Featured Crafter- Sweet Pistol Rose

Happy Tuesday, everyone! We're here this week to have a chat with Racheal from Sweet Pistol Rose.

Racheal specializes in party supplies, including banners, digital invitations, thank you notes, and more! If you need it to make your party look awesome, Racheal's got it.

You can even get a rockin' sign, like this one, for your special birthday kid. After the party, this is such a fantastic keepsake for your child's special day!

Now, a little about Racheal. She's a work-at-home-mom with three sweet little kiddos- Two girls and a boy. Racheal started Sweet Pistol Rose as a hobby, but her work became popular very quickly, and with the help of her very supportive husband, she was able to turn it into a business.

Racheal started scrapbooking, but it just didn't quite fill the need. Since she had lots of paper, she decided to start banners, but that wasn't quite cutting it either.

Racheal needed to make the whole celebration! A paper banner doesn't make a party on it's own. She watched tutorial after tutorial, and over time, taught herself how to make virtually anything she could dream of on Photoshop. 

She branched out and began selling to strangers, and although her dream is to run her own local business, Etsy keeps her quite busy for now.

Overall, Racheal's favorite items to create are her chalkboards, like the one pictured above. They take a lot of time, but she gets to create something amazing for a customer and make someone happy, which is definitely her favorite part about selling online.

These Star Wars themed prints are a great way to add fun to your home, even when you're not having a party!

The main factor that sets Sweet Pistol Rose apart from other shop is her awareness of trends. Racheal understands that chalk board art might be a fleeting trend, and may not be something people want to have in their home forever.

To conquer that issue, Racheal adds new designs regularly and offers many products that are completely timeless. Things you'll love just as much at 20 years old as you will at 50 years old. 

She also provides items geared towards all ages and interests, which is fantastic. As your child grows, Sweet Pistol Rose's designs will continue to fit into their passions, year after year.

Racheal's favorite hobby outside of crafting is exploring. She's a "wandering soul", so to speak, and finds herself most at peace while exploring the hidden beauties of the world. She loves to take her kids with her to show them how much can be experienced in their own, accessible world. 

What I find most interesting from my chat with Racheal is that her shop name is also the nicknames of her three children, given to them by their grandmother. The youngest is a "sweet pea", the middle is a "little pistol", and the youngest, during an ultrasound, had lips like a budding rose. 

When scrolling through Sweet Pistol Rose's Etsy shop, you find so many unique, colorful and clearly well-designed products. Racheal is a family-gal, so she'll understand the needs of parents to get exactly what their children want for their birthdays. 

And non-related to birthdays, Sweet Pistol Rose offers many awesome gifts for your friends, coworkers, family, or yourself!

Bissell Cleanview Onepass Vacuum Review

With our tax return this year, we decided to buy a new vacuum. Our old one was old and tired and just wasn’t cutting it anymore with a toddler and a cat. I turned to Google to check out the selection and it was kind of intimidating at first. We weren’t sure what we wanted but we knew we didn’t want something super-fancy with a bunch of extra attachments that would break the bank, but at the same time we didn’t want something that was going to break after a week of using it.

I was shopping in BigLots and saw this really cool vacuum made by Shark that was also a steam-cleaner. (I think) I didn’t know much about it besides that I was always seeing their infomercials on late night TV and I’m always leery about those products. Sometimes you get a really great product and then other times you regret your purchase. I didn’t want to regret my purchase so I went home and started doing my research. When I went back to Biglots they were all gone, so I had to find one somewhere else.

I turned to Amazon to do the rest of my research and shopping. I find that the customer reviews are so helpful to figure out if this is the right product for you. One of the great things about being an Amazon Prime member is that you can find most things you’re looking for with free 2-day shipping. Who doesn’t love free shipping?

I finally had it narrowed down to this one Shark vacuum that I thought would be perfect. It had great reviews and was in the price range that we were looking for, but I just didn’t feel like this was the one. I know that sounds dumb, but my husband vacuums every day. Literally. So this vacuum will get used A LOT.

I’m not sure why the Bissell didn’t come up in my original search, but when I went back to shopping it came up. What caught my eye was the amount of stars for the price. A 4 ½ star vacuum for under $70 shipped? This deal sounded too good to be true, but it wasn’t. It had great reviews and did everything we wanted it to do and had the extra tools to go with it, so I bought it.

When it showed up there was some assembly required, but it was simple and didn’t take long to put together. The vacuum itself is fairly lightweight and picks up pretty much everything. I was a little worried that after getting used a few times that the suction would become less and less, but we’ve had it over 3 months and it is as powerful as the day we got it.

Awkward cord placement

I really like how easy it is to empty the canister. All you have to do is hold it over the garbage can and push the button on the back of the canister. I do recommend holding it a little inside the garbage can in case dust comes back up and giving it a couple of shakes before closing the lid again. Another awesome bonus is that one of the filters is washable, not disposable. Saves you a little more $.

Overall I’d have to say that the Bissell Onepass is an awesome vacuum. The only complaints that my husband had were that the power switch is in a weird spot and the cord doesn’t stay in the clip on the handle and when it is in the clip, it's awkward. I haven’t found anything that I don’t like about it yet, so I’d have to recommend this vacuum if you’re in the market. You can’t go wrong for the price.

Flower and Lace Tank Top Tutorial

This tutorial was really fun for me because I knew I would love the end result. Please put your own spin on this! Mix colors, use different materials, and abandon ideas that start to not work out! Don't be scared to shake things up :)

Here's what I used for my little project:

- A strip of lace to make a lace flower out of. See that tutorial here.

- Two pre-made satin carnations

- A pre-made lace bow (vintage, from my grandmother's stash)

- A coordinating lace for the decorated shoulder (measure to length of the shoulder on your shirt)

- A shabby flower

- Later, I added a blue and green gem button for the flower center

- A tank top (you could do this with any type of shirt or dress though, really.)

The shirt, front and back. Please excuse the counter. My child has taken over.

I made my lace flower according to the tutorial linked above, then stitched one of my ribbon carnations into the center. I also attached my blue and green gem button to the center of the shabby flower. (Both hand stitched.)

Take all your fancy-dancy supplies and pin them into place. I chronically don't use enough pins, so if you're new to a sewing machine, use pins about every inch.

Next, I stitched my lace into place with my machine. It's slow-going, but the stitch is clean, straight and strong.

I then went carefully around the lace flower, just under the edges of the carnation. I kind of pulled the carnation off to the side and switched my needle off to the left so it would get super close and the stitch would be hidden.

For the shabby, I just tacked in quite a few places around the flower. Again, slow-going, but effective.

Finally, I hand stitched the second carnation on. I ran maybe five or six stitches through it (it's a hand-wash tank top anyway) and ran the needle under a stitch three times to seal it closed.

That's all it took, friends! Pretty simple for such a fantastic end result. What do you think?

 

My Favorite Sites to Get Freebies and Coupons

I love getting free samples. Heck, I love anything that comes in the mail that isn't a bill. I've come across a few sites that have combed the internet and compiled all of the freebies out there.  Here are my favorites:

• www.hip2save.com - This one is the one I usually hit up first. She's got everything super organized and it makes everything easier to find. Not only does she find the freebies, but she's got coupons, sweepstakes, DIY craft tips, recipes, restaurant offers, etc. What I really like about this site is that she's got tips on how to coupon and has a whole section for coupon newbies. She's awesome and knows what she's talking about.

• www.sweetfreestuff.com - This is usually my second stop on the freebie train. What I really like about this site is that the freebies are right on the main page and you don't have to go looking for them. This site is also super organized and easy to navigate. You will find duplicates of the freebies from the site above but you will find quite a few that the other site has missed.

• www.bzzagent.com - This one you have to work a little bit harder to get your freebies, but when you get included on a bzzcampaign they send you full size to try out instead of sample size.  You have to create an account to use this website and have to run through a whole slew of surveys to get enough points to be included on the campaigns. I put at least an hour into filling out surveys over a few day span. They use the surveys you fill out to fit you into a bzzcampaign appropriate for you, so you don't end up being a tester on a product you wouldn't normally use. How are you going to sample cat food if you don't have a cat?

• www.thefreebieblogger.com - This one is fairly new to me but it is very user friendly and organized. On top of having freebies and coupons, they also have links to sites similar to Bzzagent and mypoints. If you have lots of free time on your hands then I recommend heading over to the Freebie Blogger and click on the "earn" tab.
  
   I'm always on the hunt for awesome freebie sites so when I find more I'll add them to the list.  In the meantime, check out those sites and enjoy your freebies!

Soft Summer Smokey Eye

Okay ladies. This makeup look is a little darker than the last one and we're going to be blending a little bit more. But this eye makeup look is gorgeous with the taupe and the brown colors together. Let's get started! =)

Products:
1)NYX eye shadow base

2) Maybelline Color Tattoo in Taupe

3)Revlon's single shadow in Taupe

4)Mac single shadow in Vanilla

5) Wet N Wild Mega Liner (optional)

6)Maybelline's The Falsies mascara

7)Ardell Lashes (optional)

8)Benfit Bad Gal liner and Rimmel Londons Kohl liner

9)Revlon Color burst matte balm in Flamboyante and NYX lip gloss in Fortune Cookie

Not pictured: Revlon's single shadow in Cocoa

STEP #1~ We're first going to start out with a full face. You can go to my previous tutorial to see how to do that =)

STEP #2~ We're going to apply an eye shadow base. This is going to keep your eye shadow from creasing throughout the day.

STEP #3~ Then, taking Maybelline's Color Tattoo shadow in the color Taupe, we're going to apply that to our lids. I just apply it with my finger.

STEP #4~ I decided to set the first shadow which is somewhat creamy, with a powder shadow. This is going to insure that the first shadow doesn't move off of your eyelids. Just like when you set your face with a powder.

STEP #5~ I don't have a picture to include for this step, but it's a single shadow by Revlon in the color Cocoa. We will be putting this into our crease and BLEND ladies!

STEP #6~ Taking a white shadow, we will be applying this right under our brows. I just apply this with a flat shadow brush.

STEP #7~ This step is optional. I used a liquid liner and did a cat eye effect. If you'd like a tutorial on how to get a cat eye, comment down below!

STEP #8~ Apply your favorite mascara!

STEP #9~ This step is optional as well. I LOVE false lashes and since we didn't use them in the last eye makeup tutorial, I figured we could use them this time. So I just apply my false eyelashes and BAM! The look is complete!!!

Totally kidding. We're not done yet. READ ON!

STEP # 10~ In this step, we're going to curl our lashes and use the black eyeliner to tight line and then apply a kohl liner to the inner part of our water line.

STEP #11~ The last step is the lips! I used a Matte balm and then a lip gloss over it. You can use whatever color lipstick/ balm or gloss your heart desires. =)

That's it ladies! This look can be worn in the day time or the night time, it's completely up to you! Hope you try it!

How to Have Fun in the Summer for Cheap (Or Free!)

Summer is coming and if you’re like me, you want to go out and play in the sunshine! I’d LOVE to take my little guy to the water park every day, but lets face it - I’m too cheap. (Not like I could afford it anyway). If you’re anything like me, you want to find the cheapest (if not free) way to have fun. I’m here to help you! Here’s a few free ideas to keep your summer fun and don’t forget to bring your camera!

I’ve noticed a lot of “splash pads” popping up around my area. If you have one of these near you - check it out. If your kid loves water as much as mine does, you’ll have a blast. Just remember that you need to pack all the necessities you’d take to the pool - i.e. towel, sunscreen, change of clothes, little swimmer diaper (if your little is still in diapers), etc. and don’t forget the snacks! Your little one will work up an appetite running through the water and playing.

The library is also another good place to go. Our local library has summer activities and story time for the kids. I know it’s not outdoor, but I live in Washington state, so I know we’re going to have some rainy days this summer and those are the perfect days to hang out at the library.

Go exploring! Whether it’s a hike you’ve never been on or maybe a new park you’ve never been to, going new places is exciting for everyone. I’m planning on taking my little guy on a scavenger hunt the next time we go hiking. The list won’t be anything extravagant because I’d like to be able to find the things on my list. It will be things like a rock shaped like a heart, moss that looks like spiderwebs, 3 different colored mushrooms, etc. It’s fun brainstorming items to put on your list.

Visit your local fire department. They love to give tours to kids and show them how everything works in the fire station. Not only is it free - it’s fun and informative. I bet you’ll even learn a bunch yourself.

Make kites and then fly them! I remember making a kite out of some sticks and brown paper bags when we were little and they did better than the fancy, expensive kites. Plus, your little one will be proud to show off their beautiful piece of flying art. If you need some inspiration, Google it. I know it sounds silly, but I turn to Google every time I don’t know the answer to something.

Spend the day at the beach! Plan to have a picnic lunch and bring all of your favorite beach toys. Have a mini sandcastle building competition or have a mini scavenger hunt. There are so many things to do at the beach besides just playing in the water. If you’re anywhere near the ocean like we are, looking through the tide pools is a lot of fun too. Be sure to check out the tide tables before you go so that the tide pools will be accessible. Here’s a link to NOAA’s tide tables: http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/. If you don’t have access to the beach, bring the water to you! Fill up a wading pool or some large pots with water and play. When I was little, we kept breaking the wading pool, so my parents took the biggest pots they could find and would fill them up with water so we could each have our own mini wading pool.

Have a dance party. My son and I LOVE to boogie down at every opportunity. AND it’s a great way to burn calories and get those wiggles out of you little one. Make sure your playlist is full of fun and upbeat songs to keep the fun going.

If your little one is into cars like mine is and you’re stuck inside on a rainy day, make a masking/painter’s tape racetrack. The tape is gentle so you shouldn’t have a hard time peeling it up when you’re finished and it won’t ruin your floors. The best part is that you can make the track as big or as small as you’d like. Have your little one help you “design” your track. It keeps them interested and lets them feel proud that they created this fun map on the floor.

Make a bird feeder. It doesn’t have to be complicated. If you spread some peanut butter on a pine cone and then roll it in birdseed, you’ve got a cheap and easy bird feeder. You can always search DIY bird feeder on Google and see what you come up with.

Check out your local Boys & Girls Club. They always have fun things going on during the summer for kids of all ages. Some of my fondest memories are at the B&GC - playing pool, taking tumbling classes, playing basketball, playing BINGO, etc. It’s also a great place for your little ones to interact and make friends with kids they might not go to school with. Think of it as kind of a free daytime summer camp.

If I ever run out of ideas of fun things to do, I turn to Google. I usually search for things like “Free things to do at home with your toddler” or “fun summer activities to do with your child”. You could even make it specific to your area if you want to go out and have an adventure. It doesn’t matter where you go, or if you stay home, as long as you’re having fun. With an almost -year old, I find myself always having to come up with new ways to keep this smart little boy entertained. Don’t be afraid to be creative and use your imagination. Break out of your shell and find new ways to have fun with the kiddos.

Summer Must-Haves List- 20 Perfect Items for Summer

Do you love to shop smart by shopping small?? I DO!

If you agree, continue reading for an awesome list of items from small businesses that you must have this summer! If you disagree, continue reading anyway, because I'm going to change your mind. And I'll do it well. Really well.

In no particular order, here we go...

First up are these gorgeous barefoot sandals from It's Only Natural. Every year, I watch barefoot sandals become more and more popular, and I think this is the year they will really become a big thing for summer. 

They're a great way to dress up flip flops or bare feet, or add unique class to a pair of pumps. Get them right now by clicking here.

Our next adorable summer item is from Sweet Pea Designs by Dee. While mom is stylin' in her barefoot sandals, her mini-me needs to stand out, too! This dress is so bright and perfect for summer! 

It comes with an adorable matching headband and is available in sizes 3T-6. You can get your little girl an adorable dress today on Storenvy and Etsy.

For beach time, this too-cute-for-words floral ruffle sun suit from Gracie Mae Boutique is perfect! It is available in sizes Newborn-2T.

To get your daughter, granddaughter, niece or friend's baby this adorable sun suit, click here.

Every little girl looks cute with pigtails in her hair (especially the really little ones that don't actually have enough hair for pigtails). This adorable set from Perfect Bow-tique is a great representation of the summer items available from that shop.

Have a look at this (and other items) on her Facebook here.

If I had a little girl, she'd wear nothing but tutu dresses. Seriously. This Fourth of July themed tutu dress is from Sweet Apples Boutique. Her page is very easy to navigate and has lots of cute things for babies and kids.

If you want this particular dress, I've made it easy for you- Click here.

How perfect is this with the dress just above?! This set from TNT Bottle Cap Accessories includes a gorgeous headband and matching barefoot sandals. Please also note the adorable baby modeling the set (awwwww!).

I personally have quite a few items from TNT, and it's time to be honest- I accidentally slept in one of my hairpieces from her once. Yeah. A diamond mesh bow. I'm a heavy sleeper, so comfort isn't as much the point as is durability. It's still in perfect condition.

But back to the set- You can get it on Etsy or Facebook.

We met with bAll Blinged Out recently on Down with Plumes' Crafter Review Blog and we saw some adorable examples of her work. This shop is perfect for all those moms, sisters, grandmothers and aunts that attend sporting events and want to show support for their players! These are also just too perfect for Fourth of July!

There are accessories for all kinds of sports, and you can get ones like these on Storenvy.

This Fourth of July themed letter set from PeeWee Princess is perfect for entertainment with a little one! These cotton letters are soft and flexible, but will keep their shape over time. They also come with their own carrying case! While you're in her shop, look for the little elephants. Although they're not the topic of discussion here, they're super cute.

Get these fabric letters or request a custom set on Etsy here.

If you're a beach-baby at heart, this intricate and beautiful seashell wreath from Handmade Moms LLC. is for you! For the front door, back patio, beach house or party decoration, this wreath provides a true "beach" feel!

Get this wreath on Etsy here and visit these crafty moms on Facebook.

How amazing is this sunhat?! Picots & Mimosas is a great shop that always produces great items. This past Mother's Day, I ordered a gorgeous crochet rose corsage for my mom from Picots & Mimosas. The color is called Country Peach. Sounds yummy, right? This hat would also be pretty stinkin' cute with the shirt and bag below.

This super cute crochet sunhat with a crochet sunflower can be found on Storenvy here and on Facebook here.

This shirt, from Lindsay's Secret Closet, is the love-child of comfort and style, in case you were wondering. This shop is filled with adorable tops, quilted purses and much more! This shirt paired with the hat above and the bag below makes a fun, spunky outfit!

Find Lindsay's Secret Closet on Storenvy here and Facebook here.

And this bag? It totally goes with the shirt and hat. You can be one stylin' lady. This bag is from The Caribbean Gypsy, which offers beautiful bohemian leather goods and accessories shop. I think her bags are particularly beautiful. She has a stunning peacock leather bag you can see here.

But for this bag, you can check out her Etsy here and Facebook here.

And guess what? This necklace matches, too. Instant outfit. You're welcome. Corvid Castle provides amazingly beautiful wire and beadwork jewelry. She uses lots of different types of beads and stones, and has made me aware of the existence of electroplated leaves. Corvid Castle has a huge variety of styles and custom wraps any jewelry piece your little heart desires.

Find this pendant on Etsy here or on Facebook here.

I need everyone, right now, to order one of these from AJR Designs. We need to all be wearing these all summer. You know all those cranky, life-hating people you inevitably run into in your daily life? Deflect their hatred with this beauty. How will people be able to be cranky when all women are wearing awesome flower crowns? I'm serious. I think this is a fantastic plan. Especially since she has a $10 off all pre-made flower crowns and custom crowns. Tell her I sent you ;)

Get your gorgeous flower crown on Storenvy here, Etsy here or Facebook here. I mean it. Let's do this.

Ummm... Hellooooo Summer!! Where have you been?! Oh yeah, waiting at BeeBee and Jack. I use a lot of crocheted items from BeeBee and Jack, but I'm loving her new line of hairpieces. Everything from her shop is so well-made and shows a fantastic attention to detail. They're so spunky and bright! Perfect for a summer day out!

Get this hairpiece on Facebook here or Etsy here.

Not to toot my own horn (but I'm going to... toot toot!), but this bag is pretty adorable. It's great for summer because it's light and easy to carry and covered in cotton with very little metal exposed to get hot and burn skin (just the snap). These can be done with or without the wrist strap and are available in 10"x7" and 13"x10".

Claim this bag on Etsy here or on Facebook here.

After a hot day in the summer sun, everyone wants to cool off and feel refreshed. As every lady knows, shaving is a part of feeling refreshed in the summer. NoShave November is great and all, but during the summer, shorts and tank tops are a must. This shave bar from Taryn's Treasures is amazing! This bar is a clean citrus scent, but you can have this luxurious shave bar customized into any scent, sooo... Gold star to Taryn's Treasures.

You can find this and so much more on Facebook here or her website.

The only downside of having a love for crocheted items is not being able to wear many during the summer. Problem solved! NaomiHa provides adorable crocheted accessories, but this is particularly nice for summer. You can have the cozy look of crochet without overheating in the glaring summer sun!

Claim your own adorable bow on Storenvy here or visit Facebook here.

I have so many summer birthdays in my family, it's crazy. How about you? If you're throwing a summer party, visit Adore by Nat! She makes all kinds of fantastic birthday invitations, banners, cupcake toppers and other party supplies! Adore by Nat also has a really great "Get to Know the Crafter" blog here.

Get your beach themed cupcake toppers on Artfire here or Facebook here.

On the other hand, if you have a summer birthday party to attend, your little girl should be rocking this. This adorable bow is from BOWstyle BOWtique. I love the printed bottle cap with the Eiffel Tower image. I can just imagine how cute this would be on a baby girl! If you don't have a little girl (and you have none to buy for), you can get something for yourself, lady. This is cuuuuuute.

You can get this bow on Facebook here.


Honorary Mention to my little MacBook- Thank you for running a bazillion tabs for 12.4 seconds each and dealing with my constant clicking and linking, all whilst suffering 100 degree weather. I love you.