October 2019

Okay, I know this is seriously last-minute.  I told you that I had a basket of crafts I never got to!  I promised my daughter I’d make her a 4th of July shirt, though, so in my little bit of spare time this afternoon, I got to work. This is a project that didn’t turn out anything like my original plan.  First I was going to do a freezer paper stencil.  Then I was going to applique some stars out of my scrap fabrics.  Well, I couldn’t find my Heat N Bond, so then I thought maybe a ruffled flag.  Anywhere, several ideas later, I remembered a bag of patriotic scrap fabric strips I had from AGES ago.  I think they were originally used to make rag flip-flops for Girls Camp one year.  Anyway, I thought they would be perfect for my shirt- if only I could figure out what to do with them….. (Yes, I’m indecisive.) I finally settled on an “abstract” version of an American flag.  It doesn’t scream “4TH OF JULY” but it is patriotic.  I think she can wear it throughout the summer. This was super simple to make.  The strips were precut, so I just arranged them how I wanted, pinned them to a t-shirt, and sewed around the edges of each shirt.  Since I didn’t use Heat N Bond, the edges will fray, which is actually what I wanted.  To finish off, I hand-sewed star buttons to the blue stripes.  It’s a flag- but it’s not! I used a $2.99 Walmart T-shirt, but this would also be a great way to reuse an old t-shirt  with a stain or something! Happy 4th of July, American friends!  I hope you have a wonderful day!

Even though it’s late, I’m linking up to some of these parties.  Go check them out!

Thank you to all who entered the CSNstores.com giveaway!  I know you’re dying to find out if you are the winner, but first, a little business: 1.  Most of you left a separate comment for each entry, but not all of you did.  I went through the comments myself and gave you an entry for each thing you did, whether it was combined into one comment or not.  Any comments left with only contact information were not counted towards the giveaway.  Therefore, everyone got an entry for following, an entry for telling me what you would like to use the money for, and a bonus entry if you blogged about it.  Next time I’ll make sure to explain how to comment better.  Sorry! 2.  The giveaway closed at midnight this morning/last night.  Any comments left after that time were ineligible. Okay- now for the winner!

True Random Number GeneratorResult:23

And who had comment #23?  

I follow via GFC

kimben123(@)yahoo(dot)com and I would probably use it towards window treatments.

(this is an example how two entries were combined into one comment- so she had comment #22 and #23- get it?)  Okay, I’m really done with business now.



Congratulations Kim!  An email will be coming your way shortly with all the information you need to claim your gift code! And thanks again to all of you for entering.  I hope you’ll check back often for more fun crafts, discounts, and giveaways- hey, we’re not that far from 300! And to all who celebrate- a very Merry Christmas!

One of the things I will miss about Korea is the ability to go to the fabric market and buy things at wholesale prices. I won’t miss how difficult it is to traverse there and drag your kid through aisles and aisles and booths and booths of vendors just to find the right thing (and communicate…). BUT, since school is ending and so is our time in Korea, I made a special ribbon shopping trip with just one kid instead of two. I LOVE their selections of ribbon, and may have gone a little crazy. Each strip is one yard long, it all cost me about $12 and I don’t end up with tons of left overs on the spools. These will be great for cards, gifts, maybe even hairbows! C’mon, who can resist these patterns? Now I just need your suggestions for ribbon storage, especially since these are all off the spool. What do you do?

Today I’m sharing my Fall Flower Crate Centerpiece.  Even though I live in Phoenix (where fall happens when it drops below 100!), the inside of my house is filled with all things fall.  That means my kitchen table needed a little change in decor from its usual black and red.  So, with a few {cheap} supplies, some gorgeous flowers, and just a little bit of time, I had a new centerpiece!





Supplies needed:
Crate, unfinished (I found mine at Michael’s for about $4)
Wood stain or paint
Tin buckets (mine are from IKEA but I’ve also seen similar ones at the Target Dollar Spot)
Hydrangeas or other silk flowers
Wire cutters
Floral Foam
Moss
Hot Glue
Let’s get started!





First- stain your crate.  I had this “mahogony” stain that was a little to orange-y for me, so after I applied the stain, I did a wash with some black paint.  (A wash is when you combine a little paint with a lot of water.  Brush it all over the project, then wipe off with a rag.)  It darkened it just enough and even made it look a little more aged.





Making the flower buckets is pretty easy.  Cut your floral foam in half with a heated knife or serrated knife.  Shove it down into the bucket and hot glue a bunch of moss to cover the top.
Trim your flower stems down so they fit nicely in the bucket.  Use wire cutters to trim the stems down.  Then, carefully push the stems into the floral foam.   Repeat for each bucket.


Then simply line your buckets up in the crate! I chose slightly off-white hydrangeas because a) I LOVE hydrangeas, and b) my kitchen fall decor is pretty neutral, so the color went with all the natural textures and fabrics really well.
I’ve teamed up with a group of 75 bloggers to share tons of Fall Harvest Ideas with you! From crafts, to recipes, to home decor and more…we have you covered for Fall inspiration!

Check the gallery below and visit some of my blogging friends to see their awesome ideas!!

Connect with us! You can find us here:

I know it’s unoficially fall now, but it’s still 103 here in Phoenix today.  Boo.  Still, I put up my fall decorations yesterday!  Am I crazy?  I’ll show them off in an upcoming post.

First of all, we have some business to attend to.  The winner of the (gorgeous) bubble statement necklace from Very Jane is:

Kelsey Apley!  

Kelsey, check your email- you have 48 hours to respond or I’ll have to choose a new winner!

Next, I have a project I whipped up last week.  I have been trying to decide what to do to take care of all my extra-long necklaces.  I mean, what I was using just was. not. working!

Look at this tangle of chains!

Every time I wanted to wear a necklace, I had to untangle it from two or three other ones just to get it out.  I’m kind of lazy, so I have wanted something better for awhile.  There are some great ideas in blog-land and on Pinterest, but I just couldn’t decide.

After much debate, here’s what I came up with:

This is a super-easy project!  All you need is a piece of scrap wood, some paint, screw hooks, and vinyl, if so desired.

I used a scrap piece of molding that’s been laying around our room since we had it replaced last summer.  My kids like to use it as a bat or a light-saber.  It’s been taken away from them so many times I’ve lost count.  I’m tired of doing that- so I confiscated it for my project.  I didn’t trim it or anything.

I painted it hydrangea blue (it was already white underneath), then sanded it for a slightly distressed look.  Then I measured and marked the spots for the screws.  I put them 2 inches apart.  I drilled pilot holes, then inserted the screw hooks.

For an extra little something-something, I added vinyl, using synonyms for “accessorize”.  

Then, I screwed it to the wall.  Use wall anchors if you need to, because those necklaces can get heavy! 

Here’s the final product.  No more tangled necklaces!  I have two on a hook and so far it’s been working perfectly!  

I’m linking these up to the following parties this week:

Craft-o-Maniac- Monday Link Up

Keeping it Simple- Motivate Me Monday

Sugar Bee Crafts- Take a Look Tuesday

Someday Crafts-Whatever Goes Wednesday

Lil’ Luna- Link Party

Somewhat Simple- Strut Your Stuff

Naptime Crafters- Friday Favs

I Heart Naptime- Sundae Scoop Weekend Wrap-up

This picture was taken in 2004.  Since then, we have gotten new tile, a new stove, and a different table.  Otherwise, it looked exactly the same.
Well, we randomly decided to do a little painting.  We’re not too brave, so we’re taking it one step at a time.  For now our kitchen looks like this:

I know it’s not a huge change.  A little paint, a little more decor- but I think it just looks more “homey” and it really ties in the colors from the living room part of the great room.

It’s fun to beautify.  We’re not really able to do major renovation, nor do we want to since this isn’t the house we plan on staying in forever, but a little attention to a room can make a big difference.  Thanks for looking, and don’t tell me if you hate it. 🙂

Thank you to all who entered the CSNstores.com giveaway!  I know you’re dying to find out if you are the winner, but first, a little business: 1.  Most of you left a separate comment for each entry, but not all of you did.  I went through the comments myself and gave you an entry for each thing you did, whether it was combined into one comment or not.  Any comments left with only contact information were not counted towards the giveaway.  Therefore, everyone got an entry for following, an entry for telling me what you would like to use the money for, and a bonus entry if you blogged about it.  Next time I’ll make sure to explain how to comment better.  Sorry! 2.  The giveaway closed at midnight this morning/last night.  Any comments left after that time were ineligible. Okay- now for the winner!

True Random Number GeneratorResult:23

And who had comment #23?  

I follow via GFC

kimben123(@)yahoo(dot)com and I would probably use it towards window treatments.

(this is an example how two entries were combined into one comment- so she had comment #22 and #23- get it?)  Okay, I’m really done with business now.



Congratulations Kim!  An email will be coming your way shortly with all the information you need to claim your gift code! And thanks again to all of you for entering.  I hope you’ll check back often for more fun crafts, discounts, and giveaways- hey, we’re not that far from 300! And to all who celebrate- a very Merry Christmas!

After an uncharacteristically cold and rainy weekend here in Phoenix, the sun is shining, the weather is gorgeous, and, of course, it’s SPRING!

I’m pulling out my spring decor, and also feeling the need to create some decorations for my home.  Here are some that have inspired me this week:

1.  I love this Spring Vignette from A Pumpkin and a Princess.  She’s so nice to share where she got her lovely items.  Sometimes I see things at stores and can’t quite figure out how to throw them together.  This got the wheels turning!  I especially love the yellow and blue together!

Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!  Feel free to grab a featured button if you like!

Happy Saturday everyone!  I hope you’re enjoying your weekend.  We’re smack in the middle of one of our busiest weekends.  Last night was our Trunk or Treat.  And yes, for those of you who saw my Facebook post, my three year old did in fact wear his costume happily. Today we had a program practice, a baptism to attend, and a birthday party.  I need an extra day in my weekend.

Anyway, I am posting over at Pocket Full of Pink today with a cute Halloween Printable for you.  Go check it out!

Also, I want to take a moment and remind you about my lovely sponsors.

Pinwheel Pretties has great pinwheel-themed party decor, as well as lots of other cute party favors!  Think about them for your next party!

My Memories sells digital scrapbooking software, as well as lots of cute digital papers, elements, and kits.  They have lots of designers, so you’re sure to find something that’s your style!  I love this Autumn Pack!

Shabby Apple produces high quality, beautiful modest dresses, apparel, and accessories.  I own one dress that I LOVE and hope to order another soon!  Next time you want a cute dress, consider ordering one of the dresses from Shabby Apple.  For easier shopping, you can click on the ad in my sidebar on “Shop Now”.

Finally, I am now a Very Jane affiliate!  I love their daily deals!  They have so many cute things, and you are often supporting handmade shops when you buy.  Sign up to get their daily deals in your inbox, or shop now through the ad in my sidebar.  (PS- Look at this cute camera strap on sale today!)

Okay, now go check out my post!  Have a great weekend!

Connect with us! You can find us here:

Okay, I know this is seriously last-minute.  I told you that I had a basket of crafts I never got to!  I promised my daughter I’d make her a 4th of July shirt, though, so in my little bit of spare time this afternoon, I got to work. This is a project that didn’t turn out anything like my original plan.  First I was going to do a freezer paper stencil.  Then I was going to applique some stars out of my scrap fabrics.  Well, I couldn’t find my Heat N Bond, so then I thought maybe a ruffled flag.  Anywhere, several ideas later, I remembered a bag of patriotic scrap fabric strips I had from AGES ago.  I think they were originally used to make rag flip-flops for Girls Camp one year.  Anyway, I thought they would be perfect for my shirt- if only I could figure out what to do with them….. (Yes, I’m indecisive.) I finally settled on an “abstract” version of an American flag.  It doesn’t scream “4TH OF JULY” but it is patriotic.  I think she can wear it throughout the summer. This was super simple to make.  The strips were precut, so I just arranged them how I wanted, pinned them to a t-shirt, and sewed around the edges of each shirt.  Since I didn’t use Heat N Bond, the edges will fray, which is actually what I wanted.  To finish off, I hand-sewed star buttons to the blue stripes.  It’s a flag- but it’s not! I used a $2.99 Walmart T-shirt, but this would also be a great way to reuse an old t-shirt  with a stain or something! Happy 4th of July, American friends!  I hope you have a wonderful day!

Even though it’s late, I’m linking up to some of these parties.  Go check them out!