Tuesday, May 31, 2011

memorial day organization

hope everyone had a great long weekend! it was beautiful weather here in Boston, and I am BURNT. it was so nice to enjoy the sun and good weather after all the rain we had the past couple of weeks.

 

we did manage to squeeze in some house work amidst being outside. we decided to organize out living room closet. we wanted a place to keep the start of our bathroom stockpile. I am horrible at taking before pictures when we do random projects around the house, but just imagine a 50 gallon storage tub of coats & sweatshirts that is now being packed away in the basement. no joke.

it is so nice to see it so clean and organized, hopefully we can keep it like this.

I decided today that I am going to take a big craft/blogging step (for me), by participating in craftaholics anonymoushandmade gift exchange. I am nervous because I feel like this could introduce me to a whole slew of amazing bloggers/crafters that I am not up to par with (yet). I am already trying to decide what to make, and have sewn two different things tonight, both of which I did not like.

&& just a reminder, I am going to NKOTBSB this Saturday. cannot wait.  

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

etsy store up and running!

so I know it took me forever, but my etsy store is UP & RUNNING!! it doesn’t have everything I will be selling, but it is a start. it takes time, folks. so please please please, go check it out!

right now I have button rings & jumbo paper clip/bookmarks. they are super cute.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

man’s best friend

my little baby is 1 today! 

even though she doesn’t listen well, wakes us up at 6am on a daily basis to play, thinks her food bowl is a toy, makes a mess out of anything, goes on the kitchen table and helps herself to tortilla chips, eats my prescription eyeglasses – TWICE, and barks at anything passing the house; we still love her so much.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMY!

i will be out of commission the next couple of days. my mom is coming in from FL, so we will be busy busy visiting friends and family, shopping, dance recital, etc. have a good weekend!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

i gotta know right now

 

thank you pandora. i forgot how much i love this song. fast forward to 4:31. that's where the fun begins.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Couponing 101

Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism.
--Carl Gustav Jung

my coupon binder

growing up, my mother always cut coupons. nothing serious, but she would cut all the coupons out of the Sunday paper and adamantly used them when grocery shopping. ever since I have lived on my own, I have cut coupons. even if it is $0.50, you are still saving something.

as many other Americans, I have been hooked to the show Extreme Couponing. the only thing I don’t like about it, is I wish it was more in depth about the process people do/use prior to shopping. after about, hmm, 1 episode – I think I knew I had to be an extreme couponer. this past Sunday was my first experience. my boyfriend bought 2 newspapers and I also got coupons from his parents next door. I cut out all of the coupons I wanted/thought I would have use for and then organized them into random like piles.

I had seen the Krazy Coupon Lady’s binder organizer previously and knew I wanted to do something similar. I didn’t have the energy to make my own, so I just printed out her categories. I got a 1.5 inch binder which I now know I will need at least a 3 inch. I used baseball card holders, which my boyfriend has thousands of in the basement because he was a baseball obsessed child, but you can pick them up at wal-mart or look online. I then simply put the coupons in each holder (keeping multiples together). it is that simple.

one helpful thing I did was once I made my shopping list (on lined paper already hole-punched) I put them in the front of my binder so I could always reference it.

I then started doing my research and browsing circulars. my first time ‘trying’ to coupon, I went to Walgreens. I got one free deodorant, one free hefty Ziploc bags, one free Atkins shake box (which I have never tried, but figured I would), 2 free toothpaste and 4 other deodorants for $0.50 each; among other things. my total savings was 50.3%. I thought I would have done better, but not too bad for my first try!

the only problem is, now I am ADDICTED. obsessed. I love it. I want to carry my coupon binder with me everywhere and show everyone. it is so pretty and organized. I urge you to try it. look how well I did on my first try! go coupon!

HOUSE TOUR > Bedroom

as promised, here is the new series. I am taking you on a house tour. for part 1, I am starting out in the bedroom. it was nice and clean this weekend and it was perfect timing.

