Clean & Scentsible

St. Patrick's Day Fondue

2012-03-05T07:03:00.002-08:00

Due to a lack of time, I have pretty much given up any plans to actually decorate for St. Patrick's Day but I didn't want to miss out on all of the fun! I have been loving all of the rainbow ideas {you can see some of them here}, so we decided to have a little family rainbow chocolate fondue over the weekend.

{Connor actually dug into the fondue before I had a chance to take a picture thus the destroyed rainbow!}

We are all huge chocolate fans around here, so for us, nothing beats a chocolate fondue! I was planning on using cream puffs for the clouds but forgot to get them when I was down grocery shopping. Thank goodness we always have marshmallows!

CHOCOLATE FONDUE

Stirring frequently, heat 1/2C whipping cream over medium heat until it just starts to bubble. Remove from heat.
Add approximately 150 grams semisweet or milk chocolate chunks {we just broke up a chocolate bar}. Let them soften in the whipping cream for a couple of minutes and then whisk until smooth.
Pour the chocolate mixture into a fondue pot or serving bowl. We had plenty of chocolate left over.

**********************

Matthew also picked out some stylish Shamrock glasses at Walmart for us to wear.

We thought we should have a little practice before St. Patrick's day arrived!

Hope you all have a rainbow filled week!

I linked up with Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog and Skip to My Lou.

My Sunday Sparks {No. 32}

2012-03-04T15:21:00.001-08:00

Hello! I hope you are all having an AWESOME weekend! It is a rainy day here but it is the perfect day to get caught up on all of those little items on my To Do list that just never seem to get done. Why is it that the longer you put off something, the harder it is to do?

Anyways, here is a great big thank-you to everyone that participated in last week's Creative Spark. It really is fun to see all of your wonderful ideas. I'm sorry that I do not have the time to always comment on your fabulous projects but I do try to click over to everyone's links and check things out. So once again here are a few of my favorites from last week's party!

I love all of the scrapbook papers used to dress up this cork board recipe board from Echoes of Laughter. So cheerful!!

Check out this fun camera strap from Mom 4 Real. I really need my own camera so I can make one of these {I just don't think Dave would go for wearing a pink ruffled strap!}

Made in a Day shared a great tutorial on how to make your own Mercury Glass.

The Shabby Art Boutique creates the most beautiful storage items. Now why does she have to be all the way down in Australia? I just love the ribbon boards.

And finally Red Fly Creations showed off her beautiful laundry room transformation. Isn't it pretty?

Thanks again to all of you who linked up and visited around! If you were featured here or on my Facebook page, please feel free to grab a featured button from my sidebar. Now I am off to do a few more jobs! I also have a little project that I need your help with - I'll try to post some pictures tonight. See you soon!

Pinned It! - St. Patrick's Day Ideas

2012-03-03T16:58:00.003-08:00

Happy Saturday! I hope you are all enjoying your weekend! It has been awhile since I have done a Pinned It! post but, in honor of passing 1000 Pinterest followers, I thought I would do a St. Patrick's Day version. As much I have been loving all of the St. Patty's Day decorating around blogland, it is looking like I will not have anytime to do any decorating of my own. I just have WAY too many projects on the go right now {on the plus side, I should have some reading nook updates for you next week!} I am, however, hoping to do some St. Patty's Day activities with the kiddos on the 17th {which also happens to be the first day of our Spring Break} and have been searching around for some ideas. So here are some of my favs...

Rainbow waffles to start out the day on a bright note!

Source: the-wilson-world.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Can't get much easier than some lucky charms and green milk!

Source: thoughtfullysimple.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

This is WAY beyond my ability but is such a cute cake!

Source: iambaker.net via Jennifer on Pinterest

I love this St. Patrick's Day table decor and I have been wanting to try that rainbow jello for a while now.

Source: amandaparkerandfamily.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

And once the kids go to bed, the Leprechaun's will play. Here's an adult version of the jello {spiked with Rum or Vodka}

Source: rock-ur-party.tablespoon.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

There is also rainbow pudding...

Source: tablespoon.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: the-wilson-world.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

A treasure hunt is always fun to do with the kids {and hopefully expels a little bit of energy!} This one from the Crafting Chicks has some free printables.

Source: thecraftingchicks.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

And maybe end the night with a movie and some green candied popcorn.

Source: skiptomylou.org via Jennifer on Pinterest

Do you have any plans for St. Patrick's Day? I'm kind of liking all of the rainbow ideas {in case you didn't notice!} You can check out my Pinterest boards here for other ideas.

Have a great weekend!

Master Bathroom - Part 2

2012-02-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hello! I hope you are all having a fabulous week! After many months of procrastinating, I am finally finished the cabinet section of our master bathroom!

{The blue mason jar projects can be found here}

I still have to add some more accessories and touch up a few paint spots from when the new countertop was installed but it is close enough to call it done!

And since the Before and After shots are always fun....

Now I really wanted an undermount sink {and granite countertops would have been nice too!} but the budget only allowed for a basic laminate countertop. I also replaced the light {which I have absolutely hated ever since we moved in 10 years ago}, changed out the faucet, changed the hinges, and added some funky knobs from Anthropology {these were my splurge!}.

