Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop 05.29.11

Welcome and thank you for joining our 9th Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop! Is the grill ready for the barbecue tomorrow? Having guests over? No matter what you do, please remember those who served, and continue to serve our country. Let freedom prevail!

For those of you joining us for the first time, we only have 2 easy, simple rules:

1) Link up your creative post - can be a DIY project, decor, photography, crafts, recipes, poem, thrift finds, link party, or that informative syndicated post that can make us laugh, or cry - in short, whatever you're proud of! And if you like to link more creative posts, go for it! We'd love to see them :) (No links to businesses or giveaways.)

2) Follow as many blogs as you desire, preferably starting first with the one who linked before you and after you, before branching out, and let them know by leaving a comment. (Following me and the co-hosts will be very much appreciated, and we definitely follow back. Just let us know you're following.)

You’re not required to include the party button but if you’re so inclined to display it in your blog or your post, you’re very much welcome to do so :)

Link opens up every Sunday at 5:00 pm, PST.

Because I like something different, I'm using the reverse entry for inlinkz - so the most recent participant will show up as number 1, thus giving everybody a chance to have the #1 spot.

Co-host
I'm so happy to have two great co-hosts this week. First is Nan from Playful Decor. She is a mom, wife, fledgling entrepreneur & inventor. She's totally busy re-decorating their new house, and learning to be green. Nan has been a good blogging friend ever since I met her this year.

My other awesome co-host is Jessica from My World Made By Hand. She won the Epic Makeover Contest provided by Mandi over at Vintage Revivals, and I can proudly say that I voted for her during that week. You know why? Because she's the queen of creative ideas.

Blog Tips
Do you know that through picnik, the famous free photo-editing software, you can make a blog banner and buttons, party invites, gift tags, cupcake toppers? Homemade by Jill shows us how. You'll be amazed at what you can create with picnik and you'll never see picnik in the same light again.

Favorite Blog
You clicked, inlinkz tallied. The readers' favorite blog this past week out of 203 links, being the most viewed post, is Meg and Mums. She bought an Old Box Couch then re-upholstered it into this elegant and beautiful eye-catching piece in their home. Would you believe that couch also is a storage? Go see it yourself.



Our Party
To the main course of this post.


<center><a href="http://www.homemakeronadime.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae194/homemakeronadime/creativeblogbuttonjpg.jpg" /></a></center>
Friends, go ahead and mingle with one another :) Happy partying!




Burning question: Do you use picnik?

Yes, I do. It's the software I often use to resize, crop, and autofix my pictures before posting. I also made the Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop party button using picnik through a lot of experimenting :) How about you?

Recognition Day Thursday - Bring on Beautiful

After reading the May issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, "bring on beautiful" kept repeating over and over in my mind. Like those instances when my kids chant the words, "McDonalds, McDonalds!" Anyway, back to the recognition of awesome projects during this weeks's Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop. In order to halt the repetitive thought, I decided to put this as a title in my blog's post today coz what have all the CBPH's participants done except bring on the beautiful? Here are some favorites:

Kathy's screened porch reveal over at All About Vignettes have lots of decorating ideas for us. Here's one word to describe her porch: B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!



This Robin's Egg Blue Chandy over at A Little Birdie Told Me brought so much elegance in her kitchen.



Meijo's Joy concept of a Ribbon Soap Basket is a great gift idea. She showed the details on how to make this intricate ribbon decor that sends the YOU ARE SPECIAL message to the receiver.



These bucket organizers by Jaime Lyn from Crafty, Scrappy, Happy will make you ask, "Why didn't I think of that?"



So there you have it, friends - the unique, the beautiful, the elegant, and the practical.

Crocheted Floral Cross Wall Art

Crocheting has been my passion & addiction ever since I learned it. Probably it's the mindless & repetitive motions that calm me down and dissolve all worries and cares of this world. Or perhaps because it's a crafter's ultimate form of meditation. Or MAYBE because I grew up in an environment where we breathed, slept, ate, and drank all things crocheted. No matter what caused my affinity to crocheting, I honor it and bask in its benefits.



I also love the thrill of entering contests - and winning in the process. Combining these two inspired the creation of this crocheted wall art cross. And yes, it's one of our entries during the Orange County Fair this July. Though I'm tempted to claim that I made it, I'll give the credit to my mom who always makes time to create something new.

We started this project with the faded gold frame I bought at a garage sale for $4. I initially spray-painted it black but my hubby had a terrible allergy attack so my mother repainted it with a white Behr's primer and paint in one. It looked much better fitted to this project because of the color change. She then put the same cloth backing material she used in her crocheted angels wall art project.



