MaryJanes and Galoshes

Vegas Baby!

2013-06-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Southwest Airlines Vacations for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I can not believe it's June and I still need a sweater here in Wisconsin. This extra long winter has me daydreaming of warm vacation spots but my budget doesn't excatly allow for a huge splurge. Lucky for me Southwest Airlines Vacations offers some pretty amazing deals and I have my eye on Vegas baby!

Vegas is the prefect adults getaway. Whether your traveling with girlfriends or making it a romantic getaway for two, there is always something to do in Vegas and there is no better way to see it than leaving the kids home with grandma and grandpa! The last time we visited Vegas I was 7 months pregnant (poor timing for me, but it was for a wedding so I couldn't exaclty control it). Although I still had a ton of fun and there is plenty to see and do without partying too hard, but they call it sin city for a reason!

You probably didn't even realize you could get vacation packages through an airline, I know I didn't. I assumed I would have to use a travel agent or spend hours online scouring for deals. But Southwest Vacations always has the best Las Vegas Vacations.

Southwest Vacations offers discounts on well known hotels like Excalibur, Rio, Bally's and more. Some deals even include food and beverage credits! Sign me up! Not to mention your bags always fly free with Southwest Airline Vacations so you don't have to worry about packing to many fabulous shoes or bringing home all that loot from the amazing Las Vegas shopping!

If Vegas isn't your thing Southwest Vacations offers packages to over 80 destinations and can arrange flight, hotel, car rental, show tickets, attraction passes, tours and more! Have you been to Vegas? What was your favorite show? I'm off to call Southwest Airline Vacations, see you in Vegas!

Not a fab gardener? No problem. Get bulbs!

2013-04-10T16:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of iBulb for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When my husband and I bought our first house there were no flowers in the yard, just old dated bushes that needed to be torn out. So tear them out we did, and I was left with a big bed of dirt ready for me to make fabulous....... and then I realized........... I'm no gardener!

Not only am I NOT a gardener, but I had no desire to be pulling weeds and digging in dirt during all of my free time. I headed to my local garden shop for a solution where I found BULBS! I picked up tulips, iris, and lilies and had glorious dreams of gorgeous flowers with zero effort on my part.

I could not have been happier with my choices. It took a little while for the iris' to take off, but the tulips were gorgeous and the lilies took off like wild fire! Lilies come in lots of colors, grow quickly and are really reziliant. I live in Wisconsin so flowers are batteling the elements at my house. Now that we bought a new house I'm thinking lilies are a MUST for my new yard. I also think bulbs give you the most bang for your buck to stretch your landscaping budget the furthest. Every year the flowers got hardier and the flower bed more lush with zero effort on my part. I'm still no gardener!

Maybe my favorite part of having bulbs is being able to cut them and bring them inside for gorgeous arrangments like these. With bulbs I don't feel guilty cutting them like I do with other flowers that I don't feel are as hearty.

Perhaps the best part is how easy bulbs are to find. You can get them pretty much anywhere even if you live in a small town like me.

Need more inspiration? Check out iBulb Lilies on Pinterest!

New favorite patterns! Ready for baby

2013-03-19T15:16:00.001-05:00

My favorite part of pregnancy? NESTING!!!! I've been busy creating lots of goodies not only for the little girl we are expecting, but for all the baby showers I'm attending in the next couple months. Now if only it would warm up outside.....

I am loving these sandal patterns I found on etsy at this crochet pattern shop. I've been making these little flip flops like crazy! But these gladiator sandals may be a new favorite.

I also found, probably my favorite sewing pattern of all time, via Pinterest recently. I can't stop making these "Bapron" bibs using the free pattern from Craftiness is not optional. Here are just a couple of the ones I made up this past weekend.

I've been mixing my fabrics with some great vintage bias tapes. I love the combination. That middle fabric is a new favorite of mine too that I picked up on my most recent trip to JoAnne Fabrics. They have some GREAT stuff in right now!!!!

.........................On this dreary day.......................

2013-02-18T14:40:00.000-06:00

Keeping things fresh, with SCOPE!

2013-01-14T19:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of SCOPE for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a photographer I'm always giving my clients direction on posing and expression. Which means I'm getting close, maybe even touching them to help them into a pose. So fresh breath is extremely important to me! Brushing alone doesn't always last and gum just seems unprofessional during a shoot. So I am testing out the new SCOPE flavors!

Mouth wash can be torcher right? It stings your tounge and sometimes tastes horrible. Well the sting of the tounge for me is something I chalk up to being effective, but the taste! My new SCOPE tates fabulous, has minimal sting, and gives me long lasting fresh breath! It's the SCOPE "Outlast" which promises to give you fresh breath up to 5 times longer than brushing alone. You can also get the "Dual-Blast" which gets rid of strong orders like garlic and onion while killing 98% of bad breath germs. And of course you can get "Classic" for fresh breath and 99% germ killing.

After trying the outlast I love how fresh it leaves my breath. I feel confident in getting close to my client giving me Fresh breath & courage, 1 oz at a time! I also love that it's easy to find at my local Walmart! So get fresh people! Be sure to Like Scope on Facebook!

No nonsense brings on the trends!

2013-01-03T04:00:00.003-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of No nonsense for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

You have heard of No nonsense right? I remember as a gradeschooler getting ready for a school concert and my mom would take me to the drug store at the last minute to get some No nonsense nylons to wear with my pretty concert dres. Well I've grown up, and so has No nonsense! Now not only can you get those sensible nylons but you can get super cute No nonsense tights and leggings in trendy colors!

As a photographer it's really important that my style be fun yet allow me to move around freely. I have to be able to bend, lay, crawl.... I'm not kidding, the last thing I want to worry about when getting that perfect shot is if I'm flashing anyone. So leggins and tights are a HUGE part of my wordrobe.

Helping to spread the word and get us all to add a little fun to our wardrobes this year is Jill Martin! She's so gorgeous and stylish I'm so excited to have her showing us all how it's done. Not to mention she's a grown woman, so you don't have to worry about if your to old to pull of this look... YOUR NOT! Check out this fun video, I totally have to have those magenta tights!

I was excited to get to check out a few No nonsense tights and leggings products myself. Here is the outfit I wore out for New Years this year!

The leggings I wore are the "Denim" legging in an XL. I cuffed the bottom to make them more of a capri which totally worked with the denim material. They are really stretchy and amazing quality. I hate when you get a pair of leggings and they stretch out so bad when you put them on that you can see your skin through them. These were really excelent quality and at the affordable No nonsense price!!!! Plus it doesn't get any easier than a trip to the local drug or general store. Very accesable.

I'm looking forward to wearing these textured tights too! This is one of my favorite dresses right now and I'm thirlled to try it out with the No nonsense Textured Cable Tights! You can feel the quality of these tights and they are nice and opaque.

Be sure to Like No nonsense on Facebook and if your a Twitter nut you can follow them too!

Keeping your pets happy and healthy

2013-01-03T04:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Comfort Zone® products for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We are not the only one's who can get stressed over the holiday season. Imagine how your pets feel when your traveling more than normal, or maybe you have a house full of people who to your pet are loud and in their space. It's no wonder your pet may feel the effects and you may notice it.

So what can you do about it? There is a new product called Comfort Zone® with D.A.P.® that may help. Comfort Zone® products are designed to reduce stress related behavior in dogs. Cats may also find comfort with Comfort Zone® with Feliway®. Comfort Zone® with D.A.P.® mimics your pet's natural pheromones to help them feel calm and comfortable in their environment. For dogs it can specifically help with excessive barking, chewing, and household soiling.

Other reasons your pet could be stressing

Thunderstorms
Loud noises (we live in an area where there are a lot of hunters)
Long periods being alone
Changes in environment or schedule

You know your pet best, so you know what they stress over. Now you can be relieved that you have a way to help them. Right now you can get a $10 off coupon through the Comfort Zone® with D.A.P.® link! To keep up with all the latest be sure to Like Comfort Zone® products on Facebook.

It is recommended that you allow 90 days to see the full effect in your cat or dog. Follow the instructions in the product insert for detailed usage.

If your cat or dog is experiencing a medical issue, consult with your veterinarian before using Comfort Zone® with D.A.P.® products.

You can find this prodcut in pet specialty stores including PetSmart and Petco, independent pet stores and online.

Purina Has Your Fur Babies In Mind, There's an App For That!

2013-01-01T23:01:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Purina for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We have apps for everything right? I have an app that tells me all about my pregnancy, one that tells me how my kids are doing or lets me look things up if they are sick.... but what about our furry family members? We have a very important member of our family that I need to keep track of as well, our dog Lainey. With (about to be) four kids in the house, it's important that I can remember all of Lainey's needs and appointments too. Now it's easy with the Purina Pet Apps!

There are actually two apps I want to tell you about that will help you take care of your pets. Both are available for IPhone and Android operating systems so we can all take advantage.

The first app is the Pet O Meter which tracks your pets (and your) acitivity. Not sure if anyone walked the dog today.... or when the last time they had a walk was? Take a quick photo of each animal. They each get their own profile and exercise history. You can track your walk route right on the app which means your tracking your own exercise as well! How far, how fast and how long you were out is all right there! Even share it right on FB! then set up a reminder to make sure you don't miss your next activity!

The second app is Purina Pet Health App. This is a must have for keeping your pet in best health. Track your vet appointments for each pet as well as health history. You can even set up and track grooming schedules to keep your pet looking it's best! Again, each pet has their own profile with a little picture of them so you can keep on top of everyone.

Both apps are free. I highly encourage you to try them out. You love your pets but you have a lot going on. Let Purina Pet Apps help you get some of these things off your mind!

After the holiday season comes DIY season!

2012-12-27T15:53:00.001-06:00

After all the excitement of the holidays are over the DIY season hits in my house! We live in a snow state so winter is a great time to tackle indoor projects. This year, with a new house, we have a LOT to do. But one of the simplest projects that can make a HUGE impact is cabinet hardware!!!! I'm so excited to show you the new hardware I picked up at True Value Hardware. I've been drooling over it for years and this new kitchen was perfect for it.

Here is he before. The drawer pulls were custom made and very cute, but not our style. Plus there were some missing.

And here is the after!

Since the old hardware was custom it was an odd size. Which meant a little more work and the perfect opportunity to share some DIY skills with you!

What you need-
Your new hardware
Wood filler
Putty knife
Sand paper
Paint (we used EasyCare Platinum Paint & Primer in One)
Drill
Screwdriver (we recommend the Master Mechanic's Swift Driver!)

Alright. It's not a difficult task, but it can be time consuming if you need to change the orientation of your hardware. First, remove all your old knobs. Then fill the old holes with your wood filler.

It doesn't have to be beautiful to start. Once it's dry you will lightly sand and paint over these areas.

Pick up your favorite brand of paint from your local True Value Hardware. I prefer an eggshell finish. A paint and primer in one (like EasyCare Platinum Paint & Primer in One) saves a lot of time also!

Once your holes are filled, dry, sanded, painted and dry again (this usually happens in the time it takes you to work your way around the kitchen so there isn't as much dry time as it sounds like) you are ready to drill the holes for your new hardware! We prefer to use a cordless drill. Choose the bit that fits the size of your hardware, mark were your new handles will attach and create your new holes. Once this is done it's time for the big finish!

If your kitchen is like mine you have a lot of cabinets. Which means a LOT of screwing. You will find that in hard to reach areas (like on drawers) it's nearly impossible to screw your hardware on with the electric drill. Which means the good old hand screwdriver. Which is miserable right? Not anymore! This year we discovered the Master Mechanic's Swift Driver, a whole new breed of driver tools! It's a ratcheting screwdriver which means you can spin it back to your starting point without backing your screw out. It came with all the interchangeable screwdriver bits so it's an all in one tool! It's ergonomic design has a soft grip, the shaft has a magnetic catch and there is bit storage right inside the handle!

The driver is a 29 piece tool that includes 7 phillips bits, 3 slotted, 3 square recess, 4 star, 6 SAE nut driver bits, a flexible extension to access hard to reach areas (this was the only thing we thought could be improved upon, there is no where to store the extension on the tool itself), plus the bit and case. With a lifetime warranty this is a must have tool! Available only at True Value stores and TrueValue.com

Enjoy your new hardware!

This winter we will be tackeling our living room with lots of paint and maybe some new dry wall. What's on your winter DIY to do list?

WINNERS of the True Value Hardware gift cards!

2012-12-12T11:54:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to http://www.blogger.com/profile/12935371804451049645 and http://www.blogger.com/profile/04305681508940515742

You have each won a $100 gift card to True Value hardware. You have been contacted via email and have 48 hours to claim your prize. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Party Decor with Dollar General

2012-12-03T22:00:00.003-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Galoshes and I had a very fun weekend! We hosted a cookie exchange with some friends. It was the first time we had invited these friends to one of our gatherings so we really wanted to go all out. Luckily we have a Dollar General in our town (we live in a very small town) so it was easy to get stocked up with Dollar General Holiday décor and not break the bank. Here are some of the images from the party preperations.

We had so much fun getting it ready.Pretty much everything shown is from our local Dollar General Holiday décor section. But there are some details you may not realize so I wil share them specifically!

The ornaments in the first image are on a cupcake stand on top of a cake stand. The ornaments are from Dollar General, the stands I had already.
The little cardboard house next to the wine glasses are from Dollar General. it was only $1! and my kids loved putting it together and playing with it and the little elves it came with afterward.
The ice bucket with the cranberries inside was made after empting a juice container form the Dollar General then filling it with water and using some soda cans to create the holes as it froze. Fill the cans with water to keep them from floating then run it all under water to loosen after freezing.
On the table I places some light up packages (from Dollar General Holiday décor) as well as a thing of pens, aren't they fun!!!, and some little note pads for the games we had planned. The pens were a HUGE hit, and at Dollar Genearal prices only a buck a piece. The candy in the dish is also from Dollar General.

While in the Dollar General Holiday décor section I found these rub on transfers. They were supposed to be for ornaments, but I used them on the little bowl to dress it up a bit.

The labels on the soda and water bottle are also from Dollar General. We couldn't resist them!

Under the tree you will see a goodie bag for each lady that attened the party. It was a great way to get our holiday gifts to our friends without having to track them all down and run all over. Each lady got their bag on the way out of the door at the end of the night.
I hope this inspires you to have a holiday gathering of your own! And check out your Dollar General Holiday décor when decking your halls! And be sure to Like Dollar General on Facebook, I do!

Holiday Art Display with Duck Tape®!

2012-12-03T22:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Duck Brand® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's December!!! Which at my house means lots of festive decor and crafts. My kids are at that age where they really love seeing their artwork displayed (usually on the fridge) which is great, but I don't like a ton of clutter on my refigerator. So I came up with a solution we are all very happy with!

It started with this box of Duck® Brand duct tape with all the great holiday themes! I have a million uses for it, but I am most excited about this project so I thought I would share the tutorial with you. We made reversible magnetic frames for the kids' art! Check out the final result-

It was super simple and you only need a couple supplies.

At least two patterns of Duck® Brand duct tape (if you want it to be reversible)
Maganets (make sure they stick to metal on both sides, some maganets only have one magnetic side)
Scissors
A piece of paper to dertmine size (what ever size your kids normally draw on, for us it was standard paper)

I don't like to do a lot of measuring so I found laying the paper down and using it to determine the size of my duct tape strips was easiest for me. I made each stip a bit longer so that I could trim the corners nice and neat. Place the duct tape sticky side up and work your way around the paper.

Once you have the full frame add magenets to the sticky side. How many magnets you need depends on how large your frame is.

Now with your second pattern do the same thing but with the sticky side down right on top of your first frame. Sandwhiching the magnets in the middle. The tape holds it in place.

Then trim the excess on the cornes to make it nice and neat.

Now let your little ones test it out! We found it was easiest for them to use if you put a small magnet on the art work to hold it in place while you put the frame on, then take the place holder magent off. You can choose the side of the frame that goes best with each art work or your mood for that day!

Stuff Your Stockings at True Value Hardware Gift Card Giveaway!

2012-11-29T17:28:00.000-06:00

Tis the season we all try and figure out what to buy for the men in our lives. Heck, with all the things True Value Hardware carries who needs men to shop for! They have lots of great things for women! I've been eyeing the Shark Deluxe Steam Mop for quite a while now!

I know Mr.MJ&G would have fun with this welder.....

Or maybe this grill! He is the grilling master in our house.

Galoshes is obsessed with organizing, so I'm pretty sure she would love to spend a $100 True Value Gift card in the storage and organization department! Wether you have last minute holiday shopping to do or you just want to reward yourself for making it through the holiday season....... we are giving away

TWO $100 GIFT CERTIFICATES!

Two lucky MJ&G readers will each win a $100 gift card to their local True Value Hardware store. Deck the halls, fill the stockings, spoil yourself.... how ever you want to spend them! Enjoy some holiday cheer on us!

How to enter-
1. Leave a comment here saying what you would get from your True Value Hardware (or who you would buy for).

2. "Like" True Value Hardware on Facebook. Leave a comment saying you did this.

3. Pin from this post with "Win a $100 True Value Gift Card" on Pinterest then leave a comment with a link to your pin.

Giveaway ends December 10th at midnight central time. Winners announced on December 11th. You will have 48 hours to contact me to claim your gift card or a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

Cash Back on your Online Holiday Shopping (or any online shopping!)

2012-11-29T09:12:00.001-06:00

I recently discovered a site I have to tell you guys about for no other reason than that I'm getting some GREAT deals! I was a bit skeptical at first so I waited until all of my things went through before I shared this. I am not being paid to post this or have any reason too (although if you sign up through my link I can get referral bonuses! And I love it so I'm sharing).

I'm talking about Ebates!

Have you guys heard about this yet? I do a lot of my holiday shopping online. Its a drive to the nearest city and I have three small kids...... so online shopping is huge for me. This year I decided to give something new a try because Ebates offered me a $10 gift card if I made a purchase through their site (which directs you directly to the store of your choices website so your safe just like you would be purchasing from i.e.. Best Buy or Target directly).

I chose I would want a Target card as reward for my first purchase, placed an order through Ebates at the store of my choice, and in a couple weeks there was my $10 gift card! Plus I earned cash back on my purchase (amount varies by store). I again waited to make sure I would actually get this money (you can choose to have it mailed by check or paid by paypal). I chose Paypal and voila, there was a payment made to me shortly thereafter.

So now I'm hooked. And I'm passing the word along to anyone looking for great online deals with a bit of cash back and even some rewards!

Right now to keep up with the holiday madness a lot of the participating stores (which is every store I have wanted to shop at so far) are offering even more cash back and special deals through Ebates. Check it out! There is no cost to join and you don't enter any payment information. Just shop as normal and get some money back!

Happy Holidays!

Fossil Vintage Revival Bag WINNER!

2012-11-29T08:57:00.003-06:00

CONGRATULATIONS

Jessica Warfield

You won the Fossil Vintage Revival handbag giveaway! Watch your inbox for details on your winning!

Victoria's Secret Makeupa

2012-11-21T12:55:00.000-06:00

I came across this image on Pinterest and loved the look. It reminds me of VS Angels. It's very different from what I normally do because I typically blend my shadows in a lot. So I pushed myself to try this look.

