Thanks to Trop50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 Fabulous Wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous!

Instead of talking about the BIG blogs I read regularly (UCreate, Tatertots and Jello, Made, Make It and Love It, etc.), because I know you read them too, I decided I wanted to talk about 5 fabulous blogs with 1500-ish or less followers.  These are blogs that I adore.  You know…the kind of blog that makes you smile when you see an update in your Google Reader.  So, here they are (in no particular order)…

#1: Sew A Straight Line

Sabra is one of my very favorite people on Earth.  We’ve been friends for 8 years now, since our oldest boys (11 days apart) were tiny.  She’s HILARIOUS, especially on a road trip when you’re both pregnant and staying at Circus Circus.  Sew A Straight Line is a blog she created to (re)learn to sew.  If you need a good laugh, go read this page where she starts out by telling you about the first thing she ever sewed trying to kill her in her sleep.  Now?  She makes all sorts of fabulous-ness.

And she shares the less than stellar stuff, too, which makes me love her even more.

#2: The Crafty Cupboard

Melanie is the genius behind The Crafty Cupboard.  She was a top 3 finalist in season 1 of Crafting With The Stars, but I was a fan long before that.  And, sometimes she even comes to Utah.  I got to show her my favorite fabric store and have lunch with her a couple of months back.  The only thing that could have made it better was less of my kids in attendance. 

She shares my love of vintage Pyrex and has some INSANE thrifting luck.  You need to get her to tell you about how she got the money for her DSLR.

#3: Sutton Grace

I think I was first introduced to Erin from Sutton Grace via her family trees.  I made 2 of them for Christmas that year (and have the stuff to make one for myself tucked away awaiting the names of the rest of BC’s ancestors).  I kept reading because she just seems so dang nice!  I want to hang out in her dining room and stare at her curtains…I’ll even bring the drinks.

That’s not creepy, right?

#4: The Boy Trifecta

Emily was my partner for the first season of Crafting With The Stars, but I originally became familiar with her when she won the crap out of A Lemon Squeezy Home’s purse week. I adore her.  She’s one of those people I feel like I needed to meet/be friends with, and blogging made that happen.  (So YAY for blogs!)  I love that she sews things for boys that a kid with an opinion will actually wear.  She’s also got mad crochet skillz.  (Note to self:  learn to crochet or knit or something ASAP!)

Plus, we both have 3 boys and are married to Bryans.  Fate, right?

#5: Less Cake {More Frosting}

I don’t remember how I met Lara from Less Cake {More Frosting}, I just feel like we’ve always been friends.  (Pier 1?  Cheesecake Factory?  The Chocolate?)  She has that “thing” where to know her is to love her.  And I do.  She adores Barbara Streisand and hates the word “crafts”.  She gets WAY more excited about fonts than anyone I know.  She’s not afraid of color and she makes a mean printable.

Plus, the girl loves Diet Coke and Neil Diamond.  You can’t go wrong with that.

Don’t forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

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Hello there!  I’ve got a whole lot of crazy to blog one of these days, but we’ll get to that later.  We’ve been a couple of weeks without a giveaway…did you notice? I think the fact that this one has THREE winners should make up for that, though.

Remember how I said that one of my goals this year was to improve my picture taking?  I think this will help…

Katie, of Katie Evans Photography has written this book to help you make the most of your camera and improve your skills.  She says:

Have you invested in a digital SLR, but can’t quite figure out how to get those stunning pictures out of it? You know what you want your pictures to look like, but you just don’t know how to get there. You haven’t dared to shoot in anything but automatic and when you do…well, let’s just say those aren’t the pictures you post on your blog.

You CAN get those beautiful, artsy, cool pictures you are imagining. You just need me. Okay, you don’t need me but you do need some information that I will happily share with you. The information that I will reveal in this ebook will help you understand your camera and beyond. Some of the things I will teach include how to achieve a proper exposure, how and where to find the best light, which lenses are the best and why, what the important settings on your camera are about, RAW vs. JPEG, how to compose a striking picture, the best editing software, my  “must-do’s” in my editing process, and so much more.

Sounds good, right?

I’m especially excited about the section on lighting (aka the part I need the most help with).

Katie also gives photography tips on her blog.

What’s in it for you?

Well, first of all, Katie’s offering everyone $2 off the price of the ebook using code “CRAP”.  This code is good for two weeks and you can buy the book here.

And, she’s giving away THREE copies of the ebook!

To enter:

Leave a comment ON THIS POST saying what your biggest photography challenge is.

Additional entry for following Katie’s photography blog.  Leave a comment on this post saying that you did.

Like Katie Evans Photography on Facebook.  Leave a comment on this post saying that you did.

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Good news!  You can click on over all day long for 40% off Michaels coupons on the blog (up top and on the sidebar)!

What’s your craft supply store of choice?  Mine is Michaels.  I’m not getting paid to say that…it’s true.  Let me tell you why:

• I can get there in under 7 minutes.
  Their hours are longer than the other choices in my area.  (Maybe it’s just me that always runs out of something at 8:45pm?)
  They carry lots and lots of Martha Stewart goodness.
• I thought it’d be fun for me to share the top 5 things I buy at Michaels, so I made a list of 6. 
• Ready?
• Frames:  Michael’s has a great selection of frames.  They’re always my first stop, whether I’m looking for oval shaped frames for my kids’ silhouettes or giant frames for movie posters for the theater room.
• 

• Cardstock:  Pretty much any time you see a project involving cardstock ‘round these parts, that cardstock came from Michaels.

• 

• Chalkboard markers:  You all know I love the wet erase chalkboard markers, right?  I’ve talked about them before.  I get them at Michael’s.

• 

• Origami paper:  What?  You didn’t know I bought origami paper?  Well, I do.  And Michaels has by far the best selection…TONS of patterns to choose from.  A stack of paper and an origami book from the library will keep my older kids busy for HOURS.  Plus, it gives them something to do with the program at church.    Our favorite thing to make is a crane.  I found some directions here.

• Tracer Jr. Projector:  When I was looking for a projector to work on my Utah Jazz Mural, I found it at Michaels.

• 

• Martha Stewart Glitter:  If you’re gonna use glitter, USE MARTHA GLITTER.  (And her glittering glue is fabulous as well.)  It comes in like a zillion colors and I love how fine it is.

• 

• 

• So, there’s my Michaels top 5 6.

  If for some reason, you don’t see Michaels ads, you can still click here to get a 40% off coupon!

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It’s that time again…Silhouette promo time!

I’ll give you the details up front:

A Silhouette SD
1 package white flocked heat transfer material
1 package teal smooth heat transfer material
1 package dark pink smooth heat transfer
All for $219!

Or, if you already have a machine, take 25% off all heat transfer material.

As always, use code “CRAP” to take advantage of the savings from May 17th –25th.

Here’s a link directly to the machine bundle.

Want to see what I made with the heat transfer they sent me?

It’s a skirt (more on that later this week…SUPER simple tutorial, another reason you’ll want to make one).

I used the heat transfer to add the detailing.

(The yellow was from another project and Macy’s request.)

I’m flying home from Kentucky today.  Last night we went to Churchill Downs.  Here’s a shot of Lorie and me on the bus in our Derby hats:

See you soon!

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So, I’m here safely in Kentucky enjoying the GE Momsperience.

21C has quite possibly THE NICEST staff in the history of the world.

And did I mention the place is fabulous?

Because it is.

And tonight we made Derby hats, with the assistance of some lovely ladies from Dee’s Crafts.  Janice was especially helpful…just ask Lorie (who was pretty much the first one to start and pretty much the last one to finish).

You’ll see more of the hats, I promise, but I’ll let you have a peek at mine:

(My dress is on the left.)

Fun times, for sure.

Silhouette promo tomorrow.  Watch for it.

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Whilst I was at Abode, I picked up this beauty:

It’s a wallpaper sample book.  At first look, it was frightening.

But, the more I thought about it, the more I thought I could make something fabulous.  The result?

Wallpaper Pennant Bunting

Supplies:

Wallpaper
Double fold bias tape
Sewing machine
Pennant template (you can make it whatever size you want, but I’m including mine for those who are feeling especially lazy)

I’m sure you’ve seen this general concept before, so this will be brief.

Cut out pennant shapes from your wallpaper.

Bias tape has one side slightly shorter than the other.

You want the short side on top.

I like to leave about a 4” tail on the bias tape for hanging purposes.

Stitch the pennant pieces inside the bias tape.  I used a long straight stitch but a zig zag would be cute, too.

When you get to the end of that piece, put another one in.  Continue until you reach your desired length.

Add another one, if you want.

The perfect finishing touch?

This printable from the girls at eighteen25.

‘Scuse me whilst I go stare at my mantel for a bit.

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I guest posted on the blog for a local consignment store (Abode) a while back and thought I’d share the post here, too.

The header on my blog says “sometimes it’s amazing and sometimes it’s just crap”. I’m mentioning that because my project went through several stages of CRAP and it’s not at all what I had in mind. And I ripped off the awesome wallpaper in a fit of insanity. Don’t you worry…I’ve got other plans for that wallpaper.

So, if you’re a regular Abode shopper, I’m sure you already know this. If you’re not, pay close attention. There’s a room way back in the back full of all kinds of random junk. Go to that room and start digging. And don’t wear tippy heels.

What are you looking for?

Shutters.

I love shutters!!!

I used to have an awkward hole above my fireplace where random neighbor children would play. (OK, so the one on the left is mine.)

I suppose I could have put a TV up there, but then I would have had to listen to it. So, what’s a girl to do?

Shutter up, that’s what.

These particular shutters started out like this:

I removed the hardware and spray painted them Key Lime. Then I roughed them up and used a glaze to tone down the crazy.

They provide a great backdrop for my obsessive mantel decorating tendencies. See?

Christmas

Valentine’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day

Spring/Easter

So, what if you don’t find a whole set of shutters the perfect height and just find one or two instead?

I picked up these old drapery hooks at Abode:

They sat perfectly on top of the slats of my shutter.

You could use them for keys:

or to hang some little buckets on:

I think this would be fabulous in an office holding supplies or in a kitchen with potted herbs. What about one big bucket in the center with some sort of flowers? Cute, right?

So, go to the back room at Abode (1720 S 900 E in Sugar House, 11-2 Tuesday-Friday & 11-6 Saturday ).

Find some shutters.

Don’t be afraid to paint them.

Hang stuff on them.

Live happily ever after.

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***UglySofa.com is giving all of you (48 contiguous states) FREE SHIPPING for 24 hours only!  Use code “crapivemade” to take advantage of the deal NOW!***

In the past, I’ve posted the winners and screen shots, right?

That’s not happening anymore.

Why?

WordPress has a plugin for that.  (I still don’t get it either, so don’t ask me to explain )

I click on some magic buttons and WordPress picks winners for me and then I click a few more buttons and it emails them for me.  Sweet, right?

So, the names of the winners are: Jennifer, Sarah E., and Leanne.  Go check your email if that could be you!

I also had WordPress pick new winners for the Woombie and Imaginisce giveaways.  They were old contests, from before the switch, so I couldn’t click the magic buttons to have them notified via email.

The new Woombie winner is The Knapps.

The new Imaginisce winner is Heather (goldiecar).

You two will need to email me ASAP at [email protected] to claim your prizes!

And, guess who I met last night!

AMY FRICKIN’ BUTLER!

She was delightful and didn’t even act weirded out when I asked her about modifying one of her patterns to make it a dress.  You know…like I’m someone important or something and have the right to do that.  She was also kind enough to sign this for her biggest fan, aka Neighbor Jami:

Fun night, with some of my favorite local bloggers!

Today I have a kid home sick.  I think that might be the perfect excuse to make something!

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Remember how I told you I made something?

This is it:

I LOVE monograms, but C is officially THE most boring letter for a monogram in the history of monograms.  And, the room it’s going in has a horse trough for a coffee table, so a regular old C in a frame wasn’t going to cut it.  I needed something with a little “kick”.

I took a regular old Hobby Lobby frame and spray painted it glossy orange.  Good start, but it still needed a little more oomph!

The background is green, cut with my Silhouette, but I suspect I could have found a patterned paper that would have worked just as well.  However, I would have had to put pants without an elastic waistband and shoes on for that, so…

The C is the lowercase one from JFFerrule.  I cut that with my Silhouette as well.  It’s one lone letter, so you could for sure cut it out with scissors if you’re not Silhouette inclined.  And then I used spray adhesive to mount everything to a white backing paper.

Cute with my Target lamp (which is currently marked down to $18!), right?

Do you like monograms?

Do you have any on display in your home?

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1.  You can still enter to win one of THREE name brand (Lottery Yarn) slipcovers from UglySofa.com on this post through tomorrow.

2.  I have not heard from the Woombie or Imaginisce winners.  I’ll redraw and post those later today.

3.  Do you want to come to SNAP! ?  We’re giving away a full conference pass.  The contest starts Wednesday.  Go here for the details.

4.  Have I mentioned that I’m going to Kentucky this weekend for the GE Momsperience?  It’s true…I won the chance to accompany the fabulous Lorie from Be Different Act Normal and I’m GIDDY.

5.  In case you missed it on Facebook, Neighbor Jami had her sweet baby Lucy early yesterday morning!

6.  I ACTUALLY MADE SOMETHING LAST NIGHT.  I think the funk has lifted!

Got anything good going on this week?

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