Let’s put a pin in it…

Do any of you use pinterest? I found it recently and I am absolutely in love. I haven’t had enough time to really use it to it’s full potential, but it is so great. Do you have a long list of bookmarks for projects you want to do? or recipes you want to bake? And then you forget about them? Or you can’t find them when you are reading through your overcluttered bookmark list of titles that make no sense? Then pinterest is for you! (And, no I’m not getting paid for this. But don’t you think I should do an infomercial?)

Basically you create virtual pinboards. You find people who have similar tastes as you and you follow their boards so you can see all the fun things they pin. When you are out and about on the web and you see something you like you “pin it”. You can have several different boards and you can categorize them however you want.

So now when you want to find that awesome project you just go to your “Crafts” (for example) board and browse through the pictures and there it is right there! Just waiting for you. Or maybe you are in the mood to make a special treat. Go to your “Baking” board and browse through all those recipes you have been meaning to try.

Go sign up! When I did it, I think they had me give them my email and then they sent me an invitation. If I remember correctly it took a few hours. But it is worth the wait! Follow my boards while you’re at it. I haven’t filled in my boards too much yet, but I”m working on it.

Now for some exciting news! My facebook page passed the 200 fans mark and so I’m celebrating with an awesome giveaway. You can win one of two hot/cold therapy sacks. The giveaway ends Friday, so enter right now before you forget! These things are awesome for injuries as well as chronic pain, cramps, or just warming your feet up in this cold fall weather. It is super easy to enter, but unfortunately you can’t do it from your phone. Sorry! Click right here to enter.

And since I’m giving out links here… You should add me to your Google+ circle too. I’ve been over there for a while now, but I believe it is no longer invite only so sign up. I’m still laughing at all the Facebook drama, lol.

Happy Monday!

Hello! Did you all have a fantastic weekend? I did. It was extremely busy, but still fun and productive. The kids and I stayed overnight Friday with my nieces and nephew so my beautiful sister in law and her hubby could go away overnight for their wedding anniversary. In the 16 years since they have had kids they have NEVER been away overnight together, and Jenni has only been away once! Can you believe it? I love my kids very much, but mommas need breaks, and couples need time to cultivate their relationships and remember why they fell in love.

I also had a chance to get together with some fabulous lady friends. We went to my new favorite place- Steepery Tea Bar- and had a wonderful time of bonding, fellowship and planning for our youth group girls. Then I got to see some of those amazing teens off to prom. Look at these ‘kids’ aren’t they great?!

Mason with the ladies, Ashley and Mackenzie

Sunday we went bowling after church and even Evangeline got into it. I’m bummed I don’t have pictures! Then I worked on FOUR custom orders while the kids went to their last night of Awanas.

Exciting is my word for today. After my fun and busy weekend, I started a new job today working with Youth Development at the Southeast YMCA in Woodbury. I am teaching several classes for ages 18-33 months and 3-5 year olds. If you want to sign up there are still openings! I teach Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. My first day went great and it really was fun.

Also, a coupon and savings blog featured my new item on their blog today, and I am doing a giveaway over there. So if you want to win one of my fantastic notebook/pen holders you should head on over to Coupon Shelby and enter to win!

AND, (I told you, exciting!) Anne at The Handmade Gift Guide has asked me to be a contributing author on her blog which is going to be so fun. I have gotten many great gift ideas over there and it is an excellent opportunity for networking!

Tonight I hope to finish a few of my custom orders. Thankfully I don’t have to cook dinner because it is fundraiser night over at Carbone’s Pizza in Cottage Grove. Stop on by and support our youth group!

Stylish Blogger and a Giveaway

My super fantastic cousin Anne over at The Drankas gave me a Stylish Blogger Award a week or so ago and my lazy self has taken a while to ‘accept’. I was just saving it for something special. Just yesterday I reached 200 posts and so I figured that was probably about as special as it is gonna get around here.

As with any really awesome award, there are some responsibilities that go along with it. They are:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.

Thanks, Anne! It is so fun to read about the going ons in your sweet family. Your life is so different than mine and so it is fun to see what other people consider to be ‘normal’. I am so excited for your little one on the way and can’t wait to meet her and read about your new adventures as a parent.

2. Share 7 things about yourself. (I decided to share 7 things about my blog, is that ok with you?)

• I really am not much of a writer. (But you all probably have figured that out by now.) I’m just here because I enjoy it and every once in a while I feel like I just might have something that someone may find interesting.
• My photos could stand to be improved. My amazing husband bought me a Nikon D3100 for Christmas. It came complete with classes so I could learn how to use it properly and everything. We were even looking into getting me some photo editing software. Awesome me broke it last week. Nice.
• I don’t like when blogs are super duper cluttered up and I get super finicky about how mine looks. This is kinda bad because I don’t really know too much about techie stuff so it takes me a while to figure things out. I’m getting there though.
• My blog changes themes a lot. First I just felt like I had something to say, then I thought it would help out my Etsy shop, then I wanted you to learn sewing with me (still working on that but currently discouraged because my iPad was recently lost/stolen with all my bookmarked links- this is not a good week for me in the electronic device area), and then I wanted to share my handmade gifts project with you. Now I am so happy to just be me and combine all of it.
• I wish when you hovered on my page links that the color didn’t turn to red. (Remember? Finicky yes, techie no.)
• I used to post once a day, once a week, once a month…. whatever I felt like. I actually went a whole year without making a post. Now I get bummed if I miss one day.
• I really am enjoying blogging! I hope you are enjoying my blog as much as I am. Thanks for reading!

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.

Hmmm…. I think I’m gonna skip this one. If you look in my sidebar, I have taken time to link up a ton of awesome blogs. If you are reading this, and you blog, and you wish to be awarded as a “Stylish Blogger,” then consider yourself tagged. I know you’re stylish! Make sure you comment back here with the link so we can all find you (I’ll even count it as an extra giveaway entry).

Didn’t I say something about a giveaway? Oh yes! To celebrate my 200th post AND my stylish blogginess I am giving away this sweet little set of spring notecards.

 

Click on the picture for more details about the notecards.

How do you enter? There is only one requirement to enter to win these notecards:

1. Leave a comment on this post. (Required)

Would you like some extra (optional) entires? Please leave a separate comment for each thing that you do.

1. Subscribe to my blog.

2. Like my Facebook page.

Winning entry will be verified, so make sure you play by the rules! Giveaway is only open to US residents because of those crazy shipping costs. Sorry! Good luck. I will choose a winner on April 1st.

Finally, It’s Giveaway Time!!!

(This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered, and stay tuned for more coming up!)

Yeah! I am so excited. I have been teasing my facebook fans about a giveaway for some time now. I knew that I wanted to do a onesie, but I have been so busy I just have not had time to make up new ones. Yesterday and today I finally made myself focus, and cranked out a bunch of new onesies.

I made these ones for Evangeline. I wanted to get the pictures taken before the sunlight went away (even though they still didn’t turn out that great) so I took the pics before I did the stitching around the edges. I’ll post more pictures later so you can see the finished product. I always think they look so much better with the stitching.

Then I made this one for the etsy shop. It is a tshirt instead of a onesie. You can click on the picture to see the listing.

I made this one for etsy too, but it isn’t listed yet. I still have to do the stitching.

There are a few more onesies in my etsy shop, and you can also see pics of all the ones I have done on my facebook page (the elephant is my favorite).

So, are you ready for the giveaway?!?!?! I am giving away one longsleeved onesie size 6-9 months. You can choose one of the following two onesies. I made the sweet little birdie for the girls, and the tie for the boys.

What do you have to do to enter? Leave a comment. That’s it. Let me know how excited you are, how much you hope you win, or maybe which one you would choose. (Heck, I may even be persuaded to let you pick a different one from my etsy shop if you ask nicely.)

Want more chances? I’m going to give you lots. This giveaway is a bit of a promotional thing for me, so the more you help me get my name out there, the more chances you’ll have to win a onesie. Please leave a comment for each of the following things that you do.

1. Follow my blog. There is a spot in the sidebar on the right where you can enter your email.

2. ‘Like’ LoveAlways, XOX on Facebook.

3. ‘Share’ LoveAlways, XOX on Facebook.

4. Comment with your favorite item in my etsy shop.

5. Share one of my etsy items on your facebook page. Comment with the item that you shared.

6. Blog about this giveaway. Leave me a link to your blog post.

7. Share this giveaway on Facebook.

Is that enough? There is potential to have your name in this drawing eight times. Crazy! I will use random.org to draw a winner next week. The giveaway ends Tuesday March 15th at midnight. Unfortunately this giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry!

Want to Win a Tutu?

Head on over to the HandmadeMN blog for a chance to win one of my tutus. I am so excited to be doing this giveaway and hopefully get some more exposure to my etsy shop.

Since I am hoping to have a few more visitors over at etsy I spent some time over the weekend taking pictures of some of my new stuff and adding them into my shop. I even made a light box in hopes of a little better photography. I’m still working on some of the details, but they are already turning out better. I didn’t have a white piece of paper big enough, so in some of the pics you can see the seam but I bought a bigger piece yesterday so that won’t be a problem anymore.

You can see all my new stuff at www.lovealwaysxox.etsy.com .

Baby Girl Gift Set

Little Cupcake Longsleeve Tee

Tweet Tweet Paint Tin