Who would have thought? Not me!

This is Day 7 of Pass IT On!

Short little tid bit for you today..  I love nuggets like this!

Did you know Sears has a crazy good return policy??  We did not.. but we do now!

We purchased an outdoor patio set (non dining) to give us seating besides the table and to have a comfy place to enjoy those cool fall Saturdays watching football.  Ok, so i'm dreaming about the cool part her in Florida.. but seating was a must.  We liked what we got.. for a while, but then it became clear that it just wasn't what we wanted.  It had large gaps where the cushions (or Micah!) would slide through.  We were getting so frustrated with it that Matt even suggested we sell it on Craigs List and start over.  Then he found the receipt in a pile of receipts (which is kind of a miracle in the first place) and realized that it had a 90 day return policy.. satisfaction guaranteed. 

So Matt starts packing it up and declares he is taking it back... he's not satisfied.  I am thinking he is nuts because there is a small tear in a cushion and there is no way they will take it back.  Oh! and no sooner he gets it all loaded in his truck.. it starts pouring!!  Off he goes though.. Sears bound.

Well, I'm glad he didn't listen to me :)  The salesman at Sears said they will take it back .. they just needed a receipt and a reason.. even if that reason was, "We don't like it."  WELL!! Who would have thought! (not me).

This all worked out even better as i found us a new wicker set on craigs list.. much more the stile we wanted for super cheap.  We just need to get some cushions. 

Win.

Go Sears!

girlie bday gift with personality!

This is day 6 of Pass IT On!! 

Here's a quick girlie birthday gift for you with a little personality!

We are new to the area.. but that doesn't stop the birthday parties!  Addie especially has found her group of friends at school.  She says they are all "best friends"!  They are all girlie girls.. and I can only imagine what type of things their teacher hears about all day long... God bless her!   The very first day of school Addie came home and told me what the girls had on... it's been that way ever since!  This is, no doubt, how she befriends her girlfriends.  hummm.. we probably need to work on the whole beauty on the inside thing..

These fancy girls love playing dress up and making jewelry.. so it was only obvious that we would get her friend one of those jewelry making kits with about 8,000 beads in it.  I figured the least I could do was to get a container to keep it all in.  So Addie picked out the appropriate 8,000 piece set and i grabbed a clear container and took it home to wrap.  The container was just too boring though.. so i added a little no fuss extras.  Girls love when their names are on things.. boys too.  So i stenciled Addison's friend's name on top and then used my trusty hot glue gun (that is seeing some action again after a few months off!) and just glued some felt pieces from my stash.  So so easy.  Much Prettier :)

If it wasn't very close to the time of the party .. we could have blinged the container a little more.. but alas, we had to go.  and .. it didn't matter :)  The birthday girl really loved it!  (and the 8,000  beads!)

I had to include this... It's the heart felt card Addie made for her friend.  ... 

"I <heart> U. So happy to see you again at the birthday party."   

She cracks me up!!

Addison and one of her new besties, Aislynn.  Don't they look like they are perfect together!?

get your glitter on for fall!

Day 5 of  Pass IT On!

It's October 5th.  I really need to start thinking about PUMPKINS!  If it wasn't 90 and humid every day i think i would have an easier time remembering it is fall.  I really need to go and get some pumpkins.. I love decorating with them.  They are so easy.. all different sizes and colors!  Last year I glittered some for my mantel and i just loved them.  The key was the extra fine glitter (from Micahels). They were so easy.. just some Modge Podge and the glitter :) 

ignore the green nail polish.. I'm just showing you the glitter :)

Get your glitter on this weekend!

Wraps to Clips.. easy!

Day 4 of Passing IT On!

Addie has been requesting "piggie tails" a lot lately.  She loves how long they are and how they shake all over.  Seeing as how my sister and I used to use baby blankets for "long hair", i can totally understand and support her "swingy hair".

Today was one of those fun mornings where she knew exactly what she wanted .. and i could not make it happen to her satisfaction.  Cute dress ... check.  Cute piggie tail ribbions... check.  BUT the ribbons were hurting her as i tried to wrap them around her piggie tails.  We have a few pony tail wraps from Gymboree.. none of which are easy to use in her hair.  Due to my lack of coffee at this time in the morning, i was not at all willing to listen to whining or arguing.  So i did what any caffeine deprived DIYer would do.. I got out the glue gun, scissors, ribbon, and 2 alligator clips (though it's still horridly unorganized.. i love having a place for craft stuff under the stairs in a closet!).

I snipped the pony tail holder off the ribbons. Then cut a short piece of ribbon that would fit inside the alligator clip.  It doesn't really have to match.. you won't see it.

Put the ribbon piece in the alligator clip and put a strip of hot glue on it.  Then lay it on the back of the pony tail holder.  And... Poof!  Easy enough to make a caffeine starved mom and a tired princess .. Happy.

When it doesn't work for you... Make it! 

Kindling..

Day 3 of Pass IT On!

I am so so glad this day is done.  It has been a long one that started at 5:30.  Non stop All. Day. Long.  Lovely FL humidity.  Leftovers. and Frogs.  I am so glad to be sitting in bed ready to relax and read probably 2 pages before i fall asleep.  wait! I don't have pages to turn... maybe i can read a few extra (conserving the energy that would have been spent turning pages of course).

I LOVE my Kindle.  Love it!  I have not read this much since probably 6th grade when i was still reading like mad to find out what adventures Claudia and Mary Anne (.. you know it! Baby-sitters Club!) would find themselves in.  After that I didn't really read for pleasure at all.  Kind of sad actually.

Two years ago at Christmas my parents got me a Kindle.. seriously the best gift ever!  Since that day i have read so many book and many more book previews.  I love that you can preview a book for about a chapter or so to see if you will like it.  .. i sure hate when i would actually buy a book and it turned out to be a dud!

I read so much faster.  I know that sounds silly.. but i promise it is true!  My theory is that I am used to scanning things on a screen so that translates into faster reading.  Just a guess.

I have multiple books "opened" at the same time, so with a few clicks i have shut one book and opened another. I've never done that before.. it is so nice to be able to choose what I'm in the mood for and then change my mind but never get out of bed.  I can even choose to download a new book :)

I've used the highlighting and note taking features a little bit.  I don't love the note taking.. it's not fast enough for me but i do like highlighting.

For sure need the Kindle cover with a light.  A must.

I have expanded my library preferences. Again, I can't really explain why.. but for some reason i venture out of my normal books.  my favorite book by far is one that i would have never tried to read.. the sheer thickness would have put me off from the get go.  it's called "Unbroken: A World War II story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption"
Amazing True Story!

Why else do i love it?
      I don't have the clutter of books i've already read.  Never have been one to read a book more than       once.  I could read "Unbroken" again.. it was that good! 
      I can lay in bed and not get that cramp in my shoulder from propping my self up to read and turn pages.
      I take it with me all the time.  It's great for when i get stuck waiting in the car for one reason or another.  Or when I wait at dance class or ... hey.. i do a lot of waiting!
     There are free and very low priced books to be found.
     Kindle gift cards rock!!
     It's a fun treat for the kids.  They think it's so fun to read in the dark with the kindle light.  We have even read by camp fire with it.. that was fun!

So no.. I'm not telling you anything earth shattering ... but if you wrestle with "I think I might like it??  But i really like the feel of the actual book."  I'm telling you.. you will get over that really fast :)

ok.. i'm going to read now...

Anyone else love to read again because of your Kindle??  (ps: i'm sure the Nook and ipad and other devices are equally as satisfying..)

Pass It On!

a little out of order... this should be day one.. but i'm doing a little catch up :)

With encouragement and instruction on button making from my friend, christie, over at my walk with eden, i have decided to go ahead and jump into the 31 days.. on one topic challenge that is hosted by a great blog,  nesting place.  if you would like to find out more about the idea behind the challenge, click here:  31 days.

I saw Christine's post today and i commented on face book that i had wanted to do the challenge.. but missed out yesterday so i figured it was too late.  She wrote back so quickly, which i loved.. like we were having a conversation, and said that i could still link up and i should do it.  I kind of needed that push :)  oh but then there was the "button making" thing that i had no idea how to do.. i am quite "dumb" about anything but the very basics on blogging.  But she gave me some easy instructions and really in not much time.. I Did It!  I believe i wrote back to her "I am fully ignoring my kids.. but i have a button!"  classic.

so here's my button for the link party...

sorry, you can't click on it... i don't know how to do that yet!

cute though, right? 

So what is Pass It On ?  It is something i have been thinking about lately.. well, really for a long time.  A way to share those:  Great ideas. Make life easy Tips. DIY. ... really it could be anything.  Anything that is worth sharing and passing on to a friend :)  There is so much out there for us to look up, research, or try out.. it's really overwhelming to me and i don't have time for that.  I really appreciate little tips, suggestions, and advice that i get from people i interact with daily.. even if it is though face book or blogging!  It's that connection of knowing someone you trust suggested an idea for you to think about, check out, or dump if you want!  It makes me feel better about it.  Anyone with me?

So i'm going to try this 31 day project and see what happens.  I hope something i share.. as little as some of the tips can be.. helps you somehow in your day :)  Blessings!

if you missed "day two" post... you know b/c it came before day 1...  check it out :)  DAY 2

a fall wreath

i've been wanting to make one of the Pinterest saturated "address number" wreaths for a while.  I know.. everyone has one .. or one with a big Initial for their last name on it.  but i love both looks and really, no two are alike when it comes to DIY creations.  so... here we go with the address numbers!

i had an old grape vine wreath that needed new decorations

Grape vine wreaths are soooo EASY.. just shove the stems where you want them and they stay nice and tight

trim some extra accents to add with the flowers.

I don't know what these little Styrofoam picks are really called.. but they came in all different colors and add a great contrast to the flowers.  These I got at Hobby Lobby and I especially like them because the stem they are attached to is very twiggy.  I cut some of the curling twigs off of it as well and stuck them in there for more dimension.They are hard to see in the picture below, but they are there off the top and bottom.

First new wreath for my New home

So this is very fall.. and i love it!  oh wait!!  the address :)   I spray painted some wooded numbers a brushed silver.  I like.. but i didn't really want to permanently put the numbers on.  I know me and I like to change and move things around when it comes to decorating so I have a feeling those numbers will need to come off and make and appearance somewhere else.  I can also see this wreath back.. and who needs address numbers if you are already enjoying a glass of wine on the lanai! (sort of a perfect image right?)

I figured i would wrap fine wire around the numbers to attach them to the wreath... thinking it wouldn't show b/c the numbers are painted silver.  I was wrong.  Didn't like it at all because the wire was pretty obvious. "Well.. I guess I will just hot glue them"  i told my husband.  ............ from a room away i hear... "Why don't you just use fishing wire mom? You won't be able to see it!"  .... 2 things here.
     1. I hate it when my 8 year old is smarter than me.
     2. My 8 year old (though creative and resourceful) has really really good hearing!

Well, thank you my dear Garrett... the fishing wire worked and the numbers are on... with intent to come off when i cut them off :)

WELCOME!

this is linked to the nesting place... where she is hosting a "31 days of" one topic party this month!