Scrapity Anne

Framed Jewelry Holder with Seashells!

2012-04-02T13:15:00.003-04:00

I saw this yucky, outdated frame at the Salvation Army one day, months ago. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it, so I paid the $6 and carted it home.

I started by removing everything from the frame. Let me tell you, this was HARD!! The back of the print had been covered with thick piece of cardboard, glued down within an inch of it's life. It took razor blades and my hubby's help to get it off. But we succeeded!

I loved the shape of the frame and the dips and valleys of the wood. It looked very elegant without being fussy. I decided to use the same Krylon Oxford Blue that I used for one of the crates also in the bathroom.

Next I planned to add a type of chicken wire to the frame. It had all square openings, which I thought was perfect for jewelry hanging. However, it took quit a bit of doing. I stapled it in crooked 3 times and finally enlisted the hubby's help again. He accomplished it, but not without a war wound. One of the wires sliced his finger open. Sorry honey!

It looks gorgeous doesn't it?But a little see through for my taste. So I grabbed a yard of fabulous burlap and stapled that to the back.

Perfect!! Looks great, and the burlap adds another beachy type texture. I'm loving it.....so far. It needs a little more, don't ya think? Yeah, just a little something more....

Seashells! I LOVE seashells, reminds me of home. That's why the master bath is done in a beachy shell theme. This should fit in perfectly!

And here we are....in the bathroom. Hanging above the jewelry box that is jammed full.

I absolutely love it! I know it's been around the blogosphere for quite a while. I just finally got around to doing my version. The color, the wire, the burlap, I love everything about it! Now I jut need to finish filling it up! LOL!

Linking to The Brassy Apple
Linking to Polly Want a Crafter
Linking to Singing Three Little Birds
Linking to Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Linking to The Southern Institute
Linking to Skip to My Lou
Linking to DIY Home Sweet Home

Hope you all enjoyed,

Game Table Transformation

2012-03-25T23:59:00.000-04:00

I've had this old oak table for years now. Got it on Craigslist for $40, maybe 6 years ago. It sat in my living room in all it's dark ugliness all that time, while we used it to play games and do puzzles. I loved/love it's functionality, just not it's look. It has flaps that go down on both sides, making it really useful in a lot of ways. I use it at Xmas for my village. Despite all that usefulness, I really didn't think much of the piece or particularly like it. I'd always say "someday I'll make it prettier".

Well, someday has come! This year is my year to take charge of my home and the things in it. I really want to make a home atmosphere instead of just a cluttered mess.

Here are my supplies;

Waterfall & Blue Bonnet paint from Ben Moore and all the painting "stuff" you need.

Here it is in it's "before" state;

I started out by sanding everything down. There were lots of "sticky" spots where old varnish seemed to be wearing down. Those spots required more sanding.Then I moved to the legs. Let me tell you what....between the coffee tables I did a couple weeks ago, and now this table I have to say I SERIOUSLY DISLIKE sanding legs. Can't say I hate it cuz that word is not allowed in my house anymore. Gotta be a good example for the kiddos. Anyway, sanding legs is a serious pain.

A quick wipe with a tacky cloth to remove all the dust from sanding;

Next I took everything apart. I figured it would be easier, and more thorough to paint everything separately.

Here's the first coat of Waterfall for the top of the table. Isn't it gorgeous??? Picture isn't the best lighting (of course, cuz I kinda suck at photography) but the color just pops right at you!

And here's the first coat of Blue Bonnet for the legs. It's such a light turquoise/blue that it looks white, but it's not at all.

After two coats of each color, I did some light sanding to distress. I did more on the legs because over the years they would have been kicked a lot, and distressed a lot. I used Minwax Paste Wax for dark colors to "dirty" it up some more and to seal and protect.

Here's the top(minus the flaps) after 2 coats of Waterfall, sanding, distressing, and waxing. The color makes me drool!!!

Okay, so you know how EASY it is to take things apart? Especially when you're an eager amateur who just wants to get to the fun part? Yeah, so that was me. Meaning I had no idea how to put it back together. Most of it was really self explanatory, honest! I'm not a complete dingbat, really. But the mechanisms for the flaps on the table were a little less simple. My hubby helped me, and we put them on backwards. We figured it out AFTER we put everything back together and tried to put the flaps down. Silly us lol! So we fixed the mechanisms and all was right with my world.

Look at this beauty all completed....

So beautiful. And so done by me!! I was/am ridiculously proud of myself for doing this. And it has definitely given me a taste for more, more, more! I want to refinish everything! LOL! Up next is my dining room hutch, but that will be a while to come. It is large, heavy and a very very dark stained pine. I have other things to do first, like lots of de-cluttering/cleaning/organizing. And I hate all of those.
For now I'm basking in the afterglow of my lovely table.

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch
Linking to Brassy Apple
Linking to
Hope you all enjoyed!!

Savings Nation Seminar with Crystal Collins of The Thrifty Mama!!!

2012-03-25T15:23:00.003-04:00

Last Thursday I went to the first ever SavingsNation.com Seminars. Savings Nations has paired with The Thrifty Mama (Crystal Collins), $5 Dinners (Erin Chase), The Happy Housewife (Toni) and Savings Lifestyle (Andrea Deckard) to help us save money on groceries. I was so excited to go to this seminar, looking forward to it for weeks. And it TOTALLY lived up to my expectations! Every bit! I'm not going to discuss most of the seminar details with you, you'll need to find a seminar and go yourself, it's so worth it (go to EventBrite.com to see where the next seminars are). The ladies touched on topics like;

Printable coupons
Coupon organization
Shopping smarter
Saving on organics
Stockpiling
Menu planning
and much more!

As much as I loved all of the information, I loved meeting Crystal Collins jut as much!! I was like a little girl at an NKOTB concert (if you don't know who they are, please find out, you'll be happy you did. Although it makes me feel old that you don't know lol). I've read Crystal's blog, The Thrifty Mama for quite some time now and love everything about it and her. She was fabulously real in person, warm and friendly, and was more than happy to take a picture with me.
Here we are at the end of the seminar (Crystal on the left, me on the right);

She even friended me on Facebook!! Squeeeeee!

While meeting one of my blogging idols (Yes, Crystal, it's true! LOL) was fantastic, the seminar itself was truly excellent. Well developed, well planned, well delivered. Pertinent, timely information that really will help me in my day to day life. Who could ask for more for $10???

I've Recieved the Liebster Award!!

2012-03-23T18:19:00.001-04:00

I am SO honored to have received the Liebster Award from Micki @ ADD Housewife! Her comments about my blog were heartwarming and gave me so much encouragement. So, as I understand it, here are the "rules" for receiving this award.

The Liebster Blog Award is for smaller blogs with fewer than 300 followers. Together, we can help each other network for greater visibility. So here are the 'rules' of accepting the Liebster Blog Award:

Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award.
Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
Copy and paste the Liebster Blog Award on your blog.
Reveal your top five blog picks for the award.
Let them know you selected them by leaving a comment on their blog.

Micki at ADD Housewife is an absolute doll! She supports my blog, leaves comments, and always encourages me. Her blog is a wonderful resource as well! I love seeing what she comes up with next! I hope to develop a closer friendship with her as time goes on.

My top five picks to pass on this award was very hard to do, I went through close to 60 blogs trying to find one that I thought was just right.

Kileen at Creative Warcraft - Kileen is very adventurous, which I love. She tries many different kinds of crafts and admits to being a master of none (just like me!)Her website has a lot of cute things to look through and I especially love her talent at making cards with her Cricut machine. She hasn't posted in a bit but I'm hoping this award will coax her out of hiding.
Adrian at Fried Okra - Adrian sews. Adrian sews beautifully. I do NOT sew (although I have a fabulous machine and really want to learn). I love looking at all the new things she has come up with for her shop and the blog. And she has a sense of humor to her writing that appeals to me. Hope the boot comes off real soon Adrian!
Amanda from Amanda Carol at Home - I love her sense of elegance and style. Something I will never achieve (I'm more a grandma's pie safe and slip covered denim furniture kinda gal). But it never hurts to dream. And her site makes me dream. Check out her latest post about her boy's room makeover. Excellent!!
Amanda at Kind Over Matter - I have no idea how many followers she has, I can't find it on her blog. But oh how I admire her. I have printed out her freebies for several projects and shes inspired me in several others that became gifts for family at Xmas. She is working on being all that I aspire to become and I love her for that. Her site makes me feel kinder, nicer, and encourages me to be those things with others.

I apologize for not coming up with number 5. I really need to get out there on the net more and find some more small blogs to appreciate. Again, thank you SO much to Micki for giving me this award. It truly means so much to me.

Giveaway Winner!

2012-03-20T12:36:00.003-04:00

And the giveaway winner is - duh duh da duh - Micki from ADD Housewife!!! One of my loyal followers who leaves lots of very appreciated comments. I hope you LOVE your new Easter wreath. Email me your address info at scrapityanne@gmail.com and I'll get it right out to you. Thanks so much for being you!

Hippity Hoppity Easter's on it's Way!...& a GIVEAWAY!

2012-03-17T16:10:00.000-04:00

While ~~lurking~~ err...browsing blogland, I found the cutest Easter wreath at Debbie Does Creations.
It had lovely colors, tulle, ribbon, and GLITTER! What's not to love? So after talking to Debbie, I decided to make my own. BUT - not only my own, but one for you guys!!! That's right, a giveaway!!! I'm going to take you through the steps to make one. Then we'll get down to the giveaway details.

I started with two styrofoam wreaths, one smaller than the other by about an inch and a half.I also had a pack of 6 styrofoam eggs that I later split in half, glitter (I just love glitter, don't you? So sparkly and shiny), tulle in 4 colors (blue, green, yellow, purple) and a pink plaid ribbon.

First I started by cutting all of the tulle into 12in lengths, then cut the ribbon in about 6-8in I believe.

Next I tied the lengths of tulle in a color pattern - blue, yellow, green, purple, pink ribbon.

I did all this while watching tv. Great activity for some downtime LOL!

Here is the completed large wreath;

Then I started on the smaller one;

That's my cream quilt and sheets as a background. I was too lazy to figure something else out!

I asked my husband to split the foam eggs, because they just wouldn't cooperate with me. Then I enlisted my special helper to glitter the eggs.

Bear had a BLAST! And hardly any glitter made it off the foil liner I put on the counter! So Mom had a blast too LOL!

Here are the finished eggs;

Then I used my glue gun to glue them on. Sorry, no pics of that. I was all alone. Bear abandoned me for Pokemon with his friends.

Here is the finished product;

This is the one for the giveaway. SO CUTE, right?? So now let's get to the giveaway.....

Rules;
Leave a comment telling me what you like most about this prize.
Follow me on Linky Followers or GFC. Leave a comment telling me you did so. Very simple!
Winner will be announced Monday the 19th by 8PM

Extra entries;
Follow me on Facebook = 1 extra entry (leave a comment telling me you did so)
Follow me on Twitter = 1 extra entry (leave a comment telling me you do so)
Leave a comment telling me what you would like to see on my blog = 2 extra entries
Have a blast!

Linking to
Linking to Serenity Now
Linking to

Finally Done!! Three Distressed Tables

2012-03-15T23:59:00.000-04:00

I've been teasing all of you about this one, mainly cuz it too so long! But it's finally done and ready to be revealed! (I apologize ahead of time for the "completed" photos, it was dusk and the color red overshot everything!)

Like I said, crappy lighting. But don't they look beautiful?? Boy, what a PROCESS this was!

From this;

To this;

Here we go;

First I lightly sanded everything down. Then wiped it all with tacky cloth. Then I started with one coat of Rustoleum White Primer 2x Coverage.

Once dry, I applied two spray paint coats of Rustoleum Semi Gloss White 2x Coverage. GREAT stuff!! After the tables were dry it was time to distress. I used steel wool because I didn't want to distress too much.

I distressed all the edges, and a few extra places. I love the look! Very shabby chic. Next up was Minwax Paste Wax for darker woods. I knew this would creep into the crevices and give everything a slightly dirty, antiqued look.

See that tint? Perfect. I slobbered on the wax, none too neatly, then buffed it off with a clean rag. Everything came out beautifully!!

Again, before;

And after;

Distressed up close;

I would love to give you all a view of them against my blue jean slip covered couch, but my hubby has turned my living room into a complete junk pile. Honest! Don't believe me? Wait til Monday when I do a post about cleaning it up, cuz this lady is DONE with not being able to use my living room. The decluttering is about to begin! Again, lol!

Hope you all enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed sharing with you!

Linking to The Shabby Nest

Sneek Peek, a Giveaway & an Important Question!!

2012-03-15T13:47:00.001-04:00

Sorry everyone, between being sick (again! grrrr) and trying to catch up on my projects, I've had no time to post anything! I really have been working on things though....here's a sneek peek of what's coming up (as soon as I finish them!)

OH SO MUCH WORK!! But it will be SO worth it when I'm done. I'm loving it and can't wait to share!

This next sneek peek is a familiar piece to most of you, but it's finally done!! DONE I tell you!! $25 bucks at TJ Maxx and some creative ways to hang things and it will be fabulous! Just need the hubs to help with the hanging cuz my balance is atrocious!

My next project was ~~stolen~~ borrowed from Debbie Does Creations and I LOVE it!! Can't wait to get started. Think I'll work on it tonight in bed when it's too dark to do my other stuff. Gonna be gorgeous, oh and there just might even be a giveaway involved, so stay tuned!

Ok, here's the last thing....but it's not a sneek peek, it's a question for all of you. PLEASE help me figure out what to do with this;

I had my son T and his friends drag them out of the trash pile of a neighbor (with permission). And now I have NO idea what to do with them. Help my bloggy friends! I need ideas! Pretty Please??

