The Pinterest Challenge for Bloggers

Can you believe tomorrow is the first day of October?

For some reason, I always like to do a challenge during the month of October. Maybe it is because I feel like October is the longest month of the year. For example, last year I challenged myself to a month of organizing our little bitty apartment which led to an organized linen closet, kitchen sink and master bedroom closet. (I apologize in advance for the terrible pictures. What was I thinking?!)
What is the challenge this year? The Pinterest Challenge for Bloggers!

My goal is to reach 500 Pinterest followers by October 31st! I am at 253 at the time of this writing. That means I have to gain 247 followers in 30 days! I know, I know. October has 31 days. However, I like round numbers and who doesn't want an extra cheat day?!

The plan? Search and pin 10 items that appeal to me for 30 days straight. Also, I will pick three fellow pinners each day whose boards interest me to follow for 30 days straight.

Did you catch this post late? No problem. Just start today or tomorrow and go through the challenge for 30 days straight.

Of course, you do not have to be a blogger in order to the Pinterest Challenge! If you simply want to increase your Pinterest audience, you are more than welcome to join us.

That said, I challenge bloggers and non-bloggers alike to join me in this quest for Pinterest followers! A great way to start is linking up your Pinterest profile at the party below.

I'd also love to hear if you are doing the Pinterest Challenge with me and how it's going for you.

PLEASE FOLLOW ME HERE!

I'll even make you a deal! If you link up below and follow me, I'll follow you back and leave ya some love!

Do you have any tips or suggestions for increasing Pinterest Followers?

Monday: C.R.A.F.T., Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Keeping It Simple Crafts, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Dedicated House, Alderberry Hill, Mad in Crafts, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, The Gunny Sack, Home Stories A to Z, Home Coming

Tuesday: Kammy's Korner, Sugar Bee Crafts, Adventures of a DIY Mom, Chef in Training, Not Just a Housewife, Him and Her, A Stroll Thru Life, Mad Cap Frenzy, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Coastal Charm

Wednesday: We Like to Learn as We Go, Polkadots on Parade, No Minimalist Here, From My Front Porch to Yours, Yellow Bliss Road, No Minimalist Here, Sew Much Ado, Seven Alive, Simply Designing

Thursday: 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, A Glimpse Inside, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative, Bloom Designs, Blissful and Domestic, Crafts a la Mode, From My Front Porch to Yours, 52 Mantels, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Live Laugh Rowe, Bloom Designs, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative

Friday: The Dedicated House, Blissful and Domestic, Craft Dictator, DIY Vintage Chic, Shaken Together, 504 Main, Craftionary, The Grant Life, Thirty Handmade Days, Redoux Interiors, Simply Sweet Home, Just Us Four, Romantic Home, The Jenny Evolution

Friday's Letters

Bella after her haircut.

Dear fair, I can't wait to go tonight! It is hard to believe that eight years ago I was going to the fair for my first date with the man I ended up marrying. Woah! Dear blog, we reached a milestone this week. I published my first paid campaign article. (Did you miss it? Check it out here.) Can I just say that it felt really great to get paid to write something again?! Hopefully, this is just the first of bigger and better campaigns to come. Dear Pick Your Plum, I'm looking forward to formally introducing you to my readers next week. You are my newest obsession and I can't wait to get those chevron infinity scarves I ordered - along with the other two orders I've placed. Ha! I need to slow down. Dear Bentley and Bella, I apologize for the horrific haircuts I gave you last weekend. I have never claimed to be a dog groomer and it has been reaffirmed I never will be. At least, it'll grow back, right? Dear sister, I hope you had a wonderful 21st birthday. I enjoyed traveling down to your knick of the woods and eating Mexican. Not to mention, that flaming shot was pretty cool. Dear 10&U Rangers, you are 3-0 now. YES!!!

In the words of my precious twos at work: See ya later all-e-gator! In a while, croc-e-dile!
Miranda 

DIY Weekend 9/26

Welcome back to DIY Weekend!

What is DIY Weekend? Every Thursday, I host this link party to showcase my top three DIY project picks from last week's link up party and give you a chance to show off your latest projects. You can link up just about any topic and share your tips, tricks, projects and more! If you don’t have a blog to link up with, take a minute to browse the links! There really are some great blogs out there with wonderful ideas. For example, our three showcase projects above:

1. Confetti Pumpkins! from Made in a Day

2. Monogram Jute Wreath from Melanie Gets Married

3. Fall Mantle from Vintage, Paint and More

**Please note: By linking to this blog party, you are giving Mr. and Mrs. Winslett permission to use your photos and content as part of the weekly features if selected.**

All featured projects will also be pinned to my Pinterest boards. What are you waiting for then? Oh! The house rules, of course:

1.) Link up any crafts, recipes, home decor, tips, etc. but don't forget to link back here!

2.) PLEASE be sure to link to your specific post not your general blog.

3.) PLEASE visit and comment on the post before you and after you, on top of any others that catch your eye. Everyone loves comment love!

4.) And most importantly... HAVE FUN!!

<br /><center><a href="http://mrandmrswinslett.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz121/mwinslett/b92cce52-2537-4336-b4d1-0e473a1623fe_zps754d2ffb.jpg"/></a></center><br/>

DIY Idea for Fundraising with Teespring

Taylor from Pink Heels Pink Truck created this t-shirt via Teespring for the Hope Mission

Once again, baseball is in full swing in the Winslett household. When I'm at the baseball field watching the game on the bleachers, a parent will ask me which one of the bodies on the field is mine. I get to point to one of the bigger bodies and say the coach. 

That's right, ladies. My husband has no children of his own, but devotes a good part of his time to coaching 10-year-olds for the local baseball recreation league. Swoon, right? I told you I nabbed a good one!

By default, I'm honored with the duty of organizing and executing the fundraiser for the end-of-the-season party among many of my other "team wife" duties.

This year, I'm considering designing some shirts through Teespring for our fall ball fundraiser. After all, who doesn't love a good t-shirt?

Teespring is a platform that allows groups, causes or communities to create and sell custom apparel. The best part? There is no upfront cost. Being in the design and printing business myself, I can tell you from experience that it usually costs a nice chunk of change up front to have the t-shirts made. This alone usually knocks custom t-shirts off the fundraising possibility list.

Another neat-o-cheeto thing about Teespring? You can use their online designer to create your perfect t-shirt. Of course, you can always upload your own design too.

After designing your t-shirt, you can do everything from setting a sales goal to sharing your fundraising t-shirt on Facebook.

I don't know about you, but I'm about ready for a t-shirt fundraiser. I'm getting tired of the candy bar and doughnut fundraisers. They're putting a strain on my waistline!

See ya later!
Miranda

Compensation for this post was provided by Teespring. Opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Free Fall Printable

Happy Fall Ya'll!

I've been working on some fall-inspired Project Life cards which I'm hoping to share with you all next week. However, I thought I'd share a free printable with you today which is inspired by my soon-to-be-posted fall Project Life cards!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE PRINTABLE

I know what you are wondering right now...will the Project Life cards be free? YES! See, good things come to those who wait!

Until then, I hope you all enjoy the free fall printable.

Miranda

This post was linked at:

Monday: C.R.A.F.T., Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Keeping It Simple Crafts, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Dedicated House, Alderberry Hill, Mad in Crafts, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, The Gunny Sack, Home Stories A to Z, Home Coming

Tuesday: Kammy's Korner, Sugar Bee Crafts, Adventures of a DIY Mom, Chef in Training, Not Just a Housewife, Him and Her, A Stroll Thru Life, Mad Cap Frenzy, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Coastal Charm

Wednesday: We Like to Learn as We Go, Polkadots on Parade, No Minimalist Here, From My Front Porch to Yours, Yellow Bliss Road, No Minimalist Here, Sew Much Ado, Seven Alive, Simply Designing

Thursday: 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, A Glimpse Inside, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative, Bloom Designs, Blissful and Domestic, Crafts a la Mode, From My Front Porch to Yours, 52 Mantels, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Live Laugh Rowe, Bloom Designs, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative

Friday: The Dedicated House, Blissful and Domestic, Craft Dictator, DIY Vintage Chic, Shaken Together, 504 Main, Craftionary, The Grant Life, Thirty Handmade Days, Redoux Interiors, Simply Sweet Home, Just Us Four, Romantic Home, The Jenny Evolution

DIY Framed Burlap Monogram

In our living room, I'm trying to incorporate some burlap into the decor. I'm just really digging the burlap fad right now and plan on embracing it as long as socially acceptable.

There for a while I saw this pin every time I was on Pinterest. Chances are, you have too!

We have a fairly large photo gallery display on one of the walls in our living room. I was left with a frame that was pictureless so I thought this would be a good addition to the gallery.

However, to my dismay, I could not find the original source for the pin. Time to get creative. I researched some tutorials on how to print on burlap. I altered them slightly to fit my needs and this is the result:

This project was so simple and easy to do. Seriously, it probably took me 15 minutes start to finish. Ready for the tutorial? 

What You Need:

Burlap

Printer

Cardstock

Spray Adhesive

Scissors

Step One. Cut the cardstock to the size of your frame. (Mine was a 5x7) Spray the adhesive on one side of the cardstock. Lay the sticky, adhesive side on the burlap. Cut around your cardstock.

Step Two. Stick your burlap paper in the printer. Make sure you've got it facing the right way for your printer. 

Step Three. Open your word processing software like Microsoft Word, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, etc. (I used InDesign) Using your word processor, format your monogram.

Step Four. Print out your monogram. Remember to format the printer settings to the size of your paper in your program. 

Step Five. Peel off that cardstock, stick that burlap in the frame and there you have it folks!

During my research, I did run across some tutorials that used freezer paper as the adhesive element. However, I had spray adhesive in my supplies not freezer paper so...yeah! 

Keep Crafting!

Miranda

This post was linked at:

Monday: C.R.A.F.T., Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Keeping It Simple Crafts, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Dedicated House, Alderberry Hill, Mad in Crafts, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, The Gunny Sack, Home Stories A to Z, Home Coming

Tuesday: Kammy's Korner, Sugar Bee Crafts, Adventures of a DIY Mom, Chef in Training, Not Just a Housewife, Him and Her, A Stroll Thru Life, Mad Cap Frenzy, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Coastal Charm

Wednesday: We Like to Learn as We Go, Polkadots on Parade, No Minimalist Here, From My Front Porch to Yours, Yellow Bliss Road, No Minimalist Here, Sew Much Ado, Seven Alive, Simply Designing

Thursday: 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, A Glimpse Inside, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative, Bloom Designs, Blissful and Domestic, Crafts a la Mode, From My Front Porch to Yours, 52 Mantels, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Live Laugh Rowe, Bloom Designs, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative

Friday: The Dedicated House, Blissful and Domestic, Craft Dictator, DIY Vintage Chic, Shaken Together, 504 Main, Craftionary, The Grant Life, Thirty Handmade Days, Redoux Interiors, Simply Sweet Home, Just Us Four, Romantic Home, The Jenny Evolution

Friday's Letters

Dear husband, I'm so excited for your first baseball game of the season tomorrow. Too bad they gave you an ugly coaching shirt this year. Oh well! You'll still look cute in it. Dear work/PaperLark/blog, holy moly! You kicked my behind this week. I put in some long hours this week for sure, but I'm certainly not going to complain. Dear Project Life, I have sorely neglected this month and I am sorry. I have been doing so good at keeping up with you all year, but somehow I've fallen behind this month. My goal this weekend is to catch up! Dear Joann's, I am so happy you decided to come to Newnan. I purchased some fabric for some burp clothes this week. Can I just say that I love your 50 percent off coupons? Dear Hobby Lobby, no worries. I still love you the most, but they do have your fabric section beat. Dear sibling, happy 21st birthday! Man, I'm getting old.

Until next week!
Miranda

In case, you missed it...

