the Creative Paige

Friday Favorites – Blogs I’m Diggin’

paige — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:55:00 +0000

Last week I shared Fonts I’m Diggin’, so this week I thought I’d share some blogs/sites I’m really loving right now:

Modern Parents Messy Kids

Engage Your Kids, Simplify Your Life, Find Your Style

Favorite Post: How I Organized My Entire Life (this post cracked me up – I even read it out loud for a workshop I did)
Why I love it: Simple, but creative parenting ideas, great photography, awesome organization tips

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Nice Girl Notes

blowing minds since the 80s

Favorite Post: Girl vs. Suburban Bathroom
Why I love it: I have no idea how I stumbled over to Nice Girl Notes, but from the first post, I was hooked. She constantly cracks me up – and I’m not usually easily humored. Oh, and her Cute Stuff Sale is incredible. I sat through my first one when we were living in Mexico and my husband thought I was a psycho because I didn’t even want to get up to go to the bathroom. It was that exciting. And I bought an awesome scardigan.

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Rage Against the Minivan

Favorite Post: Gun Control
Why I love it: Honesty. It’s rare to find a blogger who seems to write really well, but it doesn’t sound like a news article. It really sounds like you’re sitting and having a great conversation. Conversations about funny things like kids and poo, but also good conversations about life, adoption and parenthood. You won’t be disappointed.

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So You Think You’re Crafty

10 weeks – 10 crafters – you decide

Why I love it: I love competition…and crafting, so this is the best of both worlds. The ideas are awesome and I love stopping by to vote each week. I don’t think I’d ever have the guts to compete…yes, I’m a weenie.

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Baby Half Off

A Deal a Day. Always Half Off or More

Why I love it: Great deals! I’ve bought some things for at least 50% off of the price in stores. I’m still waiting for their Cold Seats (car seat ice packs) to come back. And if you live in the Gilbert area, you can pick up your items and pay no shipping!

Creative Genius Link Party #30

paige — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:00:30 +0000

It’s Week 30 of the Creative Genius Link Party! I can’t believe it’s already been 30 weeks since I started hosting this party…it’s been so great to have so many people stop by and link up. I’m always inspired!

Don’t forget to enter the Eclos Skin Care Sample Kit Giveaway – there’s only a few comments so far, so you’re chances are pretty darn good! Giveaway ends Sunday, May 20th at midnight. Winner will be announced Monday morning!

And now, on to the party!

Remember, the link that gets the most clicks, will get their blog button displayed near the top of my homepage sidebar for the next week!

The top three most clicked links will be featured Monday after the link party ends!

Creative Genius Party

{every weekend here on The Creative Paige}

Stick to sharing free creative ideas/tutorials/crafts – no giveaways and nothing for sale, please.
Link back to my site or grab a button
Follow me if you don’t mind – it’s part of being a big, happy blog family
Click on at least 2 other links – leave a comment – make somebody’s day!

“A Spotless House…” Printable/Wallpaper

paige — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:11 +0000

“A spotless house is a sign of a misspent life.”

I read this quote last week in the book, “Life’s Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets” and it made me laugh.

So, here’s a printable & desktop wallpaper – download it and use it!

Download Printable
1280 x 1024 wallpaper
1600 x 1200 wallpaper

Eclos Skin Care Review & Giveaway…#EclosBeauty

paige — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:46:39 +0000

This post brought to you by éclos Skin Care. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s true. I’ve never been good at a skin care regiment. I’ve never been one to have a bed-time routine – I’m usually so tired, I just fall right in to bed.

Most of the time, I use whatever is in the shower to wash my face: shampoo, body wash, bubble bath. It really hasn’t ever been a big deal because I have pretty good skin.

So, I was skeptical whether I would be able to committ to using the éclos Skin Care Anti-Aging Starter Kit…it has lots of steps and you need to do them twice a day. However, since they sent me a free kit, I figured it was worth a try.

First off, I was so excited about the terrycloth headband…I know, it’s silly, but you just feel cooler washing your face with a snazzy headband.

The starter kit contains a facial cleanser, clay mask, eye cream, face serum, facial scrub, and regenerative cream, all of which contain high-potency plant stem cells for cellular rejuvenation. These stem cells stimulate your skin to behave like younger skin. I haven’t ever felt like I needed anti-aging products, because I’m only 28, but recently I have noticed the beginning of fine lines under my eyes and between my eyebrows. And I’m not even 30 yet!

I was a little overwhelmed the first time I went through all of the steps – I had to have my directions right there to guide me through it all. I didn’t think I’d be able to get it down, but after two times of doing it all, I didn’t have to use the guide.

My favorite product out of the pack was the Instant Radiance Facial Scrub. It left my face feeling so smooth and smells great. I also loved the skin renewal clay mask – it dries quickly and leaves your face feelng super clean.

The biggest benefit I found was that my skin tone became more even which means I wore less make-up – that’s a big bonus! My skin also feels incredible – I didn’t notice any fine lines decreasing, but I did only use it for one week.

Warning: I do not ever put photos of myself on the internet with no make-up.

Overall, I really enjoyed this product – the only part I didn’t continue to use was the Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream because it made my skin pretty oily. However, my skin never felt dry or like it needed any sort of moisturizer.

YIPPEE, A GIVEAWAY!

Guess what?! You can win an Eclos Anti-Aging Skin Care starter Kit! (valued at $19.99)

Just leave a comment stating which product in the kit you are most excited to try.

I’ll announce the winner on Monday morning, so enter by Sunday, May 20, midnight.

U.S. Residents only.

One entry per person. The winner will be determined by random.org.

Hopefully, you will enjoy this product as much as I have!

Our DIY Mother’s Day Tea

paige — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:51 +0000

My husband’s family has started a tradition the last few years of having a Mother’s Day Tea for all of the ladies in our family. This was the 3rd year that we’ve had it and I was so excited to be able to fly to Denver to be a part of it. My Mother-in-law hosted the tea at her house and I was able to help her out with lots of DIY projects to make the tea extra special.

The theme of the tea party was “pansies”, so we were all about flowers, flowers and more flowers. We had some terra cota pots that we wanted to use – so we spray painted the bottom of them with chalkboard paint and wrote each ladies’ name on the pot. They were able to take home their own pot with a pansy in it.

Mason Jar Salad, cloth napkin, Scone in a Pot & Name Card

Each lady also had a basket at their place setting (wire baskets from Dollar Tree). The baskets were filled with a cloth napkin, a mason jar salad (inspired by Pinterest) and a flowerpot scone. I didn’t get a great picture of the scone, but you can see it in the basket. The scones were absolutely delicious and baked really well in the pot.

Flowerpot Scones – How to

1. Soak the pots in water for 30+ minutes

2. Find your favorite scone recipe. (We used this incredible cream scone recipe from Savory Sweet Life)

3. Spray the pot with non-stick spray.

4. Drop the dough into the pot. They don’t raise very much so don’t be afraid to fill them pretty close to the top.

5. Bake as directed by the recipe, but expect that it will take 10-15 minutes longer. Watch to see when the top is slightly golden.

6. Serve with Devonshire Cream and preserve.

Oh, and we drank tea. You have to drink tea at a tea party, but it’s really all about the food. And we ate. a lot. of. food.

Mini Pie Bites // Cherry Coke Cupcakes // Scones

that’s genius #29

paige — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:35:31 +0000

Thanks everyone for participating in this week’s link party!

And now, for this week’s Creative Genius…

Top 3 links:

You guys can hop over and grab a featured button to display on your site!

And the title of Creative Genius goes to:

Chevron Wall Art from Silver Boxes

Congratulations, Steph! I’ll be placing your button on the top of my sidebar for the next week!

Make sure to come back next Friday and link up your creative ideas – maybe next week you’ll be the Creative Genius!

Friday Favorites – Fonts I’m Diggin’

paige — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:47 +0000

I love fonts. It’s true. I won’t tell you how many are on my computer, but let’s just say it’s well over 700. Ridiculous…I don’t even come close to using them all, but it’s comforting to know that they are there waiting just in case I decide I need one of them.

I was inspired by Eighteen25′s “Fab Fonts” post to share some of my favs…all free, of course!

Hope you find something you like!

download here:

Ostrich Sans // Brannbol Smal // Ripe // Matilde // Signerica

Creative Genius Link Party #29

paige — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:00:49 +0000

It’s Week 29 of the Creative Genius Link Party!

I’m in Denver spending a few days celebrating Mother’s Day with my in-laws and enjoying my new lovely little niece.

Hope you all have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

And now, on to the party!

Remember, the link that gets the most clicks, will get their blog button displayed near the top of my homepage sidebar for the next week!

The top three most clicked links will be featured Monday after the link party ends!

Creative Genius Party

{every weekend here on The Creative Paige}

Stick to sharing free creative ideas/tutorials/crafts – no giveaways and nothing for sale, please.
Link back to my site or grab a button
Follow me if you don’t mind – it’s part of being a big, happy blog family
Click on at least 2 other links – leave a comment – make somebody’s day!

Mother’s Day Printable & Wallpaper

paige — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:34:41 +0000

So, I have a dilemma…I can’t ever put gift ideas on my blog because my Mom and my MIL both read it and usually, the gifts are for them.

I want to put what we made for Mother’s Day gifts from the boys, but then it will spoil the surprise.

To share or not to share?

I could always wait until after we give them, but then Mother’s Day will be over…

But I don’t want to give it away.

Ok, I just talked myself out of posting it.

However, I do have a free printable and desktop wallpaper for you:

Mother’s Day gift tag (6 per page)

desktop wallpaper

1280 x 1024

1600 x 1200

Print the tags – use them for your Mother’s Day gifts or attach them to a bouquet of flowers!

Download the wallpaper onto your Mom’s computer when she is not looking or send it to someone special who might be having a difficult Mother’s Day this year.

However you choose to use them…enjoy!

that’s genius #28

paige — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:14:02 +0000

Thanks everyone for participating in this week’s link party!

And now, for this week’s Creative Genius…

Top 3 links:

You guys can hop over and grab a featured button to display on your site!

And the title of Creative Genius goes to:

Pleated Tote Bag from Happy in Red

Congratulations, Esther for the second week in a row! I’ll be placing your button on the top of my sidebar for the next week!

Make sure to come back next Friday and link up your creative ideas – maybe next week you’ll be the Creative Genius!

Creative Genius Link Party #28

paige — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:44:33 +0000

It’s Week 28 of the Creative Genius Link Party!

Here’s a little snapshot of what I’m doing this morning…

Following around my tornado 13-month-old as he attempts to destroy the house.

Hope you’re having a productive Friday!

And now, on to the party!

Remember, the link that gets the most clicks, will get their blog button displayed near the top of my homepage sidebar for the next week!

The top three most clicked links will be featured Monday after the link party ends!

Creative Genius Party

{every weekend here on The Creative Paige}

Stick to sharing free creative ideas/tutorials/crafts – no giveaways and nothing for sale, please.
Link back to my site or grab a button
Follow me if you don’t mind – it’s part of being a big, happy blog family
Click on at least 2 other links – leave a comment – make somebody’s day!

My New Aqua Bench!

paige — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:13:19 +0000

So, I had this bench…

Nothing too spectacular – it was something my husband’s grandma gave us and I hoped we could find a place for it. Inadvertently, it became the place we put our shoes on and was actually really helpful in our living room. I wanted to add some more color to our living room (it’s a lot of gray, gray, gray), so I decided to paint it.

Luckily, during the month of March, Ace Hardware was giving away quarts of their new Clark + Kensington paint and I made sure to get down there bright and early for my quart. The color I chose was Saxton – an aqua blue-y color. I wasn’t sure what I would use it for, but I knew I would use it somewhere.

It turned out to be perfect for my bench!

I googled lots of furniture tutorials to make sure I wouldn’t mess it up too badly. In the end, I just decided to experiment and see what would happen.

Here’s what I did:

1. Sand it.

2. Wipe it clean.

3. Paint it. (this paint is primer and paint in one)

4. Scuff up edges and corners with sand paper

4. Mix another color with water and apply lightly. I used the gray we had left from our walls (Sherwin Williams’ Pussywillow) and wiped it on and wiped it off until I liked the look. I left it heavier on edges and corners. It’s not super obvious, but adds some depth to the bench.

5. I plan to put a coat of something over it to keep it from scratching, but haven’t gotten there yet.

Every person who walks in asks where I got it…and I love that it was free!

Monday Apologies…

paige — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:36:20 +0000

So sorry about the lack of a Creative Genius Link Party this weekend! I was helping with a Women’s Conference at my church and was crazy busy…and so fun!

yes, that's me with the shell bra...

We had a fabulous weekend, but I literally didn’t even touch my computer all weekend. It was lovely. The link party will be back this coming weekend!

that’s genius #27 & a new printable

paige — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:23:05 +0000

Thanks everyone for participating in this week’s link party!

Before I announce this week’s Creative Genius – I’ve got a new, simple spring printable for all of you!

It’s one of my favorite quotes from “Anne of Green Gables” – one of my absolute favorite movies ever.

I thought it encompassed the idea of Spring/newness/freshness. I know it’s a good reminder to me when I see it each morning, especially to offer my kiddos a clean slate each day.

click here to download the 8.5 x 11 printable

And now, for this week’s Creative Genius…

Top 3 links:

You guys can hop over and grab a featured button to display on your site!

And the title of Creative Genius goes to:

Spring Printable from Happy in Red

Congratulations, Esther! I’ll be placing your button on the top of my sidebar for the next week!

Make sure to come back next Friday and link up your creative ideas – maybe next week you’ll be the Creative Genius!

Creative Genius Link Party #27

paige — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 05:49:32 +0000

It’s Week 27 of the Creative Genius Link Party! Sorry I’m so late – we had a busy day around here…we hosted a movie on the lawn in our yard and it was awesome! We had almost 20 people here watching The Incredibles!

And now, on to the party!

Remember, the link that gets the most clicks, will get their blog button displayed near the top of my homepage sidebar for the next week!

The top three most clicked links will be featured Monday after the link party ends!

Creative Genius Party

{every weekend here on The Creative Paige}

Stick to sharing free creative ideas/tutorials/crafts – no giveaways and nothing for sale, please.
Link back to my site or grab a button
Follow me if you don’t mind – it’s part of being a big, happy blog family
Click on at least 2 other links – leave a comment – make somebody’s day!

What’s for Dinner?

paige — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:00:52 +0000

What’s For Dinner is a weekly post that highlights the best & worst recipes I made for dinner over the last week.

Best things I made:

photo courtesy of perrysplate.com

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas - We are definitely meat eaters in this house, but the pictures of these enchiladas looked good enough for me to give it a try. And they were delicious. I didn’t have any fresh spinach on hand, so mine were just the tortillas, salsa, roasted veggies and cheese. Even my meat-loving hubby loved them and said he didn’t even notice they were meatless. I will definitely make them again – especially when I have lots of veggies to use up. I used sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, poblano chiles and serrano chiles. Then I used green tomatillo salsa on each layer.

Matzo Toffee -

courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Each year we celebrate the Passover and have a Messianic Seder dinner – we try to be as thorough as possible and serve kosher foods. It is always a really beautiful meal for us and adds to the richness of the Easter holiday. This has been our go to dessert over the past few years. It is delicious…for Passover or any other time.

Worst thing I made:

Penne with Grilled Chicken and Eggplant - We are newbies to the eggplant world and our first experience with Eggplant Bruschetta was awesome. I decided to try something different this time and grill it outside on the grill. It was not as successful. I did not love the consistency of the eggplant on the grill. I don’t know if we did something wrong, but it turned spongey and not great. I liked it roasted much better. I might make something like this again, but without the grill.

that’s genius #26

paige — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:06 +0000

Thanks everyone for participating in this week’s link party!

And now, for this week’s Creative Genius…

Top 3 links:

You guys can hop over and grab a featured button to display on your site!

And the title of Creative Genius goes to:

DIY Planter for Umbrella Patio Tables from SaltTree

Congratulations, Amber! I’ll be placing your button on the top of my sidebar for the next week!

Make sure to come back next Friday and link up your creative ideas – maybe next week you’ll be the Creative Genius!

Creative Genius Link Party #26

paige — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:35:01 +0000

It’s Week 26 of the Creative Genius Link Party!

And now, on to the party!

Remember, the link that gets the most clicks, will get their blog button displayed near the top of my homepage sidebar for the next week!

The top three most clicked links will be featured Monday after the link party ends!

Creative Genius Party

{every weekend here on The Creative Paige}

Stick to sharing free creative ideas/tutorials/crafts – no giveaways and nothing for sale, please.
Link back to my site or grab a button
Follow me if you don’t mind – it’s part of being a big, happy blog family
Click on at least 2 other links – leave a comment – make somebody’s day!

that’s genius #25

paige — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:09:23 +0000

Thanks everyone for participating in this week’s link party!

And now, for this week’s Creative Genius…

Top 3 links:

You guys can hop over and grab a featured button to display on your site!

And the title of Creative Genius goes to:

DIY Picture Hanging from Grateful for a Coffee Break

Congratulations, Christine! I’ll be placing your button on the top of my sidebar for the next week!

Make sure to come back next Friday and link up your creative ideas – maybe next week you’ll be the Creative Genius!

“Can you paint a lampshade?”

paige — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:00:16 +0000

I wasn’t really sure when I suggested this idea to my SIL. She couldn’t find a cute pink lampshade for her new daughter’s nursery anywhere.

I have painted lots of things before, so I suggested…”How about we paint one? Can you paint a lampshade?” We decided to give it a go.

She had purchased a plain white one, but really wanted it to match the girly decor of the room.

Specifically, she wanted pink and bling. So, we bought some pink acrylic craft paint and started painting. I taped off the edges with painter’s tape and began. It took a few coats (the fabric absorbs paint like crazy), but we came out with a pretty cute pink lamp shade. Now, I cannot attest to the longevity of this shade…nor can I suggest leaving it on for hours and hours with a high watt lightbulb in it. Paint your lampshade at your own risk. However, for a lamp that is mostly decorative, this worked like a charm.

She added a beaded border to the edge and there ya have it! Super cute and much cheaper than a shade found in a specialty boutique!