The Magic of The Oscars

The big show was on last night, the Super Bowl to the movies. A night that I personally long for every year, I love the Academy Awards. There isn't one particular thing that I love more than the other, I love the history behind the Oscars, the red carpet, the speeches, the winning of an underdog, and the complete shock that always seems to happen.

I dream of walking down the red carpet with my arm wrapped around Leonardo Dicaprio (whom I call D), Edward Norton (Eddie), or even George Clooney (I heard he had a pet pig), being interviewed by E News and Ryan Seacrest, wearing the most glamorous jewelry, and being the best dressed of the night (which of course would be my own creation). To make the night extra special my date wins the Oscar and mentions to the world how great I am for his achievements, and then to add complete shock to the ever unimaginable evening, I win an Oscar as well, for Best-Actress.

I dream of having my own Oscar Party, having friends dress up in glamorous dresses, walking down a red carpet, beautiful tables set in an amazing display, food served by waiters dressed in tuxedo's, bids on who will win Best-Picture and Actor, having laughs and tears as the Stars accept their awards, and of course having my guests donate money to a worthy cause.

Of course those are only dreams. Last night I put on my pajamas, turned on my computer to get additional coverage of the Best-Dressed, and watched the the Academy Awards in my living room ALONE. That is the magic of watching the Academy Awards though, the dreaming behind all of it, knowing that some of the people who walk onto the stage never thought that they would be holding that golden man and giving an acceptance speech.

One of the most magical events of the evening was the PS22 Chorus. These children are from public schools in New York and it is just AMAZING that through the power of You Tube and a great teacher these children were able to perform at the Academy Awards, and performed my all time favorite song "Over the Rainbow." If you have not heard any of their other performances here is a clip of "Firework."



The dresses never disappoint at the Oscar and I must say my favorite dress of the evening was not of a nominee at all but of a performer, Mandy Moore.



The amazing thing about this dress is that you can't tell where is begins and ends, it blends so well with her skin, she looked so classic in this dress. I wish that I could recreate this, but I'm not that talented (yet anyways).

The other dress that I loved was Helen Mirren.



Helen Mirren is just AMAZING! I have put her along with the dress, in my favorite list because I just hope that when I am her age that I will dress and look half as good as she does, she really does look better with age.

I must say that my two least favorite dresses were this dress by Cate Blanchett.



Don't get me wrong the dress could make a very interesting pillow but as a dress, I pretty much hate it.

The other dress that I didn't like was this dress by Mila Kunis.



Now I know you think I am crazy for not liking this dress but let me tell you why it is on my least favorite list. I love the color, I love the flow, I pretty much love everything from the breasts down. Yes, I hate the lace around the breasts, when she first got out of the car it looked like she was wearing pasties. YUCK!!! Not appropriate for the Academy Awards.

I was worried this year with two younger hosts for the Award show but Anne Hathaway and James Franco did not disappoint and I was extremely AMUSED. I don't don't know where I laughed more seeing James Franco in a dress and a leotard or watching Anne Hathaway singing to Hugh Jackman.

The Academy Awards are now over and I must say despite being in my PJ's alone, I enjoyed my night and can hope that perhaps one of my dreams will come true for next year. Ahh, the magic of the Oscars.

Sseko Designs

After the groundhog announced that Spring was right around the corner (LIAR), I went ahead and ordered these sandals through Sseko Designs.



I had been eyeballing them for quite some time and with the announcement of spring I knew I had to get ready. Sadly, they have been sitting in my closet waiting for the snow to melt.

It might sound weird that these shoes qualify for Giving Saturday but the makers off these shoes are women from Kampala, Uganda. After secondary school is completed there is a 9 month gap so that the students can earn money to go to the University. Women have a harder time finding jobs then men so Sseko Designs only highers women for a short period of time and then they will go off to school and finish their education.

Sseko Designs is a not-just-for-profit enterprise and the goal is to provide university tuition for young women and help with the overall economic development of Uganda. They have a lot of great programs so that you can help. You can become an ambassador, an intern, you can host a party, or you can simple go and buy a pair of shoes.

I bought the shoes and I must admit that they don't look like much but these shoes are the coolest sandals I have ever owned. Check out the video below to see how amazing these shoes really are.



This is the first of many videos that are out there. With one simple change of my strap or even the design I have hundreds of different shoes with just one shoe. I am so excited for spring and when I can wear these on a daily basis and it is nice to know that these shoes help women further their education. I LOVE my new shoes!

Bieber Fever

Last Wednesday I took "Kitty Kat" to see Justin Bieber's Never Say Never movie. I was not looking forward to watching it, I've not been a huge fan of Justin Bieber. Not to say that he isn't a good role model for my children, in fact as far as children role models he so far hasn't seemed to screw up his life too much and his mom seems to have a good hold on him, something extremely rare in Hollywood terms. It was just that his voice kind of got under my skin a bit, that is it, nothing more. In case you have been fortunate enough to not hear about Justin Bieber's Never Say Never film here is a trailer for the film.



Well, just like I knew would happen I walked out of the film and now I am a victim of Bieber Fever. I am seriously impressed with this kid! I cried, I laughed, and I even got up and danced! Oh yes, when I go to the movies I make sure it is an experience! Especially when it costs so much, don't worry we were on the top row and the only people in the theater, I try not to disrupt others, but I must admit sometimes I forget others are in the theater with me. (I used to work for a theater and had to preview the movies, so I became accustomed to watching movies by myself and making the most of it.)

Upon leaving the theater I really wanted to create a Justin Bieber shirt. I kept thinking of different slogans and designs for shirts. Luckily, "Kitty Kat" had a birthday party to go to on Saturday so I knew that I could make one for the birthday girl and her to match.

I knew that Joann's was having a sale on their shirts so I planned on buying a purple shirt through them but apparently they don't make purple shirts. Kind of a bummer as that is what I had running through my head (purple is Justin's favorite color) for a design. I ended up having to buy some purple fabric paint and to make it pop I also bought some purple glitter. I had white t-shirts at home.

I pulled out my silhouette and freezer paper and went to work. For the front of the shirt I put the phrase, "I Have A Fever!" and for the back, "A Bieber Fever!" I also put a heart design underneath that. The glitter on the front was the bottom dot on the exclamation point and for the word A, for the back I glittered the word Bieber and the heart design. I apologize for the darkness of the pictures, lighting was not the best that day.



I don't like that it looked like a plain boring t-shirt so I cut out the hem on the neck, the arms, and the bottom of the shirt. I then put some elastic on the sides and sleeves and sewed it with purple thread, I really wanted the purple to pop out everywhere on the shirt. I think it did!



I loved when "Kitty Kat" put the shirt on. She had to wear a tank top underneath but it had quite an 80's type look to it and was adorable. When looking through my t-shirt supply I noticed that I have a plain t-shirt that is purple, am I to old to make a Justin Bieber shirt for myself?

After Valentines Flowers

I love buying flowers after Valentines Day. Flowers are usually at the cheapest after Valentines Day and I love thinking of these late bloomers, the flowers that didn't make the cut for the holiday, the flowers that weren't quite mature enough, the flowers who just didn't quite matter enough for someone. I appreciate these late bloomers more than I do the flowers that are ready to be purchased and overpriced for the big day!!!

I splurged yesterday and bought flowers, they all looked so beautiful and the prices were just amazing, I found the 3 large vases at the second hand store and was dying to fill them with blossoms. What is even more amazing about these vases is one simple flip and they become candle holders, BONUS, 2 for 1 design LOVE IT!




Now be kind I am by no means very good at flower arranging but I love the LIFE the flowers bring to my living room, especially among the winter conditions outside. Go ahead buy yourself a gift of flowers for yourself or someone else, it is totally worth it.

Operation Shower

For this weeks Giving Saturday I wanted to talk to you about Operation Shower. All of us in some way have known someone or know someone who has served in the military. My list is extremely long as I am sure many of your own lists are long of people who have served. My brother served in the US Army, my Grandmother worked for the US Air Force, my Grandfather served as well but sadly I don't know what service he was in, many of my friends and their spouses have served as well, my very good friend Len over at Crafty Homeschool served with the Navy. The list goes on and on.

I recently became aware of a great organization called Operation Shower. There website explains it best so here it goes:

OPERATION SHOWER is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that honors the sacrifices military families make by producing and coordinating unit-wide baby showers and "showers in a box" for pregnant or expecting military families in a deployment or high stress situation.



Families of deployed military men are often forgotten and I love that this organization puts the pregnant women and their families as their main focus. Families sacrifice just as much if not more for their families and it is great to let these women know that we appreciate them and there families. For donating they have two different options you can become a volunteer and you can send a monetary donation as well. This is a worthy cause and I encourage you to check it out and hopefully next time you hear about Operation Shower you will know exactly what it is about.

For the Birds

On a recent trip to the Hallmark store they had wooden bird houses covered in bird seed and I thought how fun those would be to make. I had originally planned on using some cardboard and making houses out of those to cover with the seeds but when I went to the dollar store I found these wooden houses.



They were considerably smaller than I planned on making my houses but I liked that they were wood, only a dollar, and it turned out it was better that they were smaller as they were easier for the girls to cover. These were really fun to make and really EASY.

I took some peanut butter and spread it over the houses and then poured and patted the seeds down with my hands. They turned out fairly cute and I am interested to see who eats them first, the birds or the squirrels. Either way they were a fun and cheap activity for the family.

Happy Valentines Day

I am back and very GLAD to be back too. As mentioned before I really like Valentines Day and this year for Valentines I did a bit of an American Girls theme, it all pretty much started with a PJ top that we found at the local second hand store.



"Princess" fell in love with this top and begged for it I told her I wouldn't get it because it didn't have bottoms and I apparently was too cheap to pay $3 for a top. She has really gotten into the books so that night I went online and couldn't believe how much there PJ's were over $60's, that $3 wasn't looking so bad now. While on the website I ended up ordering the Felicity and Elizabeth dolls, I know I'm a sucker but they are being discontinued I figured if I was going to buy one now was the time.

I am back and very GLAD to be back too. As mentioned before I really like Valentines Day and this year for Valentines I did a bit of an American Girls theme, it all pretty much started with a PJ top that we found at the local second hand store. "Princess" fell in love with this top and begged for it I told her I wouldn't get it because it didn't have bottoms and I apparently was too cheap to pay $3 for a top. She has really gotten into the books so that night I went online and couldn't believe how much there PJ's were over $60's, that $3 wasn't looking so bad now. While on the website I ended up ordering the Felicity and Elizabeth dolls, I know I'm a sucker but they are being discontinued I figured if I was going to buy one now was the time. I went back to the second hand store and they still had the top I was glad and bought it. All I needed were bottoms so I decided to make some. I haven't made any before but I'm pleased with how they turned out and I was shocked at how easy they were, I can't wait until tonight when she puts them on. I wish I could have found striped fabric or gone with pink but the red still works. We also changed our minds on Valentines for their classmates and I found packages of gum at the Dollar Store for 12 cents. I made cute little tags that say I "chews" you! I tried to use my silhouette for the project but apparently I'm an idiot and wasn't willing to spend enough time figuring out how to use it. As mentioned I now have a silhouette and I really am shocked at how difficult it is to start off with, I am excited for when I learn everything but unfortunately I don't have much time to really sit down and tinker with it right now, so I will have to wait to play with my new toy. I did however make the girls some t-shirts for Valentines with it though. I found these great t-shirts at, yes, the dollar store. I didn't have any of the fabric vinyl so I just cut it out on some wax paper and then used some fabric paint, I love how they turned out and I really love these t-shirts, I love the baseball style of the shirts. Once again I plan on being back and ready to go with this blog, I am actually glad I stepped away and got my life somewhat in order. Happy Valentines Day until Wednesday!

I am back and very GLAD to be back too. As mentioned before I really like Valentines Day and this year for Valentines I did a bit of an American Girls theme, it all pretty much started with a PJ top that we found at the local second hand store. "Princess" fell in love with this top and begged for it I told her I wouldn't get it because it didn't have bottoms and I apparently was too cheap to pay $3 for a top. She has really gotten into the books so that night I went online and couldn't believe how much there PJ's were over $60's, that $3 wasn't looking so bad now. While on the website I ended up ordering the Felicity and Elizabeth dolls, I know I'm a sucker but they are being discontinued I figured if I was going to buy one now was the time. I went back to the second hand store and they still had the top I was glad and bought it. All I needed were bottoms so I decided to make some. I haven't made any before but I'm pleased with how they turned out and I was shocked at how easy they were, I can't wait until tonight when she puts them on. I wish I could have found striped fabric or gone with pink but the red still works. We also changed our minds on Valentines for their classmates and I found packages of gum at the Dollar Store for 12 cents. I made cute little tags that say I "chews" you! I tried to use my silhouette for the project but apparently I'm an idiot and wasn't willing to spend enough time figuring out how to use it. As mentioned I now have a silhouette and I really am shocked at how difficult it is to start off with, I am excited for when I learn everything but unfortunately I don't have much time to really sit down and tinker with it right now, so I will have to wait to play with my new toy. I did however make the girls some t-shirts for Valentines with it though. I found these great t-shirts at, yes, the dollar store. I didn't have any of the fabric vinyl so I just cut it out on some wax paper and then used some fabric paint, I love how they turned out and I really love these t-shirts, I love the baseball style of the shirts. Once again I plan on being back and ready to go with this blog, I am actually glad I stepped away and got my life somewhat in order. Happy Valentines Day until Wednesday!

I am back and very GLAD to be back too. As mentioned before I really like Valentines Day and this year for Valentines I did a bit of an American Girls theme, it all pretty much started with a PJ top that we found at the local second hand store. "Princess" fell in love with this top and begged for it I told her I wouldn't get it because it didn't have bottoms and I apparently was too cheap to pay $3 for a top. She has really gotten into the books so that night I went online and couldn't believe how much there PJ's were over $60's, that $3 wasn't looking so bad now. While on the website I ended up ordering the Felicity and Elizabeth dolls, I know I'm a sucker but they are being discontinued I figured if I was going to buy one now was the time. I went back to the second hand store and they still had the top I was glad and bought it. All I needed were bottoms so I decided to make some. I haven't made any before but I'm pleased with how they turned out and I was shocked at how easy they were, I can't wait until tonight when she puts them on. I wish I could have found striped fabric or gone with pink but the red still works. We also changed our minds on Valentines for their classmates and I found packages of gum at the Dollar Store for 12 cents. I made cute little tags that say I "chews" you! I tried to use my silhouette for the project but apparently I'm an idiot and wasn't willing to spend enough time figuring out how to use it. As mentioned I now have a silhouette and I really am shocked at how difficult it is to start off with, I am excited for when I learn everything but unfortunately I don't have much time to really sit down and tinker with it right now, so I will have to wait to play with my new toy. I did however make the girls some t-shirts for Valentines with it though. I found these great t-shirts at, yes, the dollar store. I didn't have any of the fabric vinyl so I just cut it out on some wax paper and then used some fabric paint, I love how they turned out and I really love these t-shirts, I love the baseball style of the shirts. Once again I plan on being back and ready to go with this blog, I am actually glad I stepped away and got my life somewhat in order. Happy Valentines Day until Wednesday! I went back to the second hand store and they still had the top I was glad and bought it. All I needed were bottoms so I decided to make some. I haven't made any before but I'm pleased with how they turned out and I was shocked at how easy they were to make, I can't wait until tonight when she puts them on. I wish I could have found striped fabric or gone with pink but the red still works.



We also changed our minds on Valentines for their classmates and I found packages of gum at the Dollar Store for 12.5 cents. I made cute little tags that say I "chews" you! I tried to use my silhouette for the project but apparently I'm an idiot and wasn't willing to spend enough time figuring out how to use it. So I went back to what I know and created this using Microsoft Word.



As mentioned I now have a silhouette and I really am shocked at how difficult it is to start off with, I am excited for when I learn everything but unfortunately I don't have much time to really sit down and tinker with it right now, so I will have to wait to play with my new toy. I did however make the girls some t-shirts for Valentines with it though. I found these great t-shirts at, yes, the dollar store. I didn't have any of the fabric vinyl so I just cut it out on some wax paper and then used some fabric paint, I love how they turned out and I really love the baseball style of the shirts.



