Fingerprints on the Fridge

Feature Yourself Friday

2012-02-23T22:01:00.000-05:00

Why hellllo there!

Coming at you from a blistery cold mitten here. Brr!

I've been working on the (tiny) Master Bedroom like a crazy woman! I'm so excited to show you how it's coming along. This week hopefully.. crossing my fingers

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Also a few more fun things

This chick finally decided to jump on the WP bandwagon, so soon you'll be seeing some changes around these parts. I'm totally freaked out and very excited. Have you already made the move? Do you love it? Hate it? Super hard to learn? Share your insights, wont ya?

We've also got some awesome giveaways lined up for Sponsor Saturdays. So jealous I can't win any of this loot.

March advertising opens up on Monday, so if you have a blog or shop you want to show off and hang with the FOTF gang, let a girl know! {Fotfblog@aol.com}

Okay, enough biz-naas.

Time for the party.

Feature Yourself Friday

2012-02-16T21:26:00.000-05:00

It's here it's here! :) TGIF big time over in the mitten. It was quite the week, we'll leave it at that.

If you won a giveaway at the last FYF and still haven't contacted me about getting your loot, now's the time! Or I've gotta pick someone else and well, that would be quite the bummer for you. Check it out just in case, wont ya?

Now how about some features?

In the bedroom makeover mood and I'm definitely digging this one! So pretty!

Yum!

Ombre Dresser! Love it.

Okay, time to party on!

Let the bedroom makeover begin..

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

And, so it begins.

I'll be here for a couple days.. One more coat to go!

See you soon, probably with a hand shaped like a claw after all of this.

Valentines Day goodies.

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines Day!

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I hope you're indulging in chocolate and hugging on your sweeties today.

But, just in case you need a few more quick and fun ideas to make the day extra special I've compiled a little list for you!

Adorable hair style for your little cupcake

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If you want to go for a more Valentines-night-in-approach.

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Add some twinkle Christmas lights.. and a movie and this would be my perfect date, seriously.

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Perfect Valentines Nails

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This is some serious sugar, but if it's just for one day out of the year you could probably let it slide ;)

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My kids would adore me if I made one of these for them to come home from school to. Love it.

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So there ya go! Some quick and easy ideas if you're a slacker like me and haven't been stalking Pinterest since January. I pinky swear I'm going to be better about St. Patricks day... ;) Maybe.

Bedroom Inspiration

2012-02-08T08:00:00.003-05:00

So I'm a little over our last bedroom makeover. Not to mention I went a little bleach-happy on our Target bedding and it ate a hole in the bottom corner of it.

Laundry foul I know, but what can I say? I love the smell of freshly bleached bedding. Ahh.

Anyway, because of that and because we had a real life marriage compromise in the works, I get to do a make over..he gets a T.V (With cable) in the bedroom. Who says romance is dead?

Ha.

But either way, I'm excited. I'm excited to do it on a budget is there any other way? Not around these parts I'm excited to still keep the feminine meets masculine and has a baby named neutral theme. AND I'm excited to sleep in a big puffy bed. You know all those pictures on the internet (Intranets to Jami) and the bed looks so freaking comfortable you just want to cuddle in it? That's what I'm pumped about. Even if we'll be cuddling watching Hillbilly handfishing...... Wait what?

So I've been pinning like a mad woman rooms that inspire me. This is what I know I want..

Wood..Dark wood.
Mixed metals.
White. Not cold white.. Creamy warm white.
Sparkles. (Did I lose you? Trust me, now.)
Manly twead..ticking..and linen.

Love.

Can you picture it? You will. It'll make sense soon! Until then let's enjoy some pretties.

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Well.. do you get it?

It's going to be glorious.

Valentines Day Mantel

2012-02-05T22:55:00.000-05:00

My most favorite favorite mantel was last years Valentines Day Mantel. I just love it. I threw the aqua in on a whim and it just worked.

I'd totally do it again this year but I used the frames for our cheap bathroom art. ;) So.. Since I didn't want to make the trip to Walmart today I thought I'd try something different.

Remember the sign that I made for Christmas? Well the fantastic thing about hot gluing letters to it meant that I could pop them off with no damage. Shhcore.

