Adirondack chair refresh with a paint sprayer plus a giveaway!

Please tell me that I'm not the only one that hates to paint. Don't get me wrong, I love the way things look with a fresh coat of paint, I just don't have the time to brush on coat after coat of paint.  I'm sloppy too.  I usually just want to get the project done so I don't care what things get destroyed in the process.  Which I must say, isn't the best attitude to take on.  My dog has been several different colors because she's gotten too close to my project a time or two.

Not to worry! There is hope for people like us!  I recently got a Finish max paint sprayer and I have been going to town!  It's easy, fast and totally not sloppy at all!  I can't wait to show you my first project!

Tie Dye party with 6 different tie dye shirt restyle creations

This post is brought to you by Tulip and Blueprint Social. All opinions are 100% my own.

The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining and the friends are coming over in droves! We are always looking for fun {electronic free} activities for the kids, especially as they get older.  My 13 year old daughter Isabella is very much like I was at that age.  She is drawn to anything creative where she can express herself.  Her friends are very much the same way. So one afternoon, a half a dozen girls gathered around my patio table for some tie-dye fun!  But the fun didn't stop there!  We created six different ways {most of them no sew} to restyle their t-shirts!

Father's day photo gift with Snapfish

There are so many photo sites out there now that it's hard to find the best one. I must be honest with you, for years I jumped between sites based on what coupon codes I could find and usually settled on the site with the best deals.  This method didn't always work out in my favor!  Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for!
I'm a big fan of giving personalized gifts.  Snapfish is launching an amazing new version of their site redesigned from scratch. They listened to their customers and you can tell! I was able to design a personalized gift for my dad for Father's Day and it took me less than 5 minutes! The new site is even available on your phone or tablet so you can design where ever you are! 
If you are my dad, stop reading now! You will spoil your surprise! If you aren't keep going so you can see how easy it was to make a personalized canvas from one of my favorite vacation photos.

Show your most loyal family member some love

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sponsored by Purina for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the best things that we have done as a family was adopt our nearly five year old golden retriever, Sophie.  Sophie was a Christmas present for our family less than a week after we moved into our new home.

Update your boring office supplies with some gold spray paint!

Am I the only one that wants to gold all of the things? I am loving this gold trend right now and love it even more when I can take some boring office supplies from my junk drawer and update them in a matter of minutes.  This project didn't cost me a dime since I had everything on hand, but now, my office supplies look like a million bucks!  It's so easy!

How to write the perfect thank you note! Plus free printable thank you notes

Many people underestimate the value of a handwritten thank you note. Some people want to send a quick e-mail thank you so they don't forget or think that a quick thank you in person is enough, but a hand written note is the best way to show your appreciation.  I've got a few tips to help you write the perfect thank you note.  Tips that may be helpful with graduation and wedding season approaching!

Free coloring pages round up for grown ups!

Do you ever find yourself at a restaurant with your family waiting for the meal to be served and taking the crayons from your kids so that you can color their coloring page menu? I know I'm not the only one! Lately, I've been getting the itch to color and thanks to pinterest and a long list of fabulous designers and contributors, there are lots of free printable coloring pages that will fulfill your need to color.  I have gathered a few together for you.  Color outside the lines if you want! No one is looking!

The Ultimate Craft Stash Giveaway!

For longer than I would like to admit, I have had a box of craft supplies in my closet just waiting for a giveaway.  I've added to them with some awesome supplies from Silhouette, Heidi Swapp, Mod Podge and Martha Stewart.  There are too many supplies in this box to list and I am giving them all away to one lucky reader! BONUS!!! I'm not the only one having the ultimate craft stash giveaway! There are a slew of us all with awesome stuff to win!

Graphic t-shirt using heat transfer vinyl

Graphic t-shirts are hot this summer!  You can find them everywhere, but why grab one at the store when you can make one? While I was at SNAP conference last month, I picked up some Expressions Vinyl. I have been digging these racer back t-shirts from Wal-Mart of all places {can't beat the $4.97 price tag!} and now I've been embellishing shirts til my hearts content. I love making custom t-shirts, and nothing is more custom than one you create on your own.  Heat transfer vinyl is so easy to use that you will be whipping shirts out like a pro in no time!

The best chocolate chip cookie recipe!

I love a good chocolate chip cookie {because they are the best kind of cookie} and since I can't keep a good thing all to myself, I thought I would share with you the best chocolate chip cookie recipe out there. It's the only recipe you will need! You will make the best chocolate chip cookies every time. Promise!

Are you putting limitations on yourself?

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Godspeed Pictures, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #wherehopegrowsmovie http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
"I'm just a mom." Have you ever found yourself saying that?  I know that I have caught myself saying that phrase... More than once this year even!
My primary job for the past 16 years has been that of a stay at home mom.  I graduated college married with a toddler and despite the degree with the fresh ink, we had decided that I would stay at home and be the primary caregiver of our children.
One child, turned to three {how does that happen?!} and I loved my role as a mom. Though there were times that I felt like I was saying no to God and opportunities that He had given me because of limitations that I was setting on myself. I was in a season on life that placed limitations on my schedule because the kids were young and I was the primary caregiver, but as the kids got older, I realized I started hiding behind those limitations and using them as an excuse.  Thankfully, our perceived limitations do not stand in the way of God's purpose.

Gold painted seashell candles

We live very close to the beaches of the Puget Sound.  In fact, spending time at the beach is one of my favorite things ever!  I'm still a kid at heart and love walking the shore collecting shells and sand dollars.  The big question is, what do you do with them once you get home?  Well, I have a fun craft that didn't cost a lot of money but will help you make your shells a keepsake.

Lowering your expectations to have a successful Mother's Day

About seven years ago, I had one of the worst Mother's Day's ever.  We were in counseling with our oldest son and I was starting to come out of the fog of post postpartum depression with our youngest. My husband didn't get me a single gift. Not even a card. He barely acknowledged that it was Mother's Day. I was broken. And then sitting through church service, I wept the whole time as the pastor spoke lovely Mother's Day sentiments while a collection of pictures of mother's with their children scrolled by on the screen.  My picture with my kids...my life...was absent because my husband hadn't submitted one.  It was a rough day that still feels raw when I think about it. But if anything good came from it, it's that I have a whole new take on Mother's Day. It's called lowering your expectations. 

Don't worry! Free teacher appreciation printable that will take you less than five minutes!

Could the end of the school year get any busier?  Mother's day is this weekend, spring sports are in full effect, there is a concert or assembly to celebrate everything and on top of it all the sun is shining and the days are longer and now we have to remember teacher appreciation week.  Holy cow!  How can we keep it all straight?! Not to worry!  You aren't too late to get in the game and show your teachers some love. This printable is teacher approved, teacher created and it's sure to make all the other teachers jealous! Bonus, it will only take you a few minutes to print it up and you will have the best gift in the whole school. Promise!

May free printable memory verse

How did May happen already?!  April flew by with barely a blink. But the new start of the month, means a new free printable memory verse for all of you.

Right click, save and print out your verse and then tape them up all over your house so that your whole family can work toward memorizing scripture.  

As always, my free printables are for personal use only.  Please don't sell them.  That's just not awesome.

Easy to make pencil vase

On Wednesday I shared with you 20 teacher appreciation gifts that you could make today. Today, I want to show you a simple pencil vase that I whipped up in under an hour. This would make the perfect gift for teacher appreciation week.