I've received another Versatile Blogger Award. I really don't know what to say other than that I'm honored. So lets do this again with all new things you don't know and 15 new blogs that I love.

So every year since we moved back to Virginia, Stephen and I have hosted a 4th of July party - until this year. This year my Mom and Dad have graciously offered their home and land for the party. It also doesn't hurt that their  neighbor has ever-so-graciously allowed us to watch his fireworks display.

That being said, my house is still going to look patriotic on the 4th and that's what I did today. Gave her a quick make-over and finished some lingering projects. So here's what she looks like now!

I've had this idea floating around for a while, and I'm finally got around to making it. Too bad its an incomplete thought. I don't know how to finish this pillow. :(

UPDATE

I've now added the pictures I forgot to put in originally! Also when I came downstairs this morning, this is what I found.

Yep....that's Harrison and a mess of torn toilet paper. Thank goodness his bink was there, otherwise he might have been eating said mess.  :)

When it rains, it pours.
Thank goodness I love to dance in the rain....one of the only places you'll see me do it too :)

After brutally attacking my hem gauge the other day, my scissors, rotary cutter and cutting mat have all decided to retaliate. Today's post was supposed to be a tutorial on how to make a powder puff pillow. Yea, that's not going to happen, because it's still in 2 pieces. Also doesn't help that I don't have a black zipper....sigh.

Good morning, everyone! I say good morning because I am actually writing this on Friday morning instead of Thursday or earlier like I usually do. It has not been a good week, but that didn't stop me from trying a new recipe! Sadly, I did completely forget to take pictures, so I apologize for that now. Did I mention it was not a good week? Well, I promise next week will be far more colorful. Now, with all that out of the way, here's the recipe...

Well here is the updated wall(s)! I am much happier with the new look, and even more pleased that there are still a few spots to add pictures :) So without further ado.....On to the show!

Now to refresh your memory. It looked like this:

So I know that ya'll are expecting to see my completed picture wall done, and it is done. Buuuut I'm not going to show it to you just yet. THHHHHPPPP! Sorry....H has been blowing raspberries for forever, but this week they're extra drooly, so I thought I'd share {aren't I sweet? :-P}

I am also going to share with you the epiphany I had when Jan of Bobbypins Boardwalk commented that I should include more than just photos. Not only did a light bulb go off, but the entire lighting department. First, some history, a while back I saw this post linked up somewhere {sorry I cannot remember where} and knew I had to do this. Yes, I'm going to make you go to her blog, because 1) I'm in an ornery mood, 2) she's got a really nice blog and you should check it out and 3) I'm ornery. Did I repeat myself? :-)

I'm really hoping that one of you craft-a-rific gals can help me out. Like yesterday. I've had this project thats lasted WAAAAAY to long, and I want to finish it up - Only I don't know exactly how to accomplish it.

I am deeply saddened to write the words for this post. I have lost a very good and helpful friend. He was tragically caught in an accident. He didn't see it coming, so thankfully he did not feel anything. I am trying to take solace in that fact. I still can't believe it. He's been there for me through thick and thin and I could always depend on him. He helped guide me and I relied on that talent. I feel even more guilt and sadness in the fact that I am the one who ran him over. I didn't see him. I didn't even know he was there, and now, because of me, I have lost one of my greatest allies.

I almost feel like I should have a special 100th post. You know like TV shows do, but being as it's Father's Day...That will be my special 100th post special!

I'm going to keep it short and sweet, because I have lasagna to make for family dinner tonight, and it happens to be one my Dad's favorites!

I've been awarded my first blogger award from Thrifty Ba. Its the versatile blogger award! You guys should definitely check out her blog. She's funny and I love how she writes. Also her background is orange, and if that isn't enough to get you guys to go visit then I don't know what is. I have a small love affair with orange. So visit!

I know that today is Food Frenzy Friday, but I'm hijacking Dana's post for a small second to announce the winner of the $40 gift certificate!

Well she's done. FIN.ALL.Y!

It was lots of work, but I want to thank Stephen for helping me out with the room and with watching the kids. I am so happy that I have the space cleaned up, personalized and organized. I can now start sewing up all those pillow slipcovers I keep talking about selling. I've gotten 2 done....I think I need more than that. ;-)

The stripes on the wall are from Oooops paint from Lowe's and the shelves are not the sturdiest, but they'll do for now, or until I add clamps to them and secure them to the wall. All in all I think I spent about $150, mostly storage bins and the like for this room.

I've been hiding something from ya'll and I didn't even realize that I'd done it! That's how scatter-brained I am sometimes. :) First off though, don't forget to vote for June's DIY Inc project and leave me your favorite quote here so you have a chance at winning a $40 gift certificate from CSN. Oh and this is going to be another photo heavy post :)

While cleaning up/out my craft room, I found a stack of invites and cards that I've made. You see I love to do paper crafts. I started scrapbooking when Dev was a year old, and while I'm insanely behind right now, I have several books done for the D-man and one started for H.

I started off scrapbooking strictly traditional, but the computer kept calling so then I did hybrid scrapping. I lay everything out in InDesign and then build from there. However, with H's book and about half of Dev's latest book, I've gone strictly digital. Its just so much easier!!!! Especially with a so many things going on, and I know that most of those things are self-imposed....but I enjoy a wide range of things. I truly believe that if I didn't have at least a dozen things going on at any one time I wouldn't know what to do with myself.

So with part of my husband's heritage being Armenian, I thought it was time to introduce some Armenian dinner dishes, that would be wonderful additions to your menu repertoire. So here is one of our favorites! This delicious meal was prepared by the hubby, and Harrison was giving him mad props for it too!

Warning! Photo Heavy Post!

Way back in April Obsessively Stitching started posting detailed instructions on how to make your first quilt, and I followed along, at least up until my master bedroom redo. Then I had to play catch-up, but today, over at Caroline's blog, she is having a My Very First Quilt show! You all should definitely check it out and see all the beauties. :)

So the room is underway. I need to get her put back together and painted, but I wanted to give a quick update.

Here's what she looks like now:


Stephen will be very happy when all of my crap stuff will be back into its proper space.

I need to get back to work, but I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!
Enjoy,

Well it's that time again! Do you remember on Wednesday I posted about a giveaway? Well the time to give that $40 gift certificate away is here! CSN is offering up a $40 gift certificate to any of their over 200 stores for one of you lucky commenters! So read on for the specifics.


Unlike other giveaways were you tell me in a comment what you'd use this money for....I think I'm going to change it up a bit! So here are my rules: :) 


1) You don't have to be a follower, just
2) Tell blogland what your favorite quote is by leaving a comment in this post. 

Occam's Razor

–noun

The maxim that assumptions introduced to explain a thing must not be multiplied beyond necessity.

What do you get when you're browsing through MarthaStewart.com? Like me, your brain probably starts going in all sorts of directions with new ideas. So what do you get when you cross these 4th of July decorations with a pillow? 

Ok gals, I have a dilemma.....a lighting dilemma. Here are my issues -

Ok so that may sound a little weird, and even one of my tweets yesterday was odd....mostly because I misspelled dyeing. My husband was quite bereft when I stated that dying was on the list of things to do. Ooops. :) I'm happy to share this dyeing adventure though!

I did some research after my mishap, but what I want to accomplish was a gradated color effect for the pillow case. Here's the official term for that dyeing technique:

Ombré - rhymes with the Spanish word hombre, but is actually a French word meaning "shade" or "shadow". (Ombre without the fancy "é" is a very old card game!)

It was my first time actually dyeing anything (tie dye does not count, because I have never successfully done that)....and I must say that it was fun and thank goodness for bleach. :) So on to the show!

This is what we're creating, sans the flap on the bag.

 So Mom has provided the base tutorial for her car.Go tote! It has two pockets and is deep enough to cram a ton of stuff into it. The flap however is not included. I will have to get after her for that. ;-) I will also apologize because there are no pictures to go along with this tutorial yet, but I hope that you all will get the gist of what we're trying to explain! I have finished pictures of Devlin's Tote to act as your guide.

I'm jumping on the trend-bandwagon and doing a post about 10 things you may or may not  know about me! I might have some difficulty, which is unfortunate, because I think it'd be hilarious to be able to convey how  much time goes into writing some of these posts. Sometimes they fly right off my fingertips and other times I'm sitting looking at my computer wracking my brain to be able to find the words that will convey in a sensible manner what it is I'm trying to explain. So on to the fun!

So I know the 4th is a ways off, but its never to early to get into the patriotic spirit! A while ago, I stocked up on blank t-shirts for the boys and I with the intention of sprucing them up, and it has begun! While stocking up on baby supplies, I wandered around into the baby section of Target, and saw an adorable shirt that had a truck in Old Glory's colors and Red, White and Vrooom! beneath it. Love.At.First.Sight. My boys had to have it. Not paying the $10 they wanted for it though. It's just a t-shirt for Pete's sake. So here's my take on their show!

So I got another Father's Day gift knocked out today, and I'm very excited to share it with you all. I've been on a definition kick lately and since there are a plethora of baseball terms to choose from, I decided that we needed some baseball terms defined for these coasters. I also bought this Omni Transfer Medium a while ago, and have not had a chance to use it until now. Other than being messy, and probably needing to improve my technique, I'm very happy with how they turned out. :) So without further ado, on to the show!

I started this blog back in February, and I had no idea about the following:

1) That I'd enjoy blogging as much as I do. I think of my blog as a job. A job that I love doing and look forward to. Its a challenge to think up new projects that are useful, attractive and affordable. Granted sometimes my tank runs dry, but there is always something to share, even if they are my random thoughts.

2) Way back in February, when I started this blog, I told my husband that I would start an Etsy shop at 100 followers. I had no idea that it would happen this soon. And I have to say....I'm terrified! I hit 100 followers at the end of last week, and I did not tell Stephen. He, of course, knew that I was close, because every time I got a new follower; I would excitedly call him up and tell him how many people liked what I was doing. Its a wonderful boon! I did not tell him, but he reads my blog every day {he's so sweet} so he knew.  :)

So my great-grandmother, Granny Hester, had a wonderful pie recipe that always reminds me of summer. She shared it with my grandmother who, in turn, shared it with me. I am sharing it with ya'll because it's just too good and simple not to. :)

Are these not the most beautiful strawberries ever? And you know you love the Mickey bowl. :)