Awards and birthday fun!

How excited am I? I have been given the Versatile Blogger Award by four
FABULOUS ladies!!!!

Aleesha @ the fabulous blog that was featured last week! Ready, Set, Create!
Mindy @ Twisted Copycat
Leslie @ Night Owl Crafting
and Jalinda @ The Craft in Me

Rules for this one are....

1. Thank the person who gave me the award
2. Share 7 things about myself
3. Pass the award on to 15 (sorry...didn't get to that many) fabulous bloggers
4. Contact the bloggers I have picked and let them know about their award!

So to the ladies

THANK YOU
THANK YOU
THANK YOU!

7 things about myself

1. I LOVE gossip magazines. I know there's about 5% truth to anything in them, but I just can't get enough. My hubby even goes every Friday to the store and buys me like 5 or 6 ;) That's love people.

2. I used to be partially deaf in my left ear.

3. Driving gives me such anxiety that I hope and wish I will have enough money one day to hire a driver....lol! Never gonna happen.

4. I love ALL kinds of music...but the Beatles are my true loves.

5. My dream job would be to work at a magazine (surprise, surprise) and live in Manhattan like Andy on How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

6. I'm a Gleek

7. I have three kids: Hannah 8 going on 18, Olivia will be 6 tomorrow! and Boston is a terror at 3. My wonderful hubby probably doesn't want his age revealed, but he is wonderful and I love them all!

So I am passing along this award to:

Ashley @ Little Miss Momma
Cami @ A Scrap of Fabulous
Staci @ The Creative Crate
Frills Fluff and Trucks
Joy @ Mommas Kinda Crafty
Oopsey Daisy
Cook Clean Craft
Larissa @ Just Another Day in Paradise

Tonight I am making some super adorable birthday decorations, using this super cute paper!
Let me just say....at Hobby Lobby I had 3, yes 3, paper packs in my hand and only walked out of the store with one.....GO ME! My hubby will be proud!

Check back tomorrow to see the birthday decor!!!

Letting the creative juices flow...LINKY PARTY!

This blog is kind of taking a back seat while I get my yard in gear.....we are almost there! Maybe I can sneak some pictures on here tomorrow night! After Glee of course :)
Sorry no Featured Friend Friday last week. I will make sure and combine the two for this Friday.
Also, have you been checking out the Featured Blogs? Some pretty fabulously creative ladies out there! Thanks everyone for hanging in there with me.
I hope to be back to my semi creative self soon!

Onto the party....Here are the rules...

* Link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog.

* Include the name of your blog and a short description of what your linking up.

* Grab the button so everyone can come party and get in on the fun.

* Please no links to Etsy shops or online stores.

* And last, but certainly not least, it always feels good to see that others enjoy your stuff, so please leave a comment with the two people who posted before you :)


<a border="0" href="http://www.beckieandbrad.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/250tudl.jpg" /></a>

Oh happy day....not today, but soon....very very soon!

I am OH SO BUSY trying (with my gimp self and all) to get this done...

If I am MIA this is why. Guess what? I get grass tomorrow!!!!! People. This has been 3 years,
3 years in the making. Let's not get started on that.
Needless to say I am beyond thrilled!
I will post pictures soon...

Blog swappin with Just Another Day in Paradise!

Yep. It's Wednesday and you know what that means....another swap! Yippie!
This time it's with the fabulous Larissa over at Just Another Day in Paradise!
And boy does she have some fun ideas....and lots of yummy stuff too.
Have fun visiting her blog and give her some love.
The linky party from yesterday is still open below this post, so link up your stuff so I can possibly feature you on Friday!


I am so HAPPY to be doing my very first blog swap AND to be doing it with the completely delightful Beckie.

My name is Larissa and you can find my piece of the blogosphere here

My blog started out as a family blog regaling my friends and family with our day-to-day comedies and dramas. Just like Beckie, very quickly my family blog became my creative outlet. I found myself sharing more and more creative stuff, so in the beginning of this year I took the leap and joined the crafty blogging world.

I LOVE doing all things creative. I love looking around me and seeing all the potential crafts. I find inspiration just about anywhere. I am totally a wing-it-fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of crafter, and amazingly it almost always works out.

