[Wacky Wednesday]: List of Lists

Do you ever have a million lists (i.e. grocery lists, to-do lists, project lists, blog lists, meal planning lists, etc.)? And do you have them scattered around the house on random pieces of scrap paper or post-it notes that you somehow always lose? Well, I do. And mine always end up at the bottom of my purse or in the diaper bag. It's like a black hole or something. Yet I still always prefer to write things down with a pen and paper. Call me old-fashioned, but that's just how my little brain works. I suppose I am always afraid I will forget something, so I have to write it down the moment it crosses my mind. But I would love it if there was a more put together, more organized way to get all my thoughts down on paper. Well, How Does She? has 7 (yes, 7!) FREE downloadable lists that are super fun and will keep you organized! Here are just a few samples:

I encourage you all to visit How Does She? to download these cute lists! It's amazing how one simple list can help you feel organized. And crossing something off your list gives you a great sense of accomplishment. :0)

A little R&R: Reduce & Reuse

Don't you hate it when you buy food in a glass bottle or jar and end up throwing it away in the trash when it's empty? Such a waste. (Now I realize that you can recycle glass, but you would be surprised on how many people don't recycle. I confess, I never really did until about a year ago.) But there are so many ways to reuse something in an unconventional way.

For example, take this applesauce jar. Most people may recycle it, or they might even throw it away in the trash. But me, I saw an opportunity to reuse this bad boy. Take a look.

Since my applesauce jars are made of glass, I thought they would be sturdy enough to hold some craft supplies in my craft room. Plus those craft jars are just too pricey for my tight budget. Just fancy it up with some ribbon or whatever you like!

Here's another glass jar that can be reused. I used quite a bit of vinegar around Easter (2 bottles to be exact), but I couldn't bear the thought of throwing the empty jar away. Plus I love the shape of it!

So I turned them into vases. And since I am not gifted with the ability to keep anything living in the house (with the exception of those flowers my hubby gave me for Easter. Those lasted for weeks!), I got some fake daisies to dress it up a bit. I am sure I could do more with these jars. The possibilities are endless!

So with the help of my friend Goo Gone (I LOVE this stuff!) I was able to get off those stubborn label stickers off the jars. This made it incredibly easy! If you have never tried this stuff, go out and buy it. It AMAZING!!

Making Friends also reuses products to make fun crafts that the whole family can do! Check it out!

Featured on: Frugal Friday, Feature Yourself Friday

[Motivational Monday]: Outdoor Dining

With the weather getting warmer and grass getting greener, you can't help but want to spend some time outside. Springtime and summertime usually involve plenty of grilling out and bbq's. So the motivation for today is to just drool over these amazing outdoor patio dining setups from Better Homes and Garden.

I am in love with the outdoor fireplace! So cozy even when it's cold outside. I am also crazy about the pergola. I have been debating about getting one of those for a couple of years now. So nice.

A nice simple dining setup with a little umbrella. I really like the mixture of textures with the wooden table and metal folding chairs. The sunflowers are a nice touch, too. :0)

Again, the fireplace. Lovely. I also like ceiling fans outside for some reason. They add a calming breeze on those hot summer days.

This would be a nice place to have a quiet breakfast and watch the sunrise. I can totally see myself sitting there with my cup of coffee. And do you see that little birdhouse? Adorable!

I really like the color palette of this casual patio. And that table really adds character. Like the ceiling fans, I really like the idea of a chandelier outside. Look perfect! Who says you can't bring indoor lighting outside?

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's Motivational Monday. Now go outside and enjoy this gorgeous weather!

[Wacky Wednesday]: Walrus Dancing Video

Hello everyone! Happy Wacky Wednesday! Just wanted to share this cute "wacky" video of a walrus dancing to "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson. It's super cute! Hope this makes your day!


The Dancing Walrus And Trainer (HQ)
Uploaded by IndyRacer2. - Explore other animal videos.

[How-to Tuesday: Perfect Towel Folding]

Am I crazy or does anyone else just love the look of fresh, clean towels perfectly folded in nice, neat piles? But I never knew how to correctly fold towels to make them look so tidy. That is, until I found some instructions at Martha Stewart. Here's a little how-to help you neatly fold towels during your next laundry session.

You will need:

1 clean towel

1 clean cutting board (size depending on size of towel)

First, lay your towel completely flat on a hard, flat surface. Next, place your cutting board directly in the center of your towel lengthwise (as pictured below). My picture board is clean, just a bit "rustic". I have another one I use regularly, but I keep this old one for folding towels, etc.

Fold one side of your towel neatly over the cutting board.

Then fold the other side on top of the cutting board and other half of towel.

Then, fold the top half of the towel over the cutting board.

Carefully, slide out the cutting board, and fold the towel over one more time.

Voila! A perfectly folded towel. It may take a little more time the first time, but with practice, you will be a speedy towel-folder!

I have mine neatly place on a shelf in my bathroom. We put one where a vanity stool would be because I never need a vanity. I always do my makeup, hair, etc. standing up over my sink.

So there ya go! Hope you enjoyed this week's How-to Tuesday. Happy Folding! :0)

[Motivational Monday]: Craft Rooms

Happy Motivational Monday! Mondays are often a great day to find some inspirations that will help motivate you throughout the week. This week I am needing some motivation for my craft room. It's actually a craft/laundry room, but I could always use some creative ways to store and display my craft tools. Of course, keeping it neat and tidy is always a plus! :0) So here's what I found to be very inspiring. Enjoy!

 I love the color palette of this room. Very bright and girly! I really like the magnetic board on the wall. Great for storing small craft items. Might just have to incorporate that idea in my room.

A wrapping station is a must for all you gift-givers out there! I am crazy about the peg board, ribbon box, and dowel rods that hold the wrapping paper. Even though everything is stored in a practical way, it is also very much part of the decor.

Wouldn't you like to walk into this room to do a craft? I know I would! See that ribbon bulliton board on the right there? I just realized it's mounted to the back of the door. What a great idea! Talk about using every inch of storage space!

Ahh...a pretty calm blue. So nice. I really love those baskets on the shelves under the desk. And I am not sure if you can tell in this picture, but it is creatively labeled with a small chalkboard. So anytime you want to change out what's inside the basket, just wipe off the chalkboard and rename it! So simple!

Images courtesy of BH&G

Scrappy Sunday: The Beginning of Motherhood

Welcome to Scrappy Sunday! (Actually, my husband just gave me a cute idea: "Scrapperday". I might do this on Saturdays.)

Confession: I am a Scrapaholic! I love, love, love to scrapbook! I just can't get enough of it! Plus, it's easy when you're a mom who loves taking pictures of your kids attempting to preserve every waking moment. I just wanted to share a few of the pages I have done this past year for my daughter's 1st year scrapbook. I already showed you a little preview here of a page I did.

Keep in mind that I was only a beginner when I did some of these, so they may not be as crafty as they should be. But, nonetheless, the memories of the early days as a new mom are well preserved.

Foodie Friday: LINKY PARTY!!

Recipe of the Day: Spinach Pizza

Ingredients:
1 frozen cheese pizza
2 cups frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F (or according to package directions). Place spinach on top of frozen pizza. Then sprinkle cheese to cover the pizza. Cook in oven for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Clearly, I am not a good cook. Especially when I am taking some frozen products and calling it a "meal". (Although being a busy mom, sometimes there's just not enough time to create a meal from scratch. A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do!) So I would love to hear all of your tasty recipes that I know you are just dying to share!

Okay ladies! It's time to party! This is a first here at Frame Fanatic. I am going to try using this cool Linky thingy, and I desperately need your help. I would love to see how many of you would participate in this. And please, tell your friends to join in! The more the yummier!

Today's linky party is going to be about linking up your favorite RECIPES. I know you all have 'em, so let's here what's cooking in your kitchen!

(Show the love. If you link up, be sure to visit other links and leave a friendly comment. Why? Because it might just make someone's day!)

10 Followers and counting!

I am so EXCITED! I finally have 10 followers so far! You have no idea how much this has made my day! After starting up this blog in February, I had no idea what amazing things I was in for. And I certainly didn't think that I was at all worth following. But you girls have lifted me up and given me some "blogging confidence". So I wanted to say to all my devote followers a gracious THANK YOU. I can only hope I can inspire you and at least give you something interesting to read about. :0)

I heart my followers!

[Wacky Wednesday]: PattieWack Jewelry Shelves

I am totally loving this DIY shelving idea! Pattie Donham-Wilkinson over at Get Wacky and Crafty with Pattiewack! So crafty, yet still very economical. And, of course, I LOVE the fact that it is in a frame like a shadow box! It really displays all your fine jewelry for everyone to enjoy and still makes it completely accessible for you. I could so use this in my closet, instead of it all being crammed in a jewelry box. This would really let them "breathe".

BONUS!! I also love that it can be used to hold stamps or other useful craft tools. I am going to put this idea in the archives to use in my craft room!

Feeling wacky and crafty? Stop and visit Pattiewack. She's got tons of amazing DIY ideas!

[How-To Tuesday (1 day late): Distressing]

A couple of you had asked me to describe how I distress my projects. I LOVE distressing everything I paint. It's so much fun, and it gives whatever you distress a very used, "antiquey" look. And I thought to myself, "why don't I just write a blog about it!" So here you go. A step-by-step tutorial on distressing. I usually do frames, but this week I am painting a cute little tray I found at Goodwill for $2.

I thought it had lots of potential! Just needed a little TLC. So in order to start this project, I needed to get my supplies together: a thrifty find (the tray), some acrylic paint (I used Apple Barrel white acrylic paint I bought at Walmart), a paint brush (or sponge brush), and sandpaper (or sandpaper block).

First, you might want to sand down any rough edges with sandpaper (especially if what you're painting has been used and abused). This will help you get a cleaner look after you paint it.

Next, start painting! Yea! I love painting. It's so therapeutic! You can paint on as many coats as you wish. In this project, I painted on 2 coats of paint since the wood was so dark.

After you painted on the desired amount of paint, let it dry. You might be thinking "why is she adding 'let it dry' as a step?" Learning from experience, you do NOT want to do any distressing on wet paint. Not pretty.

Once the paint has fully dried, grab some sandpaper (or your sandpaper block) and begin sanding off just the edges. You only want it to "accent" your work of art. You can distress (a.k.a. sand down) as much or as little as you want. The great part about distressing is that if you sand down too much, you can always repaint it, let it fully dry, and sand it again. So simple!

Next step: give yourself I big pat on the back. Congratulations! You have now turned something old and rusty to a beautiful distressed accent to your decor. :0)

I placed this now adorable little tray on a shelf in my craft room. It holds cute little cups and jars that are filled with miscellaneous craft supplies.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this week's How-To Tuesday! (Like the title?? I am trying it out.)

Featured on:

Frugal Friday

I'm back!! Flowers anyone??

I have re-entered back into the blogging world! Hello Everyone! Sorry I have been MIA for the past week. Haven't been in the mood to blog lately. Last Friday night, my cousin died of stomach cancer. He was only 36 years old, been married for 2 years, and had his whole life ahead of them. The funeral was Wednesday, and it was the hardest thing to bear. Watching my aunt and uncle bury their first born son was indescribable. I believe that parents who watch their child enter and then leave this world completely goes against nature. As a mother, I pray I never have to experience that. I think the only thing that kept them going was their faith in God. They had already been through so much over the past year battling the cancer with him, but now they know my cousin is alive and well in heaven.

On a much lighter note, check out the flowers my husband gave me a while back. He also gave me roses, but I haven't gotten around to taking a picture of them. He gave them to me for Easter, and they are still kickin'! He's just the sweetest guy ever! Always randomly surprising me with flowers and little love notes. I love him to pieces!

Copycat Friday: To Be or Not to Be?

For a couple of weeks now, I have been debating on if I should continue Copycat Friday or to go a different route. If you are new here, the objective of Copycat Friday is for me to find something (big or small) that someone else has done and steal their idea while still making it my own. I did it for a little while, but I am now realizing that I just don't have the patience time to do a craft every week. I am constantly inspired by so many of you crafty bloggers out there and still want to give others the same inspiration.

So I am at a standstill. If any of you have any fun theme ideas for Friday (or any other day of the week), please let me know by commenting below. I read every single comment on all of my blogs and would love to hear your thoughts. So let's here 'em!

P.S. Pictured above is my dog Snickers (or sometimes called Snickerdoodle). He's my 2 year old yorkie who always love to pose for the camera. :0)

April Fools!!!

Okay, so I am not really the type to pull pranks or jokes, but I saw a couple of these ideas on Martha's website and thought they might be fun to do.

Green Eggs and Ham! Of course this could also work on doing a special "Dr. Seuss" day. Even though the eggs are green, they still taste just as good!

"Feux Baked Potato" This by far was the neatest (and particularly delicious) prank to pull on anyone. Just take 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, wrap it in aluminum foil, and shape it like a potato. Then "bake it" or freeze it for a couple of hours or so. When you are ready to serve it, unwrap it from the foil, cover it completely with cocoa powder, and slice it just like you would cut into a baked potato. Top it off with some "sour cream" or whipped topping and sprinkle with "chives" or green sprinkles. Bon appetit! It fooled my husband! But I must warn you, it melts fast so serve it as soon as it's ready. But I am sure it will be eaten just as fast because it's yummy!

Happy April Fool's Day Blog Friends!