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Have a great last day of June!

DIY Beaded Flip Flops

Good morning!!  


Summertime is quickly approaching! And with summer comes our favorite footwear - flip flops!!!  If you're like me you live in them during the summer. They are definitely my go to shoe when it's hot outside. 


Sometimes you are wearing something that just makes it hard to wear your good old stand by - the flop flop.  But fear not - that problem is now solved - easily and inexpensively!


Today's post give you the know how to dress up those boring flip flops into something glamorous! I even think that these would be awesome for the bride getting married on the beach or outdoors this summer - don't you agree?


Peeked your interest yet? Well, you know the drill - follow my link to get the scoop!

DIY Beaded Flip Flops:

A super big thank you to trinketsinbloom.com for the tutorial!! 

Have fun creating your beaded flip flops - it will take them from blah to beautiful in no time at all! You may even want to do a few pair - LOL!!

Have a terrific Tuesday - see ya soon!

The Bachelor and Redneck Wine Glasses

Good morning!  Hope everyone is well. I wish that I could say that I am. I've been fighting a terrible cough and cold - the darn thing just wants to hang on forever! So I haven't been feeling the best and many of my projects have fallen behind as a result.....

My hubby and I have been watching The Bachelor this season. We really liked Ben from the Bachelorette and felt bad for him when Ashley turned his proposal down. So we were happy to hear that he was going to be the next Bachelor. I don't know how many of you watch, but what about that Courtney?  Do you love her or hate her?  For us, she's in the hate category. I really do not want him to end up with her, but I've got this bad feeling that it will go that way!!!!!  I think he and Lindzi are a so much better suited couple.

And speaking of Lindzi, did any of you catch that they were drinking their wine in Redneck Wine Glasses? I thought that was awesome! So in honor of Lindzi and Ben and their hometown date, I thought I'd give you the heads up on making your very own redneck wine glasses - super easy, super inexpensive, and in my opinion super cute!  You know what to do - follow my link here:

Hillbilly Crystal/Redneck Wine Glasses

Big thanks to Cindy Eckhart (Sweet Tea with Cindy) for showing us how it's done!!


Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday! See ya soon.

To all of you......

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope your day is sweet!

See ya soon.

DIY Votive Candle Holder

Happy New Year's Eve to one and all! Party plans abound I'm sure.  Just please be safe and don't drink and drive.    

This is a very special day for me because it is my 18th Wedding Anniversary!!  That's right - we got married on New Year's Eve at 9:00pm 18 years ago.  It seems like yesterday and I love my husband as much today as I did then - even more if that's possible! To my hubby - I Love You, Steve, and Happy Anniversary!

Today my post is a wood project.  I love the colors that were used and the decorations aren't really my style but they look awesome so I may have to give them a try.  You can always make any project your own just by using your creativity and this project is no exception.  Different colors, different decorations - whatever your heart desires.

I think these are quite lovely and would be very nice gifts as well. Thanks to Tatertots and Jello for the how to!  Go here to see more: DIY Candle Holder 

Have a safe and happy new year celebration! See ya soon!

Keurig and My Personal QR Code!!

It's TGIF!!!!  Hurray!

Well, the verdict is in - we LOVE our new Keurig brewer!!!  It is so fast and convenient!  The best thing is that the coffee tastes amazing!  It came with a 12 pack of K-Cups, but I went to Walmart (roll-back to $10.98 for an 18ct!) the next day and got some of our favorites while we are waiting for the Ekobrew reusable filters to get here! I think my husband is very pleased as well.  Let me tell ya, it really took some convincing to get him to take the leap to a single cup brewer - LOL! But I know he's glad we did!

Today I want to share my Personal QR Code! I was looking for a new app (the one I had was not reliable - only worked when 'it' felt like it - not when I needed it to!) for my phone to scan these QR codes that are popping up everywhere and came across Skanz. This app is terrific and super fast and you can get it on the Android Market or at their website after you register (for free of course)!

So, while I was on the website I decided to generate my own personal QR code for my blog and ta-da - here it is!  You can save it and when you want to get here just scan and go - super simple and easy!  Want your own QR code? Just follow the link above to get started - it's totally free - just like their app!

They even have a couple of unique products to be able to share your code - so check 'em out!  I think these codes are a cool way to direct people to your website or contact information - a new digital business card is born!!

