9.28.2012

September Group Giveaway with The Grant Life

Can I get a wha, WHAT?! 

The AMAZING Kelley, who blogs over at The Grant Life is hosting a September Group Giveaway for a...wait for it, wait for it!


$60 Target Gift Card!


 Um, can anyone say...Christmas shopping?!

Entering is easy, just follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below.  [If you have any questions let me know.. I dont want you to miss out on this one!] Good luck to everyone!


9.26.2012

Stamp Pad Storage

If you are a card maker, scrapbooker or just a craft junkie hoarder, then you know that space for organizing or stashing your crafts is a MUST but sometimes hard to come by. I personally like using wall space since there's plenty of it and it makes it easier to grab what you need, instead of digging through cluttered drawers, bins, etc. I bought these two stamp pad storage boxes off of Etsy, from Organize More a few years back. Actually I think they were my very first Etsy purchase, woohoo! After 3 moves, they still look brand new and I've even used them to stash extra rolls of ribbon in a pinch. They do have several other styles of organizers in different colors too, go check them out...especially if you're looking for a great way to store your stamp pads away from little fingers!



Thank you Organize More for such an AWESOME product! 

Note: Organize More is on vacation till October 1st but you can still view their product via their sales tab

9.25.2012

Toy Storage

No one tells you just how much 'stuff' babies and kids come with...well, maybe people do but usually you just smile, nod, acknowledge their crazy ramblings and then forget what words or wisdom was passed down to you! My DH (dear hubby) thinks we have TOO many TOYS....
sigh, anyone else have that problem??

Well, I have a solution! 

Have a garage sale...
when your kids are at school or out of town, bwahaha!

I am constantly purging...I keep a garage sale box in a closet and if you don't want to go through the hassle of a garage sale, you can always donate. Now's the time to start doing so, especially since you have to make room for all of the new toys that will be arriving for the holidays. 

Gone are the toys that make WAY too much noise...gone are the little pieces...gone are the broken...gone are are cheap happy meal toys.
(they usually make a home in the free box at my garage sale) 

Then comes the organization of toys. Really we just need to organize everything, it's rather addicting once you get started. I have different areas in our home for the dreaded toys but so far so good. Kids need a place to play, imagine, make car noises, build towns and read books. So instead of saying "no, my kids aren't taking over our house"...make a special place for them. It doesn't have to look tacky or have bright clown colors. Just make it comfy, with a rug and a few of their favorite toys things.

 now you see it...
and now you don't!

this flip top ottoman is perfect for holding some toys behind our couch. Thank you Overstock.com! It came assembled straight to our door, all I had to do was screw on the legs.

How do you like to organize your kiddos toys?

Here are a few ideas that caught my eye on Pinterest,
I'm all for bins or baskets for kids to put their plethora of toys in, it makes clean up so much easier.



Spectacular September Giveaway with The NY Melrose Family

I Mustache you a question...how would you like to win 2 dozen of these handsome fellas??
Head on over to The NY Melrose Family blog and enter the


Lots of other fun prizes as well, hurry over and check them out!

9.24.2012

Sunday Score

I know it's not Sunday...just a day late but here's my Sunday score that I picked up from The Boys and Girls Club for only $2.99 Isn't she pretty? I was going to spray paint her orange but once I put her up on my little shelf, I just loved how she pops off the black. So for now, I'm going to leave her alone. I actually carried her around in the same store about 2 weeks ago but had to put her down in haste. I couldn't wait in line since my eyes started watering so bad, I could barely see...oh well, thought it wasn't meant to be till I went back and saw her waiting there for me! 



Don't you wish some of these pieces could talk?
Oh the stories she seems to have locked inside those pure white eyes.



9.23.2012

September Sponsor Giveaway with A Night Owl Blog

Welcome to the A Night Owl September Sponsor Giveaway!

Today the sponsors and friends of A Night Owl are joining up to bring you a fabulous Diamond Candle! These candles are Earth friendly, all natural soy candles made in the USA! Not only do they smell fantastic, but each candle has a ring inside worth $10 to $5,000! So what are you waiting for? Enter today via the Rafflecopter form below!

Open in the USA and Canada.
Ends at 11:59pm EST on September 30th, 2012.

9.20.2012

Snail Mail

I know I've blogged about two of these goodies BUT I just LOVE snail mail and all three of these lovelies came all on the same day, it was truly like Christmas!


Thank you ladies again for the wonderful treats!

