seven thirty three - - - a creative blog

Pink Tiara Cookies for Three Winner

2012-01-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

Congrats goes to Alicia Seeley for winning the Pink Tiara Cookies for Three book and cookie cutter from Maria Dismondy! Check your email Alicia.

Happy Birthday to my Dear Sweet Husband!

2012-01-27T07:33:00.000-05:00

This past Tuesday was my hubbies 33rd Birthday! We are actually celebrating it on Sunday with dinner at his parents, but we couldn't just let his actual birthday slide without doing anything. On my way home from work I snagged a yummy Ice Cream Cake. The night before I had created this little banner, printed it out and attached it to two wood skewers. I got home, brought the cake down to my craft room inserted the skewers and set it aside to thaw a bit while we ate dinner. The kids were so excited when I ran downstairs and came back up with my yummy treat, and my hubby was totally surprised since he wasn't expecting anything! And ummmm-mmmm was it delicious! In case you want to make your own birthday cake banner - you can download the file here (different color options too!).

What are little boys made of? #96

2012-01-26T07:33:00.000-05:00

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Party Guidelines: 1) please link to your blog post (not your blog main page) so people can go directly to your project and 2) Enter your blog name and in paranthesis add the name of your project so we can clearly see what it is 3) Don't forget, these should be BOY RELATED (Big Boy projects are accepted too)! AND PLEASE grab my button!

Sugar & Spice #95

2012-01-25T07:33:00.000-05:00

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The party guidelines are: 1) please link to your blog post (not your blog main page) so people can go directly to your project 2) Don't forget, these should be GIRL RELATED (can be for us grown up girls too)! 3) AND PLEASE grab my button and add it to your post so that other crafty ladies can come join the fun.

Blog Tour - Pink Tiara Cookies for Three with GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-24T07:33:00.000-05:00

I was so excited when Maria Dismondy, author of Pink Tiara Cookies for Three, contacted me to see if I would be interested in participating in her Pink Tiara Cookies Blog Tour. After reading up on Maria I decided I DEFINITELY wanted to participate! Her books are not only good reads, but they have a moral and help children learn wrong from right in regards to bullying. Maria sent me her new book, Pink Tiara Cookies for Three on sale now at Amazon OR if you purchase directly from her site, http://www.mariadismondy.com/Products/3/18/Pink-Tiara-Cookies/, you can get an autographed copy! If you are interested in following the rest of the tour, click here too see what's up next! Maria sent me a copy of Pink Tiara Cookies for Three and my daughters and I sat down to read it as soon as it came in. The pictures are beautiful and so colorful and my girls really enjoyed the story. My 2.5 year old enjoyed looking at the pictures and my older daughter understood the concept of making new friends and accepting them into your group. It really was a win-win book!

Hello seven thirty three readers! I am happy to be the Guest Blogger today. Besides being a children’s book author, I am an avid crafter! I am bringing you step-by-step directions on how to make my delicious sugar cookie recipe. To go along with my newest children’s book, Pink Tiara Cookies for Three, I used a Tiara cookie cutter. The cookies are decorated using homemade Royal Frosting. The good news is, you have a chance to win both my new book plus your very own Tiara cookie cutter! Enjoy! Maria Dismondy

DIRECTIONS:

These look delicious Maria! Now let's get back to the book! Would you like to win your own copy of Pink Tiara Cookies for Three and a cute tiara shaped cookie cutter? It is the perfect book for a child that is going through a "friendship triangle" or "three's a crowd" situation! For your chance to win, leave me a comment telling me who you would like to win this book for. For an extra entry (leave a separate comment for each):
Follow Maria Dismondy's BlogFollow seven thirty threeFollow seven thirty three on TwitterFollow seven thirty three on FacebookFollow Maria on FacebookFollow Maria on Twitter
Giveaway ends this Friday at 12:00 pm EST.

Angry Bird Soda Can Game

2012-01-23T07:33:00.000-05:00

While out shopping this weekend in New Hampshire the family and I went to Pheasant Lane Mall, which has a wonderful Target attached. While there my son came across an Angry Bird board game that cost $18. I thought it was a little pricey and remembered pinning THIS on Pinterest. I told my son that we could make the game and he should choose a different toy. He was all about that and went off to pick something else. Fast forward to the next day when we arrived home. I had JUST stepped through the door and out of his mouth was "can we make the Angry Bird game?" After unpacking and doing what I needed to do, I went to see what we had for supplies. Unfortunately recycling had already been taken for the week so we didn't have any cans. I did have some soda bottles that didn't make it into recycling so I grabbed those, some construction paper, markers, an oil pastel, ball, paints and glue stick. This is the Angry bird game we came up with: It works PERFECTLY and he LOVES it, so that is what matters! He didn't want to do any of the drawing, although I offered to let him! Total time: about 20 minutes.
And look at that! You're getting a sneak peak at a portion of my new craft room, including my new craft table top! Still have to paint the walls, remove my old desk and make a sewing machine cover, and new window curtains. My husband is going away on a business trip later this week but I'm still hoping to get it all completed this weekend.

What are little boys made of? #95

2012-01-19T07:33:00.000-05:00

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Sugar & Spice #94

2012-01-18T07:33:00.002-05:00

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Empower

2012-01-17T07:33:00.000-05:00

I have a new favorite phrase:"She believed she could so she did." It just strikes a cord with me and I really wanted that inspirational message in my think tank area, so I created this colorful 8x8 image, printed it out and stuck it on my corkboard.

And of course I want to empower other women out there, so click HERE to get your own free printable!

Working on my craft room...

2012-01-16T07:33:00.000-05:00

I had a very productive weekend and am so excited that I have really begun working on my basement. My basement has gone through several transformations since we moved in 5 years ago and I think we are finally getting it to where it was meant to be: a combo playroom/craft room! We have a L shaped basement so a portion will be a play area for the kids and the other portion will be my crafting area. It works perfectly for us. I have rearranged all of the furniture, organized all of my supplies and the childrens toys and threw out or donated a TON! I have ordered several cubbie bookshelves - if you are interested, I ordered these Martha Stewart Cubbies for Home Depot. After arguing with my husband about getting rid of our very big and bulky office desk (he wanted to keep it because it cost $1K and I want to get rid of it because it isn't conducive to crafting and hey - I'm the only one that uses it!), I have finally convinced him that it is OK to let go. I will be building myself a counter height craft table in the next few weeks and I can not WAIT until I pull everything together and can get to using it! I still need to paint too... I've been putting that off... I hate painting! I wish you all were in VT with me, I'd totally invite you over for a painting party with great music and even better drinks!
I also made some fabric organizers out of foam core, and a pin cushion out of a large mason jar. On top of all of this organization I also organized my laundry room/storage space in the basement, my master closet and my linen closet! I was on a roll. I also got to have a date night with the hubby, go to breakfast with my extended family and grandparents, and played on the snow machine and went sledding! It was a great weekend!
I am going to wait to reveal my final transformation, but I'll leave you with an image of what my craft area did look like:

Make sure to keep your eye out because the big reveal will hopefully be coming in the next few weeks. We are going away next weekend so my hope is to paint the following weekend. We have to take that big old desk apart to get it out of the basement, and I need to find a home for it still. Still lots of work to do but it will be worth it in the end!

HOW TO: Add Floating Social Media Share Buttons

2012-01-15T07:33:00.001-05:00

Would you like to add social media share buttons along the side of your blog? You know, the ones that allow users to click and share your blog or blog post? There is a SUPER simple way to do so just by adding html code into a html gadget and placing in your sidebar or below your post section of your design tab, depending on where you want your buttons to appear. Visit Amazing World's Floating Social Media Share Buttons post to get the code and get sharing today!

HOW-TO: Enable Threaded Commenting

2012-01-13T07:33:00.000-05:00

Blogger has enabled Threaded Commenting (Replying directly to comments in the comment field) with its new interface. Learn how to enable your threaded commenting with Blogger Buzz. If your threaded comments don't show up after doing this, it may be because of a custom template. Visit Simple Blogger Tutorials for a work around.

NOTE: If you have your comments numbered, this new threaded feature seems to interefere with the numbering. Proceed with caution!