The cabinets have actually been through three re-paintings which is one of the reasons that this project took so long to complete. I originally painted them with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White. It ended up being too cream so I painted them again with a white latex paint. I then decided that they were white and tried to add a glaze to it.

Let's just say it didn't turn out so well.

So everything had to be sanded down once again and re-painted {CIL Whisper White}.

The faucet was also a pain to install as the original plumbing was really wonky. I actually had to cut the piping and install new water shut off valves. I ended up making three trips down to the local hardware store and even carted down my sink on one of my visits! I am sure they are hoping I do not come back again! Anyways, if you are looking to install a faucet for the first time, this You Tube video may be helpful for you.

You can find Part 1 of the bathroom makeover here and here. And if you want to see how the cabinets are organized behind the scenes you can check out this post.

Now I just need to do some curtains for over the bathtub and change out the faucet on the bathtub. An end is in sight!

Have a great day!!

I linked up with Tip Junkie, Thrifty Decor Chick, Today's Creative Blog, Skip to My Lou, Under the Table and Dreaming, Craft-O-Maniac, Sew Chatty, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Lolly Jane, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Tidy Mom, Design Dazzle, Whipperberry, The Shabby Nest, 504 Main, At the Picket Fence, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The 36th Avenue, House of Hepworths, Crafty Scrappy Happy and Delightful Order.

The Creative Spark {No. 32}

2012-02-28T16:00:00.000-08:00

Hey there! Welcome back to another week of The Creative Spark! Before we get to the party, I just wanted to share this sweet card that one of my fabulous readers sent me {all the way from Singapore!} This card is just one more reminder of why I love blogging and connecting with all of you!

When we got back from Kaua'i I had a pile of mail to go through {translation: lots of bills} and was so excited to receive something fun! It has been a long time since I have received a card in the mail. Sandy has a beautiful paper crafting blog called Sandy's Space and, if you are a regular to The Creative Spark, I'm sure you've seen some of her designs before. Everything she creates is amazing! Thanks Sandy!

Okay, now it is time to see what you all have been working on! Feel free to link up anything that you have created - crafts, DIY, scrapbook projects, organization ideas, decorating, recipes - anything goes! I can't wait to see what you have come up with!

Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar}OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week. I will also be back to showcase some of my favorite ideas for my Sunday Sparks.

Thanks so much for joining in on the fun!

Bathroom Sign

2012-02-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Wow! It is hard to believe that another weekend has just blown past and it is Monday again already! Is it seriously going to be March this week? We had a busy weekend this week celebrating Dave's birthday with family and friends and spending Saturday afternoon skating with the kiddos. We had some friends over on Saturday night and ended up playing this game for the whole night.

{I'm not good at descriptions but if you are interested you can find them here}

We had so much fun and had lots of laughs!! If you are looking for an easy game to play with multiple people, this is a great game and you come away with lots of interesting {but pretty much useless!} trivia facts.

Anyways, after recovering from Saturday night, I spent Sunday afternoon trying to install a new faucet in our master bathroom. Due to the wonky plumbing in this house, it required 3 trips down to the local hardware store {one of which I actually toted my bathroom sink with me!} and lots of patience. BUT, I have now finished painting the cabinets, installed new hardware, have a new coutertop, and now a new, drip-free faucet! Unfortunately I still haven't had a chance to actually get the pictures taken so you will have to wait a couple more days. Just so I don't leave you hanging, I did get one other little bathroom project done this weekend that I can show you.

I gathered up this piece of driftwood last summer to use as some kind of sign and it has been sitting in my garage since then. I thought it would make the perfect addition to my bathtub area. I was originally planning on hanging it on the wall somewhere but I am kind of liking its little resting spot on the ledge. The letters were painted on with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in graphite after cutting out a stencil on my Silhouette. I still need to distress the letters a little bit more but it has been a long day!

This is definitely my little escape from the world!

Wishing you all a fabulous week!

I linked up with Lolly Jane, Tidy Mom, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Home Stories A to Z and Skip To My Lou.

My Sunday Sparks {No. 31)

2012-02-26T12:04:00.001-08:00

Happy Sunday! Sorry I haven't been around here much. I haven't been feeling too well since we returned from Kaua'i {maybe just some sun and relaxation withdrawal???} and have been busy getting things organized around here again. I have still been working on the master bedroom/bathroom and have also started a couple of projects for Connor's reading nook but have just not had a chance to get anything posted. I'm sure you can all relate...

We had a fun family day yesterday taking the boys skating. Matthew especially is a HUGE hockey fan so he has been pretty excited to start skating. I must admit they look pretty cute out there on the ice.

They were down on the ice a fair bit {notice all of the ice on Matthew's knees!} but they still loved it!

Anyways... there was another fabulous week of link ups last week at The Creative Spark and once again I wanted to take the time to show off a few of the fun ideas and thank-you all for taking the time to stop by, visit and share your projects. You guys are the best!

I love this free printable from The Letter 4. It might just makes its way into me bedroom redo. We can always use a little reminder to slow down and enjoy the little things!

How fun is this "You've Been Pinched" printable set from I Should Be Mopping the Floor?

I cannot wait for Winter to be over and am looking forward to those first signs of Spring. This cute birdhouse makeover from Ode to Inspiration is so bright and cheerful - and totally reminds me of Spring!

Make your own designer fabric band-aids from The Moody Fashionista. These would definitely take some of the "sting" out of those owies!

I really love this tree stump table from Design Dreams by Anne. And such great sentiment behind it too!

I hope you enjoyed the features! Thanks again to all of you who participate in this week's Creative Spark. For those of you that were featured here or over on my Facebook page, feel free to grab a featured button from my sidebar.

I am now off to figure out the plumbing on a new bathroom faucet that I am trying to install. I have been dreading this for the past few days so wish me luck! I hope you all have a fabulous Sunday!

Master Bedroom Progress - The Desk

2012-02-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been making some progress in the master bedroom. I must admit I am not a huge fan of big projects. I don't have a lot of patience and I love to have a finished project to show off immediately. But I have been plugging along and spending way too much time searching online stores for the perfect accessories.

So first of all, thanks to my wonderful Dad, most of the walls are painted in the bedroom. After much debate I went with CIL Fine Silver. Dave still isn't completely converted, but I am loving the grey.

{Sorry, I did have to take the pictures with the flash but it is pretty true to color}

We still have one wall, the walk-in closet {which will be a pain with all of the cutting!} and the ceiling left to paint. Notice that I said we? I am still working on recruiting my hubby...

Now my second project, was finding a desk. In order to save some money, I will be repainting all of the furniture that I currently have {still haven't quite finalized the color yet!} but I did want to add a desk to our room for my laptop and a few writing supplies. After more than a month of looking on Craigslist with no luck I decided to give up {I seriously cannot believe the price that some people are asking for their junk!} And then I found a great dressing table at Ikea that was less than $200 and worked perfectly.

This is the Edlund dresser and it just happened to be on sale {maybe clearance?} for $189 CDN. The chair and slip cover are also from Ikea. I love the little drawer handles and the color is very close to Annie Sloan Graphite which is likely the color that I will be painting the bed. The drawers are lined and are the perfect size to fit my Smashbook and The Little Things journal.

I did some shopping around the house for accessories which is always my favorite part.

{Details of the chalk board/cork board can be found here}

And there you have it! It is begging for some art work or a photo wall above it but that will have to come later.

I will be working a bit more on the rest of the master bathroom this weekend and hope to have everything finished in there by the end of the weekend {which probably means sometime next weekend!}

I hope you are all having a great week!

I linked up with Under the Table and Dreaming, Craft-O-Maniac, I Heart Naptime, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Tidy Mom, Design Dazzle, Whipperberry, The Shabby Nest, 504 Main, Home Stories A to Z, Skip To My Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The DIY Showoff, Somewhat Simple, Delightful Order, House of Hepworths, The 36th Avenue, Crafty Scrappy Happy and The Shabby Creek Cottage.

The Creative Spark {No. 31}

2012-02-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday!!! We are now {sadly} back from Kaua'i and getting settled back into daily life.

We had such a fabulous time touring around the island, snorkeling, swimming, and just plain ol' relaxing! Kaua'i is just amazingly beautiful.

{I have a feeling that it is going to be a long day at work tomorrow!}

The past couple of days have been filled with unpacking, laundry, and tidying up the house but I will be back to working on some new projects by the weekend! And... I still have a few posts to just quickly finish up that were done before I went away so you won't even have to wait that long. Thanks for sticking around!

So, now let's see what YOU have been up to! Feel free to link up anything that you have created - crafts, DIY, scrapbook projects, organization ideas, decorating, recipes - anything goes! I can't wait to see what you have come up with!

Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar}OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week. I will also be back to showcase some of my favorite ideas for my Sunday Sparks.

Thanks so much for joining in on the fun!

The Creative Spark {No. 30}

2012-02-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

Aloha from Hawaii! I'm so glad you could all make it out for another week of The Creative Spark. We have been having an amazing time here in Kaua'i. Pool, sunshine {well, some of the time!}, beach, family time, and pure bliss!

{This picture was taken along our bike ride on the east coast of Kaua'i. Amazing!!!}

Since I obviously haven't been up to anything crafty this week {except creating sand castles!}, I am looking forward to seeing what you have all been working on. Feel free to link up anything that you have created - crafts, DIY, scrapbook projects, organization ideas, decorating, recipes - anything goes! I can't wait to see what you have come up with!

Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar}OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week. I am not sure if I will be able to post up My Sunday Sparks on Sunday but I will do my best! We will be returning to reality late on Sunday night so things will be back to normal around here next week.

Thanks so much for joining in on the fun!

My Sunday Sparks {No. 29}

2012-02-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

ALOHA!! After a very long travel day, we made it to Kaua'i! {and now I know how to actually spell Kaua'i!} The island is absolutely beautiful - very lush with amazing beaches {and wild roosters everywhere!}. Unfortunately it is not as sunny as I was hoping for. The boys don't seem to mind but the pool is freezing when the sun isn't out and they could literally stay in there all day. I think we will be heading down south today to chase the sun and check out some snorkeling!

So, once again, there was another fabulous week of link ups at last week's Creative Spark. Since I have been up since 3:30 this morning{don't ask!}I did get a chance to pick out some of my favorites to share with you today. Here you go!

I am not a sewer but I still love this magnetic pin dish from Color Me Domestic. I can see lots of other uses for this beauty!

Anyone else have a basement full of seasonal wreaths? Here's a fabulous interchangebale yarn wreath from The Crafty Scientist. Brilliant!

Space 46 showed off her beautiful refinished vintage desk.

No room for an office? Check out this super cute portable office from Organizing Made Fun.

And finally, I love this little peg family and standup clipboard from Uncommon. This is definitely on my To-Do list!

Thanks again to everyone who linked up to this week's Creative Spark! If you were featured here or on my Facebook page, feel free to grab a button from my sidebar.

Just a few other little things that I wanted to mention. First of all, I now have the Linky Followers on my sidebar. I hope all of these following options are not getting too confusing - I'm just trying to give alternatives to the Google Friend Connect as I have a feeling that it will not be around for too much longer. I am just so happy to have you read along no matter how you choose to follow!

Secondly, I am so thankful for all of you that take the time to pin my projects. It is so exciting to see more visitors come in from your pins and see my ideas up on Pinterest! With that in mind, if you will be pinning any of the ideas featured here, please take a second to click over to their blogs and pin so that they get the credit! It's always a little sad to see your ideas pinned to someone else's blog.

Well, I better be off! If I can find where I put my camera cable, I will post some Hawaii pictures for you guys. Now off to see some fish and hopefully a sea turtle or two!

Follow Your Bliss - Bathroom Accessories

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!! I am hopefully on the plane right now to Kawaii but thought that I would leave you with one last post before I left. I wrapped up my bathroom stenciling last weekend and needed a piece of art work to finish things off in there. Something calm and inspiring...

The board was painted with Annie Sloan Graphite chalk paint and I used my Silhouette to cut out vinyl for the letter stencil. Using the negative aspect of the vinyl. I painted the Bliss with just a blue acrylic paint that I had and the white letters are in Annie Sloan Old White. The sign kind of ties all of the bathroom colors together.

The edges and lettering were then distressed.

I just attached it to the wall with Command Strips {man, I love those things!}

I also spray painted my towel bar and toilet paper holder with Krylon Premium Original Chrome spray paint {they were more of a bronze color before} It covered really smoothly and dried super quick. Hopefully it holds up to bathroom life!

I have been collecting some new accessories for the bathroom over the past couple of months since I had the color scheme all picked out. Here's my little shopping list:

Striped towels - Superstore

Wooden storage bin and baskets - Home Sense

Metal Vase - Wuslu

Turquoise bin {holding the perfume}- Anthropology

Light Fixture - Rona {It wasn't my first pick but it was by far the cheapest at just under $30}

Black Bins - Home Sense

And that about wraps it up for now!

Since we are off to Hawaii, things will be a little slow around here for the next couple of weeks. I will still be posting the Creative Spark on Tuesday night but, other than that, I am officially on a bloggy break! {although I have a feeling that I will still be popping in here and there!}

I hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day and I will see you soon!

I linked up with Sew Chatty, Thirty Handmade Days, Tidy Mom, At the Picket Fence, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The DIY Showoff, House of Hepworths, The Shabby Creek Cottage, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Not Just a Housewife, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Young and Crafty, Lolly Jane, Too Much Time, The 36th Avenue, Somewhat Simple, Delightful Order, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Oopsie Daisy, Lil Luna, Blue Cricket Design, Craft-O-Maniac, Ask Anna, Under the Table and Dreaming, I Heart Naptime, Funky Junk Interiors and Be Different Act Normal.

The Creative Spark {No. 29}

2012-02-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of The Creative Spark! I am SO looking forward to seeing what you have been up to this week!

I have been busy trying to get as much done in our master bathroom and bedroom as possible before we leave for our trip to Hawaii on Thursday. {I'm not really sure why I decide to start big projects before a trip but I will learn my lesson one day!} I finally completed the stenciling on the weekend and have been working on a few other projects in between rest breaks that I will hopefully get around to writing up before we leave. If you missed the stenciled wall post yesterday, here is a little peak.

{I am still trying to convince Dave how wonderful gray is - resistance is futile babe!}

Anyways... let's get on to the party!

Feel free to link up anything that you have created - crafts, DIY, scrapbook projects, organization ideas, decorating, recipes - anything goes! I can't wait to see what you have come up with!

Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar}OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week. I am not sure if I will be able to post up My Sunday Sparks on Sunday but I will do my best!

I will be pre-doing a post for next week's Creative Spark and will join in the party from Hawaii {as I sip some fruity, pineapple filled drink!} Thanks so much to all of you for coming out!

Stenciled Bathroom Wall and the Cutting Edge Stencil Winner

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantabulous weekend! I am happy to say that I finally got around to finishing my stenciled bathroom wall and getting everything else presentable in there. Thank-you so much to Cutting Edge Stencils who provided me with this amazing Fuji stencil. I am pretty much in love...

Now this is my second time working with these stencils {you can view my first attempt here as well as my finished craft room here}. Overall, this stencil pattern was much easier to work with compared to the first one that I chose due to the simplicity of the shape. I also used acrylic paint this time and stippled the paint on rather than rolling. Yes, it did take me longer but I found that it gave me more of the look that I wanted.

So here are a few more stenciling tips now that I am a two-time stenciling pro!

