Me and My Bucket

BTW

2011-05-29T17:26:00.000-06:00

I'm still alive!! I start to move into the new place tomorrow so I've been running around like a crazy lady!! I have TONS of new projects and ideas to share with you, I just want to wait until I'm all settled in so I can take lovely staged pictures. Rather than the nasty skanky ones in the garage, with boxes everywhere and a ~~mostly~~ half naked little 2 year old running around ;) You know what pictures I'm talking about right? I mean seriously :)

Also, the hubs comes home in 12 FREAKIN' DAYS!!! Can I get an Amen and a Woot-Woot??!!!!

THE COOLEST THING IN MY KITCHEN!!!!

2011-05-02T19:21:00.001-06:00

Do you love using fresh herbs? Do you hate how expensive they are? Do you hate how it seems that you can never use them fast enough before they shrivel up and die? Do you enjoy gardening but hate the hassle? Do you wish you could garden but live in an apartment??

If you answered yes to ANY of those questions then this is the PERFECT thing for you!!! Seriously, I've drooled over these little machines for years and I FINALLY have one!!!

Check out this freakin JUNGLE-O-HERBS!!! Seriously, these puppies grow soooooooo fast and will last for months and months and months!!! You just snip off what you want and use it, simple as that!!! There is no dirt, no bugs, no weeds and no back breaking work in the sweltering sun. These gardens are so easy to grow, you can have a 'black thumb' and still be a success!! All you do is add water and nutrients whenever the MACHINE TELLS YOU TO!!! Can you believe that??!! It freaking tells you what it needs and when it needs it!! I have it sitting on the kitchen counter and I love the look of it and the Fabulous smell it emits!!

Cilantro, dill, basil, lemon basil, parsley, oregano, thyme and chives!!!

And . . . it doesn't just grow herbs!!!

TOMATOES

JABANERO PEPPERS

CHILI PEPPERS

LETTUCE

FLOWERS EVEN!!!!!

Isn't this the coolest thing you've ever seen?? I mean seriously, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my kitchen aid, but this little machine TAKES.THE.CAKE!!!!!!

With the lettuce you just give it a haircut and make your salad and then it will replenish in 3-4 DAYS!!! Seriously, 3-4 days??!!! Imagine how much money you will save??!! And, you can transplant ANY of these to dirt, if you choose. You can get a starter kit that allows you to start up to 66 plants and then transplant them to your outside garden. You can have tomatoes all year long!!! And good quality, great tasting ones at that!!! Pesticide free!!!

I'm sure that some of you have seen these before in some of the large retail chains. This company has been around for 10 years and as of 2 weeks ago, you can no longer purchase them in a retail situation. You can purchase them from any licensed AeroGarden distributor, which I am, OR you can become a distributor yourself and sell them till your hearts content!!!!

I REALLY REALLY REALLY love my garden and I know that you will too!! Think about how fun these would be for a teacher, and how much the students would LOVE to watch these grow!!! The possibilities are ENDLESS!!!

*** CLICK HERE TO BUY YOURS AND TO LEARN MORE!!! You can also click on the image at the top of my sidebar. ***

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to shoot me an email at: meandmybucket{at}gmail{dot}com

Shabby Apple Dress Winner!!!!

2011-04-24T10:34:00.000-06:00

To all of you that entered, thank you so much!! This was my first big giveaway and I am so grateful to each of you for helping to make it a success!!! Now, for the winner . . .

Number 47!!! And #47 is . . . .

kluckingbear said...: I like Shabby Apple on FB as Tabitha Swain Klucking.; April 22, 2011 9:24 AM

YAY!!! Kluckingbear you are the winner of the Amethyst dress from Shabby Apple, I'm so JEALOUS!!!! Please shoot me an email at: meandmybucket@gmail.com with the following info:

1. Name

2. Address

3. Phone number

4. Dress size

and

5. Email address

*** YOU HAVE 48 HOURS TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE :) IF I DON'T HEAR FROM YOU BY 10:30 AM MTN TIME TUESDAY 4/26 I WILL CHOOSE ANOTHER WINNER. ***

Jacket ReFashion

2011-04-23T17:24:00.001-06:00

My Grandma gave me this jacket . . . As you can see from the pic it is most definitely a bit dated (MAJOR SHOULDER PAD-AGE) and the sleeves are too short and overall in desperate need of a reincarnation!!! She gave the jacket to my Aunt to give to me but I didn't actually get it until after my Grandma passed in February. I knew that if I didn't give it a makeover it would just sit in my closet until the end of time. And I wanted to do something that Grandma would be proud of and something that I can treasure and think of her whenever I look at it.

The first thing I thought to do was turn it into pillows!!! I knew that I could keep them forever and everyday when I make my bed, yeah right, I can see them :)

I don't have a step by step because I didn't have a set plan, I just went at it.

Here is a closeup of all 5 beauties on the bed. I was able to make 5 pillows out of the jacket and I still have enough left over to make a few more if I decide to. Part of the way I was able to make so many pillows was that I used duck cloth on the backs of all the covers. Also, these are all envelope covers with inserts. If you don't know how to make an envelope cover, you can just google it. There are ZILLIONS of tuts out there!!

The pillow with the buttons was cut out of the back of the jacket. The seam up the middle was the same seam in the jacket. I wanted to keep as many seams intact a possible, to make for less sewing and time involved. The buttons were off the jacket and it's a large pillow, about 27 inches!!!

This pillow is all duck cloth, and I added the ball trim for some whimsy. The biggest flower is made of the jacket lining and the other 2 are felt. I just did a large gathering stitch with my sewing machine and then pulled the threads and the fabric started to roll up in a flower shape all on its own. I used velcro on the back of the flower and on the cover for easy removal for washing or whatever.

This pillow cover is actually made out of the jacket lining. Then I cut up the seam on the sleeves, sewed them together in the bank and tied them together in the front. Cute right?

These are the pockets, and they are still functioning. I thought it would be fun to slip little love notes or whatever in them for the hubs. I'm cheesy like that ;)

I really wanted to use up every little piece that I had so I did a simple 4 inch band alternating the duck cloth and the jacket material.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how these all turned out and I love looking at them and remembering the fun times with Grandma. I would imagine that the thrift stores are FULL with all sorts of jackets and coats just like this one, think of how cheaply you could make a whole new set of pillows!! And if you make the envelope covers you can use your existing throw pillows as the inserts rather than buying new ones from the craft store. Seriously, you could make all 5 of these pillows for less than $20!! You can't even buy one decent pillow for $20 these days.

If you have any questions or would like more info on how I made these, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't hesitate to ask!!!

Shabby Apple Women's Dress GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!

2011-04-21T13:12:00.004-06:00

*** GIVEAWAY CLOSED ***

Shabby Apple, seller of FABULOUS Women's, little girl AND maternity dresses, contacted me and asked if I would be interested in partnering with them for a GIVEAWAY. "Uhhhh, come again? You want little 'ole me to giveaway one of your AH-MA-ZING dresses??!! Well, of course I said yes and jumped into action!!

I first started out by browsing their amazing selection of Women's dresses. Seriously, have you ever been over there to check them out??!! The selection is to DIE FOR!!! I spent over an hour pouring over EVERY.SINGLE.THING. Get a bucket out to put under your mouth cuz you are about to drool!! Seriously, let me introduce you to some of my favs!!


Anne and Andy

The Anne and Andy comes in 12 different colors!!!

Apron Strings

Apron Strings has 3 color options!!


Canary

Oh this makes me need a little girl ASAP!!!!! Seriously, I'm thinking about buying it anyway :)


Cockeyed Optimist

LOVE LOVE LOVE, did I say love?? this color!!!!!


El Capitan

El Capitan, you are my dream come true!!!! If I were a skinny lady I would be all over this beauty!!!!

And now it's time to show you the BEAUTY you can win!!!


Amethyst

I LOVE the color and I love that it's a faux wrap!! Wrap style is flattering on all figure types and you don't have to worry about the wind blowing it open!!!

So, you wanna win this lovely little lady, don't ya??!!

Well, let me tell ya how to do it :)

1. Be a Follower of Me and My Bucket, and leave a comment letting me know.

2. Blog, Tweet or FB about my giveaway and leave me a comment with the post link. *** One entry per social networking outlet :) ***

3. Like Shabby Apple on FB. Click here, press like and then leave me a comment.

That's it!! Super easy right?? If you don't win, Shabby Apple is letting me offer a 10% discount to my readers, how awesome is that??!!

Click on the Shabby Apple button above and then just enter "meandmybucket10off" at checkout.

Two more things you should know:
1. There will be no exchanges for the winning dress.
2. Winner must have a US shipping address

**** ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 10:00 PM (MTN. TIME) SATURDAY APRIL 23. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED SUNDAY APRIL 24. ****

I was a little rusty but . . .

2011-04-20T21:09:00.001-06:00

**** DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY SHABBY APPLE DRESS GIVEAWAY !!!! ****

I made this Birthday cake for my mom's boss's 50th B-day surprise party this last weekend. I hadn't made a cake of this magnitude, or any magnitude for that matter, in over 3 years. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to pull it off, but I guess it was like riding a bike. I was a little slow at first, but in the end I was a "pro".

It turned out pretty good, didn't it? Everyone at the party loved it and I really enjoyed making it. In the past when I've made a wedding cake I almost loathed it by the end. I think part of that was because I felt more pressure to perform well, considering it was for someones wedding, the BIGGEST day of their life!!

Anyway, I hope you all enter my dress giveaway, I'm really excited about it and would hate to only have 6 people enter :(

These past few months have been rough for me. My grandmother passed away unexpectedly in February and with Phil being gone til June I just sort of found myself in an all around funk. And to top it off, we are FINALLY moving out of my parents house into a brand new townhouse and I've been busy preparing for that. We've been at my parents for 3 years and as a result have absolutely NO furniture other than beds. So, I've been thrifting and shopping like a crazy lady. It's been a lot of fun, but a lot of stress too!!

I'm working on my new project posts, in my hiatus, I seemed to have forgot how time consuming writing a post is!! ANYHOO, I just wanted to show you my cake creation and pump you up for some fun projects. Also, I'm thinking about biting the bullet, paying for an inlinkz subscription and bringing "Show us what you're workin' with Wednesday" back . . . what do you think?

Hold on to your hats!!!

2011-04-19T13:44:00.002-06:00

I have THREE projects to show you and a Shabby Apple dress GIVEAWAY!!!! Now, I just have to upload all the pics and get to gettin!!! Check back later today!!!!!!!!

Have you heard of this fun new site??!!

2011-03-29T10:01:00.001-06:00

No More Rack is a fun new site that has AH-MAH-ZING daily deals at even more AH-MAH-ZING prices!! Seriously, and it's not just chintzy stuff nobody wants. Smashbox makeup, Ralph Lauren, MAC, Lancome, Crayolal (for the kiddies) and all sorts of other good stuff!! And the shipping is ALWAYS only $2 an item!!!! They are running a free makeup promotion right now that's pretty cool. Click on my special referral link below and sign up, then you will get your very own referral link, then you can blog, tweet, FB, email all your friends about it too!! The more that sign up, the more rewards you get!! Some of the free makeup brands are: MAC, YSL, Stila, Lancome, Sephora, Lip Fusion and OPI. So, click on this link:

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP AND EARN SOME FREE MAKEUP!!!!

and get signed up so you can get some free makeup!!!! I mean, who doesn't love FREE??!!

WYWW!!!

2011-02-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

Time for another party!!! Umm . . . anyone seen my camera????!!! YEP, I have no idea where it is!! I wanted to show you guys Bucky's finished playhouse. It turned out soo cute and it's fun to watch him play in it. Well, I know the camera is around here somewhere. The kid likes taking pictures, so I'm sure I will find it somewhere totally random!! Wish me luck, until then, let's see what you're workin' with!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With!!

2011-01-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

*** SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY LINKED UP, BUT I SET THE LINKY UP WRONG AND DID TEXT ONLY, SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE RELINK. ***

WOO-HOO!!! I was so excited to show you my newest project and this morning when I went to check on it, something went TERRIBLY wrong with the poly gloss coat and it totally bubbled!! So, I had to sand it down and start over, so TOMORROW you will see it. For now, we will still have the party. I've been gone too long and can't wait to see what you link up. Now, I just have to hope that you actually show up, it's been so long :(

White Box for blog pics

2011-01-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

***I'M WORKING ON UPDATING THE LOOK OF THIS LITTLE BLOG, SO DON'T JUDGE IT'S RANDOMNESS!!! THANKS :) HAHA ***

My AWESOME dad bought me the most AWESOME gift for Christmas!! Wanna see???

It's a fabulous little desktop light box PERFECT for those finished project pics!!! I've been dying to set it up and see how fabulous it is and I finally did it. Yeah, I set it up on the carpet, but that's only because my craft is room is a D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R and I'm afraid that it would get lost in there, seriously :)

This fabulous little set came with the 2 lights and the diffusers for each light. The white box, 4 clips to allow me to change the background, the green and blue background cloths pictured, and a white and a black one!!!

I need to work on my picture tacking techniques, and to edit the background so it looks smooth, but that will come with practice. Do you love my subject in this picture? Bucky INSISTED that I take a picture of his dump truck. If you think that is funny, wait until you see the collage at the end of the post!!

This is more realistic of the types of items I will be photographing :) Once again, I need to work on the lighting position to eliminate the glare on the glass, but I'm excited to practice!!!

In the past I've always taken my pictures outside and on white foam board but now I don't have to anymore!! YAY!! Didn't my dad do an awesome job??!!

Ok, here is the collage I was telling you about . . .

He climbed right up in there and thought it was a little playhouse for him!! Seriously, I couldn't get him out of it. He just kept sitting there and saying cheese :) Of course I had to document the silliness, but DON'T JUDGE his Whiskey Tango-ness . . . seriously, the crusty nose and cookie crumbs, and "just got out of the shower" hairdo. I PROMISE that I didn't realize how bad it looked while I was taking the pics!! LOL!!!

He is so funny, oh and that one pic with the front of the box zipped up, uhh yeah he was still in there!!!

Monogram Wall Light

2011-01-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

I know, it's a FREAKING miracle!!! I've been jonesin' for a craft fix for a while now and thanks to Jeromina over at Paper, Plate and Plane I FINALLY satisfied that craving!!! She made this beauty . . .

DON'T kill me, but . . . I'm not really into Valentine Decorating, not sure why really, just never cared much about it :(

Jeromina used foam core and I loved how simple and inexpensive it was. I wanted something sturdier and something for Bucket's room. Here is what I came up with . . .

Cute right?? I used orange lights, although you can't tell in the picture. And, of course I forgot to take a pic with the lights turned off. This light was RIDICULOUSLY easy to make once I got all the measurements done.

So, let's get down to it . . .

I had this scrap piece of pressed wood leftover from the closet redo and it worked PERFECTLY!! I used my Mickey Mouse Font Cricut Cartridge that I just got from Paper Crafting Pro, such FABULOUS deals on cartridges over there, go check it out!!

