* THE COUNTRY CHIC COTTAGE (DIY, Home Decor, Crafts, Farmhouse)

Guest Post -- Crafty Goodies

2012-05-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone~ I'm so excited to be on The Country Chic Cottage to share what I love. You can ALWAYS find me in one of two places, either in my craft room creating or junkin'!! I am a crafty girl who loves to create with a vintage flair. What is junk to someone else is a diamond in the rough to me. I love crafting with and re-purposing old things among other paper crafts. As always, I love to share creativity with others and invite you to visit me at Crafty Goodies.

I took legal size note pads and had them cut into thirds and decorated them with Jenni Bowlin Studio's paper and embellishments.

Here is a close up of the toppers. You can go here for more details.

A card using the same Jenni Bowlin pattern papers.

One of my features, on my blog, is"Try it Tuesdays" where I share something totally out of the ordinary and show you how to create a treasure of your own. I also have my "Remember This" posts at least once a month in which I share a goody I have wandered across and re-purposed. I also post pictures of my junkin' finds right along side my crafts. I so hope you've enjoyed my post and have come away inspired and once again I extend an invitation for you to visit me at Crafty Goodies.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2012-05-24T15:17:00.002-05:00

It is that time of year y'all! The strawberries are in season. I make freezer jam every year. I just buy the mix made by Ball and follow the instructions. It is super simple. Plus with strawberries being so cheap, it is economical as well.

About a month ago, I ran out of my homemade freezer jam from last year. The kids were REALLY wanting a PB&J so I picked up some preserves from the store. The kids HATED it. Really, really hated it. They have been eating my homemade jam so long that we can't turn back now. So they were thrilled when this year's batch was complete.

You can comment if you wish...but I already know you are not **supposed** to freeze jam in the glass jars. I leave LOTS of head space and room for expansion and have never, ever had any trouble. Feel free to disagree.

So have y'all picked up any strawberries? Anyone that makes freezer jam?
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Porch Phase II -- Surprises

2012-05-23T15:58:00.002-05:00

So I blogged all about our porch demo and when I last showed it we had something like this....

So if you read that post, one of the reasons we removed the porch was because it was not to code. Plus (being not to code) it was causing damage to our home. Well...time for surprises. The damage was much more than we expected....

Yes ladies and gents that is some major issues. I am happy to report that all issues have been fixed and the siding has been repaired. Hubby did it all himself too...meaning we are only out about $200 at this phase in the project. Pretty good considering the **surprise** that awaited us....huh?

So, today the view looks a little like this. A blank, empty slate just waiting on some final plans...then it is ON!

I will keep y'all posted....as always!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Easy Ways to Start Scrapbooking

2012-05-22T09:08:00.000-05:00

Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at My Life's a Treasure about my blog, and I’m excited to welcome Jennifer from Simple Scrapper to The Country Chic Cottage:

Before I started scrapbooking, I thought it was a hobby that required serious dedication and the purchase of a lot of stuff to even try. I had a specific notion in my head that these scrapbookers were a serious bunch and to jump in you had to go all-in.
Times have changed and modern memory keeping looks a lot different than moms packing crop rooms on Friday nights. Scrapbooking now offers options for any design style, stage of life and budget. The
scrapbooker of today probably looks a lot different than you might imagine and it is easier than ever to get started.

Four Ways to Try Scrapbooking

At its heart, scrapbooking is about adding words and, in some cases decoration, to your photos. It can be as simple as that or quite a bit more. These strategies can help you get your feet wet and see if the scrapbooking of today works for you.

1. Share Photos Online - Scrapbooking is a way to share more of your life with friends and family. The easiest way to get started sharing the photos you take is with Facebook or other online services like Flickr or Instagram. You can even adjust privacy settings to control who can see your images.

2. Start a Journal - Documenting your stories with words no longer requires pencil and paper. You can use services like OhLife to prompt you with an email or capture your daily thoughts with apps like Momento.
If you still crave the touch and feel of a real journal, try a Memory Logbook, which is a journal for
scrapbookers.

3. Create a Photo Book - The most straight forward method for combining words and decoration with your photos is a photo book. These are hard- or soft-bound books where you can upload your photos and drag-and-drop them on pre-made pages. One of the most popular services for easily creating photo books is Shutterfly, but many of your major stores like Walmart will even let you create photo books too.

