Monday, January 31, 2011

Silhouette Fun

So this weekend I finally got the chance to sit down and begin to figure out my new BFF, my Silhouette. I will have to say that their instructions aren't great. They just don't give good details on how to get started and get the paper lined up to cut. After a few waisted pages and a little frustration, I figured it out. Many I should have started with something a little more basic but..well...I just can't do that. That would be easy and well I'm not easy...no pun intended :0



As you can see the shirt on Emme really isn't very good. It was my first try. Alea is wearing her owl shirt today and it is cracking. I have yet to find a heat transfer that doesn't crack :(

Anyhoo, I love my Silhouette and they are offering 20% off until the 3rd (code is on their home page). I can't wait to get used to it and start cranking out loads of fun creations! I really want to make a subway art something.....

Smile! You never know who is falling for you!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Very Cute & Fun Craft

We are heading out the watch the X Games today but I wanted to share a super cute and quick craft. I found saw these earrings on one of the blogs I read, Sutton Grace. I just had to have those rose cabochons. So I looked up the seller Pretty Lovelies on etsy and had at it. Bought a bunch of different things. Here are the rings I made.



Love them. I made earrings & bobby pins too. I got tons of compliments plus several friends wanted to buy some for presents. I sold them super cheap but still made a few bucks.

{EDIT} I use E600 glue to adhere the flowers. It helps to file the metal first. You can get the glue in the craft section at Wally-world.

For the rings or earrings themselves I would just search etsy. I bought from 3 different people. Bunny Sundries is good too.

Have a fabulous day!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

New Website + Giveaway

I can't tell you how excited I am about the new site especially the new features! Baby registry, buy gift certificates online, very user friendly. If you haven't check it out already. You must check it out NOW.

Since I am a little off my rocker this week with all the fun that is happening I am offering the best deal in town with all orders! No minimum order, any order, any size, until this Sunday, January 30, 2011, I am giving away a FREE $25 gift certificate!

Can you tell I am excited??

Wait there is more...

You can't launch a website without out a giveaway, right?

So I am giving away your favorite item from our newest collection, Late Winter 2011. 


Pretty cute, huh?
How can you win?

Here are the details....

Go to our website and sign up for our newsletter. It is available on several pages, find it and add your email address. Now you are entered. If you are already signed up for our newsletter, just let us know.

Want to increase your chances?

For another entry...

If you don't follow your favorite blog yet, Follow The Life of Bebe Dulce! See that little follow button down there on the right? Click it! Perfect, now you have another entry!

More entries...

*Like us on Facebook.

*Go to our website and leave us a comment on the contact page.

Now you just need to tell us what you did. Leave us a comment here, or a comment on Facebook, or a comment on our website and let us know that you want to WIN and what you did to enter.

Now just cross your fingers.

Contest ends Sunday, January 30, 2011.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

My Mom is the best, seriously...

You remember a couple of weeks ago I posted this and I talked about these cool things that I wanted. Well today imagine my excitement when I opened my front door to this!


It wasn't a total surprise although it was a "surprise". After she read my post she said that she thought she should get me a Silhouette.... for Mother's Day. An early Mother's Day present from the best Mom EVER. I can't even tell you how excited I am to get to know this bad boy. Unfortunately, neither one of my darling kids decided to nap this afternoon so I guess my date with my new bad boy will have to be post-poned. But until then I will just be happy and grateful that I have the best Mom EVER.

If you have never seen this amazing machine, check out their website.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Challenge #7

Okay, since I have skipped the challenge for about a month now! Total slacker, I know!! Ha-ha. I am now going to just number them instead of using weeks, just in case I need to skip again. Not that I am planning to but just in case...you know to cover my a*s...

Frame It Friday..has a nice little ring to it, huh? So I had several picture frame ideas that I brought to life both were simple, simple, simple.

First, I really needed to decorate the girls room. The walls were pretty bare and if you remember my post last week regarding the wall colors in our home, well I will refresh your memory, they are all off-white. Sooo in my office I had a stash of basic black picture frames that I had bought on clearance at Bed, Bath & Beyond. They sell them in sets of 4, I had bought them a couple of years ago as I made a wall collage of pictures. I had several left and sitting not too far was an enormous stack of Alea's art work. I also had paint that I bought (craft paint from Wal-mart) when I was decorating Alea's nursery. So I just slapped a couple of coats of paint over the black frames, inserted fabulous 3 year old daughter's art work and Viola!


I made 7 of them and I will have to say, I love them! Love seeing her artwork!

Next, I have this piece of art (my Aunt's) via my grandmother. I love this piece. As you can see the frame is mostly gold. Clearly it was framed many a years ago. So bust out my black craft paint from Wally-world and here you go.