The inspiration- (I would credit the original source but Pintest has blocked it saying it was reported as spam. If anyone knows where this came from I would be happy to link it directly to this gorgeous girl!)

Since there was not original link I converted the look using my best guess. Here was my result-

I recently got a sample of Stila's In the Light pallet from Sephora. I used Bare, Kitten, Gilded Gold, Night Sky and Ebony for this look. On the lips is NARS Belle De Jour.

Fossil Vintage Revival Handbag Giveaway!

2012-11-21T08:01:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fossil for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If there is one thing that is a must in my closet it's a great, well made, long lasting bag! I am so excited to tell you about the new line of bags from Fossil! The Fossil Vintage Revival Handbags are modern bags modeled after vintage classic style. Made from hand-burnished heirloom leather, these bags will last you and not go out of style with their classic silhouettes. You can now find the bags in some modern colors and patterns like rust color or giraffe pattern! The are big bags and small bags, day and evening styles as well as some fabulous clutch wallets. I've created a Pinterest board for my favorite two bags. One for day, one for night!

My night look!

And my daytime look!

My favorite thing about a great leather bag is how it only gets better as the years go by. It wears in and creates character. Unlike other bags that look dingy over time, great Fossil Vintage Revival Handbags get better with age. Each bag is burnished, stitched and finished by hand!

Are you ready to win one of these fabulous bags for yourself? I thought so! Here's how-

You have until midnight on November 25th to create a pin board on Pinterest of an outfit you'd pair with your Fossil Vintage Revival Handbags. Include #FossilVintageRevival in your Pinterest Pin. Then leave a message on THIS POST sharing your pin. YOU MUST SHARE YOUR PIN IN THE COMMENTS in order to be eligible. You must also leave your email address when you enter so that we can contact you when you win!

official rules

Good Luck!

Like New Kitchen Aid Mixer for $5 with True Value Hardware!

2012-11-19T16:59:00.002-06:00

I am so excited to share this project with you guys! It was so quick and easy and the payoff was HUGE! My mom gave me her old (and I mean it was probably the original) but working perfectly Kitchen Aid mixer. Although I was super excited to get that bad boy, I was less than excited about how it looked at the time. She's been around for a while......

As you can see there were a few spots where the paint had chipped away as well as a few rusty loking spots.

While looking for spray paint at True Value Hardware I spotted the Appliance paint (usually found on the top shelf of the spray paint section). AHA! I picked up a can of black and didn't look back! I also picked up a roll of 3/4 inch blue painters tape (it's the perfect width for the Kitchen aid).

After cleaning the machine well and removing any bits that can come off, I carefully taped off the rest of the silver. It doesn't take long to do this, but it makes a HUGE difference. Like the difference between "Look I spray painted my mixer" and "Wow! You got a new mixer!!!".

After taking this photo I noticed I still needed to tape off the mixing attachment piece so don't forget that!

Now follow the directions on the appliance paint and WALA! You have this beauty!

It looks just as amazing in person. The appliance paint made all the difference. Great sheen, perfect finish not that spray painted look.

Thanks True Value for the "brand new" Kitchen Aid for $5!!!

Top DIY tool in my house.... Sharpie Markers!

2012-11-18T18:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sharpie® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If there is one tool I CAN NOT live without in my house it's my assortment of Sharpie® markers. We all have atleast the standard black Sharpie laying around right? Well at my house you would find not only that but the awesome 24 pack of fine points in amazing colors...... (which by the way have lasted me FOREVER. I can't even say how many years I have had them)

If your not quite as Sharpie® crazy as I am, you may opt for the more modest 12 pack....

But for the holidays this year I picked up the fun new metalics!

I think they are perfect for the holidays. I'm labeling my gifts, writing on top of treat tupperwares, filling in chips in ornaments!!! Seriously, what can't you Sharpie® on?

As a DIYer (and I'm sure this is no surprise to you) I'm constantly pinning projects that I want to do. The number one thing I have been dying to try is baking your Sharpie® designs on cheap dishes. What fun gifts, or keepsakes for kids art work. I think we will make a Santa cookie plate this year with our Sharpie® markers and bake it on. Next year the kids can make a new one and some day we will have a whole set!