Once again I plan on being back and ready to go with this blog, I am actually glad I stepped away and got my life somewhat in order. Happy Valentines Day until Wednesday!

Short Blog Get Away

I was hoping to be able to stay on top of this blog this week but sadly I am going to have to step away for the week. My house has been ill and I got behind on way to many things. To top it off I have come down with Strep and I really need to catch up on my studies.

I will not be checking in with my blog for the week to keep the temptation away. I hate having to step away for a bit but I plan on being back next week. So if you like me on facebook I will keep you all updated on when I am back and ready to play!!! Please return next week!!

Last Day For Auction

For this giving Saturday I just wanted to give you all a reminder that today the Chase auction is ending so make sure to check it out and that you are getting everything that you have bid on.



I love charitable auctions because you give money to a project that really needs is and you can get something in return. I know it sounds awful but more people are willing to donate if they get something in return.

While visiting the Team Chase website I noticed that they have another fundraiser going on where you can go to Just Love Coffee and for every bag purchased they get $5. I recently became a full time coffee drinker and received my first 2 bags of coffee in the mail (I'm on a plan where they will ship me coffee every other month). I ordered the flavors Ethiopia and Valentine blend. Seriously, DELICIOUS! I must admit that I was reluctant to check it out because I thought the prices would be outrageous and was pleased when I saw they were the same as if I was to buy gourmet coffee at the grocery store.

I love the bags they have a nice little story on them:

Rob Webb knows coffee. When Rob was two years old, his father started Webb's Coffee Service, which blossomed into a full-blown refreshment service supplying businesses in Nashville, TN and the surrounding areas, and is now run by Rob.

Rob Webb knows the adoption process. In the summer of 2008, Rob and his wife Emily were called to adopt from Ethiopia. After much prayer and discussion with their first two children they started their adoption journey in August 2008. During the flurry of paperwork and preparation, Rob & Emily read books not only on adoption in general, but specifically on Ethiopia. Learning that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee caught Rob's attention, and after reading about the living conditions and wages of the average coffee farmer, he was compelled to take action. What developed through his reading and his trip to Ethiopia to unite with his daughters was a realization that he could combine his expertise and longstanding desire to roast his own coffees with his desire to help others. Just Love Coffee Roasters was born! Roasting Fair Trade Specialty coffees, Just Love uses proceeds to help an Ethiopian orphanage and families adopting not just from Ethiopia, but from anywhere in the world.

If you drink coffee I recommend you check out there website. It is nice to think that I don't have to worry about running out of coffee because is will show up like clock work in my mail, freshly ground, and that I can change my flavors and ordering options whenever I please.

Happy Giving.

Schedule

This are the days that I post: 
Monday and Wednesdays - These days will feature crafting projects and often times tutorials for projects. 
Friday - Also known as Friday I'm in LOVE- This day I will feature fun finds throughout the week and things that I just can't seem to live without. 
Saturday - Also known as Giving Saturday - A day that is dedicated to giving to others whether it be monetary, volunteer, awareness, or even just a time asking for prayers.  (I am always looking for new foundations, places, an individuals to feature for Giving Saturday, send me an email if you would like me to mention anything)

Pottery Barn Inspired Pillows

When I received my Pottery Barn catalog I instantly fell in love with the butterfly pillow on the cover. I have a chandelier wall sticker in my bedroom that has birds and butterfly's and I knew that it would fit perfectly in my bedroom.



I use t-shirt transfers all of the time but they can be extremely costly, so I wanted to try the method of printing directly on the fabric I got most of my tips right HERE. Being that these are throw pillows I didn't buy the bubble jet set, these shouldn't get to much wear and tear. I love how they turned out, unfortunately, I was limited by size because of my printer but I will definitely use this method again.

For the fabric I just used my off-white flannel (yes the same stuff I used for my nook cover). I love how it gives it a canvas look. At first I made the pillow with several butterfly's (I used a t-shirt transfer) and then. I decided I would add more pillows. So I made 2 flowers, a bird, and a much larger butterfly. I got all of my images from The Graphics Fairy with the exception of the first pillow (I can't remember where I got it from).



Over all extremely pleased with this project, but I definitely need to make another bird pillow.

I linked this to: