Love Of Family & Home

"Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop #11

2013-05-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday Y'all!!

Thank you for joining us for another week "Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop! Last week was our largest party to date! We had 270 projects linked up!! Thanks to everyone who joined in!!

Browsing through the links of last week's party, I was making me HUNGRY! There were so many delicious looking recipes that were linked up!!

Here are the recipes that caught my eye & are now on my list of things of make! :)

Farmer's Market Pasta Salad via Inspired Healthy Organized

Slow Cooked Spicy Potatoes via At the Corner of Happy & Harried

Buffalo Chicken Wraps via Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Toasted Coconut Pudding Pie via Mostly Homemade Mom

Avocado & Black Bean Chicken Salad via Domestic Bliss Squared

Cheddar Parmesan Bread via Mostly Homemade Mom

Individual 7 Layer Dips via This is Happiness

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up!!

Feel free to grab a button if your project was featured!

Remember to visit your other co-hosts to check out EVEN MORE fabulous features!

Liz Marie Blog

House of Rose

Blissfully Ever After

Just a few rules before we get started this party started....

1. Anything is welcome, as long as it's something YOU have created. (diy, home decor, crafts, recipes, cleaning tips, sewing projects, room makeover, etc.)

2. Keep the content fresh. Please do not link up the same projects week after week or they will be deleted. Also, please do not link up giveaway posts.

3. Please include a text link back to the blog where you linked up (Link to the specific blog post, not the blog home page. ) ONLY THOSE WHO LINK BACK WILL BE FEATURED.

4. Party Hop!! Please visit a few links & leave them some comment love!!

............................................................................................................

We would love to see this party GROW more & more each week, so PLEASE share with your friends!! Tweet, Pin, Facebook & even Instagram your projects, and the party, using the hashtag: #inspiremeplease.

Spring Porch Makeover + $75 Kirkland's Giveaway

2013-05-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

Today, I thought I would share the items that mom & I purchased last week on our little "Mom & Me" shopping date to Kirkland's! I did a full recap of our date HERE in case you missed it! The shopping trip was part of the "Mommy Makeover" campaign that Kirkland's has going on this month. We were so happy to be participating in the campaign & my mom was thrilled to be getting spoiled this Mother's Day!

Mom & I had such a great time browsing through Kirkland's & found SO MANY items that we wanted to take home, but for this trip, my mom was wanting to focus on items that she could use to freshen up her front porch & give it a little makeover for spring/summer.

Here is a look at mom's porch "Before".....

Not too bad.....but not too great either. The space was looking a little bare and wasn't giving the first impression that she wanted for her guests. But, after a quick trip to Kirkland's (and shopping the house a bit), the space looks completely different now.....

Ahhh! Much better!

I don't know about you, but I'm loving this fresh new look! I'm really diggin' the mixture of whites & creams combined with the blue & green accent pieces. It's soft, it's calm, it's beautiful!

The blue linen pillows were added to the white rocking chairs to bring just a touch of color to the space.

We created a couple of vignettes on each side of the door using items that we purchased from Kirkland's, as well as items that mom already had on hand.

This olive metal planter came from Kirkland's as well as the floral arrangements inside of it. We purchased three of these 10 inch arrangements to fill the planter.

Here is a look at the vignette on the opposite side of the door. This one is also a combination of Kirkland's purchases and things we found shopping the house!

I love this adorable hanging chalkboard that we bought. The scalloped edges & the floral cut-outs are just too cute! It hangs perfectly on the rocking chair and is such a great way to write little messages for her guests!

The metal lantern was also a Kirkland's find. We loved the color of it & it tied in perfectly with the other blue/green items we had. It holds three tealight candles, which will create a soft & pretty glow at nighttime.

The hydrangea basket on the front door was another purchase that we made on the day of our shopping trip. I love the way it looks hanging on my mom's front door! The perfect touch of spring! :)

And just because I always love a good "before & after", let's take a look back at where we started once again.....

And what it looks like today.....

LOVE!! :)

Have you spruced up your front porch for spring/summer?!

If not, would you like to?

Would you like to spoil your mom with a little shopping trip to Kirkland's?

How about a $75 gift card to Kirkland's to get you started?!

That's right! Kirkland's is going to provide a $75 gift card to one lucky reader!! Follow the Rafflecopter prompts below for your chance to enter!! Just log-in with your Facebook account! GOOD LUCK!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will end on Friday, 05/17/2013 at 7:00pm CST.
The winner will have 10 days to claim his/her prize. If he or she doesn't respond, a new winner will be drawn.

As always, thanks so much for visiting me today!!

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page

What I Did on My Bloggy Vacation...iPhone Photo Dump

2013-05-10T04:57:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all!

I hope you've had a great week!

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things after taking some time off. Normally, since it's Friday, I would post a "Happily Ever Before & After" feature here on the blog, but since I decided to unplug for the last couple weeks, I haven't been able to come up with any rooms to feature! So, I thought I would switch things up a bit & just share some photos from my little bloggy vacation instead.

I had mentioned a couple weeks ago that we were going to take a little trip north to visit some family, including my little sis....that is how my break started. This was a picture I snapped in the car of the boys & I while we were still sitting in the driveway waiting to take off. I wanted to remember how happy & excited we were to be getting away for a few days, because I knew the look on ~~our~~ my face would be much different after a 5 hour car ride in the backseat with these two!

Overall the car ride their went pretty well. The boys were pretty content watching their movies & eating snacks, but the car ride home was a different story!

Our reason for making the trip north was to attend a wedding reception for my husband's college friend. My sister offered to keep the boys overnight for us, so it was just the hubby & I all dressed up for a night on the town. I decided to break out my coral striped dress for the occasion! I was so happy to have another reason to wear it! You can read more about the dress HERE.

We had such a great night out! It was fun catching up with old friends & dancing all evening. It was especially nice being able to sleep in the next morning....thank you Aunt Cortney for keeping the boys!! YOU ROCK!

This was a photo that my sister sent me that next morning.....

Eating donuts & drinking orange juice from coffee mugs....looks like a great morning to me! I think it's safe to say that these two had a great time with their Aunt!

The next day, the weather was absolutely beautiful & we decided to take advantage with a family trip to the zoo!

We went to the Niabi Zoo near Moline, IL. It is such a nice zoo & the perfect size for little kids. We were able to get through the entire thing in about 2 hours & still got to see so much! Probably one of the favorite parts for the boys was being able to feed the ducks.

We also got to go through a petting zoo & feed goats as well. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of that because I was having to help Griffin quite a bit. He wasn't too keen on the idea at first, but once I gave him the push he needed, he did great! He thought the goats were hilarious!

I did manage to snap a shot of one of the swans near the duck pond. She was busy guarding her eggs. Do you see the size of those things?! CRAZY!

We made our way through the zoo visiting the zebras, giraffes, and monkeys too.

The kids had fun posing as monkeys, checking their wing span & riding the train that went around the entire zoo.

The next day, we made the trip home. We left in the morning, which looking back I think was a mistake. The boys had so much energy and were confined to their carseats. I would have much rather let them burn some of that energy in the morning by taking them to the park or something similar, and then traveled home in the afternoon with the hopes of them taking a nap. They were both so hyper & so LOUD the entire way home that I was feeling a bit like this......

Ready to pull out my hair and in desperate need of some Excedrin! Note to self....no more morning traveling!

