Cherished Treasures

Skeleton Leaf Flowers

2012-01-26T09:32:00.000-06:00

I saw a video on You Tube on how to turn skeleton leaves into flowers and I just had to try to make some myself. What a clever idea to take a leaf and turn it into something so pretty.

Let me show you how I did it..

I got the skeleton leaves from Simply Paveena...100 leaves for $2.95...I got the small and
big and will probably go back and buy the large size...

Gently fold them in half the long way and cut the middle stem off...keep the two pieces together...

Then accordian fold it and manipulate to get the shape you want...

it gets easier the more you make....

Add some hot glue to the bottom and gently squeeze to bring the end to a point...

after the glue dries, you'll want to cut off the point..be careful not to cut too much off

as you want it to keep the shape...

then start gluing onto a small circle of paper....

I glimmer misted my first flower Strawberry Shortcake...love the texture of this...
this one was made with a combination of 5 large and 5 small leaves...

As I made more I started using more large leaves to get more ruffles...

The color of this glimmer mist is mustard yellow but it turned out to look more green than yellow...

the flowers are 2" and this size is perfect for cards or layouts...

I also made a blue one....love the shimmer....

Then I decided to try to make one for Valentines season...this is the natural color

and I added a heart brad...

Fun and easy....and who would believe these were made from skeleton leaves?

I'm linky to these parties

I Just Might Be Looking For You!

2012-01-25T03:00:00.003-06:00

Back in November I had my blog totally redone and I so love how it looks now. My next step into blogging is to begin to offer advertising(sponsorship) and having guest posts.

Right now I have three great sponsors on my blog...

Andrea from The Cottage Market...

Not only does Andrea have a super blog but she has two Etsy stores and continues to blog daily.

How she does it all, I have no idea...super cute blog and one of my favorite features is on Friday and her hubby's love of thrifting and his latest finds. (He really does have a good eye for great things!)

Barbara from Snip It Up by Ragbags has such cute quiled blankets, totes, kits and more in her shop...

I love her profile..she quilts and quilts and quilts and then when she gets tired - she takes a quilting class...how many of you can relate to this?

Last but not least is Junk Garden, Angie mixes different styles to make

some cute charms and right now she has several Valentine charm necklaces

that you'll want to check out.

And if you are have a new Etsy store or even an established Etsy store - I would love to work
with you and get your name out there to my readers. My prices are super low and I only do
this for fun, not to make money....

And if you aren't interested in advertising, there are other ways to promote your blog or business, click here for other ways to network with me...

Please keep in mind that I have the right to reject any offers that don't fit my interests.

Tuesday Treasure - $5,000 Appliance Giveaway

2012-01-24T03:00:00.000-06:00

I recently received an email letting me know about a contest where I have the chance to win

$5,000 worth of new GE appliances...and this giveaway is for one very lucky blogger!

I love this refrigerator...two freezer doors and the water/ice dispenser...

and I'd sure love to have a double oven and new microwave

this one comes with pizza mode...if you know what this is, please let me know...

And because this giveaway is for bloggers, you can also enter this giveaway!

To enter the contest you need to write a post using one of the topics outlined at partselect.com

Some of the topics are:

Tell us about your proudest creation or empowering DIY moment!

Tell us your best “If my appliance could talk” story!

What is the coolest thing you upcycled or repurposed in your home?

For more details about this contest, click here

Contest ends Jan 31, 2012, so time is running out!

Wouldn't winning this contest just get 2012 off to a great start?

Macie's Baptism and Nursery Pictures

2012-01-23T03:00:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe but our little granddaughter, Macie is now 2 months old.

Today was Macie's baptism and wouldn't you know it, I didn't check the camera batteries

before we left and the light was flashing...but we still got some great pictures..

Even though we were close to the front of the church, they were facing away from us so

I had to take my pictures from the big screen...Crystal, Macie and Stuart are on the left side

with the Macie's godparents, Jon and Libbie..

Macie's little baptism dress was so cute...lots of layers of tulle and lace..

The proud parents and Macie..

Don't you think little girls, especially babies are ADORABLE when they have headbands on..
and this flower is so pretty!

Of course I offered to hold Macie the entire time we were there....

The baptism cake was made by Libbie(godparent) and she made such a

yummy cake and use fondant for the frosting...

Now let me show you Macie's room/nursery...

After Macie was born, it was time to girl-la-fy the room and the first order

of business was to paint the room pink....

and added Macie's name(Pottery Barn) and I think the butterflies are from Target...

I took this picture even though Macie's baptism dress is laying there..

I wanted to show off the pictures from Galeris Anais on this wall with some more butterflies..

And I love to check out other people's closets, don't you?

Thought I'd share Macie's closet..don't you love all the pink?

For now the toy shelf is in the closet...looks pretty cute in there..

This is the wall opposite of the crib...

three more pictures from Galerie Anais

and the baby onsie that I made before Macie was born...

I might need to make a girlie one now...

I'd sure love to have you join my weekly linky party, Sunday Blog Love

going on right here...

Linking up to these parties...

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2012-01-21T06:00:00.002-06:00

Welcome to another Sunday Blog Love!

It's going to be a cold weekend here.

We received our first snow yesterday, and it's going to be really windy today.

I'll be working on revamping my scrapbook/office and

staying inside where it's warm and dry.

Thank you to everyone who linked up last week

and also to those who left a comment.

Comments are so fun to read and I encourage

you to leave a comment whenever you read someone's blog.

Let me show you my top five favorites from last week.

Whenever I see a scrapbook space, I've got to check it out and see how they've

organized the space. Amy has also included a super cute chalkboard table for her daughter

and her daughter has her own supplies...how fun!

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and Terry from Forever Decorating shows us

her collection of Valentine hankies...super pretty!

I always love when a blogger shares projects that they've found and

Kimberly picks out some ideas for valentine gifts for teachers...

all without breaking the bank!

Suzanne whipped up these adorable placemats using images from Graphics Fairy and shares a fun story how she came to make them. You'll want to check this out, lots of links and tutorials!

I'd never heard of lemon bark before and this sounds so yummy.
If you like Lemonheads, you'll want to check this out...easy and fast!

The most viewed link from last week was....

Keri shows us the Lovebird Specimen that she made..

the colors are spectular and she shares the link where she found these birdies..

I predict many of these to be in bloggy world very soon!

Thank you so much for linking up ladies!
Feel free to grab my featured button to add to your blog.

Now it's on to this weeks linky party....
I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..
All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project,
thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...

(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)

Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....

and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

Adore Mini Album

2012-01-19T09:20:00.001-06:00

Have you ever ordered anything from Scrapbook Steals?

If you're a papercrafter they offer two great deals every day at discounted prices.
The thing, is you have to be fast because they can sell out quickly.

I recently bought the deal of the day - the Teresa Collins Freestye mini album package.

This paper line was so pretty with the mixture of pinks and oranges...very girly..

My youngest daughter is living in South Korea and has yet to meet her

niece, Macie. I decided to make a mini album for her with pictures of Macie.

I especially love the weathered, shabby look of this paper line..

and how the chipboard pieces fit in so nicely...

Holding Macie for the first time was pretty special for my son, Michael..

he was a natural...

It was so cute how Bailey would come running to check out any sounds that

Macie made...

I added just a few embellishments because I wanted the mini to lay as

flat as possible....

Isn't this paper line just the cutest...love this pink zebra print...

My daughter loves Hello Kitty and I thought this fit in really nice...

The pink arrangement came from Andrea at The Cottage Market
and a giveaway that I won..super cute!!
Thanks Andrea!! :)

Macie is now two months old and growing so fast...so many smiles now too...

Yep, shes a keeper!

Wishing you a wonderful Thursday!

Hope you're staying warm, we are -6 as I write this and high of 2 degrees today...

Linking to these parties....

Tuesday Treasure - My All Time Favorite Valentine Projects

2012-01-17T03:00:00.001-06:00

Do you spend much time on Pinterest? I've been slowly going through my favorite list on my computer and moving them to my Pinterest boards...so much fun to see what I thought was a favorite.

And since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I wanted to show you some of my favorite Valentine projects off Pinterest.

I love this Valentine's tree that's made with various scrapbook paper..

Then She Made

Seriously, who wouldn't love to receive one of these

organizers full of Valentine candy?

This free download Valentine printable is an easy way to show your love.

I love this love bird specimen picture...great way to use some of those

smaller pieces of scrapbook paper too!

Or how about making some chocolate covered pretzels?

I love all the sprinkles, so fun!

Peanut butter cookies are my favorite and adding a Dove chocolate....yummy!

I love the look of this vintage looking Valentine spool. All the color and the added Valentine would make this a fun gift to give.

You can find me here on Pinterest...

Now after looking at all of these idea, I need some chocolate....

Wishing you a wonderful Tuesday!

Linking to these parties...

My Huch Decorated by Goodwill

2012-01-15T18:04:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I've shown you my home and some of my Goodwill finds.

Here's a picture of our dining room at Christmas time.....

This year I decided to hang our Christmas stockings up on the hutch...

but I didn't like it at all...too cluttered....

Here's how it looks now...

I love the uncluttered look so much better....

and would you believe everything was found at Goodwill?

Everything but the plates in the middle.

It all began with one duck ironstone

and then another...

and then I had to start being picky...because there were a few

that were the same as what I already had..

I got the turkey ironstone from an auction,

it came with a gravy boat which I ruined in the dishwasher.....

I've even found the platters at Goodwill...

I'm still looking for more of those...they seem to be harder to find...

Okay, I have a cow creamer in the duck collection...

I love her too!

I also have a collection of ironstone coffepots and pitchers that

I've put away.....all from Goodwill....

I've thought about re-opening my Etsy store and selling them...

but it's hard to part with them, you know what I mean, right?

I also got this soup tureen from Goodwill, in great shape for just a couple of dollars..

and I've put several more away...

Now I just need to figure out the top of my hutch...

I seem to struggle with decorating this area...

Thanks for stopping by!

Did you know that I'm also on Facebook?

Linking to these parties ....
Metamorphis Monday
Have a great week!

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2012-01-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Sunday Blog Love!

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Just when I thought I was over my bad cold, it came back...

They say that because our winter has been so different this year..

warm temps and no snow..

people who normally don't have allergies are getting them...

if this is allergies that I have, I'm not liking it at all.

All the medicine out there makes a person drowsy which doesn't make for getting much done...

So now that you've heard my whoa is me story...lets get to the party....

and show you some of my top five favorites!

OMG, is this not the cutest trike diaper cake!

Kim shows how she put this together with lots of great pictures!

Mary shows us her Goodwill silver collection and how she uses it in her home.

I love bread and homemade is even better!

How about making some Italian bread tonight? Yummy!

Aimee got a Cricut Expression 2 for Christmas and make this fun shows us her Be Mine Banner.

I love the story behind this hutch being saved and restored.
Dumped and Discovered shows off this wonderful transformation.

Now for the most viewed project from last weeks party!

Is your house full of stuff? Elaine discusses using what you have
and decorating on not even decorating on a dime.

Thank you so much for linking up ladies!
Feel free to grab my new featured button to add to your blog.

Now it's on to this weeks linky party....
I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..
All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project,
thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...

(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)

Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....

and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

My Journey to the Movies

2012-01-12T10:54:00.000-06:00

One of the things that hubby and I love to do is to go to the movies.

And through the years we've gone to a lot of movies...

I came a video on YouTube, a journal for her friend who is a huge movie buff and kept her
tickets from years ago. And this inspired me to make this mini album...

Let me show you the start of "My Journey to the Movies"...

I got the kit from A Piece of Craft.

The inside cover....still a work in progress ....

I added seam binding to keep it together...over time it's going to get really big...

Here's my first page highlighting the movie we saw last weekend, Warrior Horse.

If you're a pet lover, I think this movie will touch your heart....

I went on the internet to find a short description of the movie and then printed out some tiny pictures and added it to a piece of cardstock.

This kit is really fun..lots of vintage cutouts and also plenty of room to add your own.

I started going through and added some of my stuff and it started to take on a life of it's own

The kit also came with some full pages to make chapters...very easy project, even for a beginner

Most of the pages are already weathered looking but I added glimmer mist to each page for some sparkle...

The pages are just fun...and I can't wait to start saving mementos of this year to add to it.

And then the back cover, I added a pocket for more tags...

This project will have to sit and wait now.
I've got a couple birthdays in the family that I need to make a couple of things for.

Wishing you a great Thursday!
Linking to these parties

Tuesday Treasure - Vintage Suitcases

2012-01-10T03:00:00.000-06:00

I love vintage suitcases...and I remember wanting one so bad when I was a teenager.

It's great to see how the hard side luggage continues to be loved, but in different ways..

let me show you some of different projects...

Songbird left everybody in awe when she painted a sidetable and suitcase.

Janes Apron altered this train case with some fun fabric.

Style It Chic shows off so many great pictures using suitcases as furniture...

Robin used Mod Podge and some patchwork paper to alter this suitcase.

Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures shows how she altered her suitcase...gorgeous!

You can find more vintage suitcase ideas on my Pinterest board!
Have a great Tuesday!
Linking to these parties...

Letter From Ashley

2012-01-08T19:50:00.001-06:00

It's been quite some time since I've written about my youngest daughter,

Ashley, who is living in South Korea. Ashley traveled there in August to teach
English at an all girl elementary school.

If you remember a few weeks ago, the leader for North Korea, Kim Jong II, died.
I was very worried about what could happen. So far, things have been quiet and
we are keeping a close eye on world news...

I wanted to share some pictures and an email we received from Ashley today.
Even if you aren't up on your current event, I think you will find this letter interesting and
grateful that we live in a democratic country.

I've started teaching private lessons afterschool to people I've met through my coteacher or at my gym. Interestingly enough, one of my student's is a Korean diplomat's 6 year-old son. That family just found out a few weeks ago that they are moving to Tokyo in February for their next job assignment so it is just a 3-month tutoring gig. Another student is a friend from my gym that is moving to London in August to get her 3rd Master's degree at the Royal Academy of Music so she drives me around Seoul and takes me to all the coolest cafes and bakeries - we have a lot of fun together!!

Speaking of Japan, I'm going back next month for my birthday! I will stay at friends' houses for the entire trip - 4 nights in Tokyo and 3 nights in Sapporo. I'm excited to reconnect with all my Japanese friends before they graduate in April and disperse throughout the country! Flights home were too expensive considering South Dakota's infamous winters...

(Korean cat cafe - cats roaming freely in the store - gross! And I love cats!)

But the reason I really wanted to write these email was to talk to you about my trip to the DMZ (demilitarized zone)! After reading some books about North Korea, it was definitely bizarre to see some of the stuff in person. We took a bus from Seoul for about an hour and stopped at a reunification observatory tower. From there we could see North Korea and the river that defectors swim across - it was frozen so I guess no one can escape for a few months. We got to sit in a staged North Korean classroom with pictures of Kim il sung and Kim Jong il.

(notice the picture in the classroom of the leader and his son)

Our tour also included a Q&A with a North Korean defector who is currently living in South Korea. Her story was really interesting. She worked for the North Korean government for about 7 years because it's the only way to have a good life in Korea (ex: everyone else is starving). After she finished her service she was allowed to go to a North Korean university. Somehow when she was in university she was watching a South Korean drama tv show and realized that all the information the North Korean government was feeding her was a lie. During her entire time working for the N.K. government she believed and followed everything she was told. She escaped North Korea by swimming the Yalu River to the Chinese border. Once she was in China she hired a broker for around $5,000 to transfer her to another country. Then Chinese authorities found out about her and 11 other defector' existences and put them on a ship to be sent back to North Korea. All of the defectors had poison in their coat pockets and drank poison because they thought dying now was better than being brutally killed for being traitors to North Korea. Somehow (this was translated roughly into English so we couldn't entirely connect the dots) an NGO got involved and pumped all of the poison out of them and brought them to the Phillippines to recover and she eventually migrated to South Korea. Today South Korea has about 22,000 North Korean defectors. Our tour's defector has only lived in South Korea for 6 years and everyday is a challenge and an opportunity.

Our English tour guide also told us lots of interesting stories while we were traveling en route on the bus about North and South Korean families being separated after the war. In the past, North Korea cooperated with South Korea in allowing some families to be reunited for an entire day near the DMZ but since the millenium North Korea has almost always refused to participate. One story we were told was about a husband, wife, and daughter. The wife and daughter went to South Korea during the war and the husband got stuck in the North. The daughter grew up alone with her mom in South Korea and the wife never remarried in hopes for reunification someday. Meanwhile, the husband got a job with the North Korean military and remarried with another 3 kids. This family had a one day reunion after 40 years of being separated. Our tour guide told us the husband's first wife was in complete shock that her husband was remarried with kids and didn't say a single word for a majority of the day they were together, except for in the beginning. Can you imagine? After this we watched a documentary about what life in North Korea entails. The images were really good - much clearer than anything I had seen before so military intelligence must have released this information to the museum. Millions of people are starving in North Korea. If you die, you don't get buried. You just go on a pile where animals can come eat you later. One defector interviewed on the film said it was common to see a dog walking around with a limb in it's mouth. Households get 1 hour of electricity a day. And yet the communist regime spends millions of dollars on luxurious things for its "Dear Leader." Kim Jong il had 500 luxury cars, and the annual mourning celebration for the death of Kim il sung costs 30 million dollars. North Korea even openly grows opium that it sells to China for about 30 to 40 million dollars each year. North Korean children are sold as slaves to Chinese people who sometimes still don't even feed them.. Hundreds of North Koreans die of starvation every day. Is there even a solution to the North Korean problem? If we give food, who says that the government won't keep it for themselves? If we give money, we are just asking for trouble and contributing to the problem.

(view of N Korean town across the river)

The next main point on our tour was Camp Bonifas - the nearest U.S./Korean military base near the border. Camp Bonfias soldiers are 93% Korean and 7% American. The base is run by the United Nations Joint Security Area. Only the best of the best Korean soliders are here. They must be fluent in a foreign language, all immediate and distant relatives of the potential soldier must have their background checked, they have to pass tough physical examinations, and they must fit certain physical descriptions. Being a JSA solider is something to be proud of for the rest of one's life. Camp Bonfias was named after an American military captain named Bonfas who was brutally murdered by North Korean soliders during was is now called the "Axe Murder Incident." The American and South Korean militaries realized that one of the checkpoints to the North Korean border was blocked by a tree so they sent a letter to North Korea saying on this day and at this time they were going to trim the tree. When the day came and American soldiers were cutting the tree, North Korean soliders came and watched for about 15 minutes before they grabbed the axes from the American soldiers (Camp Bonifas and one other) and brutally massacred them from their back side with the axe. We drove by where the tree one was and saw the memorial. Truly eye-watering to see.

The last main part of our tour was to the J.S.A. building where I actually got to see a North Korean soldier! This was the point that after having read books and followed news articles that showed Hilary Clinton visiting here and the standoffs between the two countries, I got goosebumps and wanted to leave right away after having taken a picture. In the building, they locked the North Korean door so they cannot come in and we got to stand on officially North Korean negotiation territory for about a minute and a half.

(Ashley standing near a JSA soldier in front of the North Korean door of the U.N. negotiating room.)

One thing I did take away from this experience was how proud I am of American soliders in Korea. They don't have a good reputation here on the streets of Seoul - bars have signs saying NO AMERICAN SOLDIERS ALLOWED - NO G.I.s - NO MILITARY I.D.s because soldiers in the past have gotten too drunk and violent. One American soldier was convicted about two months ago for breaking into a hotel in Seoul and raping a South Korean girl. Suffice to say, the American soldiers I see at night are really loud, screaming profanity and sometimes even taking off their shirts or puking on the subway. But if you ask Koreans if they need American soldiers here, all of them will say yes. Camp Bonifas was one reminder that sometimes America needs to protect other countries, even if no one else will.

All in all, an exciting day. In two weeks I'm taking a Korean cooking class with a chef here, and I'm trying to sign up to volunteer at an orphanage this month too! Will email when the occasion strikes.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2012-01-07T08:14:00.002-06:00

Happy Saturday!

I don't know about you but I've been thinking of all the projects I want to accomplish in

2012 and it's going to be a busy year.!

We have been having unseasonable warm weather here,
not to mention - no snow on the ground...
On Thursday, we were at 60 degrees and I didn't wear a coat to work.
Typically January is our coldest month so this is so unusual!
No complaints here either!!

Now onto the first linky party of 2012!

There weren't too many links last weekend, most likely due to the holidays....

but we didn't lack for great projects!

Let me show you my top five picks and also the most viewed project!

Ideas to Make LifeEasier

(So many great ideas here!)

Truffle Brownie Bites

(Tracy has put together a ebook of her recipes now....guaranteed to be yummy!)

Tutorial for Quotable Canvas

(I'm adding this to my list of want to do in 2012!)

Anthropologie Knock Off

(who doesn't love making a knock off that saves money and looks fantastic!)

American Girl Outfits

(could be an Etsy store very soon here!)

The most viewed project was....

2011 Projects
(So many geat ideas used to create this outdoor space!)

Thank you so much for linking up ladies!

Feel free to grab my new featured button to add to your blog.

Now it's on to this weeks linky party....
I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..

All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project,

thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...

(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)

Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....

and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

Altered Refrigerator Calendar

2012-01-05T09:30:00.002-06:00

When my kids were little, our refrigerator door was always full of school papers and drawings
but it's been so long since we've had any drawings to showcase.

This is what our refrigerator looked like...
check out the calendar...love the small size but nothing else about it..

just plain.....and boring...

So this year I decided to alter the little calendar up a notch or two.

I tore off the top part which was magnetic...

found a lightbulb package to use as chipboard...

And pulled out my favorite October Afternoon paper and attached it to the chipboard...

(then I forgot to take pictures, because it went together so fast!)

I added some burlap trim...

and a iamroses flower....

On the bottom, I attached green pompom trim and ribbon...

Because it was a little heavy, I added magnetic tape on the back...

I love how it turned out....

Do you have a calendar on your refrigerator?

My refrigerator now shows off my personality...

and also the super cute birth announcement...

You can also find my project on Pinterest

I was inspired by My Little Birdie Secrets!

Happy Thursday!

Linking to these parties...

Tuesday Treasure - How to Cut Open a Pomegranate

2012-01-03T06:23:00.000-06:00

2012 is the year that I will lose weight, and live a healthier life...and try new foods.

One of which is a pomegranate, I've bought them before for my youngest daughter

but never tried them. That might be because she would devour them as soon as she saw them..
and there was always such a mess...

Did you know there is a way to get the seeds out without making a mess and

staining everything it comes in contact with?

This week my Tuesday Treasure is how to cut a pomegranate...

It's actually very interesting and I hope you'll take the time to watch this video!

Next I'm thinking of trying kale chips...have you heard of them?

Are they good? Please leave a comment and let me
know what you think about pomegranates too!
Happy Tuesday!

Altering A Calendar

2012-01-02T12:11:00.001-06:00

Every year I get a free calendar from our local drugstore to hang up in the ktichen...
and they use to be full of pictures of vintage things and
then the last few years, they started to look like a free calendar...
strange concept I know....

This year, I decided to alter a calendar...

I bought a calendar kit on clearance at Michaels....

It came with chipboard and other embellishments...

And once I put the pieces on each page, quite frankly, I thought it was still kind of boring...

Once I add a picture to each month, it will change the look but still was blah....

So I went through my stash....
and added brads, chipboard embellishments, buttons, stickers, flowers...
and bligged it up a notch!.

I also highlighted my son's birthday and our anniversary..

and as the days go on, they'll be appointments added...
and also things that I'll want to remember - like Macie's baptism....trip to Mall of America...
things I'll want to remember years later..

Because when 2012 is over, the pages will be converted into an album...

I'll show you February page next month...
I have lots of Valentine's stuff so that page was a lot of fun putting together...

I've got two more altered calendar projects coming up too!

Have a great week!

Linking to these parties...
Oh and don't forget about my linky party going on right here

My Top 10 Projects for 2011

2012-01-01T03:45:00.011-06:00

I'm still having issues that 2011 is over....where did the past 12 months go?

It's pretty fun to look back at what the top projects were for last year..

and it makes me tired...

So here we go....

# 10

I put together this cute Summer mini album

# 9

Took a waterglobe that the water had evaporated and turned it into a tassel

# 8

Took you on a tour of our home this Christmas

# 7

Showed you how we updated a Goodwill mirror for our living room

# 6

Updated our bathroom in June

# 5

Used wrapping paper to line my pantry...

# 4

Turned a thrifed picture frame into a bulletin board for my scrapbook room....

# 3

What I did with my shabby quilt

# 2

There were several tours of my scrapbook room and it continues to evolve

and the # 1 viewed was.....

A tiny Toilet paper mini album for Valentine's Day

If you'd like to see what the top project for 2010 were, click here

Wishing you all a safe, healthy and happy 2012!

Linking to these parties...

Metamorphis Monday

Don't forget to link up at my party going on right here

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2011-12-31T07:35:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's Saturday already and the last day of the year. I've been nursing a bad cold for the past week so not much has gotten done aroun this house. Tonight we'll be taking down the Christmas trees and decorations, I thought this might help me to stay up past 9:30 pm...but more than likely I'll be in bed at my normal time... I can't remember the last time I was able to see midnight on a New Years Eve...

Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Year!

Now onto my party...

Everybody is so creative and I so appreciate each

one of you that links up and even leaves a comment...

thank you very much for taking the time to link up!

Let me show you my top five picks from the last

linky party!

Debra from Common Ground shows us how to grow and style out Paperwhites for Christmas. ..

How I love bottle brush trees!

Sharon and her daughter show us how easy and fun it is to make

knockoff version of Anthoroplogie's trees

Jenny shows us how she turned a salvaged piece of wood into a focal point above her bed...everything is gorgeous!

Tracy from Screaming Sardine gives us much to think about when blogging...

Jacky shows how to make paper doily trees...perfect for Christmas but kept our for
Valentine's decorating...

Now for the most viewed link...

Rose and Heather from Sew Stylish Boutique shows us lots of ideas for last minute

Christmas gifts....and probably good for all year round gift giving!

Thank you so much for linking up ladies!

Feel free to grab my new featured button to add to your blog.

Now it's on to this weeks linky party....

I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..

All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project,

thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...
(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)
Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....
and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest
Have a great weekend!

Vintage Flip Christmas Calendar

2011-12-26T15:06:00.000-06:00

Since I'm still in the Christmas mood today...and that's probably because I was sick most of this weekend with a terrible cold..
my nose wouldn't stop running and I couldn't stop sneezing....
which meant..I didn't get to hold Macie this weekend..

I did talk her Mom into letting me hold just a bit...so it kind of sucked...

but I got some cute pictures of her...and of course I'll share a few with you

before I show you my latest paper project...

Yep, that's me in my pj's rocking Macie and her smiling back at me...

Macie is such a ham for the camera...5 weeks old and loves to have her picture taken...

The proud parents of Macie,

my daughter, Crystal and Stuart...

Okay, now onto my last Christmas themed project this year...

First of all I can't take any credit for this project...I was inspired by Simply KellyB
I started with a 8 X 10 frame from Dollar Tree...

I added vintage looking rose trim around the entire frame..

and I used the new paper line from October Afternoon...

Holiday Style...

For complete directions, you'll want to head over to Kelly's blog..
and she's got a link to the pictures for each day of the calendar...

I added a little embellishment to each page and the bell ornament

on the side is also from Dollar Tree...

I kept the background as neutral as possible so I can make a flip calendar for Valentine's Day....

I'm going to take some time off and will be back on Saturday for Sunday Blog Love.
Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season!

Linking to these parties ...

My Favorite Christmas Homes

2011-12-23T07:13:00.000-06:00

There have been so many great homes decorated for Christmas out there in bloggy land and
I'd like to share some of my favorites...

(in no particular order.....)

Arbor House Lane

The House of Smiths

Fox Hollow Cottage

Aikens House and Gardens

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Last Minute Easy Christmas Craft Project

2011-12-21T19:20:00.001-06:00

This Christmas season has flown by so fast and I really didn't get much accomplished in the

crafting department..although I did make a little something for my Secret Santa for work and

thought I'd share it with you...

It's very easy and if you have any of those peat pots leftover from last summer,

you can make one of these super fast and hand them out to

your co-workers, friends and/or family.

I made two baskets...so grab how many peat pots that you want to make and the

same number of pipecleaners and get your glue gun heated up!

I also used this holiday ribbon that I found at Goodwill for $1

but you can use any ribbon you want.

Simply wrap the ribbon around and glue it on...

you'll want to fold the corners down and glue it down

then I added ribbon to the bottom

but ended up taking it off...

glue the pipecleaner down to make a handle

(you'll straighten it out later)

Then add some lace and 2 different wide strips of muslin

and tie it up with some tulle.

I hot glued this candy cane chipboard element that I had in my stash.

Add packet of hot chocolate, a chocolate Santa

and some marshmallows...

and you're ready to give it away...

Super easy and very cute!

This is the other basket that I made, on the same concept as the first but

just by changing the embellishment - the look is completely different...

I'm linking to these parties...

Happy Wednesday!

This girl is not ready for Christmas this year!

Tuesday Treasure - The Big Picture

2011-12-20T05:15:00.018-06:00

Happy Tuesday!

This week for my weekly Tuesday Treasure, I wanted to share an online class I came across...
that I'm going to sign up for and wanted to share with you...

Move More, Eat Well 2012

Click here for more info...
Classes start January 1, 2012...

Additionally there is a support group just forming
and if you interested in joining, click here and leave a comment for Catherine...
She's lost 30 pounds since August!
And she is also a designer for My Memories!

Wishing you a great Tuesday!

Christmas At Our Home - Part Two

2011-12-18T17:18:00.002-06:00

Last week I showed you what our living room looks like this year for Christmas.

And this week, I thought I'd show you the kitchen and dining room...

the theme in this area is definitely gingerbread men...

Since I took this picture last week, I've made a few changes..

as you can see, I have a string hanging for a banner..

But since we don't have a fireplace,

I decided to hang our stockings there..

this will be Macie's first Christmas....

and I got her stocking from Snip It Up...

lots of cute stuff and I'm sure I'll be back..soon..lol..

On top of the hutch I added my favorite Subway art from Eighteen 25

as well as a gingerbread house and gingerbread man...

I can't remember where I got the gingerbread house...

either JC Penny or Kohls and the gingerbread man is from Goodwill...

Tucked into the corner is my gingerbread tree...

and would you believe that many of my cookbooks were found at Goodwill?

After I watched the movie, Julie & Julia, I found the Joy of Cooking cookbook

at Goodwill and I also found one in light blue for Crystal..

I think its a very complicated cookbook...

On the side of the pantry, I've hung my gingerbread stockings as well as

the stocking for Storm...

Storm is on a diet right now so Santa won't be leaving him anything this year..

Over the kitchen sink are my favorite curtains...Waverly Garden Room Vintage Rose..

and I hung a banner of glittered pinecones across the top..

and a gingerbread swag across the bottom layer..

We happened to be at Ace Hardware one day and I went to check

out the Christmas decorations and found these cute gingerbread men...

The gingerbread theme continues on the countertop..

I made these primitive candy canes and blogged about it here...
super easy and fit in nicely with my gingerbread theme...

One last picture...I couldn't seem to get Gilmore to move..
not sure why but our cats seem to love to nap here..

Now I need to finish up my cookie baking..
and party chex mix......

Wishing you all a fantastic week!

I'm linking up to these parties...
Metamorphis Monday
Don't forget to link up at my party going on right here...

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2011-12-17T07:50:00.002-06:00

Is anybody still trying to get ready for Christmas?

Yesterday I mixed up six different cookie recipes and this afternoon

I need to bake them..

and I'm reading a really good book...

trying to make a couple of craft projects

for myself and my Secret Santa at work..

But it's all good...and fun..

hoping you're having a great weekend.

You all have been busy and I love, love, love

checking out each project..

Let me show you my top five picks from last week...

in no particular order....

Music Santas Frame

Shimmery Christmas Ornaments

Cookie Swap

Christmas in the Dining Room

Extreme Wreath Makeover

And for the most viewed projects..

there was a three way tie!

We all love to check out thrifty finds

Beautiful damask stenciled curtain tutorial

Love all of these gorgeous wedding pictures

Thank you so much for linking up ladies!

Feel free to grab my new featured button to add to your blog.

Now it's on to this weeks linky party....

I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..

All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project,

thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...

(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)

Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....

and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

Have a great weekend!

Sunday Blog Love Favorites

2011-12-14T18:26:00.001-06:00

For some reason I had problems adding pictures on my blog post on Saturday

so I couldn't show you all my favorites from the Dec 3rd Sunda Blog Love linky party

I love checking out all the projects and you not only inspire me

but you also inspire others..

So thank you for linking up...and I hope you come back again, this weekend.

So let's get to some more of my favorites...

I'm a non-sewer, have a sewing machine and can sew a somewhat straight seam

but I would never consider making a quilt..until I saw how easy and pretty this rag quilt is.

Four hours and six yards of flannel material...sounds like a doable project...

How cute is the "O Christmas Tree Wreath"?

Emily from 52 Mantels shows how you can make one too..
I think we al have some ornaments that we aren't using..
this makes a very inexpensive project..

Becca shows how to take a printable and turn it into
a banner for great pictures...
This would make for a fun project for the family to hold a letter or two
for a family picture...

Andrea from The Cottage Market has great directions and pictures for making
these ornaments from paper doilies..
not only great for Christmas but could be used for Valentines Day..

And the most viewed project comes from

Donni at Faith Grace Crafts.
She has such a wonderful collection of lace that she wound around vintage spools..

If you were featured, feel free to grab a featured button.

You're also added to my Pinterest board..

Don't forget to link up to this week's party if you haven't already done so.

Right Here

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday Treasure - Christmas Cookies

2011-12-13T03:30:00.003-06:00

One of the last, few things I need to do to be ready for Christmas is - baking some goodies...

The must have's are cutout cookies, gingersnaps, spritz, peanut blossoms, sandies...

Just listing these cookies, makes me so hungry...

I found these pictures from 2008 and we made a lot of cutout cookies that day...

I can't get over how different our kitchen looks now...

no more dark cabinets, countertops or curtains..

I like to use my Pampered Chef stones for making cookies..

And while I noticed that this picture is quite dark, I've kept it to remember how
many cookies we made that day...

And then we have to wait for the frosting to harden before being packed up and put in the freezer...waiting for Christmas..

But as I said, I still need to make cookies...

and an essential part of Christmas is having home made goodies...

Ashley found a recipe for fat free gingersnaps..

and this is the only recipe I use now...

Peanut Blossom cookies are also a must have cookie in our house...

This cookie looks so yummy...mint chocolate chip cookies.
If you've ever made these, please let me know, are they as good as they look?

In my family these are called Sandies, my husband calls them Snowballs but I think another name is Russian Tea Cakes...regardless of what you call these cookies..they are delish!

Some other staples for Christmas goodies in our house are:

Chex mix, english toffee, almond covered pretzels..

Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite Christmas cookie/goodie is.

I'm working half a day on Friday and then home to make cookies this weekend...

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to these parties...

Christmas At Our Home - Part One

2011-12-11T19:26:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone! Well the weekend is ending very quickly and I didn't get all my projects done...but mabe it's good to go back to work...need money to keep making things..and doing things...

I wanted to show you our living room, all ready for Christmas...

This year the plan was not to pull out everything that I have and it was tough..

I love my Christmas things...

I got these snowmen when I was selling for Homemakers Idea Company..

I think the company is now called Signature Homestyles...

and I was my own best customer...

Behind the snowmen is a metal Christmas tree to hold Christmas cards...

This fall I got some new curtain panels..

Target has the most pretty burlap looking panels..and so soft..

I'm also a sucker for Pier One..lots of Pier One in this house...

To me nothing says Christmas more than mercury glass...

I think a couple of years ago I got this bowl at Target and

the Christmas bulbs are from Goodwill...

again very simple...and understated...

The first thing I notice when looking at this picture is that the star on top is crooked...

we have cats who keep batting at the garland and ornaments...

and it's nearly impossible to keep everything as it needs to be..

I used a old quilt for under the tree and this spot has become the place to sleep

for our cats...

Last year, we went to Chicago in December for my youngest daughter to take a

test for school...and we stopped at Pottery Barn and I picked up

several Christmas ornaments...again..mercury glass...

When I brought home this owl..my dear hubby asked why in the world did I get an owl..

what does an owl have to do with Christmas...

to me it was white and pretty and would look perfect on my tree..

men will never understand us...ever...

Last year I won a chandelier ornament from Rondell at Something Nice and Pretty.
It's so pretty on the tree...and because we have cats..it has to be stategically placed
so that it doesn't get batted at..

The other side of the room...very important to not have much on the table

so that hubby has a place to set the remote down as well as his snacks

and electronic toys...important to keep the hubby happy.....

While I do like to less is more look...I also love a house full of Christmas decorations...

Next week I'll show you the dining room and kitchen...

and my gingerbread collection..

Wishing you a wonderful week!

If you haven't done so, please click here and link up to my weeky party going on right now.

Metamorphis Monday

Virtual Christmas House Tours

Thanks...

Linking to these parties ...

Giveaway Winners Announced!

2011-12-11T05:16:00.000-06:00

I am so sorry for not posting the winners of my giveaway..
for some reason, blogger wouldn't let me log into my blog, let alone open up my blog...

Thanks to all who left a comment for the fantastic giveaway sponsored by

Galerie Anais

I hope you've had a chance to check out her super cute Etsy store too..

Okay..time to announce the winners...

1st place and three prints of your choice..

Cindy from Blessings from Cindy!

2nd place and two prints of your choice...

Bekah from If Work Permits!

3rd place and one print of your choice....

Diane from Saturday Finds!

Congrats to all!

Please send me an email with your mailing address and get you set up to order your prints!

Thanks again and especially to Anais and her generosity!

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2011-12-10T07:08:00.001-06:00

Happy Saturday!

Well Christmas is getting closer and I have yet to finish decorating our home plus I still need to bake a variety of cookies. One year I decided to try all new cookie recipes...that didn't go over so well not to mention some of the recipes didn't turn out...then one yearI decided to to just buy a cookie plate from the local grocery store...not so good either...

Today I am off to help my son again...we've been shopping and decorating his home...

hopefully I'll be able to share pictures very soon.

This morning we're meeting at my favorite Goodwill to do some thrift shopping....

as well as cleaning and organizing...

the hours together seem to fly by!

And now it's time to start the weekly linky party...

Sunday Blog Love...

Thank you to all who link up and last week

was the most ever!!

I'll let you in on a secret, I wait until Saturday morning to

view the links and put together this post..

this has beome my early morning Saturday routine

and today I woke up a little late...

so I'm drinking my coffee and I'll show you some

of my favorites...

Love this DIY picture frames for the laundry room!

Jenny from Simcoe Stretet shows a design board for a baby girls nursery. Is this not pretty or what?

When I saw the name of this casserole...it's a must make for me!
Cheesy Chicken Dorito Casserole...love doritos!

And for some reason...blogger won't let me add any more of my favorites...
so I'll add more tomorrow...so sorry...

Feel free to grab the code on the right column and add it to your blog!

Now it's on to this weeks linky party....
I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..
All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project,
thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...
(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)
Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....
and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

Stop back tomorrow and I'll show more favorites and the most viewed...
Have a great weekend!

My Baby Steps Album

2011-12-08T06:45:00.000-06:00

I finally got around to taking pictures of the completed baby album

that I made for my daughter celebrating the birth of Macie Rae...

She's positively the cutest thing ever!

I used Baby Steps Simple Stories paper line for this album and love the
soft tones of pink, blue, green, yellow and brown....

so let me show you the end result...

Because we didn't know the sex of the baby, I went with a soft green scrapbook from Michaels.

I think I'll need to tone down the embellishments on future albums,

the pages all tore out and I had to buy new page protectors.

So if you have hints on how you keep your albums together, please let me know.

When I originally showed Crystal this page (before baby was born), she wasn't too crazy about

all the flowers...now she's loving the flowers....and how it all fits together so perfectly.

This album took me awhile to make..I was trying to make each page unique..

and I love this layout and all the little extras..

This layout showcases the first time my son, Michael, held Macie...

he was smitten with her immediately..

One of the cute things with newborns is the changing facial expressions....

I took some fun pictures of her and added them to this layout...

Okay, so Crystal and Stuart have a sweet dog, Bailey and she was SO interested

in Macie...any sound and she came running to see what was going on..

plus I think she maybe wanted on Crystal's lap...

For this page I wanted to use some of my glittered chipboard letters,
because who doesn't like to see their name?
This might just be my favorite picture of Macie...

Another thing I love about newborns,

they can be so alert one minute and sound asleep the next minute...

The last six pages are to highlight the changes of thenext six months...

I love how it turned out!

Not too bad for my first time making an album!

I'm linking to these parties...

and don't forget to enter my giveaway, time is running out.

Tuesday Treasure - Scrapbook Room Tour

2011-12-06T03:15:00.002-06:00

For a very long time. I could watch video after video on You Tube...and one subject that I searched for was scrapbook room tours...and I wanted to share my favorite scrapbook room..

This is not my room although I would love to have this set up...

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

You'll want to stop over and check out Demaris's blog, she is busy creating in her wonderful space..

Have a great Tuesday!

Santa Collection Courtesy of Goodwill

2011-12-04T18:33:00.001-06:00

I've shown many of my finds from Goodwill on my blog but I don't think I've
shown you my Santa collection...

One day I happened to be at Goodwill I cam across one cute Santa Claus,

and then another and another..and before long..

I think I had three Santas, all from one visit to my favorite Goodwill Store...

I put my collection in the living room on this shelf that I also happened to get a Goodwill..

all painted - it looks so much better..

oh and the clock is also from Goodwill...

I never need to buy new when my Goodwill has such great finds...

Here's my first Santa...hard to show in the picture the workmanship...

it's really quite nice....this one is ceramic, that someone made..

their name is handwritten on the bottom.

This Santa might be one of my favorites of the bunch..

love the glasses..and this one is.made from wood....

This is the other Santa that's also made from wood...

both of the wooden Santa's are quite heavy...

I got this Santa a few years ago at Gordmans..and the bottle brush from a local dollar tree...

This Santa is a music box that I got from QVC several years ago...it came as a set of six...

I adde the snowman music box to my arrangement..

these music boxes are meant to be ornaments but I think they're too heavy to be on a Christmas tree...

I added another snowman ornament from Avon from many, many years ago...

and I just got this cute bottle brush tree from a great Etsy store..

check it out, Cindy has many different bottle brush trees,

I'm sure you'll find one to love!

Later this week, I'll show you my gingerbread decorating in the

kitchen and dining room...

Don't forget to check out my giveaway going on here

also my linky party going on here.

I'm linking to these parties...

Have a great week!

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2011-12-03T06:50:00.001-06:00

Can you believe it's the weekend already?

We spent last Saturday and Sunday pulling out the Christmas decorations and

this weekend I'll be back helping my son hang up all the things we recently bought for

his newly remodeled home.

Now it's time for Sunday Blog Love

I'm super excited to be using my new blog buttons this week...
(still in work in progress to get everything thing tweaked)

Let me show you some of my favorites from last week..

Doni pulled out her vintage lace and music and combined it with pearls and buttons and took the most beautiful pictures...here's my favorite one...

Lynda shows off how she updated a towel rack for her beachy themed bathroom...love this!

Lauren always has the most wonderful painted projects to showcase collections...
Don't you just love these vintage clocks?

If you love to create, you'll want to check out these burlap Christmas trees...

super easy and not expensive to make...great project!

Jaima shows how she made these floating shelves.

Great way to decorate for the seasons plus showcase family pictures...

And last but not least is the project that was
the most viewed...

The Turquoise Piano and her master bedroom reveal!

Thank you to all who linked up last weekend,

it was a busy weekend and I love to see

all the projects..

And I've got a new button for being featured..

Feel free to grab the code on the right column and add it to your blog!

Now it's on to this weeks linky party....
I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..
All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project,
thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...

(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)
Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....
and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

Bite-Size Cinnamon Pecan Twirls

2011-12-01T07:42:00.000-06:00

When I stayed at Crystals home to help out with the baby...

I was the chief cook and bottle washer...

and I tried out some new recipes on them...

and because this one was so delicious, I have to share with you...

