$5 Goodwill Challenge: Fall Edition

Hey, everyone!

I was asked to participate in the $5 Goodwill Challenge: Fall Edition from Hillary at My So-Called Home on YouTube. I was beyond excited to join the challenge; however, I was very sick and did not get the chance to post on time. I figured a little late was better than missing the challenge so I went thrifting and was able to find amazing deals and come up with a really sweet fall set up!

The $5 Goodwill Challenge was created by Hillary. She started the challenge last Christmas and then she issued the challenge in the spring and the summer. I participated in those challenges and I will link to those videos here:

$5 Goodwill Challenge: Spring Edition

$5 Goodwill Challenge: Summer Edition

So the way the challenge works is you have a budget of $5 and you are to go to your local Goodwill store, thrift store, rummage sale, etc. and try to find something you can add to your home decor for that particular theme. It can be a real treasure hunt sometimes to find something, but it is such a FUN challenge to do.

You can purchase an item as-is, or a "fixer-upper" for the challenge. There are MANY YouTubers who take this challenge and I watch all of their videos and am so AMAZED at what a lot can come up with. Sometimes they really take something from trash to treasure with a little love and effort. I am always inspired by what I see.

So here is my video and be sure to read to the end for my challenge to all of you!


Thanks for watching my video. I hope you hit the thumbs up button if you liked it. If you are new to my YouTube channel, please feel free to subscribe and then you'll receive notices when I post a new video. I have several playlists so I hope you'll find something that you like. My channel is always growing and changing so I hope you will enjoy the journey with me.

My challenge to all of you (if you have gotten this far on this post) is to take Hillary's $5 Goodwill Challenge: Fall Edition. Even if you do not have a blog or a YouTube channel. Just take $5 and go to your local thrift store to see what you can find. I hope this video has inspired you to decorate for fall on the cheap! I'd love to hear back from you in the comments below. If you have joined the challenge and want to send me photos you can link your blog below and I would LOVE to check it out. If you share a video response I will definitely watch it! If you don't have a blog or YouTube channel, you can email me a photo at bridgettowens78@gmail.com and I would love to see it! I read all of your comments so please feel free to leave me a comment below.

Definitely check out Hillary's channel and all of her amazing videos. She has so many incredible things to share! Thanks for hanging out today!

Hugs,

Thrift Store Haul

Hey, everyone!

School is officially out here in my local school district. My children have grown up so much and it's been a really tough year for all of us with losing my dad. I am so very proud of my little guy graduating Kindergarten! He just brightens up my life!

He was given some money for graduation from his mamaw and papaw. He chose a Lego set from the Lego Movie. He will do a YouTube Lego review video later on. He loves to be in front of the camera. I wonder why? It must be all the videos and photographs I have taken of him since he was born! You know, when I was growing up we had those Kodak instant cameras or the 110 film and 35 mm film. You had to take the pictures and then drop them off at the store, wait a week or so and then pick them up. You never knew if any of the pictures were going to turn out or not! It's so different now with digital cameras!

My mom (Javan's Nana) took us to eat at McDonald's (Javan's favorite) and then on to Walmart to buy Javan's toy and pick up Mother's medication. Then the real fun began...we went thrifting! We have a store here called St. Vincent de Paul and it's wonderful! The prices are pretty good for the most part and they are always putting new things out so it makes it a fun place to shop. Javan wanted a bag of toys for $3 and here is what was inside: 

I have my make-up brushes in a small glass container but it isn't really working out that well for me. So when I saw this pretty milk glass dish for only $1 I knew I had to have it! Today I went back with my mom to see if they had anything new and they had this really nice milk glass dish that I am going to add my make up, too. I really don't wear a lot of make-up so it would easily fit into this dish.

I thought it would be fun to create another YouTube video with Javan. He is so sweet! Hope you will check it out:

I hope you enjoyed the video! It was a lot of fun to make. The house is quiet as I sit here and write this blog post. I miss my kiddos but I know they are having a lot of fun with their grandparents on their way to fun in the sun! I am so proud of my two beautiful blessings from God. Kadesia is going to be a seventh grader this fall and Javan will be a first grader. Time just continues to pass me by and I just hope and pray that I am doing everything I can do to give my two children the tools and skills they need to succeed in life. They both love the LORD with all of their heart so I can't ask for much more than that!

