image via weheartit

edited on pic monkey & be funky

quote via good reads

1. DIY iPad Cover Tutorial From a Composition Book Lil Blue Boo}

2. Composition Book iPad Case zazzle}

3. Composition Birthday Card Curiosity Shoppe}

4. Composition Book Hair Clip Bow Anykind via Etsy}

5. Composition Duffle Bag {Source Unknown}

6. Ashi Dashi Composition Midcalf Sock Dreams}

7. Composition Tote Bag Blackmarket}

8. Composition Book Dress Effortless Anthropology}

9. Bookmarc by Marc Jacobs School Supply Box Nylon Mag}

10. Mighty Wallets for back-to-school shopping The Lettered Set}

11. Composition Book iphone 4 Cover zazzle}

12. SPRAYGROUND Composition Book Backpack Tilly's}

{I've painstakingly compiled what I would call the "BEST" list for Back to School Photos you will see on the internet.  All 20 links are provided at bottom of list.  Try one, try some, or try 'em all!  But more importantly, have fun with it and you never know... it may inspire you to create your own ideas!  If so, feel free to send it my way so I can showcase it for you.}

1. Rocket City Mom

2. Blue Cricket Design

3. Pinterest

4. The Daily Buzz

5. Pinterest

6. TCI

7. A Few of my Favorite Things

8. Happy Home Fairy

9. Kidz

10. Christina Dieselberg

11. Silverbox Creative Studio

12. Crissy's Crafts

13. Rocket City Mom

14. Pinterest

15. Ruffles and Stuff

16. Mommy Minded

17. Sarah Elizabeth Photography / Pinterest

18. Made It

19. Really Good Stuff

20. Women's Day / United Way

Junk in Their Trunk

Pinterest

Sugar Bee Crafts

Becky Higgins

B Couture Photography

Indulgy

Allison's Wonderland

Mrs. FireMom's Flikr Page

The Savvy Photographer

Pinterest

Crissy's Crafts

Harper's Happenings

Susie Leggett's Flikr Page

Pinterest

Kindergarten Kindergarten

The Homespun Heart

Stamp Works

Link'n Log {Back to School Edition}

Here's my list of links that might interest you in

2012's Back to School season:

Be unique this year with this easy Apple Stamped Drawstring Backpack

via  Alpha mom

DIY Burlap and Bloc Printed Pencil Case

via casa-diseno-blog.com

Personalize each of their school photos as they move on the next grade level with these Painted Wood Back to School Frames  via  Fave Crafts

More DIY Back to School Projects Here

Back to School Infographic: What do you enjoy most about

sending your child back to school this year?

via Infographic Journal

Back to School Bottecap Magnets

via Love 2 Upcycle

Back To School! - 5 Different Braided Hairstyles via Youtube

Classic looks with Tees, jeans and converse sneakers

are a must for back to school 2012

via denver post

Layering Pretty Prints with T-shirts & Jeans Accessorizing with Headbands & Flats

via Super Shopping Masala

Who will he be this school year?  Preppy?...  Cool?...  Sporty?

via  OshKosh

Color Blocking Simplicity!

via Best Girls Fashion

Boost your back to school fashion with unexpected neon & accessories!

via  It's Super Fashion

Bright Neon Color Accessories!

via Bridgette Raes

You can top it off with earrings made out of colored pencils like these

I spotted on Pinterest. {source: unknown}

How cute is this? Sweet Funky Vintage Back to School Collection

via Simply Rosie

Giant Wooden Pencil via   Perpetual Kid

I Read a Book Notepad

via Perpetual Kid

Let them know you love them with these Lunch Box Notes

via  Say Please

Back To School Cookies!

via cake central

Blackboard Cupcakes  

via Family Fun

School Clothes Shopping Check List

via controlling my chaos

Now Go Have Fun & Learn Something!!

edited on picmonkey

quote from thinkexist.com

original image from gosee.de

1. Upcycle your childhood favorite with this Activity Book with a handle.

{via Cosmo Cricket}

2. A little help holding your place in a book. A house-shelf! 

{via Donna S.  from Inspiration for Decoration}

3. For cohesion in your decor, cover books in same color and rewrite titles!

{via Utterly Engaged Magazine from Design Sponge}

4. Is your iphone on your ear more than your nose in a book? Check out these bookworm cases by Cassia Beck.  Her designs will fit any interest.

{via a simple life afloat from Society6}

5. Wouldn't you love to where your favorite title around your neck? Leather Book Charm

{via Janet Woodyard from Polliblog}

6. Recycle old books into hidden storage!

{via Linda Rose from Etsy}

7.  Bride & groom ask guests to circle words in a dictionary that would remind them of their wedding day. 

{via Brittney Maxwell from Country Living}

8. These faux brick books are the brilliant work of Daryl Fitzgerald.

{via Jennifer Septic Kerasiotis from Junk Culture}

So as everyone on the planet is aware of, Picnik.com is no more. And we miss it so. But the show must go on.  And a team came together {not sure if affiliated with Picnik's people} and created a site strangely similar.  If not better in some aspects but not as awesome in other. {But we won't pout!}

I wanted to talk about and show you how you can create a simple, yet impressive, photo collage.  Now, I don't claim to be a pro or anything. I just like to play around with photo editing and see what I can do. 

So I took my son's photos fresh out of the bath and wanted to do something unique with it.  Alas, the collage!  I'm an avid Picasa user but their collages don't extend to the selection you can get from PicMonkey. So here is one tutorial among others in the future, for the people out there that want to think outside the box in photo editing.

I started to add a simple rounded corner box for the text but later I found a saying bubble that was just like it but had an arrow pointing toward the bottom right photo. Then I adjusted the opacity so it wasn't so intense of a contrast

. 

The border is adjusted by using the eyedropper tool on the color adjusment menu {sorry, no pic} and I hovered the eyedropper over a part of the towel he's wearing.  And the text box was also from the eyedropper, but hovering over the darkest part of the towel.

Then to add a "bubble" effect, I kept adding circle stamps and adjusted the opacity so it appeared to overlap with slight clarity like bubbles do.  Also, you can duplicate a stamp by right-clicking it and clicking "duplicate object" in the drop down menu.

Lastly, I added a border that somewhat resembled the bubbles. Once I completed and saved it after I made the border, I figured it could've stood out just fine without .

Many people may stop at just moving their photos into the boxes and clicking save.  But I tend to think it doesn't take much to add some unique details.  Think about the theme of the photo and accessorize.  You don't leave the house with just a shirt & pants, do you?

Hello All,

Took some time for the baby.  Maddox Troy is 6 months old now, & I'll be back up & runnin' real soon.  Please be patient {...as you have been, thank you.} and I'll conjure up some ideas in no time.

In the meantime, follow me on Pinterest and that'll keep you plenty pacified until my return to the blog world.

Yours Truly,

Pam

With the summer rapidly approaching, what better time to pull out the cardboard boxes and packaging you saved in your {already packed} garage and have some good ol' free fun with the kids?

Check out the links below to venture to the best sites featuring the cheapest construction material on the planet!

32 Things to make using cardboard  {tip junkie}

Cardboard Ottoman  {esprit cabane}

Kids Box Crafts  {artists helping children}

Cardboard Box Crafts  {talking child}

Cute Cardboard Box Crafts  {parents.com}

Cardboard Crafts  {family fun}

Cardboard Crafts  {wiki how}

Cardboard Piece Craft Projects  {about.com}

34 Ways to Reuse Cardboard  {kaboose}

Cut-out Cardboard Coffee Table  {guardian.co.uk}

Cardboard Thank You Cards  {design*sponge}

Fun With Boxes  {squidoo}

How to Work With Cardboard  {ikat bag}

Projects Using Cardboard  {cut out & keep}

Cardboard Craft Search  {pinterest}

Whether you're off to the a dinner party or just the backyard, let your hair down for a breezy, just-been-to-the-beach look (even if you're nowhere near the ocean!).

At last, a use for those ancient tees stuffed in the back of your drawer: supersoft rollers.  To get romantic ringlets, shower at night and rake a mousse (like Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse, $26) through damp hair.

Cut a T-shirt into 6x1-inch strips, double them up, and wind big sections of hair around them. Roll each one up like a curler, tie the ends in a knot, and hit the sack.

In the a.m., untie and tousle.

The gently mussed side braid has an unfussy edge and works with, not against, the added texture you get from air-drying. First, let hair dry completely. (If you're naturally curly, you won't need to add a thing; if your hair's wavy or straight, build in body and piecey-ness with volumizer.)

Create a deep side part by flinging your hair over to one side, then gather all your hair together and braid away. If it looks too schoolgirl-ish, scrunch your fingers into your roots to mess it up a bit and free a few tendrils. Finish with a blast of hairspray.

For a few happy days of flyaway-free hair, put wet hair into a bun and let it dry: The bun compresses all the cuticles. Comb a smoothing cream through wet hair, then coil it up and twist it around itself into a knot. To fix it in place, use Goody's Spin Pins ($6.29 for two); just screw one in at the top of the bun, one up from the base, and boom — you're done.

To get hair that air-dries perfectly, begin in the shower, it's all about conditioning, because the healthier your hair is, the smoother and more compliant your cuticles (the "scales" on the hair shaft) will be and the less weirdly it will dry. Do a deep conditioning treatment like Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Treatment, $7.99, every two weeks, and let it sink in for at least 10 minutes. (Hey, you're not blow-drying — you can spend a little extra time in there!)

Post-shower, a big dose of leave-in conditioner works wonders for wet curly hair. And for fine hair, smooth a bit of oil (like Kérastase Elixir Ultime, $50) onto dried ends for extra moisture and shine.

When hair is 80 percent dry, scrunch in a salt spray like Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Texturizing Sea Spray, $17.50, from roots to ends. Working in one- to two-inch sections, twirl locks of hair around your finger.

