Bloggy Giveaway - Monogram Chick

I love anything monogrammed. Monograms make simple, everyday items stylish and sophisticated. The Monogram Chick has a delightful store with tons of personalized items.

I'm so happy I found the Monogram Chick. You can find gifts perfect for your child's teacher, housewarming presents , and even a little something for the friend who has everything.

I would love to be the Monogram Chick. She's so creative . . . and she blogs . . . and she's southern. Her prices are very reasonable. You'll definitely be able to find a personalized gift to give to all the special people in your life.

You have a chance to win a $30 gift certificate to the Monogram Chick. Mark a holiday gift off your list or buy a little something for yourself (I won't tell anyone).

All you need to do is take a look over at Monogram Chick and tell me your favorite item by Saturday, November 1st. I'll use a random generator and email the winner Sunday evening.

Good luck and have fun looking at all the eye candy!

Be sure to take a look at the hundreds of wonderful giveaways at Bloggy Giveaways.

Gratefully Green

My husband has always had a huge influence on me. He's smart. He knows a lot of stuff I don't. I'm grateful to have him as a husband and our children are blessed to learn from him on a daily basis.

He started me on my journey to living greener. I was stubborn and hard-headed. I didn't want to change the way I did things. I didn't want to be bothered and couldn't see much point in my individual effort. I know better now. Thankfully he didn't give up on me (he's more stubborn and hard-headed than I am).

I see how my actions are noticed by friends and family. Even if they don't follow my lead, they notice. The most important thing I've learned from him is we all have the ability to make choices. And our choices, whether good or bad, have an affect on others and our environment.

There are a lot of great eco-friendly things out there that make living green easier, but I think the thing I'm most grateful for is my husband's ability to open my mind. He's helped me realize I can choose to live differently. We don't always get it right, but we're learning.

This post is my submission for The Green Mom's Carnival hosted in November by Best of Mother Earth.

WFMW: Fabric Magnets

One day I might have an original idea, but it's not going to be today . . .

I recently made a magnetic chalkboard (pictures to come soon) and wanted to make some crafty magnets. Google always comes through. I found some great ideas and tutorials out there.

Using some fabric scraps, button covers and magnets I created a set of magnets to adorn our new DIY magnetic chalkboard.

These bloggers were the inspiration and have great ideas and tutorials:

How About Orange
JCaroline
Lolly Chops

These magnets "Work For Me". Check out other great ideas over at Rocks in My Dryer.

Decoupage Framed Monogram

I have a problem. I'm constantly looking for things I can cover with a coat of Mod Podge. Luckily, my kids move way to fast for me to catch and no way could they hold still long enough to dry.

I came across this wooden "M" this weekend in Meg's sock drawer (go figure). I knew it would be much happier with a pretty piece of scrapbook paper glued to it. I also found the frame and figured why not paint one more thing with the apple green spray paint I used here and here.

Put the two together and I have a cute, personalized piece of art for Meg's bookshelves. I simply traced around the letter and cut it out. I then glued it onto the wooden letter. After removing the glass from the frame, I decoupaged a complementary paper onto the cardboard backing.

The wooden letter was a bit heavy, so I used gorilla glue to adhere it to the cardboard backing. Using a frame gives me the option of hanging the piece on the wall or standing it on one of her shelves. I also have a "D" and "K" for the boys. I can use them when the decoupage itch comes.

Thrifty Birthday Decorations

Davis will be 4 on Saturday. To celebrate we are having a brunch with friends and family. I want to decorate, but I'm not too interested in spending money on a bunch of plastic junk.



I decided to collect a few of my favorite photos of Davis. I found a few binder clips and other clips I've had for years and created a little photo display.

A perfect way to celebrate and honor our birthday boy. It lets everyone see how much he's grown and gives us an opportunity to share special memories.

If you want to get real fancy with your binder clips, How About Orange shows you how to cover them with fabric.

Check out other great thrifty ideas at Green Baby Guide.

What Can You Do With a Giant Bonus Card, Hot Water & Vinegar?

Remove wallpaper, of course!

Here is a before picture of our dining room, carpet and all! Whoever hung this wallpaper was really good at their job.

I've been filling a spray bottle with 3/4 really hot water and 1/4 vinegar. I spray the paper until it's very saturated. Let it sit for awhile (but not so long that the paper dries out) and peel off the top paper layer. Spray again and wait. Then I use my handy dandy Giant bonus card to scrape off the "gluey" layer.

If I could find more than 15 consecutive minutes to work on this, I could finish in a few hours. That's not happening, so I'm hoping to be finished by the end of the week.

Cheap Wall Art

The kids' playroom needed a little color on the walls, so I decided to create a canvas for them. I was able to do each 16 x 20 canvas for a little over $8, and I have enough scrapbook paper and stickers to do several more.



They're definitely not perfect. I learned a lot as I went along. Some things I would do differently next time, but overall I'm very pleased and enjoyed the creative process.

Kale's is still wet so you can see a little of the Mod Podge, but I was impatient and took a picture anyway. I couldn't find any paper I liked, so the truck section is fabric.

Tackle It Tuesday #18 - Hammer Time

Our walls haven't been painted and the wallpaper hasn't been taken down, but I had to get something up on the walls. It's amazing how much more lived in our house feels now with a few simple changes.


This is our foyer and the very first thing you see when you walk into the house. Add a mirror and . . .

My mother in law gave me this mirror for Christmas last year. I love it! I'm not sure what that inner circle is all about, must be the flash or something.


I know the pantry door is not technically a wall, but hanging a shelf does make a difference.



This is Kale's bedroom. He has this one little sad window right in the middle of his wall. My goal was to use a curtain to create the illusion of a larger window.

I didn't quite reach my goal - this window treatment is still a work in progress and could have a post of its own. It's just too short and should go all the way to the floor. I bought some more material so it will probably be my tackle for next week.

Disclosure statement: My sweet husband actually hung everything - I just encouraged him along the way!

FALLing for Tassels

Kimba is hosting a party today for everyone to show off their Halloween and Fall decorations.

Our decorations are up in the attic. Quite frankly, I was a little preoccupied with making my very first tassel to climb up the stairs to get them.

This was so much fun to make and really makes a great impact! As the Nester says, "tassels, the prettiest things you'll never need". She's made a ton and one's cuter than the next.

I had everything I needed except for the ribbon. Once I had all the materials together, I was able to finish it while the kids ate lunch.

Heather has a great tutorial for making tassels. I definitely see more tassels in my future!

Be sure to go over to Kimba's - I'm sure there'll be a ton of great decorations to inspire you.

Remember, Fall is a great time to decorate with things found in nature. I haven't totally abandoned by desires of living a greener life for decorating (it just seems that way).

Thrifty Green Thursday - Craig's List Find

I love Craig's List. I search daily in hopes of finding a treasure. I've gotten lucky with a few things and love the idea of updating the pieces I find.

For this Thrifty Thursday, I'd like to share a bookshelf I found on Craig's List for Meg's room. I paid $50 - it had the right dimensions and was actually made of wood.



I bought it from a mom who decorated it with stencils for her little girl 10 years ago. Now her little girl wants a "big girl" room. I was going to repaint it, but I couldn't bring myself to cover her work. Besides, I have a girly girl who loves hats, purses and shoes!

I did want to change it a little, so I decoupaged scrapbook paper to the back of the shelves.

Don't look too close, this was my first attempt decoupaging furniture. There are definitely a few air bubbles and places where the pattern is not lined up.


Now I'm on the hunt for a couple mirrors, bench and dresser. Can't wait to see whose trash may become my treasure!