Bite-Size Cinnamon Pecan Twirls

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 (8 oz) can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake pecans and butter in lightly greased 8-inch round cake pan for 2 minutes. Swirl pan to combine, and bake for 2 more minutes. Remove from oven and stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 tsp cinnamon; spread mixture over bottom of pan. (I had to microwave this mixture to soften it, because it was too thick to spread.)

Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into 4 rectangles, pressing performations to seal. Stir together white sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon, sprinkle over rectangles. Roll up each rectangle tightly, starting at 1 long side; press edges to seal. Cut each log into 4 slices; place slices in prepared pan.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until center rolls are golden brown and done. Remove from oven and immediately invert pan onto a serving plate.

I promise you, they are delicious!!
Linking to these parties

And don't forget to enter my giveaway here....

Have a great Thursday!

Celebrating My New Look With A Giveaway!

2011-11-30T03:00:00.002-06:00

And I want to celebrate my blog makeover with a fantastic giveaway!
Please be patient, still have some tweaks that need to be done yet..

Back in October I fell in love with a blog, Simcoe Street and she happened to be having a giveaway...

Sadly, I didn't win...but I never forgot the wonderful Etsy store...

Galeris Anaia

As I've been blogging and maybe overdoing it...my daughter and son-in-law were expecting their first baby and they had a girl 2 weeks ago...

(trying very hard not to post a picture or two right now!)

And I wanted to get some of these prints for them...
but needed to wait to find out the sex of the baby..
Isn't this print, Fashion Birds, so cute and colorful?

This print entitled, Standing Together is

perfect for all those owl lovers...

Wouldn't this print be perfect for a little boy?
Love this hedgehog...and the polka dots!

Maybe you'd like someething with the alphabet and numbers...this is seriously cute!

And while I've been working on the scrapbook album..I've beome obsessed with giraffes,

who can resist this one?

So now it's on to the giveaway...

Galerie Anais is graciously offering

three different packages....
which mean three winners...

First Package: Three Prints of Your Choice

Second Package: Two Prints of Your Choice

Third Package: One Print of Your Choice

There are several ways to enter this giveaway:
You can do all or one or two...the maximum is 6 chances...

1) Be a follower of Cherished Treasures. one entry.

2) Be a Cherished Treasures Facebook friend. one entry.
3) Visit Galerie Anais then leave a comment here with the print(s) you’d choose. one entry.
4) Like Galerie Anais on Facebook. one entry
5) Follow me on Pinterest. one entry.
6) Share this giveaway and let me know how you did this. one entry.

The contest will end at 12PMC on Friday, Dec 9th
and the winner will be announced, Saturday, Dec 10th.

Good luck to everyone!
And thank you to Anais for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway!

Tuesday Treasure - Aiken House & Gardens

2011-11-29T00:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Please bear with me as my blog makeover continues to be perfected...what do you think so far?

The Christmas season is now in full swing...I've got so many projects in my head!

I get worn out just thinking how I'm going to get them all done..

My Tuesday Treasure this week, happens to be a blog I found on Pinterest..

and I wanted to share it with you...

I must thank Carolyn for kindly allowing me

to share these pictures with you....

Carolyn hails from Canada and her blog entitled, Aiken House and Gardens,

and she beautifully showcases her cottage home...

I saw this screen-in porch on Pinterest and clicked on over to

check out more of her space...

Her backyards are so green and lush and beautiful...

her garden has been featured in several publications worldwide.....

The blooming flowers are magnificent and color is everywhere...

and the table tucked in the corner makes the perfect place to
sit and relaxand enjoy!

Peonies are one of my most favorite flowers, love the variations of pink

as well as the mosiac birdhouse..

This could be a post card, so pretty!

But let's get back to reality....cold, snow...Christmas...

Inside, Carolyn took one of those little electric stoves and painted it ivory...

(I think I need one of these for my place...never thought of painting it...so pretty!!)

There are several fireplaces in her home and all are decorated for the season...

Carolyn mentions that she's a visitor to thrift stores
as well as Dollar Store... love the Santa's placed around the room..

The tree is so beautiful, the garland, the flocked tree, the ornaments...the angel..

I was inspired by what was under the tree...

the lace tree skirt...and putting old vintage toys underneath...

Goodwill stores have a surplus of ice skates this time of year...

or at least mine does....

Carolyn uses gray paint to make them look aged...

love this!

Do you have a old teddy bear and doll that's tucked away?

How about pulling it out and using it this season?

And if you happen to live near Prince Edward Island in Canada...

You'll be able to view her entire home as part of a Christmas home tour...

all money raised will be donated to Muscular Dystrophy...

There's so much more to see of her beautiful home, I'll hope you'll stop over and tell her I sent you...

Have a great Tuesday!

Back to Crocheting and My Unbelievable Goodwill Find!

2011-11-27T18:45:00.001-06:00

Last March, I showed off a granny square afghan that I crocheted..

I learned how to crochet in high school...

(too many years ago to count!)

and I saw so many pretty crocheted blogs that I was inspired to

pull of my crochet hook - I still had the crochet hook from high school too...

I had to watch a couple of You Tube videos to remember the different stiches and

then I started crocheting and used several colors of yarn...

I crocheted and crocheted...while DH and I watched 24 from Netflix...

kind of time consuming changing colors..

and I kept on crocheting...now that I think of it, my wrist got pretty sore...

but I kept going...

And I got it done!

I showed you some other crochet projects...

(projects not made by me)

This is just the cutest little girl..and don't ya just love the hat..and the flower..

and I love this bag and started to make one....but then it got

nice out and well I like to crochet in the winter..so it's unfinished..

But today, when we made our Goodwill trip...DH spotted this for me and

I have to show you my unbelievable find....

(lots of pictures....think of it as eye candy!)

This huge quilt bag full of yarn.....$20!

Which $20 sounds like a lot unless you buy yarn..

and you can spend $20 very easily and not get much yarn..

When I unzipped it, the yarn was overflowing so I pulled it out on the kitchen table to see

what was inside....

So many skeins of yarn are the super soft kind that make really cuddly afghans.....

Not sure what kind of yarn this is but it's softer than soft...

which means..super expensive...

Several skeins of yellow yarn...

I used alot of varigated yarn for the granny square afghan

so I'm loving all of this yarn...

but what you've seen so far is only half of what was in the bag..

I can't hardly believe that this yarn is all mine...

let's look closer at what else was in the bag...

Not sure if I'm liking the green and gold flecked yarn...

but there's 5 skeins of it...all new!

and lots more varigated yarn...and it's incredibly soft.....

Some of it was smaller and wrapped in balls....

This is like being in a candy shop..all this yarn.....

So here it is all together...

I think I could open a yarn store...

So at night now, while we're watching TV, I'll be busy..

I've already started to make another afghan, this time it's not a granny square...

but this yarn will help me keep on crocheting....

probably never get it all used...

but for $20, it's not a bad investment...

oh and I forgot to mention, I got another big bag of yarn last year...

I got it in the summer and it was too hot to take it out to see

what was inside...as soon as I get my Christmas decorating done,

I'll show you what's in that bag too...

Question - Any idea how to organize all this yarn so I can

see what I have?

I have the best Goodwill store, we never know what we'll find there...

This week is starting out fantastic!

I'm linking to these parties

I'd sure love to have you come on over to my new Facebook page...

New look is coming soon...and also a fantastic giveaway!!

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2011-11-26T07:18:00.001-06:00

Yeah, it's the weekend! Last weekend but I was at my daughters house helping out with the new baby...is this not the cutest baby???

So if you were wondering why no party last weekend...I was enjoying some time with the new family..

I hope you all had lots of turkey on Thanksgiving Day and are enjoying the short work week...

Did you get up and go shopping on Black Friday at midnight?

Crystal and I usually are shopping at 5 am but not this year...she's a little busy with the baby so I did some shopping with my son, Michael.

We were shopping for things to decorate his newly finished home...curtains, curtain rods and furniture... next weekend, we'll hang the curtains and I'll have pictures to share..

super fun and thrilled that he asked me to help him!!

Okay...have I blabbered enough?

Onto Sunday Blog Love..

thank you to all who linked up...

so much fun to see so many projects and be inspired...

Here's some of my favorites..

If you've never made meatballs, here's a super easy and yummy recipe!

Kimberly uses Shutterfly for decorating her home...

OMG - Mary got a load of ammo crates from Craigslist and is now decorating hre home...

Have you checked out Simcoe Street yet?

Beautifully designed and decorated dining room with touches of aqua blue..

Here's a yummy recipe for breakfast casserole!

And the most viewed post was...

Tobi and the Pixies and her wonderful, sparkly Christmas trees!

Feel free to grab my featured button to add to your blog..

Now it's onto this weeks party...

I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..

All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project, thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...

(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)

Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....

and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

What We're Thankful For

2011-11-23T03:00:00.000-06:00

This year, the Thanksgiving season is extra special...

we've got a new grandbaby....

Macie Rae born November 15th

all pink and pretty and perfect in every way!
I am so in love with this little baby.....

And I love this picture that DH took of me holding Macie just hours after she was born...

I am so thankful that Macie is healthy and

also thankful that Mom and Dad survived...

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Tuesday Treasure - 25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes

2011-11-22T04:00:00.001-06:00

If you've read much of my blog...you know that I love, love, love You Tube....

I cam across this great video showing 25
different ways to wear a scarf...
Scarves are a must for the cold weather that is rapidly approaching here...

and then there's my Pinterest stylist board
showing a variety of scarves used as accessories...

one of them is this easy to follow pictures showing how to tie scarf...

and if you'd like some ideas on what to look for when
buying a scarf, click here..

Next time you see a woman wearing a scarf and you're admiring it...
know that you can create the very same look...

I'm linking to these parties...

T-U-R-K-E-Y Banner

2011-11-20T15:32:00.002-06:00

I've been so busy making the baby scrapbook album that I almost forgot about

making a banner for Thanksgiving....

This year I decided to go with T-U-R-K-E-Y for the banner....

I pulled out some glittery chipboard letters that I had
and added some fall felt embellishments from Michaels..

On top of the hutch, I added the subway art from Eighteen 25
to a frame from Goodwill that I spray painted...

the white picnic basket is from a junk market that I went to last year
and I added the ceramic pear...

The turkey and fixings are bought and ready for Thursday.....

Can't hardly believe it's that time of year again...
what's your favorite Thanksgiving Day food?
I love stuffing, sweet potatoes and my Mom's cranberry salad...

I'm linking to these parties

B-A-B-Y Banner for Macie Rae

2011-11-16T06:50:00.001-06:00

On Sunday, DH and I made the trip to see Crystal and hubby to deliver a few things to them..

One item was a baby banner...which needed to be gender neutral since the sex of the baby is

unknown to everyone!!

So this is the wall that is waiting to be decorated..

Crystal and I added a few things so the shelf didn't look so sad..

but it still looks pathetic....

I made this banner using the cricut cartridge, Baby Steps...and cut out some onsies...

We decided the best place for now was from the pegs on the shelf...

And while the shelf still looks sad,

Crystal looks fantastic!

And guess what?

The baby is here!!

Macie Rae was born at 4:15 pm

November 15, 2011

7 pounds 7 oz

All are doing great!

And I got plenty of time to hold my new little granddaughter...

Macie looks exactly like Crystal when she was born...
I am in love...

I found this great quote on quote on Pinterest....

The family will be coming home tomorrow...

and I'll be there...

(I've just launched my Facebook page, and would love for you to become a friend...)

Tuesday Treasure - Studio 5

2011-11-15T03:45:00.002-06:00

My Tuesday Treasure this a TV show made specifically for women...

they cover a variety of topics...

crafting, recipes, wellness & much more...

Have you heard of Studio 5?

This is where I first heard of Kristine Mc Kay

and she also owns and hosts a new website called

My Craft Channel.

Have you checked it out yet?

If you love crafting, whether it's making jewelry, making old things new..making mixed media or paper crafting..it's a great website to check out Mon-Friday...

Let me know what you think, is this on your daily watch list?

Click on over to my Facebook page and get a glimpse of my new look coming very soon!

Updated Bookends

2011-11-14T03:00:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago I found this pair of bookends at Goodwill..

I almost forgot to take the before picture so this is on my makeshift cardboard station in the garage..

seconds from being spray painted...

Just by spray painting them, they look brand new..

and so bright and fun...

I'm using them to hold up a small selection of my cookbooks...

the Betty Crocker cookbook is still the cookbook that many of my

cookie recipes come from as well as banana bread....

Guess when I took this picture, I forgot to move the bookends forward..

I added my Campbell Soup cookie jar and salt/pepper shakers

to the shelf...

(click here to see what's on the top shelf.)

Here's a look at the entire shelf..

the cookbooks and book ends look great together..

Wishing you a great week!

Linking to these parties

Michael's Giftcard Winner!

2011-11-13T17:54:00.000-06:00

Thank you to all who stopped by and left a comment at my giveaway.

The winner is...

Linnea wrote:

I would probably get stamps and inks to build up my supply for card making.

Congratulations!

Please email me your address and I'll get the gift card mailed out..

Also, I've got another giveaway later this month...

It's a fantastic Etsy store, and I'm so excited to share it with you.

Have a great week!

(No grandbaby yet!)

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2011-11-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

It's the weekend and we're on baby watch...for those of you who don't know...my oldest daughter is expecting my grandchild....anytime!! We're all super excited and constantly thinking baby..baby..baby...

So, now let's talk about Sunday Blog Love...thank you all who linked up last weekend..

I like to wait until the party is over and check out what's been posted...

let me show some of my favorites and

then I'l tell you what link was the most visited...

Noreen shows how to preserve those fall leaves....great project!

I love to highlight a recipe too...so yummy...Cheddar Bacon Biscuits

Love this Thanksgiving table setting....

Great DIY gift for that special person in your life...

And the most viewed post from last week was

DIY Bath Soak Recipe!

Feel free to grab my featured button to add to your blog..

Now it's onto this weeks party...

I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..

All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project, thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...

(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)

Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....

and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

Sharing My Personal Stylist With You

2011-11-11T09:20:00.000-06:00

I have a closet full of clothes...and yet I have nothing to wear...

some things I wear once and other I wear too much...

I now have my own stylist...on Pinterest.....let me show you some ideas for outfits that ould be easy

for anybody to put together..

So with this outfit...I have jeans, white top, gray sweater & pink scarf..

How pretty would this be?

Probably forget the hat and the pink shoes...but what an easy outfit..

For this outfit...jeans and gray sweater..

I don't have a gray striped top or this color scarf...

I would probably forget the scarf

and wear a chunky necklace instead..

Such a cute fall outfit...

jeans again..and an checkered shirt...

and accesorize with jewelry, and maybe some cute shoes!

I tend to wear a lot of gray & black, isn't this a great outfit?

Black sweater with a bright scarf and matching purse..

The shoes are a no go for me...I feel they look

too much like slippers...but perhaps you like them..

no problem - another cute outfit that maybe you never thought

of putting together...

So from this stylist session...I need to go shopping!

gray striped shirt

checkered shirt

cute pair of shoes...
Afterall - a girl needs to bring new things into her wardrobe each season, right?

If you're on Pinterest and would like to follow me..

click here

I'm linking to these parties...

Crafty Storage Feature

2011-11-10T09:09:00.000-06:00

I'm excited about being featured at Crafty Storage!

Let's just say that the room gets changed around constantly...

I mentioned that I was going to spray paint this storage cabinet...maybe today...

I recently found the bulletin board at Goodwill, brand new and still in the wrapper..
it'll probably get moved...a few more times...

I've used the Ikea magazine holders and turned them around

and have them hold embellishments separated by different

subjects for easy grabbing when crafting...

I would compare this to how a chocolate lover feels...heaven!

Found this funny quote on Pinterest...

It sure didn't take long for me to acquire lots of things for my space...

best of all is that I can see outside when in the space...

It's Thursday, don't forget that my giveaway ends on Sunday, November 14..

Linking to these parties

More Baby Layouts for the Album

2011-11-09T06:37:00.000-06:00

Last month I showed the mini album that I made using the paper line, Baby Steps by Simple Stories.

And then I started to put together a 12 X 12 album and showed off the

first layouts using the same paper line...

very nerve racking, because I want it to turn out nice..

This past weekend, I made 4 more pages...

and this time it went a lot faster...

I used some lace on the border

and added a messy bow....

Because I have so many pages to make, I used white 12 X 12 paper and glimmer misted

it to tone down the white..it also adds a soft glittery effect....

The pictures don't do the pages justice,

but I do think I'll end up adding more embellishment

once the pictures are added.

While I was going through my buttons, I found this "Members Button" and

it was the perfect addition to the page...

This page will be mainly for journaling,

how wonderful to remember how special this time will be..

I found this cute little lion at Michaels...

it came in a packet of five other glittery animals...

so cute!

Thought I'd show you the album as it looks now...getting fatter

with each page..ony 12 more pages to go..

Question - Do you ever alter the covers of the frames?

Please leave me a comment and let me know.

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday Treasure - The Real Housewives of Buck County

2011-11-08T05:23:00.001-06:00

I love the Nate Berkus show, don't you?

If you aren't watching it...did you know the show features many bloggers each day?

Some I know and read but there are also many of the blogs that I've never

heard of before...

One episode that I watched recently, had two teams competing against each other to decorate an empty room. Each team received the same supplies and they had a set time to get the project completed. More about that episode can be found here......

As soon as the show was over, I had to check out their blog...

The Real Housewives of Buck County

And as I was reading and looking and being inspired, I cam across this project
using pallets...

Is this not the most unique and pretty wall ever?

Oh and these two ladies and their hubbies won a trip to Cancun
from Nate...amazing huh?

Happy Tuesday!

Why I Can't Show You Any of My Projects....

2011-11-07T06:24:00.000-06:00

Well it's Monday morning, bright and early and I won't be able to show what I was working on all weekend, because...

my daughter reads my blog and I made things in preparation for the baby....

11-11-11.

But I do want to remind you of my giveaway going on now

and I also let you know that tomorrow

I'm going to be featured on another blog..

Have a great Monday!

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2011-11-05T06:04:00.000-05:00

The weekend is here! Not sure why but today I woke up an hour earlier than I do when going to work.

So many things to do and not enough time to get them done..I got four Cricut cartridges this week that I want to try out as well as possibly doing some cleaning around the house..oh and of course, make something to eat tonight...life...enough of my blabbering...

Thank you to all who linked up last week..so many great projects that I'm going to pick some of my favorites and then I'l tell you what link was the most visited...

Kimberly showed this super cute Digital Scrapboking page that she made...

I think I could blog about all cute owls I've seen...wonderful layout.

A pinterest party of wonderful wreaths for Christmas.

How yummy does this look?

Pull Apart Cinnamon-Sugar-Pumpkin bread...

One blogger friend who never fails to share her yummy recipes is Tracy.

This week she shares Frozen Peanut Butter Pie!

If you've got a little girl, or know of a little girl that would love a dress just like this, you'll want to check out this beautiful Cinderella post and find out how you can make one...isn't she just darling?

Okay - so now I'll show you what the most visited post was from last week..

5 Minutes Just for Me!

Natasha hails from Australia and has a Pinterest party every week,

so if you love Pinterest..this is the party you want to go to..

Feel free to grab my featured button to add to your blog..

One more thing before this weekends party starts,
I'm having a giveaway, click here for more information.

Now it's onto this weeks party...

I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..

All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project, thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...
(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)

Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....
and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

My Haul and A Giveaway!

2011-11-04T18:15:00.002-05:00

**NOW CLOSED**

It's been quite awhile since I've had a giveaway and when I made a trip to Michael's this week,

I picked up a little something for one lucky person..

But first let me show you what I bought for me...on You Tube, they call this a haul.

I got this HUGE square punch, at 3 1'2" - I've got a specific reason for buying this and will be working on a project very soon..You might want to head to Michaels and pick one up now..

I couldn't resist getting a couple of Cuttlebug embossing folders..

love this owl one so much!

I always check out the dollar bins..and snatched up three frames..

I'll be using these for mini albums..

and then some essentials...cardstock, ink and adhesive refills..

Now it's time for the giveaway...

I'm giving away a $20 Michaels gift card..

Here's how to enter my giveaway....

1. Leave a comment and tell what you would buy if you won.

2. Be a follower and leave a comment.

3. Facebook, tweet or blog about this giveaway, three ways=three comments.

Giveaway will end Sunday, November 13.

USA only.

Good luck!

My Winnings!

2011-11-03T09:09:00.001-05:00

I love to enter giveaways and most of the time, I don't win...but lately -
I've been in a winning streak and I LOVE IT!
Check out my recent winnings!

Amanda over at City Girl Gone Coastal had a birthday giveaway and I won a

book called "Handmade Vintage" - lots of pretty pictures!

Please stop over and check out her blog, shes a seamstress, mother of twins, crafter...dishwasher dismantler(you must read this post!) and all around crafty person...

Diane at Lavender Dreams has giveaways all the time! But she also wins ALL THE TIME! She's probably the luckiest blogger that I've seen. I won a custom sign from RAMSIGN and the quality is amazing. Diane is also a seamstress, scrapper and takes amazing pictures of places that she visits...

Liz from Rose Vignettes has a beautiful blog..

Also a seamstress, scrapper and she decorates her homes with amazing finds..

I was so excited to win this Gooseberry cookbook, vintage tea towels and she included

a extra item - a bottle of Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet body wash...

Liz you out did yourself - it was like Christmas time when I opened the box!

Liz is considering opening an Etsy store, so stop over and check out some of the things she's made, Nook Covers and bags from tea towels.

Cindy is one of my new best friends.She recently had a giveaway for digital scrapbooking software.

I can't wait to start playing with this program and show some of my projects in the very near future. I was drawn to Cindy's blog because - she makes the most cutest bottle brush trees around and her Etsy store is packed full.

Theres so much more than the trees...super cute things!

So now that I've showed you my winnings....tomorrow I'll be having a giveaway.

I hope you'll check out the blogs mentioned above and come back tomorrow to

find out more about my giveaway.

Happy Thursday!

Baby Layouts

2011-11-02T02:30:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I showed the mini album that I made for when I become a grandma.

We are now in countdown mode and I decided to make a larger album.

These pages took me quite a bit of time, I tend to overthink and pull everything out

and before I know it...my workspace is a diaster zone....

Do you do the same thing?

Let me show you the first four pages I've made...

This is the first time I've ever made a layout this big...

12 X 12 seemed so big but once I got started it

really was the same as doing a mini album,

just making everything bigger..

A closeup of the cute paper that I used...

Baby Steps from Simple Lines.....I also added more

embellishments because my motto is..

"More Is More"

The second page will hold a bigger picture and maybe some mementos....

I love the owls on this paper line, perfect no matter if the baby is a girl or boy..

On the third page I decided to paint a white piece of cardstock...

only problem - the paper curls from the paint

but should straighten out over time in the album....

The colors on this paper are so soft and weathered..

The fourth page is ready to hold a couple of pictures and perhaps

some journaling...Crystals favorite color is yellow so I added

a flower that I made with some left over scrapbook

paper from another project..

and of course another owl!

This weekend, I hope to get the album completed

and make a special something to welcome the baby..

Crystal reads my blog and I can't say too much right now..

I'm linking to these parties...

Tuesday Treasures - You Tube

2011-11-01T17:35:00.001-05:00

Well, for some reason my post that I set up for today never showed up and isn't even saved as a draft...

so here I go again...

My Tuesday Treasure this week is couple of songs that have a great message/story of love and how important it is...I hope you'll take the time to listen to them..

Have you heard this song yet? Such a wonderful song..

I think this will be a popular first wedding dance song, don't you?

Sending love your way...

Happy Halloween & Pinterest

2011-10-30T15:37:00.000-05:00

Wishing you a Happy Halloween!
I would give extra candy to this cute little girl..

And how adorable is the pumpkin scarecrow?

Did you find time to make some of these pumpkins

And because baby is on the brainwave...there are such cute baby costume ideas on Pinterest..

How adorable is this baby chick?

How cute is this candy corn baby?
If you're on Pinterest, you can follow me here

and if you're not on Pinterest but would like to be,
leave me a comment and include your email address and I'll send you an invitation.

I'm linking to these parties

Sunday Blog Love - Linky Party

2011-10-29T05:00:00.001-05:00

It's the weekend, did you survive?

This weekend I'm heading to my daughters home to help her get some projects completed
before the baby comes...due date 11-11-11!
We'll be working on the baby's room and getting ready for the baby...

Now it's time to show off some of my favorite projects last week...

Beach Retreat Bathroom

Nursery Art Giveaway

Creating Embellishments

Halloween Alphabet Printable

Recovered Office Chair

Thank you to all who joined my party....
Feel free to grab my featured button to add to your blog..

Now it's onto this weeks party...

I hope you'll join me this week and show what you've been busy with..

All kinds of posts are welcome--whether it's about your family, a craft project, thrifty find, a favorite recipe or maybe it's decorating your home or a giveaway....

The only requirement is..you must link back to my party...
(besides it's blogger ettiquette to link back...)

Not required but if you become a follower - then you know if you've been featured....
and will also be added to my Sunday Blog Love on Pinterest.

Changes Go Around Here and You Can Help!

2011-10-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

Back in September I took a two week break from blogging, which ended up to be three weeks of no blogging..My grown kids had things going on that I wanted to help them but it was also a time to decide if I wanted to continue to blog..

The day that posted about taking a break, I went to Goodwill and found my clock

I thought about deleting my post about taking a break, because I wanted to share my find..

but I didn't...

Long story short...I missed not blogging

and reading your blogs

and leaving comments and reading comments..

I decided to make some changes with my blog...

** My blog is going through a major makeover and will be done soon

(so excited!)

** Once complete, I will be ofterring advertising

(more details to come)

And here's where you can help me..

** How would you like to do a guest post?

This is a great way to increase traffic to your blog

and make new friends...

If you're interested in doing a guest post or learning more about advertising

email me at thansen078@yahoo.com.

Thanks!

Halloween Mini Album

2011-10-26T18:03:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd show you the Halloween mini album that I made recently..turned out super cute!

I added some lace and pom pom ribbon to the edging...

the orange flower is from SaCrafters

all made from 12X 12 scrapbook paper...

I left lots of room to add pictures and journaling..

There's so many cute papers out there for Halloween, that it made this

mini quick to put together..

This is a very simple mini that will quickly be transformed with

Halloween pictures...

It seems like it was only yesterday that my kids went trick or treating..

The kids in our town don't go door to door trick or treatinganymore but rather to the

Halloween party at the fire department..much safer and out of the elements.

What a great space to add a picture of the kids with their candy...

And maybe some candy wrappers turned into flowers or background for a picture.

If you have kids, make sure to take lots of pictures this Halloween...

time has a way of going by too fast!

Hope you're having a great week!

I'm linking to these parties...