I'm not the only one pinning Sharpie projects! They have their very own Pinterest board!!!! Check it out http://pinterest.com/sharpieuncapped/holiday-happenings/

Happy Holidays! Now go Sharpie® something!

DIY Driveway part 2!

2012-11-07T12:16:00.000-06:00

I shared the DIY steps for redoing your driveway a bit back. You can find the steps here. So here is the after picture! The scuff looking things are dirt, I waited a few days to take the picture and it wasn't all sparking clean anymore. But much better than the before! And it's all protected for the winter.

Some of you asked for the details so I'm happy to share! This project was done with True Value hardware, so all supplies and pricing are from my local True Value.

Sealer- 8 pails which totaled $120
Caulk for cracks- $16 worth of caulk tubes
Brush/squeegee $9

So a total of $145 and 3 hours of labor.

I use the term labor fairly loosely, as I feel it was easy enough for anyone to do themselves. I hope next time you need it done you consider doing it yourself with True Value Hardware!

Girls Night! Getting ready with Hpnotiq

2012-09-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hpnotiq for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
One of my favorite parts of girls night is getting my girlfriends together at my place to get ready before we hit the town. It's a time to gossip, be goofy, learn makeup tips, ask if your ass looks fat in that outfit..... the stuff you need your girls for. I'm really excited to take girls night to a new website that just launched by Hpnotiq. It's all about getting ready for your night out with tips on how to Primp & Prep.

Not only will you find amazing makeup tips and fashion inspiration, but you will find my favorite part too! A Pandora radio station with great music selected to get your night off to the right start! I know for me my mood is all about the music! hair down, music up!

We can't forget about the pre club cocktails! Show your girls a good time by checking out the drink recipies on the site. We all like our drinks to be pretty, well check out these great colors!

Having guys night? No problem, Primp & Prep has lots of great things for guys too! Learn how to catch the eye of the hottie across the bar and how not to blow it when you walk up to her!
Book mark it for your next girls (or guys!) night..... or plan one just so you can party it up with Hpnotiq!

DIY- Resurface Your Driveway!

2012-09-13T07:32:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love fall. I am so excited that the cool weather is hitting. But what I don't love is winter. Not only are Wisconsin winters hard on me, but they are hard on my driveway! We recently purchased a home with a driveway that really needed some attention. Check out the size of these cracks.

Although it's a messy job, resurfacing your driveway yourself is actually quite easy!

First you need to remove the weeds from the cracks. We headed to True Value to get everything we needed for our project.

The staff at our True Value hardware is always really helpful, so if you have any questions there is always someone there who can help you out!

We recommend Round Up to kill the weeds before you try cleaning the cracks. Read the back of the bottle and allow the product to do most of the hard work for you! Once the weeds are dead you can remove them fairly easily.

You will also need to clear the edges of your driveway from grass and dirt that has overgrown.

Sweep the driveway well to get rid of all the dirk you just made. For the large cracks you can fill them in with caulk. Ours took several tubes as there were a lot of cracks. But it's important because the driveway sealer is liquid and will only seep through into the ground if it's not stopped.

Once your driveway is prepped and your cracks are filled the rest is very easy.... and VERY messy. Be sure you either wear shoes that your willing to throw away when your done, or protect them very well.

You will need to measure your driveway before you go to True Value Hardware. The buckets of driveway sealer say how many square feet they will cover. You will also need to pick up a tool to help you spread it around. The tool you need looks a bit like a broom but it has a squeegee on the back end (you can see it in a picture below).

Pour the sealer onto the driveway a section at a time. Use your brush to work it around and your squeegee to smooth it out.

The product does not take long to dry. See manufacturer's directions for drying times for how long until you can drive on it again.

I will have the after pictures for you soon!

Back to school with AstroBrights Paper!