Anyway, I cut out a "B" at 11 inches and headed out to the garage. My wood was already a 15.5" square so I didn't have to cut anything, which was a plus. I traced the B onto the wood with a sharpie and then used my sewing tape measure to measure around and get the length. Then I figured the spacing for each hole, just making sure that I wouldn't end up with too little space for the holes to be even at the end. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?? In my case I marked every .75" with the sharpie. Then, using my drill I drilled all the holes.

I would LOVE to say that I used my drill press for this job, since it would have been a ZILLION times quicker, but it's still in the box and it was FREEZING outside this morning and I wasn't about to figure out how to assemble him. WOW, talk about a run-on sentence!!!

Doesn't it look so fabulous with all those little evenly spaced holes?? Oh I love it!!! BTW, depending on the type of lights you use, you'll want to make sure that you use a drill bit that will allow for you to get the lights through each hole. Or if you use the fancy LED lights you may have to take the bulbs out, stick the socket through the back, and insert the light through the front. That way the socket fits tight in the hole :)

I gave it a good sanding with my palm sander and now its time to make the bracket box for the back.

I used a 1 x 3 since it's what I had on hand, but you could use anything that you have. Just make sure that with the thickness of the plank and the size of the initial or whatever else you make, that you cut the wood for the box that it clears the holes and still gives you room on the edges. Easy enough, right?

I should say though, I didn't actually make a box since I didn't have enough 1 x 3, so there are gaps in the corners. I marked the center of the board and the center of each 1 x3 and lined them up 1.25" in from the edges. That measurement will determine how close your shape is to the edge of your board :)

Using the nail gun I shot a few nails in from the underside. Yes, I do my projects on the freezer, don't judge how dirty it is . . . it's rather old!! Once I did a quick attach of all 4 pieces I flipped it over and shot more nails through from the front to make sure everything was nice and secure.

These are my gaps, it doesn't really make a difference to me since you can't see them once the light is on the wall.

Take the palm sander to the nail holes and then used some wood putty to fill in the marks. Let the putty dry and then sand again. By the time I sanded the putty I had almost completely got rid of all the sharpie marks, which eliminated the need for priming :)

I used some aqua-teal-bluish oops paint and gave it a good once over, using a q-tip to paint the holes and get rid of any drips. I let it dry, then applied a second coat and took the q-tip to it again. Rather tedious, but necessary, otherwise my lights might not fit in the holes.

Once it was dry I took the sander to it again to give it a distressed look. I originally thought I would use a high gloss clear coat, but I liked the way the distressed look coordinated with his existing room decor.

Now it's time to put the lights in. I didn't take a picture of this step, but it's quite simple. Ideally I would like to glue the lights in, but we all know that twinkle lights aren't known for their long lives, so that wasn't an option. I just used a lot of pressure and twisted them into the holes. I had 69 holes and the strand had 100 lights so I just shoved the extra lights in the back. I used an extension cord to plug in the lights, rather than having lights running down the wall. I still don't love the extension cord, but since I'm not an electrician and don't know how to wire an outlet wherever I want . . . I didn't have many options :)

I turned it on and showed Bucky and he said "COOL" which means that I did a good job!!! He is currently obsessed with all things Mickey Mouse, hence the usage of the Mickey font, and I am DYING to make one with an outline of Mickey's head and either white or red lights. I think that once he is in a big boy bed I will do his room in Mickey colors . . . oooo now I'm excited for him to upgrade to the big boy bed!!!

Oh also . . . I jumped on the rain gutter bookshelf bandwagon . . .
and
BUCKY LOVES IT!!!!

I didn't even follow a tutorial, that's how simple they were, but just Google "rain gutter bookshelf tutorial" if you would like a tutorial. OR, you could shoot me an email at meandmybucket {at} gmail {dot} com

P.S. "Show Us What You're Workin' With" will be back on Wednesday January 26th!!! WOOT!!!!

I'm linking up to these parties:

Shutter Love @ The Trendy Treehouse

2011-01-10T21:33:00.001-07:00

I'm not going to say anything about being MIA for so freaking long . . . just that I REALLY want to make a comeback, hopefully it's in the near future!!

The Trendy Treehouse hosts a "shutter love" party where you link up a picture that goes with the theme. Well, this week is bubbles and when I saw the theme I knew that I have the PERFECT picture!! This was taken last spring and Bucket is sooo flipping cute!!! So, if you can, go over there and vote for this little Turkey!!

Click Here to Vote

Love Stiched Silhouette-SD GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-11-28T12:31:00.001-07:00

Brittany, over at Love Stitched is hosting a Silhouette-SD GIVEAWAY!!! Totally awesome!! The Silhouette machine plugs into your computer and you can visit the online store and download all sorts of fun images and projects!!

I love the idea of the online store rather than having to search all over the internet for images like you have to with a cricut and the SCAL software :) Click HERE to check it out and enter!! HURRY because it ends tonight a

WYWW

2010-11-23T20:21:00.001-07:00

Oh boy . . . I think, actually I know I'm getting super burned out on blogging!! SAD, right?? It use to be so much fun and lately it's just been such a chore :( I haven't had much time for crafting lately, other than ETSY orders (it's not as fun when you HAVE to do it). I just don't have any motivation!! This is the first time I've even looked at this blog since last week. And I can only imagine that it means that nobody else is looking at it either. Eh . . . I am hoping to have some umph in my umph soon . . . but there will be a party tonight!!!

50 FREE HOLIDAY CARDS FROM SHUTTERFLY!!!!

2010-11-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

OH MY HECK!!! Shutterfly has some of the CUTEST Holiday cards and invitations!!!

*** AND THEY ARE GIVING AWAY 50 FREE CARDS TO BLOGGERS!!! ****

Read this post and then follow the instructions on the bottom to get your free cards!!!

Have you gone over there and checked out the awesome selection?? There are tons to choose from, and it's gonna be a tough one to pick just one!!

They have folded photo cards, flat photo cards, FABULOUS invitations, personalized mugs, etc!! The possibilities are endless!! Let me show you some of my fav's!!! Click on each picture to check out all the different choices they are offering!!

LOVE this Christmas party invitation!! If only we were cool enough to actual throw a party :)

I totally DIG the simplicity of this card, and it's folded so there is space inside for a personalized message.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the glittery joy!!!! This is my absolute favorite and I have the PERFECT picture in mind for it :)

Ok, and just because I can . . . here are some more for your viewing pleasure!!!

The blue, red and green is so cute!!!

How cute is this with the Santa belt??? OOOO and the toothless smile is DARLING!!!

ok, one more . . . I PROMISE!!!

*** CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE CARDS!!! ***

Christmas Table-Scape

2010-11-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

So . . . I told you I would show you the Christmas tablescape today, and I worked hard to make sure that I held true to that :)

My husband really likes red and lime green for Christmas so I decided to use the colors for this years table setting.

Here is a view of the the entire table . . . LOVE IT!!!! I know it may seem like a lot to some people, but I guess that I have a disease and I say the more layers the better!!!

I used a basic white square table cloth and layered over that a square of green and white polka dot fabric. The green fabric wasn't as big as the table, so I put it on the diagonal. It looks cuter that way anyway :)

Closeup of the place settings. I still want to add a clear bowl on top of the salad plates, but I won't have them 'til Saturday. ;) I used the same green and white fabric to wrap some dollar store napkin rings. The silver chargers I've had for years, but you can get a set of 4 for $5 at Target. The white plates are just plain square plates from $Tree, I set them on the charger at an angle to mimic the layout of the polka dot fabric.

The round red piece beneath the silver charger is a felt decoration from $Tree. They have red and green. As soon as I saw them I bought up all 8 that they had left and knew that they would be perfect as placemats!! What do you think? Not too shabby for $1!! The red ones are made to look like a snowflake ornament and the green ones have a Christmas tree in the center. You will fall in love with them when you see them in the store!!! I actually had a lady stop me in the store and ask where they were . . . it broke my heart to tell her they were all in my cart :) oops!!

I always like the look of two glass at each setting. I used a water goblet from Pier 1 and then a wine-ish glass from $Tree. I like the chunkiness of the wine glass because it adds some weight.

"Aerial view" The large candy canes in the vase are also from $Tree and they are almost 3 feet tall. They also would look great in the top of the Christmas tree or even tied to the spindles of a stair railing!!!

I used a square mirror that I got from D.I. and spray painted the frame silver and used it as the base of the centerpiece. The little elves I got at Michael a few years ago. I used round mirror candle holders from $Tree and put my Pier 1 snowflake place card holders on top of them. The silver tinsel tree is also from $Tree, as well as the taper candles and the taper holders. The red tapers are in nutcracker taper holders that I got from the thrift store earlier this year. I also used some of my subway art luminaries for more layering!!

These large silver stars are ornaments from $Tree, so is the ribbon :) I just wrapped some ribbon around the chair and hot glued the star to the ribbon. I love the sparkle it adds to the chair!!

One last pic . . . I PROMISE!!!

This is a pic with everything lit, and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the way it all turned out. You know what's funny? I totally just realized that the curtains and the accent wall TOTALLY match the table!! The wall is more of a sage color but it looks brighter in the pics!!!

I think overall I spent a little more than $20 and everything else I already had on hand. Not too bad considering how much I was able to buy . . . I love $Tree!! They have some great deals right now!!

Anyway, what do you think? I was thinking it would be fun to have a link party where you could link up your holiday table-scapes. That would be fun, right? I think I will set it up right now and you can link up whenever you have yours ready. You can show us Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever else you like!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With!!

2010-11-09T21:55:00.001-07:00

I promised I would be here this week and here I am!! I don't have anything fun to show you . .. YET!!! But, I did bust out the Christmas Decorations today and I will post pics of the dining tablescape tomorrow!!!

I hope you all are well, and are getting into the Holiday spirit!! I sure am!! It's funny, one would think that this would be a year that I wouldn't be so excited for the holidays (due to all the financial and physical setbacks as of late). Yet, I think it's because of those setbacks that I'm stoked!!! I've realized that it's not about money and gifts but of charity of love. I was at the Dollar Store today and I could overhear the checkers asking each customer if they would be willing to buy a toy to donate to military families. I was shocked/apalled by how many people said "no"!!! I mean, come on . . .it's $1 and it's for the kids/families of the men and women that risk their lives for you on a daily basis!!! Maybe I'm extra sensitive about it because I'm part of a military family. But, it saddens me how we've got so caught up in ourselves and our own lives that we have forgotten what this time of year really is about . . .

Enough of the rant!!! let's see what you are workin' with!!!

Holiday Table Scape Extravaganza!!

2010-11-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

UGH!!!

2010-11-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Holy Crap!! Today is Sunday, and I TOTALLY spaced this weeks party!! All I'm going to say about that is this: the hubs ruptured his ear drum, suffers from vertigo as a result and complete hearing loss. Dr. said he can't work until everything is back to normal, so now we have to figure out just exactly how we are going to pay the bills!! He spent 5 days in bed so it was like I had 2 babies to take care off, only the hubs was WAY more demanding than bucket!! needless to say, I am pooped and the lass thing on my mind was my blog . . . SORRY!! The party is on for tomorrow though, PROMISE!!

Round 2!!

2010-10-26T20:37:00.000-06:00

So, I was asked to be a vendor at another boutique!!! It's on a Saturday this time, so I am hoping it will have a better turnout. I don't know details yet, but I will let you know (in case any of you dears wanna stop by).

It is Tuesday night though, which means it's party time!!!! Let's see what you have to share with us this week!! I still haven't been able to get a picture of Bucky in his pirate costume, little turkey!!!

Uhh . . . something is wrong with inlinkz, the site is too busy or something. I will keep trying!!!

*** It's up and running, sorry it took so long!!! ***

Boutique Pics!!

2010-10-25T12:19:00.001-06:00

Hey all!! Hope you are doing GREAT and are getting excited for Halloween!! Bucket's costume is DARLING, but the little turkey doesn't like putting it on . . . uhhhh that could be a problem on Saturday HAHAHA I guess I'll just have to hurry up and force it on him then distract him and he'll be fine. It's weird, he doesn't mind wearing it, just doesn't like putting it on . . .weirdo!!

Anyway, I thought I would show you all the pics of my "booth" at the boutique. I'm still kinda bummed about the outcome, but the next one will be better!!

I was outside and it was one of the best spots, makes me wonder how the other girls did that were inside :(

You can see my subway art luminaries on the back of the table, I'm rather proud of them because I haven't seen anything like them out there YET. Maybe I actually have a semi-original idea ??!!! I'm going to get them on my ETSY store later today, but it's kinda hard to get a good picture of them . . .

I whipped these little blocks up last minute so I could have some more Halloween stuff on hand.

When I was little my mom made us a plate like this one, only it was before the days of cricuts and vinyl, so she used a paint pen . . . we put it out every year and LOVED it. I know Santa cookie plates aren't a new idea, but I have yet to see one that gives a treat to the reindeer. They are the ones doing all the work!!! ;) I'll be putting these in the ETSY store as well.

Super cute and simple Santa blocks.

I really like the way my table turned out so I can't call the boutique a total bummer and I met some fun ladies!!

*** If you make a plate like mine or the luminaries, please only make them for personal use and don't sell them. I spend a lot of time coming up with my ideas and I would like to keep them mine, THANKS!! ***

Shoe Dazzle

2010-10-23T22:23:00.000-06:00

Umm . . . have you heard of Shoe Dazzle yet??!!! It's AWESOME!!! You sign up and create a profile, they show you pictures of shoes and bags and stuff and you choose which ones best suit you. Then, every month, they send you 5 choices of shoes, bags and jewelry, that best suit your profile. And you get each item for ONLY $39.95 and shipping is FREE!!! You don't have to make a purchase every month either, you can skip as many months as you like. And when you first sign up, they send you an email for 50% of your first purchase!!! KILLER!!! So, click HERE and check it out!!! Seriously, go now!!!

Well . . . I have good news and bad news

2010-10-23T09:41:00.001-06:00

Let's start with the bad news . . . the craft fair yesterday didn't turn out the way I had hoped. The turnout wasn't that big and it seemed like most of the people that did come just wanted the free swag bag. I made two sales and one of them was to my mother in law. Kinda sad . .. I ended up buying something from another vendor so I ended up with a whopping $3!!! hahahaha can you believe it?? At least 3 bucks is better than no bucks!!! So that's kind of a bummer but I met some great new ladies!!

Now some good news . . I was thinking about putting together my own little Holiday boutique. I don't know how many of you live in the Salt Lake Valley area but I would LOVE for some of you to join me. It will be a great time!! Even if you don't have an ETSY store you could bring some of your crafts and trinkets!!

Let me know if you would be interested or if you know anyone else that would like to do it!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #32!!

2010-10-19T23:08:00.000-06:00

Oh my heck!! Ive been so busy preparing for the boutique that I almost forgot about this week's party . . . SORRY. I am making this short and sweet but I do have some fun new things to show you . . . I will post this weekend!!

My First Boutique!!!

2010-10-18T12:55:00.000-06:00

So, I was contacted last Friday and asked if I would like to be a vendor at a boutique, THIS FRIDAY!!! A weeks notice isn't much time, especially since I was asked if I could offer something for a raffle AND goodies for 50 swagbags. Obviously I was hesitant because that's A LOT of work in 7 short days. We've had received some rather devastating financial news earlier in the day and I felt like being asked to do this wasn't a coincidence, so I said yes.

So, I have to come up with something for the SWAG bags and I am kinda stressin about it because I don't want to have to buy any supplies . . . I was thinking about making some Christmas gift tags. What do you think? I've never actually made any, but I figure with the Cricut I can whip 'em up quickly. Oh, but what is your opinion on how many gift tags I should put in each bag? And how should I present them, I don't really want to just toss 'em in the bags. Maybe use those clear treat bags and tie a bow? This is my first boutique and I just want to be prepared and make a good impression. Obviously, I'm crafting away this week like a crazy woman and I still need to come up with some sort of Business card and price tag design. Holy Moly!! I was thinking I would just run the business cards off on the printer, not my first option but I don't really have time to send out for them.

Ummm . . . the more I think about and type about how much I have to do, I'm thinking that I may have been delirious when I said yes, hahaha!!! Ok, better get back to work!!! Oh wait, if ANY of you darlings are in Utah County or Salt Lake (and you don't mind a drive) PLEASE stop by and say hi, I would LOVE to meet you!!!

Check It!!

2010-10-13T15:12:00.001-06:00

Meg, over at A Little Knick Knack, is giving away a $65 giftcard to CSNstores.com. Go over there and check it out so you can enter and win!! WOO-HOO!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #32!!

2010-10-12T19:42:00.000-06:00

WELCOME EVERYONE!!! I've been busy this week making Bucket's Halloween costume and working on some ETSY orders, so I don't have anything to show you. Well, I was going to make the cute cookie pops in the picture below . . .

MAJOR FAIL!!! I'm not even going to show you the after pictures. I had a hard time getting the sticks to stay in the cookies and a hard time getting the whole thing covered in chocolate without getting it on the stick. So, that was it. The good thing about chocolate covered Oreos is that they are MIGHTY tasty without a stick in them :) Anyway, pop on over to How Does She to see how the gals over there made these little beauts!!

Now, let's get to gettin!!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #31

2010-10-05T20:37:00.000-06:00

I've been M.I.A this last week, but I FINALLY got caught up on the orders/shipping with the ETSY store!! It felt like it would never end!! But I'm grateful for the extra money, it's helped out a lot around here lately!!

Anyway, I have a GREAT project to share with you. It's kind of a long one, but I PROMISE it's worth it!!

I saw a super cute porch sign on a blog a few weeks ago and I FELL IN LOVE!!! But, for the life of me, I can't remember which blog it was!! So, if it was you, or you know who is was PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know so I can give her proper credit. Anyway, I decided to make my own version of the sign and here she is!!

**** I FOUND THE BLOG!! THANKS MARIA FOR GUIDING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!! SHE TOLD ME IT WAS SWAINSTON VINYL AND DEZIGN. I WENT OVER THERE AND SHE GOT THE IDEA FROM CURLY Q CRAFTS, WHICH IS THE PLACE I WAS LOOKING FOR!! YAY!!! ****

Pretty cute right? The lighting is totally weird because the porch doesn't get any direct sunlight but I did the best I could.

Here are the supplies I used:

1 - 4 x 4
1 - 2 x 4
1 - 1 x 8

wood glue
nail gun
compound miter saw

I had all the supplies on hand so this cost me NOTHING, but you can buy all the lumber for less than $20.

First thing I did was cut the 4 x 4 to the length that I wanted. I went with 4 feet, then I cut the 2 x 4 to 28 ". You can use whatever measurements you like, these worked best for me so it's what I went with!!

Now it's time to make the hole for the sign arm, the 2 x 4 will become the arm. I don't have an exact measurement, but just do what looks best to you. I marked the shape of the 2 x 4 and used a large drill bit to drill a hole in the center of the area. Then used a jig saw to cut out the rest of the wood. The blade wont be long enough, so you'll have to turn the 4 x 4 over and do the same thing.

Insert the 2 x 4 through the hole you just made, you'll want a snug fit. Don't worry about any gaps, you'll fill it with filler later.

The next thing to make was a base of some sort. It took some brainstorming to make sure that the base would be substantial enough to withstand the weight without toppling over, yet small enough to be proportional.

I used the 1 x 8 and cut four 12" inch pieces. Using my compound miter saw I cut 45 degree angles along both long sides of each 8 x 12" piece. If you don't have a compound miter saw, you could always just make a box without the mitered edges.

I used wood glue and the brad nailer to attach the 4 pieces together.

Now to add some supports to the bottom of the 4 x 4. You'll need these supports to fill in the space in the box. Measure the inside of the box opening and get your measurements from that. I just used 2 x 4 scraps. Attach to the 4 x 4 with the nail gun.

Once the supports are attached, slide the post into the box. Once again, you'll want a snug fit.

Use the nail gun to secure the box and post. Ignore the pic of the hubs' head :)

Now it's time to make a top for the box. I had some scrap thin wood (have no idea what the technical term is :) but you could use 1 x 8. Cut 2 pieces and attach them with the nail gun. Now you can fill all the holes and gaps with wood glue or caulk.

I used eye hooks and the open hooks to hang the sign from the arm. Isn't it awesome that I use the correct terminology? HAHAHA, I'm sure my dad would be appalled!!

She got a coat of primer then a nice sand over and then 2 coats of black paint. I sanded the edges for the distressed look then sprayed a high gloss clear coat, since she will be outside.

I will make a sign for each holiday and/or season and also a generic Welcome sign.

For now I just have the Halloween sign. I use green vinyl and my cricut to cut out the dots and the Trick or Treat is a glittered foam sign from $Tree.

I accessorized with some light up pumpkins and a big scary spider. What do you think? Pretty cute right??

I'm sharing here:

*** Oh, I should said that when I say "I" made this, I should really say that my dad and husband made it. I just stood by and told them what to cut and all that jazz. I totally could have made it though, don't be overwhelmed by it!! I know my directions may be rather vague at times, so if you have questions shoot me an email and I will be happy to answer any questions!! ***

Now that you've waited around for the party, let's get to it!!!

ETSY EXTRAVAGANZA!!

2010-09-29T11:37:00.000-06:00

I was looking at some of the DARLING stores on ETSY and I realized that there are probably quite a few of you that have your own ETSY stores. I know there are other blogs that showcase ETSY stores, but I really want to know which of MY readers have stores. So, link up your store and I will help spread the word!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #30!!

2010-09-28T21:03:00.000-06:00

I'm on my way out the door to get my Gym on . . . I'll post a fun little project tomorrow morning!! I'm excited to see what you share with us!!

Let me know what you think!!

2010-09-26T13:11:00.000-06:00

So, I have been fairly busy with the ETSY store this week and it got me thinking . . . As I've said before, I use ETSY for inspiration, as do others. How do you feel about copying an idea and selling it yourself? I feel like if I were to see someone selling the EXACT same thing as mine, down to the tiniest details then I may be irked by it. But, if they just take the idea and change it and then make it their own, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have a problem with it. Is it wrong no matter what to use someone's idea? Because, let's face it . . . there are ZILLIONS of ETSY stores that sell tutus, hairbows, embroidered onesies, hand stamped silver jewelry, etc.

I would NEVER EVER want anyone to be upset by what I sell in my store and I would hope to never have to deal with that situation. so, what do you think?

Spooky Pals Trio

2010-09-24T15:35:00.000-06:00

I turned some of my 2 x 4 scraps into this trio of spooky pals. I know that some of you had already made these, and you were my inspiration!! So thanks!! Of course they are in the ETSY store :)

I'm joining the revolution!!

2010-09-22T14:31:00.000-06:00

So . . . I finally created a Facebook Fan page!! Crazy right?? hahaha. I have a twitter account and I've NEVER used it and I most likely NEVER will. So I figure, I use FB every day so it would be easier than twitter. I just started it and there aren't any pictures or details, but I wanted to let you all know about it so you can scoot on over there and be a fan!! I bet you can guess the name of the page? Click here to go there :) or you can look it up the old fashioned way, "me and my bucket"

Show Us What You're Workin' With #

2010-09-22T09:09:00.000-06:00

OH MY HECK!!! I just realized that it's Wednesday morning and I haven't posted this yet!! AHHH!! I am on the Relief Society Committee and we had a dinner last night, so I didn't get home 'til late. Soo . . . I kinda spaced this and the day and everything else. So, without further ado, let's get to it!!!

Wild Wild West Memory Match Game

2010-09-15T22:27:00.000-06:00

I know this isn't a new idea in the crafting/creating world, but I was looking at some scrap wood and decided to make a memory match game out of it!!

I made this super simple drawstring bag to hold all the pieces. I used that iron-on printable paper cotton stuff you can buy at the craft store . . . I know that isn't the technical term :)

I cut 20 approximately 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" pieces and painted them a light tan color. Then I cut up a 12 x 12 piece of cowboy themed scrapbook paper and mod-podged them to each square. Once they first coat was dry I inked all the edges with brown ink and let the ink dry. Then I applied another coat or 2 of mod podge over the top to give me a nice shiny finish.

I chose 10 wild west inspired images and converted them to SVG files and cut them out with my Cricut and SCAL software. I mod podged the images to cream colored paper and then mod-podged them to the wood. Inked the edges, then mod-podged again. SUPER EASY!!!

And, one last picture of the bag and the pieces. I LOVE how it turned out and it was super duper easy and it's going on the ETSY store!!!!

Features from last week's WYWW!!

2010-09-15T22:09:00.000-06:00

I know I said that I was going to do this post last night after I folded the laundry, but . . . I fell asleep on the bed in the middle of the folding!! hahaha :) So, after a long day of zoo-ing and clean-ing and Home Depot-ing . . . I'm finally sitting down to my laptop to get this show on the road!!!

I'm diggin' this mason jar chandy that Kat over at "Measuring My Life in Love" made!! I know that these are quite popular right now and I've seen some of the price tags . . . YIKES!!! She didn't give the total price, but I have a feeling that it wasn't very much. Hop on over there and check it out!!

Ummm . . . I have no idea why this picture is sideways!! Oh well :) Mandy, from Mandy's Creative Corner, made these stuffed mushrooms that look TO-DIE-FOR!!! The hubs HATES mushrooms, but I love 'em, so I'm definitely going to be making some of these little beauties for myself!!

Check these out!! These little beauties are made out of masking tape!!!! Jessica, over at "Frenzied Mutterings of an Odd Duck" made these and stuck 'em to a canvas!!! Seriously, fabulous!!

As always, thank you so much for joining me every week!! You all inspire me and I LOVE IT!!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With Wednesday #28!!

2010-09-14T21:01:00.001-06:00

WELCOME!! WELCOME!! I hope you all are having a FABULOUS week!! I've been busy getting new things ready for the little ole ETSY store, but its been fun!! And tomorrow we are taking Bucket to the zoo, it should be a blast!! I made a fun memory game and I'll post pics first thing tomorrow or later this evening, I have to wait for the last coat of mod podge to dry :)

So, I love what you all linked up last week and I am going to post some of my favorites after I fold and put away some laundry ;) So, let's see what you have for us this week!!

What I made this weekend!!

2010-09-12T23:04:00.000-06:00

I was showing my dad the cute blocks I made for my ETSY store and we got to talking about coming up with a new and original idea. I would LOVE to take full credit for this one, but it was all him!! THANKS DAD!! Anyway, he said "wouldn't it be cool if you could make flashcards?" Well . . . it would be cool!! and it is cool!! And here they are!!!

I made 26, one for each letter of the alphabet!! This is the crate I made for them, don't judge the nail holes, I haven't quite finished :)

This is the what the front of each card looks like!!

And here is what the back looks like. Don't you just flippin' love 'em??!!! I love that I never have to worry about them getting ripped, soggy or bent. I would guess that it would be rather difficult to lose one too, since they aren't just a thin card that can fall behind a couch or dresser or whatever. And, since they are wood, they can be treated like blocks and stacked and knocked down . . . I was going to give them to Bucket for Christmas, but he got soooo excited when he saw them, that I just couldn't wait. He loved playing with them and they kept him entertained for quite a while. Now, I just have to work with him to learn the words and the letters!!

Of course I put these on ETSY, I love 'em too much not to!! Also, I think it's too fabulous of a thing to not share with the world!! So, if you would like some, check out my store or shoot me an email: meandmybucket @ gmail . com

New additions to the ETSY store!!

2010-09-09T01:05:00.000-06:00

I added some new treasures to the ETSY store . . . I LOVE LOVE LOVE how they all turned out and I'm excited to share them with you all!! This first one is DARLING!!

Cute right? Each side has a different face, so you can turn it and it's like a new little guy!!

These NOEL blocks are very traditional looking with the colors and embellishments. I love me a traditional country-ish Christmas!!

I think my moms boss may scoop these up!!

And how FABULOUS is this??!! I love the glitter, the rhinestones and especially love the little monster peeking over the edge of the O!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #27!!

2010-09-07T21:28:00.000-06:00

HOWDY YA'LL!!! I'm excited for this weeks party because I want to show you what my latest project is :)

We've all seen those DARLING little card table play houses, right??!! If you haven't, skee-daddle on over to ETSY and do a search and you will FALL-IN-LOVE!! I've always wanted to make Bucket one (buying them from someone else is rather pricey) but I knew it would be very time consuming, hence the high pricetag. Anyhoo, I shoved the idea to the back of the brain, that is until recently. I got to thinking about Christmas and how it's going to be here before I know it . . . BLAR!! And I don't want to be running around like an even CRAZIER THAN NORMAL lady the week before trying to get all of his gifts ready. So, the back of my brain told the front of my brain to make him a playhouse!! I wanted it to be bigger than a card table size because I want him to be able to use it for years to come, have sleepovers in it with his cousins and basically not outgrow it in 2 years :) So, we busted out some PVC pipe and set to work. I'm not going to bore you with the supplies, unless you are interested in making one, so I'll just show you the pictures. The frame is ready to go, now I just have to start with the sewing and all that jazz!!!

Pretty sweet right? Its about 4 x 5 x 6 (at the point of the roof)

The roof is actually a separate piece that will be tied to the base. We had to do it this way because they don't make the necessary PVC joint pieces to give us the correct angles.

So far so good, right? I have a long ways to go and I'll be sure to show pictures of my progress!!

NOW LET'S PARTY!!!

CHECK IT!!

2010-09-07T21:17:00.001-06:00

First off, I want to say thanks for all the love over my $1 Halloween Luminaries!!! They were a smash hit and I hope that if you make some you let me know so I can check 'em out!!

One of you darlings DID make some and DID post them on your blog ... AWESOME!!! Jennie, from Livin' on the Edge, made these . . .

She used a different $Tree vase, but still fabulous!! Battery operated t-lites (safety first) and pre-cut spooky foam stickers (TIME SAVER!!)

YOU ROCK JENNIE!! Go check her out and show her some love!!

On a side note, Jennie saw this project from Tip Junkie. I had no idea it was featured over there!!! WOOT-WOOT!!! I'm famous :)

Google Reader - - Next Button

2010-09-02T17:57:00.000-06:00

So, I'm sure that a majority of you use Google Reader and I'm also sure that most of you that use it already know of the TOTALLY AWESOME Next button!!

In case you don't . . . Its a button that you put up in your Bookmark Toolbar and each time you click it, it takes you directly to the newest post in your reader!!! The button is TONS better than just the plain reader because it actually takes you to the post so you can comment or whatever. So, it eliminates the whole middle man in a way. With reader you have to click on the post and then it takes you to the blog. Anyway, in case you want to use it, and you most definitely should!! Here are the instructions . . .

Go to reader and click "settings" then "goodies" scroll down to this part, and follow the instructions . . . SUPER EASY!!!

Put Reader in a bookmark

The next bookmark is an innovative way to read your subscriptions. It allows you to use Google Reader through just one link - clicking on it takes you to the next unread item, marking it as read in the process. It is particularly useful for subscriptions which only include snippets or when you want to read an article in context.

To use the next bookmark, simply drag the link below to your bookmark bar.

<-- drag this to your bookmarks bar

Hurry up and get to it and let me know what you think!!

Halloween Luminaries

2010-09-02T17:35:00.001-06:00

I'm on a bit of a Halloween Decor kick lately!! The season change is quickly approaching and I've already got Bucket's costume pattern and ready to go. I'M GETTING EXCITED!!! Anyway, I decided to make a few new luminaries to add to my collection, and of course I put a set on ETSY as well :)

I started with some Cylinder vases from $TREE. I used mod-podge and white tissue paper that I cut into strips, and applied them to the OUTSIDE of the glass. Once it was dry I used some watered down brown paint to age the paper a bit. Then I used my CRICUT and SCAL to cut out some spooky black images out of cardstock and then mod-podged 'em on. Throw a t-lite inside and VOILA!! They look awesome right? And sooooo easy, kinda time consuming but still easy!!

Bats are creepy, but PERFECT for Halloween.

This haunted house is my favorite!!

and lastly, this nasty crow!! I'm not a fan of birds or other flying creatures, you could say I'm a tad bit terrified. Luckily this guy won't come to life and fly around anytime soon!!

And here they are unlit . . . If you make some, I wanna see!!!

ETSY Originals Party

2010-09-02T00:02:00.000-06:00

You all know Diana from The Girl Creative, right?? Well, if you don't, you need to skee-daddle on over there and check out her and all of her fabulousity!!

Anyhoo ... The first Thursday of every month she hosts an "ETSY Originals" Party. Anyone with an ETSY store can link up over there and it's great FREE advertising!!

Christmas Countdown Calendar

2010-09-01T22:56:00.000-06:00

So, I loved the way my Halloween Countdown turned out that I just had to whip up the Christmas version!! It's not completely done yet, I still need to put a gloss sealer coat on the frame, but I was too excited to get this posted!! So, for now, just imagine that the frame is shiny :)

Cute right?

Just like the Halloween version, the first 24 cards are white ...

And the 25th card is green!!

and of course, I just HAD to add some rhinestones for some bling. This one is in my ETSY store too :) You may wonder why I'm selling them and not keeping them for myself ... well, I'm wondering the same thing!! HAHA I have a few 11 x 14 frames and I think I may mike mine using those, think it would be too big?

Well, I HOPE you love this one too!! And just in case you missed my Halloween version, scroll down, I promise you'll want to check it out!!

I'm linking up to these ladies ...

FAH-bulous Halloween Countdown Calendar!!!

2010-08-31T22:21:00.000-06:00

Ok ... I was perusing ETSY the other day for inspiration. I'm not the only one who does that right??!! Well, I came across this beauty ...

click here for source

I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it, but I wasn't loving the $65 price tag!! I knew I could make it for nothing, since I already had everything on hand.

I started with an 8 x 10 frame that I had lying around and I sanded it a bit and gave him a few coats of pumpkin orange paint. Once the orange was dry I gave him a few coats of black gloss spray paint. Waited a few hours and then lightly sanded the edges and corners so the orange would peek through.

This started out as a plain white 12 x 12 embossed piece of cardstock. I inked the edges and all over with orange and black ink.

I used some black and white, and orange scrapbook paper to give some more layers and texture. I decided it needed a little more, so I glued some rhinestones down the side.

That was the easy part ... what I did next took A LOOOONG time, like a few hours :( but only because I'm a perfectionist :)

I made 31 cards, one for each day of the countdown.

The first 30 cards are white with black numbers, and the 31st card is black with white. I used my CRICUT and SCAL to cut out every number and all of the little embellishments. That's what took so long, because I had to pick out the fonts and search the web for the little embellishments. I continued the inked edges on each of the cards as well. The embellishments are bats, a cat and a moon, a crow, skulls with rhinestone eyes, polka dots and random Halloween-ish words.

I used a plain binder clip to hold all the cards.

I tied some coordinating ribbons and a boa to the clip and added another rhinestone ;)

I cut the point off a white thumbtack and hot glued it to the paper. I can't decide if I want to mod podge all of this to the glass or not. So, right now, it's just sitting in front of the glass in the frame.

After I started taking pictures of the finished project I realized that I wanted to add a little something more. So, I added another little rhinestone eyed skeleton to a round metal ringed tag and hung it on the clip.

Here she is all dressed up and ready to strut her stuff!!

I wanted to have the option to hang it on the wall as well, so I added this ribbon and made the bow and attached a few feathers with a bottle cap and a little rhinestone.

After I made the bow to hang on the wall I thought it would be cute on the frame and I'm not gonna lie, I dig it this way too!! So many different options!!!

So, my finished project is a bit different from the inspiration piece. But considering it cost me NOTHING, I'm not going to complain. Beside, my cards are all hand inked and each number and embellishment is cut out and glued on. The original cards are machine printed, they are GORGEOUS but mine are a bit more personal :)

Anyway, let me know what you think. And if you are diggin' this beauty as much as I do, its in my ETSY store!!!!

I'm linking up to these AWESOME partays!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #26!!

2010-08-31T21:33:00.000-06:00

I have a FABULOUS Halloween project to show you, but I don't want to muck up this post with 48 pictures of my project, so I will do it in a separate post!!

Let's get down to it!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #25

2010-08-24T21:45:00.001-06:00

GUESS WHAT??!! The ETSY store is FINALLY up and running!!! Can I get a WOOT-WOOT!!! Holy Moly though, I forgot how much work and time it takes to get the store up and going and to post every item!! I only have a few things up now, but I'm staying up for a while tonight so I can get some more done. Check it out and tell me what you think!! Click here to go directly to my store or the addy is: meandmybucket.etsy.com ... original right??

NOW, LET'S PARTY!!!

Time-Out Stool

2010-08-19T13:18:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago our ward had a "Swap Meet". Members dropped off stuff they no longer had a need for and you could go and pick up whatever you wanted, FREE OF CHARGE!!! It started at 8:00 am, so I made sure to be there at 8 SHARP!!! I got some pretty good stuff, I will do another post about that later today :), One of my finds was a little wooden stool. As soon as I saw it, I knew what I would use it for.

I have no idea what happened to the before pic :( but it wasn't anything fabulous. The wood was in good shape, I just needed to recover the cushion with some new fabric. Once I took the old fabric off, I noticed the cushion was in good shape so I just added a new layer of batting, for a bit more cush. Once again, I have no idea where the pics are!!! It's pretty easy though :)

I wanted the stool to be as boring looking to Bucket as possible. I didn't want him to think it was a new toy, but I still wanted it to be cohesive with the decor in the house ... I went through my fabric and settled on burlap. What kid thinks burlap is cool? It's unfortunate really, because this momma LOVES it!!!

I laid it out under the cushion and cut it about 3 inches wider all the way around. Then I found the center and marked it with a pin.

I made the cover using the same technique I used for my silhouette pillows, click here to check it out!!! I used some scrap duck cloth and cut it down to size then pressed under the edges to give a nice clean seam.

Using my Cricut and SCAL I cut out "TIME OUT" using freezer paper. Then I adhered the paper to the duck cloth ***directions are on the box*** then I used a stencil brush and brown paint. Once the paint was dry I centered the duck cloth over the center (make sure to remove the pin) and then sewed it on using a 1/4" seam allowance on all four sides.

I used my staple gun to attach the burlap to the cushion, reattached it and VOILA!!! Super easy and FREE!!!

And in case you were wondering, I haven't used it yet, and I'm not sure when I will. I know he is probably still a bit too young to start the whole time out thing, I don't know, maybe he isn't. What are your feelings/suggestions about it?

Once again, sorry for the lack of pics ... I am clueless as to where they disappeared too ... Let me know if you have any questions!!!

P.S. Meg, over at A Little Knick Knack, is hosting her first ever linky party, Everything But The Kitchen Sink!!! I'm linking up over there, and you should all go over there and show her some love!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #24!!

2010-08-17T19:25:00.000-06:00

It's time for another party!! Last week we had 100 links!!! WOO-HOO!!! Thank you for everyone for your help in making this party successful week after week!!!

I have a super cute and easy "Time-Out" stool that I will be posting later tonight, so check back!!! And also, I'm still planning on getting an ETSY shop up and running, I'm finalizing all the items that I want to sell and I will have it up by the end of the week. I will let you know when it's ready!!!

Thanks for coming and have fun!!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #23!!

2010-08-10T21:14:00.000-06:00

Welcome!! Welcome!! Welcome!! This is the 23rd party and I still can't believe it!!! You all are awesome!! Thank you SOOO much for coming back every week and supporting 'lil old me and my bucket ;) For those of you that are just joining us, WELCOME, we are glad you came!!!

We reached 100 partiers last week!!! I was so excited!!! Let's see if we can hit 101 this week!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With!!!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #22!!

2010-08-03T21:11:00.000-06:00

HELLO!!!! Once again, as always, another week has FLOWN by!!! Seriously, it seems like just yesterday I was sitting down getting last weeks party started. SHEESH!!! I'm glad you all are here and I'm excited to see what you have.

I've decided to stop doing a project with the weekly party. I feel like it just gets in the way of you linking up your projects. I'm trying to decide if I want to do a feature post with this party or just the party and let you go at it!! I guess we'll see how this week goes.

With that being said ... SHOW US WHAT YOU'RE WORKIN' WITH!!!!

Tufted Button Wall Art

2010-07-29T12:52:00.000-06:00

Here is my version of a simple and easy tufted wall art. I spent nothing on it, since I already had EVERYTHING on had, don't you love when that happens??!!!

I know, this pic is kinda crappy, but I want to keep the "whole view" picture til the very end!!! haha, ok, let's get down to it ... I started with 2 pieces of leftover shelving from the closet makeover. They were already cut and the perfect size so I didn't have to do anything, AWESOME!!! Miss Morgan, over at Meet Virginia, made some tufted art too, but she used a thrifted canvas. Anything will work, you could probably even use thick cardboard or foam board. Seriously, the cheaper the better!!!

I laid some batting on the wrong side of the fabric I was using and cut them both to the SAME size. The thicker the batting, the deeper your tuft will be. *** I did this so when I attach the fabric to the back of the wood there will be a bit of a cushion, so the wood and staples wouldn't scratch the wall *** I centered the wood on the batting and used my staple gun to attach the fabric/batting to the back. Do the center of the edges first then do the corners. Fold the edges under so it gives you a clean and crisp hem. *** don't know why, but I can't find the picture of this step ... it's pretty self explanatory though, but let me know if you have questions ***

You'll end up with something like this.

Now it's time to make the "tufts" ...

Before you do anything you'll need to decide where you want the tufts to be. Just measure them out and mark them. I used a pen mark, they will be covered up so don't worry about it showing :) Once again I used the staple gun to make the "tufts". It worked like a champ and was super easy.

Here is a pic of all the tufts. Now it's time to make the "buttons" to cover up the staples.

I used these large thumb tacks that are for quilting frames. You could also use buttons, or button covers. I already had the tacks so I just made do :) I hot glued the pin head to a scrap of coordinating fabric. You'll want to trim the fabric down to a circle, leaving just enough to wrap under. I used a bit of hot glue to adhere to the underside.

This is what I ended up with and I used a pair of wire cutters to snip off the pointy part.

Here are my faux buttons all ready to go. This pic is totally unnecessary, but I like the way it looks. haha

Hot glue the "buttons" over the staples. These tacks covered the staples perfectly!!! You can see that I only have a slight tuft, but remember that the thicker the batting, the deeper the tuft.

That's it!!! Here they are above our bed. Cute right? The hubs LOVED them!! It was the first thing that he said when he walked into the room. :) Every morning, when I make my bed, I look at my silhouette pillows and fall deeper in love with them!! Seriously!! If you missed those, check out how I did it here.

Mini-Calendars

2010-07-28T18:35:00.001-06:00

I'm back in business!! I found the pictures and now I have a few things to post, YAY!!! But, this isn't the project I told you about, it's a different one :) I was in a craftin' mood and the hubs was kind enough to oblige and watch Bucket!!! He's totally awesome!! Ok, here she is ...

Super darling mini-calendars!!! I bought this a few years ago and TOTALLY forgot about it, until I saw Amanda's luggage tags. I kept this one as inspiration and I made lots of them back then but I put them aside when I got pregnant because they are kinda time consuming. Anyway, I just had to show you how I did it!!

Here are the supplies ...

* 12 - vertical name badge holders
* 12 - patterned papers, 1 for each month
* 24 solid papers - 2 for each month, in coordinating colors to the patterned pieces
* computer and printer
* glue stick
* metal binder clip thingy ... hahaha, I don't know what they are called ;)
* ribbon scraps
* embellishments, if desired

Measure your tags and cut 1 solid piece and the pattern pieces accordingly. The other solid piece will be for the calendar, we will use that later.

I made this little calendar using Word. *** Pay no attention to the S on Thursday. Not sure why, but it saved that way but printed up correctly ... go figure!!! *** This is my template and for each different month I type the numbers in and type the name of the month on the top. (you can see it in the finished example). Cut the calendars out and glue to the top of the 12 pieces you already glued together.

I printed up a bunch of lines using Word and cut them down to size.

Glue one to the BACK of each calendar. The original didn't have this, but I realized that the little squares are too small to write in so the lines on the back allow you to write important dates down :)

Tie coordinating ribbons to the binder ring, in between each month. This is a great use for all those ribbon scraps you have lying around!!! This particular calendar has little embellishments, like the snowman, and the edges are inked. It's not necessary, because it's just as cute without it!! :)

These little beauties are VERY time consuming but are great for neighbor gifts, Visiting Teaching, "first day of school" teacher gifts, etc. They are small enough to fit in your purse or diaper bag, or even your desk!!!

I'm working on setting up my ETSY store, hopefully by the middle of next week, and these will be available. If you are interested in purchasing one in the immediate future (I know school starts soon) let me know.

I'm linking up to these parties:

Works For Me Wednesday @ We are That Family

Show Us What You're Workin' With #21!!

2010-07-28T11:10:00.000-06:00

HELLO!!!! Lately I feel like I am just full of tons of excuses when it comes to this little party!!! GRRR, it's annoying me, so sorry!!! Anyway, I just moved all my pictures from my laptop to an external hard drive and now they aren't organized and I can't find the pictures of today's project. TOTALLY AWESOME RIGHT? Well, I have a funny story about the project ... It's just a little something I whipped up a few months ago while I was finally getting our bedroom all put together. I never blogged about them though, I guess I just sorta forgot!! Then, last night on my way to bed, I saw them and thought that I would use them for today's party. So, this morning I get up and head to my craft room and turn on my laptop. I check my google reader for new posts and come across this little lovely over at Meet Virginia!!! NO JOKE, this is EXACTLY what my project is except I used wood rather than canvas and I used fabric covered thumbtacks rather than buttons. SO FUNNY RIGHT?? Anyway, I'm going to find the pictures today and get them up!!

PARTY TIME!!!

WOOT-WOOT!!!!

2010-07-20T20:38:00.000-06:00

LOOK WHAT I GOT TODAY!!!! I've been wanting it forever and my dearest mom and dad bought it for me!!! AHHHHH!!! I'm sooooo freakin' excited!!! Can you tell??? hahaha, the possibilities are ENDLESS and I'm going to have so much fun using it!!!

Any of you that already have it, have any tips or tricks for me???

*** OH MY GOODNESS, I HAVE TO TELL THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, WHAT THIS IS!!!! ITS SOFTWARE YOU USE, ALONG WITH YOUR CRICUT, TO CUT VIRTUALLY ANY FONT, DINGBAT ETC. SERIOUSLY!!! IT PRETTY MUCH ELIMINATES THE NEED TO EVER BUY ANOTHER CARTRIDGE!!!! SO, IF YOU HAVE A CRICUT, YOU MUST BUY THIS!! I GOT THE DOWNLOAD + THE BACKUP CD FOR ONLY $58!!!! THATS LIKE THE COST OF ONE CRICUT CARTRIDGE!! I BOUGHT IT FROM SCRAPPING TABLE, SHE HAS THE BEST PRICE OUT THERE!!! ***

Show Us What You're Workin' With #20!!

2010-07-20T20:29:00.000-06:00

Welcome back ya'll!!! I'm excited you are here because I have a SUPER EASY and super cute thing to share with you!!! I didn't take a lot of pictures because I was totally making it up as I went along and I didn't plan on the outcome ... but it turned out great!!! Luckily it's all quite easy, but ask away if you have any questions!!

I'm trying the collage thing out again, you still feelin' it?

I have THREE cute projects in the works and a GIVEAWAY that I'm ironing out the details for, so that means that I AM BACK!!!!! I was so un-motivated lately, it was depressing!!!

*** PLEASE REMEMBER TO LINK BACK AND SHARE SOME LOVE TO YOUR FELLOW PARTY-ER'S!!!!! ***

Show Us What You're Workin' With #19!!

2010-07-13T20:08:00.000-06:00

Have you ever not been able to upload pictures to blogger?!! Well, it's happening to me right now, and it's driving me CRAZY!!! It's pretending to be loading them but then it times-out or something. I have no idea why, so for now it's just the party and I will keep trying ... I'm sad about it :( It wasn't anything super fabulous, just a little something'-something' but still cute ... for now, enjoy the party and let's see what cute stuff you share this week!!!

*** Remember the one simple rule, PLEASE linkback somewhere on your blog. If you are deleted, it's because I couldn't see the link-back. ***

Friday Features!!!

2010-07-09T13:02:00.000-06:00

You all are so awesome!! I loved what you shared with us this week, and here are a few of my favorites!!!

Patriotic Art @ SSB

LOVE LOVE LOVE this patriotic art at SSB. Her little one made it and I think it looks PROFESH!!!

Decor Chick's Double Sided Flower Pots

Another Fabulous idea from Decor Chick!! Soooo many houses around here have windows like this above their door and I think it's such a brilliant little idea!!!

This Thrifty House: Spray Painted Pillows

SERIOUSLY??!!! Spray Painted pillows??!!! These look like something straight outta PB!! Am I right?? I know!!! Hop on over to these lovely blogs and show 'em some love!!!

Girly-Girl Lunch Box

2010-07-08T15:25:00.000-06:00

This little turkey is my niece Kennedy. She lives in Florida ;( and starts kindergarten this year. She gets to go to full day kindergarten, which I think is pretty awesome!!! I figured that since she is a big kid now she needs her own fabulous lunch box. So ... I made her this:

Super cute right?? I KNOW!!! It was super easy too, and it didn't cost much at all!!! It started out as a plain, pink metal box that I got at the craft store for like $5. I went through my paper stash and used mod-podge to adhere the paper to the box. I did one piece of paper at a time and let the glue dry completely before adding the next piece of paper. I wanted all the paper to be covered in mod-podge to help protect it from food or any sort of liquids that may come in contact with it.

Once that was all dry I added the bejeweled princess crown sticker, it was $2. The K is a wooden letter that I got for $.30 and painted green. I hot glued the jewels on, then used glossy accents (you could also use the new mod-podge dimensional stuff)to cover all the stones. This dries hard and coats everything, like resin, and keeps the stones from falling off.

The sides were looking too boring, so I glued some large jewels on and tied a bunch of matching ribbons onto the handle.

When I was in Elementary School, my favorite part about taking a lunch was that my mom would always write a note on my napkin. I looked forward to it everyday. I wanted Miss Kennedy to be able to experience the same thing so I did this ...

CHALKBOARD PAINT!!! Seriously, there are a zillion and one ways to use the stuff and I LOVE 'EM ALL!!! I painted the entire inside of the lid (and the sides too) and let it dry in between coats, I did 3 coats total. The next day I cured it by rubbing chalk all over and then wiping it off. Now my SIL can write little love notes or draw pictures and Kennedy will love it!! After doing this I realized that since the box is metal, a magnet would stick. So, I made one of these ...

I didn't have any plain magnets, so I just used a little scrapbook magnet that I have had forever!! She worked like a charm!!

So, now my SIL can write a quick note on the chalkboard, or write something on a cute little piece of paper and use the magnet to hold it in place!!

And here it is with the re-usable bag I posted about yesterday. SOOOO CUTE RIGHT??!!! I love it soooo much, I wish I had somewhere to go everyday so I could have my own!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #18!!

2010-07-06T19:02:00.000-06:00

**** IT KILLED ME TO DO IT, BUT I HAD TO DELETE SOME LINKS BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A LINK BACK , SORRY!!! IF YOURS WAS DELETED AND YOU WANT TO RE-LINK, JUST GIVE ME A QUICK SHOUT OUT SOMEWHERE ON YOUR BLOG AND RE-LIST. AND IF FOR SOME REASON YOU DID LINK BACK AND I DELETED IT, IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE IM A BLONDE AND EITHER DIDN'T SEE IT OR DELETED IT ON ACCIDENT ... SERIOUSLY, I LIVE UP TO THE BLONDE STEROTYPE WAY TOO MUCH!!! ****

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I apologize for being MIA last week, things got so hectic the week before I left that I totally forgot to take one of you dolls up on your offer to host!! MY BAD!! Here is a pic to show you what I was doing last week ...

This super cute guy became an OFFICER in the US Army!!! Totally awesome right? I'm so proud of him I can hardly stand it!!!

Anyway ... on to my simple and super easy project!!

I made this quick and easy reusable sandwich bag. I know this isn't an original idea, but I feel like my upcycle method is original.

I decided to try to do the collage method to show you what I did rather than posting all 8 pictures and making this post ridiculously long ... click on it to enlarge it. It's super easy, but let me know if you have any questions.

I started a party rule that says that you have to post back to my party somewhere on your blog or I will delete your link. UNFORTUNATELY, there were some at the last party that didn't link back. I didn't have the heart to delete them though since it was my first time having rules ... But, this week I won't be as easygoing ... as you know, it takes a lot of work to set up and do these parties every week. And you all spend time on your projects, and it's not fair if people aren't linking back because your projects aren't getting the "airtime" that they deserve. So, please, link back and we all can continue enjoying this party!!!

*** I have a cute lunchbox that goes with this bag that I will post tomorrow!!! Now that the hubs is back I'm kicking my blogging into FULL GEAR!! I actually toyed with the idea of retiring this baby, but I realized that I enjoy it too much and I've made too many cyber friends to throw it all away. NOW, LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS!!! ***

I am linking up to some parties this week, I almost forgot how it's been so long!!! LOL :)

Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

Make It Yours Day @ My Backyard Eden

TWEET ME!!

2010-06-22T22:46:00.000-06:00

I've decided to actually use my Twitter account ... seriously, I've had it forever but never really got into it. I've kinda always seen it as a facebook for celebrities, it seems that celebs are the only ones that really use it. I'm sure that lots of regular people use it, and I'm just over-exaggerating. I guess we will see if regular people use it by how many of your follow me!! So, check me out over there: meandmybucket (original right?) LOL. :)

Show Us What You're Workin' With Wednesday #17!!

2010-06-22T21:19:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone!!! As always, Wednesday has creeped right on in and it's time for another party. This week is hectic because I leave EARLY Monday morning to fly out to Georgia to see the hubs!! It's been a LONG 3 months and I'm sooo excited!! I'm leaving Bucket with my SIL and it's going to be a much needed getaway. I know that I will worry constantly about him, but he's in good hands.

Anyway, thanks for the input on the "rules". I think I'm just going to have a rule about linking back to my party in your post. I don't care if you use the button, or if you just put a link to my page or if you have a list of your parties somewhere else on your blog. But with that last option I still would like the post to at least say something like "click here to see where I linked up" or something like that. That's easy enough right? If you link up and your post gets deleted it's probably because I didn't see a link anywhere. Just repost and we'll be good to go!!

Here is my project for today ...

I got this cute little planty thing (that's the technical term) at the thrift store for $15 and I just knew I had to pick it up. Although I had no idea what I was going to do with it, isn't that how most thrift store finds seem to start out? At least for me anyway. She's been sitting in the garage for over 3 months and I finally figured out what I wanted to do with her. I took the plexi glass out, it was kinda scratched anyway, and spray painted her with some heirloom white.

Now ... she's ready ... are you ready for her???

She's in the bathroom and I LOVE how it turned out. I use to have the TP in a basket on the floor but I like the way this looks because it's a bit more dressy. I want to get a few more big towels instead of the hand towels, but this is still super cute for now. Don't you think?

Ok, party time!!!! Show Us What You're Workin' With!!!!

**** OH WAIT, I ALMOST FORGOT ... I AM GOING TO TRY TO DO A SCHEDULED POST FOR NEXT WEEKS PARTY SINCE I WONT BE IN TOWN. IF IT DOESN'T WORK, THERE JUST WONT BE A PARTY :( UNLESS ONE OF YOU WANTS TO DO IT?? JUST LET ME KNOW, NO PRESSURE OR ANYTHING. SERIOUSLY :) ****

Show Us What You're Workin' With Wednesday #16!!!

2010-06-15T22:31:00.000-06:00

Well everyone ... I FINALLY have a project to share with you this week!! YEA!!! And I have like 4 others waiting to be posted!! I can't believe it, the ideas just started flowing and now I have a bunch all set and ready to go. Anyway, it's time to get to gettin', but I want to ask you a few questions first.

1. Should I have "rules" about this party? ie: my button needs to be somewhere on your blog, the button needs to be in the actual post, etc.

2. Is it time to have specific party criteria? I don't really LOVE this idea, but I'm just putting it out there.

3. How about this one ... Should I limit how many times one person links up each week? Does it matter if one of you has 8 projects to share? What about a rule that says that it has to be a new project every week. Just meaning, that it can't be a project you haven't linked up previously.

I don't know, just comment and let me know what you think. I really want to hear what you have to say!!

Ok, here is my project!!

This picture shows it as a pencil holder, but my original plan for it is to be used as a vase. Super cute right? I didn't go the vase route simply because it's 10:45 and I don't really want to go tromping around in the dark outside trying to find some flowers :) This was sooo easy and Cheap!!

I drink over 100 oz of water a day and I LOVE the crystal light packets that you can just add to water. You can buy the individual packets or larger ones that make 2 quarts. The bigger ones come in these cute little containers. Anyway, I finished these off and I put the empty containers in my craft room because I knew that I would be able to use them for something. Then, earlier today it came to me ... Fridge Vases!!

I started by measuring the length and circumference and cut some cute scrapbook paper to the measurements. I brushed on some mod-podge and started laying the paper down. I used this crusty bone folder to smooth out the bumps and wrinkles.

Keep gluing and wrapping the paper around the container, making sure to try to make it as smooth as possible. After I got the paper all glued down I let it dry and then slapped a few coats of mod-podge on top of the paper. I wanted to make sure to put a few extra coats to help protect the paper against any water that may possibly get on the outside.

I glued on some ribbons and two magnets. I just used some scrapbooking magnet things that I've had forever, but you could also use those plain round ones you get at the craft store.

TA-DA!! That's it, easy right? I made two and I really like how they both turned out. I especially like the price ... FREE since I already had everything on hand. I can't wait to drink more water so I can make some more of these. They would be fun little gifts. How about using them to hold herbs on the fridge? SOOO FUN!!!

I can't wait to see what you have to share with me this week, let's PARTY!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With Wednesday #15!!

2010-06-08T23:00:00.000-06:00

OH MY HECK!!! It's 11:00 pm and I am about to go to bed and it hits me ... I DIDN'T POST THE PARTY!! AHHHH!!! Holy Moly!! Today was crazy, my mom had bunco at the house tonight and we were pretty much running around all day like crazy ladies. I decided to make my niece a super cute little lunch box and use it for today's project ...but in the middle of the bunco craziness I TOTALLY forgot to take a SINGLE picture. I have mental lame-ness (That's a serious illness!!!) hahaha, anyway ...

I was looking at the stats from the last few weeks parties and I was sad to see that they aren't near as popular as they use to be. And I take blame for that. Since Phil has been gone I just haven't had much motivation to craft. This single mom thing takes a lot out of me. And I'm finding myself so freakin' worn out by the time Bucket goes to sleep that I just want to sit on the couch for a few minutes before I zonk out. It's really unfortunately actually, especially considering the amount of projects I have piling up in my craft room waiting to be done. So, my June 9th resolution is to be a better crafter. AT LEAST twice a week, it's gonna be tough, but I CAN DO IT!!!

Thanks for sticking with me tho peeps!! ... my faithful followers are fabulous, and I'm sorry if I've let you down :(

ENOUGH OF THE SAD!! LET'S PARTY!!!!

Happy Belated Birthday To Me!!

2010-06-07T09:30:00.000-06:00

I didn't tell you guys sooner, but my birthday was on Saturday. I'm now 27 years old and I'm inching my way towards 30 and I'm not gonna lie, it feels weird. It was a very low key day, which I enjoyed. Went to Olive Garden with my parents for lunch, LOVE the soup and salad. Bucket had chicken fingers and french fries with about 2 gallons of ketchup, seriously, he just loves sucking it off the fry and then going back for more. Then my dad watched Bucket for a few hours and me and mom went tanning and then some shopping. We went to Pier 1 and it TOTALLY made me miss working there, kinda lame right? I didn't get to talk to Phil though, they are in the field for 2 weeks and of course my b-day had to fall smack dab in the middle of those two weeks :( he did send me a card though, which was very sweet. It was nice to just be able to enjoy time with loved ones.

I just realized that I didn't take a SINGLE picture of the day ... I'm a lame-o!!! I did get some birthday money though, so I think I may treat myself to the thrift store today. I will let you know what treasures I find!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With Wednesday #14

2010-06-01T18:11:00.000-06:00

WELCOME!! WELCOME!!! Once again it's time for my weekly party, are you ready??!!! The project that I'm using today is a special one to me ... it's more of a show-off actually. My SIL had a precious little baby boy last week and she asked me to take some pictures of him. I really love how they turned out and I wanted to share them all with you. PLEASE keep in my mind that I am not a professional, nor do I claim to be one. I just sorta understand how to take a good picture, and I don't even have a ridiculously expensive camera. Those of you that are profesh and/or have FABULOUS cameras, please don't judge me too much ...

Ok ... I'm done showing off my new nephie, let's get down to business!!

I've decided that it's time to implement some rules ... totally uncool I know, but I think it's necessary.

1. Please link to a SPECIFIC post, not your blog address.

2. I don't care what you link up as long as it's something you created/made/re-furbished/upcycled/cooked, etc.

3. PLEASE put my button or a link to the party somewhere on your post or the sidebar, or a link party page. I know that there are like a bajillion parties out there and I can't expect you to put all bajillion of them in each post or it would be a bit outta control.

That's it!! Not too harsh of me right? Well, if you link up and find that your link disappears, just re-read the rules and re link. And as always, if you have any questions, please let me know!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #13!!

2010-05-25T16:02:00.001-06:00

I have a super cute project for you today, it's one of my favorites that I've done in quite a while. Here we go ...

I started with this box that I got at the thrift store for $.99. The flowers are H-I-D-E-O-U-S but the box was in great shape and it was too good of a deal to pass up. It sat in my craft room for a few weeks because I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it. The one day it came to me!!! My dad had just made-over my closet and there was a box of sheetrock compound on the floor. I took the box to the craft room along with a putty knife and went to town.

I loaded up the knife and spread it on the box, right over the ugly flowers. I didn't take any closeups pics though ... I don't know why.

I didn't want a smooth look so I left the texture, just like you would if you were texturizing a wall.

For the front of the box I gooped the stuff on and then pressed the knife against it and then lifted it up *** does that make sense? *** It left these little peaks all over. Now the box was covered it has to dry for quite some time. I waited 2 days just to make sure, but just follow the instructions on the box. I took some sandpaper to the peaks on the front of the box just to make sure they weren't sharp and it left some nice texture. I painted the whole box with Antique White and let it dry completely.

Once the paint was dry I painted a brown glaze over each side and the front and then wiped it off with a damp rag.

I made sure to not wipe the glaze out of the divots and holes. I just kept wiping until I got the look I wanted.

I didn't paint the inside of the box ... I totally forgot all about it :) So, I cut a piece of blue fabric that I had leftover from my jewelry holder, and glued it to the inside.

I used a bit more of that blue fabric, some burlap, and another fabric from the jewelry holder to make these 3 little rosettes and hot glued them to the corner of the box.

Here she is all finished and on a shelf in my closet. I am in love with the end result and for $.99 I love it even more!!

Now it's time to party!!!

Awesome Fabulous-ness from WYWW #12

2010-05-25T15:22:00.000-06:00

Another week has FLOWN by ... which means its time for my favorites from last week!! And let me tell you, they are great!!! And I had more links this last week than ever before, you all rock!!!!

Alix, from Shadywood Chic, came up with this TOTALLY easy and BEYOND fabulous cabinet transformation. You need get over there and check it out!!

Ashley, from No Apologies, made this DARLING alphabet wall art!! Go check out how she did it!!!

I LOVE THIS ONE!!! I heart made this UBER-AWESOME canvas using paper from magazines!!

I'm speechless ... and overwhelmed!!!

2010-05-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

I have received 5 ... yes I said FIVE!!! Awards this past month!!!! I can't believe that you consider Me and My Bucket award-worthy ... Thank-You!! Thank-You!! Thank-You!!

All five of the ladies that presented me with these awards are FABULOUS and I LOVE reading their blogs and I hope you all will go check 'em out (If you don't already)

Meg, over at A Little Knick Knack, gave me the Versatile Blogger award!!!

Tammy, from Not Just Paper and Glue, gave me a Trendy Blog award!!

Miss Morgan at Meet Virginia, gave me this cute little award!!

And last but not least ... Jennie, from Cinnaberry Suite ...AND Pati at A Crafty Escape awarded me with The Gorgeous Blogger Award!!

Now I get to tell you some stuff about me ... Each award has it's own guidelines so I am combining them all together :)

10 Things about me ....

I am right handed but for the life of me I can't snap with my right hand ... weird right?
Lemons with salt are my favorite snack!! I know it's HORRIBLE for my teeth but I love 'em!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it :)
I LOVE me a fountain Diet Coke ... seriously, it's the best. Out of a can is the second best but I will not drink Diet Coke from a bottle, it's nasty!! Unfortunately, my new healthier lifestyle doesn't allow much of the heavenly beverage. I have about 12 oz a week, if that :(
As you may know, I'm an ARMY wife. It has taught me patience, strengthened my love for the hubs 100 fold, and taught me how to be independent all over again. He is at OCS right now and I miss him like CRAZY ... but only 35 more days!!
I use to be a manager of a Pier 1 and as a result I have acquired way more placemats, napkins, throw pillows, dishes, curtains and other randomness than I will EVER need. SERIOUSLY!!
This one is funny ... I have a naturally pinkish-red hue to my skin and I am constantly asked if I am sunburned ... even in the dead of winter. Funny huh?
I love being barefoot and I pretty much only wear socks when I'm running or wearing boots. As a result, my heels are quite dry and I have to give them a lot of extra attention, especially during sandal season.
I love to read and I will always finish a book, even if it is the most boring and lame thing I have ever read ... it's torturous but I just can't not finish it.
I am TERRIFIED of birds ... all sorts, but especially chickens, ducks, swans and geese. The tiny birds outside aren't as bad because they don't really get up in your business like the big ones do but I still get the heebs when one flies by. I will NOT go in the bird exhibits at the zoo. Oh I have a funny story about birds ... Back in my Pier 1 days I worked at the store in Park City, UT. As you may know, SOME of the people that live there are rather uppity and think they own the universe ... ANYWAY, one of those said customers decided to bring in one of these

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME???!!! Uhhh no, I'm dead freaking serious!! Anyway, he had it on his arm like it was no big deal and it was making noise and flapping it's wings and I about number 2'd myself (sorry, for the image, but it was traumatizing) I literally ran to the stock room and was crying because I was so freaked out. I was shaking like a leaf and it was really bad. The guy was in there forever and it got to the point where I had to have someone ask him to leave because I had to be out front. He was totally understanding and even felt bad about it but I felt so ridiculous that I couldn't handle it.
10. Moose are my FAVORITE animal ... I'm seriously OBSESSED!! As a teenager I had a recurring dream that the man I would marry was with me when I saw my first live one and since then I just was obsessed. Before that I never thought twice about them. Weird right? And yes, the hubs was the one!!! I had other boyfriends who had taken me on drives up in the mountains trying to find one, but we never did.

10 Things I love ...

The smell of Suavitel laundry softener ... it's the best!!
When Bucket wakes up and just sits in his crib for a bit and talks to himself, I think it's so flippin' cute!!
My yellow blanket that I've had since I was a baby, I sleep with it every night. And yes I'm almost 27!! June 5th to be exact ;)
White Tulips
Coconut and anything with it in it. I use to eat it with a spoon right out of the bag :)
Lady Gaga and her music. Yeah, she's a freak show but she is mad talented.
Sushi!! The hubs hates it, so I don't get it as often as I would like. I literally ate way too much of it immediately after Bucket was born. I'm dead serious, I had been telling Phil for months that I wanted it right away and he made sure it happened.
Victoria Beckham's perfume, Intimately Beckham, it's FABULOUS!!! I also like her hubs, ain't he great to look at??!! Unfortunately, once he opens his mouth he loses a bit of that sex appeal ... have you heard is voice? He sounds like a chick!! LOL
Taking Baths
My FABULOUSLY AWESOME readers!!!

5 Things I don't like ...

When people drive slow, or I should say the speed limit, in the fast lane ... it's horrible!!
That I know what time it is by what show is on Nick Jr. NO, I don't let Bucket watch TV all day long, but it is usually on because I like the noise.
That I worry way too much.
Phil driving his Harley on the freeway and if he isn't wearing a helmet it is STRICTLY forbidden!!
Cold weather!! Why do I live in Utah, you ask? That's a great question!! I would love to never spend another winter here for as long as I live.

Ok, that was tough!!! Now you all know some totally useless crap about me!!! FUN RIGHT??!! Onto the fun part ... I'm passing any one of these one to the following ladies. You can take all 4 or choose your favorite!!

Rachel @ Holy Craft
Jessica @ Live it. Love it. Craft it.
Margo @ Blue Family Scene
Ashley @ Cute as a Fox
Kimmie @ I Live Fancy
Tracy @ Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures
Nicholette and Vanessa @ Craft Envy
Mary @ Lil Bit Of Us
A Little Lovely *** So sorry, but I don't know your first name ... I couldn't find it anywhere on your blog***
Becca @ Bare Feet on the Dashboard
Lynette @ My Craft Discovery
Cheryl @ Artsy Fartsy
Kelli @ Whimsi Kel
Nicole @ House of Huddleston

You know what?? I just decided that you all are so fabulous that I want to give you all this ...

So, take it and pass it along to 10 friends and post 10 things that make you happy!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With Wednesday #12

2010-05-18T21:13:00.001-06:00

Hey all!!! I hope you are having a FABULOUS week so far. Sorry for the lack of posting, but the flu circled around this house and it wasn't pretty. So, needless to say, I wasn't really up for any crafting :(

But, now I am healed and ready to party!!! Tammy, from Not Just Paper and Glue, is guest hosting for us today. You are going to LOVE what she has to show us!!! Tammy ... take it away!!

Hi! Tammy from Not Just Paper and Glue here – guest blogging for Jessica. I am going to be showing you this fun little tutorial on how to create a bucket from a lampshade.

A few years ago we purchased a rustic chandelier and it came with two different types of lampshades. I saved the unused lampshades because I never know when I might be able to use something for another project. Besides, that is what every crafty mom does, right? Save and repurpose everything!

To make your Lampshade Bucket you will need:
Lampshade
Foam Board or Heavy Cardboard
Heavy Wire Cutters
Glue
Spray Paint
Felt (optional)
Embellishments

You will want to start with a lampshade that has a nice cone shape to it similar to this one. If your lampshade is new, then remove the plastic wrapper from the shade. If it is used, make sure it is free from dust, dirt, and debris.

With a pair of heavy wire cutters, remove the pieces that holds the lampshade to the lamp. To do this, I used my wire cutters to cut as close to the edge of the shade as possible then I used a pair of pliers to gently break off the extra pieces so it was flush with the edge of the shade. If you cannot get the extra pieces to come off, then just make sure that each wire stem is cut as close to the shade as possible.

Now it is time to apply the base color. I chose Warm Yellow from Rust-oleum. It says that it is a gloss spray paint, but I don’t think it will matter what finish the paint is because they will automatically turn mat because of the fabric. I sprayed the outside and inside of my lampshade.
NOTE: Make sure you use the spray paint according to the manufacturer’s specification and use in a well ventilated area (outside is best).

Once the paint has dried on your lampshade, turn it upside down onto a piece of foam board and trace. You will then cut out the circle from the foam board. Check to make sure it will fit snug into the bottom of your lampshade. You may have to trim your circle to get it to fit nicely.

Once your circle is the correct size for the bottom of your lampshade you can glue a piece of felt to one side. This is optional, depending upon how you are going to be using the bucket.

Next, run a bead of glue (I am using Helmar Craft Glue) around the inside edge of the lampshade bottom then place your circle into the lampshade to form a bottom to what is now your bucket ☺ Let this sit to dry completely.

To finish (my white foam board was showing), I spray painted the bottom of my bucket. If you choose not to use felt on the inside bottom of your bucket, then you could actually wait until you had your bucket completely assembled then spray paint all at once.

Once the bottom of your bucket is dry, embellish as you desire. I chose to cut images from some leftover scrapbook paper and glued them on using my Helmar Craft Glue. I then added some letter stickers and P K Glitz glitter for a little added sparkle on my images.

So there you have it! Now, lets see what you can create with a lampshade ☺

OH MY GOSH!!! Isn't that such a creative little use for a cheap lampshade??!? That is so great!! Thanks Tammy!!! Now, let's see what you have to show us ... PARTY TIME!!!

Top 3 From WYWW #10

2010-05-11T22:29:00.001-06:00

Ok, I know I've been a slacker with the Top 3 lately ... I have no excuses!! FORGIVE ME??!! I PROMISE it will NEVER happen again!!

It's getting harder and harder to only choose 3, I'm going to have to make the list MUCH bigger!!! That's totally Awesome!!!

So, with that being said ... let's get down to it!!!

Check out these beauties from A Little Lovely. So simple, yet so Custom looking!! I LOVE IT!!!!

Miss Morgan form, Meet Virginia, made some SUPER-DUPER cute O-Scarves. I need to get to the fabric store and pick up some fabric so I can make some of these cuties!!!

Kelli, from Whimsi Kel, made this FABULOUS circle ruffle pillow!! Sooo awesome!! Check out the other pillows she has made!!!

Thank-You!! Thank-You!! Thank-You!! For your submissions, can't wait to see what you come up with this week!!!!

Girls, feel free to grab my I've been featured button!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With Wednesday #11

2010-05-11T21:38:00.001-06:00

Welcome to another Show Us What You're Workin' With Wednesday!! I am so thrilled by how this little ole blog of mine is growing and I have ALL of you to thank for it!!! Seriously, you are fabulous!! I had 75 entries last week and it grows a bit more every week.

Ok, on to my project for today ... My cousin gave me a pair of Aeropostale sweat pants that didn't fit her anymore. They fit me perfectly, BUT they were WAY too short. They are super comfortable so I decided to cut them off into capris. I just took the scissors to 'em and they are still comfy and great to wear around the house or to go for a run.

Anyway, after I cut the bottoms off I didn't want to just throw the scraps away, so I came up with this!!!

Uh yeah, I have absolutely NO makeup on in this picture so I cropped it down as much as I could, but unfortunately you can still see my face!!! But, isn't this little headband just the cutest ever?? And it was SOOO easy!!!

So, these are the cutoff pieces before I cut them up even more.

This decorative stitching ran along one side of the pant leg.

I cut up on both sides of the decorative stitching leaving me one long piece. *** I kept the decorative stitching piece, you will see later what I did with it ***

I cut 6 strips, about 3/4" wide, along the length of the the fabric.

I stacked up all 6 strips and stitched through all of them with a needle and thread.

I braided the strips together and ended up with this chunky braid. I know the middle is kinda ugly, but don't worry, I will cover it up later.

I cut two 1 1/2" strips the length of the fabric, and cut one of them in half at the seam. Following Amanda's tutorial, from Imperfectly Beautiful, I made 3 rosettes. 1 Large and 2 small.

After the rosettes were done I thought they looked a bit too plain, so I added some beads to the center of each of them with hot glue. You could stitch them down if you want, but I was tired and it was late, so hot glue it was :)

Before I attached the rosettes to the headband I stitched the two ends together and wrapped a piece of the decorative stitching piece, that I cut earlier, around to hide the stitches. Now my headband was ready.

I used the hot glue gun to attach the rosettes to the braid and VOILA!!! Super easy and free since I already had the beads!!

Oh I should probably tell you ... I have a very LARGE head so this headband fits me perfectly. You may want to measure your head before you start cutting, to make sure that it is going to not be too big or too small. And remember that there is SOME stretch to the material.

I really ♥ how this turned out, did I already say that??!! I can't wait to wear it out somewhere!!

I need to let you know where I'm linking this little girl up!!!

Now, LET'S PARTY!!!!

Guest Post from Meg at A Little Knick Knack

2010-05-10T18:23:00.001-06:00

Hello All!

I'm thrilled to be guest blogging at Jessica's today! She has such a wonderful blog and FUN ideas. It's been great getting to know her through blogging and emailing back and forth.

My name is Meg and I'm from A Little Knick Knack. I have 3 young children that keep me on my toes most of the day. The nights are mine, though, so I use them to make our house a home and find fun new projects for the kids to learn, grow and explore. I learn a lot from fellow bloggers and am always happy to find kindred souls out there to share my crafty obsessions!

Now, on with the show!

My friend and I have been working on a project. We've been working on this project for weeks now. Not because it's time consuming (well, it is, but not this time consuming....). Life just got in the way of our little craft addiction.

We gathered out supplies....

....to make a wooden block calendar. How hard could it be? Surely, not that hard! My partner in crime took it upon herself to find some affordable solutions to our craft obsessions.

Ideally, we wanted to have an even, four-sided block of wood for the months. After raiding the remnants bin at Home Depot, she found an acceptable solution. The Home Depot guy even cut the wood for her for free! Way to work her magic! She ended up paying less than $1 for all of the wood. See how wonderfully thrifty she is?!?

The small blocks for the numbers were purchased from Michael's for $1 each.

We got together one afternoon to measure, cut and glue all the paper on the wood. And then we put the project aside, because, like I said....life got in the way.

Finally we were able to come back together today and proceed with the project. Friend-of-mine has one thing that was absolutely necessary (but not vital) for our project----a Cricut! Bless her! I have never used one before and can I say, I'm a total convert! Those things are AWESOME. On a side note, though, for those of us who usually don't have a Cricut at our disposal, the number & letter stickers from Michael's would have worked fine as well.

Anyway, we let the Cricut cut for us, and we glued and glued and glued. Then we sanded and sanded and sanded.

In the end, it all turned out pretty cute!

Thanks, Jessica for this wonderful opportunity!

Have a wonderful day!

OH MY GOODNESS!! Isn't this just so cute and fabulous??!!! I KNOW!!! I'm sure you all already read Meg's little slice of heaven, but in case you don't ... get your bum over there and get to it!!! Thanks Meg, you are awesome!!!

Super Faboulous Jewelry Organizer

2010-05-06T22:13:00.000-06:00

Have I told you that we live in my parents basement? Well, we do ... just until Phil gets home and then we are off to Missouri!! Anyway, the closet in our bedroom was TINY, and the bedroom was HUGE!!! So, my dad put up a wall and made me a fabulous walk-in closet!! I will post some pictures this weekend once I am unpacked and everything is back in its proper place :)

Now that I have a big and beautiful closet I realized that I need a fabulous way to organize all my jewelry. I had some leftover material from the build so I came up with this, I really like it because it is Art too!!

I know that I'm not the first to use "poultry netting" to organize jewelry, so I'm not claiming this to be an original. Although, I've never seen it done this EXACT way. So ... the supplies are simple.

Poultry Netting ... I paid $8.00 at the Depot and it's the 1" size.

This is the wood that I used. It was leftover from the closet and they were already cut to the perfect size!!

Fabric. I used 4 different fabrics, and they are also all in my room somewhere. I cut the fabric about 2 inches wider and longer than the wood and hot glued it on. I started with the middle and then did the corners. I know that the raw edges aren't pretty, but I figured that it will be against the wall anyway so it doesn't really matter :)

I wrapped the corners by gluing the center down first and then folded and glued down the flaps.

Here they are all wrapped up and pretty.

Now, for the "poultry netting". This stuff isn't too bad to work with, but I would suggest wearing gloves to prevent your hands from being scratched and poked. Just like I did with the fabric, I cut the netting a few inches bigger than the board and used my electric staple gun and stapled it down to the back. After I did that I took my glue gun and put a dab of glue on all of the pokey ends, this way my wall wont get scratched or anything.

That's all there is to it!!!

I used picture hangers, like this but gold, to hang the jewelry on.

Closeup shot ...

I finally found a home for my cheese dome makeover, she looks good right? With my big closet, I was also able to put my dresser in there!! Sweet right? I KNOW!! The little wooden purse has my watches and bangles that wouldn't fit on a picture hanger.

One more shot of the whole thing, I just LOVE it so much!! The total cost was around $12, and I have TONS of picture hangers left over. You could also use "S" hooks, but I don't know if they will lay as flat against the boards as the picture hangers.

I'm linking up to these parties ...

Show Us What You're Workin' With #10!!

2010-05-04T19:39:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone!!! I've been having so much on my Vacay, that I almost TOTALLY forgot about tomorrows party!! What kind of hostess would I be, if I didn't come through for you??!!

Luckily, I have some pictures of a project I did before we left. UNFORTUNATELY, the internet where I am is EXTREMELY sow and I am not able to actually upload the pictures ... GRRRR!!!

So sorry, but this is going to have to be another week with no project :( but I PROMISE to post the project AS SOON as we get home!!

Now, ON TO THE PARTY!!!

102 FOLLOWERS!!

2010-05-04T09:51:00.000-06:00

Woo-Hoo!!!! I hit the 100 mark and like I said ... it's GIVEAWAY time!!! I used random.org to pick a number between 1 and 102, and numbered each follower. Random.org chose number 85, but while I was trying to save the little pic of the number generator, I refreshed the page ... ACCIDENTALLYOOPS!! So, I have no proof that 85 was the number, but I PROMISE!!!

You want to know who number 85 is?? DRUM-ROLL PLEASE ............................................

Jennie, from Cinnaberry Suite!!!

Jennie, I will send you an email and as soon as I get home I will put a little somethin'-somethin' together. Any requests? :)

For those of you that aren't Jennie, don't despair!! I am in the works of sponsoring my very first Giveaway!!! One of my awesome readers contacted me and asked if I would be interested. I said, HECK YEAH!!! So, as soon as I have all the DEETS, I will let you know!!!

Are you ready for some FABULOUS cupcakes??!!

2010-05-03T09:19:00.000-06:00

Then YOU came to the right place!!! Ashley, from Joyful Creations, is doing a Guest Post for me today and is making some SUPER-DUPER Mint DOUBLE Chocolate Cupcakes!!! Aren't you excited just by the DOUBLE part?? OH YEAH!! Besides, who doesn't love a great cupcake?? Well, enough out of me ... let's let Ashley do her thang!!

Well, hello there! I just want to thank Jessica for giving me the opportunity to be a guest blogger here. I've been a follower of her blog for some time now and I just can't get enough of it.

My name is Ashley. I'm a full time employee for a general contractor and a part time crafter/blogger. Totally wishing it was the other way around. I've been married to my husband for 4 years and we have a handsome 6 month old son. They are my 2 favorite guys in the world and they bring so much joy to my life. I've always considered myself a creative person. There's not one single craft I don't enjoy doing (or trying, even if I fail). Here lately I've been focusing on 2 things, card making and CUPCAKES!

Today I'd like to share a fun cupcake recipe that I hope you will enjoy.

Mint Double Chocolate Cupcakes

1 box of Chocolate Cake Mix

Chocolate fudge

2 Pastry Bags

1 plain pastry tip

Mint Extract

4.5 tablespoons of milk

3/4 stick of butter

(up to) 3/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract

3 cup powdered sugar

2-3 drops of green food coloring

1 square of chocolate (optional)

Bake cupcakes as directed on box.

I am using a hand held mixer that is almost as old as I am. It works like a dream though.

*tip* use a small measuring cup to fill the cups of your cup cake pan. It will save you a big mess to clean up in the end.

In the oven they go!

While they are baking make your icing (but don't forget about your cupcakes!)

Soften your butter with the mixer.

Add milk.

Add powdered sugar slowly so it mixes well and doesn't powder your whole kitchen.

Once it's mixed well and a good frosting-y consistency add 1/4 of peppermint extract at a time tasting each time. I say this because some people don't like a lot of mint, and others do. Make it they way you will like it.
After you have it flavored just right add 2-3 drops of food coloring until it's the color green that you'd like.

The many stages of the icing. You can't see the green very well in any of these pictures, but it was a pretty pastel *minty* green.

Once your cupcakes are finished baking and cooled.

Put about 2 heaping tablespoons of fudge in a pastry bag, clip the end and attach your small pastry tip.

Poke down into center of cupcake and inject your fudge while sliding the tip back out of the cup cake. I try to fill mine until you can see it about to over flow the whole.

I used Smuckers Toppings Chocolate Fudge! YUM!

I forgot to take a picture of the tip that I use to fill the cupcakes. It's long and skinny. And as you can see from this picture it wasn't cooperating very well as the fudge was coming out of the top of the tip. It still served it's purpose.

Sorry, I couldn't get a picture of the actual filling process since it takes 2 hands and I was home alone. But you can see in the middle where the fudge is just peeking out. It you fill it too much just clean it up with a butter knife or spatula.

After all the cupcakes are filled you can begin icing your cupcakes. My favorite part of making cupcakes is decorating with the icing but I'm still new to it. If you prefer to spread the icing on with a knife, that's totally OK too.

Pastry bag filled and ready to ice the cupcakes.

Almost too pretty to eat... ALMOST!

If you have the square of chocolate on hand just to add a little more to it, shave it with a grater on top of the icing.

Can you see the fudge? I know, bad picture, but I sure could taste it!

Now, go throw these babies together, poor you a big glass of milk (or make a cup of coffee) and EAT UP!

OK .... I am TOTALLY making these once I get home!!! A big thanks to Ashley for helping me out and sharing this awesome recipe with all of us!!!

YOU LIKE ME!! YOU REALLY LIKE ME!!

2010-05-03T09:15:00.001-06:00

OH MY GOODNESS!!! I have 99 followers!!! I knew this day would come, but I didn't know it would come so soon!! I am shocked that 99 of you actually enjoy this little place of mine. Thank you!!!

I've decided to join the GIVEAWAY revolution and give something fabulous to one of you lucky ducks ONCE I reach 100!!! I have no idea what it will be ... But it will be GGGRRREEAATTT!!!

HEY LADIES!!!

2010-04-29T19:44:00.000-06:00

I am leaving tomorrow for a spontaneous vacay and I don't know when I'll be back!! Seriously, I don't :) Anyhoo, I don't plan on packing up my craft room and taking it with so I won't be making and posting any fun new projects. Well, who knows ... it could happen, but I PROBABLY wouldn't count on it. I just wanted to let you all know, so when you notice that I am MIA, you know that I didn't just disappear.

With that being said ... anyone want to guest post? You TOTALLY don't have to, I'm fine with just taking a small hiatus, but if any of you newbies would like to test it out or whatever, then let me know!!!

Thanks!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With Wednesday #9

2010-04-27T20:45:00.000-06:00

Every time I walked into Buckets room I would see his sad and pathetic lamp. I knew it was ugly, but I honestly didn't take the time to sit down and think about a solution. Then, last night, it came to me ... I jazzed it up with some ribbon!!!

First off ... please ignore the fuzzy trim around the top of the shade. I originally was going to use it, but didn't like the way it looked. You will see what I used later.

I started with the wider ribbon widths ... 1 1/2", 1", and 7/8" (or whatever it is LOL). I put a dab of hot glue on the top and then stretched the ribbon down to the bottom and put another dab of glue. Don't glue all the way down the ribbon, or it may leave a bumpy line from the glue. As you can see in the picture, some of the lamp shade was showing through after I put the wider ribbons on. ***I didn't take a lot of pictures, because it was the same thing over and over and over. ***

After the large ribbons were on I used the smaller ones ... I think 1/2"??? to cover up all spots that were still showing lampshade through.

Eventually, after about an hour of gluing on ribbon, everything was covered and looking good. The top and bottom were both kinda ugly, so I wrapped some twine around and called it good.

Super cute right? The lamp base is kinda blah, I'm debating whether or not to paint it. What do you think? Again, sorry for the lack of pictures, it was SOOOO EASY!!!

Ok, let's party!!!

Fav's from WYWW #8!!

2010-04-27T15:45:00.000-06:00

Becca, from Bare feet on the dashboard, made this FABULOUSLY DARLING Picket fence picture holder. She got the wood off the side of the road!! I love how you all are turning trashing to treasures!!! Tomorrow is trash day, and I'm SOOO going to drive around looking for some treasures!!
This next one is A-W-E-S-O-M-E AWESOME!!! Judy, from In His Grip, made this bench from an old bed!!!! Dang, its beautiful!!! I have to find an old spindly bed ... but now there is going to be a mad rush for them and I will NEVER find one ... DANG IT!!!

Jess, over at A Winding Road, made this totally cute and totally easy paper owl mobile!!! Owls are all over the place lately, and these are just TOO STINKIN' CUTE!!!!

Thanks for all your awesome submissions and I can't wait to see what you do this week!!! I will get the party up in a few hours!!!

I have a good feeling about this one!!

2010-04-26T18:45:00.000-06:00

You all remember Jennie, from Cinnaberry Suite? Well, she is having a SWEET giveaway right now ... $40 gift card to CSN stores. I don't know about you, but it seems like there are 489 blogs out there that are doing a similar giveaway ... AND I LOVE IT!!! She has a nekkid mantle that needs some love, and she is asking for our help. So, mosey on over there, give her some ideas and enter to win!!!! And while you are there, check out her SUPER CUTE old fence recycled picture holders!!! LOVE THEM!!!

Knock-Off Necklaces

2010-04-23T22:24:00.000-06:00

I ♥ necklaces, but I've never really made any. Don't ask me why ... I think it's mostly because I'm SUPER DUPER indecisive and I will spend hours (literally) standing in the bead/supply aisle just staring at everything trying to make up my mind. It's soooo annoying, but I can't help it.

So ... the other day I was at the thrift store with Bucket and I decided to pop in to the clothing store next door.

(source: Downeast Outfitters)

I saw this super cute necklace, then I saw the $12.99 price tag and realized how simple and INCREDIBLYCHEAP it would be to recreate it myself. So, I ran to Joann's for a few supplies and headed home.

All you need is:

ribbon *The width you need is dependent on the size of your ribbon clasps*
ribbon clasps *You can buy these at the craft store for a few dollars. I got a package with a variety of sized for $2.99*
beads *I used an old bracelet that needed to be re-strung because Bucket stretched it out*
Jewelry making thread *This picture shows regular clear thread, but TRUST me when I say to spend the $3.00 and buy the plastic-y jewelry thread, it will prevent the necklace from breaking*
Chiffon *I first made these using the $6.99/yard Polyester chiffon that is standard at most fabric stores, and it was a MISTAKE!!! Polyester chiffon frays like a son of a gun!! You want to use Nylon Chiffon, it's TONS cheaper and won't fray when you cut it. I wasn't able to find it at ANY of my local fabric stores so I ordered it online here. It was only $1.60/yard. TONS CHEAPER!!! And they have TONS OF COLORS!!

I bought 1 yard of Chiffon and maybe used 1/4 of it, if I even used that much. I traced a lid to an old jar to get the size circle that I wanted, you could use anything you want or freehand it. Then I folded the fabric 4 times, so I wouldn't have to make as many cuts. I pinned the template to the fabric and started cutting. Don't worry if your circles aren't perfectly round, it gives it a more natural look.

Each cut would leave me with a stack of 8 circles, I did this 6 times.

Once again, this picture shows me using regular thread, don't do it unless you have no other options. I quadrupled the thread and looped it through one of my ribbon clasps and put the ends back through the eye of the needle. But since you won't be using thread, all you have to do is tie a few knots with your jewelry thread to secure it to the clasp :)

Now it's time to start beading. Count out how many beads you want to use, the more you use the longer the necklace will be. I used 12 for this first part, but now that it's done I wish I would have only used 7, oh well ...

For this necklace I put my needle straight through the middle of the stack of 8 circles and called it good.

For the other necklaces I folded a few of the circles in half and then put the needle through the middle, right about my thumb. If you fold some of them, it will give you a fuller look. *** You will see what I mean when you look at the finished product.***

I strung 3 beads in between each section of Chiffon circles. After I did all 6 sections, I strung another 12 beads.

I strung the needle through the other ribbon clasp and tied a few knots.

To make sure it was EXTRA sturdy I threaded back through a bead and then knotted it, thread through the next bead and knotted it and I did that 3 or 4 times.

Here she is, almost done!!!

I cut 2 pieces of ribbon at 14" and burned the ends to keep them from fraying. Then I clamped one end in the ribbon clasp, I wrapped the ribbon around the clasp before I clamped it to help protect the metal from getting dented or scratched.

You're done!!!! So easy right?

Now for some finished pictures!!!

I did this one in ivory. I folded EVERY circle in half, it's extra fluffy and full :)

I LOVE how this gray one turned out!! I don't wear much gray, but I LOVE how sophisticated it looks with the gunmetal colored beads!!

Red is my ALL-time favorite color, so I couldn't leave her out!!!

So cute right??!!!! Now I need to work on some sort of jewelry organizer ... it's actually in the works and I will show it to you once my closet is finished. :)

And one more time ... let's compare!!

The original

My version, pretty close right??

And let's break down the cost ... If you buy the chiffon online and only use 1/4 yd that's $.40. Since I bought it at Joann's I spent $1.50. The clasps were $2.99 but I got 12 sets or something so that's $.25 and I already had the ribbon, thread and beads.

Sooo, pretty much this necklace only cost me $1.75!!! And if you are smart and buy the online Chiffon, it's going to cost around $.65, assuming you have the beads, thread and ribbon on hand. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??!!! I think it looks just as good as the original and it cost a TON LESS!!!

REMEMBER ... Don't use the Polyester chiffon or it will fray EVERYWHERE and get all over your shirt when you wear it, trust me!! You don't want to have to remake them like I did :(

If you love the necklace, but don't want to make one, I'm thinking about putting these up in an ETSY store ... let me know if that sounds like something you would be interested in!!

I'm joining these parties:

HMMM ... I was thinking

2010-04-21T15:39:00.000-06:00

How many, if any, of you live in the Salt Lake/Utah/Davis County area? I ask because I saw this great segment on Studio 5, you may have as well, about swap parties.

Have no idea what I'm talking about? Well, a bunch of ladies get together and they bring things from their home that they aren't using anymore, or something that never quite worked the way they had hoped. Pretty much anything that is in good shape and that you think someone else may like. Anyway, you bring all the goods and then we all go through and "shop" the selection. All in attendance leave with new goodies that didn't cost them a PENNY and we get to meet/mingle and enjoy some great food.

So .... I was thinking that it would be tons of fun to have one and invite my bloggy-friends. How does that sound? Would you be down for it? It would be tons of fun and it would be so fun to get to know all of you. And you could bring your friends if you want!!!

I hope you are as excited about this as I am, and I'm really hoping that some of you live in the area!!!

Show Us What You're Workin' With #8!!!

2010-04-20T14:33:00.000-06:00

First, I would like to say that we are FINALLY HOME FOR GOOD!!! Bucket is doing great and all the tests were normal, so we are RELIEVED!!!

Ok, with that being said ...Wednesday is here ... Who's ready to PARTY??!!! I'm so excited for our Guest Host, she is Jennie from Cinnaberry Suite and she is FABULOUS!!! Seriously, check out her blog, you will fall in LOVE!!!

HEy, to all you FAbULoUs "Me and My Bucket" LoVErS! I'm so excited to be here hosting the 8TH Show Us What Your WOrking With Linky PARTy! SO FUN! I don't know about you, but I think Miss Jess is amazing. She's not only a great MOM, she is OH, SO, CrAFty! (I can't get over how crafty her little brain works!) Thanks Jess for letting me crash your party!
You're probably wondering who the stink I am? Well, my name is Jennie, I am the girl from over at "Cinnaberry Suite".
Let me just blab for a moment about myself! PLEASE DON'T GO...I'll make it quick!
Like lots of you, I like to consider myself a DOMESTIC GODDESS! I get to stay home and not only craft all day (riiight)...but take care of my four little cutie pie kids. I have 3 boys and 1 girl, ages 8,6,4 and 1. I have been married to my biggest fan for 12 years! He is awesome. He truly amazes me everyday. He is the best husband, father, friend, son, brother...you get the point! I want to be just like him when I grow up! Oh, did I mention he's a total hottie? YEP! Love you sweetie! I also have the bestest friends ever (MOM!). They support my madness and think I'm CREATIVE! Really... I'm not joking! I just love them!
I started my crafty blog about 6 months ago. I needed a place, an outlet, to record all the crazy craft/decor happenin's that go on in my head. I have a passion for changing things up (old and new) and with them making my home a "SUITE" place. I'm obsessed with plump red berries and the cozy smell of cinnamon sticks! Hence, my blogs name...Cinnaberry Suite! I hope you girlies skip on over and visit me. I would LOVE that! Okay, I'm done talking about myself. I hope it wasn't too bad! Now, hopefully I can make it up to you. I brought a little tute to share. Yep, a little "Cinnaberry Suite" TUTE! Oh, it smells SO good! I know, I'm a nerd! =)
Here we go!

Here she is...I found her in my head, just like this. She's similar to the one I made HERE
If you can't tell what it is...it's a cute little paper pad to put on your desk or by the phone, with a matching pen. I made it for one of my besties for her birthday. So, you want to make one? Here's what you need:
1 acrylic frame from Dollar Tree

1 wood plaque from Walmart painted and distressed or not.
1 small memo pad (with the wire snipped out) ink the edges of the paper to give it a distressed look, 1 "rsvp" pen, and a clippy thingy.

Cute ribbon, fun scrapbook paper, buttons or anything you want to make it your own.
First I glued the front of the frame to the bottom of my wood plaque with hot glue.

Then, I tied on some cute ribbon. I placed the knot in front and to the side. Then right next to the knot I added my clippy.Oh, don't forget your paper to write your little love notes on!
Next, I cut some flowers out of scrapbook paper in three different sizes. I inked the edges, then, I layered them and kinda bent the petals up. To top it all off, I added a fun little button. CUTE, CUTE!
The pen is easy...you screw off the bottom. Then, you roll a piece of scrapbook paper around the ink part of the pen and slip it back in. Now your PEN matches too! SUITE! THAT'S IT! Easy, huh? Here she is just ONE more time!
I hope you didn't think my TUTE stunk. I know...I need to stop!=) OKaY, I'm excited to see what all YOUR CraFty BrAiNs have been craftin' up. With that said, lets party! Whoot, Whoot! SMOOCHES!

Totally cute right??!! I KNOW!! And to think, it all started as a simple dollar store frame ... LOVE IT!!! Thanks again Jennie, you are AWESOME!!!

2010-04-18T22:06:00.000-06:00

Hey Ladies!!! Guess where I am right now?? Nope, not some tropical getaway, guess again ... still nothing? Ok, I'll tell you ... THE HOSPITAL!!! My poor Bucket!!! The antibiotics he was on did such a great job that they killed EVERYTHING in his little tummy so he wasn't absorbing any nutrients leading to dehydration. So, we are here, he has an IV and they say we will be outta here tomorrow morning!! YAY!!! I HATE this place and don't ever want to have to bring him back. Well, I don't hate the people or the service, they are great. I just hate the hospital in general.

Ok, enough of that!! Let's have some fun!! My BBF (Best Blog Friend) Lori, from Life as Lori, is here today and she has a GREAT project to show you all!!! Her blog is so cute and she has such fun ideas, go check it out!!!

First, I would like to thank Jessica for having me over. It's nice to meet all of you!

Hi I'm Lori at Life As Lori!

I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, co-worker and probably someone just like you or someone you know. I have been married to my husband Steve for 12 years. My daughter, Emily will be 13 very soon. She plays basketball for her school, hangs out with her friends and acts like most other 13 year olds! Oh, and somehow, when I’m not working or mothering or friending, I’m the Assistant Basketball Coach for Emily’s team!

I love puttering around in my yard and since I started blogging about a year ago, it seems my inner craft bug has decided to creep out –

Enough about me!!!

I'm doing the happy dance..... Can't you just see me??? I'm so happy I'm jumping for joy.... Are you wondering why I'm doing the happy dance??? Well, come take a look... But first, do y'all know Ana from Knock Off Wood? If you don't then you don't know what you're missing. You have to visit her blog. She's incredible....I've been looking for a console (couch) table for a while, but I could never find one I liked. Well, I found some I liked, but I didn't like the price. I went over to Ana's and found a couch table I loved. I decided to make one. Yep, I made one (by myself)! I made candle sticks, so why not make a couch table, right?

Now let's take a look at what I made, shall we??

This is from Ana's blog! I started with this photo and printed the instructions!

I went and bought all the wood and nails.

Then I went to work and followed Ana's instructions step by step! Very easy!

Here are the legs...

Base of the table. Boy, is our shop messy. Time to clean it up.

Putting the top on!

Here she is finished.... Well almost.. Still have work to do, but I'm one happy camper!!!

(silly photo, but keeping it real. Now think Pointer Sisters and sing with me) I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it...I'm about to lose control and I think I like it...Oh yeah!

Now that you've stopped laughing at the photo above here's another view of just the table.

I'm sanding! Lots and lots of sanding....

I primed it and then painted.

I used a brown satin finish.

See my candle sticks? Very pretty as well..

I didn't want to put a runner on it. I will later!

It only took me about 4 hours to make, and it cost about $40.00. The finising is what took me the longest!!! I hope you like my couch table. I know I sure do, and I made it without the help of my hubby, A.K.A. "The Drill Sargent" (O.K. he did tell me about safety, safety, safety, and sand, sand, sand, and then sand some more)!!!

What should I build next? Maybe a house??? Yea right!!!

One last photo of me jumping for joy!!!

I also host a Get Your Craft on Thursday and I would love for all of you to join me.

Thanks Jessica for having me over.

Can we say, "SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!!" $40 for a sofa table??!! I have got to make one, and the best part is that she did it without the hubs. LOVE IT!!!! Thanks so much Lori, you are FABULOUS!!!!

Another Giveaway I Entered ... I'M ON A ROLL!!!

2010-04-16T10:52:00.000-06:00

So, I know I just said that I don't like to enter giveaways because I never win, but for some reason I am feeling LUCKY!!!! So, maybe it's one of those things that the more you enter the better your chance of winning?

Ok, here it is!!!!

Denise, from Extreme Personal Measures has teamed up with CSN Stores and is giving away this Rachael Ray Stoneware Bake Set!!! Totally awesome right??!!! UHHH HECK YEAH!!! I love Rachael Ray, I actually am watching her show as I type this!! I have her pots and pans and knives and I love the bakeware, but have yet to add it to my collection. It would be AWESOME to buy this and help balance out my collection.

You really should go over there and ENTER to win this!! I'm SOOO excited!!!

I don't know about you but ...

2010-04-14T22:58:00.000-06:00

I don't usually enter giveaways on blogs, and that's because I'm not a very winning person. That sounds mean, but I never ever win contests. I don't think I ever have in my whole life. I can come close, but never actually win the whole she-bang. Well, I realized that entering giveaways only supports the creative gals behind my favorite blogs. And that doing posts like this about their giveaway, helps create more traffic for them, and isn't that what we all want?

So, Morgan at Meet Virginia, is doing a super cute giveaway right now. She follows my blog, and joins my party every week, she is so great!! Anyway, she just turned 25 and decided to do a giveaway to celebrate, isn't that the nicest thing ever?? You can choose between these:

This SOOO SOOOO cute necklace that she crocheted and you can choose between: red, black, white, off-white or grey.

Or you can choose a pair of the DARLING little baby booties!! I wish I had a little girl so I could snatch these right up for her!!!

Seriously, I am hoping to win the necklace, I know that I wont tho ... So, I'm going to have to buy it. I need to find out if she has an ETSY shop. Get on over there ASAP and get yourselves entered, unless you already have, in which case NICE WORK!!!