Race for the Cure 2011

This past weekend I attended my first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It was a 5K race, but I do hope to someday participate in the 3-Day. I have always wanted to go since my grandmother died of breast cancer and it runs in my family. Plus I wanted to support such a great cause. But this year was special. It marked the 5-year anniversary of my mother-in-law being cancer-FREE! And what better way to celebrate than to have my husband's entire family walk right along with the cancer survivor in the Race for the Cure!

[My daughter is all decked out in pink ready to race (with chip in hand). And a pink feather boa also decorated the stroller.]

[I even painted my nails to get all geared up for the race. :0) Just a little fun with some pink nail polish.]

[And...they're off!]

[A sea of people.]

It was such an amazing experience that I will remember forever. The determination and strength of the survivors and those who are still battling breast cancer is so inspirational. And I am very proud of my mother-in-law for never giving up and continuing to live life to the fullest.

[Jen]

A Little Tea Party & Giveaway Reminder

[photo courtesy of my daughter]

Tea anyone? While taking photos of my upcoming projects, my 2-year old daughter snatched up my camera and took this very "artsy" picture of her little tea set during our daily tea party. She is quite the photographer, don't you think? :0)

REMINDER: The $35 CSN Stores Giveaway ends TOMORROW at 11pm PST!!!

Have you entered yet?? If not, click [HERE] to enter!!

[Jen]

Happy First Day of Fall!

Don't you just love the Fall season? Today in the U.S. marks the first day of Fall. So exciting! I love how the leave change into the most beautiful colors making everything feel warm even on those brisk, cold days. And, to those of you who enjoy decorating your home, there are endless ways to add natural decor to give the inside of your home that same warm feeling.

[I LOVE this Indian corn wreath! And it looks pretty simple to make. I would assume you could take an ordinary hay wreath and hot-glue the corn to the wreath with the shucks flared out. Seems easy peasy! Hmm...do I see a "How-to Tuesday" tutorial on this in the near future??]

[Wouldn't this be the perfect table setting for your next Halloween/Thanksgiving dinner party? Different sizes and colors of pumpkins on top of dark-colored books add a sophistication to the entire look. Plus it's a great inexpensive way to liven up any centerpiece.]

[This looks like a fairly easy centerpiece to make. And miniature pumpkins are so much fun to decorate with! Just carve a hole in the center of the pumpkin, place a votive or tall taper candle inside it, and secure it all with some museum wax. These would look lovely placed on a platter or in a shallow bowl filled with rocks or stones]

[Of course, this one I absolutely adore! I love the rich, deep red color of this frame. And the leaves strung along some orange ribbon really give it that extra flare. Perfect for decorating a mantel or shelf.]

All photos courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

[Jen]

[Wacky Wednesday: Patriotic Crafts]

This week I figured I would feature some fantastic blog posts about fun patriotic DIY crafts that so many of you fabulous crafters out there have created. And given that Independence Day in the U.S. is this coming Sunday (ahh!), I figured it would be appropriate. So sit back, grab a cup o' Joe, and be inspired!

Crafts & Sutch created this adorable hanging USA sign that I am so wanting to make myself. Cute!!

Little Bit Funky made this festive July 4th t-shirt out of fabric and Wonder Under (I love that stuff!). She even has a step-by-step tutorial. Check it out!

Sweet Something Designs frugally made this American flag sign out of an old wooden pallet. Can you believe it? I think it looks amazing! So patriotic!

The Paisley Cupcake made this cute little "flag" by painting mason jars and decorating them with raffia. What a neat idea! And definitely a good way to recycle glass jars!

[Wacky Wednesday: More Frame Wall Art]

I love it how empty picture frames have become such a trend lately! And you bloggers out there have such amazing and creative ideas! Yesterday I stumbled over Impatiently Praying for Patience (love the name, by the way! I feel this way almost daily!) and found this:

Ah...just beautiful. I love the mixture of the different styles and shapes of frames. Really adds character. I would totally decorate my entire house in empty frames if I could (and if my husband would let me). :0)

[Wacky Wednesday: Brassy Apple]

This past week I discovered Brassy Apple. Then, being the frame fanatic that I am, saw this amazing frame arrangement. All I can say is WOW!

I LOVE it!! Okay, so this one is going in the "project to-do" file. :0) Have a fabulous Wednesday!

[Wacky Wednesday: Children's Art]

Is your child an artist? Whether your child is a young teen or a small toddler, I am sure they believe they are! So instead of just sticking it up on the fridge, there are tons of different and creative ways to display their beautiful artwork.

Simple wooden skirt hangers painted in fun colors can display your little ones masterpieces. Just put a few round drawer knobs on the wall to hang the hangers on. And the best part about it is that you can rotate new artwork as often as you like!

Framing children's art is probably the most popular way to display them. You can put them in different styles of frames. I personally like this one where the artwork is placed between the glass in the frame. Very nice! Plus, think of how special your child will feel knowing that their artwork is "frame-worthy". :0)

Another fun way to display their amazing work of art is to laminate them and use them as placemats. How fun would that be for your child to peek over the edge of their plate and see their little creation? It's something the whole family can enjoy each and every day!

These are just a few ideas. There are tons of other creative ways, like having your child choose 12 of their favorite artwork and put them in a calendar, or they could place them all in a binder or scrapbook. There are plenty of online companies (such as winkflash, snapfish, etc.) that could take a digital image of their art and print them in photobooks, mouse pads, mugs, you name it! So next time your child creates something, don't just slap it up on the fridge (or worse, throw it away). Have fun with it! It will make your child feel truly special.

[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)

[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.

[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!