I actually painted this a while ago and then hung it up in our bedroom because I have a few things up my sleeve to show you in there but, I needed something lovey-dovey for February. There's nothing wrong with stealing from one room to help another out. Nothing wrong with that, t'all.

So.. Ball jars, books and flowers. It's not great.. Not my favorite. I might change it up a little bit some more but for now, it's not an empty (faux) mantel above a giant box tv.

And, the best part?

When the rest of the room looks like this..

and this..

The mantel still looks like this..

Ahh.

Did you notice we painted? Again.

*Sigh* It's a sickness, fresh paint just makes me happy.

Feature Yourself Friday

2012-01-26T22:09:00.001-05:00

Lots of items to go over tonight.. :) Since this chick has been MIA for a few days.

The winner of the Mia Bella 9oz jar and an assortment of melts.

41. JamieM. said...: I'd choose Carribean Cooler...; December 24, 2011 12:46 AM; Who didn't have a public blog, so Jamie! Email me!; The winners of the Shaklee Basic H cleaner; Michelle; Erin; Kimberlee; Meghan; Diane; Winner of the Crafty Colleen 25.00 shop credit; Karen; Whew! That's a lot! So email me ladies so I can get you in contact with your loot!; Onward.; In honor of the month o' love.. I'm going to run a special on advertising, one month really means TWO months. :) Because I love you. And, that's what February is about! If you have a handmade shop, or a blog you want to promote email me at {FOTFBlog@aol.com}; Lot's of fun to come to these parts and I'd love for you to join the team! Okay okay okay.. I think that's it. I'll quit the talking and let you all party hardy, deal? Be back tomorrow with some Valentines Day deliciousness!; Source

Hello!

2012-01-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

Why ello! I haven't fallen off the face of the earth I promise.

I am however, having a hard time balancing 2 jobs...2 kids..1 husband..1 blog.. 2 pets.. and 24 hours in one day! haha

But in all seriousness I think I'm starting to figure out a good schedule for myself. So hopefully after this weekend (My last shift as a part time server.. can I get a simultaneous yahoo and shed a tear?) I can whip out all the posts I have written that need pictures added.. answer some emails.. oh and breathe a little? That might help. ;)

Have I also mentioned I forgot to announce some winners from... gulp.. Weeks ago?! Yup I did. I'm going to announce them on Friday at Feature Yourself Friday. So, enough biz.. more fun. How about a little bit of my life via instagram? Yes..!

Sometimes I send pretty pictures to my husband in the middle of the day. I'd say I've perfected the come hither look if you ask me.

Puppies! Oh he was very snuggly.

Comfortable...huh.

Um! People, I'm a reformed nail biter! Check out how long these babies are.

Friday nights at the Czuk house.

If you feel like following my random photos check it out at fotfblog

20.00 Change

2012-01-17T20:00:00.002-05:00

Want to see how you can make a big ol' exciting change for cheap? Okay, truth be told it's not big nor is it exciting. But it is a change, and for less than the price of a night out at dinner or something equally as fun but more of a want and not a need. Which is what the Mr. keeps reminding me of during this spending freeze we're.still.in.

That got off topic fast.

Okay so the handles on the entertainment unit bugged me. Big time. I mean, to anyone visiting they might not really notice them but when you live with them every day and they're super contemporary and I'm more traditional meets vintage meets whatever sparks in my crazy mind, they weren't doin' it for me.

So home depot it was.

They're actually the same pulls that I used on the dresser because I love them so much. But that's how I spent 20.00 on a want and it made me smile a lot. It really is the little things.

I could have at least vacuumed for you huh? Oh well. This is life. Guess what else we've done to the family room? Painted! But I'll show you that later this week. Goodbye Cliveden Gray, I sure have loved you, but it's time for a change.

How about you? Have you made any small changes to your place that weren't really necessary but made your heart happy?

Craft Colleen and Cohort {Giveaway}

2012-01-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

Ya'll. I've tried to write this post a few times and Blogger keeps eating it. Let's all cross our fingers and make a wish that deleting the whole thing and starting over works. Bahh!

Okay so I've got something cute for you today friends! The lovely Colleen asked if she could give some of her goodies away and of course I jumped on it. A lot of her items could be something that little boys adore and I know I tend to have lots and lots of bows and girly giveaways so it's nice to have somethin' for the mamas of boys too. Even though some of her things have me saying

"Coooooool!"

Because well.. It is and I like it. Especially the light switches.

What about birthday party treats? Awesome pencils? Pretty sure these would be a hit.

Little scrapbooks for birthdays or weddings? Love the detail put into them.

Cute cute cute.

Now want to know what you could win?

Sure!

Today Colleen is offering up a 25.00 shop credit. Woohoo!

How can you win?

Go check out her shop and let us know what your favorite item is.
Head on over to her facebook page and *like* her! Make sure you tell her who sent ya!
Tweet/blog/facebook about this giveaway.

As always this contest open to FOTF public followers only. If you're not currently subscribed/following now is a great time to do so. Also, please leave a separate comment for each entry. Contest ends 1/22/12.

Feature Yourself Friday - HACKED!

2012-01-13T11:24:00.000-05:00

Hello lovely Fingerprints on the Fridge readers!

My name is Kimmie and I blog over at Sugar and Dots.

Rachelle is my BFF, and she texted me from work this morning asking if I could please open FYF for her.

So here I am.

And since I don't have the power to feature anyone, I decided I'd do a little giveaway so that you don't walk away empty-handed.

It happens to be my two year blogiversary today, so I'm in a giving mood.

;)

Up for grabs:

One Premium Ad Space for the month of February.

(That's the big pink one, ya'll.)

You can read all about the awesomesauce that comes with Premium Ad Space here.

To enter:

1. Leave a comment below thanking your hostess Rachelle for this lovely party.

2. Follow FOTF and leave a comment for Rachelle telling her that you follow her blog.

3. Visit Sugar and Dots sometime and say hello.

(You can do one or all of those options.)
Rachelle will announce the winner next week!

Now on to the party!

Have fun!

Happy Friday.

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-09T20:39:00.001-05:00

Okay.. I'll admit it, I love them. I love the idea that I can start FRESH. Kind of like when I say I'm going to start working out but it can't be on any day other than a Monday. New week. New year. You get the drift. New beginnings, and I enjoy them. Mucho.

A few things I want to work on this year..

Quit looking for perfection in my marriage. It wont happen. We can't erase the past, nor is it a romance movie where he'll sweep in and say all the right things and I'll feel that twinge in my stomach, with a twinkle in my eye and know every things better. Nope. Nada.

We'll still have fights.. Will they lead to divorce? Lord help me I hope not, but it's NORMAL to fight. I don't have to stay awake after every fight worrying that this one was the one that broke the camels back, we should have just agreed on where to have dinner damn it.

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Breathe Rachelle. LIVE. Stop worrying. Be happy. Quit being so concerned with the idea that he might not be happy. You make him happy, shut your head up.

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Be a Yes Mom. Sometimes I think I'm the cranky Mom who doesn't want to do anything. I'm also not really a "play" Mom. I love to take the girls to lunch dates, or movie dates, or shopping. We snuggle all the time or color but I don't really.... play and I always feel like I'm scarring them for life by not rolling on the floor playing barbies.

I mean, I'm probably not scarring them, but I want them to grow up and have memories of me being fun, loving and a part (Not to be confused with APART.. Thankyouverymuch) of things.

Not remembering me working on something while they played in the playroom. I want to be in their memories. All of them.

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Be in photos.
LOL this one sounds so superficial, doesn't it? I'm always behind the camera. I say to Mr. Fingerprints all the time, "What if I were to die. You wouldn't even remember what I looked like!" I'm trying to be better. Say, "hey! Take a picture of us." But I feel so lame doing it. Stop it Rachelle.. Quiet that head up again! ;)

Be happy with my body. This also means taking care of it. Sure I want to lose 20 more pounds but if I don't that's okay. I've been working hard as a mother trucker to lose my baby weight.. (Ha, the baby who is almost...Four. Gulp) But my body will NEVER be pre-baby. It's okay. Learn to live with it, learn to like it. I should probably quit messing with my hair too because it's a hot mess and can't afford any more fried ends or patches from it falling out all the time. ;)

Be a happy person. Be a good friend. Be content. Be the sunshine in someone's life. Be the blog that people feel good after they read. Be the best me that I can be.

Because I only get one shot at this lil' thing called life. I fully intend to rock it this year.

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What about you? Do you have any new years resolutions that you're going to work on this year?! Share with us!

Sharing over at Amandas!

Feature Yourself Friday

2012-01-05T21:50:00.000-05:00

Hello! Welcome to Feature Yourself Friday 2012 edition! Can you believe another year has flown by? Me. Either.

We had lots of eye candy last week.. Things like this seriously ah-mazing play kitchen.. Go see the before. It's nuts!

Lots of pretty projects in one spot, just how I like it.

Ohh, more before and afters. Keep them coming, this is the best part of January in the blog world!

Love this little touch of winter in the kitchen.

Great job ladies, your talent never ceases to amaze me! Time to party on peeps! :)

Hello there, Friend.

2012-01-04T14:11:00.000-05:00

Our Elf Christopher popped in the other night (Okay a few weeks ago. I wrote this and then never posted it. Pretend with me that it's 3 weeks ago..And, scene.) and brought a friend with him.

Oh boy. Here we go.

:)

Okay as much as I complain he is pretty cute. He's already totally in love with his brother and likes to jump around on him and bite his ears. Don't worry, big brother plays back. :)

His sisters? Well, he's not exactly in love with them yet. Getting there... slowly.

Me though? Every two minutes he's under my feet purring so I think that means we're friends.

There's our new family member Oliver.

He shhhore is fluffy!

Shaklee love and a {giveaway}

2012-01-03T22:28:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about blogging is the people that you wouldn't otherwise get to meet. People like Latoya who has such an amazing spark it blows my mind. The kind of sweet person who asks if she can send you something in the mail which on it's own is amazing and thoughtful and then surprises you at Christmas with a Christmas card too.

Did she have to do that?

Nope.

But she did and each time it was just that little sparkle in the mail that made my day. Love those days. Love those people. She's also very down to earth and has a fun blog about family life. I especially loved her cleaning post from the other day, I'm totally the same way. Once the tree is down I feel like I can't breathe unless the whole house gets a good scrub down. Weird. I am.

Onward!

I'd heard tons of things about Shaklee before, and if you've been around the blog world long then you probably have too. I'd never gotten to try it though and when I opened that little package of heaven, oh boy. 'Twas on.

I got a little over eager and tried it on our really messy table. I used more than I needed but, what can I say? I was ready to go. Trust me though when you read that you only need a little bit, they mean it. Anywho I put a big ol' plop of the scour off on my table and it was like new. The best part of cleaning is it makes you want to go a step further and keep things nice. Or is that just me? My table has been clean since I broke out the scour off and I couldn't be happier.

Clean table..Ahh.

She also sent me some of the Basic H. I wanted to show you that but, I'll be honest with you here... I put it in a different brand's bottle when I ran out of said brand. And it wouldn't be very nice of me to show how great Shaklee works in a photo with a different bottle. Ha! Anyway, it works wonders. When I looked online for different ways to use it I wandered on this site, holy-moly! So many different ways to use it. It's like the miracle cleaner. And, SAFE to use! Love that.

So with Latoya being wonder woman and all she wants to give 5 of you the chance to try out this magic cleaner. FUN! I'm excited for you, really. It's that awesome.

Here's how you can win

Leave a comment telling us your favorite thing to spruce up your house after the holidays
Head on over to The Scott's Crib and follow along
Check her out on Facebook so you can be in the know when it comes to deals and steals ;)

Please note, contest only open to United States and Canada residents. Also, you must be a public FOTF subscriber, so if you aren't currently following along, now is a great time to start! Leave a separate comment for each entry as to make it a little easier on random.org's life. :) Shanks!

Feature Yourself Friday!

2011-12-29T22:00:00.002-05:00

Whew! It's been a minute hasn't it?

Yes!

Christmas kind of took over, plus Miss. Rachelle got a new job. I know, I know. Crazy. As much as I love staying home with the girls and being the manager of the house.. it was time. I'll tell you all about it this week. :)

Hum..Hum..Hum.. what else what else? I did a little 2011 review and if you feel like browsing through the archives with me, it's a nice ride down memory lane!

In sponsor news.. The winner of the Bellabyte 25.00 shop credit is...

18. Monsters33 said... I liked Bellabyte on facebook.

The MiaBella giveaway is going to be open for another week because of the holiday and what not so GO SIGN UP and win some scenty goodness.

And, if you have some Christmas cash you have (thanks Mom!) check out TinkerBboutique.. She's got an awesome deal going on for 30% off if you use the code FAM30! LOVE her necklaces, she joined in our Birthday giveaway extravvvaaaganza and was a huge hit. Check it, yo.

Okay okay! On with the party! Since it's been so long since the last party and because I already wrote a mile long post.. ;) We'll just jump right in, what have you been working on? What are you gonna feature tonight?! Let us see!

Best of 2011

2011-12-29T20:27:00.005-05:00

It's time to wrap up 2011 and take a look at the highlights of the year..

One project that we got done this year that I'm super excited about is the...

Playroom!

It was slow and steady that's for sure but I'm so happy that it's done and is a nice comfortable room for the girls to play in. Tons of details here, and here.

We did a little magic to the hallway, and even though it's 6 or 7 feet of space that usually gets unnoticed I love the new closet doors we built.

Definitely better than they were. Plus the white is so fresh and pretty compared to the black.

I did a quick face lift to the bathroom with some fabric art.

Put a Bird on it.

Worked on the kitchen a little bit by adding a Chalkboard wall, Kitchen shelves, beadboard backsplash, and some bun feet.

Had some fun in the mantel department

Some favorites..

'Twas quite the year. I hope you have fun browsing the links and going through the memories with me. :)

And, of course it wouldn't be possible to run this place alone, and thanks to my ah-mazing sponsors this year.

Thank you ladies from the bottom of my heart.. Thank you!

And, of course there would be NO blog without the love and support from you lovely ladies. Every reader..subscriber..every one of you. You mean more to me than you'll ever know. Through your encouragement as I fluff my home, mother my children and learn how to make this thing called marriage work. You're my cheerleaders and there isn't anything quite like real friends is there? Even if you friends are thousands of miles away. I'm honored to call you friends.

Group hug.

This year was pretty tough for some of us, so I'm praying for us all to have one hell of a 2012. Can I get an Amen?

:)
Love. Just love.

Jen is having a best of 2011 party! Check it!
Lovin' it over at TidyMom's!
I'll be joining Rhoda for her 2011 party!
And, Petals to Picots The best of 2011 party!
Don't forget My BFF's partay!
The lovely Ange is having a best of party too!
So much fun going around blog land.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T18:59:00.000-05:00

I actually didn't take 1000 pictures this year, I kind of just lived in the moment and didn't have a free hand with all the fudge and shhnacks I've been munching on. But I did get a new Cannon Rebel for Christmas so hopefully with this new toy I can take a lot more pictures in 2012 to make up for skipping it this year, yes?

Anyway.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas..Happy Everything..And a Wonderful New Year. Let's make this one the year, shall we?

Kitchen details

2011-12-20T12:58:00.000-05:00

It's the little things that matter right? Just like the little details that make you say "Huh? Now that's cute!" It also helps take away the stock cabinet look that we had going on before.

It started with a few bun feet from Home Depot.

Then a builder Dad with a saw and a lot of courage.

I say courage because the bottom of the cabinets by the sink aren't as deep as the ones by the stove and dishwasher. I definitely didn't want them sticking out because goodness gracious everyone knows that I'd be stubbing my foot every ten minutes can we all agree on that? Yes we can. So we cut it in half and Builder Dad was shaking in his boots trying to cut something that rolls 2 inches away from A SAW.. you know because it can become a bloody mess if you're not careful. ;)

Anyway, it worked out in the end and he only lost one and a half fingers.

Kidding.

But the next issue was that they were half an inch too short. Now, you wouldn't be able to notice unless you got down on the floor and looked. We thought about leaving it but, I figured it would probably be something that kept me up late at night being irritated that I didn't spend an extra dollar and some brain power figuring out how to make it taller.

So I did.

I thought about using those discs you can find at Hobby Lobby in the wood section, or a small bead something small enough that we could fit under the foot but something curvy enough that looked like it was supposed to be there.

Then on an end cap I found these suckers! We cut a little bit off but the bottom of the bun slid right in. Perfecto! Best two bones I've ever spent.

They remind me of horse legs, boney knees and all. Do you see it?

We also painted the toe kick the color of the walls just so that they would pop a little more. I like it. I've seen it done with black paint but we don't have anything super dark in the kitchen and I thought that the black would overwhelm more than enhance if you know what I mean. So we added two more to the corners and I couldn't be happier. Adds a little custom charm to the little kitchen that could.

Dear Kitchen, you've come a long way baby.

How about you? Have you added any little touches to your kitchen to spruce it up lately? Share! I want to hear it all!

Scent Stations Mia Bella {Giveaway}

2011-12-19T22:16:00.000-05:00

My friend Lisa sells Scent-Stations Mia Bella and when she emailed me asking if she could send me a few samples? Of. Course!

They smell A-MAZING. The apple pie? Delicious. I could really eat it I think, mmm nothing better than warm apple pie.

Plus a really nice thing about these candles are they're way more natural than the big ol' stores out there sell, and they're clean and practically soot free. No nasty black soot? Yes please. And, anything natural I'm all for!

Today Lisa has graciously offered up a 9 oz. Jar and an assortment of melts! Ohhh your house is going to smell so good! :) Want to know how you can win?

Check out the website and let me know which scent you'll choose if you win.
Become a fan on the Smell A Bella facebook page Make sure you tell her FOTF sent you!
Are you ready for Christmas? Done with shopping!? I want to hear about it!

*Please leave a separate comment for each entry as it makes random.org's life a little bit easier (and mine!) Contest only open to Fingerprints on the Fridge readers so if you're not currently a subscriber/follower now is a great time!*

Feature Yourself Friday

2011-12-16T09:53:00.003-05:00

Friday? Friday already? For serious? And 9 days till Christmas? Are you KIDDING me!? December seriously flew by and I don't like it one bit. I also don't like that there is no snow in the forecast and I need to get in the Christmas spirit. It's Michigan people! Snow is expected in what? June? December 16th should be full of the white stuff.

Anyway.

We should probably just jump into the party since I'm way late but I can't post without a picture so let's post one of one of my favorite men. I said one. Don't worry husband, you're still the favorite.

Party on playas!

Christmas giving ideas..numero....Three!

2011-12-15T18:16:00.000-05:00

How about some more Christmas ideas for those lovies in your life. I have a nice little list of things I know that the people in your life would enjoy.

I recently went to a craft show and met so many fun women who own their own shops. I love that! I'm a big supporter of buying handmade, not only do you get something made with love but you're probably helping a mom follow her dreams and pay the bills. Bonus..and Bonus!

First up, Joy Sparks Designs.

If my camera weren't dead I'd take a photo but I bought the cutest typewriter ring from her. It says 1/2 1/4 which.. 2 & 4 are special dates to me as it's my kids birthdays! How cool huh? Once I got home and browsed her shop I saw these.

SUCH a cute idea for that man in your life. Unique and fun. She's got lots of other goodies in her shop and if you join her on facebook you can get 10% off your order. There's still time to order for Christmas ya'll JUMP on it.

Whimzie is another shop I recently fell in love with. Her shop doesn't have a lot in it because of the recent craft show but I promise you, she's a shop to look out for when it comes to headbands and bows. I purchased some for my girls and they adore them.

Tons of feathers.. Tons of flowers.. so dainty and pretty. I'm excited for her to get new items in, because you'll love them! She's got a facebook too if you want to check her out more!

One more Michigan shop :) Remember my facebook post about these lovely finds?

They're from Two Charming and it was really hard to stop at just two things! Her shop is so fun! Look at her booth photos! Big fan..Big big fan! It'd be really easy to find something for a secret Santa gift from her!

With love Marie
I just bought these the other day and I'm itching to get them in the mail! My oldest wants feathers so bad and these were a good price and they had really good reviews.

If you've got a little fashionista on your hands like me check it out. Plus right now she had a special going on where you get a free gift. Whoop whoop. Great stocking stuffer!

I love that these are gifts that you know they aren't going to get from someone else, you'll be the cool friend who knows where to buy all the awesome finds. ;)

Please note I wasn't compensated at all for this post. I bought all these gifts with my own moolah and I just wanted to share a few shops that I'm really happy with and thought you might be too! Merry Christmas!

Christmas tour of homes 2011

2011-12-14T17:45:00.000-05:00

Why hello there! It's that time again, time for the Christmas tour of homes 2011 with The Nester! I'm so excited this year, I know I say it every year but this one is really my favorite.

Until next year I'm sure.. ;)

But for now, I'm so in love with it! I decided yesterday that it was my absolute LAST day I was going to spend decorating anything, I could tweak and perfect forever so it was time to put a stop to it and sit back and actually ENJOY the last 12 days until Christmas.

Things like sitting around the Christmas tree with hot chocolate and watching Elf for the 200th time? Bliss.

So I worked my tail off, finished some projects, cleaned like a maniac (Because lawd knows my house is never this clean, trust.) and anything that I didn't get to do? Well, that's just okay. It's time to be present in my families life. Even if it means being present cuddling in front of the t.v ;) Just kidding.

Less talking more pictures right?

Thar she blows!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night :)

If you're still in the Christmas mood and want to browse around a bit how about some fun links to check out?

Christmas 2010 decor

Christmas tablescapes 2011

Christmas tablescapes 2010

My wreath that is getting massive pinterest love

My post popular project to date (Crazy since it was years ago and my photography is cringe-worthy)

Handmade gift ideas part one.. two.. three

Christmas tree o' Christmas tree

2011-12-13T23:08:00.003-05:00

Well, I got my cozy red and gray theme goin' on.

And

I.LOVE.IT.

Basket o' Christmas books :)

It's so warm and fun and not the usual gold and white I've rocked in the past.

2010 White, Gold, Sheet music garland and chalkboard ornaments

How about 100 pictures just because? :) Enjoy!

I'll be back with the mantel and a tour of the whole house tomorrow! :) It's official..

12 days of Christmas ya'll. Can't wait!

ho ho ho

Want to see the rest of the house decked out for the holidays?

Linking up with The Inspired Room's Christmas tour, ThriftyDecorChick's Christmas tree party & Nester's tour of homes!
and
"I am sharing my holiday home decor and cleaning tips for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls and Great Cleaners."

Christmas Ornament making

2011-12-09T12:26:00.001-05:00

When it came to my Christmas decor this year I wanted something a little different than my usual gold scheme. I tried my hardest to rock the blue/green/peacock combo but I just couldn't love it. And, if mama don't love it, she can't deal with it in her face for a month. It just wasn't cozy enough for me, but it shore was purdy.

On to something else though.

Red, because it screams cozy to me. But with a twist, some gray. Which could feel really cold and the opposite of warm and cozy but, I think with the right color gray and with the soft textures it works really well.

First up, some yarn ornaments. These aren't new to the blog world at all so I'll spare you a how to. It's easy, hot glue a bit then wrap. Over and over and over it can feel like forever. I also only glued the ornament and didn't add any more on once it was all covered because as you wrap the yarn holds itself. Easy. No mess. Non-breakable. Yes please.

Next up. Faux mercury glass ornaments.

Now, a few things.

They aren't exactly mercury glass looking, almost like old foggy glass mirrors? Spooky looking windows? This is because I couldn't find any mirror spary paint at Michaels the other day. Clearly everyone else wanted to make these ornaments too when I thought I was on to something new and awesome. ;) I also wasn't going to drive all the way across town to HL.. Oh well.

I used Chrome instead. Chrome works, I like how it looks.

First I did a super light coat on the ornaments and then I used a spray bottle filled with water and spritzed the ornaments pretty heavily. Then I sprayed the chrome once again and let it dry.

Once they were fully dry I wiped them off with a paper towel, you could take a light sander to it, which is what Katie did on her mirrors but I didn't have one on me and it was coming off really easily anyway.

Cue the Ohhhh and ahhhs Aren't they pretty? I love them! They're not reflective like mercury glass but they're so.. lovely! See through and splotchy but good splotchy! And, where the chrome was more heavily applied it's more shiny. All around good, okay. All. around. good.

The tree looks so cute now! I can't wait to show you. :) Let's all cross our fingers and say a prayer that we get some nice weather in Michigan so I can take some pictures of it!

Until then.. me being artsy.. with one heck of an awkward pose going on.

Linking up to Centsational Girl's holiday party!