Tool Time Tuesday...Snowman Wreath

It's Tuesday...so that means Tool Time! Where are we going this week? The electrical department of the hardware store. Why?...for these little lovelies. Cable ties. I LOVE them. I use them for so many things: controlling the wire nightmare behind the computer, keeping electrical cords gathered together when storing them, holding evergreen garland to the railing and so much more. Today I'll be using these cable ties to make a snowman wreath for the front door.

Holiday Recipe Link Party...

Welcome to my first linky party! This party is where you can share your family favorite recipes. It can be a dessert, a casserole, a main dish or any recipe at all. Linking parties are a wonderful way to not only share great ideas, but it will also bring new friends to YOUR blog too.
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Here are the 4 easy steps for the Holiday Recipe Link Party when you click the "add your link" button...

1. URL...This is the address to your post. Please link to the recipe Post, not your Main Blog address. To do this...just click on your recipe post's title and up at the top of the screen is the URL for just that post. Click off to the side (in the URL box) and the address should high light, right click and select copy. Go to the URL box in the link section, click in the box, right click, then select Paste. It's much easier for visitors to find the recipe rather than searching your entire blog for the post.

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2. Name...this means the name of your Recipe.

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3. Email...this is your email address, but it doesn't show at all, so no need to worry!

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4. The next step is to add the picture of your recipe. Once you have filled in the above 3 steps, click the "Next Step" button. This might take a few minutes to bring the next page up. The next screen will be a selection of the pictures from your post. Click one and drag the crop box to crop the area you would like to be in the thumbnail picture. Click select crop and you are done!

Please add a link back to my blog (this Holiday Recipe Party) so every one can join in the fun. You can add a written link or add the button to your post!
Thanks so much for joining in on the fun. I can't wait to see all your wonderful creations! The party will last the whole week, so there is plenty of time to join in on the fun.
Have a great day,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Ribbon Organizer

Hi Everyone! Wow do Tuesdays come up fast or is it just me? Today's TTT is from the curtain rod section of the hardware store. I'll be using a tension rod for a ribbon organizer. Do you remember this post below? I used galvanized spikes to organize my ribbon. You know me I love anything galvanized, but thought I would change it up a bit to show you another option.


Here is a tension rod. If you are not familiar with them, they narrow metal curtain rods that are spring loaded. You can untwist them to any size to fit your window.


They have small rubber cups on the ends to not only protect the surface they are up against, but to prevent the rod from slipping. To fit to your area, all you do is untwist it a little larger than your window and then push in to fit. The spring loaded tension keeps it in place.


Here is where I am storing my ribbon now! This idea would also work great on a shelf with something already on it...like the shelf to the right of the ribbon. See all those jars of buttons? I was going to store the ribbon in that unused space above them, but I had 2 rods. Just remove the rubber tip and slide on your spools of ribbon.


I added a yard stick that I cut to fit the shelf. Easy to cut the right size ribbon for any project.


I used my favorite 3M Command stickers to keep the ruler in place. The white tab sticking out onto the shelf bugged me, so I colored it in with a black marker. I know ridiculous, but it's the little things that make me happy! You can just barely see the 3M tab sticking out in the above picture at the 18 inch mark.


Always looking for your scissors? Well, not any more...I tied them (with a ribbon of course) to the tension rod, so they are always there to cut the ribbon.


This is just a close up of the rubber cups up against the side of the shelf to show how it stays up with the tension of the inner spring.


I use this for all my satin ribbons that I use for craft projects, but this would be great to hold all your ribbons for gift wrapping too. Perfect temporary organization for a gift wrap station for the holidays. If you have a shelf, cupboard or bookcase near your kitchen or dining room table, just clear it out for your gift wrapping marathon and keep all your ribbons up and out of the way while you're wrapping the packages. Then the ribbon is right there when you need it...easy to unroll just the right amount of ribbon. There are so many other uses for tension rods that I've done in the past.

Do you remember the window design wall and the doorway children's theater? Just click the high lighted links for a peek back at those previous posts.

Happy organizing and have a great Tuesday!
~Karen~

Blog Buddy...Gmail, Answering Comments etc

Hello All! Welcome to another episode of Blog Buddy...the place where I'll show you bits and pieces, tips and tricks for making your blogging experience a little easier. Click the red link above or the button in my side bar for past posts.

Today's feature is about "how do I answer a comment left on my blog?" My blog friend Regan and many others have sent me emails on this, so I thought I would just do a post on how I answer comments and where all my comments go. Well, they go to my blog of course, but they are also all stored in my Gmail and that's what this post is about...Gmail!

Tool Time Tuesday...No Sew Tree Skirt for $2.50

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another edition of Tool Time Tuesday. I knew that title would grab you...no sew and $2.50...can't beat that! The $2.50 is for the fleece blanket that makes a wonderful tree skirt for Christmas and the left over scraps will make a stocking too!

Let's Have A Recipe Party...

We all love a new recipe...a new dessert, main dish or even a casserole, but we love them even more around the holidays. That's why I'm hosting a recipe linking party. Starting Sunday November 28th and on into December, you can stop by here and link to the party with a recipe post that you've done on your blog.

If you've never been to a linking party, it's very easy. First, you will write a post about the recipe you'd like to share with everyone on your own blog. Write out the recipe with all the ingredients and directions...pictures are always wonderful too. When the party begins on November 28th, you will fill in 3 quick steps...the url address to the post of your recipe, the name of the recipe and your email address (the address is not visible to the public). Finally, you'll pick one of the pictures from your post for the linking icon...and that 's it! A linking party is a great way to share ideas, but it's also a great way for new people to stop by and visit your blog too.

Hopefully when we're done, there will be hundreds of new recipes for all to enjoy!! So let's all go through our recipe boxes and pick out a favorite recipe or two. You can link up more than one recipe or use previously posted recipes from your blog. The post on your blog can be written at any time, it doesn't have to be on the day of the party.

Spread the word... because the more the merrier!! You can steal the picture below or the button size on the upper right side bar.

Can't wait to see everyone on November 28th!!
~Karen~

I used a free blog background to make this button.

The background is from The Cutest Blog On The Block,

so stop by there for great ideas.

Tool Time Tuesday...One More Place Mat Idea

Are you tired of place mat projects yet? Click here for past projects. This is the last one...I think! Here's is a quick and easy idea for a little fall decorating or something for Thanksgiving here in the states. It's still fall here even though I woke up to snow this morning here in New England! This idea is great any time of year, just change the color of the place mat and the pretty things you place inside.




You need one round place mat. This one is chocolate brown in color, even though the picture is dull. It's made of straw like material and very pliable, not ridged.




Here's a better idea of the color and the size.

Roll the place mat into a cone and temporarily hold together with clips

Hot glue in the over lapping area. Hold in place until dries...just a few seconds.

Now you are ready to fill with any thing from flowers, leaves, berries...

I also hot glued on a little hanger. If you use a fabric place mat, you could sew this on too.

Before filling with your decorations, I filled the point with a little tissue paper to take up some of the space in there. Not necessary, but helped with some of the flowers I used.

Here is the first idea...filled with fall berries and hung next to the fireplace.

Then I decided to add a bow.

You could also hang it on your door.

Trimmed the bow tail a little.

How about a bouquet of colorful leaves?

You could also place it on your table as a center piece...leaves and acorns

or just leaves...maybe even small pumpkins and gourds would be cute.

This is a very inexpensive project and can be used any time of year. Most place mats that I use are only $1.00-2.00 each. Think ahead for Christmas too. A beautiful green place mat with colorful red berries and evergreens from the yard...ok maybe you'll be seeing more place mat projects in the near future!!

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Have a great Tuesday,

~Karen~

Candle Sticks and Lamps...

Here are a couple quick ideas with candle sticks and candle stick lamps...

Take an ordinary candle stick with a candle in it and add...




a mini chandelier lamp shade.




Just place the wire that was for the light bulb over the candle.

Quick and easy dress up for a plain old candle.

Here is a real candle stick lamp...the kind that uses a light bulb.

I don't use this for a lamp any more.

What I do use it for is a wreath. Just wire the wreath to the top of the lamp and...

Tah Dah! A very inexpensive wreath holder. The stands you buy in the store are way too expensive for me!!

Hope you liked these 2 quick ideas for decorating.

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Have a great day,

~Karen~

Blog Buddy...Link To Your Profile Picture

Here is another post for the Blog Buddy feature. Click here for past posts.

Remember the last post I did about trying to link your blog to your profile picture. If you are new to my blog, I am determined to figure out why some of us have a link to our blogs on our profile picture and some of us do not.

Well, with the help of Marni from Sassy Sites and Regan from Floating on a Quilted Cloud, I think there is an answer...

Holiday Place Card Update...

I finally found the notes I jotted down of ideas for the Place Card post I did yesterday. I knew I had others I wanted to share...2 more ideas and another idea for labeling creams for coffee on a holiday buffet table.

The first place card holder is an easy one made with candy canes.

Tool Time Tuesday...Holiday Place Card Holders

It's Tuesday again and you know what that means...fun things to make!! I'm trying to make these next few weeks of TTT holiday crafts. I know I'm early, but I never have time to make anything the closer it gets to December, so why not join me in some early handmade gifts or things for your home. I'll have gift ideas to put together at the end.

I am going to clarify one thing before I begin this post. I LABEL EVERYTHING...even my coffee pots. You'll see in a minute. We have most of the holiday functions and parties at our home. Both my family and my husband's family get along so well and have a great time together. When we have everyone for Thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter there can be over 45+ people. To keep things flowing and organized, I label the food and the drinks.

Here are a few examples of Holiday place card holders that you can make to label your next party. If you have a small dinner party, having place card holders for each person is great. For me, with that many people, I just label the edibles LOL!!

Let's make our first set from ornaments. These are from Walmart. They are the plastic non shattering kind.

Blog Buddy...Followers and Links

Hello everyone...welcome to another addition of Blog Buddy. The place where you'll find helpful tips for your blog from someone who's learned from her own mistakes along the way.

Today, I will be talking about followers, following and the Followers Gadget. However, the second part is a world wide request for help. I am completely stumped by a certain part of becoming a follower and a blogger's profile picture or icon. More on this later in the post.


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