the perfect gift

Your best friend is getting married. You look at the wedding registry. 

Toaster.

Cuisinart.

Towels and sheet sets.

Yes, you know they need these things, but what about giving them something special?

Something that will last?

image source: keri meyers photography via AndeeFlynn on pinterest

Or maybe your sister is having a baby.

Strollers and car seats are awesome.

You see them on the registry and think,

"I know she needs it, but it doesn't say 'special.' It doesn't say, I really care."

Okay, great.

But what do you get the happy couple?

What do you get the mama-to-be?

How can you find a super special gift-

in a world of mass produced, everybody-has-it-and-nothing-looks- special?

What about giving a gift that's not only special, 

but one that will become cherished through the years,

will become a family heirloom

and get passed down from generation to generation?

But where can you find that?

I'm excited to share this secret find of mine.

It's called My Family Silver

You can order special one-of-a-kind gifts from them.

You can get a special gift that is monogrammed or personalized with the family crest.

The Flynn family crest

Don't know the family crest?

No worries, you can look it up easily

sweet sterling silver child's mug

Giving a gift that lasts will touch hearts for generations to come. 

Check out My Family Silver for some special one-of-a kind personailzed gifties.

Sweet happy gift giving

xo

Andee

digital scrapbooking giveaway

I love photoshop.  I've been using it since my art school days and I feel that photoshop is my friend.  But I realize that not everyone has it, knows how to figure it out, or is even in a place financially to afford it.

Maybe this is you

and maybe you still want a cute blog 

and 

you want to do it yourself. 

Well guess what I've got? 

A giveaway for some great digital scrapbooking software!

I made these cool sidebar blog links using the MyMemories suite. 

So here's how I made them:

I was able to create designs using all these cute embellishments. MyMemories suite has a ton to choose from.  I had a hard time picking, especially between the bows and the flowers.  {you know how I love the girly stuff!} Finally, I picked the pink flowers.  I then picked from a ton of font options, found the one I liked. I saved to export as a png file and as a jpeg file.  I wanted to try both.  Both were super easy to save, and went automatically to a folder on my hard drive.  Then all you have to do is upload them on to your blog.

Voilà.

So even if you've never used any photo software before, you can easily create super cute things for your blog with MyMemories suite.  And I'm only beginning.  There are so many options, plus you can download more embellishments, layouts and even backgrounds for free.  

Giveaway:

Mandatory to enter:

Visit MyMemories and pick your favorite embellishment or paper pack

and

like my page on facebook 

{from your personal facebook account}

come back here and tell me that you have done so.

additional entries:

1.  follow me on twitter

come back here and tell me you've done so

2.  follow me on pinterest

come back here and tell me you've done so

3.  tweet with a link about this giveaway 

come back here and tell me you've done so

4.  link to this giveaway on your facebook page or profile

come back here and tell me you've done so

5.  follow MyMemories blog

come back here and tell me you've done so

6.  like MyMemories on facebook

come back here and tell me you've done so

7.  Follow Mymemories on twitter

come back here and tell me you've done so

That's eight chances to win!

winner will be chosen on January 31st 2012

sweet happy giveaway!

Additional bonus!

I've got a discount code for you too!

$10 off your purchase of the MyMemories software, 

and 

a coupon for $10 off for digital downloads

$20 off total

just copy and paste this code:

STMMMS78372

yippee!

P.S. Feel free to use the blog sidebar links I made.  Right click and save to your desktop.  They are for personal use only.  You may not re-sell them.  You may use them on a blog that you have that is a business blog however.  Use them on your business blog, family blog, or other blog.  

the writing faculty

source: ellaminnowpeas via buddy rooster via andee eve on pinterest

writing can be challenging to help a kid with.  

