Blog Buddy...Clicking Around a Blog

Happy Halloween! Hope everyone has a spooktacular day!!

Today's blogging tip is just about "CLICKING" around a blog. There are some things a blog does that new and not so new bloggers may not know about...for the blog visitor or the blog author.

Sew Darn Crafty Party Theme Week 38...Apple and Pumpkin Recipes

It's Sew Darn Crafty THEME week time. All this week, it's RECIPES for APPLES and PUMPKINS for that autumn feeling. However, here in the northeast it feels like the dead of winter with the snow we had yesterday. We only have an inch or two of snow here, but some towns have over 2 feet of snow...IN OCTOBER!!!

You can share older recipe posts if you don't have anything ready for this week.

Apple and pumpkin recipes...here we come!! Let's see how many we can share this week. This gives us enough time to try the recipes, enjoy them and then make them again for Thanksgiving!!

Don't forget to look at the post following this one to see last week's MVPs

Here are the weeks and the theme for the weeks to come...so start putting all your great posts together!

November 6th...Anything Autumn
November 13th...Pie Recipes
December 4th...Christmas/Holiday Decor
December 11th...Cookie Recipes
December 18th...Last Minute gift ideas

If you want to add the button to your blog...Click HERE for a tutorial for adding a button


If you're NEW to Sew Darn Crafty, then grab a cup of something tasty, sit back and join in on the fun (starts Sunday and lasts all week long at Sew Many Ways).

WHAT IS SEW DARN CRAFTY...

• "Sew" for anything to do with sewing,
• "Darn" for anything to do with knitting. I always think of darning to do with knitting, but in my case "darn" usually is similar to the word I say when I mess up crafting!!
• Let's not forget the word "crafty"...that can mean just about anything we do to create.

WHAT IS A LINKING PARTY...

So now we all know what Sew Darn Crafty means, let's explain a linking party again. I subscribe to a linking service, which provides the ability to link thumbnail pictures on my blog. The picture is a link that other bloggers provide to share their projects.

Two things can happen at a linking party...looking and/or linking

• you can be greatly inspired by wonderful projects, ideas or vacation pictures (looking) and/or
• you can share what you've been up to (linking)

If you want to be inspired by all the great ideas...just click on a picture and it will take you to that post from a wonderful blogger willing to share her thoughts and ideas.


HOW AND WHAT TO LINK TO THE PARTY...

Sew Darn Crafty is all about YOU!! Show off your projects, share a tutorial, show us your vacation pictures, share a family favorite recipe...share anything. Not only does linking inspire us all, it also brings lots of new people to your blog for a visit. Click here for past parties and lots of inspiration

Easy steps to join in on the fun...

• link up to the specific project post, not your whole blog. Makes it easier to link right to that post and not  search through all your entire blog. To find the http address to a specific post, just click on the Title of your post.
• link as many projects as you'd like...old or new
• anything goes...cooking, sewing, knitting, crafts, organizing, remodeling projects, vacations, parties etc...
• visit other links to share some blogging love! You know we all love comments!
• grab a Sew Darn Crafty button for your blog (on my right side bar) or just link to the party in your post.
• the more we share, the more people will join and then there's more inspiration to look at!
• linking is open til Saturday night, so plenty of time to join in
• just click the "click here to enter" button and follow the easy steps

Have fun linking up! Don't forget to come back and take a look at all the great projects during the week,

~Karen~

Sew Darn Crafty Party #37 MVPs...

Hi everyone!! Every week the Sew Darn Crafty Party amazes me...I just love all the wonderful ideas and projects that you share.

These are the top 3 from last week. The linking service I use keeps track of the number of hits per post and these were the winners!

The first is Mary Grace from Hooked on Needles. I've "known" MGM since I first started blogging. We've never met, but lots of fabric swaps and blogging make us friends!

Click here to visit Mary Grace's sewing room...so fantastic!! Organized, so much cabinet storage, an ironing board to die for and a cutting table we can all use with her at the same time!! Lol. Thanks for sharing MGM!

Next up are these adorable owl pin cushions from Cheree over at The Morning Latte. These are too stinkin' cute. I want a whole flock of them. I'm not sure if owls come in flocks, but I'll take a bunch!! Thanks Cheree, these are just great! Click here to visit her blog.

This mug rug is definitely on my "to do" list. This adorable one is from Heather at Crafting...

I just love the pattern and the fabric is my absolute favorite...need to get some of that! Click here to visit Heather and her wonderful blog. Thanks so much Heather, for taking the time to share.

If you'd like to grab a little "featured" button, the code is on the right side bar and click here for a tutorial on how to add a button to a blog.

Thanks to everyone who shares each week. I love it!!
~Karen~

Kick Plate Baking Sign...

I wanted to share this quick tutorial on the BAKING sign I have on top of the baking center I just finished. Click here for the baking center made from an old desk post.

I made this sign from a kick plate from our front door. Easy project and it was free!!

What's a kick plate? It's the metal strip at the bottom of some doors that protects the door and the paint.

We just put this new shiny one on last month because...

the other one looked like this.

Don't get me wrong,  I love the patina of this one...the way it has different colors and textures. Just didn't look great next to a shiny brass door knob.

How did it get that way? When this one went on the door about 10 years ago...stupid me didn't know there was a protective plastic sheet that I should have pull off.

Ten years of beat sun melted that plastic in to this work of art!! Lol.

I know all of you don't have this exact piece of metal to make a sign, but remember to think outside the box.

How about...

• an old piece of wood
• an old metal tray
• a picture frame
• an old wooden shelf
• the drawer front from an old dresser

anything you have hanging around will work with this technique.

I just printed the letters that I needed on Microsoft Word. So many different fonts to choose from and you can even change the color. I used the font Georgia at size 440.

I went to Staples office supply to buy a package of 4 inch letters and it was $10.00. Sorry, but no thanks!

Just print them off yourself.

I just used regular printer paper, but maybe next time I'll use a heavier card stock.

Just cut the letters out and either Mod Podge it on or I used Elmer's glue with a few drops of water added to it to thin it out. Having it a little thinner helped spread the glue on the thin paper.

I didn't spread glue on the front. Didn't want to press my luck with ripping the letters when they were wet.

You can use this idea for anything...

• your family name
• a child's name for their room
• sign for your laundry room
• kitchen
• game room

Have fun looking around and creating your own sign!
~Karen~

Thoughts on Thursday...

Halloween is coming up on Monday. I was just thinking about all the costumes I made the girls had over the years when they were little...tube of tooth paste, M&M's, flower and a bee, Dorothy and the witch. They were so darn cute! (can you tell I miss them lol)

One Halloween, Kelsie was a flower and Courtney was a bumble bee...they were 2 and 3 years old. Kelsie's flower costume was a green coat that I added big wired flower petals to the hood...all around her face. Then she stepped into a large plant pot that was attached to the coat. (you know those brown light weight pots that disintegrate in the ground) Looked adorable, but she couldn't take big strides with her walk. Lots of tears. Funniest memory was Courtney, the life size bumble bee, holding the crying flower's hand trying to get to the next house. The bee was bent over, looking at the flower and patting her on the hand, trying to convince her to go on. Courtney knew there was candy at that next house and would do anything to get it!!

What's your fondest Halloween memory?

Happy Thursday,
~Karen~

Baking Center From An Old Desk...

When my parents moved in with us 7 years ago, we added a second story to our house. The new stair case created this odd area at the bottom of the stairs in the kitchen.

I've had lots of things there, but I think this may be a keeper.

I had this bookcase storage unit there in the past...good for storage, but try to give it more height with the clock and lamps.

This is how I tried out the new change.

• brought up an old desk from the basement
• swapped out the larger bookcase (from the above picture) for this top of a hutch
• put my baking stuff in there and lived with it for a week before committing to painting

Let the painting begin.

I left the top of the desk natural, so I don't have to be careful about chipping the paint when working on the desk. Breaks up the black too.

I have a tutorial coming up on how to make this BAKING sign. Easy peasy! Click HERE for sign tutorial

Simple cardboard boxes covered with fabric. I just wrapped the box like a gift and hot glued the edges down. I bought the boxes in the mailing office supply section in Walmart. They were the perfect square size and only 50 cents.

Pipe straps found in hardware stores for the handles...these are always my cheap "go to" handles. I think $2.00 for a bag of 10-12.

Key chain tags to tell whats inside.

Store all your baking items in there.

I've had these glass canister jars for years...they are only $10.00 in Walmart. I just saw them this week, so I know they still carry them. Smaller sizes are about $7.00

The computer key board drawer pulls out and holds my cookie sheets and baking racks.

The drawers hold bowls...

cake pans...

mixers...

and a file for recipes...

When you find a recipe on line, you print it out on an 8x10 piece of paper. In the past, I folded them up and stored them away.

Hard to find when they are all folded up.

Now they are easy to read.

Little jar for small baking tools...

and don't forget the kitchen mouse.

Just need to put drawer pulls on and it will be all set.

I love what paint can do. Look around your house and see what you can transform!

Take care,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday and Make A Gift On The 25th...Place Mats

Tool Time and Make A Gift On The 25th on the same day...Woo Hoo, it's a twofer!!

You know Tool Time is where I take something and turn it into something else.

"Make a Gift on the 25th" is a club where we can all make a gift for Christmas on the 25th of each month. If we craft ahead of time, we won't be proCRAFTinating on Christmas Eve. We've been doing this since July here at Sew Many Ways, but it's not too late!! Click here for past projects and join the club.

So here's today's project...a Christmas card holder.

Homecoming- Parent's Weekend...

We had a great day with the kids at parent's weekend. Both our daughters, Courtney and Kelsie and Courtney's boyfriend Courtland, all go to the same university. Perfect for us to visit everyone all in one day!

It was a beautiful fall day...cool, crisp and so sunny!

Fall festival with kettle corn (sweet and salty...yum)

Fresh pressed apple cider...

apple mash after the pressing.

Wood fired pizza was delicious...

That things cooks in minutes.

Don't forget the cotton candy. There was also fried dough, hot chocolate and caramel apples. Kelsie would kill me if I showed the picture of her eating the caramel apple lol.

Courtney and I eating the kettle corn...all stuck in our teeth, but smile any way.

Remember when I had mentioned Courtney colored her hair auburn...looks so cute on her. (that was the color of my mom's hair)

Kelsie and the dance team performed for everyone.

Ready to go...all smiles.

If I did that, I'd be in the hospital! Kelsie dances like it's second nature.

I could do this if they were lifting me with a crane! I don't know how she does it.

Went for a walk around campus.

The school is #1 in sailing...we don't sail. We don't do any outdoor sports, except eating at the Fall Festival, Lol !!

Laughing after several takes of my husband's eye closed or not smiling. I'm pinching his finger to make him laugh.

Too cute.

Crossing the bridge heading home. Thanks kids...we had a great day. Miss you already.

Thanks for letting me share,
~Karen~