BC’s mom had a stroke this weekend.

I’ll probably continue to be scarce while we get that situation under control.

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Happy birthday to my sweet, sassy, brilliant, beautiful, hilarious Macy.

What would I do without you?

Probably lose my mind, that’s what.

(Bennett ran to find her at a school assembly)

(She’s the unofficial family/blog photographer.  I think she “gets” shooting in manual more than I do.)

God knew I needed you, even if I didn’t think I was ready to be a mom yet.

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Check your emails, because you are winners!

I’ve been running myself ragged solo parenting.

We’ve had broken dishes

(I don’t think he feels bad)

and fun with a watermelon and bowling balls.

(cleaning up = not as fun as the smashing)

Some of us are even making crap.

(origami courtesy of Macy)

I labeled a couple of water bottles with the old Silhouette.

That *almost* counts, right?

No?

Huh.  Maybe tomorrow?

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If your name is Michelle, check your email to see if you won the $50 Target gift card courtesy of Consumer Crew!

I’m hopeful that I’ll get to some actual projects this week.  School’s out and BC’s out of town.  Really…what else am I going to do? 

In the mean time, I’d like to point out that Father’s Day is fast approaching.  And, in case you haven’t actually thought about it yet, I’m giving you a suggestion:

Dad’s like sunflower seeds, right?  Mine did.  A LOT.  In my mind, sunflower seeds will always be a manly, summertime snack.  Maybe it’s the part where you get to spit out the shells?

Let me introduce you to Interstate Bait.

From Interstate Bait:

It’s hard to find a healthy snack that delivers on flavor, too. Flax seeds are good for you…but they taste like flax seeds. It’s no secret that sunflower seeds are an incredible source of goods, including folate and phytochemicals, among other nutrients. And lucky for you, we’re all about flavor.
Each batch of Interstate Bait seeds is seasoned by hand in small, controlled batches, ensuring that every seed is exposed to maximum flavor. The process makes for a flavor experience more savory than you thought possible. With 17 amazing flavors, we’re confident we can please any snacker.

I haven’t tried the sunflower seeds yet (my order’s on it’s way), but we’ve got some connections and had them roast our pumpkin seeds a few years back. They were FABULOUS. There was one flavor with garlic that I hid and ate when no one else was around. (I’m sure the garlic breath didn’t give anything away, right?)

What’s in it for you?

First of all, if you eat enough of them, you might end up as cool as this guy:

(You know…the kind of guy that harasses his neighbor with a craft blog to make him a “feed bag” so he can spit his seeds without even having to pick up a cup.  If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is!)

Second of all, Interstate Bait is offering all of you 10% off using code “crapisgood”…bwahahaahaha!  Go get your dad/husband/boyfriend/all of the above some for Father’s Day.  He’ll thank you for not getting him a tie.

And last but not least,

Interstate Bait is offering TWO lucky Crap I’ve Made readers a $35 gift certificate!

TO ENTER:

Click on over to Interstate Bait.  Have a look around.  Come back and leave a comment ON THIS POST saying which flavor of seeds you’d try first.

BONUS ENTRIES:

Like Interstate Bait on Facebook.  Leave a separate comment on this post saying that you did.

Follow Interstate Bait on Twitter.  Leave a separate comment on this post saying that you did.

***I’ll close this down on Thursday at noon MST to give the winners a chance to place their orders in time for Father’s Day delivery***

Disclosure:  Interstate Bait is providing the prizes for this giveaway.  I also received some seeds to try.

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First things first:  The winners of The Key To Taking Great Pictures ebooks are Kerri, Paula G, and Amanda.  If there’s any chance that’s you, go check your email and respond to me ASAP to claim your prize!  The rest of you can still get $2 off using code “CRAP” through Monday, June 6th.

Second things second:  The $50 Target gift card giveaway from Consumer Crew runs until tomorrow.  Go here to enter.

Third things third:  If you’re my mom and/or grandma, these pictures are for you.

They were obviously not giving awards for smiling nicely in pictures.  Or even for holding your certificates right side up.

Fourth (and best) things fourth:  International Quilt Market was in Salt Lake a few weeks back.  This meant that lots of fabulous fabric designers were also in Salt Lake.  Heather Bailey did a meet and greet thing at my favorite local fabric store.

I was on crutches and under the influence of drugs, but I went anyway.  Which is probably why I completely forgot that I had her sign one of her patterns to giveaway here on the old bloggity blog.  What reminded me?  The fact that there’s also one up for grabs (different pattern) over on the Snap! Conference blog.  So, go enter there, too, if you like free stuff.

(The super cute pin cushion pattern Snap! is giving away.)

What have I got for you?

A signed Smarty Girl Book Bag pattern!

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment.  That’s it.  You can tell me how much you love me, but it won’t help your odds.  Neither will jokes.  Or cookies.

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Events of the last 6 days:

School spelling bee.

Contrary to the looks on her face, she took 3rd place.

Preschool graduation.  Can you see the anxiety written all over his face?

