Happy (almost) 4th of July!

Ok, so I totally let this year slip by me. With all the summer activity going on around me, I never had (or made) the time for the Independence Day crafts I wanted to do. SOOOOOOOOOOO....in the spirit of passing ideas on....behold....what I would have done if I had not been a total slacker laying around a pool...

Star Spangled Welcome
This little beaut. is from the Family Fun magazine, which I love.

Oh, Snap!
The ladies over at Eighteen25 always have the cutest printables, and I just so happen to have a ton of snap dragons.

Firecracker Smores on a Stick
Don't they look pretty? I may still try to pull these off for the actual 4th.. Whimsical Creations always has yummy goods.

Decorative Pom Poms
Craft Caboose did a fun job with these, and I think they would be great decor for that 4th of J. BBQ. I've seen a lot of tissue paper pom poms out there lately.

Ohhhh, there are so many cute, fun, and festive things out there to be done to celebrate! However, we are off tomorrow for vacation, so I doubt I will be able to do any of them. Boo.

Anyway, enjoy the freedom we Americans have and have a safe 4th of July!

Painting Project #1

I bought this vintage framed picture a couple of weeks ago at a yard sale. Andre thought it was ugly, but I just loved the red mushrooms. I knew it just needed a quick coat of black gloss....
and it would be fabulous!!
A perfect edition to my kitchen shelves. :)

Garden Update

This is the sunflower that Cash and I planted before Easter.
My cherry tomatoes are the only veggies so far.



My marigolds are finally starting to bloom, too.

Sizzling Summer JK FUN!

Hello, ladies! Do I have a deal for you!

June is winding down, and bringing in some serious summer heat. How about we make your summer even better by giving you more savings when you host a party for Jewel Kade?? My June Special is when you sign up to host a party with me, your 10% hostess earnings will increase to 20%!! Can you believe it?? This is a HOT DEAL and one you won't want to pass up. Gather your friends & family, show them this amazing jewelry line, and the jewelry will sell itself. You will see your FREE JEWELRY $$ rolling before your eyes! Hurry and sign up before your date gets taken!!

Book to host a party between now and June 30th to receive this SIZZLING SUMMER deal.

My Hydrangea Love

I was checking out More Chic Than Shabby, and saw that she had posted some pic's of her hydrangea. This reminded me that I had taken some of my own hydrangea last weekend. I thought they turned out pretty, and wanted to share. I used some petals to top off a chocolate cake that I made for church, and put the remaining petals in a little glass vase on my window sill. I totally heart hydrangeas, and think they are the most beautiful thing around! It started when my friend, Sarah N., brought me a big vase full when I was in the hospital delivering Cash. I took them home from the hospital, and they lasted for two more weeks. Fantastic. I never forgot them, and I was lucky enough to get my own on my very first Mother's Day. (Big kisses to Cash and Andre!)

RAVE Free Family Film Festival

			FREE! I love FREE! Here is a schedule of the FREE kids movies that the Rave is offering this summer. Every Tues. and Wed. @ 10am. ENJOY. June 15-16 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs June 22-23 Astro Boy June 29-30 Planet 51 July 6-7 Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs July 13-14 Monsters Vs. Aliens July 20-21 Hotel for Dogs July 27-28 Shorts Thanks to Kathy H. for the info!

|

Katharin Hilbert

June 8 & 9 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel June 15 & 16 Ice Age: Dawn...

Jun 8 (5 days ago)

Katharin HilbertLoading...

Jun 8 (5 days ago)

A BIRD AND A BEAN GIVEAWAY

My good friend, Erin, over at A Bird and A Bean has a super cool giveaway going on until June 16th. Her dad hand makes these really neat pens ( ahhemmm....great Father's Day Gift...ahhemmm...) So shoot over there and enter . You might find yourself lucky!
OH! And be sure to tell Erin I sent you!
Can you believe these are handmade? That Dave Zimmer, he's a genius. (That's Erin's dad who makes them.)

Hope everyone is having a fab weekend!
Tracy

Mystery Host Party

YOU COULD WIN HOSTESS BENEFITS JUST BY SHOWING UP.

Here's how it works:
* Attend the Jewel Kade party and receive one entry.
* Attend the party and bring a friend; receive two entry. (You receive an extra entry for every friend you bring. Plus, your friend will receive her own entry.)
*Attend the party and make a purchase; receive three tickets.
*Attend the party and commit to hosting your own party; receive four tickets.

