It's a Priceless Life

I've Been Featured!!!

2012-01-13T22:06:00.000-06:00

Remember this post:

Well the sweet people at ALL FREE HOLIDAY CRAFT featured that post on their site...so cool! Click on the button and go see all the neat projects that they have on their site!

Look What I did with My Memories Suite

2012-01-03T14:01:00.000-06:00

I have been trying out My Memories Suite and this is my first layout. What do you think?

Want to try My Memories scrapbooking program too?

Just go HERE and enter coupon code: STMMMS44216

The program is only $39.97. With the coupon code ( STMMMS44216 ) you will get $10.00 off the price PLUS $10 to use in the store, making the program only $19.97!!!

Was your resolution to perserve more memories this year? Make it easy with My Memories Suite Scrapbooking program.

Check out this NEW Digital Scrapbooking Software

2011-12-29T13:09:00.002-06:00

I'm in the process of trying out this new Digital Scrapbooking Software called MyMemories.com . I'm so excited to be able to review it and find out all the cool things that it can do. If you would like to check it out too, just click on the banner below. Put in my coupon code to get $10 off the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software AND a $10 coupon to use at MyMemories.com!! That's a $20 value!!

Know what's even cooler??? The My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software is only $39.97!!! That's an extreme value to begin with AND you get $10 off that PLUS $10 to use in the store!! What a deal!!

Still not convienced? Stick around....I'll be giving away a copy of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software in the next week for FREE!!!!

But if you would like to try it out, use the coupon code below and get $10 off the software price, plus $10 to use in the store!!

Coupon code: STMMMS44216

Email me if you make something with the new software...I'd love to showcase you here on my blog!!! Itsapricelesslife@yahoo.com
Happy Scrapping!!

G-Pa & Tutu take Ryder to see Santa

2011-12-10T21:50:00.000-06:00

I Love RAG QUILTS!!

2011-06-21T11:27:00.001-05:00

Sorry I've been away for soooo long. Life just gets in the way of blogging! I admire the women who can work full-time, have children and still blog full-time...I don't see how you all have enough hours in the day! Anywho....so I'm back for the summer!

So I made my first Rag Quilt HERE. I loved, loved, how it turned out!! So when my friend at work had a baby boy...I knew I wanted to make him one too! He had mentioned to me one time that he wanted to do the baby's room in blue toile...so that was my inspiration for the fabric. One side is cotton and one side is flannel.

The pictures don't do it justice...it was late at night and did not have good lighting...but the Daddy loved it and that's all that matters!

Supplies for blanket - around $20

Time to make - 4 hours

Having Daddy say 'he's going to cry' = Pricele$$

FREE Digital Scrapbook Items - $10 worth!!!

2011-05-29T15:43:00.001-05:00

Go to My Memories HERE
Add $10 worth of Digital Scrapbook items to your cart
Add Promo Code UBTENMM54
$10 will come off your total
FREE Digital Scrapbook Items!!!

Code expires May 30th

I got a fishing scrapbook kit and some overlays - Awesome deal!

I'm a Little...OK, A LOT Late...But Here's an Idea for NEXT Easter!

2011-05-15T17:26:00.000-05:00

Here's an idea to turn plain buckets into really cute Easter Baskets.

Go from this...

To these.....

I used paint pens to write the names of my grand kids on the buckets. I used them to draw the pictures too. You can get paint pens at Hobby Lobby (use the 40% off coupon), Michaels (wait for a 40% off coupon) or Walmart.

I found the coolest 'grass' at Old Navy...it was already marked down to 40% off before Easter! Score!!

Use newspaper to stuff the bottom of the bucket so all your goodies don't fall to the bottom.

My husband and I decided that we would give the grand kids a bathsuit for each Easter...I had sand castle things in my 'stash'...then I filled sport theme eggs for the boys and pearlized eggs for the girls with gummie fruit.

Supplies - I had everything on hand but the swimsuits...the girl's were 40% off and the boy's was retail.

Time - about 2 hours total

Seeing those babies in their swimsuits - Pricele$$

I'm BACK!!! Preemie T-shirt for Teddy Bear

2011-05-08T11:32:00.002-05:00

Sorry I have been gone for sooooo long! I had family priorities that needed to come first. My dad had quadruple bypass surgery, so that took priority over posting :-)

Here he is a day after surgery!!! Looking better already!

That teddy bear he is holding is called Sir Koff-a-Lot. He is a specially made bear that heart patients get after surgery. They are stuff extra firm and are used to help patients recover. The patients hug the bear when they need to cough and that helps their chests not hurt as much. They also use the bear to help them use their legs to get up and down instead of their arms. When they hug the bear, they have to use their legs...this way, they are not putting pressure on the chest trying to lift themselves up.

He's a cute lil' bear, but my sister-n-law thought he needed to be 'Hawaiianed-up'!! I thought I had a Hawaiian onsie at the house for one of the grand kids...but I couldn't find it...so, of course, I had to make one!

We were a hour and a half away from where my dad had surgery. My husband and I decided we would drive back and forth each day so we could take of our dogs also. So when I decided to make a shirt for the bear, I didn't have a lot of time. I told my husband 'give me 15 minutes' and I'll be ready to go!!!

I found a swimsuit bottom that I had ordered a few years back. It was on clearance, of course! when I ordered it, but the top sold out. They sent the bottoms anyway??!! What would I do with just the bottoms??!!! Well, fast-forward a few years and I finally figured out what to do with those bottoms! Make a t-shirt for a bear, OF COURSE!!!
It was Hawaiian print and red & white...PERFECT!!!

I found a pattern for a preemie t-shirt onsie HERE. I was trying to remember how big the bear was and thought a preemie would fit ok.

I cut the side seams of the skirt to get the fabric to lay flat.

I first put the pattern where you see it in the picture, but they decided to move it down and use the seam of the skirt to be the seam of the shirt (less sewing). I cut out all my pieces and followed the directions on the pattern. The only thing I did differently, was I just made a t-shirt and I didn't make a collar. I was running out of time and just stitched the 'collar hole' to finish the edges.

Here's how the shirt looked before putting it on the bear. When I went to show my husband what I had made, he kinda laughed and said - that's way too small for that bear....I took it anyways, it was made out of swimsuit material, so I hoped that it would stretch!

When we got to the hospital, I stretched that baby over that bear and it 'fit'...it's 'busting' at the seams, but it fit. We said it was a 'board shirt' like the surfers wear! Ha!! It ended up being perfect and 'the talk' of the floor!

Love ya Dad!!! Glad you are better than ever!

Supplies for t-shirt - $ 0

Time - 15 minutes

Seeing my dad and my family smile - PRICELE$$

Beadboard Goes Up - Dining Room Part 4

2011-03-27T11:40:00.040-05:00

I know I'm jumping around with my posts on the Dining Room, but hopefully when it's all done, I will have covered everything. :-)

My husband found 10 sheets of beadboard on Craigslist for $40! If you've shopped for beadboard, you know that it runs around $20 a sheet...so for $40 for 10 sheets - that was a great deal! It was grey in color, but that didn't matter, I had plans to paint it anyway.

