My Life as I See It

It's the most wonderful time... of the year!

2011-12-02T23:41:00.000-05:00

Anyone else feel like the cold weather and Christmas music snuck up on us?! It was back to school time and then, BAM!, it's Christmas! Wow! I guess I also forgot how cold it can get in Alabama... Every morning I remember, though, as I'm shaking all over on my drive to work. (Of course, the heat kicks in just about the time I pull into the parking lot at work!) We travel to Michigan every year to be with Nathan's family so we have lots of cold and snow to look forward to, lol.

Me and Mama have tried some Christmas crafts lately, and I really am starting to think we will NEVER get them done! We found out how time-consuming pine cone wreaths are! Whew! And boy, are those pine cones prickly. Between them and the hot glue burns.....haha.

I did finish a couple things on my own though, and here is one of my painted wooden signs:

And you can get one here from my Etsy shop :)

And new Christmas headbands:

They can be found here :)

And here is a door hanger I am taking custom orders for:

Found here!

I tried my hand at boutique bows and came up with several that I really like:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86672523/boutique-bow-pink-zebra-with-rhinestone?ref=v1_other_2

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86673025/boutique-bow-pink-and-white-damask-large?ref=v1_other_2

Check them out :)

Hope to blog again before Christmas, but if I don't- have a Merry Christmas!

And remember the real Reason we celebrate!

;)

Tutorial: "Give Thanks" Burlap Banner for Fall

2011-10-30T18:50:00.001-04:00

I have never done a tutorial, so please excuse my first attempt :)

I see banner and flags all over Etsy all the time, and I have really wanted to make my own for a while. Since I have alot, and I mean ALOT of random fabric scraps, I chose burlap for a natural look. You will probably want a solid color for the flags if you choose to paint letters on them like I did.

Materials needed:

Fabric for flags

Cardboard or thick paper- for pattern

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Yarn or twine

Craft paint and paint brush

Stencil

**I used my Cricut and Opposites Attract cartridge to cut out my letters and then I used the paper I cut them from as a stencil. You can do the same or free hand if you are brave enough :)**

After your fabric is chosen, decide how big you want your flags. (I didn't measure mine- I have an awful habit of not measuring, lol.) But, I DID make a pattern on a thick piece of cardboard to make sure every one matched in size. Cut out 11 flags.

After cutting the flags out, use your stencil and craft paint to paint on each letter of the words, "Give Thanks". I skipped painting one flag in between these words just to give some extra separation.

Then, line up all your flags, including the blank one between the words. Measuring against the flags, cut a length of twine/yarn 1-2 feet longer and the flags.

Turn all flags over, letter side down. Hot glue the twine/yarn to the very top of all flags. I put my flags very close to each other, but it's up to you as to how close you glue them. Let glue cool.

Now, your ready to embellish and hang! I used some leaves I picked up at the dollar store, and while it wasn't my first choice, it does add to the fall theme I was trying to create :)

Hope this tutorial was easy to read......

Happy Fall!

Oh, and....

don't forget to GIVE THANKS!

The Idea of Temporary Marriage

2011-10-01T20:23:00.000-04:00

This is what I read on Yahoo's front page yesterday:
"Mexico City lawmakers want to help newlyweds avoid the hassle of divorce by giving them an easy exit strategy: temporary marriage licenses."

Um, ok? "Til' two years from now" will have to make it into the vows somewhere! If they decide they can't stand each other after the two years is up, the contract is no more, and the two can go on their merry little way.

On October 17th I, myself, will be married two years, and I can't imagine just giving up "when the contract runs out". Yes, we have our ups and downs- but we love each other. Love forgives, and love moves on. I can't imagine my life without him :)

In my opinion, the idea of a temporary marriage goes against the whole idea of marriage. A sacred union of lifetime partners.

What do you think of this "easy exit strategy"?

What a way to make a livin'

2011-08-23T20:53:00.001-04:00

Ok. So I'm awful. I can't ever seem to find blog time. :\ Eeek.

Monday was the first day to be back at a full time job....which has given me mixed emotions.

On one hand- there's the money and benefits of a job, on the other- my obsessive craft addiction which requires alot of free time. Ugh. Lol. Maybe I'm dramatic...?

Well, I haven't totally quit the crafting thing- in fact, tulle is on it's way for Alabama/Auburn tutus :) Can't wait to get started on them and post some pics!

Now that I have an office again, maybe I should think about decorating it in something a shade of, of I don't know....Hello Kitty !?! You wouldn't believe the office supplies they make in Hello Kitty!

Here are a few:

Chairs are pretty essential....

Gotta shred those documents...

Take a break from sitting and shredding to get a cool drink of water...

Back to work now, typing it up!

Love it!

Back to School time- complete with a picture of Mr. Orvis hard at work :)

2011-08-17T16:48:00.000-04:00

Well, we are moved in and school has started! ((Side note: moving is for the birds. Let's stay a while.)) Mr. Orvis is enjoying teaching 5th and 6th grades at BMCS. He is learning alot already and he hopes the kids are too :) I had to take a pic of him sitting at his desk this morning before all the kids came in:

I am so happy that we are near family....you have no idea! 10 mins compared to 11 hrs- much better!
I've been busy sewing and babysitting my neice, but hopefully I will be working soon :)
I have a couple projects I want to blog about but I will save them for another post.

Winner of the 300 Fan Giveaway is.....

2011-08-06T11:22:00.000-04:00

Jenny lynne! Congrats to you! Thank you all for entering :) Jenny: please email me at shellstar09@gmail.com to give me shipping info and what item you would like! So excited for you!

Have a happy Saturday y'all :)

300 Facebook Fan Goal Giveaway! Win your fav item from The Pink Giraffe!

2011-07-22T14:42:00.000-04:00

Well, friends....we finally reached 300 fans on our Facebook page for The Pink Giraffe shop! So as promised, here is the giveaway :) This one will be different- you can win any item in the shop! Be sure and leave 1 comment(= 1 entry) telling me what your favorite item is.

1) Follow this blog.

2) Leave a comment below this post (see #3) --1 entry

3) If you have a blog, blog about this giveaway and/or my Etsy shop (you will need to make a link to them and post that link below when you enter).... If you do not have a blog, skip this step. --1 entry

4)"Like" my Facebook page- The Pink Giraffe Etsy Shop . I've made this easy- there is a like button to the right of this post! --1 entry

5) Remember to leave a comment about your favorite item! --1 entry

Giveaway ends August 5th and winner will be announced August 6th!

**Share this post on FB and other networking sites so your friends can join in!

Stop by my shop :)

2011-07-17T10:48:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a while....been on vacation, so just wanted to post about my shop. There aren't alot of new items because of my travels, but here is a little of what is available :)

Please, please PRAY!

2011-07-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

I usually don't blog about personal things, but this really weighs on my heart.

A little boy named Jack is in St. Mary's Hospital in Florida in very critical condition. He suffered a traumatic and very severe head injury and needs your prayers. I'm asking that you share this on facebook/twitter to get the word out. Also, please pray for his parents and family in this time. Thanks.

***To follow updates on his condition on facebook - click here. There are thousands following....***

Jamie Grace - Hold Me featuring tobyMac (Official Music Video)

2011-06-21T18:55:00.000-04:00

Love this song :)

Update: Giveaway and New Etsy Items!

2011-06-20T12:29:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted about The Pink Giraffe lately, so I though I'd share a few new things that are in the shop :)

Michael Miller- Springtime in Paris- Makeup/Travel Bag

Baby Bodysuit Tutu- Available in these colors- sizes Newborn, 0-3 months, and 24 months (more sizes coming!)

Oh, and the giveaway? It's over at wishfulthinking247.blogspot.com and here's what we are giving away:

AND:

So go enter :)

And have a happy Monday!

Thrift Store Dress {{revamp}}

2011-06-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

I haven't blogged in a few days, and just wanted to share something I worked on today....

This dress was about $3 at a thrift store and I had to have it! When I tried it on it fit perfect, but we know what happens in the dryer sometimes! So, I now had a very short dress. (Well, too short for me!) I found some fabric in the same color and added a couple inches of it to the bottom. Not sure if I really love it yet or not, but oh well :) I wanted to cut up one of my husbands t-shirts and add it at the bottom, and may still use that lovely seam ripper on this one....who knows :P

Starting a new adventure!

2011-06-12T13:09:00.000-04:00

As some of you know, my husband has been in school studying elementary education and is about halfway done. Well, God has opened the door for him to teach at a Christian school (BMCS) in Alabama! Better yet, the school I attended for 13 years and graduated from in 2006. We are very excited to start a new adventure in our lives and are trusting God to help us as we transition and make this move from Florida. My family will be ten minutes away as opposed to 12 hours, so as you can imagine I'm thrilled! Please pray for us as we become part the ministry there. My husband will be teaching and continuing to go to school so we will be busy, but we can do it with God's help :) Right now, my Etsy shop(The Pink Giraffe) is my only source of income so I will be focusing on it alot more, so just expect alot of Etsy posts in the future, lol.
Stay posted for updates and such:)

XoXo

Winner of the Feather Rosette Clip

2011-06-11T10:33:00.000-04:00

And the winner is.... A. Mazey from The Steady Hand! Number was picked by Random.org number generator :) Congrats and shoot me an email when you see this! Thanks to the others who entered, have a great weekend!

shellstar09@gmail.com

Blogs I'm Reading

2011-06-09T14:03:00.000-04:00

I love reading other blogs and wanted to share them! Here is a small list of great blogs you should follow:

~http://amomentworthkeeping.blogspot.com/- A photographer just getting started, but has some great stuff to blog about soon (I should know, he's my brother :) )

~http://totallytutorials.blogspot.com/- This blog has a tutorial for EVERYTHING! Seriously, check it out :)

~http://christiecottage.blogspot.com/- A Christian blogger who blogs about all things handmade. And I love handmade :)

~http://kristinaclemens.blogspot.com/- Another Christian blogger who is quite the fashionista! Love her style and sewing/repurposing skills!

~http://thesteadyhandblog.com/- A SAHM who blogs about crafts, life and has an Etsy shop she sells her goodies in :)

~http://thriftstoredress.blogspot.com/- A personal blog on what life is like for two young married Americans, Jenny and Robert, who are teaching in South Korea. I love the pictures they share- always interesting :)

So, check these out- you might like them!

PS- Giveaway ends tmrw!

Giveaway Ends Friday!

2011-06-08T18:47:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Love feather accessories? Win one!

2011-06-02T09:29:00.001-04:00

I recently added a few new hair accessories to the shop and to celebrate, why not give one away?!!

It is a handmade rosette with pearls and feathers, and it has an alligator clip on the back for attaching to hair or a headband.

So, you know the rules...

1) Follow this blog.

2) Leave a comment below this post (see #3)

3) If you have a blog, blog about this giveaway and/or my Etsy shop (you will need to make a link to them and post that link below when you enter).... If you do not have a blog, skip this step.

4)"Like" my Facebook page- The Pink Giraffe Etsy Shop . I've made this easy- there is a like button to the right of this post!

Giveaway ends ENDS June 10th and winner will be announced June 11th!

**Share this post on FB and other networking sites so your friends can join in!

And, if you are interested in these pearl and feather accessories, they do come in other colors and can be found here! :)

My Lovely Weekend (pictures included!!)

2011-05-31T13:52:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I was able to go home (Alabama) and visit. Better yet, I was able to surprise my sisters!

Melanie graduated from the 6th grade and had no idea we were coming to her graduation. She was so excited to see us! She looked so pretty in her cap and gown!

Amber lives in PA, and is getting married in September, so we planned a surprise bridal shower for her...and despite alot of slip-ups about it, she still didn't find out until right before :) And everything turned out great! (Melanie didn't know either of us sisters was coming and Amber didn't know I was coming. So everybody was getting surprises, lol.)

We did a very vintage theme and the whole family helped put it all together. Thanks to the pastor and his wife for letting us borrow a few treasures too! I loved how it turned out!

The bride to be:

The menu was dainty little chicken salad sandwiches, veggies, cheese and crackers, raspberry-lemon tarts, cake balls, and grapes covered in strawberry jello powder(which you should try!). It was a pretty spread and I wish I had taken a good photo of it. We drank sweet tea and lemonade from mason jars. We had a great time and I'm pretty sure she did, too!

The last thing I did before coming back to Florida, was survey the tornado damage. We drove through an area called Shoal Creek Valley, which was hit very very hard. Alot of places we drove past had only a chimney still standing, or just the front porch steps. Cars and trucks were littered in open fields and I can only imagine they were picked up and dropped there. Pieces of buildings are wrapped around trees everywhere. The trees are bent almost completely over for miles. I was only able to take a few pictures, but they don't even begin to describe the damage. The devastation goes on for miles and miles, and this wasn't the only place the tornadoes affected. It will take years to clean up and maybe longer for the families to piece their lives back together.

Anthro inspired do-it-yourself Ruffled Lampshade

2011-05-21T14:55:00.002-04:00

Let's face it, not all of us can afford a $300 lamp. So, we make our own :) I love browsing stores like Restoration Hardware and Anthropologie, but I always take one look at the price tag and immediately my do-it-yourself thinking kicks in! I wish I had the resources and time to come home and recreate so many cool things.

Today I came across this tutorial for a ruffled lampshade, that is so easy to make! All credit to Mama Says Sew.

Here is the original and rather pricey shade:

Check out the Tutorial and make it yourself! I am thinking of making one myself ;) If you try it, let me know how it turns out.

Winner of Tree Pillow Giveaway is.....

2011-05-16T21:57:00.000-04:00

Due to a terrible migraine, I haven't been able to blog....but all is well and we have a winner!
It is Tanvi!!! Congrats to you, I will be emailing you soon :) Thanks to all of you who entered and "welcome!" to my new followers both here and on facebook. I love feedback so don't hesitate to comment :) Have a great night, all!

New dresses in shop!

2011-05-14T17:47:00.001-04:00

I have been working on dresses lately, and one is the pink giraffe dress, which I blogged about a while back. I now have another dress- same style:

Both are in my shop now and I am working on getting pictures of the third dress I made yesterday. I also added these flower clips recently:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74036475/bright-pink-daisy-with-pearls-and

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74078725/pink-and-white-daisy-with-rhinestones

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74081749/white-daisy-with-pearls-and-rhinestone

Lil' Lady Boutique 750 Fan Giveaway!!!!

2011-05-14T13:59:00.000-04:00

She is almost to 750 fans! Help her get there, and enter the giveaway!

Lil Lady Boutique: Lil Lady Boutique 750 Fan Giveaway!!!!: "RULES: 1) Be a fan of Lil Lady Boutique 2) Be a fan of the page of the business giving away an item 3) Comment on their page saying 'New ..."

Also, dont forget you can still enter the tree pillow giveaway here! Hurry though!

Have a fun and relaxing weekend! :)

For My Mama- A Mother's Day Post

2011-05-06T18:26:00.001-04:00

When I think about Mama, I think of her good example. I look back at the way she handled situations growing up and I can only hope if I was in her shoes I would do the same. My mother has taught me so much about life, being a Christian, and being a wife. I was asked to say something about my Mama last year in front of the church, and needless to say I cried through the whole thing. In that moment I looked at that church and started my well-written little speech, I could only think of how great my Mama was and how blessed I was that I was born into her family! She sacrificed so much for us four kids, and I really didn't know when I was growing up, just how much she must have sacrificed. I think she probably bought 1 new outfit for herself the whole time I lived at home. She always said, "I don't care about buying for myself!" I have lived 692 miles away from my mother and best friend for almost a year now. And I miss her so so much. I have to drink my coffee alone on Saturday morning and thrift store shopping just isn't the same. (Note to Mama: Thrift store shopping is actually cool now. Lol. Even though I hated it when I was a kid, I think it's pretty great now!) She is a Mama who believes in prayer, and reminds me often to take all my worries to God. Even my husband tells me sometimes that my Mama taught me some great things. I hope when I have children that I am just like her. I love you so much, Mama! Can't wait to see you again!

{Pink and Gray} Tree Pillow Giveaway!

2011-05-02T20:13:00.001-04:00

Follow my blog with bloglovin

After some thinking, I've decided that one of my favorite Etsy items will be given away, and if you are even remotely familiar with my shop, this may be one of your favorites too!

This pillow is stuffed unlike the other pillow items I've given away, and was made from repurposed t-shirts. The tree is handstitched and so is the bird. It was the first item I ever made for the shop. And now, you can win it :)

Want to enter the giveaway?

Here's how:

1) Follow this blog.

2) Leave a comment below this post (see #3)

3) If you have a blog, blog about this giveaway and/or my Etsy shop (you will need to make a link to them and post that link below when you enter).... If you do not have a blog, skip this step.

4)"Like" my Facebook page- The Pink Giraffe Etsy Shop . I've made this easy- there is a like button to the right of this post!

Giveaway ends ENDS May 15th and winner will be announced May 16th!

**Share this post on FB and other networking sites so your friends can join in!

Now....leave those comments!

Easter Craft Ideas and Recipes for us "last minute people" !

2011-04-21T18:49:00.000-04:00

Looking for last minute crafts or decor for an Easter party? Martha Stewart's website is full of great ideas and recipes, too!

Check out this candy bowl:

Cover the outside of a bowl with double-sided tape. Wind a ball of yarn (we used mohair) around the bowl until its exterior is hidden. To finish, securely tuck the loose end behind the wrapped yarn.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Candy Nests - Martha Stewart Crafts

Chrysanthemum Cupcakes, anyone?

With a pastry bag and a set of tips, you can fashion cakes as charming as fresh-picked bouquets. First, get comfortable with the equipment: Choose a pastry bag that isn't too large, 10 or 12 inches, and fill it with no more than one cup of frosting. Twist the top of the bag, and use your writing hand to keep it closed as you apply pressure to pipe the shapes; with your other hand, you can steady the tip or rotate the cake. Don't worry if those first attempts aren't flawless -- they'll still be delicious.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Chrysanthemum Cupcakes - Martha Stewart Recipes

Just some ideas :)