Superbowl food!

I love any excuse to have a party. so this weekend, superbowl it is!
Last year my husband and I were in Grenada and he was studying all day and I still made lots of special food for the two of us to enjoy and I think we only watched the 2nd half...
Anyway, this year I'm home and I think at least my parents will be here for the superbowl and I'd love to try some cute little finger foods!

From chef-in-training.com

From foodpeoplewant.com

From addapinch.com

From tasteofhome.com

I'm having a serious craving for mozzarella sticks.
What are you making for the superbowl?
Do you like football or just the ads?
or just the food? :)

Don't forget about the giveaway going on now!!
Happy Monday!

Kelsey Inspired GIVEAWAY!

Good morning blogging family!
I am in such a great mood today.  Things are finally working out!
I got called to be a substitute teacher in the school district I grew up in, yay for a job!!
Thank you Jesus for an answer to prayer :)

I would also like to share with you the exciting news I have been wanting to share (even though I may not be officially ready yet, I cannot wait!)

I've started an Etsy store!

KelseyInspired on Etsy

I've just started and have listed several vintage items and plan on adding to it in the future with some more handmade items.
When I was beginning this I made a wreath for my best friend and then she had a friend who saw it and wanted one, which turned into their mom wanting one, and sister-in-law, and other friends, and before I knew it I was in the wreath making business!  (if anyone has info as to the difficulty and price of shipping a large grapevine wreath it would be much appreciated, but in the mean time I'm having trouble keeping up with my friends and family!)

In honor all of you lovely friends and the blessings that have been shown to me recently I would like to do a giveaway!! 

A handmade, original, custom wreath just for you!
You can choose from the following or any combo of the following!! Give me some new ideas!  You pick the colors and materials!

 A twine wrapped wreath with felt flowers (12in diameter)

yarn wrapped wreath with felt flowers, buttons, and tulle (12inch diameter)

 a vintage embroidery hoop with bunting and yo-yo's (9inch diameter)

Several ways to enter!
Please leave a separate comment as you do each other following

1. If you have been a long time follower let me know and that will get you 2 entries! I appreciate you so much!
2.  If you are a new follower let me know and get 1 entry!
3. Post about this giveaway on Facebook and receive 1 entry!
4. Post about this giveaway on Twitter and receive 1 entry!
5. Blog about this giveaway and receive 1 entry!
6.  Pin your favorite wreath on Pinterest along with info about the giveaway and receive 1 entry!
7. Leave a comment letting me know which is your favorite or what type of wreath you would like to receive 1 entry!

Giveaway runs until next Thursday, February 2nd - Groundhog's Day! I apologize but I can only ship to the US and Canada (can't leave the Canadians out my hubby is one after all!)
Thank you everyone!!

Little Deanna

My friends and I in Grenada have gotten to know this sweet little family - the Coutains through the Limes After School program. 
Deanna is a 1 year old (2yrs in May) who was born without an eye and is in need of an operation to fill the exposed space and soft tissue.
You can read all about the situation and what this little girl needs on this website my friend Amber has set up.
http://deannacoutain.blogspot.com
She has a FAQ section with lots of great information.

Amber has also set up a donation site for anyone who would be interesting in helping this little girl travel to America for the operation.  Any amount would help drastically change this little one's life.
https://wepay.com/donations/deannacoutain
Please search your heart and check out these websites and pray for this family.
Thank you to everyone who has already donated and has this little girl on your heart!

This isn't the exciting news I was going to share.. but just think how amazing it will be to know that you were apart of helping this precious little face!  :)

haircut haircut

Hello world.
once again I've let too much time slip by... but I have a good excuse I promise.
I have something exciting that I've been working on....... and I will hopefully share that with you this week (yay!) and I've been begging for a job. hopefully that will be panning out SOON!

I did manage to get a haircut.
Seriously about time, right?

I have a before and after picture... but I swear my hair looks so much worse in this before picture than if ever did when I went out in public.  We'll blame it on having it brushed out right before the photo.

Truthfully...... a few days later I can't even tell the difference. haha.
I am no longer getting it stuck in weird places or stepping on it when I bend over.... but it's still pretty darn long.
I didn't go for the bangs..... what a chicken.
I might yet.... baby steps.





Stay tuned for something fun and exciting! yes!

Felt Friends

I have been going a little felt crazy lately... I made about a 100 flowers this Christmas and gave away as gifts as hair clips, broaches, shoe clips, etc.

I found a little bunny in a book and decided to try my hand at making one myself on Sunday afternoon. 
I did it all by hand, I tried to make one with the machine but it didn't turn out so well, I think my tension was too tight and it didn't work well with the felt... at least that's what I think.
It didn't take long to make and then I began receiving requests from my nieces :)

My niece's little monster!  Up next a kitty cat!

I think these little critters would be great made out of an old sweater, what do you think??
Have you ever chopped up a sweater?  I may be raiding the $1 bin at Salvation Army soon....
Happy Monday!

Fancy Fascinators!

My mom bought a gorgeous dress for my sister's vow renewal.  I absolutely loved it.
And she liked to brag that she got it for .98cents.
not really though... it was $20.98 and she had a $20 gift card... but still a great deal.
When she was trying on the dress (at Belk) there was a headband fascinator that she fell in love with, but it was $50 and she was too cheap to buy it (I don't blame her one bit) . Then it went on sale for $30 and my dad wanted to get it for her for Christmas but by the time we went back to the store it was gone.
So I did what any other DIY loving girl would do I set to make one myself!
I never saw the original one from Belk.... actually until just now when I thought to see if they had it online, duh.

 I'm actually glad I didn't see this one because I don't really like it that much...

Here is the one I made my momma!

It matched her dress perfectly!
It only cost about $4 to make:
.25cents for a 12inch cut of blue tulle
.99cents for the blue flower in the center from the wedding floral section of Hobby Lobby
.99cents for the blue beads
$1 for the black feathers
Free - the jeweled centerpiece (it came in a misc bag of stuff my dad bought off Ebay, used to be a clip on earring!)

I liked it so much I made some for my nieces to wear for the ceremony too!

I whipped one up for my other sister last minute, she thought her outfit needed a little extra something so she got a broach of mine, chicken feathers from my dad's chickens in the yard, and a headband. serious! and it turned out so cute!

Want to see more of our awesome New Year's Party??
Decorations
What We Wore
Photo Booth

Photo Booth!

I made my first photo booth for my sister's vow renewal and learned serveral things in doing so...

#1. don't have a shiny background.
in my defense, I didn't know it'd be shiny. I bought wrapping paper to use as the background and didn't realize that it'd be plastic and not paper. false advertisement if you ask me.

#2. make sure people know what it is.
several people didn't get it. advertise to the party guests. go first and look like you're having fun!

#3. have lots of props!
we had masks and hats and it really brought out some people's personalities.

So much fun, I wish I had done one at my wedding!  :(

What I Wear Wednesday - New Years Frock

I finally found something to wear to my sister's New Year's vow renewal ceremony and party!  At a yard sale in Grenada! What?
At the end of every term, when people are leaving the island, they have yard sales.  It is mostly kitchen and housewares... but I obviously found a dress!
I was there selling stuff to get ready to leave, but obviously couldn't resist shopping!
I got it for $3!
It was a little big... it was supposed to be that way I guess because it was a size Medium, but it was a little too voluminous for me so when I got home and dug out my sewing machine and trimmed down the sides.
Sadly I had to lose the pockets :( too much detail for me to deal with... and I was sewinging it like the day before the party. typical.
Anyway, I'm happy with how it turned out and I had the perfect shoes to go with it already sitting in my closet that I got for $3 at an outlet store 2 years ago! yea $6 outfit!
It was a little short, as my entire family pointed out, but you're only 24 on New Year's once!

My skinny hubby and I! He has lost 50lbs since we got married and I'm so proud of him!

My 13yr old niece has some pretty great style too, eh?
Such a beautiful girl inside and out

My sister and I. Loved her sweater dress and I made her hair piece too (hair things and fascinators are another day)

My sister who had the vow renewal and her husband!
beautiful princess fairytale dress!

My beautiful family! My parents (middle) and their 5 grown children!
I'm the baby :)

New Year's Vow Renewal Decorations

I'm still alive! Sorry I've been so MIA lately the holidays were CRAZY!
My husband and I visited family in Canada and the US and our house has been FULL of people and fun stuff going on so I was way too busy to blog.
But alas the family has all gone home, my husband is in Canada for 8 weeks studying for the USMLE (licensing exam for doctors) and I am here waiting anxiously to be called for a job! shew.
anyway...
I've only been talking about my sister's vow renewal for an entire year and it's already came and went!
It turned out beautifully and went off without a hitch.
well aside from the music not working... microphone set up next to a CD player it was!
I'll share the pictures in steps... today the decorations!
We decided to do every table a little different and I am so please with how they turned out.  I didn't really stick to the plan so they are quite different than my inspiration images, but still beautiful and wintery.
Sometimes a girl just has to go with what's on clearance, right?
and don't worry, I found something to wear! at a yard sale! more about it later.

 Hot Chocolate and smores bar by the fireplace!

The stage

So what did you do New Year's Eve?