{oops, i just ended my sentence with a preposition!}

especially if you may have forgotten

grammatical rules  

or

the tips and tricks 

how do you write a good thesis?  

what is an thesis anyway?  

adverb versus adjective   

proper noun   

what...?

maybe you want a little help for your child

maybe you want a writing tutor in your living room

your child can enter the world of the online classroom for help  

leaving you with time to tend to other areas in your busy schedule

{like reading blogs...ha, just kidding}

seriously, wouldn't it be great to have an online tutor to help out?

and it's not just for the little ones.  

there's help for teens as well as college students

here, check this out...

they have an amazing faculty of writing tutors

who can help with anything from 

academic writing and journalism 

to creative writing and poetry

or even play and screen writing

and that's just for elementary to middle school kids!

it gets even more advanced for  high schoolers

lots more creative writing possibilities

{lots!}

and get this,

there's even help for college applications!

i recommend the writing faculty  

for kids, young adults and even for grown ups

{yes, they'll help us too, thank goodness}

give 'em a whirl

what have you got to lose?

xo

andee

shabby apple giveaway

i just about jumped off my chair when i got the e-mail from shabby apple

asking if i wanted to host a giveaway for one of their necklaces!

yay!

this shabby apple green floral cameo necklace sells for $52.00

and i get to give it away to one lucky winner.

i might be more excited than you!

giveaway open to u.s. residents only

mandatory to enter:

like bearing fruit and shabby apple on facebook
{from your personal facebook account, not your page, otherwise i can't see it to 'count' it}

then come back and comment here saying that you've done so.

and please:

make sure that your email is linked to your profile 

or that you leave it in each comment so that i can contact you if you win

but wait!  

you have 4 more opportunities to enter!

extra entries

1.  follow me on twitter

then come back and comment saying so

2.  follow shabby apple on twitter 

then come back and comment saying so

3.  follow me on pinterest

then come back and comment saying so

4.  go to the shabby apple website and pick your favorite item

then come back and comment saying which it is

that's 5 chances to win!

deadline is january 11th

happy sweet giveaway!

xo

andee

christmas decorations and a little home tour...

every year we pull out the decorations

set it all up

and then i start mixin' it up

adding a little of this a little of that

changing it up, sometimes every day

mr. handsome loves it...

ha

that's what happens

you know me

i get to crafting

but here's what we've got so far

tho' i can't promise that tomorrow 

i won't have added 

to what you see here

ha

some things i find in stores

already made

like our little welcome mat

thank you target

and our faux poinsettias

thank you 50% off at michael's

other things i make myself

you know...

the buntings!

here's this little bunting

this one is a no-sew version

tutorial here

well, actually this one is a no-sew too

in our house, everywhere you go

you're gonna find a bunting here or there

 loving their festive touch

and then,

i've got little bits of christmas love everywhere

some are store-bought...

like the candle house from last year at bath + bodyworks

or this little santa

thank you walmart last year

we are all about tradition

and on christmas eve

we sit by the tree

and read the story of Jesus' birth from the bible

and then we read 'twas the night before christmas

just like they did when mr. handsome was little

this year i went cuckoo bananas for these sock monkeys

i had to find something to do with the fabric

hello hand towels in our guest bathroom

tutorial coming soon....

and ya know how i love the hand made

but 

even when they are store bought

like our stockings

they still sorta look handmade

while i was at the fabric store

after the sock monkeys, i found this

love those little santas!

tho' it could use a stop at my ironing board

ha.

speaking of cleaning

i don't know about you

but i feel like everyday i've got my vacuum out

{or should be taking it out anyway}

to pick up the pine needles

i wish i had some great secret tips to give ya

really i do

but mostly i try to keep up

and let myself off the hook a bit when i don't

actually

that's probably the best tip right there

enjoy the time with family

do the best you can

and give yourself a break

relax by the tree and enjoy

i saved the best for last

probably my favorite part

the ornaments

some are made by hand

like the first one on the upper left

i made it last year with the fabric from our wedding decor

and the little pine cone in the center

spray painted that silver and added a ribbon

at my friend kelly's house last year

she hosted an ornament making day

look at this one!

see the little snowman 

in the lower right corner

i made that last year on a trip with mr. handsome to sun valley

the others are just some sweet faves

old and new

store bought

but with a handmade sorta touch

so that's a bit of us

our heart and our home

sweet

happy 

christmas

***

i'm sharing my holiday home decor and cleaning tips 

for the chance to win prizes from the sits girls and great cleaners