Love Grows Wild

Chewy Browned Butter M&M Blondies from Eat Cake For Dinner

Each week we will pick our favorite links as features, and share them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

- Make sure to follow our Time to Sparkle Pinterest Board to see all the amazing features! -

Let's see what your hosts have been up to this week:

Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad from Love Grows Wild

Nutella Chocolate Torte from The Gunny Sack

Reese's White Chocolate Brownie Whoopie Pies from Inside BruCrew Life

Honey Glazed Salmon with Brown Butter Lime Sauce from The Recipe Critic

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Here are the fabulous features from last week's party chosen by Jocelyn (Inside BruCrew Life):

Easy BBQ Cups from Yummy. Healthy. Easy.

Tiramisu Cookies from Love to be in the Kitchen

10 Tips for a Successful Yard Sale from The Turquoise Home

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream from Lady Behind the Curtain

How to Build a Chunky Salvage Shelf from The Moon and Me

M&M Brownie Bark from Diana Rambles

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Martini from Girls Gone Food

Broccoli and Cheese Soup from Love Bakes Good Cakes

Simple Photo Block from I Dig Pinterest and I Did It Too

Grab a button if you've been featured!

Now let's party! It's Time to Sparkle!

Let's Keep In Touch!

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This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

How to Create a DIY Family Sign with your Wedding Date

2013-05-20T07:53:00.000-04:00

Follow this easy tutorial to learn how to create a DIY Family Sign personalized with your wedding date! Make one for your home as a sweet reminder of your special day and the love you share. These signs also make wonderful gifts for weddings and bridal showers!

Wedding season is upon us, and this year I have a very special family member getting married in July. My husband's Aunt finally met her Prince Charming last year through their church, and though he has been married before and has three wonderful, amazing daughters (and two very cute grandchildren!), she has never been married and has waited a long time for this day. He is truly such a kind and loving man, and I am so grateful that they found each other!

When I got married, I received a gorgeous hand painted sign with our name and wedding date, and it is something I have cherished ever since. But every time I look at that beautiful sign I think, "I know I can make that myself!" And that's exactly what I did for our Aunt and soon-to-be Uncle!

Making their sign was so simple with a little bit of paint and some help from my Silhouette CAMEO! Follow these easy instructions to create a gorgeous family sign of your own:

First you'll need to choose the board for your sign. We have tons of scrap wood in our garage, so I grabbed this piece that was already cut to the size I wanted. Don't you just love when projects are simple like that? Then sand the board to a smooth finish to get it ready for paint.

I've painted many things in my lifetime, and this is one of the best tricks I've learned along the way:

When you're doing a project that doesn't require paint on both sides, gently hammer a few nails into the back of the board around the perimeter. The board will sit up off your work surface, and you can easily paint the edges without having your board get stuck to the table! I'm telling you, this tip is a KEEPER! I highly recommend pinning it for later!

First paint your board with a primer.

Then paint at least two coats of your desired paint color. I love this Woodlawn Colonial Gray from Valspar. Just about my whole house is painted in this color! P.S. you can check out my easy method for storing and organizing leftover paint here!

Once the paint is totally dry, it's time to work on the lettering for your sign. I could have hand painted the letters (like I did here and here), but frankly I didn't have the time or patience for that method so I opted to use vinyl letters cut with my Silhouette machine. It's fast, easy, and looks much cleaner than painting everything by hand. Just open your Silhouette Studio software and add your last name in a large, traditional text. The little rulers on each side make it super easy to size the letters to fit your board. Once you're happy with the way it looks, feed a roll of vinyl into the machine and watch it do all the hard work for you!

Psst! If you don't have a Silhouette cutting machine yet, there's a big sale coming up on Wednesday! Make sure to check back to get a discount code and see what other amazing things Silhouette can do! Seriously, it's my absolute favorite crafting tool!

To easily transfer the cut letters to your sign, use a piece of transfer paper and place the letters in the center of your sign, slightly more towards the top. The grid lines on the transfer paper make it easy to keep the letters level.

Peel away the transfer paper, and you have one part done! Only two more to go!

Next, create a second design in your Silhouette software with your wedding date and a special phrase. I chose "Our journey together begins here..." but my own wedding sign says "All because two people fell in love." Choose something that will be special and meaningful to you!

Cut your second design with a coordinating color of vinyl and use the same method to transfer the letters to the sign. Place the date centered on the bottom of the sign and the phrase centered on top of the name.

I chose white vinyl for the name so it would be light and fade into the background, and I used black vinyl for the rest of the letters so they would stand out. You can use classic colors like these or try playing around with the colors of your wedding! Just don't forget a tape measure to help center your designs.

To ensure your sign will stay beautiful for a long time to come, I recommend sealing it with a few coats of polyurethane. I absolutely adore this matte poly from Varathane and have been using it on tons of projects lately. It dries crystal clear with a beautiful matte finish.

Once the polyurethane is dry you are ready to hang your sign! Add two sawtooth hangers to the back of the board and place it in a special spot in your home. Every time you walk past, it will bring back sweet memories and a smile to your face!

I love the way my sign turned out, and I hope it brings so much joy to my Aunt and her new husband as they begin their new life together!

* * * If you would like a family sign of your own but don't want to make it yourself, I can create one for you! And don't forget, they are perfect gifts for showers and weddings! Just send me an e-mail at Lovegrowswild@gmail.com for more information and pricing. * * *

Let's Keep In Touch!

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad

2013-05-16T07:56:00.000-04:00

A light and healthy romaine salad with fresh sliced strawberries and a crunchy walnut topping tossed in a delicious homemade dressing. This Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad is perfect for Summer!

I don't know about you, but I've discovered that since having children my body just doesn't look like it used to. I'm actually at a pretty low number on the scale, but there are just parts of my body that I'm not loving right now. My arms jiggle when I brush my teeth, I have belly bulge when I wear my favorite jeans, and I cringe at the thought of wearing shorts this Summer. I decided it's time to start toning up! I'm young, healthy, and there's no reason I can't fit a workout into my schedule! ...my blog will still be here if I go workout for an hour, right?

So last week I dusted off the old P90X dvds and fought through my first round of plyometrics, ab ripper, and all the other torture Tony throws at you. And I don't want to jinx myself... but it feels GOOD. I feel muscles working that I didn't even know I still had! I'm going to try hard to stay committed, and hopefully I'll be beach body ready in no time! Wish me luck!