Next is she finished the crocheted cross, then started making those crocheted flowers. She then sewed the flowers on the cross.



She used pins to mark the placement of the cross on the backing of the frame. She then glued the whole cross onto the blue cloth.



Do you want to see closely how the flowers look like?



This is the final look that we'll submit to the Orange County Fair. Fingers crossed, we'll get another ribbon :)



I party here:


The DIY Showoff, Metamorphosis Monday~House in Roses ~ Crafts Keep Me Sane ~ The Girl Creative ~ Skip To My Lou ~  Making The World Cuter  ~  Sumo's Sweet Stuff ~Keeping It Simple ~ Finding Fabulous ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ Craft-O-Maniac ~ Dittle Dattle {T}The Lettered Cottage ~ Today's Creative Blog ~ Home Stories A 2 ZZ  ~ A Stroll Thru Life ~Tip Junkie ~ Sugar Bee  ~ Ladybug Blessings ~Not JUST a Housewife ~ Running With Glitter ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Homework {W}Type A, Savvy Southern Style ~  Creations By Kara ~ Someday Crafts ~My Backyard Eden ~Somewhat Simple, Beyond The Picket Fence, No Minimalist Here, The Shabby Chic Cottage ~Blue Cricket Design  ~Fireflies and Jellybeans ~Sew Much Ado ~Seven Thirty Three  ~ Lil' Luna ~ Fabric Bows and More ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Ginger Snaps {T} House Of Hepworths ~ The Shabby Chic Cottage ~Paisley Passions ~ Somewhat Simple  ~What Allie's Making Now  ~ Saved By Love Creations ~ Brandy's Crafts {F} Finding Fabulous  ~Fingerprints On The Fridge  ~ Tidymom ~A Few Of My Favorite Things ~Simply Designing  ~The Shabby Nest  ~Chic On A Shoestring Decorating ~Simply Sweet Home   ~Punpkin Seed Productions  ~My Romantic Home ~ Just A Girl ~  Truly Lovely with the Laney Sisters ~ A Little Knick Knack ~ ~ Lovely Crafty Home ~ Bubbly Nature Creations ~ Inspiring Creations ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Whipperberry ~ 504 Main ~ 30 Days {S} French Country Cottage, Romantic Home, Shabby Nest, Vintage Revivals, Remodelaholic, Amanda at Serenity Now, Designer Garden, Be Different...Act Normal ~Funky Junk Interiors ~Tater Tots And Jello ~Along For The Ride ~ Lolly Jane ~ ~ Saturday Mornings {Sn} I Heart Naptime ~Under The Table And Dreaming ~ Flamingo Toes

Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop 05.22.11

Welcome to our 8th Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop! How are you, my friends? Me, this past week has been bitter-sweet. Bitter because one of my friends experienced the worst nightmare a parent could have. Her 15-year old son took out his life, and it's a sad, sad time for them, and for all of us who know them. Friends, life is so fragile so forget how much annoying our kids can be, just hug them and flood them with kisses, accompanied by I LOVE YOUs! If they're past that stage, an encouraging "Hey, dude!" will do. We can never tell what tomorrow brings. In the other end of life spectrum, my friend who just got recently married is now 14 weeks pregnant! We all love babies and baby stories (excluding the first 3.5 months of pregnancy, of course) and this news sorta balanced out the heavy emotional load by the first news.

Ok, enough of my week's drama and proceed to our fun party :)

For those of you joining us for the first time, we only have 2 easy, simple rules:

1) Link up your creative post - can be a DIY project, decor, photography, crafts, recipes, poem, thrift finds, link party, or that informative syndicated post that can make us laugh, or cry - in short, whatever you're proud of! And if you like to link more creative posts, go for it! We'd love to see them :) (No links to businesses or giveaways.)

2) Follow as many blogs as you desire, preferably starting first with the one who linked before you and after you, before branching out, and let them know by leaving a comment. (Following me and the co-host will be very much appreciated, and we definitely follow back. Just let us know you're following.)

You’re not required to include the party button but if you’re so inclined to display it in your blog or your post, you’re very much welcome to do so :)

Link opens up every Sunday at 5:00 pm, PST.

Because I like something different, I'm using the reverse entry for inlinkz - so the most recent participant will show up as number 1, thus giving everybody a chance to have the #1 spot.

