Merry Christmas to all!

Goodbye 'til January...

Yeah, I know, my blogging has been...well, nonexistent.  It's not that I don't have things to share, I do.  It's that I've been working my tail off to get all my projects done by the end of the year, the holidays are in full swing, and I've had migraine episodes with greater than normal frequency.  All in all, no time to blog.  So here's one more project as a grand send off  until January...when I'll tell you all about what I've been up to!  

This has been a long time coming.  I posted on my personal Facebook page the other day..."WELL. We closed on this house February 3rd. I've been planning on painting the garage doors, front door and adding shutters and a windowbox since we made our offer January 4th. And now, December 3rd, it is finally all done. Shutters and windowbox are up. And I totally love it!"

We used cedar fence slats, cut them to size, sanded them down a bit, painted them to match our newly painted garage doors, and screwed them into place.  Sounds easier than it was!  But either way, it was very inexpensive.  It took 3 of the 5.5 inch slats to make the window box...3 @ $1.87=$5.61.  12 total 3.5 inch slats for the shutters (6 per window)...12 @ $1.17=$14.04.  Not bad, eh?  Now, just because it makes me happy, before (i.e., what it looked like when we bought it) and after:

And with that, have a WONDERFUL holiday season!!!!!  I may pop in if I have a holiday related craft that is easy to blog about, but otherwise see y'all in January!

Linking up here:

{M} Ask Anna-Skip to My Lou-The DIY Showoff-Mad in Crafts-Marvelously Messy-Pinkopotamus-The Girl Creative-Sumo's Sweet Stuff-Making the World Cuter-Sew Can Do- C.R.A.F.T.- Keeping It Simple-Mo Momma {T} Creating a House of Grace-Today's Creative Blog-Tip Junkie-Cherished Bliss-A Diamond in the Stuff-Sugar Bee Crafts-Vintage Wanna Bee-Reasons to Skip the Housework-The Kurtz Corner-Me and My Boys-Embellishing Life {W} Tea Rose Home-Someday Crafts-Lil' Luna-Creations by Kara-Eisy Morgan-Bella Before and After-Sew Woodsy -Goodbye City Hello Suburbs-Blue Cricket Design-Sew Much Ado-My Girlish Whims -A Mommy's Life with a touch  of yellow {Th} The Shabby Creek Cottage-House of Hepworths-The Brambleberry Cottage-The 36th Avenue-Yesterday on Tuesday-Saved by Love Creations-Momnivore's Dilemma  {F} Thirty Handmade Days-Just a Girl-Romantic Home-Remodelaholic-Shabby Nest-Young & Crafty-Lovely Crafty Home-WhipperBerry-At the Picket Fence-Finding Fabulous-delicate CONSTRUCTION-My Repurposed Life-Naptime Crafters-Chic on a Shoestring Budget Decorating-A Little Knick Knack-Fingerprints on the Fridge -504 Main-Cookie Nut Creations-Making Lemonade-French Country Cottage {S} Funky Junk Interior-Ladybird Lane-Tatertots and Jello-Craft Envy-A Law Student's Journey

Book-Egg Christmas Ornaments

A little something for the tree I have in my living room window:

I want this tree to have a vintage homespun book look.  I spotted this egg wreath from Lemon Tree Creations and pinned it a couple months ago, thinking I could make something similar for Christmas ornaments.  It worked nicely.  I used old Easter eggs.  First, I drilled a hole in the top of the egg,

then modge podged some tiny scraps into the hole (using a toothpick helped).

Then took about 8 inches of ribbon, folded it in half and shoved the cut ends through the hole, again, using a toothpick.

Then carefully pulled the ribbon through to tie a knot in the end.

Then time for more modge podge!

I didn't follow Lemon Tree's tutorial at all (just looked at it for the first time today in fact), I just modge podged scraps from what had turned out to be a very vulgar book I picked up at a library bag sale 'cause the cover looked interesting (I had to be careful to make sure no curse words or words like crotch, sex kitten, etc., were showing!). 

I like 'em!  The Lemon Tree eggs definitely look cleaner, but since the text of the book I used was...well, disgraceful, the way I did it was probably better for my purposes!

Linking up here:

{M} Ask Anna-Skip to My Lou-The DIY Showoff-Mad in Crafts-Marvelously Messy-Pinkopotamus-The Girl Creative-Sumo's Sweet Stuff-Making the World Cuter-Sew Can Do- C.R.A.F.T.- Keeping It Simple-Mo Momma {T} Creating a House of Grace-Today's Creative Blog-Tip Junkie-Cherished Bliss-A Diamond in the Stuff-Sugar Bee Crafts-Vintage Wanna Bee-Reasons to Skip the Housework-The Kurtz Corner-Me and My Boys-Embellishing Life-All Thingz Related {W} Tea Rose Home-Someday Crafts-Lil' Luna-Creations by Kara-Eisy Morgan-Bella Before and After-Sew Woodsy -Goodbye City Hello Suburbs-Blue Cricket Design-Sew Much Ado-My Girlish Whims -A Mommy's Life with a touch  of yellow {Th} The Shabby Creek Cottage-House of Hepworths-The Brambleberry Cottage-The 36th Avenue-Yesterday on Tuesday-Saved by Love Creations-Momnivore's Dilemma  {F} Thirty Handmade Days-Just a Girl-Romantic Home-Remodelaholic-Shabby Nest-Young & Crafty-Lovely Crafty Home-WhipperBerry-At the Picket Fence-Finding Fabulous-delicate CONSTRUCTION-My Repurposed Life-Naptime Crafters-Chic on a Shoestring Budget Decorating-A Little Knick Knack-Fingerprints on the Fridge -504 Main-Cookie Nut Creations-Making Lemonade-French Country Cottage {S} Funky Junk Interior-Ladybird Lane-Tatertots and Jello-Craft Envy-A Law Student's Journey

An announcement, a tip and a sneak peek

I've been busy.  And obviously, blogging hasn't been a priority!  But I do have a few things to tell you about.

First off, I took a leap and I am now a Stampin' Up demonstrator.  I am really really excited about this.  I'm just getting started, but you can expect a lot more papercrafting ideas around here, as well as spotlights of my favorite products.  And if you are interested in Stampin' Up products, but don't have a demonstrator, I'd be happy to be yours!  Just click over to my website, and you can shop online.  And if you want to find my site any other time, you can click on the new button in my sidebar. :)

Next, for those of you on the brink of going digital with your scrapbooking, Costco has the newly released Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 for $49.99 now through the 27th, I believe.  This is a great deal, so great in fact, that I decided it was time to update (I've been operating with version 6)!

And last but not least, the major project that has been occupying so much of my spare time (which isn't much, when you have a 20 month old drama queen who thinks she needs to spend the whole day on your lap...hence why I've been so unproductive): My new gallery/collage wall!  It's not quite done, so here's a sneak peak to share with you until I finish it (hopefully the end of the week).

 Stay tuned for the grand reveal!

Digging in the dirt.

My son would be jealous.

This soggy barren flowerbed represents an afternoon of hard work, planting 129 bulbs.

I don't think I really like gardening (this IS my first house, remember, so I'm not totally sure).  But I do like flowers.  Hence planting bulbs.  I love the idea that I can plant these babies once, and every spring they will bloom, for years to come.  Genius.  If that doesn't prove divine design, I don't know what does!  (I think I'm so funny.)

Anyway, despite the fact that I was bent over digging in the dirt so my back hurts now, it was a lovely day for it. Overcast, but dry.  Comfortably cool.  I even enjoyed the smell of the dirt...well, at least until I unearthed what looked suspiciously like cat poop on the verge of petrification.  Not quite petrified (though it held its shape remarkably well) since there was a bit of a...smell......

Moving on, there is a reason we ripped out all our shrubs and garden beds and seeded everything.  I don't want to garden.  And looking at my little rectangle, I was kinda thinking that was too much!  But it's done now.  I'll be on the look out for other perennials come spring.  Any recommendations?

Showing off a few more digiscrap pages...

The best of our engagement photos.  We got married at the ripe old age of 22.  We look so young.

P.S...remember how I was going to do that "Getting Started with Digital Scrapbooking" series...?  Oops.  Sorry (Nat, Michelle), I WILL get to it!