What are little boys made of? #94

2012-01-12T07:33:00.000-05:00

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Let's Talk Clothes

2012-01-11T19:33:00.013-05:00

{my everyday wear}I love clothes. I typically stick with darker colors, just because they look better with my skin and body. I also wear all sorts of styles. I'm not set in stone with my style. Jeans, shirts, and layers are my everyday wear. For work I wear young and modern career outfits, more towards the casual side.
When eShakti contacted me to possibly do a review, I was excited to check them out. The only thing I'd ever seen about them was an ad or two online, but I had never been onto their website. So of course I headed right over to eshakti.com. And I was stoked when I got there. The VERY first thing I noticed? They offer customization on all of their items! You have the option to make custom changes in the style of the garment – sleeve, neckline and length can all be changed. You put in your measurements and they'll tailor and customize the clothes for you starting at only $7.50 (FREE the first time you custom)!
They offer tons of styles and a full size selection from size 0-26W and custom sizes too. Dresses, tops, sweaters & cardigans, skirts, scarves and jackets! You can get it all at eShakti. And the shipping is quick - within 3 days your garment will be in the mail, even custom pieces!
So what did I get? I picked out this dress:

The Banded waist cotton poplin dress for $54.95. This 100% cotton dress is machine washable and has POCKETS! I love a good dress with pockets! Of course I couldn't locate my measuring tape, so I ordered a Medium and hoped for the best. The dress came in and it fits, although it is a little on the big side, so I really wish I had taken eShakti up on their customization option. It is still wearable, just not as tight around the bodice and middle as it should be, and is a great dress for a Wedding or other occasion. It is a nice weight and made very well, definitely a quality dress. WARNING: You may need sunglasses for this next picture:

{Love them pockets! And please excuse my self-portraits! No one was home, so I used a tripod, and I had to be inside since we have a foot of snow outside our door.}

I think my white wedges would go perfectly with this as well, and would lengthen my leg a bit more than these strappy low-heeled sandals.
I'm eyeballing this sweet little jacket:

Ottoman Jacket It's 40% off right now!
If you are new to eShakti, register with them and you will receive $20 off your first order.
Happy Shopping! And if you're interested - I am now on Twitter. Come stop by and say hi!

(Disclaimer: I received a free dress from eShakti in order to write this review.

The opinions in this post are mine, and mine alone.)

Sugar & Spice #93

2012-01-11T07:33:00.001-05:00

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The year of 30!

2012-01-08T19:33:00.004-05:00

This year I turn 30. My husband has been reminding me of that since the New Year rang in. I'm not a person that gets hung up on age, but leaving my 20's does do funny things to my insides... a little. I figure if he is going to razz me for the next 7 months, the most he can do is throw me a big 3-0 bash, right? So I've created a Pinterest board where I am storing fun ideas and I'm hoping my Facebook/Pinterest friends will clue him in. I'm dropping sneaky hints. I mean, I can't plan my own birthday party!

I figured I would make it easy for other husbands out there with wives turning 30 too. I've created a FREE, customizable 30th Birthday Party Invitation. All you need is Adobe Reader, Cardstock and a printer. This is a two step process if you want to use the same script font as what is already on the invitation (if you don't care about that, you can skip to downloading the invitation and it will use a default font - most likely Times New Roman). Download Dancing Script OT here. Install the font on your system (if you are using Windows you download the font and then save it to your Fonts folder which is located in your Control Panel). Now that the font is installed, download the invitation from here. Fill in the info and then print out your invitations on cardstock. A custom design for free! Final invite size is 7" x 5".

I also designed some cupcake toppers that can be printed onto cardstock and cut with a scrapbook 2" circle or scallop punch. Download the cupcake toppers here.

Show your guests JUST how refreshing 30 really is with these adorable water bottle labels. Print them out onto 8.5 x 11 sheets of labels and stick to a water bottle.

Now all the party planner needs to do is get some coordinating balloons, streamers and such! All you husbands can thank me for making you look like the hero (birthday girls - make sure you accidentally leave this page up on the computer)!

Linked with these great blogs: Today's Creative Blog || Skip to My Lou || Tip Junkie || Home Stories A2Z || Not Just a Housewife || Sugar Bee Crafts || Creative Itch || Someday Crafts || A Glimpse Inside || Gluesticks || Somewhat Simple || Tatertots & Jello || Serenity Now || Making the World Cuter

HOW TO: Add a Pin It button to all your Posts - Automatically!

2012-01-07T19:33:00.002-05:00

Major shout out to Mandy of Sugar Bee Crafts for tracking down this great how-to! I've had many clients ask me if I knew of a way to add a pin-it button to their blog posts. I would direct them to the post I did on how to add one manually, but Mandy found a way to add it so that it works across all posts! So stop by clickin moms Add a Pinterest "Pin It" Button to All of your Posts post to learn how! And then head over to Sugar Bee Crafts and tell Mandy how awesome you think she is! For those who may have questions on where to put the html provided by Clickin Moms, I am going to clarify. Go to the post, copy the html and then come back here and I'll tell you what to do with! Go ahead, I'll wait. Alright, now that you are back, open a new tab or window and go to your Blogger Dashboard. Click on SETTINGS. Click on FORMATTING. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and paste the html code into the post template box. Click SAVE. Create a New Post and you'll see your sweet little Pin It button waiting for you!

What are little boys made of? #93

2012-01-05T07:33:00.001-05:00

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Sugar & Spice #92

2012-01-04T07:33:00.003-05:00

Looking for tips on vacation rentals and money-saving ideas for our 2013 Disney World trip. Stop by my Facebook page and wow me with your recommendations! Anyone with sweet connections welcome to share. LOL!

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Top 10 Projects of 2011

2011-12-31T07:33:00.004-05:00

HAPPY ALMOST NEW YEAR!

I wish you an yours a happy and fruitful 2012.

I love to look back to see which of my posts are visited the most throughout the year. Some of these, including the most visited project are from years past, but that doesn't make them any less special. I am so happy everyone is still finding inspiration from my creations! Let's take a look at the most visited projects of 2011 here at seven thirty three.

10. Frayed Edge Pillows - These still adorn my bed and are so soft and comfy. I still love my Master Bedroom makeover and am so happy I made these to accent my bed and headboard!

9. Anthro Inspired Headband - I created this for the first Knock It Off contest that I held earlier this year. It was made from some old knee high boots, thread and a recycled headband.

8. Paint Your Countertops - My Master Bath counters are still going strong. No chips or wearing down. Although my curling iron stand does leave small indents if I don't place it on the sink. I am still happy I did this. So much better than the "before"!

7. Weekly Meal Planner - First of two meal planners to make the list!

6. Free Santa Letterhead - Christmas has come and gone, but make sure to bookmark or pin this for next year! My kids expect their letter now!

5. Candy Shoppe Birthday Party - This post brings back such memories for me! My daughters first birthday was so much fun to plan and the kids had a blast.

4. Sock Cupcake Tutorial - I still love this project and have made several more for teacher gifts.

3. Braided Ribbon Flower - This post STILL garners tons of hits each month... and it is SO easy to make!

2. Pinkalicious Birthday Party with Free Printables - This was such a fun party to put together and my daughter had such a blast. I am so happy that other people are inspired by my party!

1. Owl Weekly Meal Planner - this is still my #1 post! I hope everyone that has downloaded it has found it as useful as me and my family do.

Mama Bird Necklaces

2011-12-30T07:33:00.002-05:00

I finally got around to making some of these adorable Mama Bird Necklaces that I found via Pinterest.

I made my mom, and both SIL's one and added to their gifts for Christmas (of course I made myself one too!). My little sister had already seen mine and loved it, so I made her one using the same idea, but instead of making it a "nest" I just did loose loops around one bead. I loved it so much I made myself a pair of earrings that matched her necklace. They were a big hit and everyone loved them. So easy and inexpensive to make! I used 8mm pearls, although 6mm probably would have been easier for my moms which required 6 beads.

What are little boys made of? #92

2011-12-29T07:33:00.003-05:00

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Sugar & Spice #91

2011-12-28T07:33:00.004-05:00

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Angry Bird Ornament

2011-12-24T07:33:00.009-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve! I wanted to share with you this super cute, SUPER EASY Christmas ornament I made in just 20 minutes! I referred to Obsessively Stitching's tutorial and used an old red bulb, white, orange, and black acrylic paint and a regular old paint brush:

I was cruising Pinterest when I came across the tutorial and my son happened to be next to me. He is an Angry Bird fanatic and BEGGED me to make one. It turned out perfect and really does look like an Angry Bird! There's still time to get one on your tree!

FFF: Lisa Storms Holiday Teacher Gifts

2011-12-23T07:33:00.002-05:00

I fell in love with these teacher gifts from Lisa Storms:

What's not to love?
I took this idea and put it to use for my sister and her boyfriends gift. I stuffed one with a $25 gift card to Starbucks. I had already picked up a shirt for my sister that she had mentioned she liked in passing, so I stuffed hers with the shirt. Put them in a gift bag and they are waiting under the tree until Christmas morning.I used a wood bead and a shish kabob skewer and printed up some flags and glued them on.