our super sweet giveaway – which will have FOUR winners(!)… and other ramblings

Did ya see my last post?

I’ll break it down for you:

I revealed my new blog design, which I did myself, for FREE.

*thrifty chic here!*

added bonus besides it not costing me a dime: it’s soooooo me. Ya know, because I designed it for me. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s random, has lots of color, and it gives my space a very whimsical, breezy vibe – which I’m diggin. Currently trying to cultivate that exact attitude in my everyday life.

{Grab my button from the sidebar and I swear we’ll be friends for life. I’ll even consider naming my first born after you.}

In case you felt like doing the same makeover on your own blog and are clueless where to start like I was, I left the most helpful links I used for my little experiment.

FEEL THE EMPOWERMENT!

Most importantly, for those with no time to click silly little links and make silly little pictures – I’m hosting a giveaway including products from LeeLou Blogs which will have FOUR lucky winners. {You gotta admit, those are pretty sweet odds there people…}

Get all of these details plus learn what you could win, how to enter and how to increase your chances of winning HERE.

Can’t wait to see what the winners will choose!! =)

*******

 In other news today…

The hubs and I had our first ever face to face chat today… via phone.

 

*I get very caught up in the amazing-ness that is our current day technology. It totally blows my mind to pieces and I do not take it’s awesome-ness for granted.

Nevermind that we were both in the same house talking to each other on the phone just so we could see how the “face to face” chat thing worked. There was lots of belly laughing – this little gadget can lead to some hilarious conversations when you add video capabilities.

{We had a ball just calling the dog back and forth to see him pop up on each other’s screen. We are über dorks, I know.}

which leads me to…

HOW IN THE HECK DID THEY FIGURE OUT CRAZY OUTERSPACE PHONES LIKE THESE???

 

When I fall into  a complete stupor at how advanced phones are today {and all other tech gadgets as well} I always think back to my very first phone. The bag phone:

 

Yes, I was using this in the year 2000. If you’re not familiar with it, this phone plugs into the lighter in your car and can only be used in the car. Which satisfied my parents, because the only need I had for a cell phone {apparently} was in case of  car trouble.

Little did they know, in 10 short years, I would “need” a cell phone to be able to see my husband while in different rooms of the same house.

{Not to mention the ability to shoot HD quality video, edit it into a movie, scan documents, get directions, surf the web, take photos with a flash, check your email, play games, and the posibility to use bluetooth wireless braille for the blind. Holy smokes…

The progression of the phones I’ve owned cracks me up to no end.

Even Hendrix couldn’t resist sniffing out a little facetime.

 

It’s already midweek {happy humpday!} and the weekend is one my most favorite holidays =)

Hope all is well with you and yours!

 

 

 

P.S. – Now that I’ve hopped on the blog button wagon, I’m adding a new tab to the top of our page to showcase all of our friends’ buttons as well. You’ll see it under “Share the LOVE”. Leave a comment if you have one you would like to be included with your link. {or if you don’t have one, win our giveaway and have LeeLou blogs make you one!}

new look and a blog design giveaway!

Notice anything new???

We now have “Friday’s Five Featured Followers” on the right sidebar!

You’ll never guess which day it gets updated each week…

Featured Followers!⇒

→

Not only will the newest featured followers be on the sidebar and changed weekly, you’ll also be able to see the history of all past featured followers from each week by accessing it from the buttons at the top “Featured Followers” tab.

{Only because I love my followers more than I should and I love to give credit to sweet, talented blog-world people! It’s my way of reaching out and hugging your neck without gettin’ all up in your personal space ;) }

 

*Don’t forget*: if you are one of the “featured followers” – feel free to grab the new “I was featured/I am loved!” button. It’s super upbeat design leaves me a little giddy and reminds me just a little of Napoleon Dynamite for some reason…

{I’d flip if I actually saw it on someone else’s blog besides my own – that goes for the other new blog button too!}

 

Now down to business:

It was time for changing things up around here.

We’re in the dead middle of the year when things are starting to get old and a little sprucing up is a much welcomed change.

I’ve recently been changing the decor around the house after getting tired of looking at the same old stuff in the same old places. For a new look without spending a dime, I switched a few things from the guest bedroom into the family room, family room accessories into the master bedroom, and so-on and so-on until every room was revived. {I call it “shopping your home”.}

New decor that feels fresh and is FREE?!

Count me in!

 

With the fresh room decor change-up also came a fresh new blog change-up.

I wanted a new look, a blog button, a new signature… but all for zero dollars.

{Ya see… I’m cheap – or as some call it, "thrifty*.}

So I decided I could do it myself with enough internet research and a sprinkle of craftiness.

Thank God for nice people and their helpful tutorials!

The only negative side has been the time dedication which has resulted in my right hand’s fingers becoming locked in a painful cramped claw.

{FOR REAL.}

{Feel free to grab our button from the right sidebar HTML code!}

I used scrapblog to make the different pictures used in the header and buttons, downloaded them and edited in Picasa, and then uploaded the blog buttons to Photobucket in order to have access to an “HTML” code for embedding them in the blog.

Sound like a bunch of rubbish? You’re not alone. Figuring out how to do it myself was not happening at first. Then I found these wonderful tutorials to walk me through it - I must give credit where credit is due! I’m also leaving the links for you in case you would like to do the same:

• How to make a blog button.
• How to use Picasa to make a blog header.
• Where I snagged my free blog background and borrowed buttons.
• How to remove the border around the header.

Still don’t feel like doing it all yourself? WIN OUR GIVEAWAY!

Out with the old:

 

In with the new!:

 

In honor of our new look and the 400th follower (YAY!), I’m giving away a gift certificate for a pre-made blog layout to 4 lucky bloggers from Leelou Blogs! {or you can put the gift certificate towards one of Leelou Blog’s other many design services for blogs, twitter, myspace, business cards, Etsy, and logos!}

{It’ll save you from the dreaded painful claw that comes from doing it yourself.}

Wanna see the truckload of layout possibilities? CLICK HERE. Be sure to keep clicking “Older Posts” at the bottom of the page to see more.

Some of my personal favorites from Leelou Blogs:

Layouts just for the holidays!

 

If you would like to be one of the 4 blog followers to win our giveaway:

{pre-requisite: you gotta’ be a follower of course! =) }

• for 1 entry – leave a comment on this post

• for 2 entries – post about this giveaway on your blog

• for 3 entries – grab our blog button and post it on your sidebar

{Be sure to let me know in your comments if you posted about the giveaway or put our button on you blog!}

 

Winners will be announced next Tuesday, July 6th.

Good luck to all and THANK YOU for following!

 

 

my baby turns 2!

Yesterday he turned 2!

Where did the time go?

It doesn't seem this little guy could be two years old yet.

and YES, the baby I'm speaking of is a fur-child...

Or that it's almost been two years since we brought him home.

{Which means it's almost our 2 year wedding anniversary!}

He's such an entertaining little guy, keeping us smiling, laughing, making us a little family, even inspiring me on a gloomy day.

They say that owning a pet can increase your life span, making them especially good companions with the elderly. I don't know if all that's true, but I do know he's definitely increased the life in our years.

Time for a picture montage?

I think so!

Dedicated to the little one we love and who loves us back unconditionally and without limits♥

  

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

The Baby Days:

and on his 2nd birthday!:

Poor baby had to go to the dreaded groomers on his birthday! But it was all for his good - this 100 degree weather hasn't been to comfortable for a little guy who loves to explore the neighborhood in a huge fur-coat =)

Sorry, Hendrix! If it's any consolation, you look super cute with your very "poodle-ish" trim. We hope you had a great 2nd birthday anyway!!

sewing machine?!… I SEW need your advice!

Are you sew cool?

If you are - I lend you my ear.

A nobody, that is seeeeeeeew decidedly uncool. I have decided I'd like to be at least a little.

What would make me feel a tiny bit cooler?

If only I were able to make things like these:

 

I might even practice on some of these, for friends, and once I’ve screwed up all of their gifts ;)  and then got the hang of it, I’ll be allowed to have my own children with perfectly sewn clothes and ruffled butt onesies♥

 

 

Besides crafting, I’d love to alter my own clothes.

The tailored look is sew chic.

{Tired of my sewing puns yet? Just one more…}

I’m ready to take my kiddy crafts to a new level. Finally, I’m ready for grown-up crafts.

Me? Sewing?! My mother can tell you, that is sew not me.

But I need advice for picking out a sewing machine – I AM CLUELESS.

What do you use? What features could you not do without or would like to have? Recommend any instructional books?

 

I do know I want it to be electric and that I don’t need the most professional piece of equipment but I’d like something better than the basic, should I actually get good at this stuff in the future.

Any advice at all for my new adventure?

I WOULD REALLYREALLYREALLY APPRECIATE IT =)