Very happy with the result! Have you done any easy, fun projects lately? Tell me about them!
Happy Friday! I have a newborn photo session next week and this week I happened to be reading one of my favorite blogs The Pioneer Woman and one of her guest's posted about this incredible photographer. I can't wait to get my lens in front of that baby next week now. I will definitely be drawing a little inspiration from Kerrianne Brown. Can you say AMAZING? Love her style!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

I'm a Mom!

You know my 3 year old is constantly "Mommy, Momma, Mom." telling me everything that possibly comes into her mind. We go through life and everything happens so fast. Then out of the millions of times Alea says "Mom", I stopped and think, "Holy Sh*t, I can't believe I am a Mom." I am finally here. I am one of those girls that always wanted to be a Mom. I mean I probably "played" house until I was way too old. I couldn't wait to be a Mom. And now I am here, I'm a Mom, exactly what I want to be.


What is even funnier is that today was a really hard day. They just wore me out, Alea was relentless. Now they are finally in bed maybe it's just that I am enjoying the quiet just a little too much.



They make me smile.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Super Mommy Tip #8

Super Mommy Tip #8, Only Do What You Can Handle Part 3:

I think every Mom dreads doing laundry. I mean it piles up before we ever get to the bottom of it, it never stops, never a day (or hour for that matter) goes by that you are tossing something in the basket. Quite frankly I am lucky if I finish a whole load in one day from start to finish. I always tell myself that I will get better about it and not let it stay in the dryer for a day or two but I am still waiting for myself to listen. Anyway, I have decided since laundry is never ending, that I can only handle 2 loads at a time. Yep only 2! Anymore and well I get buried, overwhelmed and nearly depressed. Choose how many loads you can do at a time in order not to get buried beneath the never ending pile. If that means picking out your favorite things, then do it and don't do ANYMORE that what YOU can handle! Don't overwhelm yourself by dirty laundry.

PS. One of the best decisions I ever made (and this was before I had kids) was for my hubs to do his own laundry. When we first moved in together I took over all the laundry, folding, putting away all his clothes, being the perfect little house-girlfriend. Well it took me about a month before I realized that...well that he can do his own laundry. 6 years later he still does his own and I am still patting myself on the back for the great decision. So sorry husbands but ladies, try it! I promise this is not one that you will regret.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Golden Rule

I am sure everyone remembers "The Golden Rule", "Treat others as you want to be treated". I am sure many of you remember your parents telling you this and I do as well. Like many of the other things our parents told us over and over, we quickly forget these very important , yet simple phrases that were etched in our brains growing up.

We all are very aware of the tragedy in Tucson this past weekend. In the past few years it seems as though similar tragedy's are becoming all too common. It is beyond sad, beyond senseless. beyond disturbing that people have so much hate inside them that they want to hurt someone else. Most of the time it is people they don't know and have never met before.

Why do people have so much hate?  Regardless of who you voted for President, we all got Obama. Whether you like him or not, HE IS OUR PRESIDENT. He is in charge of our country. There is nothing anyone can do to change that until the next election, so why can't we remove the hate from our minds and our hearts and work with what we have. Remember this little phrase "united we stand, divided we fall" (translation: divided we fail).  Right now as a country we are failing, we are failing each other, to many are showing more and more hate. As individuals, as family members as friends, as a country we must learn to tolerate each others differences and unite as one.

Personally I try to teach my kids everyday to love everyone. Life is too short, there is no room for hate in our hearts or our minds. When we show LOVE, we spread LOVE, we receive LOVE.  Obviously, therefore when we show hate, we spread hate and we receive hate in return.

If you want to make a difference and feel that the world is too big for little ol' you to make a difference, start right now, start with the person sitting next to you, with the next person you come in contact with; show them loveLove is contagious. The world is big and the problems are even bigger but change must start somewhere. Why not let it start with you, right now, this minute, this second.  The hate has grown and continues to grow. We CAN stop the hate. Start NOW. Show others LOVE, compassion, caring.... embrace each others differences and learn to work together, open your mind and listen to others; treat them as you want to be treated. What we put out into the world is what we will get back. Personally I want love back. If you aren't feeling loved, show more love to others, I promise it will come back to you.

Unfortunately I did not get to see Obama's speech last night but I did look it up and read it. I think there are things he said that are extremely important if we would like to live in a more loving world.

"We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us."
"At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized — at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do — it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds," the president said.

He spoke of decency and goodness, declaring: "The forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us."



Make your mind up today that YOU want our country to change. You want our country to stop the hate. Start right now, this moment and start showing more love to each other especially when people are showing you hate..

"Love one another."


This post is in no way meant to be political. I do not voice my political views on this blog. I am not claiming to be for or against either political party.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Blah, Blah, Blah

I am in need of a little motivation these days. Most people start off the New Year with a bang but I am different if you haven't noticed. Since I have had my own business and I am busy throughout December, January seems to be my laziest month.