At the close of the party a name will be drawn from the entries. The winner will become the "hostess," and will choose one from three free hostess gifts; the Jewel Kade bracelet, the exclusive hostess necklace, or the exclusive hostess charm.


Don't miss this opportunity!

Where: The Crosby Home
102 S. St. Marks Ave.
Chattanooga

When: June 15th 6 -8:30pm

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR FRIENDS

Enjoy a series of kid-friendly movies this summer with the Summer Kids Series at the Carmike Majestic 12 (just across the street from Creative Discovery Museum) every Tuesday at 10 a.m. this summer! As part of this special promotion you can: Enjoy FREE PARKING for the day in the Carta Garage! The Majestic 12 will validate your parking in the Carta Parking Garage above the old Bijou Theatre. (Parking entrance on 3rd Street between Broad and Chestnut. Ticket must be validated at the Majestic 12 only) So enjoy cool family days downtown this summer with a great movie and a fun-filled trip to Creative Discovery Museum after! Watch for additional offers with this series in the coming months!

(Thanks Kathy H. for the tip off!)

--

Homemade Detergent

Ok, so on our family's quest for "green," I have chosen to start making our own detergent. There are so many chemicals in regular detergent, and can have such a negative effect on our earth. I have wanted to make some for a while, but being a "couponer" I stock up on supplies. I had to be cost effective, and finish using what I had before jumping into the new world of "homemade." However, I am here now, and won't be going back! It was super duper easy, and CHEAP! Plus and Plus!! I used the recipe Erin posted on her blog, and true to her word...it works fantastic.

Here's how it works....
I mixed....
1 grated bar of Fels-naptha soap (2 cups)
1 grated bar of Ivory soap (1 cup)
4 cups washing soda
4 cups baking soda
4 cups borax

It takes only one tablespoon per load, so it'll last FOREVER. yay. :)

Next, I am going to try to make some dryer balls...like these. Thanks Erin for the info.

Yard Sale Fabulous FInds!

When we were visiting Erin and Kevin's house last week, we went yard sale-ing. We hadn't gone in a long time, which is weird cause we have always enjoyed it. I guess we thought it would be too much of a hassle with the kids tagging along. Anyway, we went and I fell in love with it all over again. We took the kids and went at it again this weekend. Here are our FABULOUS FINDS from both weekends:
KY finds... aluminum tray with tulips

another aluminum tray ...this one with a handle and birds (love it!)Vintage embroidered pillow showing different birds in all four seasons. Super cute.

Vintage fabrics
I also got two vintage rings (costume jewelry) and a vintage pair of earrings. I forgot to photograph them, though. OOPS. Take my word for it....super super cool.:)

TN finds
vintage mushroom pic. Andre hates it, but I am going to spray paint the frame black, and I think it'll be perfect.
A large metal tin to keep my homemade laundry detergent in (this will come in later post)
A lovely striped pillow to add to my front porch bench.

Awesome picnic basket/carrier. Still had the tags on it, AND it's orange!
SEE?!?!!? Aren't these fabulous?

Happy Birthday CASH ELIJAH!!

My oldest son, Cash, turned four yesterday. There was so much going on, I didn't have time to post and brag on my baby. Cash Elijah Crosby was born on June 6, 2006. Yep, that's right...his birth date is 06-06-06. However, don't be scared away...Cash is a super sweet boy, and I am super proud of him. Cash loves to learn, and knew all his letters AND sounds by time he turned two. He knew what a HEXAGON was by two, and is already reading. He memorizes everything, and tells wonderful stories that have better verbs and adjectives than my 5th graders use. Daily he amazes me by what he knows, and how he applies it. Andre and I are so very blessed to have such a brilliant, active, loving son.


We decided not to do a "party" this year, but we had already planned a cookout at Casey's house. That became our CELEBRATION for Cash. He wanted lion cupcakes, so of course I had to find a cute design. I used the same recipe from Luc's cupcakes at his 1st birthday party, but I used whole wheat flour instead. I thought they were pretty yummy, and the kids seemed to like them. They were kind of "muffin-y" though, if that matters. It was a good time of eating, swimming, and fellowship with friends. Cash had a blast.