Feature yourself Friday!

Hey pals

It's that time again, except... It's Thursday and there's a few things wrong with this evening.

1.) There's no Jersey Shore. 

2.) Husband is out of town for a long..long..time. When he usually comes home on Thursdays, this upsets me so.

3.) We're out of any type of caffine in the house.

4.) I work EARLY tomorrow.

Boo.

But, I'm putting my party hat on and some lip gloss and we're gonna do this thang. 

First things first the Winner of the BlM Crafts and Creations Newsboy hat is....

via random.org

27. 2 & Thru said...

I have 2 girls...& I'm showed that I'm not sick of pink yet....I would so go with the white cap with a pink flower.

March 20, 2011 10:42 PM  

I really like this, but it needs to be an I {heart} Michigan. :)

Great lil' tip on painting straight lines. 

I've been looking at free printables all WEEK for the playroom, and I really enjoy this one.

So, there you go. Little of what I'm lovin this week. Now it's YOUR turn to show what you're lovin this week. :)

Whimsy Couture Pattern giveaway!

*Giveaway closed, thank you!*

Well it's the last giveaway for our little March Madness giveaway we had going on. Such a great time everyone, and we're gonna go out with a *BANG* Todays winner will not get one but THREE free pattern Ebooks from Whimsy Couture! Super sweet right?







Some of my favorites for the awesome wanna-be-seamstress in me.


The ruffled neckline top

Kids ovenmitts So cute!

 

And, pillowcase dresses! I'd save a lot of money if I started making these myself after all the money I've spent, buying them on Etsy! :)

Love it. I could look at cute kid clothes all day. Pair that with some fabric shopping and my husband's paycheck I'm spent. ha!

Okay let's get to the nitty gritty. You want to win, let me tell you how. There's more than a couple ways, even BETTER chances for you! :)

1. Swing on over to the pattern shop and let me know what your favorite pattern is (Here)
2. Go over to the Whimsy Couture Sewing blog and subscribe. (Here)
3. Check out the Whimsy Couture facebook page and *like* it (Here)
4. Grab the Whimsy Couture button and post it proudly.
5. Blog/tweet/facebook this contest

Whew! That's a lot of entries you can use.

*Please note, giveaway is only open to FOTF followers only. If you aren't this is a great time to start showin' the love. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Random.org will choose the winner April 6 2011*

Gumball Machine Stand Tutorial

Holy guacamole ya'll. This is a good one.

We've had this old gumball machine on the top of our cabinets for..well about three years now. I wanted a vintage theme up there but that got old fast so it just sat there, alone. Wanting me to fix it up and make it gorgeous. So, this weekend I did.

The moment I saw Lindsay's gumball machine (filled with goldfish {squeal}) I knew I wanted mine on a stand. But how!?

Case in point. Lowes.

I purchased a single banister rod (At least I think that's what you call it.. That's what I call it.) and some small corbels. I also took a crappy cell phone pic. Hey, it is what it is.

I spray painted that sucker and glued the corbels to the bottom using wood glue because it's what I had on hand. I would have liked to use screws but mine were all too long and they would have hit each other. Oh well. My kids may or may not swing from this so we'll see how the glue holds up I guess. It wasn't too expensive so I wouldn't be super mad if I had to make it again. Once the glue dried I added another coat of paint to the whole thing.

This is when it gets tricky. I bought the round piece of wood from Hobby Lobby to sit the gumball machine on but I wasn't sure how I would make it stay, kids can be crazy ya know. I didn't want it to be permanent in case I ever got a wild hair to not have it on a stand. But I didn't want to just sit it on it knowing full well someone would bump it and boom..crash..cry. So, I opted for heavy duty velcro.

This way it's good for now, but I always have the option to get it off if I need to. And, better yet. I can get to all the money I'm gonna make from this money maker in our entry way. Cha-ching.

I also thought it looked a little too...new. So I scuffed it up with some distressing ink.

Yes, that's still that one chip of paint that is hanging in there. For all the "get a mani", commenters. I know. I'm lazy, true story.

 LOVE. I filled it with Gobstoppers because they're amazing and I hate gum with a passion. 

I think it's a little tall though, so I'm gonna chop some off. Er.. have my Father do so when he brings his saw over. I don't want to risk any un-evenness with my box saw. :) Not a good time. But, all in all.. I think it's freaking cool as heck.

100000 Points to the person who noticed I painted the entry way again this weekend. Yeah, it's subtle I suppose but I can totally see a difference. Now onto the trim again (hello, black spillage there) and the ceiling and this room will be done. and done. 

There's a few ladies I'll be partying with :)

Beth & her Tutorials & tips Day

Layla How to's Day.
TipJunkie's Tip Me Tuesday

Etsy favorites

I thought I'd do something a little...wild today. ;) If you love it maybe it'll be a regular thing 'round these parts.. if you hate it, well.. you wont. It's impossible to hate pretty things. So there.

I {heart} Etsy. Big ol' shiny red heart it. So, today I'm going to share some of my favorites. This I might have bought..or am thinking about.. or just drooling over. Okay?!

......

I never shared the invites I got for the little miss' birthday party and I don't know why!? When I went in search of party items I knew I wanted ONE.THING. Sock monkeys. I love them! If I were to throw a shower, or have a baby complete with a new nursery the theme would be sock monkeys. They're just so classic to me, pretty colors, and cute. Some are a little ugly..but a cute ugly, ya know? :) My oldest is way past the point of letting me use whatever I want for her birthday, she's all princess and that Beiber kid now. But the little one, oh yes. I said-- let's have a monkey party and she was all about it. Look! A {squeel} a girl monkey.

 Urban Frontiers

 Love. love. love. I ordered them from and they were SUPER fast, she emailed me back that night and had two proofs for me by the next day! Ordered them up, sent them to Wal*mart done and done. Couldn't be happier with them.

......

This print is so-freaking-cool. We did the framed picture of us and had everyone sign the mat, but how neat would it be to have everyone put their fingerprint on it and their name!? Oh my gosh. I want to get married again just to use this.... ;) I'm helping a friend with her decor for her wedding this fall and I've already emailed this to her BEGGING her to use it. :)

Fancy Prints

 ......

This would look so good in any little girls room! I tell my girls all the time that they can be whatever they want, I think it's important to teach our next generation of women UBER confidence. This does it.

Meteo and Tobias

......

Etsy is the.place.to.go for pillows and pillow covers. I don't even need to tell you why, the pictures will do.

Lovely Yellow Chevron

So Sarah Sews

......

I think the playroom needs this

Decology

......

So there's some Etsy Love for ya. There's something special about buying handmade. If you have a shop of your own you know how fun it is to check your email and have an order waiting for you. These shop owners are very lucky to be able to do what they love. :)

Sponsor Looooove.

Hey friends! It's that time again where I'd like to give a little love to the sponsors over here at FOTF, they help keep this place going and help with the little projects I like to do at home. What would this blog be without them? I'm not quite sure. :)

We have a lot of new sponsors this month, I'm excited to share them with you.

Whimsy Couture is a lovely shop filled (and I mean filled..TONS) with Ebooks for every sewing project you could imagine. Oh how I wish my sewing machine wasn't in storage right now.

She also has a blog and a fun little party called Let's Sew where you can show off your creations!

Hmm.. and she may or may not have something special planned for FOTF readers this week. ;)

BlM Crafts and Creations is a shop owned by the lovely Brandi who creates and sells crocheted goodies!

She was kind enough to offer up the Newsboy Hat last week (which I'll announce the winner of soon! Pinky swear!)

She has some other lovelies too--

And a blog, of course! She's new to the "scene" so make sure you check her out, we all know how fun it is to have new visits when you just started up a blog.

Katie Keller is another new blogger who just started because she said she loves to write-- so she did!

(You blog? What's a blog? A diary you want people to read! - Name that show!)
I personally love non- nich blogs- Kind of like Mommy blogs, day to day stuff, thoughts etc. I'm nosey so I enjoy it. :) That's what Katie does, writes about what she wants when she wants.

Love That!

She just wrote about chocolate covered potato chips and you know...I'm strangely intrigued. I'm all about chocolate covered pretzels mmm.. Getting hungry!

I can't wait to see her keep truckin' with this.. I love new bloggers! :)

My friend Irina is a SUPER talented photographer based out of Northern Virginia. I could stare at her work all day!

She also has an Etsy Shop with a gorgeous selection of spring prints. LOVE. THEM.

*pst! Spoiler alert! Look for a Photography by Irina giveaway coming up in April!*

You all know the girls from Pocket full of Posies already since they're hosting this weeks giveaway.

Pocket full of Posies is an idea that was created by two sisters to help you with the daily task of meal planning. If you're anything like me meal planning usually happens between the hours of 4:00-5:00 PM the witching hour. The kids are crazy, I'm tired, flustered and the last thing I want to do is figure out what to make for dinner and then make it. To be quite honest I suck at meal planning. But their product is awesome. And, pretty. Sometimes I think pretty things help me be more organized. Haven't you ever bought a new pretty calender and said "THIS will make me be organized. I know it" and you get super excited to whip out that pen and make it all cute and clean and AWESOME. Yep me too. This will do that to you, it's like magic.

 Yum..Just yum.

Amy is the shop owner over at Peek-a-boo patterns and she's got some ca-ute patterns for itty bitty shoes!

She also has a blog- Naptime Crafters! Filled with fun tutorials, reviews and linky parties!

It's this site where you go through questions about your kid(s) and it maps out advice and such just for them! Pretty shhweeet.

Kidtelligent is a first-of-its-kind parenting and educational resource to maximize children's academic, athletic and social potential. At the heart of Kidtelligent is a research-based questionnaire that assesses a child's natural personality and strengths and resources that develop in childrens' self-awareness and build self-confidence. It was developed by notable and well-respected childhood developmental professionals. Kidtelligent leverages 30 years of clinical data and research in a real world application. It is customized to each child, ages 7-13 with individualized feedback and tools to help each child maximize their talents.

Neat right? Try it!

Say it on the Wall vinyl just hopped on the Fingerprints sponsor train and I'm soooo glad they did! Have you seen their stuff.. Awesome. Just awesome.

Definitely a good go-to vinyl shop to have.

And, the lovely Busy Budgeting Mama! Love her! Shes a wife, Mother, graphic designer and a party lover! I swear the parties that she shows on her blog are SHHHWEEET!

 
And, the cupcake toppers she makes are darling. Okay, fine everything is darling including her two precious little girls.  She had a big sister kit that I definitely want to steal someday. :)

I'm hooked on her blog and you should be too, pinky swear.

Significantly Simple is the blog run by my newest blog friends, Heather and Laila. 

Their blog is full of fun things from product reviews, "crunchy living" ala, being more green which I'm currently digging big time, and recipes. Woohoo! 

In their words:

We created Significantly Simple as a means of helping others to live a simple, but significant life.  We aren’t always able to find, buy, make, or support the best of the best, but we can do our best to live an authentic life.  An authentic life does not mean having the biggest and best of everything, but being the biggest and best to yourself and your family.

Isn't that super inspiring?

Everyone in blog land knows Cap Creations! If you don't you're missing out that's for sure. She makes some darling jewelry. And she has a heart of freakin' GOLD buddies. Gold.

My newest addiction of hers.. LOVE LOVE LOVE

Plus! She has a blog, with freakin' awesome ideas like this one

Spelling word practice

Diane is a friend of mine who I recently connected with that has the cutest little up and coming shop!

She specializes in crochet items, like these cute little hats, and neckwarmers! 

And her NEW product, clutches and ear warmers! Shhhweet!

She also throws random giveaways A LOT on her facebook-- it helps to be a follwer of hers! You could win some free loot!

My blogger BFF! Even if she weren't my other half living across the country, I'd still love her blog, her shop and everything else about this little ball o' fire. 

She blogs

She sews

She creates, Nuff' said.

Erin is a fantastic photographer from Myrtle Beach S.C with a great eye for photos! If you live in the area or anywhere semi-near it, I'd highly recommend her, in fact I keep trying to get her to come to Michigan so I can use her talent! :)

Shabby Apple was lovely enough to sponsor a giveaway last month and I'm so glad they did! I hadn't seen their dresses before and oh boy, was I missing out! They have some great modest women's dresses that can be casual or more dressy. Love. love love. 


Dresses from Shabby Apple

And, they have little girl's dresses! 
 

Thanks again to my lovely sponsors for being so awesome! Go show some love and check them out will ya?