Do you like getting snail mail?...I used to have a plethora of pen pals but it seems like nowadays people don't take the time to sit and write a personal note. It is quicker to text, phone or email BUT don't let this beautiful tradition die out. Hand written notes are simply sweet and straight from the heart. I'm a sucker for a good long letter.

What are your favorite ways of communicating?

Whatza Happenin' @LeroyLime

My studio/craft room has been pumping...tunes blaring, paper cutting, embossing flying (literally - one of my friends accidentally dumped an entire container on the floor, gah!) glue gluing, twine tying...you get the picture. Picture me a mad Tasmanian devil, minus the devil part unless I haven't had my coffee yet! If you don't follow me on Instagram, well, you SHOULD! :) Here are some pics to wet your crafty noodles!

 picking up fun jars to hold my twine, I think I've found my favorite!

 baby elephant stampede, watch out

a girl needs to have some ROCKIN' supplies

 Preggo card for my BFF, who's expecting her 1st, so excited!

 Mint and Tangerine personalized baby banner for a client

and a matching congrats banner for the Mom 2 Be

and if you'd like to see the real deal, head on over to Etsy and check out the shop @LeroyLime

9.19.2012

50 Shades of...Stupid

50shades

I stumbled across this link up in the wee hours of the morning and was giggling at my computer, oh my WORD is this pretty lady F U N N Y!! 

Isn't it odd when you are asked a question about yourself, your mind goes blank? Maybe it's just me...Mom-brain-syndrome. If I was asked a question about my kids, now that's an easy one. They can make me laugh literally two seconds after I've just scolded them. Now, I sat for a bit and tried to think of something great, like having my skirt stuck in my underpants as I waltzed through Target but no, that wasn't me. I even asked my hubby for some help in this matter and he said I make him laugh so much it's just NORMAL, haha!

So without further ado, here's what came to mind...

When I was about 3 and I remember this clearly...not really doing it as much as my Mothers shocked face when she saw me but my parent had one of those self-inking address stamps and one night, I snuck downstairs into the office, unzipped my red footed pjs and started stamping it ALL over my body. Maybe I thought it was magic, either way, I was covered with black ink and their name and address, guess I figured I wouldn't get lost if I was dropped off somewhere!

I always give myself a good laugh when I realize that yes, indeed my lady-wear has been inside out the ENTIRE day!

and YES, I have on numerous occasions pushed the button on our Nespresso machine only to have hot water come out and it takes me a bit to realize I forgot to put a new pod in, DUH...need more coffee?!!

Last week I woke up with my night shirt on backwards, yup, got dressed in the dark

Hope I at least could put a smile on your face this morning!! I think I'm in need of another cuppa joe!

If you have a funny story to share or just want a good laugh, head on over to link up at
The Funny Thing of it is



YAY

One word can sum it all up and this card not only made me grin from ear to ear but had a GLORIOUS Starbuck gift card inside from the lovely Beth who blogs over at 
I was lucky enough to win her fabbo giveaway, thank you Beth!!



Snazzy Icons


I have to give a HUGE shout out to Carrie. She blogs over at Carrie Loves and I found her beautiful, simple and FREE (might I add) social media icons in a plethora of gorgeous colors. 

After nearly going cross eyed and staying up till 1:30, I snazzed up my sidebar with some new icons, aren't they SWEET?!

If you'd like to add some icons to your blog, HERE is the best tutorial that completely spelled-it-out in black and white and uncrossed my weary eyes! Whew!

9.16.2012

Coffee Mug Swap

Coffee Mug Swap

I joined in on my very first coffee mug swap last month and here's what I received in the mail yesterday from my secret stalker! It has the BEST quote ever, I love it and can't wait to sip my afternoon cup of pick-me-up out of it! Jeni also sent me the sweetest note to go along with the mug, explaining her reason behind picking this one for me. Isn't she the BOMB?! Go check out her fabbo blog at Two Shades of Lovely

"Be the change you wish to see in the world"

love her handwriting!!!

Thank you Jeni, getting your package totally made my day!

If you want to see everyone's mugs, we will be linking up tomorrow over at

and
Yellow Umbrella


Here's the mug I sent to my secret stalker, Courtney.
She blogs over at Our Small Moments
and since she's a grad student, I thought this mug was perfect,
filled with Smarties of course to feed her growing brain.
Hope it arrived okay Courtney, I had fun stalking you, your
blog posts are AMAZING and written directly from the heart!

