Condo Blues: 2017

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 405

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Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
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Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 404

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Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
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Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





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Sunday, December 17, 2017

Zero Waste DIY Recycled Penguin Gift Box

I finished the last of my birthday mango green tea (thanks sis!) just in time to recycle the tea container into a cute little penguin gift box.

Pin this idea for later! Share it with your friends!



If you don’t have a round tea container, you can use any round container you have like an oatmeal, snack container, or what have you.

You will need:

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 403

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Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





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Sunday, December 10, 2017

How to Make Wine Cork Gnomes

 Danish nisse are gnomes who secretly live in your attic, or barn if you live on a farm, and help take care of the animals at night when you are asleep. They also protect your family from harm.

All these helpful creatures ask for is respect and a bowl of porridge with a pat of butter on top on Christmas Eve, otherwise they will get even by playing tricks on you. Can’t find your car keys the next day? A group of insulted nisser probably hid them!

Many Danish home decorate for Christmas with nisse (also called tomte) or as we call them in the United States, gnomes.The plural of nisse is nisser and they are pretty darn cute as well as helpful!

Let’s make some Christmas gnome decorations from recycled wine corks! Tomte like it when we recycle.


Reycled Wine Cork Craft Idea: Christmas Gnomes!


Thursday, December 7, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 402

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Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





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Tuesday, December 5, 2017

25 of the Best Gift Ideas Under 25 Dollars

Tis the season to think about gift giving! Fa, La, La, La, La. La, La, La, La!

My 2017 gift idea guide has something for every one on your give giving list whether it be a co worker, boss, or teacher, to the man, woman, or finicky teen in your life.







Pop on over to my food blog Lazy Budget Chef to read:

25 Unique Gift Ideas Under 25 Dollars



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Sunday, December 3, 2017

How to Make a Christmas Tree Topper Angel

I like to mix up our Christmas decorations from year to year to get a new look from ornaments and decorations I already have and love. I figure it is time for our Christmas tree angel to grace the top of the tree after several years of big fluffy  bows.


 Here's the BEFORE. Keep reading to see the AFTER!


Girlfriend is in some sad shape! Her wings are chipped and broken, her bust looks weirdly chesty, and she has always been too tall to sit properly on the top of our tree.

I hit the shops to drool over Christmas tree decorations find an elegant angel wearing a sumptuous brocade dress. I must be the Goldilocks of Christmas tree angels because I couldn’t find one that was Just Right.

I noticed that almost every angel in the store has  the same face as the Christmas angel I already own. Since I honed my sewing skills as a kid making doll clothes,  I knew I could satisfy my inner tree topper Goldilocks by repairing and making over our current Christmas tree angel into something elegant and fantastic!

Extreme Makeover Christmas Tree Angel Edition

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 401

Let's get this party started! Time to link up and share your fantastic craft and DIY projects, recipes, tutorials, and ideas!




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Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





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Wednesday, November 29, 2017

How to Make Awesome DIY Christmas Outdoor Projector Decorations!

I like to keep my Christmas decorations fresh by mixing and matching the decorations we already have sprinkled with a healthy dollop of DIY if I want to decorate with a new outdoor Christmas theme. Condo living means I don’t have the storage space for moving inflatables or  the life size animatronic Santas we see when we idea shop at the Christmas store.

Which is perfectly fine because this year I’m decorating my house with a life size live action Santa Claus and I’m repurposing my Halloween decorations to do it. It will be SO! FREAKING! COOL!


Pin this tutorial for later! Share it with your friends!


Saturday, November 25, 2017

25 Days of Alternative Christmas Movies

I like watching a good holiday movie but I swear Christmas movies only use four major plots they recycle, over, and over, and over, again:
  • Dickens' A Christmas Carol
  • It’s a Wonderful Life
  • Helping Santa/the town/an event/the disadvantaged overcome a mean or terrible obstacle or their will not be a Christmas/Event
  • And if you’re the Hallmark Channel, it usually involves a sappy sweet love story of finding a significant other, lost family member, or quite possible a puppy
Actually the puppy is wishful thinking on my part. I love dogs!

After one too may years of being forced to watch the same trite children’s Christmas special or ooey, gooey, and predictable December  movie (or coming home grumpy from being stuck in holiday traffic) makes the little pink haired punk rock girl who still lives inside me want to kick the doors off my holiday entertainment with a Christmas explosion or a monster or two.



Pin this list for later! Come on, you know you wanna.



If you need a break from watching  the holiday same old, same old, put the kiddoes to bed and break out my list of 25 non traditional Christmas movies – one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas!

25 of the Best Non Traditional Christmas Movies for December   

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 400

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Let's get this party started! Time to link up and share your fantastic craft and DIY projects, recipes, tutorials, and ideas!




Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





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You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!


Thursday, November 16, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 399

Let's get this party started! Time to link up and share your fantastic craft and DIY projects, recipes, tutorials, and ideas!




Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





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Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Easy DIY Machine Embroidery Flour Sack Towels

I bought a scad of flour sack towels from Amazon here. (Amazon has has changed my life when it comes to researching and buying pretty much everyone in my house that I have no problem recommending it to you (and using my affiliate links.)

Flour sack towels are the world’s most flexible kitchen towel. They work with almost every kitchen design style – Mid Century Modern, contemporary, retro, and of course the ever so popular Fixer Upper farmhouse decor. Besides, flour sack towels are is less fiddly to machine embroider than terry cloth towels so the chances are high I’ll quickly get the hang and  be churning out cute embroidered towels for my kitchen, to give as gifts, and to use as gift wrap for wine and mason jar hostess gifts.
Cute, green, and practical zero waste gift wrap. What’s not to love about that?

