Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 350

Do you have your holiday decorations up? I decorated outside of our house last week. But  the inside? Not so much. As in not yet. I've been working on adding new designs to my store LNWCreativeGifts for the Christmas and Hanukah shopping season.

Do you want to see what I made? Of course you do!


Personalized Bass Treble Clef Heart Luggage Tag - This sturdy personalized luggage tag with leather strap will identify your black suitcase from all of the other black suitcases on the airport baggage carousel. I have one on my instrument case to identify it from all of the other black instrument cases from the people in my section during band practice.

Personalized Bass and Treble Clef Heart Keychain - is in a slightly different color scheme than the luggage tag and is availbel in several key chain styles if you want something different than the button style shown here. A thoughtful gift idea for the musician, singer, or music lover on your gift list!

I Spill Things Metal Thermal Coffee Tumbler - Who says green living can't be fun living too? This stainless steel double walled insulated tumbler will keep cold drink cold (hi breakfast smoothie!) and hot drinks hot (coffee! coffee! coffee!) longer than your average cheapola travel mug.

Millennial You Showed Up Gold Metal Trophy Medal - if you need a white elephant or gag gift or you are disappointed you did not grow up in the era of Everyone Gets a Trophy,  this gold medal is for you!

I showed you my project, now it's time to share yours!

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How to Make Easy DIY Outdoor Giant Christmas Ornament Decorations

I am obsessed with Christmas ornaments ever since teenage me got my first few handmade Christmas decoration from my grandmother as a present. By the time I struck out into the big wide world, I had a variety of Christmas ornaments to decorate with that was a nice change from the red glass ball ornaments that hung on my parent’s tree.

 I love the variety of ornaments Husband and I have collected over the years but I guess absence makes the heart grow founder. Ever since I saw the gigantic Christmas ball ornaments for sale to commercial spaces (malls, outside a business, etc.) at Bronner’s Christmas Store during our vacation a few years ago, I lust after round ball ornaments – super sized!

I adore everything about this cherry Santa decoration from the happy polka dots and lights to the cartoony Santa. If only I had mile high ceilings and enormous living room….

Taking pictures of the big Christmas ball ornaments in the store and in public places when I came across them has not scratched my itch.  I could use a few more decorations the size of a yoga ball in the front yard to balance the lighted Dachshund Christmas decorations (learn more about them here) we bought last year. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)

Yoga ball?

 Hey! That gives me an idea!

Keep reading! I'll teach you how to make this fun decorating idea!

Let’s make Big Christmas ornaments from exercise and playground balls!

How to Make Quick and Easy Exercise Ball Christmas Ornaments

Recycled Wrapping Paper Gift Tags and Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 389

I hate buying gift tags because it is usually the one important thing I usually run out of at midnight when wrapping Christmas gifts less than 24 house before they are going to be opened.

How's that for a little real world DIYer life?

So DIY homemade gift tags work best for me because I technically never run out. I just make a more! And in the interest of not hunting around the house for cute scrapbook paper  coordinating my Christmas gift tags to my wrapped presents, I craft them from wrapping paper scraps!

How to Make Quick, Easy, and Cute Recycled Wrapping Paper Gift Tags

Pin this step by step tutorial for later!

You will need to make this project

 

DIY Solar Snowman Jar Lights

I need to add new lighting to our outdoor Christmas decorations this year because for some inexplicable reason, our lawn service company felt the need to mow our  lawns in December. They ran over and destroyed my lights with a lawn mower despite the fact we are allowed to have holiday decorations in our yard for Christmas.

Uff da.

My HOA didn’t understand it either.

I’m turning an annoying head scratching negative and turning it into a positive. I’m taking the opportunity to change up our outdoor Christmas decorations a little bit this year by going green and making recycled glass jar solar snowman lights!

 Pin this tutorial for later!

I'm also giving my summer solar yard lights a big green reuse and repurpose by making them into energy efficient outdoor Christmas lights.

You can use glass Mason jars to make this project if you don’t have empty glass food  jars. At the time of this writing all of my spare Mason jars are storing and organizing food in my kitchen cupboards because it stays fresher longer and I can stuff more food in the cupboards than if I keep it in the original packaging.

How to Make Quick and Easy Solar Salsa Jar Snowmen

Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 348

How was your Thanksgiving?

We had a low key family dinner with family, in laws, and pie. So many pies!

This week I got a surprise "gift" that threw in into a tailspin. A low down rotten person spoofed both of my blogs Condo Blues and Lazy Budget Chef and stole almost all of my blog traffic and ad revenue for several months! 

So if you could throw me a bone when you do  your holiday shopping this month I'd be ever so grateful.

I receive a small commission from Amazon at no additional coast to you if you buy something by clicking my Amazon affiliate or the Amazon ad on my blog sidebar. I use the money I earn from ads to run my blogs, pay for project materials and contest prizes for you, and to keep everything free for you to read instead of making my blogs a paid subscription service.

Thank you for your support!

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Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 347

Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving?

Or are you one of those super organized folks who has Thanksgiving down and is starting on Christmas gift shopping and decorating? Good for you!

This week I got a surprise "gift" that threw in into a tailspin. A low down rotten person spoofed both of my blogs Condo Blues and Lazy Budget Chef and stole almost all of my blog traffic and ad revenue for several months! 

So if you could throw me a bone when you do  your holiday shopping this month I'd be ever so grateful.

I receive a small commission from Amazon at no additional coast to you if you buy something by clicking my Amazon affiliate link here or the Amazon ad on my blog sidebar. I use the money I earn from ads to run my blogs, pay for project materials and contest prizes for you, and to keep everything free for you to read instead of making my blogs a paid subscription service.

Thank you for your support!

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

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

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!  

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How to Make a Quick and Easy Christmas Pennant Garland

I excavated my craft room and found some cute red and green fabric scraps I’ve been moving from storage place to storage place in my sewing room.  That put me in a sewing mood. I decided then and there to use those quirky fabric scraps to sew a cloth pennant Christmas garland.

Pin this tutorial for later!

This is a quick and easy Christmas decoration project that takes practically no time to make. I streamed a couple of movies on Amazon Prime Video and before I knew it the project was done!

Christmas Garland Décor Tutorial

Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 346

I am trying to knock out as many spray paint projects as I can until it becomes too cold to spray paint. I can't tell you how many clothes I've ruined with paint because I didn't take the time to change into my painting clothes.

There is an answer for that.

It is called an apron.

If you have a sloppy crafting, paint, DIY, or cooking habit you can protect your clothes and buy my This is how I roll apron in my shop LNW Creative Gifts! It features pockets to hold everything that gets lost during a project or recipe and makes a great gift for you or someone you love.

Funny This is How I Roll Paint Roller Apron
by LNWCreativeGifts

I showed you my latest project. Now you show me yours!

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Amazon Echo Dot Birthday Giveaway!

Today is my birthday!

Yay!

I'm throwing a reverse birthday party and you are invited. What is a reverse birthday party you ask? It is a birthday party where I give YOU gifts! 

One of the things on my vacation shopping list a few years ago was to bring back either a Minion or a House Elf from Universal Studios. Husband thought I wanted a toy. No. I wanted a REAL one to help around the house. Sadly, they are fictional but flash forward to right now this minute in time and there IS a real live way to make your life easier - The Amazon Echo Dot! Best of all it doesn't need feeding, or clothes, or has a nasty habit of punching things.

And I am giving one Amazon Echo Dot away on Condo Blues!!!

How to Make Pallet Storage Shelves with Side Rails

I have a DIY power tool battery station hanging on the wall on my workbench and little else. All of my tools, hardware, and empty tool cases are stored low to the ground – like me! –  in my DIY kitchen cabinet workbench where I can easily put everything away after I finish a project in my shop.

Short girl problems, yo.

But man, those empty molded plastic power tool cases are taking up some variable storage real estate in the workbench. I don’t want to keep shuffling them around the workbench to get to things I needs but I don’t want to get rid of them either. The cases are nice for those occasions I Handy Ma'am it at someone else’s house.

A dead space the wall over my workbench is the perfect place to store my power tool cases. I put my recycled pallet wood stash to good use and built a storage shelf with built in bookends (for lack of a better term) so my tool cases won’t fall off the end of the shelf.

Pin this idea for later!

How to Build a Simple Shelf with Built in Bookends

 

Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 345

Oh friends, I have a confession. I have a new obsession.

Antique crystal glasses.

It started innocently enough. I bought these sweet and versatile Bubble Champagne Coupe glasses  (aff link) as a wedding present last spring and I've been going back and forth about how useful owning coupe glasses would be ever since.   Which is somewhat silly yet somewhat practical given my lack of extra storage space in our condo.

The coupe hunger got worse after seeing a friend's recent antique mid century modern chair purchase followed by seeing cut glass coupes while thrift shopping for Halloween costume pieces. The clouds parted from the sky, a rainbow appeared, a unicorn slide down it and encouraged me to poke around one of my favorite thrift stores instead of just turning around in their parking lot.

And this happened.

Cocktails anyone? Vintage crystal glassware is my new obsession! Can you believes I scored 4 of these cut crystal gems for 2 bucks? #thriftshop #thriftstorefinds #vintage #crystal #glassware #antique #antiques #cocktails #coupe #greatgatsby #downtonabbey

A photo posted by Lisa (@condoblues) on Nov 2, 2016 at 1:10pm PDT

If you follow me @condoblues on Instagram you might have seen this in real time! 

I love them and already tested them out. Swoon!

I showed you mine, now you show me yours!

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Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Juice Recipe

Halloween is almost here!!!

Husband and I have a tradition with our next door neighbors to sit on our front porches and chat, candy bowls and food allergy treats at the ready for the neighborhood trick or treaters.

It's nice to have a festive drink with us to fill the lull in between Beggar's Night groups and there is no better option than a big glass of Harry Potter inspired Pumpkin Juice!

As all Harry Potter fans know, pumpkin juice is a non alcoholic treat served hot or cold in the wizarding world.

It was one of many things Husband and I couldn't wait to try in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of both Universal Studios Florida parks.  Universal set up a test kitchen in England so JK Rowling could select what she imagined when she created pumpkin juice and all of the other fantastic wizard food and drinks that appear in the series.

When I read the Harry Potter books I imagined pumpkin juice to taste like pumpkin spice. Unfortuantely, JK Rowling's recipe is full of apricot juice adn waaaaaay too sweet.

So I decided to create a pumpkin spice pumpkin juice recipe myself! Pop on over to my food blog Lazy Budget Chef to read the recipe:

Spicy Harry Potter Inspired Pumpkin Juice Recipe

Your taste buds will be glad you did! 

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Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 344

 We had so many fantastic projects and recipes added to our Linky Party last Friday, it was hard to pick a favorite to feature!

So let's just dive in, shall we?

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

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Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

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Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

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New Orleans French Quarter Fall Porch Decor

Decorating the outside of a duplex for holidays is usually more miss than hit since neither side coordinates with the other (at least in my experience.)

What can I say? I like symmetry in my outdoor holiday décor.

That’s why I stopped in my tracks when Husband and I passed this sweet yellow duplex in New Orleans last November and took it all in.

Pin this Fall outdoor porch decorating idea for later!

First of all, even undecorated, it is a lovely double shotgun style home. One of many that fills the French Quarter with architectural charm.

Fall Wine Cork Porch Decoration Ideas

I have this visually dead corner on my front porch. Trying to find something either practical or pretty to fill it gives me fits.

Storage space for new autumn decorations is practically nonexistent in our condo. So I did a little summer and fall decoration shuffle from backyard fall patio decorations (take the fall patio decorating tour here on Condo Blues) to the front porch now that it is too chilly to eat dinner outside on the regular.

Killing one of the mums I bought for the backyard actually worked in my favor. I used the pot of dirt in the metal planter to anchor the wood flagpole I used to hang the quilted scarecrow I made forever ago and haven’t found a good use for until now.
 
I traced the metal container and cut a circle to fit inside the metal planter with a hole in it for the scarecrow pole to keep it centered in the planter. The flower pot isn’t as deep as the metal planter so I chucked a couple of Husband’s empty protein powder containers in the pot to keep the cardboard from sinking into the planter so I can cover it with decorations and hide the cardboard lid.

Keep reading for more decorating ideas and pin this post for later!

Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 343

Halloween is almost here and as much as I hate to rush holidays, it is time to start thinking about Thanksgiving.

Dinner is the star of the Thanksgiving show and with a house full of hungry relatives with clashing opinions sometimes things can get slightly less thankful. Or is that only some of the nameless Thanksgiving dinners I've attended? Am I alone in this?

I have the answer to ensuring your holiday guests behave themselves from the tiniest toddler to the grandest grandparent.  I just added to my shop LNW Creative Gifts the Don't Make Me Poison Your Dinner Apron. Buy it for someone you love! (That includes yourself!)

It looks sweet and innocent until you get up close and realize 

it is a warning not to antagonize the cook!

 

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DIY Victorian Skeleton Halloween Decoration

I have a thing for gazebos. Like a deep down serious love.  I’m not sure why, maybe it is wrapped up in some romantic notion in the books I devoured as a kid about Victorian England. The history is fascinating and so are the clothes!  Fantastic gigantic hats, dangerous and deadly small waists, dresses with flowing trains – it is perfect Halloween attire!

Or in this case, the perfect Halloween decoration.

I can't tell you how much I love this Victorian skeleton couple enjoying the holiday in an iron gazebo

I met this dashing couple in Hotel Breakers when I went to this year’s Bloggy Conference at Cedar Point (you can read about how I spend last year at Cedar Point Halloweekends looking for park Easter eggs on Condo Blues here.)

Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 342

I have a round rod I want to paint black and use to organize painter and duct tape in my garage workshop because paint is the great visual equalizer of mismatched things.

I'm too impatient to paint and flip the dowel rod for the multiple paint sessions spray painting a round object will take. I don't have a tree branch I can hang the rod from so I rigged up a 360 degree spray paint booth from two tomato cages and tying an old spindle to them with twine.

 Pin this idea for later!

 I showed my quick paint project hack, now show me yours!

12 Amazing Ghost Decorating Ideas for Halloween

I like to make our Halloween decorations spooky cute instead of scary gory because we have a bunch of little kids in our neighborhood. The last thing we want is to scare the Trick or Treaters so much that they are afraid to come to our door on Begger’s Night. Giving out candy and going gaga over the kid’s costumes (house rule) is one of Husband’s favorite things about Halloween.

The other thing Husband likes is decorating with Halloween decorations that move. I’m all about Halloween lights and décor that lights up.

We like to poke our heads in home décor and pop up Halloween stores this time of year to do some hard core Halloween trend and décor idea shopping.

 Pin these Halloween decorating idea for later!

It looks like ghost decorations are popular this year because everywhere we look we’re surrounded by ghosts. Boooooooooo!

13 Halloween Ghosts

Fall Wreath Alternative: DIY Birch Sunflower Basket

After I decorated the backyard patio for Fall, I figure I better turn my attention to the front of the house. My plan is to transition the front porch from summer decorations to a Fall outdoor décor theme that I can transition to Halloween if time permits (life happens!) and back to Fall for Thanksgiving (wishful thinking because of that time thing, ya know) until it is time to pack it all up and decorate for Christmas.
 

 Pin this wreath idea for later!

Instead of decorating with something like the DIY Fall wreath I made for the back patio, I decorate with a half wall birch basket.

Friday Favorites Linky Party - Week 341

My thoughts are with everyone in the path of Hurricane Matthew. Stock up on hurricane supplies for yourself and your pets and please don't be a hero and ride it out if you get the order to evacuate.

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

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

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!

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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!

And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's link party!