Pick Your Plum Challenge ~ Menu Board

A few weeks ago, I received a a little surprise in the mail from my bloggy pal Janette.

She and Ashley are hosting a Pick Your Plum link party with a chance to win a $25 PYP product box!!  If you have blogged about a PYP product or completed project, you can link it up the whole month of February!

You can learn more about Pick Your Plum on their Facebook page.

Anyways, when I first received my free challenge project, I thought,

“Holy Crap, what have I gotten myself into?!?”

Then, I calmed down and focused…

[In case you didn’t know, I’m a night crafter.  It is VERY difficult to get good pics at night, so I don’t have a step by step tutorial for you today.]

Here’s what my project morphed into!

I spray painted the metal with black chalkboard paint, spray painted the wood purple, glued one of my mustard resin mums onto the magnet, and mod podged away. 

I have some vintage sheet music (circa 1939) that I have been “saving” for the right project.  I have a tendency to collect, stash, and then NEVER use my coveted possessions.  Not today my friends!  (In all honesty, I had to seriously talk myself into cutting up the music for two straight days before I could actually do it.  C.R.A.Z.Y, I know, but I’m just keeping it real for ya.)

Vintage just isn’t complete to me without a little cotton lace.  Oui?

Ok, ok, I just really like the look of it.

Do you blame me?

This little “Menu” sign is one of The Graphics Fairy’s bazillion FREE clipart images.  If you have never checked her out, NOW is the time to do so!  I printed it out on tagboard and inked the edges to give it the look I was going for.

The menu board in action, with a clothespin to keep the dessert recipe handy.

Originally, the title of the sheet music drew me in… “Do as Thou wilst with me, O Lord!”  I use the mum magnet to attach the “Menu” sign when I need a menu board or take it off when I need an inspiration board.  The kids actually stopped to read it and smiled.

Bonus mom points!!

 

I’m Linking Up With A Few Of These Girls Too!

She's Here!!

I have been incognito in Bloggerland and this is why:

Isn't she beautiful?  We are all absolutely smitten with her.

Emily didn't want to share Charlotte with ANYONE.  She finally has a girl cousin that lives close to her and she takes that responsibility VERY seriously:).  Jack asked to hold the baby and I thought Emily was going to shoot flames out of her eyes at him.  He held Charlotte for about 2 min and 13 seconds before Emily was right there demanding her again.

Look at those eyelashes!!  They go on for days!!  I'm already rehearsing my "a lady is as a lady acts" Little House on The Prairie speech.  I am so thankful that she is healthy and here safely.  When a new baby comes into your life you can't help but marvel at the miracle of life. 

It's amazing.

It brings you to your knees.

It makes you want to be a better person.

As you look to those new beautiful innocent eyes, you feel a moral obligation to make the world a better place for her.

It beckons you to remember the moment you first became a mother and renews your spirit amongst toddler tantrums, overscheduled days, endless piles of laundry, and quests for a healthy balanced life.

It reminds you that you had these same dreams and aspirations when each of your own children were born.  And that somewhere along the way, life interrupted and robbed you of the feelings you swore you would never forget.

It helps me realize it's never too late to embrace the miracle.  It's my responsibility to begin each day by providing hope, wonder, stability, and unconditional love for my kiddos no matter how old they get.  Because if I don't do this for them, help them embrace this life, no one else will.

If you actually made it to the end of this post, thank you so much for listening to me sound out my feelings.  You know I love ya for it!!

14 Days of Love

I’m beyond excited to be partnering with all of these fabulous ladies to bring you the 14 Days of Love!  Ashley over at Cherished Bliss has been diligently working and coordinating to make this event an amazing one.  This series will begin on January 25 with each blog posting a love themed project and of course,

there will be giveaways!! 

I have taken a sabbatical with creating/selling coffee cozies as of late, but I have been working feverishly on a “new line” in support of Ashley’s love efforts.

Here’s a sneak peek of the new look (not to mention the very cozy you can win during this event):

So, stay tuned!!!

Blog/Life Recap of Quarter 4

 

I kept telling my bloggy pal Janette that I was going to participate in the 2011 Review Extravaganza and I’m finally keeping my word!!

 

Before I review my blogging goings on, I just want to tell you what I learned in life this December:

 

1. Being out of town 5 consecutive weekends prior to Christmas isn’t exactly the greatest way to get prepared for said holiday.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed all my trips and wouldn’t take them back, Christmas really sidled up on my this year.  Now that I’m finally in the mood, it’s O.V.E.R.!

 

2.  Having the main floor of my house painted 2 weeks before Christmas wasn’t a very smart move either.  Yes, I’m loving the freshness and the color.  But, I didn’t have time to sit at home and babysit the painters for the entire week. Not to mention, I missed my daughter’s fieldtrip to the science museum waiting for aforementioned painters to show up on the second day (which they finally did at 2 pm… could have made it after all).  Also, not to mention, I wasted my last week without kids sitting at home instead of being out shopping for them (see #1 for the reason I needed to shop).

 

3.  When life gets too busy crazy, I don’t blog.  It’s not that I don’t want to, but it becomes one more thing on my “have to do” list.  I resent it along with everything else on that list.

 

4.  My kids continually amaze me, in both good ways and bad.  Emily took first all around in her third straight gym meet, Max and Jack both earned their green belts in Tai Kwon Do.  Finley learned the phrase, “I will never ever EVER be naughty again,” and used it daily.  He followed it with “I love you SOOOOO much.  You are my best friend.” 

 

5.  My husband CAN still surprise me… he went to Jared for Christmas and made me feel like a princess. :))

 

Ok, Blog Recap:

 

October was a pinning, crafting, boot wearing, What I Wore Wednesday and Talk To Us Tuesday kind of month.

In November, I started to get busy with the kids but continued my addiction with Pinterest and boots, started new addictions with Twitter and Instagram, and spent a large amount of time in Jack’s class.

  In December, I tried to organize my Christmas plans via pinterest, spent all the time that I could in Jack’s class, and got my new laptop!!  Woot woot!!  I still don’t have everything switched over but I’m working on it.  Yeah, basically not a blogging month for me. :(

Cheers to 2012!  My motto for 2011 was “Making the effort” which helped keep me focused on my family.  I think for 2012, I’m going to go for “Keep it simple.”  I still have a few hours to decide, right?

It’s Almost Wednesday

 Those I call “friend”

I seriously am trying to blog more my friends… I just can’t seem to find a balance between all of the many hats I wear.  If I spend more time blogging, I feel neglectful of my house and family.  If I spend all of my time with my house and family, I feel like I’m losing the “creative me.”

(Which makes me a bit grumpy, sad to say but true.  If I don’t make time to unleash my creative side I’m not very fun to be around.)

Anywho, there’s my little sob story for the evening.

NOW, for something a bit brighter;

 

I’m participating in Welcome Wednesday over at Take it From Me!!  Come join along. :)

ARRRGGGG Matey

My kids’ elementary school has a silent auction every year with decorated pumpkins to earn money for PTA. 

This was the first year in 5 years that I have completed a class pumpkin all by myself!  (yea, I was pretty excited to rise to the occasion…)

Special thanks to Kim over at Maiden D’Shade for getting my creative juices flowing on this one.  She had a fabulous tutorial about using lollipops to decorate a craft pumpkin that I totally loved from the minute I saw it. 

(She also has some really cool ideas and tutorials for Halloween decorating!!  If you have spent any time looking at Halloween decor on blogs, I’m sure you have seen some of her ideas.)

I used a medium sized pumpkin and spray painted it with gold glitter paint.  After this, I followed Kim’s tutorial to add the lollipops.  Hubbs doesn’t normally help me in my crafty endeavors but he patiently drilled all the holes for me on this one.  (Thank you, dear… I know you read my blog even though you pretend you don’t.)

I used one of those medium sized memory boxes at Michael’s as my treasure chest (it was a pirate theme this year) and spray painted it black.  Wadded up silver and gold tissue paper served as the base in the chest for the pumpkin bounty.  A pirate hat topped on her head and a fake pirate skeleton guarded her faithfully. :)

I finished the whole thing with glitter spray paint.  For the finishing touches, I hot glued ribbon tied lollis and scrap wooden shapes with “bounty” hand written on them to the outside of the box.  Of course, I had to hot glue jute around the base of the box.  If I can, I will definitely incorporate jute or burlap in any project. :))
The kids really wanted to keep it…  but since we made it, we can always make another! 

~Linking up here this week~

A New Baby Girl

Janette over at The Johanson Journey had her baby girl 3 weeks early!! 



Rayne Nicole was born September 14 and weighed 6 lbs 8 oz.  She was having a bit of trouble breathing, so she is currently in the NICU.  Janette and I have never met but I feel as if we have known each other since we were giggly grade school girls.  She constantly encourages me and has a helpful word.  If you get a chance, please head over to her blog and wish her well. :))

Guest Post on Snips and Spice

Malory over at Snips and Spice is hosting Cupcake Month!

 

I am guest posting tomorrow (my VERY first guest post, btw) so go check it out.  She has already featured some very talented bloggers with posts ranging from cupcake crafts to yummy cupcake recipes/ideas.  Mmmmm…

FTLOB Handmade Trade from Amber

Have you noticed this little button on my sidebar??

 

I was paired up with 2 swap partners as Amber’s partner was unable to participate….  I haven’t exactly finished my trade items for Amber and PoeKitten but I’m ALMOST done!!  If you haven’t visited her before, please check out Amber’s Blog!!  I love her style and easily get lost in reading all about her postcards, craftiness, recipes, and kiddos.  I received these lovelies in the mail about 2 weeks ago:

I was uber UBER excited and have received more compliments than I can count on her handmade craftiness!!  Look at the attention to detail in the bracelet girls…  I am so in love and so happy that these little gems are mine to keep.  :) (I know that makes me a wee bit selfish… but hey…)

Amber was one of the first 5 to comment on my

 PAY IT FORWARD

post so I get to make her more than one pretty!

Thank you, Amber!!!  You are

FABULOUS!!

Tribute Tuesday

So, today I’m participating in Janette’s Tribute Tuesday…. Go check her out!!  She is my Bloggy BFF!!  We have never actually met, but we talk just about every day via our blogs, email, or texting.  I run quite a few of my ideas through her first to get her perspective and vice versa.  We are definitely a match made in heaven. :)

My tribute today:

my sister

Here is a picture from her visit last week (hence my absence) of us by the Etowah River.

By now, I hope most of you know that I am much better at editing and posting pictures than actually writing something of content….  But, I will try to do my sis justice.

Here we are as little kids at my Nanny and Papa’s place in Arkansas.  We moved around ALOT as kids and visiting Arkansas was always like home. 

 

The high school years….

I was ALWAYS jealous of my beautiful sister…. she was so petite and perfect.  She had the pretty naturally curly hair, I had the frizzy.  She had skin that tanned, I had skin that burned.  She had the petite features, I felt more like a hobbit.  When she sang, it sounded like angels… me, more like cats fighting on a hot summers night.  I used to sneak in her bedroom and try on her clothes, her makeup, her perfume.  I wanted to BE her…

We became REALLY close after she left for college.  She became the sister I always wanted…. she had always watched out for me and taken care of me, but things were different.

She has become my best friend, my confidant, my biggest supporter in life.  I honestly do not think that I could continue to live on this earth if she were not here with me.  She finishes my sentences without missing a beat…She knows what I’m trying to say after only hearing a sigh… She calls me on my faults… She tells me I’m a bitch when I am… We always joke that we are actually twins that were born 4 1/2 years apart.

We are both terrified of drowning (and so are our daughters, btw), have four kids (3 boys and 1 girl), and married physicians (before they had the title).  I’m the sewer and crafter… She’s the cooker and baker… We both like to garden.  If you get us together… we are the perfect woman!

So… Here’s my Tribute… 

i love you, carrie

Pay It Forward 2011

I have seen this before and wanted to participate but did not bookmark the page.  Natalia at Ma Nouvelle Mode left a sweet comment on my blog.  When I went to check out her blog, I FOUND IT AGAIN!  Sweet… Score. :)

It will probably take me a month or two to get things together as I  really want each person to receive something very special! :) 

Blogger Feature ~ Upcycled Jeans Jewelry~

THIS was TOO cute not to repost!  You all know how much I love using different fabrics and media to create my projects.  Rachel over at Bubbly Nature has a series going on right now… “5 ways to re-purpose jeans.”  This is #3 in her series.  I absolutely LURVE it people!!  I can’t wait to try this at home. :)

She has a fabulous step by step tutorial on how you can make one for yourself (NO SEWING).   Pop over and say “Hi.”  Tell her how much you love this necklace too!

Creative Girls Crafty Blog Hop

Diana over at The Girl Creative is hosting a creative blog hop!  This is a great way to visit other blogs to get some serious inspiration. :)

Happy hopping my lovely ladies!