The “Multicolored” photo challenge winners

This weeks challenge was: Multicolored!

First:

Congrats! You can grab your first place button here!

Second:

Third:

Fourth:

Fifth:

Congrats! You can grab your top 5 button here!

Favorites:
Congrats! You can grab your favorite button here!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
  • First time joining the Paper Mama photo challenge? Start here for rules and upcoming challenges.
  • My photo challenges do require you to have either your children or one of your furry children (pets) in the photo (unless it’s a self portrait week). It could be just one finger… or a toe… but, they must be there.

2010 winners . 2011 winners . 2012 winners .…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Links to love.

“Mama, it’s orange out there!” Ha ha! That’s what Ruari said when she put  on her sunglasses and looked outside. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I’ve got some gardening to do on Saturday! Yay! We’re so ready to get our garden all together. And, I’m so excited to share these moments with my girl. <3 So, here are some links to love this week…..

OMG. Please. Oh goodness. Every bit of this blog makes me hungry. A baking blog.

Why have I never thought of this? Trix instead for rice crispy treats. Very cute.

I really love this iPhone cover. Textured!

When I was in college I would stay in class working on presentations till 12 am…. So, yeah… I was paranoid walking through an empty parking lot to my car. Confession: I would hold keys in between my fingers, ready to defend myself if attacked. Ha! Anywho… this would have been so much cooler/more effective.

Say hello to a couple of my sponsors! Hello, hello, and hello.

I really love this DIY painted driftwood hanger.

Awesome: really cool furniture waffle iron.

Champagne Cocktail with Mint and Lemon sorbet. Makes me wish it was summer. Yum!

So many times I’ve found a vintage lamp that needed some sort of rewiring… and, I don’t buy it. Because I’m afraid to wire it. BUT, this will help! Detailed rewiring tutorial.

A REALLY cool 1960’s Manhattan Themed 1st birthday party. So cool.

Great idea! Spray painted monogrammed coir entrance mat!

Piñata cookie tutorial! This is really so cool! P.S. May 5th, 2009 I was complaining about how tired and lame i felt…. the next day I found out I was pregnant. A little Cinco de Mayo flashback for you. <3

I really want these shoes!

Really cool Geoball printout.

AND, the last day to enter the Tumbleweeds $75 shop credit is SUNDAY! Good luck!

Happy weekend to you all!

Tags:

Categories: Uncategorized


What’s in my purse?

I’m sort of a weirdo with my purse. I like my purse clean and organized. I haven’t always been this way…. Seriously. I was totally fine with taking 9 million hours to find that chapstick at the bottom of my purse (drove husband crazy). But, in the past year I’ve discovered the value of being able to find something I need fast. Mostly because of the crazy toddler I usually hang out with. She doesn’t enjoy sitting still while I pay for anything. Plus, last year I pulled out an opened tampon out of my purse with all my blogger friends at a nice restaurant. Ba! Ha. My daughter used to always get into my purse and open up all my tampons. Weirdy. Anywho… that inspired me… hee.

So, this is what I want to show you. My sort of anal…. but, awesome…. organization of my purse. I keep my bag filled with many tiny bags….yup. I have a beauty bag, a pen/pencil and sketch pad bag, my “emergency” bag, and a couple others. Here, I’ll just show you how I organize…..

All the bags (and my keys… and, rape whistle. Thank you mom.):

My artsy pouch:

{//Pouch care of: Gussy Sews//Pens and Pencils//Notepad care of: Miro//}

Hello artsy pouch. This is where I carry pencils, pens, and a teeny notepad. I have been known to carry a massive sketchbook with me wherever I go… but, it’s really too much for everyday. Now, if I we’re headed somewhere I know I’ll just be sitting around and hanging out… I’m tossing my sketch pad in there! PLUS, I add an additional pouch of all my sketching pencils/pens/erasers.

My beauty kit:

{//Pouch care of: Gussy Sews//Earrings: all from F21//Bobby pins, hair ties and Spin pins//Bra strap clip//Sunglasses: Target//}

My little beauty bag. Earrings… in case I forget to wear some and I’m out on a hot date. Bobby pins and hair ties are always necessary. Plus, I carry one of those Goody Spin Pins. Seriously the fastest way to get my hair out of my face. AND, the sunglasses. Those are only in my purse about 6 months out of the year…. Oregon.

My “emergency” pouch:

{Pouch: f21//Wallet: Target//Stylus//ibuprofen//little bandaids and mole skin//tea//tampon//Snacky snacks//}

This is my “emergency” kit. I carry the things I always seem to need… but, never think to carry in here. Bandaid? Yup. Right there. Mole skin for shoes hurting my feet? Yus. Girly time stuff? Tampon and ibuprofen are there. Tea? Yeeeess. AND, snacks? Yes. I’m a grumpy girl when I get hungry. I ALWAYS remember to pack Ruari’s snacks… but, not for me. So, I just have those things in my purse. Just in case. And, then there’s my wallet. I don’t carry it in the emergency kit… just pictured it here. I just carry my ID and cards in there. I decided against taking a photo of all my cards to share online. Ha!

The everyday bag:

{//Pouch co: Charm Design//lip gloss: f21//lipstick 1: Radiant reef//lipstick 2: Maybeline are you red-dy//chapstick: Burts Bees//lipstick 3: Revlon Lip Butter peach parfait//lotion: coconut-lime//Mirror//lipstick primer: mac//}

This is my everyday bag. I put things in here that I tend to look for everyday. Lotion and chapstick are the big ones. I’ll also toss my keys and cell phone in here. I don’t wear too much makeup…. I basically stick to mascara, lipstick, and maybe a bit of coverup if needed. So, I don’t really carry any of that stuff with me… except my fave lipsticks/chapstick. Let’s talk about that mac primer…. it’s awesome. I put it on before all lipstick. Basically it makes your lipstick last SO much longer… I can wear the super cheap lipstick and make it last all day with this stuff! It’s $15… but, it’s worth it. I don’t wear lipstick everyday so I don’t go through it too fast.

The others:

{//Beaded coin purse: gift//Leather bizz card carrier: Freshly Picked//Bizz card wallet and keychain: Peggy Anne Design//}

And, the leftovers of the purse…. I have my little beaded purse. That carries all those darn shop cards… etc. (P.S. I do love my Supportland card). I also throw change and coupons in there. My leather business card holder came from Susan, Freshly Picked, when I met her at Alt Summit. She was adorable by the way. She was handing out all her business cards in these leather carriers. I kept mine and use it to put any business cards people give to me while I’m out and about. My business card keychain is for MY cards. I seriously have like 5 different types of cards. I just throw in a variety and that way I always have my cards with me.

I forgot to include my phone in these photos… that’s ALWAYS with me. Naked without it. And, on occasion I throw (gently) my camera in there. Yup… that makes my purse ridiculously heavy. BUT, if I want a lighter purse and I’m headed out for the evening… I can just remove a few of my pouches that I know I won’t need. I have pockets in the purse that catch my receipts and other nicknacks… like plastic horsies.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.

– Chelsey

{Related posts: //Simple things to pack with a baby//What did I learn at BlogHer?//Packing for Alt//}

I was provided with 2 Gussy Sews compact bags, and a Miro notepad.. All opinions are 100% my own. You can use the discount code: PAPERMAMA at Gussy Sews through May 13th to save 10%!


Wordless{ish} Wednesday: A day in Bellingham

Some more vacation photos to share. This was our Saturday in Bellingham. They have a really neat little farmer’s market that we like to wander to after lunch at Boundary Bay. Sort of a ritual when the weather is nice and we’re up there. There were people blending smoothies with bicycle power…. delicious foods and cheeses…. and, of course: face painting. Ruari had her first face painting that day. She saw a girl with whiskers and said she really wanted them. SO, that’s what she got. We showed her a reflection… and, I think she was a bit in shock at first… but, then quickly realized that having whiskers is pretty darn awesome. She has been asking where her whiskers are ever since.

After lunch and the farmer’s market we went to a Bellingham winery, Vartanyan. I’m always up for tasting wine (especially on vacation). hee. It was wonderful. We even hit up the winery on the right weekend. They were letting all tasters bottle their own bottle of wine…. SO, I milked the wine cow (seriously… wine utters) and stamped the cork in… added a fancy label… and, ta dah! Wine. We are supposed to wait about 5 months to drink it. I think I can wait….

We ended the evening sitting outside in beautiful weather drinking, well…. more wine! So much wine that weekend.

Happy Wednesday!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

{If you have a Wordless{ish} Wednesday, please feel free to link it up below. And, feel free to link up to these blogs too… Parenting by DummiesProject Alicia,And Then She SnappedJenni from the Blog, and Live and Love Outloud.}

 


Chickpea Spread

Since January…. my husband and I have been exploring the world of meat-free living. Just exploring. If you know me…. I am like the last person on the planet to ever give up meat. I mean… I love eating cows, duck, and goats…. and, chicken…. yum. My weakness is FRIED CHICKEN. Is fried chicken vegetarian? Please? Let’s see how many times I say, “fried chicken” in this post…. ha!

Anywho… This journey started back in December or January (can’t remember) when I watched Forks over Knives. Holy moly. That blew my mind. My veggie friends told me all about it and how it confirmed their choice to be vegetarian. I believe my response was, “What? I can’t hear you over all the animals I’m eating.” My husband was out with a friend one Saturday evening… and, my idea of a good time is watching documentaries (partay). I saw Forks Over Knives sitting there on my Netflix instant play… so, I watched it. I watched the whole thing jaw-to-the-floor.

Pretty much. It was amazing and it moved me to try and live a healthier life for myself and family. We have not gone veggie 100%. Nope. I just don’t think I’m ready to give up my fried chicken…. but, we have significantly changed things ’round here. We eat vegetarian about 4 – 5 days a week. WE sort of save the weekends to lose our minds and roll in piles of fried chicken. Is that a nice picture in your mind? Hee. But, in all seriousness: we have loved this adventure. We’ve been exploring many different veggie based recipes. Most of them contain quinoa, chickpeas, beans, and bulgar wheat. Those are full of protein… add some veggies and yum!

I personally do not enjoy any bit of cooking (i like baking). Well, I do have this fried chicken recipe that I love to cook… only because it brings me closer to fried chicken….. I have a sickness. I know. Even though I’m not a chef, i have tried my hand at a few recipes. I’ll share them with you guys soon! The best part is my kid loves the things I’ve made… AND, they have veggies… and SPINACH! I blend spinach into these two recipes I’ve made and Ruari just loves them so much. Me too! I’ll share them in the next couple weeks.

About the spread above: it’s a chickpea spread. A very simple yummy treat that can be kept in the fridge and is perfect for snack time. It’s blended with boiled chickpeas, roasted tomatoes, sautéed onions and garlic, and parsley. Blend it together with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper. We spread this yumminess on a whole grain tortilla. Its so good. AND again, Ruari loves it. Chickpeas are amazing and have a ton of protein. We usually purchase a big bag of chickpeas and soak the peas overnight and they are ready to cook up in the evening the next day. It’s hard to mess up this spread. Just add what you think sounds good. Yum!

So, how about you? Are you a diehard meat-eater? Or, do you prefer the veggie life? AND, have you seen Forks Over Knives? So good. Especially if you’re a documentary-nerd like myself.        Fried chicken.

– Chelsey

Fried chicken count: 9

{Related Posts: //Fried Chicken Recipe//Homemade Potato Pizza//Jalapeno Popper Dip

Connecting with Just Write this week.


Paper Insect Collection tutorial

WARNING… don’t scroll down if you don’t like bugs. Hee!

 Say hello to my bug collection! My Paper Insect Collection! I love this thing… when I first described this idea to my mom… she was sort of grossed out. BUT, now that it’s finished she loves it… so do I. I love quirky little bits of art around my home. This is definitely quirky. The best part: you don’t have to kill bugs for your collection. Well, you could…. but, this is safer. Ha!

So, here you go! It’s mostly very simple… the most difficult part is cutting the pins for the bugs and gluing them onto the paper.

Supplies:

– A frame for your bugs. I found mine thrifting. It has space between the glass…. but, you don’t necessarily need to buy a frame like that. You can just take the glass out of a frame.

– Print out your freebie Paper Insect Collection pages. Here and Here.

– Pins (to make it look like you pinned bugs onto the paper)

– A white piece of paper

– Hot glue

– Scissors

– An acid-free marker.

Start by choosing which bugs you’d like to put in your collection. I chose my favorites and had to pick the right sizes to make them fit properly. Don’t be afraid to leave a white border around the bugs you cut. It makes cutting them so much easier…. and, if they are against a white background…. it won’t even matter.

Once you cut out your bugs… you can bend their legs/wings/etc. just to give them more life. Take your pins and poke a hole through the center of each bug.

Here’s the tricky part…. If your frame has space between the glass (like mine) you’ll need to trim your pins to the right height so they fit under the glass. BUT, if you have a frame that you just take the glass out of: you can put a cardboard or cork board background in the frame and pin the bugs right into the background.

Arrange your bugs ahead of time… to see how they’ll fit into the whole frame.

Next glue the pins to your paper bugs so they don’t slide. Then, glue the pinned bugs onto your background. You may need to glue some parts of the bug…. like legs or parts of their bodies to the paper so they stay in place.

Optional: add the names of your bugs to your insect collection. I honestly was not positive of the real names of all of the bugs… so, I guess a bit. Here are my guesses: green beetle with wings: Green Flower Beetle, beetle with pincers: Stag Beetle, shiny green beetle: Leaf Beetle, orange beetle with black spots on back: Face Bug, blue butterfly: Giant Blue Swallowtail, yellow moth: Lo Moth, pretty brown moth: Silk Moth, moth with two black wings and yellow body: Death Head Moth. Those are my best guesses. Or, you can just make them up. Hee.

 Here are your paper insects to print out: Here and Here.

Paper Insect Collection Tutorial

Enjoy! Let me know if you make your very own Paper Insect Collection…. And, there’s so many more ways you can use these bugs! Maybe a bunting? Have fun!

{Related Posts://Paper Terrarium//Paper Flower Frame//Teepee//}


The Paper Mama “Multicolored” Photo Challenge

The challengeAll my photo challenges should be based around your children (pets are always welcome). Share a photo of the little one with many colors!

My example of “Multicolored”:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
  • First time joining the Paper Mama photo challenge? Start here for rules and upcoming challenges.
  • My photo challenges do require you to have either your children or one of your furry children (pets) in the photo (unless it’s a self portrait week). It could be just one finger… or a toe… but, they must be there.

2010 winners . 2011 winners . 2012 winners .

Happiness!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Photo challenge buttons here:

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge