply adorable! I didn't have any seersucker laying around, but I did have some bandanas and some green gingham. I ordered the wooden bracelets from DIY Bangles and for the first two, simply wrapped them in the fabric and used hot glue to reinforce and then added cute rosettes! I think they are adorable and I would be wearing them, if my hands and wrists weren't so swollen and large from pregnancy. :) Two months to go...

Anyhoo...here they are!

I thought I would try something a little different for another bangle, so I cut strips of a blue bandana and then wrapped them and tied them around the whole bangle...reinforced with hot glue of course!

There you have it! Can't wait to order more and get some other cute fabrics to try! These make great gifts. And, I recently started an Etsy Shop for my business, Bliss Images. I will be selling these, along with portraits and in the near future, I hope to add frames as well. Please come check it out...Bliss Images - Etsy Shop.

Happy 4th of July to you all! And, God Bless America! :)

Linking up!

Cool or Weird?? Either way, it's free art!

2011-06-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

Art is subjective, we all know this...so, this piece of art will be no different. Some of you will look at it and say, "WTH?" And, I am hoping there will be others that will say something along the lines of, "Nice abstract...it's colorful and funky."

Today, I decided I was an artist. This piece was hanging in my great room for years...formerly known as this, my $7.99 purchase from KMart.

It was OK, but I was over it. We recently painted the whole great room and I used it as a chance to do some things differently. So, since this was only $7.99 to start, I decided I would go all "creative" on this! I first painted the inner part with two coats of white. Then it sat in my garage for about two months...until today!

I started by just throwing on some paint willy-nilly...I am not going to lie to you, I had absolutely NO idea where I was going with this!

I didn't like the direction this was going, so I resorted to something that I saw on the HGTV show Color Splash...have you seen it, with that cutie pie David Bromstad? Just love his design and he's such a talented artist. Anyway, I have seen him paint and then use a spray bottle many times on the show. I don't know exactly what's in the bottle, but I decided my liquid of choice would be good old H2O. I figured I couldn't get into too much trouble with that. :) So, I got started, painted and sprayed, painted and sprayed...

Until I had something...I think it resembles a woman. Can you see it?

Now, to convince my husband that we should hang this in our great room! Like I said...subjective. :)

A Spa Birthday Party

2011-06-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

While this isn't a new idea, I do think that I added a little somethin'-somethin' to my daughter's 4th birthday spa party. I started planning this in February and I think I may have been a little over-anxious for it...I am happy to say, the party met all of my high expectations and my little diva and her friends had an excellent time!

First, the invitations, you can see them here.. I got the idea a while back from another blog...cute sleep masks. I added my own little poem and sent them out a month in advance.

For months, I have been frequenting the Dollar Tree and Target to see what kind of goodies I could add to the "Spa Shop" for the girlies to pick from. I found the bags/purses there around Easter time, aren't they cute? I added little tags with the girls' names on them, so there would be no fighting over color.

Most of the items were super cheap, I found the lip glosses, nail polishes and silly bands for 25 cents a piece, the lotions and pedicure kits were $1 each, the loofahs were 50 cents each. The biggest splurge were the lollipop soaps that I found on Etsy. I think they were about $1.50 each, but they were too stinkin' cute to pass by. I got mini emry boards and picture frame magnet kits at oriental trading. You'll see later that the frames will serve a purpose.

We covered our garage with plastic table cloths, so you couldn't see the unsightly tools and other crap that lurks in garages. I added duct tape to the ends by just folding it over and then my husband hung each one from the dry walled ceiling with thumb tacks. Really rather easy and it looked so much better!

I put the food in there, along with the "Spa Shop" and the "Decorate Your Cup" station. I bought travel cups at the Dollar Tree and each girl decorated her own cup, then filled it up with a beverage to take to the spa to enjoy while they got their manis and pedis. :)

Oh, and my awesome friend, Natalie over at A Turtle's Life For Me bought those cute sign frames at IKEA for $1...I added the rosettes and just stuck them on with sticky tac for the party to fancy them up. She's uber talented...go check her out. She made the delicious chocolate cupcakes with raspberry buttercream icing for the party...YUMMY!

