Pots of Gold at the end of the Rainbow!

Since we are buried in about 4 feet of snow in these parts I have been dreaming of spring! And what holiday comes right after the official start of spring?  St. Patrick's Day of course!

Last year I was so busy with a new baby that I wasn't able to get these fun treats up for sale in my Etsy shop at all.  But this year I not only have them up, but nice and early too.

These are perfect for classroom gifts for your students or classmates, or from you to your children.  They also make a cute secret gift from a Leprechaun! (I know a lot of you are into the Leprechaun mischief ideas! Just Google or search Pinterest to learn more about this fun activity :)

Anyways if you are interested in purchasing a few of these fun goody bags, just hop on over to my Etsy shop to learn more! ---> 

Pots of Gold at the End of the Rainbow by PaperCrushCrafts on Etsy.

Sincerely,

Paula

My Writing Process

Awhile ago I was contacted by Danica from the blog Danica's Thoughts about participating in the writing process blog tour.  It's always nice to know that there's someone out there such as Danica, who enjoys reading my blog, and I thank her for inviting me to participate along with her in this tour.

So exactly what is this writing process blog tour?  It's a sneak peek into just how bloggers come up with the content that they do, what they're working on, and how their blog content differs from others in the same category, by answering four questions

As part of the obligation I am required to nominate two bloggers to continue on with the tour.  I don't have two bloggers, but I do have one that I think you'll like!! I will share her info at the end of the post :)

1} What am I working on?

Photo Source ~ Vintage Typewriter Poster 

from Handz on Etsy

The way this question should be phrased for myself specifically, should be what would I like to be working on?  With a baby and a million other things going on in my life right now, it is very difficult, if not impossible to keep up with with my blog.

Sure I love my blog and have tons of fun ideas for posts, but each evening I run out of time and energy to put these ideas into words.  I have ideas for posts regarding parenting kids with a large age gap, posts on ways to save money on baby stuff, posts about recommended baby gear, giveaways, crafts, and other fun stuff.

The one thing I do make sure to do each week is to host my NO RULES Weekend Blog Party which has become a big hit thanks to all of you!  I love to see what everyone has to share each week.  I've met lots of new friends via this party, and I'm sure you have as well if your a regular.

So for now I've decided to take a more laid-back approach to my blogging schedule.  If I have time I have plenty of ideas spinning around in my brain, and if not why stress out.  And soon enough I'm sure things will work out so that I have a little bit more time for myself.

2} How does my work differ 

from others of it’s genre?

Photo Source ~ coleandjosephine.blogspot.com

I think what makes my work different is mainly my personality that I put into my posts.  As my profile description says I'm quirky, but I'm also funny, silly, and I can also be serious depending upon the topic.  So when I'm posting regularly you never know which side of me you'll see.

3} Why do I write what I do?

Photo Source ~ Patchwork Family Art on Etsy

I write what I do because I love connecting with others.  It's nice sometimes to hear that someone may be going through something similar in life, or to hear differences of opinions on certain topics.

Mostly though I just love to share little sneak peaks into my life through photos, and maybe share something that I've made.  I think it's important to remain positive in life and have fun along the way.

4} How does my writing process work?

Photo Source ~ illustrationisart.tumblr.com

I don't have a process AT ALL!  I'm not the kind of blogger that schedules anything besides my blog party, or a sponsored post. I like the freedom of being able to sit down, if I have time, and write a post about whatever is on my mind.  It also all depends upon my mood...if I'm feeling more serious and need a bit of inspiration I may just post a few quotes that I've come across.

Conclusion:

Photo Source ~ Peanutoak Print on Etsy

Have you learned anything new about me after reading this post? Mainly I want you all to know that I'm not here to compete with anyone, or make myself and my blog into something that I'm not.  What I am is a fun and happy person who likes to share things with you in hopes that you will feel the same after visiting.

I'd like to mention a little more about Danica from Danica's Thoughts.  Danica is an American who lives in the Netherlands with her husband, daughter and dog.  Her blog is similar to mine in the fact that she is pretty laid back, and blogs about random things in her life.  A funny thing is is that she uses the word quirky to describe her thoughts, and I use the same word about myself in my blog description. I think we'd be friends in real life!  Don't you agree Danica?

Now let me introduce the blogger whom I pass along the torch to...meet Sarah Ann from the beautiful blog Faith Along the Way!  

If you've read this post and think this is something that you'd like to participate in, just leave me a comment or send me an email and I'll get in touch with you with instructions. I still have room for one more bloggy friend!! And if you'd like to read posts from others in the blog tour you can search G+ using the hashtag #writingprocessblogtour or just Google it!

Sincerely,

Paula

Spring 2014 Color Trend Alert!

One of the hottest colors this spring is freesia ~ a bright sunny yellow.

But how do you go about incorporating this bold color into your life without looking like a beaming beacon?

Adding just pops of this color to your home or wardrobe is a good way to start, without going overboard.  

For some "bright" ideas check out the items I have gathered below! As a bonus each item I've featured is a handmade find from Etsy :)

Lemon Drop Earrings 

from Etincellent on Etsy

Decorative Pillow Cover 

from SweetnatureDesigns on Etsy

Nail Art Glitter 

from BoroughBabeSupply on Etsy

Girl's Romper 

from DreamSpunKids on Etsy

Crochet Cup Cozy 

from Knotageek on Etsy

Decorated Vintage Wall Mirror 

from SecretWindowMirrors on Etsy

Flower Headband 

from JustforGirlsBoutique on Etsy

Handbag 

from Shanionie on Etsy

Are you a fan of this bold color? 

I know I'll be incorporating it into my life this spring :)

Sincerely,

                   
Paula

What's Your Tablet Fashion?

I'm excited to announce that I've been chosen to be part of the Intel Tablet Crew! As part of this amazing opportunity I was given a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 to play around with, and then to share my experiences, thoughts, and ideas with all of you.

One of the first things that came to mind when I received my tablet was that I needed a case to safely carry it around with me.  And with me being the way I am, I couldn't just run out to Walmart or Target and buy a case. I love having accessories that are different from what everyone else has, and when I'm looking for something different my go-to place is Etsy.  

After searching through thousands of cases I narrowed them down to my top eight favorites which I've shared below. Not only are these cases unique, they are all handmade too!  Take a peek and maybe you'll find one that you like as well. 

Handmade Felt Owl Case 

by ohmycake on Etsy

Handmade Linen Case 

by BluCase on Etsy

Handmade Fabric Sleeve 

by pipdesigns on Etsy

Hand Knit Case 
by Polar1Butterfly on Etsy

Handmade Portfolio Case and Stand 
by HomemadeLeather on Etsy

Handmade Cross Body Tablet Bag

 by HobbyGirlCrafts on Etsy

Handmade Tablet Sleeve 
by JadenDesign on Etsy

Handmade Tablet Sleeve 
by KEKOYU on Etsy

There are so many options to pick from for tablet cases I just can't decide which I like best!  What type of case do you use for your tablet, and why do you love it?  Did you chose it for functionality, or as a fashion statement?  I think that the perfect case would fit into both categories.

Sincerely,

                   
Paula

#spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and Intel. This could include the Intel Corporation providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment. #IntelTablets and #TabletCrew.

  

Scrappin' It ...

Another weekend has come and gone, and now it's back to most

everyone's least favorite day of the week...Monday!

In the middle of all this crazy chaos I call life these days, I was happy to have something fun to do this past week.  I completed a custom Etsy order for a Happy Birthday mini chipboard scrapbook album for little Lilah Jane who just turned one!

It's full of bright happy colors, many of which are contrasting, which I love.  There's plenty of girly touches, and once her party photos are added, it will be a wonderful keepsake.

I must have deleted the photo of the front of the book, which I'm disappointed about because I think that was one of the best pages.  But anyways, I have photos of everything else for you to check out.

As always I love to take custom orders for anything you see here on my blog that I've made myself.  Cards, scrapbooks, softies, etc.  If you'd like to visit my Etsy shop just click here.  I don't have mush listed at the moment, but you can check out previous items I've sold by clicking on "sales" on the left sidebar of my shop.

Looking Ahead:

♥  Beginning Tuesday afternoon I will be back for Wordless Wednesday!  The party starts Tuesday at 12PM US EST :) Hope to see you there!

♥  Also, beginning Thursday afternoon I will once again be partying with my NO RULES Weekend Blog Party!  This is a fun one, because you can share anything you like!  

♥  And if I have the energy I may have some crafty things to share in between!

Sincerely,

Paula

Fall Crafting . . .

Happy Monday All!!

I want to thank everyone who stopped by this weekend to link up with my No Rules Weekend Blog Party. After my absence I was surprised to have 81 link ups!! Hooray!!

Now that it's officially fall, I have my first completed fall project completed and ready to share.  In the past one of the more popular fall items in my Etsy shop has been my Thankful Thanksgiving Place Cards.  This year I revamped the design, and hope they will continue to be a hit.

Here is a peek at the fun twist I have put on your ordinary Thanksgiving Place Setting Cards ~

Maybe this year Martha Stewart's celebration team will take notice! 

I'd love to be published ;)

Looking Ahead:

♥  Beginning Tuesday afternoon I will be back for Wordless Wednesday!  The party starts Tuesday at 12PM US EST :) Hope to see you there!

♥  Also, beginning Thursday afternoon I will once again be partying with my NO RULES Weekend Blog Party!  This is a fun one, because you can share anything you like!  Maybe next weekend we'll break to 100 linkup mark again :)

Sincerely,

Paula

Welcome to my Newest Blog Series!

In case you missed my announcement last week, I've decided that after seven weeks of my "A Girl Behind the Blog" series I was ready to move on with another series.  This doesn't mean that I won't be posting any more "A Girl Behind the Blog" posts, it just will no longer be a regular series.

So now let's move onto new fun things!  My latest blog series will be very similar to my past series I called "Fabulous Friday Finds", with the only difference being that it is now on Thursdays, and is called "Thrilling Thursday Things!" I think the new title sounds more exciting don't you?

Thrilling 

Thursday 

Things!

If your a new reader here you probably missed out on what this whole new series is about.  This is when I choose a theme, head on over to Etsy where I find nine items I personally like that fit the particular theme, create a beautiful collage, and post it here for everyone to see!  Because every item I've chosen is from Etsy, everything is either handmade, repurposed or vintage.

The best part about this is that being an Etsy seller myself, I know how difficult it can be to spread the word about how awesome your shop is!  And this is my way of helping to promote these businesses!

Below the collage I will always put the shops name and a direct link to that shop, so that you can visit them and show them some love! 

I feel it's important to spread the word on how important it is to support these types of shops, and praise them for all the hard work they put into creating a lovely space on the web.

This weeks theme is ...

Father's Day

Links to individual Etsy shops:

1}  Arrow Tie Clip from iadornu on Etsy
2}  iPhone/iPod Dock with USB from valliswood on Etsy
3}  Vintage Grill Tools from LaurasLastDitch on Etsy
4}  Vintage Barware Glasses from ThePapers on Etsy
5}  Printable Wall Art from MarleyDesign on Etsy
6}  Old Fashioned Mini Shaving Kit from MrKittysSoapShop on Etsy
7}  Rustic Wood Cigar Box from MichelesCottage on Etsy
8}  Vintage Pepsi Logo on Wooden iPhone Case from DecCase on Etsy
9}  unknown ~ in process of locating!!

Looking Ahead:

Be sure to stop back later on today after 12PM US EST and link up with my NO RULES Weekend Blog Party! If you haven't linked up with me before this party is a great way to network and make new friends.  You can link up anything you like because there are NO RULES!  Come link up your blogs, G+ pages, FB pages, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Etsy shops ...

Last week there were 127 entries!! I'd like to thank everyone who takes the time to stop by and link up with my party ~ it really means a lot to me, and I truly appreciate it :) 

Sincerely,

Paula

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

This year Mother's Day falls on Sunday May 12.  Each year I love to either purchase or make something special for my Mom, but it is so hard to chose something unique, useful, tasteful, fun, and non-repetitive.  What makes it even more difficult, is that my Mom's birthday falls at the end of April, so we've just celebrated that with gifts as well.

While I was searching around for the perfect gift for this Mother's Day, I thought it might be nice to share some of the lovely things that I have found.  

Since I've discontinued my "Fabulous Friday Finds" posts, I decided to use that same format for this post.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you may remember my "FFF" posts, but if you're a new reader I'll explain to you what these posts were all about.

My "Fabulous Friday Finds" posts were about all things handmade.  This was my contribution to helping spread the word about supporting independent artisans/crafters, and promoting particular artisans/crafters whose work fell within a chosen theme. Being a crafter who sells her work myself, I realized the importance of this.

Themes I had chosen included Elephants, Handknit Goodies, and Fairies.  Where did I find items which fit within my chosen theme? Etsy of course! 

I limited myself to nine items only.  Then I would create a pretty collage, which I posted on my blog along with a direct link to each individual shop.

I now bring you nine fabulous ideas for 
Mother's Day... hand picked by me.

Nine Lovely Mother’s Day

Gift Ideas

1)  Monogram Floral Cookie Set ~ LizyBsbakeshop on Etsy

2)  Hand Embroidered Quote ~ sometimesiswirl on Etsy

3)  Best Mum Ever Soap Set ~ viceandvelvet on Etsy

4)  Birds on A Branch Necklace ~ MegusAttic on Etsy

5)  Jewelry Dish ~ thebrickkiln on Etsy

6)  Vintage Wall Hanger ~ Milepost7 on Etsy

7)  Owl Phone Dust Plug ~ donutsandcoffee on Etsy

8)  Ruffled Hand-Dyed Silk Scarf ~ Econicashop

9)  Personalized Carved Wooden Cutting Board ~ woodink on Etsy

Looking Ahead:

I have many cool things planned for you this week!

♥ If you participate in Wordless Wednesday be sure to stop back here Tuesday afternoon anytime after 12 PM US EST, and link up!   I love to see what you all have to share each week and I return the Linky L♥VE! :)

♥  Thursday I have designated as my day of the week to reveal some things about myself that you may not know by just reading my blog alone, in my post titled "The Girl Behind the Blog".  (Last week I took a break to bring you a heart-wrenching story from my guest poster Heather, a cancer-survivor.  If you missed her story just Click Here  to read!  This story will tug at your heartstrings, and will remind you of what a gift life is.)  

♥ Also Thursday I will announce the big winner of my Lovely Little Giveaway which is hosted by myself, and the prize of 2) $10 Target Gift Cards and a free month of advertising is provided by Angie from Snack Cups and Smiles! 

♥ And last but not least, if you love blog parties like I do, I also host a NO RULES Weekend Blog Party beginning Thursday afternoons.  This is a fun one, because you can share anything you like!  I want to shout out a GIANT THANK YOU to all of last week's participants! You help to make the party a huge success! 

Wishing you all a lovely week!

Sincerely,

Paula