DIY: Nail Stickers

I can't draw whatsoever but especially not with my left hand. I found this PIN on pinterest and couldn't help but try it out. While looking into it a bit more I ran into this POST that found parchment paper to work the best.

To give them all a fair chance, I used parchment paper, a ziplock bag and the tin foil from the backside of my parchment paper. I did two on each sheet, one had a top coat before the design and the second was only the design. In the end I found that the parchment paper definitely worked the best.

I let the top coat dry then painted the design on top; after the design dried I applied a top coat. I used the Nailene Top Coat; I tried Sally Hansen Hardener, Sinful Colors Clear and Sally Hansen Extreme Wear but didn't get very good results.

After letting the top coat dry the stickers peeled right off.

When it came to putting them on the nails, I applied a base coat of Sinful Colors clear and while it was still wet I put the sticker on. After allowing the sticker to dry into the base coat for a few minutes I used nail polish and cleaned up around the sides. After everything was cleaned up I applied another coat of Sinful Colors clear to lock it in. 

Now to see how long it lasts.

New Old Fan!!

So I was really getting tired of my old white fan, I decided to give it a makeover!! The center disk is painted with chalkboard paint. Not really sure how much that will actually get used but it looks nice having the matte center. I'm thinking that I will wrap the white cord  in green duct tape for a pop of color. I wanted to modge podge the fan blades but I couldn't get the middle curve just right.

Cartoon Nail Art

Sorry the pictures aren't the best quality.

Crackle Paint

This is a cool and extremely easy to crackle paint. Thanks to Ann at makethebestofthings for the easy to follow tutorial.

It is three easy steps.

1. Paint the board with a base color. Let it dry for a few minutes.

2. Put on your glue layer. I just drizzle it all over and used my finger to smear it around. Let it dry until it is tacky.

3. I didn't thin my topcoat. I just drizzle paint all over and then spread it out. I used a cheap foam brush.

Final Product:

Tie Die Nails

Kenzie and I had tons of fun creating patterns for our nails. It was cool to watch it stick though clean up was kind of a pain. Kenzie used blue, green and white. I used pink, white and grey. If you know of an easy way to keep you fingers clean let me know!

Too Much Fun!

I’ve decided that I have too much fun playing on the computer. I love to start with a bunch of stuff and have it all come together. They aren't all that good but I enjoy it!


Thanks to Blog Designs By Dani I found Pixlr. It's a great photo editor. You can create projects or you can give images a retro vintage look. I love it!!! Dani also has tons of cute backgrounds and matching banners. Plus great information/tutorials on how to do different things yourself.

There are lots of pictures so beware!!!

This was a picture that I edited using Pixlr's Retro Vintage Effects. 

The favicon for our family site.

My favicon. (Jessi's and mine are both from from google images.)

The favicon for Jessi's blog.

A spring background.

 My blue and green background, banner and post divider.

 Christmas banner and background for the family blog.

A fall background and it's banner for the family blog.

My Support the Troops guy!

This one was random. It's bright and still kind of pastel.

This one is meant to be patriotic.

The banner for Jessi's Blog!

One of my past banners. I love the colors in this one though I think 'My' is a little hard to read with the four color layers.

Cute black and green background. Could work for St. Patty's Day.

Banner for the family blog. It is the same paper and materials as the next one down.

One of my banners. It was different but I like it.

A St. Patrick's Day banner for the family blog.

A picture for the family blog.

A welcome message for the family blog.

A welcome sign for anybody.

Signature for Jessi's blog.

The family signature.

My signature.

Washrag 2!!!

I finished my second washrag, green and white mix!! Plus I learned the shell stitch which I will try on the next washrag and on my embroidered pillow cases!! I'll let you know how it goes.

Washrag!!!

This was my first crocheting project! I'm very proud of myself. I'm working on my second one which is a cute green and white.

Bright Blue Miracle By: Becca Wilhite

I loved this book. It's a great story about teenage struggles to fit into family and social situations.

Seventeen-year-old Leigh Mason is not sure she is ready to share her mom, her bedroom, and her little sisters with her new stepsister, Betsy. And she's definitely not ready to share her best friend, who happens to be a boy! Coping with a blended family is not easy for either Leigh or Betsy, especially during their senior year in high school. Each step brings them nearer to a crisis that will either send them running in different directions or bind them firmly together (which, let s face it, would take a miracle). Bright Blue Miracle is a new young adult novel that has everything a girl wants: a hero (more specifically, a really cute boy), a villain (who happens to be a stepsister), comedy, despair, pedicures, ice cream, love, hate, tennis, revenge, and, of course, a couple of surprises that might send you for some tissues.

My Not-So-Fairy-Tale Life By: Julie Wright

This book was a great story of adoption done right. It can be a hard decision for some people to adopt or put their child up for adoption. I thank all those who do what is right for their child and at the same time to what is right for themselves.

Suzanne Quincy was raised by an abusive mother and an apathetic father. In an effort to escape her upbringing, Suzie chooses the numbing effects of drugs and alcohol-and the accompanying lifestyle. She reaches a crossroad when she discovers she is pregnant. Will she listen to the world and abort the baby, or will she listen to the conscience she has ignored her entire life? The choice she makes sends her down a path of self-discovery. This story is about choices and consequences, laughter and tears, and finding the truth in the midst of it all.

Shudder By: Jennie Hansen

This book was really good. I loved the suspense and the romance in it.

Darcy and Clare grew up as best friends, sharing trials and triumphs from preschool through college graduation. Now they're sharing an apartment in Boise, Idaho, where Clare just landed a great job and Darcy is pursuing a teaching certificate. There's only one problem: Blaine, Clare's boyfriend. His chauvinistic, know-it-all ways set Darcy's teeth on edge. Darcy vows not to let Blaine ruin her lifelong friendship with Clare, but when Blaine insists on moving in, Darcy suddenly finds herself alone. The estranged friends forge ahead on seemingly separate paths. Engaged to Blaine, Clare becomes trapped in ugly family politics and vicious treatment from her fianc. Darcy finds a temporary home with Karlene, an accident victim seeking live-in help, but a twisted plot soon threatens their safety. Clare's wedding briefly reunites her with Darcy, yet the friends have never been farther apart. And when Clare finds herself in mortal peril and finally calls on Darcy to help, it might be too late.

Between the Lines By: Erin Klingler

This book was really cute. I really enjoyed listening to it on CD. To learn more about books and other work feel free to visit Erin.

Sydney Hallam, hard-line journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle, is poised for action after receiving a tip from a mysterious source that criminally implicates several influential power brokers—but her source is gunned down before he can disclose any details. Days later, Salt Lake Tribune reporter Justin Mickelsen receives a letter from a childhood friend — the murder victim — written just prior to his death, leading the two reporters to team up in San Francisco to expose the scandal.In the intensity of the investigation, the pair’s attraction quickly grows, along with proof of money laundering, drug trafficking, and grand theft. But as the evidence builds, so do the tempers of certain billionaires and heavy-hitting politicians — soon it seems the dangerous career path chosen by the two ace reporters can only lead to a very dead end.

How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini By: Heather Horrocks

This book was amazing. It kept me laughing the whole time with some unexpected twists. To learn more about visit Heather at her website.

Sophisticated New York playwright Lori Scott feels like a failure when her producer boyfriend calls it quits on both their relationship and her first play. On a dare, she throws a dart at a map and ends up moving to Brigham City, Utah, where she plans to set aside writing, religion, and men to focus on her new career substituting as The Garden Guru for the local paper. But fate has something else in mind. When she accidentally lights her house on fire, Lori has no idea of the sparks that lie ahead. Will she be able to resist the charm and persistence of local firefighting hero John Wayne Walker? Will old hurts and fears cause her to turn her back on the best thing that's ever happened to her? Author Heather Horrocks brings a fresh, fun voice to this delightful contemporary romance about following your heart, finding true love, and wrestling with a basket full of zucchini!