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!

OMG - Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Happy Friday!!

Yesterday my good friend, her daughters, my little guy and I baked cookies.  Well, let me correct that - the kids baked cookies - we adults just supervised!  It really was so much fun - flour and powdered sugar everywhere but hey - it's only Christmas once a year!!!!

We make cut out sugar cookies, gingerbread drop cookies dipped in white chocolate and chocolate gooey butter cookies.  They all came out great but I just had to pass along the recipe for the chocolate gooey butter cookies because they are sinful!!  Santa definitely will enjoy these at your house and they are sooooo easy to make.  

Here's the link on Paula Deen's website: Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Thank you Paula Deen for sharing this one - it's a keeper!!!  We have to make another batch since the first batch didn't last very long!

Have a great Friday!  See ya soon!

Cute Sock Cupcake Stocking Stuffer

Hey, everyone! The time crunch is upon us.....

If you're still looking for a cute stocking stuffer - I've got one for you today!

Who doesn't love a pair of warm fuzzy socks!  How about fuzzy sock cupcakes to help fill those stockings?  Cute, huh?

Here's how:  Christmas Fuzzy Sock Cupcakes

Have fun 'baking' your cupcakes! LOL

See ya soon!

White Chocolate Popcorn for the Holidays

Happy Wednesday! 

Are you all ready for the holidays? We are going to bake cookies tomorrow. I'd really like to find some time to make some of this White Chocolate Popcorn!  Doesn't it look scrumptious?  Super easy to make, too!  Thanks to Jenn at  'Eat Cake For Dinner' for the how to!!! Check it out!   

BEST EVER White Chocolate Popcorn

Sweet and salty all at once - YUMMMMY!!

See ya soon!

Wine Glass Snowman Votive Holders

Good morning!

My son is keeping a close watch on the calendar this year!  He informed me this morning that it is 10 days until Christmas....to him that seems like an eternity, but for the rest of us it's push time, right?

Today I want to show you these cute votive holders that are made from wine glasses.  I couldn't agree more that these would be cute teacher's gifts!  I wish I had come across them before now since we've already purchased this years teacher gifts.  But alas, there is always next year!

Wanna make some?  Check it out here: Snowman Votive Holder

I personally love snowmen and I love that they can be used into the new year because for me they just signify winter! These things are cute, cute, cute!  And it appears to be fairly easy to make them, too!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!  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.

Cool Picture Bracelet!!!

Hi, everyone!  Hope your weekend was great.

With Christmas quickly approaching, are you just starting your shopping or are you finished?  Unfortunately, I'm further behind than normal this year! Usually I've gotten most of the shopping done and just need to wrap.  This year I'm still trying to figure out what to buy!

I came across this item a while back and I thought that if you had someone who is hard to buy for that this might make an interesting gift.  I know that cuff bracelets are big right now.  The best part is this is a custom bracelet designed by you.  It uses your photos, the colors of your choice and it makes it unique to you.  Go here to find out how to get yours: PicktureThat

I really like that $1.00 of every bracelet is donated to an organization that is making a difference for others.  Check out their Give Back page for more information.  

I'm not sure about the exact size of this bracelet.  It appears to be quite large and chunky. But isn't that the style right now?  Anyway, I thought they were unique and different and I wanted to pass it along to you.

Have a great Monday!  See ya 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!!!!!!

New Soda Tab Bracelet

Happy Friday everyone!

I just noticed that it's been 2 weeks since my last post - WOW - time is flying by! The holiday season is getting closer and closer and there's so much to do!  And it seems like there's not enough time to do it! LOL

Today, I want to show you another Pop/Soda Tab Bracelet that I made recently. It is not as wide as the crocheted bracelet I did before. This one uses fabric strips and has a snap closure with a button decoration. 

From snap-end to snap-end this bracelet measures approximately 7.5 inches.  It can be made bigger or smaller very easily by using more or less tabs. You could use ribbon also, but I think it might be more expensive in the long run. You could also use other things to adorn and help cover the snap instead of a button. I just happened to have a button that matched the fabric I was using!

This bracelet is very lightweight and does have some flexibility and stretch to it.  The variety of colors available in fabric just blows my mind - you could have one in every color of the rainbow if you wanted!  The fabric I used is part of a fat quarter bundle that I already had, but they are sold at Walmart and lots of places online.

So, there you have it!  Start saving your tabs today and you can make one, too!  Have a fantastic Friday and I'll see ya soon!

Embossed Soda Can Snowsicles

Happy Friday everyone!

With Thanksgiving in a couple weeks and Christmas only being 51 days away, I thought I'd post this cute craft. I love long ornaments on the tree. It helps to fill in bare spots where the branches aren't quite as full. This ornament would be lovely on any tree and is easy to make.  Follow the link to get the step by step instructions!   

Embossed Soda Can Snowsicles:

Get in the holiday spirit and make some today! 

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

Backyard Scrabble

Good morning! I hope that everyone had a safe Halloween and got lots of goodies.  

I adore this time of year. The weather is crisp in the morning and gloriously temperate in the afternoon. If I could just find a place that has this weather all year round - boy, I'd be one happy gal! Even our little guy even seems to prefer this fall weather. 

We recently introduced him to the game 'Words with Friends' (it's interactive scrabble, if you've never played it) that can be played on Facebook and even our smartphones.  He's hooked, to say the very least. And truly, we are pretty happy about that!  It is a terrific game to increase his vocabulary and spelling skills which will in the long run improve his reading. So when asked, we will always play the game with him!

Shortly after his introduction to the game I game across this outdoor version. It is quite unique and would certainly be a nice way to spend a few hours together. Wouldn't you like to have a scrabble board in your backyard? I seriously think I would!  So if you're like me, follow the link to see how:

Backyard Scrabble - Sunset.com

Can't you just picture yourself with a tall drink and a good friend? Awesome!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!  See ya soon!

DIY - 2 Variations of Giant Jenga

Good morning!

I really love this idea (can't you tell?).  My husband and I are planning on making this for our little guy.  But we have been debating using 2x4 or 2x3 studs.  I think that the 2x3 size will be better and not as heavy - although he thinks that the set will be larger using the 2x4 size (he's right, of course).   Apparently, it just comes down to personal preference!

As usual, once I decide to do something, I need to be sure to have the right instructions. (You know - kinda like measure twice - cut once....LOL) So with that being said, I found 2 more set of instructions - they both use 2x3 studs.

The links are below - one is plain wood and the other (which, in my opinion, looks awesome) is a multi-colored set and uses a Wii game concept.  We don't have the game but, I think I may have to see what I can find out about it.  It would definitely be fun to have a variation for the game!!

So, if I've peeked your interest and you are dying to make a set for yourself then follow the links below and get to cuttin' and sandin'!!! 

Jenga Maximum:

Colored Mega Jenga Backyard/Jenga Based on Boom Blox

FYI - I've priced these sets on several sites and they range in price anywhere from $69.99 and up.  So if working with wood isn't your thing and you'd really like to have a set, then it could be a bit pricey to add this game to your collection!

Have a great Thursday.  See ya soon!

DIY Giant Jenga Tower

Good Monday morning!  I hope that everyone had a very nice weekend.

This time of the year is my favorite.  Not only is the color pallet one of my favorites, but the weather is just glorious!  We had some brutally hot weather this summer as did a lot of you.  Now that the temperatures have become more moderate, it is very nice to spend time outdoors.

With a 9 year old boy, I am always on the look out for interesting and different things to do.  I came across this outdoor game and just fell in love.  I think we would have a blast playing this version!

I did some research and found that I could buy one of these sets (in fact, amazon.com has one with several links to outside sites that have them as well) but I think they are a little pricey.  I know that making a set would be much more cost effective.  So, I went about finding the instructions and sure enough instructables.com has them - step-by-step even! Go here to get them:

Giant Jenga Tower:

I am 5'2" and my son is about 10 inches shorter than me, so I'm thinking we might need a step ladder to play this game... but, it sure would be fun to see how high we could get it before it falls!!! 

Have a fantastic Monday - see ya soon!!!

Skinit Promo

Happy Saturday!

I recently found this site and since my son is getting his very own tablet for Christmas I wanted to customize it for him. It was super easy to do. I designed the skin for the tablet on the 18th and got an e-mail telling me it shipped today! But, if you don't want to design it yourself there are BUNCHES to choose from on the site.

Just about any device you can think of has a skin available - iPhones, MP3s, laptops, tablets, e-readers, smartphones. You name it - they've got it!  Even if you don't want a skin - there are cases, sleeves, protective covers to pick from, too.

I was so happy with my experience that I wanted to tell you about it and pass along their current promotion. I believe you can alternatively choose free economy shipping instead of the free skin. So take a few minutes, follow the link, and check it out if you're in the market for a 'skin' or case for your device:  Free Skinit Offer:

Have fun bringing your devices to life!  Have a great day.  Chat with you soon!!!

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!

DIY Wooden Doormat

Good morning and hello weekend!!  It's been a busy week of homework - spelling words, vocabulary, math, science and reading!  I swear I don't remember having this much homework when I was in the 4th grade.  I understand that homework is for practicing what you learn but....it just seems that there's always an awful lot of it!

Anyway, on to today's post!  I just love DIY projects and this one is no exception.  The monogram is unique but even without it I think this doormat would be very nice.  The steps to make this are very simple and I'm sure it wouldn't take any time at all to get your very own doormat.  

Interested?  Go here to get the scoop:

DIY Doormat | The Accent Piece:

Thanks to the Accent Piece for this project. The only change I might make is to add a few strips of non slip tread (prevention of it getting slippery when it rains and gets wet). But other than that I just love this project.  

These would make an interesting gift especially for those people on your list who have everything and are hard to buy for! 

Have a great Saturday - see ya soon!

Dolphin Tale's 'Winter' and Paver Pumpkins

Good morning!  

I hope your weekend was great!  We went to see the movie "Dolphin Tale".  It is sooooooo good - please go see it if you get a chance.  It is based on a true story about a female dolphin that gets injured and how she is saved.  The star of the movie is 'Winter' and she is in Florida at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  If you want to check her out - I've put up her live webcam feed in the upper right hand corner for the time being.  You can see her in all her glory - no tail and all!!!  Truly amazing!!! And if you want to know more, check out the Clearwater Marine Aquarium website. Just follow the link!

Now on to today's post.

Since it is now fall, I thought I'd show you a keyhole paver painted as a pumpkin.  To me pumpkins just signify fall, Halloween, and even Thanksgiving so these cuties could be used for a nice period of time in your decorating! 

This project is very simple with wonderful results.  They would sit nicely just about anywhere.  I like them as they're pictured below - sitting among a fall type garland.  They would look really good on a mantle or entryway table.  But no matter where you decide to show them off, they would look great!

Here's the link to nightowlcrafting.blogspot.com to see how it's done!

Paver Pumpkins!

Cute, huh?  What are you waiting for?  Time to decorate for fall!


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

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!

Birthday Cake (again) & Book Page Pumpkin

Good Morning!  I've been MIA lately since my hubby had a week vacation - but he went back today so here we go! 

Happy Monday to you and Happy Birthday to me!!!!!  Yes, it's my birthday and I can't believe I'm already 48 years old.  It seems like yesterday that I was 18.  30 years has certainly flown by - some good and some not so good - but all in all a good life so far.  Of course, I've been joking that in 2 years I'll get my AARP card - not a joke though, right?  I really will get it then - LOL!!!

My wonderful hubby baked me a chocolate cherry cola cake yesterday. Yes - he did it all by himself and it came out wonderfully.  I guess I'm rubbing off a little after almost 18 years!  Here's a pic - check it out!

Didn't he do a fantastic job?  And it tasted as good as it looks!!  Thank you  for helping me celebrate with a beautiful cake, sweetheart - I love you!

Now - on to today's post.

With the first day of autumn this Friday (wow, where did the summer go?), I wanted to show you a project that will get you started with your fall decorating and crafting.  I just think this is the cutest thing - in fact I'm going to have to go through my old paperbacks so I can make one of these!  It really couldn't be any easier - go here for the how to:

Book Page Pumpkin Tutorial | Creations by Kara:

Thanks Kara for sharing this tutorial with us!

Have a happy day.  See ya soon!

Birthday, Bees and Frogs, Oh My!

Good morning!

Cristian turned 9 on Monday! It's hard to believe. It feels like yesterday that we brought him home.  We had a great time at the Carolina Mudcats game on Sunday evening. Cristian got a game ball and had it signed by Muddy, their team mascot. They lost 8 to 7, but it was an exciting game. The whole thing came down to the last pitch!  Afterwards, they shot off fireworks. Very nice! His friend spent the night and then Monday we cooked on the grill (cheeseburgers - his favorite!) and had cake and ice cream. He asked for a lemon cake so I did a 3 layer with homemade butter cream frosting!  It leaned a little but hey, that's what makes it homemade, right?  Here's a pic - see the lean?  Oh well, it tasted good and he liked it!

As I've mentioned before, my friend is a 1st grade teacher. This year she decided that she wanted to give her students a beginning of the year gift. The theme in her room is bees. Her fellow grade level teacher has a theme of frogs and liked the idea of a little something for the kids, as well. So we came up with and made cute little bees and frogs!  Check them out!

All 50!

Close up of Bee and Frog

Queen Bee Pen Holder for her Desk 

Queen and Her Little Worker Bees

They look so happy, don't they!

It took some doing, but we got them all done in a relatively short period of time. Our better halves did all the cutting and sanding. Her girls did most of the painting and we did the planning and decorating. It really was a family affair. We were quite pleased with how they turned out. From bare wood to bees and frogs in a blink of an eye. So cute, if I do say so myself!

Have a great over the hump day!  See ya soon!