Giveaway Winner!

You will have to forgive me for this post being a little late, but I have been terribly sick the last few days and just really have not had the energy to blog! 

I've spent the last couple of days lounging around trying to feel better, and doing a little online shopping myself!  I actually just bought this sewing machine from CSN, can't wait for it to get here!  

I've been using a super old one that I borrowed from my mom, and its on its last legs!  The stitching keeps coming out all wonky!  So I can't wait to see how this one works!

Anyway, I know you all are wondering about the winner to the giveaway, which I chose very scientifically.....closed my eyes, had Josh scroll down the screen till I said stop, then pointed......so where did my finger land you ask......drumroll please.......

It landed on this comment from Tanya,

Don't know if my last comment just posted but I wanted to say that I love reading your blog, it gives me so much inspiration! Keep up the good work girly : )

December 21, 2010 10:24 PM

Congrats!

 Email me Tanya and I will send you the info!

we are completely snowed in!

Typically when snow is  forecasted for the south eastern edge of Virginia where I live, we don't get anything!

Well, I guess they got it right this time!  Because we have about 12 or so inches outside our door!

It started yesterday afternoon and still has not stopped!  

I grew up in Maine, so I LOVE seeing the white stuff, and just can't believe we actually had a White Christmas!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

I'll be back to regular postings soon.

Oh and don't forget to join my CSN Giveaway!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!

Coca Cola image

Wishing everyone out there a WONDERFUL Holiday!

P. S.  I'll be back to regular postings after the Holidays!

Don't forget to join my CSN giveaway, which is going on until Wednesday, December 29th!

Christmas Cookies

I did a few trial batches of cookies today!

We just got a new oven, so I've been testing it out on some cookies.

I found a delicious sugar cookie recipe on A Little Lovely!

I still have lots more to make!  The recipe made a  huge batch! But these things are gonna disappear quick, they are simply delicious! 

Don't forget to enter my Giveaway for  a chance to win a CSN gift certificate!

You have until Wednesday, December 29th!

Csn Giveaway!

waaaahoo!.....another giveaway!

I was recently contacted by the wonderful people at CSN about hosting a giveaway, and I am SO excited to be able to offer one lucky  follower a $35 gift certificate to any of the CSN Stores!

They are a fabulous online store that carries just about anything you can think of.  It was one of the first places Josh and I started looking for a TV STAND  when we recently upgrade our TV, and need a bigger more functional place to put it.
They have over 200+  Stores, and carry everything from bedding, cookware, rugs, lighting, household appliances.. and......well that list could go on and on!  Just go check them out for yourself!
Here are a few examples of some of their lovely wares!

One lucky follower of a A {Blonde's} DIY life will win a $35 Gift Certificate to spend in any of the CSN Stores!

Here's how you can enter:

 1.  Become a follower of A {Blonde's} DIY Life and leave a comment, or if you are already a follower.....just leave a comment.
2.  For an additional chance to win, become a follower of A {Blonde's} DIY Life on twitter AND
 tweet about my giveaway,  come back here and leave an additional comment letting me know you did.  If you are already a follower on twitter, just tweet about the my giveaway, and leave a comment letting me know you did!

It's as easy as that!

The Giveaway will be open until Wednesday, December 29!
 I will announce a winner that afternoon!

All Wrapped Up in Ribbons and Bows.....

I don't know about you all, but around here all the getting ready for the Holidays has not left alot of time for completing DIY projects!  Mainly because this past week has been filling with wrapping all the gifts purchased the previous weeks!  One of my favorite parts of Christmas is wrapping everything up in gorgeous paper and bows!

I found all this fabulous wrapping paper at TjMaxx.  It's so nice and thick!  I hate when you buy a great looking role of paper and it so thin you can see through it!   The red embossed croc is my favorite!  It's so chic, I bought it in a few colors!

Tis The Season

Tis the Season for all the glitz and glam, the rushing and shopping, the hustle and bustle, the parties and get-togethers!  I am typically the one that plans and decorates, is out and about soaking up all the pre-holiday goodness, this year I decided less is more.  I didn't put up quite a bit of my holiday decorations, all I want to do for Christmas and New Years is sleep in, sip hot coco or tea, stay in my Pj's all day, and just relax and enjoy the quite.  

It has been a great, but long and exhausting week, the wonderful part is that my sister's husband returned from his deployment, just in time to spend the holidays with her, my nephew and there little one who is on the way.  There was a little to do about him getting home as we had a snowstorm that day, but my lovely Josh braved the weather and the slippery roads to pick the fella up from the airport.

I am so happy for them, and a little selfishly for me as well.  Josh calls me a worrier when it comes to people I love.  She lives less than five minutes from me, but I still worried about them all the time! She doesn't know that and probably wouldn't want  me to say it either, but there it is.  I worried about her the whole time he was deployed! 

But I can now take a little break from that : )

So that I think, is a major reason why I want to take a little break from it all and just relax.  I won't be doing that for Christmas, as we will be visiting several different families homes that day, and I don't know about New Years Eve yet either, but I can say that as for tomorrow, you will find me here wrapped in my fluffy down blankets, sipping tea, and hopefully re-watching all my favorite Christmas movies.

Happy Weekend!

Blog Header Redesign....

Blog header redesign?

No!  I don't mean MY header!  I recently offered to design a new header for 

 Kenia @ Our Home at First Sight, it is now up on her blog!

This is the final product!

Go check out her blog and follow along as she redecorates and renovates her new home!

Grab My Button!

I made a button for my page! AND figured out how to get the code and everything on here!So Grab My BUTTON!

Repainting old frames.

So I just have a little mini project update! 

 I have a wall of frames above my sofa that needed a little updating so the other night I pulled out the paint.  This group of frames has undergone multiple paint transformations!   BUT this time I really wanted to give them a little GLAM look, so out came the silver leaf! 

This is just a little  peak as I have to finished the rest of them, but here is a little in progress picture!

More pictures to follow!

Hello again!

I feel like it's been forever since I have done a post!

Where has the time gone!  I just can NOT believe its only a week and a half till Christmas!  

Can you?  I mean I still feel like I don't know what happened to the summer...let alone the Holiday season!   The Holidays will be over before we know it....sigh....it always seems to go by so fast.

Anyway its only been about 5 days since I've done a post, but I have gotten all my Christmas shopping done, and most of them are now wrapped and under the tree.  So at least I've got all that taken care of.....that is until I think of something I forgot to get!

I just wanted to show you all this super adorable lamp I found at world market the other day.

It would be SO cute in a kids room....well it would also be super chic in a den too!

I love it!

Well I'm off to go finish a few sewing projects! 

I will share them soon!

Santa baby......

Santa Baby, slip a sable under the tree, For me.

been an awful good girl, Santa baby,

so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Santa baby, a 54 convertible too,

Light blue.

I'll wait up for you dear,

Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Think of all the fun I've missed,

Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed,

Next year I could be just as good,

If you'll check off my Christmas list

Well I may not be getting a convertible for Christmas, but I would LOVE if Santa brought me any one of these great items from ZGallerie!

Bonus if Santa does his shopping soon, ZGallerie is offering 20% off gifts and accessories!

I love Love LOVE the elephant!!!

I have the cute little camera case, it's super padded and really protects my point and shoot when I toss it in my handbag!

These are a few of my favorite things.....

So my Christmas tree went up this weekend!  Well for the most part, I have not found a tree topper I like, ours from years past is broken. 

Our tree is much smaller than we usually get, just about 5 feet.   I had been planning on rearranging the furniture so we could fit a bigger one, but last week was kinda a another crazy one for me!

First I have been getting over something, everybody seems to be sick. Then I had someone hack into my bank account!  NOT FUN! Kinda scary actually!  Started taking money out! But all is fixed now! whew!

 Anyway,  I thought I would share a few photos of my tree, and a few of my favorite ornaments!

My Anthropologie-inspired Ornament!

You can find out how I made it here!

My nephew and I were Christmas shopping a few years ago, and he picked theses out for us.  We each have a sparkly star that goes on my tree.  A big one for me, and a little one for him.

Josh and I took my nephew to a paint-your-own pottery place last year, to make Christmas ornaments for his  mom and stepdad.

This is the one I made for my tree!

Heres Josh's ornament!

My BIG star!

We picked these up on an anniversary trip to the Outer Banks.

My mom made this for me when I was little, its been on my tree every year!

 I love this mercury glass acorn!

Well  there it is, MY TREE! 

 I'm off to go finish up my Christmas decorating!

Wishing you a very Merry Kate Spade Christmas.....

There is just something about Kate Spade that reminds me of this time of year. 

 Maybe it's her colorful stores and festive adds......

Maybe it's her sparkly footwear

Flashy, currently available on katespade.com

This one's on my wishlist!!!

I just love her!  And I seriously have a THING for her Adds!  I want to create a framed wall of them in my closet! 

Wouldn't that be chic!

Blog Updates!

Just a quick little note, I now have twitter!

I'm really a little unsure of how to use twitter.....I know....I know....it's been around for ages, but I'm just now getting to it!  So if any of you who have been using it for a while have any tips or tricks, PLEASE SHARE!

I also redesigned my header,and changed my background last week!

So the ole blog is slowly coming together, and better showing my personality. I apologize if you were visiting on one of the days were I kept making changes, and then changing my mind again!  

One day last week I think my background may have changed a dozen or so times, atleast!  

Anyway, I hope you like my new header!

Don't forget to follow me on twitter!

ohhhh and please share your twitter tips!

Christmas Sparkle!

I am finally getting my Christmas tree up!

I am not finished decorating her yet, but here are a few of my favorite ornaments, some new lovelies, some old lovelies!

A few are some I've had since I was little, those are, and probably will always be my favorites!

Our tree is nothing special, no theme or any thing; but most of the ornaments we have, have memories that go with them.

 It's always so fun to take a trip down memory lane, while unwrapping all the Christmas goodies! 

 I guess I'm a sap that way!

Do you guys prefer a themed Christmas tree, or just a tree filled with all of your favorite ornaments?

I will probably do one of both when we get a bigger place, but for now this is it.

Happy Decorating!