Coffee Cozy Giveaway

 Doing a quick and fun little giveaway over on my Facebook page today! 

Winner gets to customize their own cozy with the colors of their choice. 

come on over to my page and join the Fall anticipation fun!

Create an Etsy Shop Banner With Picmonkey

 Here's a super easy way to create an Etsy shop banner without having to download a certain program and learn how to use it from watching youtube videos! I used to have to download GIMP, an editing program whenever I wanted to create my Etsy banners. And I always forget how to use it because it seems a little complicated. Today I was feeling like making a change to my shop banner but I couldn't find the GIMP program on my computer and was not about to download it again! So I went to Picmonkey and figured out an easier way! Let me show you!

Head over to the Picmonkey website and click "create a collage."

Click the little mountains icon and a box will pop up allowing you to pick the image you want to use for your background. You'll want to choose a photo that does not have large images on it because they will most likely be cropped off due to the size you will need to make this banner. Some ideas of what you can do for your background image could be taking a photo of a patterned piece of fabric like small floral print or polka dots, or maybe even doodling on paper. You could also find free background images online too!

Now open the "FB Cover" layouts selection and click one of the options.

I chose the first option and then hit the "x" in the corners of the extra boxes to make it one big blank rectangle, for one photo. But if you are wanting multiple photos on your banner, then choose what you like.

Next, click the little paint palette and move the spacing all the way to the left. This just makes it to where there is no white border around the image.

Make the image box narrower by clicking onto a side of the box and moving it.

Go back to the little mountains icon and click and drag your image into the box.

Now click "Edit" which will open up all the photo editing options.

The rest of these instructions are how I did mine, but I'm including them anyway just to show you and give you the idea.

Open up the "Overlays" section which is located under the "P" icon (the heart, star, and word bubble icon), and choose any of the label options if you want to insert any of the images offered. I chose the rectangle from the "Geometric" section.

I changed the size, color, and faded-ness (is that a word?!) of the rectangle. Adding this rectangle is mainly for helping my shop name stand out against the background.

Position the image where you would want it to go.

Now you can add your shop name to the banner. Open up the "P" and you'll find all the fonts available. Click add text and fill in the box that pops up on the screen. Edit it how you like and position where you want it.
{You can add another text box if you are wanting another section of words but in a different font}

Ah, looking nice!
Now click "save" which is right above your image.

Before saving to your computer, you want to change the image size to 760. That's the only number slot that I changed and then saved it to my computer.

Ta-da!! A new fresh look!

I hope this works for you! I'm not too techy with all the measuring, sizes, editing and such of photos when it comes to things like this, but I just know it worked for what I wanted. So hopefully it can work out for yours as well. I'd love to know if you use this idea and how it turned out for you! Leave a comment and link to your shop if you'd like!

Thaaaaanks and happy editing!

Blueberry Pie

Fall is just around the corner.. I feel it! .. Actually I feel really hot and muggy, but I also feel Fall coming! Last year I said I was going to make pies. It really was on my Fall "to-do" list. But it never happened. So I'm getting a head start this season! I made my first pie today! .. Well, okay, I've made cooked chocolate pudding pies for Thanksgivings, but this is my first "other kind" of pies. And I have to confess, it's not completely homemade. The crust is homemade, the blueberry is canned pie filling. hehe! Baby steps, people!

I found Your Homebased Mom's pie crust recipe on Pinterest.

I read on other websites to use COLD shortening and COLD butter. So I scooped out what I need of shortening, and stuck it in the freezer for a few minutes. It's usually in my pantry and the humidity here keeps it super soft. I cut my butter up in little chunks. Then just followed the recipe. My dough didn't turn out very flexible and .. non-tearable. Lots of recipes say not to handle the dough too much, but I don't really know what that means.. cause I try to get it all together and mixed well. I guess pie crusts is an area I will need some practice in! It still looks okay! I just had a hard time getting the top crust over the pie and fixing it pretty without it breaking a little in places. 

I made sure to poke holes in the bottom crust several times with a fork to prevent it from bubbling and poofing out during baking. While I rolled out the top crust, I kept the bottom crust in the freezer to keep firm. I used a little paring knife to cut out the heart on the top. A little fondant cutter would work perfect too! I'll have to get some just for things like this. In went the canned pie filling, on went the top crust.. which was the part I struggled with most, because the dough was starting to tear. I snipped away all the excess dough hanging from the sides, pinched the edges, then brushed water on top of the crust and sprinkled a little bit of sugar. I watched Martha do it in this video. 

The instructions on the can of pie filling said to bake it at 425* for 30 minutes. I put it on the bottom rack and baked it for 15 minutes, then took it out and covered the edges with tin foil pieces so they wouldn't burn. I put it back in the oven, on the top rack, for about 10-15 more minutes. 

And here's my pretty blueberry pie! It's just so cuuuute!

Y.U.M !!

For this "Perfect Pie Crust" Recipe, visit Your Homebased Mom

My New Style Blog!

My new little baby bump has inspired me to start having some fun and creativity in getting dressed! So I started a new blog for fun and motivation to keep me dressing my best during pregnancy! 

Come check it out! 

www.bumpingintostyle.blogspot.ca

"Life is Better in Flip Flops" Decor Sign

Ah... flip flops. One of the things I look forward to the most out here in Canada when the warm weather comes! Back when I lived in California I could pretty much wear them all year long! But... here in Canada, .. ya, not so much. So I really wear the heck out of my flip flops during the few short warm months we have! 

To further express my love for flip flops I made a cute little sign to decorate my living room. Yes, I painted another piece of scrap wood! If you didn't see the first one I made a couple weeks ago, you can see it here. 

This time I took photos while I crafted this one. So I thought I'd do another tutorial cause, well, let's be honest, tutorials are so much more exciting when there are photos to go along with the instructions.

I first sanded all the edges, corners, and the top surface real smooth. With a sponge brush, I painted the top and sides with a layer of watered down brown acrylic craft paint and a drop of black craft paint mixed with that to make a darker shade of brown. Then I wanted to give it some sort of aged or sanded sketchy look, so I watered down (not too much) some white craft paint and did two to three coats of that. I like how the dark shows through the white a little bit. Looks kind of beachy like... which is perfect for this quote! 

Okay, now some photos! 

I free handed the words on my last wooden sign, but this time I created a Word document, making sure to size everything to fit. I got my ideas for the layout from searching that quote on Pinterest. 

Flipping the printed paper over, I rubbed a piece of chalk all over where the words were placed on the other side. Because my board was painted with white, I used a bolder/brighter color.

After making sure all the backs of the words are covered in chalk, I flipped my piece of paper back over, placing it where I wanted it on the board, the words now facing up. I used some painter's tape to keep it in place. 

Now you are ready to trace all the words! 

Just grab a pen and trace and outline all of the letters.

Once you're done tracing and you remove the paper, you get this! 

Chalk lines on your board that are now ready to be filled in with paint! Super easy and neato trick for transferring words or shapes onto something for painting!

I found all my skinny little paint brushes at the dollar store! They work great! 

And now I have an adorable new summer decor sign! 

The perfect craft for a lazy Saturday afternoon. I actually find these painting projects very relaxing. 

The mustard yellow is a little hard to see until you come closer. But it looks great in the photos! And at least it will make me happy since I sit near this spot often!

Hmmm.. I have one more piece of scrap wood.. what should I paint next?!

First Comes Love, then Comes Marriage, then Comes...

B . A . B . Y ! ! ! 

YEP! YEP! YEP! 

Our little family is growing!

I am now in my 13th week, but last week's photo is the latest one I've taken. 

I had my first prenatal appointment and we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat! That was quite a moment! Hubby and I were so happy, we couldn't stop smiling! What an amazing thing, to be able to hear proof of a little LIFE growing inside of you. So emotional!

Sunday, Mother's Day, we announced the news to our church. What a perfect day, right? We didn't plan it that way either. We just wanted to wait until after our first doctor appointment to tell people (other than close family, who already knew) and that just happened to be the next Sunday. Our pastor had all the mom's stand during church, to give them a little something special. He said to me, "Since we believe that life begins at conception, you stand up too, Jessica."  : ) 

Finally I am starting to feel more myself after having constant morning sickness for 6 weeks. I've lost weight due to not being able to eat much at all and not being able to keep foods down. All I could do was lay around on the couch or in bed all day long. Poor Hubby was preparing his own lunches during his half hour breaks and dinners as well. The sight, smell, and thoughts of food would send my stomach whirling! Of course Hubby was perfect about it all. He was doing all the dishes and taking care of everything for me. Constantly running to the grocery store whenever I had a thought of something I might be able to eat and keep down. There was one really bad week where I couldn't get out of bed at all. Water wasn't even staying down! I was feeling pretty dehydrated and got a little nervous. But after that week it eased a tiny bit. I learned that bananas were the ONLY thing that would calm my stomach. So after I figured that out, I never went anywhere without a banana and always kept one on my nightstand for late night nausea and a bite to start the morning. Not saltines, like most everyone suggests. Those would totally gross me out and make me throw up. I haven't eaten a saltine cracker since week 5. Yuck! Morning sickness has eased up a lot now, but there are still occasional nausea spells. Right now I'm finding evenings are not so lovely, or when I got without eating something for too long I get sick. My appetite is still not completely back, and eating is still mostly a chore. I try what I can, or what doesn't completely make me want to puke at the thought.

Ew.. at the moment I'm feeling my first bout of heartburn I think.. ouch..

My craft room is now under construction! .. Saying goodbye to my little craft room, which was usually messy and unorganized! But I'm going through everything in there and organizing or throwing out things. Wow, what a chore this is! I rearranged our master bedroom walk-in closet and made room to store all my crafting supplies. I'll save all those details for another post when I'm done with that department! But I'm eager and excited to clear the room out and begin making a baby room! I've pinned LOTS of ideas on my Pinterest "Oh Baby!" board and hoping to be able to work some of those fun ideas into the room!

Well, so there's our happy news!

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Wonderful are your woks; my soul knows it very well. 

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." 

Psalm 139:13-16

Old Plant Stand Made Pretty

Last winter I picked up this old neat looking plant stand from someone's trash pile at the end of their driveway. .. I seem to like trash finds, don't I? 

Since the warm weather has finally graced us with its presence, I decided I felt like giving it a makeover! So out of the storage closet it came! 

I brushed it up a bit with a little scrubber to get some little bits of gunk left behind from when I gave it a bath in my tub after bringing it home. Then gave it a quick wipe down with some bathroom cleaning wipes.

Spray painting can be a challenge when living in an apartment, so I went for some acrylic craft paint.. plus it's cheaper! The color on the bottle says Aqua, but the photo totally doesn't show its true color. It has more of a greenish tint.. I can't describe it very well really. But it's very vibrant and not as dull as the photo shows. I hate that! But atleast I can see it's true beauty when I look at it in person!

It's so nice to sit out on my balcony and work on a project on a nice sunny day!

And here's my new plant stand!

.. Don't laugh at my poor droopy little plant. I've had it since our first year of being married and it's kind of always been a mopey little plant.

I think I like it inside.. not sure still.. 

And I think I'd like to get a pretty new pot to fit inside.. white, maybe?

Refreshing little update :)