Practice with your stencil on some cardboard boxes before painting on the wall. Different application methods {i.e. rolling vs. stippling or using different types of paint can vary the look somewhat}

{See the nifty little level that attaches to the stencil? Definitely worth it!!}

Take some time to clean your stencil. Last time, I did not really bother cleaning the stencil until I was completely finished my project. I do remember getting a little more bleeding towards the end but I figured it was because I was just getting sloppy. This time, I found that I had better results {in regards to the crispness of the edges} if I cleaned it more often. I'm not sure if it just required more cleaning due to the fact that the opening of the stencil was much narrower on this one or if it was because I stippled the paint on. All I know is when it was clean there was very little, if any, bleeding.

Cutting Edge Stencils now includes a free top part stencil {as well as a single shape} to allow you to get right to the top of the ceiling. I did not have this last time and it made a huge difference! One of the other benefits with the circle pattern is that it can also be turned sideways to do the corners of the wall. I totally lucked out and it lined up perfectly for both corners.

I mentioned this last time I stenciled and I will mention it again: Do not use too much paint! A couple of light coats is much better than one heavy one! Trust me, you will save tons of time on touch ups if you remember this.

Stenciling is an extremely easy process - it just takes time! I have read many posts about people doing a much larger wall than mine in 4 or 5 hours. I don't know why, but everything always seems to take me twice as long as everybody else. There is, unfortunately, no exception for stenciling and this wall probably took me close to 7 hours {over a period of a few days since I definitely do not have 7 hours of spare time EVER!} Obviously since this was my second stenciling project, I think that the results are definitely worth it!

I will write up another post sometime this week with full before and after pictures as well as details of some of the other projects that I did in the bathroom. {For those of you who are wondering, this bathroom is part of our master bathroom and the sink and bathtub area are outside of this little space and are still in the process of being completed!}

And, now that you have made it all the way to the end of this post, the winner of the Cutting Edge Stencil Giveaway {as chosen by random.org} is:

entry 111: Lizzy from My Mind My Life

Congratulations!! I have emailed you Lizzy so please contact me with the stencil of your choice {up to a $50 value}

Have a wonderful week!

I linked up with Sew Chatty, Skip to My Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The DIY Showoff, House of Hepworths, Not Just a Housewife, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Young and Crafty, Lolly Jane, Too Much Time, The 36th Avenue, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Lil Luna, Craft-O-Maniac, Ask Anna, Under the Table and Dreaming, I Heart Naptime, Funky Junk Interiors, Be Different Act Normal, Whipperberry, Design Dazzle, Delightful Order, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Blue Cricket Design, Oopsey Daisy, Uncommon, Home Stories A to Z, A Bowl Full of Lemons, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and Thrifty Decor Chick.

My Sunday Sparks

2012-02-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

Well it was another wonderful week of link-ups at last week's Creative Spark. I'm so excited to see this party continuously growing and am discovering some amazing new blogs! {and catching up on all of my old favorites!} So here are a few of the many fabulous projects that especially caught my attention...

I am in love with this mini pallet art from All in a Day. I can see something like this in our master bedroom....

Home Happy Home added some new paint and stripes to her foyer and it looks fantastic!

If you are looking for something a little bit different for a Valentines dessert, take a peek at these Pomegranate Cream Crepes from Will Cook for Smiles. YUMMY!!!

These wedding favors from Papervine are so cute and could easily be adapted to any occasion!

Alderberry Hill shared all of her amazing Valentine's Decor. Here's a little peek at her fabulous banner!

Well there you have it! Thanks so much to everyone who shared their ideas and spent some time visiting around to the other amazing blogs. If you were featured here or on my Facebook page, feel free to grab a featured button from the sidebar.

Have you had a chance to enter the Cutting Edge Stencil giveaway? The contest closes tonight so hurry up if you would like a chance to win one of these amazing stencils. My bathroom wall is all finished and I am loving the results! Can't wait to show you!

In other news, the countdown is now on for our trip to Hawaii - we leave in 4 days!!! Unfortunately I still have 3 long days of work ahead of me and somehow have to clean the house and get all of the packing done somewhere in there too {oh, and get a pedicure for my disgusting feet!} Hopefully I will get a chance to do a couple of more posts before I go to keep you busy while I am gone! I have lots of projects completed but have had no time to write. I'm sure you can all relate to a lack of time...

I hope you all have a fabulous Sunday!!

Easy Valentine Card

2012-02-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

For those of you that have been around here for a while, you know how much I love kids' little hand prints! I'm not too sentimental about all of the other art work that comes home from school, but anything resembling a hand goes directly into the save bin!

Valentine's Day is a great time to spread the love so I came up with this card for the boys to give their Daddy. Who wouldn't want a copy of their cute little hand?

{Does anyone ever tie a string around their finger to remember something?}

The boys can each decorate the inside of their card with their beautiful artwork {I can tell you now, Matthew's will be a picture of a hockey game!}

The hand is added to the front of the card with pop dots and I just printed off the wording on a basic word processing program. And of course some more baker's twine to finish things off!

Cute, simple, and easy! Definitely what I need right now!

If you are looking for another Valentine's hand print project, you can check out my canvas from last year. It is still one of my favorite projects!

If you haven't had a chance to enter the Cutting Edge Stencil giveaway, there are only a couple of days left to enter. I should be posting my bathroom wall tomorrow - I am loving the Fuji!!

Have a great weekend!

I linked up with Ask Anna, Under the Table and Dreaming, Whipperberry, Design Dazzle, Delightful Order, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Blue Cricket Design, Oopsey Daisy, Uncommon, Home Stories A to Z, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Craft-O-Maniac, Alderberry Hill, CRAFT, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk and Tatertots and Jello.

Master Bedroom Plans

2012-02-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

So my first big project of the year is tackling our master bedroom. Yay!! Since moving in to our house 10 years ago, we haven't done a whole lot with the bedroom. We did replace the pink carpets and paint the lovely peach walls but other than that it has pretty much remained the same.

We have a fairly large bedroom and I have never really spent any time figuring out what to fill it with.

Boring, boring, boring. Matthew actually came in while I was taking pictures and asked why anyone would want to see pictures of my room. I guess I have to agree with him on this one. Sorry guys. These just serve as my BEFORE pictures!

We have a strange layout for our master bathroom as it is really just an extension of the bedroom {there is a little separate section for the toilet though!}

I do love my bath tub!

A couple of months ago, I created my bedroom/bathroom wish list. Since there is not a lot of free time around here, I am anticipating that this project might take a while. I'm hoping if I actually write it down, it might actually kick my butt in gear to get going on things! So here are some projects that you can expect to see around here in the next little while:

paint the bedroom and bathroom {I'm going to be going gray!}
paint the bathroom cabinets, replace hinges, and actually add some knobs
new countertop and faucet
new light fixtures {I have been wanting to replace the light fixtures since the day we moved in!}
change the window treatments
paint the furniture {I am thinking I will paint the bed, dresser, and end tables white. I would love a wrought iron bed but it is definitely not in the budget right now}
create some new art work/photos
feature wall behind the bed {I have a great idea in my head - just not sure how to get it done!}
get a computer desk
build something to hold my purses
add trim around the windows

So since my photos are a little less than spectacular, I thought I would leave you with a few of my inspirational bedroom photos.

Source: houzz.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: bing.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I love this bed!

Source: thepeartreecottage.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

And in my dreams I would also have a fully stocked two story closet!

Source: houzz.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Any bedroom suggestions are welcome!!

I linked up with Delightful Order, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Uncommon, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Craft-O-Maniac, The DIY Showoff, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Funky Junk, Tatertots and Jello and Whipperberry.

The Creative Spark {No. 28}

2012-01-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! Hope you are all having a great week! I have had a busy day of appointments today and am just getting ready to start stenciling my bathroom. Hopefully I will be able to wrap it all up tonight.

Wishful thinking???

{We shall soon find out!}

Anyways... it is time to see what all of you guys have been up to! Feel free to link up anything that you have created - crafts, DIY, scrapbook projects, organization ideas, decorating, recipes - anything goes! I can't wait to see what you have come up with!

Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar}OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week. I will also be posting My Sunday Sparks every week to showcase your work so don't forget to check back!

So I am off to stencil! If you haven't had a chance to check out my Cutting Edge Stencil Giveaway, you can enter here.

{The stencil on the right is the one I am using!}

Now on to the PARTY!

Owl Always Love You Tree

2012-01-31T00:03:00.000-08:00

For those of you that were here in October, you might remember the little owl that I made with my Halloween Toilet Paper Treat Boxes. Unfortunately, he was all by himself and was becoming quite lonely. Since I have a soft spot for owls, I figured that Valentine's Day was the perfect time to find him some new friends.

Now he has a whole flock full of friends! {Sorry about the picture quality but if I waited to have natural light to shoot in I would never get anything posted!}

MATERIALS

Toilet Paper Rolls
Scrapbook Paper {mine is from the Echo Park and My Mind's Eye Valentine's lines}
Bakers twine or thin ribbon
Black ink
Glue
Black Pen
Glitter {optional}

HOW TO

To create the pillow box, flatten one end of the tube and pinch to create the corners. Fold in the ends of the roll to create a semi circle and pinch to define the fold.

Now it's time to make some owls!

Wrap baker's twine around the roll and tie at the top. This serves to hang the owl and also adds some extra support on the bottom so you don't lose any chocolates!
Cut a strip of scrapbook paper to fit around the roll. Ink the edges and glue on.
Cut out some wings and a triangle for the nose from some coordinating scrapbook paper. Ink the edges and glue on.
Cut out two eyes {mine are approximately 3/4 inches in diameter cut from my Coluzzle}, ink the edges and draw in some google eyes. You can't really tell from the picture but I also added glitter to the black parts of the eye.

The owls could make cute treat boxes on their own or you can make a tree for them to hang out on. I just brought in some branches from the backyard, found a pot, and added some vinyl to the front of it. The branches were a little bear so I added some paper hearts and a few felt hearts as well.

The owls hold a few chocolates and a little note for the boys. Hopefully the chocolate monster doesn't get to them before the boys do!

I hope to see you all back tonight for another Creative Spark. Have a great day!

I linked up with Delightful Order, Oopsey Daisy, Home Stories A to Z, A Bowl Full of Lemons, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Thrifty Decor Chick, Craft-O-Maniac, Alderberry Hill, CRAFT, The DIY Showoff, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Tatertots and Jello, Design Dazzle, Whipperberry, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The 36th Avenue, Gluesticks, House of Hepworths, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Lil Luna, Uncommon, Blue Cricket Design and Not Just a Housewife.

