Tulle Pom Poms

I can't believe it's July and I haven't gotten around to posting about Morgan's or Layla's birthday parties. Heck, it's almost time to start planning Blake's! All I've managed so far is one post about planning the party and one about the cookie invitations. Honestly, these parties were so rushed (too much procrastinating between work & school), that I didn't get many pictures of things step by step. I did manage to get these, though. So I'm going to show you how to make tulle pom poms.

For the tulle poms you need tulle, cardboard and twine or yarn. 

 

Make two donuts out of cardboard, and tie a loose knot of twine around the donut.

Place the second donut on top, making sure to keep your twine inside (this can be tricky!)

I cut strips of tulle (I think I bought a half yard of each color and just cut them across width-wise, I didn't measure these). Wrap tightly until well covered (the thicker the tulle, the puffier these will be). Make sure when you are wrapping that the tail of you knot is hanging out.

  

This is not thick enough. I wrapped until you couldn't really see the cardboard anymore.

 

 Now this part was kind of tricky, too. Separate the tulle next to your knot so you can get your scissors in.

Cut the tulle all the way around, making sure that the cardboard doesn't totally come apart. I had to hold it with my knees as I cut. 

Once it's all cut, pull your strings tight. You will see the tulle gather up. 

Pull the cardboard aside and tie your twine tightly. Trim any stray pieces so it looks nice & round.

They are so cute when they are done! I made these in aqua and orange for her party. And the best thing about these, unlike tissue poms, they can be saved & reused over & over again.

Linked to: Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage, I'm Crafty Party at So You Think You're Crafty, Hookin Up with HoH at House of Hepworths, Catch as Catch Can at My Repurposed Life, Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots & Jello, Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home, Delicately Constructed Friday at delicateCONSTRUCTION, Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now, Friday Favs at Nap Time Crafters, Creative Bloggers Party & Hop at Homemaker On a Dime, Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

My Backyard Oasis - Giveaway With Sears Outdoor Living

I've mentioned before that we have a HUGE yard. Almost 4 acres in total (of course some of that is house, and sheds and pond, but still, a lot of yard). And living in Florida, there is plenty of opportunity to spend time outdoors. Of course, summer in Florida is practically unbearable, so we try to enjoy more time outdoors in the fall. But you can't have summer without cooking out and having fun in the sun.

We do have a screened in porch, as well as a carport area, and we have a few great pieces we use over and over. My favorites are a set of vintage metal chairs & table that I picked up a few years ago. This is how the chairs started out:

And the table:

They definitely needed a spray paint makeover! This is how they look now:

Much better!

Now that I have shared what turns my backyard into my perfect summer oasis, I want to know what you’ve done to transform your backyard into your oasis. One of my lucky readers will win a $25 Sears gift card!

Need help finding your own pieces for your backyard? Sears is bringing the ease of searching for those perfect pieces with their recently launched iPad digital catalog. On your computer? Don't fear, Sears has an amazing digital catalog built just for you.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Fourth of July Treats

Since the Fourth of July is right around the corner, I thought I'd share a couple of treats I've made in the past.

 Inspired by my Rainbow Slush, I made this Firecracker Slush last year. These are always a huge hit!

I have made this Snickers cake every year for several years now and everyone looks forward to it. Plus, it's super easy!

Unfortunately, this is all I seem to have on my blog that relates to the 4th! I guess I need to get to crafting, huh? What are your plans for the 4th?

Linked to: The Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table & Dreaming, Creative Bloggers Party & Hop at Homemaker on a Dime, Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Talent Tuesday at Vintage Wanna Bee, What We Wore, Read & Made at Rae Gun Ramblings, Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Eclos Giveaway Winner

 

Thank you to everyone who entered the Eclos giveaway! The lucky winner is comment #11, Rebecca! Congratulations!!

Get Soaked This Summer With Old Navy Swimwear

I've mentioned before how much I love Old Navy & Crowdtap, and they are back at it again! This time I was given the opportunity to sample Old Navy swimwear. The timing was perfect because we were getting ready to go swimming & stay at CoCo Key Water Resort. I can say I tried on almost every type of suit they had. Everything pictured above.

This was cute, but didn't work on me. 

Tankinis are what I  usually go for. I love the navy polka dot one above! Didn't have my size though.

They had lots and lots of bikinis, as you cans see. Very cute stuff! But since having three kids, my body isn't really bikini ready. 

Some more tankinis & bikinis. Now as much as I love Old Navy, this sampling trip was difficult. I already hate shopping for a bathing suit (who doesn't?), and what I found while trying suits on didn't help. As cute as everything was, none of them were really made for anyone remotely well-endowed. I don't think any of the suits had underwire, which is a must for me. Even the one pieces with the control max feature were not supportive enough, or have enough coverage where it was needed. I wish stores would realize women need more support!

But I had to choose something, so I went with this tankini and matching bottom. Cute, right? 


If you'd like the chance to sample awesome goodies from Old Navy, sign up for Crowdtap here!

Garden Row Markers

Every year we have a garden, even though we tend to have issues with certain vegetables. Corn, onions, tomatoes... but we keep trying. We don't usually mark the rows, but last year I painted the names of the plants on sticks and stuck them in the ground. This year I decided to do something different. We have a huge stack of pavers out back, so I dug some out and grabbed some acrylic paint. 

The plan initially was to draw the vegetable on the paver, and then add the name. But I wanted the kids (well, Layla) to help, and that was a little tricky for her. 

Of course Morgan had to help, too. So we decided to just paint the entire top of the paver the color of the vegetable it would go with.

It took a little while with those small brushes, but we eventually got them all painted. 

Here they are!

Just for fun, I decided to make a rainbow colored one to go in our flower garden. 

Once they were dry, I painted on the name of the veggie. 

Once they were totally dry, I sprayed them with a few coats of  polyurethane to help protect them. Then I just placed them at the end of each row.

And the good thing about these is that they can be saved and reused, year after year. Did you plant anything this year?

Linked to: Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots & Jello, Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now, Sundae Scoop at I ♥ Naptime, Creative Bloggers Party & Hop at Homemaker on a Dime, Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Too Cute Tuesday at Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife, Talent Tuesday at Vintage Wanna Bee, Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog, What We Wore, Made & Read at Rae Gun Ramblings, Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage, Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts, Look What I Made at Creations by Kara, Link Party #80 at Tea Rose Home, I'm Crafty Party at So You Think You're Crafty, Hookin Up With HoH at House of Hepworths, Friday Favs at Naptime Crafters, Project Party Weekend at Bubbly Nature Creations, Delicately Constructed Friday at delicateCONSTRUCTION, Weekend Link Party at LollyJane

#EclosBeauty Review & Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

There are so many skin care options out there, it's hard to know what to use, right? I know for me it's pretty overwhelming shopping the skin care aisle. That's why I was excited to get to try the éclos Skin Care product line. 

What makes Eclos so different? It features Apple Stem Cells extracted from a rare Swiss apple which have shown a great ability to stimulate skin stem cells, encouraging aging skin to behave like younger skin. Plant extracts, vitamins and anti-oxidants combine with the Apple Stem Cell technology to help minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and tired skin.

Similar products used to only be available in high end boutiques, but now with Eclos it's affordable. The kit shown here is valued at $19.99.

I received this awesome kit to try, and included in my kit were: 

Facial Cleanser Skin Prep
Cellular Activator Face Serum
Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream
Restorative Eye Cream
Instant Radiance Facial Scrub
Skin Renewal Clay Mask
éclos Terry Cloth Head Band

Here I am before using Eclos.

The Facial Cleanser Skin Prep made my skin freel fresh and clean. I loved it! The Cellular Activator Face Serum, Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream & Restorative Eye Cream were great as well. Thick enough to feel like they were working, but not heavy and greasy. The Instant Radiance Facial Scrub made my skin feel so smooth and fresh! And the Skin Renewal Clay Mask made my skin feel brand new. The headband was great when using the mask and washing my face at the sink.

And after!

Overall I am very happy with all of these fabulous products! Now how would you like to win a set?

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what item from the kit you are most excited to try. (Mandatory)

2. Become a follower, or leave me a comment letting me know you already are! (Optional)

Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Giveaway will remain open until 6/27/12. Good luck!