The Treasure of Holiday Web Inspirations

Though I love Pinterest, life was a touch more interesting when one had to actually find Holiday decorating, baking, and gift giving ideas themselves on the many Web pages once perused.

Here are a few of my finds:

Make your own Christmas card in Photoshop – even a novice like me can do this.

Glass Ornaments have so much potential – try this idea or for knit wits like me use scraps of yarn.

Need a Christmas shirt but don’t want to win the Ugly Sweater Contest? This one is easy peasy and fun to make your own designs.

I’m all about simplifying and this wrapping is a great way to keep it simple and still be very charming.

Need something for the pet lover in your life? This ornament embraces their love of animals and your love of DIY.

A touch of home in a wreath for the door.

It wouldn’t be a holiday without a special cocktail and cold weather just calls for Bourbon. 

My Favorite Blogs - April Edition

You’ve got to love a blog called Crazy Aunt Purl. Full of knitting tips, general bits of knowledge and lots of cat pictures. She’s such a fun read.

Whether you’re serious about crafting, or just like to hobby it up with a sewing machine from time to time, Serious Craft is a perfect site to get inspiration and DIY step-by-step instructions. What turned me on to this site is this great dress, the perfect touch for spring. The fabric is on my list of things to buy at Joann’s next time I make it to the city, both a knit fabric and medium-weight twill that can be dressed up or down. After making all those dresses for the girls in Africa, I am inspired to use my talents for my own closet.

After all the cold weather and the harsh winds, my skin has had a pretty hard time of it. I love all the samples I get from Birchbox for fancy scrubs and some are just wonderful, but I wanted something a bit more natural and easier on the wallet. This face scrub is exactly that. The ingredients were pretty easy to find and I keep it in the fridge for about a month so it won’t spoil. My first batch, I used on my entire body, even on my feet which never felt so great. Give it a try.

Prepping my garden in a new place has me a bit frazzled. I question my decision about everything since I am not sure when to plant, what to grow and how to make sure my crop is abundant. I ask around since there is no loss for great advice from all the farmers around here, but some of the advice doesn’t pair up leaving me confused. To add to the confusion, I am incorporated the Farmer’s Almanac, the handy go-to for any cultivator. So far it looks, like most of my planting will be around May 10, but I am using a lot of starter plants so it shouldn’t take quite so long for them to come to harvest. Once the yard is tilled, I am going with onions both because we use a lot of onions and for their pest-control power. Wish me luck.

Finding peace is sometimes a difficult thing. Other than praying to God and Jesus, I also feed my soul with inspiring words from contemporary thought leaders, like Wayne Dyer who is a favorite of mine. His blog always seems to have the right thing to say to me at that time and it helps me remember that I am always connected to God and loved – no matter what.

I couldn’t have a favorite blogs list without food could I?! This recipe is so simple and looks so delicious. The farmers’ markets open in May and I have a huge produce list to fulfill my need to cook and be satiated, including this Roasted Fennel and Cauliflower Soup recipe. Paul will even like this one. And since the evenings are still a bit cool in May, it will be the perfect touch to the end of a long day. We love roasted veggies and usually have at least one meal a week of just roasted veggies filling our plates. Why not make a soup with all that roasted goodness?

What are some of your favorite blogs and why?

What Inspires You?

When I have a few moments, I like to see what other bloggers are up to and get inspirations. This of course, can turn into hours when you find an interesting blog that won’t let you leave. Here are a few of the most enticing blogs I uncovered this week. Warning: you could get sucked in and might possibly feel the need to be creative!

 Overall Interesting

http://culturedcivility.com/

I’ve known Wendy for a while and she has always been a very classy lady, and her blog is full of great recipes and helpful tips. As an interior decorator, she is a library of knowledge about what looks good, what feels good and what goes well together for all personality types. Check this blog out and see what inspires you.

 Happy Salad Days

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2011/03/recipe-for-crunchy-napa-cabbage-asian.html

I’m always looking for a great salad recipe and this one is amazing. The hardest part about this recipe is that I want to eat the whole thing instead of portioning it out properly so I only make half. With spring right around the corner, I can’t wait to add even more salads to our dinner menu. What’s you’re favorite salad veggie??