DIY Weekend 9/19

The Liebster Award

Increase Curb Appeal by Spray Painting Your Shutters

DIY Weekend 9/19

Happy Thursday fellow bloggers and readers! Another DIY Weekend is upon us. YES!

A huge thank you to those of you who participated last Thursday. I was a little worried I wouldn't get any link up because we were on vacation. However, you all did not disappoint! Frankly, I was blow away by how beautiful and creative all the link ups were last week. Ya'll are definitely on the top of your game. I need to step it up!

What is DIY Weekend? Every Thursday, I host this link party to showcase my top three DIY project picks from last week's link up party and give you a chance to show off your latest projects. You can link up just about any topic and share your tips, tricks, projects and more! If you don’t have a blog to link up with, take a minute to browse the links! There really are some great blogs out there with wonderful ideas. For example, our three showcase projects above:

1. Antique Washstand by {createinspire}

2. Bundt Pan Punkin' by Denise...on a whim

3. DIY Stunning Titled Photos by Anyonita Nibbles

**Please note: By linking to this blog party, you are giving Mr. and Mrs. Winslett permission to use your photos and content as part of the weekly features if selected.**

All featured projects will also be pinned to my Pinterest boards. What are you waiting for then? Oh! The house rules, of course:

1.) Link up any crafts, recipes, home decor, tips, etc. but don't forget to link back here!

2.) PLEASE be sure to link to your specific post not your general blog.

3.) PLEASE visit and comment on the post before you and after you, on top of any others that catch your eye. Everyone loves comment love!

4.) And most importantly... HAVE FUN!!

<br /><center><a href="http://mrandmrswinslett.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz121/mwinslett/b92cce52-2537-4336-b4d1-0e473a1623fe_zps754d2ffb.jpg"/></a></center><br/>

The Liebster Award

This week, I received the honor of being nominated for the Liebster Award by Darcy over at The Ruffled Stitch. If you haven't seen some of this girl's sewing tutorials, you are missing out. In fact, I featured her DIY Duvet Cover a couple of weeks ago for DIY Weekend.  I couldn't not be more excited (or honored!) seeing as the Liebster is somewhat considered a right-of-passage in the blogging world.

What is the Liebster Award? It is an award passed from blogger to blogger to recognize upcoming and promising blogs. With the award, comes the duty to answer a series of questions from the nominator and pass the award on to another nominee.

Without further adieu, let's celebrate by answering the questions!

1. What made you want to start blogging?

I graduated in May 2012 with a B.A. in Journalism. Since graduating my interest in journalism has waned, but my love for writing never died. I missed it dearly! Through blogging, I found another avenue to foster my love for writing AND crafting. It feels great to be putting my degree to use as well as having readers who enjoy what I am writing again. 

2. What is something you have learned lately?

Running a small business! I've been really blessed that PaperLark Studio has taken off so much this year. Running your own business is really hard work and you learn so much doing it like dealing with taxes or finances. However, it is beyond rewarding and so worth it. 

3. If you had to live in a decade other than the current one, what would you choose?

The 90s! I was a kiddo back then. Life was easy and fun. No bills. No job. Just school and someone to cook dinner for me. Haha! I love you mom!

4. Cheesecake or normal cake?

Cheesecake. Nuff said.

5. What is the worst meal/recipe you have ever made?

After we came home from New Orleans, I tried my hand at a gumbo recipe I found on Pinterest. I hated it and thought it tasted like burnt flour. However, the hubby really liked it. Clearly, his taste buds were not working that day.

6. Name a dream of yours.

My dream is for PaperLark Studio and blogging to be my full time job. To be able to make a full time income from doing something I love and enjoy so much would truly be a dream-come-true for me. This dream will become a reality though. I just know it!

7. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

If I couldn't pick my hometown, I'd say Cinderella's castle at Walt Disney World. Who wouldn't want to live at the most happiest place on earth. And you think I'm kidding...

8. What is one thing you can't live without?

Besides my loved ones? Pinterest. Isn't that terrible?! I'm addicted.

9. Do you follow directions/recipes/instructions or wing it?

I'm naughty. I follow directions/recipes/instructions loosely. I guess that means I wing  it which may have been why my gumbo didn't turn out so great. Ha!

10. Name a memorable childhood moment.

So many! First one that pops into my mind? Our epic family vacation to Florida when I was 9. 

11. What have you learned from blogging?

Perseverance. It is easy to get discouraged from blogging. You post something that you think is craft gold that will take over Pinterest, but you get no feedback. No comments. No re-pins. Not even a like. However, you can't give up because that one post you think no one will read (or care about) like my How to Buy a House in Your 20s series will go viral. Then all of a sudden, you're reading comments daily about how your post or tutorial helped someone. That alone is worth a million craft duds. 

There you have it! Now then, I would like to nominate Anderson and Grant for the Liebster Award. Only blogging since May 2013, Jamie of Anderson and Grant has published some beautiful and impressive projects. Actually, her blog planner printable served as the inspiration for my blog planner which I have yet to share with the world. (Click picture for link)  

Be sure you check her blog out. You won't regret!

Alright, Jamie! It is your turn:

1. Who has had the biggest influence on you?

2. What do you like about blogging?

3. What do you dislike about blogging? (Be honest!)

4. Three favorite online shopping websites.

5. Something you've learned recently.

6. What is your favorite quote and why?

7. What is your favorite form of social media?

8. What is your favorite season?

9. If you could travel anywhere without money being an object, where would you go and why?

10. What is the hardest thing you have ever done, or the biggest obstacle you have faced in your life?

11. What are 3 of your future goals?

Increase Curb Appeal By Spray Painting Your Shutters

Like I've said before, the outside of our house was in need of a little TLC when we bought it...clearly.

Notice the missing shutter? Yeah...Thankfully, I found it buried under some pine straw on the side of the house. After cleaning the gutters and pressure washing the vinyl siding until it looked new again, the shutters were looking very sun-worn. 

I looked up the price for new green shutters. It was a little more than $50 for a pack of two. Are you kidding me?! To buy new shutters, we'd have to fork over $200. I wanted pretty, new shutters, but not for $200!

I was complaining to my mom about paying for new shutters when she suggested I spray paint the old ones. Talk about a DUH moment. 

I can't tell you how easy this project was and how much better it makes our home look. Not to mention, the whole project only cost $37.52 which is a darn far cry from $200. 

I think they turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!

What You Need (for 8 shutters)

6 cans of exterior spray paint 

2 packs of shutter pins (found on aisle with shutters)

Washcloth

Ladder

Hammer

Step One. Shimmy up on that ladder and pull those babies off the house. You may need the backside of the hammer to wiggle the stubborn shutter pins. 

A Word to the Wise: Check under and around your shutters for any stinging, flying insect nests. Otherwise, you'll get a nasty and painful surprise. 

Step Two. Wipe down your shutters really well with a washcloth. We don't want to waste spray paint on cobwebs! Let them dry. I lined mine up on some trees in the back yard.

Shutter halfway painted with the first coat. See the difference already?

Step Three. Spray paint time! I did two coats on each shutter. Leave them overnight to dry really well. 

Step Four. Time to hang them up. Get back on the ladder and follow the instructions on the shutter pin package to hang them up. In all honesty, you just have to shove/push/hammer in the pins. Easy!

My half naked house. Shutters on the right already done!

Once you get them all up, you've got updated shutters and enhanced your curb appeal for UNDER $40!

What are some ways you enhanced your home's curb appeal?

Enjoy!

Miranda

This post was linked at: C.R.A.F.T., Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Keeping It Simple Crafts, Rain on a Tin Roof, The Dedicated House, Alderberry Hill, Mad in Crafts, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Kammy's Korner, Sugar Bee Crafts, Adventures of a DIY Mom, Chef in Training, Not Just a Housewife, Him and Her, Home Stories A to Z, The Gunny Sack, We Like to Learn as We Go, Polkadots on Parade, No Minimalist Here, From My Front Porch to Yours, 52 Mantels, Live Laugh Rowe, A Glimpse Inside, Stone Gable, The Girl Creative, Bloom Designs, Blissful and Domestic, Crafts a la Mode

Friday's Letters

Margaritaville in Biloxi

Dear husband, we had such a wonderful vacation, didn't we? Even though I picked on you the whole way home about it, I'm glad you won enough money in Biloxi to buy the video game you've been wanting. Happy anniversary! Dear Bentley and Bella, I missed you so much while we were gone! I'm glad I left you in good hands though. Thanks for puppy sitting Hailey! Dear Destin, I think I've got the hubby convinced to buy a condo once we retire. That's only 50 million years from now. Sigh. Dear air conditioning, did you really have to start giving us problems before we left for our trip? Now that we are home, I guess we've got to call someone to come see about you. Dear reality, I'm still trying to lay low so you don't know I'm home yet. Gotta make it last as long as I can right?

See ya next week!
Miranda

DIY Weekend 9/12

Welcome to another DIY Weekend! I'm currently relaxing on the beach with my husband celebrating our one year anniversary. Want to check in and see all the fun? Follow me on Instagram!

Because I'm away, our link party will be a little different. I won't feature anyone from last week (sorry!), but anything you link this week is fair game to be featured during next week's link party!
Here's some house rules for you:

1.) Link up any crafts, recipes, home decor, tips, etc. but don't forget to link back here!

2.) PLEASE be sure to link to your specific post not your general blog.

3.) PLEASE visit and comment on the post before you and after you, on top of any others that catch your eye. Everyone loves comment love!

4.) And most importantly... HAVE FUN!!

Our First Anniversary

Our one year anniversary is here! We've definitely had a whirlwind year. We bought a car, our first home and added our youngest fur baby, Bella, to the family. What's ahead? I'm not sure. All I know is whatever it may be R.J. will be by my side. 

How are we celebrating? We're having a super fun photo session at the fairgrounds where we got married. After that, we are off to the beach for a relaxing week-long getaway for the two of us. Hallelujah! 

While I won't be as present this coming week, I'd like to leave you all with this - a look back at our big day. I thought about writing a post about what I would've done differently now, but I couldn't come up with a single thing.

The Wedding: Budget and Advice

The Wedding: Bridal Attire

The Wedding: Our Reception Part One

The Wedding: Our Reception Part Two

The Wedding: Our Ceremony

The Wedding: First Look

Enjoy your week!

Miranda

Friday's Letters

Sunset. Atlanta. Wednesday night.

Dear husband, our one year anniversary is Sunday. WOAH! Are you as ready for our beach trip as I am? Margaritaville here I come! Dear Bentley and Bella, I'm sorry we had to play beauty shop tonight, but ya'll were getting a little stinky! Bella, I'm sorry you got your last puppy shot today, but at least you are done now. Dear Emory Hospital, your cafeteria is pretty yucky. Maybe that is why it is so cheap! Dear God, thank you for my family and my friend who I consider family. These last few weeks have been very difficult, but I have never felt alone. For that, I am beyond grateful. Dear wedding, I am having event planning withdrawals. Anyone in the market for a wedding planner? Sigh...Dear anniversary photo shoot, I'm really excited for you! I've got some really cute ideas that should make some blog-worthy pictures - not to mention great Christmas gifts for the parents. Dear readers, please keep both RJ and I's families in your thoughts and prayers. Like I said, it has been a rough few weeks for various reasons and any prayers would be greatly appreciated.

See ya later!
Miranda

DIY Weekend 9/5

Welcome back for another great DIY Weekend link party! I am certainly counting down to the weekend this week. Four days until we leave for the beach! But don't worry. I've already got a DIY Weekend scheduled for next Thursday so no fun will be missed.

What is DIY Weekend? Every Thursday, I host this link party to showcase my top three DIY project picks from last week's link up party and give you a chance to show off your latest projects. You can link up just about any topic and share your tips, tricks, projects and more! If you don’t have a blog to link up with, take a minute to browse the links! There really are some great blogs out there with wonderful ideas. For example, our three showcase projects above:

1. DIY Yarn Letters from EmmaLilyAllSorts

2. Orange Zest Lemon Soap from Essentially Eclectic

3. Spanakopita from Culinary Flavors

**Please note: By linking to this blog party, you are giving Mr. and Mrs. Winslett permission to use your photos and content as part of the weekly features if selected.**

All featured projects will also be pinned to my Pinterest boards. What are you waiting for then? Oh! The house rules, of course:

1.) Link up any crafts, recipes, home decor, tips, etc. but don't forget to link back here!

2.) PLEASE be sure to link to your specific post not your general blog.

3.) PLEASE visit and comment on the post before you and after you, on top of any others that catch your eye. Everyone loves comment love!

4.) And most importantly... HAVE FUN!!

Halloween Wreath for Our Front Door

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend as much as I did. I love long weekends because they give me some free time to craft. However, I did not have much of a crafting budget this week. We paid for husband's class, my monthly student loan bill and the mortgage this week.

Super tight budget + Overwhelming urge to create = Challenge accepted! 

I created a Halloween wreath for the front door for a grand total of $5.58 (and that's including tax ya'll). It is officially September so it is socially acceptable to start decorating for Halloween, right?!

Please ignore my arm reflecting in the glass of the door...

Being the craft supply hoarder that I am, I had most of the items for this project on hand like the paint and ribbon. All I had to buy where the letters which I got from Hobby Lobby for $1.74 each. 

Ready to try your hand at it? Here's what you need:

• Letters
• Black acrylic paint
• Orange acrylic paint
• Orange ribbon
• Q-tips
• Paper plate
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors

Step One. Paint all three of your letters black and let dry. It only took one coat for me to cover the letters completely.

Step Two. Once dry, squirt your orange paint on a paper plate and using your Q-tip, paint free-handed polka dots on your letters. Again, let the dots dry.

I promise that's not yellow paint...

Step Three. Once the letters are completely dry, tie them together using your orange ribbon. I was worried about the ribbon wiggling lose because I just tied it into a bow so I hot glued the back of the ribbon to the back of the letter.

Step Four. Secure the top ribbon that'll go on your wreath hanger with some hot glue. Once the hot glue has had time to dry and set, place that sucker on your front door.

I can't wait to get some pumpkins and some more mums to really bring my Halloween/fall front porch to life. Until then, Tilbolt, our garden gnome, will have to suffice. 

Happy creating!

Miranda

Blog Redesign

Happy Labor Day!

I wanted to pop in for a quick minute and introduce you to my blog redesign! Looks a lot better, huh? R.J. and I are closing in on our one year anniversary (Sept. 8 to be exact) which means my humble, little blog has been alive and thriving for just over a year now.

In this year, my blog has grown and taken off a lot more than I honestly expected it to. With that growth, I figured I need a more professional and clean looking blog design. I've got some big plans for this blog so its design needs to fit those BIG expectations, right?

What's new?

• New template - my blog redesign was created by AngieMakesWebsites. It was super easy to install and she provides some excellent tutorials to walk you through it all!
• New About Me - I sharpened up on my Photoshop skills for this one.
• Pin Button on ALL pictures - Instead of having to copy my link and pinning it onto Pinterest yourself, I've made it easy to pin by just putting your mouse over the picture. Try it out!
• Instagram Slideshow - See all my latest Instagram pictures while you read the blog. Boy, I love fancy gadgets like that. 
• Search Bar - Instead of hunting through archives, just type your keyword in that handy bar on the side bar.
• Follow Me Buttons - Before, I only three buttons. Now, I've got one for each of my social media sites for easy access.
• Most Popular Posts - Are you a new reader? Be sure to check out my most popular posts conveniently located on the side bar as well. 

Woosh. I've been a busy girl. Hopefully, this layout and design will be a lot easier for you to navigate. I'm kind of in love with it myself. 

See ya tomorrow!

Miranda

P.S. I've got a super cute tutorial coming your way tomorrow!