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Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Tips & Tricks: Favorite 2013 Posts

Are you ready for a brand new line up of Tips & Tricks Linky Parties?

We have some great ones lined up and I know you won't want to miss out on a single one. 



With 13 blogs participating, you'll get plenty of exposure.  Tell your friends and please share your links on your preferred social media platform.

This week, we are looking for your Favorite Posts of 2013! Isn't that fun! Any post you had that got you a lot of traffic, or one that you loved but maybe needs a little lovin', link it up below.  But, no worries, if you want to link up anything else, there is always the Anything Goes section, too. 

Last week’s most pinned post was:

Every link is pinned to Pinterest (you can see last week’s board, here) and shared on a random social media site by one or several of our cohosts.  Rest easy – you’re getting lots of attention from linking to Tips & Tricks!
So, be sure to follow your cohosts, so that you don’t miss your shout out!








Anything Goes:



Monday, January 6, 2014

New Year-New Focus


I can't believe it's already 2014.  Where did the holidays go?

You may have noticed that there haven't been any posts in a couple of weeks. Did you? Well, I took a technology break for the weeks of Christmas and New Year's. I did read some books on my Kindle, but I don't really count that.  I was just reading, after all. I think I plowed through 3 books. It was awesomesauce.

We took in a couple of movies with the little guy, too.  Walking with Dinosaurs and The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, both of them were so good.  I highly recommend them.

And, of course, there were all of the holiday festivities. Visiting family and opening huge mounds of gifts.

Everyone was happy with their swag that they got. I especially love watching the boys faces as they open their gifts.

I really raked in the goodies, as well.  I got some things for the house, and I'll show those things off later on. But, the absolute best gift I received was a brand new dining room table built just for me by my amazing husband.

Pine Dining Table with Weathered Grey Stain
Pine Dining Table with Weathered Gray Stain

I can't even tell you how much I love it.  Well, maybe I can.  I love it. A lot. Right now there are the same 6 chairs around the table, but this weekend there will be 8.  I have two more of the same chairs that have been waiting patiently in the garage until they were called up.  I felt so sorry for them. Just hanging out in the cold garage. Poor things.

Here is the dining room before:
{Note that these pics are unedited}





These were right after we completed the kitchen renovation.  In the top pic, we didn't even have 6 chairs finished, yet. Notice in the bottom two photos that the table legs are right in front of the chair? Yea. That made for a comfy seat for a meal. NOT.  

I did move the green bench that was in front of the window in the dining room.  We needed just a tad more room for comfort. 

I will be updating the photos on the Our Home page, soon, so stay tuned. 

Also, during the month of December and the Christmas break, I started making some "lifestyle" changes for my health.  I am not an unhealthy person, but some changes did need to be made.  I have suffered with migraines all of my life, and I have an autoimmune liver condition. I have been on a lot of medication for many years, and I felt the need to change that.  Is it scary? Absolutely! 

I was able to transition off of one of my medications and I am replacing it with supplements, diet changes, better habits.  I have added Advocare products to my daily regimen, to keep me hydrated, increase intake of certain vitamins and minerals, and promote all around well being.  

I hope you'll wish me luck for success! I'll be sharing about my my migraine regimen very soon.  I know that there are many people who suffer and feel so misunderstood.  

Tomorrow is the newest installment of the Tips And Tricks Linky Party and we are hoping that you will stop by and share your favorite posts from 2013!








Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Tips & Tricks Link Party: Handmade Gifts

It's that time, again, everyone! I love the theme for this week-Handmade Gifts.

In years past, for exchanging gifts with my family, we all made handmade gifts.  There have been some really great ones created by my family.

Here we are playing outdoor Jenga, that was made by my niece and nephew:

Handmade Outdoor Jenga
It could actually be a bit dangerous when it falls over! You better get ready to run!

So, share, with us, your handmade gifts from this year, or years past.  

The most pinned project from the Fall Kids Crafts party was this Tissue Paper Turkey from The REal Housewives of Riverton:

Tissue Paper Turkey 

Thanks for sharing with us, ladies!

Here we go, with this week's fun theme of Handmade Gifts!



Don't forget to follow all of our amazing co-hosts, and visit each other's links. It's a great way to discover new blogs and all sorts of great ideas!


Heather - Stringtown HomeFacebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Bloglovin'
Jessica - Prairie Girl to Southern BelleFacebook/Followgram/Pinterest/Bloglovin'
Jonell - Like Gramma's HouseFacebook/Pinterest/Bloglovin'
Kathleen & Samantha - Fearlessly Creative MammasFacebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Bloglovin'
Ursula - Kraft MintPinterest
Denise - Stl MotherhoodFacebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Followgram
Karissa - A Fresh Start on a BudgetFacebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Bloglovin'
Gina - Gina's Craft Corner
Christa - Controlling CrazinessFacebook/Pinterest
Leslie Monroe - Be Simply BetterFacebook/Twitter/Pinterest/LinkedIn
Amy - Trip Worth TakingFacebook/Pinterest/Twitter/Instagram/Bloglovin'
Wendy - A Daily Dose of Del SignoreFacebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+/Bloglovin'/Instagram
Krysta - Krysta Steen.comFacebook/Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter









Anything Goes:




Sunday, December 1, 2013

Holiday Preparations: Recipes for Gifts and Parties

As I'm preparing for Christmas, I am gathering recipes all in one place so that they will be easy to locate when I need them.  Where am I gathering them? Pinterest, of course!

There are lots of recipes that I have used in years past and some new ones that I can't wait to try.

Follow this board to see what recipes I will be using for parties, gifts, and family gatherings:

Follow Amy @ Life Is A Trip Christmas: Recipes for Gifts, Parties, Christmas morning, and Snacks on Pinterest


Gift ideas for Teachers:

Chocolate Covered Pretzels with Sprinkles
Boozy Caramel Fudge
Tex-Mex Brownies
Candy Cane Hot Chocolate Mix

Combine one or more of these yummies and your gift to the teacher will get an A+!

I have made the Candy Cane Hot Chocolate and the Chocolate Covered Pretzels many times in the past few years and they are always a huge hit.

When you combine the words caramel and fudge, you know you've got something good happening!

For the Hostess with the Mostest:

Homemade Caramel Sauce
Carolina Mustard
Fresh Herb Mayonnaise
Spicy Cheddar Straws

Carolina Mustard is a delicious dipping sauce that goes well with sweet potato fries, spread on a burger, or paired with fresh veggies.

Any self respecting Southerner has a good recipe for Cheddar Straws.  This one has a little bit of heat.  Whip them up and present them in a cute jar with baker's twine and you'll be a star!

Party Starters:

Cherry Pecan Brie
Bacon Cheese Dip
Colby Pepper Jack Dip

Your party will be off to a great start and your friends will think you're a certified chef with any of these tasty treats.

Do you need a few more printable Christmas tags to add to your stash? Click on the image to download.

Christmas Tags from TripWorthTaking
Created with PicMonkey Courtesy of Amy@TripWorthTaking
Add your own flair to these tags using some of the precious Christmas Fonts that I shared last month, and print out on cardstock. A perfect homemade gift to make someone feel special!

*The tags print at 8.5" x 11".

Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Tips & Tricks: A New Link Party I'm Co-Hosting!

I am so excited to be a part of the Tips & Tricks Linky Party hosted by Stringtown Home!

There are ton of new co-hosts and you're links will be seen on 13 blogs! That's awesome, if you ask me.  

There are lots of categories to link up to, and a different theme each week.  Don't worry, if you don't have a project that fits perfectly with the theme of the week, you can post in the Anything Goes section!

Here is the schedule for the parties through the end of December:


Now  you can get ready for all the upcoming parties, mkay?

Don't forget to follow all the hosts on the social media channel of your choice-or all of them!














Whew! That's a lot of co-hosts! Isn't it exciting? Your links will appear on all 13 blogs!

Please follow your co-hosts, tweet about the party, and visit as many links as you can to discover new blogs and make new blogging friends.  Everyone wins, right?

Now, on to the linking....













Thursday, November 7, 2013

Simple Christmas Decor Ideas

I am in the Christmas spirit like most of you are, I'm sure. It's only 47 days 'til Christmas, after all.

I can't wait.

We will be putting up our Christmas decorations the week of Thanksgiving so that we can enjoy them for as long as possible. 

With that in mind, I've been looking for some new ideas to add into our usual decking of the halls.

I want simple, but really awesome, ideas. 

Here is one of my favorites, so far.

Shining Stars from bijzondermooi


I am thinking of doing something similar on the mirror on the mantle.  Any wall would work, or add a little festivity to a door.

I must be on a garland kick, because here is another and it is too cute. 

via iheartnaptime.com

This one is going somewhere in my house.  It would work so well in any room. Or, how cute would it be looped from the ceiling down the hall? Eek!

