kindle fire giveaway

'Twas the month before Christmas
And all throughout blog land
Were patterns and recipes,
Ornaments and cake stands.

Your favorite bloggers
Were busy as could be
Making projects and tutorials
For all to see.

Then we got an idea
For something to do
To make the holidays brighter
For one of you

All year round
You bring us such joy
Why not give one reader
A special Christmas "toy?"

We thought and we thought
Till our brains were quite tired
Then it came to us,
"A Kindle Fire!"

We all joined together,
Now today is the day
So get in your entries
For this special giveaway!

Amy @ One Artsy Mama

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends December 14 at midnight EST. Please follow the guidelines above :)

Thanks for stopping by and good luck!

This giveaway is sponsored by the following {fabulous} blogs; be sure to show them some love!

ornament exchange

This holiday season, I decided to take part in an ornament exchange hosted by One Artsy Mama. I was lucky enough to be paired up with Kelly from Your Charmed Life. When partnered up, we were given a few bits of information about one another that might help us pick out/make the perfect ornament.
Here is what Kelly said: "I love COLOR and lots of it! More Bling the better. I love: trees/banches/birds/owls/peacocks. I'd love something; colorful, glittery/sparkly, funky."
There were a few other details about Kelly on the list, but these were the ones that spoke to me the most. I brainstormed for over a week before coming up with this idea:

I love how they turned out. They are 1) colorful 2) glittery/sparkly...they have lots of bling! 3) and they are tree related. I thought I covered a lot of what Kelly likes. Here is how I made them.

the weekly creative #10

Welcome to week #10 of The Weekly Creative!
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. THANKS to everyone who linked up last week.  I enjoyed checking out all of your projects and recipes over the long weekend. I also appreciate all of you who entered my very first giveaway. The winner of the MollyauContraire Pencil Roll is...
Barb Marshall Steadman! Barb, I've emailed you to get your shipping information :)
Now, onto the features. Here is what I was loving this past week (don't forget to grab a featured button from the sidebar):

[1] I love this adorable claspy clutch by happy in red! I really want to learn how to make one.

[2] I'm kind of obsessed with these stamped burlap ornaments by bliss bloom blog. They would make a great addition to any tree. [3] This retro branch buck by made in a day is right up my alley. It is gorgeous and fun!

...& If you missed it, here's what I shared this past week:

Yes, I only posted once this week. I was busy working on Christmas gifts, spending time with family & hanging out with my husband. I did a lot of crocheting while Adam watched football. The sock monkey pattern is from Repeat Craft Me and the others are designs of my own making.

Now...onto this weeks party :) 

The rules are pretty simple: [1] Link to a specific post & feel free to link as many projects as you'd like (sewing, crafting, recipes,  photography, life, etc. We love it all!) [2] If you have time, visit at least 2 other links and show some comment love. [3] Become a follower if you wish (not required, of course, but I love new followers. You can also find me on facebook or twitter). [4] Stop by next week to see if your project has been featured! [5] Please link back so others can share in the fun - if you want, grab a button from my sidebar. [6] Keep creating :)
Thanks for linking up!

thrifty wrapping

After finishing up a container of slim-fast the other day, I got to thinking... what can I do with this container? Yes... I could have thrown it away (and I almost did) but I liked the red lid and thought it could be cute for Christmas.

the weekly creative #9 and GIVEAWAY

Welcome to week #9 of The Weekly Creative and my very first [official] giveaway!

Remember how I mentioned last week that I was going to be hosting my very first giveaway this week!? I am very exited that Molly from MollyauContraire is here today to share her designs and give one of you a chance to win one of her amazing hand-crafted products.

Molly works as a Visual Merchandiser but spends a great amount of her free time designing and creating her own products. She loves to salvage discarded vintage linens, leather and fabric. She sews, knits, block prints and dabbles in jewelry. She says "the most rewarding part of the creative process for me is finding a material that someone threw away and turning it into something useful and lovely that can be enjoyed for years to come."
Molly is so kindly giving away one of her adorable Pencil Rolls to one of you lucky ducks. Enter below for your chance to win and feel free to check out MollyauContraire on Etsy to view her other goodies for sale. 
* * * Pencil Roll Giveaway * * *

a Rafflecopter giveaway
...and, of course, it wouldn't be a link party without a few features from last week! Here are some of the posts I was loving (don't forget to grab a featured button from the sidebar):

[1] I'm loving these homemade snowballs by Alderberry Hill. They look so pretty in that lantern and look fun & easy to make!

[2] These adorable fabric flower napkin rings by Snap On Buttons would be perfect for your Thanksgiving table setting.  [3] Turtles & Tails linked up this awesome "birch bark" painted vase. What a simple & fun way to spruce up an old vase! So creative...
Now...onto this weeks party :) You know what to do! Link up those amazing projects of yours. Thanks for stopping by - you guys rock! - and thanks for taking part in my very first [official] giveaway!

liebster blog award

The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It is to show new bloggers that they are apprecaited, and to help spread the word about new blogs. 

This week I was nominated by TWO different bloggers for the Liebster Blog Award. Thank you T'onna @  navy wife peters and Nikki @ a little bit of quiet.

The rules:

1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.

3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.

4. Choose 11 blogs you love (with less than 200 followers) and link them in your post.

5. No tag back (but please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you)!

So here goes... a little bit about me...

[1] I'm an interior designer. I attended The Art Institute of Seattle and absolutely LOVED school. I've learned that the "real world" of design isn't what I imagined it to be but I'm working my way through it one client at a time. Right now I am selling tile & I really love helping people design their kitchen backsplashes, showers & floors.

[2] I moved to York, PA 2 1/2 years ago and my husband, Adam, and I bought our first house last May. We're slowly renovating every room. The bathroom is the next project on our house list.

[3] I want a french bulldog more than anything in the world. Adam thinks they're ridiculous and isn't going to spend $2500 to get my one. I'm still hopeful :) 

[4] I am a homebody. I would much rather be at home on a Friday/Saturday night than out and about at a bar or club. Give me PJs, a movie and a DQ blizzard and I'm a happy camper.

[5] I drive a 2002 white Mitsubishi Gallant. She has 181,000 miles and some days her heat doesn't work. Her name is "Betty White." I'm in the process of looking for a new, more reliable car.

[6] I married by best friend on 10-01-11 after finding an engraving on my antique engagement ring that read "Al to Connie 10-01-49". We thought it was too perfect not to get married on that same day :)

[7] If I could pick 3 foods that had zero calories I would choose: pizza, Auntie Anne's soft pretzels with cheese sauce, and DQ brownie blizzards (oh wait...did I mention blizzards once before already? oops)

[8] I'm currently teaching myself to crochet (it's going pretty well...)

[9] I talk to my mom on the phone at least 3 times a day (sometimes more) and talk to my dad on the phone at least 3-4 times a week. They live in WA state so constant phone calls are a must.

[10] I learned to knit when I was a kid (maybe 8 or 9). The lady that lived on the 3rd floor of my grandparents house, Ruth, taught my brother and I how to cast on, knit & purl. We made a lot of holey, lopsided "dishcloths." I always found a way to end with WAY more stitches then I started with. I now love to knit (& crochet) and I have Ruth to thank for that.

[11] We have a lawn gnome in our front yard that my husband and cousin stole from someone's yard while they were in high school. We love it...but know that someday, he will be stolen from us (this is called karma). 

Here are the 11 questions I was asked by T'onna @ Navy Wife Peters & Nikki @ a little bit of quiet:

What is your favorite craft project you've created? My favorite craft project I've ever created would probably have to be my "love bird" ornament that I created out of our christmas tree last year.

Do you have any children?  If so, how many and what are their names & ages? No kids yet :) I'd like to have 3 though... my husband is leaning more toward 2. I guess we'll wait and see :)

Do you make your bed every morning? Simple as this... some weeks I do, other weeks I don't. It depends how I feel.

Jeans and a t-shirt or a lovely dress? I would REALLY like to say lovely dress...but I'm going to have to go with jeans and a t-shirt. I can't help but love wearing something comfy!

What's your favorite book? It's hard to say... I tend to read books and then forget that I read them. Weird, I know. I really liked "Water for Elephants."

If I could choose any profession in the world, what would it be? I'm going to have to go with a penguin keeper at a zoo/aquarium. How fun would it be to work with those cute little things all day?

What's your favorite season and why? My favorite season is fall because I have an obsession with trees. Trees are the prettiest in the Fall.

What do you like best about be a blogger?  My favorite part about being a blogger is connecting with other bloggers who share the same passion for diy/crafting/etc. as me. Everyone I've connected with has been so friendly!

Who's your favorite celebrity? Adam Levine. No question about it.

How long have you been blogging? I have been blogging since the beginning of the year. My first post was on 1.04.12.

Would you rather fly or do a road trip? I would MUCH rather fly. You get places quicker that way.

Here are the questions I'm asking the blogs I nominate:

[1] What are a few blogs that you read on a daily/weekly basis?

[2] What is your favorite TV show?
[3] How long have you been blogging? [4] What project(s) are you currently working on? [5] What is one of your New Years Resolutions? [6] What is your favorite pin on Pinterest? [7] Are you a dog or cat person? [8] Where do you buy most of your clothes? [9] What is the #1 item on your holiday wish list? [10] Do you need coffee to function? Or are you more of a tea person? [11] How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start a blog?
Here are the blogs I've nominated: [1] Snap On Buttons [2] Let's Meet For Lunch [3] Sweet Pea Pod [4] Pumpkin Loves [5] Emmy In The Making [6] The Bean Sprout Notes [7] The Feral Turtle [8] The Domesticated Princess [9] A Little Bit Of Craft [10] The Hobby Harbor [11] Being Inspired I'm looking forward to learning more about you! Please leave me a comment with your post URL so I can read them when you're finished :)

eraser stamps

I've been intrigued by eraser stamps lately so I decided to give them a try myself. I thought it could be cute to make a "B" stamp for using as a "return address" of sorts on letters, etc. I tried a few different techniques... some worked and others didn't. Here is what I did:

the weekly creative #8

Welcome to week #8 of The Weekly Creative!
THANKS to everyone who linked up last week. I love seeing all of the fun projects and recipes that you come up with. This link party has really motivated me to get on a regular "posting" schedule and I love hosting it. Just a heads up - one week from now - I'll be hosting my very first giveaway during The Weekly Creative #9 link party. You won't want to miss it :)
Here is what I was loving this week (don't forget to grab a featured button from the sidebar):

[1] This beautiful boys quilt by made with my two hands was made from t-shirts! How cool is that?

[2] I absolutely adore this thanksgiving menu by smart school house. It's a cute reminder of what you'll be eating on November 22nd. I can't wait for mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie... [3] These paper flowers by 2 little superheroes look lovely in a jar on the window. They add fun color to any space!

...& If you missed them, here's what I shared this past week:

Now...onto this weeks party :) 

The rules are pretty simple: [1] Link to a specific post & feel free to link as many projects as you'd like (sewing, crafting, recipes,  photography, life, etc. We love it all!) [2] If you have time, visit at least 2 other links and show some comment love. [3] Become a follower if you wish (not required, of course, but I love new followers. You can also find me on facebook or twitter). [4] Stop by next week to see if your project has been featured! [5] Please link back so others can share in the fun - if you want, grab a button from my sidebar. [6] Keep creating :)
Thanks for linking up!

knit cactus

Before I get into this post... I have a confession... I kill plants. I know...sad.

I really don't know what's wrong with me. I love plants. I water them. I enjoy them in my house. I give them sunlight...DEAD.  I can't explain it.

I couldn't take it anymore so I found a way not to kill them: