BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Friday Eve all. Can you believe this time next week those of us in the US will be stuffing our faces ( no pun intended) or passed out in a food coma? I'm not sure how Thanksgiving is only a week away but it is. 

Here are some ideas from last week's party that you can still do in time for the big day. 

Love this Farmhouse Center Piece from Woods of Bell Trees. Isn't it gorgeous? 

Whether you're hostessing or going as a guest, these fun Wood Earrings from Sugar and Succulents are a great wardrobe addition. 

If like me, you buy fresh herbs but don't use them all before they go bad, this idea from The Crafty Lumberjacks is perfect. Herb smudge sticks. 

Continuing on my quest to bring more chocolate to Thanksgiving, this is another find from Pinterest that I'm looking at adding to my desserts. Fudgy Chocolate Pecan Pie from Real House Moms. YUM!

Now on to this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Jazz Loves Disney....And So Do I !

This is a sponsored post through partnership with One2One Network, Disney Music and Verve. Opinions are mine. 

I recently had the opportunity to review the album "Jazz Loves Disney". It was perfect for me since we  are huge Disney fans. 

The first thing most people think of when it comes to Disney (well, after Mickey Mouse) are the parks and the rides. But for me, it's also the music. Every attraction has a theme song increasingly tied into the movies. 

To say that we are Disney fans is an understatement. We've been to the parks for so many of the special occasions in our life starting with our honeymoon, to  childhood trips with our son including while dropping him off at college and then celebrating his graduation. Most recently we celebrated our 25th Anniversary there.  

On roadtrips there and back, Disney music was  part of our travels. When not there? We've celebrated birthdays and other occasions with Disney music. One of my favorite memories is from when our son was little and we staged Disney parades marching  to Disney music throughout our house. 

You get the picture of why I jumped at the chance  to review this album. This is Disney for grown ups. These are some of the classic Disney songs done in mellow and memorable ways that will have you humming or singing when you're not thinking about it. Not in that eyes glazed over because your kids want to listen to things over and over ( been there, done that and no offense to some Disney tunes but you know what I mean!) but because you enjoy the music. 

You can download from iTunes or Amazon and here is the full track listing: 

Track Listing:

1.  Jamie Cullum – "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat" – from The Aristocats

2.  Melody Gardot – "He’s A Tramp" – from Lady And The Tramp

3.  Stacey Kent – "Bibbidi Bobbodo Boo" (French version) – from Cinderella

4.  Gregory Porter – "When You Wish Upon A Star" – from Pinocchio  

5.  China Moses – "Why Don’t You Do Right" – from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

6.  Raphaël Gualazzi – "I Wanna Be Like You" – from The Jungle Book

7.  The Rob Mounsey Orchestra – "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" – from Cinderella

8.  Hugh Coltman – "You’ve Got A Friend In Me" – from Toy Story

9.  Anne Sila – "Let It Go" – from Frozen

10.  Melody Gardot & Raphaël Gualazzi – "The Bare Necessities" – from The Jungle Book

11.  Laika – "Once Upon A Dream" – from Sleeping Beauty

12.  Nikki Yanofsky -"Someday My Prince Will Come" – from Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

13. The Hot Sardines – I Wanna Be Like You (French & English version) – from The Jungle Book (US release only)

I didn't think anyone could sing "Let It Go" from "Frozen" as well as Idina Menzel, but Anne Sila's rendition is wonderful. I  also love Melody Gardot's "He's a Tramp" from "Lady and the Tramp" but honestly, there isn't a song on here I didn't enjoy. 

This quote from Stacey Kent who did "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" sums things up for me: 

The song BIBBIDI BOBBIDI BOO, speaks to the child in us all, that still believes - or would like to believe - that we can do magic. As we grow up, we are at the risk of losing that sense of possibility but music has always had the power to transform the world and make it a better place; If that’s not magic, what is?”

I need a little magic in my life right now and for me, nobody does that better than Disney.

BFF Open House Link Party

Hi all. Happy Thursday / Friday Eve and welcome to this week's party. Here are some Thanksgiving inspired features from last week since it will be here before you know it! 

Let's start with "Hooty" the Baking Owl from Artsy VaVa. You don't have to be a baker to love what she did with these baking pans! 

Not only do I love this checkered banner from Lolly Jane, it's REVERSIBLE so you can use for multiple occasions. 

I've been so lazy ever since Windows Live kinda went sideways on me. That's how I used to watermark my pics and now when I remember, I do it manually in PicMonkey. So this tip from My Messy Little Nest is perfect. I need to do this! 

Now for this week's chocolate feature: 

Every year, I'm on the hunt for how to "chocolate-i-fy" Thanksgiving. I pinned this awesome looking Bittersweet Chocolate Pumpkin Tart from Love and Olive Oil.  Even someone like me who is not fond of pumpkin could tear into this don't you think?

On to this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy November everyone! Hope you had a fun and uneventful Halloween. Now that it's November time will really fly by for the rest of the year. Let's take a look at some of the great ideas shared at last week's party. 

Halloween may be over but you can still pin this idea for next year. Love this chalkboard  sign from Much More Creative! 

I have morphed into this person who can rarely wear a coat anymore, even in the Pacific Northwest! I get too hot inside but still need something for outside. So wraps and ponchos are perfect and Woods of Bell Trees has a great project to convert a shawl into a poncho!

Printables are such a fun and easy way to add some seasonal decor and the ladies at Lolly Jane have a really cute one they're sharing. 

We are in prime baking season ( OK when isn't it time to bake?) so these Nutella Chip Cookie Sandwiches are a must add to Fall baking. From Sweet Meets Bake Shop. 

OK on to this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

HOW is it the last week of October ? HOW is it Halloween weekend? Inquiring minds want to know. Back with features this week including ...wait for it...a Christmas feature. It's coming. 

But first Halloween. 

How about this giant wood DIY skeleton from Bliss on a Budget? Isn't it amazing? 

The Queen of transformation, Artsy VaVa is at it again. You won't believe how this chest looked before she got done with it. Suffice it to say, it was saaaaaaaaaaad. 

Love this vintage shadow box frame idea from 3 Winks Design. Lots of possibilities not just for Christmas but for any keepsake treasures. 

But back to Halloween. How about these Black Forest Brownie Cheesecake Trifles for a "spooktacular" dessert? YUM! Check out Tinselbox for the details. 

OK now on to this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

SO, this will be a feature free week because reasons, but hope to be back w/ them next week. Until then, party on! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Signs of Halloween

Even though I thought I was done w/ my Halloween decorating, I went on a little bit of a sign making binge while we were on storm watch this weekend.  Being cooped up in the house is a good way to do some stash busting! 

These were all made from inexpensive things I'd picked up along the way and done the same way. Paint and vinyl. Easy peasy. 

Supplies:

• Wood pieces to paint
• Craft paints in colors of choice
• Vinyl
• Vinyl cutter
• Misc. embellishments

For the "Wicked" sign, I started with a plain wood box I found at DAISO ( Japanese Store where pretty much everything's $1.50). 

The large Broom sign was one of those " no idea what I'm going to do with this but it's $.99" sale finds at Michaels.

The three piece Broom sign was from a bag of wood pieces bought on another trip to Michaels. 

The process is the same for all the signs. Paint, dry brush, apply vinyl. 

Paint with the basecoat color of your choice ( I used Folk Art Titanium White and Extreme Glitter White;  Martha Stewart Metallic Gold ) . For the white signs, apply one or two coats of the plain white and then one coat of the glitter white. For the Wicked sign , two coats of the gold paint. When dry, dry brush lightly with black paint. 

Either while you're waiting for your paint to dry or the power to go out, cut your vinyl. I used images from the Silhouette store and cut on my Cameo.  When your signs are dry, weed and apply your vinyl. 

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Friday eve all. Up here in the PNW we are bracing for not one, but two epic storms, one of which may be record breaking. To say I am not looking forward to either of them is an understatement. Hope my fellow NW crafty peeps stay safe. 

Here are some festive ideas from last week's party to add to your Halloween plans! 

Love these Halloween numbers from Much More Creative.  I think I will have to do 25 for Christmas! 

These Halloween Lantern Lights from Lynda Creates would be a fun addition to a mantle, railing or any place you can put them up! 

Very much in love with this Magnolia Pumpkin from Lolly Jane. So elegant and easily something that can stay up through Thanksgiving! 

This week's chocolate feature is one of my favorite ( and easy ) things to make...a festive bark. i need to whip some up for my grown guy's goodie box. Check out this version from Morgan Manages Mommyhood. 

Now on to this week's party! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

BFF Open House Link Party

Happy Friday Eve all! Hope the first week of October has treated you well. Let's see some festive Fall ideas from last week's party! 

With Halloween just weeks away, Raven Would whipped up this very realistic looking "metal"  cauldron that would be perfect for storing those treats! 

This festive candle from The Crafty Lumberjacks would go perfectly with that cauldron don't you think? 

While not specifically Halloween, Mich in LA has something that could accessorize a costume...perhaps if you were going as "The Mother of Dragons" from "Game of Thrones"?  Plus she always uses something no one can ever guess in her work. 

And whether you have littles or you're just young at heart, these Monster Cups from Western New Yorker would be a fun addition to Halloween entertaining. 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up