Simply Sweet Giveaway!

Winner is #9 Tandy!
Congratulations!
Please send me your address :)

I will close the drawing at noon (EST) today and announce the winner this afternoon! Thank you all for entering and for all the sweet posts you left. I will do another giveaway soon..I want you all to win! I am organizing my scrap/craft room so I can get down to business...I don't function very well in the condition I have left it..LOL. I should post pictures but I am too embarrassed!
Good luck!
Beth

It's time for my first giveaway!

Since I'm still in the Christmas giving mood, I want to do a giveaway! For you cricuteers out there..I have a new Simply Sweet cartridge and some other goodies I will toss in. I will use random.org to choose a winner one week from today. I wish I could give all my sweet followers something special.
I hope to do more giveaways in the near future. I have been lucky enough to win some giveaways lately and I feel it's time to "pay it forward" :)
To be in the random draw, I only ask that you....
*Be a follower
*Leave me a comment...gotta have some love! ;)
Good luck!

Shout Out For Willow House!

I recently won a gift certificate to Willow House from the The DIY Showoff Blog! I had never heard of Willow House before Roeshel at The DIY Showoff posted the giveaway. Well...let me tell you, I am a new fan/customer of Willow House products! I was honestly surprised when I received the package in the mail! These products are better than the lovely pictures appear...now, how often can you say that??
I ordered two items from the catalog and already have my wish list of more things to order. Here are the two items I ordered...

I don't have a picture of the file holder in my kitchen but I have put my longaberger dishes in it..yes, they fit perfectly!

Here is a picture of the recipe book holder from my kitchen..

This is a full size magazine (Taste of Home) I was using. I love how it holds the pages open!
I am in love and can't wait to add to this collection. There is a great sale going on right now...hopefully, you will take a peek and see all the beautiful things they offer. Nanci is wonderful to order from..she communicated promptly and the shipment was very fast! Her personal blog is {here}. Her story is touching..I hope you take the time to visit her blog :)

(I was not compensated in any way by Willow House for this post. My opinions about Willow House are strickly my own.)

Hugs,
Beth

Finally~Christmas Pictures

I am so late posting these pictures of some Christmas decorations around our home. Warning..pic heavy!

This is our huge tree (9') in the living room with red and gold decorations

This is our "family" tree. All the baby ornaments and special ornaments the kids have made for me go on this tree. We always buy an ornament when we are on vacation..here are some of my favorite ones. I love the santa dough ornament the children of Aruba make to raise money for their school. I love the Maui surf board and colors of the Cozumel ornament.

The mantel was in an earlier post but I have changed some things around since it was posted..my family laughs at this..each time they visit..something is moved :)

One of my favorite pieces is the antique school desk..the school house quilt was handed down to me by my granny..her grandmother quilted it. It is beautiful..I love it.

This is the family room decorations..the walls look orange but they are actually "brick".

......and of course, the stockings :)

I hope I haven't bored you all..I know everyone is ready to move on to the new year and pack away all the Christmas decorations :)

And the stockings belong to these little sweeties :) Well...sweet most of the time..lol.

I learned trying to take "Chuck" the truck away was not a good idea at the time..thus the reason for the frown! I love this picture because it wasn't planned in advance..we gathered them up from playing..surprisingly it turned out this good :) 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family or families. I always want everything to be perfect and almost kill myself to make it happen but when it comes down to it..it doesn't really matter as long as we can all spend this time together. I know I won't change my ways..it's who I am :)

More than anything..I just want to make it magical for these little people who won't be little very long.

Blessings,

Beth

Paused for a station break...

I've been MIA for a good reason (*big grins*). I have been spending time with this little visitor...

We have had a fun-filled week with our little 6 year old granddaughter. I will probably get around to posting more Christmas things..after Christmas :) Everything was put on hold to spoil her (wink).
I hope all of my blog friends have a very, merry Christmas!
Love,
Beth

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Christmas Wreaths

Yes, these were the "thing" last year but I never got around to making any until now...it's just like me to put things off and then search high and low for what I have in mind...well, not this year! These ornaments are in abundance everywhere you look...(I know you can buy ornaments everywhere but these are plastic). You can buy tube after tube in any color you like for around $1.00.

Before Thanksgiving, I started picking them up at Dollar Tree, Big Lots and Dollar General. I have given these to my girls and haven't made one for myself yet. I'm still debating on a color..the possibilities are endless. I also found the ribbon 1/2 off at various craft stores. If you haven't seen these and would like to see a tutorial, {click here}. If you don't want to take the time to read the tutorial. All you will need is a coat hanger (shaped into a circle), a hot glue gun for gluing the tops of the ornaments on..do not skip gluing the tops on, you will be sorry! They will pop off as you are stringing your ornaments onto the hanger. I like using small ones to help hide the hanger. Also, you will need many more than you think..probably around 80 for each wreath. If I can answer any questions, please email me! I love getting your emails!

