Gingerly Made

Show & Tell #27

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Gingerly Made's Show & Tell party!

One of the things I love most about blogging is sharing projects with other bloggers. I love to see your creative ideas and I can't wait to see what you have been working on this week.

Let's see what YOU have been doing this week.
Before you link please...

Link up as many posts as you want, but please only link to your post once. Don't link the same project every week.
Keep it family-friendly
Link directly to your post and not to your home page
Please do not link up other link parties, advertisements, or etsy shops
Remember we all love comments. Stop by some other links and share the love.
Grab a button or direct link back to me. I'd also love if you became a blog subscriber.
Have fun and Be inspired!

Father's Day Tie Bookmark

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Continuing on my bookmark craze this week is this tie-shaped bookmark for Dad. Guys don't want some floral frilly thing. They like simple - manly. And what says Father's Day better than a tie.

This project could easily be done by an older child or even a younger one with supervision.

To start, cut your felt in a tie shape. Make sure it's a manly color, nothing too pink or purple. Now, you don't want the bookmark to be floppy so we need to stiffen the felt. You can use fabric stiffener, or if you don't have any, mix equal parts Elmer's glue and water to make your own. Let dry on a piece of wax paper overnight.

Now that your tie-shape is dry, cut out a small piece of felt for the back. Hot glue a paperclip to the back of the tie and cover with the scrap felt.

You're done.

It's not a big wow factor present, but something small that you could put in a card. And every time Dad reads his book, he can look at that bookmark and know how much his family loves him. And that's what Father's Day is about anyway.

Linking up to these link parties.

Private Selection Upside Down Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Private Selection for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

You know me and how much I LOVE to make and do things myself and from scratch if possible. But let's face it, life is busy and sometimes it's just not possible or a priority to make EVERYTHING yourself.

I cook a good homemade dinner most nights for my family. And every night after the kids go to bed, I crave something sweet. My girls inherited my sweet tooth too. But after cooking dinner I just don't feel like preparing a homemade dessert too. I want to wind down and relax. So, I tend to go for bought desserts.

Something else you may or may not know about me, is that I'm a Kroger shopper. I find quality food and reasonable prices there. The Private Selection brand is a premium private label brand with affordable prices carried exclusively at the Kroger Family of Stores and affiliated stores including: Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Fry’s, Gerbes, Pay Less, QFC, JayC, King Soopers, Owen’s, Ralphs, Smith’s and Fred Meyer. One of their products are Upside Down Cakes. They are so easy! Just warm, flip, and serve.

They carry German Chocolate Fudge – with the classically irresistible combination of gooey caramel, pecans and coconut; Double Chocolate Molten – prepared with real butter, eggs, milk, and the finest semi-sweet chocolate; and Amber Honey Apple Spice – topped with apple slices drenched in a sweet amber honey glaze. Made with only the finest ingredients, they taste like homemade.

Get a Coupon:

Kroger is executing the “Spread the Love” campaign beginning on April 8, 2013 and running through June 2, 2013. During this time a “Spread the Love” coupon will be available on the Kroger website.

Visit the www.PrivateSelection.com/cakes landing page, where you can learn about the Upside Down Cakes, see recommended Private Selection ice cream pairings, and receive a $1.00 off coupon. Share the coupon via Facebook to receive a higher value, $2.00 off coupon. After you decide whether or not to share the coupon offer on facebook, you'll be asked to choose your local store within the Kroger Family of Stores and be directed to that store’s website to add the offer to your shopper card. Get your Private Selection Upside Down Cakes coupon or find the nearest location to you.

Disclaimer:

Coupon ends 6/2/13. Official Rules. In order to load these coupons to your card, you will need to sign into your Kroger account or set up a Kroger account and enter your card number. Limit one use per digital coupon. Digital offers are not eligible on Manager's Specials, cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of a single item, and do not double. Not all items are available in all stores. A limit of 150 coupons can be loaded per household at one time.

Like Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Facebook

Visit Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Pinterest

Show & Tell Features

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Welcome back for the features from last Thursday's Show & Tell link party! I love seeing what you create each and every week.

If you are interested in taking a look at the rest of the link ups from last week's party, click here.

My Favorites:

Upcycled Treasures shows us how to create this burned wood look using printer paper and water! So cool. I will definitely be using this tip in the future.

Amy from SewsNBows did a great job on her Striped Bed Sheet Dress. I've always been a little nervous to make something from sheets even though I know a lot of people have done it. I think this project has convinced me to try it out.

When my girls point out a project they really liked, it just has to up as a feature. They loved this Button Pillow from Adventures of a DIY Mom. I do too for that matter.

Blissful and Domestic offers some great tips on how to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half. It's a lot of info, so take the time to read it slowly and let it all sink in.

A Bright and Beautiful Life made some seriously good looking Pico De Gallo. Mmm.

And the most viewed link.....

Knock-Off Kate Spade Shoes by Southern State of Mind. So cute!

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up this week! I loved taking a look at all of your work.

If you were featured, please feel free to grab a button.

See you at the next party on Thursday!

Easy Stamped Bookmarks

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Everyone in our family loves to read. It's universal; from our parents down to our 18 month old. We actually have a serious book problem. They're everywhere and I don't have enough bookshelves to fit them all. Thanks to the Kindle we aren't collect quite as many on the shelves; although we do still get some paper books. I want to get rid of some, but they are really, really hard to part with.

For a long time I had this bookmark that I absolutely LOVED. It was made of some kind of metal that formed the word BELIEVE. Then I had kids and they bent and broke it. Sigh. Since then, I haven't had a real bookmark and it's beginning to bug me. So, I'm on hunt for the perfect bookmark.

I've also realized that a good bookmark would be a good small Father's Day gift for my husband. I actually have several bookmarks in the works and you will hopefully be seeing them soon.

This one was pretty simple and straight forward. I simply stamped headbands and used those as bookmarks that wrap around the book. I really like this cross one. Not only is it great for marking your Bible, but you can position the cross up or down on the page to mark where you left off.

I made the stamp by drawing a cross on a circular sponge and then cutting the shape out.

All that was left after that, was to carefully place my stamp.

I really like the ease of use and the simplicity of these bookmarks. And I suppose if you still wanted to use it as a headband, you could......

Linking up to these link parties.

Foodie Friday: Fruit Roll Ups

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Happy Friday!

I feel like I've been a little MIA this week. Mostly because I have been up to my eyeballs in strawberries all week long. I do this every year, but this year it has taken me for. ev. er. to make and can jam, freeze some fresh, and make fruit roll ups.

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Show & Tell #26

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Link up as many posts as you want, but please only link to your post once. Don't link the same project every week.
Keep it family-friendly
Link directly to your post and not to your home page
Please do not link up other link parties, advertisements, or etsy shops
Remember we all love comments. Stop by some other links and share the love.
Grab a button or direct link back to me. I'd also love if you became a blog subscriber.
Have fun and Be inspired!

Win the CB2 and Novogratz Brasil Getaway! #CB2NovogratzBrasilSweepstakes

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CB2 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love a good giveaway and wanted to share an amazing one with you today. Have you heard of CB2? They offer modern home design pieces to help you decorate your home. They really have some beautiful modern pieces.

Anyway, The CB2 family is partnering on their latest collection with husband-and-wife design duo Robert and Cortney Novogratz. Their latest collection debuted May 2nd, and was inspired by their vacation home in Brazil. It features pops of hot color mixed into warm wood, as well as range of items and price points, from the whimsical Luli Table Lamp at $129, to the sophisticated, modern Dupla Credenza at $499.

I personally tend to rely on a lot of neutrals when decorating and am still learning to step out of my box that way. The CB2 and Novogratz Collection is great for people like me who want to add color, but aren't always sure how. I love their pillows and the Dupla Credenza. They are simple, but bright and beautiful. And look at this gorgeous sectional couch!