Duvet Cover – Pottery Barn (not there anymore)

Sheets - IKEA

Nightstands & lamps – IKEA

Curtain rod & Curtains – IKEA

Cordless Blinds – Lowes

Bedside Rugs – Home Depot

Bed – Jordans Furniture

Dresser – Rooms to Go

Hamper – Target

we just took out the TV to put in my craft room, so the dresser looks a little bare, but now it is just one more thing I need to re-decorate Smile

Friday, May 13, 2011

Thursday’s Ten | Crafty BLOGS

ahh, sorry i am late guys! don yelled at me last night because i was being a bag blogger and not being consistent. i truly apologize, and will not let it happen again, i want faithful followers. don't worry though, i will make it up to you. i have a good series coming soon!

enough of that. here we go.

Thursday’s Ten Favorite Crafty BLOGS!

source

this was kind of hard for me to narrow down to just 10, but i tried to think of ones i just LOVE. here goes:

1. my number one was a no-brainer for me. even though her blog is not necessarily ‘crafty’ i love kelle @ Enjoying the Small Things. if you have never heard of her, or been to her blog. go. now. she is amazing and inspiring. i would love to meet her someday.

2. this easily could have been my number one, but it is a very close second. miss ashley stock @ Little Miss Momma. she is so witty and fun. i love almost everything she makes and her son is to die for.

3. call me bias because she did an amazing job designing my blog, but i do lover her blog. krystal over at Sassy Sanctuary

4. next up, linda over at Craftaholics Anonymous. she makes awesome crafts. she really is great.

5. i love love love jamielyn over at I <3 Naptime. she is so cute and has great crafting ideas. i also really enjoy her friday favorites.

6. i could probably buy everything in her shop over at The Pleated Poppy. lindsey is great. she has superb sewing skills and makes wonderful items – all of which i love.

7. if you are a sewer, you must go visit ashley over at Make it & Love it. she has amazing tutorials and clever ideas on different sewing projects. once i learn to sew, there are many things on her blog i anticipate trying out.

8. i LOVE heather’s home transformation over at Simple Beautiful. my only complaint is i wish she would blog more! she is a home makeover queen and i love seeing all her before and afters.

9. speaking of before and afters,i love Better After. a blog dedicated to before and afters. who doesnt love that? gives you great ideas about things you may never have thought of until you saw it on the blog.

10. lastly would be a blog i recently found. who doesn't love organizing tips?!? i love jen over at I Heart Organizing, she motivates me to be a better organizer

i have lots of other blogs i love. some that are more fashion inspired and some that have just become to sponsor driven that they are losing their roots, which is sad. i hope you enjoyed this edition of Thursday’s Ten.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Thursday’s Ten | Favorite Songs

I know, last week I was MIA, but i had good reason. my sister was visiting from FL. so, let just get to it. this week’s theme is Favorite Songs. I am a HUGE music fanatic, so this may be a toughie for me. I will try to narrow it down to my all time favorite songs.

Thursday’s Ten Favorite Songs

1. Sally’s Pigeons by Cyndi Lauper

2. Glycerine by Bush

3. Whiskey Lullaby by Brad Paisley

4. Always by Bon Jovi

5. Tiny Dancer by Elton John

6. Champagne High by Sister Hazel

7. Two Beds & A Coffee Machine by Savage Garden

8. Only God Knows Why by Kid Rock

9. Zoe Jane by Stained

10. She Talks to Angels by The Black Crowes

 

if you don't know any of these songs, take a listen, they are all wicked good. what are your top 10 favorite songs?!?

life list

as you know from previous posts, i love LMM blog. i am following suit and making my very own LIFE LIST; or BUCKET list if you will. i must say, this was very hard. i got to #28 and got to a block, then again at #51 and again at #83. it really makes you think about your life and future and things you would really love to do and accomplish. some of them were no brainers, but others i really had to think about. i tried to be as realistic as possible, but some of them most likely will not happen (winning a HGTV house? i think not).

so here goes, my 100 things i want to do in my lifetime:  

  1. travel to all 50 states
  2. have a beach house ON a body of water with a boat
  3. build my dream house
  4. learn to run
  5. drive cross-country in an RV
  6. get paid to work from home
  7. do a job that I love and am passionate about
  8. give birth to a boy and a girl
  9. win over $1,000 on a scratch ticket/lottery
  10. learn to braid my own hair
  11. go to a ball (fairytale in me)
  12. learn to French braid someone else’s hair
  13. learn to curl my hair
  14. write a letter everyday for a year (someone I know or want to know)
  15. learn to sew
  16. make my own clothes
  17. learn another language fluently (Spanish or Italian)
  18. Be on a game show (price is right?!?)
  19. photograph a wedding
  20. be a guest on a talk show (ELLEN!)
  21. photograph a birth
  22. breed dogs
  23. have a Gucci purse
  24. have a successful photography business
  25. have my own photography studio on the same land as my house
  26. be my ideal weight
  27. swim with dolphin’s
  28. have a pet skunk (de-skunked, obviously)
  29. have bunnies
  30. learn to whistle’
  31. get a massage once a month
  32. give hair to locks of love
  33. volunteer at a soup kitchen every holiday for a year
  34. wear sunscreen everyday
  35. learn all the words to Billy Joel’s we didn’t start the fire
  36. watch the entire Soprano’s series
  37. have a license plate with 2 letters
  38. buy a brand new car with 0 miles
  39. learn to go under water without holding my nose
  40. cook a thanksgiving dinner (all by myself)
  41. stay in a hut over the water in Fiji
  42. go to Italy
  43. go to Spain
  44. have a private Bon Jovi concert, just for me!
  45. have a booth at a craft show
  46. attend a blog conference (blissdom?!?)
  47. make my own baby food
  48. be a vegan
  49. leave a 100% tip for a deserving waitress
  50. learn to make a cake like cake boss
  51. take cooking classes
  52. be on a jury
  53. attend a Hollywood movie premier
  54. win a HGTV home
  55. have or plan a dinner party once a month
  56. have a walk-in closet displaying all my clothes and shoes
  57. make my own charity
  58. watch Scarface
  59. Stay in Martha’s Vineyard
  60. stay in Nantucket
  61. make a Nantucket Nectar’s cap fact
  62. go to fashion week
  63. watch The Godfather
  64. learn blog design
  65. design a blog for someone i don't know
  66. grow my nails and not bite them
  67. attend the summer Olympics
  68. attend the winter Olympics
  69. read a book in a day
  70. go to cosmetology school
  71. sit courtside for a basketball game
  72. meet the Kardashian sisters
  73. see all of my children get married
  74. meet Jake Gyllenhaal
  75. be debt free
  76. donate $10,000 to a good cause
  77. spend an entire summer in Cape Cod
  78. have a god child
  79. have a huge fish tank (like the one at Kelly’s Roast Beef in Natick)
  80. build a snow fort
  81. be an aunt
  82. get a complete makeover by Michael Kors
  83. be in two places at once
  84. be a foster parent
  85. own a restaurant
  86. see Mariah Carey in concert
  87. have lunch prepared for me by Gordon Ramsey
  88. read a newspaper from front to back
  89. buy something from an infomercial
  90. spend an entire day at a spa, get every treatment available
  91. be a grandmother
  92. visit a rain forest
  93. do my family history
  94. be happily married
  95. see lots of animals on an African safari
  96. have an assistant
  97. ski down a double black-diamond
  98. be alive to witness world peace
  99. make a difference

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

what is love?!?

i saw this website from someone’s post on facebook. it really made me smile and think about how wise children are, even if they have a different way of showing it. check out the link about what is love? some really smart kids may have the answer. here are a few of my favorites:

Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt” – Chris, age 7

When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. so my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love” – Rebecca, age 8

Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day” – Mary Ann, age 4

Love is when Mommy makes coffee for my Daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK” – Danny, age 7

ask children you know what love is? i know i am, and cannot wait to find out their answers!

have a lovely day!