27 Days of Thanks... Days 8-14

I have gotten really behind on these posts, so in an attempt to catch up here are Days 8 - 13.

Don't forget to check out http://serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/, for more Thankfulness.

Day 8:

I love finding a great sale so I was immediately drawn to this awesome, one day only SALE!

Day 9:

One of my all time favorite inventions, indoor plumbing. I guess I have a different idea of "indoor" plumbing, than this guy! But still much better than an outhouse.

Day 10:

Cup holders are the best, and having a built in cup holder, even better! This probably also helps keep you cool on those hot summer days.

Day 11:

My furry friends. I have 2 guinea pigs, Nina Simone and Coco Chanel, that I love to death. Literally, I had to give Nina mouth-to-mouth when she had a "bathing" accident. So, we have a very close bond.

Day 12:

Art, I love art and public art that you can enjoy for free is great.
There is just something about a great piece of art that is so thought provoking.

Day 13:

Thank God It Is Friday, even if it is Friday the 13th and this is my 13th day of thanks. I mean, who doesn't love the weekend? I guess, unless you still have to go to work. : (

I added Day 14, so that I would be all caught up through tomorrow as well.

Day 14:

The internet, I spend most of my free time on the internet. I don't think this needs much explaination, but you can do so much here. Like watch practically any tv show you may have missed b/c you were trying to write a post for your blog or watching some addicting youtube videos, or looking at some really funny pics on some girls crazy blog. And don't forget how many great friends/family members you can keep in contact with all over the world.

I hope you all enjoyed these funny pictures, all in good fun!

Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens

-queenbbeee

More Upcycled Pics

Here are a few more "upcycled" items that I thought were really cute.

These headbands are so cute....

but this skirt is my fave!

Think of how great this skirt will make your butt look???

You can find this skirt and many other super cute items, at this etsy store:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/blackmirrordesign

Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens

-queenbbeee

27 Days of Thanks Days 6 & 7

Check out Amanda at Serenity Now, for more Days of Thanks...


Sorry I missed yesterday, I am doin 2 today.

So, What am i Thankful for:

Day 6



Echinacea. This stuff is BOSS... Anytime I get sick I start taking it. It literally cuts the time I am sick in half. It helps boost your immune system. Love it. A sick girls Best Friend.

And Day 7.... The Office

My all time favorite show. So being sick has had its advantages. I can now say I have seen every episode ever made, thanks Netflix!

Being sick has been, Really Hard

"That's What She Said,"

-Michael Scott

OK, that was cheesy, but I couldnt help myself. If you are a fan you know exactly what that is all about. If your not a fan, WHY NOT???? J/K

Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens

-queenbbeee

27 Days of Thanksgiving # 5

Check out http://serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/2009/11/27-days-of-thankful-5.html, for 27 Days of Thanksgiving

I have been sitting here looking at the screen, trying to come up with something to write about??? Not that I don't have anything to be thankful for but come on, who wants to read about me being thankful ful for clothes on my back, a roof over my head, a healthy child, you know all the basics. Then it hit me, today I am thankful for all the "little" things. The things that really aren't that little but that we take for granted most days. The stuff that most of us don't realize how important they are until they are threatened to be taken away.

Today, i spent the better part of my morning in the emergency room. My husband has really bad asthma and he was having a hard time breathing and flu symptoms. The doctor gave him a script for Tamiflu, which is what they are giving for H1N1. They said he has the flu but just to be sure it isn't a bacteria they are giving him the meds. Now, I am starting to have symptoms. Fortunately, I don't have asthma so hopefully I won't have as hard of a time with it.

So, this is why I was having a hard time finding what to be thankful for today. I guess it is just a reminder of how much the "little" things really aren't that little.

Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens
-queenbbeee

27 Days of Thankfulness #4

Click this link, to find out what Amanda, at Serenity Now, and some of her subbies are

Thankful for.

What am I Thankful for:
Day #4

I know most of you probably feel the same way but, I have the BEST mom in the world!

Even though she lives 2 states away she is still always there for me when I need her and she provided me with a great childhood and a loving home growing up.

I am thankful that even though she doesn't live near me, I get to talk to her almost anytime I need her, and I get to visit her a couple times a year.

Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens

-queenbbeee

27 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 3

Day 3 of;

What are you Thankful for?

Lately I have been really stressed about the economy, mainly my economy, and how much my job sucks. Don't get me wrong, I love my job but I work in the healthcare field and it seems like every other week my pay is getting cut in half. Pretty soon there won't be anymore pay to cut, which is why the stress factor.

So, in the spirit of being grateful, I found this pic;

at least this lady doesn't have to worry about any healthcare reform issues!

Once again, it could always be worse!

Don't forget to check out Amanda at Serenity Now, for her 27 Days of Thanksgiving!

Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens

-queenbbeee

27 Days of Thanksgiving

Amanda over at Serenity Now is doing 27 Days of Thanksgiving.

So, I have been reading her posts and I started to think of how many things we have to be thankful for that we usually take for granted.

I'm going to try and keep up with Amanda, make sure you use the link above to check her blogs out, lots of great ideas over there. Since, I missed a day I am adding 2 things I am thankful for in this post.

What I am Thankful for?

This may not look like something to be "thankful" for, it is all in the perception.

This is not my actual car but it is a very similar model.

I tend to complain, that I am driving a car that is almost as old as I am. Well, the other day when I ran out of gas and she wouldn't start, I remembered how thankful for that "hunk of junk" I really am, and I try to remember that, it could always be worse.

For example, that could be a pic of my actual car.

My goal for today; Look at the bright side, it could always be worse, your car could be buried under brush in your backyard!

What am I Thankful for #2:

The day after Halloween. All the trick-or-treating, decorating, making costumes, shopping, cooking and all the other stuff that comes along with being a mom at Halloween, is over and there is lots of good candy to score while the kids are at school today or when they just aren't looking! My faves are Milky Way & Butterfinger, how bout you, what is your fave candy to steal from your kids candy bag? Come on, we all do it. Don't We?

Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens

-queenbbeee

Websites that Save You Time and Money: Part 1

It's hard to imagine what life was like before the internet. As wonderful as it is to have so much information right at our fingertips in can be a bit overwhelming. "Grocery Coupons" for example, if you type it in google you'll get 19 million results.

So, to narrow it down a bit I have found a few sites that are helpful in saving both time and money. Who couldn't stand to save some money right now? I know I could.

This is part 1, so keep a lookout for part 2 through 6 coming soon.
Also, if you have any sites to add to the list, leave them in the comment section, we could use all the help we can get.


SAVE MONEY:

1.) Shop Local: Wouldn't you love to have the weekly ad for lots of stores in your community (electronics, clothing, shoes, furniture, home and garden) -- all indexed, organized and updated for you? That's exactly what you will find at shoplocal.com In just minutes you can access what's on sale, and who has the best deals this week on the items you need.

2.) Mommy Savers: Not just a treasure trove of coupon codes, printable coupons, freebies and bargains, Mommysavers.com is also a comprehensive site that provides the support moms need to live the frugal life. It's informative articles, e-books and web videos provide a wide variety of money-saving tips on topics such as grocery shopping, decorating, family road trips, garage sales and clothing shopping. The twice-yearly "Forget the Joneses" boot camp gives members practical steps for creating a budget and living within their means.

3.) The Bargainista: If all you want is a simple, reliable listing of the hottest online bargains, sales, coupons and freebies, then Bargainista.com is for you. Recent Bargainista sightings: 40% off Citizens watches at Amazon.com, $10 tanks and tees at Eddie Bauer, up to 70% off at American Eagle plus free shipping. No need to join, register or pay a cent. Just check back often -- the site is updated several times each day.

4.) The Coupon Clippers: Choose exactly the ones you need at TheCouponClippers.com, one of the nation's largest online grocery coupon clipping services. Founder Rachel Woodard has more than a million national-brand and restaurant coupons in her warehouse and shipping center at any given time. You can order coupons today and for just a small handling fee of a few cents per coupon plus a 50 cent administrative fee per order(there's a $3 minimum) and postage, have the coupons in your mailbox before week's end. Last time I checked, you could get a $1 coupon for Coca-Cola for 20 cents and a $1 Di Giorno pizza for 12 cents.

Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens
-queenbbeee

Thanks Mary Hunt from Woman's Day Magazine for these great sites.

Upcycling???

Upcycling may be a new term for me but, is in no way a new concept.

Forever XXI Peacock Feather Cardigan, $19.80

Make your own by using a plain cardigan, you already own and

adding a cute peacock feather applique, (usually can be ironed on,

may want to sew around edges for extra hold.)

What is Upcycling?

Upcycling is a process in which disposable or discarded items are repurposed to make them valuable, useful, or simply aesthetically pleasing. Upcycling is designed to work in opposition to consumer culture, encouraging people to think of new and innovative ways to use things, instead of simply buying new consumer goods. It also benefits the environment, by promoting reuse over discarding whenever possible.

As most poor people are aware, upcycling has been practiced for centuries, and factories have long used innovative upcycling techniques to ensure that nothing they handle goes to waste. For example, grain processors often burn waste materials like husks and stems to power their plants, thereby eliminating waste and making their operations more efficient.

There are all sorts of examples of upcycling, ranging from building houses out of entirely discarded materials to turning plastic bags into yarn for knitting. Everyone can upcycle, which is part of the appeal, and people can participate at whatever level they feel comfortable with, from delving through dumpsters to salvage useful things to re-using containers rather than tossing them or throwing them out.

Under the upcycling philosophy, everything has a potential use or value, although it might take some creative thinking to figure out what that use is.

Upcycling is essentially the “reuse” in “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Many people find that once they start upcycling, it's hard to stop, and new ideas for upcycling constantly come to mind.

So, I have been "upcycling" for years and didn't even know it.

Sharing clothes with younger siblings, also known as "hand-me-downs," letting out the hem on pants that have gotten too short, saving used baby food jars to hold nick nacks or beads, using an old sheet for a Halloween ghost costume, and so much more but you get my drift.

Anyway, the point of this is that I have renewed my love for the art of "Trashique" or "Trashion" which I like to call it. I have found that you can give some of those boring old clothes in your closet a new life, by adding some lace or appliques to a t-shirt or transforming several pieces of broken jewelry into a fun new peice.

This started because I saw a shirt at Forever21 that I loved. Unfortunately, it didn't come in my size and after looking at it closer I thought, wait I could make that.

Here are a few examples from Forever 21 that I picked to show you how easy this can be using stuff you probably already own. Grab your siccors, needle and thread, some lace and ribbon, and your old clothes. Be creative and have FUN!

Forever XXI Plaid Trimmed Tunic, $19.80

Take any graphic Tee, a skinny belt and some plaid

fabric, and sew fabric to bottom of Tee.

Forever XXI Ruffle Front Tunic, $20

Take any tank or tunic and some ruffles to the front.

Forever XXI Pearl Trim Sweater, $29

Add lace, pearls and pearl buttoms to a plain sweater.

Forever XXI Side Gathered Chiffon Top, $19.80

Plain T-shirt bunch up corner and sew in place, super easy.

Forever XXI Lace Ruffle Top, $29

Plain White Tee, add lace ruffle to the front

and some trim around the collar.

Forever XXI Ruffle Front Cardigan, $32

Add some ribbon and lace to front, collar and cuffs

of a plain sweater or cardigan.

Forever XXI Chiffon Trim Sweater, $29

Plain long sleeve tee, add buttons and ruffle to

front, and ruffle to collar and cuffs.

Forever XXI Pleated Trim Tank, $19.80

Plain tank, add lots of lace ruffles, some ribbon and buttons.

Keep a look out for some of my creations as I get them finished up...


Let me know how you "Upcycle" and your ideas for any "Trashiqued" items you have restructured.


Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens
-queenbbeee

Think Smart - Quick Tip

Halloween Quick Tip

Instead of buying your child, or yourself, who are we kidding, a new trick-or-treat bag,
you can use last year's bag, but that can be boring and a bit redundent....

So, try these ideas...

A Pillowcase. This allows your creative juices to flow, and can be decorated to match your costume, if desired.

This bag can be made by sewing the bottom of a pillowcase closed and then cutting out the handles. Make sure to reinforce your stiches so the bag will hold lots of candy, w/out ripping! Decorate with fabric paint, glitter, or anything you can think of.

Reusable Shopping Bags w/ Handels. These are from Target, usually cast about $1 and can be reused for shopping after Halloween. My grocery store is currently selling the same type of bag that looks like a big pumpkin. You can also, decorate them with fabric paint or glitter.

I was told that this Sundays paper would have a coupon to get this bag for free, at Target. My paper had NO coupon but did include a free plastic, Astro Boy Halloween Bag, so check that out!

Just a few ways to Go Green, this Halloween!

What are some of your tips for a Homemade Halloween? Post them in the comments...

Stay Beautiful - Beauty Queens

-queenbbeee