Over at my blog you will find me getting my craft on, getting my party on, and getting my eating on, all intermixed with the hilarity of living my sweet life as the only female in a house full of men...one full grown and three in minature form. So come on over and take a look. Stay awhile. I would love another bloggy neighbor.

Here are just a few things you will find when you stop by Just Another Day in Paradise

Getting my craft on--

Mason Jar Herb Garden

Vinyl Table Cloth Bib Tutorial

Felt Breakfast of Champions

Freezer Paper Stenciled Tees

Getting my party on--

Golf Birthday Cake

Golf Birthday Table

Carnival Birthday Table

Carnival Birthday Cake

Getting my eating on--

BBQ Chicken Braid

Chilled Fruit Soup

Sour Cream Crumb Cake

THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Beckie for giving me my first blog swap experience.

I am pretty much tickled to be a part of this great blog today.

Letting the creative juices flow...LINKY PARTY!

As if my strep throat wasn't enough....today I went to the podiatrist (hence the no post) and he put me in one of these beauties!

I know, I know. Stop being so jealous. So I have a bone growth and cyst on the top of one of my joints and he's not sure if it from my foot healing from a fracture or if it's just appeared there on it own. I'm in the boot for 2 weeks and if it's not healed, surgery for me! I said stop with the jealousy! :)

On to happier things.....Tuesdays linky party!!!

Here are the rules...

* Link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog.

* Include the name of your blog and a short description of what your linking up.

* Grab the button so everyone can come party and get in on the fun.

* Please no links to etsy shops or online stores.

* And last, but certainly not least, it always feels good to see that others enjoy your stuff, so please leave a comment with the two people who posted before you :)


<a border="0" href="http://www.beckieandbrad.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/250tudl.jpg" /></a>

Can't wait to see what you all have been working on!

Featured Friends Friday

What a fun linky party this week! So many adorable thing to look at! Here are a few that caught my eye!

Staci from The Creative Crate made this adorable beadboard picture hanger!



Michele at The Scrap Shoppe made this super cute ABC banner!



These chocolate bowls are perfect for deserts! Go visit Aleesha at Ready.Set.Create to see how she made them!



Anj at Multi Purposed Wings did an absolutely adorable monster party!

Thanks so much to all those that linked up this week!

If you see that you were featured here, feel free to grab a button on my left sidebar!!!

Why? Why? Why?

Thanks again to Joy for blog swappin with me yesterday!



FYI: I am battling the strep throat and it's KICKING MY BUTT!
I hardly ever get sick so this is driving me insane!
And for someone who never gets sick, couldn't I be eased into it with like a flu or something? Seriously.
Needless to say, I will be MIA from this blog for a couple of days.....maybe just maybe I can muster up the strength to do the Featured Friends Friday.
We will see.
Now I'm off to drink my Theraflu, watch LMN and suck on my $3.00 throat numbing suckers....yep you heard right...$3.00 a sucker!

***Don't forget to check out the featured blog on the top of the left sidebar***

Another blog swap today with Joy from Mommas kinda crafty!!! Go check out all the adorable ideas! Take it away Joy!

I am thrilled to be blog swapping with Beckie today! She has a great blog and I enjoy reading all her posts.

I am Joy and creator of Mommaskindacrafty!

I started blogging to have a place to store all the wonderful projects I was finding online. I am amazed at all the talented ladies out there! I also wanted to share some of my projects with my family and friends. I also like to feature projects I am adding to my "to do"list. My blog has slowly been growing and I am so excited to make new friends and meet other bloggers!

I am privileged to be a SAHM to 4 great kids! 3 boys and 1 girl. I have a wonderful husband of almost 15 years! Most of my crafting gets done during naptime while the older 3 are at school. I am so lucky to have such a good little napper! I love to sew and create all kinds of fun things. Mostly things for my kids and stuff for my home. Most of my projects are simple. After all, I'm only kinda crafty!

Here are some of my favorite projects!

Bandanna skirt!

Birthday T-shirts!

Burlap Wreath!

One last project that I just finished.
Altered Clipboard. This one is for a special student teacher who has been in my sons 1st grade class this year. I made all the teachers their teacher appreciation gifts last week, but saved this for her party on Friday. I hope she likes it!

I didn't take many pictures, but these are so easy! Just choose some fun scrapbook paper and cut to fit. I chose to do both sides on this one. I have made others and only done the front for a Menu board, or shopping list board.
Give it a couple coats of mod podge and decorate to your liking! I was working with a 7 yr old on this
one and he wanted her name on it. We compromised with her initial in the bottom corner on the front and #1 Teacher on the back. I added some fun ribbons to the top and added a flower with a button center with hot glue.
There are so many options with this so just have fun! We kept ours simple since I had a good little helper!





There are lots more fun and easy projects over on my blog. I hope you will take the time to come and visit me. I also want to thank Beckie again for swapping with me today!

Disney Movie Rewards!

Are you a member of Disney Movie Rewards? If not, head on over here to sign up for free and get started! You know those annoying papers that come in the side of your new dvd? Turns out the are not so annoying! The is a code that comes with select Disney movies that you can enter and earn points to redeem for prizes....how great is that?! I posted some of these codes a while back, so if you have used them before they won't work except for the last one...this last code is new and it worked for me!

popular = 10 points
partners = 15 points
wildflower = 20 points
online = 25 points
green = 30 points
FPSNN83JX9 = 25 points

Don't forget to link up in Letting the Tuesday Creative Juices Flow linky party below!
Happy Tuesday!

Letting the creative juices flow...LINKY PARTY!

Here we go again! This is my most favorite day of the week now.....seriously.
I LOVE to see all the things you creative chicks come up with!
Ready?

Hang on.

One thing I need to mention. I am going to start featuring fabulously creative blogs over there on the top of my left sidebar so make sure you check them out and tell them I sent you. So my very first featured blog is Polka dot Luv. Have you heard of Crush? This is like a sister blog if you will of Crush and it's dedicated to everything Polka dot!!!! {LOVE IT}
What are you waiting for.....go check em out.....after you link up :)

Here are the rules...

* Link to your specific post, not the main page of your blog.

* Include the name of your blog and a short description of what your linking up.

* Grab the button so everyone can come party and get in on the fun.

* Please no links to etsy shops or online stores.

* And last, but certainly not least, it always feels good to see that others enjoy your stuff, so please leave a comment with the two people who posted before you :)


<a border="0" href="http://www.beckieandbrad.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/250tudl.jpg" /></a>

On the Menu Monday

Garlic and Brown Sugar Chicken

4-6 Chicken breasts
1 c. packed brown sugar
2-3 c. Vinegar
1/4 c. Sprite or 7UP
2-3 tbs. minced garlic
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. pepper

Place chicken in the crock pot. Mix all ingredients and pour over the chicken.
Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or noodle. I prefer rice :)
Your house will smell wonderful when you make this!

Make sure to come back tomorrow for

Linky party!!!

I am trendy?!

I am back from my short blogging break! We had family visiting to celebrate my grandpa's 80th birthday! And Mother's Day was great too...let's just say last week was pure craziness.

How thrilled am I to have received my first blog award from Leslie over at Night Owl Crafting!
Leslie and I did our first blog hop last Wednesday, which was so much fun....go check her out!

So here's my award...


LOVE IT!
To receive this award you have to promise to share this with 10 other BLOGS that you think are Trendy too! Easy peasy.

Just post about your award in your blog

List your Top 10 Trendy Blogs

Share with them

Leave a link to the Trendy Blog Button

Tell them they need to give this award out to 10 as well.

So here are my Top Ten picks...(blogs that I can't go a day without reading :)

The ladies over at Crush (adorable blog)
The sisters at Eighteen25
Brandy over at Home Sweet Home
Anj at Multi Purpose Wings
Jan at The Simpler Life
Michele at The Scrap Shoppe
Brittany at Love Stitched
Mindy at The Twisted Copycat
Kimbo at A Girl and a Glue Gun
Angie at A Bushel and a Peck

I hope you all have fun checking out these fabulous blogs.
Also if you see your blog here please follow the rules as not to break the chain
and pass it along!

Come back later for On the Menu Monday....