I DO have something to share...

I don't know why I didn't think of sharing these before, but one of the big projects I've been working on is a photobook of miscellaneous things from our wedding (yeah, I'm behind).  We had disposable cameras on the tables at our luncheon and reception, plus our engagement photos, the photos in the slideshow we had playing at the reception, and the photos we took on our honeymoon.  I'm on a deadline too, since this is for a Groupon to Picaboo that expires at the end of the month.

Anyway, thought I show you a few of the pages from the slideshow section:
(I know I'm biased, but dang! I think we were cute little kids...must be why my kids are so adorable...)

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck book review

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck: A Novel
Synopsis: "Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away.
Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can’t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte’s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes.
Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can’t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex’s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible.
But when Alex’s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn’t so inconvenient after all?"


Hmmm.  Where to start.  Don't bother.  It's not terrible, but with all the other books out there why waste any time on this one?  The story just felt like it rambled on without control.  And then there was the random insert of "faith."  If you're going to be Christian fiction, fine.  But the three paragraphs towards the end of the book that brought up faith just felt like an after thought.  Like the author had forgotten she needed/wanted/should include some little ditty to make it Christian fiction.  
The story line wasn't completely unbelievable, but again towards the end when Charlotte begins to change her mind and decides she wants "to be a wife" to Alex, it's just so silly.  Apparently in the author's eyes, being a wife just means sex, because that seemed to be all Charlotte and Alex meant by deciding not to annul their marriage.
No thanks.  I usually like the books I get from WaterBrook Multnomah, but this one I just didn't.
I give it 2 out of 5 stars. I did receive this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.

Saving Grace book review

Saving Grace (The Prayer Tree Series #2)by Annie Jones

Synopsis: "Every year on the night of New Bethany's annual Splendor Belle Gala, reclusive Sera Grayson appears on the porch of her aging antebellum home dressed in a tattered ball gown. Legend holds she is reliving the greatest disappointment of her life: waiting endlessly for the man who stood her up more than fifty years ago. Rosemary, Naomi, Gayle, and Lucy, first introduced in Jones's Prayer Tree, together decide to help out the eccentric old woman-partly to strengthen their own special bond, threatened by time and the demands of everyday life. Will their joint project instead tear them apart forever?"


This is not the type of book I would normally pick up and read.  I like Christian fiction, but I usually read it because I got it free for my Kindle or I got it free in exchange for a review.  That being said, I almost always enjoy them.  This book is no different.  It's a book about finding strength when you think your world is falling apart.  We all face times like that, and if we maintain the right perspective, we grow stronger.  And we make it.  Being Christian fiction, that idea is shared in terms of religious belief.  This isn't what I would call a born again book.  Those are harder for me to swallow.  :)  This isn't so in your face, it's just a given accepted part of who the characters are.
The story is interesting.  I have a soft spot for history and legends, and as this book touched on both, it's not surprising I liked it.  The characters overall were believable.  I don't know that Ben or his relationship with Lucy were very well developed, but most of the other characters felt rounded out to me.
I might have known the characters a bit better if I had read the first book in this series, The Prayer Tree (The Prayer Tree Series #1).  Normally, reading a book in a series makes me want to read the others, but I have to admit, that is not so in this case.
Anyway, I give it three out of five stars.
I did receive this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.

You win some, you lose some.

We had our yearly jaunt to our favorite photography studio today.  Lots of thoughts swirl around the planning of apparel.  Something coordinating but not matchy-matchy.  Something that fits our personalities but still has some current style.  I usually find a piece I love, and then build from there.  This year, I found (or rather my husband spotted) an awesome plaid shirt at Old Navy, in the general color scheme we were going for.  And we went from there.  As usual, I ended up making something for my daughter (last year's dress here).  I wanted our pictures this year to be more casual, so I opted for a skirt rather than a dress.

Unfortunately, this is how little princess spent the majority of the session.

What a waste of a great skirt.  Let's try one more shot...

This is after her daddy set her down and she started running towards me to get a fruit snack...the only way we could get her next to her brother without one of us, if only for a millisecond.

The family shots were better... no smiles from her, but at least no tears!

Anyway, who wants to know how to make that skirt?!  (don't all raise your hands at once...)

We have here a bubble skirt with two layers of lace poking out underneath.  This skirt can be made in seven seams (well, eight if you use the machine to stitch the elastic together).

Step one:  Measure your little one around the waist, and from the waist to the knee.  My daughter was 16 inches around the waist, and 8 inches from her waist to her knee.

Step two: Cut out your fabrics.  My cotton fabric was a 33 by 19.5 inch rectangle.  I got that by doubling 16 inches and adding an inch for seam allowances (33 inches), then doubling 8 inches and adding 3.5 inches for seam allowances and elastic casing.

I then cut out a 33 by 10 inch rectangle of lace (make sure the finished edge is along the 33 inch side), and a 33 by 9 inch rectangle of lace (ditto).

Step three: Fold all three of your rectangles in half width-wise (i.e., fold the 33 inches in half to make 16.5 inches), right sides together.

Sew along the 19.5 inch/10 inch/9 inch sides, using a half inch seam allowance.  Press seams open.

Step four: Turn the cotton right side out, and pull the 9 inch lace over it (still inside out) and pin in place along one of the edges (does't matter which at this point).

Now take the 10 inch lace and pull over it and pin into place.

Step five:  Sew all three layers together, half inch seam allowance.  If you have some excess lace or fabric, just sew right over it, it won't matter.

Step six:  Bring the bottom unfinished edge of the cotton up inside, so the wrong sides are facing together.  Zig zag stitch as close to the edge as you can, all the way around.  This edge will be exposed, and you don't want it to fray.

Step seven:  Measure 2.5 inches from the top of the fabric to the top of the three layers sewn together, and pin into place.

Step eight:  Fold raw edge over, and measure 1.5 inches and pin into place.

Sew along the raw edge, using a small seam (1/4 an inch or less), and leaving about 1.5 inches open.

This forms the elastic casing.

Step nine:  I've read somewhere when using elastic as a waistband to take the measurement and take away 3 inches.  I just guessed by pulling it around my daughter's waist.

Anyway, take your elastic and feed it through the opening (I stick a safety pin on the end to help me get it through).

Once you've got both ends, sew them together (but make sure the elastic isn't twisted!).  Push elastic into place inside casing.

Step ten:  Finish the seam on the casing by closing off that open 1.5 inches.

You're done!

And for your viewing pleasure, our silver lining shot of a frustrating photo shoot:

Red eyes, swollen lips, but sweetly snuggling with Daddy.

Link up at : {M} Ask Anna-Skip to My Lou-The DIY Showoff-Mad in Crafts-Marvelously Messy-Pinkopotamus-The Girl Creative-Sumo's Sweet Stuff-Making the World Cuter-Sew Can Do- C.R.A.F.T.- Keeping It Simple-Mo Momma {T} Creating a House of Grace-Today's Creative Blog-Tip Junkie-Cherished Bliss-A Diamond in the Stuff-Sugar Bee Crafts-Vintage Wanna Bee-Reasons to Skip the Housework-The Kurtz Corner-Me and My Boys-Embellishing Life-All Thingz Related {W} Tea Rose Home-Someday Crafts-Lil' Luna-Creations by Kara-Eisy Morgan-Bella Before and After-Sew Woodsy -Goodbye City Hello Suburbs-Blue Cricket Design-Sew Much Ado-My Girlish Whims -A Mommy's Life with a touch  of yellow {Th} The Shabby Creek Cottage-House of Hepworths-The Brambleberry Cottage-The 36th Avenue-Yesterday on Tuesday-Saved by Love Creations-Momnivore's Dilemma  {F} Thirty Handmade Days-Just a Girl-Romantic Home-Remodelaholic-Shabby Nest-Young & Crafty-Lovely Crafty Home-WhipperBerry-At the Picket Fence-Finding Fabulous-delicate CONSTRUCTION-My Repurposed Life-Naptime Crafters-Chic on a Shoestring Budget Decorating-A Little Knick Knack-Fingerprints on the Fridge -504 Main-Cookie Nut Creations-Making Lemonade-French Country Cottage {S} Funky Junk Interior-Ladybird Lane-Tatertots and Jello-Craft Envy-A Law Student's Journey

Painting the town RED

So we've spent a great deal of time fixing up our house.  Mostly on the inside.  We (well, my husband) did do a tremendous amount of work on the front yard, but...the yard is still DEFINITELY not where we want it to be.  Nonetheless, we have some other curb appeal projects just waiting for us to get to them.  Finally, I decided to JUST DO one of them.

I painted our front door.  Red.  (insert big toothy smile here.)  I love red.  It makes me happy.

I also installed a new door handle/lock set (ALL BY MYSELF, as those of you who follow me on Facebook already know), which I think looks pretty sharp.  That was kinda an accident.  We were going to wait until next spring to replace the door hardware, along with acquiring a rather expensive door knocker and doorbell I have my eye on.  And the lighting.  But the tape leaked, so I got red paint on the old lock and knob (shoulda just taken them off), and when I tried using nail polish remover to get it off (bad idea)...I pretty much ruined 'em.  Well, they didn't look much worse than they already did, but still....not something I wanted to put on my beautiful red door.  So I headed off to Lowe's and found an awesome set that regularly was $124...but on clearance for $31.  Yes, over 90 bucks off.  AWESOME.

Anyway, thought I'd show you some photos.

This is our house when it was first put up for sale.  Notice the mounds of mulch covered dirt, the tree directly in front of our front door, lots of shrubs and the very odd patch in the middle of our lawn (strawberries, as it turns out).  Unfortunately, this is not what it looked like by the time we bought it in February.  It had been empty since August, so underneath all the snow was a very overgrown yard.  My husband dug out the little tree, all the shrubs (except those by the tree in the left corner of the photo, they hide a large green electrical box we didn't even know was in our yard until we closed on our house), flattened the mounds as much as possible, dug out the strawberry patch, and seeded the whole she-bang.

So here is what it looked like a few days ago.  Much better for our purposes (the grass is still coming in though).  However, my big tree is blocking the view of the front door.  And the front door is dingy and scuffed.  And plain white.

And this is what it looks like now!!!  Painted red, new hardware, and I got on a ladder with a saw and pruned some branches myself.  Don't know the first thing about pruning trees, and didn't bother Googling it (the source of all knowledge) so hopefully I didn't do any permanent damage!

We still are in the process of building shutters and a windowbox, and we will be painting the trim around the front door, the railing and the garage doors soon.  It will look AWESOME and oh so charming when I'm done.  Stay tuned!

Link up at : {M} Ask Anna-Skip to My Lou-The DIY Showoff-Mad in Crafts-Marvelously Messy-Pinkopotamus-The Girl Creative-Sumo's Sweet Stuff-Making the World Cuter-Sew Can Do- C.R.A.F.T.- Keeping It Simple-Mo Momma {T} Creating a House of Grace-Today's Creative Blog-Tip Junkie-Cherished Bliss-A Diamond in the Stuff-Sugar Bee Crafts-Vintage Wanna Bee-Reasons to Skip the Housework-The Kurtz Corner-Me and My Boys-Embellishing Life-All Thingz Related {W} Tea Rose Home-Someday Crafts-Lil' Luna-Creations by Kara-Eisy Morgan-Bella Before and After-Sew Woodsy -Goodbye City Hello Suburbs-Blue Cricket Design-Sew Much Ado-My Girlish Whims -A Mommy's Life with a touch  of yellow {Th} The Shabby Creek Cottage-House of Hepworths-The Brambleberry Cottage-The 36th Avenue-Yesterday on Tuesday-Saved by Love Creations-Momnivore's Dilemma  {F} Thirty Handmade Days-Just a Girl-Romantic Home-Remodelaholic-Shabby Nest-Young & Crafty-Lovely Crafty Home-WhipperBerry-At the Picket Fence-Finding Fabulous-delicate CONSTRUCTION-My Repurposed Life-Naptime Crafters-Chic on a Shoestring Budget Decorating-A Little Knick Knack-Fingerprints on the Fridge -504 Main-Cookie Nut Creations-Making Lemonade-French Country Cottage {S} Funky Junk Interior-Ladybird Lane-Tatertots and Jello-Craft Envy-A Law Student's Journey