Updating My Wardrobe

http://www.henryhappened.com/sequin-heart-diy-t-shirt.html

I actually spotted this heart tee before Valentine’s and wanted to make it then, but life was in such chaos, that I am revisiting this inspiring design now and since it’s a heart, I can really wear it anytime.

Creativity Inspired

http://howdidyoumakethis.com/blog/2013/1/24/two-in-one-bag-make-this.html

I love making bags, and this is a great tutorial to help even a novice bag maker like me. As I unpack my craft boxes, I am finding fabric that would be great for this piece, plus I was told that there is a craft store on our little Main Street that has remnants of fabric for really cheap. I may just need to have a purse for every season, or week.

 For My Jewelry Box

http://www.operationoverhaul.com/2012/11/braided-thread-bracelet-tutorial/

Sometimes a girl just needs a touch of spring and a new jewelry piece to show off. This is a great project if you only have an hour and need to update your outfit, but don’t want to spend a whole lot of cash.

Healthy Inspiration

http://aromatic-cooking.blogspot.in/2013/01/chilli-garlic-quinoa.html

I am always looking for a new quinoa recipe and this one sounds delightful. I have it on my menu list for next week as the perfect lunch treat on a cold day. I especially like the addition of cabbage to the quinoa and I am thinking about adding some sliced red and orange peppers as well for color and, of course, bulk. I may also spruce it up with some lime zest and juice.  Delicious!

Puppy Prints

http://www.ownedbypugs.com/index.php/pugblog

Our puppy Polly is a pug mix and even before I got her (March 1 marked 4 years),  I have been addicted to pugs. If you’re a puppy person, pug person or just into cute pictures of animals, take a gander at these oh-so-lovely squished-in faces!

Blogs I Love - Getting Crafty

Blogs I Love

I don’t have a whole lot of time to cruise the Internet looking for great idea pickups. When I do get a few moments to scan through craft, food or any other sites that grab my fancy, I like to save the best ones to share with my friends and to visit later. Here are a few crafty pals I have picked up on the way.

Ellinee Design House
This is such a great site if you want to try a new craft or even order some wonderful designs from those who are the experts. I just love their paper flowers. I have had a thing for paper lately and adore how these paper petals can bring life to any occasion. Thanks to the free template, I am inspired to add some Springtime to my workspace and liven it up a bit. (Plus working in Marketing, we always have out-of-date paper samples around the office that would be perfect for transforming into flora.

Quiet Lion Creations
I love cool DIY projects, especially when they are fashion forward. I'm not the trendiest girl around, but I could always use a little pick-me-up especially this delightful bracelet, plus what a great gift idea and a way to use any leftover fabric. I also love the trapeze earrings and have decided to take up jewelry making. Thank you Allison for all your inspirations.

Keeping It Indie
Can I just say, I love Brandi! This is such a great site with things to make, inspirational interviews and just so many pictures to make the heart beat faster. So far my favorites are the printed candles, rosette bracelet, Carla Dyck photography, and oh so much more. You just have to visit the site to find out about what you’re missing.

The Cheese Thief
Not only is this one of the best names for a blog (or anything for that matter), but I just couldn’t help getting caught up in all the great ideas found here. Since I am on a jewelry kick, I just couldn’t pass up this beaded ring. And that was only the beginning, how about this wonderful Birthday decoration – perfect for cupcakes and cake.

Maggie Makes
These pictures caught me.

Heart Healthy Month Tip: Making new friends, learning new things and creating something always makes the heart happy.

Cruisin’ for Crafts

It’s both energizing and relaxing (at the same time) to peruse the wonders of the Internet looking at what brilliant creations people have made and getting inspired to make some of my own wonders.

I fell in love with this pillow. What a cute puggy. And the chair is fabulous as well.
http://loveatfirstblush.blogspot.com/2011/08/in-her-closet-suns-sunny-apartment.html

Plywood art – this gave me thoughts of doing my own version of St. Pete
http://www.freshhomeideas.com/diy-projects/craft-projects/how-to-make-easy-plywood-art

I don’t have an iPhone, yet, but I just fell in love with this cross-stitch iPhone case.

Yet, another knitting project that I just must make at Pumpkinbelle.

More Flowers: I have set myself the goal of learning how to crochet this year. I can knit so how hard can crocheting be? Anywhoo, Here is a beautiful flower pattern I would love to try.

Happiness Happens Month: I just feel so happy when I discover something new and know that I can be just as inspiring to someone else.