Halloweeny Surprise!

Have I got a surprise in store for you!!  Which of course I'm super excited about!!  Because....well....I get super excited about everything blog related! :)

Starting tomorrow, I'm beginning a SEVEN  DAY Halloween series!! 

Yes, for seven straight days I will be posting a different Halloween Project! 

I will wrap it up next Friday with a tour of my living room all decked out it's Halloweeny glory! :)

I LOVE Halloween!!!  :)

Until tomorrow...

No Reply?

I cherish each and every comment that is left on my blog!!! Each of you mean the world to me and because of that I try to respond to everyone who is kind enough to take their precious time, read and leave a comment on my blog.

But some of you might be reading this and be thinking, "she’s never responded to me!" It is not for my lack of trying…I can assure you.

I didn’t know why, but sometimes when a message comes into my email the sender’s email address is noreply-comment@blogger.com. So I can’t send anything back. I try to go back to the post and put a response to that individual in with the other comments, but to be honest, I’m not sure if those are seen or not.

Then I read this post earlier this month at Life in Rehab (which by the way if you do not follow Sunny, she is hilarious!). And she finally addressed this problem!

So, if you are wondering why you don’t get responses back, you may not have realized that you are one of these people! So, with Sunny’s permission, here is her post on how to fix this problem or you can just click here and go directly to her post.

Wednesday, September 1, 20101

No Reply?

Have you ever asked a fellow blogger a question in their comments and wondered why you hadn't heard back?

Yeah, me too. I had asked Yanet at 3 Sunkissed Boys where the awesome antique mall she'd been to was located. She and I live in neighboring towns. We finally connected through email, but she was SURE she had answered me right away.

Then she discovered the problem. My email was coming up in the comments as noreply-comment@blogger.com.

I've tried to answer a few comments today, and I've run across the same thing. And if you enter a giveaway, and your email looks like that...

Not to panic! Lindsey at Sweet Simplicity had the answer, and with her permission, here's her tutorial on how to fix that pesky little problem using no power tools or Mod Podge whatsoever.

Because I need help with the technical stuff.

I LOVE receiving comments! It makes my day to open my gmail account and see an e-mail notification of a new comment. I also love to reply to your comments from my e-mail account. But sometimes when I hit reply instead of seeing your e-mail address I see noreply-comment{at}blogger{dot}com and I can't reply. When I reply to other people I can see their e-mail address and the response automatically goes to their e-mail. This is extremely helpful when people ask me questions in a comment. It is so much easier to reply this way than to have to go to their blog and leave a comment or search for their e-mail address.

If you would like people to be able to email you back after you leave a comment, here's how you change those settings.

1. Click on the Customize link in the upper right hand corner of your screen.

2. Click on the Dashboard link in the upper right hand corner of your screen.

3. Click on Edit Profile, which is on the left hand side of the screen next to your picture.

4. This will take you to the Edit User Profile screen.

5. Look in the Privacy section.

6. Check the box that says, "Show my email address".

7. In the Identity section, enter in an email address.

8. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on Save Profile.

When you add your e-mail address in the above spot, it does not change the e-mail address that you use to log-in. I'm assuming that most of you have a personal e-mail address and generic blog e-mail address. I entered my generic blog e-mail address in that spot. My personal e-mail address is still where I receive notifications of new comments and it is what I use to log in to blogger.

Pretty easy!

So, there you have it! I just wanted to pass this along because I figured there were some, like Sunny, out there that had no idea they were even set up this way. I apparently was set up this way, but wondered why I couldn’t respond to certain people. It always makes me feel bad.

You certainly aren’t obligated to change yours…but if you would like replies to your comments it’s a must! :)

Until next time…

Mass Hysteria at local Joann Fabric!

Ok, on Friday I went to the Joann Fabric by my work to use a 50% off coupon that was about to expire.

They place in my bag, which I discover when I get home, a flyer which shows that the Personal Cricut will be on sale for $79.99 Sunday only!!  This is the one that usually runs $199.99...which the cheapest I've found it is $149.99. 

 So, you can imagine my excitement!  I will FINALLY get my Cricut at a price I can actually afford!!  I can't pass this up!

But then....panic sets in!  I won't be the only one who will jump on this price!  So, I realize I will have to be at the local Joann's when they open on Sunday!

So, this morning I get up early.  I get Doodle and her little friend who was staying over (and thankfully has known me since she was born) psyched up for what lies ahead and we run out the door promptly at 9:40 so we can be at the store when the door open at 10:00 (which I verified online last night before I went to bed of course)!

Imagine the scene...

I pull up in the parking lot.

There are four other women sitting in their cars waiting for that door to open.

This is going to be like black Friday at Wal-Mart type hysteria.  Rocky music is playing in the background...elbows and fists are flying to get what we are sure is one of the only two Cricut's they will have in stock at this price.

The girls decide we should get out first and be standing at the door....even though it is freezing cold and raining...and the little friend is only in shorts and a short sleeve shirt and the Doodle has gone all spaghetti strap in 50 something degree weather.

But it's ok...we must prevail.  We will battle the elements to make sure Mommy gets her Cricut (which she always thought sounded like 'Cry-cut'...but was corrected in the store that it's pronounced 'Cricket' thus why there is a picture of a cricket on the box...where I might have made a comment that they should spell it like CRICKET if they want you to pronounce it that way!")

But anyway...we walk up to the door at five minutes til...and the little one pulls on the handle...and it OPENS!  The harps start playing and are quickly drowned out by the sound of Rocky again!

I hear "Erin, can I have some of this candy?"  I say "Child!!!  Are you crazy!!  I don't have time for this...we have candy at home...let's find my machine!"

A quick glance through and I just decide to go right up to the ladies and ask.  I mean, those women are now making their way into the store.......to buy.....FABRIC!

WHAT?  Joann's has the ridiculously expensive ever elusive Cricut for $79.99....and you were waiting in the parking lot for them to open for...FABRIC!

So much for the mass hysteria I had imagined.  The girls laughed at me and thought I was a total dork being the only one there that actually was buying the Cricut!! 

Oh well...at least I got one finally!! :)

Until tomorrow...

No Function Friday - Inspirational Picture and Magnet

It's been an exciting week around here at Where Beauty Meets Function! 

And I am so thankful to Melissa for being our first ever Guest Blogger!  And for allowing me to be a guest on her blog!  It was so much fun for Melissa and I to be able to switch places for a day!! :)

And thanks to Joanie for allowing me to post her super cool pumpkins!!  She doesn't know it yet...but she has some other projects I would like to post as well. ;)

Now onto today's craft for 'No Function Friday'! :)

This project is special to me.  First of all, it represents my exploring of a new craft...stamping!  I'm starting slow here, with just a black inked stamp. LOL  So, let's not get too excited just yet. :)  

And let me tell you...that black inked stamp took MULTIPLE tries!  I won't tell you how many...but it was quite a few to get an even look.

Here is one I did to put in a picture frame for my desk at work:

 I just used scrapbook paper and punches I already had to make the little scallops and rounded edges, plus I aged it with my favorite product...Jim Holtz Distressing Ink!  I glued the scrapbook paper to the little 'perfect-family-that-doesn't-come-close-to-representing-yours' insert that comes in picture frames (this is an old Wal-Mart frame I already had by the way).  I glued it right onto the face side, so the back is nice a plain.  And to top it off nicely I added little sticker jewels to give it some bling! :)  There the kind that change color depending on what direction you look at them from.

And I made this one.  I'm going to put magnets on it for my fridge.

 

For this one, I used a little piece of wood I had from Michaels.  I painted the back and edges white, then I Modge Podged the cut paper to the wood (after distressing it of course).  I had the nail head trim left over from another project, so I cut the nail part down some, put craft glue in the back 'hole' and then banged it into the wood slightly with my hammer and let the glue dry it the rest of the way into place.  It was real technical. LOL

It is my favorite saying in the whole world and one I try to live my life by as much as possible because I do believe each of us can influence change in others based on our own actions! 

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"

- Mahatma Gandhi

I hope you each have a great weekend!!

Until next time...

Kaufman's Cottage - A Follow Up

So!!!  What did you think?!?!  Wasn't the transformation of Melissa's home amazing?  I told you it would be. :)

Did you see the similarities in our homes?  We both have found the similarities amazing considering we've only 'met' recently.  Not to mention our 'lifestyle' philosophies are very similar as well.  It's been a fast friendship! :) 

I hope you will take some time over at Kaufman's Cottage!! 

What Melissa didn't show you yesterday was her amazing paper crafts!!  She is extremely talented and makes beautiful cards!!  (A talent I do not possess.) 

But shhh....I'm working on it. ;)  As a matter of fact, tomorrow's 'No Function Friday' involves a stamp!  This is pretty big news for me!

Anywho, since she didn't brag on herself...I will! :)  Here are some examples of the gorgeous work she does!!!  I hope you will take time to see her work for yourself. 

Ok, that's just a sampling of my favorites!! Pretty awesome, huh!?!

Thank you Melissa for guest posting here at Where Beauty Meets Function! :)

Until next time (which is tomorrow!)...  :)

Kaufman's Cottage Guest Post

As you can see....we have a guest today!!!  I am so excited about this!  I hope you enjoy Melissa and her home as much I have!  And when you get done here, pop over to Kaufman's Cottage, where I am guest posting!  It's an exciting day here at Where Beauty Meets Function! :)

Hi! My name is Melissa and I'm the author of Kaufman's Cottage. Thanks for stopping by today!

I believe that your home is your sanctuary. It should reflect your personal style and that of your loved ones. It's more than just a place to store your belongings.....it's a retreat from an often chaotic and cold world for your family and those who visit.

My husband Chris and I live in the Pacific Northwest with our 15 year old cat in a small, small home! Technically we are on the tax records as an 867 sq foot house but truth be told, the inside is just shy of 800 sq feet. When we first looked at in April of 2008, I thought my husband had lost his mind! It had been on the market for quite some time and it was easy to see why. There were piles of garbage every where and the smell alone would turn most perspective buyers away. But Chris could see the potential through all of the junk...and it was a good thing because I couldn't!

Join me on a small tour of before and after shots of our home.....

Exterior Before

Exterior After

Living Room Before

Living Room Before

Living Room Before

Living Room After

Living Room After

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Kitchen After

Bathroom Before

Bathroom Before

Bathroom After

Master Before

 Master Before

Master Before

Master After

Master After

Studio Before

Studio After

Before I go much further, I think it's important to let you in on a few things about how we choose to live our lives. First and foremost, Chris and I are both believers in Jesus Christ and that alone changes the way we do things! We are a single income family and do not carry any debt outside of our mortgage. All of the work we have done to our home has been done over the last couple years and was paid for in cash. It's also important to note that after moving in in September of 08, we had a house fire and lived in a hotel for two months. While we wouldn't recommend a house fire to anyone, it completely changed our outlook on our home.....forever.

*Spend less and live more. Is our home perfect? Heck no! But it's ours and we want to be here. There are some things we'd like to do in the future like remodeling the kitchen, building a shop out back and adding some extensive landscaping to the front yard.

*Make the best out of what you've got. Storage is an issue in most small homes so it forces us to be creative. See the black coffee table in the after shot of the living room? I use it for extra food storage! And it works out pretty well if I do say so myself!

*Don't spoil what you have by focusing on what you don't! Would I like to have another chair in the living room? Yes! Am I willing to put it on a credit card to get it? No! Perspective matters. We are blessed to have a safe and comfortable home to live in.

*Live well. While I LOVE decorating, if I wasn't able to spend any money on decorative items I would still make sure my house was clean. It doesn't matter how nice your furniture is if your guests can write their names in the dust on your end table! Make it a point to pick up after yourself and you'd be amazed at how much calmer you are when unexpected drop in company arrives.

*Go with what works for you. Don't worry if your sister in law thinks the colors in your home are too dark....she isn't the one who lives there! Make your home your own by surrounding yourself with meaningful things that bring joy to your heart. If an item isn't useful or beautiful donate it to a local thrift store where someone else can get some enjoyment out of it.

This has been fun! Thank you Erin for the chance to guest post at Where Beauty Meets Function...it's been a blast!

Many Blessings,

M.

My Kitchen

As you know by now, I bought my first home last year. I bought it super cheap, as a HUD foreclosure.

Now, if you’ve ever had the luxury of viewing foreclosed homes…it’s…um…a real treat. People do awful things to a home when they are about to lose it to the bank.

One home I visited, in a nice neighborhood, had the entire kitchen ripped out! Cabinets, floors and all! The wires had been ripped from the furnace…they basically destroyed it.

One home had been used as a cat’s liter box. Most had holes in the walls. And everyone I looked at needed A LOT of work! A lot more than I thought this single woman could handle or afford.

Except the one I bought.

It was ugly! It was dated!! It had spindles and rooster wall paper borders for heaven’s sake!

But someone had once loved this home. Someone had lost their dream. And someone had respected this house.

I saw a home that mostly just needed some paint and updating. My inspector agreed. Appliances, except the fridge, were still there and working! A/C, furnace, and a newer water heater were in place. And I instantly knew this was going to be my new home!! And I knew it would be beautiful!

Here’s what I first visited:

It even had….spindles!!!

With a whole lot of paint and elbow grease and a lot of thanks to my ex-husband and his girlfriend who helped me out tremendously on the kitchen especially…I ended up with this!

 Fred (my ex) installed beadboard as a backsplash for me…something I had always dreamed of! Joanie did a good portion of the cabinet painting, and I hired a neighbor to put in new laminate floors. This was a very early on after picture (notice no range hood yet!)

I still need to paint the insides of the cabinet doors…but hey…we were on a time crunch to get moved in. :)

Since these pictures were taken, I’ve repainted the walls. Since it’s somewhat open to the living room, I needed it to flow between the two rooms. But I am still completely in LOVE with my two colored cabinets…those won’t change anytime soon.  Oh, and the dishwasher bit the dust...so I brought in Mr. Stainless Steel!  Someday all my appliances will all match...probably as each one dies off! ;)

Although there is plenty of work still to be done…especially accessorizing since the new color palette was put into place a few months ago…here are some more recent pictures:

Here is the rest of that accent wall I started showing you last week in my living room updates, it wraps around into the kitchen:

Notice the ironing board? I left that in this picture on purpose to show you where my laundry area is. The washer and dryer are right behind that orange wall! Small is an understatement. I can’t even call it a laundry ‘room’. I call it my laundry ‘area’. :) And it’s getting a makeover very soon!!

And I had to replace the gorgeous table I had JUST bought before I purchased my home because it just took up too much space in my small kitchen. So, this little number seemed to fit the bill…especially since the chairs can be tucked underneath it for even more space!  Let's be honest...it's not like I'm hosting dinner parties around here.  And I have a table outside that seats a minimum of 6 if need be (and the weathers nice).

(This is a staged photo for a project I'm going to show you soon!)

Sorry for the bad photo, it was a night time shot. And usually those curtains would be open if wasn’t dark. I always open the blinds in my house…I love to let the light in…plus the cats would plot my demise if they couldn’t see out! ;)

You will see more of this room in the, hopefully, near future. As I said, there is some serious accessorizing needed here, with pops of color to bring that beautiful copper orange onto the kitchen side of the room!  I have some plans I’m working out in my head.  And THAT'S a place you DON'T want to be! LOL

But in the mean time, be sure to come back on Wednesday. We are having a guest blogger!!!! I am SOO flippin’ excited about this, I can barely contain myself! She has a darling SMALL home with some VERY impressive…you know what…never mind…just stop by on Wednesday and you’ll see why I’m so impressed!

Until next time...

Bonus Project!

The project I'm showing you today is actually my friend, Joanie's, project.  I wish I had thought this up.  But lets be honest...I'm a great copier...but not so much at original ideas. :)

All the supplies were purchased at the Dollar Tree.  She, like me, LOVES the Dollar Tree for all things crafty!

She purchased a small carveable pumpkin, glittery fall stickers, and a double pack of birds (which she painted black to look like crows...how genious is that!), and ring spiders (which she painted glittery nail polish on!).   

Joanie says the pumpkins are more of a styrofoam, than the material the more expensive ones are made from.  So, when carving it's not a smooth finish.  But she and I agreed, for this project, the 'bumpier' appearance actually works really well.

She spray painted the inside black, and basically arranged and glued everything to the inside. 

Here is the finished project: 

I don't have pictures of it, but she put a battery operated tea light inside when it got dark and it just glowed!

How fantastic is that!? 

When she showed me I asked her if I could put it here on my blog.  She didn't think it was blog worthy...I totally disagree! :)

(Oh, and my 10 year old daughter took all the pictures!) :)

Until next time...