Jacabean Designs

What I've Been Reading

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

I forgot to post my other Study DIYs! Yikes! I'll try to get those up soon. This is another buys busy week! We have a color consultant coming tonight to give us ideas with certain areas of the house. Tomorrow, we install the new sink and faucet in the kitchen, and Thursday is craft group...in which I've been using power tools to prepare. YEsterday I got a lesson on the miter saw. Fun stuff!

While all this is going on, I figured I'd catch you all up on what I've been reading lately...

First, if you haven't yet read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, you need to. The first movie comes out in March! Anyone else excited about this? Seriously, I don't know a single person who has read the trilogy and not liked it. My favorite thing since Harry Potter. For me, it even tops Twilight, and I'm a pretty big fan of those books too. Ok, I'm done talking you into it...for now at least!

So what have I been reading while I wait for the movie? Here's my list from the past couple of months. Images are linked to B&N.com.

First, the Sweep series by Cate Tiernan. I've read books 1-12. I'm waiting for Volume 5 (13-15) to be released in December. Because here's the thing about these books, if you buy books at least. You can buy each book individually for around $7.99 each. OR you can buy them in 3 book volumes for $7.99. Hence the reason that I'm waiting until December for Volume 5 to come out. I was extra lucky, and got mine at Borders during their going out of business sale. The first was only 20% off I think, but I went back each week for the next. That's how fast I made it thru these.

The main character, Morgan, finds out she's a witch by blood. A Powerful one. And it turns her life into a whirlwind. A true series where each story leads into the next. These ones definitely kept me reading to find out what would happen next.

After those, I re-read The Giver by Lois Lowry. I originally read this book as part of our required reading in 8th grade. I remember liking it, but didn't remember the premise much at all. I actually stumbled across it at a garage sale this summer, like new, and totally worth my $1. I took this book on my trip to Chicago. It was a great choice for plane reading, especially since it's a fairly short trip. I don't even know how to describe this book, and so I'll let B&N do it:
"The story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community."

It's apparently the first in a trilogy, which I never know. The other 2 are Gathering Blue and The Messenger. So I guess those are now on to-read list.

And last, I just finished Shades of Milk and Honey. From B&N: "Shades of Milk and Honey is exactly what we could expect from Jane Austen if she had been a fantasy writer." The whole world of grand balls and propriety, mixed with the art of creating glamour. The whole creating glamour thing was completely new to me, and I don't fully understand it, but it really doesn't matter. The plain sister is practically a spinster. And the beautiful sister attracts every man she meets. Very typical of the stories of this era, and yet there are twists and turns that keep you guessing.

So how do these all rate for me? Just a refresher on my scale...
5 - absolute favorites
4 - loved it, would read it again
3 - an okay book, but I'm not likely to read it again
2 - didn't care for it
1 - couldn't even finish it

First, I love most everything I read, so I give a LOT of 4s. So here it goes:
The Sweep Series - 4
The Giver - 4 (Clearly, since I've already read it once. That was long ago though)
Shades of Milk & Honey - 3 Now don't get me wrong on this. I really enjoyed it. I'm just not sure that it's one I'd read again. I may however read the sequel.

And there you have it! I haven't decided what I'm reading next. It's been crazy around here, and I've been too tired at night to read before bed like I usually do. I'll be sure to let you know once I've read it though! And don't forget, if you want some more ideas, you can find me on GoodReads.

Happy reading! And as always, if you've just read your next favorite thing, leave a note. I'd love to hear about it!

The Study DIYs - Collage Wall Tutorial

2011-09-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

So I've posted the pics of the study. I hope you like it as much as we do!

This room involved multiple projects, which I will share with you the next few posts.

First up is the collage wall, because all in all, I think it's my favorite part of the room. Did you notice that it's off center? It's the first thing hubby brought up. And it was done on purpose! We don't have a desk yet, a real desk at least. As I said, we both have laptops. We'd like to get a monitor again someday, but for now, no monitor, requiring no desk. Anyway, the someday desk will go in front of the collage. Hence the off-center arrangement. It's kind of centered with the doors, so it looks okay from the foyer. It doesn't bug me one bit.

So how did I get the arrangement? Am I a lucky guesser? Heck no! New home = unblemished drywall (well for the most part anyway). I did not want to go nailing random holes in the walls. So I used a trick from Sherry @ Young House Love. The best tip ever! If you are even thinking about a gallery/collage wall, remember this! So what's the big tip? Newspaper templates. Yep. Easy and simple.

1. Trace each piece on newspaper.
2. Cut it out
3. Place it over the back, and mark where the hanger/hook is
4. Hang the template on the wall with painters tape
5. Once you've got your arrangement, nail right thru the newpaper
6. Remove newspaper, and hang your frame/item

Quick tip regarding the newspaper...if you have colored ads/flyers, use those over the regular newsprint. If you've ever wrapped stuff in newspaper for moving, or at least handled a lot of newspaper, you'll notice that the ink comes off on your hands, leaving smudges on your face, and whatever else you touch. In this case, your walls. I wasn't thinking, and had quite a few smudges. They cleaned off okay, but I will definitely be using colored newsprint, and even coated if I can find it! So if you have it, take the extra minute to dig thru your recycle bin for the ads.

I forgot the pre-picture, but I arranged all of my items on the floor. I actually had a couple more frames that I decided not to use in the final arrangement. After I had the arrangement I wanted, I made my templates, and taped them up.

I don't have a picture of just the templates, but here's a part way picture:

The only newspaper piece I've removed at this point is the one behind the Corinthians red canvas print. You can see that I've hung the other pieces right over the templates for fit, and look how well they line up!

And the final wall:

The only miss was the door knob thing. I'm not sure how, but that one was way off. And the only one in a stud. Of course it was.

Don't you just love that cast iron compass thing though? I keep waiting to hear it crash to the ground. I'm seriously considering wall anchors. The nails seem to be doing okay for now though.

So there you have it! Easy peasy! And I can pretty much guarantee that it would not have come out nearly that nice without the template trick. So thanks Sherry!

Stay tuned for more of my DIY details, and a few tips learned the hard way.

While You Were Out - The Study Reveal

2011-09-08T07:00:00.009-04:00

Do you remember that show "While You Were Out"? It was on TLC. Basically, a designer would come in and help a homeowner redo a room in their house while their spouse/significant other/roommate was gone for the weekend. Fun stuff!

Well, I decided to decorate the study while the husband was living it up (at a work conference) in Vegas. I LOVE it! And the best part is, he does too! And, it was an adventure, with some learning experiences along the way for me.

Remember this sad picture of the mess in our study?

Yikes! It was bad. And it got worse before it got better. I unpacked every single box in there. I also did tackled the filing in the process. And it was BAD! I still have an 8" pile of shredding to tackle. UGH. Anyone else hate filing? Ok, sorry, I got sidetracked there for a minute. Back to the study!

You know by now how picky my husband is. I'm forever showing him pictures on Pinterest that he looks at, and then looks at me like I'm nuts. Nothing feminine. Nothing bright. No pastels. No loud prints. I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. I also have a love for all things vintage lately, which he has embraced ever so slightly.

In my browsing one day, I came across this beautiful office nook at BHG:

LOVE! I mean, everything about it. The black desk, with the stained chair. The wall color. The curtains. The collage. The unique lamp. A tray full of goodies. Love. And so I do what I always do. The infamous, "What do you think?" The answer was shocking. "I like it. Do that." And me, "Really? I mean really? You like all of it? Is there anything you don't like?" "Nope. Go for it."

So we picked a wall color that seemed close to that one, and after dropping him off at the airport, I headed over to SW for some paint. We chose Trusty Tan by the way. And the pictures don't do it justice. It's a muted tan, but much more rich than it is showing in the pictures. It more closely matches the inspiration picture, but in this room it's either shade or full sun, so I opted for shade on picture taking day. Except for the last picture, which is closer to sunset.

Before I show you all the pics, keep in mind I am NOT a decorator, just a wannabe. In fact, this is the first room I've actually decorated from scratch. Ready? Here is what we now get to see every morning when we come down the stairs:

Oooh, pay no attention to the furniture movers under the writing desk. The paint was dry, but not cured, and I was afraid to set it on the carpet. Hubby was due home though, so I wanted to get it in the room.

So there it is! I didn't stick to my $100 budget, but I did stick to my $200 budget...if you don't count the money spent on paint. It only took 1 gallon to paint the whole room though.

My biggest struggles were trimming near the ceiling, and hanging the curtain rod. I'm 5' 3", and we have 9ft ceilings. Even with our step ladder, I had to stand on my tip toes to trim near the ceiling. As for the curtain rod? Well first, I've never hung a curtain rod before. And second, I've never put in wall anchors. My first attempt was into a stud, and I completely smashed the anchor. I learned the second time around on that one. The remaining anchors went in without a hitch, and miracle of miracles, it was absolutely, perfectly level! Yay me!

There are so many things l love about the room. First, the collage wall. It's all centered around the Thomas Kincaid my sister got us for our wedding. We never hung it in the last house. We didn't really hang anything in the last house. So I wanted it to have a special place here.

Yeah, I know that the door knob thing is really close to the picture. This is the one piece that I mismarked. And it was the one piece where the nail went into a stud. Go figure. It might get moved. Someday.

Oooh, and I love the little trunk from the second picture! I found that little guy at Hobby Lobby, and it's filled with all of our blank CDs/DVDs.

And I finally found a temporary home for my Family Rules sign! I designed it myself, and got it printed on canvas from Winkflash. Can I just say, their customer service was so helpful! The birdcage is a garage sale find from my SIL. $2! I'm not sure it has a permanent home there yet. And the bars need a fresh coat of paint.

If you looked closely at the full bookcase, you'll see that while I would love a magazine worthy home, we're all about balancing the decorations with the personal effects. We're not very good at this because we like having our momentos, our nick-nacks/clutter...at least the ones that are important to us. On this bookcase you will find...Optimus Prime (in truck form), a shelf full of Star Trek books, and a commemorative pin, an award my husband received for service on the county DUI taskforce, a commemorative mug from his high school band days, and wooden box we got on our first trip together to the beach way back when. The only thing that I think didn't make it back on the shelf was the Star Trek Pez collection. It was a Christmas gift a year or 2 ago, but I had to draw he line somewhere!

While we don't have a real desk yet (since we both have laptops currently) we still needed room for that officey type stuff. The table to the left of the bookcase has a file drawer. It also holds our printer. The black box under the printer holds all of the paper/cardstock etc. for the printer, and the basket on the bottom shelf of the bookcase holds envelopes, notepads, and a tray full of pens, pencils, paperclips, etc. Oh, and the big ugly shredder is hiding next to the writing desk. You can see the bottom of it in the last picture. It's black to it blends. You see it when you are facing the desk, but not from the doorway. Bonus!

Well, what do you think? What's your favorite part?

Stay tuned for the lamp and writing desk DIY details!

Edit: Linked up to the September Before & After Party @ Thirfty Decor Chick

A Little Sunshiney

2011-08-31T12:55:00.000-04:00

I'm feeling a little sunshiney today. I keep forgetting to post about my sunshiney headband from the lovely Nichelle @ Vintage WannaBee. So cute! And I love that it's a metal headband. I have issues with plastic ones. Apparently my head is shaped funny, because they never fit right. And since I keep forgetting take a picture, I snagged a quick one on my cell phone at work today.

Cute huh? I just bought another one that should be in the mail any day now! It's a vintagey flapper style one, so we'll see how that works for me.

What you can't see is this picture is the primer still on my arm, (and a little on my leg), and the paint under my fingernails from picking annoying little fuzzies off the wall from the roller. It was a good roller too! Somehow, it started fuzzing a bit on the second coat.

So the study is officially painted, and I LOVE it! I've also been working on painting the sewing table. This is not going so good. The top fell over at some point during drying, and got some scratches in the primer. I sanded, but then was worried about the scratched parts that had no primer. So I touched it up, and after one coat of paint, it looks awful! I have some more sanding to do. Hopefully it'll be done in time for Friday's reveal to the husband!

I've been shopping like mad. I had to extend my $100 budget to $200. It's not budging again. I will return stuff if I have to. The most expensive part has been the wall collage. Wall décor adds up quick! Even at sale prices. I also tend to overbuy, see what fits, and return the rest. So hopefully I'll end up a bit under budget. Fingers crossed!

Tonight is more painting (sewing table), and possibly hanging curtains. I found one I like at Target. And when I say one, I mean one. They are sold in single panels, so now I have to try to find a second. There's a Target on my way home form work. I'm REALLY hoping they have the other half! Otherwise, I'll have to shop elsewhere. And I really like this one. The color is perfect, the fabric is nice, AND it's machine washable! A must with my allergies…not that I will wash it as often as I should, but hopefully at least a couple times a year. We shall see!

That's all for now! Hopefully I'll have some pictures of the finishes study to show you all soon!

What are you working on this week? Anything fun and exciting?

Busy Busy Busy!!!

2011-08-25T21:50:00.001-04:00

Ahhh! I'm SO ready for life to slow down a bit. Too much going on though to slow down now!

Last weekend, our friends' daughter slept over. She's 8. We had a day full of crafts, and she had a blast. Sunday was filled with church, and dinner with friends. A fun weekend, but no time for laundry. Who needs clean clothes anyway? Well, we kind of do. We've been scrouging. I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend!

So what else is going on? Well, my last post showed our packed and messy study. If you think that was bad, let me tell you...it got SO much worse! I started pulling everything out of boxes and sorting. Today, I actually had to clear a spot on the floor so I could sit to dig thru our box of office supplies. Not cool!

Oh, and in the midst of that, I came across the box of paperwork from the months we were at my parents. Our filing cabinet was in storage, so everything got tossed in the box. No rhyme or reason, just a big ol' mess! Unfortunately, when I opened the filing cabinet, I was reminded that half of the top drawer was even MORE filing. UGH. I hate filing. Hence it piling up so bad. In the end, I got it all done, and was left with a foot high stack of papers to shred. No joke! It's insane. I spent an hour shredding today, and I'm almost halfway thru. The good news is that I can see the floor again in spots. Progress people!

The best news though, is that I found an office picture that I loved, and my hubs (fondly referred to form time to time as Mr. Picky Pants) actually likes it! I kept saying "Really? Are you sure? Is there anything you don't like?" For those who haven't followed our decorating progress (or lack thereof), he's lost. Instead of relying on my judgement though, he just hates everything. I think it's a bit overwhelming to try to focus on a whole house at one time like we are, and it's hard to see the big picture. So this is a huge step. Granted, he'll probably hate it when it's done, but too bad for him! I asked multiple times, and now I'm off and running.

So what next? After the floor is completely clear, I get to paint! Whoohoo! Then I need blinds, and wall art. I'm still deciding on the best arrangement for the room. It's an odd shape, so I'm struggling with the best use of space. I will also be painting my little sewing table to function as a writing desk until we get around to finding a real desk. It's quite low on the priority list, so this will work for now. I am not really using the table anyway. It's one that stores the machine underneath on it's side. Did you know that many newer machines should not be stored on their side? Supposedly the oil will leak. Who knew?

Kitchen table update: We saw sample #1! The color is beautiful! In fact, our sales guy said he had 3 people try to buy a table with that stain as they saw it on his desk. We want a bit more distressing done on the edges, and a little more pronounced on the top as well. I can't wait to see the next sample! After that, we get our table! I can't wait to see it, and to show it to you! This table was our splurge with the new house. My parents have an oak table that has survived 3 kids, and looks pretty much brand new. We wanted something like that. Our days of coasters and placements will be done! Can't wait!

Oooh, and I'll have to show you the latest thrifty find too! I haven't taken pictures of my new jars yet. I HAVE taken pictures of 2 bird cages my SIL found for me. But I don't want to show them yet, because I haven't done anything with them yet. I have ideas though! They are going to be FABULOUS!

I have a slipcover project lined up for this week too for our plaid hand-me-down loveseat. And no, I've never made a slipcover before. It should be interesting! I'll be sure to share, whether its horrible or not.

And oh yeah, we both work full-time too. Phew! Are you tired yet? I am, just thinking about it! So I apologize for not blogging lately, but hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll have some fabulous pictures to share! At least I hope so. Stay tuned!

This Week's Project

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

This week, I'm going to get something done. I lost the weekend with a much needed weekend away at the lake. It was my brother's birthday dinner Saturday. Then Sunday we all went out on the boat, and stopped for a swim in the lake. It was SO nice!

And then I came back to a wreck of a house. I have about 6 loads of laundry waiting to be washed, and another 3 that are sitting in baskets to put away. Blech!

And I also assigned myself to unpacking/cleaning the office. It's one of the rooms that still has boxes, which I have been adamantly ignoring. This is what it looks like pre-cleaning:

It's a small room, technically 8x11, but it actually smaller than that. The wall to the left goes over about 6 inches inside the door, and then straight back for 2 feet. Then it angles out the full 8foot width. It's a nightmare of a room to figure out furniture-wise.

We have no desk, and really don't have a desktop computer anyway right now. I've got some ideas to make it usable (or at least the appearance of usable for the time being), but first I need to clear the clutter!

Wish me luck!

The Redo That Wasn't

2011-08-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

If you follow any home decor blogs, you've seen some AMAZING furniture transformations. Usually it's drastic. Beautifully painted pieces that make a statement. I especially love the china cabinets. A painted cabinet adds so much interest to a room. One of my favorites? Look at this one from Brooke @ The Crafting Chicks:

Really beautiful, don't you think?

Enter my china cabinet:

Let me tell you the story of this cabinet. When we were buying our first house, we had nothing. A friend of ours was handling the sale of some of her mom's furniture as her mom transitioned into a nursing home. She had this cabinet, with a matching dining room table and chairs set. She wanted $750 for the set. Our friend (likely remembering her own poor as dirt newlywed days), said she'd give it to us for $7.50, and just tell her mom she got seven fifty for it. (So kind!!!)

And there you have it. This set served as a our kitchen set the last 7 years. Now that we have a dining room, it's in there. It will be replaced someday, but considering the other furniture and expenses we've got at the moment to furnish our new home, this set will be hanging around for a while. I don't hate it, but I wanted to try and spruce it up a bit.

Unfortunately, since it's a matched set, there will be no painting of the china cabinet. So what else could I do? Hardware! Replace all that bronze with something shiny and new.. I was going back and forth between brushed nickel (to match the builder chandelier), and oil rubbed bronze (which is the direction we're headed). I got really excited about how this little update was going to make such a huge difference. So excited in fact, that I grabbed a screw driver and paint scraper, and proceeded to pry off ALL of the back plates. The back plates have a screw pull in the middle, but then nails on the top and bottom of each as you can see below:

So anyway, when I say pry, I mean pry. Those nails have been in there for 50+ years, and weren't dying to pop right out.

Now for the easy part, the drawer pulls.

And I kind of forgot about the hinges. But since they are on top of the doors instead of mostly hidden underneath, they had to be included too.

So here's me, all proud of myself for prying all those back plates off without damaging the wood. I've got my little baggy full of the different pieces parts and head off to Lowes in search of something new.

Now, if you've ever replaced furniture hardware, you know where this is going...

First, no one makes those hinges. And when I say no one, I mean NO ONE. Not only did they not have them at Lowes, but I drove an hour to another hardware store that is said to have the largest selection in the state. Bust. They don't seem to make them anymore. I did find out they are 45˚ offset h-hing though! Not that it helped. The sales lady actually said she had someone a few years back cut notches into her doors to get rid of that 45˚ angle so that she could use some 90˚ hinges. Sad, but not defeated. At this point, I'm still trying to make this work.

And then I see a china cabinet redo from Beckie @ Infarrantly Creative:

Awesome! I love the fabric in the doors. I think it's game storage, so this way you don't see all the stuff inside. But really what got me is that she painted the hinges! So I emailed her, and she promptly replied with a link to a tutorial she has for painting metal (thanks Beckie!) Crisis averted. If I can't find the hinges, I'll spray paint them to match my new hardware...which by the way hubby was so NOT on board with. He's a bit afraid of me and spray paint. Not that he has reason to. He's just never seen me wield a can before. I'll have to work on that. Besides his (adamant) hesitation, the idea is still working in my head.

Except. Along with the hinge trouble, I ended up having drawer pull trouble. A pull is a pull, right? WRONG! Mine are 2.5" on center. The standard is 3", but you can find them bigger too. Smaller? Good luck. 98% are the cup pulls, which I happen to be fond of, but hubs hates the look. Plus it might have been too contemporary for the set. The other 2 I saw? one was pretty much what I already have. The other was a really thin chrome bar. Bust. Now, I'm sure I can find them online. I've actually looked. The problem lies in finding matching back plates. And I was hesitant to spend all that money and have one company's "oil rubbed bronze" not match another's.

Now, I know I can spray paint everything. But if I screw it up, I'm stuck. I already know there is no easily (or cheaply) replacing this hardware.

And so sadly, all the brass went back on, nails and all.

The redo that wasn't.

But, I'll make it work. I'm slowly decorating around it. I've got a few things in place already, but I'm going to make you wait until it's all done to see all put together!

The moral of the story? Only pry off ONE piece of each hardware type before you start hunting down replacements. If it's an older furniture piece, you won't likely find stuff that fits just right. And if you do? Fantastic! At least someone did :)

Pillow Week - Rouched Pillow

2011-08-05T07:00:00.001-04:00

It's my last day of Pillow Week! I wanted to put some pattern in my dining room. I showed you this fabric last week:

And some of you are thinking...pillows? In a dining room?

Well, we have these 2 extra chairs. They fit around the table, but it's a bit cramped. Also, they are minis. They are child sized compared to the other chairs. Still the same seat height, but just a smaller overall frame. They sit in the corners, and so I though, why not? It'll add some texture and color to the other side of the room.

And so, I came up with this:

Cute, huh? To say hubby disagrees in an understatement. First, it "looked like it had a big fat garter around the middle". Then it "looked like a diaper cover". Followed by "It's too old lady". Hmmmm. Did I mention I love him? LOL! (And now half of you who were on the fence about the pillow are thinking of garter belts and diaper covers. Ha!)

Here's one issue. He hates the dining room set. I'll tell you all about how we came to own this set this weekend. It's not that he absolutely hates it. It's just not antique enough to be vintage, and not modern enough to be a modern classic.

Issue #2. He hates yellow. It's MY favorite though, and since he loves me, he's given me some lee-way to go a bit nuts...to some extent.

Anyway, he thinks the floral pattern makes the chairs look even more "grandma-ish". I told him to give it a chance, and wait until the room's done. Maybe they'll grown on him. Or maybe he won't hate them quite so much :)

But for now at least, here they sit:

Okay. Ready for the tutorial link? Well, this one was actually inspired by a table runner. This one, to be exact:

LOVE the color! This beauty is from Living With Lindsay. She shows how to do the rouching thing.

Well, what do you think? Have I inspired you to make some pillows? If so, I'd love to see! Link me up :)

Oh the Memories

2011-08-04T08:48:00.001-04:00

I woke up early this morning from a weird dream, and couldn't fall back asleep. A whole HOUR early mind you. Bleh! The dream didn't have any people that I knew, but one person in the dream reminded me a bit of a guy I was crushing on in 8th grade. I think of him as "the one that got away". Not in terms of marriage or anything like that. Just a boy I liked that could have been more, but I let it slip away.

Here's how it went...
This guy and I were friends. Like pass notes in class, sometimes talk on the phone kind of friends. On our infamous 8th grade field trip, a "friend" of mine talked me into just telling him how I felt. Oh boy! We all know how that can be. The whole, "if I tell him, and he doesn't like me back, then I just ruined a good friendship" thing. Well, I kind of ruined that anyway. Oh but I had help!

After one day of walking around the sites of DC with this guy, my "friend" (and I say "friend" because she turned out to never be a true friend) talked me into calling him that night and telling him I liked him. (Is this sounding so VERY 8th grade yet? LOL!).

As so I did. I think it went something like, "Hi. I like you. Like you like you." and then hung up. Actually, I don't remember what I said. I think I blocked it from my memory as one of those traumatic times you don't want to remember. I was SOOO embarrassed! I was not like my "friend" who was a flirt, and was bold with nothing to lose.

I stressed over this the whole next day, still feeling extremely embarrassed, and not wanting to see him because I might literally die of embarrassment...because that's possible when you're 14 you know.

And so I did what any mature 14 year old would do in this situation. I found him at lunch and told him that I didn't like him like that, and walked away.

And now to the "friend". She was good friends with his friend. His friend told her that he (the guy I liked) liked me too, and was going to ask me out. She knew this as I decided to take it back, and go tell him I didn't like him. She knew this after the fact when I was still embarrassed, and completely miserable. And I didn't find out she knew until it was too late, from another friend who thought I should know.

Looking back, I have always wished I'd have had the guts to go talk to him again. I never did. I am a coward that way. Needless to say, 2 friendships were ruined that day. Though maybe one never really existed in the first place.

And I kind of feel bad. I screwed up and lost a friend, but he did too. For all I know he didn't really care. But I know I did, and so maybe he did too. And for that, I'm sorry.

So he's my "one that got away". Now let me be very clear. I don't think about him in the "What if we'd gotten married" sense of "one that got away". I'm absolutely head over heels in love with my husband, even when he thinks my pillows are ugly (oh, you just wait until tomorrow!) But this guy is more of the "What if I'd had a boyfriend that summer, and maybe (hope against hope) slightly into high school. Would it have made those teen years a little more bearable? Would I have gained a bit of confidence? Or would the inevitable break-up have made it even worse?

If I could go back, and change one thing thru those early teen years, I think it would be that. It's the one thing I wonder the most about. But then, would I be the same me? Would I have met my husband? Because if not, I wouldn't change it. That whole crazy butterfly effect thing.

So there you have it. One weird dream, and I get all thoughtful and sentimental today. Oh the memories.

Pillow Week - Poppy Pillow

2011-08-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Day 2 of Pillow Week!!! Today, I've got a poppy pillow to share. So much fun!

Ever since I saw this beautiful thing on V & Co., I've wanted to make one:

Isn't that color combo just fabulous? The yellow and red against the muted sea-green/blue color. Wow. Oh, and I should also mention that the above pillow is actually from a guest poster, Allison from Cluck. Cluck. Sew.

I had the black felt (1/4 yard on a 60" roll) already purchased for my initial poppy pillow idea for the family room. Not wanting it to go to waste (and REALLY wanting to make a poppy pillow), I decided to work with it. I also had some linen-ish material left from my table runner project, which I have yet to complete, but only need the length of the yardage I purchased, not the width.

So all I had to buy was the pillow forms, which can be used again and again, and the buttons, which were on clearance. Score! Red to match my lamps.

I followed Allison's simple instructions (found HERE), and wound up with this:

I made my flower a bit smaller in hopes that hubby wouldn't hate it QUITE so much. Not sure it worked, but it's lasted a few days, and he hasn't tried to hide it yet.

And look! We hung our very first picture. It only took 4 months to do :)

Don't mind my mess of home magazines, window blind pamphlets and catalogs under the end table. They like to collect there.

Oooh, and notice the mini runner? Here's a closer look:

More of the linen-ey stuff :) I got the idea from this:

You can find a tutorial on Weddingbee.

Differences? Mine are not actually burlap. they are much smaller :) and I sewed my ruffle on top, vs. tucking it underneath. I am having an issue with the one edge wanting to curl under from the pleats, but I'm hoping that works itself out as the fabric sits in that shape. We shall see!

So there you have it! My poppy pillow, and a bonus mini runner!

One more pillow to go! Stay tuned.

Pillow Week!

2011-08-01T07:00:00.004-04:00

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might recall my pillow obsession. Love them, but don't have many. It's a recent obsession, and one revolving around creating beautiful pillows, just how I want them. Ruffles, flowers, foof! The more the better.

I've been shopping with my JoAnn's coupons, and have been stocking up on pillow forms, and fabric that enhances my room decor. Ok, so maybe my lack of room decor, but helping to give me some room decor :)

So far, I've created pillows for the family room, the living room, and yes, even the dining room! I'm going to show them to you this week, along with some links to tutorials that'll help you recreate them if you so choose.

Up first is the family room!

So far our family room consists of our couch and ottoman, tv and audio equipment, and a few things on the fireplace and mantel. Colors? Tan couch, black audio furniture, black wrought iron lamps. In other words...none! We've talked about painting the fireplace wall a burnt orange color, but we've still got 8 months left on the painting ban. So I decided to make some orange pillows for the couch.

First, burnt orange fabric is hard to find right now! Even with the fall fabrics starting to appear. I finally found a quilters cotton that works though. I'd planned to make a poppy pillow. Orange pillow, black flower (sounds Halloween-y, I know). This is the hubs favorite room though. The room we hang out in every night. His rules: no ruffles, no flowers. Booo!

So then I figured I'd just keep it simple with a row of buttons on the slip cover closure. His thoughts on that? No buttons. They hurt to lean on.

Have I mentioned that he is SUPER picky? And VERY opinionated? And it makes my life VERY difficult at times? LOL! And yet, I love him so :)

So back to JoAnn's. I figured maybe I could find something that would look nice as a strip down the middle. After a few "ehhh, maybe's" I found the perfect fabric. Another quilters cotton in a geometric black and white.

And here she is!

Quite at home amongst all the tan.

There is another on the other side, but I didn't take a picture of the whole couch. I couldn't get both pillows in the picture easily the way the ends of the couch angle in.

Did I mention these are slipcovers? Easy to change, or take off and clean. If you can measure, cut and sew a straight line, you can do it. And Ashley from Make It and Love It has a tutorial that's super easy to follow. You can find it HERE.

To get the stripes down the middle, I just ironed the edges of the patterned fabric under, then pinned it to the orange front piece BEFORE the slipcover was sewn together. Stitch the patterned fabric on, then put the slipcover together as directed.

As far as sizing...this part threw me for a loop at first.

Here's the basic rules:

For you pillow front: Add 1" the both the length and width of your pillow size.

Example, my pillow was a 16" square. So my front piece was cut to 17" x 17".

For you pillow back (2 overlapping pieces that allow you change out the pillow): Add 1" to the width. For the height, take half of your height, and add 3".

Example, my back pieces were 17" wide x 11" high (6 inches is half, plus 3" for the overlap).

This formula will give you a 3" overlap on the back of the slipcover. I did some rectangle pillows for the dining room, and used the same formula.

Oh, and my seam allowances were about 3/8". Depending on the fullness of your pillow you may have to adjust a little. Just try it on your pillow form, and adjust accordingly.

Clear as mud?

Happy pillow making! Don't forget to stop by later this week for my next pillow creation!

Got a pillow to share? Link me up! I'm always looking for inspiration :)

Best Wishes from DTRD

2011-07-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today, Angie's re-releasing one of my all time favorite kits! It's called Best Wishes, and I just LOVE the color pallet:

Another great thing about this kit is it's mix of elements. I love the gears! Here is a LO of my great-grandpa with his car:

And I know I've shown these before, but I'm showing them again because I love how they turned out. My adventures in hybrid:

There you have it. Best Wishes, looking just as beautiful as the first time around. Want it? You can get it HERE at Scrap Matters.

Coming Up...

2011-07-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

Whew! It's been busy busy busy at home! I keep forgetting to take pictures to post, so it's on my to-do list...along with tackling my laundry pile. Seriously, I can't even walk in my closet at the moment. It's bad. Like still-clothes-from-vacation-yet-to-be-washed bad.

But, we did take time to see Harry Potter. Loved! I'm so sad though. It's really done. :( When they started casting the spell that puts a dome over the castle, I almost cried. That was early on in the movie, and already I was sad that it was ending. No good thing can last forever, right? And they'll always live on in my movie collection.

So what do I have waiting to show you?
• New bookcase hardware
• Old china cabinet hardware
• Pillows!
• Mini runners
• Ikea lanterns and my tricky candle idea
• Craft room expedit

Oooh, and we hung our very first picture on the wall! It's the one I mentioned earlier that goes over the loveseat in the living room.

On the downside, we've yet to make an decisions on blinds, ceiling fans or kitchen sinks (though we do have one of those, but no blinds or fans yet). And I know some people HATE ceiling fans. We love them though. One will go in the morning room (cathedral ceiling), and one in the bedroom.

And our beautiful (we hope) custom kitchen table has been delayed...3 weeks! We had some very specific finishing directions, so they said ordered us a sample piece for us to approve before they start in on the actual table. It takes 3 weeks to receive the sample. At the 3 weeks point, we got a call asking for clarification on some things since they were getting our sample ordered. Ummmm, what?!? Did I mention the timing is typically 12 weeks? I guess we're now at 15 weeks? Hopefully we'll get an update this week. Grrrr. If it turns out the same as it is in my head, it will be worth it. But I'm getting seriously impatient.

Dining Room Ideas

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Our decorating progress is non-existent so far. But, if you've checked out my Pinterest lately, I've got TONS of ideas going for different area of the house. And what's first on the current list? The dining room!

It's coming together...in my head at least! The colors: yellow, white, tan & black. I guess I should mention our dining set is a 1950's-ish walnut set. And also that I've never really done much decorating in my life. At least not planned out real decorating. But I'm gonna give it a try! And I'm full of ideas.

Want to see some of the inspiration behind it all? Here are some of my pins:

Love the forsythia sprigs. And I have the jars, but the flowers may end up in my garage sale carafe.

Yellow! Such happiness. This collage almost makes me drool.

Beautiful! Hubby vetoed the chevron, but I couldn't find it anyway:

Candlesticks (either white, or black? or painted yellow?)

Oh yes. There will be a yellow frame. I just don't know which wordart is going in it yet:

And, my gallery wall! All black frames with black and white photos.
We like the horizontal line down the middle of this one too:

Burlap table runner. Love the ruffle, but it would be blocked by the end chairs.

So here is my project list:
• table runner
• accent pillows for the 2 extra dining room chairs
• painted vases
• painted frame with wordart
• short candlesticks with candles (some combination of black, white, yellow...not sure what yet)
• curtains

Hubby said I could do yellow, but then hasn't been on board with anything I've picked since (surprise, surprise). If you haven't read any previous posts, he is SUPER PICKY! Unlike any other guy I know in that regard. He wants furniture, and nothing else in a room. Me? I couldn't disagree more. I want color and texture and pattern. I don't want him to hate it though. So I changed from my initial plan of a yellow table runner to a linen/burlap tan one with white edges, and black trim dividing the white and tan. Then, I figured I'd make the back side yellow, so we can change it up.

My biggest challenge was the yellow fabric! Even with the large selection at our JoAnn's, all the yellow was either yellow on yellow small prints, or full of other bright colors. Nothing simple. Nothing modern-ish. So I go with my plan for the 2-sided runner, with tan on one side and solid yellow on the other...and then I find this (by Richloom):

What's that? All my colors in one place? Okay, well the background is technically cream. I'd have preferred white. I'd also have preferred a larger print. This swatch is pretty true to size in terms of the pattern. But I love it just the same.

So I figured I'd do little pillow on the extra chairs. I get home, and Mr. Picky Pants likes the print!Well, as much as he likes any print at least. There was no gushing, but when I told him the cutting counter girl thought I should use that for the runner (and I quickly told her he'd veto that), the said it would work. What? It was $10/yd, so I only got 1.5 yds. I would need 3 for the runner in a continuous piece if I don't want a visible seam. So I had a plan, and now I'm stuck! But, I'm getting there :)

Now I'm working on the gallery wall. It's so hard to pick 24 very favorite pictures, and ones that fit in the right frame rotations. And covering all the family members because I'm weird that way. I'm also including some heritage photos.

Hopefully it all works out! Keep your fingers crossed for me! I'll be sure to post pictures.

P.S. Have you heard about the new JoAnn's app? I know it's available for Android. I'm sure it's available for the iPhone, because isn't everything? Anyway, it has lots of functions, but also coupons! I do love my coupons, and this app has exclusives. If you don't have it, and you love JoAnn's, go now and get it. Right now. Before you forget. You'll thank me the next time you check out and forgot your mailer at home. Or am I the only one who does that?

Addicted to Pinterest

2011-07-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Are you on Pinterest yet? If not, you should be! Well, at least if you are an idea freak like me.
Don't know what Pinterest is? Here is a description straight from the people at Pinterest:

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard.

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

And that pretty much sums it up. If you see something you like online and want to reference it later, just pin it to your board.

Me? I currently have boards for the following things:
• For the Home
• Tutorials & Crafty Ideas
• Wedding Shower Ideas
• Fun Food Ideas
• Entertaining
• For the love of pillows - enough said
• Random fun - yep, just what it says
• Design Stuff - cool graphic design/patterns, etc.
• Homemade Gift Ideas
• Craft Group Ideas
• Stuff to Sew
• Crafts for Kids
• Holiday Decor

Oooh, and if you follow other boards, the stuff they pin shows up on your Pinterest homepage. I love seeing what new pins are up for the day.

Since we've got the new house and all, my most active board in For the Home. Later this week, I'm going to show you some idea progress with our dining room. Today, I'm going to show you my pins and ideas for the laundry room.

Our laundry room is so stinkin' small. Like if I gain wait, I might not be able ot get the clothes out of the washer and dryer small. Ok, so I'm being dramatic. Kind of. I have about 2 feet in fromt of the washer and dryer. Enough room for a laundry basket, and that's it. Did I mention that it's also where you enter the house from the garage? Yeah, so there is a big pile of shoes on the floor too.

Like I said, we're working on it. Here are some dream laundry room ideas I've pinned. Some are for colors and decorating, some for function:

Lovely, no? I especially love the last one, chandelier and all. Unfortunately, we decided we could use more storage in there, so we're putting cabinets over the washer and dryer. At least they are white to help brighten things up. Now I just need a shoe storage solution that Mr. Picky can live with, and some shelves above it(whatever "it" is) so I can make it pretty. Oh, and I want to make a sign like that burlap one. There is a tutorial with it. She actually fed the burlap thru her printer. Gulp. I'm trying to work up the nerve (or lac of sense) to try it. I'll keep you posted.

Ok, I won't bore you any further today. You can check out my other pins HERE if you're truly curious, or wait around for me to show you more as I go.

Lace Belt Tutorial

2011-07-21T07:00:00.077-04:00

Thanks to my friend Jamie's new interest in DIY belts, I decided I had to give it a try. And look what I made!

Cute, yes? I'll admit, I had no idea where to start, so I did what I always do. I googled. After some hunting, I decided on crocheted lace. My inspiration came from this one at The Sky is Pink:

From there, I headed to JoAnn's to see what I could find. I wound up with 1 spool of white cotton crocheted lace (3 ft/spool), and 1 spool of twill tape (9ft/spool), which I just found out I LOVE! I like the girly lace paired with the twill vs. satin to dress it down a bit. I think it'll be more versatile that way.

Spool of lace: $3.99
Spool of twill: $3.99
Though if you had coupons, it would be even cheaper! I opted to use my coupon on the Martha Stewart Score Board, which I'm sure you'll hear all about at a later date.

You can see that one side of the crocheted lace has a scalloped edge (bottom), and one has a straight, thicker edge (top). I suggest ironing both the lace and twill before you start. I used most of the lace, but had twill leftovers. I actually irons the whole spool though. I figured I'd might as well while the iron was hot. As I started unrolling, it was twisted up as it got closer to the center of the spool.

Ok, all ironed? Let's start.

1. Layer your lace and twill, and wrap it around your waist. Tie the twill. Once the twill has it all anchored, adjust the lace so that you have the right size gap you want in the front by folding the extra lace under. You can see I already pinned the side on the left. Note the pink pin. Then decide how long you want your bow ends, and trim accordingly.

2. If you haven't already pinned your lace, pin it where you had folded the extra lace over. I didn't want extra bulk, so I decided to stick with one fold, and a raw edge.

3. Start sewing. Since it's lace, and full of holes, I stitched back and forth 4 or 5 times, moving over slightly with each row. In the end, my stitched area is about a quarter inch wide. Don't forget to backstitch!

4. Pin your twill to your lace wherever you want it (I stayed near the top). Stitch your the lace and twill together both directions lengthwise. I also stitched the side near the short end of the lace for extra stability. Hem your twill ends. I did do a double fold for that. Not raw edges there!

And there you have it! A new super cute belt!

And just for you, I put on lipgloss. And jeans. From the laundry pile. I have no white walls in my house, so this is the best I could do. The bathroom door. Which actually wasn't so bad, since I could take pictures in the mirror.

Have you made any belts lately? Are you thinking about giving this one a try? If you do, I'd love to see! Leave a comment and link me up :)

Linked up to:
Talent Tuesday @ Vintage Wanna Bee
Running With Glitter
Sunday Scoop @ I Heart Nap Time
Get Your Craft On @ Today's Creative Blog
Take-A-Look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee Crafts
Weekend Wrap Up @ Tatertots & Jello
Sew Darn Crafty Party @ Sew Many Ways
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
Inspire Me Monday @ Singing 3 Little Birds

Barnes & Noble Summer Clearance

2011-07-19T07:00:00.004-04:00

Have you checked out Barnes & Noble's Summer Clearance yet? Love it! I got a bunch of books last year at a steal, and this year is no different.

So what did I get? In no particular order, here's the list:

Blood Ties (The Casting Series #1) by Pamela Freeman

Baggage Claim by Tanya Michna

The Sacred Well by Antoinette May

Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

Bunco Babes Tell All by Maria Geraci
(which I just HAD to get b/c it's a book about Bunco!)

The Botticelli Secret by Marina Fiorato

The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

The Wedding Girl by Madeline Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella)

Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison

(and to think I almost bought this full price before vacation!)

The Finishing Touches by Hester Browne

Some new authors for me, and some old. The best part? The price! I should mention I also got hubby a paperback for $6.79. And my grand total, including hubby's book and tax? $31.68...for 11 books! Full price? $185.84. That's a savings of $154.16! Love it! So if you haven't already, go check it out.

Have you read any of the books on my list? If you loved them, I'd love to know :)

*I am not being compensated in any way by B&N for this post. I am just an avid reader, and figured I'd share the news of this great sale.*

A Happy Anniversary

2011-07-18T11:36:00.000-04:00

There we are 7 years ago, enjoying our first dance as husband and wife. Yesterday was our anniversary. Lucky number 7. At least we're hoping it's lucky!

So how did we spend our weekend? A trip to Ikea on Saturday! It was our first time making the trip, and it was fun, but LONG! I had my plan for the Expedit I wanted for my craft room. But once we were there, it was all, "Well what if I do this..." and "Have you thought about doing this..." Picking bins was a WHOLE nother thing. And lets not even get into the temptation of the perfect craft table in the As-Is section that we sadly didn't have time to disassemble to take home.

So what did I end up with? You'll have to wait and see! It's all put together (as my back is reminding me everytime I move today). But it's not yet anchored to the wall or filled with goodies yet. And I have craft group Thursday, so I better get a move on!

So that was Saturday. Yesterday, I put it all together, and we had a nice dinner out at an expensive restaurant. I think it's the first time we've doe that in years. It was delicious! Every little bit of it. And I have leftovers for lunch. Yum!

So Happy Anniversary honey! I love you!!!

An Autism Sensory Blanket

2011-07-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

I showed you all a bunch of flowers clips I made a couple of weeks ago. Well, a friend had asked me to make some for his daughter. I made her a bunch, but wanted to make something for his son too. His son is 6, and has autism. Most autistic children have some level of sensory deprivation. So I decided to make him a little lap blanket. I wanted fabrics of all different textures, and what do you know? I already had it all, and in boy colors, leftover from Connor's Tag Blanket! Here is what I ended up with:

My finished lap blanket is about 24" x 24". I started with 6.5" squares, quilted together, and then backed with minky. I went with some dark red that was left over from a quilt I made my mom years ago, and figured it was a close enough match to use for the binding. I always have batting on-hand too, so the total cost of this project was $0! Gotta love useful scraps!

The minky back is super soft, and the top has all the different textures.
Orange miky
Navy corduroy
Bright blue flannel
Rockets and green dots are both plain cottons

I rolled it up, and added a white bow for gift-giving.

Well what do you think? I bet this would work well for babies and kids of all ages. It's fun to see what different textures you can come up with too.

Have any other Autism projects to share? If so, I'd love to see! Link them up in the comments. I'm sure this won't be my last craft for this special little boy.

Sunshiney Goodness Coming My Way!

2011-07-14T15:10:00.002-04:00

Remember Nichelle from Vintage WannaBee? She was featured on my blog earlier this year. Well, she just added a bunch of new stuff to her Etsy shop. If you've never checked out her shop, you need to. If you've checked it out before, but not recently, you're past due.

I mean, look at all this cuteness (image from Miss Bee's blog):

How about that Keep Calm and Carry On necklace? And the cameo? I can't saw I've ever worn a beret, but I was eyeing that too.

I'm on a budget these days with all the decorating we're trying to accomplish, and oh yeah, furniture too. But I had to have the Yellow Sunshine headband! See it in the middle on the right? Well sorry, you can't have it. It's all mine! But, all that other goodness is just waiting for a home.

I've been eyeing the headband and decided I just had to have it, so I splurged. And by splurged, I mean $12. Her prices are that good. Totally affordable cuteness.

Now I'm waiting for it to arrive (though I literally just ordered it, so I have little waiting to do). I'll be sure to take a pic when it's in my hot little hands though!

Oh, and I almost forgot! Nichelle has a coupon on her blog right now. Check it out at Vintage Wanna Bee.

Finally, New Home Announcements!

2011-07-13T07:00:00.003-04:00

Well, we've only been here almost 4 months. It's past time that we actually sent out our announcements with our new address, don't you think? Now, besides the fact that I'm a procrastinator, I was REALLY hoping to have a yard by now. Since the weather here are majorly sucked, the yards are about a month behind schedule. And so, I'm settling for dirt. We might have straw, or we might have spray seed. Not knowing, I figured we'd just better go with the dirt. It's a new house people. They'll understand, right?

Anyway, if you remember, I got 50 free announcements from Shutterfly a few months ago during their summer announcement blog promo. I already knew that I'd be using that for this project.

I chose the Elegant New Home card that looks like this:

Well, I'm not a professional photographer. And we have no grass. And I wasn't about to go sit in the dirt. We could stand by the street, but we still have the black silt retainers up all along the street, and into the lawn. They look like garbage bags. Not pretty. So I improvised. I added a black strip along the bottom, and a little picture of hubs and me. Something was still missing, so I added a white swirl to go with the swirls in the Home Sweet Home pre-set wordart.

And mine looks like this:

I whited out the personal info with the white stripes, so those aren't really there. I love the black and white with the colors of our house. It would have been better with grass, but seeing as how we're already 4 months late, well, I don't think it's too shabby!

A big THANK YOU to Shutterfly! With their help, this was one less expense for us right now, which is very much appreciated!

My Thrifty Finds

2011-07-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

I have been loving the vintage blue Ball mason jars. Have you seen them? Seriously pretty. I saw them, and instantly fell in love. The bad news? They are hard to find. I'd heard you can sometimes find them at antique shops, but they aren't cheap. We actually went to an antique mall on vacation, and I found some! However, I was having a hard time shelling out $10-$15 each for a jar that I had no immediate plan for.

Since we've moved into the new house, I've been meaning to watch for community garage sales in the area. I want some decor type stuff. My Pinterest is full of ideas, and now I need thrifty ways to make them happen. I did score a little black candle lantern for $2 at a sale in June. That was the only community sale, heck garage sales in general that I'd gone too this year. I figured I'd better get a move on! Enter Craigslist. Low and behold, the community across the street was having their sale this weekend (well, past weekend now). Big, nice development, and in walking distance. I'm in.

My neighbor went with me, and her husband even joined us on his bike, with the kid trailer on the back just for me. So nice! First up, I found me some vases (or vase-ish type bottles at least). I definitely want to paint one yellow for the dining room.

3 bottle for a grand total of $2. Here they are:

Don't mind the foggy drippiness of the one on the right. I had just washed them, and couldn't really dry that one. I think it's a wine bottle too, but I liked the shape. That just might be my future yellow one. The one on the left might just be too pretty to paint. And I'm thinking white for the carafe, in the spirit of milk glass.

Then...you won't believe what I found. I couldn't really believe it either. A basket full of mason jars. And mixed in, Vintage blue! Now for the price. There were no stickers. So I ask, and anxiously wit while she tries to find the sign her sister made. Ready? 10¢ each! Yep, you read that right. 7 jars for 70¢! I almost felt bad. I mean I did. A little. No lids, but I'm okay with that. Here they are all clean and lined up on the window sill so you can see them in the sunlight.

I'm in love. Seriously. And still in shock that I got all of them for a mere 70¢. Oh, the one on the left I noticed is actually not a Ball brand. It says "Atlas Strong Shoulder". I'll have to look into that because now I'm curious about it.

And now for a picture of all my lovlies (or at least what would fit in the window):

All that loveliness for $2.70. I think I did good.

Connor's Tag Blanket

2011-07-09T07:00:00.006-04:00

My nephew, Connor, turned one last month. I wish I could have made him a baby blanket when he was born, but with a house for sale, and no designated craft area (unless you count any open floor space I had at the moment...truly, sewing machine and all, on the floor)...well, you can see how that just wouldn't work.

So, I felt the need to get crafty for Little Man's birthday. What did I choose? A tag blanket! My friend Jen's girl's have them, and LOVE them. They won't go anywhere without them. And the nice thing is that they are relatively small, and can be easy shoved in the diaper bag.

Before I tell you all about creating the blanket, I should mention my mom's quilt. My aunt and grandma made it for her for her wedding I think. It is a scrap quilt, and my mom could recognize most of the fabrics from shirts, curtains, etc. growing up. As a kid, I loved that quilt. I didn't have any memories to match with the fabrics, but I loved to run my hands over them, feeling the different textures. There was corduroy, flannel, silky fabrics, etc. Because of this, I decided to try and incorporate the different textures into Connor's blanket. I thought the variety would be good for his little baby sense too.

Most important was the main fabric. Rocket ships! Little Man has a space-theme room, and even had little space shoes for a while. Not only did I find it, but the colors were perfect! For the back, I picked a contrasting minky fabric. Then comes the tags! I wanted a variety of colors to mix in, as well as the textures of course. I wound up with tags of looped satin ribbon (blue & orange), grossgrain ribbon (green polka dot), red woven-type something (not sure what it's called), and fabric tags of navy corduroy, and bright blue flannel with stars.

There are a lot of tutorials out there, so I didn't make one. However, I really like this one from the Crafting Chicks.

A few tips...
1. While I love the minky fabric, it is really stretchy! Even with lots of pins, I did have some fabric stretching and a little trimming to do at the end. It's a solid color, so no harm done. Just a warning :)
2. Ooh, and don't iron the minky with the little raised dots! you'll iron the dots right out.
3. Since fabric is thicker than ribbon, I wound up not looping the fabric. They are just little strips.

Well, that's all I've got for now! Stay tuned to see what I did with my leftover fabric from this project. It's a good one!

Linked up to:
Talent Tuesday @ Vintage Wanna Bee
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Creative Girl
Made by You Monday @ Skip to My Lou
Take a Look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee Crafts
Handmade Tuesdays @ Ladybug Blessings
Woot Woot Wednesday @ The Wootsie Tootsie
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

Vacation Pictures!

2011-07-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are a few pictures from vacation. We went to the Outer Banks, NC. It's part of the Barrier Islands, and is our typical family vacation destination. We've been going every few years since I was a kid. It's familiar territory, and each time we have our favorite places to eat and shop. But each time we try to do something different too.

This time, our something different was a drive up to the Currituck Lighthouse. And yes we climbed to the top. 214 steps to the top. In 85+ degrees. With no air conditioning of course, and no open windows until about 12 feet from the top. Oh, and it's one staircase, so if someone's coming down your section, you have to wait on the landing for them to get by. I think we smelled. Anyone, it was fun, even if we were a sweaty mess. Oh, and crazy fact, there was no road going up to that part of the island (even though stuff exists up there) until 1985. They didn't have any electricity up there until sometime in the 1950's. Crazy!

Anyway, here it is with all it's charm:

Me in my beach hat:

Hubs and I hangin' out on the beach:

Little Man (aka, my nephew Connor) playing in the water after pictures with his Cheese Face...my new favorite of his expressions by the way.

Us being cute :)

And the traditional family pic (as we squint into the sun):

And one more Cheese Face in the pool because I just love it.

Well there you have it! Definitely a great vacation spot for families. Oh, and Connor loved the ocean! He didn't mind the sand so much either, which was a bonus. He did pretty good in the car ride, which is pretty long for a baby. All in all, a great trip!

Do you have a favorite family vacation destination?

My Vacation Reading

2011-07-05T07:00:00.001-04:00

1 week of vacation, specifically on the beach, equals 4 books down. I should also mention that I am one of those fortunate people who can read in cars. And we had a 12 hour drive (each way). So what did I take with me?

Night World Volume 2: Dark Angel; The Chosen; Soulmate by L. J. Smith

From B&N: Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters — they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

First, I should mention that there are 9 books total. I have them in 3 volumes. My mom got me one for Christmas, after the whole Twilight craze (which I was totally drawn into by the way). Each of the 9 books relates to different characters, from different factions of the Night World. They each have some suspense, and a little bit of romance too. I should also mention that neither mom or I noticed that the one she got me (which I read first of course), but Volume 3, books 7-9. You'll see more about about this in a minute.

My thoughts: I give these books 4 stars. I liked them, and will likely read them again. I love the author's whole idea of the Soulmate Principle, and how that played out in the stories. I also like the whole mix of vampires, werewolves, witches and shapeshifters (though the shapeshifters are not mentioned much).

BUT, I feel that you must know this...L.J. Smith never finished the series. If you read books 1-6, you'll be good. There are some characters from prior stories that are mentioned throughout, but not focused on for more than their own story if that makes any sense. BUT the last 3 books are more heavily interwoven. Books 7-9 deal with finding 4 specific people. Book 7, 1 found. Book 8, 1 found. So in book 9, they find 2 right? WRONG! There is a sequel. I was bummed when I finished, so hopped online to see if my local Borders had the last book. And what did I find? The author never released it! Boooooo! I was quite a bit less than pleased (to put it mildly). After doing some searching, it looks like it MIGHT be released in the next year or so...maybe. No one seems to really know for sure. And the original books were released in the late 1990's. I'll be waiting, and if I see anything, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I'd definitely recommend books 1-6.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Basic plot: Ginny's favorite crazy aunt dies, and Ginny gets a package in the mail with 13 blue envelopes. Should she choose to, Ginny must read the envelopes one a a time. Once she's completed the task from the first, she can read the second, and so on down the line.

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.
In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

My thoughts: Sounds like fun, right? Who doesn't love a good scavenger hunt? Add traveling thru Europe, and I've been drawn in. I was slightly disappointed though. It was an okay book. Some parts were slightly disjointed, and didn't seem to add much to the story. It wasn't quite the page turner I thought it would be. The end was good though. And with the crazy aunt, the disjointed-ness almost works. I give it 3 stars. It was okay, but not something I'm likely to read again.

That being said, there is a sequel. And the first chapter was in the back of this book. And I read it. And now I want to read the second book.

Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison

From B&N: On Tuesday nights, these women meet to trade shoes, and, in the process, form friendships that will help them each triumph over their problems--from secret pasts to blackmail, bankruptcy, and dating. Funny, emotional, and powerful, Shoe Addicts Anonymous is the perfect read for any woman who has ever struggled to find the perfect fit.

My thoughts: The ironic thing for me is that I HATE buying shoes! I have some crazy wide feet (which I like to blame on my dancing years, specifically toe shoes). I see all these crazy cute shoes, and cannot find any that fit. I know, poor me. Also, I'm WAY too cheap for designer shoes. Maybe if I had that kind of discretionary income. But that is a whole nother story.

Anyway, very cute book. Each character has her own reasons for joining in the shoe swap. They knew they'd get shoes, but didn't expect to become such great friends. If you like a nice happy ending, this book is for you. Each girl is an underdog in her own way, and they all come out of top in the end. Loose ends are tied up a bit too prettily for real life, but it's fiction, and happy fiction at that. A cute read. I will be looking to read more from Beth Harbison. Oooh, and I forgot to say, I'd give this book 4 stars. It's something I will likely read again.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Basic plot: Kat has grown up in a family of thieves. Not street thieves, but like the Ocean's Eleven type thieves. We're talking high security heists. She decides she wants a normal life, and cons her way into boarding school. When she finds out her dad has been framed for a crime he didn't commit, it's up to Kat to find the missing paintings (that her dad allegedly stolen) and return them to their rightful home.

My thoughts: A fun book. You can tell that Kat struggles with getting back into a life of crime, but can't let her dad take the blame for a crime he didn't commit. Her uncle won't help, so it's up to her and her friends (friends like family, in the same line of work as her dad) to pull off it off on their own. The characters are only supposed to be 15, but in reading, I tended to forget that. They seem a bit older...18 or 19ish. Lots of twists and turns, I never knew exactly what was going to happen. Definitely a 4 star book for me. And the best part? There is a second book: Uncommon Criminals.

Have you read any good books lately?

Yay Vacation!

2011-07-03T07:00:00.026-04:00

Vacation! Yay! It had been a few years sine I'd been on vacation.

In 2004, we had our honeymoon.

3 years later, in 2007, we went to OBX with the family (no vacations in between b/c we were newly weds after all, and pinching pennies).

In 2008 was our best trip ever, to Italy, which would not have been possible by the way if it were not for my super generous aunt & uncle who rented the villa, and invited us all to come. Air fare was not cheap, but not having to pay for a hotel surely made up for that.

2009 was our 5 year anniversary, and we planned a long weekend in Toronto, complete with anniversary dinner reservations at the revolving restaurant. That morning, we woke up, and hubby had to go to the doctor. It took a lot of convincing to get him to go, as he didn't want to spend his first day of vacation in a waiting room. It's a good thing I won out because we ended up spending that long weekend in the hospital instead of in Toronto. Which I guess is better than spending it in a hospital IN Toronto! And luckily, I had a whole weekend worth of clothes, both laptops, and some books in the car ready for our trip. Yeah, that didn't exactly go according to plan, and we weren't able to reschedule. However, the wonderful people at AAA were able to get our money back on the non-refundable hotel we'd booked prior. We did end up taking a 4-day weekend in Chicago later that year, which was fun. I love Chicago!

In 2010, my cousin got married in Virgina. We drove down (another 4-day weekend). 2 of the days were spent driving. One day we got to sight see, and the other was of course the wedding. Hubby counts this as a vacation, but I wasn't feeling it. We did get to visit with family from all over, which was nice, but didn't have much time to just do what we wanted, when we wanted.

And so, to me, I haven't had a vacation for 3 years. At least not a sit back, relax, and don't worry about a thing type of vacation. And actually, while Italy was absolutely wonderful, and I'd go again tomorrow if I could, it was EXTREMELY exhausting too. You can't relax in a place like that. There is so much to see and taste, and not enough hours in the day to do it all. And I know there are a lot of people who don't vacation yearly. But even a week at home is nice. None of those either, well maybe at Christmas. And I'm sure once we have kids that will change. But for now, it's a whole lot easier to plan a vacation with just 2 of us. We just haven't been doing it. We've had our plates full of other things, and other expenses. You know, renovating the old house, and building the new house and such :)

But this year? I got my vacation! We went once again to OBX with family. Last time? There were 3 houses full of us. This time? Just my immediate family (mom, dad, sister, brother, SIL & nephew). And while I would have loved to go somewhere new, on the other hand, we knew where wanted to go, where we wanted to eat etc. It was nice. It was much needed. A whole week away from laundry, and boxes that still need unpacking, and furniture shopping etc. I've got to face it all again now that I'm back but it was nice to have a break.

I hope you're enjoying your 4th of July weekend! I'll be posting some of my favorite pics from vacation this week :)

Flowers Flowers Flowers!

2011-06-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Well by now you know that we made flowers for craft group. And I'm hooked on these new styles! Ready to see what I've been up to? There are TONS of tutorials out there on these guys. I read a bunch and kind of mixed and match tips and tricks. I'll be linking up to some for you in case you want to attempt some yourself. I'm warning you now though...it's totally addicting!

Burnt edged flowers. You can find a tutorial at Make it and Love it.

Fluffy flowers. You can find a tutorial at House of Smith's.

More fluffy flowers. Did I mention these are addicting???

Brunt edged peony type flowers. You can find a tutorial at Simply Vintage Girl.

I think this one is my favorite! It's so pretty, and I just love the little bit of vintage bling in the middle too. It's big, but it will definitely be worn!

And this is one of my own creations For the basic flower, you can find my tutorial at the end of this post HERE.

One tip for the burnt edged flowers. You'll see this one most sites, but use SYNTHETIC fabrics. Like the cheap costume satin type ones. All of the ones I used were polyester.

The bright blue ones, and light pink one also use tulle. The tulle melts VERY fast! It almost just dissolves. Stay much further away from the flame and move fast to prevent your circle from getting too mis-shapen. Most of my tulle layers were not very round, but by the time you layer them, it really doesn't show. Or at least I don't think it looks bad :)

Don't you just want to go make flowers now? Have you tried any of these styles before? Or have a new one I should try? I'd love to see!!! Happy flower crafting!

Craft Group!

2011-06-21T07:00:00.002-04:00

We had our first ever craft group night, and it was so fun! We kept it simple, and decided to just do fabric flowers. I have lots of fabric and buttons, and the girls brought some too. We made a mess, and got to know each other a bit more. I've known Athena for years, and she bought a house down the street about 6 weeks before we moved in. Beth moved in across the street a couple of weeks after we did. And Jamie is a former co-worker, who happens to work 5 minutes form my house. It doesn't get much easier than that!

Here are the girls having fun, making a mess, and laughing about something:

And here are our creations:

Jamie even modeled hers for us :)

We wore them to work on Friday, which was fun too. We all work different places, and it was fun to hear that the other girls wore there's too. We're already planning for next month's project! I'm sure it'll be a fun one.

Do you have a craft group? Have you been in one before? Any tips? We're just kind of making it up as we go along. If you've got any pointers, we're all ears!

Decorating, One Teeny Bit at a Time

2011-06-19T12:15:00.001-04:00

I'm still unpakcing. I like to think I'm done, which pretty much means ignoring the remaining boxes. Yep, the morning room/eating area in the kitchen looks like this:

We have no kitchen table yet, so no need to hurry right? I just pretend that when people walk in, no one sees it. It's not there. It's kind of the first thing you see whn you walk in the kitchen actually. Hmmm, maybe I should work on that...

Anyway, I mentioned earlier in the week that I found my favorite furniture store. It's Walnut Creek Furniture, and I was in heaven. Truly! In most furniture stores, I ignore the accessories. To me they are overpriced, and I rarely see anything I love anyway. So I just ignore them. They are decoration, and not really things for sale. LOL! Well, in Walnut Creek? Seriously, just about anything in there I would put in my home I think. I was shopping accessories more than furniture. Hubby kept having to tell me to focus on tables, NOT accessories. But really, wow.

Have you ever seen the show American Pickers? The store was full of cool stuff like that. I should have taken pictures. Big gears (real ones that weighed more than me), metal trays and bins, antique doors, all sorts of reclaimed things that were cleaned up and full of character.

I wanted it all.

In the end, I got this:

I love it! I put in on the mantel when we got home because it's pretty much the only place I could display it until we decide where to put it, and put holes in the wall to hang it. Hubby immediately began his protest. I told him it was temporary, and continued to put it up there. Know what? He likes it there! It needs more. Like I said, one step at a time. But it's a start.

The candle stand and lantern? Other things that have not yet found homes. I've got a lot of that going on. Things are kind of randomly placed until I know what I want to do. Then they will find real homes. For now, they've been plopped there. Oh, and don't mind the naked windows. They are all like that actually. We haven't had a chance to think seriously about window treatments yet. We're STILL trying to focus on a kitchen table.

It's kind of hard starting from scratch. The options are endless, and we're not quite sure what we want. If I could paint, it would be easier to create a vision. We're abiding by the no painting for a year rule. We're already seeing some nail pops and cracking due to settling, so we're sticking to it.

One thing we've been trying to find though is bathroom accessories. On one of our many trips to Bed Bath & Beyond, we stopped to look at lamps. The ones in the living room (aka library room) were not working. I'm usually a plain-jane-go-with-something-neutral-it'll-go-with-everything kind of girl. And then I saw these:
I bought red lamps! Ok, so this red is kind of a neutral. Usually my neutral in decorating is black, white, or some kind of metal tone. I love these though! The problem? I was planning on green and blue in the room. I guess I've gotta rethink that one! It's worth it though, don't you think?
We decided we don't like them directly on the cherry colored tables, so I need to make some runners. I need to pick colors/find fabric first. I'm sure they'll be white with some kind of accent. Oh, and the pillows? They came with the love seat. I'm not loving them. They've served us fine the last year, but I need something a little more fun. A makeover is on the list. As for the wall? Well, I'm thinking this:

This is actually a picture from the last house. The photo was taken on our trip to Italy. It's kind of hard to see here, but we were in Moltipulciano, and it was raining. Walking down the street in the middle there is my Grandma, Grandpa and cousin with an umbrella. I love the reflection of the rain, and the charm of the buildings. If it ever gets hung, I will take a better picture for you.

Well, that's all for now! Hopefully I'll have kitchen table news soon. We're planning on heading back to the store today, so we'll see what happens!

Craft Group Sneak Peek!

2011-06-17T09:40:00.000-04:00

Last night we had our first ever craft group! I did take some pictures, but they are not yet uploaded to my computer (surprise, I know). BUT, I am loving my new clip! So I took a picture on my cell so you can see it :) Don't mind the messy desk around me. I am at work at the moment. And yes, my desk is usually covered in blue (and the occasional green) folders. Ready to see it?

I just love that top fabric. Very fun, don't you think? I'll try to get the rest of the pics posted this weekend, and some tutorials linked up for you all in case you want to make some yourself. This particular one is super easy by the way. AND if you hurry, JoAnn's has a bunch of fabric and buttons 50% off for their Firefly Frenzy thru tomorrow. I might just have to go back tonight and see if I can pick some fabric for the living room. I am in need of pillows, and some mini runners for the end tables. Fun stuff!

Hope you all have a fabulous Friday!!!

A Work In Progress

2011-06-14T22:00:00.000-04:00

Since I'm no longer designing kits, I'm changing up the blog! It's a work in progress, so pardon my dust. I'm loving my new look though! I'm trying to simplify, and the design is very me. What do you think?

Retired and Having Fun!

2011-06-13T22:01:00.000-04:00

Oh boy do I wish I was truly retired. LOL! Unfortunately I've still got to work the 8-5, but I've retired from kit designing, and it's taken a weight off. I'm focusing on the house, and am starting to get little pieces together. I have to take pictures still, but here's what's coming up:

CRAFTS:
• a tag blanket I made for my nephew
• flowers, flowers & more flowers (from my first craft group get together!)
• an autism sensory lap blanket

AT HOME:
• my RED lamps!
• a new favorite store and my sign from there
• my first canvas project

It's getting to be a lot of fun around here! Can't wait to show you all of it :)

Oh, and I mentioned my craft group. Thursday is our first gathering! We're keeping it simple and crafting all types of fabric flowers. 2 girls I've known for a while, and one is a new neighbor! And even better, it gave me an excise to make a trip to JoAnn's. Yay! New fabric, and fancy buttons are all ready to go! Is it Thursday yet?

Even more exciting? I get a driveway this week!!! Keep your fingers crossed that the rain holds off. I'm sick of the gravel, trying not to trip every time I go get the mail, and not getting stuck in the hills and valleys (with all the freeze and thaws all winter, it's quite the mess). We probably won't have a yard until July, but I'll take what I can get. And right now, a driveway sounds pretty darn good to me!

I hope your week is off to a great start! I'll be back in a few days with photos to share.

Last Chance Sales!!!

2011-06-09T20:26:00.000-04:00

You've got one more day to take advantage of my Retirement Sale!

And if you haven't heard, Angie's closing up her shop at Brownie Scraps! Don't worry, you'll still find her at Scrap Matters. But this is your chance to get her amazing stuff at a fabulous bargain! And some things will be gone forever.

Have you been shopping yet?

A Bit MIA

2011-06-05T10:29:00.000-04:00

Hello to everyone in blogland! Sorry I've been MIA for the past couple of week.

First, there is one week left to take advantage of my retirement sale! Everything is 50% off. Want it all? Buy My Store for only $20! Yep, for $20, you get a coupon good for everything in my store.

So this retirement thing (hee hee....hubby always laughs at the term "retirement" is definitely the right choice for me. It's been a while coming now, and in between tying up some loose ends, I've been enjoying my new-found freedom! Which is part of the reason that I've been MIA. I honestly haven't even scrapped yet. I just needed a break from it all, but I'm sure I'll be fully re-immersed again soon :)

So what have I been up to? Laundry. LOTS of laundry! As more boxes were unpacked, the laundry pile grew and grew. I'm happy to say that as of this morning, I'm done to about 3 loads left! And that stuff is all blankets, extra sheets, etc. AND most of what is washed is now put away too...though I keep rearranging the closet. I think I literally re-arranged it at least 3 times this week. This morning, hubby called from in there, "so you've rearranged again I see". LOL! I have to get used to this whole sharing of the closet thing. I'd prefer the back half, but that has less hanging space than the front half, so we are once again split down the middle. I've got the right, he's got the left. Well, for today anyway.

Oh, and the unpacking is going well! There is an end in sight! Yesterday, hubs and my BIL moved all of the garage/yard stuff out of the storage unit. We now have our entire garage full, and no clue as to what to do with it all. We'll have to go thru it and find some things to garage sale. The sale is in 2 weeks! I can't wait to get all this stuff out of my house! And hopefully we'll make a little spending money for vacation :) Anyway, while they moved all that, I tackled the guest room. I made it thru the last of the boxes in there! I've still got a stack of 5ish in the morning room, and then we have to go back thru everything in the office (most of which has to be sorted by hubs, and placed into appropriately labelled bins). The boy has a thing for computer/electronic parts. No kidding, I have 5 boxes in there of cables and such. they all look the same to me, so I just kept piling them in the boxes, and shoving them in the corner. It's on the list though.

And once that's all done? It's time to decorate!!! I can't wait! I've been scouring the web, and updating my Pinterest with things I like. Speaking of Pinterest, are you there yet? I'm a bit in love. It's better than bookmarking b/c you can access it form anywhere. AND you can search, kind of like a google image search. Love! You can check mine out HERE. Happy pinning :)

Crafting with the kids

2011-05-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

Our friends came over this past weekend to try out our panini maker (a most generous and fabulous house warming gift from them. I mean YUM!!!) It was actually the little ones first birthday, so I made her a little flower clip to go with the sun dress we got her. The older kids have been wanting to try out my craft room, so I thought the girls could make their own flower clips. Turns out John Paul wanted to join in the fun! He had fun making a bottle cap pin, and a card. And he even joined in the flower making fun to make a clip for his cousin's birthday. It came out so cute!

Maria Theresa's flowers. Don't you just love how the little ones want to put all the pretty things on their projects? So cute!

John Paul's card and pin:

Mary Bridget showing off her clip. The little one by her hand is the one John Paul made for his cousin.

The birthday girl. Isn't she just the cutest?!

Well that's all for now! I hope you all are having a great week :)

Mandy's Wedding

2011-05-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, my cousin, Mandy, got married. She was absolutely beautiful, and radiantly happy the whole time. The ceremony was on an overlook garden patio at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Stan Hywet is the estate of the Seiberling family, founders of Goodyear. It is now a museum, with house and garden tours. The house is sprawling and beautiful, but OH MY the gardens! I LOVE the gardens! My favorite is the Japanese garden. I don't have pictures of that one, as we didn't have a lot of time to wander between ceremony and reception, but here a few pictures of the house and the English garden (which I like to lovingly refer to as the Secret Garden. You'll see why...

Here is hubby & I in front of the house (which extends more in both directions). Aren't we cute?

The only entry to the secret garden. You have to go down stone steps to this doorway:

Keep in mind that Ohio has been quite cold and rainy! So while everything is lush and green, there aren't too many flowers around at the moment. The gardens are a lot more exciting in the summer :)
As I said, the ceremony was on an overlook patio in the garden. Here is Mandy coming down the aisle:

I don't have any good pictures of the ceremony :( I'll have to get some from her later to scrap. Garden seating doesn't provide the best view for photos. Here is the radiant couple in their first dance:

And this picture is awful. It was very dark, and I was up to digital zoon. I did what I could. I'm showing it so you can see the dress, not admire my photography skills (or lack there of). The details are lost in the grainy-ness, but it the bodice was all sparkly crystals. And the champagne color was just perfect on her:

AND they are spending part of their honeymoon visiting the Harry Potter theme park. This is me totally jealous! I can't wait to hear about it when she comes back. I have been begging hubby to go since I found out they were going. Once I hear how amazing it was, he'll be in real trouble :)

Retirement Sale!

2011-05-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

Yep, you read that right. After a couple of wonderful years of digi-scrap designing, I've decided to retire. This is something that I have been considering since January, and I just can't put it off any longer. I have truly loved my years of designing, but it is extremely time consuming, and I'm finally to the point where I need my life back.

So what's next for me? For one thing, I need to get back to scrapping! The year is almost half over, and I've only managed to scrap a handful of pages. I am staying on Angie's team, and will be helping out from time to time where I can. So you will still see me around here Other than that, I'm still trying to get my house in order, then I get to decorate! Whoo hoo! I'm starting up a small craft group, and am looking forward to having time to craft, bake, scrap...all the things I love. And of course, spending more time with family and friends. That is the biggest reason why we moved...to get closer to all the people we love.

I want to thank you all for all of the love and support you've shown me over the years. So I'm celebrating with a Retirement Sale! Starting today, everything in my store is 50% off. And even better, you can Buy My Store for only $20!!! Yep, everything in there is yours for only $20.

*The fine print: Sale and Buy My Store excludes collabs, which are technically not listed in my store anyway, but I just wanted to be clear about it.

Gettin' my craft on

2011-05-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Yep! I finally used my craft room! I needed a little push, and Back Porch Memories provided. They were having an online crop over the weekend, and so I dragged out my supplies, and got to crafting!

There were so many challenges to choose from! In the end, I went with 3 different challenges, and 3 different cards. Here they are:

Spring is in the Air:

Destress With Distressing:

Let Me Inspire You:

Fun stuff! I had a great time with these challenges :) If you do any paper scrapping, or like to make cards like me, you should definitely check out the challenges. The May Virtual Crop is going on thru Saturday.

New Books in the Mail!

2011-05-15T21:03:00.000-04:00

My newest batch of books arrived! Whoohoo! Here's what I got:

Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely Series #4) by Melissa Marr

The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy edited by Leah Wilson

Spells (Laurel Series #2) by Aprilynne Pike

And the one I just started reading:
How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls by Zoey Dean

Did anyone else watch that show Privileged? I thought it was fun, and this is the book the series was based on.

Oooh, also ordered the Tim Holtz book A Compendium of Curiosities. Jen from My Crafty Friend Jen has made some gorgeous things from it, so I'm getting excited to learn some tricks :) It should arrive today! Can't wait!

And because I'm mildy obsessed, have you read the Hunger Games yet? They're making a movie! I SO can't wait! It comes out next spring, which leaves you plenty of time to read it if you haven't yet. And if you've read all 3 and want to chat about it, we've got a thread going in the Brownie Scraps forum under our new Sweet Reads section. Come chat it up about past book club books and the ones that follow!

Indulgence Winner!

2011-05-09T07:19:00.000-04:00

From random.org, the winner of Indulgence is...poster #2! Congrats Kandiced! I'll be sending you your coupon today.

Her favorite indulgence?
"I think my absolutely favorite food indulgence is cheese cake...any type....ummm yummy!"

Oh, yum! I'm with you! Have you ever had Cheesecake Factory? That is where I first discovered that I love cheesecake. LOL!

Thanks to all who played :)

Indulgence - New Kit & Giveaway!

2011-05-03T12:27:00.001-04:00

I've got a new Essence of Color kit out today! It's time for some rich and elegant browns, don't ya think? I'm in love with this one! Here's the preview:

Kind of makes me want chocolate...

Ready for some CT inspiration? They sure wow-ed me with this one!

Megan:

Amy:

Laura:

Grace:

Tammy:

Hildur:

Sarah:

Larissa:

Natalee:

Crystal:

And Crystal also made this gorgeous QP for you!

Head over to her BLOG to grab it. And don't forget to say thanks!

Whew! That's a lot of LO's , and I love them all! Thanks ladies :)

Today, you can get Indulgence for 25% off as part of Fresh Baked Brownies.

You can also win it! Tell me your favorite indulgence for your chance to win. I'll be back this weekend to draw the winner!

Oh, and my indulgence? Ben & Jerry's Phish Food ice cream! When hubby has a vendor event, or something like that after work, I get myself a pint, and sit down in front of a girly movie. Heaven!

My Happy Place - Craft Room Reveal

2011-05-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

I put off me general cleaning and unpacking all week long to get my craft room unpacked. Wahoo! I still haven't made it to Ikea yet to get my Expedit bookcase, so for now, I made do with what I've got. Ready for some pictures?

