Are you hosting a giveaway this week? Link up here!

For “Name”, use this format: Blog Name: Giveaway Item (End Date)

Are you looking for giveaways to enter? Take a look at this week’s links!

Are you a perpetual DIYer? I totally am. If I can fix the washer, replace my hard drive or stucco my own wall (yes, we’re actually contemplating this…) then I will. I’m a firm believer in DIYing. I realize there are definitely times when the professional needs to be called (i.e. anything electrical, my car’s break system or cleaning my carpets once every year or so). There are just times when you don’t have the time, talent or tools to do the job right.

I started to think about my premade blog theme collection and as well as its going (more themes are released every month!), I started to look at them from the perspective of a new blogger or someone who has had little or no experience with graphic editors. It can be overwhelming, Im sure. But I really think with a little bit of time (my themes are made to be “out of the box” and up and running within about an hour or so…), talent (or in this case very detailed instructions…and now a video!) and tools (enter pixlr.com), it doesnt have to be quiet so overwhelming.

Even if you dont want or need one of my premade themes, feel free to take a look at this tutorial. I demonstrate how to design a blog banner from scratch with pixlr.com as well as offer some helpful resources. Here’s the sample banner I create to demonstrate the process…

This particular image consists of four elements…the background pattern, the frame, the bird and the text. I’ll demonstrate how to add and modify different elements so you can come up with a great design for your blog.

Take a look…

In the video I mention a few websites you might want to check out. Here they are in case you missed them…

iStock.com

Picha.com

VectorStock.com

PatternCooler.com

Pinterest.com

Enjoy…and happy blog design DIYing!

Every time we go shoe shopping for the boys I am A) in shock at the total bill before we get out of the stire and B) asked, “Mom time me. Am I faster now??”

It was kinda like that again for me last week. On Thursday, much to my chagrin, my poor little Early 2008 MacBook Pro breathed her last while creating a video on ‘how to design a blog header’ (more on that later). A  very black screen and no restart chime told me it was the logic board. Again.

So rather than dropping another $400+ into a machine that the nice young man at the Apple store referred to as “vintage”, I found myself walking out of the store with the same aforementioned emotions. Sticker shock and excitement all bundled up and intertwined.

But for the amount of work I do, I think I got my money’s worth out of my MBP. It was time.

So what do you think? Am I posting faster? Cooler? Fancier?

I chose the 13″ MacBook Air, 256gb. I actually went smaller and lighter because I’m constantly on the go and I take my laptop with me everywhere. I also have my jumbotron desktop monitor so it was a pretty easy decision.

She’s so light and thin and delicate.

I think I’ll name her… Dainty.  Yes, I think so.

Every year in May a group of 85(ish) Tucson scrapbookers come together for 12 solid hours of bliss. Bliss, if you’re a scrapbooker, that is. If you’re not, you may not appreciate the crazy.

We go all out. There is a new theme every year. In the past the theme has been based on Cinco De Mayo, Fiesta, “Scraparitaville”, Disney Movies and the Oldies. Each large table has a table hostest and a theme within the theme. Then the embellishments and toile start flying.

The “Scrapertariate” table

The Harry Potter Table

This year? Our table is based on the Sex in the City movies. We called it “Scissors in the City”. Our table hostess and my good friend, Nicki, did an amazing job planning the decor…

There were three meals (make your own omelets for breakfast)…

a layout contest (here’s mine)… 

and a Make & Take Paper Cone Wreath project (here is a similar tutorial I found on Pinterest in case you’re interested!)…

I completed 16 pages and totally caught up on my albums (I do them chronologically). Here are a couple…

If you are a scrapbooker and live in or around Tucson, AZ you really must check out The Chicks. Email me for more info or check out our Facebook page for more details and crop dates!

So what about you? What did you make this weekend? Something crafty? A new recipe? Reservations??

Are you hosting a giveaway this week? Link up here!

For “Name”, use this format: Blog Name: Giveaway Item (End Date)

Are you looking for giveaways to enter? Take a look at this week’s links!