The next day I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather we were having in Southern Illinois & do some work outside. So, I made a trip to our local greenhouse to pick up flowers.....

This place is a little bit of heaven on earth. Seriously, if I could move in I would. :) Every square inch covered in beautiful flowers.

I picked up some impatiens, vincas, and a gorgeous hanging basket full of wave petunias....all in different shades of pink! :) I did a TON of work sprucing up the side of our house which I will be sharing in a separate post, probably next week!

I also managed to squeeze in some reading during my time off. I took the advice of my friend Jaime and picked up the 1st book of the Delirium triology back in December.....yeah 5 months ago! I had read a little bit of the book, but hadn't really had time to dig into it. So I took advantage of my time off the computer & finally finished the first book of the trilogy.

I also picked up the 2nd book just a couple days ago & I'm already really enjoying it! If you are looking for a new series to start, and you liked the Hunger Games trilogy, then I really think you would enjoy these books too!

So, that's a recap of my break! Even though we didn't anything too exciting, it was still a great week! There is just something refreshing that comes when we unplug ourselves from the computer every now & then and just live life! Refreshing to take time to appreciate the little things that occur on a daily basis that we sometimes miss when we are consumed with the online world, ya know?

Don't forget that the "Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop is going on NOW! Be sure to stop by & link up your projects!! CLICK HERE.

Thanks so much for visiting me today!! Have a great Friday & a wonderful weekend!

Got anything exciting planned?!

Linking up here....
InstaFriday at Life Rearranged

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page

"Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop #10

2013-05-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!!

It's that time again!! Time to show off all those projects you've been working so hard on lately!! Time for another "Inspire ME Please" Weekend Blog Hop! :)

We would love to see this party GROW & get some more attention, so PLEASE share with your friends!! Tweet, Pin, Facebook & even Instagram your projects, and the party using the hashtag: #inspiremeplease.

We want to get the word out & have as many people participate as possible!! We now have a Pinterest board dedicated to this party & it's features. The board has almost 9,000 followers which is great exposure for your blog!! Also, remember that if you link up with just one of us, your project is seen on all four sites!

Now let's take a minute to check out some of the projects that inspired me last week......

Spring Bedrooms via MT-Tails

Little Blue Truck Party via Earning Our Stripes

Nursery Reveal via 551 East

Spring Front Porch via Little Brags

DIY Chalkboard Napkin Rings via Clean & Scentsible

Bedroom Wall Transformation at Naptime Notebook

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up!!

Feel free to grab a button if your project was featured!

Remember to visit your other co-hosts to check out EVEN MORE fabulous features!

Liz Marie Blog

House of Rose

Blissfully Ever After

Just a few rules before we get started this party started....

1. Anything is welcome, as long as it's something YOU have created. (diy, home decor, crafts, recipes, cleaning tips, sewing projects, room makeover, etc.)

2. Keep the content fresh. Please do not link up the same projects week after week or they will be deleted. Also, please do not link up giveaway posts.

3. Please include a text link back to the blog where you linked up (Link to the specific blog post, not the blog home page. ) ONLY THOSE WHO LINK BACK WILL BE FEATURED.

4. Party Hop!! Please visit a few links & leave them some comment love!!

Mom & Me Date...Window Shopping at Kirkland's

2013-05-08T09:53:00.000-05:00

Disclosure:I received compensation for my Mommy Makeover blog post. Kirkland's partnered with several bloggers like me to raise brand awareness in the month of May. All purchases and content are on my own accord and reflect my personal opinion and style. Kirkland's blogger outreach policies abide by the WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. For official Kirkland's giveaway rules, visit http://www.kirklands.com/content.jsp?pageName=blogger_rules-03.

Hey Friends!

Well, I'm finally back from my little bloggy break! You may have noticed that I decided to extend my "vacation" for a couple more days & took the first part of this week off as well. I opened my computer Monday morning & tried to put a post together & I just couldn't do it!

My time off was lovely! I spent time with my family, worked out in our yard, planted flowers, & even managed to read a book. I must say, that getting back to "work" with this little blog was much harder than I anticipated it would be. Luckily, I had a little incentive thanks to Kirkland's.

Kirkland's is teaming up with several bloggers during the month of May for their "Mommy Makeover" campaign. They contacted me several weeks ago asking me if I'd like to spoil my mom with some Kirkland's products this Mother's Day. Since I love my momma and we BOTH love Kirkland's, I answered quickly with a "YES, Please!"

If you follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook, then you know that mom & I made a trip to Kirkland's yesterday. We were greeted with a burst of beautiful, vibrant colors upon walking into the store.

I'm not a huge butterfly person, but this Lavina Butterfly Canvas Art was beautiful! I could see this piece on an outdoor patio with some coordinating throw pillows to create a bright & colorful space for outdoor entertaining. You can see, underneath the canvas, that Kirkland's also has lots of little accessories that would work perfectly with this piece. So many possibilities!

I don't know if you have noticed but succulent terrariums are all the rage in blogland right now. It seems like every week I come across a new tutorial! So, naturally I was drawn to these little cuties when we walked in.....

These Succulent Plant Terrariums are adorable & for just $16.99 you can skip all the hassle of making your own & never have to worry about your succulents dying! SCORE!

My mom & I both loved this little Hydrangea Wall Pocket. I think it would be perfect hanging on anyone's front door....perfect for spring/summer!

I've been admiring these lanterns for quite some time now. I've tried finding them on Kirkland's online site, but have been unsuccessful. I'm guessing they are no longer available on line & are an in-store item only. Somehow hanging them from the ceiling makes them even more adorable! Love them!

This 3-Shelf Wood Plant Stand with Chalkboard would be great on a front porch or back patio during the spring & summer months. Imagine it all dolled up with flower pots & plants! You could also transform it in the fall by adding pumpkins & mums! So cute! The chalkboard at the top is the perfect added touch...add a little message to greet your guests as they approach your front door.

This Wooden Starburst Wall Plaque may have been my favorite find during our little shopping trip yesterday! So cute!! I'm still trying to think of where I could hang it!

I love the look of these Sea Green Wood & Metal Wall Panels. The color is beautiful & I love the vintage feel they have. These would also look great outside, serving as shutters and framing out a large window. Can you see it?

I thought these Cedar Triple Ball Topiaries were pretty darn cute as well. They would be a great way to add some spring to your front entry!

I'm kind of obsessed with this Distressed Cream Sadie Arch Mirror. GORGEOUS!!

I've also been eyeing this Wood Storage Mail Sorter for quite some time. I'm always looking for ways to organize our mail....why not take advantage of these cute storage solutions?!

If you have visited Kirkland's before, then you know that they also have a wide selection of lamps throughout the store. They have so many options in terms of lighting & their prices can't be beat! If you can't find what you are looking for in the store, you are sure to find something on their online site.

I found so many furniture pieces throughout the store that I wanted to take home with me! I had to lump them in one large collage in order to get them all in! They have so many fun, stylish, and AFFORDABLE pieces! If you are looking for an accent chair or table, you are sure to find something at Kirklands! They have a wide variety of colors and patterns to fit your decor.

I wanted to also tell you about Kirkland's Spin-To-Win App!

Have you heard about this?!

Basically, you can get a new Kirkland's coupon each day. (I know....like you needed another excuse to shop daily, right?) You download the FREE app to your smart phone, spin the wheel daily, & voila....instant savings! Just hand your phone over to the cashier at check-out, he or she scans your phone, and you save money! How awesome is that?! If you have a Kirkland's in your area, I would highly recommend downloading this app ASAP! The coupons are good in-store only.

Thanks to the spin-to-win app, mom & I were able to get $10 off any purchase of $50 or more!! We made it out of the store with lots goodies!!

I can't wait to show you what we got!!

Be sure to come back & check out our "Mommy Makeover" reveal post! I'll be sharing all the items that we purchased & I may even have a gift for one of my readers, so that you can spoil your mom too!! :)

Do you have a Kirkland's in your area?

Which item from our shopping trip is your favorite?

As always, thanks so much for visiting me today!!

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page

"Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop #9

2013-05-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends!!

I hope you all are having a great week!

I know it's been quiet around these parts for the past few days....sorry about that! If you follow me on Facebook, then you know that I decided to take a little bloggy vacation! I have so much going on this week & decided that something just had to give! I hope you all understand!

Although I have spent most of the week unplugged, I have been able to squeeze in a few outdoor projects throughout the course of this week. I'm really excited with how they've turned out & I'm looking forward to sharing those with you all real soon!

Until then, check out these fabulous features from last week's "Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop!

Gray & White Campaign Nightstand via The Weathered Door

Outdoor Tin Accent Wall via Crafty Texas Girls

Painted Blue Porch Ceiling via Southern State of Mind

DIY Fence Gate via Confessions of a Serial DIYer

Board & Batten Tutorial via The Turquoise Home

DIY Gold Dipped Vase via Two Twenty One

DIY Pallet Frame via Making Home Base

Thanks so much to everyone who linked up!!

Feel free to grab a button if your project was featured!

Remember to visit your other co-hosts to check out even MORE fabulous features!

Liz Marie Blog

House of Rose

Blissfully Ever After

Just a few rules before we get started this party started....

1. Anything is welcome, as long as it's something YOU have created. (diy, home decor, crafts, recipes, cleaning tips, sewing projects, room makeover, etc.)

2. Keep the content fresh. Please do not link up the same projects week after week or they will be deleted. Also, please do not link up giveaway posts.

3. Please include a text link back to the blog where you linked up (Link to the specific blog post, not the blog home page. ) ONLY THOSE WHO LINK BACK WILL BE FEATURED.

4. Party Hop!! Please visit a few links & leave them some comment love!!

Happily Ever Before & After Week 27: Back Patio Makeover via Beneath My Heart

2013-04-26T06:04:00.006-05:00

Happy Friday Friends!!

I don't know about all of you, but this week has been a long week for me! I am SO looking forward to the weekend....we are leaving later this afternoon for a little weekend get-away and I'm so excited!!

We will be visiting some family up north & also making a trip to see my sister on Saturday as well! If you have been following this blog for some time, you may remember her little fixer-upper that I blogged about last summer. Her & her fiance bought the house & have been busy making improvements to it. I'm excited to see the changes that they've made & also help her with a little project that she has been working on. More details on that to come!

To read more about Cortney's fixer-upper, click HERE and HERE.

In other news, I have another fabulous outdoor room to share with you today as part of my Happily Ever Before & After series!! This beautiful back patio makeover comes to you courtesy of Traci at Beneath My Heart. Traci was one of the first home bloggers to reach out to me when I started this little blog a couple years back. I had the pleasure of rooming with her at Blissdom last year & got to hang out with her at Haven as well. She is one of the sweetest people I've ever met & SO, SO down to earth! Her & her husband, Cy, are a couple of DIY Rockstars & are busy transforming an old brick ranch-style home that they bought almost two years ago. They have completely renovated the kitchen & have just finished up with a brand new guest bathroom. In addition, they have busy working on a new addition to the home which includes a GORGEOUS new master bathroom that you MUST check out as well!

The outdoor space that I'm gonna share with you today is actually part of their old house. Here is a look at the "Before" photo.

As you can see, the space was already beautiful! It's obvious that Traci had a great space for entertaining, but she knew this outdoor room had more potential & was ready to give the space a little more character. So her, and her husband Cy, worked their DIY magic on this space & completely transformed the way it looked.

Let's take a look at the "After" photo, shall we?!

GORGEOUS!!

Can you spot the differences in these two photos? The biggest difference, and perhaps the thing that added the most character to the space, is the new "tile" stained concrete! How awesome is that?! Yes, Traci & Cy taped off the concrete patio to make it look like tile & then stained it to create this faux tile look. So fabulous!!

You can also see that Traci brought in all kinds of new decorative touches to the space with new throw pillows, a new rug, adorable little lanterns, and much, much more!!

PLEASE take the opportunity to visit Traci's blog today to see even more beautiful photos of this space! She shares so many before & after shots & gives you a closer look at all the other details in this space! I promise you won't be disappointed!!

To see more photos of this outdoor room CLICK HERE.

Looking for more room makeover inspiration?!

Be sure to check out my "Happily Ever Before & After" Page.

Gotta makeover that you would like to see featured in this segment?!
Email me: tdiehl2005 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Don't forget that the "Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop is going on NOW.

Click HERE to add your project to this week's linky party.

Thanks so much for stopping by!! I hope you all have a great weekend!!

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram!

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page.

"Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop #8

2013-04-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends!

Thanks for joining us for another week of "Inspire Me Please!" Are you guys enjoying this weekly link-up?! I sure hope so!

Week after week you guys continue to bring the AWESOME!! I always look forward to browsing through the links & spotlighting a few of my favorites projects. Here are a few that caught my eye....

Duck Cloth Spring Wreath via Made In A Day

Mother's Day Wreath via home.made.

Cutesy Curly Paper Wreath via Creative Capital B

Antique Sewing Table Makeover via P.S. I'll Paint You

Side Table Makeover via Daisy Mae Belle

Grain Sack Inspired Mini Burlap Pouch via The Wood Grain Cottage

Embroidery Hoop Wall Art via Uncommon Designs

DIY Stacked Herb Garden via Fancy Frugal Life

Spring Front Porch via Daisy Mae Belle

Chocolate Pistachio Cake via Root & Blossom

Best Carrot Cake Recipe Ever via Better With Age

Feel free to grab a button if your project was featured!

Remember to visit your other co-hosts to check out even more fabulous features!

Liz Marie Blog

House of Rose

Blissfully Ever After

Just a few rules before we get started this party started....

1. Anything is welcome, as long as it's something YOU have created. (diy, home decor, crafts, recipes, cleaning tips, sewing projects, room makeover, etc.)

2. Keep the content fresh. Please do not link up the same projects week after week or they will be deleted. Also, please do not link up giveaway posts.

3. Please include a text link back to the blog where you linked up (Link to the specific blog post, not the blog home page. ) ONLY THOSE WHO LINK BACK WILL BE FEATURED.

4. Party Hop!! Please visit a few links & leave them some comment love!!

What I Wore: Crochet Dress

2013-04-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Crochet Dress: JCPenney

Denim Jacket: Kohls

Boots: Payless

Sunglasses: Walmart

If you follow my blog on a somewhat consistent basis, or if you have been reading these "What I Wore" posts for the past few weeks, you probably have noticed a trend happening....

I'm kinda on a dress kick.

To be honest, as soon as the weather gets warm I usually start wearing dresses! They are pretty much a staple in my spring/summer wardrobe. They're lightweight, they're comfortable, and the thing I like most about them?! They are one piece!! No more figuring out what pants/shorts to wear with what top....just throw on a dress & you're done! Add some shoes & a few little accessories & call it day! LOVE it!

My favorite places to buy dresses for spring & summer are Target, Old Navy, and yes, even Walmart. I bought several knit dresses at Walmart last summer for just $10.00 a piece. They are great for casual, every day wear.

This particular dress was purchased at JCPenney a couple years ago. I always pair it with the denim jacket you see in these photos & a pair of boots.....it brings out my inner cowgirl. I dig it! :)

Do you like to wear to dresses in the spring/summer?!

I'm curious, where are some of your favorite places to buy?

Linking up here....

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2013-04-22T10:15:00.001-05:00

Hey Friends!

I hope you all had a beautiful weekend!

This recipe that I am going to share with you today has been in our family for several years now. It's a recipe that my mom got from a friend, and it has become one of our family's favorite go-to desserts! We have called it "Baked Cheesecake" for as long as I can remember, but when I started researching it online just a week or so ago, I discovered that it actually as a different name. It's called Sopapilla Cheesecake and it is DIVINE!

Ingredients:
2 pkg crescent rolls
2 pkg cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate egg & place egg white aside. Combine cream cheese, vanilla, egg yolk, and sugar in a large bowl, mix well, and set aside.

Spray bottom of 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and line bottom of dish with one package of crescent rolls. Brush crescent rolls with egg white and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar. Spread in cream cheese mixture. Add 2nd package of crescent rolls on top. Brush top layer with egg whites & sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar again.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

So, not only is this dessert fantastic, but it's also super easy to make!

I personally like it best when it's warm & fresh out of the oven, but I've also been known to eat it cold days later.

Don't tell anyone but I've actually been letting the boys eat it for breakfast for the past couple of days. It's kinda like a cream cheese danish....which is totally acceptable for breakfast.....Right?!

One thing is for sure.....whether you are taking this to your next family gathering or your next potluck at work, it's guaranteed to be a hit!

You might even find yourself eating it for breakfast! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me today! I hope you enjoy!!

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page

Linking up here...
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage
Hookin' Up with House of Hepworths
Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush
I'm Lovin' It at Tidy Mom

Happily Ever Before & After Week 26: Screened-In Porch Makeover via It All Started With Paint

2013-04-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends!!

Happy Friday to you all!

I was thinking....

Now that spring is upon us, and so many of us are looking for ways to spruce up our outdoor spaces, that maybe it might be fun to start featuring some outdoor rooms as part of my Happily Ever Before & After series! Would you all like that?

When I began thinking of outdoor spaces that I've seen in & around blogland, I immediately thought of Linda from It All Started With Paint. Linda did an incredible transformation of her screened-in porch last spring & I thought it would be a great room to feature to kick off this series of outdoor spaces!

Here is a look at Linda's porch "Before."

A pretty space with TONS of potential, but lacking color & personality. Luckily, Linda saw the potential in this porch. She had the eye & the creativity to bring it to life!

Here is a look at Linda's porch "After."

Gorgeous!

I don't know about you, but I would L-O-V-E to sit on this porch.....maybe to drink my morning coffee, have a romantic dinner with my hubby, or just curl up in one of the chairs with a glass of lemonade & a good book! How about you?!

We talked about how this space lacked color & personality before, but Linda quickly changed that by adding loads of beautiful fabrics & plants to the room. Between all of the throw pillows, her beautiful tablescape, and the gorgeous flowers she solved the lack of color problem in a jiffy! I also LOVE that she added the white draperies to the corners of the room. They soften the space, add just the right amount drama, and really make this porch feel more like a room!

Be sure to head on over to Linda's blog to check out even more beautiful pictures of this space! There is lots more to see including some DIY artwork, a little herb garden, & more detailed shots of the tablescape that you won't want to miss!!

To see more photos of this room CLICK HERE.

Looking for more room makeover inspiration?!

Be sure to check out my "Happily Ever Before & After" Page.

Gotta makeover that you would like to see featured in this segment?!
Email me: tdiehl2005 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Don't forget that the "Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop is going on NOW.

"Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop #7

2013-04-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

Well, another week has come & gone!!

Is it just me, or does Thursday night roll around quick?!

It's time for another "Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop! Are you ready to get those creative juices flowing?!

Last week's party was AWESOME!! There were so many fabulous projects & recipes linked up! Here are a few of my favorites.....

DIY Photo Frame Tutorial via It's Overflowing

Faucet Facelift with Spray Paint via Bonfires & Wine

DIY Desk Makeover via Bliss At Home

DIY Wood Canvas Arrow Art via Life We Live 4

Front Door Flower Basket via Design, Dining, & Diapers

Lemon Meringue Pie Rice Krispy Treats via Plucky's Second Thought

Strawberry White Chocolate Chip Coffe Cake Muffins via Will Cook For Smiles

Sweet Dough Lemon Loafs via Twigg Studios

Blackberry Ice Cream Soda via Barns & Noodles

Big thanks to EVERYONE who linked up!! Your creativity inspires me week after week!!

Feel free to grab a button if your project was featured!

Remember to visit your other co-hosts to check out even more fabulous features!

Liz Marie Blog

House of Rose

Blissfully Ever After

Just a few rules before we get started this party started....

1. Anything is welcome, as long as it's something YOU have created. (diy, home decor, crafts, recipes, cleaning tips, sewing projects, room makeover, etc.)

2. Keep the content fresh. Please do not link up the same projects week after week or they will be deleted. Also, please do not link up giveaway posts.

3. Please include a text link back to the blog where you linked up (Link to the specific blog post, not the blog home page. ) ONLY THOSE WHO LINK BACK WILL BE FEATURED.

4. Party Hop!! Please visit a few links & leave them some comment love!!

What I Wore: Navy & Lace

2013-04-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Dress: Forever 21

Boots: Payless

Bracelet: Threads via The Shine Project

I bought this dress at Forever 21 last spring when we were in Chicago. I wore it for the first time when we were on vacation last summer in Vancouver and loved how comfortable it was. However, that trip was in July of last year & up until last month, the dress had just been sitting in my closet. When I was packing for Blissdom & looking for things to wear, I found it! I had completely forgotten about it, but was so glad to be able to add it to my wardrobe options for the conference.

Don't you love when you find something fabulous in your closet that you forgot you had?! It's like its brand new all over again!

When we were in Vancouver, I paired the dress with some nude heels and had intended on wearing the nude heels again at the conference, but given the fact that we were gonna be doing some major walking in the hotel, I asked my friend Mandy if I could wear my boots with the dress instead.

She responded with "I just assumed you were wearing the boots!"

That was all I needed to hear! Moral of the story, I LOVE that this dress can go either way! If I need it to be dressy, I just throw on some heels, but if I want a casual, everyday kind of look I can pair it with my boots!

I also love the lace detail around the neckline & on the backside of the dress as well. It's the perfect feminine touch!

And did I mention the dress has pockets?! EVERY dress should have pockets! LOVE them!

Have you found something in your closet recently that you forgot you had?

p.s. Sorry I am squinting in half of these photos! I didn't realize I was doing it until I got home & got the photos uploaded to the computer! Guess it was brighter that day than I thought!

Linking up here....

Vintage Toy Inspired Boys Bedroom

2013-04-16T09:52:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends!

I thought I would take a minute today & share with you an adorable room at my mom's house. When my sister moved out several years ago, my mom decided she would use Cortney's room as a nursery/kids room for my boys.

My mom wanted to go with a "vintage toys" theme for the room & it couldn't have turned out any cuter! Sadly, I don't have pictures of the room when it was a nursery, but I finally got my rear in gear & took some photos of how it looks today....

Since both of my boys have grown out of the crib stage, my mom & dad recently purchased a queen size bed for this room. Now the boys can share a bed when they come & stay all night. They already had the headboard, so after purchasing the mattress it was time to get some new bedding!

My mom didn't want to spend a lot of money on the bedding and she wanted to go pretty neutral. There was already so much going on in the room in terms of the accessories, that it was important to keep the bedding pretty plain. She ended up finding the tan comforter at Walmart, the navy blue bedskirt at Goodwill, and then she made all of the pillow shams herself.

There really is SO MUCH to see in this room....so many little details in terms of all the chotskies! I think I will just let the pictures do the talking for the most part & chime in only when I need to!

You can see the theme of "vintage toys" loud in clear in all of the accessories throughout the room. There are litte vignettes everywhere....

Raggedy Ann Dolls and rocking horses....

The little shelves above the windows were built by my dad. You can see by looking at the picture below, that the curtain rod is built into the shelf....so cute!!

More vintage toy decor in this little tricycle....

My mom bought a few of the furniture pieces in this room at yard sales and thrift stores & painted them the red color you see here. The "Rock-a-bye Baby" was a custom order vinyl from Uppercase Living. Griffin made his way into a lot of these photos, because he happened to be playing in the room while I was taking these pictures. I don't know about you, but I think he makes a nice little photo prop! :)

Here is a look at the room from the opposite corner. The red dresser you see in this photo, was one that she had when my sister lived at home. She painted it red to match the rest of the room, then mod podged brown paper to the drawer fronts & stenciled numbers on the front of each one. You can't really see it in this photo, but the also used an antiquing medium to give the paper an aged look & add a little more character.

These old suitcases were a yard sale find & kinda serve as a nightstand on the side of the bed. I love the way she has them decorated....probably one of my favorite things in the room!

Airplanes...

And toy soldiers....

My mom also made the curtains in this room. She used a navy blue ticking fabric and purchased these adorable star tie-backs.

You can see that the room is totally kid approved....

Well, that pretty much wraps up the tour!

What is your favorite thing about this space?

As always, thanks so much for visiting me today!! I hope you all have a blessed Tuesday!

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page

Linking up here...
Tutorials & Tips Tuesday at Home Stories A to Z
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage
Hookin' Up with House of Hepworths
Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush
Weekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots & Jello

Brown Sugar Lemon Squares

2013-04-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!

If you follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook, then you probably saw that I was doing a little baking a few nights ago. I told you all that if the recipe turned out good, that I would share it on the blog. Well, good news....the hubby gave it two thumbs up! If you are a fan of lemon flavored desserts, then I think you'll probably like this one as well!

These Brown Sugar Lemon Squares are just a little bit tart & just a little bit sweet...it's the perfect blend! I actually got this recipe from a insert called "Relish" that was in our local newspaper. I found out later after reading it a bit more that they actually have a website that you can check out HERE. If you are looking for the direct link to this particular recipe, you can find it HERE.

Ingredients for Crust:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) frozen butter
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Using the large holes of a cheese grater, grate the frozen butter and add it to the flour mixture.

Using a fork, mix the butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. I had to check Google images to see what coarse meal actually looked like, so I thought I would provide you with an image so you that you don't have to do the same. Some of you more experienced bakers out there already know what it looks like! :)

Then pour the butter/flour mixture into an ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking dish, spread it out & press it into the dish using your fingers. Bake for 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Filling:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cup sugar

Combine above ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well. When crust is done baking, add filling to the top of the warm crust. Bake for another 20 minutes or until filling is set/firm. Set aside to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

I had several good shots that I took for this post, so I couldn't help but share them all! Don't worry, I did narrow it down to my favorites.

I think I have a new obsession with food photography!! It's so fun!!

Now, excuse me while I go search for another recipe to whip up JUST so I can photograph it later! :)

Do you like lemon flavored desserts?!

Will you be giving this one a try?

Thanks so much for visiting me today! I hope you have a great day!

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Happily Ever Before & After Week 25: Big Girl Bedroom via The Lily Pad Cottage

2013-04-12T05:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday Friends!!

I'm so excited about today's Happily Ever Before & After feature!! You guys are gonna LOVE this room!!

Today's makeover comes to you courtesy of Kelly via The Lily Pad Cottage. She has a beautiful blog where she shares her love for all things home decor and DIY. She also shares a few recipes every now & then! I took some time to browse through her site earlier this week & was so impressed with her talent & creativity. Trust me when I say....you are TOTALLY gonna want make sure you head on over to her blog when you leave here & check out all of her fabulous creations!

Kelly is a stay-at-home mom of two. Her daughter, Chloe, recently turned 5 years old & was in need of "big girl room." Here is a look at the room "Before."

Okay....even the "Before" space is adorable! Yes?!

When Chloe was 3, Kelly took her to the paint store & let her choose the color for her walls. As you can see, she went with "Bubblegum Pink." Kelly, however, was not a big fan of the wall color & given the fact that Chloe was getting older, they both were ready for a little change.

Shall we take a look at the "After" photo?!

Seriously BEAUTIFUL!!

I LOVE so many things about this room!! First of all, the new aqua wall color is perfection! It sets the tone for the space and all of the bright & fun accessories! The spray-painted magenta bed is FABULOUS. I love how it coordinates perfectly with all of the cute patterns Kelly used for the bedding!

I also ADORE all of the artwork above the bed! Kelly actually painted those signs herself after being inspired by some similar paintings via Pottery Barn. How amazing is that?! She shared the full tutorial for the paintings HERE if you want to check them out.

As always, this is just a glimpse of the room! PLEASE make sure you head on over to Kelly's blog to check out the rest!!

To see more photos of this room CLICK HERE.

Looking for more room makeover inspiration?!

Be sure to check out my "Happily Ever Before & After" Page.

Gotta makeover that you would like to see featured in this segment?!
Email me: tdiehl2005 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Don't forget that the "Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop is going on NOW.

"Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop #6

2013-04-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends!!

Thanks for joining us for another week of "Inspire Me Please." If you are new here, this linky party is hosted on four different blogs. If you link-up with one of us, your project is visible on all four sites! It's a great way to drive traffic to your blog & get your creativity recognized! We welcome home decor/DIY projects, crafts, cleaning tips, sewing projects, and/or room makeovers. Basically if you've been creative in any way shape or form.....we want to see what you've been working on!!

In addition to hosting the party, each of us also feature some of our favorites from the previous week's party. Here are a few projects that caught my eye.

Book Page Flowering Branch Tutorial via An Extraordinary Day

Sunday Brunch Tablescape via Megan Brooke Handmade Blog

Spoon & Pallet Hook Rack via The Wood Grain Cottage

Master Closet Renovation via Living Rich On Less

Feel free to grab a button if your project was featured!

Remember to visit your other co-hosts to check out even more fabulous features!

Liz Marie Blog

House of Rose

Blissfully Ever After

Just a few rules before we get started this party started....

1. Anything is welcome, as long as it's something YOU have created. (diy, home decor, crafts, recipes, cleaning tips, sewing projects, room makeover, etc.)

2. Keep the content fresh. Please do not link up the same projects week after week or they will be deleted. Also, please do not link up giveaway posts.

3. Please include a text link back to the blog where you linked up (Link to the specific blog post, not the blog home page. ) ONLY THOSE WHO LINK BACK WILL BE FEATURED.

4. Party Hop!! Please visit a few links & leave them some comment love!!

9 Ways To Spruce Up Your Home's Exterior

2013-04-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

With spring FINALLY upon us, it's time to start thinking of ways to spruce up the exterior of our homes! Over the course of the last two years, I have shared several easy & inexpensive outdoor projects that you can do to bring color & curb appeal to your home.

Many of the these projects can be completed over the course of the weekend, some of them can be done in an afternoon! No matter how much time is involved, one thing is for sure, your home and your yard will benefit from any or ALL of these projects.

A couple years ago I decided that I'd finally had enough of this side of our house. It was the side of the house that we threw all of our crap on when we didn't know what else to do with it! After an afternoon of hardwork and some good ole fashion elbow grease, I managed to clean up the side of the house & plant some flowers. I also added shutters to the window and my husband built me a window box to add even more flowers! After a couple of months the flowers really started to fill in & the side of the house went from being a complete eyesore to being absolutely beautiful!

To Learn More Click HERE

Last summer we were determined to revamp our back patio. We had stained it a few years back, but it was in major need of a facelift. After just a few hours, it looked brand new! If you are looking to re-finish your deck this spring/summer be sure to check out the link below!

To Learn More Click HERE

After we moved into our house back in 2005, we built a small outdoor shed to house our lawnmower, weed eater, and other yard tools. It stayed looking white for a couple of years & then I finally decided to give it a little character. I painted it and with the help of my husband, we added some fabulous landscaping to really make it shine. I also added some little lanterns to the front to give it a little more character. :)

To Learn More Click HERE

I decided that my little "window" (which is actually a mirror) on the side of the shed also need a little something extra, so we built some shutters with some scrap wood we had on hand. You can see a full tutorial by checking out the link below.

To Learn More Click HERE

Last year in an attempt to beautify the back of the house I wanted to camouflage this little eyesore that had been bugging me for some time. A little primer, a little paint later.....now you see, now you don't!

To Learn More Click HERE

Last year while trying to create our little backyard retreat, I was trying to find ways to save money & work with what we had as much as possible. Instead of buying all new flower pots, I decided to spray paint our existing pots & give them new life. I love the way they turned out! Even after sitting out all winter long, these babies are still looking fabulous!! I'm so pleased with how they've held up!

To Learn More Click HERE

I also wanted to add character & charm to the back of our home last year. Shutters are always my solution for that! So many people put shutters on the front of their homes, but always neglect the back side of the house. Just some cheap shutters from Lowes & a little paint and VOILA! Character, charm and COLOR!!

To Learn More Click HERE

We also added window boxes to the back of the house and this time shared a full tutorial!! These babies are so easy to make even a beginner carpenter could whip them up! They are also extremely inexpensive. Click on the link below for your step-by-step guide!

To Learn More Click HERE

And last but not least, nothing spruces up a home's exterior like a little outdoor retreat. Check out all the details of our backyard makeover and see how we transformed this space on a budget!

To Learn More Click HERE.

Are you looking forward to sprucing up your home's exterior this spring/summer?

What projects do you have planned?

Thanks so much for visiting me today! I hope you have a great day!

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page

What I Wore: Striped Dress

2013-04-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Dress: TJ Maxx

Nude Heels: Payless (last summer)

Bracelet: Threads via The Shine Project

I bought this dress a couple months ago at TJ Maxx with plans of wearing it at Blissdom. Every year, the conference puts on/hosts a "girls night out" party, which usually requires that we dress up a little bit. The dress was cute and comfortable and super affordable at just $29.99! I couldn't pass it up!

However, my girlfriends and I opted to skip out on the party this year and hang out at the hotel instead. We were all dead tired from traveling & from the hustle & bustle of the conference. Although I was happy to be staying in for the evening & spending time with new friends, I was sad that my cute & comfy new dress had to sit in my suitcase instead of making it's big debut! So, to make up for it, I decided to wear it to church on Easter Sunday.

I really love this dress! The coral-ey orange color is perfect for spring and I love how flattering the cinched-in ribbon waist is. Anything that makes my waist look smaller is a plus in my book! Also...did I mention it was comfy?! I'm definitely going to have to come up with a few more occasions to wear this number!

What did you wear on Easter Sunday?

Have you purchased any cute & comfy dresses for spring lately?

Linking up here......

Cool & Easy Strawberry Pie with Homemade Graham Cracker Crust

2013-04-08T12:02:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all!

I have a delicious pie recipe to share with you today! It's light, it's refreshing & it's perfect for spring! My mother-in-law made it over Easter weekend and because it was SO DELICIOUS, I had to make another one the following week! :)

The recipe for the pie filling actually came from the Kraft website, but what makes the pie REALLY yummy is the homemade graham cracker crust recipe that came from my husband's grandmother. YUM!!

Cool & Easy Strawberry Pie Filling

1- 3 oz. package strawberry flavored gelatin

1- 8 oz. container of cool whip topping

2 cups of chopped strawberries

2/3 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cold water

Ice cubes

Empty 3 oz. container of strawberry gelatin powder into a large bowl. Boil 2/3 cup water & add to gelatin. Stir gelatin powder until completely dissolved.

Then, take 1/2 cup cold water & add enough ice cubes to make 1 cup. Add to gelatin mix. Stir until gelatin is slightly thickened. Remove left-over ice cubes.

Using a whisk, add in cool whip. Stir until strawberry gelatin & cool whip are thoroughly mixed. Then, stir in diced strawberries. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until mixture is thick & will mound into pie crust.

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/3 cups crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup melted butter

Using a rolling pin, crush graham crackers until you have the desired amount. Place crushed graham crackers, brown sugar, & cinnamon in a medium sized bowl & stir well with fork, mixing dry ingredients thoroughly. Add in melted butter & stir until graham cracker mixture is completely coated in butter. Press into pie pan.

Add pie filling into pie crust. Refrigerate 6 hours or until firm. Add a dollop of cool whip & sliced strawberries (optional) to top of pie before serving. Enjoy! :)

Thanks so much for visiting me today! I hope you have a great day!

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page

The Heart Improvement Project

2013-04-07T08:01:00.002-05:00

Hey Friends!

I hope you all are having a lovely weekend! The weather has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL here! We spent a lot of time outside yesterday & I'm hoping to do more of the same after church this afternoon! :)

Today I'm turning the floor over to a friend of mine. I had the pleasure of meeting Susan from Living Rich on Less at Blissdom last year & got to spend even more time getting to know her at Haven last fall. She is such a sweetheart & a very talented blogger! Be sure to check out her site for tons of great tips on decorating, organizing, and home/life improvement! She has so much to offer! Susan also recently wrote an e-book called "The Heart Improvement Project" and she is here to tell you a little bit about it today. She may even have a free gift for you! :)

Mandy, Susan, & I

Hi! I'm Susan from Living Rich on Less and I'm thrilled Tonya is letting me share a special gift with you today. I first met Tonya at Blissdom last year. She is sweet and funny and, as I'm sure you know, she makes awesome crafts. In fact, I remember during Haven last year, she and her mom worked on sewing projects during the conference. They had their own mini sweat shop going on in their hotel room!

