Just Pleased as Punch

Embellishing my Cricut Expression with Vinyl

2012-01-04T09:58:00.004-05:00

For this week's project, I thought I would decorate my Cricut Expression with some vinyl. I found this cute little owl over at Shery K Designs. Isn't he adorable?

I had several vinyl colors on hand. I usually all my vinyl from Expressions Vinyl. I use SCAL, so I downloaded the file and imported it onto my SCAL. This is what my screen looked like.

I sized my image, then using powder blue, ice blue, pink, and brown vinyl, I cut it out. I keep my blade on 6, and set my pressure to 3 for all vinyl cut outs, and get perfect cuts every time.

Then, I put him all together using clear contact paper.

Then, I cut out a little branch I had in my files. You can find it here. It includes a bird, so I just removed that part with scissors.

It looked cute like it was, but I thought a little monogram would add a nice touch, so I cut one out and added it as well. The font is just Times New Roman, and I got the scallop circle SVG here.

This is what the final project looked like.

Now for that Christmas un-decorating that I should be doing...

I'm linking up to these great parties:

Some Craft Goodies I got for Christmas!

2011-12-30T08:26:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely holiday season! This year, I did a lot of online ordering of gifts, and I have to say I am in looooove with Amazon! I did the trial of Amazon Prime, and I liked it so much I went ahead and joined for the year. Talk about making your holiday shopping a whole lot easier! Great prices, free shipping, and the items are on my porch in like two days! It's fabulous, I tell you!

I get so excited about all the gifts I find for everyone else, that when my husband asks me what I want, I usually come up blank. This year, I made a wish list on Amazon, emailed it to him, and guess what? He got everything on it! He's awesome like that!

Anyway, today I thought I'd share some of my new toys with you. I am super excited about all my new craft goodies!

If you haven't seen or used one of these, you are totally missing out! The ATG gun is a craft room essential and I am so thrilled to finally have one! Not to mention, it's pink!

Next up is the Tweezer Bee. No, these aren't for plucking! They are for picking up all those tiny little pieces of paper you cut with your Cricut that are impossible to place exactly where you want them with your fingertips. I can't tell you how many tiny little eyes, noses, and other little embellishments I've lost or dropped trying to place them in their proper places during a project. No more little pieces sticking to my fingers!

How cute is my new Sizzix Texture Boutique? This adorable little gal can make all sorts of beautiful textured paper out of your ordinary paper! And, of course she's all dolled up looking like a cute little purse!

And last, but certainly not least is my early Christmas present to myself! I finally broke down and got a Cricut Cake! I can't tell you how excited I am to try this guy out! In case you still think they cost a fortune, you are wrong. They have totally come down in price since they were first introduced, and I got this one for a steal off of Ebay.

I just love all my new crafty goodies! My New Year's Resolution is to start making craft video tutorials (finally) on my blog. I can't wait to share some projects with all of you!

What did you get for Christmas?

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a little busy around here lately, but I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted! As a mom, I often wonder how my mother did it all those years ago. There is just so much to do to get ready for the big day! I truly love the holidays, but I have to say that I'm not sad to see them go. The New Year feels like it always brings a fresh start. (I hope so, because it looks like that diet of mine will need to start over too!) In case you were wondering, I haven't stepped back on the scale since my last diet post. So, like so many others I'll be back in the game on January 1st. I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful New Year!

Tiny Prints Holiday Cards

2011-11-27T23:20:00.000-05:00

Has anyone ordered their holiday cards yet? I always wait too long and stress over it, so this year I thought I'd knock it out early! I stumbled across a great site that has some awesome deals on Christmas cards. Hop on over to Tiny Prints and check it out! I'm having a hard time deciding on which one to choose, as they have so many cute ones. I think so far this is my favorite:

Does anyone have any cute ideas for displaying holiday cards? I have one of those wreath thingies with an angel on it. I usually hang it by the front door. I remember my parents hanging them around a doorway.

Now I just have to decide how to get the kids to pose for me. I love black and white candids, so I may just try and catch them doing something cute and turn it black and white.

If you are a fellow blogger, Tiny Prints has a great offer to pick up some free cards this year, so run on over and check them out. They really have some cute stuff!

My Weight Loss Journey (Week Two)

2011-11-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

I promised to post weekly about how the diet thing is going, and today marks one week. It turns out the Body by Vi shakes are really tasty. They are, however, shakes. Shakes, shakes, and more shakes! No matter how many tasty combinations I come up with, in all honesty it gets old. So, what I'm doing is incorporating the shakes as some of my meals, and counting calories for others. It's working so far. I wish I could tell you I've lost like 10 pounds, but turns out I've only lost 3. But hey, that's a start, right?

This definitely makes me feel better. This is 3 pounds of fat! Yuck!

I do have a question though. Does anyone have a recommendation for an awesome blender? I've got two (one is a smoothie maker), and I'm not impressed by either one. No matter what I do, I have hunks of ice in my shakes. It's part of what annoys me about the shakes! My husband thinks I need to find one of those super awesome old fashioned ones from the 60s.

Anyone remember these? I think my mom had one. They don't make 'em like they used to, huh?

I much prefer the look of this one:

But, then again I'm all about the turquoise, right?

Apparently there are some folks out there who still love them some harvest gold.

Me, not so much.

I did a little research, and this classic beehive from Oster seems to be getting rave reviews.

My food processor is made by Oster, and it rocks!

Anyone have a blender they love? Any thoughts or recommendations?

So I guess I'll see how I do next week, since it's Thanksgiving and all. I'm not planning to go hog wild or anything. But, I probably will allow myself one dessert on the big day. Maybe with some sugar free whipped topping? That stuff is awesome! Stay tuned next Tuesday for the latest update on my weight loss journey! Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

My Weight Loss Journey (Part I)

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I totally cannot believe I'm doing this, but here goes. I am going to put myself out there, so bear with me! I have made the decision to lose weight. Just like a lot of people, I have made this decision many times. And then, I see a piece of cake and it's all over. Sound familiar? So this time I am trying a completely new approach. I thought if I make my weight loss journey public, maybe I'll succeed. Kinda like getting weighed in a Weight Watchers every week, right? (Believe me, I've tried that too!)

So how am I planning on losing this weight? I mean, it's nice to have a plan, right? Recently, a friend posted something on Facebook that caught my eye. It's called "Body by Vi". Now, let me just make very clear that I am in no way trying to promote this product. I just read about it, and it sounded like something that might work for me. You've heard the deal before: a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a healthy dinner. Sounds Slim-fast-ish, right? But, after reading more about it, it sounded really healthy. It also sounded like a system that would fit easily into my daily life. Since I'm home during the day while the kids are at school, I had gotten into a bad dietary habit of skipping breakfast, eating a late (and not particularly healthy) lunch, and then pigging out at dinner only to follow with whatever sweets happened to be lurking in my kitchen. I'm a nurse, so I know that's not smart. But, I always just seemed to busy doing stuff that I didn't have time during the day to do a little better. I'm not saying this shake thing is the right way for everyone, but I'm going to try and see if it works for me! And of course I know I'll need to exercise too!

I am doing their 90 day challenge, so I'd like to see what I can lose by Valentine's Day. This morning I made my first shake. The way this system works is that you can make 100s of different shakes by adding ingredients to the mix. I tried the chocolate banana. I have to say, it was delicious and made a huge, filling shake!

So, my weight loss journey has officially begun. And what better time of year that right before the holidays, right? I know, what was I thinking? That my jeans were tight, and I hated all my pictures! That's what I was thinking! Speaking of pictures, I'm gonna go a step further and put a BEFORE pic on here for you. I HATE this picture! I cannot believe I'm putting this one here, because it is the absolute worst fat girl pic of me ever! But here goes:

Yuck! And this is with Spanx on!!! So how much weight would I like to lose? Well, I'm not going to go as far as to put my weight on here. I know, I'm sorry. But, a girl's gotta have some secrets, right? I will say that I don't expect or want to be super skinny. I'd just like to be 130something. I don't care if it's 139. I just want to get to, and maintain 130something. And not ever go back over 140 again! After all, I do like to eat! I haven't weighed this since before I got pregnant with my oldest child, who is now almost 10.

So, here goes. I plan to post weekly about my weight loss journey. Wish me luck!

Some Pinterest-Inspired Halloween Party Ideas

2011-11-01T10:05:00.001-04:00

I've been so inspired lately by all of the adorable party ideas I've been seeing on Pinterest. There are so many great ideas over there! Thanks to all the great printables, throwing a party together is a snap. All my decorations were made using free printables, dollar store decorations, and Goodwill items.

The tissue paper pom poms were super easy to make. You can find the tutorial at Martha Stewart.

The free printable banner can be found over at Chickabug. To cover the table, I found a black gauzy runner at Michael's on clearance for a dollar, and draped it over a white tablecloth I already had.

Inspired by these creepy apothecary jars from Pottery Barn, I used some clear glass jars and vases I picked up from Goodwill and Dollar Tree, and filled them with dollar store Halloween stuff. The birds are from the dollar store as well.

The "Werewolf Kibble" is a mixture of Bugles, Fiddle Faddle, and Autumn mix, all purchased at the dollar store. The printable label can be found over at Bite Bella. Being a Twilight fan, I just couldn't resist! The drink label printables can be found at Centsational Girl, Peonies and Poppyseeds, and Graphics Fairy. We went apple picking last weekend. What's Halloween without some caramel apples?

I picked up some plastic skulls at the dollar store. They also had these black candlesticks, so I just hot glued the skulls on top! How cute are these spider and bat ice cubes? Using ice trays and spiders from the dollar store, I surprised the kiddos with these. Trust me, they were a huge hit with the little ones! I also made these mini pumpkin oreo cheesecakes using a recipe I found on Pinterest. They can be found here.

Haven't jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon yet? You just don't know what you're missing! Talk about addictive! For these, and more inspiring ideas, head on over to my Pinterest boards and click "follow all".

How did you spend your Halloween?

Some More Pin-worthy Fall Inspiration

2011-10-06T08:42:00.000-04:00

I just love all the pretty fall inspiration I've been seeing on Pinterest. That's what I love about this site. It's the best of the best, or no one would have pinned it in the first place! Check out some more Autumn loveliness:

I love these wreaths, especially the argyle! Check them out over at India Fixx.

Looking for a yummy fall dip recipe for parties? Check out this pumpkin fluff recipe at All Recipes. Doesn't it look cute inside the pumpkin? I just love this site. I have the app on my iphone, so I can pull up recipes while I'm in the grocery store. So convenient!

I'm lovin' this adorable acorn wreath. So simple and lovely! Check it out here!

How about these cute little pumpkin pie bites from Bakerella?

What great use of scrap fabric for this adorable fall pillow! Check it out here!

How simple is this cute fall snack mix? No cooking involved here. Just toss it together! See it here!

What Fall inspiration have you been seeing out there?

It's Fall Ya'll Wreath with Free Printable Chevron Tag

2011-09-26T23:29:00.004-04:00

Today I'm sharing a little printable with you. I felt my fall wreath needed a little snazzing up, so I whipped up this printable tag. Just click, print, and cut it out! I used some shaped zig-zag scissors and backed it with some red cardstock. Since it is outside, I covered it with contact paper to protect it. If you have a laminating machine, this would work even better. {That's my next crafting purchase!}

Hope you enjoy!

What are you working on this week?

I'm linking up to these great parties:

The Great Big Craft Room Reveal

2011-09-23T02:09:00.010-04:00

Well, hello there. Long time no talk! I seemed to have taken an unannounced leave of absence from the blogging world! The busyness of school starting back up kind of took over this year. I decided that since last year I took a year off from being room mom, I would make up for it this year by jumping in full force, and saying yes to just about everything. So far, I've become a brownie leader, PTA board member, and room mom. It's keeping me busy, but I'm loving all of it! But, between my that, my part-time job, and of course the HUGE distraction of Pinterest, I am neglecting my little blog!

Today I thought I'd try and make up for it by sharing my most recent project with you, my new craft room! I decided while home with the kids over the summer that I hated having all my craft supplies upstairs in the old guest bedroom. I was always running up and down, and bringing things downstairs I was working on, so I wouldn't feel like I was hiding from the kids!

I had debated on using what is supposed to be our "formal living room" for my space for a while. We had been using it as an office, but since we use our laptops all the time and our old monster desktop was sooooo painfully slow anyway, no one ever seemed to use this room. My concern was that it's the first room you see when you enter through the front door. I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly tidy when I am in the middle of a project! But, I thought if I could create a space that was aesthetically pleasing and had lots of storage, I might just be able to make it work.

For a while, I had been eyeing this awesome craft table from Pottery Barn.

But of course, being Pottery Barn, they want, oh like $1200 for it. Yeah, not happening. I had seen other versions of it, of course on Pinterest. There are so many beautiful ones out there.

Here it is in white. {Sigh}

And here are some lovely knock-offs created by some talented folks out there!

Anna White

Scrapbook.com

Craftaholics Anonymous

I decided with all this lovely inspiration, I had to get to work! So I remembered I had seen some cubbies at Target that looked similar to the ones used to support the table top. I didn't take a pic, but they look like this:

I thought about using plywood for the top, but when I went to Home Depot to buy it, I found this awesome MDF stuff that was already white to begin with, and had a nice smooth finished surface. At $36 for a huge sheet, I thought it was well worth the price. I had the nice man in lumber cut it for me. I decided to go with a 3 foot by 5 foot table, which is actually a bit larger than the Pottery Barn one.

I didn't want or need two sets of cubbies. I actually wanted the table to come out from the wall. I had envisioned it with shelves on either side. Luckily, Target had white shelves that matched the cubby and MDF perfectly, and at a great price. After assembling the cubby, my wonderful hubby helped me balance and attach a 2x4 to the wall in the studs, and fasten the table surface down to it, and to the top of the cubby.

Here it is in the works:

The wall color is Cheyenne Rock by Behr. I painted the backs of the shelving one shade darker than the walls (Mountain Ridge), as an accent. It looks brown in the photo, but it really depends on the light. It definitely has a little plum undertone to it. I call it "silly putty color". I found this great trellis patterned rug at a local discount store for $35 bucks!

The sides of the MDF are not finished, but they sell this iron-on material to finish them off. I had my doubts about this stuff, figuring it would peel right off. I was sure wrong. It's super easy to attach, and it's on there for good! Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the package but it looks like this, except in white.

And here it is as I'm ironing it on.

It's super easy to do!

And, here it is all put together.

I'm loving all that counter space to spread out my projects! My old craft room had two tables that I had to sit down at to work. I found that I was always standing up, laying out things on my ironing board. This new system enables to me to stand, which is how I've found that I usually work. The "&" symbol and giant scissors are from Target.

I made the sign out with a canvas and some vinyl letters I cut with the Cricut. My husband makes total fun of me for it. If you remember, the sunburst was one I made here that I previously had hanging in my master bedroom.

The ribbon, giftwrap, and tissue paper are all hung using tension rods {a super cheap trick}.

This is my sewing station. The table is from Michael's. The chair was a Goodwill find from a long time ago. I recovered it in some scrap fabric I had that seemed to go well with the paint color. My only gripe is that the table leaf was only able to be attached to the right side. I really wish I could reconfigure it the other way, since that really would work better. The leaf really isn't meant to support the weight of a sewing machine. But that's a project for a later date.

The total cost of the craft table was $75, but I was able to pull the entire room together for under $200.

Let me know what you think! What have you been up to since the kiddos went back to school?

I'm linkin' up to these great parties:

Some Fall Inspiration

2011-08-24T09:10:00.001-04:00

With Fall rapidly approaching, I've been keeping an eye out for some decorating inspiration. What better place than Pinterest to find just that? If you haven't gotten on the Pinterest bandwagon, well you simply don't know what you are missing. Talk about addictive. Hop on over and check it out if you get a chance. Just warning you, though. Once you start pinning, you can never go back! Here a some of the lovely things I've found that are on my to-do list once the kiddos start back to school. You can find all of these, with links back to their crafty sites on my Pinterest boards, under "It's Fall, ya'll".

Did I mention Pinterest was addictive? To follow me on Pinterest, go here and click "follow all" on the left sidebar. Happy decorating!

Personalized Hairbow Hanger

2011-08-11T19:47:00.005-04:00

So this week I'm on a roll with updating my daughter's room. My goal was to change it up, incorporating some no-cost projects using things I already had on hand. After all, why not use whatcha got, right? While trying to get her all organized for school, we sorted through her hairbows and got rid of any that were broken, frayed beyond repair, or ones that she never wore and were taking up space. While doing this, it occurred to me that I never got around to making a hairbow holder for her. Thankfully, she hasn't outgrown wanting to wear them. Usually, she just wants to wear her hair down, with nothing in it. But, right now she is growing her bangs out, and the agreement was that she has to have them out of her face. So, she has been wearing her bows alot more often, and clipping them over to the side.

I've seen some cute hairbow holders that have the child's name painted on canvas, and ribbons dangling from them to clips the bows onto. Since I lack any ability to paint freehand, I decided I could cut her name out in vinyl using the Cricut, and frame it using a frame I already had and some cute cardstock I had picked up on the Target dollar aisle a while back. I scrounged around and found enough girly ribbon that would compliment the cardstock. Since the frame was a stained wood, I primed and painted it white and put it all together. This is what I came up with:

I used hot pink outdoor vinyl, because it was shiny. I placed it on the outside of the glass so it would pop against the cardstock. To attach the ribbon, simply staple it to the back of the frame using a staple gun.

While I was at it, I added some white vinyl to a little bin I picked up at the dollar store to hold all her scrunchies and hairbands.

I hope everyone's having a great week. I 'm linking up to these great parties:

Pottery Barn Kids’ Inspired Bulletin Board

2011-08-10T22:36:00.006-04:00

This week, we decided to make a little switcheroo and rearrange my daughter’s bedroom. As often happens, once we got everything moved around, we found ourselves wanting to add some new touches here and there. Nothing drastic, at least not involving paint! Two years ago when we decorated her room, she was big-time into Hannah Montana. Now, not so much. Lesson learned, do not go with character stuff for children’s rooms! I think I was almost more tired of it than she was! We tend to disagree somewhat on styles, so when we saw a comforter and chair that we both thought was cute and on an awesome sale, we snatched them up. So, down came Hannah!

And in came some turquoise in a bold graphic pattern! Love.

Something was missing above the desk. I had seen a cute bulletin board system in Pottery Barn Kids catalog last year. This was my inspiration.

Pottery Barn Kids

I immediately began contemplating a trip to Lowes, spending $30 to $40 on supplies, having my husband break out his saw, etc. Then it occurred to me. I had everything I needed to pull this off right here in the house!

I forgot about a bulletin board I had in my craft room. I had picked it up a while back at Goodwill for 3 bucks. At the time, I had used fabric and ribbon to make it into a French memo board (thought I had a pic of it, but I don’t). It was perfect. I ripped the fabric and ribbon off, and broke out some vinyl, fabric, ric-rac, and my hot glue gun. A little white spray paint on the frame, and an hour later I had this.

And for free!

So let’s talk about the elephant in the room. BROWN FURNITURE. I would seriously love to paint it all white, but it was passed down to us by my husband's family, and I've been forbidden to paint it. Although, the desk is mine from my childhood, so I may do something to it. I am thinking about this tonal look:

But for now, the brown will have to do.

I'm linking up to these awesome parties:

Adorable Tissue Paper Pom Poms

2011-08-10T21:59:00.008-04:00

I’ve been eyeing these cuties out in Blogland for a while. I first saw them on the Martha Stewart website. She gives a lovely tutorial on how to make them. They are a simple and inexpensive way to add some visual impact to parties as well as children’s spaces. You might even find that you already have all the supplies you need on hand. If not, you can pick them up at your local dollar store for next to nothing. Here’s some Pinterest-worthy inspiration for you.

Martha Stewart Crafts

Preppy Princess

Caribbean Catering

We just finished rearranging my daughter’s room and adding a few changes here and there. I used this opportunity to try out a few pom poms for an added touch in her reading corner. Since her colors are pink and turquoise, we found tissue paper in coordinating colors.

Turns out, they were super simple to make. I spent $6 on tissue paper, and used some floral wire, clear fishing line, and white thumbtacks I had on hand to suspend them from the ceiling. They seriously took all of 5 minutes to make each one. What do you think?

I'm linking up to these awesome parties:

Some Goodwill Finds turned Beachy Family Room Vignette

2011-07-29T23:28:00.010-04:00

All summer, I've been wanted to change it up a bit in the family room. I love just switching out a few pieces to reflect the season. However, we've been busy with camp and our river staycation, and basically just wanting to spend time with the kids while they are home. But recently I was able to squeeze in a Goodwill trip, and just happened to find a few items I thought I could use to create the beachy feel I had in mind.

So, here's what I started with.

I know the owl is not beachy, but you can't feel like a true blogger if you don't have at least one white owl in your house, right?

So, after some priming and little spray paint, this is what I ended up with.

I so wish I could remember where I got this printable, but I can't find it anywhere. Clearly, it's something I found before I discovered Pinterest, or I would have it's exact location saved! If you happen to be reading this, and want credit for your cute little printable, please speak up!

I found the starfish at Ben Franklin, and the sea oats from Michael's. (That's what my husband has informed me that those wispy branch thingys are, because apparently they block his view of the T.V.) Men, right?

I'd been eyeing these lanterns for a while in Ben Franklin, but didn't want to pay $20-$25 a piece for them. When I stopped by there to search for my starfish, they were having a sidewalk sale. And, there under one of the tables, were these two lanterns for $3 a piece! I have HUGE plans for these babies. I'm thinking cranberries at Christmas, gourds in the Fall, eggs in the Spring. You get the picture, right? Ok, so for right now, I added a few shells we had from a trip to the Outer Banks, as well as the starfish.

I also found this cool basket at Goodwill as well. Great for holding all kinds of goodies.

I just love how the little owl turned out. Isn't he cute?

I hope everyone's having a wonderful week!

I'm linking up to these awesome parties:

Haven Conference for DIYers! You can't miss this!

2011-07-19T02:16:00.001-04:00

Recognize any of these talented ladies? Ever wonder how they do some of those amazing projects they do? If so, you won't want to miss Haven. It seems while I was dreaming of Blissdom, all my fave decorating/DIYing/thrifting bloggers were coming up with this wonderful idea of their own! Looks like this one will be next June in Atlanta, GA, so mark your calendars! This looks like a party you won't want to miss! Now, how am I supposed to choose between Haven and Blissdom? Decisions, decisions...

My CVS Haul for this Week

2011-07-18T17:52:00.000-04:00

Scott paper towels (6-roll)

Pantene shampoo

Pantene conditioner

Cottonelle moist wipes

(2) Oral B toothbrushes

Zyrtec 5-count

Crest kids' toothpaste

(2) 12-packs Diet Dr. Pepper

(1) 12-pack Diet Pepsi

Total retail price: $62

Total out of pocket with coupons & ECBs: Nothing!!!

Saved:$62

I did this in two transactions, and have $3 in ECBs to use next week! Did I mention I love CVS?!

To see how to do this, go here.

I hope everyone's having a super week!

Before & After House Pics w/ new Shutters & Red Door {& a Little Exterior Vinyl Project}

2011-07-06T00:02:00.019-04:00

Happy belated 4th to everyone! We had a pretty good thunderstorm here last night, but luckily, it cleared up long enough for us to squeeze in a little fireworks action!

In other news, our black shutters finally arrived! We had them hung while we were on vacation, so I actually had to wait a few days until we got back to see them, and get that front door painted. I can assure you, the suspense was killing me! Our old shutters were badly faded. Happily, they were under warranty, and so we were able to replace them free! We even got to choose another color if we wanted, which I was thrilled about since we didn't get to choose our original color. I decided to go with black, as it feels like a classic look to me. My biggest decision was whether or not to paint the front door red, like I have always wanted. After going back and forth for a while, I decided to go for it. After all, it's just paint, right?

So, here is the before picture. Pretty blah, right?

Check out those ugly faded shutters. Yuck!

And my 4th of July banners and flag didn't really seem to stand out. {Yawn}

And now for the after picture:

And my new red front door:

I picked up the numbers and door knocker at Lowe's. And then added a little personalization to the knocker, using some white vinyl cut with the Cricut.

I browsed Ben Franklin for a new wreath, but didn't like any of the ones I saw. So, I grabbed some flowers, a couple of faux artichokes I liked, and this great houndstooth ribbon. I ripped everything off my old wreath, and added all the new stuff.

And then I got a little carried away. That's what my 7-yr-old daughter actually said to me as I was doing all of this. She said, "Aren't you getting a little carried away with the porch, Mom?" Kids are so stinkin' cute right?

I like the look of the vinyl so much that I thought I'd add some to the rockers as well.

Oh, and the mailbox too.

I guess maybe I did get a little carried away. But, just wait until you see what I have planned with black vinyl on the garage door!

I hope everyone's having a great week. I'm linkin' up to these awesome parties:

{Some 4th of July Eye Candy for Ya!}

2011-07-02T16:46:00.003-04:00

Normally, I'd have been busy craftin' up some cute red, white, and blue decorations this week, but we took a relaxing week long staycation at my husband's parents' river cottage this past week. I thought I'd squeeze in a blog post or two, but I couldn't get their dial-up to work for me. Can you believe I spent a week with no internet connection?! I couldn't let the 4th pass by without sharing a little eye candy, though. I may not have been busy but I can assure you my fellow bloggers sure have!

How's about some adorable dessert kabobs from The Meringue Bake Shop? Yum!

I can't imagine ya'll missed these patriotic candy apples from Tidy Mom. They are just too cute!

Clair came up with this genius idea to color her popcorn to match the holiday! Can you imagine the possibilities for Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, etc? Check it out over at Clair's Creations.

I can just see getting the party started with these pop-rocks rimmed cocktails I saw over at Pizzazzerie. So pretty!

Looks like you can celebrate while still sticking to your diet with this festive fruit flag. See it over at Randy Son of Robert.

Wow, I just noticed a lot of these are food. I think I'm seeing a theme here! Okay, okay, I found a few non-food items:

How's this sweet doiley bunting I saw at The Scrap Shoppe Blog?

Or this fun star-spangled wreath over at The Cellar Door Stories?

And don't tell me you can resist this little Independence Day ruffle diaper cover. Check it out over at Daydream Believers.

And this last one really deserves a post all it's own. I thought I'd share my new favorite Etsy shop with you. It's called Anders Ruff Custom Designs. They have the most precious party decor you have ever seen! This one picture doesn't do their July 4th party justice, so here's a few more:

See what I mean?

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful 4th!

Beach Themed Cupcakes for the End of the Schoolyear

2011-06-16T16:12:00.007-04:00

Yay, it's finally here! I know a lot of folks across the country got out of school weeks ago, but ours just let out today! I really wish they would let out earlier. It feels like by the time they get out, June is about over. I made some cupcakes for my kids' classes this week that I thought I'd share. I can't take credit, though. I got the idea from Family Fun. If you haven't heard of them or visited their site before, they have some great ideas for recipes and activities to do with your kids.

Can you see the little bear just hanging out on his blanket? I just love it! For the blankets, I used these:

I don't know if you can see them or not, but I found tie-dye cupcake papers on the dollar aisle at Target. I used Wilton colorings to color buttercream icing. For a helpful video of using their colorings, go here.

I have to say, though, that I cringed putting brown sugar on top of the cupcakes. As if cupcakes alone aren't sugary enough!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

I'm linking up to these great parties:

My Favorite Projects of the Week

2011-05-27T22:34:00.000-04:00

Gosh, there are some cute projects out there this week. I think folks are definitely getting inspired by the warmer weather and getting prepared to have kids home for the summer. Here's what caught my eye this week.

Check out this adorable homemade hand scrub over at Live, Laugh, and Photograph. Teacher gift anyone?

I am definitely gonna whip up some of these dinnertime doodle pads I saw over at Kiki Creates. Um, where was Kiki like 5 years ago?

Did your child have a dynamite teacher this year? Let them know with this super cute teacher gift. See it over at Jasey's Crazy Daisy.

These seersucker pouches are just as cute as they can be. Check it out over at That's my Letter.

How about some sweet Father's Day subway art? Get your own over at Homespun with Love.

Did someone say printable? Get one for Memorial Day over at Flamingo Toes.

Make a cork backsplash for your kitchen over at Pandora's Box. What, you haven't consumed enough wine to do this? Well, you better get crackin' !

Planning a summertime party? Need some printables? Look no further than It's Always a Party at the Parkers. Gosh, I love this blog!

And last, but definitely not least:

Why, oh why can I not figure this fondant thing out? I so want to be a fondant expert. There are some truly amazing cakes out there. I mean, the possibilities are endless when it comes to this stuff! Oh well, one day...{sigh}... You really should check out this Fancy Nancy party. Have I mentioned I love It's Always a Party at the Parkers?

What have you seen out in Bloggyland this week that you've found inspiring? Do share!

Goodwill Microwave Cart turned {Sweet} Lemonade Stand

2011-05-26T21:48:00.014-04:00

Recently, I shared with you some Goodwill finds for the week. Among them was this microwave cart I got for 6 bucks.

My kids, as well as the other kids on the street love nothing more than to spend entire Saturdays during the summer setting up a lemonade stand in front of our house. This usually involves dragging various furniture items from our house to the front yard, and then having to drag them all back in at the end of the day. This year, I decided to stop the insanity. Why not have a cart on wheels that can be stored in the garage when not in use? (Cuz ya'll who know me, know I have so much room to spare in my garage!)

I thought this project would take me several days, but I actually managed to complete it in just a day. First I primed my cart and then sprayed it down with two coats of Krylon's Blue Ocean Breeze.

If you've never tried this color, it is awesome!

The super helpful guy working in the lumber section of Home Depot was nice enough to let me take the leftover trim people had cut in the store home for free! Perfect for the poles I needed to make the top!

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a chalkboard these days. All they have are whiteboards everywhere you go! So, I had some leftover luan from the pantry project and a can of chalkboard paint from another project. Using an exacto knife, I was able to trim the luan to the size I needed. I gave it three coats of chalkboard paint and attached it to the back of the cart.

Remember those cute fabrics I got at Ben Franklin?

I used these to make the little banner and awning. Then, I used my Cricut to cut out "Lemonade" in white vinyl.

I picked up the Tiki sign, flip-flop towels, and flamingo all from the dollar aisle at Target. I also purchased the lemonade pitcher there as well, and added some polka dots and lettering using pink and white vinyl.

What do ya think? I just love it!

And, the cabinet and little shelf on the back are great for storing all those necessary supplies!

I'm linking up to these great parties:

Some Goodwill finds: {Countertop Composter w/ Vinyl Lettering}

2011-05-26T06:55:00.009-04:00

So I've been in Goodwill withdrawal lately. I mean, it's been like what, two weeks since I've stepped foot in there? I finally got the chance to drop by this week and check things out. With a whole slew of projects in my brain, I browsed around to see what was in store. Here are this week's purchases:

Kind of a hodge podge of items. I actually have big plans for that microwave cart.

I've been wanting to build a lemonade stand for the kiddos for a while now. I plan on breaking out the Krylon Ocean Breeze for this one.

I went by Ben Franklin today (not my fave craft store, but Hobby Lobby is 20 minutes from me, while Ben Franklin's right around the corner). They sell fat quarters, and actually have some cute prints.

The pack with the peace signs has several different prints that coordinate.

This is my inspiration piece. How cute is this? Hop over to Lolly Jane Boutique to see how Kristi and Kelli crafted this adorable lemonade stand.

Moving on to the other items...

The two large tins I plan to paint and embellish with some vinyl lettering. They will be incorporated into the laundry room redo, which I probably won't get around to tackling for some time. But they were only a dollar or two a piece, so I snatched them up while I had them!

As for the luggage stand, not sure what I was thinking here, but it was two bucks, and I thought I could make it a lot cuter with not much effort!

Now for the little white crock.

I saw it and instantly thought, "compost crock".

So, after a good scrubbing, and some black vinyl lettering I cut with the Cricut, I had this.

And, it only cost $3 !

Stay tuned for the completion of the lemonade stand project!

I'm linking up to these great parties:

Make some baseball snack day treat bags using the Cricut

2011-05-22T21:34:00.005-04:00

It's hard to believe little league is almost done for the year! We have had a great season this year. Saturday, my son had his first double play! Way to go, Alex! It was our snack day that day, and this year I decided to do something different. I found this great Sports SVG file over at svgcuts.com. They are a great source for all kinds of SVG files to use with SCAL, and their prices are great. This file was only $5.99. I used it to make the baseballs, but it includes all kinds of different sports-themed items. Our team is the Yankees this year, so I searched online and found a great cut file for their emblem here for free!

I picked up some clear cello bags from Michael's and filled them with popcorn, Crunch-n-Munch, M&Ms, pretzels, and marshmallows.

Yum!

Hope everyone's having a great week!

I'm linking up to these great parties:

SOL Week Water Bottle Hang Tags

2011-05-22T21:16:00.005-04:00

SOL week is upon us. This is my son's first year taking them, so I am nervous for him. His teacher has done an awesome job of trying to ease the stress and make it a fun week for the students. She asked the parents to send in special letters for the kids to read each day before they begin testing. They are also having some special treats throughout the week to reward them for all their hard work. I was asked to send in drinks for one of the days. Rather than send in juice boxes, I thought I'd make some little water bottle hangers and let them mix their own fruit punch. So, with the help of the Cricut Expression, Cricut markers, and some cardstock, I was able to make these in no time. My kids love mixing the little drink packets into their water bottles, so I thought the students would enjoy these. And, they are sugar free!

I'm linking up to these great parties: