Boho Beaded Bracelet

I don't know about you, friends, but my summer wardrobe consists of a variety of different colors.  I've got some coral, some yellow, lots of turquoise, some pink, various shades of blue, and even some black and white.  So, I decided to make myself a bracelet that would match just about anything so that I can grab it and go, knowing it will look great no matter what I'm wearing for the day.  In the end, it actually ended up being two bracelets that I can either wear individually or stacked.  Here's how I made them, and you can too!

One Crafty Contest: Prize Packages 2013

Have you voted yet for the final time in this season's One Crafty Contest?  It's entirely up to your votes who takes home the grand prize, as well as second and third place.  I know you {and especially our three remaining contestants} have been anxious to see just what's at stake, so here's a look at the prize packages our winners will be receiving!  Thanks again to all of our fabulous sponsors!!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

DIY Photo Wrapped Canvas

Friends, I can't wait to show you one of the things I made hubby for Father's Day!  {Here's hoping he behaves and doesn't come peek!}  I am crazy-excited about this!  Here it is...

Yup, you read that right.  A gorgeous wrapped photo canvas you make yourself at home!

Treasures of the Ocean Jewelry Set

Hey, friends!  You know how much I love the beach, and as much as I thoroughly enjoyed our recent vacation, I'm kind of bummed that it's already over for this year.  So, when I saw these gorgeous green shell beads that remind me of the ocean, I thought I'd make myself a jewelry set that will make me think of my favorite place all summer long, even when I'm not there.

My Experience With Invisalign

Did you have braces as a teenager?  I didn't.  But I sure should have.  It was obvious to everyone {including me, my parents, and my dentist} that I needed them, but I had heard too many horror stories from my friends about how awful braces were.  They were constantly complaining about how much they hurt and what a pain it was not to be able to eat what they wanted.  Plus, I already had thick glasses and was overweight, which were reasons enough to get picked on; I was afraid to add "metal mouth" to the list.  Sooo, I pitched a major fit and refused to get them {shocking, isn't it?  You thought this Artsy Mama was a golden child, didn't you?}  I eventually won my case and my parents didn't force me.  But the older I got, the more self-conscious I was about my smile.  

Mikarose Review and Giveaway

Hey, friends!  How many of you love fashion?  How many of you like finding cute spring & summer styles that don't cost way too much money or show way too much skin?  Today, I'm excited to show you a few of my favorite dresses from the Mikarose Spring line.  There are so many options to choose from that I had a hard time deciding which one I wanted to review.  I finally chose the Ellie dress because it looked lightweight, comfortable, and the ruffle would be a fun touch if I wore it while dancing!

Here it is on the model.  I really wanted the Coral Rose version, but it was out of stock, so I got the pretty Egyptian Blue instead.

The Ellie

One Crafty Contest: Round 2 Material!

Did you all enjoy that paint round as much as I did?!  Wow!  What a fantastic group of projects!  Now it's time to move on and see what our Top 15 will do with the material for Round 2!

WASHI TAPE!

Netflix: Feeding LC's Obsession

A few months ago, I took Little Crafter to the dentist for a cleaning.  He came home with a new obsession.  You see, the hygienist wanted to ensure a positive experience for him, which included letting her little patient watch cartoons during the appointment.  It just so happened that the show playing at the time was Jake and the Neverland Pirates, which features three adorable little pirate-kids who try to thwart the selfish schemes of Captain Hook.

My #MiracleGroProject

This post brought to you by Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.
Hey, friends!  We are officially enjoying my favorite time of year.  I just love it when the weather is nice enough for our family to have fun doing outdoor activities together.  One of the things we always look forward to is planting flowers, vegetables, and herbs.  The older Little Crafter gets, the more of a help he can be, and he absolutely loves it.  Planting, watering, weeding...you name it, he wants to do it "all by myself!"  {and occasionally in his pajamas}.

Tervis Tumbler Review and Giveaway!

As One Artsy Mama has grown over the past two years, I've started to get an increasing number of requests from individuals and companies who want me to tell you about their products/businesses/websites, etc.  Some of them are really fun and exciting things I believe in, so I happily share them with you and often get to offer you giveaways and discounts I think you'll enjoy.  Others aren't a good match for what we do here at One Artsy Mama, and so I pass on those {you can thank me later}.  But I recently started thinking that instead of always waiting to be approached by the next company, it might be fun to think of some things I really love already and make the first move to see if I could offer you some giveaways for some of my favorite products!  And guess what?  Sometimes it does!  