As part of my get-fit mission, I've been trying to eat healthier. Don't get me wrong, I love my pizza, pasta, and ice cream, but I try to balance all those delicious calories with healthier options whenever I can. And with the hot Summer weather on its way, salads are a perfect healthy meal. I'm not a fan of boring, plain salads and this one is anything but that! Crisp romaine lettuce, sweet strawberries, a bit of green onion, and a delicious crunchy topping made from walnuts and crushed ramen noodles browned in butter all tossed in a homemade dressing... YUM! Eating healthy never looked (or tasted!) this good!

To view the recipe, just click here!

I'm sharing this yummy salad at Sumo's Sweet Stuff today, so head on over and grab the recipe! It will be your favorite salad all Summer long!

Tell Me: Are you trying to get fit this Summer? What are your secrets to staying in shape?

Let's Keep In Touch!

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Vintage Kitchen Makeover Plans

2013-05-15T04:00:00.000-04:00

Now that our playroom makeover is complete, I'm already itching to start the next room in our house. I had lots of fun decorating the kids space with all the bright, bold colors, but I'm ready to work on a grown-up room that's more my style. And that lucky room is (drumroll please)... OUR KITCHEN!

I spend so much of my time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning (when I'm not glued to my blog of course), and I'm totally excited to start making it pretty! Today I'm sharing with you the "before" pictures so you'll be able to see the progression of the makeover and where we started from. But first I'll give you a taste of the look I'm going for with this inspiration board:

- Soft neutrals -

- Modern prints -

- Vintage accents -

We were so lucky to move into an older home that is full of charm and has been well taken care of over the years. Most of the house has been updated and needed very little work, however the kitchen hasn't quite made it there yet. The walls have been updated with a beautiful gray-beige on top and white on bottom and most of the trim has been painted white. But other than that, my kitchen is still pretty stuck in the... well I don't even know what decade because I wasn't even born yet!

Welcome to my kitchen:

There is a good amount of cabinet space and I love that they go all the way up to the ceiling, but that orange wood color makes me cringe every time I look at it. They would be so much prettier white!!

There is a big opening over the sink looking into our dining room, and it really helps to open the kitchen up. I've been contemplating ways to decorate that space forever, but nothing has really hit me yet.

We don't have tons of counter space, but I make do with what I have.

On the other side of our kitchen is a big, beautiful set of windows that lets tons of light in. It's my favorite part of the whole kitchen! I have a little table and two chairs that fits perfectly there, and after getting some curtains up and giving the furniture a makeover, I envision an adorable little space to drink my coffee in the morning! I always tell Jeremy this is where I see us getting old together... reading the paper, drinking coffee, and looking out our farm : )

Our Aunt gave us this set of chairs (I have 6 more in the dining room), and although this flower/bird pattern is very pretty, I'm ready for a change. All that white fabric is just not holding up with my messy boys!

Aside from all the gorgeous sunlight we get in the kitchen, there are two light fixtures. I swapped the center fixture, which used to be a basic round light, with this hanging one. I'm still not sure I love it, but it came with us from our old house and seemed like an upgrade from the old one. (Apparently I also still need to fix the paint on the ceiling. After avoiding it for so long, I sort of forgot it was there! Mind over matter, right?) There is also a white ceiling fan next to the windows, which frankly we never use. The light on it doesn't work that well, and if we ever need a breeze in the kitchen we just open up the windows. As I was taking these pictures I realized how weird the two lights look, and now I'm brainstorming some ideas to switch them up! The ceiling fan needs to go... don't you agree?

The back wall of our kitchen is a big blank space, and I can't wait to hang some wall art. I would love to put shelves there, but the refrigerator opens right up to the wall. Maybe I'll install some above the refrigerator towards the ceiling and add artwork underneath.

Our house is older and has so many charming details like this little cove in the wall. I was informed by our Grandmother that it was where you would put your telephone! How cute is that? You better bet I'm on the lookout for a vintage rotary phone : )

There is also a short wall that covers the old chimney that needs a bit of beauty. Maybe some shelving here?

Aside from putting some artwork up on the walls, there is also some work that needs to be done on our countertops, such as a makeover on the paper towel holder, prettier storage for dish soap, better organization next to the stove, etc. There are definitely better ways to display these things!

Next to the kitchen is the stairs going up to our bedrooms and the door to the backyard. That cute little window needs some curtains too, and I'd love to pick out a new rug.

Across from that little window is a small sink and a closet that I turned into our pantry. I used to think this was a very odd space, but I found out the reason it was set up that way:

When farmers came in from the field, they would come through the back door so they wouldn't make a mess in the house. They would throw their dirty clothes down to the basement (where our washer/dryer is) and wash up at the sink. I love learning the history of old homes!

Other than converting the closet to a pantry, I haven't done anything yet with this space. I love the old medicine cabinet and think it would be so cute to bring back some vintage elements to this little washing station. There's also a lot of blank wall space that needs to be decorated!

Oh, I almost forgot to show you my gorgeous counters, backsplash, and floors...

Puke! This is the part of the kitchen that has definitely NOT been updated in awhile. And I know what you're thinking... why go through all the trouble decorating if you're not going to makeover the major parts of the kitchen? Well, we rent our house from the family farm (our Aunts and Uncles), and until they decide it's time to renovate, we're stuck with the kitchen the way it is. So no white cabinets, no hardwood floors, no farmhouse sink, and no granite countertops... for now : )

This makeover is kind of like putting lipstick on a pig, I suppose.

And here's a picture of what first inspired me for our kitchen makeover: a simple pot holder from Target. It's funny how much the littlest things can inspire us so much! I hung it up on a little Command hook to remind me how I want to decorate the kitchen, but I think I'll find a classier way to display it for the makeover : )

So there it is folks! The good, the bad, and the plain ugly of our kitchen "before". I have so many awesome projects planned that I can't wait to show you!

{ Tell Me } What do you think of our kitchen so far? What projects would you love to see me do? What projects do YOU want to tackle in YOUR kitchen?

Let's Keep In Touch!

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Time to Sparkle Link Party #9

2013-05-13T21:00:00.000-04:00

Hi friends! Did you have a good weekend? I hope all you Mommies out there were showered with lots of love! I personally had a wonderful Mother's Day. I went out to breakfast with my Mother-in-law, played baseball with my oldest son, sent a special message to an angel in Heaven, and got spoiled by my boys. My husband took the kids shopping Saturday, and I must say, they did a pretty awesome job. My youngest son, Wyatt, handed me a book and said, "Here's a Pioneer Woman cookbook... again." He's only 3 but knew perfectly well that Mommy already owned that cookbook... not only owned it but stood in line for 3 hours to get it signed by Ree herself. I love how much my little guy pays attention to these kind of things : )

But I do give my husband credit as well, because he also got me a jigsaw and a nice set of blades to go with it! Never in a million years did I think I would be excited over getting power tools for Mother's Day. I can't wait to try it out on some projects this week! I told him now I just needed some sawhorses, and he decided we could build some together. After 2 hours in the freezing cold wind and one sad, crooked sawhorse, he ditched the DIY idea and picked up a nice set from Menards. I just love him to pieces.

On the blog this week, I shared 14 Fun Recipes to Make With Your Kids This Summer including yummy recipes like Banana Split Cupcakes and Homemade Funnel Cakes. Yum! If you're craving something sweet for breakfast, try my Apple Turnovers with Vanilla Glaze. They're easy to make and SO delicious! I also shared how to make "I Love You Because" Pocket Albums using Silhouette's new chipboard.

The Silhouette promotion is still going on through May 15th, so hurry and take advantage of the discount using code LOVEGROWS at checkout! I also wanted to congratulate the winners of the Summer Giveaway Series:

Canon Camera:

1) Michele Trobman

2) Sarah Rickett

3) Brenna Nelson

Universal Studios Get Away:

Andrea Dipper

iPad Mini:

1) Stephanie Kingsley

2) Mallory Muntefering

3) Shannon Crabill

Thanks to everyone who entered! Be on the lookout for more fun giveaways coming this Summer. NOW IT'S TIME TO PARTY! I can't wait to get my weekly dose of inspiration from all you creative ladies!

Inside BruCrew Life | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

Each week we will pick our favorite links as features, and share them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

- Make sure to follow our Time to Sparkle Pinterest Board to see all the amazing features! -

Let's see what your hosts have been up to this week:

Strawberry Pie Sour Cream Crumb Bars from The Recipe Critic

Easy Creamy Coleslaw from Love Grows Wild

Coconut Fudge Poke Cake from Inside BruCrew Life

Gift in a Jar: Orange Creamsicle Sugar Scrub from The Gunny Sack

Here are the fabulous features from last week's party chosen by Liz from Love Grows Wild:

DIY Earrings & Printable from Hubby Made Me

Strawberry Cucumber Salad from Oh Sweet Basil

Citrus Bath Salts from A Pumpkin And A Princess

Almost Turtle Cheesecake from Dessert Now, Dinner Later!

Tissue Paper Picture Frame from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Pretzel Pork Chops from A Teaspoon of Happiness

Summer Fun Activity Calendar from The Benson Street

Oreo Peanut Butter from Crazy for Crust

DIY Edible "Mud" Mask from Essentially Eclectic

Grab a button if you've been featured!

Now let's party! It's Time to Sparkle!

Let's Keep In Touch!

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This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Apple Turnovers with Vanilla Glaze

2013-05-12T04:00:00.000-04:00

We are a family that loves cereal. We love all kinds of cereal. Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Reese's Puffs... you name it, and we'll eat it. And not just for breakfast either. I'll eat a nice, big bowl of cereal for dinner when I'm too tired to cook and be perfectly satisfied. But on weekends, I get the urge to treat my family to a delicious, not-out-of-a-box breakfast that will totally blow their minds. This recipe, my friends, does just that! My Apple Turnovers with Vanilla Glaze are not only the perfect breakfast pastry, but make a wonderful sweet treat any time of the day! And the smell that fills your kitchen while cooking these scrumptious turnovers is absolutely heavenly!

The turnovers are a cinch to put together with the help of frozen puff pastry. If you've never tried using it before, now is definitely the time! It bakes up beautifully with lots of flaky, delicious layers. I keep some in the freezer all the time to whip up quick pastries and desserts like this!

I like to use two different apples for these turnovers to get the perfect mix of sweet and tart. Fuji and Granny Smith apples work great! The apples are sauteed in butter until tender and a mix of brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, lemon juice, and vanilla creates a wonderful, thick sauce around the apples that smells out of this world! I could probably eat those apples straight out of the pan!

And as if the apple turnovers aren't already delicious enough, I add a vanilla glaze that sends them totally over the top!

Drizzle on a little or drizzle on a lot... you decide! Either way I know you are going to love these turnovers!

Apple Turnovers

2 medium apples - peeled, cored, and diced

2 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg white

1 Tablespoon water

1 (17.3 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, ginger, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook and stir 3 minutes until apples are tender and sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Pinch together seams if necessary. With a sharp knife, cut each sheet into four squares. Mix the egg white and water in a small bowl and brush the edges of the pasty squares with egg wash. Spoon 1/8 of the mixture into the center of the 1 pastry square. Fold pastry in half diagonally and pinch the edges with a fork to seal. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining squares. Bake at 400 degrees for 14-16 minutes until the top is puffed and nicely browned. Remove turnovers from pan to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes.

Vanilla Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix to a smooth, thick consistency. Add more milk to thin, if necessary. Drizzle glaze over warm turnovers and serve.

*Apple Turnovers are best served the same day as baking. They can be reheated in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes to bring back that fresh out of the oven taste!

Enjoy!

To view nutritional information for this recipe, click here:

Let's Keep In Touch!

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Fun Recipes to Make With Your Kids This Summer!

2013-05-10T04:00:00.000-04:00

School is almost out for Summer, and I can't wait to have my kids home all day to play with! Well... okay maybe I can. We love being in the kitchen together making delicious food, and to help inspire us this Summer I've put together an awesome collection of

14 Fun Recipes To Make With Your Kids This Summer!

*All these amazing recipes were chosen from the Time to Sparkle Link Party I host here every Tuesday!*

These M&M and Pretzel Cookies from Daisy Cottage Designs would be the perfect afternoon treat. I love the sweet and salty combo!

There's nothing better on a hot Summer day than some ice cream! This Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream from The Rookie Cook sounds so refreshing!

Every time I go to the mall, I try to fight the intense urge to devour those delicious smelling pretzels from the food court, but now I can make them at home! These Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Knots from I Heart Eating are on my must-do list this Summer!

With the kids home all day in the Summer, we get tired of eating the same old snacks all the time. Design, Dining, and Diapers shared these Hummus Turkey Wraps that not only look delicious but are super healthy too!

This time of year we are always busy with baseball season, and I'm pretty sure I would be Mom of the Year if I made these Little League Baseball Cupcakes from Worth Pinning! Check out what she made the little mitts from!

These Thin Sugar Cookies from Crazy for Crust are totally calling my name! And with all those pretty sprinkles I'm sure my kiddos would love them too!

It's not Summer without getting to enjoy some Funnel Cake, and now you can make your own with this recipe from Twigg Studios!

What kid doesn't love a banana split? The Lady Behind the Curtain turned her Banana Split into Cupcakes!

Kids and chicken nuggets go hand-in-hand, and this recipe for Copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets and Sauce from Love Pomegranate House will definitely be a regular in our house!

After long days playing outside, your kids will need to fuel up with some yummy snacks! These No Bake Monster Trail Mix Granola Bars from Mom On Timeout will definitely do the trick.

I love Summer mornings because there's no rushing around to make the bus on time. I have plenty of time to spoil my kiddos with a yummy breakfast and this recipe for True Belgian Waffles from Kristin Duke Photography sounds incredible! I'll take a big stack of those please!

Nutella and peanut buter are a marriage made in heaven, and I can't wait to make these Chewy Nutella Peanut Butter Chip Cookies from A Kitchen Addiction for my little ones!

Muffins rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar... Yes please! These Cowboy Muffins from I Should Be Mopping The Floor will certainly put a smile on your little cowboy and cowgirl's faces!

Late Summer nights watching movies are the best, and a big bowl of this Chocolate Chip Cookie Popcorn from Pint Sized Baker would be the perfect addition!

Which recipe would you most love to try with your kids?

Let's Keep In Touch!

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Mother's Day Mini Album & Silhouette Promotion

2013-05-08T04:00:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day is almost here, and I have a very sweet handmade gift to share with you today that Moms everywhere will swoon over! Using my Silhouette cutting machine and the new Silhouette chipboard, I created these "I Love You Because..." Mini Albums that are the perfect way to tell Mom how much you love her! The albums are so simple to put together and make wonderful gifts for any occasion. Check out the bottom of this post for a special Silhouette promotion going on right now and an exclusive discount code!

I was beyond excited when Silhouette came out with their new chipboard because there are endless possibilities of ways to use it. Chipboard is thicker and sturdier than card stock, but still very lightweight and flexible. It's a great material to use when you need to add some extra sturdiness to your projects.

I was browsing the Silhouette Online Store for creative ways to use my chipboard for a Mother's Day gift, and I came across this darling Mini Pocket Album. You could certainly make this album with card stock, but I thought using the chipboard would make it nice and sturdy so it could be enjoyed for years to come. I downloaded the design and opened it up in my Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software. The album has 4 pockets, but only three of the pocket inserts could fit on one sheet, so I decided to leave the last pocket empty. It would make a great place to stick a gift card for an extra special surprise!

I cut the design with my Silhouette CAMEO and had six chipboard pieces to work with: two foldable pockets, three pocket inserts, and one closure flap.

Then came the fun part... putting the album together! It only a few minutes and couldn't be easier.

Here's how you assemble to mini pocket album:

Take one of the large pockets and fold along all the perforated lines. Apply glue to the angled edge flaps and fold to create pockets. Then repeat with the second pocket. Place the pocket with the smaller binding area on top of the pocket with the larger binding area. Make sure the "flat" opening is toward the back. To hold the album together, thread a string or ribbon through the pre-cut holes and tie.

Before I tied my album together, I wanted to decorate the chipboard. I chose a collection of scrapbook papers called "linen" and covered the pockets, inserts, and closure flap with the papers using some scrapbook glue. I fell in love with these papers because they are feminine and sort of retro, but in a pretty blue and brown color palette. Girls can love blue too!

I thought it would be cute for the pocket inserts to have a special message written on them, and I came up with the idea to have each kid write a reason why they love this person. I added a photo of each boy to the front of the pocket inserts with the words, "I love you because." On the back of the card I added the word "you..." and a blank space for the boys to fill in their I love you because reasons. And on the third card I stamped a simple "Happy Mother's Day." What Mom (or Grandma!) wouldn't die over that?

Once I had all the pieces decorated, I tied the album together using some blue twine.

To attach the closure flap to the album, I applied a bit of glue to the chipboard and placed the flap inside the back pocket of the album. Since the chipboard is thicker than paper, I had to add a little extra room for the flap to fully close around the album.

To hold the flap closed, I added a small piece of velcro to the back of the flap and the front of the album.

And here's what it looks like all put together!

I needed to add a little something to the front of the album, so I cut the word "Mom" on card stock with my Silhouette and glued it in place. I love how this little album turned out, and I know some Grandmothers that are going to be very happy this Mother's Day! : )

The album looks adorable all on its own, but imagine the surprise when someone pulls out those little inserts to read how much they are loved! That's what Mother's Day is all about.

I couldn't wait to share this Mother's Day idea with all of you because I think it is such a heart-warming gift, and I hope you will make one for a special woman in your life! But I know this post is going to spill the beans on my Mother's Day gifts, so I had to make a second one so both Grandmothers could have one cherish. I wouldn't want any fighting over them! : )

I made this one using some bolder colors and patterns and inked up the edges to give it a distressed finish. I love them both so much, and I can't wait to share them!

Using the Silhouette chipboard for these albums turned them into keepsakes that will last a lifetime. I can't wait to use it more for other projects!

And right now you can pick up some chipboard from Silhouette with this special promotion! It's not too late to make a gift request for Mother's Day {wink!}

1 pack chipboard

1 $25 download card

----------------------------

$19.99 (retail $34.99)

1 Silhouette Portrait

1 pack chipboard

1 grey dust cover

1 $25 download card

------------------------------

$129.99 (retail $221.97)

1 Silhouette CAMEO

1 pack chipboard

1 natural dust cover

1 $25 download card

-----------------------------

$269.99 (retail $341.97)

The promotion runs from May 8 - May 15, and you can find all the details on Silhouette's special promotion page HERE. Just make sure to use the code LOVEGROWS at checkout to receive your discount!

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

Time To Sparkle Link Party #8

2013-05-06T21:00:00.000-04:00

How is it already May? Where did April go?? I can't believe how fast time is going by, but I must say I'm really enjoying this warmer weather! Being cooped up inside all winter long is no fun!

This week I shared two recipes that are perfect with Summer on its way: Slow Cooker Honey Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches and an Easy Creamy Coleslaw. The coleslaw makes an awesome side dish, but I love to put it on top of my barbecue! I promise you will definitely not be disappointed with these recipes! I also shared the big room reveal for our Playroom Makeover! I'm so in love with how the room turned out, and my boys couldn't be happier. Check out the room reveal post for tons of toy storage tips and DIY decor projects!

And I wanted to remind you there is still time to enter our Summer Giveaway Series! The giveaway closes at midnight on Tuesday, May 7th, so hurry and enter!

{PART ONE} 3 Canon Rebel T3 Cameras and

4 tickets to Universal Studios plus a 2 night hotel stay

Click here to enter!

{PART TWO} 3 Apple iPad Mini's

Click here to enter!

I am so glad it's link party time, because I'm ready to be inspired! Every week I am blown away by all the creativity shared, and I can't wait to see what this week brings!

Inside BruCrew Life | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Playroom Makeover Room Reveal by Love Grows Wild

Each week we will pick our favorite links as features, and share them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

- Make sure to follow our Time to Sparkle Pinterest Board to see all the amazing features! -

Let's see what your hosts have been up to this week:

Cinnamon Roll Whoopie Pie By The Gunny Sack

Coconut Nutella Latte By Inside Brucrew Life

Churro Cheesecake by The Recipe Critic

Here are the fabulous features from last week's party chosen by Alyssa at The Recipe Critic:

Printable Mother's Day Gifts from The Benson Street

Gardening Gift Basket from Echoes of Laughter

Rhinestone Leather Bracelets from A pumpkin and a Princess

Fun and easy Mother's Day Fingerprint Cards from Daisy Cottage Designs

Lemon Meringue Fudge from Shugary Sweets

Easy Taco Quiche from Yummy Healthy Easy

Blondie Cupcakes from Simple Girl at Home

Ranch Grilled Chicken from The Not so Perfect Mom

Grab a button if you've been featured!

Now let's party! It's Time to Sparkle!

Let's Keep In Touch!

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This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Easy Creamy Coleslaw

2013-05-05T15:39:00.000-04:00

This Easy Creamy Coleslaw recipe is so simple to make and is sure to be a family favorite all Summer long! Try the coleslaw as a side dish at your next cookout or as a refreshing topping on your sandwiches! Either way, this recipe is a keeper.

I have a confession to make... I don't like coleslaw. Or at least I didn't till I tried this! The mushy, vinegary coleslaw served at most restaurants has never appealed to me, and I had no desire to try making it at home. But the other day I was making my Slow Cooker Honey Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches, and I was brainstorming ways to jazz up the flavor and textures in the sandwich. (I can never leave well enough alone, can I?) The honey barbecue chicken is deliciously rich and flavorful, and I wanted something cold and refreshing that could balance some of the richness. Enter: coleslaw.

I came across this recipe from Our Best Bites, and I thought I'd give it a shot. I was blown away by how good it was and couldn't believe I had been missing out on this my whole life! I made just a few adjustments to their recipe and came up my version of the perfect easy creamy coleslaw. It combines the simplicity of store-bought shredded cabbage with the fresh taste of grated carrots and an absolutely delicious dressing made with one very important key ingredient... celery seed. Seriously peeps, if you don't already have some, go buy a bottle! This coleslaw recipe would not be the same without the incredible flavor that comes from the celery seeds! (You know, being the coleslaw connoisseur that I am and all... )

The coleslaw tastes fresh and creamy with the perfect bite from the vinegar and great texture from the grated carrots. When you pick up your shredded cabbage from the store, just make sure to grab the biggest shreds you can find so it will keep longer in the fridge without getting soggy.

Soggy coleslaw = eww!

The coleslaw makes a great side dish for all those Summer parties, but I enjoy it most on top of my Honey Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches! It adds such a bright, fresh taste to the deep barbecue flavor, and my family can't get enough of it!

Add a handful of kettle chips, and you have yourself the perfect Summer meal! The barbecue chicken is made in the slow cooker, which is perfect because you don't have to turn the oven on and heat up your house. You'll thank me when it's 100 degrees in the shade and your air conditioner is running non-stop! You can make the coleslaw ahead of time if you need to, but I like to keep it as fresh as possible. Remember, soggy coleslaw is a no-no! Make this just one time, and I promise you'll be a coleslaw lover forever!

- Click here for a printable version of this recipe! -

Easy Creamy Coleslaw

1 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon celery seed

1 Tablespoon grated onion

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

one 16 ounce bag shredded cabbage with carrots

1 carrot, peeled and grated

In a large bowl combine the shredded cabbage and grated carrots. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, celery seed, grated onion, and salt. Pour the mixture over the cabbage and toss until fully coated with the dressing. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving and up to 2 days (or until coleslaw is soggy).

Enjoy!

To see nutritional information and more for the recipe, click here:

Try these other recipes from Love Grows Wild:

Italian Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

Spaghetti Sauce with Italian Sausage

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Playroom Makeover Room Reveal

2013-05-03T07:39:00.000-04:00

This has been a long time in the making, but today I am finally showing you the Room Reveal for our Playroom Makeover! Yippee! This will be a long post, but stick with me because I promise tons of beautiful pictures showing how I cleaned, organized, designed, and decorated our awesome playroom! And don't worry, I have links to all the projects we did at the bottom of the post : )

It all started back in January, after dear old Santa left a big pile of new toys at our house. Once the holiday rush was over and it was time to put everything away, I realized the monstrosity our playroom had become! There were toys stacked EVERYWHERE and definitely no room to put away new ones! It was unorganized, dysfunctional, and a straight up eyesore. I decided it was finally time to get things in order and give the boys a fun space where they could play, create, and read together!

Warning: These photos contain the real deal disaster that had taken over our playroom. Boxes of Legos stacked twenty high, pieces of train tracks scattered all over the room... you could probably even find a small child missing in there. Photos like these can cause Moms to hyperventilate and you may need to avert your eyes.

The first order of business was to get all those toys organized. My kids and I went through everything together, and we donated a lot of toys we don't use anymore and threw away piles of broken, useless stuff. It is amazing how much these kids accumulate over time! The majority of our toys got organized into storage cube shelves (like these) with fabric drawers (like these).

We decided what each drawer would hold, and the boys put all their toys away in the correct spots. The drawers are awesome for corralling toys with a lot of pieces like Lincoln Logs, blocks, and train tracks! You can read the full post about our toy organization here.

To make it easy for the boys to put their toys away, I created these Faux Chalkboard Medallion Tags to hang on each drawer. They have the trendy chalkboard look but won't rub off!

There was a lot of empty wall space above the toy storage, so I added two shelves to hold some of the boys' artwork and knick knacks.

This Framed Giraffe Art only cost me $1 to make and added a ton of cute to the room!

And these Plastic Elephant Bookends may just be my favorite project from the entire makeover. So simple to make and SO cute! A little spray paint makes everything better, right?

I added a few other pieces to fill in the shelves like a baseball with little sports figurines, some big wooden letters, our Disney pin collection shadowbox, and a piece of stripe art I created using leftovers from our Herringbone Watercolor Art.

I'm still playing with the look of the shelves, but for now I think they turned out pretty cute. The canvases my boys painted with artist extraordinaire Leoma Lovegrove always make me smile and bring back such sweet memories. You can read all about our painting lesson with Leoma and the story behind the paintings here.

Moving around the room, I used a small, empty corner to setup a Creative Center for the boys where they can build Legos, color, and do crafts!

I found a school desk at Goodwill for $10, which gave the kids some workspace plus a little additional storage inside the desk.

I took advantage of vertical space for storage and hung tool organizers from the hardware store on the wall above the desk. The bottom one holds Legos and the top holds crafts supplies. On the opposite wall I hung three clear wall files that I covered in a pretty blue chevron contact paper to hold the boys' coloring books.

The boys are always wanting to draw or build something, and now they have their very own space to do it! You can read the full post about our Playroom Creative Center here.

Next to the creative center is a toy box for some of the bigger toys and a little reading area. A bookshelf full of books, a rocking chair with a comfy pillow (which I made to match the curtains I also made!), and a soft rug is all it took to create a cozy and inviting space to read!

I added a fun gallery of colorful old records above the reading area to spice up the boring gray walls.

And I gave a washi tape makeover to an old lamp for our bookshelf. Yes, I said washi tape! I spray painted the lamp base a pretty turquoise blue and wrapped the middle in a polka dot washi tape. It took no time at all and looks super cute! I just love washi tape... don't you?

In the center of our room is a big train table that the boys love to play at.

We also have two Baking Sheet Magnet Boards for the boys to have fun with. It keeps all those crazy magnets off Mommy's clean refrigerator and keeps the kids busy for hours. It is definitely a win-win : )

And above the magnet boards is a gorgeous piece of Modern Watercolor Art that my boys helped create! They made watercolor paintings, and I cut them up into strips and created a fun herringbone pattern with them! The bright colors look stunning with a white frame.

On the last wall sits one of the most brilliant organizing/up-cycling ideas I've ever come up with: What do you do with a baby's changing table once you're done using it? Turn it into a parking garage!!

Even though ours was a cheap one from Walmart, it had good shelving and was still in great condition once our youngest baby grew out of it. And let me tell you Moms, big open shelving like this is PERFECT for all those big trucks and tractors! My boys are little farmers-in-training, and there is never a shortage of giant tractors in our house that are impossible to store. But our old changing table was the perfect solution to house all those vehicles, and the boys love "parking them in the shed" at the end of the day.

On top of the ~~changing table~~ parking garage sits the containers we use to store video games. I got tired of finding games all over the house and tripping over charging cords, so I used simple dollar store bins to store, organize, and charge their handheld games.

My kids are 100% boys, and that means we own quite a few dart shooters, swords, and toy guns. My boys think they need to have a full arsenal in case the aliens attack or Loki comes to steal the Tesseract. (Please tell me I'm not the only Mom who knows what that means!) They're fun to have, but absolutely impossible to store. I was about to get rid of an old wrapping paper organizer when I realized it would make the perfect "weapon holder". A garbage can would probably do the same thing, but I like that this organizer is tall enough to hold the long swords. I just hide it away in a small closet in the playroom to keep it out of sight since it's not all that pretty.

As part of the makeover, we also installed some extra shelving in that small closet to give us more space for games, puzzles, etc.

And that, my friends, is our Playroom Makeover! Whew, that was a lot of playroom to go through! Here's a little Before and After so you can see how far we've come with this awesome transformation:

Big improvement right? I hope I've inspired you to tackle your own playroom and give your kids a space that is fun, playful, and organized!

What was your favorite part of the playroom makeover? Did you find an awesome organizing idea or a DIY project you can't wait to try? Leave a comment and let me know what you liked!

Here are all the playroom projects again with more details and step by step instructions:

1) Plastic Elephant Book Ends 2) Modern Watercolor Art 3) Playroom Storage Solutions 4) Record Wall 5) Framed Giraffe Art 6) Baking Sheet Magnet Boards 7) Faux Chalkboard Medallion Tags 8) Disney Pin Shadowbox 9) Creative Center 10) Video Game Storage 11) Kids Canvas Art

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Slow Cooker Honey Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

2013-05-02T08:39:00.000-04:00

It's almost the weekend, and I am SO ready for it to be here! Between lots of late nights at the baseball field and my kitchen makeover I started on this week, I'm exhausted! (Do you follow me on Instagram? I've been showing sneak peeks of the makeover there!) Today I'm sharing one of my absolute favorite recipes with you: Slow Cooker Honey Barbecue Chicken! It is perfect for busy days because you just throw a few ingredients in the slow cooker, and by dinnertime you have an incredibly flavorful, delicious, finger-lickin' good meal!

To view the recipe, just click here!

I'm sharing this at Uncommon Designs today, where I am their new cooking contributor! I'll be sharing a yummy new recipe over there each month, and I have some delicious things in store! Stay tuned for the PERFECT coleslaw recipe to pair with the Honey Barbecue Chicken coming to Love Grows Wild this weekend! You'll be all ready for Summer cook-outs with these two recipes!

Let's Keep In Touch!

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Summer Giveaway Series {Part Two}

2013-04-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to part {two} of our Summer Giveaway Series!

We just couldn't let this giveaway end with only one set of awesome prizes.

We want the Summer fun to keep on coming...

SO, we're excited to share 3 more fabulous prizes!

The ipad mini is everything you love about iPad — the beautiful screen, fast and fluid performance, FaceTime and iSight cameras, thousands of amazing apps, 10-hour battery life — is everything you’ll love about iPad mini, too. And you can hold it in one hand.

Giveaway Details...

It’s so simple to enter!

Just 'Like' the Facebook pages below:

Then answer the questions in the form below to enter officially:

Now head over here to {Part One} of our Summer Giveaway Series and enter to win these amazing prizes:

*This promotion is sponsored by the above specified bloggers and is in no way affiliated with Apple, Cannon, Pinterest, or Facebook. We hereby release Pinterest, Facebook, Cannon, and Apple, Inc. of any liability related to this promotion, the receipt of prize winnings, etc. The giveaway will run from Monday, April 29th at 12:01 AM MDT and ends Tuesday May 7th at midnight MDT. Once the giveaway ends, winners will be chosen using Random.org and contacted via e-mail within 24 hours. Winners will then have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open worldwide except where prohibited by law. Winners must be of full legal age in the jurisdiction in which they live. This group of bloggers are only responsible for sending out the prize. They are not responsible for loss, damage or theft once the prize is shipped. Participants will be responsible for any taxes, tariffs duties, etc. due upon delivery of the prize.

* Thank you to Clean Jewelry and Get Away Today for purchasing the prizes for this giveaway!

Time to Sparkle Link Party #7

2013-04-29T21:00:00.000-04:00

Hi friends! I'm so glad to see you back at Time to Sparkle Tuesday!
This week I'm beginning my kitchen makeover, and I cannot wait to start showing you some of the projects I have in store! I'm beyond excited!! Last week I showed how to make a super cute picture frame pin cushion that will definitely add some style to your sewing space! I also shared a sweet Mother's Day card I made along with the perfect gift idea for Mom this year. From my kitchen, I shared the recipe for one of my favorite pasta dishes: Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo! It is the perfect creamy, cheesy sauce to smother over a big pile of noodles! And last but certainly not least, today was the start of a HUGE Summer Giveaway Series at Love Grows Wild! I've had some awesome giveaways here on the blog lately, but this one TOTALLY rocks!!

{Part One} Capture and Make Summer Memories: 3 lucky winners will receive a Canon Rebel T3 Camera and 1 lucky winner will receive 4 tickets to Universal Studios plus 2 nights in a hotel!
Click here now to enter!

Make sure to check back Tuesday morning at 7:00 am EST

for Part Two of the Summer Giveaway Series!

I've been so inspired by all the amazing things shared at Time to Sparkle Tuesday, and I hope you have too! The projects are so creative, and the recipes look delicious! Thank you so much to all of you who party with us each week! Let's see what will inspires us this week...

Each week we will pick our favorite links as features, and share them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

- Make sure to follow our Time to Sparkle Pinterest Board to see all the amazing features! -

Let's see what your hosts have been up to this week:

Strawberry Cheesecake Streusel Muffins from The Recipe Critic

Coconut Body Butter Gift In A Jar by The Gunny Sack

Picture Frame Pin Cushion by Love Grows Wild

Brownie Batter Cookie Dough Popcorn by Inside BruCrew Life

Here are the fabulous features from last week's party chosen by Tonia (The Gunny Sack)

True Belgian Waffles from Kristen Duke

Boston Cream Whoopie Pies from The Brunette Baker

Mini Sherbet Pretzel Sticks from Lady Behind the Curtain

Butterscotch Cupcakes from Sweet Southern Blue

White Bean and Roasted Garlic Hummus from The Big Giant Food Basket

Craft Room Reveal from Buhay at Bahay

Book Page Wreath from Clean and Scentsible

How To Make A Chalkboard Window by Twelve O Eight

Chalkboard Bird "Life Is Tweet" by Shaken Together Life

Mint Lime Food Soak by Echoes of Laughter

Grab a button if you've been featured!

Now let's party! It's Time to Sparkle!

Let's Keep In Touch!

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This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Summer Giveaway Series {Part One}

2013-04-29T06:52:00.000-04:00

Summer will be here before we know it...

And an amazing group of bloggers decided to team up together and give away some super awesome prizes to help make this Summer a little more fun!

In fact, these prizes are SO awesome that we need {TWO} giveaways to share all the fabulous-ness with you!

*The Canon 5157B002 includes the EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera and the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS type II Lens. This camera and lens is perfect for photographers ready to make the move to digital SLR photography. The EOS Rebel T3 delivers beautiful photos and video, speed, simplicity and fun. It features a 12.2 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor and Canon DIGIC 4 Image Processor for richly detailed images and quick camera response. It has Canon's amazing 63-zone, dual-layer metering for accurate exposures and features Canon's Basic+ function, HD video recording and Live View shooting, plus a convenient in-camera Feature Guide.

Giveaway Details...

It's so simple to enter!

All you have to do is Follow all of the Pinterest pages below:

Then answer the questions in the form below to enter officially:

Now head over here to check out {Part Two} of our Summer Giveaway Series and enter to win these amazing prizes:

* Thank you to Clean Jewelry and Get Away Today for purchasing the prizes for this giveaway!

Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo

2013-04-27T20:10:00.000-04:00

Today I'm sharing my all-time favorite pasta sauce paired with healthy spinach noodles for an irresistibly delicious meal that will have you coming back for more! This Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is a big winner in our house, and I know you'll want to add it to your recipe rotation too!

It has taken me some time to find the perfect alfredo recipe, and I've suffered through a lot of boring, bland bowls of pasta to get here. It was a painful process to endure, but hey, someone had to do it. I finally found a recipe in Kraft Food & Family magazine a few years back, and with a few modifications it has been my go-to sauce ever since.

This pasta dish tastes like it came from a fancy Italian restaurant, but only takes a few minutes to prepare and tastes just as good! The sauce is made with butter and cream, which in my opinion is a delicious way to start any meal! The diet starts next week, right?

A handful of Parmesan cheese melted into the sauce with just a touch of nutmeg added makes this the creamiest, cheesiest, most comforting pasta sauce in the world! I seriously could go on forever about how much I love this recipe, but instead I'll just let you try it yourself and find out : )

This alfredo sauce is amazing with regular fettuccine noodles, but I like to switch things up once in awhile and substitute spinach or whole wheat noodles. I feel a little better eating all that delicious butter and cream sauce when there's some healthy greens hidden in the noodles! All in moderation, right?

Serve this dish with a salad, some garlic bread, and a nice glass of wine, and enjoy a great Italian meal at home!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo

8 ounce package spinach fettuccine noodles

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to boiling and reduce heat. Boil gently, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir Parmesan into sauce. Drain pasta and add to hot sauce. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Tell me: What is your favorite way to eat pasta?

Red sauce, white sauce... all of the above? I'd love to hear what you think!

To see nutritional information and more for this recipe, click here:

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

Mother's Day Gifts and the INFINITY X INFINITY Collection from Helzberg Diamonds

2013-04-26T07:22:00.000-04:00

Do you know what you're getting Mom for Mother's Day yet? Have you told your children what's on your wish list? If you answered no to either of those questions, this post is for you! Today I'm sharing a very sweet handmade card for Mom and the perfect gift idea to go with it!