As I also took the opportunity to see what some of the built in machine embroidery files of my Brother SE400 Sewing and Embroidery Machinelook like in IRL, I accidentally created red work embroidery simply by using red thread on open, one color designs to coordinate with the accent color in my kitchen.



Thursday, November 9, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 398


Let's get this party started! Time to link up and share your fantastic craft and DIY projects, recipes, tutorials, and ideas!




Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL



You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!


Sunday, November 5, 2017

18 Gift Ideas for People Who Are Always Cold

I am that person who is always cold and as luck will have it I’m also the one who is assigned the frozen tundra polar ice cap infused office at work. Because apparently most office buildings think you have to keep the IT department people as cold as the servers and computers we work on – or at least it feels that way.


Pin this list for later and to share with your friends!

Influenced by a unseasonable cold snap and freezing while I shuffled around the house while wearing many layers, I put together a holiday gift guide for people who work outside in the cold, inside a cold building, or just like the snuggle up at home when it it cold outside.

Holiday Gift Ideas to Keep You Warm When it is Cold


Thursday, November 2, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 396

Let's get this party started! Time to link up and share your fantastic craft and DIY projects, recipes, tutorials, and ideas!




Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





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Sunday, October 29, 2017

DIY Hand Blown Glass Pumpkins

As a kid, my family and I always watched glass blowing demos at living history museums, Cedar Point, etc. when they crossed our path. I always wanted to learn how to blow glass and put it on my Bucket List but the thing is I’m not sure what I’d do with the thing after I made it. (I am including some affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)

I appreciate glass artistry and would dearly love to buy, use, or display hand blown glass creations but condo living isn’t the most spacious when it comes to displaying doo dads (all of our art collection hangs on walls.)  Not to mention, I’m not a fussy doo dad displaying kind of girl except in September when my pumpkin decorations dot the house inside and out.

I like to decorate with pumpkins because you can start displaying them in September for fall harvest, to Halloween and right on through to Thanksgiving at the end of November.  So it makes sense that I am obsessed with browsing handcrafted glass pumpkins at glass blowing shops. That’s when it hit me.

Blow a glass pumpkin and display it for Thanksgiving? That I can do.

I  decided that Today is SOMEDAY and I’m going to learn how to blow glass!

 Keep reading to learn about the process and to see what I made!

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 395

Let's get this party started! Time to link up and share your fantastic craft and DIY projects, recipes, tutorials, and ideas!




Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





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Monday, October 23, 2017

Elizabethan Noble Woman Costume Part 4 – Makeover Reveal

Last year I made an Elizabethan noble dress to wear while performing at renaissance festivals that was an utter train wreck. It was my first machine embroidery project, the fit of the bodice was off, and in an attempt to glam it up  I think my dress looks more like a costume than my goal of period clothing.

No one said anything to me one way or the other about the issues I have with this dress.  I would never, ever point out any of these issues on a patron or fellow performer’s clothing  Many of these things bug me and me alone and I admit I’m shallow enough to let it affect my performance.

Extreme Renaissance Festival Costume Makeover

You could say the Tudors are the originals when it comes to clothing capsule collections because most of their clothing either tied or pinned together so they could mix and match sleeves, foreparts, bodices, stomachers etc.

My costuming focus this summer was making my husband a new embroidered Tudor doublet, breeches, and hat. In the interest of time, I remade and made over the items that didn’t work and kept or tweaked the pieces that do.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 394

Let's get this party started! I can't wait to see your DIY, craft, and decorating projects and recipes that make me drool with antici......................................................................................................................


--pation !






Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!


Thursday, October 12, 2017

Friday Favorites Linky Party 393

Hello October! Have you started decorating for Halloween yet? Any costume ideas?

Seriously, I'm asking. I did a costume consult for a friend and realized I'm tapped out of Halloween costume ideas. Help a sister out and give me a suggestion in the comments below.




Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Christine at Light and Savvy - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Jen at Creatively Homemade - Twitter | G+ | Pin
Dawn at LeroyLime - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Maisy at Becoming Alice - FB | G+ | Pin
Sheree at Stage Presents - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL





If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!


Wednesday, October 11, 2017

How to Make Awesome DIY Halloween Outdoor Projector Decorations!

Over the years my husband and I have developed a good reputation for displaying awesome outdoor Halloween decorations.

Our favorite Halloween decorations are the kind that move. Unfortunately condo living means we don’t have the storage space for moving inflatables or the life size animatronic ghosts we see when we idea shop at the Halloween store. Bummer, I know.

We generally keep things fresh by mixing and matching the decorations we already have sprinkled and I add a healthy dollop of DIY props if we want to decorate with a new outdoor Halloween theme.

This year my husband and I are going BIG with our DIY Halloween decorations and haunting  the windows of our house with animated ghosts - just like the kind you see in a haunted house or on the dance floor of The Haunted Mason! (my favorite part of the ride, by the way) using  AtmosFX Digital Decorations who provided samples for this tutorial. That’s right, friends we are using projection Halloween decorations this year and they look so. freaking. cool!



Pin this easy Halloween decorating idea to your Pinterest boards for later! Share it with your friends!

How to Project Animated Halloween Ghost Decorations