Tonya and I share the same love of DIY projects and the same faith, and we both try to infuse "heart improvement" topics into our posts periodically. I just finished writing an e-book titled "The Heart Improvement Project: 5 Steps to Overcoming Obstacles and Building the Life you Crave." I thought it would be a great book to offer to Love of Family and Home readers, so I'm giving it away to all of you for FREE.

In this book, I write about what actions you should take to meet your goals and get where you want to go in life. Here's a brief summary of what I cover:

Chapter 1: Silence the ticking clock - Find out how to identify setbacks and devise a plan to overcome them to create positive, forward momentum.

Chapter 2: Love your kitchen sink - Learn to look past what you can't change and develop a grateful heart.

Chapter 3: Do some dumpster diving - Discover your true calling and look for opportunities to use your skills and desires to do the work you were designed to do.

Chapter 4: Become a finish carpenter - Find out what's holding you back from meeting your goals, and defeat procrastination for good.

Chapter 5: Share your blueprints - Learn how to increase your success and broaden your scope of influence by empowering others to achieve greatness.

Whether you're stuck in a rut or just want to take your life to the next level, this book is a must read. And the best part? As I mentioned earlier, it is 100 percent, totally and completely FREE! It's my gift to you.

So grab a cup of coffee (and a cookie if you have a sweet tooth like me :)) and dig in. The book is 26 pages long, so it won't take too much time to get through it. (Trust me; I know how busy you are.) But despite its size, it is jam-packed with information and action items you can use time and again.

You can get your free copy by visiting my home page here and entering your email address in the box on the right sidebar. You'll immediately receive an email confirmation with a copy of the book attached. (Privacy guarantee: I will never share your email address with anyone else.)

Tonya, thanks so much for letting me stop by to share this gift. Happy reading!

"Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop #5

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

Hey Friends!

I hope y'all are having a great week!! :)

It's time for another "Inspire Me Please" Weekend Blog Hop and I can't wait to see what you've been working on!!

Before we start the party, I wanted to take a minute to spotlight some of my favorites from last week! Please take a minute & check out the following features!

Looking for a new recipe to try? Here are 6 sweet treats to satisfy your sweet tooth!!

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right:

Milky Way Stuffed Krispie Treats via Semi Homemade Mom

Semi Homemade Carrot Cake via Axell's Kitchen

Sheep Cupcakes via A Typical English Home

Reese's Pie via Happy, Healthy, Domestic

Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Bars via Will Cook For Smiles

Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free Fig Newtons via Domestic Bliss Squared

If you need some inspiration for your next DIY/Decorating project, be sure to check out these great projects too!

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right:

Craft Room Reveal via Thrifty Decor Mom

Making A Cottage via Little Cottage on The Pond

DIY Jewelry Storage via Beautiful Matters

IKEA Stool Makeover via Dixie Delights

DIY Feather Art via Bliss At Home

Beach Sign Tutorial via Artsy Chicks Rule

Feel free to grab a button if your project was featured!

My lovely co-hosts & I split up last week's links, so be sure to visit their blogs to see more features!!

Liz Marie Blog

House of Rose

Blissfully Ever After

Just a few rules before we get started this party started....

1. Anything is welcome, as long as it's something YOU have created. (diy, home decor, crafts, recipes, cleaning tips, sewing projects, room makeover, etc.)

2. Keep the content fresh. Please do not link up the same projects week after week or they will be deleted. Also, please do not link up giveaway posts.

3. Please include a text link back to the blog where you linked up (Link to the specific blog post, not the blog home page. ) ONLY THOSE WHO LINK BACK WILL BE FEATURED.

4. Party Hop!! Please visit a few links & leave them some comment love!!

Stop & Smell The Roses Vlog: A Few of My Favorite Products for Spring

2013-04-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all!!

My friend Mandy from House of Rose is having her monthly "Stop & Smell The Roses" vlog link-up party today! Because I hate to miss a good party, I thought I would shoot a quick vlog & share a few products that I've been loving lately!

1.) Favorite Scent: Light Blue from Dolce & Gabbana

2.) Favorite Spring Necklace: Teardrop Necklace via Caroline G. Shop Her shop is closed at this time, but will re-open on April 8th. To see the color options available in this necklace & to see more from her shop, you can check her out on Facebook. If you are wondering, I am wearing the mint (color #10) necklace despite the fact that it looks green in the photo above.

3.) Favorite Self-Tanner: L'oreal Sublime Bronze Mist. I forgot to mention in my video that Mandy was actually the person who recommended this product to me! Thanks Mandy!

What are some of your favorite products for spring?

Got a favorite product that you would like to share?! How about something that is making you happy this week?! Shoot a quick video & link up with us today! We would love to have you join us!

Thanks so much for visiting me today! I hope you have a great day!

To keep up with day to day happenings, be sure to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Don't Miss Out - DIY projects, home decorating, crafts & more by checking out my subscribe page

How My Youngest Became a Princess on Easter Sunday

2013-04-02T19:36:00.001-05:00

It started out like any other Easter Sunday.

My husband & I got up, drank some coffee.

The kids went through their Easter baskets, played with their new toys, & got all hyped up on sugar.

Then, we all got dressed and got ready for church.

The church service was lovely. We celebrated the RISEN King and gave thanks for a gift of which we are completely undeserving.

After church we headed to my Grandma's house for dinner & the kids got MORE gifts. I was seriously starting to wonder.......

Is it Easter or Christmas?!

For real! Are my kids the only ones who get this much stuff for Easter?!

With two great grandmothers, two sets of grandparents, & two aunts & uncles (and those are just the relatives that live here in Southern Illinois) my kids got bombarded with gifts.

I am the oldest grandchild in my family, and the only one with children of my own. Maybe that is the reason why the gifts are so out of control?! Needless to say, my boys are loved and for that I am grateful.

One of my cousins, Heather, has a boyfriend named Justin, who has a little girl named Becca.

Heather & Justin have been dating for quite some time now, so Becca has been part of the family for a while. My kiddos kinda love her and our family does too. We were thankful to have her celebrating Easter with us.

My boys got typical "boy things" for Easter from their grandmas, aunts & uncles.....

Cars, balls, kites, ninja toys, etc.

Becca on the other hand got all things girly & pink.

Tiaras, magic wands, princess gloves, jewelry, etc.

You would have thought both parties would have been happy with their gifts.....
The boys, racing their cars, playing ninjas.
Becca getting all dolled up & playing princess.

But then something strange happened....

We all sat down to eat dinner.....the adults at the adult table in the dining room. The kids at their own separate table in the kitchen.

We were just finishing up our delicious meal when Griffin came walking into the dining room looking like this.......

Well, hello there Princess Griffin! So nice of you to join us!

Keep in mind, he was Captain America just two days before.....

Needless to say, I think the boy likes to dress up....no matter what the character may be!

The funny part of this story is that he wore this crown for pretty much the ENTIRE day.