Co-host
My co-host this week is Kindra from At Home with K. She is a wife, momma to 2 beautiful boys, crafter, decorator, nurse. She loves to create and decorate and her blog is oozing with creative ideas! By the way, she also holds a Tuesday blog party called Terrific Under Ten so feel free to join in.

Blog Tips
In light of what had happened when Blogger went out of commission for more than a day, which is equivalent to a century in internet time, many bloggers explored the possibility of moving to Wordpress. For my future reference and also for those contemplating of moving to Wordpress, here's how to Migrate your Blog from Blogger to WordPress. If you fear that you'll lose your google friends connect followers, worry no more because here's a great tip to Move Your Blog Followers to Wordpress.

Favorite Blog
You clicked, inlinkz tallied. The readers' favorite blog this past week out of 203 links, being the most viewed post, is the Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing. How she fixed her curtain using a glue gun and setting up a new manicure trend are something you don't want to miss out :)



Our Party
To the main course of this post.


<center><a href="http://www.homemakeronadime.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae194/homemakeronadime/creativeblogbuttonjpg.jpg" /></a></center>
Friends, go ahead and mingle with one another :) Happy partying!



Burning question: What's your favorite part of your home?

My favorite part is the dining area. I know I haven't posted anything about our dining area because we haven't started improving it yet. But I love this area because it's where we exchange our stories as a family. It's where we enjoy home-cooked meals while sharing what went on during our day. How about you? Please do share.

Recognition Day Thursday - Projects That Make You Scream WOW!

These are my favorite posts during our Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop for the week.

Ann at On Sutton Place showed us how to give a porch a little personality by adding layers of texture and fabric in a step-by-step process.



Have you heard of tussie mussie? Cozy Home Scenes explained what it is and demonstrated how to make a very pretty one.



Shelley over at Crazy Wonderful showed the detailed steps to make this gorgeous chevron ruffle pillow.



Second Chances by Susan came up with this genius idea of embellishing spam cans. Yes, I guarantee, these are spam cans.



Catherine at Cat On A Limb made a Pottery Barn knock-off for only $4.



Tricia at Sweeter Than Sweets made a homemade fruit leather which is a better version of the Fruit by the Foot that my kids are crazy about.



Colleen at Mural Maker painted this dinosaur and kitty mural. You can see her passion in her painting when you visit her blog.



Have a Happy Thursday everyone :)

Dressing Up Our Scriptures

My mother is a do-er, not a reader. I swear, I've never seen her read the Bible while I was growing up, until this year when a friend gave her one as a present. The crocheter she is, she set to dress it up by making a crocheted cover.



We have some leftover rolls of polyester string from previous crocheting names project which she used.



A few gazillion of single crochets, bajillion of double crochets to make the flowers and cross, plus 48 hours worth of crocheting time later and she finally finished the cover she needed as shown in the first picture.

Now Princess One also owns a set of scriptures, and she nagged asked me to buy her a scripture case (just like her friends at Church). When I saw my mother crocheting her scripture cover, a light bulb idea came to my mind. I bribed her to make another for Princess One.



Without any pattern but just loads of imagination, my mother came up this pink scripture case.



Princess One proudly brings her scriptures to Church every Sunday knowing that she's has the most unique, dressy, and pinky case among her peers.

I party here:


The DIY Showoff, Metamorphosis Monday~House in Roses ~ Crafts Keep Me Sane ~ The Girl Creative ~ Skip To My Lou ~  Making The World Cuter  ~  Sumo's Sweet Stuff ~Keeping It Simple ~ Finding Fabulous ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ Craft-O-Maniac ~ Dittle Dattle {T}The Lettered Cottage ~ Today's Creative Blog ~ Home Stories A 2 ZZ  ~ A Stroll Thru Life ~Tip Junkie ~ Sugar Bee  ~ Ladybug Blessings ~Not JUST a Housewife ~ Running With Glitter ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Homework {W}Type A, Savvy Southern Style ~  Creations By Kara ~ Someday Crafts ~My Backyard Eden ~Somewhat Simple, Beyond The Picket Fence, No Minimalist Here, The Shabby Chic Cottage ~Blue Cricket Design  ~Fireflies and Jellybeans ~Sew Much Ado ~Seven Thirty Three  ~ Lil' Luna ~ Fabric Bows and More ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Ginger Snaps {T} House Of Hepworths ~ The Shabby Chic Cottage ~Paisley Passions ~ Somewhat Simple  ~What Allie's Making Now  ~ Saved By Love Creations ~ Brandy's Crafts {F} Finding Fabulous  ~Fingerprints On The Fridge  ~ Tidymom ~A Few Of My Favorite Things ~Simply Designing  ~The Shabby Nest  ~Chic On A Shoestring Decorating ~Simply Sweet Home   ~Punpkin Seed Productions  ~My Romantic Home ~ Just A Girl ~  Truly Lovely with the Laney Sisters ~ A Little Knick Knack ~ ~ Lovely Crafty Home ~ Bubbly Nature Creations ~ Inspiring Creations ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Whipperberry ~ 504 Main ~ 30 Days {S} French Country Cottage, Romantic Home, Shabby Nest, Vintage Revivals, Remodelaholic, Amanda at Serenity Now, Designer Garden, Be Different...Act Normal ~Funky Junk Interiors ~Tater Tots And Jello ~Along For The Ride ~ Lolly Jane ~ ~ Saturday Mornings {Sn} I Heart Naptime ~Under The Table And Dreaming ~ Flamingo Toes

Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop 05.15.11

Welcome, friends, to our 7th Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop! Thank you so much for joining us last week. I'm so glad blogger.com is now up and running and we can go back to our merry ways of blog partying (fingers crossed).

For those of you joining us for the first time, we only have 2 easy, simple rules:

1) Link up your creative post - can be a DIY project, decor, photography, crafts, recipes, poem, thrift finds, link party, or that informative syndicated post that can make us laugh, or cry - in short, whatever you're proud of! And if you like to link more creative posts, go for it! We'd love to see them :) (No links to businesses or giveaways.)

2) Follow as many blogs as you desire, preferably starting first with the one who linked before you and after you, before branching out, and let them know by leaving a comment. (Following me and the co-host will be very much appreciated, and we definitely follow back. Just let us know you're following.)

You’re not required to include the party button but if you’re so inclined to display it in your blog or your post, you’re very much welcome to do so :)

Link opens up every Sunday at 5:00 pm, PST.

Because I like something different, I'm using the reverse entry for inlinkz - so the most recent participant will show up as number 1, thus giving everybody a chance to have the #1 spot.

Co-host and Blog Tip

My co-host this week is Jennifer at Life, Crafts, and Whatever. She has a great affinity for thrift stores. She loves the thrill of the hunt, finding a treasure that just needs a coat of spray paint and some love so it's true potential comes out. She loves seeing a $200 item in a catalog, and figuring out how to make a knock off of it for a few bucks. She's a stay-at-home mom to 3 girls after a blazing career at the Air Force), meaning she's a referee, a cook, a teacher, a counselor, a chauffeur, a nurse or a comforter, depending on the hour. I'm pretty sure you'll easily love her when you get to read her blog.

She is also the source of my blog tip for today. I received a lot of emails asking me how to make the blog party buttons smaller and of the same sizes. Instead of making a post for that, I'm going to let Jennifer explain the step-by-step process in Let's Clean Up Those Buttons, Yo.

Favorite Blog
You clicked, inlinkz tallied. The readers' favorite blog this past week out of 279 links, being the most viewed post, is the The Fun Fritz Family's post about her baby - 22 years ago :) One thing I've learned most from blogging - we are all drawn to babies, babies, and babies. We all love babies! Who wouldn't, right?



Our Party
To the main course of this post.


<center><a href="http://www.homemakeronadime.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae194/homemakeronadime/creativeblogbuttonjpg.jpg" /></a></center>
Friends, go ahead and mingle with one another :) Happy partying!





Burning question:What do you prefer to use in painting a furniture - paintbrush or roller?

I prefer roller to give that even and smooth finish. How about you? Please do share.

Outdoor Entertaining by the Beach

My husband and I are fortunate enough to live close by with his brothers and their families. We are also fortunate enough to live close by the beach and party together when the kids celebrate their birthdays. (Note: The pictures taken below occurred in two different beaches on two different occasions.)

When we gather together as a clan, we just let nature be our decors. We don’t want to tamper the beauty all around us so we just focus on the food and activities we do together.

Barbecue is always the staple during beach party.



While the host barbecues, kids get to play ball.



Everybody finds a good spot to momentarily bask in nature's beauty and feast on the food.



Playing with the sand is always a hit with the kids.







So is occasional chasing around with kids and by the kids.





Some conferences also happen here.



A birthday party is not complete without the cake.



Cap it off by a group picture to keep as a keepsake for the future generation.



So there you have it, my friends. That's how we entertain outdoors. How about you? Do you party at the beach?