once a princess, always a princess!

for the past few years i have been a princess at halloween. one year i was sleeping beauty (with a big long black wig...goo!), last year i was peincess leia so this year i'm...

an indian princess!

not really pocahontas, as i dont show that much boob. or belly.

usually.

and this is a way way simple costume. you will need 2 tshirts (whatever size fits. i used a large) and some beads. i bet you can use the colorful plastic ones,  but i used wood ones that i spray painted.

(and this was the ONLY photo out of 40 that i could use of my kids in the shirts)

i sewed the shirts together at the bottom, right sides together, then cut one off right at the arm pits of the shirt.

i strung the wood beads onto a string as a necklace.

pretty much that is all.

i re cut the bottom on an angle to be a bit more cooler. and i cut some fringe on the arms.

with what was left of the cut shirt, i made a little belt and strung some beads on it.

so watch out john smith-there is a new pocahontas in town!

sick sick sick

if i don't answer your posts or emails, please forgive me.

for the past week/10 days i have felt like crap.

tired, sore throat, belly aches...

i tried to blame it on allergies.

and the fire.

but per the doctor in at the instacare, it is strep.

lovely.

i have posts that will just be popping up every day but i really feel too yucky to care about much else.

but please comment.

i do read.

i just don't feel like talking back.

(that is a first!)

xoxox

alive!

just a quick note to let you all know im alive! we had a family friend pass away and i came home a day early. so after a very long shower, a nap and a mani/pedi-i almost feel like myself.

thanks for all the comments about camping. (and prayers that i wouldnt be eaten by a bear)

(this is a photo of my car next to one of the tents. it was pretty, but i can only be in 'nature' so long.)
i will be back monday with more thrifty fun!

i regret to inform you...

i am going to girls camp.
for a week.
in bear country.
with 250 teen girls.
that is on a 5 mile dirt road off of the main road.
if any rain hits the road, it isnt passable.
there isnt any cell phone coverage.
or showers.
the lake is covered in green slime.
and bugs.
there isnt electricty.
not there there will be internet access anyways.
and my husband is in charge of the kids and the house.
so i will not be posting until i get back.
if i make it.
if the kids make it.
if the house makes it.
pray for me.
the thrifty ba

oh yea, i blend

Mona Lisa Vito: [Vinny looks at her funny] What?

Vinny Gambini: Nothing. You stick out like a sore thumb around here.

Mona Lisa Vito: Me? What about you?

Vinny Gambini: I fit in better than you. At least I'm wearing cowboy boots.

Mona Lisa Vito: Oh yeah, you blend.

**My Cousin Vinny, 1992**

i just wanted to share this recipe with you because it shows that i can be blend in with the locals! i even wear my cowgirl hat when i make this for the family!

giddy up!

bbq southwestern chicken salad

8 cups shredded lettuce
½ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup canned corn (we never use this, but it calls for it.)
½ cup ranch dressing
2 cups chopped cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast
½ cup bottled bbq sauce
2 cups thin jicama strips (don’t use these either)

put lettuce, black beans, corn and ranch dressing in a large serving bowl and toss. in a small mixing bowl, stir together the cooked chicken pieces and BBQ sauce. serve salads individually, with about 2 cups of the lettuce mixture, topped with ½ cup of the chicken mixture and jicama strips






 

happy mothers day!

i deserve it.

(YOU DO TOO!)

i wanna try something new...

i want to try to party.

you know the kind where you show off what you have been making and so proud of.

(i would serve food if i could because those are always the best parties.)

oh well...

so im thinking this friday, there will be a party.

not sure of the name.

not really sure how i will do it.

but just show up and post what you have been up to.

and if it goes well, i might do it again!

just to clairify...

on this post, i said that one way to enter is 'one final way-send me a card/gift that has to arrive by 4.20.10 at 5pm mst!'

just an fyi, this is a REAL way to enter.

if you need an address to overnight me something-email me!

14 days until my birthday!

i love my birthday.

seriously, i would marry it if i could.
i just think it is the greatest thing in the world.

just in case you didnt know it is my birthday month, here is a little craft to help you realize it!
i started with 1 yard of funky fabric, 1/2 yard of flannel, and 1/4 yeard of just regular white fabric.
i figured out how many triangles i needed for my banner (20-and i still have left overs!). like my method of cutting? i marked 10" on the peice of wood and went to town.
next i pinned all the funky fabric triangles to the flannel so that they would have some backing to them. the fabric, although funky, wasnt thick enough.

then i got some of the scraps (i alternated between the funky and the flannel) and sewed them to make a line to hang all the triangles on. i also tided some scraps of fabric and pink tulle at the ends for that added bit of girly-ness!

now-what i should have done first was stamp out the letters. i have like 4 sets of foam stamps, but these are my favorite. i used them here, wth some aqua-y paint. (you cant tell but there is some aqua in the funky print) these take a bit to dry.

then after cutting and sewing the letters on-TA-DA! a huge reminder that it is MY birthday month!
(yes, i do get a month! all 3 boys get their own birthday week. the'd get more if they werent all in november.)

here is the end product! it says 'happy birthday month ba'!  

im linking up to its so very cheri and delicious ambiguity and tea rose home and someday crafts and just a girl

buona pasqua!

yes-there was a holly hobby craze going on in the spring of 1977. my mom made me this outfit. and that is my little brother (who i am actually taller than in this photo!) patrick.

here is to hoping you all have a wonderful easter-with easter baskets full of peeps!

and that we take time to remember that the tomb was empty.

please tell me i am NOT the only one...

who wants this!