4. Utilize Shortcuts - Many scrapbook or craft stores carry page kits that just require your photos and acid-free adhesive. Purchasing page kits can minimize the up-front investment since everything is cut for you. For the latest on-trend products and help coordinating products, you can order kits online from clubs like Studio Calico or Cocoa Daisy. These supplies, however, will also require a paper trimmer.

Scrapbookers today, especially those who are involved online, embrace a wide variety of techniques to capture their most important stories. Whether you decide to create embellished pages or simply share your photos on the Internet, to a modern memory keeper it all counts!

Jennifer S. Wilson is a scrapbooker, writer and creative entrepreneur living in the heart of the midwest with a husband, two stepkids and a sweet baby girl. She is passionate about helping people find more time for creativity, especially documenting life's stories through words and photos. You can get more practical ideas for scrapbooking at Simple Scrapper.

Visit Life Your Way to see all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants!

Hunger Games Love Quote Sign -- Hanging It Up

2012-05-21T16:11:00.001-05:00

Remember my Hunger Games Love Quote Sign? I finally got around to hanging it up!

Now I love it even more. I get to see it last thing before I get into bed at night and first thing when I get up in the morning.

It has actually been about 2 weeks but I am just now getting around to telling y'all. I will say that the sign still makes me swoon. I am just that much in love with this project.

It is the perfect addition to our bedroom. Now to get around to reading that last book in the Hunger Games series. Have you read all three yet?

~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Patriotic Art {Image Transfer to Canvas}

2012-05-20T19:46:00.001-05:00

The approaching end of May has me dreaming of summer. Patriotic crafts float around in my head as well as on my Pinterest boards. I looked around on The Graphics Fairy a bit for some further inspiration and found a gorgeous Liberty Bell graphic. I decided right then and there that I had to do something with it.

I googled around on image transfer methods. There are lots of tutorials on using inkjet transfer paper to transfer images to wood. So it certainly should work on a canvas. I decided to give it a try.

I printed my image on the transfer paper. The image does have some words, so I inverted the image before printing.

I then trimmed the excess away and was left with just the image on the transfer paper.

I was going to be ironing the image to the canvas so I needed to have something solid under the canvas. I dug through and found a book that fit almost perfectly inside the back of the canvas.

I then turned over my image on the transfer paper and began to iron according to the package directions. (No steam and high heat.)

I then lifted and MAGIC!!

Well almost magic. The edges were a lifted slightly in places.

I grabbed some Mod Podge and sealed around the edges.

I then painted the edges of the canvas red and grabbed some patriotic ribbon.

I cut the ribbon to the length and width of the canvas. I adhered the ribbon with Mod Podge.

The ribbon wrapped around the edges of the canvas slightly but not enough to cover the entire side of the canvas. That is why I painted before putting the ribbon on.

I love the way the details of the canvas show through the image using this method. Plus this method allows me to make anything I want at home -- without having to go to a copy store for a toner based copy.

I set this one up here for a little photo shoot. I will be using it for my summer mantle....stay tuned!

The perfect little project to get you in the mood for summer.

Break out your transfer sheets and make your own art tonight!

I am linking this one up to The Graphics Fairy Brag Monday -- y'all come join us!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Tonight is the night....

2012-05-18T17:30:00.000-05:00

After tonight it will be official. My oldest daughter will be a high school graduate. Wish me luck. Think positive thoughts so I don't bawl my eyes out. I will be back another day with pictures for y'all...cause I am sure I will feel the need to show her off! For now, let the hats fly!

Only a few short months and we will be moving her into a dorm room. Y'all might have to hold my hand for that one too.

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Simple way to dress up plastic containers

2012-05-17T17:34:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I posted about my Sports Themed Birthday Party. I wanted to show you an easy way to customize plastic containers for your party.

This is actually one of those plastic Easter tubs.

I just came up with a sports design using my PSA Essentials stamps.

Then I literally just taped them around my cheapo plastic bucket! I made this one a "smores kit" for our bonfire party!

So simple and so cute!
PSA Essentials provides me with stamps as part of their design team. All opinions and projects are my own.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Sports Themed Birthday Party

2012-05-16T16:23:00.002-05:00

Time for all of the details on the Sports Themed Birthday Party I threw for my son. He wanted to have an outdoor bonfire -- which is great when it comes to boys! It rained about an hour before the party. I ended up decorating inside AND outside cause I was afraid it wasn't going to stop! That is why you will see shots from both inside and outside. We ended up being able to stay outside the entire time.