Have a wonderful day!

Beth

Christmas Lotion Bottles

Hi everyone! I wanted to share these lotion bottles I made last weekend. I purchased the bottles for $1, I already had the ribbon and scrap paper. I cut the images with my Cricut Expression (favorite gift I have ever received!)...then used Mod Podge (my new favorite medium!) under the image, once it was dry, I put a coat on top of the image. I think they turned out really cute! I didn't keep any for myself though..boo! :)

Have a great day!!

Hugs,

Beth

Christmas Countdown

 

Sorry to remind everyone how rapidly Christmas is approaching....lol. I made these out of scrap wood (2x2 blocks) and scraps of some of my favorite patterned paper. I painted the blocks then used Mod Podge for adhering the paper. I used my Cricut for cutting the words and numbers. If you don't have a cutting machine, you could always use stickers or a paint pen to write on them. I also added a little bling with a hot glue gun :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Beth

More Christmas

Red and Silver decorations, completely different than what I have done in the past. I so wanted an old window or shutters for my mantle this year but I haven't been lucky enough to find them yet.

A close-up pic of the ornaments displayed in a vase and red and silver trees I had in my stash. These are some of my favorites.

Christmas Decor

I have seen this idea and decided I would give it a try...figuring it is a cheap free project and if I didn't like it..I wouldn't have anything invested :)

I already had the white spray paint, vase and ornaments on hand..can't beat the cost of this project!

Hugs...
~Beth

Christmastime at our home ♥

I took advantage of my four days off in a row to get some decorating started...yes, I say started because I lose count of how many trees I end up with...LOL. I love, love, love to decorate for Christmas! My family thinks I'm a little whacky but they quickly forget when gifts start showing up under the tree :)
It's like Christmas morning for me when I start dragging out my Christmas decorations each year because I buy sale items (decorations) after Christmas, put them away...and by the time Christmas rolls around again, I have forgotten what I bought!
Tonight, I plan on putting together one of those knock-off Pottery Barn wreaths that keep popping up on some blogs..they are so pretty! For now..I will show you a picture of my "big" tree and a peek at my mantle..I will try to add more pics soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Beth

Hanging Wreaths on Windows Tip~

Hanging Wreaths on Windows~

Every year I love the look of greenery wreaths hanging on windows and I always get the question, "how do you hang your wreaths on the window?"...well..it's a simple little gadget you can pick up at the Dollar General Store. I believe they are 2/1.00...
I have never lost a wreath using these suction cup hooks.

Here is another method I have used...

Using Ribbons, Florist Wire Or Fishing Line to Hang Wreaths on Windows



Put a piece of ribbon, florist wire or fishing line through the top of the wreath forming a loop and tie a knot at the end. The length of the ribbon will depend on your windows and at what length you want the wreaths to hang.
Now lower the top window sash enough to slip your wreath out. A nail or a screw cup if you want a nail, in the top edge of your interior window casing will hold your ribbon or wire loop. You could also loop the ribbon around your window latch and then shut it close. The ribbon or wire gets hidden from inside by curtains and wire and fishing line do not show outside.

Hope these tips help to make your decorating much easier :) 

Happy Decorating!

~Beth

Snowman Ornament

This cute little guy is made out of a lightbulb! Every year when I start decorating, it's like meeting up with old friends :) I also get a little sad when I see the ornaments I have made with pics of the little ones and how much they have grown..knowing there is nothing like seeing a Christmas tree through the eyes of a child and how quickly they grow up..then there are those like me that never outgrow the love of Christmas trees and decorating! I seriously need a room for only storing my Christmas decor each year!
Ok..so I strayed a bit off topic....sorry about that :)

You probably have most of the ingredients around your home, making this a very inexpensive project!

Here is what you will need to make this cute little snowman...

Light bulb (Standard size)
Glue (I use my hot glue gun)
Orange and black paint
Black felt
Decorative Snow
Scrap piece of fabric
Scrap piece of ribbon or cording
Tiny sticks from your yard
Small paintbrush

1. Paint the end of the light bulb with black paint
2. Cut the black felt into a circle (make slits in the center to fit over the end of the light bulb) (see pic below)
3. Paint face with the black and orange paint (let dry before continuing)
4. Wrap scarf (cutting slits in each end to look like fringe), use hot glue to attach
5. Attach hat to light bulb with hot glue
6. Attach arms (sticks) with hot glue
7. Last...dab decorative snow with small brush

Thanks for visiting!

~Beth

Christmas ornaments

I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving! After we got home from family festivities, I was all ready to start dragging out the Christmas decor since it was snowing here! I came across these ornaments I made as gifts last year and wanted to share them with you. I love to make these ornaments while watching tv in the evening....to keep from falling asleep when hubby wants to watch a movie! (am I the only one who can't stay awake for the end of a movie? LOL) They are soooo easy to make and cost very little! You can find the tutorial {HERE} if you are interested in making them.  

Hope you have a wonderful Friday!
Hugs ~Beth

Thanksgiving Subway Art

I went Christmas shopping over the weekend and was just too busy and tired to get much accomplished at home, therefore, I have nothing to post of my own..boo! However, I do have something fun to share...I found this printable subway art {here} this morning, fell in love with it. Jessica at Craftily Ever After designed this...so she deserves ALL the credit, thanks Jessica!
Happy Monday!
Enjoy!
~Beth

"Gabriel" name blocks

Here's another vinyl project. This one is for my grandson Gabriel's room..his room is about to transform from nursery to vintage sports. If you would like the recipe for this fun project, go here. 
Hope you enjoy looking!

Hugs,

New Baby!

Sorry..I have been MIA for a very good reason :) My daughter just had her first baby! Wow..were my babies this tiny! Mommy and daddy asked me to be present for the birth..what a blessing!
I am already behind in my scrapbooking and projects! I need to get busy and put a leave me alone "do not disturb" sign on my scraproom door...but for now, I can't get enough of holding this precious little guy :)

Hugs,

Beth

Vinyl/Mod Podge Name Blocks

My daughter is expecting a baby any day now. I decided to make something for the baby's room today. I searched through my papers and found this cute paper from My Mind's Eye to match the blue and brown nursery. These were soooo easy and fun to make. I asked hubby for some scrap wood from his garage that I could cut into small blocks..Wa La! he came in with a box of wood cut in all shapes and sizes for me! Now... this may not make just anyone happy but it sure made my day!

Here's how I made these...

1. Paint the blocks

2. Cut paper to fit the blocks

3. Use a sponge paint brush to apply Mod Podge to the block (apply this lightly or you will get bubbles underneath the paper)

3. Apply a light coat of Mod Podge over the paper

4. I sanded all edges of the blocks just before the paper was completely dry but this depends on the look you want. You could also use distressing ink for a vintage look.

5. Apply vinyl letters (I used my Cricut Expression for cutting). If you don't have a cutting system, stickers would work great.

Enjoy!

New Wall Vinyl

I have had some questions about the font I chose. I actually used several because I couldn't find a cursive G that I liked. I didn't want the lowercase looking G that I kept finding but ended up choosing one anyway :) 
The cursive "G" is Majestic (I think), the rest of the cursive is Chopinscript and I used Latha for "The Gennicks Family".


It's been a great weekend....I read a book, got a lot of things done around the house and cooked Sunday dinner for the family. 
I have been wanting to do this to my wall for awhile now.
Cutting and applying the vinyl was actually easy and not time consuming at all. It took the longest for me to choose a font..I couldn't make up my mind which font I liked the best :) I chose the red and brown vinyl (I know it looks black, but it really is brown).

Before and after autumn decoration~

I have taken a break from scrapbooking/cardmaking to do some things around the house that I have neglected. Autumn is my favorite time of year! I have been motivated to get out the paintbrush and do some projects that are floating around in my head...which makes the hubby very nervous! (he has been involved in my little projects before..haha)
I have been stalking some DIY blogs and have seen some wonderful things. I have lots of ideas and things I want to try....I will share them with you as I go along. I will be using my Cricut for some of the vinyl projects...they will be fun and easy for you to copy.
Here is my "junk" find this week...I hope you like it!
Have a wonderful weekend!!








Before~





After~

Party Favor Bags~

I made these party favor bags to put some goodies in for my daughter's baby shower. I used Plantin and New Arrival for these. They were a lot of fun to make! Tucked away inside are some yummy chocolates :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs~

Jitterbuggin' Sketch 13 Challenge

I made this card for the Planes, Trains and Automobiles Challenge over at Jitterbuggin'. There are so many cricut mobiles to choose from! I chose the airplane from New Arrival for this one. The papers are from My Mind's Eye...





Here is the recipe that we were asked to follow...

Jitterbuggin' Challenge - Oh Baby!

This week we are making cards to welcome those new little bundles of joy that God blesses us with. We are to make a baby card by using the following recipe. I enjoyed making this card since we are being blessed with another little boy (grandson) in October :)



Hugs!

Here is the card recipe~

Baby Boy Diaper Cake~

This diaper cake is my latest project I have been busy with. It was a lot of fun shopping for baby items again. Tucked inside all the little goodies are some New Arrival cuts. I am still trying to decide what I want to top it off with..thinking of a little bear??? :)

Have a Wonderful Weekend!