I hope you enjoyed this sneek peek as much as I did!

Homemade Cleaning Wipes - My Version

2012-03-13T23:59:00.000-04:00

These homemade cleaning wipes are all over the blogosphere right now. And RIGHTFULLY so!! I gave in and made my own Monday night and I LOVE them!. Everyone should try these....

Here's what you need

2 containers (I used a large coffee can and a large glad ware container. Don't worry if your container seems too short, because you will be squishing the towels down some)

4 cups of my Natural Cleaning Spray

4 cups warm water

1 roll BOUNTY paper towel (other brands get mushy. Use the select a size kind)

Start by cutting your paper towel roll in half with a sharp, non-serrated knife. I cut mine more like 3/4's and 1/4th because of the difference in size in my containers.

This left me with this;

Next I stuffed the paper towels down into the coffee can, it was a little tight;

I used my All Purpose Cleaning Spray, pouring 2 cups worth over each set of paper towels. *I did all of the same steps for the second container of towels*

Then I poured 2 cups of warm water.

Once the water started to absorb, I took out the cardboard tube from the middle (do not try this before pouring the liquids, it will just make a huge mess of the towels). It's very slippery, so grab both sides, pull them in towards the middle the start wiggling until it slides out.

I squished the paper towels down into the can because they were originally taller than the coffee can. Once wet, they squish down easily.

Lastly, I pulled a wipe from the middle of the roll to start it off.

I took a picture of the two containers just to show you that the tall paper towels WILL fit in the smaller containers.

This was a ton of fun, and a creative way to replace a much used, overly expensive, chemical laden product like cleaning wipes. I'm glad I gave in and tried it for myself. I talked myself out of it at first because I would just use my all purpose cleaning spray and a cloth. But I did miss the convenience of the wipes. Now I can have both! And they are adaptable!! With a switch of liquid solution, you can make baby wipes, or face cleaning wipes. Such a cool idea.

I hope you all enjoyed this post, and that you will try making these, they are excellent. You'll be happy that you did!

Dad's Birthday Present

2012-03-12T23:59:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my hubby's birthday, so naturally I made him a present from me and the boys. I started with a kit;

First I applied paper to both pieces of chipboard (the piece that says Dad and the backer board). I chose a purple and spring green stripe for the backer board and a spring green with purple polka dot for Dad. Then I cut around the edges;

Inked the edges;

And ended up with this;

Next I added the pictures of our kids. I traced the openings of the "D's" onto the backer board, then used the openings to help me cut the pics to the right size. Add a little adhesive;

Then a roll with the brayer to make sure it all stays down;

I glued the DAD piece onto the backer board with some adhesive and some Zig glue. It stuck really well! Next I put together the clock mechanism. No pics of that, nobody else was home to take pics while I worked. It was very simple though, and detailed instructions are provided. I ended up with this;

Isn't it awesome? Best of all (don't tell the hubby) the kit was on clearance a few months ago at my local scrapbook store and I got it for $6.00! Not trying to be cheap, but if I can end up with something this fabulous for less, I'm happy!

The hubby LOVED his gift and the matching card;

It was a very happy birthday for dad. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed making it.

Thanks!

Linking to

Linking to My Uncommom Slice of Suburbia
Linking to Elizabeth & Co.
Linking to Not JUST a Housewife
Linking to Coastal Charm

The Needy Chair

2012-03-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I picked up a wooden chair from Salvation Army. I loved it's shape;

And I LOVED the price!

Can you believe that?? $4.00!! I snatched that baby up and looked around making sure there was no one else eyeing my treasure. But it was definitely a needy chair. It needed something to make it right, make it presentable. I just wasn't sure what that was, ya know?

So ever since I've been trying to figure out what I wanted to do with it. Where it should go, what it should look like...colors?? I put it aside as other things came up. Then my son stole it for the desk in his room and I kind of forgot about it. But today I remembered, went to Ace Hardware and hit the spraypaint section.

First I did a primer coat of white, then I started with the color;

AQUA!! For me, that is such a ballsy choice, I'm usually very traditional when it comes to furnishings. But I couldn't help myself when I saw the color at the store. It screamed at me, I swear it did!

So anyway, I painted the chair aqua. It felt so liberating, it was weird. I used Minwax Paste Wax for darker woods to seal and antique the wood.

I love the look, the color, the antiquing, everything! It turned out so awesome!

I have some more furniture transformations in the works, so stay tuned. Hope you all enjoyed!

Linking to Craft-o-Maniac
Linking to Serenity Now
Linking to Today's Creative Blog
Linking to Cowgirl Up
Linking to A Bowl Full of Lemons
Linking to Kammy's Korner
Linking to The Project Queen
Linking to
Linking to My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Linking to Elizabeth & Co.
Linking to Not JUST a Housewife
Linking to Coastal Charm

Coconut Orange Lemon Sugar Scrub Tutorial

2012-03-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

I've been enthralled with coconut oil for weeks now, figuring out what I can use it for, how well it works, who can I convince to use it with me...It's AWESOME stuff!! I use it as a leave in conditioner for my hair (overnight with a bath cap), a facial moisturizer, body moisturizer, it all works great. SO I figured, what about a bath scrub? Let's try it!

Here's everything we need.
1 cup granulated white table sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
Orange essential oil
Lemon Essential Oil
Measuring cups
Container (I used a small wide mouth pint mason jar)

Start out by pouring your sugar into the largest measuring cup.

Next we microwave the coconut oil for maybe 30 seconds to make it a liquid (for easier stirring). Ya'll PLEASE excuse my nasty microwave, it is getting a good scrub tonight!

Next, pour the melted coconut oil into the largerst measuring cup with the sugar and stir really well.

Add your essential oils (maybe 10-15 drops each more or less depending on your sense of smell)

Keep mixing until all of the sugar is incorporated. I tried a little to wash my hands at this point, and found that it was very greasy. So I added another 1/2 cup of sugar. Mixed well. It's a little crumbly rather than smooth but it's much less greasy. I guess I have to keep working with the ratios.

Pack scrub into mason jar.

Once full, you're done! It smells divine! You could use any mix of essential oils that you like, or use none at all. The coconut smell alone is really nice as well. I had quite a bit extra that I put in a Glad container for my own use. This one is a present for my MIL's birthday.

Hope you enjoyed! Leave a comment and I'll love you forever! LOL

Linking up to Serenity Now

Easter Egg Sign

2012-03-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

I was in desperate need of some fresh, cute Easter decorations!! Then I found this unfinished wood egg at a non-profit scrap store. They have all kinds of recyclables that can be used for crafting.

It has a sheer yellow ribbon tucked underneath for hanging. I'm about to spraypaint it, so I tucked the ribbon underneath.

Here it is spraypainted a lovely Iris Blue. Very spring-y color! Next I sanded it down to get rid of a few rough edges and bumps from the spray paint.

It looks so much darker in bad lighting.....*sigh*. Someday my craft room will have wonderful lighting!!

Next I added some green shimmer card stock to the bottom part of the egg. Then I hand stamped and hand colored this beautiful image...

Isn't that gorgeous?? It's a $1.99 stamp from Hobby Lobby. SO cute!!
Next I went through my flower stash...

And then I went through my button stash....

And ended up with this....

Isn't it beautiful? A small bit of Spring to liven up my days. I love it!! My two sons argued with me about the buttons. They thought it just needed the flowers, but I knew...the buttons would add more color and pizazz! And I was right! Take that, boys!

Happy Spring ya'll!

Finished with the Bathroom Wall (almost)!

2012-03-02T23:59:00.000-05:00

Hey there peoples! I have finally finished the crates for the empty bathroom wall. Aren't we all excited?? This means the last post on it, right? WRONG. You'll see why at the end of this post.

Here are the crates being painted again.

Then I used a wax paste to seal and distress them...

They came out GREAT!

Then I added hangers to the back of each crate. Well, the hubby did while I watched because he wouldn't give me the hammer. Hmmph!

Then we started hanging them on the bathroom wall - this time I insisted on hammering!

It came out fantastic! I'm so pleased!! I love the way I spaced them, the colors, the placement on the wall....it's all great.

Now I just need to decorate them. Sigh....I'm afraid I'm boring you all by this string of bathroom wall posts. I hope not guys! Give me some love, and some ideas on what to put in/on the crates.

Thanks!

Progress on the Bathroom Empty Wall

2012-02-29T23:59:00.000-05:00

Despite the crummy weather (no rain but dreary all day) I managed to make some progress on the Empty Wall in the bathroom. I started spray painting my crates;

I'm loving the colors! I'll tell you more about them tomorrow because I am in my room and the cans are outside and I am lazy right now. LOL! A white, dark blue and light blue.

So even though it was really dreary, I spray painted. Something was wrong with the dark blue, it was drippy wet as it sprayed. Made a real mess. My hands are covered in it! But I struggled on....until I ran out of the white spray paint.

OMG what a tragedy it was! I was practically in hysterics over this stupid can of paint. Luckily my hubby was going out for some errands and promised to get me more white paint. Tragedy averted. I quit at that point and just waited for them to dry. I will continue on tomorrow if it doesn't rain. I'm so excited to finish and get these on the wall!

The Empty Wall

2012-02-28T23:59:00.000-05:00

You all remember the bathroom post, right? Where I cleaned out the crap and organized everything.....decorations are beach themed. Everything looks great. With one big exception. The Empty Wall;

Totally bare. Lifeless. Blank. I can't think of enough terms to describe how desolate this wall is. It bothers me. But I've never quite been able to figure out what to do with it. Then it hit me! Crates. Wall crates. So I headed to Michael's and bought 2 medium crates and 1 small crate. I plan to paint them navy blue, sky blue and white. As soon as the rain stops anyway! I'll be posting on this some more as soon as I get the crates painted and mounted with decorations. This wall will be cute!

Tattoo Removal Visit 3

2012-02-28T14:43:00.000-05:00

Hey there everyone! Again, so sorry for the lapse in posts. I was having a bad bout of fibromyalgia related pain and just couldn't handle the computer. I'm back now and raring to go!

So, today was my 3rd visit to Dr. Kulkin at WIFH for my tattoo removal session. As usual, the staff was courteous and welcoming. I love the atmosphere at their office. There is water and coffee available, everyone welcomes you by name....it's great!

Here are the before pics of the tattoos;

Both are looking great! Dr. Kulkin decided that today we would increase the laser power. Sounded good to me, I'm so excited to see the end results!

Here is me cooling my wrist down before the procedure. This helps the skin from becoming too hot while the laser does it's job.

Now here's Dr. Kulkin lasering the breast tattoo;

And lasering the wrist tattoo;

And here are the after pics;

Looking good! (well, except for my husband's lousy photography. But I love him, so I'll keep him anyway LOL). There was no pain at all on my breast. There was some pain with the wrist, but less than the pain of getting tattooed so it was manageable. A smear of cooling gel on both and I was out the door - in less than 20 minutes! That's how fast these appointments are, but you never feel rushed because the staff is so great. Dr. Kulkin personally does, or oversees every procedure. It's amazing! They do liposuction, hair removal, tattoo removal, and lots more. Be sure to head over to their page, here, and see what they can offer you!

I'll keep you updated with my next visit. Hope you all enjoyed.

Goodwill Goodies - Just the Clothes

2012-02-22T23:59:00.000-05:00

So, I've compiled a list from the last 3 Goodwill trips we've taken and here it is! Clothes, glassware, pretties...all kinds of good stuff.
Let's start with the clothes, shall we?

First picture we have a pair of Venezia jeans in my size (hard to find!), a long sleeved brown t-shirt that I plan to use while making soap, a long sleeved waffle weave purple shirt that I love, and a light blue pair of sweatpants to wear while crafting. Total - $14.00

Second picture is a t-shirt that made me LAUGH!!! It's so true...and so far from the way things are perceived that it just made me giggle. I hope wearing this make other people see as well. $1.97

Ouch these are lousy pictures! OK, for my 10 yr old, Bear, we have a Tony Hawk blue hoodie, a Hollister t-shirt, and a long sleeve red/black shirt with a gothic cross and "cool design" as he said. Total $9.00

5, count 'em, 5 pairs of size 12 jeans for my long legged Bear. Size 10 fits his waist but they're like an inch or two short. Keeping him in jeans is such a pain!! Arizona, Cherokee, Wrangler, Old Navy, and Tony Hawk. Total $20.00.

Joe Boxer sweatshort and flannel skull print sleep pants. My kid will wear anything as long as it has skulls, and yet he's not a goth kinda kid. Weird. Total - $6.00

For the hubby, A Salt Life black t-shirt, a brown American Vintage t-shirt, and a blue striped Izod polo. Total - $12.00. We get all of hubby's polos and khaki work pants at Goodwill. He works on lasers and typically is crawling around a laser to fix it, plus sometimes gets dye on his pants. Yet he wears brand names and looks professional wherever he goes. Total - $12.00

Last but not least, for Tyler. A dark green Lacoste polo, and a funny t-shirt from the movie Hangover 2. Not everyone's humor, but he saw it without asking first. And he LOVES the shirt. $4.00

Total for all the clothes - $67. (Unless my math is bad, which is a distinct possibility). That is a HUGE savings over what this would all have cost retail, even on sale. A good wash in hot water with my homemade laundry soap (an extra scoop just cuz) and it's all good.

Tomorrow, I'll show you all the "stuff" we got.

Making A Spring Card Tutorial

2012-02-21T23:59:00.001-05:00

Ok friends, we all know that I make hand made cards and sell them on my Etsy shop, right? It's in that Etsy scrolly thingy on the right....But, today I thought I'd share with you the making of a new spring card. Great for spring, Easter....or just a hello.

Supplies
inks
cardstocks
stamp
colored pencils
ribbon

Alrighty then, let's go!

First we ink our stamp. I used a brown

Next we apply the stamp to white cardstock.

Next we're goin to color the stamp. I used pastel colors, colored lightly and did not color everything.

Then we cut out the image.

Now we'll choose coordinating papers to mount the image on. I chose brown, pink and blue cardstock, no patterned image to conflict with the beautiful bird's nest. Then I used adhesives to put all of the layers together.

I added a lovely Spring stamp, and some thin pink ribbon wrapped several times.....

Don't forget to mark your cards as your own!!

And there you have it, a simple, lovely Spring card. I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and can use it to make many cards of your own. If not, keep an eye on my shop for lots of Spring, Easter, and Mother's Day cards coming soon.

Linking to One Tough Mother

Linking to House of Hepworths

Gentle Homemade Makeup Remover

2012-02-20T23:59:00.003-05:00

Makeup remover is SOOO expensive!!! Even the "simple" convenience wipes are really expensive (we'll make those later this week). Those costs add up, especially if you wear makeup every day. Now, I'm a minimalist girl when it comes to makeup. I don't wear a lot at all. When I was 12 my mom let me wear whatever makeup I wanted. Holy black eyeliner, blue eyeshadow, and red lips bloggirls! I wore every color imaginable for about a year, then lost interest for 2 years, then when I finally started wearing it again, it was minimal, appropriate colors that suited my face. (I'm a redhead - black eyeliner and red lips??? Oh YUCK at my 12 year old self!)

To make a long story short.....I have made CHEAP makeup remover that WORKS! Yes, I said it. I did it! What? You don't believe me....you'll have to try for yourself, right after reading this post.

Ingredients
1 cup Distilled water
1/4 teaspoon Liquid Castile soap (Dr. Bronner's baby mild for me)
1 teaspoon Olive oil (any will do)

Mix 1 cup distilled water with 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap and 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Mix well.

I added mine to a "drip" bottle (ya know the kind where you tip the lip piece to open a small hole and it drips out) using a funnel. Shake well before each use. Open bottle, drip several drops of cleaner on a makeup pad or washcloth. Rub very gently on eyelids as they are very delicate, You can rub with a little more vigor everywhere else on your face. Even takes off lipstick.

Cost break down is fuzzy for me (I SO don't do math) but...I'm figuring this for less than a buck, buck fifty at most. MUCH cheaper than any OTC type makeup remover. Next time I'll try to do better on the math lol.

I hope you enjoyed another tutorial with me. I try to make them interesting and useful!

Have a great day and thanks for visiting!

Linking to One Tough Mother

Linking to Today's Creative Blog

Linking to Cherished Bliss

Linking to Not Just a Housewife

Linking to My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Linking to Natural Nesters

Linking to Easy Digital Scrapbooking and Crafts

Linking to The Little Birdie Blog

Linking to Hope Studios

Linking to Our Delightful Home

Linking to Tip Junkie

Linking to Homework

Linking to Newlyweds on a Budget

Linking to Oopsie Daisy

Linking to House of Hepworths

http://reasonstoskipthehousework.blogspot.com" target="_blank">http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad308/azparis3/timeout.jpg" />

http://carolynshomework.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1I_feUos8zA/ThND59kD30I/AAAAAAAACEA/I0KaNzH9XW0/s1600/Homework+Blog+Logo+Square+outline+2-1.jpg" height="125" width="125"/>

http://thetrendytreehouse.blogspot.com/"> border="0" src="http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx169/trendytreehouse/TrendyButton.gif"/>> http://gingersnapcrafts.com/search/label/%7Bwow%20me%7D%20wednesday"> border="0"src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kFtfN67KadM/Tnsugs_MyyI/AAAAAAAAGwE/oWf6YALNB8I/s1600/wow-me.png"/>>

How I spent my Day - And a Homemade Shampoo update!

2012-02-20T18:18:00.000-05:00

I spent the day making cleaners, finding out that orange essential oil STAINS, and sorting through Goodwill finds to create posts for this week. I'll be writing tonight. Yep, I love it.

SO, as far as the Homemade Shampoo update goes;

Here is the recipe again, for those of you who may be new visitors, or for those of us who forget things easily (can't even remember my name most days, seriously).

1/2 cup distilled water
1/2 cup liquid soap (like Dr. Bronner's)
1 teaspoon olive oil

It's been working very well as far as cleanliness and shine for all of us (except the 16 yr old who refuses to try it, he's finicky). But my husband was still having trouble with dandruff. So today as I made up a refill batch I added in 20 drops of tea tree essential oil. Known to be great for hair troubles, especially dandruff, tea tree oil is an antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal product. We'll see how it works. I'll keep you updated. Oh, and my first batch which was in a "Maul Pitchell" awahpui spray bottle was only down to a 1/4 of the bottle when I refilled it today. That's from WAAAYYY back on January 6th or 7th. Impressive, since I've been using it here and there as a body soap as well. SO you know a batch is economical if it lasts that long! Oh, and I added lemon and orange essential oils to the apple cider vinegar rinse and it smells much better. My 10 year old was complaining. All fixed!

