Type A

Anything Goes #57

2012-02-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry the party is getting a late start. I was online looking at pinterest last night and totally lost track of time. That pinterest is addictive. I still haven't found the inspiration I need for my son's room. Guess I'll keep looking! lol

Please party your hearts out and share as much of anything as you would like, I love seeing what everyone is up too. I've actually been working on stuff too and I got to party this week. Weird?

Also I have the new Linky Followers on my side bar, I would love it if you followed me with it, and I will follow all of you back!

Have a great Tuesday! I'm off to shop with the bestie and torture myself by looking at a house. lol

Mostly Done Tray Table....Mostly

2012-02-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

When hubby was home last month we went to New Hampshire to visit his Mom and two of his Brothers. It was a short visit, but so nice to see everyone. Especially my Brother in law Gene, he's amazing, and totally gets me.

He took us out to this very cool store, called Oldies to shop, and in my case to spend. I bought this beautiful tray table, well the shape and size were beautiful.

Great shape and size, not so great look.

The mostly after. lol Still need to do the graphic on the top, but it's been painted and the details have been added. So, graphic and wax is all that is left. Colors are ASCP Coco and Martha Stewart Vintage Gold. Totally addicted to the gold!

I found the graphic, but of course I don't own a laser printer. I forwarded it to a friend that is gonna print it out. Thanks Mrs. Designer Garden, you rock!

Big reveal to come!

Lauren's Make Under got a Make Over!

2012-02-18T05:00:00.001-08:00

I'm crazy like that, seems like I never finish a room. It's just in transition until I make the next change. Please tell me I'm not alone in this insanity.

So you know I made some changes to Lauren's room, preparing for the day when we rent it. Then I went out today while the kidsa were at school and found a couple things I couldn't live with out. Really it was life or death.

I found this adorable chenille beadspread when I was out, 20 bucks! Sold. The real shocker, it's WHITE! I'm so scared of white, I need to be medicated to be in the same room with it!

I love it like this, but every little girl likes to have her 'stuff' on her bed.

This is with her 'stuff', actually only half her stuff. I put some up so it wouldn't be too cluttered. Her quilt is under the bedspread, I was too lazy to take it off. Shocking, I know!

I changed her desk decor around too, added a fave toy and a baby pic, to make it more personal.

Second killer deal, GOLD CORNER ETAGERE! Total score, already gold so I don't have to paint it, and it was a whopping 35 bucks, so it didn't break the bank.

Look how happy she is! This is the best part, her smile!

I'm still not putting anything on her walls, which is killing me, but I don't want to have to patch and paint again before we move. Still bummed the house fell through, but we got some good news tonight, fingers crossed, we'll be moving in June....

Lauren's Room, Make Under?

2012-02-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hubby finished Lauren's room Monday, he flew back to Afghanistan Tuesday. Talk about cutting it close. lol (Miss you babe!)

We aren't starting the house search until May. I'm taking a break from it. It'll just give me that much more time to get the house ready to rent and start packing it up. I'm going to be doing some purging, the plan is to have some stuff in my Etsy shop by the end of the week. Fingers crossed.

Here's the before of Lauren's room.

Green and lavendar walls, with a lavendar ceiling.

The after, Water Mark by Behr on the walls, and white ceiling. Love the color, so much that it'll be in the next house for sure. Nothing put back on the walls.

Why nothing on the walls? We thought we would be moving, so I took everything down and patched the walls. We aren't moving soon, but will be, so I didn't put stuff back to have to patch again.

Kept the chandelier. Since we aren't getting the house, I figure keep her girly light. When we finially know we are moving I will change it out and make it more renter friendly.

There you have it, Lauren's Room Make Under.

Where I party!!!

Sunday:

I Heart Naptime

LambAround

Under the Table and Dreaming

Monday:

The House in the Roses

Keeping it Simple

Skip to my Lou

Boogieboard Cottage

Creating My Way to Success

The DIY Home Sweet Home Project

You are Talking too Much

Tuesday:

Coastal Charm

House of Grace

Sugar Bee Craft Edition

A Bowl Full of Lemons

The Project Queen

Topsy Turvy

A Stroll Thru Life

Knick of Time Interiors

Wednesday:

Domestically Speaking

We are that Family

Elements & Interiors

Handy Man, Crafty Woman

Thursday:

The Shabby Chic Cottage

Beyond the Picket Fence

Fireflies And Jellybeans

Tales from Bloggeritaville

Christinas Adventures

The Vintage Farmhouse

My Crazy Beautiful Life

Friday:

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

A Little Knick Knack

It's Fun to Craft

French Country Cottage

Bubble Nature Creations

Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Pocket Full of Pink

Freckled Laundry

Blissfull and Domestic

Saturday:

Be Different Act Normal

Labor of Love

2012-02-15T04:00:00.001-08:00

This piece was definately a 'Labor of Love', as in I love my girl so much the labor was worth it! I wouldn't have done this piece for anyone else, and I will be thinking long and hard before I strip this much paint again. lol Did I mention it was worth it? I sound like a huge whiner.

Before. Lauren is the only cute factor.

During. Took me four days to strip it. Yes I stripped it in the house. I put a tarp down, the CitrusStrip really doesn't smell all that bad, but the girl did sleep with me until I was done.

My first Ahhhh moment, looks so much better with out the paint and stickers.

The color is all thanks to the wonderful folks at Robyn Story Design. They sent me four samples on moulding. I went with the one that was more Old White than Emperor's Silk. I think the ratio ended up being 80/20.

Two coats of pink later. Now for the gold detail and wax.

Hubby picked out the knob. It originally had a Bakelite handle, Hubby broke it, taking it off.

A little close up of some of the gold detail.

Ta Da! Isn't she pretty? Watch out Lauren there's a new girl in town! lol

Okay, Lauren is still cuter. Love you baby girl. Enjoy your dress up armoire! xx

Where I party!!!

Sunday:

I Heart Naptime

LambAround

Under the Table and Dreaming

Lines Across My Face
It's Robin with an I

Monday:

The House in the Roses

Keeping it Simple

Skip to my Lou

Boogieboard Cottage

Creating My Way to Success

The DIY Home Sweet Home Project

You are Talking too Much

Tuesday:

Coastal Charm

House of Grace

Sugar Bee Craft Edition

A Bowl Full of Lemons

The Project Queen

Topsy Turvy

A Stroll Thru Life

Knick of Time Interiors

Wednesday:

Domestically Speaking

We are that Family

Elements & Interiors

Handy Man, Crafty Woman

Thursday:

The Shabby Chic Cottage

Beyond the Picket Fence

Fireflies And Jellybeans

Tales from Bloggeritaville

Christinas Adventures

The Vintage Farmhouse

My Crazy Beautiful Life

Friday:

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

A Little Knick Knack

It's Fun to Craft

French Country Cottage

Bubble Nature Creations

Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Pocket Full of Pink

Freckled Laundry

Blissfull and Domestic
My Repurposed Life

Saturday:

Be Different Act Normal

A Little Lovely

Along for the Ride

Perfectly Imperfect

Meg and Mums
Positively Splendid

Anything Goes #56

2012-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's party time again. The weeks are really going by fast.

Hubby had a great visit, I can't believe it's been 30 days already. He flies out Tuesday, but he'll be back for Christmas this year. We will actually get a holiday with him!

The second house fell threw, sigh. I'm taking a break from house hunting and I'm just gonna enjoy my kids, and being crafty. (maybe I'll even combine the two!)

I actually got two projects done this week, but you have to wait till tomorrow and Thursday so see them. I'm gonna go watch TV with my boys, and enjoy Hubby's last night, it's technically Monday. I prep the party the night before.

Happy Valentine's Day, I hope it's filled with Love and chocolate!

Party on! I'll see you tomorrow with some goodies!

Meet Feeding My Temple, Week 39

2012-02-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

This weeks lovely guest is Allison from Feeding My Temple!

Thanks Allison for taking the time to visit with us!

As a full time working mom who loves to cook, I tend to be exhausted by the time Friday evening rolls around. One of my fail proof recipes that I find myself craving are these waffles. Who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner? You, of course need a waffle iron for these and use just a few of your pantry staples. This recipe takes about the same amount of time to mix as a pre-made chemical laden one.

10 Minute Homemade Waffles

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake: per waffle iron directions

Makes: 10 waffles

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In the center of the bowl, make a well for the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil or butter, and vanilla until egg is beaten.

Pour wet ingredients into the well you made and stir until slightly lumpy.

Spray heated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and drop 1/2 cup waffle batter into the center and close. Your waffle iron might call for a smaller or larger amount of batter; just follow your iron’s directions and adjust accordingly!

Once cooked through (a green light comes on when my waffle is ready), remove and top with butter, syrup, fruit topping, peanut butter, whipped cream, or whatever you like on your waffles. Enjoy with milk.

I like mine with a touch of butter and light syrup and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon.

Also, have you heard about the upcoming Find Some Love Fest? Grab the button and meet back here February 1st!

The Ugly Truth

2012-02-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of before and afters, love them really, but it's the during that is UGLY! Really ugly.

First you clear out the room. My little helper picking up misc toys that ended up under bed and desk. She even dressed for the occasion.

Then you put all the stuff in the loft and master bedroom, cause where else would you put it?

The only cute factor, so far. The are pretending to have a garage sale. They are my kids.

In totally unrelated news, the armoire got a second coat of paint!!!! All it need now is hardware and gold paint on the details, oh and a good waxing. Of course the room has to get painted first. Hubby leaves Tuesday and I need to get the most out of him now. lol

So there you have it, the during, pretty ugly huh? I can't wait to show you the after!

Fresh Paint

2012-02-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

Hey there strangers! I know I've been missing in action a lot lately. Sorry about that. I know you all understand. Hubby has been home and we've been enjoying our precious family time. Plus the never ending house hunting and unexpected trip to NH.

This week we've all been sick. The kids have double ear infections and I had the flu with a sinus infection. That's how we roll. We like to do things big. We are all finally on the mend, now fingers crossed Hubby doesn't get sick before he flies out Tuesday.

I know what a bummer, he flights out on Valentine's Day. Oh well, not complaining, we had a full month together.

So on to the good stuff. We actually painted the kids bath this week. Miracle right? We start on Lauren's room tonight, so I will have another reveal soon. Crazy right?

The bathroom before.

The bathroom after. I took everything off the walls. Since we are moving soon I figured why put it back to have to take it down again. Love the color, Behr Dolphin Fin, the perfect shade of gray.

I'm on the mend, I've had the flu and a sinus infection, double whammy. I promise to be more interesting in the very near future!

Where I Party!!!

Sunday:
I Heart Naptime
LambAround
Under the Table and Dreaming
It's So Very Cheri
The DIY Showoff
The Girl Creative
Stylish Once Again
Lines Across My Face

Monday:
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
The DIY Showoff
C.R.A.F.T.
Mad in Crafts
The House in the Roses
Keeping it Simple
Skip to my Lou
Boogieboard Cottage
Creating My Way to Success
The DIY Home Sweet Home Project
The Nesting Place
Southern Hospitality
It's so Very Cheri
The Idea Room
Pinkapotamus
Three Mango Seeds
Mo Momma
You are Talking too Much

Tuesday:
Coastal Charm
House of Grace
Sugar Bee Craft Edition
Hope Studios
All Things Related
Creative Itch
Giggles Glitz & Glam
Tip Jukie
A Soft Place To Land
Not Just a Housewife
A Bowl Full of Lemons
The Project Queen
Topsy Turvy
A Stroll Thru Life
Knick of Time Interiors
The Shady Porch
Homemaker on a Dime

Wednesday:
Primitive & Proper
Blue Cricket Design
Someday Crafts
Sew Much Ado
My Backyard Eden
Seven Thirty Three
Tea Rose Home
Santa's Gift Shoppe
Domestically Speaking
We are that Family
Elements & Interiors
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Saturday Mornings
Room To Inspire
Ginger Snaps Crafts
The Shady Porch
It's Overflowing

Thursday:
Seven Thirty Three
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Beyond the Picket Fence
Fireflies And Jellybeans
Tales from Bloggeritaville
Brambleberry Cottage
House of Hepworths
Somewhat Simple
Yesterday On Tuesday
Beneath My Heart
Christinas Adventures
It's A Keeper
Rhinestone Beagle
Common Ground
Mom on Time Out
Fabulously Flawed
Saved by Suzy
The Vintage Farmhouse
My Crazy Beautiful Life

Friday:
Miss Mustard Seed
My Romantic Home
The Shabby Nest
Finding Fabulous
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
A Little Knick Knack
It's Fun to Craft
French Country Cottage
Rag to Stitches
Designer Garden
The Speckled Dog
Stuff and Nonesense
Bubble Nature Creations
Lovely Crafty Home
Shanty2Chic
Kelly's Korner
Vintage Revivals
Just a Girl
Kojo's Design
Deja Renew
The Girl Creative
The Inspired Room
Infarrantly Creative
Tidy Mom
Days of Chalk and Chocolate
Pocket Full of Pink
Freckled Laundry
Blissfull and Domestic

Saturday:
Craft Envy
A Vision to Remember
Funky Junk Interiors
Tatertots and Jello
Be Different Act Normal

A Little Lovely
Along for the Ride
Perfectly Imperfect
Meg and Mums

Shabby Creations Winner!!!

2012-02-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Winner is Kimberly from The Brown Eyes Have It!!!! Congrats Kimberly, I can't wait to see which design you pick!!!

Thanks to Michelle from Shabby Creations for offering this amazing give away to my readers!

Anything Goes #55

2012-02-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hubby is still home visiting, and we've only got two things on my to do list to finish, and we've actually started them. Yep painting. I still have to finish Lauren's armoire, but every time I go to paint some one gets sick.

Lauren was sick for three days, and now Connor is sick. Needless to say I'm not getting any sleep and the Hubby is getting sick, and I've felt better.

We've finally found 'the' house and our offer has been accepted and we have a closing date! Miracle, really. At one point I was getting my teeth cleaned and the hubby was blowing up my cell phone with listings he wanted to see. Apparently I left him home alone too long. Sigh.

So, as promised, here is a pic of the house. It's from the web listing, so there is no snow. Actually it looks even better in the listing, everything is alive and green. One of the best features, it's on a cul-de-sac. Love me a cul-de-sac. It's also the first detached home I've ever owned as an adult. I've always lived in town homes.

Another amazing selling point, the massive back yard with MOUNTAIN views!

Stress has set in, now we have two houses...fingers crossed we rent the current house to great people. Oh, and I get to move by myself! Designer Garden has promised to help...love me some Mrs. Designer Garden!!! wink wink!!!

Okay, shutting up now. Enjoy the party, thanks for the support. Tomorrow I will be announcing the winner of my Shabby Creations give away, you still have today to enter!

Party on!

Ummm Yeah....

2012-02-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Just another day in the neighborhood(s), that is driving all over them looking for 'the' house. At this point I'm not sure if 'the' house exists, or that any one wants to sell us one.

We put an offer in a house last week and pulled out this week. They had weird demands, and really it came down to it's a short sale and the current residents don't want to move out anytime soon. Put it this way, they were hinky.

Moving on, we have continued to search and we have put in another offer....sigh...It's stressful and I'm tired. I want to point out, that I was not hugely disappointed about the first house not working out, but if this one doesn't work out, it's gonna hurt. I REALLY like this one. It wasn't an option at first, cause it was under contract until three days ago, and it just came back on the market.

That's all I've got to say about that.

Valentine's Day is coming up, and all of you have been creating, and I've been house hunting. However, I did decorate. That counts for something? Maybe?

hmmmm.

Thanks for putting up with me. I know I owe you some real crafts and paint projects.

If our offer is accepted, I'll post pics of the house, for now, I'm gonna enjoy the Hubby. We've only got 12 days left. He leaves on Valentine's Day, bummer.

Proof

2012-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Shabby Creations Give Away!!!

I knew if I just told you I painted something, you would be like, Proof! I don't blame you really, I've been not to pretty good about doing anything lately.

Here's the Proof.

It needs a second coat and then I have to bust out the gold paint and pretty it up, and wax...but hey, it's a complete first coat. Tomorrow Hubby and I start painting the rooms upstairs. He changed his mind and wants to do it himself. Really he just doesn't want to pay any one else, I'm good with that!

Anything Goes #54

2012-01-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

Shabby Creations Give Away!!!

Happy Tuesday! Like I promised, even from New Hampshire I'd have the party up and running!

I promise next week to have everything back to normal. I owe you a look at the house we put an offer on, and I may actually have somehting painted to share with you too! Imagine that! lol

We are having a great time with family, two days isn't long enough. The hubby and his brother are headed to the UPS Store to mail my precious. Yep even on vacation I can SHOP. I'm a little worried about the piece making it home. His last words were, "if it cost to much to ship, I'll tell you it shipped but it'll be in a dumpster some where." Hmmm maybe I should have gone with them?

Isn't she gorgeous? I've always wanted a tray table. I love them, and she's wood and not metal. Even better in my opinion. However, I would have just as happy if she was metal.

Great legs too, can't wait to paint them.

Enjoy the party, I can't wait to see what you've all been up too.

Like always, no rules to the party or limits, just have fun!

Shabby Creations Give Away!!!!

2012-01-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday, the family and I are in New Hampshire enjoying our family and some great seafood. We even did a little shopping! I can't wait to share my purchase with you, yep, even in NH I can find something I have to ship home!

I know you guys have noticed that Type A just got a face lift, I should be so lucky. lol The wonderful Michelle from Shabby Creations is to blame for the BEAUTIFUL new look. I <3 Michelle, she is so talented, and really listens to her clients, wonderful to work with.

She's generous too, so generous she is offering one Type A reader a blog makeover of their very own.

The winner will receive 1 Premade Blog Design, 1 Custom Signature and 1 Blog Button!

Here are a few examples of her talent.

Now on to the important stuff, how to win!

1. Follow Type A, leave a comment.

2. Like Type A on FB, leave a comment.

3. Like Shabby Creations on FB, leave a comment.

4. Post the give away in your FB status, leave a comment with the link.

You have until Feb 7th to spread the word and enter! The WINNER will be announced Feb 8th.

Good Luck!!!!

Anything Goes #53

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday friends, hope all is good and you are ready to PARTY!!!

I've been crazy busy with the hubby, and I would love to report that we have finished the list...but alas we have not. However, we have gotten a couple things done and hubby promises to start painting Wednesday. Fingers crossed he'll be done Thursday. Friday - Monday we'll be in New Hampshire.

We have been house hunting, turns out my dream house sold. Totally my fault, should have put an offer in. Oh well, maybe that means something better is waiting for us? Keeping my hopes up. Do any of you have experience with renting your homes or doing a lease to buy? We are trying to decide what is the best for us. So many options.

We may not have accomplished much in the way of the list, but we've had no problem spending money! LOL I think the hubby was going through withdrawal, not being able to spend money in Afghanistan. He's been spoiling us, and we LOVE it!