Here is what I see now everyday, since this is the room at the top of the stairs:

My craft table (courtesy of my brother & SIL, who wanted it out of their basement). I want to recover the chairs in something yellow, and maybe brown? We'll see what I find. Oh, and the table expands if needed. I see a craft group inmy future! The cutting mat was a Christmas gift from my parents, and has been sitting under their bed for years, since I had no place where I could store it flat in the old house. So it's brand new, and ready for some serious crafting and sewing!

On my table, I've got my most used tools in a tin bucket form Target, $1 each (there are 2 there since I don't have a use for the other yet), and the bowl holding my ribbon remnants in a leftover from my wedding shower way back when.

The spice rack was another basement find from my brother & SIL. It's more than perfect! It holds my brads, eyelets, beads, rhinestones...all those little doodads, right in arms reach, and nicely organized. Don't mind the 2 without lids. They are still sitting by the kitchen sink from when I washed them. The sugar jar on top was a discard from my kitchen that found a new happy home.

My sewing corner. I wish I could have my sewing machine IN the table, but it's bad to store newer machines on their side. Maybe someday there will be a new sewing cabinet in my future, but honestly, I often use a big table when I'm quilting, or sewing anything large. I haven't hung anything on the walls yet, hence the string rack sitting on the floor.

My supply wall. This is where my Expedit will go one day. For now, my drawer units hold all of my ribbons, embellishments, LOTS of paper, my Xyron, stamps, etc. All the crafty goodness can be found here.

Some of the best budget organization I have is found here. The glass cookie jars are new, $3.50 each at WalMart. The drawer organizer is actually one from the hardware section (under $20, but I've had it for a while, so I don't remember the exact price), and holds all of my flowers sorted by color, plus tags, beads and other random things.

Microwave cart turned Sizzix station. And to think hubby wanted to get rid of this when we moved! It's perfect! All of my dies are stowed below, along with a couple of paperstacks and cutting tools.

And the drawer fits all of my cutting mats, shims and paper punches.

No room for these other than the window sill right now, but they look pretty cute there. These tins are from the Target dollar spot, $1 each. They hold ribbon remnants, adhesives and random tools, and my stickles and crackle.

Buttons! These Ball wide mouth canning jars are $3.97 for 4 at WalMart. Thanks to Dawn McVey for the idea! I've had my eye on these, but wasn't sure what to put in them until I saw her studio update. And they look so pretty on the window sill, don't you think?

Well, there it is! It needs some decorating, but for now, I'm just happy to have it all unpacked, organized and ready for crafting!!!

Introducing Our New CT Guests!

2011-04-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

As you know, Angie of Down This Road Designs and I recently had a guest CT call for our summer term. We had a really great response with so many talented ladies who applied. Unfortunately we could not give everyone a guest spot on the team this term, but keep your eyes open for another call in a few months.

Help us welcome our new Guests!!!! We also extended a full time spot to Laura and Larissa!!! Welcome to the team ladies!!

Oooh, and did you notice the kit used on that beautiful announcement??? Well, it's a sneak peek of what you'll get in the May Brownie Addicts! Hurry! Today is the last day to get it for only $7! Tomorrow being May 1, the price goes up to $10. You can find it HERE.

May Brownie Addicts!

2011-04-29T08:43:00.000-04:00

May is just around the corner, and what is happening in May? Well, Angie and I are hosting the May Brownie Addicts! Yep, you heard write, I'm co-hosting again :) And this month? Well, lets just say you won't want to miss it. There is truly something for everyone. Angie and I have always worked well together, and I LOVE the kits we've created for you! In case you missed it, here is the ad:

We've got some fun challenges lined up, and some freebies up our sleeves, oh and of course the kits! Let's not forget the kits! You won't want to miss it. You can get it HERE for $7 for 2 more days! Once May comes around, the price goes up to $10, so you better hurry!

Want to gamble on that $10? We have a giveaway going on at DST for a May membership! You can check it out HERE.

What is Your Spring Announcement?

2011-04-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Spring is here! I know in some areas of the country we're not quite feeling it yet. It's still cold and rainy here, but I'll take rain over snow! And even with the cold, we're starting to see daffodils and other spring blooms. How nice to see the bright fresh green of flowers popping thru the ground :)

With spring, comes of course spring cleaning! Cleaning house, and cleaning out! Opening windows and letting in the sunshine. We're not quite warm enough for the opening the windows part, but I am enjoying the sunshine, when it decides to come out from behind the clouds. I just love all the natural light in our new house! It helps me stay energized during my cleaning...or as the case right now, unpacking! We didn't have a lot of time to go thru things when we packed, so the unpacking has slowed a bit, as we try to weed out the things we don't need or use, and put them aside into the garage sale or good will piles. I love being able to get rid of things right now! What a nice feeling to declutter. Have you started your spring cleaning yet?

We've been in the house just over a month, and I have yet to send out any announcements. I've been so busy with the unpacking, and trying to get things semi-normal around here, that I just haven't had a chance to really think about it...and then I found THIS! A chance at 50 FREE announcements from Shutterfly! Perfect, right?

I love Shutterfly! I've had 2 books printed thru them, and one set of prints. My first ever photobook was a wedding book. Not a traditional wedding albums though. I wanted to record our wedding ceremony. We have some pictures of course, but we actually spent a lot of time choosing our readings, prayers and songs for our ceremony. It was a really special day, and those things are things I didn't want to ever forget. So this book, while it contains pictures, has all of the pieces of our ceremony in it too. It was all digitally scrapped, and quite matchy matchy.

My second book is a scrapbook with a whole bunch of random pages of hubby and I. It covers our 10+ years together in pictures and moments. You've probably seen some of those pages, but just in case, here are a couple of favorites:

And the front cover:

Don't have time to scrap your way thru a whole book? Check out their pre-done books HERE. Pick your pages, drop in your photos and text, and done! Easy peasy.

But Shutterfly does more than books. They do announcements of all kinds. Really, HUGE selection. As I mentioned earlier, I am particularly interested in the moving announcements. I really don't know which one I want. So many options! I think I want at picture. This one would allow me to basically scrap it, since the photo fills the whole card:

I love the subway art feel to this one:

And if I can't get a great picture (my front yard is a mud pit, with a pile of gravel in it currently), then how cute is this one?

Want to make Mother's Day extra special? Shutterfly can help you there too! How cute is this card?

So sweet! And they have ones that you can upload your child's artwork to for the front. And the cost? For one card, it's $2.99. The same as, if not cheaper, than a generic drugstore card, only this one is 100% personalized. Totally worth it! Check out the Mother's Day selections HERE.

So do you have a spring announcement to share? Any other new home owners out there? How about new babies? Graduations?

Do you have a blog? Then you too can SIGN UP for a chance at 50 FREE cards from Shutterfly! Head on over to the Shutterfly Photo Cards BLOG to enter.

Good luck! And a BIG THANK YOU! to Shutterfly for giving me the chance to get my moving announcements :)

*Shutterfly has selected me for 50 cards by sharing this promotion with you. My prior Shutterfly purchases were entirely my own, as is my high opinion of their products.

Paisley Parade Giveaway Winner!

2011-04-20T12:28:00.002-04:00

Goodness, where does the time go! I'm sorry I'm so late on this giveaway. Better late than never though, right?

From random.org, the winner is....#2! Congrats Jennifer! And what would Jennifer do with an extra 2 hours in the day?

"Since I'm busy from morning 'til past bedtime, I think my first choice for two extra hours would be sleep. Second choice would be crafting."

Sounds great to me! Jennifer, I will email you your coupon for Paisley Parade :)

Thanks to all for playing!

My Husband's Decorating Blessing (sort of)

2011-04-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

My husband is one of many opinions. Seriously. He wants a say in everything! Think I'm joking? Exhibit A: he wanted to pick the color of the bridesmaids dresses in our wedding. He was even interested in the dresses themselves. His best friend? "Hey Dan, what color are the bridesmaids' dresses in your wedding?" Dan: "Ummm, ask Bridget." Nope, not my hubby though.

We've been looking for a new bedding set for a few months. Our current one is this one (only without all the matching walls are curtains and such) that we got when we got married 7ish years ago:

I would not consider this overly girly. There are no flowers, just leaves. No ruffles or girly colors. This time, he thinks that he wants something less feminine. Ummm....okay? And absolutely nothing with any type of foliage, ruling out 80% of all bedding it seems. AND almost everything we find that we can agree on is dry clean only. Seriously? So what do you do while it's at the cleaners? No thank you. But I digress.

So, you can see he is quite opinionated. While shopping, if I say anything is "cute" he refuses to have it in the house, well at last the public areas of the house. LOL! I have not been able to pin down colors for accessories. We're abiding by the rules, and not painting anything until we're past the 1 year mark. The builder comes back around then to fix any nail pops, cracking etc. that can happen as the house settles. If we paint, they will mud, spackle, fill, or whatever they do, and leave the rest up to us. If we don't paint (we paid them to paint the whole house the same warm, yellowy-tan-ish color), then they will fix everything AND touch-up the paint. So we're taking that option. :)

Meanwhile I'm color starved! Our couch is a light taupe. The loveseat in the living room? Brown leather. All the walls are the same, though at least it's a warm pretty color, and not builder white. I've been asking hubby for months what colors he might want. The answer? White and black. LOL! Finally today...progress! The answer? It's shocking. Are you sitting down? "Honey, you can pick whatever you like." Me? Shocked. I think I should have gotten that in writing...

Book Review - Fire by Kristin Cashore

2011-04-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

I finally finished another book! I know I've mentioned it a few times. I had been waiting for it to come out in paperback. Not because I'm cheap per say (though I truly am). The hardcover and paperback are actually the same price right now at BarnesandNoble.com. I have the first book, Graceling (ok, well actually the second, as Fire is technically a prequel) in paperback. Since the books started in paperback, I like to keep the rest of the set in paperback. I'm a little weird and completely anal that way. Is that weird?

Anyway, the book is Fire by Kristin Cashore. Here is the beautiful cover:

Another quirk? I will totally browse book in a store by the covers. Maybe it's the graphic designer in me, or maybe I'm just weird. Probably a little of both. A nice cover goes a long way with me.

I loved the book. It's set in a totally different world than Graceling, and about 10 years prior (which I didn't pick up on until I read some reviews...after I read the book of course b/c I didn't want any spoilers). In this world, there are beautiful, and dangerous monsters. They are beautiful, and they are deadly. One of them is human.

Her name is Fire, and this is her story. She is 18, and struggles with who she is. To most people, she is first a monster, and second a human. She is beautiful enough to make most people lose their train of thought. She can influence minds, making her dangerous, and untrustworthy. At least, that's what people think. And that is Fire's struggle. She is a monster, but not in the sense that people cast her for. The story goes through all of this, her struggles, how people want to use her power to influence others. As the story progresses, she finds herself in the midst of many people, no longer hidden away. This is a story of war, love, and beauty. Of finding and trusting others and yourself.

My only disappointment was that I had read that a character from Graceling appears in this book too. I never picked up on it. It was not one of the characters I was expecting. In fact, at the end of the book, I had to go read some reviews to find out who it was. Granted, I read Graceling 2 years ago, so it's been a while. Even knowing who it is now, I can't place this person. I don't want to spoil it for anyone in case your memory is better than mine :)

All in all, a great book. It has some (very slim in my opinion) ties to Graceling, but can be read on it's own without any need for knowing what happens in Graceling.

I'm looking forward the the third book, Bitterblue, which supposedly takes place in the kingdoms found in Graceling.

Side note: I don't usually read all the stuff at the end of books that talks about the authors process. I actually did read some of it in this one. It intrigued me! Kristin Cashore talks about what it means to build a fictional world that doesn't have our real world conventions. It's medieval-ish, but again, not related to our medieval times in the same sense. So what issues arise form this? Cashore talks about writing a line something like "She ran like hell". Well. in this world, there isn't necessarily religion. So it doesn't work. She had to change it to simply "She ran". She also talks about the geography. in Graceling she had people traveling someplace not too far away, but according to her timeline, it needed to take them 6 months to travel that distance. To make it work, she added a dense forest, and mountain that could only be crossed by foot. It worked. However, in Bitterblue, she planned on some people traveling that same distance in a shorter period, before remembering that in their way would be a dense forest and mountain that could only be crossed by foot. All of this truly makes me appreciate what goes into writing stories like this even that much more. Thanks Kristin! And thanks to all you other fantasy writers, working hard to create your worlds, and finding the flaws (or at least trying to) before we do :)

Last Chance at our Guest Call & a Birthday Sale!

2011-04-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that today is your last chance to apply to both our Guest CT Call, and Guest Hybrid Call! Today's the final day, so get those apps in.

And, I've been a bad blogger this week and forgot to post about Angie's Birthday Sale! It goes thru Sunday though, so still plenty of shopping time left :)

Happy shopping!

Storage for baking ingredients?

2011-04-14T10:57:00.000-04:00

I have a random question for all of you in blogland...

How do you all store your flour and sugar? My friend has these Tupperware canisters and loves them.

We also looked at the OXO ones with the push-down button thing on top, and in most reviews, people love them:

A couple people said they didn't seal very well, and that you could pull the lid off without pushing in the button (which hubby did in the store. There was resistance, but you could easily pull it off).

We have these ceramic ones with a hinged closure thing, but I don't want them out on the counter, and really they weren't big enough for a whole bag of flour or sugar anyway.

Do you have any experience with the Tupperware or OXO ones? Or do you have something else you love or hate, I'd love to know!

Taking it one day at a time

2011-04-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Can you believe I'll have been in the new house 1 month as of this weekend, and I have yet to soak in my tub? I searched for a picture, and came up with this:

Yep, add 'take new pictures' to the list. The tub is huge. I think it will take the entire contents of my hot water heater to fill it. But oh how nice it would be to soak in that tub! I've got candles, and a bottle of bubble bath sitting there waiting for me. Maybe I'll get to it this weekend. It'll be too cold to paint the garage, and I'm still working on a Plan B chore list. It will likely include blinds and ceiling fans, plus lots and lots of laundry (clothes + 4 months in storage = smelly = lots of extra laundry). And if I'm lucky? A trip to Ikea.

This week's box count? A sad 6 I think. We spent over 10 hours prepping and priming the garage last weekend though, so all in all, not too shabby. We're hoping to get that all painted (including the ceiling) before May, or else we have to pay for another month at the storage unit. And mother nature doesn't seem to be interested in helping us out. The weather was great last weekend. We made it into the 80's. And this week, we're back in the 40's. Yuck. And, as soon as the garage is done, I can get the plaid loveseat out of my living room (we were going to throw it out, but it was raining so it stayed in the garage. Hubby decided he liked having it in there, but to do the floor, it needed temporary home...aka, the living room). Once it's out, I can get my chair and a half. Can't wait!

My kitchen pile is starting to quickly shrink. A lot of that has to do with the lovely art of transference. Not something that can be dealt with immediately, or belongs in another room? Moved to figure out later. Not the best way to handle things, but it helps keep me sane :) Not that I need the space in there yet. We're in the process of getting a quote on an Amish made table & chair set for in there. Once we order, I think it's a 6-8 week lead time.

So I've got 6-8 weeks to sort out the junk in there. One day at a time, right? I've stopped big goals. I have my goals for the week, and sometimes just for the day. That's all I can do without driving myself (and hubby) absolutely nuts.

Well that's where I'm at. Taking it one day at a time, and slowly making things livable. Can't wait to get past livable, and start working on cozy and homey!

Paisley Parade - New Kit & Giveaway!

2011-04-12T09:01:00.001-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGIE!!!
If you have a minute, stop by the Down This Road Designs BLOG and leave her some happy birthday wishes :)

Now onto the scrapping goodness...
I've got a new kit out this week! I love paisleys, and combined with this pallet? So fun! It's called Paisley Parade. I hope you like it!

Want to see some of what my CT has done?

Meg:

Natalee:

Hildur:

Tammy:

Laura:

Larissa:

Amy:

Tiffany:

Aren't they all just so fun?

If you want Paisley Parade, you can get it today for 25% off as part of the Fresh Baked Brownies. OR, you can try to win it instead! One lucky winner gets this kit. Since this week (as is my thinking lately actually), I could really use 2 more hours in a day, leave a note with what you would do with 2 extra hours in a day for your chance to win!

Would it be tackling the pile of laundry?

Doing one of your favorite hobbies?

Pampering yourself in some way?

All of the above please, LOL! Leave me your 2 hour wish, and I'll be back on Friday with the winner!

DTRD Grand Opening at Scrap Matters!

2011-04-08T09:10:00.000-04:00

Did you hear that Angie was one of the 4 finalists in the Scrap Matters Design Star contest? As a finalist, she's received an apprenticeship at Scrap Matters. How cool is that? Her store officially opens today!

If you followed the contest ata ll (or Angie's blog), you'll remember her kit Blast Off. It's the first one into her store:

Did you already grab it during the contest? Well , then you might want this too...a brand new add-on to go with it!

You can find Blast Off and the add-on in her SM store HERE. They will both be 20% off all weekend long.

Don't worry, Angie is still at Brownie Scraps and has some exciting things in the works! First, a special sale coming next week. Be sure to watch her BLOG for details.

And, Angie and I have teamed up for the May Brownie Addicts! We're busy busy busy working on some fabulous kits, and fun freebies for the month. Memberships go on sale April 15th, so stay tuned!

The Never Ending Piles

2011-04-06T08:13:00.000-04:00

The boxes. They are never-ending. Every week, the pile of boxes that goes out to the trash/recycling (it's the same day, and I'm really not sure who is taking the boxes) is big, and considering we try to nest the boxes as much as possible, and are still piling them up by the curb, well, you'd think we're making progress, right? In fact, this week, we had 17 boxes that we put out.

It sure doesn't look like it!

This week's list? Unpacking our clothes, and doing some laundry. Yep, 3 weeks, and only the hanging stuff is "put away", but not organized. Literally just thrown in the closet. I have resorted to stealing hubby's socks on the weekends. And today? Brown socks with my black pants for work. Yep, I'm a bit of a mess.

I try to tackle a box or 2 a day after work. Since it's been kitchen stuff lately, it takes longer because everything needs to be washed first, then dried, then shoved somewhere. Our cabinets? NARROW! We have a lot of cabinet space. Unfortunately, I'm convinced whoever designed them doesn't cook. Not that I do, but hubby does :) 90% of our cabinets are barely wide enough to fit a standard dinner plate. Things that don't fit in those? Mixing bowl, crock pots, large sauce pans. This is part of the reason why it has taken us 3 weeks to tackle the kitchen.

Saturday was spent shuffling things from one cabinet to another, then back again, around in circles until everything had a home. Most things are not in ideal locations, but it's working for now. And we'll get used to it right? I guess that's an upside to small kitchens, like our last house. Not many options of where things go.

Now if I can somehow convince the piles of boxes to actually shrink as I empty them, I'd be able to take more pictures to share. We have not done any decorating (unless you consider getting the books on the shelves decorating). We haven't purchased a single blind yet. My apologies to the neighbors! We'll get there...someday. Multiple people have told us etiquette gives you a year to get unpacked and settled. A year? If I am still going through boxes in a year (not counting Christmas, as I refuse to deal with those until November), someone please slap me.

So until then, I will continue to drool over home decorating blogs like these:
The Inspired Room
Thrifty Decor Chick
Brooklyn Limestone (just found this one)

Do you have a favorite decorating blog? I'd love add it to my list!