We started with the North wall. After putting one board up, we realized we would have to cover the seams because they did not fall on studs and we would have to use liquid nails and LOTS of regular nails! So we took the first board off and made the seams equal in distance.

Here is the other half of the North wall. Our ceiling is 12 feet tall in this room, but it angles at about 8 feet. We went up about 7 feet on the walls with the beadboard.

Here is the West wall...the other side of this wall is the Kitchen. If we would have thought about it, we would have cut two boards equal in width, so the seam would have fallen in the middle...it really is not a big deal to us (now)...so it is how it is . :-)

Here is the North and East wall.

Here is the East and South wall. That is the PITA shutter. It looks fine, but is not installed totally correct. You can still see screws from the outside. We picked our battle and chose to take the 1/2 off refund and live with it...we will probably do something so that you can not see those screws!

So this is how the Dining Room sat for a year! Putting up the beadboard was a task in itself. When we had this house built, we took lots of pictures of each stage - thank goodness!! We referenced back to the pictures to find the studs in the walls. We also used a stud-finder. The studs are not where they 'normally' would be so the beadboard seams would no stay put...they kept 'popping' off the walls. We really did not want to use liquid nails because whenever we wanted to take the beadboard down, we didn't want the sheetrock to be ruined. In the end, we used liquid nails and the beadboard is up and it's not coming down anytime soon!

It is now trimmed out - pics to come! and painted!!

Getting things done around the house for yourself - Pricele$$!!!

I party with these ladies every week....click on their buttons and PARTY ON!!!

www.itssoverycheri.com

It's the Perfect Storm - Painting the Dining Room - Part 3

2011-03-21T06:00:00.003-05:00

If you read previous posts, you know we started the Dining Room remodel a year ago! Here are some before pictures....

The color on the walls is construction color 'peanut shell'...I got a small sample of the paint color I wanted and painted it on the wall to see if we would like it.

Before pics...

more before...

and more before...

Here's my husband starting to paint. Paint color is from Lowes. Valspar - Perfect Storm.

I wanted a 'peacock blue'..this is as close as I could find. Not navy, not teal...kind of in between.

love, love, love it!

Since our ceiling is so high in here (12 feet), the darker color works fine.

This pic makes the blue look brighter than it is...the other pics look more 'true to color'.

A coat of paint = Pricele$$

How to Cover Nail Holes - Dining Room - Part 2

2011-03-20T06:00:00.010-05:00

So we are finishing up the Dining Room this week and we finally got the beadboard up (installation coming in a later post) but before we could paint, the nail holes needed to be covered. Here's how to do that:

First, use a 'punch' and hammer and 'sink' the nails below the surface you are working on. You don't want the nails flush or above the wood.

Use spackle to fill the holes. On flat surfaces, you can use a putty knife. On rounded surfaces, use your fingers.

I like this one because it starts out pink and turns white when it's dry.

Fill the hole. On a rounded surface like this one pictured..overfill the hole - you will sand down when dry. On a smooth surface, use a putty knife and fill, then scrape away excess to be even with the wood surface (less sanding that way).

See how it has a pink tint - still wet.

When it drys, it turns white.

Use a sanding block or sandpaper to sand the excess off...you want the 'filler' to be even with the wood surface.

And there you go. Can't see the holes anymore and when it gets painted, you will not be able to tell where the hole was.

Doing something for yourself to improve your home = Pricele$$

I party each week with the following ladies...go check out their blogs and PARTY ON!!!

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/

1st Sign of Spring

2011-03-19T12:48:00.000-05:00

Even though it is chilly and rainy today, Spring is peeking through....

Seeing our Magnolia bush bloom, showing us Spring is almost here = Pricele$$

DETOUR - The Dining Room - Part 1

2011-03-19T09:19:00.009-05:00

Ok, so I had planned to make my Camera Bag this week to put my camera and it's niffty new Camera Strap in....but the Dining Room was calling to be completed, so the bag will have to wait for another day. :(

To 'set the stage', we started the Dining Room makeover LAST Spring Break...yes, a-year-ago Spring Break! I've always wanted Beadboard 2/3 up the walls and my husband found like 10 sheets of beadboard on craigslist for $40 last year, so I was going to get my beadboard in the dining room....little did I know this project would become a BIG headache for us!

Here is our dining room BEFORE:

That's a 12 foot ceiling in there...love it! We decided we wanted a room that we could play games/cards with our friends, so this room will be a dining/game room. The chandelier had to go...if we are going to spend hours in that room, we needed a ceiling fan...and here's the one we chose:

You are getting a sneak peak at the color we painted...it is not this bright of a blue...it's more of a peacock blue...I'll show you better pics of the color later.

We also splurged and bought a custom shutter for the window.

The window is 7 feet tall and 6 feet wide. This became a nightmare for us! We do everything ourselves. We usually install everything ourselves. We got a great discount on the shutter because of a sale, so we ended up letting the place we bought the shutter from install...big mistake! After 2 different installers, 2 differently measured shutters, and one damaged shutter, and a year later....we still are not completely satisfied...but so 'done' with it that we are living with the shutter that is there!

Ok, so there's Part 1 of the Dining Room remodel. More to come this week...

Installation of beadboard

Painting ceiling and beadboard

Tips that help make the job easier

"Livin' the Dream" even when it makes you CRAZY = Pricele$$

I party each week with the following ladies....go check out their blogs and PARTY ON!!!

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/

OMG! It Shouldn't Have Taken Me SOOO Long - DIY Camera Strap

2011-03-14T10:54:00.009-05:00

Ok, so I was going to do a tutorial over how to make your own camera strap UNTIL I made mine and made so many mistakes!! It took me for.ev.er! I think I did everything twice and did it the hard way - both times!!

But in the end - I.love.it!

You can go HERE and see a great tutorial on how to make the basic camera strap. I added the ruffle to mine - just because!

nice t-shirt! ha!

I did the brown fabric as the basic camera strap...

then added the green, coordinating fabric for the ruffle.

The brown ribbon hid all the sewing stitches (there were many!!)

Turned out soooo cute!

I absolutely LOVE it!

I can't wait to show you what I'm working on next!!

luv.luv.luv. it!

Supplies to make strap - about 1/2 yard total of fabric that I got for $1.50/yard - 75 cents

Less than a yard of ribbon that I got 5 yds. for $1 - 20 cents

So, alomost $1

About 4 hours - caused a little insanity! (should had taken 2 hours at the most)

Making a camera strap that no one else has - Pricele$$

Sneak peak at what I'm working on next

Can you say "Purse repurposed into a Camera Bag"???

Pics coming soon...

I party with these ladies every week...click on their buttons and PARTY ON!!!

http://www.thegypsycorner.com/

http://www.itssoverycheri.com/

Awwww - Puppy Love

2011-03-13T12:02:00.000-05:00

Our friends got a new puppy - Gordan. Here's the scrapbook page I made for them:

Adding a fur baby to your family = Pricele$$

Clearance Rack to Boutique Rack

2011-02-25T12:12:00.006-06:00

So I found this simple red jacket on the Target Clearance rack. It was size newborn and my grand baby was born last month, so for $2...oh yeah, it was mine!

BUT! It is quite boring...very practical, but boring...

So I decided to 'jazz' it up a little bit!

I love black, white and red together so I used fabric that I already had on hand from previous projects HERE and HERE.

I used a bowl to trace the size circle I wanted.

I'm making a 'yo-yo' to use as 'flowers'. Put a running stitch around the edge of the fabric. The longer the stitches, the tighter the closer...whichever look you are going for will be fine. I wanted my 'flowers' to be a closed as possible.

Start pulling the thread and the fabric will start to gather in on itself.

Keep pulling until...

You get a 'yo-yo' or a 'flower' in my case.

Make a knot and cut thread.

I added red buttons to tie in the red jacket and to create the 'middle' part of the flower.

I did a cluster of 3, in different sizes...

Here they are on the jacket...

Doesn't that help that boring jacket go from clearance rack to....

BOUTIQUE Rack!

Here's our future model, sporting her chic jacket!! Too Cute!

Supplies for 'flowers' - free - I had everything on hand

Making something boring into chic and especially for my grand baby = Pricele$$

I party every week with the following ladies...please click on their link and PARTY ON!!

http://www.thegypsycorner.com/
http://www.todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.itssoverycheri.com/

No Way?? That Scarf is Made Out of a T-Shirt??!!!

2011-02-20T10:51:00.010-06:00

I found these Very.Way.Cool.Scarfs made by Jennifer at Peas and Crayons and I knew I just HAD to make one!! It literally took me 5 minutes to make and I made it as we were heading out the door to go to dinner! I've worn it 2 times and I got compliments each time and total disbelief that it was made from a t-shirt!

Pick a t-shirt - I wanted this color so I grabbed this one. (I will be looking for 25 cent t-shirts when I hit garage sales this spring to make more of these!!)

Cut the hem off.

Cut the sleeves off...this would make a great cleaning rag.

Now, some people fold their fabric here, I didn't...I don't know why, just didn't....works out the same except there's only one side solid instead of two...you will see what I mean in the next few steps.

Start cutting 1 inch wide strips...you can make your strips any size...I'm going to experiment on sizes when I make a few more of these!

Leave about 3/4 inches at the top.

Cut from one side to the other.

Now take one 'loop' and pull...this will stretch the material out.

Do this for each piece you cut.

See the 'solid' piece...I ended up with just one since I didn't fold my material at first. Here's what you end up with.

You can wear it many ways...

Double it up....

Double it up and pull one side longer than the other...

You could twist it, add material to cover the 'solid' piece, add a bow or add a flower! Very chic scarf that is free to make - just go look in your closet!

Cost of supplies for scarf - free

Making something totally chic that I love and my friends love too - Pricele$$

I party each week with these ladies...go check out their blogs and PARTY ON!!

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

http://www.itssoverycheri.com/

Oh Baby - Washcloths

2011-02-13T14:15:00.010-06:00

I saw this post on how to make baby washcloths about 3-4 months ago. My computer has been acting up and I lost the link to that post...if you are reading this and you made baby washcloths and linked up to the linky parties, please email me and I will give you proper credit. :-)

I have 2 grand babies (1 boy and 1 girl) and 1 bonus grand baby (a girl), so when I saw a post on making baby washcloths, I just knew I wanted to make some!! The whole idea is to make the baby washcloths 'sturdier' and softer. Love it!

I had planned to just go buy terry cloth by the yard, but when Target had these on clearance - $1.40 for 5, I went ahead and bought them. I got a girl set and a boy set. It probably would have been cheaper to buy by the yard, but I wouldn't have the different colors...if I was going to make tons of them, I would go get terry cloth by the yard...but these worked great, and it gave me a starting 'size'.

I went ahead and ironed them, so they would be really flat....I realized why that smart lady made these in the first place...they are so flimsy and not square at all!!

I measured a 8.5" square on my grid paper and cut it out to make a pattern. I laid it on my fabric and cut.

I planned on making 7 girlie washcloths and 3 boyish washcloths. Each child would get 3 and I would get to keep 1 for my house. :-)

Cut the tags off the washcloths to get them out of the way.

Pin one the pieces of material that you cut to one of the washcloths, right sides together.

**I took pictures of different washcloths as I was sewing them, so the pictures are of different fabrics, but you will get the point :-)

Sew around the edge...I made up my square as I went along because the washcloth was not square and the fabric went out a little further than the washcloth...doesn't have to be perfect. Leave a section open so that you can turn the washcloth right side out....I did this on a corner first, I'll show you later where it's easier to leave an opening.

Snip the corners so when you turn in right side out, there's not a lot of fabric in the corners.

Cut off any excess of fabric, either the washcloth or the material.

Turn right side out.

In this picture, you can see I left the opening in the middle of one side...this is much easier to finish off. Once you turn your fabric right side out, push the corners out real good, then iron. The opening will fold down.

The first one I did, I pinned the opening shut. If you make the opening in the middle of a side, there is no need to pin shut...just iron.

I did a finishing seam all the way around. This closes the opening and make a stronger seam all the way around. Here they are....I.love.them.

Each one is so cute and so sturdy.

Adding a piece of fabric really gives the washcloth 'body'.

Oh, I used flannel fabric.

So cute!

Here's Thomas the Train!!

Can't wait to use the 1 I'm keeping!! ha!

I added a bow to the girl's and a knot to the boy's...these are going in their Valentine's baskets.

So, so cute!!! Going to have to make some 'grown up' ones too!

Supplies - I already had the girlie flannel. I bought the Thomas the Train material, but only used about 1/3 of what I bought..so with the washcloths I spent - $3.50 (for 10 washcloths!!!)

That's only 35 cents a piece - can I get a WooHoo!!!

Making something my grand kids will use and hopefully love = Pricele$$

I party each week with the following ladies....please go check out their blogs and PARTY ON!!!

http://www.todayscreativeblog.net/

http://www.thegypsycorner.com/

Rosey, Rosey Hurricanes - Only $1!!!

2011-02-09T11:21:00.011-06:00

Remember the hurricanes I made HERE?

Well, I wanted to turn them into something special for Valentine's Day....

Turn this into THESE

I wrapped the glass with plain white paper. I didn't want to ruin the hurricanes, just change them for this holiday. This way, I can take the paper off, store it or throw it away.

I bought 2 packages of silk rose petals from the Dollar Tree {{heart}}. There were 300 petals in each. I really bought 2 of each, but only needed 1 of each.

I did 2 different techniques and I will show you both. On the pink one I placed the petals so they 'curled inward'...this way they laid 'flat'. I started at the top...I didn't like that you could see the top of the hurricane glass...I will show you how to fix that in the next few steps.

Keep gluing, making sure to overlap and alternate so the petals cover all the glass/paper. Since I had plenty of petals, I put mine very close to together.

To 'finish' off the bottom row, I folded over a petal and glued it. This created a nice edge.