If hair is limp, give each section a short burst of hairspray while it's still damp. Then, hands off while it's drying; this prevents frizz. When hair is totally dry, flip your head over and shake it out — you'll stand back up to soft, sexy ripples.

Click on Redbook logo for more hair tips!

Also check out Orica Blog for more Air-drying advice!

Image Credit: Orica Blog

Paint Stick Flag

Show your true stripes – and stars – with this easy-to-make Americana flag. Kids will love the hands-on techniques; Mom will love the price tag!

size: 7-5/8"x12"

Materials

• Wooden items: 4" star cut-out, Loew Cornell™ Woodsies™ Wood Slat, paint stir sticks, seven

• Sawtooth hanger, 1"

Tools

• DecoArt® Americana® Acrylic Paints: Country Red, Uniform Blue, Warm White, Burnt Umber, Black

• DecoArt® Americana® Gel Stain Medium

• Adhesives: craft glue, glue gun

Basic Supplies

ruler, pencil, paintbrush, palette, painter's tape, sanding block, soft cloth

Directions

1 Measure four stir sticks and tape off at the halfway point with painter's tape.

2 Paint left side of each taped stick Uniform Blue; let dry. Apply second coat, if needed; let dry. Remove tape.

3 Paint star and one remaining stir stick Warm White. Paint two remaining stir sticks Country Red. Finish painting two half-blue stir sticks Warm White and two Country Red. Let dry completely.

4 Heavily sand edges of star and each stir stick to remove some of the paint.

5 For an antique effect, as shown in second photo, mix Gel Stain Medium and Burnt Umber paint according to product directions. Apply to painted wooden pieces with a brush and allow to sit for a few minutes. The longer the stain remains on the wood, the darker the antiquing will be. Remove excess stain with a clean, dry cloth.

6 Center sawtooth hanger at one short end of wood slat; attach with hot glue gun.

7 To assemble flag, apply a generous layer of craft glue over front of wood slat. Line up painted stir sticks facedown on work surface, using photo as placement guide. Press glued side of wood slat facedown onto center of stir sticks. Weight with heavy book, if needed, and let dry completely.

8 Use craft glue to attach star to center of blue field; let dry.

All info found on Crafts 'n Things

What do you do when Your Dishwasher is Thirsty?

Clean lime deposits and iron stains inside the dishwasher by pouring a packet of

Lemonade Kool-Aid

(the only flavor that works) into the detergent cup and running the (empty) dishwasher. The citric acid in the mix wipes out stains; you don't have to.

Check out:

For a hug list of "New Uses For Old Things" {Kids Edition}

This father's day, take a moment to contemplate the roles that dads play in their children's lives.  Our kids are watching to see if what we say matches our actions.

This is one young son's message to his father to challenge and uplift him acknowledging his importance.

"I'm Watching you, Dad."

Happy Father's Day!

Vintage Book Page Coasters {recycled sewing}

Framed Viewmaster Print {etsy $4.50 unframed}

Free French Vintage Lemonade Printable Labels {i do it yourself} 

Upcycled Vintage Office Organizer From Dish Rack {robomargo}

{plus many other repurposing projects on their page}

1940's Vintage Makeup Tutorial {you tube}

5 Awesome ways to make your

walls POP!... on a budget

{Part Four}

Are you stuck in a decorating rut when it comes to your walls?  Are they totally boring?  Well you'd be amazed at how you can take care of that issue without spending too much or even leaving your house! You can recycle what you already have or just purchase a few items to create them.

Read on in the fourth of many installments for some tips on how you can make those walls pop for very little effort or money.

Alphabet photographs are a {semi} new concept in home decor.  There are several versions of this type of site, but the one listed below {the most popular} is from Sticksandstones.com

This waaayy easy site lets you choose the letters from their gallery of many versions of the alphabet and you can choose which combo to have framed.  Keep in mind that this is a project you can take on yourself by simply grabbing your camera and venturing out into the world looking for beautiful architecture.  Turn your head when you see a handle and it turns into a letter "L"!  Have fun with it.

sticks and stones

This is a unique and upcycled project involving various colorful rolled magazine pages.  This site:  Recyclart.org features several projects so awesome, you'll be ravaging in your garage for days on a hunt for enough materials to create a whole room.  {everything but the kitchen sink!}

Recyclart

This tutorial from Country Living shows you how to think outside the...uh...silverware drawer {well technically it's plastic-ware!} and create a stunning eye-catching mirror. 

country living

What a "tube"ular idea! Head over to Readymade {top photo} & DIYgadgets {bottom photo} to check out there idea of funky storage.  Way to stick to a budget, guys! While diygadgets features no link or credit on their site, You can catch a tutorial on readymade's website here.

above readymade

below diy gadgets

Ocean lovers will appreciate this crafty mirror idea.  It brings a lot of texture and interest to a rustic nautical decor.  Check out the tutorial at aol's DIY Life.

diy life

Wanna catch the rest of the list?

Click on these three post-its for the other three

installments of the series.