The Sea Beckons Me -- Simple Daisy Spotlight

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One of this years most ferocious winter storms is suppose to be barreling across the United States this week.  All I can think about is the beach...warm sand on my toes, sun shining on my face.  Please enjoy this little piece of beach heaven from jewelry artist - Heather, of Simple Daisy! She also writes one of my favorite blogs, Simple Daisy Blogs.

In her words...

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I'm Heather, the designer behind Simple Daisy! It is my desire & passion to create simple pieces of jewelry that evoke feelings of blissful days spent on the shore. I am inspired by the beauty & simplicity of the ocean........aqua blues, shimmering water, sea life all come through in my designs.

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my favorite!

I am absolutely happiest spending time in my Simple Daisy studio creating custom jewelry that will make you happy when you wear it.

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And I do hope you do enjoy wearing your Simple Daisy jewelry as much as I enjoy creating it!!"

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Stop by and visit Simple Daisy...tell her Beachbrights said "Hi!"  Stay warm & safe this week!

XOXO

Resource Links:
Simple Daisy Etsy
Simple Daisy Blog
Facebook

*This is a post from the heart. I have no affiliation with Simple Daisy (other than I love her blog & etsy shop*

Ground Hog Day Cupcakes (Feb. 2nd)

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I first saw this idea at The Party Blue Prints Blog but the idea originally came from the great creators at Disney Family Fun.

I can so *see* my friend Kim making these!

XOXO-

Groundhog's day is Tuesday, February 2nd.

Making Your Life Easier with iPad Apps

I am starting to love my iPad more and more each day.  This has been a tumultuous relationship because I hate change, learning new things and technology.  Here are the Apps that I have been loving. Let me know in the comment section which Apps you are using to make your life easier too! If the App has an [*] by it, I use this everyday.


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use with this stylus: POGO
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WEATHER
BoatUS.com (not an app)
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PHOTO
PS Express (Adobe Photoshop Express)
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TECH
*Lifehacker (can't find the link)
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MOVIES/RADIO
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ENTERTAINMENT
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DECOR
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BLOGGING
(new) BlogPress
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HEALTH
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MY GAMES
FourInARowF (can't find a link)
DoodleHang (can't find link)
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COOKING/FOOD
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MAX EDUCATIONAL
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MAX'S GAMES
HoneyCat
Talking Tom
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JUST DOWNLOADED
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Worth mentioning but not shown: Kindle, iBooks, Amazon, Amazon Windowshop, Bluefire Reader, Southwest, NYCWAY, Jumbo, Dropbox, PrintCentral, *AppShopper.


I think this qualifies me for title of App Whore.

What are your favorite iPad Apps?

XOXO-

How to Fill a Wall with DIY Art

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I needed a focal point.  Kinda a "lesser or two evils" focal point.  Please excuse the wall color and the "hot mess" of a living room.  I do things backwards. I hang art only to have to take it down to paint the walls. I am living in a combobulated state.

Here's my inspiration:

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Credit: Cottage Living

What you need:
Canvases (I used 24"x24")
Compass
Paint (I just used poster paint)
Sharpie
Math skills

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This is my craft room. It's a mess. Why did I think it was a good idea to make this room the first room you see when you walk into my house? Sheesh!  I promise to blog about this craft room soon!!

My "I am still in the middle of remodeling/decorating" living room. I told you I needed a new focal point! Just keep'n it real :)
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Anyone know of a good trim carpenter / handyman in Houston?

~XOXO~

Also check out this DIY Tutorial with Posters...


Today's Creative Blog

DIY Artwork ~Turn a Poster into a Canvas~

I am having the hardest time finding art for my house. I just can't find what I like!! However, I did find this poster at Ikea for about $10. I am not crazy about poster frames or glass frames in general for art, so I turned this poster into a hanging canvas.

What you'll need:
Poster
Canvas
Glue

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1. Cut your poster to size. Mine was about 2-3 inches smaller than the canvas.
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2. Spread glue on the canvas. I used Mod Podge & a Sponge Brush.
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3. Work fast for these next steps. You don't want the glue to dry on the canvas.  Wet your poster. Yes, I said wet your poster. I used my bathtub for my larger poster.  You must wet the poster in order to make it easier to work with. Trust me. Soak the poster for about 10 seconds.
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4. Place the wet poster on top of the glued canvas. Try and place where you want the poster to permanently stay. Every second that passes makes adjusting the poster that much harder. Start smoothing out the ripples and air bubbles. Wet fingers to keep from tearing the poster.
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5. Keep checking your poster and try to smush down the air bubbles. When the poster dries, most of the air bubbles will disappear. Don't panic. There's a fine line between getting rid of all the bubbles and tearing your poster.
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6. After it dries for an hour or two. Top the poster with a coat of glue (or two!).
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7. Let dry for 24 hours & hang.
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8. ENJOY!!!  The poster will not be perfect. Almost but not perfect. The more variations in the poster (color & pattern) the better for this project.

XOXO-

Check out my Star War's Posters HERE

Linked with Southern Crafty Mama

DIY Business Cards

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I wanted a simple business card to include in my shipment of books that I send out every once in awhile. I love the vintage look of these shipping tags.  They were easy & fun to make. However, I do recommend some stamping experience. I, do not have any, and my stamping has a lot to be desired!

Shopping:
Changeable Stamp (not mine but close)
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Go forth and make!
XOXO

Inspiration from HERE



Today's Creative Blog


Tute yourself tuesday red and white

Ye of Little Faith...a Lesson from a 7 Year Old

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. Matthew 8:26

It doesn't look good for our Daisy dog.  Monday, Max and I took her to the Vet. She has been constantly twitching on one side of her body, lifeless and in pain.  We stayed at the Vet office for almost two hours while they x-rayed, took blood and called another Vet in for a consult.  Their diagnosis, "A lesion on the brain or some kind of Neurological disease."  The Vet wants to send some of her blood off to a special lab and check for a Tick illness that can sometimes cause these symptoms but Daisy has been on Tick/Flea preventive her entire life so this is really a shot in the dark.  The test results will be back in a week. In the meantime the Vet is cautious that we don't get our hopes up. He believes that we should euthanize Daisy by the end of the week and I agree.  Max is hanging on the Vet's every word.

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On the way home I ask Max how he is feeling.  He looks directly at me and says, "God will heal her, Daisy will be fine."  My heart sinks.  I am sad.  I think to myself, "not only am I going to have to explain Max's first lesson of death but now I am going to have to explain why God did not heal his dog. Great, a double whammy. My son's first lesson on faith and disappointment.  Growing up sucks."

For two days I have carried this whimpering dog around in a blanket. She can't jump or climb. Her tail remains tucked. She is trembling constantly. She cries out in pain. For two days I have talked sweetly to her, knowing her days are numbered. I keep telling her what a good dog she has been.  I say, "good dog", over and over again. I cry.

Today, Daisy is a different dog. She jumped on the bed, she jumped off the bed. The trembling is barely noticeable and non-existent at times. I caught her rolling on her back in the sunshine.  Is she cured? Is this temporary?  Are the medicines working? We still do not have the blood work results but the doctor is treating her as if she was positive. He said, "At this point we have nothing to lose." I am cautiously optimistic.

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This afternoon, Max comes in from school. The first thing he does is ask about Daisy and go straight to her.  I tell him that she is having an amazing day and appears to be well.  Max looks directly at me and says, "I told you so."

Wow, faith.  Pure untainted faith.  What do you think God has been saying to me?

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20



XOXO-

DIY Bulletin Board

I needed an "Inspirational Bulletin Board." I have so many magazine tear-outs just waiting to become my next renovation and I like to "see" the entire scheme together. I like cohesiveness.  My problem was the size of bulletin board that I needed. I could not find what would work in any of my stores, so I made my own today.

Thank you Centsational Girl for the inspiration.

This is what you need:
1 artist's canvas
1 roll of cork
Fabic
Ribbon
Glue, Staple Gun, Picture Hanging Hardware

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Roll out the cork and cut it to the size of your canvas.  I used a combination of Elmer's glue and spray glue to attach the cork to the backside of the canvas.
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Lay something heavy on top of the cork so it can dry flat. You might have to hot glue the edges down, I did not need to.
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After the cork has dried. Wrap you canvas with your fabric. I used burlap. I used an electric staple gun to attach the burlap.  Be sure to pull the fabric tight and staple on the backside of the canvas, tucking corners smooth & tight. Next, embellish the border with ribbon. I used hot glue to attach the ribbon. Lastly, I screwed two hook eyes and ran picture frame wire for hanging.

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Sorry for the blurry picture. I am having THE WORST camera Mojo these days. Like seriously!
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XOXO-

Get Your Craft On Tuesday