My Sunday Sparks {No. 27}

2012-01-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I am back with some of my favorite posts from last week's Creative Spark. I have to say that it was one of my favorite weeks of link ups yet! SO many amazing ideas! I had to pick a couple of extras this week! :)

This beautiful little kitchen from Life as a Thrifter is absolutely AMAZING!!! So fun!

Still looking for a cute Valentine printable? I love this one from It's a Crafty Life.

Bonnie from Uncommon created this fabulous Pottery Barn knockoff.

This "Magnetic Me" set from Creative Juice is brilliant and SO much fun!

I love this cute, simple Valentine's Centerpiece from Little Lucy Lu. You gotta love quick projects that turn out this sweet!

Sandy's Space shared how to make this fabulous mini album from 1 sheet of paper! This would make a great little Valentine's gift!

Well, I'm sure you know by now how much I love pretty packaging! These Valentine's pouches from Ode to Inspiration are just "sew" adorable!

Thanks again to EVERYONE who linked up to this week's party and spent a little time taking a peek at some of the other projects that were shared. You really are amazing! If you were featured here or on my Facebook page, feel free to grab a button from the sidebar.

If you haven't had a chance to enter my Cutting Edge Stencil Giveaway, you can check it out here.

I will be trying one of these out on in my bathroom today. I'll let you know how it goes!

Happy Sunday!

Google Plus???

2012-01-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I hope you are all having a great weekend! One of the many things on my "To Do" list today, was to spend a little bit of time trying to figure out Google Plus.

{If you are not quite sure what Google + is all about, Mural Maker and More has a fabulous {non-technical!} introduction series that can be found here. I have read it a few times!}

So... this "little" project has taken up most of the afternoon and I am still not really sure how the whole thing works. Is anyone else as confused as I am? I can be resistant to change and am definitely not tech savvy so maybe it is just me {I think I had a Facebook account for a year before I actually posted anything!}

Me + technical stuff = confusion

So why am I bothering? I guess I have two main reasons for this:

As most of you know, Google Friend Connect will no longer be available for those non-blogger blogs after March 1, 2012. I know I shouldn't spend too much time focusing on how many followers I have, but it was always encouraging to see that little number go up and, to me, it represented all of the hard work I have put into this blog.
Google is closing my favorite {well, only!} photo editing site, Picnik, as of April 19, 2012 and moving some of the features over to Google +. Seriously??? I just figured out what Picnik is all about...

Anyways, I have managed to figure a few things out and so far I have been able to get answers for most of my questions on the Google + Blog. Unfortunately for me, I still have a lot more questions to go! I now have a little Google+ widget over on my side bar {under Follow Along}, if anyone would like to join me on Google+. I think it will be a little while before I have everything figured out so please bear with me if you see some strange things posted! If any of you are on Google +, I would love to hear your tips. And if anyone has any questions for me, I will try my best to help.

I am now off to get some Tylenol for this crazy Google+ headache I have! We are off to a friend's house for a games night. I'll see you tomorrow for my Sunday Sparks!

Cutting Edge Stencil Giveaway

2012-01-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

***FEBRUARY 6, 2012 - THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER IS LIZZY FROM MY MIND MY LIFE. THANKS TO ALL THAT ENTERED!***

Hey guys! I don't do a whole lot of giveaways around here but I am super excited for this one from

Cutting Edge Stencils!

I first came across Cutting Edge Stencils last year when I was trying to come up with something fun for my craft room wall. I literally spent days trying to figure out which stencil I was going to pick - there are so many fabulous designs!

Gorgeous, right? Well, I finally decided on this one - The Casablanca Allover Stencil.

I must admit that this was a big project for me but it was TOTALLY worth it! It really is amazing how much that one wall transformed the whole space. My one piece of advice before stenciling is to do a little research and read the instructions. Sounds simple I know but I am SO bad at just jumping right into things without knowing what I am doing!

You can read all about my stenciling experience {as well as some tips on what to do and what NOT to do!} here. Cutting Edge Stencils also offers some great stenciling tricks in this video series. {I really wish I had watched this before attempting my project last year!}

If doing a whole wall is a little intimidating, there are a lot more uses for these nifty little stencils! I also used my stencil for the top of a chest that I repainted. After stenciling the wall, this was a piece of cake and literally took about 30 minutes.

You can also create cool wall art,

fun pillows,

or whatever else your heart desires! Curtains, lamp shades, doors, picture frames, canvas - the possibilities are endless!

So are you all dying to get stenciling? Well you are in luck! Cutting Edge Stencils is going to be giving one lucky reader a stencil of their choice! {up to a $50 value}

If you would like to enter:
{1 entry each}

Head on over to the Cutting Edge Stencils website and leave a comment below to let me know what your favorite stencil is. {Mandatory}
"Like" Cutting Edge Stencils on Facebook and say hello!
Twitter this giveaway OR share on your Facebook page.
Pin It! {We all know how much we like to do that!}
Follow Clean and Scentsible.

This giveaway will close on Sunday, February 5 at midnight Pacific time. The winner will be notified by email so please make sure I have your contact information.

I will be working on my own stenciling project this weekend and will let you know how it goes!

Felt Valentine's Decor

2012-01-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

Yay Friday!!! This has been a really long week so I am SO happy that the weekend is here! This week has pretty much been a write off for creative or ambitious projects. By the time the kids were in bed, I was definitely done. While I was catching up on some favorite TV shows, I did manage to cut lots and lots of felt circles out{ like well over 500!} for a few Valentine's projects.

I came across this heart wreath last year {from the Idea Room} right after Valentine's day and it has remained one of my favorite Valentine's ideas that I have come across. So, of course, I needed to have my own.

This project is super simple but does require a few hours of mindless circle cutting. For the circles, I cut out four layers of felt at a time and then tidied up the edges a bit. The circles are folded up so they do not have to be perfect. I didn't bother tracing a circle onto the felt and just used one circle as a template and cut around it.

I picked up this glitter heart wreath at the dollar store. I am thinking that I need to go back and get a couple more {they had 2 different sizes}. Ribbon attached and all ready to go!

To pin on your circles, fold them in half and then fold them in half again. Stick a straight pin through all four layers and then attach to your foam. Keep folding and pinning your circles randomly around the foam. Unfortunately for me, I liked the circles placed quite close together {which meant a lot more felt circles to cut!} Since I wanted to hang my wreath on a wreath hanger and the back of it was visible, I also had to cover the back with the felt circles as well. If you will be hanging it against a wall, leave the back and save yourself a whole lot of time!

Although the photo doesn't show it too well, I just love the ruffled look of it! And, since I love cutting out circles so much, I also made some felt balls while I was at at {using 2 and 3 inch foam balls}.

I also added a couple to a bowl on the coffee table downstairs with my flower balls.

So, who else decorates for Valentine's day? This tends to be one of those holidays that people love or hate! For me, I just love decorating with the reds and pinks!

{Subway Art from Eighteen 25 and my Valentine Countdown can be found here}

Have a fabulous weekend!

I linked up with CRAFT, Design Dazzle, Whipperberry, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The 36th Avenue, Gluesticks, House of Hepworths, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Lil Luna, Uncommon, Blue Cricket Design, Tip Junkie, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Today's Creative Blog, Craft-O-Maniac, Under the Table and Dreaming, CRAFT, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Lolly Jane Boutique, Funky Junk Interiors and Tatertots and Jello.

The Creative Spark {No. 27}

2012-01-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to another Creative Spark! I have been having a ton of fun working on Valentine's projects this week. I still have three half finished projects that I should hopefully get done by the weekend. {and then I have a little painting project that must get done!!}

So what have YOU all been doing? I can't wait to see what you have come up with! Feel free to link up anything that you have created - crafts, DIY, scrapbook projects, organization ideas, decorating, recipes - anything goes!

Want to link up?

Link directly to your specific post {not the homepage}.
Please add The Creative Spark button to your post or blog {the code is in my sidebar}OR place a text link at the end of your post. I would love for you to help me spread the word!
Check out some of the other fabulous links. A few nice comments always inspires us to create more!
Follow along with Facebook to see if you have been featured throughout the week. I will also be posting My Sunday Sparks every week to showcase your work so don't forget to check back!

Love Shack

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Another weekend has flown by and it is Monday once again. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and are ready to tackle the week!

The boys and I spent Saturday afternoon making these little graham cracker houses.

For some reason, I couldn't get the B-52's "Love Shack" out of my head the whole time we were making them. "The Love Shack is a little old place where we can get together...." I even sang it to the boys. They were not impressed...

Anyways, I saw these little houses at Christmas time and figured it would be fun to do a Valentine version. Oh, and a good excuse to go out and buy some of that Valentine's candy!

I just used some store bought icing, mixed in some cream of tartar to help it stick a bit better {add about 1/2 tsp cream of tartar to 1 cup of icing}, and about 8 drops of red food coloring for that Valentine's look! If you really want to make your own icing you can find a recipe here.

To form the house, you need 7 graham cracker squares. Cut one of the squares diagonally with a serrogated knife for the front and back of the roof. {hint: place your Graham cracker in the microwave for about 20 seconds before cutting it so it doesn't crumble} After your have assembled your house, let it sit for about 20-30 minutes to allow time for the icing to set a bit. Surprisingly, we had no troubles with our houses collapsing {Gingerbread house disasters of Christmas's past were floating around in my head!}.

I put some of the icing in a Ziploc baggie and cut off the corner to pipe the icing around the house. Matthew added some sprinkes to his {and as many candies as possible that would fit onto the front of his house!}

"Love shack, baby! Love shack, that's where it's at!"

I think the boys ate more candy than they actually put on their houses but apparently they had fun! {And yes, they are total goofs!}

So grab a few graham crackers, lots of candy and head on down to the
LOVE SHACK!

"Bang, bang, bang on the door baby!"

I linked up with Alderberry Hill, Be Different Act Normal, Gluesticks, Not Just a Housewife, Tip Junkie, Craft-O-Maniac, Under the Table and Dreaming, CRAFT, Positively Splendid, I Heart Naptime, Lolly Jane Boutique, Funky Junk Interiors, Tatertots and Jello, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The 36th Avenue, Tidy Mom, Whipperberry, Design Dazzle, House of Hepworths, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Delightful Order, Somewhat Simple, Blue Cricket Design, Oopsey Daisy, Uncommon, Lil Luna, Home Stories A to Z, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Today's Creative Blog and Skip to My Lou.