So, today, I am super excited to bring you a review and giveaway from one of my favorite companies:

Tervis has been making fabulous and fun insulated drinkware since 1946.  With a variety of sizes, styles, accessories, and designs, there's a Tervis that's just right for everyone!  You can choose from 10, 12, 16, and 24 oz tumbler sizes, mugs, and even new water bottles.  Plus, there are accessories to personalize your drinkware like colorful travel lids, shaker tops, straws, and handles.

Thirty-One Review and Giveaway

Hey, friends!  Raise your hand if you'd love to be more organized!  Ooh, ooh, me ME!  One of the areas in our home that drives me Crazy with a capital C is the kitchen.  It's the first room you enter when you walk in the front door, which means it's also become a catch-all.  Mail, coupons, shopping lists, reminder notes, keys, receipts...you name it, it ends up on the kitchen counter.  Not cool.  What to do?  Enter my friend Anne, who happens to be a consultant for Thirty-One.  

I have three Thirty-One bags already; two are the Organizing Utility Tote {I bought myself one and received one as a birthday gift}, and one is the Large Utility Tote, which I got when it was the $10 special of the month last summer!  But I didn't realize that besides their great bags, Thirty-One also has these Hang Up Family Organizers!  They come with five pockets that are just right for all the random things that end up on my counter.  

Amethyst Memory Wire Bracelet

Friends, if you've been paying attention to sports news recently, you'll know that the NFL draft just happened.  My Baltimore Ravens had a few important picks, and we're on the way to building another championship team this year!  Of course, I'll need to be ready to wear my purple when preseason starts in a few months, so when Wholeport.com sent me these amethyst beads to play with, I didn't waste any time making a pretty memory wire bracelet with them!

Banners, Buckets, and Creative Market

Raise your hand if you're always looking for fun new digital designs you can use!  

Ooh, ooh, me, ME!  

I'm constantly searching for graphics that would be perfect for all kinds of projects...things for the blog like buttons and headers, printed things like business cards and party invitations, and of course, things I can use with Cammie {my beloved Silhouette Cameo} to make goodness-knows-what!

So, when I found out about {and had the opportunity to review} a site called Creative Market where there's an abundance of all kinds of digital files for sale, I was intrigued.  In fact, I was even a bit overwhelmed {in a good way} because there's just so. much. to see!  There are files and templates for everything from invitations/announcements to blog elements like social media icons to clip art you can use in any way you like...including with a cutting machine, of course!  I finally narrowed it down and chose a favorite, and I wanted to share with you the first project I made with my new files!

DECORATED CONTAINER

Meet the Sponsors: OCC 2013

Friends, I am so excited to introduce you to all of this year's prize sponsors!  We have an amazing line up of companies and individuals who are donating some really fabulous things to our winners.  Some of the folks you see below are sponsoring one of the five rounds and will be providing a prize to the winner of that round {the project receiving the most votes}!  Others are contributing general prizes that will be given to the grand prize, second, and/or third place overall winners at the end of the competition.  Stay tuned for more information about the details of the prize packages!  

Here they are...be sure to show them some love and thank them for being a part of this with us!

Dangle Shell Earrings

You all know that one of my favorite colors this season is coral!  But, a close second is royal blue.  It's so deep and gorgeous, and will transition really well into summer too with its nautical feel.  I have a few favorite blue pieces in my spring and summer wardrobe, but I didn't have a pair of earrings that I loved to go with them.  So, what's an artsy mama to do?  Make some, of course!

Here's how I did it, and you can too!  Wholeport.com provided me with the beads; here's everything I used:

Shabby Apple $75 Giveaway!

Friends, I have some fabulous news for you today!  Remember last month when I was able to offer one lucky winner $50 credit to Shabby Apple?  That giveaway went over so well that, guess what?  Shabby Apple is back with another giveaway for you...this time for $75 worth of their merchandise!

And, it's perfect timing because they've just launched a whole new line of dresses called Fete des Fleurs!

{Remember that time we had a picnic by the lake and I was wearing pink and you had a bush on your head and threw flowers at me?  Apparently the paparazzi were there too because now we're famous...}

Taking Back My Morning

So, friends, you know how we've been playing the "honestly game" around here?  I've got another one for you.  Honestly, I'm not a morning person.

Ask anyone who knows me in real life, and they'll tell you I'm a night owl.  I'm far more energized at 9 PM than I am at 9 AM.  And before 9 AM?  Well, don't even try to talk to me.  I am seriously grumpy.  I mean seriously.  So much so that I half-jokingly tell people I do my devotional time in the evening most days because even God doesn't want to hang out with me in the morning.  {My apologies in advance to Kara, who will be rooming with me at BloggyCon!  I am not responsible for anything I do or say before lunch.}   

Vault Denim Giveaway!

Have you ever heard of Vault Denim?  I hadn't either until a friend of mine became a consultant.  Today, I'm excited to tell you a little more about the company, what they offer, and best of all, give away a free pair of jeans to one lucky reader!  Interested?  Read on!

Vault Denim has consultants all over the country who take 120+ pairs of designer and boutique denim to home parties, bazaars, open houses, etc., and sell them at up to 50% off retail price.  There are also several types of jeans manufactured exclusively for Vault Denim.

I first heard about Vault when my friend Jill became a consultant and started posting about it on Facebook.  Jill and I have never met in person, but became friends five years ago in a BabyCenter group when both of us were pregnant with an August baby.  We've stayed in touch, and as I read her posts, I started wondering if these jeans could be as great as she seemed to think they were.  One day, I posted a "what I'm wearing" photo on the One Artsy Mama Facebook page, and Jill commented that she loved the outfit, but it would be better with Vault jeans.  I told her to send me a pair and I'd see what I thought...so she did!  How great is that?!  {Have I ever mentioned that I freaking love this job?!}  

Jill directed me to the website where I could browse the jeans and choose my favorite pair.  I have to say it was one of the moments when I regretted my short stature.  Because I really wanted colored jeans and they're not available in petite.  But, I found these Emerson Edwards jeans in petite that I really liked.  I thought the back pockets were fabulous:

I gave Jill my size {she advised me to order one size up from normal, which proved to be excellent advice, because the stretchy nature of the fabric makes them run a bit small}.  She placed the order, and they came super-fast.  The day I got them, we were having a snowstorm, so I decided not to wear them out to shovel and make a snowman, but the next day, I put together this outfit to try them out!

What do you think?  I'll tell you what I think!  I'm in love!  You can only go by how they look, but I can go by how they feel and they. feel. awesome.  They're hands down the most comfortable pair of jeans I own.  They're stretchy and soft and I feel like I'm wearing lounge pants instead of jeans.  Plus, they're high-waisted enough that I don't feel like a plumber when I sit down, but not high-waisted enough to be "mom jeans." A priceless combo.  Oh, and they're great at keeping their shape all day, which is more than I can say for most of the jeans I own.  This is definitely my new go-to favorite pair...thanks, Jill!!

Another day, another outfit...here's a look at the front, side, and back views.  You have no idea how crazy self-conscious I feel putting a photo of my backside up here for you, but one of the selling points of the jeans for me was the fun back pockets.  So, there you have it...the things I do for you.

Here are some stats about Vault Denim you might like to know:

Price range: $48-92 

Size range: 0-plus size 24 

Styles available: women's, plus, color and print, kids', men's, and maternity 

How to order: online parties {use the party code  224896 now through 3/31} or contact Jill to find a consultant in your area {jilldodson@vaultdenim.com} 

Joining the team: You can sign up as a consultant and purchase a business kit for just $159.  The kit includes business cards, and the opportunity allows you to make up to 27% commission.

And, here's where you can find my girl Jill online:Facebook//Website

Now, are you ready to win your own pair?  I just know you'll love them too!  Rafflecopter will walk you through the entry process; good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Multicolored Statement Necklace

Hey, friends!  If you've been hanging around for awhile, it probably comes as no surprise that my obsession for this Spring is coral!  So, naturally I've been working on making some fun jewelry pieces to wear with my coral outfits {most notably the infamous PYP midi skirt}.

I've made several coral memory wire bracelets and a necklace already, but this time, I wanted to go with something multicolored so I could wear it with pretty much any outfit I put together.  Here's what I came up with!

MULTICOLORED STATEMENT NECKLACE

Materials:

- assorted beads

{mine are 14mm Kallaite beads from Wholeport.com}

- stringing wire

- two crimp beads

- two large jump rings {mine are ovals}

- chain {whatever length you desire}

- needle nose and flat nose pliers, wire cutters

STEP 1: Arrange your beads in the order you want them.  I played around with several different patterns before finding the one I liked best.

STEP 2: String beads onto your stringing wire.  Or use child labor...lol. 

STEP 3: Add a crimp bead and jump ring to each end.

To do this, thread wire through crimp bead, then through the jump ring, then back down through the crimp bead. Use a crimping tool to secure the crimp bead, or squeeze it tightly with pliers.  Cut excess stringing wire.

STEP 4: Attach chain to jump rings on both sides.

If you're making a long necklace like mine, you don't need a clasp because you can just slip it over your head.  If you prefer a shorter necklace, cut the chain in the back and add a clasp and jump ring.

Now it's ready to wear!  I love the variety of colors because it will go with pretty much anything in my closet!   Especially my coral pieces...;)

What do you think?  Is there a place in your jewelry wardrobe for a multicolored statement necklace like this?

Hugs & Glitter,

Lil' Crafter and his Lil' Griddles

If you've been a One Artsy Mama reader for any significant amount of time, you already know that my "Little Crafter" is one special guy.  He's an amazing artist who loves painting and creating {wonder where he got that love from!}, he's hysterically funny, and he has the sweetest and most loving heart I've ever seen in a child.  I know.  I'm truly blessed.  

But we all have our vices, and Little Crafter is no exception.  One of the things we constantly struggle with is that, for whatever reason, he is literally the. pickiest. eater. I've ever met.  No joke.  I could probably count on my fingers the number of foods he's willing to ingest.  It's easier to tell you what he won't eat.  No grilled cheese, no chicken of any kind, no cheese pizza, no french fries, no sandwiches, no peanut butter, no mac and cheese...nothing a "normal kid" usually loves.  When we go to birthday parties, I have to pack him his own snacks.  When we go out to eat, I have to pack for him unless he can order a poppyseed bagel.  

Seriously.

He doesn't like ice cream, and won't touch chocolate with a ten foot pole.  My "brother" Matt says he's, "the only kid I know that will pass over standard desserts because he doesn't like them."

Mealtime is such a struggle that I decided to try and make it a game by creating a menu for him and letting him "order" his choices.  Which works okay, except that he just wants to pick "hot dog" for every meal, which is just unacceptable to this mama.  One food he does happen to like is pancakes.  But, I can't just drop everything to pull out the griddle, make up a batch, and cook them for him every time we need a quick meal.

Enter my new best friend, Aunt Jemima.

Have you seen these cute things?  Lil' Griddles.  They're little tiny mini-pancakes, and they come in the freezer section of the grocery store with all the other frozen foods.  You can find them in plain and Blueberry, as well as Cinnamon French Toast Sticks.

They're less than $3 for a box of 40, and if you're lucky you can find them on sale like I did.  {Which, LC informs me, means it's a good time to stock up.  You've been learning well, grasshopper}.  Plus, you can even request a coupon.

LC was moderately interested when I told him I had some yummy pancakes for him to try, but his interest absolutely skyrocketed when I told him he could be the chef and make them himself.  He's at that stage where he loooooves to be helpful, particularly in the kitchen, and loves to do things "all by myself."  He ran and got his chef hat {Thanks, Uncle Jon} and pulled his stool right up in front of the microwave. 

He counted out five pancakes on a plate, then heated them for 30 seconds with no help from me.{Meanwhile, it amazes me how much kids today can do with technology.  When I was four, I don't even think microwaves existed.  I was busy eating play doh.}

Aren't they cute?  Just the right size for a Little Crafter.  I helped him fix them up just the way he likes...we're both weirdos who hate maple syrup, so we eat our pancakes with butter and apricot jelly.  I know what you're thinking, and no, he doesn't get his picky-ness from me.  Well, not entirely.

So, this was the dreaded first bite.  Every time he tries something new, I hold my breath at this point, because I know there's a 97% chance he's going to wrinkle up that cute little nose and say, "Yuck.  You eat it."

But not this time.

Hallelujah.  Can you hear the angels singing?  He likes it!  LC likes it!  In fact, these are literally the first words he said after trying that bite:

"Mommy, guess what?!  They taste like regular pancakes!  Would you like to try one?" {Yes, I chase him around all day with a dry erase marker and a quote bubble so I can write down the funny things he says}.  His favorite thing is the taste.  My favorite thing?  "Every batch made from scratch."  I love that these Lil' Griddles are made with real eggs, milk, and sugar.  I don't have to worry about high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, or other things that I don't want going in my son's body {or mine}!

I did, of course, try them myself too, and I assure you they're as tasty as they sound.  I love that they taste just like I made them on the griddle myself...but I don't have to do any of the work!  In just 30 seconds, we get made-from-scratch pancakes without the mess, time, and effort of doing it myself.

Little Crafter ate ten of them in one sitting.  Yup, you read that right.  TEN.  We found a winner!  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go grab a marker and add Lil' Griddles to the menu choices for every meal...

Hugs & Glitter,

Thank you to Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own {and Little Crafter's}.