I always try to make handmade cards when I can because they are so special to give someone. And they are so fun and easy to create! For this Mother's Day card I had a gorgeous floral piece of scrapbook paper that I had been hoarding forever because I loved it so much, but I finally decided it was time to part ways and make a pretty card with it. I cut a small circle out of one side of the paper and glued it on top of a piece of white card stock I folded in half. I also cut a scalloped edge circle from a piece of beige card stock using my Silhouette machine to frame and add some detail to the cut-out.

Inside the cut-out I used little letter stamps to write the message "for you Mom". I love the simplicity of the letters and staggering them a bit just adds to the beauty!

My favorite detail of this card is the pink stitching around the edges of the floral paper. It took just a minute to add the stitches with my sewing machine and gave it such a sweet, handmade touch! I also wrapped a piece of white lace trim and pink grosgrain ribbon across the card to tie everything together. So dainty and feminine!

Now onto the fun part... the gift! I don't know a single Mom out there that wouldn't love a beautiful new piece of jewelry for Mother's Day, and the INFINITY X INFINITY collection from Helzberg Diamonds is the perfect way to tell Mom you love her!

The exclusive new collection is inspired by ABC Television's primetime hit series "Revenge" and lead character Emily Thorne and her father's mantra, "I love you infinity times infinity". Created by award-winning jewelry designer Udi Behr, the collection showcases the double infinity insignia, symbolizing infinite love. This year give Mom something to remind her how much you care not only on Mother's Day, but everyday.

The collection offers the perfect gift on any budget, with prices ranging from $49.99 - $1,299. Here are a few of my favorite INFINITY X INFINITY pieces:

(clockwise from top left)

Pendant in Sterling Silver

Diamond Earrings in Sterling Silver

Diamond Pendant in Sterling Silver

Diamond Ring in Sterling Silver

The collection is available online at http://www.helzberg.com/infinity and in Helzberg Diamonds' stores nationwide. Use the code FREESHIP25 for free shipping from April 1 through Mother's Day!

You can sign up for Helzberg emails to receive exclusive deals and offers, and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest!

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

Financial compensation was not received for this post, but I did received a sample product from Helzberg Diamonds. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Read my full disclosure here.

How to Make a Picture Frame Pin Cushion

2013-04-25T07:51:00.002-04:00

Do you sew? I've started sewing just this past year, and even though I'm not very good at it yet, I love to see what I'm able to create with some thread and fabric! Today I'll show you how to create a Picture Frame Pin Cushion to not only hold your pins while you sew, but look pretty too! Say good-bye to that ugly, old tomato pin cushion!

So like I said, I only started sewing recently when I asked my husband for a sewing machine for Christmas. I honestly wanted it to use it for card making and things of that nature, but I had high hopes of eventually learning to actually "sew". I watched my new sewing machine sit in the box for a few months because I was too scared to try to learn how to use it, until one day I finally got it out, stared at it for awhile, looked at the manual, and decided I had no clue what I was doing. How do I thread this thing? What's a bobbin? Why does this have a pedal like a car? I was in way over my head : )

After a few hours and many youTube tutorial videos later, I learned how to get it running and made my first project... Curtains! Go big or go home, right? Now I'm pretty familiar with my little sewing machine, and I have developed a ridiculous obsession with making new pillow covers for almost every season. (Seriously... you can check them out here, here, here and here!)

So now that I can say I have joined the "sewing club", I thought it would be fun to share how to make a Picture Frame Pin Cushion to help keep your pins in check while you sew!

All you need is a picture frame (any shape will do), some fabric, batting, cardboard, hot glue, and of course, pins!

Start by removing the glass and anything else from inside the frame. Place the glass on a piece of cardboard, trace around it, and cut it out. This will be the back of your pin cushion. (You could also use the cardboard insert that came inside your frame if it had one) Now trace around the cushion back onto your fabric, making sure to center the design of your fabric if necessary.

*I found this adorable little pink circle frame in the dollar section at Target (love that store!) and thought it would be the perfect size for a pin cushion. My frame had a piece of plastic instead of glass, so I just used that as my cushion back.

Cut your fabric out and wrap it around your cushion back. Place it into your frame to make sure the insert still fits after adding the thickness of the fabric. If the insert is too tight now, carefully trim around the outside of your cushion back until it is the right size.

Next lay your fabric face down and place a good size ball of batting in the center.

Place your cushion back on top of the batting, and pull your fabric up over the sides. Secure with hot glue all the way around the cushion back, but leave about a 1" gap open on one side. Place your cushion back into the frame to see how it fits, adding extra batting if necessary to make the cushion more full. Once your cushion looks nice and plump, take it out of the frame and finish glueing the fabric around the cushion back.

Put your cushion into the frame again, and close the back of the picture frame. If your cushion is large and you are unable to close the frame, simply replace the frame backing with a piece of card stock or cardboard cut to size and hot glued all around the edges to hold your cushion in place.

Your pin cushion can stand up like a picture frame or lay flat on the table, but either way it will be totally adorable! After finding the picture frame at Target, I made this pin cushion with things I already had at home. Cute, simple, inexpensive, and would make the perfect little gift!

So tell me... Do you sew? When did you learn? Who taught you? I'd love to hear your stories!

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P.S. I'm sharing this post at some awesome link parties... Check them out HERE!

This post has been sponsored by:

The Weary Chef features weekly menus of tasty, quick dinners PLUS kid dinner ideas, bonus recipes, and Friday cocktails! Follow The Weary Chef on Facebook and Twitter to never miss a recipe!

Time to Sparkle Link Party #6

2013-04-22T21:00:00.000-04:00

Hi ya'll! It's been such a fun week celebrating my blog anniversary, and I'm so grateful to all of you who helped me celebrate! On Tuesday, I posted the answers to "Ask Liz" and shared all about my behind-the-scenes blog life. On Wednesday, I shared all my best blogging advice along with blog secrets from some of my buddies! I'm sure you'll recognize a few : ) And Thursday I shared the Easy Vinyl Chalkboard Art I made with my Silhouette. Be sure to check out the amazing Silhouette deals going on right now!

And to make this week even more exciting, I have two awesome giveaways for you!

Enter the Gimme Something Tweet Giveaway for a chance to Pick Your Prize! Choose from a Kindle Fire HD, Silhouette Cameo, or KitchenAid Stand Mixer!

Enter to win a $300 Target Gift Card from your favorite bloggers!

It's been a crazy week here, but I cannot wait to sit back, relax, and see what you've been up to this week! I know you'll blow me out of the water with your creativity!

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