I glued those around the bottom.

Ok, the top doesn't look 'bad'...I just didn't want to see the edge of glass...

I used scissors to cut petals in half....

And glued another layer behind the top layer...couldn't see the glass anymore.

The red one I glued the petals curling outward so they were 'fluffy', like a flower.

One drop of glue on the back...

Glue on, staggering petals so the paper/glass doesn't show.

If I ever do this again, I will put coordinating paper behind the petals...if I had used red paper, you wouldn't have been able to see the paper at all...oh well...next time.

This is how they turned out!!! Cute, huh?

Which do you like better? Flat or Fluffy???

Here they are with my $3 Valentine Decor Frames.

Supplies for Rosey, Rosey Hurricanes = $1 each (since I already had the hurricanes)

Making something sooooo cute that makes me smile = Pricele$$

I party every week with these ladies...go check out their blogs & party on!!!

http://www.todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.thegypsycorner.com/

January Scrapbook Pages

2011-02-08T14:17:00.001-06:00

One of my goals this year is to make a scrapbook page for each of the grandchildren for each month of the year. Here are the pages for January:

Ava's:

Ryder's:

Documenting my grandchildren's lives through photos = Pricele$$

Bella of the Ball - Dog Coat

2011-02-03T08:48:00.009-06:00

How sad does she look? And good gravy - those ears! LOL!!!

My Bonus Daughter was going out of town for the weekend and we offered to watch her little Bella. My bonus daughter had complained that she couldn't find clothes to fit Bella because she was soooo small. So of course - I had to make her something while I had her - a coat would be great since we hit -5 this morning!!

I used a coat that I had for my dog as a pattern. It was way to big, but at least I had the shape I needed.

I used graph paper to draw out the pattern. I only drew 1/2 and folded the paper.

I cut it out.

I had the shape...

I put it against Bella...just a tad small, so I adjusted and redrew a pattern.

I laid the pattern on the fabric...

and cut about 1/4" around for the seam allowance.

I wanted the coat to be reversable, so I cut the pattern out of another fabric...hot pink minky!!

(did not realize what a PITA minky is!!! but it's soooo soft!!)

I just made a long rectangle to make the 'flaps' that attach under the belly.

I folded it in 1/2 to find the center and cut my fabric.

I sewed the wrong sides together, then on end open to turn it right side out. Then I snipped the corners so there would be room for everything once turn out.

I used a pen to help get the fabric turned right side out...this was a little difficult because it was so small, but be patience...it will go! No need to finish the raw edge...it will be sewn in the next step.

I pinned the 2 large pieces together, wrong sides together. I marked where I wanted the belly flaps to go and put the sewn pieces in between the large fabric pieces. Make sure pink goes to pink side and black to black side, unless of course you want a mismatch which would be cute too!

Here is everything pinned and almost ready to be sewn. I left one edge open by the neck, so that I could turn the piece right side out. I then did a top stitch all the way around the piece to 'finish' it off. I used pink thread on top and black thread in the bobbin...worked well.

I notched out small triangles around the curves so when the piece is turned right side out, the fabric will lay flat.

I added velcro to the neck and belly flaps...I ended up having to add just a little bit more for a better fit...but still it was fine.

Here's the black polka dot side.

And the hot pink minky side!

Here's Bella sporting the pink side.

And the black polka dot side. - She's not a big fan of the coat - OH WELL!! She still looks CUTE!!!

Cost of supplies - 0 (I used what I had in the house)

Making somehting adorable for this little girl = Pricele$$

I party with these ladies each week...go check them out and PARTY ON!!!

http://www.thegypsycorner.com/

http://www.itssoverycheri.com/

Good-bye Miss Daisy

2011-02-02T08:20:00.001-06:00

With tears in our eyes and love in our hearts, we said good-bye to Daisy yesterday.

$3 Valentine Decor

2011-01-30T10:00:00.012-06:00

I just {{heart}} the Dollar Tree!!

I found these 3 cute little white frames...they are light weight, clean lined and when I went to unwrap them out of the cellophane, they even had ribbon attached!!! Score!!!

I almost bought Valentine napkins to cut and put in the frames, but decided I probably had Valentine scrapbook paper in my 'stash' and I did!!! I did buy that red ribbon, but I ended up not using it for this project because the frames already had ribbon attached!!!

I took the little paper out of the frames to use as a template.

I picked 2 cordinating papers and cut 2 of the same paper and 1 of the other paper.

Then I cut (2) 1" squares...of the cordinating paper of the paper you cut 2 of before.

I used 'pop dots' to make the smaller squares 'pop' off the background paper.

I had these cute Valentine stickers in my 'stash'. I remember I got these from Michaels for under a $1. (since I already had them, I didn't include them in my total price)

I used the smaller stickers on the small squares and the larger sticker on the middle frame on the large square.

The background paper is behind the glass. The smaller squares are on 'pop dots' on top of the glass and the largers sticker is on the top of the glass.

Close up of the smaller squares and stickers.

Ready to hang!

TA-DA!! Instint Valentines decor for $3!!!

I hung them by suction cup with hooks (instead of the ribbon I bought)

Supplies for project - $3

Making something soooo cute for $3 = Pricele$$

Go party with these ladies!!!

http://www.itssoverycheri.com/

http://www.thegypsycorner.com/

Ryder in Review - 2010

2011-01-23T12:43:00.003-06:00

Here is our little Ryder man.

I wanted to make something I could print and frame without having to make a million frames...this is a year in review - 2010 and I can get it printed and only 1 frame!! Will post when I print it out and frame it!!

If you would like to use this template, I made it in Photoshop Elements 6. I'm not a perfectionist and it's NOT perfect, but it looks pretty good, I think :-).

Click HERE to download template.

Looking back over 2010 and seeing this little guy grow = Pricele$$

I party with all these ladies every week...go check them out & PARTY ON!!

www.thegypsycorner.com

What to do with this old CD??? Turn it into a FRAME, of course!

2011-01-21T11:19:00.010-06:00

My bonus daughter just had a little girl and since it's a snow day today, I thought I would make her a little gift. I wanted to decorate a frame, but I didn't have one that I liked and it's too cold to spray paint anything, so I started digging around trying to find something to make into a frame....found this CD!! Perfect!

We have been calling Ava, the Little Princess, so I went searching through my scrapbook stash and found this paper...perfect!

I used a pencil to trace the cd. Normally I would trace on the back, but I wanted the words 'Little Princess' in a certain spot, so I traced on the front. Cut the paper a little bigger than the circle you traced...I will show you how to get rid of the line you just traced.

I used the biggest punch I had to cut out the photo. I used a circle to coordinate with the circle of the cd. If you don't have a punch, use a drinking glass and trace a circle and cut with scissors. :-)

I used permanent adhesive dots that I had in my scrapbook stash to adhere the paper to the cd.

Here's where you will get rid of the line your drew. Use a file/emery board, with a downward motion, pushing against the cd's edge....the paper will be 'trimmed' right on the edge and the line you drew will disappear.

Perfectly trimmed, no scissors or knife needed :-)

I wanted to add some charms to the bottom of my 'frame' and I found these in my 'stash'...cute!!

I used my handy dandy Cropodile to punch holes into the cd, where I wanted the charms to hang from. If you don't have this tool, you might be able to use a nail and hammer or a drill.

Next, I used scrapbook adhesive again to attach the photo...but the edges were 'raw', so I found some buttons to cover them up and create a 'frame'. I laid them out first to see how I wanted them to go.

I used Aleene's Jewel-It glue...just use what you have...something permanent and clear.

I added a second row of buttons so that all the edges of the photo were covered...then I added the charms.

Finally, I added ribbon to hand the frame and ribbon by the charms to add interest.

TADA!!!

So cute! She's going to love it!

Too bad I don't have enough supplies to make one for me!

And it all started from a cd that would have gone in the trash!! I guess this is a trash to treasure project!!!

Cost of supplies - 0 (I had everything in my 'stash')

Making something so cute from a recycled item = Pricele$$

I party with these ladies each week...go check out their blogs!!! Party on!!!

How to Turn Blah into Beautiful

2011-01-18T12:08:00.010-06:00

Go from

Blah to Beautiful

I needed a date book/ planner - badly...but I couldn't find one that I liked on the outside and had everything I wanted on the inside and one that wasn't big...I needed it to fit into my purse.

So I found this little cute thang at Target - $5.99....but BORING!

I found some rub-ons in my 'stash' and new I could make it BEAUTIFUL!

Pick what you want to use and cut it off of the sheet it came on. Lay it out so you can adjust the design til you have it how you want. This is the design I did first.

Use the stick that comes with the rub-ons or a popsicle stick if you've lost yours...hmmm, how did I know that??? Rub and Rub and Rub...you will see the picture start to 'give'...once the whole picture has transfered, remove the plastic backing.

OK, I wanted words, but found that they were too hard to keep straight and even if I staggered them, they were a PITA...so I ditched the letters. :-)

If you make a mistake, or the transfer 'wrinkles'...it's easy to fix.

Take a piece of scotch tape and press on the design you want gone.

Lift up on the tape.

The design will lift up too...keep doing this until the whole part you want off is off.

And there you go...blah to BEAUTIFUL!!!

Date book = $5.99

Supplies to beautify = 0 (already had)

Once of a kind Date book = Pricele$$

I party each week with the following ladies...click on their 'buttons' and PARTY ON!!!

http://www.itssoverycheri.com/
>

Please Welcome....Princess Ava Wyzard!!!

2011-01-15T10:18:00.000-06:00

Ava Katherine Marie Wyzard

January 15, 2011

2:25am

7 lbs. 5oz.

19.5 inches long

I Still {{heart}} Coupons & CVS

2011-01-13T07:44:00.001-06:00

I got all of the following for $10!!!

(((6) 12 Packs of pop, 3 Automatic Air Fresheners, 3 boxes of Gax X, 1 Maalox, 4 bags of individually wrapped candy, 1 Christmas Candy, 1 box of Finish, 2 new candy bars))

Here what I did:

Transaction #1 -

(3) Gax X @ $5.79 = $17.37

(1) Maalox @ $5.99

Minus 3 $4/1 Gas X coupons Minus $5/1 Maalox coupons + I had a $4/20 from my email.

TOTAL = $4.01

+ $10 ECB (spending $20 on GasX/Maalox)

Transaction #2 -

(3) AirWick Fresheners @ $6.00 = $18

(1) Finish PowerTab @ $3.00

(1) Resses @ $1.59

(1) Snickers @ $.89

(2) Clearance M&M's @ $.75 = $1.50

Minus $10 ECB from 1st Transaction

Minus $2.25 Finish coupon - (3) $4 Airwick coupons

TOTAL = $2.86

+ $10 ECB (spending $20 on Airwick/Finish)

+ $1.59 ECB (Resses)

+ $.89 ECB (Snickers)

Transaction #3-

(6) Pepsi Products - $20

(2) Clearance Butterfingers @ $.75 = $1.50

(1) Clearance Xmas Candy @$2.25

Minus $10 ECB from 2nd Transaction

Minus $.89 ECB from 2nd Transaction

Minus $1.59 ECB from 2nd Transaction

TOTAL = $13.33

+ $10 ECB (for buying 6 Pepsi Products)

SOOOOOO - OOP (out of pocket) $20.20

PLUS $10 ECB to use next time

NET COST = $10.20

Having a GREAT coupon day = Pricele$$

**I haven't forgoten about all of you guys!! January has proven to be a very busy time for my professional life, so once I get things in order, I will be back regularly** :-)

All THIS for $1.16!!!

2011-01-03T06:00:00.002-06:00

I {{heart}} coupons & CVS!!! I got all this for $1.16!!!

I wasn't expecting the last ECB, so this trip turned out much better than planned! This took 3 transactions...

Transaction 1

Revlon Lipstick $2.12 (75% off)

Revlon Lipstick $1.99 (75% off)

$4.46 OOP + $7 ECB

I messed up on this transaction, I had $2.50 ECB's to use and forgot, but it was ok, I was able to use them on the next 2 transactions.

This was supposed to produce a $7 ECB and it didn't, so the cashier (manager) issued a $7 ECB manually.

Transaction 2

3 Extra Delights Gum 3/$2

Excedrin PM - $5.39

Excedrin Geltabs - $5.49

Excedrin Extra Strength - $5.39

Minus $4/20 email coupon

-$3.50 Excedrin MC

-$1.00 Excedrin MC

-$5.39 Excedrin MC

- $7 ECB (from first transaction)

-$1 ECB (that I already had)

$1.52 OOP + $10 ECB (for spending $20 on Excedrin) + $1 ECB on the gum

Transaction 3

Revlon had a lot of items marked down 75% off - so I stocked up

(2) Mineral Foundations @ $3.45

(2) Compact Foundations $3.37

Minus $10ECB (from Transaction 2)

-$1 ECB (from transaction 2)

-$1ECB (I already had)

-$.50 ECB (the machine gave me when I went to the store)

$2.18 OOP + the machine spit out a $7 ECB for buying 2 Revlons!

TOTAL OOP = $8.16

+ 7 ECB to use in the future

Net = $1.16

Getting almost $100 worth of items for $8.16 OOP AND getting a $7 ECB to use next time = Pricele$$

It's Fiesta Time - Taco Dip

2011-01-02T11:07:00.013-06:00

So my beloved Oklahoma SOONERS made it to the Fiesta Bowl yesterday!! BOOMER!! My Mother-n-Law was hosting the party and wanted all snacks to be 'Mexican', so I decided to make my husband's favorite dip - TACO DIP...it's easy and YUMMO!! I think I got this recipe from someone at Tupperware when I was selling it, back in the day...you will need the following:

8oz cream cheese softened

green onions

4 oz chopped green chiles

16 oz can of chili, no beans

1 1/2 C shredded cheese

I used a Tupperware large shallow Rock-n-Serve container to make this...just use something that can go in the microwave. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the bottom of the container.

Add the chopped green onions...if you don't like onions, leave them out :-)

Add the whole can of chiles.

Add your can of chili...my husband made his Boomer Sooner Chili a couple weeks ago and we froze some of it, so I used his instead of canned chili.

Add your cheese...any kind, whatever you like. I really like cheese, so I think there's probably over 2 C. on this one!

Put the lid on and microwave on 70% for 3-5 minutes, until hot and bubbly!!!

See all the layers of goodness!

Enjoy on tortilla chips!

I didn't not receive anything from Tupperware for this post, although I sure wouldn't mind if I did!! I used to sell it and I have tons of it and still love to use it.

Cost of supplies - $2

(I only needed to buy green onions and green chiles...I had the rest)

Watching my Sooners win the Fiesta Bowl and enjoying good food and great company = Pricele$$

I party with all these ladies every week...go check them out & party on!!

>

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

FREE Tags - What to do with ALL those Cards!!

2010-12-30T13:02:00.013-06:00

Each year, I say I'm going to scan all the cards we get and keep them in a file - for what?? So I can look at them years down the line - am I really going to do that - nope. Let's get some real use out of them this year!!!

Let's make To/From TAGS for next year!!!

I'm even going to use the Birthday cards I got to make tags for present for throughout the year...perfect way to recycle the cards and get FREE Tags in the process!!

Here's how I made them:

Gathered all the cards (my Bday is in Dec. so I had those also)

Gather your punches...I had these in my 'stash', but you can get them at Hobby Lobby or Michael's and of course, use your 40% off coupon to buy them - never pay retail :-)

This was a very pretty card...the snow falling was actually glitter...think about what parts of the card you want to turn into a tag...you can get many tags from one card - bonus!

I ended up getting 4 tags from that one card...make sure the 'backs' are 'blank' so that you can write on them.

I forgot to take a 'before' pic of this one...but I got 5 square tags and a small tag from this card.

Position your punch so you can see what is going to be punched out. Remember you don't need the 'whole' item...just part in one corner makes it very interesting and not so predictable!

Turn over and push down...please excuse my little helpers!! ha!

This was a beautiful card and yielded some really pretty tags! That 'Season's Greetings' was a actually a tag that they glued on with 'pop dots' to make it come off the card...I just neatly cut around the back of it to create a tag.

The brown ribbon was glittery ribbon..so pretty and the punch cut right through it - yeah!

The bottom and the top were this pretty cocoa brown embossed paper...so beautiful!

Then I got my handy dandy "Crop-A-Dile II" to punch the holes...you can, of course, use a hole punch...I just had to have this gadget, so I better use it when I can!

Punch a hole either in the corners or center...whichever you prefer.

There ya' go!

Now to add the ribbon...cut a piece of coordinating ribbon (about 6 inches) and fold in half.

Feed the folded end through the hole of your tag.

Feed the 2 ends through the loop that you just fed through the tag.

Pull gently and trim ends...TA-DA!!

Cost of supplies = 0

Recycling Christmas cards into something you can REALLY use = Pricele$$

I party with these ladies every week...go check them out & party on!!!!

>

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

So, I'm trying to be a Good Tutu (Grandma)

2010-12-28T08:29:00.018-06:00

So, I have this wonderful grandson - Ryder. He turned 1 in November and I had planned on making him a memory book of his first year....didn't happen. Since I'm a teacher by day and I'm off right now, I decided to make him a 2010 memory book....here's how it turned out.

I did each page pretty simple, but I still think it turned out great! His daddy and he will appreciate it someday! I plan to go to CVS today to take advantage of the BOGO (buy one, get one free) sale they have on Kodak books, plus I have a BOGO coupon, so technically, I should get 2 books for free!! One for Ryder & his Daddy and one for ME! We will see!

Time it took to make pages - a few hours & hours

Memories documented and preserved = Pricele$$

I party with all these great ladies every week...go check them out & party on!!

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T10:23:00.001-06:00

Our 'lil Santa

Mike got the best Christmas present he could ask for...all 3 kids (grown up kids) came and spent the night with us on Christmas Eve and we all got up Christmas morning to open presents!! It was a great day!

The Best Christmas Present

Mike & Me

Mike, Me, Lura Lee (sis-n-law) & Chuck (bro)

Ryder & Mikey

Jacob, Mikey, Amber & Zac, Ryder, Mike & Me

Having all 3 kids under the same roof for Christmas Eve & Christmas = Pricele$$

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T22:06:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Christmas Traditions - Sausage Balls

2010-12-24T11:15:00.009-06:00

A Christmas tradition in our house is Sausage Balls for breakfast for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. They are easy, peasy and YUMMY! And great warmed up the next day!!

Here's what you will need:

1 lb. sausage - any kind you like - I mix original with hot

1 lb. (4 cups) cheese - again whatever you like

2 cups Bisquick - I picked the Heart Smart this year (yeah, I know -whateves!!)

I did 2 batches at a time...any more and it will be a you-know-what to combine ingredients.

The hardest part of this is getting the ingredients to combine...I start with the cheese and Bisquick.

Then I add the sausage...

You gotta get your hands dirty for this one..it's really the only way to get the sausage incorporated. Keep 'pinching' the sausage to break it apart...keep doing this until the pieces are small, small, small!!!

Here's are fur baby - 2E...my husband had the camera, taking pics for me and that's his baby girl! She was hoping that I would drop something for her!

After you get everything broken down, make balls. And more balls, and more balls! Line them in a pan and put in a 350 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes...they should be golden on the top.

ENJOY!

Don't 'cha love the fine china! My hubby was being nice, so I didn't have to do any more dishes!!

Making a memory with a family tradition - Pricele$$

I party with all these great ladies every week...go check them out & party on!!

Doing Good Feels Good

2010-12-22T16:33:00.001-06:00

My husband's company ususally buys turkeys for all employees for the holidays, but this year they didn't. Instead of getting upset or angry, the guys got together and decided to BUY turkeys for the less fortunate. Between two divisions, they were able to raise $380!!! They were able to buy turkeys and all the fixings for a holiday meal!!! I made a scrapbook page to remember the gesture:

Money raised for donation - $380

Paying it forward instead of feeling angry = Pricele$$

Stylish Blog Award - Oh Yeah!

2010-12-22T08:47:00.003-06:00

Ginger at Support Blog for Moms of Boys gave me the Stylish Blog Award!!! I was so surprised and so greatful that someone noticed and remembered my blog!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you Ginger!!

Go check out her AWESOME blog:

Here are the rules to accept this award:

1. Thank and link back. check!

2. Share 7 things about yourself. check!

3. Pass it on to 15 bloggers. check!

4. Contact and congratulate those bloggers. doing now :-)

7 Things about myself:

1. I'm married to one of the greatest guys in the world who gave me

3 bonus children and they have given me 2 grandchildren (well almost - one is due in Jan.)

2. I'm Hawaiian (my parents live there)

3. I have 2 tatoos

4. I collect boyd bears, lady bugs, daisies and ornaments

5. I love geocaching

6. I {{heart}} clearance!

7. I am a teacher by day and just received the Teacher of the Year award!!

15 Priceless Blogs:
1. C.R.A.F.T.

2. Me and my Bucket

3. Someday Crafts

4. House of Hepworths

5. Tales from Bloggeritaville

6. Etcetorize

7. Mostly Food and Crafts

8. Funky Polka Dot Giraffe

9. The Domestic Sugar Bake Shop

10. The Pursuit of Happiness
11. A Vision to Remember

12. All Things Heart and Home

13. Easy Peasy Grandma

14. The Fickle Hobbyist

15. La Force be With You

Whew! Thank you for visiting and thank you all you AWESOME blogs for providing wonderful information to all of us every week!!
Being recognized by a peer = Pricele$$

I'm NOT a Photographer But I Like to Play One

2010-12-19T20:13:00.014-06:00

I love taking pictures even though I don't know what I'm doing!!! I'm too cheap to pay for a class and too impatient to read a book....so I do the best I can with what I have to work with, so when my bonus daughter asked me if I would take her maternity pictures I was excited but nervous that I wouldn't be able to do what she wanted....but we would try with what we had and of course -

Thank goodness for Photoshop Elements and Picnik.com!

I did not receive anything from either company and these are just my opinions of both.

You can get Photoshop Elements for under $50, but there is a learning curve. You can find tons of tutorials online and it can do a lot for altering photos.

Picnik.com is FREE and is awesome. I'm still learning all that it can do, but I haven't been disappointed so far. You can pay for the Premium account, but I haven't seen the need yet.

This photo was done completely with Picnik.com. I used the Sepia effect and the matte effect (soft white edge)

I used Photoshop Elements first on this photo. I turned it black and white in a second layer on top of a color layer and then used the eraser to erase the blk/wh layer where the flower was - letting the color from the first layer show through. Then I loaded the picture into Picnik and used the matte effect for the soft white edge. Amber is sitting on a very old, white comforter that her husband is holding up behind her.

This turned out to be one of my favorites! I used Picnik for the whole thing. Turned it black and white, used the focus effect so that the outer edges are blurred and the ultrasound is in focus and then vignette effect for the black soft edges.

I used Photoshop Elements for this one. I turned the picture black and white in a second layer over a full color layer. I used the lasso tool and outlined the ribbon and ballet slippers, then I took the eraser and erased the top blk/wh layer where the lasso had outline...leaving the ribbon and slippers in color.

I used Photoshop Elements for this one. I turned a second layer black and white on top of a full color layer. I used the lasso tool to outline the rose and then used the eraser to erase the blk/wh layer where the rose is.

I used Photoshop Elements the same way as above, plus Picnik matte effect.

I used Photoshop Elements as mentioned above, then I took a scroll frame from a digital scrapbook kit and colored it to match the slippers and reduced it to about 40%.

This one I used Picnik.com. First, I cropped the picture, then turned it black and white, then used the focus effect to slightly blur the outer edge and focus in on the charm....it's a very sutle effect, but I really like it!

This one I used Picnik.com...turned the picture black and white and then used the vignette effect to add the soft black edge.

So, I'm not a photographer and I don't notice the little things that 'stand' out when you see the proofs....but I love taking them and I love 'playing' with them and I think my bonus daughter loves them too and that's all that matters :-) Not too bad for a wanna-be photographer - ha!

Camera used - mom-n-laws Canon Rebel

Having my bonus daughter text me 'they're perfect' = Pricele$$

I party with all these great ladies every week...go check them out & party on!!

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

EASY Peasy Peppermint Bark

2010-12-17T06:00:00.005-06:00

This is one of the easiest 'goodies' to make and everyone loves it!

You will need Vanilla Almond Bark & Candy Canes

Unwrap the candy canes and put in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin and crush the candy canes...I leave small pieces for extra crunchies.

Melt the almond bark in a bowl in the microwave...I have a 'melt' setting, if you do not...use 50% power and heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time until melted...do not overheat or the almond bark will scorch...also do not add any liquid to the almond bark - it will seize up. Add a handful of the crushed candy canes at this point and mix into the melted almond bark

Put a large piece of wax paper on the counter top and spread the peppermint bark on the wax paper, spreading it thin, but not so thin that you can see through it.

Add the remaining crushed candy canes to the top of the almond bark while it's still 'wet'.

Let it set up for a hour or two and then break into pieces.

Add to container and wrap up...see how to wrap with cello paper HERE.

And there's your homemade gift!!

Giving a homemade and very thoughtful gift = Pricele$$

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

How to Wrap with Cello Paper

2010-12-16T06:45:00.007-06:00

My Mother-in-Law used to own a candle store and we wrapped baskets of candles for every occasion. My Sis-in-Law was the 'Queen Wrapper', but on occasion, I wrapped a pretty darn pretty basket myself!

Cut your cello paper in a square large enough that all 4 corners will come over the basket/gift about 8 - 10 inches....no worries if one side is not 'tall' enough - that's what clear tape is for!

Load you basket/gift and put it in the center of the square of cello.

Start gathering the corners above the basket/gift...

Here's a clearer shot, but then I got the camera band in the shot!!! I used a piece of wire string that came with my ribbon to hold the cello... a rubber band works great here, especially if you are by yourself.

What's that on the TV in the back - Charlie Brown's Christmas of course!

Here's a side view...gather everything towards the 'back' of the basket/gift. This way when you put a bow on it, the bow will sit on the center of the basket/gift and then 'balance' out the gathered cello and the bow.

Add a card/tag at this time...it's easier than adding at the end. My husband wanted a card included, so he signed it and I punched a hole in it and attached it with the string I used to hold the cello....no need to cut more.

Now add your ribbon...someone told me a long time ago to make the perfect 'bow'...go right over left and then left over right...so this first step above...put your right side of the ribbon over the left and tie.

Make a loop with your right side and the use your left side to go over that loop (left over right)...pull through and your bow will have both loops right side out and it will be sitting straight.

Fold the ends in half, like shown above and cut at an angle away from the basket/gift...

and you will end up with a perfect, pretty, finished end.

Use your scissors and snip the cello at an angle on the top to get a 'jaggidy' top.

See how the bow sits on top of the gift...

And there you go....

Supplies to wrap gifts (if you can find cello!!!) - $1-2

Making a simple gift look absolutely gorgeous - Pricele$$

http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

I {{heart}} "CLEARANCE" & this Week's Menu

2010-12-12T21:33:00.002-06:00

I went at Wally World this morning to get groceries for the week and supplies for my day of baking. I was looking for cello paper - which, by the way, is impossible to find - 3 stores and no cello?? What's up with that?? Anywho, I turned the corner and saw these:

on CLEARANCE!!! And just $1 a piece!! I wanted to make those cool black pumpkins for Halloween this year...you know the ones with the vinyl silhouettes on them..but didn't have the pumpkins...now I do and I can make them next year!

Also, the little pumpkins are cover with those tiny clear beads, so they kind of have a 'shimmer' to them (it's very hard to tell from that picture)...they are soooo pretty. I would have bought more if they had more. I debated on more big pumpkins, but this will be fine for now.

Now to get this ~~crap~~ decorations up in the attic!!!

This week's menu:

1. Chicken Tacos

2. Cabbage Roll Casserole

if you like cabbage rolls, you will love this casserole and it's a whole lot easier to make!!

3. Chicken Pot Pie

4. Green Chili Burros

5. Stew

6. Crunchy Fish

I will link the recipes tomorrow...I. am. tired.

I started cooking at 9:30 this morning, then switched to baking and did not finish until 7 this evening, so I'm going to chill the rest of the evening.

I will also show you what I made this year for my homemade gifts...I was so tired by the time I finished, that I wrapped everything up and didn't take one pic!!! Will fix that tomorrow :-)

Finding stuff you {love} on CLEARANCE for pennies/dollars = Pricele$$

Homemade Gifts

2010-12-07T06:43:00.008-06:00

I LOVE homemade 'goodies'.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!!!

If someone takes the time to bake something for me...I'm in heaven! Plus, I love 'goodies'!

I made these last year for my coworkers and my husband's coworkers. I was so thrilled with how they turned out and I plan to make goodies this year, but it hasn't happened yet and I wanted to share these with you now.

First, I made 'homemade goodies'. These are not hard, just time consuming. I did the following:

Milk/White Chocolate dipped pretzels

(melt chocolate or vanilla almond bark, dip, decorate with sprinkles)

Milk/White Chocolate dipped marshmallows

(melt chocolate or vanilla almond bark, dip, decorate with sprinkles)

Peppermint Bark

5 Layer Bars

Homemade Fudge (from the microwave!!)

I got the containers from Target - at their $1 spot BUT they were marked down 75% - and they came 2 in a set....so each container was 12 1/2 cents! These were originally 'plant containers'...so look for things you can repurpose. They had orange and green...now this is not my fav color of green, but I knew they would be wrapped in cello paper so I wasn't too worried about the color. I also knew when I bought them that I wanted to make something for Christmas, so I bought all green.

I know I have pictures of all my 'goodies' lined up on the counter...but I can not for the life of me find them! sorry :-(

Anywho, I cleaned out the containers and lined them with wax paper. I put the marshmallows on the bottom to 'take up room'. Each container only got 1/2 pieces of each type of goodie (except the pretzels and the peppermint bark, which they were my 'filler items')...they are not big containers either...remember it's the thought that counts and you want your 'thought' to have a 'big impact'...so it can still be small and have a 'big impact'. :-)

After the marshmallows, I layered all the goodies, lining each layer with wax paper so nothing would stick to something else. When I got to the top, I used the pretzels and peppermint bark as fillers to fill the 'holes'.

I got snowflake cello paper and cut it into squares...I didn't measure, just pulled it out and cut where it would be a square.

Since I was by myself, I gathered up the cello paper and use a rubber band to hold it. Then I could tie the ribbon around the rubber band...didn't need an extra pair of hands! I got that ribbon at Sam's one year after Christmas...Sam's is a great place to get ribbon because there is 30 yards of ribbon on their spools and I think they are regularly priced at around $10. I got mine for like $2.50!!! for 30 yards!!!

I made tags on the computer, cut them out and added them to the containers! TA-DA!!!

Each gift cost approx - $1.00

Giving gifts made with love that look awesome = Pricele$$

We Hit 100!!!!

2010-12-06T11:52:00.000-06:00

**Happy Dance**Happy Dance**Happy Dance**

We hit 100 followers today!!!

I'm so excited I can't stand it!!!!!

Thank You, Thank You,

THANK YOU

all for following my blog!!

Spread the word....

I'm going to have a giveaway if we can get to 150 followers by Christmas!!

Stay tuned.......

Getting to share creative ideas = Pricele$$

What Makes Me {{Smile}} :-)

2010-12-05T11:14:00.001-06:00

Do you see the GEESE??!!

We by no means live in the country, but we are blessed with 4 ponds in our neighborhood. So with ponds come geese and ducks. Every now and then, they 'cross the road' - not to just to get to the 'other side' (hahaha) but to get to another pond and to houses that feed them regularly.

So some days, you have to stop and wait for the 'geese brigade' to cross. Usually they are in a straight row and follow each other across...today, I messed up their rhythm and they headed back to the side they started from. Either way, it makes me smile every time I see this.

Living close enough to the 'big city' to get anywhere in 15 minutes, but far enough out that we get to enjoy Mother Nature = Pricele$$

I {heart} Coupons & I {heart} CVS!!

2010-12-05T08:30:00.002-06:00

Ok, I don't know what all the hoopla is about the ZhuZhu pets, but when I saw that I could get 4 for the price of 1....I'm in!

Here's how I got all the above for less than 1 ZhuZhu pet!!!

Bought 4 ZhuZhu Pets @ $9.88 - BOGO - B2G1 = $9.88 (for all)

Lysol Wipes were BOGO @ $4.19 - (2) $1/1 MC

(these were supposed to be $3.69...I didn't see the price until I walked out of the store and I wasn't going back in for 50 cents)

Plus I had $4 off $20 purchase

And I gave $1 to St. Jude

Total w/ tax = $9.87!!!

(If I had seen the wrong price for Lysol, my total would have been 50 cents less!! Oh well!)

All of that for less than 1 ZhuZhu pet retail price!!

Getting 6 items for less than 1 retail item - AWESOME!

Giving to St. Jude and getting Toys for Tots items = Pricele$$

**BOGO = Buy One Get One Free, B2G1 = Buy 2 Get 1 Free, MC = Manufacturer's Coupon**
**Don't forget to store your Lysol wipes UPSIDE DOWN...the wipes will never be 'dry' - Thanks House of Hepworths for the tip**

All This for $3!!! I {heart} Coupons!!

2010-12-02T06:00:00.003-06:00

I got all this for $3!!!

Wallgreens had a 'family & friends' coupon for Dec.1 = 15% off everything

1st Transaction:

Vicks Dayquil

Vicks Sinex Nyquil 2/$10

1 Puffs Kleenex (not pictured)

- 15%

-$1.50 MC (manufacturers coupon)

-$1.50 MC

-free kleenex coupon

OOP (out of pocket) = $6.35

+ $5 Jingle Cash

2nd Transaction:

Gilette Pro Fusion $9.99

-15%

-$4.00 MC

-$5 Jingle Cash from 1st Tranaction

I had to purchase 3 filler items because I used more coupons than items and my subtotal was less than the $5 Jingle cash I was trying to use.

OOP = $.82

+ 4 Jingle Cash

3rd Transaction:

Vicks Dayquil

Vicks Nyquil 2/$10

-15%

-$1.50 MC

- $4 Jingle Cash from 2nd Transaction

OOP = $2.38

+ $5 Jingle Cash

Subtotal before tax = $7.98

PLUS $5 Jingle Cash = Net = $3

Woohoo!!! SCORE!!!

Out of Pocket cost = $8 + tax

Getting $44 worth of items for Net $3 = Pricele$$