Jacabean & DTRD Guest Call!

2011-04-04T19:00:00.001-04:00

No joke, it's time for another guest call! Want a chance at a 3 month spot on our team? We're looking for layout artists and hybrid artist!

Interested in joining us? Email applications to me: jackie at jacabean.com or Angie: downthisroaddesigns at q.com with the following information:

• a link to your best gallery
• a list of your creative teams and other commitments
• your name/screen name in the digital world
• a little about yourself and why you would like to be part of our team

Can't wait to see who'll be joining us!

** Down This Road Design and Jacabean Designs have a joint CT. CT/Hybrid Members are required to work with new releases from both designers.

What's next on my reading list?

2011-04-04T07:00:00.001-04:00

Since I've gone as far as I can with the Septimus Heap series so far, it's time for a new book! Next on the list: Fire by Kristin Cashore. This is the second book in the 7 Kingdoms Series. It's not a direct sequel, which is a little sad, but it is the same kingdom, and one of the main characters comes back. not sure which yet, since I haven't started it. I've been careful not to read any reviews and have that little surprise spoiled for me :) I loved the first book, Graceling, so I'm excited about this one.

After Fire? In no particular order:
• Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen
• Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
• Spells (Laurel Series #2) by Aprilynne Pike
• Someone Like You/Keeping the Moon (2 Books in 1) by Sarah Dessen
• Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin
• Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely Series #4) by Melissa Marr
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett (the March Brownie Book Club read)

Want to see more of my to-reads? Check out my Goodreads. You can find it in the left sidebar.

Have a favorite book/series/author that you think I might enjoy? I'd love to hear it, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Leave a comment and share your favorites.

Book Review - Septimus Heap Series by Angie Sage

2011-04-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

While I don't have much time for getting crafty these days, we are still trying to get to bed early enough for at least 20 minutes of reading. I know I haven't posted much book stuff lately, so I'll be making up for it this week.

I just finished reading Syren (Septimus Heap #5) by Angie Sage. I haven't reviewed any of the Septimus Heap books yet because I was waiting to get thru the series. Turns out book 6 comes out this summer! (I didn't know there was a book 6 when I started.) Anywho, I figured I might as well tell you what I think now, since it'll be a while until I read that one. I typically don't buy hardcover books, which means a longer wait on new releases. The ones I do buy in hardcover are the ones that count: Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games. All in beautiful hardcover to last many many reads. And I do re-read. I've re-read the Harry Potter books at least 4 times...each! It's how I justify buying books vs. going to the library.

Ok, now that I'm WAY offtrack, lets get back to Septimus Heap.

Beginning synopsis from B&N:
The seventh son of the seventh son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this myster ious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus?

These books are a kids/young adult series. It's definitely a fun one, and the books are pretty big...Magyk is 668 pgs in paperback. They are nice easy reads without being dumbed down too much. They have their twists and turns, and their moments where you just want to read one more page before lights out. They were really the perfect books to read during the end of our building process and move. It was nice to not have to put too much thought in to what book to read next either. I just grabbed the next one in line for the series. Also, there weren't too many characters/storylines to keep track of all at once. It was easy to put the book down, sometimes for a few days at a time, and then get back into the story right away. The characters are fun, and it's fun to see them grow up a bit as the books progress. These books have of course the bad wizards in with the good wizards, but don't get as dark or serious as Harry Potter.

One of my favorite little bits, at the end of each book, Angie Sage has a section that goes back and wraps up the minor characters stories. These are just random bits, sometimes only a paragraph, that tell you a bit more about minor characters that we cross paths with during the story. They are never important to the story, but are still kind of fun to read.

Well that's all for now! Stop back tomorrow to see what I'm reading next :)

Busy at Home

2011-03-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for all the well wishes for my new home :) We've got SO much to do still! The list includes (in order of importance):
1. priming and painting the garage
2. unpacking
3. decorating

Not to mention general cleaning, and the HUGE pile of laundry we've already accumulated.

Needless to say, there isn't much scrapping or crafting in my very near future. I'll get there though. Once the garage is done, and we can move the garage stuff out of the storage unit, then we get to go to Ikea! YAY! It's a few hours away, so definitely a full day trip.

I've decided on the Expedit bookcase for my craft room. I think I've shown it before, but it's this one:

Still up in the air between the 5x5 and 4x4. The 4x4 will fit more comfortably, but the 5x5 gives so much extra space...9 extra cubbies worth. Decisions decisions!

Then we need furniture for our guest room, curtains, a chest of drawers of some kind for the front hall, and maybe some other fun things we see while we're there. I've never been to Ikea, so I'm so excited, and a bit anxious too. I've heard the first trip there can be really overwhelming. I'm hoping that by going with a list, and maybe some clippings from the catalog, that we'll manage well enough.

So to all you Ikea fans out there, what is your favorite Ikea item? What have you purchased that you love? What's on your wishlist? Maybe it'll give me some ideas!

Oh, and I know I've said no time for scrapping, and that is true. However, I do have a few new releases up my sleeve that'll fit into my regular 3-week schedule. One just might be another Essence of Color kit ;)

Brownie Scraps Book Club!

2011-03-30T07:00:00.002-04:00

I just love meeting people from all over thru my crafty/scrapping ventures. It's funny to find people who you have SO much in common with! Pretty much all of the Bakers (designers) at Brownie Scraps share my love of reading. And this year, we decided to start a book club! I've yet to join in, due to moving and all that craziness, but the book selections sound SO good!

And the book for April? Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins! LOVE that book/series! I kept seeing it all over the place, but the whole fight to the death stuff isn't really my thing. Angie felt the same way, but finally gave Hunger Games (the first in the trilogy) a try. We have similar taste in books, so that was the decision maker for me. I bought book 1, and was totally hooked! Really, if you haven't read this series, I highly recommend you give it a try. And while you're at it, why not try out the book club too? Perfect timing, right? You can find more about the Brownie Scraps Book Club HERE.

And you can find Hunger Games HERE.

Read it. You'll love it. And if you don't? I promise not to hold it against you :)

And if you read, or have read Hunger Games, I'd love to know what you think! No spoilers please so we don't ruin it for anyone else :) Or I guess if you're putting a semi-spoiler, you can note that in caps at the top of your comment, and anyone who doesn't want to know will be forewarned!

Look for Rainbows - New Kit by DTRD

2011-03-29T07:00:00.003-04:00

Angie's got no one, but 2 new kits in the shop today! They are coordinating boy/girl kits called Look for Rainbows:

They are LDS themed, but are packed with everyday goodness too. They are really SO versatile! Want to see what I mean?

Tiffany:

Amy:

Hildur:

Meg:

See what I mean? Both kits can be found in the Fresh Baked Brownies today for 25% off. Happy scrapping!

A Winner & DTRD Feature!

2011-03-28T12:50:00.000-04:00

Sorry I'm late on drawing the winner! Can I just say, the weekend was pure chaos! I don't think I sat down to relax for more than a couple of hours the WHOLE weekend. Lots of birthday celebration, and dinners with family. Fun times, but so busy too.

Okay, on to the drawing! From random.org, the winner is...#1! Congrats mdusell! I'll be sending you your coupon shortly. Thanks to those who entered!

So what else is new? Did you see that Angie of Down This Road Designs is featured on SimplyUT.com today? Check it out for a coupon to her store. Better hurry though! The coupon is good for today only!

It's Slowly Coming Together!

2011-03-25T09:13:00.001-04:00

**Don't forget to enter to win Easy Bake Templates 4!
Check it out HERE.**

We're in the new house, and things are SLOWLY coming together! There is stuff everywhere! I am trying to work room by room, but I have a hard time staying focused. I find something that needs to go to another room, and take it there. Then I see something there that I can do quickly, or another box that doesn't belong, and end up all over the house instead of just finishing a room. I try REALLY hard not to, but I still catch myself doing it without realizing sometimes :)

The Living Room is almost done. We decided to make it a library. We bought 4 shelving units for all the books, and 2 have cabinets at the bottom for games and stuff like that. It's a work in progress, and I know some books are still hiding in boxes, but here it is so far:

Yay library! There is still room to the left of the bookcases, so we want to get a big comfy reading chair eventually. For now, at least I have the loveseat to cozy up on. And yes, the dining room table is current the "unpack the crap and throw it here" area. We have a small space at the end for us to eat. Oh, and the drawer in front on the box? Our one furniture mishap. You can't see it so much in the picture, but the left corner broke off. Nothing a little wood glue can't fix, but we've left it out until we get around to doing it.

During the unpacking process, I'm trying REALLY hard to declutter! So far, I've got about 10 books (which isn't many considering all the books, but it's really hard for me to get rid of books), a dozen-ish dvds, 2 candle, a puzzle and 4 vases. Not a huge pile yet, but at least it's a start, right?

Easy Bake Templates 4 & Giveaway!

2011-03-22T22:06:00.000-04:00

I'm all moved in! Now if I can just get things unpacked, and find homes for it all, I'll be in good shape. For the moment though, I'm digging thru boxes to find 2 socks that match each morning. Fun fun! Now onto more exciting things in the scrapping world...

I've got a new release out today! Yep, I'm a bit late. Don't worry though, I'll extend the 25% off sale on this thru tomorrow (Wednesday). Ready for the preview?

I love this set, and my CT did an AMAZING job with it! Here are a few:

Larissa:

Laura:

Dottie:

Hildur:

Check out the shop to see more LOs :) Want to win this template set? Leave a comment, and I'll be back this weekend to draw a winner!

This Week

2011-03-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

It's finally here! This week is moving week! Today we are signing the papers, and will once again officially be home owners :) :) :)

Needless to say, I won't be around much. I'll have lots of pictures and stories to share with you when it's all done. For now, I am spending my days moving, unpacking, and running from store to store to get things we need. The list is never-ending! Blinds, oh the blinds! And curtains, bathroom accessories and towels, lighting, furniture. And then of course groceries, trashcans, toilet paper...all that kind of good stuff we need.

When I'm back? More scrapbooking of course! I have a new template set coming out next week. And book reviews. I picked up 2 new ones this week. I have some fun crafty things to share too.

Until then? Pick up the MS Charity collab, Movement, and you won't get bored while I'm gone :) Read more about it HERE. Buy the collab HERE. And wish me luck during the move!

Upping the Ante for MS with a Giveaway!

2011-03-15T10:00:00.005-04:00

We're spreading the word about the MS Charity Collab, and today I'm upping the ante! How about a giveaway? What do you have to do to enter? Help spread the word! Yesterday's post talks about the Movement collab, and my pledge to donate 100% of my proceeds for the week to the MS Society (thru Mandy's BikeMS). You can find the post HERE.

You have 4 chances to enter to win a $5 coupon to my store, just by spreading the word! Blog, tweet, Facebook...spread the word about the collab and/or my pledge. Leave one comment for each place you've spread the word. Make sure to link me back to your postings for your submission to count!
1. Blog about it
2. Tweet about it
3. Facebook it
4. Posting it somewhere else? Link me up :)

BONUS ENTRY: Make a purchase from my shop this week to get a bonus entry. Just leave a comment with your order#! Remember, any purchase you make goes directly to fighting MS (minus PayPal fees).

Thanks so much for your help! The giveaway closes on Sunday, March 20. I'll be back early next week to draw the winner!

MS Awareness & Fundraiser!

2011-03-14T18:18:00.002-04:00

Today starts MS Awareness week. Last year, you heard about it here, but this year, it's even more exciting!

For the last few weeks, bunches of digital scrapbook designers have been working on a really amazing thing together. Mandy (aka Hornbuckle Designs) emailed and posted on a forum with a color palette and a theme, asking for support and help with a fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis. Why? Mandy's mom has MS.So Mandy asked, and we delivered! More than 30 designers chipped in to bring you this:

Isn’t she beautiful? It’s HUGE! I'm no sure I've ever seen a collab this big. We're not talking 2 papers, and 3 elements per designer. We're talking full on minis that put together equal almost 200 papers, more than 400 elements, and 3 alphas on top of that!

And! There are a set of about 50 quick pages/templates being uploaded and coming soon to be sold separately starting tomorrow!!

And best of all? 100% of the sales of this go to Mandy's BikeMS ride, which is all MS Society.

Is anybody else excited??

You can buy this kit at http://www.MSDigiKit.com. And you can tell everyone you know that they can also buy this kit at http://www.MSDigiKit.com. Blog about it. Tweet about it. Share the link on Facebook. Get the word out!

This kit is so versatile, that really you can scrap ANYTHING with it. Seriously. I bet you could even scrap a Christmas page with all that green.

Here are the wonderfully talented and generous designers who contributed:
AKay Designs
Benthai Creations
Black Rose Digitals
Creations by Rachael
Designs by Angel
Down This Road Designs
Hornbuckle Designs
Jacabean Designs
Jen C Designs
JennCk Designs
Julie Marie Designs
JusMe Digital
Kimeric Kreations
Mama Llama Designs
Mommyish
Ocean Wide Designs
One of a Kind Design Studio
Photocowgirl
Polka Dot Chicks
Pretty in Green
Psychozoe
Rhonda Sunflower Designs
Rumki Designs
Scrapping All The Way
Scrappy Cocoa
Scrapvine
Shmooangel Designs
Starving Artist Designs
Sus Designs
Tracy King
Unforgettable Moments
Z Pink Boudoir Designs

Thank you ladies for supporting Mandy! She's amazing, and I only know her digitally. I'm sure she's even MORE amazing in person and I'm sure we'd have some good laughs. Oh, and her birthday was a few days ago. So say Happy Belated Birthday to Mandy and go buy the kit :)

Super exciting, right? Can it get better? Of course it can! All this week, I'll be donating 100% of my proceeds to Mandy's BikeMS. Yep, 100%!!! I'm sure there is a kit in my store that catches your eye. There's a LOT of variety in there. Short on cash? There are some $2 minis too.

But wait, there's more! I think I missed my calling in infomercials. Seriously though...Angie of Down This Road Designs is also donating 100% of her proceeds for the week to Bike MS too! So be sure to check out here store too. She has some amazing things in there! You can find it HERE.

Feature Friday - My Crafty Friend Jen

2011-03-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

Can I just say, I am loving all the amazing people I'm meeting thru Feature Fridays? I would love to get together and craft with these ladies. And their not just crafty. They seem like truly genuine and wonderful people. Today's feature is no exception! In fact, I'm in awe of her creations, and would love to see her in action. She is responsible for my newfound obsession with Tim Holtz related supplies. Trust me, once you see hte last project she's showing off, you might be headed out to your nearest craft store for some Tim Holts too! So who is this awesome crafter? It's Jen of My Crafty Friend Jen! She's here today to show off some of her projects. Here she is:

Hi everyone! I'm Jen of My Crafty Friend Jen. Jackie invited me over today to post about a few craft projects I have posted over on my blog that she has enjoyed herself and which she thought you all, her faithful readers, might also be interested in. I'm super excited to be here!!

First, a little about me. I am a stay-at-home mom to four children...a son who will be 6 in about a week, twin 3-year old daughters, and a 4-month old son. I home-school my 6-year old, who is in kindergarten, and one of my 3-year olds was born with a cleft palate, so she goes to speech class once a week at the local elementary school. Needless to say, they keep me pretty busy!! Before I quit working to stay home with my kids, I was a medical social worker...but I have no desire to return to the workforce - I love staying at home!! I am married to a wonderful husband who, when we bought our current home 3 years ago, let me have what was supposed to be the formal dining room as my craft room - and it's STILL not enough space for all my crafty goodness!! He is fortunately VERY tolerant of my organized chaos that frequently seems to spill over into the kitchen or living room!

I fit my crafts in whenever I can, and have found that crafting is truly what keeps me sane. When I began crafting over a decade ago, I started with scrapbooking. I added in stamping a couple years later, and slowly over the years, have ventured into many different crafty arenas...sewing, knitting, a bit of polymer clay, soap-making and various other bath/body products, and more recently into mixed media. Mostly, though, where I really feel "at home," so to speak, is with paper, stamps, ink and paint - though where they end up is anyone's guess...a banner, an altered frame, a card, a layout...the list goes on! I am on the design team for Crafts Unleashed, which is the project blog for Consumer Crafts; and I write occasional product reviews for Craft Test Dummies. I have also been a guest designer for the Paper TrailMakers blog.

Jackie picked three projects from my blog archives that she specifically asked me share today. The first one I'm going to share is actually an ornament I made for Christmas gifts. But wait - before you start asking, "Why on earth??", I can explain! ;) Jackie thought - and I totally agree! - that these would also look GREAT hung around the neck of a bottle of wine as a hostess gift or housewarming gift!

Vintage sheet music was used for the
rosette; foil paper for the backing

Add floral picks to jazz it up; they are inexpensive and
add glimmer and texture

The multiple layers are visually appealing

You can find all the details on how I assembled this ornament here. To change the look of the ornament for a housewarming gift, simply leave off the word, "JOY," and replace it with a vintage charm or button. Or, you could change the entire color scheme of the ornament for a different look entirely - use a different backing cardstock, different floral picks, different colored ribbon - you don't even need to use sheet music for the rosette; you could use pattered paper instead if you liked. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination!

The second project I'm sharing today is a home decor project. This one was for Valentine's Day, but the concepts are universal and can be applied to any season or holiday. This is a banner I made to hang on our fireplace mantel, though it could also hang over an entryway, over a window or many other places. The base pieces of the banner are simple corrugated cardboard, which I tore the facing off of so the inner ridges would show. I am a big fan of recycling waste in my craft projects, and cardboard is one of my favorite staples to keep around!

It would be very simple to change the color scheme and lettering to make this into a banner for spring, Easter, summer, or any other occasion. I happen to love banners, and already have visions of flowers and rosettes swimming in my head for a spring banner!! For the full details on making this banner, click here.

Finally, the third project I'm sharing today is again a Valentine's project - and yes, again, it can be modified to fit any occasion. :) (I think Jackie must like Valentine's Day - what do you think?) This project isn't actually one that I came up with on my own - and to be honest, I don't know who did. I learned the technique part of it from Tim Holtz, but even he admitted that the technique has been around forever and there are several different ways of doing it. It is a mini-book made from ONE SHEET of 12x12 paper!! How cool is that?! HERE is the post with the video of Tim's that I watched to learn how to make the actual book itself. Tim's timing was perfect, because a few days before Valentine's Day, I still had nothing to give my husband, and this turned out to be just right. He loved it! As I go through this project, I'm just going to point out a few of my favorite crafting products.

As you can see right up front, I love all things Tim Holtz...the front of the book is covered in Idea-ology stuff...the metal numbers, the grunge board heart and hinge, the hitch post fastener, and the tissue tape on the top and bottom. (And you'll see plenty more throughout the book.) Well, that and the fact that the paper the book is made of is his. LOL

Mini-book made with one 12x12 sheet; grunge board
heart painted with crackle paint; grunge board hinge
closure colored with metallic alcohol inks

The book creates three side pockets where you can insert tags, gift cards, hidden notes, or whatever. I happen to love tags, so I enclosed three 7 Gypsies tags in the pockets. I use the Zutter Distrezz-it-All to distress almost everything I create, including these tags, and then add distress inks, which are another staple.

I'm also a big fan of alcohol inks, because you can use them to make sure your buttons or other embellishments coordinate perfectly with your project. The button on this flower, for example, started out white...a little cranberry alcohol ink, and it coordinated perfectly with my Prima flowers!

Prima flower inked w/ distress ink then covered with
Rock Candy distress stickles; button colored with
alcohol inks

Another staple of mine - Rock Candy Distress Stickles!! I'm not a huge collector of regular Stickles, but I do love Distress Stickles, and Rock Candy in particular. I have to have 2 bottle on hand all the time, in fact, because I would be in crisis if I ever ran out! I used it on the flower above and on the alpha stickers below. It is clear, and just gives things that hint of vintage glimmer that nothing else I've ever come across can accomplish. I love the stuff!!

Mini-alphas colored with alcohol inks, then covered

with Rock Candy distress stickles; Epoxy bingo marker
made using Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio

The Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio is new to me - I just got it at the recent CHA - but I'm loving it already. I used it to make the bingo marker above. My Dymo labeler is another favorite, and I use it for titles, quotes, random words - just about anything.

LOVE my labeler!!

If you'd like to see more pictures or details on my book, you can see them here. As I said, you could make this book out of ANY 12x12 paper (it does NOT need to be double sided, as you only see one side once the book is assembled), and then embellish it with whatever your heart desires. Birthdays, baby brag books, Father's Day, gifts for grandparents to show off their grandchildren, work promotions, moving to a new home, a travel album - the possibilities are endless.

Alright, well...that's that for those three projects!! Thanks so much for letting me share them with you! Stop by my blog any time for a visit...I try to post new projects a few times a week. You can also find me at the other blogs I mentioned above. I'll give you a sneak of some of the reviews I have coming up on Craft Test Dummies in the near future...Unity Stamps, The Perfect Crafting Pouch, Art Glitter, Graphic 45, and House of 3's Daily Junque!! (I just received the entire line today of that last one and it is GORGEOUS!) And any time I have reviews of products coming up, that means there will also be projects using those same products, posted to my own blog, so keep a look out for them!

Thanks for reading, and thanks, again, to Jackie, for inviting me to post today!!

Calling All Crafters, Cooks & Creatives!!!

2011-03-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

My Feature Friday list is running low...like almost on E. I've been so busy with new house stuff (only 1 more week to go!!!) that I've been neglecting my blogging duties, including seeking out fresh talent for Feature Fridays.

This is where you come in.

Are you crafty, good in the kitchen, or creative in another fabulous way you'd like to share? How would you like to be featured on Feature Friday? Not only will you get to guest post, but I'll put your button up on my blog, and list you with a link back in the "Get Featured" page (link found at the top of my blog). Fun stuff!

So drop me a line! My email can be found at the bottom of the page. Can't wait to see who's next!!!

It's a Guy Thing - New from Down This Road Designs and Marti Scraps

2011-03-08T12:47:00.000-05:00

I can admit it...I have a hard time designing boy kits. I'm a girly girl, and the girl stuff just comes easy I guess. These girls on the other hand? No problems there! This new boy kit is just so darn cute!

The prefect kit for everything Connor, now that he's outgrown the soft, pretty baby kits (for the most part at least). Check it out:

This is the first page I've scrapped for this year...and with moving it might be a while until the next. There's Little Man cruisin' and groovin' now that he's figured out how to crawl. And boy is he fast! Oh, and yep, he's learning the tricks of the sippy cup too. Exciting times for this little guy! And we all get to watch and capture the moments.

Love it? You can grab It's a Guy Thing today for 25% off as part of the Fresh Baked Brownies at Brownie Scraps :)

One (Giant) Kit Call - Multiple Sclerosis Charity Collab

2011-03-07T14:25:00.000-05:00

One of my most favorite "digital" friends, Mandy of Hornbuckle Designs, is heading up an MS Charity Collb. A lot of talented and generous designers have given their time and talent to put together one GIANT collab, and now we need your help to advertise, one kit call style!

The theme is movement, and here is the pallet:

Deadline for applications is March 9 (download links will be sent to the one-kit CT members by 11 p.m. CST that evening).

Deadline for layouts and quick pages is March 12 at 11 p.m. CST.

For more details, to apply, and to see the collab in progress, check out the details HERE.

Hybrid Love

2011-03-07T07:30:00.001-05:00

I'm in love...with hybrid that is :) WendyBird Desgins has all these amazing templates in her store (you can find them HERE), and I was just itching to try them out. Add to that some new goodies from JoAnn's, and the rest is hybrid history! My first ever hybrid projects! Want to see?

This first one is created with Best Wishes by Down This Road Designs and
It's in the Bag Vol. 2: Treat Me Template by WendyBird Designs:

I printed the flowers on a separate sheet, then cut them out and glued them on form some added depth. Oh, and I inked the edges of the flap and added a few gems too.

And this one is created with Best Wishes by Down This Road Designs and Boxed in Vol. 1: Squared Up by WendyBird Designs.

I inked the edges on this one too, added clear acrylic bubbles and gems to the sides, made the flower for the top out of a paper from the kit, and lastly hung a cherish tag by Tim Holtz.

So what do you think? I think there is more hybrid in my future!

Scrapping Tips & Tricks #4 - Templates!

2011-03-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Templates - I {heart} templates! When I started digital scrapping, I had a really hard time getting my pages to look right. My pages either looked super simple with 2 pictures, and a couple of flowers, or like a an unorganized hot mess of crap thrown everywhere. Templates are a GREAT place to start! They have placeholder pieces to show you where to put pictures, buttons, flowers, ribbon, journaling, etc. They are a great way to build your confidence and learn how things can work together on a page.

Want some examples? Turn this...

Into all of this:

So how do templates work? Often they are .psd or .tif files with layers. They come just as shown in the previews, with placeholders for all of the pieces parts of the layout. You can drop in your photo, and make it a clipping mask onto the photo area of the template. Then start adding your elements in the designated spots.

The great thing about templates is that you don't have to follow them exactly. Sometimes they can just be a starting point. You can add, change, flip...whatever you like! For me, they taught me how to cluster. What is clustering? It's grouping/layering elements together.

How about a free template to get you started? Check out the Semi-Homemade Challenge at Brownie Scraps! The March Challenge hasn't been posted yet (we're changing the challenges up a bit), but you can still snag this one from Scrappin' Daisies for February if you hurry:

You can find it HERE.

Need help or have questions? Leave a comment, and I'll do my best to help you out :) Happy template scrappin!

Feature Friday - Vanessa from Loving Life

2011-03-04T07:00:00.003-05:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this tutorial I've got for today's Feature Friday. I think I say that a lot, but I'm easily inspired I think :) Anyway, I stumbled upon Vanessa's blog and decided I MUST make this wreath. I showed a friend and she's in. There WILL be wreath making in my post-move future. Here is Vanessa to show you how it's done:

Hey everyone, I am so excited to be here at Jacabean Designs. I love this blog. Everything Jackie does is so cute! I have a blog called Loving Life, I do a lot of crafts, make a ton of recipes, and basically just sharing what I love about life. And guess what? This is my first guest post ever, so I am so happy that Jackie asked me to be on here.

Recently I made a wreath out of book pages. There are other book page wreaths out there, but I put my own spin on it and I think it turned out great. Here is the tutorial.

Here is the tutorial on how to make it:

You need a book, I got a book about 400 pages long at the dollar store. I didn't want to use any of my books, I like them too much! Rip out some pages, I think I used a 150 -200 pages or so.

Start off by cutting out a circle in the pages, I used a bowl to trace my circle, so about the size of the width of a average bowl. Then you cut the circle into a spiral as shown in the picture above.

Then roll up the spiral to form a kind of flower shape. Start rolling from the outside of the circle and keep going to the inside of the circle. Start out small and tight and then make your circles bigger as you go, glue it all together with your gun it all together at the end. I suggest gluing as you go as well so that it doesn't all unravel when you get done. I also tried using Elmer's glue cause I always burn myself with the glue gun, but the elmers didn't dry quickly enough, so it didn't really work so I took out the trusty old glue gun and used that and it worked so much better and I actually didn't burn myself this whole project, not too badly at least.

Once you have your pages rolled into flowers, take a brown stamp pad and rub it along the flower's edges to give it a burned edges look.

Now make like a hundred more flowers!

Next I took a large cross stitching hoop (is that what it is called?) as the base of my wreath. You could use a styrofoam wreath too, but I had the hoop so I decided to use that and it worked out pretty well.

Wrap a few of your book pages around the wreath to start out with. Now take the flowers and glue them on the wreath. I did them on the top, then put more flowers on the sides of the wreath. I tried to make them all kind of face the front of the wreath so you could see them. Once you have all the wreath pretty much covered, I made some small flowers ( I used a cup to size the circle) and I put the small flowers in any empty spots to make the wreath more full.

Now top it with a pretty brown bow and you are done!

The rolling of the flowers is pretty easy but it really does take a long time, It took me about a week to do them, and I did them most of the day while I was working... So it is definately a project that takes time, but if you know that it will take some time, just do it on your down time when your watching t.v. or something.

I also wanted to put something in the middle of the wreath. So I got a wood P at the craft store, and so I painted it with some brown paint, sanded the edges down and hung it up with more ribbon in the middle of the wreath.

How do you like it??

Come visit me at Lovin Life. I would love to meet all of you!

2 New Kits!

2011-03-02T22:17:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been another crazy day. I'd hoped to post this earlier, but better late than never, right? I've got 2 new kits in the store today! Both are collabs with March (aka Marni Designs), and were created for the February Addicts. Since February is all about the love, we've named the kits appropriately.

The first is a mini called Hello Love. Fun and springy, the colors are prefect for boys, but there are plenty of cute elements in this mini to scrap for the girls too.

And there is also a Hellow Love Element Addon pack:

Just a couple of LOs since it's past my bedtime :) The first is from Natalee:

And one from March:

The second kit is Fun Lovin'! These bright colors and whimsical elements are a great way to liven up your pages.

A really fun page from Larissa:

And a little bit of sass from Amy:

So I know this post is late, and you're probably thinking you missed the first day discount. Well, you're in luck! The Fresh Baked Brownies have been extended thru tomorrow (Thursday) since it took us some time to get Xcart up, running, and functional. So head on over to Brownie Scraps and enjoy your 25% off discount!

We're Up and Running!

2011-03-02T08:48:00.000-05:00

Xcart has been launched, and we're up and running! I've got 90% of my product back in store including 2 neew releases! More about those in a couple of hours, but go check it out. And don't forget to register again and start your wishlist! You might be a lucky winner :) Click on my Brownie Scraps blinkie to the right to get to the store.

Xcart & New Releases

2011-03-01T08:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! Yes, you counted right. Today is release day. BUT it's going to be slightly postponed. Why you ask? Because Brownie Scraps is switching to Xcart! Wahooo! I'm SOOO excited! Unfortunately, this means setting up all of the items in my shop again. It also means a new ftp for the new items that were scheduled to be released today. Yep, you read that right. ItemS! March and I teamed up for the February Addicts, and so those products will now be available for sale very very soon I promise. So check back in the next day or so to see the new kits, and the fabulous things my CT has done with them.

Oh, and I should mention, once the switch has been made you'll need to re-register in the store only. Your forum/gallery accounts will not be affected. We know it's a little bit of a pain, and so Ramona has devised a contest of sorts. Xcart allows you to make wishlists to keep track of all the fun stuff you see and love. To celebrate Xcart, during the month of March, you can all fill up your wishlist with all the goodies you would love to buy! At the end of the month, Ramona will draw 3 winners. One will win 3 items from their list, 1 will win 2 items from their list and 1 will win 1 item!!! Fun fun fun! So head on over to Brownie Scraps to register and start window shopping!

P.S. The switch will be happening sometime this morning, so keep an eye out. I'll try to post back when I hear that it's official :)

Scrapping Tips & Tricks #3 - Basic Lingo & Creative Teams

2011-02-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry everyone! I thought I'd scheduled this to post on Saturday, but got distracted, and never hit post! Better late than never, right?

Today is all about acronyms, and understanding the lingo around the digital scrapping world. Once you start browsing the forums, you'll see a lot of acronyms thrown around, and it can be a bit intimidating at first. Here are some of the common ones you'll see, and what they mean.

LO - layout, or scrapbook page

CT - creative team - These are people who receive kits from designers for free, and in return create gorgeous layouts to help advertise the kits (more on this below).

CTM - creative team member

RAK - random act of kindness, or giveaway. Typically you enter for a chance to win, and then a name is drawn to determine the winner.

Scrafplift - essentially copying a layout, or part of a layout that someone else created. Looking at other people's pages provides some great inspiration!

PU - Personal Use - typically you can only use those kits for your own personal use*

CU - Commercial Use - typically you can use those things to create things that you will in-turn sell*

S4O - Scrap for Others - typically you can use those kits to scrap pages for friends, family, whoever you want, but at no charge*

S4H - Scrap for Hire - typically you can use those kits to scrap pages that you are charging a fee for creating. Example: small at home scrapbook businesses, or a friend pays you to make a page/album for them*

TOU - Terms of Use - Every designer has a TOU listing copyright info and what they allow their kits to be used for. Most everything is okay for personal use (commonly listed as PU). Some are not allowed for blog designs, and stuff like that. Also, unless it is marked Commercial Use (or CU), you cannot use that product to create things for sale. *General rules, some conditions apply. Please read the TOU that comes with each kit.

More on Creative Teams:
Many digital scrapbook kit designers have Creative Teams. As I mentioned above, these team members receive kits from designers for free, and in return create gorgeous layouts to help advertise the kits. Being a CTM (creative team member) is fun because you get to work with new releases before they hit the stores, and as a side benefit, you can make some great new friends. I do love my CT! If you haven't seen it yet, stop by my Meet the Team page to, well, meet my Team :)

So how do you join a CT? Check out the calls at DST. There are 3 types of calls.

CT Call - Open application time to apply to a specific designer's team. Ads often list the requirements for the team, so that you can decide if it's the right amount of work for you. Required LOs per month can range from 1 to more than 4 depending on the requirements.

Guest Call - These are calls that are set for a specific period of time. Often these spots range from 1-3 month periods.

OKC - one kit call - Some designers will put a call out for just one specific kit. You meet your requirements for that kit, and then you're done. These are the perfect opportunity to get your feet wet, or just work with a new kit here or there.

Well, I hope this helps you find your way around a bit! Have questions? Post 'em here, and I'll do my best to answer them :)

My 2010 Album!

2011-02-27T07:00:00.002-05:00

Yay! I got my 2010 album finished...finally! Winkflash was my kick in the butt. I took advantage of their flatrate sale, and scrapped my butt off for a week and a half to get it done in time. In the end, i wound up with 56 pages. Not too shabby, considering I don't have kids :) It arrived on Thursday. I ripped open the box, flipped thru it to check out the quality (I was impressed btw), and then ran for my camera just so I could show you my book. Because I know deep down you really care. Or at least I like to pretend you do, just like I like to pretend my hubby cares too. He does a good act of pretending with all craft/scrap related things though, so at least that's something, right? LOL! Ok, here are a few pics:

It's my very first album containing the highlights of the year. And actually, since I didn't get around to scrapping it, the book cover is a repeating list of events/happenings for the year too. What do you think?

Feature Friday - Maggi from Just Add Glitter and Stir

2011-02-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

It's another Feature Friday, and today I've got crafty lady Maggi here to share her inspiration board. I LOVE this idea! Yet another thing to add to the list of things to make once we're in the new house :) Without further ado, here's Maggi:

Hi everyone!

My name is Maggi and I have a blog called Just Add Glitter and Stir.

I've been blogging there for just over 2 years and mainly like to write about my crafty adventures. Being creative is a passion of mine and I like to dabble in everything from scrapbooking to crochet to resin to mixed media, you name it and I'll probably want to try it if I haven't already! lol

Jackie asked me to post today about inspiration boards. An inspiration board is simply a place where you showcase bits and baubles of things that inspire you. Whether you're a scrapper, quilter or jack of all crafts, an inspiration board can really get your mojo going in those "lean" times of creativity.

I recently finished my board after collecting things since 2009. I had a box marked "Inspiration Board" and anytime I ran across something that caught my eye I would throw it in there. I ended up with a box full of postcards, pictures, bits of jewelry and fabric and tons of odds and ends. Inspiration is everywhere!

This is what I started with, an old canvas of mine of a painting I didn't really care for and wasn't attached to very much.

Since some of the items in my box were things that needed to "sit" i.e. - they were dimensional, I got the idea to use the inside of the canvas instead of the outside. (This is a great trick if you need a "shelf" looking section for your piece or want a ready made frame.) So I Gesso'd and painted the edges turquoise, added some shots of turquoise mist then glued on pink sequins (one of my current favorite color combos: pink and turquoise :D).

I started to play with the objects in my box to see what might look best and used one of my favorite tips, useful for scrapbooking or any project where you want to try out layering different materials before you glue down: take a picture! If you take a picture of your layout before you start gluing, you can reference the picture and won't forget where you want to place things. This is my "preview shot":

After doing this it occurred to me that some of the background might show through and I did not want anyone seeing some ugly old canvas so I decided to get out my trusty Mod Podge and cover the background completely in vintage magazine pages. That way if something showed through (which did end up happening) then it would look like I planned it that way instead of just showing blank space. :P

And finally, my finished result! I am so in love with how this turned out. (A little different from my preview shot!) There's so much of "me" on this board and it really does inspire me to get everything back out and create all over again!

Even if you don't create an actual "board", think about starting a box where you keep those little doo dads that have special meaning. You can create an inspiration board, book, table, wall, box, anything where you can see it every day and be inspired to be you!

Thanks for taking a peek! And a big thank you to Jackie for letting me take over her blog today! :)

--
~*Maggi*~

Come visit me!
http://justaddglitterandstir.blogspot.com

New House Pictures!

2011-02-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

3 weeks to go! Ready for the highlights of the week? This week we got cabinets, and the stonework of our fireplace! Also the siding was finished up and they started painting. Our project manager is awesome, and lets us know whenever there will be contractors working outside of our normal working hours so we can go see the progress. Here are the highlights in pictures:

I'm in love with our fireplace! If only it was a wood burner :(

The kitchen cabinets (or what you can see thru the mess):

Yay siding!

Well that's all for now! Hopefully next time get in the paint will be done, and the few wood bits will be stained (the mantel and railings). Maybe we'll have some outlets too...who knows?

CU Retirement Bundle!

2011-02-23T21:38:00.000-05:00

Our days of Zen Cart at Brownie Scraps are coming to a close. Yay! In preparation for Xcart, I'm retiring some stuff. Ready for my best deal ever? $49 worth of CU products for only $15!!! That's 69% off! It includes 11 sets. Here is the preview:

Seriously. Awesome. Deal. Now go do some shopping! You can get it HERE. It's only available thru the end of the month, so you better hurry :)

Link me up to your favorite CRAFTY SPACES!

2011-02-22T13:09:00.003-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA. I know it's only been a few days, but I feel like it's been much longer. We're hitting crunch-time on shopping for appliances and some furniture for the new house. The furniture can wait, but we really won't last too long without a fridge! So, we've been spending ALL weekend (both last weekend and this past weekend) going store to store to find what we want. For those who don't know my hubby, he is extremely meticulous when it comes to research. There is no going to one store, picking a fridge, and buying it that day. There is research upon research, and all the technical stuff that makes things work. It's going to be a long 3 weeks!

While he worries about all that, I'm spending my time wondering how to organize and decorate my craft room! I'm wondering if you can help me out :) And this brings me to my first ever linky party!

Link me up to your favorite craft spaces! It doesn't have to be your own. It can be a whole room, or a closet, or even just an organization unit that you think is fabulous! I need tips in organizing/furniture/storage. Also, what about decorating? Do you have some crafty ideas for the walls? Link me up to those too! I've got one on the list, and will be featuring it Friday, so be sure to check back to see it. Feel free to link up to more than one idea/space. Thanks in advance! I need all the help I can get :)

P.S. I'm trying this whole linky party thing. unfortunately, every system taht lets you put in pictures charges a fee. So, if I get a good response, I'll pay the $ for this one. If not, well, we might have to switch to text only. We'll see I guess!

Just click the "Add your link" button below, then name your space, add your link, and pick your pic. Easy as that! So here we go...

Feature Friday - Jana for Giggles, Glitz and Glam

2011-02-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

It's Friday! And this week, I'm featuring Jana from Giggles, Glitz and Glam. Wait until you see all the little cuties showing off Jana's favorite crafty venture! Here's Jana:

Hi friends of Jacabean Designs! I am Jana from Giggles, Glitz & Glam. I just wanted to share with you what I love to make the most, my signature item. I make tutus and tutu accessories! :) I am starting to branch out a little from this but for the most part sticking to this type of thing. It all started because I saw a hairband made of tulle that I wanted to make for my adorable little niece! That's when I realized the perfect edition to that hairband would be a tutu. My nieces acted as guinea pigs for my first 4 tutus and often times are the guinea pigs for any new discoveries!

These photos are of my tutus and were taken by Felts Family Photography.

Fairy Tutu Set

Aloha Tutu

Sunshine Tutu

Pink Lemonade Tutu

1 Year Birthday Tutu Set

These pictures to me are a reminder of just why I love making these tutus. To see those girls all dolled up and looking adorable. Love it!

My other love is blogging so you can find me at Giggles, Glitz & Glam! I blog nearly every day so there is always something to come check out.

If you wanna see more, then come connect with me:
blog - facebook - twitter - etsy

Thanks for having me and hope to see you all soon!

Thanks Jana for stopping by and sharing your adorable tutus!

Do you have a crafty specialty or idea that you want to share in my Featured Friday? Send me an email (found at the bottom of the page). I'm always looking for something new and interesting to share with you all, and of course to try myself :)

Last Anniversary Celebration Winner

2011-02-17T21:50:00.000-05:00

Aww, the celebration is over already? Well before we get all back to normal, I've got one more winner to draw!

From random.org, the winner is poster #12! Congrats to Cush 464! Cush had actually attached her post to another's so I counted by time stamp to be sure I had everyone in the right order. Thanks to you all for celebrating with me, and for all the lovely comments :) I hope you enjoy your goodies!

Anniversary Celebration - Day 5

2011-02-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Wow, Day 4 already? That means only one more day after this. It'll be a good one though! Want a hint? It's one of Natalee's most favorite kits, specifically because it's perfect for her wedding pictures. While you ponder that, lets get on with the day 4 highlight!

Today's kit is Daisy Days! It's bright and cheery, and sure to make you smile:

See, I told you Natalee was all about this kit for her wedding album :) As today's highlighted kit, you can get Days Days 50% off, making it only $2! Can't get enough Daisy Days? Well, you're in luck. There is an add-on too! It's part of my store-wide 35% off sale:

And since Natalee loves this kit, she volunteered her time to make you all some cute page clusters:

Thanks Natalee! You can download her freebies HERE and HERE.

Well, that brings my Anniversary Celebration to an end. Thanks for celebrating with me! And keep an eye out for the last winner of my Anniversary Giveaway! It'll be posted sometimes today :)

PhotoCowgirl CT Call!

2011-02-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Have you been dying to work with Amanda's templates and kits? Well this might just be our chance! She's having a CT Call!

You can check out her stuff at Ginger Scraps. Good luck to those who apply!

Anniversary Celebration - Day 4

2011-02-16T07:00:00.004-05:00

Wow, day 4 already? That means only one more day after this. It'll be a good one though! Want a hint? It's one of Natalee's most favorite kits, specifically because it's perfect for her wedding pictures. While you ponder that, lets get on with the day 4 highlight!

Today's kit is Playful Penguins! I know most of us in the US are sick of the cold and the snow. But do you want a fun way to scrap your winter memories? Check out Playful Penguins:

Aren't the penguins cute? Totally inspired by some pajamas I got for Christmas one year :) As today's highlighted kit, you can get it 50% off, which makes it only $1.50!

As part of today's freebies, guest CT Dottie made you all a QP:

Thanks so much Dottie! You all can get the QP HERE.

I also have a cluster pack I'd posted for my original grand opening at BrS. So for all you recent followers, check it out:

You can download the cluster pack HERE.

Only one day of my Anniversary Celebration left! Don't forget to enter for your chance to win your favorite something from my store. You can enter HERE.

Anniversary Giveaway - Winner #1

2011-02-15T20:00:00.000-05:00

As today is my ACTUAL 1 year anniversary at Brownie Scraps, I figured it's a good time to draw the first winner :)

From random.org, the winner is...poster #4! Congrats Jen K! And what did she pick as her prize?
"Hmmm...my favorite kit in your store would be "Mud Pie". It's such a great boy kit! And I love the glitter splashes." Jen. I'll be sending you your coupon for Mud Pie.

Didn't win this time? If you've already entered, your name is still in for the second drawing. Haven't entered yet? Well what are you waiting for? You can enter HERE. Good luck!!!

Best Wishes - New Kit by DTRD

2011-02-15T12:15:00.001-05:00

Whew, lots going on today! Have you seen Angie's new release today? I think this is my absolute favorite at the moment. It's SO beautiful! The pallet is stunning (she uses yellow after all), and the mix of elements is just WOW. In case you haven't seen it...

Now do you see what I mean? It's on my to-scrap list. I mean, I can't NOT scrap with this kit. I haven't done anything for 2011 yet (other than my resolutions page), but I might very well have to scrap some heritage pics with it too. You can get it today for 25% as part of the Fresh Baked Brownies. So hurry!

Oh, and you might also want these little beauties:

Gorgeous, right? And the best part...you can get them absolutely FREE! All you have to do is tweet or facebook about it. You can find the link HERE.

Oh, and if you haven't yet entered for my Anniversary Giveaway, your first chance to win is coming up! Better hurry! You can find it HERE.

Anniversary Celebration - Day 3

2011-02-15T07:00:00.005-05:00

*Don't forget to enter for your chance to win in my Anniversary Celebration Giveaway! You can find it HERE*

Happy Tuesday! Today is Day 3 of my Anniversary Celebration! Today's kit highlight is Beautiful You, inspired by a story I heard on the radio on my way to work one morning. It goes a little like this...A woman was having a bad self-image moment (don't we all?), and decided to put a note on her mirror that said, "You Are Beautiful". She took a picture of the note and posted it on her blog. The next day, she had 50 replies! And so, she started a campaign of spreading the message, posting notes on bathroom mirrors, in dressing rooms, tucked in books, etc. She started the site you-are-beautiful.com, and has received worldwide response. Such a fabulous simple message, don't you think? Her story inspired this kit:

Yeah, this kit holds a special place in my heart. Hope about taking a moment to remind yourself how beautiful you are. Take another moment and let someone else in your life know how beautiful they are too. Want to scrap about it? Here are a few little somethings to get you started.

Hildur created a QP and cluster for you all:

Thanks Hildur! You can find these HERE and HERE.

And here is an oldy, but a goody from me:

You can find it HERE.

Today only, Beautiful You is 50% off...making only $2.50!
Have a lovely Tuesday, and never forget that you are beautiful just the way you are :)

Anniversary Celebration - Day 2

2011-02-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

*Don't forget to enter for your chance to win in my Anniversary Celebration Giveaway! You can find it HERE*

Happy Valentines Day everyone! So what did I get for Valentines Day? If you ask my husband, his answer is a new house :) LOL! We're not very big on holidays like these. Actually, when he does buy roses on V-day, I get a little annoyed. They are SO expensive this one day a year. We're saving our pennies for all the things that we'll need in the new house. I shudder to think of the cost of blinds alone. Yikes! Anyway, if it weren't for my SIL a new house is exactly what my hubby would've gotten too. However, she had an idea for something for hubby that is really for me too! She found this cupcake lady at Piece of Cake. If you're in Northeast Ohio, you want to check her out! Each month she does a cupcake club. 6 flavors, 2 cupcakes in each flavor. Do you want to hear the flavors?

“Red Hot Velvet” - Cinnamon Red Velvet Cake, Cinnamon Infused Cream Cheese Frosting, Red Hot Candy Sprinkles

“Mint 2 B Together” - Dark Chocolate Cake, Brownie Center, Fresh Mint Buttercream, Peppermint Patty Crumbles

“Pucker Up” - Vanilla Cake, Raspberry Filling, Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, Fondant Lips

“Nuts About You” - Chocolate Cake, Peanut Butter Cup Center, Peanut Butter Frosting, Toasted Crushed Peanuts

“Skinny Dip” - Vanilla Cake, Chocolate Ganache Filling, Vanilla Bean Frosting, Chocolate Covered Strawberry

“Breakfast In Bed” - Brown Sugar Maple Cake, Cinnamon Cream Filling, Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, Candied Bacon

Sounds good, huh? Not so sure about the one with bacon on top, but hey, we might as well try it! So my SIL and I went in halves, and each got 6 cupcakes, one of each flavor to give to our hubbies on V-day. Okay, so of course we expect to get half of each cupcakes, making the gift for us as well :) Is that bad? I mean you can't really expect me to give you a cupcake without wanting to try some for myself too. You just can't. So we got out the craft supplies and decorated boxes to put the cupcakes in, and gave these to our forever Valentines.

Okay, so I know you didn't come here to hear about cupcakes, (though I bet now you want one!) On to the Day 2 goodies! Today's kit is Love Letters. totally appropriate for Valentines Day I thought. Old fashioned patterns and love themed elements will help you beautifully document your treasured memories.

I just love how this kit works just as well for modern photos as it does for vintage ones :) Today you can get Love Letters for 50% off.

I've also got another batch of freebies for you all! First up is a pretty cluster from Amy:

Thanks Amy! I love her clusters, don't you? You can download this one HERE.

Next, Megan got creative with a Valentines inspired brag book page:

Sized to 4" x 6", this would make a great card front too! Thanks Meg! Download this one HERE.

And finally, one from me. This is a recycled one from last year, but I still think it's a fun little something to show someone you care. Hybrid love notes!

They are sized to 2" x 3", the same as a wallet size picture. Tuck them in a lunch bag, a wallet, coat pocket...anywhere your loved one is bound to find it throughout the day. You can download them HERE.

Happy Valentines Day! I hope you all get something special from someone you love, even if it's just a big hug, or some cuddles from a little furball :) Hugs from me to you!!! Thanks for stopping by.

Anniversary Celebration Giveaway!

2011-02-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

I've got all sorts of goodies lined up for you as part of my Anniversary Celebration! Have you seen the ad?

My store is officially on sale, and the Day 1 goodies have been posted! What's that you say? A giveaway? Yep, a giveaway too! So what am I giving away? Well that's entirely up to you!

To enter, leave a comment in this post listing your one most favorite item in my shop. I will be back TWICE this week to pick winners. Both winners will be drawn from the comments in this post. You can only post once, but you've got 2 chances to win! Sound like fun? Well then go check out my SHOP, and come back here to share your favorite :)

Anniversary Celebration - Day 1

2011-02-13T08:50:00.001-05:00

Hello blogland! Today is the first day of my anniversary celebration for my 1 Year Anniversary at Brownie Scraps :)

Today I'm highlighting Little Whimsy. This kit is bright, fun and full of little whimsical touches. It's the perfect kit to scrap the moments that make you smile.

For the 5 days of my celebration, my entire store is 35% off. But each day's highlighted kit is 50% off for that day only! Which means, today you can grab Little Whimsy for only $2.50! How cool is that? Will one of your favorites be highlighted? I picked 2 of the 5 kits, and my CT chose the other 3, so be sure to check back each day to see which kits we've got lined up for you :)

Oh, and I think there was something in the ad about freebies??? Yep! Each day I've got freebies for you too! My CT has been busy creating for you all. Today's freebis come from Amy and Natalee.

First up is a crazy cute QP from Amy:

Thanks Amy! You all can download it HERE.

And next, Natalee made this fun, swirly cluster:

Thanks Natalee! You can download her cluster HERE.

Hmm, what else? Oh yes, a giveaway! As to not confuse the posts, I'll be posting that up in just a minute :) Be sure to check back if you don't see it right away!

1 Year Anniversary at Brownie Scraps!

2011-02-12T23:21:00.000-05:00

It's my 1 Year Anniversary at Brownie Scraps! I can't believe it's already been a year since I left my last shop, and was welcomed home to Brownie Scraps. Wow! Ok, well really, it's on Tuesday, but I figured I'd celebrate before and after. So from February 13 to 15th, I've got some fun going on all over the place! Check out the ad below for details:

Luxury Giveaway Winner!

2011-02-12T23:17:00.000-05:00

Sorry I'm so late on this! We've been out literally for 10 hours shopping for things for the house, and finally wound up with a washer and dryer...that we might be returning! Ugh! It was rated really well by Consumer Reports, but the few reviews we've found aren't so great. Sigh. But enough about me. On to the winner!

From random.org, the lucky winner is poster #16...Kandiced! Congrats! I'll be emailing you your coupon. Thanks to all for playing!

Scrapping Tips & Tricks #2 - Getting Started

2011-02-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

Now that we all know what digital scrapping booking is, we're ready to get started! I promise that we'll get more in-depth soon, but like I said, I'd rather start at the beginning so that newbies understand what we're talking about. And who knows, maybe to seasoned scrappers will learn something too :)

Ok, here is what you need to get started:

1. Digital Photos
These can be from your camera, or photos you've scanned. I've been trying to keep up with my everyday scrapping (digital photos from my camera), but have also been slowly working thru my heritage albums (all scanned images of photos, cards, newspaper clippings, etc.).

2. Software
Photoshop, or Photoshop Elements are the ones I am familiar with, and give the most options. I know people who use Paint Shop Pro, and iScrapbook too. Need some free software? There is a program called GIMP that is free and can do drop shadows and all sorts of other things.

3. Digital Scrapbook Supplies
To start, you can scour the web for freebies. Some freebies are not the same quality you find in stores,
but that is not always the case. Regardless, they are a great place to start and at least get your feet wet. Kits are better to start with than random pieces. What comes in a kit? Typically a kit includes some
papers, elements, and sometimes and alphabet (think letter stickers). Each piece of the kit is saved in its own file, kind of like a collection of photos. Check out my Freebies and Blog Train links to find some pieces to play with. Here's a preview of one of my blog train freebies found HERE:

Well, that's it. Got everything you need? Then just go! Honestly, the best way to learn is to just start experimenting. It's also easiest when starting to just concentrate on the contents from 1 single kit. If you are trying to pull from a few different kits, you'll just get confused. Open up a paper file. Drag your photo in on top of the paper. Grab a flower, or some ribbon, and just start layering. By moving an item up or down in your Layers list, you can arrange what is on top of what. Think of it just like paper scrapping, you're stacking all your pieces up.

Questions/Suggestions? Ask away! You can email me or leave a comment here and I'll do my best to answer them :)

Gift Card Holder - Tutorial Take 2

2011-02-11T07:00:00.009-05:00

* Don't forget to enter to win my Luxury kit giveaway! You can find it HERE. I'll be drawing the winner tomorrow!*

There's no Feature Friday today, but I do have a tutorial for you! This is the one I had featured on Amy Cornwell's blog, so if you missed it, here it is!

Remember when I posted a super mini gift card holder tutorial just after Christmas? It was mini because it had no pictures, and had pretty short (aka lame) instructions. So, I decided to make some more, and took pictures this time to show you how it's done. It's super easy, and I LOVE how they turned out! Want a peek? Here they are!

They're so easy to make, you'll never want to give a gift card in a regular car again! Ready? Here goes...

First things first, cut 2 pieces of felt for the holder. The first should be 3" x 5", and the second, slightly shorter at 3" x 4". If you've got a rotary cutter, get it out! This makes for quick and easy cuts.

Next, lays the shorter piece on top of the longer, lining up the sides and bottoms. Pin and sew. Three pins is all it take. And if you don't have a sewing machine, don't fret! These are so small that you could probably hand stitch it quicker than it took me to take out my machine, get it threaded and sew.

The picture above shows a straight stitch. I like the look of the zigzag stitch too, even though mine always turn out a bit messy. You can see both below:

Now that you're stitched up, remove the pins and fold in half longways, with the inside facing in. Cut a small slit about a quarter of an inch down from the top. This slit is where you'll string your ribbon, so try not to make it any wider than your ribbon. Felt gives a little, so err on the side of too small vs. too big.

I also like to trim the corners off of the top edge to give my holders a tag shape (as you'll see below). Now for the fun part! Let's decorate!!! Grab whatever you have on-hand and go to town. BTW, my hot glue gun is my best friend. Other than sewing the felt together, everything else is attached with hot glue. It doesn't get much easier than that!

After you're done decorating, string your ribbon thru the slit you made at the top, gather both ends of the ribbon and knot as one. You could also tie it in a bow, or whatever else you choose.

DONE! Ready to see more up close pics of my creations? And this is one left from Christmas, which has been currently re-assigned as my makeshift iPod holder, earbuds and all! Yeah, i need to make it a home, but for now, this is keeping it from getting scratched up in my purse :)

Well that's all for now! If you make some gift card holders, I'd love to see! link them up here. Happy crafting!

Ikea Anyone?

2011-02-09T07:00:00.003-05:00

* Don't forget to enter to win my Luxury kit giveaway!
You can find it HERE.*

My brother and SIL took a trip to Ikea this past weekend. The closest one is a couple hours away, so they decided to make a weekend trip. I've never been to an Ikea, but have heard they are massive! Hubby and I plan on going someday soon to pick out some things for the new house...specifically my craft room. I want this:

They make draw inserts like the red ones shown (but I would get all white I think), or cabinet door inserts, various bins etc. Can you just imagine it packed full of crafty goodness? Ahhh, can't wait!

My brother confirmed that is indeed a massive store, and was actually a bit overwhelming. They didn'[t buy much, but went home wiht lots of pamphlets and stuff to figure out what they want/need. So, are you an Ikea fan? Do you have any must-have items to recommend? I'm looking mostly for storage/organizing type things, but am open to anything fun for the house :) Let me know if you have any ideas or favorite to share! I'd love to see them.

Luxury - New Kit & Giveaway!

2011-02-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

I'm back with the third in my Essence of Color Series! For all the purple lovers out there, today's kit is all purple. Rich purples to be exact, the color of Luxury. Ready for the preview?

With the addition of our guests, I've got LOTS of creativity to share with you!

Angie:

Megan:

Larissa:

Tiffany:

Dottie:

Amy:

Natalee:

Tammy:

Hildur:

Emma:

Laura:

Mel:

And some hybrids!

Sarah:

Ashley:

Do you love it? Want to win it? I've noticed a lot of new faces here and on Twitter from Winterpalooza, so how about multiple chances to win? You can leave one comment in this post for each of the 4 entry options:
1. Leave me some love about the kit, about my blog, or whatever you like :)

2. Follow my blog

3. Subscribe to blog updates (on the right side of my blog)

4. Follow me on twitter @JacabeanDesigns

I'll be back on Saturday to draw a winner! Don't want to wait until Saturday to win? Today only, you can get this kit 25% off as part of our Fresh Baked Brownies.