It was seriously hilarious!

The other crazy part about it......He even acted the part!

My rough & wild little boy was acting like a proper, well mannered, well behaved little princess. He was cool, calm & collected the entire day, even DESPITE the fact that we skipped nap time.

It was kind of glorious if I'm being completely honest.

I was thinking to myself......
"Maybe I should have given him a tiara sooner?!"

I thought that we were gonna lose him when it was time for Becca to go home. I told him that he needed to give the princess tiara & wand back to Becca because she was leaving.

We were seconds away from a full blown temper tantrum when Becca said....
"It's okay. He can keep it. I have princess stuff at home."

Oh my word! How sweet is this little girl?!

Thank you Becca! You seriously saved the day. Thanks to you, my princess was able to go to bed happy.

And YES, this totally happened. There was ABSOLUTELY no talking him out of it!

As a mother, I've learned to pick & choose my battles. This was one I wasn't about to tackle!

So, how was your Easter?!

Any tiaras at your house?

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Blissdom 2013 Recap

2013-04-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

Just a little over a week ago, I hopped on a plane & traveled down to Dallas, TX for my 2nd Blissdom experience. I traveled with one of my blogging besties & real-life friend, Mandy, from House of Rose.

We had an absolute blast at the conference!

It always takes me a while to post my conference recaps.....mostly because I am absolutely exhausted from all of the late nights, early mornings, & all the craziness that comes with traveling.

But, it also takes me a few days to really process everything from the conference. There are so many inspiring people that you meet....people who make you want to be better at EVERYTHING you do. Being a better blogger means brainstorming, coming up with new ideas, & trying to process those ideas. Sometimes I feel like I have do those things first before I can tell you about the conference. Does that make sense?

For anyone who doesn't know, Blissdom is a blogging conference geared mostly towards women bloggers from all sorts of niches....mommy bloggers, fashion bloggers, creative bloggers, decorating/DIY bloggers....you get the idea. I had the opportunity to attend the conference last year & had a wonderful time. To read about last year's experience, you can click HERE.

I think there were around 700-750 bloggers at Blissdom this year. Half of the attendees were new to the conference, the other half were repeat attendees.

This was the sixth year for the conference, which up until this year had been held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. But this year, the conference coordinators decided to move things south & host the conference at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas. The hotel was GORGEOUS. I managed to snap a few shots inside the hotel with my iPhone, but if I would have had the time, I would have LOVED to take my DSLR & get snap happy for an hour or two! The potential for gorgeous photos is unlimited.

Just like last year, the conference delivered BIG in terms of its speakers. The opening keynote speech was given by Scott Stratten, who up until last week, I was completely unfamiliar with.

He did an AWESOME job kicking off the conference! Not only was he hysterical, but he also made some really great points throughout his speech. Two things that really hit home with me were:

1.) Your logo doesn't matter. It is your actions & your performance that define who you are & what people will remember most about you. To understand this point, he told the story about the Ritz Carlton & Joshie the Giraffe. I'm not going to go into details about the story because this post is already going to be extremely long, but click on the link if your curiosity is sparked. (p.s. it's a really cool story & worth the read.)

2.) Twitter is a conversation, not a dictation. 75% of your tweets should be replies. If you are using twitter to only promote yourself, people are not gonna want to follow you nor are they going to engage with you online. So true!

Jon Acuff who gave the opening keynote at Blissdom 2012 was there AGAIN this year. I absolutely loved his keynote last year & was THRILLED when I found out he was going to be speaking again.

This year he taught one of the life development sessions & also brought down the house with an AMAZING & hilarious closing keynote speech.

One of the best take-aways I had from his Life Development session was "Time Management + Energy Management." Because I am also taking care of the house and my children throughout the day, I have to blog whenever time allows. So, whenever I do get time, I should first determine my energy level before deciding what tasks to tackle. You should match your high energy to your high energy tasks.

For me, a high energy task would be writing blog posts. I feel like I have to be on my "A Game" in order to pump out a great post. Therefore, I should write posts when my energy level is at its peak. A low energy task would be returning emails, photo editing, etc. These tasks would be best suited for me to accomplish in the evening when I only have a few ounces of energy left. I think all you mom's out there know what I'm talking about!

Jon has a new book getting ready to launch called START. I think that the keynote was largely based upon the new book & the key points that it delivers. One of which spoke to me in a HUGE way.

FEAR IS A LIAR.
Fear are the voices in your head that shoot down all of your good ideas before you even get a chance to put them on paper.

The voices that say "that's a dumb idea", "you could never pull that off", or "how are you possibly going to make that work?!"

They are the same voices that tell you, you aren't "smart enough", "talented enough", etc.

You know those voices, right?! Yeah, I think we all do!

This last quote is probably my most favorite from the closing keynote.

Isn't that so true?! So many times we let fear get in our way! I am REALLY looking forward to digging into Jon's book. If the keynote is any indication, I know its going to ROCK MY WORLD! :)

In a nutshell?! Jon Acuff & Scott Stratten were worth the price of admission to the conference...at least in my opinion! They were both brilliant & really know how to engage with their audience. I loved listening to them speak!

I have seen & read some negative feedback from the conference and people saying that they didn't really "learn anything." I think the reason why people feel this way is because they are looking for things they can change, and/or things that they can do, which will DIRECTLY impact their blogs, & their traffic, as soon as they get home from the conference.

With Blissdom, I have found that I usually don't leave the conference feeling like I learned a lot, but instead, I leave the conference feeling inspired & refreshed.

Not only are the speakers incredibly inspiring, but the other bloggers you meet in the sessions and in the hallway, are incredibly inspiring as well. Each one with their own dream, their own story.

The conference encourages me to.......

I ALWAYS leave Blissdom wanting to DO BETTER.... in life, in business, and everything in between.

After every conference, I always leave with a handful of new friends. This time was no exception. I sincerely LOVED meeting & hanging out with all of these lovely ladies. I would LOVE to take time & tell you the reasons why I love each one of them, but I'm afraid I've rambled on long enough! PLEASE take time to visit their blogs, you'll figure it out for yourselves! :)

Caroline, Kate, Me, Mandy

Leigh, Me, Jen

(From left to right: Taylor, Natalie, Me, Mandy, Nancy, Jessica Allison, Kristen

Jennifer & I

Mandy, Me, Nancy, Robin, Jennifer, Natalie

Me, Samantha

Mandy, Robin, & I

Me, Mandy, Jennifer, Natalie

Me, Jennifer, Mandy, Allison, Jamie

Kelly and I

When we flew back into St. Louis on Sunday, we flew into a snow storm......AWESOME!

I didn't have a coat AND I was wearing flip flops....DOUBLE AWESOME! Thank goodness for the Starbucks inside the airport. My large coffee was the only thing that was keeping me warm!!

The good news was that back in Southern Illinois we had very little snow accumulation. In fact, we got mostly rain. That night we went out to dinner for my husband's 31st birthday. I was so glad to be home in time to celebrate!

Although I was missing my Blissdom buddies, it felt SO GOOD to be home with my family again! There really is no place like home!

All in all, I had a great experience at Blissdom!!

I made new friends & new memories. I'm refreshed, inspired, & ready to get my blogging butt in gear!

Have you attended a blogging conference before?

If not, what's holding you back?

Thanks so much for visiting me today! I hope you have a great day!

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