I

MUST

GET

MOTIVATED

AGAIN

SOON

......................

Okay I just called my hubber and informed him that I will be painting our bedroom sky blue (that color just came out of the top of my head but blue is a definite possibility). The funny thing about this is that the 2 homes that we have owned together, every wall has been painted off-white. Why, you might ask? Well we can't agree on paint colors.  So imagine his dismay. His response, "that is a waste of money". Ha. Ha. Why is his response funny you might ask? My husband is not money conscious and NEVER tells me not to spend money. I manage our finances, therefore I am the one saying not to buy this or that. If I ever ask him if I should buy something, he ALWAYS says yes. Maybe I will pleasantly surprise him with a new bedroom color here soon :)

Then I told him I also want to frame out our bathroom mirror. Like this.  http://showandtell-sausha.blogspot.com/2010/05/framed-mirror-tutorial.html

He then asked me if I thought I was Martha Stewart. I told him he could call me Martha if he wanted to.....
I will keep you updated on my progress.

Don't hold your breath.

On a side note. I believe in angels.

I am not sure why but those simple 4 words (which I totally believe) have been in my head all day, you know like a song that is stuck in your head.

I believe in angels.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Dream a Little Dream

In case you were wanting to buy me a fabulous gift for the New Year, I thought I would give you a few ideas. He-he just kidding (sort of :) I just thought I would share these amazing items that are on my want list, you can slap me later for making you want them too.

Can you believe this lady made this? Awesome! I might have to get the hub-ster on this for Alea's birthday or Christmas.
http://suttongrace.blogspot.com/2011/01/mod-doll-house-plans.html

I REALLY, REALLY want this. I know that once (yes I said once) I get it, I won't know how I ever lived without it.  http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/whatcanitdo.aspx  I am just waiting for one of those days when I need to buy something fabulous to make myself feel better because the Silhouette will do just that.

Not that I quit but think how fast you can cut out cute little flowers, circles and anything else my heart desires. There is a smaller, less expensive portable version but since I am wishing/dreaming, might as well dream big right?  http://www.accuquilt.com/Studio-Cutter-C457.aspx

Out of all these this is probably what I will get/make first, although I have until the end of March for the babes bday. I must have it done by then.  http://www.howdoesshe.com/birthday-wreath

Or maybe I will make this next for my bed. The only thing is that I want them to be REALLY big. One, because I saw a pic in a magazine years ago from a Nate Berkus ad and they were amazing. I couldn't find them for sale anywhere. Two because our bed is gi-normous so they need to be REALLY big to make them look good. The only issue is that I don't know if I can find sweaters that are big enough to make them out of. No big and tall stores around these parts. So that leaves me to knit them myself which takes the project to a whole other level. I do know how to knit although it has been a few years, oh yea 3 years ago to be exact before my first bambina was born and I had a few extra minutes during the day.  Wow that was a long explanation, oops.  http://brassyapple.blogspot.com/2011/01/diy-sweater-pillows-cozy-up.html

And this!  http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2010/03/creative-guest-remodelaholic-pottery.html  I likey.

Can't forget this. Expect to see a new design this summer with this amazing fabric. LOVE  http://www.rufflefabric.com/  Which one, which one to choose.

Okay, last one I promise. I pretty much LOVE (no pun intended :) everything from this shop but this is my favorite.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/39947047/unique-love-sign-because-everyone-could


Just giving you a little glimpse of what I am dreaming of today....

What fabulous things are you dreaming of??

Dreams come a size too big so we can grow into them.   -Unknown

Monday, January 10, 2011

Super Mommy Tip #8

Do your own salon manicure & pedicure. For most of us Mom's the days of heading to the salon every week or two to have someone else massage, rub and paint our hands and feet are just a distant memory. Time just isn't on our side to pamper ourselves as we once did. So if you are anything like me, well hopefully not because I am a little obsessed with having perfectly filed and painted nails, and want salon-looking nails here are my tips for doing your own salon mani - pedi.

1. Get salon grade polish. Every salon sells polish. My favorites are OPI & Esse. Personally on my hands I like a pale color, madamoiselle (Esse) and privacy please (OPI). I like pale colors on my hands because if I do mess up a little you can't really tell. For my feet I get brave and use a variety of colors because they are a little easier to do.

2. You will also want to get a base coat polish and a top coat polish (they do make these combined). These you can get from the drug store. For the top coat make sure you get one that is shine or extra shine.

3. You need either toothpicks (beak the point off) or bobby pins. You will use these to get the excess polish off your cuticles.

4. All optional: pumice stone, foot bath, salt scrub. If you have time, I typically do the scrubbing when I am in the bath. Or just ask your husband, I am sure he will be happy to rub your feet :) ha-ha

Okay, to get started, file your nails and trim your cuticles. If you don't have the tools, invest in them from you local drug store. They are cheap. I like clippers, a cuticle trimmer and a file. Once you finish that, you will start at the center of the nail and work your way out with the polish. You want an even, light coat. You will do 2 coats, so be sure not do it too thick. After you paint each nail, take your toothpick or bobby pin and run it along your cuticle to grab any excess polish.

For my hands, I sometimes only use one coat of polish but for the feet I always use 2 coats. I also like to make sure the polish is completely dry before I put the top shine coat on. Voila! Only you will know that you didn't spend hours at the salon getting those fabulous nails, something us Mom's only dream about these days!

Remember practice makes perfect!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

I try to tell myself this constantly. Probably every hour when I am at home with my kids, mainly when Alea has colored on, cut, or otherwise destroyed yet something else. I try to take a deep breath and think "is this really a BIG deal?" Yes I don't like what happened but is it really the worst thing that could happen? My answer is no, natta, nope, it clearly could be worse.

For those of you that don't live in a tiny little resort town that is bombarded by crazy tourists that don't have a clue how to drive in snow and ice, let me just tell you that these tourists can drive you crazy if you let them. They drive like they are in NYC, cutting people off, gunning it from light to light, definitely not stopping for pedestrians. During the "season" everytime I drive into town, I repeat to myself  "is it really a big deal". Yet again my answer is "nope". If it is makes that person feel better to cut me off then so be it. It is clearly not the worst thing that could happen to me that day. Is it going to affect my life in the long run? No. Do I want it to turn my otherwise good day, bad? Definitely not. Maybe they are having a bad day and they need a little wiggle room. Fine.

The reason I am bringing this up is I see so often people get incredibly upset over the small stuff. Although I try and tell myself not to sweat it, sometimes I just do. I constantly try not to because if I do sweat it, well it changes my mood, my outlook and my outcomes. By outcome I mean that when you emit positive energy you receive positive energy. Therefore when you sweat the small stuff you are emitting negative energy and you got it...receiving negative back. Why would you want some dumb tourist or anyone for that matter to cause you to receive negative energy? Of course you don't. So just remember to let it go, blow it off, take a deep breath and don't sweat the small stuff.

Today I am attempting to make homemade rolls for hamburgers for dinner. I will let you know how it turns out. I haven't bought bread for myself since the beginning of November. I love making my own bread. If you missed my bread recipe post check it out. I got it from Weight Watchers! So it must be good for me, right? :)



"The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up."

— Mark Twain

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

New Year, New Me

....well sort of.... Same me with a new look. Okay not really a new look for me but for my cyber me. You have probably heard me say before I like change.  Change seems to brighten me up a bit and keep me on my toes. I guess you can see the first thing I changed was the look of fabulous Mr. Blog. What do ya think? Not too bad, huh? The second thing that will be changing is good ol' Mr. Website. You know since I stated my website 2 1/2 years ago I have never been super happy with the features and look. Hopefully that will change soon. I have been working on a new site on and off for about a month now. I am probably about half way done and hope to finish it up sometime this month.  I will offer a registry, gift certificates and fun, new fabulous products, clothes to be exact. Beyond cute dresses, pants, shorts, shirts all in adorable fabric. I can't wait to show you. I actually have the new items that I am going to launch with the new website already finished, now I am just waiting to finish the site. Chop, chop Claire!!

As for a New Years resolution. I actually try all year to be a good person, happy, loving, caring. I don't really wait until the New Year do well, anything. Right now I am really trying to be more patient. I need patience. Having a 3 year old tests anything and everything I have in my body and mind. So I will say if I am going to choose a resolution it will be to take deep breaths and be patient. Ahhh I feel better already :)


Stay positive, think positive, be positive and you will receive positive outcomes.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Don't Forget To Eat Your Luck This New Year

I like to make black eyed peas for New Years. I mean they are suppose to be good luck and I am all for any and all luck I can get. So I made black eyed peas with ham. I can't believe how good it was, black eyed peas aren't my favorite but this year I got it right. Plus it was super easy. So if you haven't had your black eyed peas yet, get started.

I sauteed garlic and onion with a little olive oil. Cut or tore ham into pieces. I probably had about 2 cups of ham. Add that to the pan. Dump in 3 cans of BEP's, do not drain the peas. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

I also made corn bread with jalapenos. Beyond Yummy!

The other recipe I made was for a BEP dip! I found it on one of my favorite blogs, The Pioneer Woman. If you don't know about the Pioneer Woman, you must check her out. She rocks. I could go on and on about how much I like her but check out her blog and see for yourself. She is addicting. She has great recipes that never disappoint. Click here for the Black Eyed Pea Dip. So delicious.

Happy New Year. I hope this year brings everyone laughter, love and fun!