2012-08-22T15:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Astrobrights Papers by Neenah Paper for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I wanted to do something fun this year to celebrate back to school. It's the first year all my kiddos will be in school and I am very excited about that! We just moved into a new house and are living amonst boxes and chaos. The kids' rooms are yet to be painted or decorated to their likings. So I thought it would be fun to surprise them with a fun room to celebrate their back to school. I used AstroBrights papers because they are vibrant and good quality. The idea was to make fun, bright, decor that I can hang in their room for them to wake up to on the first day of school! Or if I can't pull it off without waking anyone up it may have to be a surprise when they get home. Either way, I think they will love the festive decor. So I made up a bunch of these fun pinwheels.

I will hang them each from the ceiling with some clear fish line. The AstroBrights paper made fore the perfect pop and folded beautfully. They were super easy to make. Fold 2 or 3 pages like an accordian then staple together in the center and around the edges to fan your pages out.

You can even fold two different colors of paper together for a two toned look. The possibilities are endless and if your kids are old enough they can fold them up themselves!

AstroBrights is also celebrating back to school with a "Give a Brighter Year" sweepstakes. You can win cash prizes and school supplies valued up to $30,000 for the school of your choice! Enter by September 10th by "liking" the page www.facebook.com/astrobrights and submitting a short online form. You can earn additional enties every week by revisiting the page and answering a few simple questions.

You can also participate in their "Make Something AstroBright" design challenge. Unleash your creativity for you chance to win AstroBrights papers and other prizes. Share your projects with picture and video. When shariving via Pinterest or Twitter use hashtag #goastrobrights.

Good Luck!

Revlon Cosmetics, Expression Experiment!

2012-07-09T00:47:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Revlon for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was recently asked by Revon Cosmetics to challenge myself in trying out a different, bolder than normal look using thier cosmetics. They sent me a few specific products to try out and tell you guys about. The project is all about having fun and trying something new so there were three red colors included that I'm loveing! My favorite is the Revlon Colorburst Lipbutter in Cherry Tart (seen below). I love this product. I have tried other balm/color hybrids and Revlon's has such great color quality. It feels like lip balm but packs a great punch of color.

It was really easy to remove with no staining left behind, which with red is a big plus!

Next I tested out the Revlon Colorburst gloss in Fire. Very vibrant and fun! It goes on smooth and leaves no stain.

Last was Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire & Ice. It's a lipstick, easy to appy, and long lasting. This one did stain, but in a long wearing shade I would expect that!

In this video you can see my Revlon Expression Experiment look and find out more about each prodcut including the red lipstick, makeup primer, eye shadow, and highlighter and what I thought of them! I am clumsy in front of the camera so no judging!

Another look from the "Suductive" pallet!

Included in the kit was also some Revlon nail polish prodcuts. I have a lot of different Revlong nail polishes. My favorite being two of the scented shade- Raspberry Rapture and Mad About Mango. Along with my kit I was sent Sorbet, which is a very orange color. While I like Revlon polish, basecoat and top coat.... I did not care for the Sorbet color. It was very orange. If your dark complected it may work well for you, but if your fair like me, try out the Mad About Mango. It's a gorgeous coral color.

How are you expressing yourself this summer through makeup or fashion? I would love to hear about any trends your dying to try, or colors you have been wanting to test out. I challenge you to pick up something out of your usual next time your browsing the cosmetics. This year is all about bold colors, be bold!

True Value Blog Squad 2012!

2012-06-26T07:04:00.002-05:00

It's DIY season again! I'm honored and so excited to be on the 2012 True Value DIY Blog Squad again!!! In 2011 we did a lot of work on our deck in our outdoor living space series. This year we will be working on our one room school house taking it from bare bones to photography studio! I can not wait to share the progress.

In addition to my DIY projects and tutorials, we will be giving away 2 True Value Hardware $100 gift cards!!!! So you can tackle some of your own projects this year.

You can follow me and all the other Blog Squad members on Facebook through the Blog Squad tab on True Value Hardware's fan page.

Stay tuned!