My Yellow Sandbox

Comparison

2012-02-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

With facebook, Pinterest and the millions of bloggers who share their lives with the world it is so easy to start feeling a little less adequate about yourself. It's easy to start feeling like you're not worth much. There are unrealistically beautiful women on TV throwing their perfect bodies and lives in our faces. There are mothers up and down my street who are amazing cooks, whose houses are always clean and whose children are perfect. There are so many ways in which we can compare ourselves. So many women who are "better" than us at just about everything.

So just a few thoughts. Are we comparing our weaknesses to others' strengths? Are we willing to sacrifice for what we want? Silly example, I will never have Carrie Underwoods legs. It's just not gonna happen. I'm not willing to sacrifice the way she does for them. I'm not willing to be a vegetarian, I'm not willing to give up getting ice cream cones with my family. I'm not willing to spend hours in the kitchen and hours at the gym away from what's important to me. My family. So could I have Carrie Underwoods legs? Yeah, I most likely could. Do I want them? Sure. Do I want them more than being a good mother or wife? No. So it's not fair for me to compare my legs to hers. I don't deserve her legs, I haven't done the work to get them. I told you- silly example! I just read her workout routine so it's fresh in my mind!!

We have each been given a set of skills from our Father in Heaven. He has blessed us with unique personalities and abilities. I have been blessed with this unnaturally positive attitude. It's just been there my whole life. I know what I am good at. I also know what I'm not good at. I'm not good at service. I'm naturally a selfish person and it's something I have to work on every day. The important thing is that we recognize what we might need to work on and try to improve ourselves. It's not about comparing ourselves to the neighbor, or the perfect women on TV. That's exactly what Satan wants us to do. He wants us to feel inadequate. He wants us to feel like we don't matter.

But he's wrong.

We do matter. Theodore Roosevelt was inspired when he said, "Comparison is the thief of joy". It doesn't do anything more than make us feel like we don't matter. So let's stop comparing ourselves and start bettering ourselves.

Samzi's Boutique and the Spornette Brush Winner

2012-02-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Samzi's Boutique is hosting today's giveaway. It's this super cute shop full of flower headbands and clips. A $25.00 shop credit is up for grabs. And looook how cute their flowers are!

TO WIN:

1) Leave a comment below letting me know how much you'd love to win this giveaway!

Additional entries:

1) "like" Samzi's Boutique on facebook

2) Follow Samzi's blog

The Spornette Brush Winner

Congrats Amelia! You have until Friday night to claim your prize! Email me at myyellowsandbox.blogspot.com!

Applying Liquid Eyeliner

2012-02-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Remember Kristie, from Blushing Basics? Well she's back!!

How To Apply Liquid Eyeliner

as a makeup artist, this is one of the most frequently asked questions. in fact, at 140,000 views, it is also my highest viewed video! applying liquid eyeliner can often be intimidating, however, that little black line can really make your eyes pop. it is definitely worth taking the few minutes to learn how. here is my video tutorial teaching you how to apply liquid eyeliner:

Don't you love her? She's totally gorgeous. Check out her blog here.

Valentines Day

2012-02-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes I know Valentines Day was awhile ago. I wanted to share earlier but my husband frequents the blog and I didn't want to give his present away. So next year, if you're looking for a super cheap but sincere gift come back for a visit!

I first bought seven of Brian's favorite candy bars. And then for each candy bar I wrote an I love you because card. They were super thoughtful, sappy, gushy... all that great Valentines Day stuff!

I tied up the candy bars and threw them in a brown paper lunch sack. This gift was inspired from the Seven Days of Love idea over at the Dating Divas. I went to the store to buy a pill box and it was soooo small! I was like- my man needs more candy than this! It's Valentines Day! Plus, I didn't really like the loves quotes... mushy yes, heart felt, no.

I also wanted Brian to be able to take it to work without being embarrassed. As my husband is not a huge fan of attention. Yes I know, opposites sure do attract! So I threw all the candy bars in a brown paper lunch sack so he will be able to discretely open them up at work.

One candy bar a day keeps the doctor away! Psh, I wish!

Lemon Scrub

2012-02-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

What you'll need:

1/2 cup sea salt

3 TBS honey

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

The salt will slough away dead skin cells and assist the lemon zest in brightening the skin. The honey will refine your pores while killing bacteria and reducing inflammation. And the lemon zest, naturally high in vitamin C, will help increase elasticity and even out skin tone.

Tell me that doesn't sound amazing?

Directions:

Stir all of the ingredients until well-blended. Rub the mixture vigorously over any dull or dry areas on the face or body. Rinse the mixture off with lukewarm water.

The smell of this scrub is ahhh-mazing! You'll notice an instant boost in radiance and your skin should feel incredibly smooth. Now go on my lovelies, give it a try!

Say NO To Auto

2012-02-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

The winner of last weeks giveaway, Kristen Duke's Say NO To Auto ebook is
.
.
.
.

Jennifer Isackson!

Email me at myyellowsandbox@gmail.com to claim your book! You have until the 22nd to claim it!

Spornette Giveaway

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Remember my favorite friend Kristie from Blushing Basics? She has an awesome giveaway for us today. It's sponsored by Spornette brushes. Spornette what? Yes yes, I know. But trust me.
YOU WILL LOVE!

i like adding lift to create volume in my hair. i think volumizing adds great dimension and body to whatever hairstyle you wear. here is a video tutorial explaining how to volumize your hair, plus a quick updo.

How to Volumize Your Hair with the Spornette little wonder teasing brush

i love that Little Wonder brush. it makes volumizing incredibly easy and fast. interested in giving it a try? we have a Spornette Little Wonder brush as well as their Farenheit 464 to give away to one My Yellow Sandbox reader.

to enter:

1) "Like" Spornette on FB
2) Follow Blushing Basics
3) Comment below

Who Knew?

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

WHO KNEW?!!

Repurpose spare buttons by using them to keep pairs of earrings together. Who knew? I'm sure you've seen all those cute jewelry displays for dangle earrings. But what are you supposed to do with your earring stems? I am always loosing the backs on mine. This is genius!

Rather than buy expensive cuticle oil, reach for the cooking spray instead! I always knew I loved Pam.

Nail polish: 1) Have sensitive ears? I sure do. And those cheap earrings irritate my ears so badly. Apply a coat of clear nail polish to the earring stem. Viola! Now those $2 earrings you find on sale at Forever 21 you can totally buy and wear! 2) Coat the bottom of your shaving-cream can to prevent rust stains from forming on your bathtub

Neaten a nail job by dabbing on skin around your cuticles pre-polish. If you make a mistake, the polish is easily wiped away!

Burn your forehead on your curling iron? Slather some yogurt on the wound- the coolness will help with swelling and the yogurt will reduce redness and speed the healing process.

For dry, itchy winter skin or discomfort from mosquito bites, mix oats in your bath for instant relief. Oh yeah, they're also really good for breakfast!

Do you have any who knew beauty tricks? I'd love to hear them!

A little bit of Photoshop

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am by no means a photographer. I love taking pictures though and wish so badly I was one of those super creative photographer moms! But I'm not. And because I'm not great with my camera I've had tons of practice trying to photoshop my pictures into better ones!

I tell you this because I'm thinking of offering up my photoshop skills.

Have you ever taken a picture like this first before picture below? It would have been so cute had the camera not ruined it! Well, that's where I can help.

I didn't have too much time to put all my before and after pictures together, so here are a few for now. I'm charging $3-5 a picture- depending on how much work needs to be done.

If you'd like some photoshop magic done to any of your pictures, just email them to me and I'll fix them right up! If photoshop isn't your thing, that's totally cool. But if it is... :-D shoot me an email!

myyellowsandbox@gmail.com

xoxo

My Makeup Must Haves

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ah, the joys of being a girl!

1. Sheer Cover Base Perfecter. I'm not going to lie- my skin isn't that great. And because of that, I was tentative to try Sheer Cover... I felt like the coverage wouldn't be enough. I'm a MAC girl through and through. I've been using their foundation and powder for years. The girl at the Proactive kiosk succored me into buying this Sheer Cover makeup and I actually really really love it. The Base Perfecter smoothes your pores and allows your makeup to glide over your skin!

2. Sheer Cover Foundation. This is light and airy but it actually covers zits. And I'm not talking skin discoloration. I'm talking full on zits. I was pleasantly surprised.

3. Sheer Cover Latte Powder. LOVE this stuff. I'm not a huge fan of loose powder- it gets everywhere. But this is great stuff.

4. Bare Minerals "Warmth". This is THE best product for sun kissed cheeks. I've tried MAC, Este Lauder and blah blah. This stuff has the prettiest natural color to it.

5. MAC Painterly Paint Pot. This stuff goes on your eye lids before any powdery makeup. It holds your makeup in place and helps your powder stick all day.

6. Mmmmm. MAC eyeshadow. The three must have colors for me and my skin tone are: Woodwinked (top right), Antiqued (bottom left) and I'll be in trouble when that last one wears out because I have no idea what it is!

7. Cover Girl Eyeliner

8. Maybelinne Stiletto Lash Mascara

9. Mentha-Lip Tint from Bath and Body Works. Best stuff EVER.

So there ya have it. My Makeup Must Haves. I am convinced that with the right products ANYONE can look beautiful. Those naturally beautiful women are rare. So very rare. If you're feeling a little down- freshin' up your makeup bag. Add a little something to that face of yours. A little lip gloss, a little warmth on those cheeks- you'll be surprised how it can make you feel!

Valentine Nails by Kristie

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

My cute friend Kristie from Blushing Basics is taking over for today. Be nice, I love her!

Valentine Nails:

i am a bit of a nail art addict. i love creating new designs for my nails and am always keeping them freshly polished. having a holiday nearby typically means i try to come up with some holiday themed nail designs. here are a couple Valentine tutorials that i have tried:

Valentine Ombre Nail

begin with three shades of red polish for your ombre effect:

starting at the base of your cuticle, paint 1/3 of nail. follow with the second polish color painting the next third of nail. finish with the third polish color painting the last 1/3 of nail. make sure to paint only one nail at a time. applying colors immediately after one another ensures an even blend of the polish as each shade will slightly "bleed" into the other. finish with your top coat for shine.

next is the Corset Nail. this is a great boudoir vibe for Valentine's Day. begin with two shades of polish, a nail art polish, and a toothpick.

paint your main Corset color. follow with a stripe of color down the center of nailbed. add four dots down each side of your stripe using a toothpick. with your nail art polish, "lace up" corset by connecting the dots on either side. finish with a topcoat and enjoy!

xoxo,

Kristie

Kristen Duke Photography

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ya'll heard of the amazing Kristen Duke? She's one of my favorite photographers. Turns out, she's one of favorite teachers as well. She has this Say NO to Auto book, digital or in print.

It's pretty much amazing.

It's a cute little 4x6 17 page book all about how to take pictures with your camera on manual. Perfect to keep in your purse. I'm so scared of manual. For real. Because when my camera is set on manual, I end up taking pictures like these:

Frustrated at the pictures I was taking of Savy, I read the book and rescheduled the photo shoot of the little lady for the next morning. That's when I got this beauty- straight out of the camera

Kristen's second book came out last week, it's called "Get Focused". I will be purchasing it soon!

Kristen is giving away her Say No to Auto ebook to one lucky winner.

To win:

1) "like" Kristen Duke Photography on FB
2) Be a follower of MYS

If you want to go ahead and purchase your book now, Kristen said she will reimburse the winner. So if you know you want to buy the book know matter what, head on over there right now and getcha one!

Another weeks worth of Pinterest!

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Cutest bow ever!
Pinned here

Fruit salsa with cinnamon chips. I can totally eat these! Being off dairy is sooooo hard!
Pinned here

Is this not gorgeous? One day.
Pinned here

It helps though when you do find a perfect person... ha ha
Pinned here

Bubbly potion- pink lemonade, raspberry sherbet and sprite. Yes please!
Pinned here

Double sided adhesive dots and glitter. YEEESSS!!!
Pinned here

Grocery bag dispensers. Why did I not think of this?
Pinned here

I'm going to need to buy these bins when we move. Boston's toys are out of control!
Pinned here

Please tell me you're all aware of the best blog ever- the beauty department. Check it out already!
Pinned here

Organizing ideas for the toddlers room. Great article and ideas

Pinned here

I haven't had these, but I've had the chocolate ones. Anything that has frosting inside it is always delish! To bad it'll be another year before I can have them :-(

Pinned here

Until next time my friends. Follow me on Pinterest here!

Kaleidoscope

2012-02-03T11:19:00.003-07:00

I wish this giveaway had more time on the blog! The show is tonight and tomorrow though so a winner must be picked.

Congrats Lindsey! Email me at myyellowsandbox@gmail.com to claim your tickets!

If you and your family need a fun activity, check out Kaleidoscope.

Kaleidoscope

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hopefully by now you have seen my newest sponsor, Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope is a family show that's running THIS WEEKEND at the Capitol Theater.

Kaleidoscope brings strange-footed dancers balancing on discs, men hanging precariously out in space, and a pair of dancers on a journey while balancing a long pole between their feet. This show is presented for the child in all of us!

Ririe Woodbury Dance Company is offering A family of five ticket pass to the lucky winner!

To enter, give a shout out on facebook about how you'd love to win the tickets and leave the same comment below!

Hurry hurry, giveaway ends tomorrow morning. If you enter, make sure to check back tomorrow morning so you don't miss the opportunity to see this amazing show!!

Happy Birthday Boston

2012-02-01T04:41:00.000-07:00

Two Years Old. I cannot believe it

I am completely in love with my little boy. The way he pulls his sad face when he senses someone is hurting, the way he fake laughs to get attention and the way he asks me to kiss him when he's been hurt. The way he says "baketball" and how much he loves his "bike". The way he needs me. I can't even begin to describe the joy that little buddy of mine makes me feel. It's a love I definitely didn't plan on. When he puts his boots on the right feet, or how he helps me fold laundry. I am completely overwhelmed with pride. I love that he loves "cream", "ishies" and "nacks". He is such a stinker. But he has this huge forgiving heart. He has changed me. He has made me better. I can't wait to watch him in his first t-ball game, head off to his first day of school and one day, serve a mission. He's my little boy. I love that he needs me. That he wants to share things with me and show me things he's proud of. I hope that never changes. But for now, I'll cherish him needing me and try not to think about him one day growing up.

Happy Birthday
Boston Dee Smith

We love you!

The blog and Valentines Day

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

A long time ago this blog used to be my personal pinterest board. I actually started this blog one year ago so I could remember all those fun ideas I saw floating around online. I also wanted to share those ideas with my sisters who live far away. That was the reason behind the blog. Then the whole hairstyle challenge happened and somewhere along the line this craft blog turned into a beauty/hairstyle blog. Crazy how things happen! Thanks to Pinterest, my life is much easier and categorizing all those wonderful ideas is painless.

Anyway. Wow, how did I end up starting off with a tangent?!
These "projects" below were ones I found and did last year. Some of my favorites!

Valentines Day Tree

I Love You Coupon Card

My Favorite V- Day Wreath
I started this wreath. Have all the circles cut out... maybe I'll finish it this year!

Valentine Jars

Thanks to Pinterest, we have all these goodies to check out!

The Valentines Tree

Pinned here

Easy Valentines Art

Pinned here

Why had I not found this Valentines Wreath before I cut out a billion pink circles for the one at the top of the page!? I'm in love with it!

Pinned here

Mmmmm... chex mix....

Pinned here

Heart garland

Pinned here

... or this one. My sister made this last night with my cricut. Had I had more energy I would have taken pictures for you! It turned out super cute though!

Pinned here

Enjoy!

the birthday party

2012-01-29T15:27:00.001-07:00

My little man is all grown up!

We had to sing him happy birthday three times because when the lights would go up he'd scream "again, again"! And how do you say no to a little boy on his birthday? We've totally been practicing our blowing out skills too!

Are you impressed? I made that cake. Thank you hobby lobby cake decorating class! Don't worry, it only took me like, ten hours. Funny story actually. This party was supposed to be two weeks ago. I made all the cakes and that weekend we all got sick. Party postponed. Cakes in the freezer. The next week, oh I had a baby. Yeah. The cakes had come out of the freezer to thaw and so back in they went! I was worried this party wouldn't ever happen! The decorations had been up for weeks!

Cute huh?! Had to use the fringey streamers! The banner, welcome to boston's birthday sign and cake topper came from the party pack over at Whistle While You Work. Remember she did that super fun giveaway a few weeks back? There were so many other things in the pack, I just never got around to using them. SO CUTE though!

At the end of the night Boston went home with his grandma and uncles to Delta. It was actually really sad! I feel like I've been neglecting him the last few weeks. With not seeing him while I was at the hospital to coming home and not being able to play with him. He ALWAYS asks me for to put him down for bed. Always... he likes to play with my hair :-) He doesn't even ask though anymore. He just says "night night mommy". Makes me want to cry! Hopefully things will get easier. They HAVE to get easier! Little Savy has colic so I'm going off dairy. It's going to be so hard because two staples in my diet right now are ice cream and chocolate!

Thanks for being a part of my life you guys. I love all your sweet comments and encouraging advice. I'm sorry I don't get the chance to write all of you back!

LOVE YOU!

Priceless

2012-01-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Little peanut hasn't been sleeping well. She's fussy from about 12-4 am. So this morning when she wouldn't eat because she was sooo tired from being sooo naughty the night before I had to capitalize on her exhaustion. Out of the million pictures I took, one picture turned out. Does that matter though when that one picture looks like this?

Does it not make you happy?!

Savannah Jane Smith

2012-01-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

Do you not love her? I started contracting Thursday night. By 6 the next morning we were at the hospital. While I was changing into that fashionable gown my water broke. Perfect timing I guess?! A few hours later she was showing off her healthy lungs.

She was perfect

We were having issues figuring out her name. I wasn't feeling Blake anymore... too many one syllable words... not beautiful enough. We went through Chloe, Rylie, Shelby and landed on Savannah Jane Smith. We've been calling her Blake for so long that we're having a hard time making it stick. Boston keeps calling her Blake! So who knows, we might be changing it back to Blake again in a few more weeks!

I am doing great and Boston is such a sweet older brother. We love having a newborn in the home. Those little sounds and painfully adorable stretches. I am in love with her and so far have loved waking up in the middle of the night to cuddle her. I cannot get enough of her- she is perfect.

My good friend Chelsey, from Chelsey Art Photography came to the hospital and took these amazing photos. She was just a few days old. If you live in Utah and have a baby on the way, a wedding in the works or in need of a family photo shoot, you should check out Chelsey's Photography. She is absolutely amazing.

How to depot MAC makeup

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Alright ladies. I don't know how many of you use MAC makeup. And for those that do, I don't know how many know there are these awesome customizable palettes you can buy. This is a recent discovery for me. I figured there have got to be a few of you who will find this tutorial useful!

I have a good chunk of MAC eyeshadows

Every morning I rummage around my makeup bag looking for the colors I need. Such a waste of time. Let me introduce you to the pro palette- your new best friend

You can buy palette refills that come ready to insert in the palette, they are $11.50, as opposed to $15 for a regular eyeshadow

Awesome right?! Well what are you supposed to do with all your eyeshadows that are still in the eyeshadow pot?

You depot them!

Here's how you depot your MAC eyeshadows to fit into the pro palette

STEP 1:

If you open up your eyeshadow, you will see a tiny mark in the front where your eye shadow can come out of the container. Insert your knife there and slowly turn to release the cartridge (for lack of better word)

This is what you should get

STEP 2:
Turn on your flat iron, get a square of tin foil out and place your cartridge on top. Your objective here is to melt the glue that's keeping that little metal pan stuck inside the cartridge. I left it on a good 30 seconds. If it doesn't easily pop out with a pin (next step) heat it up again

STEP 3:

See that little divot in the middle? Poke a pin through it and the tin should release

STEP 4:
Get some goo gone, or rubbing alcohol and rub off the glue from the metal pan

STEP 5:
Take a slim magnet (you can buy at any craft store) and adhere double sided tape to one side

I used my scrapbooking tape

Tape it onto the back of your clean pan

YAAAAY!!!

Now you have all your eyeshadows in one convenient location!

QUESTIONS:

1. Why do you need to put a magnet on the back of your pan?

The palette's are magnetized- that's how they hold the metal pans in place. This method also makes them refillable!

2. I need to be able to remember the color of my eyeshadow, any suggestions?

You can easily rip the label off the back of your eye shadow and stick it on top of the magnet. I was going to do this but my labels were so dirty and worn you couldn't even see what the shade was anymore!

3. I can't get the metal pan to pop out... what should I do?

You need more heat. The plastic should be hot enough that it melts the glue that's holding the metal pan in place. I actually melted the plastic a tiny bit on my first one and it was just fine. It's got to be hot enough or the pan won't come out.

4. If I add my eyeshadow label to the back, do I need to clean off the glue?

No. Leave the glue on your metal pan, adhere your magnet and let the glue on the metal pan help hold your label onto the back!

Good luck ladies. Let me know if you have any questions! Hopefully this tutorial was useful to some!

Fringey Streamers

2012-01-20T08:00:00.001-07:00

So my little sister planned my baby shower. As you guys saw a few days ago. Wasn't it was the cutest thing? The morning of she brought me some crepe paper sheets to cut up. I was like, what the heck are these crepe paper sheets? Ha, who buys crepe paper sheets? She then directed me to Pinterest. Of course!

Oh Happy Day invented these awesome fringey streamers

Photo Source

What you need:

Crepe paper sheets and some scissors. Easy enough. You could buy these crepe paper sheets at Zurchers if you don't have time to order them online. They don't carry them at Walmart, Hobby Lobby or Ben Franklins. Ha, I checked!

Step 1: Cut a 2-3 inch chunk off the end of your crepe paper sheet. I found it doesn't need to be perfect.

Step 2: Now cut thin strips. They should be evenly spaced. My scissors were crappy so it wasn't working out too well... in the end it doesn't really matter

Step 3: Flip it over and repeat step 2

Step 4: Open up the streamer

Step 5: Scrunch it in your hands to loosen up the pieces

Viola! Cutest home made streamer ever!!

Photo Source

Now go on, make your own super cute party decor. These took like five seconds!

The Baby Shower

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

My cutest little sister threw me a baby shower. My friends came, we ate delicious food, chatted and chatted and then I opened some pretty great presents!

From left to right: Christy - Carly- Shannon - and Candace. We were missing a few that had to work... I know I know Alissa, who has a shower on a Friday afternoon! These girls have made my 'motherhood' experience. Play dates and swimming fun- they've totally kept me sane the last two years!

I think my little sister has missed her calling as an event planner. Cute set up yeah?!

Don't mind my swollen mess of a face. It will go down. It will go down!!

And here is my little sister Hayley. Isn't she beautiful? She has this perfect little body that looks good in anything. I basically hate her! She's like a JCrew model. Sister, I love you!

January 25th guys. Wish me luck. I'm gonna need it!

One More Week

2012-01-18T08:00:00.002-07:00

I can't believe I'm about to have baby #2. It's sort of freaking me out! I can barely handle the one I have now. I realize mothers do it everyday. Still. The thought of a newborn. Never getting enough sleep. Never getting around to showering because the little one decides to wake up the second you turn on the hot water. Never leaving the house in fear of disturbing precious nap time...

... And then there's the thought of a newborn. The sweet smells. The cuddling. The tiny toes and teeny noises. Oh, the way they lift their knees up to their chest when they yawn!

Yeah. I can totally do it.

I have scheduled a C-section one week from today. January 25th at 7:30 am. For those of you who don't know Boston's birth story... well, I won't rehash how awful it was to get him here. Let's just say this time can't be worse and I'm actually looking forward to being conscious while she's born! So mommas, wish me luck!

I will be posting when I can over the next few months. I'm gonna relax and soak in those newborn months as best I can! Just don't be surprised if you don't see 5 posts a week!

How to make your own button or ad

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Want to make your own button or ad? Hopefully this video will help! You do not need any editing software for this. All you need is a free photobucket account! It's so easy. Don't let all that messy html coding scare you away.

HTML CODE- This is what you'll put up in blogger or email to whoever is putting up your advertisement

<center><a href="YOUR WEB ADDRESS" target="_blank"><img src="YOUR DIRECT LINK" border="0" alt="" /></a></center>

Example:

<center><a href="http://ciara-richardson.com/home.php" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd422/theyellowsandbox/CR-ADyellowsandbox-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></center>

If you want the code for people to grab, like this:

This is the code you will use:

<center><img src="YOUR DIRECT LINK" /> <br /> <textarea style="text-align:center" rows="4" cols="22"><a border="0" href="YOUR WEB ADDRESS"" target="_blank"><img src="YOUR DIRECT LINK" /></a></textarea><center>

Example:

<center><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5518135281_c63963e7fc_m.jpg" /> <br /> <textarea style="text-align:center" rows="4" cols="22"><a border="0" href="http://koolbeenz-blog.blogspot.com/ "" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5518135281_c63963e7fc_m.jpg" /></a></textarea><center>

If you don't know how to put this on your blog you'll just head on over to design> layout> Add a Gadget> HTML/Java Script and you'll put the code there and click save!

Any questions?! Hope this helps!