Today’s post is a craft I wouldn’t have normally attempted if I hadn’t been challenged by Kathy of Petticoat Junktion to come up with a project that used seashells (is that right? or is it sea shells”? meh.. whatever.)

Now you all know I went a little “nautical” crazy in the baby’s nursery, but I never used shells anywhere, so this was a real challenge.  After brainstorming and brainstorming I came to the realization that I couldn’t come up with anything unique that actually used the shells themselves, but I had a genius idea to use the shells as STAMPS and create a great craft.

So I asked a bunch (and by 'a bunch' I mean 10) wonderful blogger to share a little about themselves, their blog and their BEST posts with my readers.  I hope you check them out! They are amazing!

Today we are meeting the first three.  They are all DIY and Decor bloggers, but they are also a lot more! 

First up, let me introduce you to Susan from Homeroad.

I have actually read Susan’s blog for a while now. She is a blogger, like myself, that has been around the DIY blog world a long time and her projects are always so down to earth and fun to read about.

I asked Susan a few questions about her blog:
What makes Homeroad unique? "Homeroad is unique because it is about repurposed items. I create objects for the home from cast offs.” 

And what can you expect of Susan in the future? "My plans are to stay the course. To have more time in the future to continue creating and selling my repurposed items.”  

People are knocking down her door to read her “Build a Firepit” post (which is sounding like a really great idea now that summer is here and her commentary about the whole experience has me chuckling!)

Susan’s favorite post is this Ikea Cart Hack, and now that I see it, I totally understand why.

You can read more on Homeroad or find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

The next blogger I’m excited to introduce to you today is Kathleen from Charm Bracelet Diva At Home.

She is another blogger that isn’t new to the scene, having blogged since 2009.  She does a lot of knock off projects (which you know *I* love) and she has that charming vintage aesthetic that is so popular right now. 

Her most popular post was this beautiful DIY Pottery Barn Storage Ladder (which I am actually really crushing on!)

But if you asked Kathleen which post holds a special place in HER heart, she would say this DIY Love Marquee Light.


I asked Kathleen about her blog: 
How did Charm Bracelet Diva {at home} get it’s start (and it’s unusual name)?"
Ironically, it started out as a jewelry blog, but it quickly morphed into so much more!"

And where is your blog it headed?
"I'd like to blog more frequently and become a better photographer in order to enhance my blog readers' experience." 

You can read more on Charm Bracelet Diva {at Home} or find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.


Lastly, and certainly not least is my partner in crime.. Kathe from Kathe with an E. Regular readers will recognize her as my cohost for the “You’re Gonna Love It” Linky party we throw every Monday night.   What you may not know about her is that she is one of the most wonderful, kind, funny and supportive women you will ever meet.  I really should do an ENTIRE post just about how much I love Kathe, but for now, this abbreviated version will have to do. 

Her most popular post is her kitchen makeover, where she proves “less is more” when it comes to a kitchen backsplash. 


Her personal favorite is this lovely vintage china tables cape.  (I knew she would pick a tablescape as her favorite!  Kathe is to tablescsapes as I am to mantlescapes! They are like our children.. we just love them!) 


So, I asked Kathe about why she started blogging:
"My friends and family don't get me wanting to set pretty tables and hit the thrifts every week. So, I found blogging as a creative outlet and a way to share my hobbies with those that understand and like what I create." 
And where does she see her blog going in the future:
"I plan to continue to grow and stretch my blogging wings. I really want to get into power tools if Mr. B will turn his back long enough!" 

If you haven’t visited Kathe’s blog yet, you can do it here (of course you can also find her every Monday night, co-hosting her party with me).  You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. 


Those are my first three featured bloggers.  Over the next week or so I’m going to share some more wonderful blogs with you.  Stay tuned!

Today I’m participating in Stephanie from Crafting In the Rain’s Craft Month from A-Z!

My letter is “K” which happens to be my favorite letter. And since my craft had to be based on that letter, of COURSE I decided to create a spring craft out of KCups.  (Yes, this is starting to become a regular feature with me!)  And I also had to incorporate some old pallet wood, since that is another thing I love to do.

I’ve never teamed up with any other bloggers to do a holiday house tour, so I’m probably a tad too excited about this!

Today I’m taking you though my house and showing you how I decked it out for Halloween this year.  At the end of the post are the other awesome ladies who on this house tour with me.. be sure to visit them as well, we all have very different styles and you are sure to find something you love! 

I am not actually a super hard-core Halloween decorator, but I like to use fall vignettes with a Halloween spin that can easily be converted to Thanksgiving vignettes come November.

Let’s start with my favorite place to decorate.. My family room mantel:

Sometimes it is funny how fate works.  As of 8 PM last night I didn’t have a post scheduled.  I have been really busy getting my Halloween Home Tour ready and I felt bad about it but I was going to skip posting today.

But then a friend of mine posted the most awesome Halloween landscaping project on her Facebook page and I just had to share it!

You typically don’t see landscaping or outdoor projects from me because I don’t have a yard, so that makes this post even more awesome.  It is something I never even would be able to pull off, even if it had been my idea (which it totally wasn’t!).

Lara lives in the mid-Atlantic region of the country and tall ornamental grasses are really typical in landscaping (I know we have a bunch of it around our North Carolina house):

In the fall you cut it back and it regrows in the spring.  It is really hearty stuff.   But before cutting it down, you can create hilarious halloween landscaping by turning a bunch of it into a Despicable Me2 Evil Minion:

How did they do it?

My daughter has been back in school for a few weeks so I've been doing a bit of school supply shopping. Most of my friends know I'm really good at school supply shopping and when there's a really good deal I'll blast it to all of them. Even so i still get questions about how i do it. So Iím going to share some of the ways i save as well as the deal i got recently while making a major school supply purchase.

If you want to spend as little as possible buying school supplies most people will say just wait for the tax-free weekend and get it all then. This is not the best strategy and the amount you save on taxes is probably negated by the lack of some of the better deals.

The school supply shopping season runs roughly  6-9 weeks. During this time is when you see some of the golden opportunity items, like index cards for a penny, 10 pencils for a dime, things like that. These aren't everyday deals you have to work for them. Your prep starts before you even get to the store. This won't take a ton of time! this is not some extreme couponing 50 hours worth of work.

1. Get 2 lists
Yes two. You need the list for your child and the list for the next grade.
If you want to really be ambitious, get the next 2 grades.
Now that you have your lists you can see what you need now and what you will most likely need next year. Some items are standard; pencils for the k-3 group, colored pencils instead of crayons once you hit 4th grade, etc. You'll see the patterns and know that for some items you get double or triple the amount on the list, because its going to last several years. Go ahead and make notes, you really only want to go to the store with 1 list if you want to travel light or if your like me 3 lists in a store means you end up only looking at one and have to go back.

2. Look at multiple store circulars for the items you need every single week
This entire next step shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes per week. Now some people are admittedly Walmart shoppers. There is no love lost between me and Wally World but i know that some people shop there religiously. It has been proven in many other places that they aren't always the lowest prices. In order to save the most possible, you need to have the circulars of Walmart, Target, Office Max, Office Depot and Staples. The last 3 are extremely important. They are in the office supply business and tend to run the best deals hands down. Those penny deals? Almost always at the office supply places. Its their niche go ahead and exploit it. You need these circulars because all these companies price match. Make sure you know exactly what the price matching policy is. Its usually on each of the stores websites and takes roughly a minute to find and 30 seconds to read. This step is important because....

3. Sometimes you have to go to more than one store
Always read the fine print of a sales circular. In some cases you can't price match because the deal will not be honored by the competing stores. This includes, mail in rebates, in store rewards, in some cases you get a free product and other stores will not honor that. In those cases if that store is not out of the way and its something you need go ahead and get it.

4. Plan your shopping over several weeks
If its not in the circular don't buy it, it will probably be cheaper later on. For example the week Target put out their school supply display index cards were about $2 a pack. They did hit a Target sale of 50 cents but they are a penny this week at Staples. When you get your circulars go to the store of your choice and get the items you want, circulars in hand ready to price match. This doesn't have to be a special trip. If you regularly go to Walmart or Target, there you go, get them while you are there. Just don't forget your list and your circulars.

5. Coupons
For some this is a no brainer for others they are saying huh? 3M loves sending me coupons. I see coupons from them and Avery year round. All you have to do is get on their mailing list and they send you coupons and in 3M's case free samples all year.
In addition to coupons direct from the brands the stores frequently offer a XX dollars off your purchase. You have to meet the minimum which sometimes you do, sometimes you walk out the store spending $2 for a bag full of stuff so you don't.

6. Don't forget to do your mail in rebates
Most places nowadays allow you to do your rebate online all you need is the rebate receipt. You know why they offer mail-in rebates? Because most people don't cash them in. I never miss a rebate, its cash why let them keep it?

7. Store loyalty programs
If you have a Target card you get 5% off every single purchase. (Plus a nickel for bringing your own bags), Staples has its own rewards program where you get a check to use on a future purchases. If you get upgraded to premiere as i was the checks have a longer expiration date. This year Staples has a Back to School Savings Pass. This pass costs $10 and gives you 15% off all your in-store school supply purchases from 7/13 -9/17 of this year. There are some exclusions; most noticeable are flash drives and toner, but pretty much everything you would see on a school supply list would be covered. If you have a small or no school supply stock i recommend you purchase it. In my case i passed on it this year. Because of my stock pile i only had to purchase some notebooks and the calculator Iíll tell you about shortly. Just do some mental calculations. If you typically wait till tax free weekend you probably should buy it because then its 15% not less your states sales tax.

Most of my supply storage.

As i mentioned earlier i made a pretty big purchase this week. She's taking Algebra and needs a Ti-84 graphing calculator. I was given the option of buying one of 3 calculators, the Ti-83, Ti-84 plus or Ti-84 plus silver edition. I actually started researching this purchase last year via Step 1. I knew she would need it this year so i started pricing it then. I remembered the cheapest Iíd seen it what time of the season and where.

I ended up purchasing the Ti-84 Plus Silver Edition from Staples. There's a big reason why i got it from Staples who did not have it on sale the week i bought it. The retail price regardless of the store is $129.99. Here's what i did.
On sale at Target that week in circular for $99 (price match)
$50 Staples gift card from laptop purchased last year (no expiration date)
$6 Staples rewards check from recycling ink

   $ 99
    -50
      -6    
= $43 + tax

Less than $50 for an item that retails at $130 and the cheapest advertised price i saw last year was $94.