Mother's Day 2014

Thanks for hanging out with me today! Leave me a comment below letting me know about your fun thrift store finds!

Hugs,

Purple Flowers For Christina

Hey everyone!

Today is Saturday and that means:

 

I have the Fun Flowers Stampin' Up! die and Big Shot machine.

I love the beautiful flowers I can create with it. I have made several flowers from paper but it's even more fun using felt! My sweet friend, Christina reads my blog and I know she will see this post before she gets her package from me but I just had to share this cute little magnet I made her! Her favorite color is purple so she will love it I am sure!

Here's a close-up of the button magnet I attached to the back. It's self-adhesive so it was very simple to assemble.

I have made these fun flower magnets in so many different colors. The floral die and Big Shot machine make creating these flowers a breeze. You can cut through several layers of fabric at a time and they are perfect for layering multiple colors. I have used these to make headbands and barrettes in my daughter's school colors, too. It's so much fun! These make wonderful tuck-ins for gifts on any occasion. Mother's Day is tomorrow so why not create these for the wonderful mothers in your life.

I am linking up to:

Hugs,

Closet Makeover: Before and After!

Hey everyone!

It's finally Friday. I am working a 12 hour day shift today and anyone that knows me knows what a challenge that will be! But I am sure it will be fine! My sister is visiting from Tennessee with her husband and son so I hope to spend a little time with them on Sunday ... Mother's Day!

Do you remember the theme for today?

I am excited because I have a guest blogger celebrating with me! She is a sweet and dear friend. You will hear me speak of Christina many times!! You can visit her blog here:

 

I love before and after photos. I just love to see the transformation something can have when a little love and attention is given. My entry way closet was a horrid mess! It became a sort of catch-all. It certainly did not function as a useful space and although a couple of coats were hung in the closet, they were rarely worn and so the closet was not serving any real purpose other than to collect junk!

I told you on Wednesday that I love Pinterest. I truly do. There are so many great closet storage ideas there and I have been truly inspired by many of the photos I have pinned. So I decided to take a little time and make a list of what I needed to get organized. I sent my husband to the store with said list but he found something far better and much cheaper so of course I was very happy! He even was sweet enough to put it together and install it for me. So without further adieu, here is the ugly before and the pretty after!

  

I know! STOP! Enough! Right? It was messy and did not function for our needs at all! So here is the new solution. Keep in mind that it's a work in progress, so it's not totally finished but it's much better than it was before!

Thanks for hanging out with Christina and me today! Hope you were inspired to finish something on your to-do list today!

Hugs,

A blanket for Grandma Junie.

Hey everyone!

Today is the first Friday in May so I am going to share with you my special project that I have finally finished. Each Friday I will have a Friday Finale project that I have finally finished and am ready to share with all of you! Like my sparkly banner? It reminds me of fireworks and many of you know how much I love the fireworks!

Today I am finishing up my finals for the semester at the university. I am ready for classes and tests to be over with. I am taking the summer off to enjoy my family and friends and all of my hobbies. A new hobby for me is sewing. I am just getting in to sewing after many years away from a sewing machine. Today's project involves sewing and please remember before you comment that I am a beginner and I did my best on my first ever lap-quilt.

 

I had no idea where to begin but I knew I wanted to make my husband's grandma a memorial blanket. She has Alzheimer's but she still knows everyone when they visit. I thought it would be a conversation starter with the staff and those who live with her. Plus, as her family visit, they could find their names and talk to her about the quilt which is centered around her and her late husband. Paul's aunt Mona took the white squares I had written on and traced the letters with needle and thread. Paul helped me cut the scalloped squares out using my Big Shot and a retiring Big Shot die, the scalloped square, which makes cutting things out a breeze! I am sad the die is retiring but I will still use it a LOT. I bought the designer fabric from Stampin' Up! but the brown background was purchased at Walmart. I wanted to use some bright reds with fabric that coordinates to the brown in this blanket but time got away from me so my mom helped me finish it off.

 

I am sorry the photo is rotated to the side sometimes. I loaded them up the right way but my laptop doesn't always cooperate with me.

 This rectangle has a favorite quote of mine, "All because two people fell in love."

 These are the "two people" who "fell in love" and started the family I married into. My mother-in-law told me the date and I thought it would be special to put it on the quilt.

This square belongs to Michael and his family. He is the son of Aunt Mona, who helped me with the needlework. He lives with his sweet wife and their adorable little girls several states away so having them on the quilt is like having them with her when she reads their names and thinks of them.

 This square is for her only son and his wife.

 Of course this square is Grandma Junie's daughter that I mentioned above and her husband.

 Maggie is Paul's cousin.

 Mitch is Maggie's brother. He also moved away, She used to say how much she missed him when we would bring up stories of things he did when he was younger.

 These are my in-law's. Leann is June's daughter.

 This is Mona's daughter and her lovely family's square.

 This is another brother to Maggie along with his wife and son.

Of course we have a square for my sweet husband and our little family. And that's it! We took it to her and tried to show it to her but she was not having a good day and was not able to see it well. She has seen it now and likes it. I am glad it is finally finished and she can enjoy it.

 

Now that my college courses are going to be over, my to-do list can finally stop growing! I am eager to show you a few more projects I have completed throughout this month's Friday Finale. What projects are you finishing up? Don't miss my Saturday Share tomorrow!

 

Hugs,

No Stamp Crafting

Hey, everyone!

I have challenged myself to share 4 projects this month, once a week, each Tuesday that has NO stamping on it! That's right! No stamping!! Gasp! I know!!

Sometimes it's good to have a new challenge, something different from the normal way we create, to broaden our horizons. Creating projects with no stamping on them is definitely getting me to think outside the box! It was a lot of fun, too!

The first thing I thought of was to stamp on candles! Oops! No stamping...okay what about a coaster notebook? I do a lot of those so that wouldn't really be stretching it! Hmmm, okay let's see what I have on my "Items To Alter" shelf....well plenty! I looked down and saw some round coasters and thought...oh wouldn't they make cute door hangers? Not sure that is the proper name for these, but you'll see what I mean:
I just grabbed some paper using the favorite colors of each of my children. The ribbon is their most favorite colors. To personalize these I wasn't sure what I was going to do then I thought about my Cricut, of course!

I used my Mega Scalloped Circle Clever Lever Marvy Punch from TAC. I used the Crop-A-Dile from The Angel Company, as well to punch the holes for the ribbon and for the holes in the scallops. I also sanded the edges of the coasters with our great little sanding blocks! Super fun! Super easy! Wouldn't these make fun party favors? I think it would be really cute to make these for gifts, too. Something personalized with the recipient's favorite colors, their initial...and whatever else you'd like to add. I think it would be sweet to have a photo on the front, or the back!

I hope I have inspired you to take a break from stamping and see what you can create without the inky fingers! It might be interesting! I'd love to see what you make today!

Angel Hugs,

It definitely is the LITTLE things that mean a LOT!

Hey, everyone!!

Did you happen to notice that "backdrop" in the photos yesterday? Isn't it pretty? It isn't a real backdrop, although I think it's pretty enough to be! It's my new mouse pad!

First of all, no it really doesn't take much to make me happy! This little thing did the trick! Secondly, it was only two bucks!! LOL Plus I actually needed it! My mouse wouldn't roll across the desk top and was "sticking" and just driving me nuts in general so I decided to look for a mouse pad. I found a couple at the Dollar Tree but I just wasn't too crazy about the Spider Man or Dora The Explorer ones. Sure they are super fun and cute but I wanted something else...just wasn't sure what it was until I found this one at another store.

See? The best part is my mouse just glides right across it! I think it reminds me of a stamped image, too, from something out of The Angel Company catalog. I love it! Thanks for hanging out with me today.
Hugs,