On the way in he announced “I’m not saying anything.”  And, he didn’t.  His post graduation dinner request?  “Chick Fil A, because they have a drive thru and I’m sick of looking at people.”

Asperger’s much?

Class play.

Someone played a dumb girl.  So, you know, it was a real stretch. 

Karate belt test.

I was forbidden from taking pictures until lit was over because “all those flashing lights and people staring at me drive me nuts”.

Asperger’s much?

Pack meeting.

2 of my BFFs in town for the weekend.

BBQ at my house to celebrate.

Photo class (with the fabulous Kristen Duke).

Saw some old friends, made some new ones.

Leaky window in the family room, discovered around 12:30 am Sunday morning…on a holiday weekend…of course!  At least we got this sweet set up out of the deal.

Cemetery visits for my dad

and BC’s grandparents.

And let’s not even get started on the part where we had a bird’s nest in the dryer ducting (inside the house) or where Keller spent $229.08 on Amazon (from like 10 different sellers) because someone (hint: BC) stayed signed into Amazon/one click ordering on his iPad.  What did he buy?  Well, my personal favorite item is the $1 trillion bill from Zimbabwe.

Yes, really.

And that is all I have to say about that.

I’ll be closing down this giveaway later today, so run over and enter if you haven’t already.

And you can still go here to enter to win $50 to Target, courtesy of Consumer Crew.

Do you think Consumer Crew can help me find a stunt double to attend both awards assemblies I’m supposed to be at today?

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So, maybe I already told you this story.

I’m old and I’m losing my mind.

Anyway, my oven blew up in September.  I opened the door to put in some brownies I was making for a friend and BOOM!

More like BOOM!

All the lights went out in my house.  I had 8 boys 7 and under here and they stopped dead in their tracks.  Power was out clear to the street.  A handy neighbor took care of that situation (possibly illegally ), but the oven was a goner.

Have you ever tried to take 4 kids appliance shopping (or even shopping for milk, really)?  You’ll wish you were going in for a lobotomy.  Trust.

A dear, sweet neighbor offered to take the kids so we could replace the oven that night.  Did I mention the dishwasher was dying a slow painful death and needed to be replaced, too?  We had to make some purchases and we had to make them FAST.  There really wasn’t time to research like I like to.  That’s where Consumer Crew comes in.

Consumer Crew has already done the research!

I know the first thing you want to know (because Crap I’ve Made has the smartest readers on Earth) is how much it costs.

$29.95/year (BUT, you can get $10 off that if you email them at [email protected] after signing up for the free trial and tell them I sent you!)
$11.99/3 months
$4.99/month

Want to see some sample reports?

Head on over to their example page and take a look around.  (But don’t forget to come back here and enter to win $50 to Target!)

What’s in it for you?

$50 to Target!

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment ON THIS POST saying which purchase you’d most like Consumer Crew to research for you.

Bonus entries:

Like Consumer Crew on Facebook

Follow Consumer Crew on Twitter

(Leave a separate comment for each one.)

I’ll leave this open until my kids get out of school for the summer, aka next Thursday at 12:30 MST.

***Disclosure:  Consumer Crew provided the Target gift card and compensated me for this post.***

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I was going to show you my (possibly too) yellow front door today and revisit the paint bucket planters I made last year, but I changed my mind.

If you follow Crap I’ve Made on Facebook, you’re already aware of the fact that I jacked up my foot a couple of weeks ago.

Long story short:  I fell off of my shoes.

(the guilty pair)

Long story not short:  I went with some friends to be part of the first ever live audience on Studio 5.  I was pulling up my pants and talking and walking across a parking lot at the same time and I went down hard.  I was also carrying my camera.  My Kelly Moore bag kept it safe and sound.  My ankle?  Not so lucky.

(the day of the injury)

I was on crutches for a couple of days (if you see any pics of me meeting Heather Bailey or at the Quilt Market Meet Up, you’ll get to experience the awesomeness of the rented crutches).  I ditched them so I could get through airports to Kentucky with luggage by myself.  I was NOT riding one of those carts.  Nope.  No way.  No how. (And the dr said putting weight on it wouldn’t hurt anything, if I could stand it.  I’m not super reckless…just mildly so. )

(super awesome bruising/drainage, about 4 days after the injury)

My foot still hurts.  It’s still too swollen for anything other than flip flops.  It’s still a weird color.  It’s been like 12 days and I’m kind of sick of it.

Confession:  Combined with some other crap (nothing major…just life) that’s going on, I’ve been having a little bit of a pity party.  Or maybe a lot of a pity party.

Today I’m going to be thankful.  I’m going to bust out the note cards and write some thank you notes.  I’m not going to make them, and I’m not going to have any guilt about that.  Nope.  None.  A thank you note from the dollar section at Target is still a thank you note, right?  I mean, I WILL still stamp my return address with my fancy Purple Lemon Designs stamp and stuff….

So, I challenge you to do the same.  Thank someone today.  Send an email, make a call, craft a card…whatever!  Just be thankful.

And I may have split my head open on a plantation shutter last night.  Perhaps I should consider some full body armor?

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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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