Seriously, it's been like Christmas around here. First stop was the furniture store, where we bought these lovely chairs. It's been 5 years since I've bought new furniture, and not just 'new' to me furniture.

Then we decided a new mattress was in order, and of course it had to have it's own jewelry. I totally adore this bed, and see, Georgia has found a new home. She will be missed, but she just wasn't working here anymore.

Honestly, I don't know what I did to deserve all of these presents, I wish I knew so I could keep doing it! I feel like a big kid with my new laptop, best part, I'm downstairs with the family and not stuck in my office away from the fun.

We are having a blast with hubby, and still have two weeks left with him. I even took some of his list away from him and am going to pay the handy man to do them. Friday I will have pics of the newly painted rooms!

PARTY ON!!!

Meet Designed by Chance, Week 38

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Chance from Designed by Chance. I write a little blog about crafts, home decor, gardening, and my life. Type A is one of my favorite blogs, and I make sure never to miss a post. I'm so excited to be a guest on Tammy's blog. If I lived anywhere near (but I don't) her I would give her a big hug right now.

Today I want to show you a little project I put together to keep all my wrapping supplies "under wraps" (sorry I could not resist the pun).

I don't have a lot of space in my little cottage, so I decided to keep my "wrapping station" under the guest bed.

I used a large roll-away bin to store all my wrapping supplies. Be sure to get the longest one you can find, otherwise it won't hold the long wrapping rolls.

Next, I collected all the wrapping paper from all over the house. For some reason I leave wrapping paper all over, and I can never find the tape or scissors when I need them either. It is good to have everything in one place now.

I really like the solid paper because it can be used for multiple occasions. As you can see I have a few Christmas papers too, this year I used brown paper and twine (you can see that here). This paper is from other years.

This paper is really great because it has both solid red and polka-dots on the same paper. I love the different sides, and the polka-dots make me so happy.

I save tissue paper. Here is my collection of papers, there are all different colors and styles. I use the tissue paper with these boxes, which I save from year to year as well (I seem to be quite low on boxes this year).

Don't forget the scissors and tape.

Put it all together, and you have an easy simple system for all your wrapping needs.

Cover,

.....slide under the bed,

and you are done!

(Bye bye wrapping station.)

I would love to have some fancy wrapping station with tons of space that takes up half my house, but that is just not a reality. In truth, I prefer to have guests and friends, not a wrapping station I will never use. This little set-up is just perfect for all my wrapping needs. I don't have any kids yet, but I have a feeling this will be really handy when all those birthday parties start up (one day).

If I Move to Vancouver....

2012-01-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not leaving Colorado anytime soon, promise, but if we move to Vancouver I've found the painters for my house.....lol I know I Google the strangest things. These Vancouver painters do amazing work, but I'm going off the photos of the afters.

I love the wall paper in this room, and the paint color they used to coordinate with it...Maybe I should talk the hubby into moving to Vancouver...

Now I'm off to paint my own rooms...I'll be sharing the paint colors with you any day. Trying to set a fire under the Hubby to get him motivated. Yep, not really working for me.

Happy Painting!

Puzzle Frames Found

2012-01-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

Lauren got this puzzle for Christmas, and she's been begging me to frame it....really? I mean,I can't just buy a pre made frame for it, it's dimensions are a little weird. Kids never make it easy for you.

Well crisis averted, I found this great site for Puzzle Frames. You can actually select the exact size you need, and at a pretty affordable price.

I got to pick the exact dimensions, to a fraction. Then you select the frame style, color, plexiglass and backing. The have five styles and quite a few color options, some styles come in more colors.

I hope she loves the finished product, fingers crossed. lol

Design Help

2012-01-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

So I dragged the Hubby to Joann's today, and aside from one male employee, he was the only man in there. I guarantee it was funny! I joked that he totally lost his 'man card'...did I mention I think I'm freaking hilarious...Hubby not so much.

Ok ok, here's where the help comes in, I bought fabric for some chair seats, and I have no idea what color to paint the chairs. What ever color I paint the chairs I'm also paint the base of my table, I'd like them to match each other, but not the china hutch.

Fabric Sample, it's a shade lighter than the green I have on my old chairs. We are getting rid of the old chairs, I found some I like so much better on craigslist for CHEAP! The fabric was half off and cost almost as much as the chairs and table I bought. The table isn't special. It will probably be sold.

This picture is old, but it pretty much looks like this still, only MUCH messier cause the Hubby is home and has bought a lot of crap and littered my table with it...no biggy...well little biggy. I'm not gonna lie, I'm Type A after all. lol I can live with the mess to have him home for a few weeks.

So what ASCP would you use?

Pink Armoire update, finally got Hubby to take the Bakelite handle off, so I could get the last of the paint off, and the handle broke...sigh. I guess I'm buying a new handle. I also think I'm going to use more of a know style and just fill the other whole. Something sparkly.

The old white/emperor's silk mix turned out great, love this shade of pink!

Have a great week!

Chores for Kids: Good or Bad?

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Guest Post:James Lander of couponing site, Couponing, has provided this article. Couponing is a website that concentrates on sharing the most authoritative couponing information with consumers.

For many children, doing chores is a normal part of their daily or weekly schedule, and are the way they expect to earn allowance money or permission to do extra activities. For other kids, chores are as unfamiliar as going to a full-time office job. In recent years, the divide between parents who require chores and those who don't has become more stark, and parents on each side of the argument – for chores or against – have strong, impassioned reasons for their belief that their way is the appropriate one.

Parents who believe in chores are firm in their reasoning, primarily because they see chores as a normal part of childhood development and growing up. The argument of these parents is that chores help children learn basic, necessary skills involved with everything from responsibility to money-management and time-management. Chores, when age-appropriate, can give children a sense that they are expected to be contributing members of their household, just like their parents. The idea behind this school of thought is that children who feel an early sense responsibility to help out their group will carry this value through the rest of their lives in school, work, and their own families.

Parents who are pro-chores also hope this practice will imbue their children over time with a sense of money- and time-management. By making a weekly allowance conditional on the completion of chores, parents hope to their children a sense of the value of money and an understanding that it doesn't often come for free. Setting a daily or weekly schedule for chores is also intended to cement the idea of accountability for children; if chores are not completed in the allotted time – just as in life – payment will not be given.

Most parents who are in favor of giving kids chores tend to ease them into it, with simple tasks at a young age and assigning more complex ones later on. Helping to fold laundry is a good example of a simple chore given to a younger child to get them started; older children often do more outwardly helpful jobs like walking the dog, taking out the trash, and cleaning communal spaces in the home.

For all of the parents who see the benefits of chores, however, there are many parents who argue that children should absolutely not be given chores. The main arguments behind this belief are similarly economic and responsibility-based. Most parents who are anti-chores believe that the chore systems implemented in most households are over-simplified and actually lead to bad relationships with money and responsibility.

One of the primary arguments of anti-chores parents has to do with the idea of offering an allowance in exchange for housework. The problem, they say, is that children should not be taught to expect money for completing normal household tasks; teaching children that they will be rewarded with money every time they do the laundry or mop the floor sets them up to expect some kind of treat for any work they do for the rest of their lives. This system does not prepare them for the fact that most of work that adults do, in and out of the house, goes unrewarded and unpaid.

On the other end of this argument is the idea that children will learn that the purpose of work is to be rewarded rather than to be a positive member of a team. These parents worry that rewarding children for certain tasks teaches them that other good behavior has less value and that money is the reason why they should help out.

There are also parents who are anti-chores simply because they believe children should be allowed to be children. Though this is a less-common philosophy, there are parents that think chores burden children with work and adult responsibilities too early, and that children benefit more from the opportunity to enjoy their lives free from basic duties as long as possible.

Whichever side of the chores argument you fall on, you will find many supporters. In the end, every family must find the system that they are most comfortable with and that they feel will benefit their children the most in the long run. Finding what works for your family is the ultimate way to determine the right answer in this debate.

Anything Goes #52

2012-01-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hey all! I hope you are enjoying your Tuesday and have lots to share today! I can't wait to see what every one has been up too. Me? I'm to my eyeballs with Hubby and the kiddos!

Really, so nice to have hubby home. Remember last week when I shared my honey do list with you? Well, we are starting on it tomorrow. Yep, he's rested enough and both kids will be at school tomorrow, so we have to take advantage of the time.

We went shopping this weekend and Beefcake bought us a new Bed and Mattress! I'm so excited. I can't wait to show you, but it won't be delivered until Wednesday. I had to sell Gladys too, oh well we all make sacrifices. lol Gladys is making hers by going to a new home.

Gladys. She will be missed.

My new BED! I'm in so much love! It has nail head detail! Sigh.

New Mattress, all in size King. It's one of the 'foam' beds, like Tempur-Pedic, but about 1/4th of the price.

I have other news. I'm not going to be doing my Hunter Gatherer Party any more, sorry guys. You can still share all your finds at this party. I haven't decided how I'm going to be doing Highlights from this party either. I promise to get it all together, right now I'm just enjoying the hubby.

I'm having the blog totally redesigned for a custom look too, so there are gonna be some big changes soon, and another give away. Just be on the look out.

Party on!

Meet Dear Helen Harman, Week 37

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Helen Hartman,

I’ve been asked by the gracious and talented Tammy at Type A to do a guest blog and I do not want to make a faux pas. Love to get some tips on being a good guest.

Dear Loved One,

You’re asking Helen to help you NOT make a faux pas? B-b-but Helen loves it when others make faux pas-es. And you know why?

Mona didn't laugh AT others, she laughed WITH them... ABOUT others. And she looked FAB doing it.

It gives Helen a chance to help her readers avoid similar missteps by giving advice at DearHelenHartman.com . In fact this week she'll be discussing navigating the tricky waters of being out of control in a strange environment, something she knows a lot about.

What is the message of this advertisement? When you have great lipstick and a kicky hat you can dance your way off a dock and no one will care? I mean, if you look good, who needs air?

Happily for you (and Helen) Tammy is a charming and clever hostess, who takes her guest’s feelings into account

Gladys felt like knocking back a few hot toddies and showing people how to do a flip off the ski ramp sans skis! Being a good hostess, you-know-who held the camera and later posted the whole fiasco on YouTube.

Tammy will be absolutely lovely no matter how badly you behave.

June didn't think of it as snooping. She thought of it as getting to know people in new and ~~sneaky~~ interesting ways.

So being a guest at Type A is a pleasant experience for everyone.

Except maybe other guests who have to put up with your nonsense.

Hazel didn't care if they did have to call in a team of nuns to wrestle her to the ground and cart her off for an emergency behavior adjustment. Whooping it up Helen-style at Type A had definitely been worth it!

Thank you, Tammy! And look on the bright side – if you get yourself in a pickle when visiting others, you can always write to Helen and she’ll be happy -- to tell you what you are doing wrong.

Visit DearHelenHartman.com or Like Helen on Facebook

With a tip of her pillbox hat to luminaries like Erma Bombeck, Heloise and Dear Abby, Helen Hartman tackles modern problems with time-tested solutions taken from vintage magazines, advertising, collectibles, cultural icons and personal experiences. If laughter is the best medicine Helen Hartman seeks to cure your ills, but don’t expect a spoonful of sugar unless sugar is what Helen is skewering, um, serving.

Kids Clothes Swap, Anybody with Me?

2012-01-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning out my son's closet the other day, and it came to my attention that he needs new pants. He's growing so fast, I can't keep up. Those of you have kids, know what I'm talking about. It seems like you buy them an outfit and two weeks later, they've out grown it. It's never ending and expensive.

What I thought would be fun is if we swapped our kids clothes with each other. We all have kids of different ages, and I bet we could help each other out. If you are interested please leave me a comment with the sizes of clothes you have to offer and the size you need, and the sexes of your kids.

I have a lot of dresses up for grabs right now, and they need a good home regardless if I get clothes in exchange.

TJ Max, size 5, Never worn.

Kohl's, size 6, runs a little smaller.

Kohl's size 5

Old Navy, size 5

Gymboree, size 5

Not sure, pretty sure size 5

I would love these to go to two families. There are six, so each family could have 3 each. Please email or leave a comment if you would like them. I don't have any boy clothes at this time, but will probably closer to Fall.

My son is 7, he needs size 7 and 8 pants. He likes sweat style, or athletic with an elastic waist. No buttons, not a fan of buttons. Size 2 shoe.

My daughter is almost 5, and wears a size 6 for pretty much everything. Size 12 shoe.

Living Room Changes

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a lot of fun shopping the house and making changes. I've actually taken quite a few things down from the walls, and stuff I had out before Christmas, I kept put away. Trust me my house is still "full" of stuff, it's just less full. I think it's a vain attempt at making the place feel bigger. Not sure if it's working. We'll see what hubby says on SATURDAY when he gets home!

Sometimes I am tempted to look into an interior design degree online to get even more ideas.

This is the Living Room before Christmas...

I love this wall of Barn photos, but I haven't really happy with the set up on top of the trunk.

Apparently I haven't taken too many pics of the downstairs since last MARCH! lol

I've overloaded the couch with pillows, to the point where you can't sit on it...hmmm should re think that.

I wish this was a proper mantel. It's so hard to decorate. Like the make shift wall?

I love the pictures hung over the tin door, and the tin door, but I'm just not feeling this area either.

The Living Room today....

Love these new canvas pillows! However, they took a month to be delivered! Fab.com can be slow.

This is my favorite lamp ever, wish I had mercury glass lamps in every room! (wish they didn't cost so much too!)

I really like this much better. My wine bucket makes me pretty happy, I would love to collect trophies, but they are pretty pricey.

LOVE

All I changed was the one mirror. I took it off the mantel and put it on the trunk, but this new HUGE mirror really makes a statement.

Still wish I had a normal mantel.

The pillows were downsized, so we could actually use the couch. The old tray was ruined by a child and a full glass of water...sigh.

I miss the tray, but wouldn't trade my wooden bowl for it. I guess I should thank the kid that ruined the tray? lol

The living room definetely feels lighter to me, still working on the bigger.

Where I PARTY!!!

Diamond Candles Review and Give Away!!!

2012-01-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

Don't miss out on the great give away Diamond Candles is having. I have a link on my side bar for you to enter, sorry it got cut off a little.

They sent me a candle to review, and I'm really impressed with them. They smell great, mine is White Chocolate, and burn well too. Which is important to me, I don't like it when candles get all smokey. It must have something to do with them being soy, I've never actually burned a soy candle before. The candles are pretty large too, and glass jar with lid is great. I can't wait to burn it all the way down so I can repurpose the container.

The really fun part, each candle has a ring in it, yep a ring! I haven't burned mine down enough to actually get it out yet, but I can' wait to see my ring!The ring value is anywhere from $10 - $5000! Ahmazing!

So what are you waiting for, go enter for your free Diamond Candle! Good luck!

Craigslister, Please don't break my HEART!

2012-01-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

You know how it is, you email and then you WAIT! Sometimes I think they make you wait just to tortue you...or they have a life and are sitting by their email...Whatev!

I don't know about you, but I get a little nauseous waiting to hear back. The pit of my stomach is a little unsettled now. Sigh.

So here is the piece that has me all up in knots....knots I tell ya.

Picture it looking like this! Only not aqua, and I want a butcher block top, and finish the back with some beadboard. You get the idea!

So cross your fingers the Craigslister gets back to me for I pop a vein! lol

Office Redo, Deja Vu?

2012-01-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

I decided to make some changes in the office. Other than the kitchen, I spend most of my time in this room. I want it to be pretty. However, it feels a lot like deja vu, maybe I give this room to much of my attention? Wonder what someone with an online interior design
degree would have to say about it.

Here are some before photos: This is at the top of the stairs right before you get to my office/loft/hallway.

This is looking into the loft from the top step.

This is my the opposite wall, where the magic happens! lol I crack me up.

The door on the left is the laundry closet, really it's a closet, you can't have the door open at the same time as the dryer door. The door on the right is the kid's/guest bathroom. Notice every room does double and triple duty around here.

This is the left of the laundry door, a very little hall the kids rooms are off of. I kept them in the same place.

This was taken with my back to the above frames looking back into the loft. Remember, I'm addicted to mirrors and gold.

Now for the Afters, I really tried to take good pics. I even waited till I had natural sunlight. I'm really bad at pics, sorry.

This is at the landing right before you come into the loft. I had to move my shutters some where, after the clock took it's place in the loft.

I took this one standing by the shutters. My lovely clock, sigh, how I love her.

Close up of my seven deadly sins plates. These were a little bit of a booger to stencil, but I love how they turned out and are one of my fave projects.

I took some stuff down and moved some stuff. I thought these mirrors were better show cased here instead of by the kids rooms.

Opposite wall. I got rid of the candle holders and replaced them with my new mannequin. I like it so much better, plus Stanley kept knocking over the candle holders.

Close up of my desk. I love these maps, all hand painted and over 100 years old.

So there you have it, all the changes I've made to the office, I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Tomorrow I'll show you the changes I made to the Living room. I might even show you a sneak peak at Lauren's armoire paint!

Where I Party!!!

Anything Goes #51

2012-01-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm changing the Party up a little, it's still Anything Goes, but I think I'm going to do a separate post for Features. What do you think? Feed back is always welcome, and appreciated!

And those of you who have degrees in design, feel free to comment!

Hubby is gonna be here any day! And, boy do I have a to do list for him! Ha. Poor guy, never gets a break. I'll still be posting while he's home, got to show off his handy work. Tee hee hee. I'm evil I know. Here's what I've come up for him so far.

Go to Home Depot to buy everything we need to do the home improvement section of the list.

Touch up paint

Paint Lauren's room including ceiling

Paint guest bathroom including ceiling

Repair trim in guest bathroom

Caulk guest bathroom shower surround

Fix towel bar in guest bathroom

Change air filter in the attic

Replace light bulb in the office

Get replacement SS cards for Lauren and me, he's just gonna keep me company for this one.

Take both cars to the shop. Oil, brakes and fluids. Wipers, maybe.

Take both cars in to have them washed and vacuumed.

Caulk by sliding door in the dining room

I've got to keep him busy, he's home for 3 weeks.

This was at my door today, love UPS!! Plus I love Robyn Story Designs for sending it to me! They have great customer service and package everything up so nice and safe. Got to take care of precious! Old white and some Emperor's silk, looks I'll be painting an armoire this weekend!

Totally unrelated news, I registered Lauren for Kindergarten today, full day Kindergarten!!!! She's pretty excited to be going to the same school as big brother. Not sure if he shares her enthusiasm.

Lastly, here's the Stan Man, he's getting so big, and he's such a good boy. If I could only train the kids to be so good? hmmmm

PARTY TIME ~ NO RULES

1. I would LOVE it if you became a FRIEND of my blog, it'll make it easier for you to find the party.
2. If you would like, you can link back to the party, I have a button for this too, but don't sweat it.

3. Please link as much of anything you want, no limit. Etsy shops and Give Aways too!

Thanks for partying!

Meet Upcycled Scrapbooking, Week 36

2012-01-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! I'm Jen from Upcycled Scrapbooking. I am very excited to be a guest blogger for Tammy today. Please be patient with me as this is my very first "guest" post! YAY ME! (maybe scary for Tammy *wink* LOL)

I love Tammy's blog because its fun, real and "upcycled!!" just like I like it!
So a little about "me" or rather "Upcycled Scrapbooking..family".
I started blogging in 2007 (beachmonkeys.blogspot.com)when we were adopting our son from Guatemala (we have 17yr old biological daughter) and wanted a way to let our out-of-state family keep up with us. I am also a homeschool mom of 14years and now our son is 4yr old and is homeschooling, so I decided to start a "Scrapbook/paper crafting" blog called Upcycled Scrapbooking this past June 2011.
I cannot tell you how much fun I'm having and looking forward to 2012 with new projects, tutorials and ideas for families everywhere. I hope you will want to stop by, share your projects and maybe even do a guest post for me.

I grew up with frugal and very creative parents. Going to St.Vincent's, Goodwill and thrift stores was normal shopping or "treasure hunting" as we called it and now my 17yr old daughter loves to do on her own. I'd watch my parents stretch a dollar and decorate our home and not once did we feel we had any less than anyone else.
My other "love" is to organize.I LOVE to organize!! My husband and daughter say I'm OCD but I dont think so, I just think I love to organize. What do you thinK? LOL
We recently redid our pantry and cupboards and i've never been more happy!

My 2nd love is paper crafts! So I created Upcycled Scrapbooking blog to share and hopefully teach others through my love for creating paper crafts. I want to create things that fit any budget and re-use items we already have. So I save all my containers that things come in that are reusable chipboard. (oatmeal, cereal, snack boxes.. they all get saved) and i keep them in my craft room sterlite drawers.
One of my favorite projects was a Altered Book Mini Album.
I had some old 100 year old books that the pages were falling out, so i took them out and make a mini album of my son. It was really easy! I will be making more of these this coming months, so you might want to join me! Start collecting old books (pages are so brittle you can tear out and unreadable or stained, etc. Also purchase at garage sale, goodwill or thrift)

This christmas I had so much fun creating some project that anyone could make as christmas decor projects. Poinsettia ball from garage sale/goodwill flowers and whiffle ball.

These are two more I really loved having. My snowmen are still hanging around since winter is just getting started here in Georgia, LOL.

A 12 day advent using coin envelopes I made to count down to santa.
a fun snowman decor craft using ping pong balls and cotton balls and glitter.

This is using salt shaker from dollar store and i just used black fingernail polish for hat, ping pong ball for head and cotton balls and glitter and buttons.

I love making new things out of old.
I hope you will come by my blog and check out some of my projects. I sell tutorials for some of them so you can see step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make a project. I also have YouTube Channel with videos showing you how to make things.

One of my favorites I have in my purse right now is a WALLET MINI ALBUM made from 1 sheet of cardstock!! (and some clear contact paper to keep it clean in momma's purse)
I have 3 different ones I made. The first brown one looks like luggage so its my summer vacation photos. The blue one is of my 4yr old growing up and it hold 25 photos!! The pink one I made for my 17yr old daughter's purse to put her friend and youth group photos in.

You will find my designs tend to lean towards "clean and straight lined" not too much froo-froo, and that's just my TYPE-A personality and need for things to be organized but don't let that stop you from being who you are and designing and decorating to your style. I hope you will stop by and say HI!! I love meeting new people and becoming followers of their blogs so please come by and comment and leave your blog link to stop by and see ya!

Thank you so much tammy for allowing me to be a guest host!! I hope ya'll enjoy your week and stop by in 2012 to share with me your projects and ideas!!

Progress

2012-01-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

I'm making progress on the armoire, and I just wanted to share with you what I've accomplished so far.

I may not have attended online school for design, but I feel like I have a knack for it.

This is what it looked like when I brought it home. Notice all the stickers, really stickers? Then written in marker was the phrase "Change how you see, not how you look." Again, written in marker, so it had to go. It all had to go. I couldn't paint over it, the paint was peeling, so it had to come off.

This was taken after I pulled the stickers off, see, some of the paint came off too. She's still madly in love with it, even tho it look like this.

Finally where we are today, after stripping it for 4 days! lol It was actually pretty easy, there's just a lot to strip, and the dog can't live in the kennel forever! lol Poor Stanley.

I still have some paint to get off from around the handle. I can't figure out how to get the Bakelite handle off. Hubby will be home in less than a week, he said he would help. I should have the paint by then too. I need to fill some dings, not all of them, just the big ones. I want to keep some of the character.

When I'm finished I share all the info about my special mix of paint that the fine folks and Robyn Story Designs whipped up for me! Love them!!

And the WINNER is....

2012-01-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Cassie from http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/!!!! Congrats Cassie on winning the Maison De Stencils Give Away!!!

Thanks to everyone who entered. I have another Give Away right around the corner, as soon as Type A hits 800 I announce the new Give Away!! Stay tuned.

For some reason Blogger won't let me link...I'll check back and see if I can fix it later.

Hunter Gatherer #10

2012-01-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Maison De Stencil GIVE AWAY!!!

Hurry don't miss out on the GIVE AWAY, I'll be announcing the WINNER soon!

Wow, time share what we have been hunting and gathering. I finally have some lovelies to share. Thanks to my bestie, we went shopping Tuesday.

I can't help myself, I had to put the mannequin by the clock! I just love the clock, I think I would take family photos with it! lol No REALLY. The hunted item is actually the mannequin. I got it for a steal at HomeGoods of all stores. It's not shabby and old, but for the price worth it. Her name is Jezebel.

Check out the huge mirror I scored! Love itI I love mirrors, I'm some what of a mirror whore, and really love GOLD!

I totally fell in love with this little table/book rack. It needs a paint job and has to live in the garage until we move. I swear one day there will be a new(er) house...I haven't given up hope. Hubby will be home soon and he said we could go house hunting!

Party On Friends, Show me your fun finds, or Christmas presents!

1. I would LOVE it if you became a FRIEND of my blog, it'll make it easier for you to find the party.

2. If you would like, you can link back to the party, I have a button for this too, but don't sweat it.

3. Please link as much of anything you want, no limit. Etsy shops and Give Aways too!

I'm partying over at Stylish Once Again!

Anything Goes #50, Higlights #49

2012-01-03T06:19:00.000-08:00

Maison De Stencil GIVE AWAY!!!

I can't believe this is the 50th Anything Goes Party, and the first for 2012!

I'm so excited, thanks for partying with me every week! You guys ROCK!

Here's last weeks Highlights to prove it.

Homeroad

Hating Martha

Artsy VaVa

Pondered Primed Perfected

PARTY TIME ~ NO RULES

1. I would LOVE it if you became a FRIEND of my blog, it'll make it easier for you to find the party.

2. If you would like, you can link back to the party, I have a button for this too, but don't sweat it.

3. Please link as much of anything you want, no limit. Etsy shops and Give Aways too!

I have my Facebook page up and running now too if you would like to pop over to my side bar and like me on Facebook that would be wonderful!!

Party On!!!

Meet More Bang for Your Bucks, Week #35

2012-01-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

my husband Ben and I

Happy New Year! My name is Kelli and I blog at More Bang for Your Bucks: I write a little about spending less and saving more, and a lot more about my faith, my family, and whatever enters my mind that day! I am so honored to be Tammy's very first guest blogger of 2012!

When I first started thinking about this post- and let's be honest, Tammy had to remind me on Saturday!- I knew I wanted to write about the word "refresh" to coincide with the New Year. It has actually been a few years since I have made any New Year's resolutions (something about not even making to midnight awake took away the excitement, I guess!), and I decided this year I want to do something different. (Oh, and I did make it to midnight this year!)

Instead of having one huge goal for the whole year, each month I am going to challenge myself to either give up something for those 30ish days, or challenge myself to do something specific everyday for that month. I feel that breaking goals down into chunks will make the success of following through more promising! For example, during the month of January, my family and I will be giving up eating out, with the exception of my daughter's birthday.

So with this idea in mind, I want to give you a few ideas to think about as we start afresh this New Year, in hopes that you will find refreshment this January!

Source: google.ca via Rachel on Interest

1.) Refresh your ideas about money. Take a look around you at your possessions. Do you really need to buy a bunch of more "stuff" this year? Consider going on a "buying freeze" for a month or so and either save the money or invest into a worthy cause. For only $35 a month, you can help feed and educate a child through World Vision. This is the price of a (relatively inexpensive) pair of jeans, or seven coffees from Starbucks. Wear your old jeans a little longer, and buy a bag of Starbucks to brew at home. Our family is going to try to be much more intentional this year of thinking outside our needs and wants, and focus on those who really don't have necessities. My weakness is Hobby Lobby, can I get an amen?

Source: blogs.psychcentral.com via Ashley on Pinterest

2.) Refresh your commitment to the relationships in your life. I lost a valuable friendship in 2011 for reasons that I still don't understand, and it has made me all the more thankful for the lovely friendships that I do have. Assess your relationships. Do you have at least a few friends that you can be truly honest with, that love you unconditionally, ones that you don't have to constantly worry about the security of your friendship? If so, you are one very blessed woman. Be sure to pour into these relationships and let them know how much you love them! Don't take for granted that they know how much they mean to you.
If you don't have rich friendships such as this, I pray that you find them this year. Life is not meant to be lived alone!

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Angie on Pinterest

3.) Refresh your ideas about thankfulness. Am I the only one that gets annoyed by the after-Christmas commercials? I cringe when I hear, "Didn't get what you really wanted this year? Well come spend even more money after Christmas at our sale!" I really want to take time to enjoy what I do have this year- and it's not going to be easy. There's always something better, newer, flashier that is competing for our attention. A practical application to this idea is to write thank you notes for the gifts you did receive for Christmas. That is going on my list for today!
Friends, I hope that 2012 is a wonderful year for you. Not because of what you acquire or accomplish, but because of the people that you meet, help, and love. Oh, and I'd love for you to make a visit to my blog! :)

My First Give Away of 2012!!!

2012-01-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Laura from Maison De Stencil is offerning two stencils to one lucky WINNER!

Check these out, they are fabulous! I would love one of each.

They offer any and every style of stencil you could desire in a variety of sizes, they even do custom stencils. You are only limited by your imagination.

The WINNER gets to select one 12 in x 12 in and one 5.5 in x 11.5 in stencil. I think this is gonna be harder than you think, trust me, you'll want them all!

The give away is open to US residents.

Enteries:

1. Leave me a comment that you are a friend of Type A.

2. Leave me a comment that you LIKE Type A on Facebook.

3. Visit Maison De Stencil and leave a comment telling me one of your favorites.

3 chances to WIN! The WINNER will be announced next Sunday Jan. 8th 2012!

Good Luck!!!

i own a paint brush?

2011-12-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

Really, I do. However if you read this blog, and I love you for it, you know it's been a while since I've actually used one!

Sorry about that. I owe you guys more projects. I have six more planned, and I hope to get to them in January.

Before....Black, which I'm getting really tired of.

After....Chateau Gray, my newest ASCP addition. Next color I'm gonna use is Coco!

A little close up of the handles, I heart Bakelite.

Okay, so here's the dilemma, it's kinda missing something? Maybe I should paint something on it? Or age it? Dark wax maybe? What do you think? I really like it, but I want to LOVE it.

Did you notice my Christmas Present in the corner? I REALLY adore my new clock, she's perfection!

Sunday:

I Heart Naptime
LambAround
Under the Table and Dreaming
It's So Very Cheri
The DIY Showoff
The Girl Creative
Stylish Once Again
Lines Across My Face

Monday:
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
The DIY Showoff
C.R.A.F.T.
Mad in Crafts
The House in the Roses
Keeping it Simple
Skip to my Lou
Boogieboard Cottage
Creating My Way to Success
The DIY Home Sweet Home Project
The Nesting Place
Southern Hospitality
It's so Very Cheri
The Idea Room
Pinkapotamus
Three Mango Seeds
Mo Momma
You are Talking too Much

Tuesday:
Coastal Charm
House of Grace
Sugar Bee Craft Edition
Hope Studios
All Things Related
Creative Itch
Giggles Glitz & Glam
Tip Jukie
A Soft Place To Land
Not Just a Housewife
A Bowl Full of Lemons
The Project Queen
Topsy Turvy
A Stroll Thru Life
Knick of Time Interiors
The Shady Porch
Homemaker on a Dime

Wednesday:
Primitive & Proper
Blue Cricket Design
Someday Crafts
Sew Much Ado
My Backyard Eden
Seven Thirty Three
Tea Rose Home
Santa's Gift Shoppe
Domestically Speaking
We are that Family
Elements & Interiors
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Saturday Mornings
Room To Inspire
Ginger Snaps Crafts
The Shady Porch
It's Overflowing

Thursday:
Seven Thirty Three
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Beyond the Picket Fence
Fireflies And Jellybeans
Tales from Bloggeritaville
Brambleberry Cottage
House of Hepworths
Somewhat Simple
Yesterday On Tuesday
Beneath My Heart
Christinas Adventures
It's A Keeper
Rhinestone Beagle
Common Ground
Mom on Time Out
Fabulously Flawed
Saved by Suzy
The Vintage Farmhouse
My Crazy Beautiful Life

Friday:
Miss Mustard Seed
My Romantic Home
The Shabby Nest
Finding Fabulous
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
A Little Knick Knack
It's Fun to Craft
French Country Cottage
Rag to Stitches
Designer Garden
The Speckled Dog
Stuff and Nonesense
Bubble Nature Creations
Lovely Crafty Home
Shanty2Chic
Kelly's Korner
Vintage Revivals
Just a Girl
Kojo's Design
Deja Renew
The Girl Creative
The Inspired Room
Infarrantly Creative
Tidy Mom
Days of Chalk and Chocolate
Pocket Full of Pink
Freckled Laundry
Blissfull and Domestic

Saturday:
Craft Envy
A Vision to Remember
Funky Junk Interiors
Tatertots and Jello
Be Different Act Normal
A Little Lovely
Along for the Ride
Perfectly Imperfect

Happy New Year! Cheers to more projects!

Hunter Gatherer #9

2011-12-30T12:41:00.000-08:00

The house is back to 'normal', basically. All the Christmas decor has been taken down and put away. I don't have any finds to share with you. Boo! I'm going out tomorrow, fingers crossed I find something I can't live with out! lol

My poor hubby. He has to put up with me. When he was home last R&R he pointed at a blank spot of wall and said 'look an empty space, how did that happen?'....yep he's real funny. He's already told me that he doesn't want to see he garage, at ALL! I think it makes his stomach hurt. I REALLY should find anything tomorrow, if I know what's good for me...

Sorry I'm so late getting this party going, turns out some one stole my credit card and got gas and went to the post office...REALLY, not the way I wanted to start the day. Then I got side tracked, and my ADHD kicked in and it got pretty ugly for a minute. lol Then I got coffee and I'm marginally better, but only marginally.

I will share a couple cute pics of the kids opening presents.

The boy need another light saber like a hole in the head, but it makes him happy.

I love how the magnifying glass makes part of her face look big! lol

Why do I punish myself with Legos? This one has 1254 pieces? If you don't hear from me, I'll be in a padded room somewhere...

This face says it all, and this wasn't even the American Girl doll, this was her less expensive friend....I should have just bought two Our Generation dolls, I don't even think she knows the difference! lol And yes I bought her doll a friend.

Happy New Year!

1. I would LOVE it if you became a FRIEND of my blog, it'll make it easier for you to find the party.

2. If you would like, you can link back to the party, I have a button for this too, but don't sweat it.

3. Please link as much of anything you want, no limit. Etsy shops and Give Aways too!

I have my Facebook page up and running now too if you would like to pop over to my side bar and like me on Facebook that would be wonderful!!

Anything Goes #49, Higlights #48

2011-12-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone, this year has just blew past me. New Years is right around the corner. Oh well, until then lets create, share and party!!! A few of my favorite things. I actually painted a little around my house and I'll be sharing it soon.

I even have a piece I'm going to start stripping. Sigh, right after I finish this dang Lego toy Santa delivered...1254 piece Lego. I'm pretty sure my son only want the guys out of the box and probably won't care if I don't put it together, but right now it's living on my dining room table, in lots of bowls...I'm running out of bowls.

Fingers crossed I get the the bedroom furniture before hubby gets home. I hoping he'll want to go mattress shopping, my mattress is killing me slowly, or trying to.

Okay, on to the highlights and the fun stuff. Thanks for partying the last few weeks, I know how busy you've all been and I appreciate all the support!
Primitive and Proper

Small Home Love

Adored Living

Fishtale Cottage

PARTY TIME ~ NO RULES

1. I would LOVE it if you became a FRIEND of my blog, it'll make it easier for you to find the party.

2. If you would like, you can link back to the party, I have a button for this too, but don't sweat it.

3. Please link as much of anything you want, no limit. Etsy shops and Give Aways too!

I have my Facebook page up and running now too if you would like to pop over to my side bar and like me on Facebook that would be wonderful!!

Party On!!!

Meet Days of Chalk and Chocolate, Week 34

2011-12-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I'm Jenny at Days of Chalk and Chocolate! My blog is a place I created to chronicle my journey as I strive to decorate our new home on a non-existent budget while raising my two sweet-n-sour girls. I hope you visit as I love meeting new people who are interested in the same things. I'm so excited to be visiting Tammy at Type A Decorating today! Tammy is always so welcoming to bloggers and I always appreciate her emails and comments. So I was so flattered to be asked to guest blog!

The wrapping paper is in the garbage, the yule log has turned to ashes, Daddy's twice a year church obligation has been met...Christmas is over. I hope you all had a beautiful and blessed holiday! Let's look forward to an even better 2012 Here are some ideas to get your party on!

Look at these beautiful party and table decorations! Of course a glittery theme is best for ushering in the new year!

The Celebration Shoppe

Martha shows a great way to use up the leftover gift wrap! These look like sparkly icicles to me.

Martha Stewart

This table setting is chic and shiny at the same time. I had mint julep cups at my wedding so I always like seeing them on a table setting.

The Hostess With The Mostess

I love the idea of using clocks as decor for New Year's Eve.

Lisa Storms

Gorgeous decorations for cupcakes! So festive!

I Am Baker

More metallics! I bet we can scam some glittery stars left over from Dollar Tree like the one I bought for Christmas decorating.

Design Indulgences

Don't forget the champagne! You can have it in a glass....

Pottery Barn

or in your cupcake.

Homemade By Holman

Aqua, black, and silver? Yes, please!

Not Just a Mommy

I hope you glean a little inspiration from these ideas and have yourself a sparkly, shiny, and Happy New Year! And thanks, Tammy, for letting me visit today!

Cheers!

Jenny

All Wrapped Up!

2011-12-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

I can't believe it's Christmas Day? Where did the year go? I hope all of you are having a safe and wonderful Holiday Season filled with Family and Friends!

Hubby is still in Afghanistan, but he'll be home in January for a couple weeks. It's almost like having him for Christmas. We couldn't be happier. No big plans, just hanging out and loving each other. Plus the boy child is so excited to get another week off school to play with Daddy!

This year I decided to wrap the presents to coordiante with the decor, I know....How Type A? lol

I collected all my 'supplies' and brought all the gifts out of hiding. They've been hiding in the armoire in my garage. I knew that piece would come in handy.

I did most of the wrapping in the kitchen on the floor, it's the largest open space I have. (pinky swear, the floor is clean.) Best part, both kids were in school that day, so I didn't have to worry about being caught.

This year was about the brown paper, ribbon and lace. I love the lace, it feels so vintage.

I used my Sizzix to cut out all the cute tags.

I glued the paper doillies on, this was a little messy.

These birdy cut outs are my second fave, after the lace.

Group 1

Group 2

After Group 2, I had to stop and put everything away. Stanley had to be in the kennel while I wrapped, puppies aren't a lot of help. I had already been wrapping for 3 hours, so it was time for him to stretch his legs. Plus the kitchen floor is not comfy.

I had to resume wrapping a week later in my bedroom with the door locked! Only one kiddo had school, the other was already out for Christmas break, so I had to be sneaky.

Group 4

Group 5

Yep I used bags, but not many. I found them at target and couldn't resist, they are too cute. (and cheap, and this wrap session only took an hour!)

TaDa! All the presents in place, before the kids attack them and destroy all my hard work. I promise to post a pic or two tomorrow of the after math! My little weapons of mass destruction!

They really make the tree look small! I think it the angle really, lol.

Love this picture, they really do love each other, it's nice to get proof!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

(of course I'll post again before New Years! xx)

Thrift Shop Commando, Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, fellow bloggers and followers, Tami here

from Thrift Shop Commando. I started my

blog late this year and have been having a blast with it!

Since we’ve done all of our shopping,

and baking,

and have worn our ugly Christmas sweaters,

and attended Christmas parties ....

It is time to enjoy! Seasons Greetings to All ~

Fox Hollow Cottage, 1 Day 'Til Christmas!!!

2011-12-24T04:00:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve Everyone!
I'm Shannon from Fox Hollow Cottage.
Tammy has graciously invited me to guest host tonight here at Type A.
I hope everyone is...
Wait!
What's this...
A special news alert?

W-A-N-T-E-D
Suspect wanted for questioning in rash of home invasions.

Fat Man.
Last seen wearing a red suit and hat.
Should be easy to spot.
Eyes; Blue, (tend to twinkle)
Cheeks; Rosy
Belly; Shakes like a bowl full of jelly

Please Note;
May be disguised with fluffy white beard.

Often travels with a posse of

funny looking little people.

Weaknesses;
1. Cookies.
2. Milk.
3. Coca Cola.
Right Hand Man;
Rudolph the reindeer

Know Associates;
Frosty the Snowman.
AKA; Chubby the Chiller...
AKA; Mr Cool

Approach with caution!

Wields some sort of magical "list".
If spotted, be on your best behavior.
No Shouting - No Crying
and whatever you do...
Do. Not. Pout.
This individual possess some sort of superior surveillance equipment.
We have received reports that he can
see you when you're sleeping
and know's when you're awake.
So Stay Alert
AND
Be On The Lookout!!
Suspect was last seen shimmying down a chimeny in your neighborhood.

Have a Very
MERRY CHRISTMAS

P.S ~ Once all the excitement of Christmas

dies down, I'd love to have you stop by

and visit me at Fox Hollow.

Hunter Gatherer #8

2011-12-23T10:00:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Christmas is in 2 days.

Hubby is home in 23 days.

Yep a lot of count downs around here.

I hope your Christmas Season is everything you dreamt of.

I don't have any finds to share with you, but I'm hoping to have some after the Holidays. Please enjoy the party and spread the word!

PARTY TIME! NO RULES!! 1. I would love it if you became a FRIEND of my blog, it'll make it easier for you to find the party.
2. If you would like, you can link back to the party, I have a button for this too, but don't sweat it. 3. Please link as much of anything you want, no limit. Etsy shops and Give Aways too! 4. Stop by and 'LIKE' Type A on Facebook too, I do GIVE AWAYS and fun stuff over there that I don't do here. Party On my Peeps!

I'll be at Three Manog Seeds if you need me!

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you are enjoying the Holiday Season. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be spending the day at Three Mango Seeds, please stop by and say "HI!"

The DIY Showoff, 2 Days 'Til Christmas!!!

2011-12-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Type A blog friends! I'm Roeshel from

If we haven't met, it's so nice to e-meet you! I share the transformation of our old farmhouse and love featuring other DIY bloggers. And if we have met ~ it's good to see you! I am so honored to be guest posting for Tammy today. She's such a sweetheart and has some amazing crafty ideas, doesn't she? Today, I'm sharing my wood chip tree tutorial.

Materials. I used:

2 Styrofoam Cones, two different sizes
Hot Glue
Wood Chips (Grilling)
PVC pipe fittings, 2 different sizes
Spray paint for plastic (or acrylic paint)
Paint, stain or dye (optional)
Small Star (holiday pick from craft store)

How to:

1. I gave the PVC pipe fittings a spray of sparkly brown paint and let dry. These are the tree trunks. I chose pipe fittings a little smaller than the bottom of the styrofoam cones.

2. Next, I attached pipe fittings (tree trunks) to the bottom of the styrofoam cones using hot glue.

3. Using hot glue, I started at the bottom, glueing wood chips around the Styrofoam cone. I overlapped each row and staggered them a little when needed to fill in the gaps.

4. Continue working upwards in layers. Find the right pieces is like putting together a puzzle. I liked using pieces with bark for texture.

5. Optional: paint or stain the wood chips and let dry.

6. Add star to top by poking wire into Styrofoam or secure with hot glue. Embellish if desired.

My inspiration was the West Elm seagrass tree (Tammy and I both fell in love with those but not the price) but due to a shortage of sea grass in western PA, mine turned out different but not in a bad way...(I LOVE the ones Revamp shared earlier here in the week using popcycle sticks! So clever!)

I love natural this year...

Thanks for letting me share my holiday project, Tammy! Merry Christmas everyone!

~Roeshel

The Bella Cottage Give Away WINNER

2011-12-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!

KARIN from Art is Beauty!!! Congrats on winning these gorgeous wings from The Bella Cottage!

Thanks to everyone that entered, and to The Bella Cottage for supplying the Prize!!!

Decorating Cents, 3 Days 'Til Christmas!!!

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi, I'm Andrea and I blog at Decorating Cents. It's a blog where I chronicle my home decorating adventures and share my DIY projects.

It's an honor to be participating in the 25 Days of Christmas with Tammy. Today I am going to share some easy paper trees.

Supplies used:

Scrapbook Paper

Scissors

Glue

1. Cut a square of scrapbook paper and fold in half. Cut a tree shape.
2. Trace the shape four more times.
3. Cut out your trees.
4. Glue backs of the trees together.

A simple way to decorate for the holidays.

I would love for you to drop by Decorating Cents to see of my other home decor projects.

Thanks for having me Tammy. This has been fun. Happy Holidays!

Mural Maker & More, 4 Days 'Til Christmas!!!!

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hello! I’m Colleen from Mural Maker & More where I write about my murals and a whole lot more – more paint tutorials, more crafts, more decorating ideas. Basically, anything that involves decorating with paint.

So let me ask you - has this ever happened to you:

Hubs: Hey Hon, did I tell you that we’re invited to KC’s (insert any good friend’s name) for Christmas Eve?

Me: Uh . . . no, you didn’t.

Hubs: Yeah, we are. You have something ‘round here we can bring as a gift, dontcha?

Me: Um. . . no, I don’t think so.

Hubs: Huh. You don’t? Well, you can whip something up by then, can’t ya?

Welcome to my world of last-minute-Christmas-gifts. I needed something fast, easy, that didn’t require much thought. But, in the end, would look like I spent forever on it. They are, after all, our best friends .

I looked around and spotted some new-to-me wine goblets. I always pick some up when I go to the thrift store for this very reason – they make great gifts.

Here are the other supplies I used to stencil them:

Rubbing alcohol – to clean the goblets
Nail polish remover – to remove any labels
Martha Stewart Crafts adhesive Holiday Stencils
Martha Stewart Metallic Yellow Gold paint
Martha Stewart Mother of Pearl paint
small foam round dauber
paper towels
cotton swabs (to remove booboo’s)
scissors

You can use any paint you want but I chose Martha Stewart because it’s a multi-surface paint and doesn’t require a medium or sealer. I used her stencils because they are small and have an adhesive backing which makes them perfect for stenciling round objects, like wine glasses.

Ok, did I mention this was easy? It is. Clean the glasses, remove any labels and cut desired stencils from sheet.

I chose a couple of snowflakes and some tiny little stars.

I mean, Christmas is in a few days so why give them a Christmas-decorated goblet that they’ll only use for a day or two. Snowflakes and stars can be used for another month or so. In my house, anyway.

I only wanted the star part of the stencil but I didn’t want to cut the “Merry Christmas” lettering off since I’ll probably use it next year. Then I just dabbed the foam pouncer into the Yellow Gold and onto the stencil. Easy Peasy.

Remove the stencil, place it onto the plastic backing and blot the excess paint off. Then reapply to another spot and add some more stars.

Then I just turned the foam pouncer around to the other end and dabbed Mother of Pearl – a really pretty white pearl paint – here and there on the snowflake stencils.

A couple of tips on these adhesive stencils and Martha Stewart paint:

They’re flexible and bend really easy, so I press on the center part of the stencil first – where the intricate parts are – and work my way to the outside. I used a paper towel to press it to the glass so I didn’t get *more* paint on my fingers.

Don’t apply stencils too close to the lip of the goblet. The paint is nontoxic but you still don’t want it near the ~~drinking~~ sipping area.

When you’re finished stenciling, moisten a cotton swab (or two) and remove any excess paint from your glasses.

Wash the stencil, dry thoroughly and then affix it to the plastic backing and you’ll be able to reuse it over and over again.

The paint will cure permanently in 21 days, then the glasses are top-rack dishwasher-safe. But I think I’d still wash them by hand, just in case.

To keep it simple, I stenciled some stars and snowflakes on the bases too.

And there you go – a quick and easy Last Minute Gift! Not that your husband would pull a last minute invite, you know, but just in case he does, now you can whip up a handpainted present.

Thanks so much to Tammy for inviting me to guest at her 25 Days of Christmas! I hope you’ll drop by Mural Maker & More sometime and say hi!

Have a warm, wonderful Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

Anything Goes #48, Highlights #47

2011-12-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

The Bella Cottage GIVE AWAY!!!

Sorry about the late start with the party, I just wanted the Christmas Guest to have the spotlight this morning, but now it's Party Time! I hope all of you are having a wonderful Holiday Season. I have to admit I'm a little stressed, can't wait for Beefcake to be home in January!!!

Okay, on to the fun stuff, last weeks Highlights.

Artsy VaVa

Art is Beauty

Confessions of a Craigslist Junkie

The Salvage Collection

On Hollyhock Farm

I know it's a busy time of year, I just want to say Thank you for partying with me!

PARTY TIME! NO RULES!!
1. I would love it if you became a FRIEND of my blog, it'll make it easier for you to find the party.

2. If you would like, you can link back to the party, I have a button for this too, but don't sweat it if you don't.

3. Please link as much of anything you want, no limit. Etsy shops and Give Aways too!

I have my Facebook page up and running now too if you would like to pop over to my side bar and like me on Facebook that would be wonderful!!

Party On!!!

Merry Christmas :)

Maiden D'Shade, 5 Days 'Til Christmas!!!

2011-12-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I'm Kim from Maiden D'Shade and I'm here to share with you a festive way to wrap napkins for a casual Christmas dinner party.

I purchased a package of tags, a cheap little ink pad, I borrowed a stamp...

purchased 2 skeins of fun yarn (I liked that it kind of looks like tinsel garland)...

and I used some paint I already had.

I cut the strings off the tags first; thankfully they come all twist-tied together so it was pretty quick. Then I inked up the stamp and stamped away until I had enough "good" ones.

Next I lightly inked up the edges using a flat q-tip, because I didn't have a little craft sponge. And sometimes I ran the tag edge on the ink pad itself. I was fairly inconsistent, but this is one of those projects where perfection is not needed. Sometimes 'done is better than perfect', right?

Next I added some gold glitter paint to the stars on the stamped tree. I used a craft tooth pick.

Next was adding a pop of color to the stamped ornaments. Did you ever watch your mom do any "dot painting"oh 20-30 years ago? Well, I did and I remember trying it when I was little, too. I decided that would be the best way to paint the ornaments. So with some paint on the pinhead, I went on dot painting ornaments on the tags.

This technique gives your surface some texture, which is always fun.

Once the tags were finished (and paint is dry), it was time to wrap the silverware.

Then to tie it...

You know what I discovered when cutting the yarn, it curls up slightly when cut! That made it extra cute!

I had to make a lot for a church party.

So it was very time consuming for me, but it made for a great excuse to watch all of my favorite Christmas movies. In. A. Row. And I enjoyed it! This would be an easy one for a small dinner party!

Thanks, Tammy, for having me over today and for letting me reschedule my post date!!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Meet Something Lovely Designs, Week 33

2011-12-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Type A readers! My name is Sarah and I write the blog Something Lovely Designs.
Tammy has been kind enough to invite me over to share a bit about myself and what I blog about!
Thank you Tammy!

My little family of four is proud to call itself an Air Force family, and we're currently stationed in Washington state. This is our second base, our last being in North Dakota. I'm a proud mama to two very sweet and loving furbabies, our dogs Zeus and Cicada.

At my blog, you will find posts about what it's like to live in military housing and making changes as a renter. The challenges of making our house a home without being able to customize everything to our specific style can be difficult, but it's always fun finding creative ways to make things work!

We moved into our current home this past July, it is our 4th home in the 2 1/2 short years we've been married! It's a bit smaller than our last place, and I've been learning to find creative ways to fit all our things into the space we have.

There are also lots of posts on my DIY projects, furniture re-dos, and decorating that I've done around the house. Each time we move, things either don't work the way they did in the last house because of the space provided or the flow of the home. Reworking what we have and making it all coordinate has become a special talent of mine. ;)

Traveling and moving frequently as taught me to value what I have and the power of reinventing things. My pedestal table started off a honey maple wood, and now it's a white and dark walnut beauty.

Thank you again for having me here today! I hope you all enjoyed hearing about me and my projects. I hope you all will come over and say hi! Please don't be shy to drop me an email either at moose.n.bug@gmail.com.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks Sarah for being a guest and sharing your life with us!

The Junk House, 6 Days 'Til Christmas

2011-12-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! And thanks to Tammy for having me here today. I’m so excited to be a part of the 25 Days of Christmas Guest Bloggers! I’m Sam and I blog over at The Junk House. Typically you can find me with a paint brush or hammer, but I can also whip up some delicious food. Today I’m going to show y’all how to make peppermint bark! It’s a great gift idea for co-workers, teachers, neighbors, etc. and also makes a great stocking stuffer. Plus it’s easy and cheap to make.

Ingredients

1 bag of dark chocolate chips (10 oz)

1 bag of white chocolate chips (10 oz)

4 candy canes*

1 capful of peppermint extract

*Note: I used Hersey’s Chocolate Mint Canes because I think the green on the candy canes makes the bark look prettier, but it’s totally up to you.

Unwrap the candy canes and place in a plastic bag. Use a hammer (or anything heavy) to break candy canes into small pieces.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper (I used waxed paper).

Empty all of the dark chocolate chips into a large bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat process until the chocolate is melted. It should take about 90 seconds of cooking time. Stir in the peppermint extract.

Pour the chocolate onto the prepared cookie sheet. Use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to spread the chocolate to an even thickness, about an 1/8”. And don’t panic or feel rushed, you’ll have plenty of time to spread the chocolate out.

Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 25-30 minutes. The chocolate needs to be firm before you add the next layer or it’ll smear into the white chocolate.

Once the dark chocolate is firm you can begin on the next layer. Empty all of the white chocolate chips into a large bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat process until the chocolate is melted. It should take about 90 seconds of cooking time.

Stir in about half of the candy cane bits. Try to add only the pieces and not the “dust”.

Remove the cookie sheet from the refrigerator and pour the white chocolate on top of the dark chocolate. Spread the white chocolate carefully and evenly over the dark chocolate. Don’t worry if it doesn’t cover the entire dark chocolate layer.

Sprinkle the remaining candy cane bits (and dust) over the entire white chocolate layer. Place the cookie sheet back in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes or until firm.

Remove the cookie sheet from the refrigerator. Using your hands, break the chocolate into small pieces.

Congrats! You now have peppermint bark!

*If you are not planning to eat or gift the peppermint bark that day, bag everything up and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

I hope y’all enjoy your peppermint bark.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

Sam @ The Junk House

Kuzak's Closet, 7 Days 'Til Christmas!!!!

2011-12-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! I'm Amanda Kuzak, a professional organizer from Northern California. I love to share my favorite recipes, organizing tips and tricks, along with the adventures from the life I share with my husband Chris and our pooch Harper over on my blog, Kuzak's Closet. Today I wanted to give you a glimpse of my holiday decorations and share one of my favorite new holiday recipes, Kahlua Truffles.

I love to decorate my home with sparkly treasures that were given to me as gifts from my mom or that I have found at some of my favorite local shops. I knew I needed to add a lot of decorations this year because we recently moved into a home that has twice the square footage of our last home.

I added glittery snowflakes to my "mercury" mantle, they look cute next to the mercury glass candle holders and silver garland. I also added the cutest Christmas tree pillows that I found at Target and a large grapevine star that I scored from Pier 1. Shopping for new things was a bit daunting, I still have empty spots here and there but over all I think it looks great.

Now on to the recipe...

I love to have homemade treats like these Kahlua Truffles on hand during the holidays to serve after dinner if we have friends stop in or to give as gifts to my neighbors and clients. I figured it would be difficult to make truffles from scratch until I found this easy recipe online. It only has 4 ingredients...

Ingredients

12 oz. Hershey's milk chocolate chips (feel free to swap for dark chocolate)
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup Kahlua
2/3 cups unsalted butter

I was going to take step by step photos for you but melting chocolate doesn't look very appetizing on film! Here the steps you need to take...

Directions

Melt chocolate over double boiler and cool to room temperature (20 minutes)
Add yolks, one at a time and stir gently.
When blended, add Kahlua and return to simmering water for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time until fluffy.
Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 5-7 hours.
Roll into small balls, then roll in cocoa, sprinkles, or crushed nuts to cover. Refrigerate and serve!

I found these cute tins at Target in the $1 section, they are the perfect size to share your homemade goodies. My friend received a job promotion so I gave him this cute wrapped tin as a special surprise to help him celebrate his success. Wouldn't you love to receive this pretty package?

I hope you love my homemade Kahlua Truffles! Make sure to stop by my blog and say hello and keep coming back to Type A Decorating for more great guest posts during her fun holiday series!