Friday, December 31, 2010

Embellished T-shirt

I have been so inspired by Make It and Love It's Embellished T-shirts. I made a knotted t-shirt several months ago and have been wanting to try another one, so I did.

This one took a lot more time than the knotted t-shirt. I had two shirts I bought on clearance. I cut strips from the second shirt and then sewed a "basting stitch" and gathered the material to make a ruffle. This was my first attempt at making a ruffle-fairly easy. I then cute longer sleeves-because I HATE short, skimpy sleeves. So now the sleeves are to my elbows...just perfect for me. So here it is....still need some practice, but I think it turned out cute enough.

BEFORE

After

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Mother-in-law's Christmas Gift

I bought a nine pane window to make a picture frame for my mother in law-she has 9 grandkids. pERfect!! I cleaned it up and sealed it....


but I didn't like the look of it. So I brushed a little bit of brown paint on it. I think it looks much better!!! I was very excited about it and cannot wait to do one for myself!!!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

IT'S BAKING DAY!!!

Today my family and friends are getting together to bake Christmas sweets!! I got an early start yesterday while my 2 little ones were napping and my older one was visiting his cousins. I figured with everyone coming over I would go ahead and get my baking started, plus I wanted to bake some sweets for their teachers and it just wouldn't be nice to bake and not share with my guests....LOL.

So everyone is coming over after noon today. I have taco soup in one crock pot and I am trying white bean chicken chili in another crock pot. I have had it a couple times with my bunco group, but I have never made it myself. So we shall see how it turns out.

Starting off this morning I am making "pretzel turtles . Someone made them this week at work and they are just delish!! Very easy too. Here is the recipe I got offline, but who needs a recipe?! They are so easy!!


Ingredients

* 20 small mini pretzels
* 20 chocolate covered caramel candies
* 20 pecan halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel.
3. Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Paying for the next person in line...

Today after running around trying to get my phone fixed...a story for another entry...I pulled into Penn's to grab a quick bite before heading back to work. I pulled up to pay for my order and heard the cashier tell the next customer in line her total. So I got the great idea to pay for that customer!!! It's on my "34 before 34" list.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Redo: I had to redo a bulletin board

I hated it the way it was and just couldn't live with it. So I redid it this weekend. It looks so much better.

Before


After

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Santa treat cup...another idea I must try!!

found this cute Santa treat cups at CRAFT TOWN ...and I cannot wait to try it..hopefully...soon!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

"Sew Many Ways" posted this....


I love it!! I actually saw it a few months ago and told one of the teachers I would do it for her class, then couldn't remember where I had seen it. After searching the internet for it I just gave up. So I am linking it here so I can find it next year!!!

SEW MANY WAYS

Saturday, December 4, 2010

A halloween craft


I know a certain someone that will LOVE this!!

Before and After Pillowcase Dress

My baby girl had this cute, plain red pillowcase dress. So I thought I'd fix it up a bit for the holidays. I changed out the ribbon with a cute bright green ribbon, then added a little white trim to the bottom. I made a cute bow to match!!! NO SEWING!!! FUN FUN. I cannot wait for her to wear it tomorrow when she has her photo taken with Santa. If I was a sewing person I would attempt to sew ribbon in the shape of a Christmas tree on the front-but I was afraid I'd mess the entire thing up. So here it is....for now.

BEFORE



AFTER



Personalized Coloring book-idea from Ruffles and Stuff


I just love her idea on a personalized coloring book!! Brilliant!! I quickly printed off one of each of my kids and I cannot wait for them to color them. So ADORABLE!!


Ruffles and Stuff

Thursday, December 2, 2010

HOBBY LOBBY IN STORE COUPON


In-Store Coupon : Weekly In-Store Specials : Hobby Lobby - Hobby Lobby

I was in Hobby Lobby today and the clerk said you don't even have to have the printed coupon for 40% off. All you have to do is show the coupon from your phone!!!!!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

more bulletin boards from ceiling tiles










Here are my finished bulletin boards-minus the ribbons.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Christmas Card 2010




Here IT is!!! Christmas Cards ordered!!! I haven't sent out Christmas cards in YEARS!!! YAY ME!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

20 bucks worth of groceries for $1.29 !!!!


This past week I started clipping coupons after getting information from a co-worker. She went to a coupon clipping seminar by Jenni at Southern Savers. After my second week of clipping coupons I took a trip to Kroger today for just a few items.

Grocer list:
Four boxes of GM cereal
12pack of cokes.

coupons:
-free 12 pack of cokes (thanks to mycokerewards.com)
-$1 off 2 GM cereals
-.75 off one GM cereal
-.55 off cinnamon toast crunch cereal (which was doubled)
-$1 ecoupons sent to my Kroger card for November customer appreciation
-.55 ecoupon off GM cereal
-$1 off coupon which printed last time I went to Kroger

total at checkout $20.18 and I only paid $1.29!!!! YIPEE.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

C25K Week 5 Day 1




I have gotten a little behind so I just skipped Week 4 Day 3 and went straight for week 5. It was really tough. Three intervals of 5 minutes running followed by 3 minute of walking. The last 5 minutes of running was really tough-but I was able to make it. Day 2 will be two intervals of 8 minutes running and 5 minutes walking. Day 3 is 20 minutes running! YIKES!

I don't know when I will be able to run again, tomorrow my son has a program at his school. Maybe tomorrow night, although I don't really like running at night. So we will see...

Thursday, November 11, 2010

some of the projects I've done lately...






HALLOWEEN- a little late posting

We went to my parent's house for Halloween! Our town was doing trick or treating on Saturday night but they were trick or treating at my parents' house on Sunday night-this proved to be a challenge. Since we had to leave Sunday night by 6 in order to get home at a decent time, the kids had to trick or treat at 5pm. this meant not many people were ready for trick or treating. Oh well. They still had fun and got plenty of candy.

Baby girl said she wanted to be a "birthday cake on the table" which turned out to be her "I'm the birthday girl" t-shirt. But I convinced her to wear her LSU chearleading outfit. We also tried getting her to wear a princess dress-but she wouldn't have it.

I wanted baby boy to be a scarecrow but never got around to getting his costume made-fail-again.

So here are a the few pictures we got from the night...




Tuesday, November 9, 2010

C25K Week 4 Day 1 DONE!!


I completed my run today-week 4 day 1. It was tough, but not as tough as I thought it would have been. Halfway through my first five minute run I had a 4 legged friend sneak up behind me to join me in my run. It was a great distraction to have him run with me, but he sure did give me a scare. I didn't get a chance to run at all last week. I have GOT to get a routine down-it's just so hard with my schedule and my husband's schedule.

Tomorrow I weigh in for my first week back on "Atkins". I have cheated here and there a bit-had an Almond Hershey bar yesterday, and a scoop of mac and cheese with my lunch today. All in all not too bad. Looking for a big loss tomorrow!!!! Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

MORE Make It and Love It



I just love this chick!!! She is amazingly creative and makes everything seem SO EASY! I just want to run home and pull out my sewing machine and get to work....if only I could sew...LOL! I think I could do the cozy...but as for the tote-well I am not so sure about that one.

so go check her out at Make It And Love It and check out this GREAT tutorial on how to make a snack cozy and a snack tote!!!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Week 3 Day 3 fo C25K

DONE! I ran today around the soccer fields instead of running in my neighborhood. It was easier on my back but I wore my cleats for the first time in ELEVEN YEARS, and they just fell apart....lol. My feet got soaked, but at least my back isn't killing me.

Not sure when I will start week 4 as I am busy the next 2 mornings-but I will get them in somehow!!!!




I painted a canvas tonight!! I copied one that I had one at Bunco. It came out cute!! I was very suprised!! I have a friend that had asked if I would paint some for her for Christmas gifts. So I wanted to try this cross and I am VERY pleased with how it came out!!! I cannot wait to paint more!!!




Also here is one of the ceiling tiles I have painted for one of the preschool teachers. She does these every year as a gift from her to the students. I love the way it came out-except for the name. I am not very good at writing/painting words. I think it needs to be outlined-but I am afraid of making it worse.....what to do? what to do?


Saturday, October 30, 2010

Week 3 Day 2



It was a little easier today but it was still rough. I hope day 3 is easier...surely it gets easier...right?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Week 3 Day 1-DONE


Well after two weeks off from running I started week 3 today. It was rough. 90 second run then 90 second walk, followed by a 3 minute run, then walk. Repeat. I only had to do this twice so it wasn't too bad but it was rough. I haven't done any kind of consistent running in 10 years!!! That's insane and shameful!!! I was never a fast runner but I had good stamina.

Friday we weigh in at work to see how all the biggest loser contestants have kept the weight off. I actually gained 10 pounds back but have lost it again. I would have liked to have lost at least another 10 pounds-but oh well. Another FAIL.

I am having surgery in about 3.5 weeks and I hope to lose at least 20lbs before my surgery. Not that its necessary for the surgery but it would be nice. I asked him to do a tummy tuck while he is in there..but it's not going to happen. Oh well.

Well off to work I go!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Photoshop Glitch...

I was editing photos last night and look what I found when I was going back thru my photos....


I have NO idea how this happened but I certainly did not intend to cut this photo up.

Photoshop

So Photoshop is suppose to make editing easier...right?? WRONG!!!! There are so many options and I cannot decide which editing techniques I like best-for my "standard" editing. I take my pictures in jpeg but I like to edit them in camera raw. I have downloaded some actions and have used those in photoshop. However, I cannot decide which I like better, editing in photoshop workspace or in camera raw........which photo do you like best???




Saturday, October 23, 2010

Sneak Peaks

Here are some pictures I took last weekend. The first few are of a little guy that is now six months old. I have known his daddy's family for YEARS.




For this engagement session I had wanted to shoot downtown, but they had a festival going on right in the middle of where I wanted to shoot. So we decided to try the college down the street, but they just happened to be having homecoming activities that day. So with a quick phone call we were able to shoot at this BEAUTIFUL plantation home!! It was gorgeous!!!







And finally here are some pictures of my babies. We went yesterday downtown and were able to take some shots in an area I've been wanting to try for months. Everytime I'd go they were having a festival, come to find out they had one every other weekend all summer-LOL>









There is a cute courtyard downtown that is wedged between two buildings and small trees overhang the entire courtyard. There is a sign that reads "Make a Wish" and people have tied slips of paper with their wishes onto the branches or tucked them behind the string of lights. VERY CUTE!!! My kids of course pulled a few down while I was not looking. So I explained what they were and why they were hung in the tree. I also read them to them....cute cute.