Hey Ya'll...Get Ready!!

So I know there are many of you who have been faithfully reading my blog for the last few months, and either commenting or telling me verbally that you have been here...

To you all...I cannot say THANK YOU enough!! I am so encouraged to know that I hopefully brighten a few days like you all brighten mine...

and now...for those of you who read my blog and never create blogger profiles from which you can leave comments, etc...now is the time to do it, because I am hosting my first GIVEAWAY!! 

WHOOHOO!

I was so excited when the folks from Mymemories.com asked if I would be interested in hosting a giveaway for their wonderful scrapbooking/photo editing software that can be used to create all kinds of custom cards, photo collages, announcements, etc...all on your computer!!

The contest will be held next week, and I will give many more details on how to enter, what the prize package is, etc...

But please get ready by creating a blogger profile (you don't need a blog to do it) so that you can enter when the time comes!!

Thanks so much!!

T-shirt necklaces...

Since these little wonders are all over the blog world lately...I thought I would try my hand at my own t-shirt necklaces, using a few old t-shirts I picked up at goodwill for $1.50 each...

Using my rotary cutter, I sliced off the bottom half of each shirt, then cut slits into them, being sure to not slice all the way to the seams...

Then I opened the necklace up by separating the front and back, and using two extra fabric pieces, I wrapped the seams ...for a more detailed how-to...visit this lovely blog here.

I am so pleased with the result..woohoo!

I might still add a little embellishment to them...maybe some wooden beads like in the tutorial I linked to...but for now...I love them=)

 Here it is doubled up...

Anyone else try making these little beauties lately?

P.S. Check out my link party page to see where I'm linking up!!

Cheap is good...free is better...

You know that old expression...the best things in life are free?

well, yesterday was my lucky day...

I got not one, but TWO free things =)

Thing #1:  Free fall decor...

Mike and I spent the evening with his parents and grandparents, and much to my delight, his Mom-mom suggested that we go scavenging for acorns for me to use as decoration around the house this fall...

She didn't have to ask me twice ;)

Isn't it amazing how some of the best things fall right out of trees for us to enjoy?

Thing #2: Free decorating ideas...

The other exciting thing came in the form the new potterybarn magazine that arrived in my mailbox yesterday...complete with a few new pages of harvest-y goodness!!

Is anyone else craving fall...pumpkins, cider, sweaters, and corn mazes?

I can't wait!!

Jewelry keepers...

Anyone ever feel like they can never find the right piece of jewelry or accessory at the right time to perfectly accent your outfit?

Ever feel like you know you have something that would go well with that top your wearing...if you could just un-clump the ball of necklaces in your drawer?

I was feeling that way for a long time until I decided to come up with some creative ways to store my stuff so I could actually see what I had, and use them on a daily basis...

There are so many great ideas out there for how to store jewelry, like these:

Source: google.com via http://pinterest.com/adrianedimmitt/ on

Source: google.com via http://pinterest.com/adrianedimmitt/ on

 

Source: google.com via http://pinterest.com/adrianedimmitt/ on

Here are the storage solutions that I came up with that work wonderfully for me...

I keep all my jewelry in my "craft room" where the only full length mirror is in our house...they not only add color to the space, but they kinda have become part of the decor...

I use a fabric photo collage board for all my earrings and pins, hooking them over the ribbon...and for all my necklaces...

I use...

uhhh...

a toilet paper holder that I found at goodwill for $6!! 

(my mom and hubby laughed at me when I told them what it was...but I figure all of you would appreciate my ingenuity a little more...right? ;)

It works so well because I can see all my necklaces, and they don't get tangled up!

Has anyone else found some creative ways to store their jewelry?

Go to my link party page to see where I'm partying today!

wrap it up...take 2

Hey hey...

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Thursday night...

we just had a spectacular storm here in Pa....

 rain was coming down in sheets, the thunder was breathtaking, and the lightning made it bright as day=) 

I love those kinds of storms!

Just thought I would post another wrapping idea to add to my collection. This gift was bright and colorful, so I thought, rather than cover up the items, why not just tie a big bow onto them and hot glue some brightly colored faux fruit to the top...

What do you think?

linking up to:

Catch a Glimpse
Strut your Stuff

when life gets you down...

on Monday my mom and I had to take my grandma to a "skilled nursing facility" to begin rehab for an awful yucky fall she had last week...

That's what they call them now..."skilled nursing facility"...

really it's a nursing home... and its not much fun at all.

To me, it is a place that is full to the brim of memories, wisdom, and legacies that are all to often left unheard and undiscovered.

The people who grace the halls of these places had long, full lives... some may have been musicians, maybe doctors, actors, or engineers...some may have been homemakers, seamstresses, and chefs...

most are undoubtedly are sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and friends to many...

Just knowing that made me want to go room by room and hear all their stories, laugh with them, cry with them, and pray with them...

Since that is virtually impossible, I think I will just do the last item on that list while I lay in bed tonight.

That's not really what this post is about though...its about Grandma's room, and the makeover we gave it to make it her own.

The walls when we got there were bare and void of any sense of home-y-ness....and that simply did not fly with me...

So Mike and I went to the store and got a few calendars (dogs and flowers...her favorite things;) and some thumb-tacks, and I set to work plastering her walls with bright collages of color.

Calendars: $2.00 each

Thumbtacks: $1.98

Smile on Grandma's face: priceless

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday! 

If you have older people in your life...make sure they know how much you love them!!

the search...

Now that the unbearable summer heat is beginning to subside here in Pennsylvania, and the cooler breezes are beginning stir, I have had one thing on my mind...

Summer is almost over. Fall is almost here.

Our little one will be here soon!!!!!

And as I have begun to compile my registry and plan for our baby's arrival, I have also begun a little search...for the perfect diaper bag.

I know that the shelves of so many stores are full to the hilt with bright nylon diaper bags with anything from flowers to jungle animals plastered all over them...but I'm just not feeling them...

Who says style needs to be sacrificed in the name of practicality?

So here are some of my favorites that I have pinned recently... still not sure which one is "the one" just yet:)

Source: luvmybag.com via Adriane @ fruitfulhomejournal on Pinterest

Source: luvmybag.com via Adriane @ fruitfulhomejournal on Pinterest

Source: luvmybag.com via Adriane @ fruitfulhomejournal on Pinterest

Source: poshtots.com via Adriane @ fruitfulhomejournal on Pinterest

Source: luvmybag.com via Adriane @ fruitfulhomejournal on Pinterest

Source: poshtots.com via Adriane @ fruitfulhomejournal on Pinterest

Source: poshtots.com via Adriane @ fruitfulhomejournal on Pinterest

Source: poshtots.com via Adriane @ fruitfulhomejournal on Pinterest

What so you all thing...neutral or bold? big or compact? trendy or just mom-ish?

I am still undecided...but since it is a rainy Sunday afternoon here in Pa...I think I'll take some time and continue my search for the perfect bag:)

Wish me luck!

Anniversary trip...take two...

Just wanted to share with you all a few more moments from our trip this past weekend...

We stayed at this fabulous bed and breakfast called The Nest.

The owners, Marc and Sally, did a wonderful job combining the luxury and convenience of a modern, sleek hotel, with the charm and uniqueness of a bed and breakfast...check out their website and you will see what I mean=)



On our Saturday adventures, Mike and I visited this quaint little mountain town called Milford. A place where the streets were lined with beautiful antique shoppes, bakeries, restaurants, and local historic sites...

It was lovely...

Mike even reluctantly agreed to have lunch at this little place called The Patisserie, where my construction working, hunting loving, pick-up truck driving husband ate a bowl of soup out of a delicate flower-printed bowl...

After which he sheepishly smiled at me and said, "honey, are you trying to broaden my horizons?"

I laughed out loud...

I just love him, he makes me smile everyday without even trying =)

While we were in town we decided to visit a local landmark called The Grey Towers, a historic mansion nestled  in the mountains that boasted old world architecture and sprawling gardens...

Gorgeous, huh?

We happened to pick a good day for an impromptu visit, since the mansions grounds were buzzing with vendors and local craftsman, congregating to celebrate an event called the "Festival of Wood".

Here were some of our favorite handmade items for sale that day: 



Doesn't this little family of s'more making bears make you grin=)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Thursday!

the art of gift giving...

Ever since I was young I loved giving gifts...

and although I would like to say that my enjoyment was found purely in just blessing the recipient with something meaningful...

if I said that I would be lying, and I try not to do that;)

the truth is that I love love love to wrap gifts.

To me, a gift is only as spectacular as the way it is presented. (ok-so this does not apply to all gifts...but a lot of gifts)

Which is why, when my sister suggested it, I decided to start taking pictures of some of the gifts I have wrapped and given recently, so that all you in blog world could share in my enthusiasm for gift wrapping=)

So Nicole, this ones for you...some of my latest packages!

This first one was a thank you gift for my mom for watching her grand-puppy for a week while Mike and I were away...Instead of paper, I decided to use some extra fabric that I had on hand, tying it up like a giant piece of candy and adding a flower and sticker to the top as a garnish...

This next one is a gift for my dear friend Kirsten for her birthday a few weeks ago...which I wrapped similarly with more fabric, twine and a flower on top...

This last gift was another thank you gift...for our neighbors who kept an eye on our house while we were away...isn't it amazing what a little ribbon and faux flower can do for a simple candle=)





So there you have it folks, some of my most recent packages:) I can't wait 'till Christmas when my wrapping fetish kicks into overdrive...and I can post some more package ideas!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday!!

Linking up with:

Tip me Tuesday 

Get Your Craft On

Strictly Homemade Tuesday

our weekend...

So...over the weekend, my hubby and I took a trip to the mountains to celebrate (a bit belatedly) our anniversary...

It was a wonderful trip...

The kind of trip where we laughed so hard our sides hurt and eyes misted over...

The kind of trip where the three words "I love you" were repeated with reckless abandon...

The kind of trip that flooded us with memories of when we first fell in love...

The kind of trip that added to the foundation of our marriage like a giant cornerstone...

God is good to us...

 

=)

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentation 3:22-23

mirror, mirror on the wall...

Remember a few weeks ago, when I posted inspiration for a nautical-themed mirror that I was going to attempt?

No? ha...me neither...it was ages ago...here is the link to that post.

Annnyway, I finally finished the project...

and it was not one of those fun, easy diy's that took one blissful afternoon and was well worth the effort...

quite the contrary...it was a pain in the butt. (excuse my french...but it was:)

Here is the mirror before:

BORING...and I don't know about you but I hate those little plastic thingys holding the mirror to the wall...

So first I removed the mirror from the wall, and went to Lowe's to purchase a thin piece of plywood that was a 1/2 inch larger on all four sides than my mirror.

Then, because I wanted to not have a thick piece of plywood, I had to be creative with how to mount it to the wall...(since it was too thin to screw in to)....

So I drilled two small holes in the upper half of the plywood, and fed a piece of wire through it, pulling it taught on the side where I would mount the mirror...

It looked something like this:

Then I set it on the table, and liquid-glued the mirror to it, making sure it was in the center of my plywood...

I let that dry for a few days, using giant paperclips to hold it together....

Then I added my rope, starting with what would become my middle strand, using liquid nails again... it was messy and icky, but created a pretty tight seal after letting it dry for another few days with the clips holding it firm...

Then I proceeded with the other two strands, using one to hide the edges of the plywood, and using the other on the inside to hide the edge of the mirror...more liquid nails, and more clipping and drying for this step...

Finally, I added smaller pieces of twine to hide the seams, which I had made sure and put all together on one side. For this step I was able to use a hot glue gun with those yellow glue sticks that are for heavy duty projects like this...I happily and ceremoniously tossed my tube of liquid nails, which was just about empty.

I also added a strip of the twine to the inside perimeter of the frame, to hide all the gunky-ness from the liquid nails that ooozed out...

And voila! my mirror was complete!! After about three agonizing weeks..haha!!

Here it is in our fishing/boating/outdoor-sy themed bathroom that is off of our rustic den (seen in this post).

Much better, eh?

The total cost for all the materials came to about $30, which I thought was fairly reasonable, since retailers such as Ballad Designs sell similar mirrors for around  $130 buckaroos!!!

Here are some other snapshots of the room:

Ahhhh, another project down, 6,482 left to go..

hehe (not really, it just feels that way sometimes:)

Hope you're all having a great day!

I am linking up to:

The Crafty Soiree

Delightfully Inspiring Thursday

Transformation Thursday