Hope this update helps everyone!

Thanks,

Linking to Today's Creative Blog

Linking to Cherished Bliss

And the winner is........

2012-02-18T12:54:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! So sorry to be absent for so long. I have a head cold that is just kicking my behind!
SO, I used www.random.org and came up with lucky number 5! (sorry, I couldn't seem to take a pic of the generator). Kim Plumberry Pie is the lucky winner and she has 24 hours to email me her info. Kim, I hope you enjoy and spread the word about Scrapity Anne cards!

Thanks so much for playing everyone!

100 Fans on Facebook!!! Giveaway Time!!

2012-02-15T19:41:00.001-05:00

It's official, we've reached 100 fans on our Facebook page!! YAY! (I am NOT going to compare myself to sites celebrating 1000 fans, I am NOT).

So I promised a giveaway, didn't I? I am giving away a set of 8 handmade cards for birthdays and thank you's. A simple set to use for every day.

Here are pictures of the set;

Here are the rules;

Leave a comment (if you have a blog, give me a link and I will follow you)
Follow my blog (follow buttons are either under my header or at the very bottom of the page (I have a designer working on that, sorry).
Contest is open until Friday, Feb 17 at midnight EST.
Invite friends, the more the merrier!
Once the contest closes, I will use a random number generator to pick a winner, and they will have 24 hours to respond with their info before I pick another winner.

Enjoy!!

25 Random Things ABout Me

2012-02-14T23:59:00.001-05:00

25 Things About Me

I am terrible at keeping New Year’s resolutions

2. Which is why I never quite lose the weight I want to

3. I collect Raggedy Ann dolls….hence

4. My blog inspiration is from Raggedy Ann dolls

5. I have a temper

6. Because I’m a redhead

7. I hate cloudy days because they make me wanna snuggle back in bed

8. Which means I don’t get things done on cloudy days

9. I have fibromyalgia, a disorder that gives me chronic pain and tiredness

10. So I rarely get things done anyway lol

11. I also have bipolar disorder. Genetics really did a number on me

12. I love flamingos (it’s a long story)

13. I have flamingo earrings, a puppet, pictures, ornaments, shot glasses, and even a giant metal sculpture

14. I love the beach and the sound of the ocean and sea glass

15. I do not like the number 13

16. I hate high heat and could never live in FL

17. I live in GA, which is just as bad

18. I’m from MA but don’t miss the snow

19. I love the card game Phase Ten

20. I am a proud Disabled Veteran of the USN

21. My husband and I met while in the service and secretly dated for two years

22. I am new at blogging and frequently run into “uh oh” situations due to my lack of knowledge

23. I love quilts and country inspired furniture

24. I make handmade cards, candles, and soy wax tarts and sell them on Etsy

25. My 10 year old says I have great taste in music – I’m not sure if that’s good or bad!

Linking to perfectly imperfect

Affirmation Box for Young Ladies

2012-02-13T23:59:00.008-05:00

I don't often get the chance to make crafts for girls, since I have two boys. So I was extra thrilled to make these for some friend's daughters for Christmas. Now I'm doing one for someone else and thought I would share!

First comes the box - I found the perfect size tin at the dollar store, brought it home and spray painted it antique white. No pics of that because it was just too cold! I tried to spray a topcoat and I guess it really was too cold, because it made the antique white coat shrivel up. I decided I liked the texture though. Made it seem more antiqued. I used some stain to spread over the wrinkles to age it even more.

Now it's time to make the cards. I searched the net and found kindovermatter.com (this takes you right to the freebies page where the cards are). It is a beautiful site promoting kindness, and I love looking there for inspiration when I'm feeling down.

Once I found the cards, I printed them.

Here are some examples of the cards;

Next we cut the cards out....simple step (really, all of them are simple lol)

Now we need to use the Cricut to cut out the name for the top of the box. I'm not going to give Cricut lessons here, just show you what I did for this name.

Now we have the name transferred to the box....(again, no Cricut lesson, just the steps of the project)

A little decoration, cards put in the box and we have this;

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial, and learned something from it. I had a lot of fun making these boxes and reading all the cards. I think they are perfect messages for young girls today!

Linking to My Homemade Journey

Linking to One Tough Mother

Linking to House of Hepworths