(thank you potterybarnkids.com for the photo)
at $34 for the small and $89 for the big one, i dont see that happening.
i am trying to take time and figure out a way for me to make one. but i bet you someone out in blogland already has...

i'm a winner!

i am a follower of utah deals diva dot com. i SWEAR by her (rather than listening to a certain old man with a bad hair dye job in a green apron. ahem)! if you are in utah, she is the one to get your shopping plan from.
this woman knows what she is doing.
in addition to showing me (well, all of us) how to get AMAZING DEALS, she also has give-aways! and guess who won?!

come on guess.

nope-not her.

yup-ME!
see here for proof!
needless to say i am way geeked out!
i also want to plug her services, if you need a newspaper subscription for coupons, please go thru her. she is a stay at home mom like me and she can get you a fabulous deal. trust me, you will make up the money in savings on what you spend on the paper.
besides, when your kid comes home from school saying that he needs to make a giant, paper mache' penguin, you will be grateful for all those newspapers!

how do you organize your 'crap' room (aka craft room)

although my craft room isn't finished (as in scraps of carpet are on the floor and most of the wall board isn't up), i love it up there! the windows are south facing and let in a TON of light! and even though it is above the garage, if i open the curtains when it is sunny, it warms up fast.

i just wanted to see how you set up your craft room-so i am showing you mine.

i have some shelves set up and i have divided all of my embellishments (except letters/numbers/some tags...you will see below) in plastic show box containers. each one holds a different color. and yes, when i get something that i'm not using right this second, i open it up and divide it out.the only colors that share are pink and purple (because i don't have much of either in a home of all boys!). this system seems to work really well, because there have been times i just needed something red and when i look in the red box-oh the possibilities! some i never would have come up with if i hadn't just searched through the box.

the other thing i do is divide out my chipboard letters by letters. there is a drawer for each one (btw-i got this from lowes. i guess men separate nuts/bolts in here. we just use empty jars. then i can mix and match the letters when i am doing a page or a card. i stuck all my numbers in) one drawer and i have a drawer for tags with words and with out words. (i just realized that i big wad of string is coming out of one of the tag drawers! oh well).

i don't put sheets of stickers in the little box-they go in the shoe boxes if they stickers are the same color.

so what does your craft area look like?

it's here!

in case you missed last weeks post where i WON A MAJOR AWARD, here is a link.

and here are photos...i was just coming home from harmons (seriously, i love that place! i will have to have a love post about them someday...) and in the mail box was some tax forms and this!

i was so geeked out that i forgot to bring in the french country bread that was still HOT! i am so excited to have won something that i really can't share with the rest of my family!

thanks again holly!

(and yea, the photos of how cool this necklace really looks are on holly's blog)

i am a winner!

i know you (my dear friends) always think i'm a winner. and i thank you for that. since you read this blog-i think you are too!
but this morning when i woke up and flipped on my computer i found out that someone OTHER THAN MY FRIENDS thinks i'm a winner!
and even if it is just for today-i'm cool with that.
holly over at holly's haven picked me to win a sweet necklace!
you might say 'ba, she RANDOMLY picked you.' or 'ba, you are so simple.'.
BUT I DON'T CARE! I CONSIDER THIS A MAJOR AWARD!
so click and go check out her blog. other than giving me the greatest gift ever, she also has some other fantastic posts like this one or this one (which once again makes me wish i had girls).
as soon as it arrives, i will post photo after photo of me wearing my major award so you can tell me how fabulous i look! and i might even let you try it on.

the hot ba! (courtsey of savers in midvale)

as most of you know-i lost 23 lbs. now nothing fits. in a good way!

this is a cute spring (i know-a long way off) skirt from the limited. not only was it $5.99 (well, actually $4.91 with my savers discount) but it is also a size SMALL! woo hoo! wont this look adorable with a light blue-ish t-shirt or a cardigan?

you cant see it well here, but this is actually light pink and black. this gap skirt was $6.99 ($5.61), and it is lined. so i guess that is why it is more than the limited one.

and this STEAL is a navy blue twin set-both pieces for $7.99 ($6.41) and i cant find a snag or anything wrong with it!

as with all clothing i get at a thrift store, i wash it before wearing it or even putting it in my closet. i always drop off clean stuff, but not everyone is ba.

oh yea-those are my skinny jeans that i have on. those are from kohls, not from savers. but man i look hot in them!

welcome!

i LOVE saving money.
LOVE. IT.
so i decided to have a whole blog just for posting all my thrifty deals. that way, i can prove to chris that i am saving him so much money, and not just spending it because i am bored.
i am going to blog about where i shop and how i save. sometimes (well, mostly) it will be coupons. sometimes, it will be free samples on the internet. and i might just post some crafty-ness that i do around the house to save chris even more money.
and yes, it is mostly about him.
at least, that is what i tell him.
so stay tuned for some money saving ideas! and if you have deals you want to share-let me know! i will give you full credit!

(pppssssttt...it is really about me!)