If you remember from last month’s post, my deck is trying to secede from the union (aka my house).

I wish I could tell you that we had that situation all under control, but the reality is that my new deck is still in my driveway.

We had to order the color of decking that I wanted and then there was a delivery scheduling issue.  So, by the time it arrived I was way too in the middle of the DIY Blogger House projects/set up to be of any deck reconstruction help.  (I did, however, use 10 cans of Valspar spray paint on the crib and changing table for the house…that counts for something, right?)

So, I put BC in charge of “making our outside space more appealing, more fun and more memorable”, like Lowe’s had challenged me to do.

Because he’s a dude, that involved food.

His dad had one of these delivered to us recently:

So, BC headed to Lowe’s and picked up some lump charcoal (I don’t know what that is)

and some wood chips

and he got to grilling.

I’m going to share my favorite rib rub recipe (say that 10 times fast) with you.

1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
2 T brown sugar
1/2 t cayenne
2 t kosher salt
1 t pepper

Rub into baby back ribs really well (this is enough for 1 or 2 racks, I double it if we’re doing 3 racks)and then put them on a cookie sheet and cover with foil.  I bake at 275 for about 2.5 hours or longer…whatever.  You really can’t go wrong if you cook them low and slow.

After they’re done baking, cut the racks into serving size pieces (2 or 3 ribs) and slather with your favorite BBQ sauce.  We like Sweet Baby Ray’s.  Grill outdoors for a few minutes per side to get them nice and sticky and caramelized.  Mmmm!

Another family favorite this summer has been flank steak cooked on an oak plank (also from Lowe’s) sliced thin on a salad with Chunky Bleu Cheese Olive Oil Vinaigrette dressing from Bolthouse Farms.

What have I been doing during all of this?

(That chair is also from Lowe’s.  They’re under $20 and I may have purchased 4 of them.  They’ll go on the deck once it’s not falling off the house. )

Do you grill?

Charcoal or gas?

Have a favorite recipe you’d like to share?

And while you’re drooling and/or waiting for the grill to heat up, head on over for your FREE Subscription to Lowe’s Creative Ideas Magazine:

Or, check out the Lowe’s Creative Idea’s app (also free)!  I have it on my iPhone and it’s delightful!

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The nice folks at Silhouette sent me some fabric interfacing to play with this month.

And, since we’re back in the thick of football season,

I decided that Keller needed a new pillow for the reading chair in his room.

The pillow cover came from Dollar Tree.  I had never seen them before and have never seen them since, but that one day….it was magical. 

I cut out a helmet shape (from the Silhouette Online Store) on some navy fabric backed with the sewable fabric interfacing with my CAMEO.

Then, I traced the high school logo in the Silhouette Studio software

and cut it out of green flocked heat transfer.

I ironed the helmet to the pillow cover and then the logo to the helmet and stitched the helmet to the pillow cover.

Result?

Cute, right?

Wait.  You don’t call boy stuff cute.

Tough, right?

And, just a reminder that Tuesday the 31st is the last day to take advantage of the currently Silhouette promotion:

Go HERE and use code “CRAP” to take advantage of either deal.

Some of you have emailed about the fabric blades showing as not available…that’s just the single ones for now.  They are DEFINITELY still available in the bundles.

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Dudes.  Highlight of the summer, for sure.

Are you a giant dork too?

Do you need to make your own “Diamond Girl” shirt?

You’re in luck.  I’ve uploaded my Neil Diamond cut file for Silhouette for your own use.

Go here to enjoy that for yourself.

(The rhinestone portion of the design is not included.  That needs to be purchased from Silhouette.  That alphabet comes free with your rhinestone starter kit.)

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INSANE, right?

Go here to get yours.  The deal runs through the 31st.

What did I make with the fabric interfacing that the nice folks at Silhouette sent me this month?  You’ll have to check back Monday to see.

I’ve been spending a lot of time over at the DIY Blogger House.  We’re in the home stretch, for sure.  The inside is top secret until after the Parade of Homes starts next week, but once I can share I think you’ll be surprised just how much we’ve all used our CAMEOs.  It truly is my favorite crafting tool.

And speaking of the DIY Blogger House…Jen (yes THE Jen from Tatertots & Jello) and I did a little local TV spot about it last week.  I can’t figure out how to embed, but you can check it out here if you wanna.

And tonight?

Tonight I’ll be wearing one of these (also crafted with my CAMEO) and hanging out with some of my people on Earth.

See you Monday.

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For the details on the 40% off sale at Silhouette, scroll down one post.

So, the DIY Blogger House is moving along at warp speed.  At least that’s what it feels like when you’re trying to finish projects in time to start moving stuff into the house NEXT TUESDAY.

I snapped this picture Sunday night, and it’s already outdated.

There’s no more bare wood on the outside.  The soffit (or whatever technical term I should have used) has been completed.

Inside, things are moving along as well.  On Sunday, there were cabinets still missing doors and no countertops.

Last night that had all been taken care of as well.

The rooms I’m working on still all look pretty much like this:

But, my family room, kitchen, and garage look like I have a hoarding problem.  Or maybe it’s normal to have this propped up on the back of your couch?

Today I’m working on giving our thrifted changing table a facelift.  Step one was to paint the whole frame a delightful shade of green.  Step two is a coat of paint on the shelves.

2 had faux wood grain and one did not because it had been replaced at some point.  No wonder we got the table for $20, ey?  I think you’ll like what I’m doing to the shelves after this.  Stay tuned!

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I got the fabrics for the nursery over at the DIY Blogger house yesterday and they are even better than they looked on my computer screen when I ordered them.  I’m seriously dying.

So, I’ll be sewing up a storm for the next few days.

In the mean time, in honor of CHA (which is happening right now), Silhouette is offering a KILLER promo:

That’s right…between now and the 21st, you can take 40% off of pretty much EVERYTHING (the CAMEO and gift/download cards are not included) using code “CRAP”.  This is pretty much the best deal you’ll see all year (right up there with Black Friday) so it’s a great time to stock up.  I need a couple of blades myself…and I’m sure that means I’ll spend five times that, just for good measure. 

Go here to shop Silhouette.

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So, I got a new computer at the very end of May.  My old one had served me well for many years of use and abuse so the blue screen of death was not a huge surprise.

And then, not 5 weeks later, the hard drive on the new computer crashed.  In fact, that last post up there took me about an hour to post, in 5 minute increments because that’s as long as the computer would stay on.

Of course we were out of town (making our annual pilgrimage to the biggest car show around to feed Macy’s addiction).

And then it took 3 days for someone to confirm that the hard drive was indeed dead.  And then it took 2 more days to get through to the general manager and persuade him that a replacement computer instead of 2-3 weeks for repairs was what was right.  And then another 1.5 hours at the store to actually make that happen.  That’s fun with 5 kids (because OF COURSE I had an extra one with me).

So, I’m back.

I emailed winners of the CAMEO, Lowe’s gift card, and Where Women Create magazine.  They’ve all responded and claimed their prizes.

In the mean time, I developed a little bit of an Instagram addiction.  If you’re on Instagram, look me up….“crapivemade”.

I (yes, I) built a headboard last week.  You’ll be hearing more about that soon.

There’s also some SERIOUS progress being made on the DIY Blogger house. I went over last night and took a bunch of pics.  The front door is TO DIE FOR.

So, what’s new with you?

How’s summer treating you?

Are you ready for 3 nights of football camp this week? Me either.

Talk to you soon!

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First of all, here’s the promotion if you don’t think you’re going to win:

+

SilhouetteStudio Designer Edition software

=

$269.99

Go hereto add the bundle to your cart and use code “CRAP” to take advantage of the savings.  This promo runs through July 11th.

If you already have a Silhouette, you can get 50% off the Designer Edition software($24.99!!!)using the same link and code “CRAP”.

The Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition contains all the same functionality as Silhouette Studio® plus the following designer features:

• Ability to open, manipulate, and cut .svg files
  Rhinestone tools to convert designs into rhinestone templates and create your own rhinestone designs
  Sketch tools to convert designs into several styles of sketchable art
  Creative knife tools to allow you to clip designs using different patterns
  Enhanced eraser set to modify designs with more precision
  Built-in ruler and guide lines for precise alignment and drawing
• There are a whole crap ton of video tutorials on the Silhouette YouTube channel, if you want to learn more.

WANT TO TAKE YOUR CHANCES AND TRY TO WIN?  HERE’S WHAT COULD BE IN IT FOR YOU:

One lucky Crap I’ve Made reader will win her (or his) very own Silhouette CAMEO™  + the Designer Edition software upgrade.

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY:

Follow the Silhouette blog.  Come back and leave a comment ON THIS POST (on the blog, not on Facebook or in response to your email subscription) saying that you did.

***2 possible entries per person***

Giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and over only and closes Monday, July 9th at noon MST.  Winner will be chosen at random using a WordPress Plugin (And The Winner Is…) and notified by email.  Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

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