Have a great Friday and I'll see ya soon!

Santa's Coming Early!!!

Hey everyone!

I am so excited!  Santa is coming to our house early this year!!

I'm sure that the rest of you already know the wonders of owning a Keurig, but we are a little slow on the uptake.  However, we finally decided to go for it!!  I love the versatility and can't wait for it to get here. Here's the one we are waiting to arrive:

Don't you love the color?  It's called Cinnamon! 

One of our favorite coffees is available in K-Cups - Gloria Jean's Coffee! I can almost taste it now. And better yet, we are going to also get the cool reusable filters that are compatible with many of the Keurig brewers from a company called Ekobrew.  You just fill them with your own favorite coffee, and drop it in the brewer and away you go!  The k-cups will be fun for some things, like hot chocolate or tea or even iced coffee, but for everyday these Ekobrew Reusable Filters will be awesome!

I originally had wanted a Tassimo, but after doing some research I was convinced that the Keurig fit our needs better.  I think the Tassimo would be great if you could get a reusable filter for it - unfortunately none are available, so far.

Anyway, I couldn't be more excited and I'll let you know how my first cup tastes after our brewer arrives - hopefully in the next day or so!!!!

Have a fantastic over the hump day and we'll chat soon.

Christmas Countdown

Good afternoon!

If you are like us, you have had your fill of turkey for the time being!  I have just enough left to make a turkey pot pie and then it will be gone - hurray!!! Thankfully, my family enjoys turkey so it really was okay to have as much as we did.

I really don't have anything to show you today.  I do, however, have one super excited kid who is counting down the days until Santa comes! As of today it is 26 days.  And folks, I'm here to remind you that it will go faster than you want it to.  I've usually finished my shopping and have only a few things left to wrap.  But this year, that is not the case.  Still have buying to do, wrapping to do, decorating to do, cookies to make, etc., etc., etc.!!!!  Now with only 26 days left - the pressure is on!  

We are welcoming Santa again into our home since we've been blessed with another year of our 9 year old believing.  But I'm sad because we are pretty sure it will be the last.....but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for one more year. I'm still very surprised that one of the kids at school hasn't spoiled it for him yet!

Here's to hoping that you are more on top of things this year than I am!  Have a great Cyber-Monday and we'll chat soon!

From Me To You.......

Happy Thanksgiving to You and Your Families!!!!!!

My Birthday Present and Missing All of You

Good morning!!  

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted! I'm a Bad Blogger!! LOL! I'll try not to let that happen again....

I have a confession to make. I've been a little preoccupied with something.  My awesome better half gave me a wonderful birthday present this year.  Yes, it's a 10.1 inch Toshiba Thrive Android Honeycomb 3.1 Tablet!!!!!! 

I LOVE this thing!  It does so many things and I'm still discovering new and amazing apps everyday.  

I'm an avid reader and now have a whole library of e-books (approx 500+) at my fingertips!  I'm able to read in 3 different apps - Overdrive Media Console (which I highly recommend), Amazon Kindle app for Android, and the Barnes and Noble Nook app for Android.  I already own a Pandigital Novel and it does a fine job, but I was looking for something more and hands down this tablet certainly has been the ticket!  

But let's not stop there.  Not only is it convenient as an e-reader, it also handles my e-mail, online browsing, and game playing.  One of the other things that I love is the Android Market and all its apps.  I have found so many that totally streamline my life.  

For example, grocery shopping has to go on the bottom of my list, but with these apps it is so much easier to keep track of what we need and even what's on sale!  (I've put these on my Droid also and it updates across our wi-fi network automatically so I just need to take my phone to shop!)  Here are the ones I like: Grocery Pal, Saving Star, and Our Groceries - now I easily save money at the store - in fact, on Sunday we saved $63.50 off our grocery bill - awesome!!!!

There are so many things that are terrific that I could go on and on and on - we can rent a movie at Redbox or Blockbuster Express while sitting on the couch (the other day we ordered Dominoes Pizza online in our living room) - buying a newspaper is a thing of the past - I read newspapers from all over the place but my fav is USA Today (that app is World Newspapers and it also has magazines!). Simply put, the Honey Dew app is a MUST have. Heck, I can even set up my DVR to record a program that we want to watch!  Now, I'm seriously considering making ALL my recipes digital! I'm here to tell you that the uses are endless!

Before our purchase, I was undecided and compared the Motorola Zoom, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and the Toshiba Thrive. The things I knew for sure was that I wanted the 10.1 inch screen and an Android OS. At the end of the day, for the money, the Thrive always came out on top!  I'm sure the others are very nice as well, but with the Thrive I was able to get a 16GB 10.1 inch tablet for under $375.  And did I mention that the Thrive has a full size SD card slot so I can expand my memory?!!

I really can't say enough about this tablet!  So if you're in the market for a tablet I can say without a doubt that the Toshiba Thrive is awesome. The only thing is doesn't have is 3G capability but since I have the Droid for when I'm on the go and mainly use the tablet at home - it suits my needs quite well.  Many apps don't even need the wi-fi once they are downloaded and Mobile Hotspot is always an option.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to lately and I definitely want to get back to posting more regularly.  Thanks for your patience!

Have a wonderful Tuesday.  See ya soon!

P.S. I'm working on a new Soda Tab Bracelet and will show you when it's done - so stay tuned!

Recessed Picture Frame Cabinets

Good morning! Hope your day is great so far!

A couple of weeks ago I was online and came across these cabinets. I thought that they would be great anywhere in your home.  I think that the uses are endless. For me, it would be that place to stash all our remotes in the living room! 


Anyway, if you want to check out this unique cabinet, just follow the link below:

Recessed Medicine Cabinets with picture frame doors! No mirrors!

Have a fantastic day - see ya soon!

Tagxedo - Word Cloud with Styles

Good morning!  

Just a quick post today.  A while back I showed you wordle.net for all your word cloud needs. At least I thought so. But, I had not come across Tagxedo. It's basically the same concept except you can use shapes to make your word clouds. I've played with it a little bit and if you want to play too, go here to see what it's all about:

Tagxedo - Word Cloud with Styles:

If you are do digital scrapbooking, this program will come in handy to add interest to your pages.  If you like to personalize items such as t-shirts or mugs or anything else, you can use this program.  So I think it is pretty versatile.  Give it a look see!

Have a great day.  See ya soon!

Our New Laundry Room

NOTE:  this project is still ongoing - but this post shows the basics of what we did. I was just lazy about uploading the pictures - sad but true.  Also, I want to give a big thank you to my wonderful hubby for taking his 2 week vacation to get this done for me.  I love you honey!!!!!!


Hey, everyone. It's finally done! (Well, almost!) Yippee Skippy!! Hip Hip Hurray!!!  Can you tell I'm doing jigs?  I am so happy - funny though, I never thought I'd be excited to do laundry.....but being inside instead of in the garage is awesome!!!!!!!

Here are pics of the process of changing the room from a playroom to our new and improved laundry/pantry:

June 2006 - looking to deck

June 2006 - toward the front of the house

Isn't Cristian cute?  He was almost 4 years old here. I can't believe he'll be 9 in September! The room changed a few times over the last 5 years but you get the idea.  Now on to the transformation!

The carpet removed and taking out all the staples from the carpet padding!

New paint color - Valspar Natural in Satin finish! My awesome hubby!

Room prepped and sealed for new flooring.

Beginning of new flooring being installed.

New Utility Sink and Sink Base

Sink and Base Installed

Washing Machine Installed

The Whole Thing Done (almost)

Well, it's mostly done.  We still have a few things to do.  Like finish the base of the sink and replace some storage cabinets with new white cabinets on the other side. I'd also like either shelving or cabinets above the sink and washer and dryer.  But, all in all, I am tickled to death about the new room! We put our upright freezer and our extra refrigerator in this room also.  Awesome!

That's it for now.  Have a great day.  See ya soon!

Hurricane Irene

Good Friday to all!  What a crazy week of weather we are having.....first the earthquake and now Irene!

You may or may not know that we are located in North Carolina. Thankfully we are inland enough that the effects of Hurricane Irene will be minor in comparison to what our coastal areas will be experiencing. We are expecting heavy rain bands and tropical force wind gusts, though. We have secured everything for the just in case if the storm tracks further west. My hubby is a city mail carrier and, of course, my biggest concern is for his welfare. As of right now, he will be in the thick of things delivering the mail during this storm.  

As we watch and wait for Hurricane Irene to arrive, we are captivated by the images of this massive storm. The image below is from NASA's website. It was taken on August 22nd as the storm was crossing the Caribbean. The image was captured by the International Space Station. Although this storm is quite large and dangerous, it also is an amazing sight to see. Especially from space.  I thought that you may be interested in seeing it too - so here it is.

If you are interested in video from the Space Station, you can go here (it's about 6 minutes long):

NASA Video from 8-24-2011 of Hurricane Irene

I'm hoping that everyone is safe as this storm travels up the East Coast.  Have a great Friday.  See ya soon!

Redbox vs Netflix

Good Morning!  Well, I guess it's almost afternoon, isn't it?

A few posts ago I mentioned that we cancelled our Netflix account due to the split in services that would incur higher pricing.  Well, I'm here to tell you that Redbox is the Bomb!!!  We love it.  We've actually seen more movies since cancelling Netflix than we did while we were subscribing! No joke!  How can you beat $1.00 for DVD and $1.50 for Blu-Ray????

Ok - so you're thinking "I have to drive to the rental kiosk to get my movie".  Well get this - you can reserve your movie online from the comfort of your home and then go get it at your convenience later in the day.  What more can you ask for?  They also have great programs to earn FREE movies.

Want to give them a try?  Follow this link to get started:

Rent a Movie Tonight at Redbox!!!! 

I promise you won't regret it!  Have a great movie night!  See ya soon.

Bottle Cap Tray

Hi, everyone!

I'm always in search of interesting things to make out of not so common supplies.  This project is definitely in that category.  I don't believe I would have ever thought to makeover a tray using bottle caps - but it is quite lovely, isn't it?  

Want to know how to do it?  Go here:

Sweet Something Designs: Bottle Cap Tray

Absolutely love the color combination!  Happy crafting!  See ya soon.

Hula Hoop Rug

Hey everyone!

I'm a little late with my post today but we had a late night last night and we didn't really get moving until mid afternoon!  We celebrated my hubby's birthday - had kabobs on the grill, oreo blizzard ice cream cake, shot some firecrackers, made s'mores and ended the evening with a movie.  Action packed night, huh?  It was fun, nonetheless!

I came across this project at the Family Fun website.  If your kids outgrow their t-shirts as fast as mine does - you'll have plenty to complete this craft!  It seems easy to do - interested?  If so - go here for all the stuff you need to know!  Hula Hoop Rug - Easy Crafts for Kids - FamilyFun

Love all the colors, don't you?  Happy weaving!  See ya soon.

Glow-in-the-Dark Drinks

Good morning!

With Independence Day drawing close, I just couldn't resist passing these  imaginative drinks along to those of you with kiddos!  But hey - why wait until the 4th of July - why not make them just because.  Summer nights are meant for firefly catching, and sleeping in a tent along with a multitude of other things that can only be done during the warm summer nights!  I think this idea is very creative and would be very cool to do anytime!!  Don't you?

Intrigued, yet?  Well just go here to see how to amaze your kids:

Come Together Kids: Glow-in-the-Dark Drinks

Have fun sipping your glow in the dark drinks!  See ya soon!

DIY PVC Summer Camp Chair Tutorial

Good morning!

I know I've been MIA the last couple of days....but I've been enjoying time with my friend Michele's daughters!  It's been a blast.  We made paper beads on Tuesday and yesterday the kids played on the slip 'n slide for 3 1/2 hours.  No easy task since it was in the upper 90's here yesterday!  But hey - just add water and the kids will be cool and entertained for hours!!!!!

Today's post is something that every kid would appreciate!  A chair just for them!!  And it appears to be pretty easy to make.  I just love the fabric and the monograms - sooo cute!  Go here to check it out:

Summer Camp Chair Tutorial (That you can make yourself!)

I keep wondering if I could make one of these for myself!  LOL!!!!

Anyway, have a great day and I'll see ya soon!

Simple DIY PVC Sprinkler

Good Afternoon all.

I know, I know - twice in one day - what gives?  Well, I got to thinking that there may be some of you that would like to build a PVC Sprinkler but not quite as elaborate as the one featured in Family Fun Magazine.  (It's a post below if you missed it!)

So I'm sharing this version from cometogetherkids blog here: 

Come Together Kids: Fun PVC Sprinkler

Simple, but still gets the job done!  So whichever version you choose to make - have fun cooling off! C'ya!