I made long green table runners for the tables. I striped them with white duct tape and added paper numbers. It rained on these before I could get them up. :(

They still looked cute just a little "black" instead of green. :)

I took Dollar Tree footballs and added them to the top of wide mouth mason jars. Tags stamped with PSA Essentials stamps adorn the front of those.

I used my Silhouette to cut football shapes. I used these on smaller mason jars to hold tea light candles.

I used that same football shape to make a banner. The letters and white banner pieces were also cut using the Silhouette.

Again the stamps are from PSA Essentials. I based my party around those stamps. The banner hung on the end of an old wagon that held the food.

The stamps feature various sports as well as an "all star" ring around the outside.

I made clear treat bags tied with football ribbon that I found at Walmart.

I also added handmade flags to some cheer cones found at the Dollar Tree.

Details for making the sports party flags can be found on this post.

I also took some dowel rods and made a goal post. It is stuck into an upside down terra cotta pot for a base. The "7" is cut from cardboard with scrapbook paper mod podged to the outside. My son still has this one in his room he loved it so much!

Each element ties into one another with the stamps and the colors used. It was simple yet fun. Most of the things I bought can be used by my son as a toy or in his room. Most everything I made was from materials around my home. A great way to throw a great party on a budget!

If y'all think I am the only crafty one in the family, think again! My hubby MADE this hay trailer for my son to pull behind his pedal tractor. He made it from scrap metal and welded it together. I then painted it with Krylon. We made the hay bales using hay, saran wrap, and twine.

The wagon was most definitely the hit of the party!

Now for the food! You can find all the details on how to make a football cake on my blog.

Plus if you want to add another festive touch, wrap your juice boxes with brown paper and add a white cutout. Instant party decor!

I also put up a post detailing the football cupcakes I made for my son to carry to school.

All in all we had a great birthday party! And this little guy was oh so happy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :)

PSA Essentials supplies me with stamps for participation in their design team. All projects and opinions are my own.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Football Cupcakes and a WINNER!

2012-05-15T16:06:00.001-05:00

First of all, I owe y'all a winner from the Shutterfly giveaway. The winner of 50 free announcements is:

Karen Watson
who said...
My daughter just has 3 more classes to take before she graduates college, hopefully that will be at the end of the Summer! Please add me for your draw!

Congrats Karen! Drop me an email to claim your prize. I will draw another winner in 72 hours if I have not heard from Karen.

Now for tonight, I have a few pictures of the football cupcakes I made. Yesterday I showed off my football cake. Well...I also had to make cupcakes for my little man to take to school. I went with a super simple idea...

I just cut lots of football shapes with my Silhouette. I then made "football" marks on them with a Sharpie. Added a toothpick to the back and I had cupcake toppers.

A simple cupcake recipe with green icing on top and we were ready to head to school!

I will continue on with more sports party ideas tomorrow! Y'all stay tuned!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Football Cake

2012-05-14T19:21:00.001-05:00

This week I will be blogging all about the sports party I threw for my 7 year old. First up is the football cake. I got the idea for the cake from Pigskins and Pigtails. My little boy fell in love with that cake so I had to recreate it...my way....

Just bake a rectangular cake and decorate. The red and green is just icing that is dyed.

Just use some green food color to dye some coconut for around the outside.

I used fondant to make my line markers and my football.

Plus fondant letters for that extra special name in the end zone.

I make all of my kid's cakes every year for their birthday. I must say this one was fairly easy. It was my first time working with fondant and I loved it!

I also took straws and made a goal post for the end zone.

My little boy was thrilled!

Stay tuned for more sports party fun!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

A story of a mother...

2012-05-13T19:00:00.001-05:00

Please take some time out this Mother's Day and read the story of the mother below.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The loss of a loved one is a strange surreal reality. Life is completely normal except for one large, gaping hole. Each day the pain seems to become more real and defined as the actuality of what has happened sinks in. Heidi of Honeybear Lane, lost her sister-in-law, Alice Hansen, this week to complications following the birth of her third baby. She fought a hard fight to stay on this earth with her husband and three little children who love her dearly. But God wanted her with Him and there is none who can stop Him. Her husband, Heidi's brother, was left behind to take care of their two little boys and newborn daughter.

Heidi's family opened a donation account for Alice and her family. This money will go towards funeral costs, residual medical expenses, and the costs of raising children without a mother or a job. Her brother is going through a very difficult thing and while nothing can replace the ache of losing his sweetheart, any sort of donation will help to ease the burdens a little. If you would like to donate money directly, please visit Heidi's blog Honeybear Lane. You can donate easily by clicking the "Donate" button on the right sidebar. You can donate through Paypal, credit card, or e-check (a check directly from your bank account.) Any and all donations are appreciated. Please also spread the word by sharing any posts you see about it. You may use any of these beautiful printables that the talented Lara made for Alice. These printables represent the music that Alice made in her life--being a PhD in music. In addition to being a wonderful wife and mother, she was a very gifted pianist who traveled the world before getting married and having children. She shared that passion with her husband, also a pianist. Music brought them together.

Music was her passion. But her family was her life. She figuratively and literally gave her life for her children. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Message from Heidi: From the bottom of our grief-stricken hearts: Thank you.

Happy Mother's Day!

2012-05-13T18:41:00.000-05:00

Dropping in tonight to tell each of y'all Happy Mother's Day! My kids gave me the ultimate gift of the stomach flu....off to rest! :) See y'all tomorrow!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Lunch with Blog Friends

2012-05-12T14:34:00.000-05:00

I had a chance last weekend to get together with some great blog friends. Lunch, chatting, and tons of fun! This was all courtesy of Treat.com. I will tell y'all more about them in a bit. Gotta get in some pics with friends first!

Our group included:
Annie from Tennessee Sugar
Michele from The Scrap Shoppe
Lisa from Franny Bolsa
Becky from Becky’s Graphic Design
Dina from My Unentitled Life
Polly from Make Mine Beautiful
Jessica from Sunny Tuesday

And our hostess was Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage.

Gina showed us a little about Treat.com, we got swag (oh yeah), and we had a wonderful lunch (with dessert). Who could ask for anything more? But there was more! Lots of talk with like minded people. Blog talk, mom talk, friend talk. The kind of talk you need after a long week! It was a perfect outing and we all had a great time. Thank goodness for friends with instagram -- you can steal their pics for your blog posts ya know.

Now for all of you wondering, Treat.com is where you can make fully personalized cards, add gift cards, and MAIL them all in your PJs. They just took the hard work out of sending cards. Personalize your card with your words and pictures. Pick a gift card and add it. Tell Treat where to send it. They will make it, put in your gift card, add a stamp, and mail to your recipient. You can even put in reminders for all of your important dates. Link it to your facebook so all of your friends and family's birthdays get imported with the click of a button. The just made sending great cards simple and easy. You have to love that.
Many thanks to Treat.com for sponsoring our event! I can't wait for the next one!
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Children and Migraines #cbias

2012-05-11T14:04:00.001-05:00

I have migraines. I have had them for a long time. I do not even remember when they started. Frankly I was never diagnosed, I always remember getting headaches that would put me in the bed sick. Then my oldest daughter started getting them around the age of nine. I researched and realized that it may in fact be migraines for both myself and her. Her diagnosis from the doctor was in fact migraines. She learned to control them just as I had. We both have mild cases compared with some other people.

Fast forward a few years. My five year old son started getting migraine symptoms. Five? Is that even possible? The doctor assured me that it was in fact possible. We went through tons of testing. Indeed he does have problems with migraines and extreme sinus headaches. Certain times of the year are worse for us. A lot of his issues are brought on by allergies this time of year. One medication that has worked for us for little over a year is Children's Advil. As you can see from the above, he is a fan! :)

We have always went with the Children's Advil liquid. On a recent trip to Kroger, I decided to look at all of the options for my son's medicine. He is seven years old now and wants to be treated like a "big" boy. Do you all get that from your kids? They want to be just like adults. But frankly, even if he could take regular strength medicine, he would never be able to swallow a pill.

I just had to look down one row in the children's medicine section. The answer was there. Plus from the name I know and trust. Chewable tablets! This one should please him by letting him be a "big" boy and me by alleviating his symptoms with the same brand we have been using for over a year now.

I am about to tell y'all something you don't even know about me. I love coupons. Love them. This package also had a $2 coupon attached that you just peel off. How is that for a shopping bonus?

I completed the rest of my shopping and headed home with my find from the medicine aisle. Plus a few extra finds from the bakery department. Want to see the details on my entire shopping trip? Check out this google plus album for lots of pictures.

One house, five people, lots of medicine for different symptoms. Do y'all suffer from this as well? I find it easy to keep our medicine in a basket on top of a tall shelf. Everyone knows where it is. There are no calls from my husband at random times asking what he should give our son for a headache. The Children's Advil is always in the basket within an (adult) arm's reach.

Children's Advil also works on any fever symptoms that my son may have. A dual purpose to shrink our ever overflowing medicine basket.

My son has not had a headache yet so no feedback on the "chewables". When I showed them to him though, they were a hit. We will call them the "big boy" medicine for now....

Happy smiles for now....and there is that lost tooth for anyone that follows me over on facebook. That is one of our latest "big boy" events. Our first lost tooth!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions and photographs are my own.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

DIY Cupcake Stand with Three Tiers

2012-05-10T16:34:00.001-05:00

Ready to learn how to make your own DIY cupcake stand? It is oh so easy! I am even going to show you how to make them colorful...

I showed them off yesterday in the post all about the graduation party I threw recently. These are the stands filled to the brim with gorgeous cupcakes...

What do you need? Three different sized plates. Mine are from the thrift store. You also need some really great and tall candle sticks. Paint your candle sticks white (I used spray paint) then use E6000 or an equivalent glue for glass and stick all your layers together! It is really that easy. BONUS it is also very inexpensive -- plates and candlesticks are a steal at the thrift store.

Now are you ready to glam them up? One plate already had a colorful polka dot feel so I just went with those colors. Just use Deco Art glass markers and draw right on the plates. Yes that is all I did!

I also drew colorful lines on the candlesticks in a few places. I think these stands took me maybe 20 minutes to make (NOT including dry time).

They made a great statement at the party -- all for 20 minutes and a total of around $6! I already had some of the plates, the Deco Art markers, and the glue. Gotta love thrift store stalking!

I am in love with the Deco Art Glass Markers. Y'all be prepared to hear tons more about those. I can't wait to use them on even more projects. They are so easy to use and make your glass projects gorgeous!

Serving cupcakes at your next party? Go BIG and make your cupcake stands with THREE tiers!

~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Graduation Party 2012

2012-05-09T16:28:00.001-05:00

Ready for some graduation party highlights? I can't believe my oldest daughter is graduating high school. We had her graduation party a few weekends ago. I wanted to get it in before everyone got too busy with other parties. We had a great time and had lots of people and food. Let me start by saying it was soooo windy that day. It was so hard for me to get good pictures. Yes an outdoor party on a very windy day. At least it didn't rain right? So let's get to the good stuff....

Our party supplies came from the celebration collection over at Doc Milo. This was my first time using Doc Milo and I must say I was very impressed. The packaging the supplies came in I actually used as part of the decor. Yes it was THAT pretty. Some of the items I did not use for their intended purpose. Each item was very high quality and gorgeous! I wanted something different for her party. Not graduation hats with red, blue, and yellow. You have seen those supplies at the store lately right? Well my daughter loves zebra print and the color pink. The Doc Milo supplies combined those two beautifully!

The tables got tablecloths in white and pink along with zebra print table runners. I actually had to use zebra print duct tape to hold them on it was so darn windy! The centerpieces were all milk glass vases with feathers, ribbon, and cutouts from Doc Milo. I stamped the cutouts with a custom stamp from PSA Essentials. I placed candles on each table in the Doc Milo treat boxes. Stamping the sides of those also with "Class of 2012". My original intent was to light the candles to help keep away bugs. I never lit a single candle due to the winds. We used a couple of packs of pink and black confetti along the tables.

I also ordered a photo banner from Build A Sign. Loved it! I am so glad I ordered it!

Now a little about the food! I bought BBQ and fixings from a local store for the crowd. The dessert was the best part though. I actually had someone make these adorable cupcakes for me. She is brilliant and made them extra special! There are four different kinds. I added them to three tier cake stands that I will talk more about tomorrow.

Then we had chocolate fondue! Okay this girl has never even had fondue before. I googled a crock pot recipe and it was super simple. Just put out all of the dippers and let everyone get their own. It was the hit of the food table.

We had a basket for people to drop in cards and gifts. My daughter loves to scrapbook so I actually had her work on this project. I think it turned out great!

I would highly recommend putting out some sheets for your guests to sign with their well wishes for the graduate. I hope she will cherish those sheets for years to come. Please ignore all of the paper covered books....I had to use something to keep everything from blowing around!

I also took a huge display board and COVERED it with pictures of the graduate through the years. From when she was a baby to present day. Tons of pictures and memories for our guests to look at and remember.

I think this board will be a great memento for many years to come.

I told y'all all about my tshirt memory quilt yesterday. I used that as a display for all of the mementos. Everyone loved having the quilt there and looking at the tshirts. I also laid out a couple of photo books that contain her senior pictures. Those were great to pass around and look at during the party.

I hope this gives y'all some ideas for your graduation celebration.
Doc Milo did send me product in exchange for this review. Opinions are all my own.
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~
The Country Chic Cottage

Making a Quilt out of Tshirts for Graduation

2012-05-08T16:32:00.001-05:00

I did it. I really did it! I made a quilt out of old tshirts! I have had this plan in my mind ever since my now 17 year old daughter was little. I saved up 17 years worth of tshirts and made her a quilt for her high school graduation. Trust me on this. If I can do it, you can do it. I am not a seamstress. I am not a quilter. I sew for fun only. I am going to give y'all some links that will help you to make your very own t shirt quilt.

So, I knew I wanted to make this amazing and HUGE queen size quilt. But where do I even start. I had a big pile of tshirts and an idea. I started with lots of research. The two tutorials that will help you the most are here and here. Do lots of research. Google tutorials. Read, read, read. It will help to build up your confidence. You can do this!

I will tell y'all now that this is a lot of work. The layout is the hardest step. Adding fusible interfacing to all those shirts is no walk in the park either. I spent around 20 to 24 hours on this one complete. I just tied the quilt at all of the intersections so no actual quilting was involved. I wanted to give my daughter something extra special for graduation. You know what? I succeeded!

There are baby shirts in this quilt. Shirts she painted in preschool. School shirts. Ball shirts. Shirts with so many memories attached to them. I could not throw out those memories. But who is going to go through a box of old tshirts to bring back memories? This quilt is something she can keep around for her entire life and remember each and every event associated with these shirts.

My quilt fits a queen sized bed. It is very large. You can tackle a smaller version for your first project. Or jump right in with both feet like I did. I took it slow and was extra careful. Are there mistakes? Oh yes there are mistakes. I call that "character" from mom making this one herself. I hope she can tell her grandchildren about how mom made her a quilt for high school graduation.

I could not keep this a surprise though. It was spread out in my living room and other areas on my home for weeks. I just worked on it a few hours at a time. Once I had the shirts sewed together into a quilt top I knew it was all going to be worth the effort. I could cry looking at this y'all. I don't think I am going to make it through the graduation ceremony without bawling my eyes out!

I actually used the quilt as a display during her graduation party. We will talk more about that this week. I have some tips and ideas for a party if you have a graduate in your life.

So, don't throw out those tshirts with memories. Don't send them to Good Will. Get up your courage and make your son or daughter a memory quilt that they will cherish for years to come.

I hope you enjoy reading about this quilt as much as I enjoyed making it. It was work but all of the effort was worth the end result!
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Mother's Day Gift Idea -- Painted Flower Pots with @Elmers #ExpressYourself #CBias #SocialFabric

2012-05-07T15:49:00.001-05:00

Side note: Dear Mom, if you are reading my blog today, please turn away. Don't scroll down. You will totally ruin the surprise!
Are you ready for Mother's Day? It is this weekend ya know! I have a simple DIY Mother's Day gift idea for you today. Hand painted flower pots...the easy way! These are super simple to make. Get the kids and gather your supplies. You can have some fun with the kids and make something for grandma. Or gather up the kids and force them to craft something for you...you gotta do what you gotta do right?

Gather up your supplies. These are made easy with the use of Elmer's Painters Paint Markers. I purchased mine at Walmart so they should be readily available. They are in the craft section at Walmart. You can buy them in packs of 5. But I was also so happy to see that they also sell them individually. Perfect for when you have a specific project in mind and only need a color or two. Plus at Walmart's everyday price of $1.97 each they don't break the bank! Just look for the display pictured below...look at all the color choices...

I already had a pack of primary colors at home. If y'all missed it, I let my kids play with the Elmers Painters Paint Markers before. Head on over and check out our children's canvas art project. So if you don't like the idea of the flower pots, turn your children loose on an art canvas. This trip I picked up a pastel pack and some other individual colors that I liked.

I also stopped by the Walmart garden center and picked up the rest of our supplies. You can read about my entire shopping trip over on my google plus album.

I got all of the markers started as per the package instructions. It is simply shaking well and pressing down until paint starts to flow. After they were ready, I let the kids loose on a covered table.

Each of the two little ones made a flower pot for grandma. I let them draw and write whatever they wanted. No rules means extra fun.

Elmers Painters Paint Markers are perfect for the budding young artist. They offer control that a paint brush does not. They can easily get great results without frustration. Plus they were virtually mess free. I covered my table just in case but there was not any mess.

The results are oh so special and perfect to give as gifts this Mother's Day.

While we had everything out, I tackled some more projects as well. Just to demonstrate that there is so much you can do with this product. We made a flower pot for Teacher Appreciation week. How special will this be for a teacher's gift?

I couldn't help but to use the markers to make some thing for myself as well. I used a combo of three different colors for these pots. One in stripes and one in dots.

These two are ceramic where as the kids were painting on terra cotta. Both surfaces worked very well. I would say grab some paint markers no matter the surface that you are working with.

After all that success, I even took my markers outside and worked on my herb garden a little bit. The pots are actually plastic.

After some quick paint marker touch ups, the pots were looking so much better and I even planted some more seeds while I was out there. Can't wait to start harvesting herbs....I will keep y'all posted.

So if y'all are wondering my kids call my mom Mucka. That would be a post by itself as to why.

What a great way to celebrate Mother's Day! I think I will plant a flower in each one before gifting it. Making it even more special.

But of course hand painted pots are special all on their own. Yes our trees have yellow trunks. I got reprimanded for not buying a brown paint marker. Let this be a lesson to y'all -- buy more colors than you think you will need or your kids will let you know about it.

Now y'all know that I am officially hook on Elmers Painters Paint Markers for kid and adult crafting! Follow along at the hashtag #expressyourself on twitter for even more ideas with paint markers. You can always follow Elmers on twitter or like them on facebook to keep up too. So are you making anything for Mother's Day? I want to see! Leave me a link to your blog post.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric” All projects and opinions are mine.

~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

A Day in the Life -- Prom Night

2012-05-06T19:42:00.001-05:00

Proud momma break! It was senior prom this weekend. I sent my little baby girl off to her last high school prom!

For those that are interested -- her dress was from Tony Bowls and purchased from Promgirl.net. Jewelry is mostly from Chiky on etsy. Shoes are from Shoe Carnival.

There is something so surreal about seeing your little girl all grown up and going out on the town. Knowing I have two more weeks until I bawl like a baby at her graduation. Then only a few short months before we will be moving her into a dorm room. It is such a happy and exciting time yet sad at the same time. I know all you mommas out there can commiserate with me. I am taking today to pout a bit on the inside but to tell y'all how proud I am also. She looked wonderful and had a great time!

Love my baby girl!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~This proud proud mom~

Shutterfly GIVEAWAY -- 50 announcements!

2012-05-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

I love Shutterfly for things like prints and photo books. They dropped me an email and asked if I would be interested in giving away a set of 50 announcements to y'all....I gladly agreed! Perfect for anyone with a graduate or expecting a baby or even planning a wedding. My daughter graduates in 2 weeks (YIKES) so these are catching my eye....

I actually made some very similar for our own graduation party. (We will talk more about graduation parties next week.) Photo books are my personal hands down favorite gift to give. It is so personal and they are super easy to make at Shutterfly. So if you are looking for a gift for mom for Mother's Day -- consider making a photo book. Right now Shutterfly has a 30% off promo too! Sorry can't give one of those away but mom will love a gift from the heart!

Now let's giveaway some announcements!

Prize is 50 announcements.

US entries only -- void where prohibited. Must be 18 or older to win.

Contest will run from now until Friday May 11th at 11:59 pm CST.

Once the winner is announced on my blog, you will have 72 hours to contact me before I pick another winner.

Ready to enter?

Just leave a comment below telling me what you would use the announcements for. That is it! One entry per household.

Now leave a comment!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Miss Mustard Seed and Decor Steals

2012-05-04T14:07:00.001-05:00

Do y'all shop decor steals? Yes it is ANOTHER daily deal site. But don't click away just yet. Check out the eye candy...

I just realized today that the great Miss Mustard Seed hand picks items to go onto this site on occasion. And today's steal is that GREAT tin box with drawers! I swooned...fell out...could not control my excitement! That is not even all of it...check out this one...

It so reminds me of a tobacco basket! Y'all know what...it is cheaper than the tobacco baskets I have ever seen. So are y'all as excited as me? There is even more eye candy...I won't ruin it by posting pics of all of it here. Head on over and make a purchase or just sign up for the decor steals email to get these great deals in your inbox.

Y'all enjoy!

This post does contain affiliate links.

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

DIY Wedding Ideas for your wedding

2012-05-04T08:53:00.002-05:00

Today I am joining up with an entire group of crafty ladies for a DIY wedding ideas party! There are tons of links for inspiration in the linky part at the bottom of this post.

First, I am going to recap the wedding ideas from my blog (both archives and those from this week). Y'all enjoy all of the ideas and help us to spread the word by any means you want!

"Metal" Numbered Tags
Perfect to make table numbers or add to the rustic decor of your wedding. Easy to make with materials you have around the house -- no metal required!

Love Sign with quote from the Hunger Games
Perhaps you are looking to add a touch of rustic barnwood to your wedding or reception. Use this tutorial to paint your own sign with any quote you like. I also made a simple version with just the word love that might spark some ideas.

Love Sign Knock Off
No barnwood? No problem! You can make up this sign with lumber from your pile.

Rose Petal Chandy
This is from my archives and gets lots of attention from brides-to-be. Head on over and see how to make your own.

Chalkboard Reception Table Numbers
This week I showed y'all how to make a variety of table numbers with easy and inexpensive items. Using chalkboard tags was one idea.

Barnwood Wedding Reception Table Numbers
Want something even more rustic? Using barn wood to mark your reception tables will be perfect.

Using tags as Wedding Reception Table Numbers
Need something super simple? Extra large tags will work and be a touch of country elegance.

I am also over at The Graphics Fairy today with some printable mason jar wedding items that you can easily make on your own! Head on over and get the printables!

Some of the items above plus so much more are available in my etsy shop. Head on over and shop for your rustic country wedding needs. I do custom orders so drop me a line and let me make the perfect item for your wedding.

Now head on over to all of the posts in the linky below. Explore your wedding options and DIY your way to the perfect wedding day!
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~

Wedding Reception Table Numbers with Paper Tags

2012-05-02T16:09:00.001-05:00

I am continuing on with wedding week today. If you missed any posts, read all of them here. As I was brainstorming ideas for a rustic country wedding reception, I realized that a simple solution might just be a perfect one. Using tags to mark your table numbers is simple, inexpensive, and fits in perfectly with a rustic theme. I actually have two different versions for you.

These tags are LARGE and actually are displayed on a 1/2 gallon mason jar. You will have to find your own big blue ball jar. :)

Enough about the jar...but it is swoon worthy...

The first version is just a manilla shipping tag. Very rustic yet readily available.

I have a couple of mason jar stamps that I used for wedding items in my etsy shop. I added those to the top and numbers to the bottom.

The stamp could be anything you want it to be. The number stamps are ones I had on hand, but the possibilities are endless there as well.

Now onto version 2. I have been selling mason jar shaped tags in my etsy shop for a few weeks. I just used my Silhouette to cut them out.

Again the same stamping method was used to make these extra large tags. Perfect for numbering tables don't you think?

So if you are planning your rustic wedding and reception, consider going simple yet elegant. As with all of the items this week, these will be for sale in my etsy shop (sorry y'all I am already married and can't use these!).

I have even more wedding fun planned for the rest of this week! Y'all stay tuned!

~Thanks for stopping by!~

~Angie~

Barn Wood Wedding Reception Table Numbers

2012-05-01T15:48:00.001-05:00

I told y'all yesterday I was infatuated this week with table numbers. If you have any barn wood or even old wood scraps laying around this is the perfect way to add a rustic touch to your country farmhouse wedding.

Paint on your numbers in rustic white. These are actually the end pieces from barn wood boards.

What a great rustic touch to your reception! I actually made four of these from some scraps I had laying around.

Each is as lovely and unique as the board it came from. Old nail holes, worn edges, and an authentic outdoor barn finish.

As with all of my projects this week, these are available in my etsy shop. I am not planning a wedding so my creations have to go somewhere.

Are you ready to stalk your scrap pile? Hunt down an old barn? Or maybe find a weathered pallet. All of those items could be used to create these great table numbers at your wedding reception.

Stay tuned as I will be posting wedding ideas for your rustic country wedding all week!
~Thanks for stopping by!~
~Angie~