CB2 and Novogratz are offering a once in a lifetime trip to Brasil. You and 3 friends could win the trip of a lifetime! Win a one week stay at the vacation home of CB2 collaborators Bob and Courtney Novogratz in beautiful Trancoso, Brazil. Ten other lucky winners will receive a CB2 giftcard worth $100 along with a personally signed copy of the book “Home by Novogratz”.

Enter the CB2 and Novogratz Brasil Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes to run from May 2nd through June 3rd.

Show & Tell Features

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:46:00 +0000

Welcome back for the features from last Thursday's Show & Tell link party! I love seeing what you create each and every week.

If you are interested in taking a look at the rest of the link ups from last week's party, click here.

My Favorites:

I am in love with this faux coral from Twigg Studios! And the best part is, it's a tutorial so I can learn how to make my own.

This french cottage dining table from Upcycled Treasures is gorgeous. You should see the before pics. Great transformation!

Redesigned by M did a fantastic job cleaning up and decorating her boyfriend's tiny bachelor pad. Again, you've got to see what it looked like before.

The First Year Blog made these amazing Coffee Oreo Fudge Ice Cream Pops. Oh, I'm sorry, I think I'm drooling on my keyboard.

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up this week! I loved taking a look at all of your work.

If you were featured, please feel free to grab a button.

See you at the next party on Thursday!

Blind Stitches

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:17:00 +0000

I have a basic sewing machine. Nothing fancy. I don't really see the point for the type/amount of sewing I do. (I did get a serger for Christmas because I wanted to be able to finish the edges, but that's different.) My sewing machine has just a few stitch functions unlike some who have 60+ different types of stitches. It's amazing what you can do with just those basic functions.

Recently I learned how to do a blind stitch. My brother-in-law needed some pants hemmed. It took me awhile to get to it, but I finally sat down and did some research on how to do a blind hem and got to it.

I was surprised at how easy it was. The two main parts are how you fold the hem and how little of the fabric you can get caught in the stitching. ---You'll see.

First start with your pant leg (or skirt) turned inside out and the hem turned in.

Baste (a long loose stitch that you can easily remove later) about 5/8" in from the fold.

Turn your hem at the stitching back into the pants. It should look something like this.

Now you are ready to sew the blind stitch. Basically the blind stitch sews with a protruding stitch every so many stitches that just catches the fabric and tacks it into place. On my sewing machine I have two stitches that I could use. In this case I used #12 because of the direction of the protruding stitch.

As you sew, make sure you are just catching the seam in your stitch. If you get too much fabric you will be able to see the stitches.

After you have finished the blind stitch, remove the basting stitch, turn right side out, press and you're done.

If some of my directions have been difficult to follow, I found this link really helpful. They have some nice diagrams that helped me.

Linking up to these link parties.

Show & Tell #25

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Gingerly Made's Show & Tell party!

One of the things I love most about blogging is sharing projects with other bloggers. I love to see your creative ideas and I can't wait to see what you have been working on this week.

If you're not a regular blog follower, here's a quick run down of what I've been up to this past week.

Potted Garden Wall

Tips to "Clean" Your House Before Guests Arrive

Our Disney Trip Wrap Up

Let's see what YOU have been doing this week.

Before you link please...

Link up as many posts as you want, but please only link to your post once. Don't link the same project every week.
Keep it family-friendly
Link directly to your post and not to your home page
Please do not link up other link parties, advertisements, or etsy shops
Remember we all love comments. Stop by some other links and share the love.
Grab a button or direct link back to me. I'd also love if you became a blog subscriber.
Have fun and Be inspired!

Disney Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Well I've finally downloaded and edited the photos from our Disney trip. Don't worry I didn't put them ALL on here, but still ... get ready for the photo onslaught.

Caitlin and Grandma looking at Cinderella's castle from the monorail.

Stopping for pictures in front of Cinderella's castle. Love my girls!

After getting in the park, finding a map, getting our bearings, etc. We visited Ariel in her grotto. She was so sweet and spent a little extra time with Caitlin. Caitlin even sang a made-up song for her.

Alice and White Rabbit were nice and took extra time with the girls too. Caitlin told them all about her tea party birthday and her imaginary squirrels. Her squirrels even sat on Alice's apron. (Yeah, my girls are all about the imaginary right now.)

This is my all time favorite pick from our Disney trip. My sweet girl with a giant grin hugging her Daddy in sight of Cinderella's castle. It just can't get any better than that!

Grabbing a bite to eat. After this we went back to the rooms for a nap. Naps were a must for my girls. We couldn't have made it through the week without them.

When we came back it was pouring down rain. Everyone was leaving the park. Us on the other hand went it. It was perfect because there wasn't anyone there and we got in line to see the Princesses. By the time we got done seeing the Princesses and Mickey Mouse then rain had stopped and we could go ride rides.

I had to get a picture with Cinderella!

After the Princesses, we went to see Mickey. While Hayley was getting her hugs and picture, Caitlin got distracted by a bird noise in the back of the room. Turns out there was a bird (not a real one) in a cage. Mickey made it disappear and reappear for us. I just love the 'whoa' look on Caitlin's face.

Grandma got her picture with Mickey too.

Here we are at Animal Kingdom in front of the "Tree of Life"


We got on the Safari first thing. I took a ton of animal photos, but this was the coolest. A white rhino walking on the path went right by our safari truck. I have other photos of him, but this one shows just how close we were.

The little petting zoo area. I didn't think much of it - it was just some goats, a couple of pigs, and a cow, but the girls LOVED it.

My girls playing with some instruments while we listened to some African drumming.

For lunch we had a character dinner at the Tusker House. We met Donald, Daisy, Mickey and Goofy. Plus Daisy led a conga-style parade around the room. It was a bit spendy, and I probably won't do many character meals in the future because of that (not to say that we won't ever do any), but for our first trip it was pretty awesome. The girls had a hard time focusing on their meals they were so excited to meet the characters.

After lunch, Hayley took a nap in the stroller (AMAZING), and we took turns watching her and riding the rapids. The cool water was a blessing!

Love this photo of my little snacker. She's so beautiful!

My other beautiful girl. She had a lot of fun playing putt-putt on one of our "off Disney" days.

Our last Disney day. We got there early so we could get in line for Storytime with Belle first thing - and we still had a 25 minute wait. (They need a fastpast for that one!) Anyway, Caitlin got to be Chip and hop up to Belle and say "hello". It was so cute! I really loved the little boy who got to play the Beast - he had a cape, roared, and even slow danced with Belle. So stinkin' cute!!

The carousel was a must.

We discovered that Hayley knows how to trumpet like an elephant while waiting for the Dumbo ride. Love that smile on my Hubby's face looking at his baby.

Dance party in Tommorrow land. Grandma and Hayley were doing The Twist.

And of course, you can't go to Florida without getting in the pool. Hubs said the kiddy pool was no different than the bathtub. But look at those faces. It's SO different!

Ok, that's it for my ridiculously long photo post of our week at Disney. Hey, I only showed you 23 of the 458 photos I took. Yep, I'm a little trigger happy with the camera.

Hope to see you at the link party tomorrow!

Linking up to these link parties.

Show & Tell Features

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Welcome back for the features from last Thursday's Show & Tell link party! I love seeing what you create each and every week.

If you are interested in taking a look at the rest of the link ups from last week's party, click here.

My Favorites:
I've been complaining about a lack of bookmarks just this week. And then I saw this Rosette Bookmark by Create It. Go. Perfect!

I love a good Cheddar Broccoli or Broccoli Cheddar (whichever way you say it) Soup and this from scratch recipe by The Seven Year Cottage sounds so good.

I love this organizational idea to keep your kitchen counters clean by Organize 365.

Even though Spring is here, the cold bug can still strike. Those summer colds are rough. Just in case, it would be great to have this recipe for Coconut Scented Vapor Rub by Paula Parrish up your sleeve.

If you were featured, please feel free to grab a button.

See you at the next party on Thursday!

Clean House Tips Before Unexpected Guests Arrive

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

I have two kids under the age of 5. I've never been a super neat freak, but I still want things tidy. Lately the mess is more than I can handle. My house rarely looks clean although I spend time every day cleaning. Let me tell you, that gets really old.

Although I'm not a spit-spot housekeeper, I still want my home to look and feel, and BE clean. And it's really embarrassing to me when it's not. Which leads into today's post....

I love it when someone calls and wants to come over to the house for a few minutes. I usually prefer knowing in advance when they are coming because then I can clean up a bit. Every now and then though, I get a call that goes something like this; "I'm in the area. Are you home?" I have a total love/hate relationship with those calls. I totally want to see my friend and I love that they want to stop by, but my house is a total disaster area these days and even though my friends love me and say they understand, it's still gross and really embarrassing.

Ring any bells? (Maybe I'm the only one.)

Hear are some tips I've collected for sprucing up your house pronto.

Warning: This is not a post on how to actually clean your home. It's all about how to make it look like you cleaned your home when it really looks more like the inside of a Toys R Us after a tornado strike.

Focus on Public Areas: Last minute house guests aren't staying a long time. They aren't going to be taking a tour of your house. They may see your living room, kitchen, and possibly guest bathroom - the 'public' areas. So focus on these areas alone.
Clear the Floor: It's amazing how much different your house looks when the clutter is picked up off the floor! You can have other junk sitting out but it doesn't look so bad if the floors are clear.
Storage Bins: Since company is going to be at your house in 10 minutes, you don't have time to put everything away where it really belongs. Toss it in a storage bin. Ottomans that double as storage are a great hiding place. I keep a toy bin in my living room. It's usually empty, but when I clean up, I just toss all those toys in the bin and hide it in a corner behind a piece of furniture. It can still be seen, but at least the toys aren't scattered everywhere. There's also something to be said for shoving stuff in the closet and shutting the door.
Shut the Doors: Speaking of shutting doors, if the doors to your bedroom are shut, they can't see the mess inside. Enough said.
Take Out the Trash and Use an Air Freshener: You don't want to knock them out with the dirty diaper smell permeating from your trash can. It only takes a second to take the trash out and spray a quick spritz of air freshener. You don't even have to put in a new trash can liner if your trash can is hidden in the pantry.
Put Dirty Dishes in the Oven: I know it sounds totally weird, but if you don't have a dishwasher or yours is full, but you still have dirty dishes, shove them in the oven. It's just for half an hour until your guests leave. Your counters will look clean and your guests won't be the wiser.

Yep, cleaning at the last minute is totally about hiding your shame. Get the whole family in on it and you can do these six things in 15 minutes easy. You might even have time to do some actual cleaning like vacuum or sweep the floor. Wouldn't that be nice?!

Linking up to these link parties.

Potted Garden Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Sat, 04 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Today I was going to have a wrap up of Disney Week with pictures from our recent trip and a run through of all that we did. That was until everything fell together for this post including a deadline - today. You see, I've had this project in mind for about a month and then I got the opportunity for a paid post that just happened to go hand-in-hand with my potted garden wall project. The only hiccup was that I had to have it submitted before 10 am on Friday. So, we will get to our Disney trip wrap up next week because I'm just too excited about this project and whoo hoo for getting paid to do a project you were going to do anyway.

The previous owners of our home added some stairs off the main deck and installed a hot tub deck. We don't have a hot tub, so we have been using the area just as another deck. It's just not very pretty. And with the privacy wall there, a little boring. I've been wanting to do something with it for a couple of years, but just not sure exactly what. In truth, I wanted to take the hot tub deck completely off - there were no railings and rather unsafe for my girls. After pricing it out, it was cheaper for us to add railings and better stairs than to rip it all out, so we did that. Now I have this deck area that I'm not completely sure what to do with. First I know I want to add flowers and more color, but I don't want to give up much floor space either. That way it can be bright and colorful, but still a fun place for entertaining too. So I came up with this potted garden wall.

I bought ten four and half inch terra cotta pots and ten four and a half inch plumbing clamps. The store had pots that were glazed with beautiful colors, but they were three times the cost of a plain pot. I bought the plain ones and then painted the bottom of the pots.

Hubs nailed a pilot hole on the clamps and then screwed them on to the wall for me.

My little helpers helped me pot the flowers; white flowers in the purple pots and purple flowers in the yellow pots.

Then we set the potted flowers in the clamps. Watered them and done! I so love easy beautiful projects!

Ok, so here's the sponsored part of the post. The problem with container gardening (at least the problem that I keep having with it) is the soil drains really, really well and it can be hard to keep your plants well watered. Hubs always complains to me about it when I want to do any type of container gardening. BUT, Miracle Gro has a great product to help you out with that. They have a Moisture Control Potting Mix that helps regulate soil moisture so you don't have to worry about over watering or under watering. And yes, I used it in this project.

In the past I would buy whatever the cheapest bagged dirt was for my container gardening, but I am learning that Miracle-Gro has different soil mixes for whatever type of plants or gardening you use whether it's container or in ground, citrus or succulent. And it's worth it because the specialized mixes meet the needs of your plants.

They also have a cool Facebook Page, The Gro Project where you can find projects like the Toyarium, the Ukalele Garden, and the Origami Garden with complete instructions to make your own.. You can also follow their Pinterest page where you can find a ton of fun garden projects. It's a great forum for gardeners to come together and share gardening stories.

So, what gardening projects are you doing this spring?

Linking up to these link parties.

Show & Tell #24

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Gingerly Made's Show & Tell party!

One of the things I love most about blogging is sharing projects with other bloggers. I love to see your creative ideas and I can't wait to see what you have been working on this week.

If you're not a regular blog follower, here's a quick run down of what I've been up to this past week.

Disney Countdown Chain Guest Post by Grey Luster Girl

Vintage Mickey & Minnie T-shirt

Let's see what YOU have been doing this week.

Before you link please...

Link up as many posts as you want, but please only link to your post once. Don't link the same project every week.
Keep it family-friendly
Link directly to your post and not to your home page
Please do not link up other link parties, advertisements, or etsy shops
Remember we all love comments. Stop by some other links and share the love.
Grab a button or direct link back to me. I'd also love if you became a blog subscriber.
Have fun and Be inspired!

Mickey & Minnie Mouse T-shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

You just can't go to Disney World without a Mickey Mouse t-shirt. You just can't!

READ THE REST OF THIS POST »

Show & Tell Features

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Welcome back for the features from last Thursday's Show & Tell link party! I love seeing what you create each and every week.

We were on vacation last week at Disney World. We had a ton of fun and I'm so happy we went with the girls at this age. They were so enchanted by it all. We only spent 3 days at the parks, but that was perfect for us. It gave us a day to rest in-between each park day. Even with that, we are still catching up on sleep this week. I feel like I'm playing catch up with everything, sleep, housework, blog work, the garden..... That's ok though, the time away with the family was totally worth it. I'll be writing more about what we did and what we saw later this week.

So, because we were gone, I didn't send out the email reminder about last week's party. The party ended up being much smaller than usual. I guess that tells me something about how many of you are finding me via your rss feed versus the email reminder. Even though the party was smaller, there were still several really cute projects that I want to highlight today.

If you are interested in taking a look at the rest of the link ups from last week's party, click here.

My Favorites:
Love this cutie pie Wood Bead Caterpillar Brooch made by A Spoonful of Crafts!

I'm trying to learn more on how to manage the look and layout of my blog on my own. High Heels and Training Wheels gives a tutorial on how to make sure your blog is centered for all viewers and a link to check to see how other viewers see your blog.

It's almost strawberry season here - just a few more weeks to go. So this recipe for Strawberry Crumble Bars by Something Sweet is right on time. (You'll need Google Translate, but so it's so worth that extra click)

If you were featured, please feel free to grab a button.

See you at the next party on Thursday!

Disney Countdown Chain {Guest Post}

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Hi Everyone and welcome to Disney week!

My family and I just got back from Florida with our girls' first trip to Disney. I can't wait to tell you all about it. I'm still unpacking and washing up all our laundry from our vacation, so until I can get all that done and upload our trip photos, the lovely Lisa from Grey Luster Girl has a fantastic Disney countdown calendar to share with us today.

If you remember my countdown block calendar from a few weeks ago, I created it so I wouldn't have something permanent Disney. Lisa's Countdown Calendar is the perfect solution. It's super cute AND because it's paper, not a permanent decoration around the house. I'm totally in love. Ok, enough of what I have to say.....Lisa.....

Hi! I am Lisa and I blog over at Grey Luster Girl. I have been doing a whole series of Disney posts and posts on traveling with Kids. Needless to say I LOVE Disneyland!! I am excited to be here to share a fun Disney idea.

If you are planning a trip to Disneyland or another Disney location, and have looked around for a countdown chain idea, chances are you have seen this one on Get Away Today. I saw it and loved how fun it was. I decided to make it for my kids. This will be easy, right? Paper chain, learned that in kindergarten. That is when I really looked at it and wondered how they attached the ears to the Mickey chain. Different ideas poped into mind until I decided that I would just make my own Mickey Ears Template. I turned to my Cameo and came up with this.

It worked perfectly! Now I was ready to get started. First I gathered supplies and cut up my paper strips.

You will need black paper to cut out the Mickey Ears Template, 1.5 x8.5 inch red strips of paper, 1 x 8.5 inch yellow, 1.5 x 8.5 inch white strips of paper, White paper circles (mine were just under .5 inches each), glue for the circles and a stapler. Assembly time!

Cut out your Mickey Pieces and flip the ears up. Glue on the white dots to the red strips. Start stapeling your chain pieces together. You want to go in this order so that it looks like Mickey Mouse: black ears, red chain, yellow chain, white chain. Repeat. You can choose to have Mickey's ears facing the back or facing the front. Just make sure you do them all the same. When I first saw this, I didn't realize that it was supposed to look like Mickey. Look how cute it is! The black are his ears (obviously), the red his shorts, yellow his shoes, and a white chain to separate them. Am I the only one who caught on to that late?

Keep assembling your chain until you have the number of days left until your family goes to Disneyland or Disney World or wherever you are going!

I don't have the template up for download yet but if you want it, just hope on over to my blog Grey Luster Girl and leave me a comment with your email address and I will send you the .pdf file.

Show & Tell #23

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Gingerly Made's Show & Tell party!

One of the things I love most about blogging is sharing projects with other bloggers. I love to see your creative ideas and I can't wait to see what you have been working on this week.

If you're not a regular blog follower, here's a quick run down of what I've been up to this past week.

Stenciled Burlap Gift Bags

Sunny Spring Wreath

Let's see what YOU have been doing this week.

Before you link please...

Link up as many posts as you want, but please only link to your post once. Don't link the same project every week.
Keep it family-friendly
Link directly to your post and not to your home page
Please do not link up other link parties, advertisements, or etsy shops
Remember we all love comments. Stop by some other links and share the love.
Grab a button or direct link back to me. I'd also love if you became a blog subscriber.
Have fun and Be inspired!

Sunny Spring Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

I not much of a wreath maker. In fact, I once under appreciated a beautiful wreath. But I have since grown to see how much it adds to the front of a home. I would like to make more, but I think I need a little design help.

I did have a lot of people show interest in the Rosemary wreath I made last fall. It's actually become one of my top 10 viewed posts. But it's totally different working with natural material. It was rosemary twigs twisted into a frame with a bow on top - so easy.

As I mentioned on Monday, I was looking for easy projects to do before our family vacation and I already had this yarn wrapped wreath frame. I just didn't have anything to go with it. So I bought some fake yellow daisies and a wood letter B. Add some white paint on the letter, some hot glue on everything, and there you go.

I know some of you are stellar at making front door wreaths. I think for my first go at a fake flower wreath, not so bad. But I'd love any feedback on ways in which I could make it better.

Linking up to these link parties.

Show & Tell Features

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Welcome back for the features from last Thursday's Show & Tell link party! I love seeing what you create each and every week.

Since we are on vacation this week, I had to pick feature posts pretty early. Some of you may have linked up after I made my picks. If you are interested in taking a look at the rest of the link ups from last week's party, click here.

My Picks:

I still use the baby blankets we received from my first daughter's baby shower. They are so special to me. This one from La Gang A Nat is gorgeous and I know will be such a blessing to her friend.

I must be in a cozy blanket kind of mood because I just could not pass up this crocheted ripple stitched blanket from Happy in Red. I want that pattern!

Love this leggings pattern using t-shirts from Everyday Art.

Moose Mouse Creations is reminding us all about Project Yesu's pillowcase dress drive. Click the link for more details.

This Strawberries and Cream Trifle from Silver Boxes looks delicious. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if someone wanted to make me one of these for Mother's Day.

If you were featured, please feel free to grab a button.

See you at the next party on Thursday!

Stenciled Burlap Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

I was trying to schedule posts for this week while my family and I were on vacation. I had several ideas lined up, but nothing panned out. Some projects went unfinished and others just didn't turn out the way I had hoped. So, I made a last minute trip to Michael's for some quick project ideas.

Of course, you know me. I don't like making much of anything just for the sake of making something. I like to think I'm too practical for that. So, I have to have some excuse for whatever craft I'm working on. You know, "Oh, the girls need something new to play with." "Hayley needs some new clothes." Or, "There's a holiday coming up and we need to decorate." You know any ol' excuse will do as long as I have one.

Anyway, I found these really cute burlap bags for $1.99 each. I loved the spring like colors and new I could embellish them pretty easily. Stenciling them was quick and easy project - which I love, and turned out so pretty. They would make lovely bags for Mother's Day gifts, or really for anything this spring.

I put a piece of cardboard inside each bag so the paint wouldn't seep through to the other side of the bag. Then I grabbed some Martha Stewart self adhesive stencils, placed them, and painted a floral design on each bag. Can I just say that I LOVE these stencils!! (I'm totally not being paid for that, I just really like how easy they were to use and that they were reusable.) Anway, some of the larger stencils didn't turn out as detailed as I would have liked. I think that's probably because the texture of the burlap didn't allow for some of the fine details, but that's ok, you can still see the design. The smaller ones turned out much better.

Aren't they so pretty? Now I just have to decide to put in them for Mother's Day.

Linking up to these link parties.

Show & Tell #22 {Link Party}

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Gingerly Made's Show & Tell party!

One of the things I love most about blogging is sharing projects with other bloggers. I love to see your creative ideas and I can't wait to see what you have been working on this week.

If you're not a regular blog follower, here's a quick run down of what I've been up to this past week.

Yard Sale Tips

Creature Garden Labels

Let's see what YOU have been doing this week.

Before you link please...

Link up as many posts as you want, but please only link to your post once. Don't link the same project every week.
Keep it family-friendly
Link directly to your post and not to your home page
Please do not link up other link parties, advertisements, or etsy shops
Remember we all love comments. Stop by some other links and share the love.
Grab a button or direct link back to me. I'd also love if you became a blog subscriber.
Have fun and Be inspired!

Creature Garden Labels

noreply@blogger.com (Ginger Bergemann) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Over the weekend, Hubs and I have put in a lot of yard work. We were kind-a lazy over the winter about any yard work and it was beginning to show. Plus we want to get everything in order before our Disney trip. We (he) had to do some repairs on our raised beds. Then we planted our tomatoes, peppers, squash, and green beans. We had to trellis our sugar snaps and blackberries. Not to mention mowing, trimming, and weeding.

All that work left the yard looking really manicured. It just needed a little something extra though. Color. Good thing I had been working on some garden labels with the kiddos.

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