Once the girls were done with their cups and had a little something to eat, it was time to enter the spa...aka my former dining room. :) We took a group of five, then a group of four. They first picked their colors and then soaked their feet in a salt bath, got some lotion, then onto the painting. Thank heavens for other mothers there to help with that...this party was only two hours long.

After their fingers and toes were done, they went to dry them in the living room, where we showed "Never Say Never" the Justin Beiber Documentary! SWOON! :)

Time for a little makeup...

And each girl got a headband that I bought at the dollar store, five for $1...and I added little rosettes to them.

When the girls were all fabulous, I took them back out to the garage where we had a mini photo shoot...I took my portable studio out there and had all the girls pose together. I will be using this as a "Thank You" card.

And each girl posed with Emma, and then by herself. I'll be sending the individuals along with the thank you picture. They can put one of these in the frames they made (part of the Spa Shop from earlier).

And, that about wrapped it up...she opened gifts, they ate their cupcakes and with that my little baby turned four! What a fun party...and super fun to plan, too.

Oh, one last thing. I bought this frame at Christmas Tree Shops and repainted it, added the number "4" and had the girls sign it. I plan to put a picture from the party in it and hang it in her room.

Blogger "Follow" Frustration!!

2011-06-10T05:28:00.000-07:00

Having a problem following awesome blogs?? ME TOO! I recently found out from a friend that there is another way that you can follow blogs and here it is...

Even if you can't click on the sidebar to follow me, you can still be my friend and see all the upcoming posts! Just click on the "Follow" button at the top left of my screen on the navigation bar! Up by that Google search box.

You know... way up there at the top left where nobody ever looks!

Yep, just click up there and then we can be friends!

Great, right??? But, here's the kicker...I can't see the "Follow" button up there! If anyone out there is having the same issue or knows how to remedy it, I would love to know. There are some way cool blogs that I am dying to follow!

But, my friend tells me that she can, in fact, see the follow button when she clicks on my blog. So, if you are so inclined (and, I would love it if you are), please click the follow button and let's be friends! :)

Getting Ready for the PARTY!

2011-06-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

Emma's 4th birthday party is this SATURDAY! I can't wait...like, seriously, can't WAIT! I have been planning this shindig since February...February. Yes, I have acknowledged the problem. :)

Anyway, I will be busy this week with finishing touches and there will be all kinds of pics by early next week to share. It's a SPA Birthday Party, complete with manis, pedis and makeup for nine little divas. Did I mention I am just a little excited?

Here are the sleep mask invitations (these were inspired by other spa party invitations - I did come up with the poem)...

Flip Flop Dress-Up

2011-06-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

Once I saw someone in a pair of flip flops like this, I knew I HAD to give it a try myself! If you have seen previous blog entries of mine, you know that I LOVE the rosettes. And, what a cute way to dress up a pair of run-of-the-mill plastic flip flops! I have three pair on the way from Old Navy, that I got for $2.50 a pair, so when I get those and pick the right fabric, I will have some of my own to show off, but for now, I made a pair for my little fashionista. We got these at Target today for $2...

Bring on some cuteness! I used a shirt that I was getting rid of, in turquoise and made my rosettes. I used a hot glue gun to adhere them to the flip flop, then I cut strips of the t-shirt and glued (fabric to fabric) underneath to reinforce them.

While I think they are cute as a button just like this, I decided to rummage through my fashion jewelry and I found an old rhinestone bracelet that I never wear. I took it apart and added some bling to the middle. Aren't they just so darn cute??

She digs 'em! :-)

Papasan Makeover

2011-05-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

As I have said before, I am expecting a baby girl in just about three months and have two kiddos already, Max and Emma. Emma will be sharing a room with her new sister and we have been working our tushies off getting the rooms ready. I found this kids' papasan chair at a yard sale for $12! I thought it was the cutest little thing and when Emma sat in it, it fit like a glove! :-) SOLD!

I knew for sure that there would be a makeover in this baby's future...just wasn't sure WHO would be doing it. I am NOT a seamstress, I would love to learn, but I have no time at the moment to teach myself. I thought I would ask a friend or a family member to sew a new cover, but alas, my patience (or lack thereof) got the best of me and I just couldn't wait!

I bought some cool fabric from fabric.com and spray painted the base of the chair black. When the fabric came in and the girls' room was painted and ready for it, I took matters into my own hands. I used the "no-sew" hem material, you know the kind you place between two pieces of fabric and iron on. I admit, I wasn't sure how or if this would even work. But, I am elated to report that it worked fantastically. The package said it should last through multiple washes, so I am crossing my fingers that it can stand up to a 30 lb. princess and her baby sister. At least for a few years!

Here is the finished product...cute, huh? :-)

I laid the cushion on the fabric and cut around it, leaving a LOT of extra material (I can always cut off the excess later). Then I placed the outer sides of the fabric (the ones you see) together and pinned where I wanted to iron. I ironed the two pieces together, careful to leave a hole big enough to stuff the cushion in, turned the fabric right side out, put the cushion in and ironed the hem the rest of the way. Obviously, where I had to iron after placing the cushion in isn't as pretty as the rest, but you really can't tell with this papasan chair and the busy pattern of the fabric (I just sort of tucked the excess under.)

Linking here!

You can't beat FREE!

2011-05-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

This piece of wood has been hanging out in my garage for longer than I can remember. I have always wanted to do SOMETHING with it.

After taking down the Easter stuff on my mantel, I looked at the bare space and decided I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do with it! So, I grabbed the old piece of neglected wood and gave it a really good sanding. Then I painted it with a white wash, because I loved the old, weathered look of it and couldn't bear to give it a "new" look. Then, my bff let me borrow her cricut (cuz she's awesome like that). I cut out letters to spell BLISS, which is the name of my photography business and also the feeling I get as a mother of two wonderful kiddos, with one on the way. Awesome double meaning...it was too good. :-)

I used the contact paper from the cricut as a stencil and painted the letters in black.

I have extremely high ceilings in my great room, so this works well to add height in the room. Another way I can use this is to add my babies pictures, since they truly give me BLISS!

All of this for nothing at all! Love it! :-)

Linking up!

Meet Mrs. Jackson...

2011-05-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Michael Jackson...or so she calls herself! I have the priviledge of knowing this little beauty, as she lives a few doors down from me. And, as a sidenote, I have also kicked her little tushy at the Michael Jackson Experience on the Wii. :-) I, too, am a huge MJ fan!

She recently went to see a MJ tribute concert and got all dressed up to go. Her mom posted pictures on FB and instantly my mind started racing with ideas. She has been asking me to take pics of her and I am always happy to practice. This was just too good to pass up!

So, I asked her to wear her finest MJ tribute outfit and we headed to the train station...I was going for a grungy, urban feel. I think we accompished it...

I asked her to toss her hat, after I snapped the pic she sprinted over and picked up the sacred hat, brushed it off and said, "I don't want it to be dirty for my party." Oops. :-) Note her right hand...love it.

I love this silhouette shot.

Another of my faves...the hat, the glasses, the scarf. I can't get enough! :-)

She struck this classic MJ pose more times than I could count in the hour. Impressive, to say the least!

SHE'S BAD!!

My New Backdrop and Floordrop...LOVE

2011-05-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have fallen in love (and perhaps started an infatuation) with the vintage look in photographs. I have always been very drawn to old photos and with my recent purchase of Photoshop CS5, I have been playing around with creating different vintage looks in post-processing. I bought the backdrop and floordop below for photo sessions (I must admit, I had my little Avery's upcoming newborn picks in mind when I purchased). It is very vintage and will allow me to play even more with my new obsession. I got these yesterday in the mail and couldn't wait to try them out...so, I begged my model to pose for a few pics and she did (without putting up TOO much of a fight).

Can't Beat A Quarter

2011-05-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

This was originally 50 cents, but I happened upon a 50% off sale at the Gift and Thrift last week, as they are redesigning the store. Half off sales are awesome, even if the item only started out at 50 cents! :-) I have seen these other places and just think they look so nice, so when I saw this, I had to have it. Apparently, it was a wedding gift for some happy couple (well, at least they were happy once), because there are two names and a date in the middle. Ah well...time to scratch it up and give it a new life. I used sand paper to rough it up a bit...

Applied three coats of chalkboard paint and there you have it! Easy peasy! :-)

A Bit Thrift...A Tad Splurge

2011-05-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Goodwill had these lamp bases for $1 each. Too good to pass up. I have had them for months now, trying to figure out what to do with them. I finished my son's new nightstand and thought that one of these babies would look nice on top. Here's what the thrift find looked like...

First, I gave it two coats of a chocolate brown paint. Then, I applied two coats of white. A little bit of sanding gave me the look that I was going for.

Once the $1 base was done, I was on the hunt for a shade. Of course, I didn't want to spend a lot. I looked and looked and looked some more, but just couldn't find anything that I liked. Then, I ran into KMart one day for something else, and decided to peruse the lamp shade aisle. This was the last shade of its kind there. My son actually pointed it out, probably because it's blue, and anything blue is undoubtedly cool. It was $14.99, much more than I wanted to spend, but I decided that paired with the $1 base, it was still less than I would have spent on a new lamp, so I did it...I splurged. I really do like the way that it looks.

Linking up HERE!!

Rocking Revival!!

2011-05-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

So, I was dropping off something to a friend last Friday and as I was driving back out through her development, I happened upon a yard sale. Actually, it turns out the big neighborhood yard sale was on Saturday, and these people were being proactive and getting ready the day before. SCORE! I get there before the big crowd. Although they had a TON of stuff, I left there with this large woven basket for $2, that I plan to use for newborn sessions...

And, this child's rocking chair for $3...

Oh, yes, this rocker needed some TLC. Still had some stickers on it...

After a good sanding, I gave it a coat of latex primer.

Then, two coats of pink satin latex paint and I knew that this would be a perfect prop for the right little lady. Can't wait to sit a beautiful little girl in this chair. Love it!

Linking to these parties!

Feminizing Frames

2011-05-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

First, I really hope that's how you spell feminizing (?). :-) I bought these frames at Christmas Tree Shops for $2!! YeeHA! Wanted some plain white frames for my daughter (soon to be daughters) new room. She already had a green gingham lamp shade, and I spotted a green gingham table cloth at CTS for $1, so I snatched that bad boy up, too! Rosette time, baby!

What started very simple and plain, turned out very feminine and interesting. My plan is to have one frame for my four year old daughter and one for my daughter-to-be. Once she gets here and I can snap millions of pictures of her, she will grace one of these lovelies, too. Two $3 frames that will look adorable in the new shared room (ahem, when it's complete).

Linking to these great PARTIES!

Blue, Blue Nightstand

2011-04-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

I have been away from the blog for a few weeks...things have been crazy around here! One great piece of news we received was that we are having a GIRL in September! :-) This is wonderful, but also stressful, as this means the most work for us to prepare, including switching out the kids' rooms, as my son now has the largest room and my daughter, the smallest. Being that the girls will be sharing, we need to give them the bigger room. So, let the painting begin!!

A little project that I will be adding to my son's new room is this nightstand. I bought it off of Craig's List for $15...pretty standard wood with brass pulls.

I, with the "help" of my five year old son, have decided on a color scheme of three blue walls and one tan wall in his new room. His bed and nightstand will go on the tan wall, so I thought that I would paint the nightstand in the blue color.

I used one coat of primer and two coats of blue. Then, spray painted the drawer pulls with a dark brown paint. I decided I wanted to dress it up a little more, so I created a grid with the painters tape (I love Froggers tape, btw). Then, I used a tan paint and watered it down for a wash and painted the diamond pattern.

Once I removed the tape, I lightly sanded the top...basically just because I liked the way it looked. :-) Then, two coats of satin polyurethane and voila! A cute, $15 nightstand for my son's new room. I promise to put a better picture of the finished product up on here when I get it into the new room, but for now, here it is!

Linking up to these great parties.

25 Cents Girls' Party Favors

2011-04-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

I know some of you are thinking, "enough with the (bleep) rosettes already!" :-) But, I gotta say that it is becoming a stress reliever of sorts for me....glueing and wrapping and glueing and wrapping. No deep thought involved, just me and my fabric.

Anyway, these babies are going to be favors for my daughter's upcoming spa birthday party. We are doing manis, pedis and I will be doing a little bit of makeup for each girl at my daughter's vanity. My thought was that these headbands could be their finishing touch, once their makeup and nails are done.

I started with some shirts that I have decided to never wear again and cut them into strips. I bought the headbands at the Dollar Tree, four for $1, hence 25 cents a piece! Love it! I just rolled my rosettes from there and hot glued them to the headband. I think they are sweet and I hope the girls like them. I think they will look adorable!

The shirts...

I made 12 headbands, three of each color. I plan to just grab one and put it on each girl, so there is no fighting (beforehand anyway) over who gets which color.

So there you have it, cute huh?? I actually really like the way the colorful pictures turned out too, so I may use them as framed art in my daughter's room...just a thought.

Linking up to these parties!

$7 Easy Frame Re-do

2011-04-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

I bought this frame at Christmas Tree Shops, because I loved the look of the old barn wood and the texture. What I didn't love was the flower painting. The frame was $6.99, so I decided I would buy it and give it a facelift. This was really simple...

I painted it a coat of white latex paint. Then, I went over it ever so gently with the blue paint that I have on the walls in our kitchen and some of the great room. I didn't want to cover it with the blue, just bring out the texture. I think it looks like old beach cottage planks. Then, I recently got some burlap and wanted to try some rosettes with the fabric (I must say, burlap isn't as easy to manipulate as some other fabrics I have used). I liked the way they turned out, so I popped them on the frame at the bottom. I had a picture of my son walking the beach, so I added that...waiting on another photo to come in the mail that I think I'll like better, but for the purpose of the blog, this works.

I have recently painted the wall up the stairs and this is a work in progress, taking my time with it. But, this is what it looks like at the moment. :-)

Linking up to these fabulous parties

Project 52 - Week of 3/28/11

2011-04-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

My favorite pic of the week was taken on Sunday afternoon, 4/3/11. This is my maple tree blooming, a sure sign of Spring, which makes me HAPPY!

I took a few of these, but had to pick one for project 52. I am thinking I will print three of these, frame them and hang them above our bed as referenced in my most recent post.

My Pretty Little Pillow

2011-04-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Continuing with my rosette obsession, I had a cute plaid decorative pillow that came with my bedding. I also had two red pillow shams that I was no longer using...idea! The red matched the bedding perfectly. I had seen these cute pillows around and thought, "I could totally do that!" So, here it is...my cute pillow that was boring and so-so, transformed into a pretty little pillow that's so ME! :-)

First, the old pillow case. It pulled apart so easily for the frayed (sp?) look I was going for.

I still have SO much left of this one pillow sham (and I have another). Planning to dress up the lamp shades in the room, too. And, here is the pillow all dolled up...I stitched the rosettes together, then stitched the top one to the pillow and hot glued them all to the pillow as well. It's strictly for decoration, so I think it will hold up fine.

On another note, I am thinking of new decor above the bed that incorporates my Project 52 for the week...off to post that now. Have a great day!

Linking to these great parties

Somebody got an Early Birthday Gift!!

2011-04-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

My parents came over for a visit on Friday evening and I casually mentioned that I was on the lookout for a cloche...OK, maybe it wasn't so casual as it was deliberate and desperate. :-P I have been seeing these cloches ALL OVER the blogging world and I NEEDED one! I was actually just throwing it out there to my mom in case she happened upon one.

Well, don't you know it, she found one the next day and today, after our weekly Zumba date (yet another of my obsessions) she gave me an early birthday present!

Ain't she purty?

Moms are the best! And, I have a pretty spectacular one! :-)

Happy Sunday all!

Easter Decor for 75 Cents!!

2011-04-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

I am telling you, I got my money's worth out of this spanish moss! I used it for three different recent projects. I love it!

I bought the jars at the thrift store for 25 cents a piece...I just adore these jars and I can use them for all sorts of things. For now...they are Easter decor. The spanish moss I had, as I stated previously. And, the eggs I bought years ago at Lillian Vernon. I think this is simple, yet adorable for the holiday.

Rosettes! My New Obsession!!

2011-03-31T11:08:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, this has been done MANY times before. But, not by me! :-) And, I wanted to give these cute rosettes I have been seeing everywhere a try. Well, watch out! There may be a rosette on everything I own soon...I tend to obsess (I am working on it). In fact, this (my current rosette obsession) is intertwining with my previous obsession (Emma's upcoming spa party) because I am now going to make rosette headbands for all of the girls at the party. So, I guess you could say I just doubled my obsession...I really am working on this...really.

So, I started with two old shirts that I decided I was never going to wear again and I got started. Again (I am SO BAD at this) I can't find the link to the tutorial I learned this from, but I promise when I find it, I will add it here.

From this...

To this...

My plan was to hot glue and then reinforce with a needle and thread...however, my daughter loved this so much that she wouldn't give it back and insisted on wearing it to preschool. Soooo, hopefully it will come back in one piece and I can do the reinforcements tonight. I am stoked that she loved it so much, though. :-)

And, shirt #2...

Becomes headband #2...

I am just loving these...so, you will be seeing more, mark my words! :-) Need to go fabric finding...

A Banner Day

2011-03-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

My daughter's 4th birthday is coming up in June. We are throwing a spa party for her and a few friends and I have been planning this since the end of February (I am just a little obsessed). I can't wait to post the finished product...the party is June 11th, so stay tuned. It's gonna be FABULOUS!

I decided to make her a cute banner just for her for her special day. So, the other day, I made this at my kitchen table with stuff that I had already. I think it turned out really cute! And, in case you're wondering, there will be a picture under the four, but I had to order the one I wanted in wallet size, so I am waiting for it to get here.

I first cut out the triangles/pennants from white poster board I had laying around for another project. Then, I added the letters with glitter pens and circle cut some of my favorite pics of my little girl, from birth til now and used mod podge to add them to each pennant. I then outlined each photo with the glitter pen, just cuz I thought it looked snazzy! :-)

I took a hole punch and punched two holes at the top of each banner to string the two pieces of yarn through to hang it. Then, I punched two holes at the bottom of each to add the bows with various colored ribbons that I had.

I thought they needed one (or two) more details...luckily my husband told me to call it quits, or this may have been one busy banner! I made little rosettes with leftover felt circles from my wreath I made recently, and then stuck them to the banner with hot glue.

So, there you have it! Nothing fancy, totally free, but made with love and it will add something special and personal to her spa party! Like I said, I am slightly obsessed with this party, so you can expect more blogs leading up to the main event in the coming weeks...

Dollar Store Egg Tree Makeover

2011-03-29T05:42:00.000-07:00

I bought these a few weeks ago at the Dollar Tree, one for each of my kids...Max, Emma and the one brewing in my belly. I let them hang their eggs and they have been on display like that ever since. Then, I hopped on over to My Garden of Eden and saw what simple upgrades she made to the exact same trees and decided mine needed fancy schmancy makeovers, too!

Here is what the tree looked like...

I had some ribbon that I bought to use at my daughter's upcoming birthday party. I bought the spool at Target for $1, it came with five strands of various colored ribbon, I used three here. Then, I used a glitter pen to write their name on the pot, leaving the third blank...it's just waiting patiently for a name. (We find out what we're having on April 15th, so hopefully, I will be able to add a name real soon). And, lastly, I added the moss that I had on hand. What a difference!

And, here they are, on their very own shelf...egg trees for each of my babies. :-) I decided to do two colors per tree...just my preference.

Bliss Images and Beyond

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A Nod To My Little Artists

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Repurposed Message Boards

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EASY Frame makeover

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Crafty Pair

"New" Garage Doors

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Valentines - Pinterest Inspired

Wedding Lyric Subway Art

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Best Appetizer Ever - Spinach Balls

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Master Bedroom Makeover - Some Goodies

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Top 10 Posts for 2011

Master Bedroom Makeover - Decorative Pillow

Master Bedroom Makeover - A Retreat in the Making...

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Important Date Art

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Frosted Candles

Maddie

Megin

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$2 Frosted Centerpiece

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I'm a BUSY Mom of Three!!

FUN With Bleach!

From Trash to "Peace"ful Treasure

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall...

Bye-bye plain white onesie!!

RETIREment Gift

Can I get your vote...PLEASE???

Fabric Bangles

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Flip Flop Dress-Up

Papasan Makeover

You can't beat FREE!

Meet Mrs. Jackson...

My New Backdrop and Floordrop...LOVE

Can't Beat A Quarter

A Bit Thrift...A Tad Splurge

Rocking Revival!!

Feminizing Frames

Blue, Blue Nightstand

25 Cents Girls' Party Favors

$7 Easy Frame Re-do

Project 52 - Week of 3/28/11

My Pretty Little Pillow

Somebody got an Early Birthday Gift!!

Easter Decor for 75 Cents!!

Rosettes! My New Obsession!!

A Banner Day