This next one will need a little tweaking because I don't want to spend a lot on new Christmas decorations this year.  

via Pinterest

If you remember my Fall Tree Centerpiece, I will just take the leaves down, and add mini paper snowflakes. I think it will turn out really pretty!

I'm always looking for a new way to display Christmas cards, and I really love this idea:

via WaveAvenue

I'll be sharing more ideas as we get closer, and even some shots of past decorating that I've done.  

What new things will you be creating for your Christmas vignettes?

Now, I'm off to start cutting out paper snowflakes!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

THE Pin It Party #27

I'm so sorry that this is so late going up! I have really been out of it with this flu.

Get your links posted so that you can get pinned!

Welcome to THE 27th week of THE Pin It Party Link Up!

Please take a second to update your THE Pin It Party button! You can either grab the code below or just link your current button to the new Creative Geekery site (www.creative-geekery.com). Thank you for taking the time to do this!

Grab button for Creative Geekery
Grab the code for our button here!
<div class="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/PinItParty_zps8d39e394.jpg" style="width: 150px; margin: 0 auto;">
<a href="http://www.creative-geekery.com" rel="nofollow">
<img src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/PinItParty_zps8d39e394.jpg" alt="Creative Geekery" width="150" height="150" />
</a>
</div>
Have you been "pinned" at one of our TWENTY FIVE parties? If you can't remember, be sure to check our THE Pin It Party - The Best of the Best Pinterest board. We have a surprise for you! Go here to grab a special badge Ellie made just for you!

Are you interested in co-hosting THE Pin It Party? It is a WHOLE lot of fun and a great way to grow your Pinterest following. Go here to get more information and to reserve your spot now!
RULES
Completely Unfinished - Summer Lovey Dovey Road Trip Playlist One Organic Mama - A Robot Party What's Up with the Wilhelms - Anywhere Workout

1. Please follow the host and co-hosts on Pinterest.

2. Send out a tweet about the party! Just click here:

3. "Like" THE Pin It Party on Facebook by clicking on the button below.

4. Grab the party button above and add it to your blog's sidebar or link up party list.

5. Post 1-3 links to your blog's most "pin-able" posts from the last few weeks. (Please, no links to other parties, giveaways or shops please. If you are an ETSY shop owner, come back this weekend and link up at the Weekend Blog Block Party!)

6. Mingle! Reach out to somebody new and pin their stuff. You never know when you will meet your blogging bestie!

7. Have a FABulous day and come back next week for more Pinterest fun.

Host: Ellie @ Creative Geekery
Co-Hosts:
Kristin @ One Organic Mama
We will each choose our three favorite posts from the party and pin them to this party's collaborative Pinterest board: THE Pin It Party - The Best of the Best! Woot woot!






Wednesday, October 9, 2013

THE Pin It Party #26!

Welcome to THE 26th week of THE Pin It Party!

Please take a second to update your THE Pin It Party button! You can either grab the code below or just link your current button to the new Creative Geekery site (www.creative-geekery.com). Thank you for taking the time to do this!

Grab button for Creative Geekery
Grab the code for our button here!
<div class="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/PinItParty_zps8d39e394.jpg" style="width: 150px; margin: 0 auto;">
<a href="http://www.creative-geekery.com" rel="nofollow">
<img src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/PinItParty_zps8d39e394.jpg" alt="Creative Geekery" width="150" height="150" />
</a>
</div>
Have you been "pinned" at one of our TWENTY FIVE parties? If you can't remember, be sure to check our THE Pin It Party - The Best of the Best Pinterest board. We have a surprise for you! Go here to grab a special badge I made just for you!

Are you interested in co-hosting THE Pin It Party? It is a WHOLE lot of fun and a great way to grow your Pinterest following. Go here to get more information and to reserve your spot now!
Completely Unfinished - Summer Lovey Dovey Road Trip Playlist One Organic Mama - A Robot Party What's Up with the Wilhelms - Anywhere Workout
1. Please follow the host and co-hosts on Pinterest.
2. Send out a tweet about the party! Just click here:
3. "Like" THE Pin It Party on Facebook by clicking on the button below.
4. Grab the party button above and add it to your blog's sidebar or link up party list.
5. Post 1-3 links to your blog's most "pin-able" posts from the last few weeks. (Please, no links to other parties, giveaways or shops please. If you are an ETSY shop owner, come back this weekend and link up at the Weekend Blog Block Party!)
6. Mingle! Reach out to somebody new and pin their stuff. You never know when you will meet your blogging bestie!
7. Have a FABulous day and come back next week for more Pinterest fun.
Host: Ellie @ Creative Geekery
Co-Hosts:
We will each choose our three favorite posts from the party and pin them to this party's collaborative Pinterest board: THE Pin It Party - The Best of the Best! Woot woot!




Wednesday, October 2, 2013

THE Pin It Party #24

Welcome to THE 25th week of THE Pin It Party



Let's try something new this week! For every post you link up, please pin another blogger's post! So if you link up three posts (which I hope you will), please be sure to pin three other posts!



Have you "liked" THE Pin It Party yet?





Have you been "pinned" at one of our TWENTY FOUR parties? If you can't remember, be sure to check our THE Pin It Party - The Best of the Best Pinterest board. We have a surprise for you! Grab one of these babies and add it to your sidebar or to your featured post. Yay you!



<div class="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThaOsSv9xMMZaTYtHCvqVCc-fL1-L1NBoK3d2w0xmhPWnRghbV62ujT9iiccJH1V23kq4PN390Vx4L-W5XXIUypy-G4p6TX2JOqpPo5DDQyAqy9sm3k1ptn6zew0TzDO80fZwl6EEsIQ/s1600/PinnedBadge1-200.png" style="width: 200px; margin: 0 auto;">
<a href="http://creativegeekery.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxES98bGN7OAYNVKliUr_yMXP2IqR8sTcCpfCsDr-u5Xls1YG6cUrfstAAGaJzlZmesJwYhxJ7yuGH8cIWFwwKtVdqbIHayyk3YDhrKT3g_fWOIZb-xIUH3UZ2nVBdZVbv4VyayCyj2s/s1600/PinnedBadge1.png" alt="Creative Geekery" width="200" height="200" />
</a>
</div>


<div class="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyASuM79zOYdfYvKOd2gCYHOH5XnSFwp8JWMMl0Cyyk0hg_RlFwczW2g7I0BOOEwTrPgI0EY1mE8VT1u-zzntyRC1mSwwJyur9CciniiOsoOH6ri2Nzevcy5VRttPiiuIusl6e8qyegSM/s1600/PinnedBadge2-200.png" style="width: 200px; margin: 0 auto;">
<a href="http://creativegeekery.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrm76tumwdhQp4UZ1pdI8Tx5MR6Yt5CQLBaoV69rGWn3K2pytvdwXWDfDI91KeuK2xQYRcxeIgwWF2oM2D35QM-Y8lU9pIOypJpH48WShZ1g8SkaHgMkupktZdP2b2sZzdwH-aoyHtXc/s1600/PinnedBadge2.png" alt="Creative Geekery" width="200" height="200" />
</a>
</div>



Are you interested in co-hosting THE Pin It Party? It is a WHOLE lot of fun and a great way to grow your Pinterest following. Go here to get more information and to reserve your spot now! 



Grab button for Creative Geekery
Grab the code for our button here!
<div class="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/PinItParty_zps8d39e394.jpg" style="width: 150px; margin: 0 auto;">
<a href="http://creativegeekery.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">
<img src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/PinItParty_zps8d39e394.jpg" alt="Creative Geekery" width="150" height="150" />
</a>
</div>

 
Completely Unfinished - Summer Lovey Dovey Road Trip Playlist
One Organic Mama - A Robot Party
What's Up with the Wilhelms - Anywhere Workout

1. Please follow the host and co-hosts on Pinterest.

2. Send out a tweet about the party! Just click here: 


3. "Like" THE Pin It Party on Facebook by clicking on the button below. 

4. Grab the party button above and add it to your blog's sidebar or link up party list.

5. Post 1-3 links to your blog's most "pin-able" posts from the last few weeks. (Please, no links to other parties, giveaways or shops please. If you are an ETSY shop owner, come back this weekend and link up at the Weekend Blog Block Party!

6. Mingle! Reach out to somebody new and pin their stuff. You never know when you will meet your blogging bestie!

7. Have a FABulous day and come back next week for more Pinterest fun. XO 



Host: Ellie @ Creative Geekery
Co-Hosts:
Kristin One Organic Mama 


We will each choose our three favorite posts from the party and pin them to this party's collaborative Pinterest board: THE Pin It Party - The Best of the Best! Woot woot! 










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