Golden Find

Here's another trashy treasure that we've been toting around with us for several years now. I found this in a home we purchased in Grand Forks, ND under a very old work table in the basement. While we were taking the table apart to throw in the trash, this beauty fell down from underneath. My hubby wanted to trash it but I fell in love with the graceful curves and detail right away. I didn't know what I wanted to do with it at the time but knew it had to be saved from the dump! Fast forward six years and I think I've found the perfect spot.



A before pic, a few of the pieces had been broken off but just adds to the charm...she was pretty like this but I really wanted her to stand out in the crowd


first coat of orange spray paint, it soaked in 
well but wouldn't take to the outside edges


our living room is still getting pieced together, 
here's where she's resting in all of her orange glory now


a few candle sconces (that still need candles) and 
now I'm just looking for the perfect piece to sit 
under the TV, I'm thinking a pale 
blue or turquoise dresser of some sort.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I'm linking up to this weeks
create and inspire linky party
over at A Night Owl Blog

Create & Inspire Linky Party

have any fun projects you're working on?
come link up and join the fun!

9.12.2012

Trashy Treasure

I've been keeping quite busy with the shop, thank you everyone for the lovely orders, they make my heart sing!! and when I'm not crafting, running after my 3 chickens, buried under piles of laundry, running to the commissary, library or prepping for a garage sale (whew, thank goodness that's over)...I've been tackling the ever growing pile of trash that I picked up here and there off the curb in Newport, RI. Here is another find that I turned my car around for cause I thought it looked cool, or at least could look cool. snicker.

I pulled out a few nails that were sticking out and not holding anything together and banged in the rest so they were flush and easier to paint


two coats of black glossy cabinet paint later and it's finished!


It's still empty and waiting for me to actually put something in BUT that'll have to wait for a rainy day, cause at the moment I've no idea...do you??

9.09.2012

Mustache Party

I'm not a fan of facial hair but I do have a few mustache stamps stached at home (get it stached, hehe)


AND in light of a mustache linky party this week over at Doodles and Stitches
I decided to start up a mustache board on Pinterest

I've also got some fun mustache cupcake toppers, invitations & a party banner over at LeroyLime




Giveaway @ Songbirds and Buttons

LeroyLime is making an appearance over at Songbirds and Buttons this week as well with another set of Birthday cupcake toppers. We're celebrating Kendall's Birthday, happy Birthday Kendall!!!


One winner takes all!! Head on over to Songbirds and Buttons and enter to win!
Prizes include, ad space, gift cards, cupcake toppers, greeting cards and paint samples.
Good luck!

9.07.2012

Giveaway with The Grant Life

I'm so very excited to be apart of this mad-crazy giveaway over at The Grant Life
Join with her as she celebrates reaching 1000+ followers!!!
Good luck everyone, thanks for stopping by my blog

Over $400 in Prizes

Prize Pack One

1. Pre-Made Blogger Template - Family Darr
2. Bluebird Beaded Necklace [approx. 18-19" long] - Blue Bird Bijoux {Design}
3. 250x200 Ad Space + Essie Nail Polish - the Vintage Modern Wife
4. 3 Dozen Simple Cake Bites [Color May Vary] - The Sweet Life
5. Rainbow Happy Birthday Cupcake Toppers [Winner picks color] - Leroy Lime
6. $10 Starbucks Card - the Houtz House Party
7. Premium Ad Space - Addicted to Recipes
8. 200x200 Ad Space + Blog Planner PDF - Texas Lovebirds
9. $15 Shop Credit - Shepherd's Daughter
10. Toddler Shirt Applique [Choice of Applique] - The Chirping Moms
11. 275 x 300 Ad Space - and the call me mommy


Prize Pack Two 

1. 2 Custom Subway Prints - Emily's Sanity
2. 2 Custom Loveables - the Grant life
3. SuperCool Ad Space - Moda Mama
4. Medium Ad Space + $15 Shop Credit - Finding my way in Texas
5. Wooden Button Flower Ring - Fold-de-rol and Frippery
6. Basic Blog Design Package - Designs by Emily
7. Small Ad Space - Yours Truly
8. Custom Photo Collage [Participation required to create collage] - Beautiful Day
9. XL Ad Space - Mi Todo
10. Winners Choice of Ad Space - Sugar in My Grits
11. 2 Weeks in Post Ad [Includes Ad Creation] - Covered in Grace

How amazing are these prizes?!  There will be two winners.. so good luck!  
Oh yea.. and THANK YOU!  



9.06.2012

August #photoaday




Here's a recap of my August PhotoADay, link up your pics over at A Night Owl Blog and meet some new camera happy picture clickers!