Busy Weekend.

My darling daughter's dance recital is this weekend and I help with all 4 shows so no posts until at least Sunday evening.  I have more patriotic projects to share.  

Laters Baby

I Have a Guest Post Today at My LIfe and Kids

I am super excited to be guest blogging today on Anna's blog, My Life and Kids.  To read my post and my tutorial for making 4th Of July Sparklers click here.  For more about Anna keep reading….

Read any of Anna's poignant and hilarious posts about life as a stay-at-home mom and I know you will love her as much as I do.  She has 3 small kids and a hubby with a strange tendency to show up in her posts all Photoshopped.  As the story goes Anna was a working woman staking her place in corporate America (ok, I really have no idea what she did before she stayed home but she did something….she loved).  In those days she lived with her hunky, and perfectly per portioned hubby, Even Steven and her beloved baby, Harry Dog.  Once she embraced her fertility she just couldn't stop it until she had 3 kids in 3 years and her life changed.  She moved to the burbs, got a mini-van and quit her job.  Throughout it all she has maintained her wicked-and hilarious- sense of humor.  The dog….he no longer gets much maternal attention and the hunky hubby?  His head spends a lot of time Photoshopped to strange bodies.  Anna? She's still beautiful and smiles….a lot.

Even Steven
Source: www.myLifeandKids.com

Take a trip to her blog and be prepared to laugh.  I will warn you….do NOT have anything in your mouth when you read her posts because she has been known to cause her readers to spit coffee at their computer screen.  The bonus funny is that her mom and a variety of friends and relatives like to post comments and sometimes by the time I get done reading them, I can't breath.

Anna and Alice
Source: My Life and Kids

Anna doesn't just post funny stories and HILARIOUS Photoshoped pictures of her husband…oh no, she is much more than that.  She has started a community with 11 other female bloggers.  A community that is real and honest.  The blogosphere is full of women who claim to have perfect lives….you know the type….married to her best friend, birthed 4 adorable model- perfect kids and she does it all by shopping where nothing is ever more than a dollar.  What?  Pleeeeaaazzze!  We all know life is messy and wonderful and horrible and funny and sad.  But it isn't perfect.  We have perfect moments but not perfect lives.  These women keep it real and I love that.  Check out this new but thriving community here.

Anna doesn't keep the funny to herself.  She has started a weekly Linky Party with another funny blogger called Finding the Funny.  Now everyone has the opportunity to link her funniest blog posts.  There are a lot of funny women blogging these days.

I have decided to give Anna the following It's Raining JellyBeans Bloggy Awards


The First Post (I ever read) Bloggy: 
Kitchen Floor Update.  It was the post that sealed the deal…. I would forever more be a loyal reader of all things Anna.  


My All Time Favorite Post Bloggy: 
Exercising in My Underwear  Anna is hilarious and her mom and other friends' responses in the comments are priceless.


The Me Too Bloggy:
Even Steven Banned Me From Craig's List


The Best Use of Photoshop Bloggy:
Even Steven Swims


The TMI-but still freakin' hilarous -Bloggy:
A Confession: Shaking a Few Coconuts of My Palm Tree This post made me think "Who thinks this way" as I cleaned the coffee off my computer screen.


The Funny But Clever Bloggy:
A Letter To Pottery Barn Kid


The Funny But Clever 2 Bloggy:
Visiting My Bestie Allison


The We Feel Your Pain Bloggy:

My Mom is On Facebook

The Oh You Poor Thing Bloggy:
Lies my Mom Told Me Part1
Lies My Mom Told Me Part 2

The Lice Bloggy:

I Thought I Was Dying






All the goodness doesn't stop at funny.  Anna has an E-Book she is giving away on her Facebook page.  Just "Like" her Facebook Page and you can download 25 Ways to Have More Fun at Home; a compilation of 25 (serious) activities to do with your kids written with a glint of Anna's humor.

Can you believe Anna is also crafty.  While I cannot imagine how she finds time to craft with 3 little ones at home, but she occasional whips out the Mod Podge and makes something cool.  You will find links to her projects here.

As usual I am a story teller and quick post to let you know about my guest post on her blog turns out to be a long post on my blog.  Ce Le Vie, blah blah blah…..

Check out my post today at My Life and Kids.  I share a tutorial for making a fun 4th-of-July decoration.  Be sure to come back here later this week for more of my decorations how-tos.

Laters Baby….

Compendium Challenge Week 9

It is week 9 of Linda's Compendium of Curiosity Challenge.  If you haven't been following this fun challenge it is run by Linda at Studio L3 using Tim Holtz's latest book A Compendium of Curiosity Vol 2.  This week's product is the Pocket Watch page 35.  As always we are not discussing the techniques that come from the book in order to protect Tim's intellectual property.  The book is fantastic and readily available.  For an autographed copy directly from Tim click here.  Simon Says Stamp is offering a $25 gift certificate for one randomly drawn winner.

Right now my studio is  all about the 4th of July and Red, White and Blue and my pocket watch certainly reflects this.

For this most Patriotic Project I used a piece of 4th-of-July paper from Tim's Paper Stash Seasonale.  I used the smallest scale piece.  The star is a stick pin (I cannot remember who makes them).  I lopped about a half an inch of the pin off the end and then sent the rest through my Xyron Sticker Maker.  I sprinkled the star with my Gilded Girls Stash Society Signature Glass Glitter Mix  (it is a gold/silver combination).   The pen nib has a small piece of Navy Seam Binding simply tied in a sweet knot and the "4" game piece is Idea-ology.

I'm always so intimidated to actually do a Pocket Watch because the inside is so small it really limits my creativity but I always like what I end up with.

This project was linked to the following Linky Parties:
Twigg Studios
Watch Out Martha
Laters Baby….