I've been featured, again and again!

I just got home after spending a week out of town for my father-in-law's funeral...so my blogging has taken a backseat to my family. 

 But I came home to some exciting blogging news: I was featured!  And not just once, but twice!  I was featured last week just as all of this was happening, and again today, and never got a chance to thank those who featured me. 

Ok, let me back up a few words. 

 What does it mean to be featured? 

Well, to a new any blogger {insert: ME} it means a lot!  When you are featured, another blogger creates a post in which your blog is highlighted.  So now everyone who reads that blog will read about my blog!  It's a HUGE compliment as well as a wonderful opportunity to attract new readers. So anytime someone features me, it makes me feel special.  Someone out there is actually reading all of my ramblings, and {dare I say} enjoying it!  So thank you!  Thank you to all those who have featured me thus far.  You have no idea how much I appreciate it!

My Valentine's Tea Party Invitations at It's a Hodgepodge Life:

 Follow me Wednesday at 3 Four and Under:

My Pretty 'n Pink Valentine's Wreath is #22 over at Tip Junkie's Wreath post:

and all by ITSELF {eeeeeeee!}  at Truly Lovely

AND {boy did that wreath treat me well!} at Mo Momma: Saving Momma Money! {and DO I like to save money!}

So now I'll be settling back into our "normal" routine and getting back to my projects!

 

 

Today I sorted through my wood for my kitchen island {but was out of "blog" mode and forgot to take pictures!}  But stayed tuned for my Restoration Hardware inspired kitchen island to start progressing soon!

Here are the boards I worked on first:

And here's my inspiration:

But mine will have a marble top.  Eeeeeeee, I'm getting excited!

Tutorial: {A Valentine’s Day} Tea Party Invitation

My daughters and I are hosting a tea party in a few weeks and I wanted to share our invitations with you. Although these are quite pink and pretty darn girly, you can use the idea for any style invite! {Those pink rectangles on the last one are just there to cover up my address…not ready to give that out to blogland!}

I'm crazy about banners right now.  I modeled these after the Valentine's Day Banner I made a couple of weeks ago.

Materials needed:
Fancy printed craft/scrapbook paper
Solid card stock in coordinating color(s)
A printer {or nice handwriting}
Fancy edge scissors
Glue
Mini clothespins {my latest obsession}
Ribbon

Step 1:

Print out your wording on the solid card stock.

Step 2:

Cut a template triangle that fits over the wording.
{The rectangular pieces of white paper are just there to cover my address.}

Step 3:

Trace around each section of working using your triangular template and cut them out using fancy craft scissors.

Step 4:

Create a larger triangular template to use on your scrapbook paper.
To make a nice isosceles triangle {two longer equal sides and one shorter side} draw your short side first. Then find the middle of it using a ruler. My short side is 7 inches, so
the middle of mine is at 3 1/2 inches.  Make a little mark there.

Draw a line straight down from your mark, longer than you want the triangle to be.
And now draw a line from one of your corners to that middle line, making sure the new line you draw is LONGER than the original line you began with.  Mine was 7 inches.  So my longer side is going to be about 9 inches.

Do the same from the other corner to meet up with the middle line as well.

Now cut it out and there’s your template.

Step 5:

Using your larger template, cut out scrapbook paper pieces for your background.

I traced the triangles on the back of the scrapbook paper and drew them all out before cutting to try to fit the most in as possible {sharing sides wherever I could.}

Step 6:

Glue the wording triangle to the scrapbook paper triangle.

Step 7:

Use a mini clothespin {found at most craft stores} to attach the banner to a ribbon.

“Put on your fancy dress and borrow mommy’s pearls, then please come join us for tea with the girls!

Step 7:

Dab a little glue on the corners of the banner to hold it down to the ribbon {if you like.}

Step 8:

Rinse, Repeat!

If you make any invites like this, please leave a comment with a link below!  I’d love to see your creations.

You might also like:

My Valentine's Day Wreath

And my Valentine's Day Banner

I linked up at these great parties!

Board and Batten is Finished!

I am so excited to share our finished board and batten with you! And for many reasons.

DH worked so hard on it all weekend and then got a call from his sister that his dad was very ill. He left first thing the next morning.  He had managed to finish all the wood-work before he left, but we hadn’t chosen or finished the paint or begun any of the clean-up. 
{Huge TV in the middle of the room, nail gun box used as a coffee table, 2 caulking light sabers guns, 2 toy boxes tool boxes full of fun stuff, every paint item we own…..etc. etc…..are laying around the family room, not to mention all of the furniture in the middle of the room.}

We’ve been planning this project for 2 years. And it’s on our list of House Goals for 2011 {finishing this actually accomplishes TWO items on our list!}  So during this difficult time for my husband, the least I could do is finish before he gets home.  So babe, it’s FINISHED! 
And I love you!

Before:

During:

The on-going paint choice dilemma!

I think I own every Benjamin Moore swatch in the blue/gray family.

I narrowed it down to four:

And then narrowed down to two: Sweet Innocence and Gray Timberwolf.  I went to the paint store for the 15th time this week to get one of those two or a slight variation of one of them.  I was SURE! 

You know what I came home with, NONE of the above. 

With further ado, our finished board and batten:

You can see the window trim {above} DH did a while back, all with this board and batten project in mind.

So what DID I end up with? 
Benjamin Moore Nimbus Gray {on the wall} and Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace {on the board and batten}. 

I love it!  I hope you do, too, honey. xo


I'm linking up on these great blogs: