Happy Halloween!

It's been awhile since I've posted. I know I really don't post much on here, but I hope to change that soon. I have been even busier than usual because I have a craft fair coming up. I did, however, have time to carve a pumpkin. If you follow this blog at all, you know I'm a HUGE Georgia Bulldogs fan. Having said that, I decided to make a Georgia pumpkin this year. I've never attempted one before, but I thought, why not?

Here's what I did (in case you'd like to make one for yourself): I drew the logo on with a Sharpie. Then, I took my Xacto knife and, very slowly and carefully, cut around the outline. I didn't push all the way through, though, because I just wanted to carve into the rind (I'm sure it would still look great if you carve all the way through!). Then, I took a flathead screwdriver (hey, I worked with what I had) and kind of chipped away at the part I wanted to come out (everything inside the "G"). Once I had everything carved and cut out, I took a spoon and scraped away anything else inside the logo I didn't want to be there (smoothed it out, in other words). When I was happy with the design, I painted the rest of the pumpkin black so that my logo would stand out. And that's it! For the little pumpkin, I just painted it and put some polka dots on it, using acrylic craft paint for the whole thing.

Here's how it all turned out:

Happy Halloween!

(AND GO DAWGS!)

GO DAWGS!

The Georgia game last Saturday night was pretty depressing. However, I am still a Dawg fan, through and through. One loss doesn't make them a failure for the whole season, guys. I saw a lot of negativity after that game, but I guarantee you all those folks will be cheering on the Dawgs next game day. Fair weather fans? Possibly. You've got to stick with your team, people!

In order to show some team spirit, I decided to make another UGA printable. This one isn't as detailed as the other UGA printable I made in my previous post, but I like it all the same. The letters are big and bold and you can frame it and show your devotion to the Dawgs. I'm also thinking about making a girlier version of this...stay tuned...

I hope you enjoy!

Wendi

Download: 8x10 - 5x7

How to make your boots happy...seriously!

First thing's first. Last night, Cosmo, my Yorkie, looked at me and asked me why the heck I even have a blog. I told him that I'm really not sure because I haven't been posting like I should.

He gave me this face:

He said, "Are you kidding me? Post something, woman! And get me a treat while you're at it!" 

He is SO demanding. But isn't he precious? He loves that Snuggie. And the Georgia Bulldogs {GO DAWGS}.

Anyway, he's right. And since FALL {my favorite season} is finally here, I thought I would post about boots {my favorite kind of shoes}. When I managed to drag out all of my fall shoes, what I found was a big old mess. Some of my boots were so slouched and out of shape I just wanted to cry. But I didn't. I stayed strong. It made me think, "I wish I had something to put in these boots to keep them standing up..." Then I remembered. I saw this pin on Pinterest sometime ago, and some genius person had taken a pool noodle and put them in her boots to help them stand up and keep their shape. How awesome is that? However, summer is over, and there really are no pool noodles just floating around (no pun intended). SO...

I was with Nathan {my love} the other day at Home Depot. I always like to try and make that place work for me. I craft a lot, so I see lots of opportunities to use manly items for my lady like crafts. Sorry, fellas. Anyway, I saw these thingies:

Apparently, these thingies are called "Semi Split Pipe Wrap Insulation." So yeah, just go to Home Depot and ask someone where you can find them. These were $1.28 each. There were a few sizes from which to choose; I just got the biggest. Basically, what I did was cut them to length and put them in my boots. They make them stand tall and proud. Let me explain what I did...

See my boots? They look so sad. 

Honestly, this picture looks like a support group meeting for Depressed Boots Anonymous. 

Let's fix this. 

Step 1: Take your pipe insulation thing-a-ma-jig and figure out how long you need it to be. I eyeballed it and did not factor in the wedge when considering where to cut.

See where I have my scissors? That's about where I marked it. You don't really need to make it too tall. Even if it doesn't reach the top, it will still make them stand up as long as it's almost to the top.

Step 2: Cut. Duh. I used regular scissors. It's just foam. It's all good.

Step 3: Put the insulation tubey thing into your boot. Crazy easy.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 1-3 to make another pipe-foam-tube-whatever-the-heck for your other boot.

See how happy these look now? 

It's a miracle! Depression-free boots! Happy as can be. In shape, feelin' great. 

Here's a tip. One tubey thing will cover about three pairs of boots. I thought that was a pretty good deal at $1.28 each to keep my boots in shape. And these suckers are available year round. I don't remember which aisle they were on {ask your dad, boyfriend, husband, or local Home Depot associate...they'll help you!}, and chances are they are on a different aisle where you live, anyway. Unless you live near me...in which case, I'll see you at the Home Depot! Aww yeah!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Wendi

Musical Love

So...it's been quite awhile since I've posted. I feel really bad about it because...well, I wish I could look back and see a new post every day. I'd like to blame grad school, so that's what I'll do. Haha. It has been really busy for me! School can really get in the way.

Anyway, has anyone picked up the new Dave Matthews Band album, Away From the World? I absolutely adore it. I have been listening to it non-stop now for over a week. To me, Dave and Band can do no wrong. I love them. BUT, all my friends love the new album, too. So it's not just me being fanatical! It truly is awesome!!

Dave really gives some good messages in these songs, and I love the message from the song "Drunken Soldier." I loved it so much, I made a printable. It's a good little reminder to be yourself. You can follow the links to download and print. You'll find the links below for a 10x8 (it's printed on a landscape this time) or a 7x5.

I hope you enjoy! Check back soon...I promise I will post more! :)

Download: 10x8 - 7x5

Georgia Southern University Subway Art

In response to the Georgia Bulldogs subway art, I had a request to make a Georgia Southern Eagles subway art printable. So, here it is! I will try to do other schools as I can. If you have any requests, drop me a comment! I don't know when I will have time to get to some of them (believe it or not, this type of subway art takes quite awhile to do...it's very tedious business trying to get all the words in the right place and to my liking...); my graduate school classes have started back, and I am very busy with that! I will, however, do what I can!

I also plan to keep updating my blog and posting more printables as I can. Anyway, I hope all you GSU fans enjoy! :)

As with the other printables, click the links below to be taken to the site to download your own copy. 

Also, if you like this, please pin it on Pinterest! Use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this post. Happy Wednesday!

*Update (12.6.12): In order to be fair to everyone (and myself), I have decided to take this off of the free download site. I am in the process of making some more college teams subway art, and I will put everything in my Etsy shop, including this Georgia Southern Subway art. They will be available for purchase for $5. Thanks everyone so much for showing such interest in my subway art! I'm really trying to be fair by making everyone purchase it. It's really not fair for some teams to be free and some to cost money. I also put a lot of time and energy into creating this, and I definitely don't have time to make all the teams available for free download. Thank you so much for understanding! You can access this print in my Etsy shop by clicking on the link below the picture.

 Download: My Etsy Shop

DMB Printable Subway Art

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a HUGE Dave Matthews Band fan...a freak is more like it...and it's true. I love me some DMB. They are definitely my favorite band. Ever.

So, once again, in the spirit of making printable art, I made a DMB printable. It's the beginning lyrics to Dave's song called "Sister," which, yes, is about his sister. It's sweet. The lyrics could really apply to anyone you love. Also, I recently caved in and joined the ombre trend with my hair...so I'm really feelin' the whole ombre thing. With that said, this printable is kind of an ombre blue (and no, my hair is not blue...).

I've included the link to the download below, and you can print a 5x7 or 8x10. I hope you enjoy it!

Download: 8x10 - 5x7

   

Make a statement...

If you're addicted to Pinterest like I am, I'm sure you have seen the J. Crew bubble necklaces (aka statement necklaces) floating around the boards (pictured below). 

As beautiful as these necklaces are, they cost $150 at J. Crew. Two things: 1) I don't have $150 to spend on a necklace from J. Crew, and 2) even if I did, I wouldn't. I'm a bargain shopper at heart; I always head for the sales rack wherever I go, and I usually tend to shop at more reasonably priced stores anyway. It seems that I'll love something one season and hate it the next, so to spend too much on clothes or jewelry is usually a waste for me.

I digress. Back to the bubble necklaces. I'm going to let you in on a secret. Well, it's a secret unless you already know about it; if that's the case, forgive me for being repetitive. For the rest of you...lean closer, and I'll fill you in. No, closer. Ok, now you're too close. Back up a little. Perfect. Here it is:

You can get bubble necklaces on eBay for anywhere from $11-$15. That's it. Now, when I first learned this, I was a little skeptical. We all know eBay can be a good source to get ripped off; however, if you shop wisely, you can get a good deal. I recently purchased two bubble necklaces that are "authentic J. Crew" from a seller in China, and the shipping was free. Too good to be true? Goodness, I thought so at first. Right after I hit "Pay" I thought, "Oh dear Lord, there's thirty bucks I'll never see again." But guess what? After about a month (yes, it takes forever to ship from China apparently...), I got my necklaces! And they are perfect! And they even have little J. Crew tags on them. Here is a picture of my bubble necklaces:  

I know what you're thinking, they're probably fake. Well, they might be. BUT, I did look on J. Crew's website, and the necklaces are imported. With that said, they very well could be the real deal. It doesn't matter, honestly, because they look exactly like the real McCoy. Plus, they're super cute. And at $15 a pop, you can get many different colors! As you can see, I got yellow and teal. I plan to get a couple more for football season (red and black...GO DAWGS!) now that I know I can trust the seller.

So, what should you do if you want to buy these on eBay? Here are a few tips. First, you'll need to just simply search for "J. Crew bubble necklace." That's it. Then, look around a lot. Don't automatically buy the first thing you see. We all know you can bid on items at eBay (that is what made it a famous site, after all), but for this, the "Buy It Now" option is the best way to go. In fact, you can even filter your search so that it will only display "Buy It Now" items. Next, you need to make sure you are buying from a trusted seller. Check their feedback. I usually get a little skeptical if they have less than 97%. No one who sells thousands of items is going to have perfect feedback, especially an international seller, but it should be pretty darn good. You also want to make sure the shipping is free. Why pay shipping to one seller when someone else will send it to you for free? When you choose your necklace, make sure you have chosen the exact color you want. Many of these sellers sell tons of different colors. Since you have to wait about a month, make sure you have the right color you want! It would be a shame to have to ship back the wrong item and then wait again for the right one. Finally, pay through PayPal. This might even be the only option available anymore, but it is the best one anyway. It's secure! Here's a nerd tip: anytime you put in any personal information, such as a credit card (or social security number), always make sure that the web address starts with "https://" instead of just "http://"; the little "s" means "secure." Also, look for the little lock at the top of your browser. That also means it's secure. Be careful! Paypal is a good site, and it's one that I have been able to trust. Just be safe any time you buy anything online! 

To sum, here are the best tips to buy your bubble necklace on eBay:

1) Search for "J. Crew bubble necklace."

2) Browse for the best deal.

3) Look for the "Buy It Now" option for an automatic sale.

4) Buy from a trusted seller who has excellent feedback (97% or greater).

5) Look for free shipping! Do not pay for shipping on this.

6) Pick the right color(s)!

7) Pay through PayPal and look for that "https://" in front of the web address before you enter any personal information (also look for the lock that lets you know the page is secure).

Now, to some of you, some of the tips on this post might be kind of obvious, especially if you're familiar with eBay. However, I thought I'd share. I'd hate to recommend you buy one of these necklaces (or anything, for that matter) and not tell you how to safely go about it. 

If you'd like to purchase from the same seller I used, here is a link to their store on eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/MQStyle. This seller gets consistent good feedback, and they will write you back if you have any questions. I plan to just purchase from them again. 

I hope these tips have helped you in some way, and I'd love to hear about it if you decide to get one of these awesome necklaces! They are super cute; hopefully the trend will last...but, even if it doesn't, you only paid around $15!

Please forgive me for being so long-winded with this post, but I am very passionate about a good deal! I'll leave you with this: if we can buy these necklaces for around $15, how much do they actually cost to make? And how on earth can J. Crew justify charging $150?!? Hmmm...

Football season is almost here (GO DAWGS)!

First of all, let me just say that I can't wait for fall. It's my favorite season, and it's the best time of the year. To me, nothing beats boots, scarves, pumpkin flavored anything, beautiful leaves, and Georgia football. Since it's almost here, I decided to get into the spirit of things and make some UGA subway art (thank God for PhotoShop). I planned on framing it to show my team spirit and displaying it somewhere in my home. I still plan to do that, but I realized I shouldn't be selfish...so I'm sharing it with you! I believe I have about five people who are reading my blog by now (haha), so I just couldn't keep this to myself.

SO, here you go. You can either share this or download your own copy! I hope you enjoy it, and GOOOOOOO DAWGS!

*Update (12.6.12): In order to be fair to everyone (and myself), I have decided to take this off of the free download site. I am in the process of making some more college teams subway art, and I will put everything in my Etsy shop, including this UGA Subway art. They will be available for purchase for $5. Thanks everyone so much for showing such interest in my subway art! I'm really trying to be fair by making everyone purchase it. It's really not fair for some teams to be free and some to cost money. I also put a lot of time and energy into creating this, and I definitely don't have time to make all the teams available for free download. Thank you so much for understanding! You can access this print in my Etsy shop by clicking on the link below the picture.

Download: My Etsy Shop

I met Emily Giffin!

Since this is my first *official* post, I thought it would be good to share something REALLY cool...well, really cool for a book nerd like myself. Last Friday, July 27, I had the opportunity to meet one of my FAVORITE authors, Emily Giffin, at her book signing in Atlanta for her newest novel, Where We Belong (a great read, by the way). If you haven't read her books, you've probably at least heard of them or seen the movie based on her book, Something Borrowed (the word on the street is that Something Blue will follow shortly...). Not only is she a very gifted and talented author, she is extremely sweet, cool, and fan-oriented. She signed all of my books (I took a whole stack, plus got her new book signed for my friend), all of my friend Sarah's books (she had a stack as well!), and posed for a few pictures with us. Needless to say, she was a very gracious host, and I am a lifelong fan.

Emily Giffin (left, obviously) and me

Emily Giffin and Sarah (love that girl!)

Emily Giffin with Sarah and me

My autographed copy of WWB

EG's books are awesome!

Now, I'm assuming mostly ladies would be reading this blog...but I don't want to discriminate. So, ladies AND gentlemen (if there are any here...), if you're interested in EG (which you totally should be), I'd start with her book, Love the One You're With, first. Although I love all her books, I think LTOYW would have to be my favorite, and not just because part of it is based in Georgia. Oh yeah, did I mention EG lives in Atlanta? After that, read Something Borrowed followed by Something Blue. After those...I'll let you figure it out. I hope you enjoy her writing as much as I do!