Make it Great Monday

I can't tell you how thrilled I am that the Make it Great Monday party is still growing!  We're almost up to 100 projects every week.  I try my hardest to get to all of them and to leave a comment but please forgive me if I don't make it to yours or if I only leave a comment on one of your projects instead of all of them.  With so many people having comment verification on it's becoming more and more time consuming.  I still love visiting all of your blogs though, so keep on linking!
Here are some highlights from last week's party.

1. Upcycled Design Lab shared an awesome tutorial and show'd you how she made a top that she had already remade!
2. All of Me showed you how to melt hama beads and make them into something special.
3. Erin from Time to Create shared a super easy and super fun idea to keep your kids busy.
4. and Ana from Ana Love Craft is being featured, not because she told me I looked young & beautiful in my new hairdo (although it certainly didn't hurt) but, because I fell in love with her gorgeous set of atlas bags!

Thank you to everyone for linking up!

I love having sooooo many creative ideas all in one place.

If you were featured, please feel free

to grab a featured button from the sidebar.

Now, onto this week's Make it Great party!

Please only link:

1) To your Family Friendly Project Post that you've made yourself, not your main blog page
2) Maximum of 3 projects/party that you haven't link up before
3) Please, no shops, giveaways, round ups, or commercial sites
4) Feel free to hit one of those Follow buttons on the sidebar ;)

And, not really a rule, but something you won't regret if you do....go visit some of the other links and leave a comment, we all love comments right? And you never know what kind of goodies you'll find!

If you link up, please post my button somewhere on your blog so more people can come join the fun.

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Let's see what you've been working on! (If you link up you are giving me permission to tell the world how great you are and possibly post a picture or a link to your awesome project either here, on Facebook, or on Pinterest. Make sure you're OK with this before you link up.)

Make it Great Monday:

(All of your creative projects)

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Motivated Monthly:

(BABY Projects ONLY)

Did you read the whole post above?  Avoid having your project deleted by making sure to link up to the right party please~

Pretty Dominoes

I was one of those kids who always kept things in their original packaging.  I was also one of those kids who rarely threw anything away.  So, when I came across my childhood domino set in it's original box in pristine condition I threw caution to the wind and gave them a total overhaul.

 

If you want to make a pretty set of your own, here's what you need:

Materials
-Set of wooden dominoes
-Mod Podge gloss and Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
-Spray paint or acrylic paint
-paint brush
-pretty papers

Steps:

1) If you're super serious about crafting you will want to sand and prime your dominoes.  I am not that serious, so I just lined them all up and gave them several coats of spray paint.

I went back and forth on the idea of sanding down the edges to give them a shabby chic look but in the end decided that wasn't a good idea.  All of the tiles should look the same when they're turned over and they shouldn't have any distinguishing marks on them.  So... I just left them as is.

2) While you're waiting for your tiles to dry, pick out your pretty papers.  You need a different paper for every number you have (six).  You can cover the blanks too but this could be a little confusing when you're playing.  It's best to just leave them blank.

3) You're probably still waiting for your paint to dry so now's a good time to cut out your tiny little squares of paper to cover each of the numbers.  I used my Silhouette but you could do this by hand.  My squares are 18millimetres square.  Make sure to pre-measure your tiles to see if it's the same before you start cutting.

I was originally going to cover the blanks,
that's why there's seven tiles,
but I changed my mind~

4) Once your paint has finally dried, start adhering your papers.  The easiest way to do it is one number at a time.  Gather all of the one's and paste down the same paper on top of each of them, then all of the two's and so on.

I found it easier to brush the glue onto the backs of the paper squares instead of directly onto the tiles.

5) Next add a nice thick layer of Dimensional Magic to the entire top of your dominoes.

This gives them a super glossy, resin look.

It goes on a bit milky but dries super clear.  Just watch for air bubbles.  I put mine on so thick I had to let them dry overnight.

I couldn't put these lovely tiles back into their old box so I even made them a new holder!

Gorgeous!  Now I just need to find someone to play with~

Have a crafty week everyone!

Tell a Tale: The Dry Grass of August

Considering what month we're in,

I thought this might be a good time to tell you about one of my new favourite books!

Summary (from Goodreads):
In this beautifully written debut, Anna Jean Mayhew offers a riveting depiction of Southern life in the throes of segregation, what it will mean for a young girl on her way to adulthood--and for the woman who means the world to her.

On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteen-year-old Jubie Watts leaves Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family for a Florida vacation. Crammed into the Packard along with Jubie are her three siblings, her mother, and the family's black maid, Mary Luther. For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been there--cooking, cleaning, compensating for her father's rages and her mother's benign neglect, and loving Jubie unconditionally.

Bright and curious, Jubie takes note of the anti-integration signs they pass, and of the racial tension that builds as they journey further south. But she could never have predicted the shocking turn their trip will take. Now, in the wake of tragedy, Jubie must confront her parents' failings and limitations, decide where her own convictions lie, and make the tumultuous leap to independence.
Infused with the intensity of a changing time, here is a story of hope, heartbreak, and the love and courage that can transform us--from child to adult, from wounded to indomitable.

Review:
I could not put this book down. I LOVED it! If you liked "The Help" you'll love this book!

It's beautifully written and every character and every piece of dialogue draws you further into the past. The segregated south of the 1950's was a confusing time for young people who simply saw people for who they were, not for what colour their skin was. This story is beautifully told through the eyes of young teenage Jubie. Over the course of a summer her life changes in ways unimaginable. She goes from being a typical annoying sister to a mature young adult who see's the world through a new lens and the author allows her to grow in a realistic way that we can all relate to.

It took Anna Jean Mayhew 18 years to write this book and I can see why. It's a complicated story with many characters but she manages to create a picture in your mind of each one of them and their intertwined lives. You will be taken back in time and reminded of how you saw the world when you were young and start to question when it all changed, even if you didn't live through the turbulence of the 50's and 60's.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone however, be prepared.  There are parts that are heartbreaking.  You will cry.  But you will laugh out loud too.  It's the kind of book that makes you feel.  And I think those are the best books of all~

Have you read this book?  Can you imagine taking 18 years to create something and then unleashing it out into the world?  Share your thoughts below!  Don't forget, you can always find me, and other book reviews on Goodreads as Etcetorize.

Adult Prairie Skirt

Last week I showed you how to make a cute skirt for back to school.

I was even lucky enough to have it featured on CraftGossip.  Anne Weaver picks out what sewing 'gossip' to share with their readers and here's what she wrote about my little project:

Tamara from Etcetorize shows how to make a girl’s prairie skirt for back-to-school. The long ruffle sewn on to a yoke creates a full skirt without making it too bulky through the hips and waist. She gives the dimensions she used to make one for her 5 year old niece, but you can easily adjust them to make a skirt larger or smaller. This would be cute for the tween set, or even in an adult size. 

What she didn't know at the time was that I had already made a larger version for myself!

Don't ask me what measurements I used, because I just eyeballed the whole thing and used the same concept that I did with the girl's skirt.

I don't ever wear this silhouette but it's not bad.  I think it's good for people trying to add curves (like me) or hide curves (like Reese Witherspoon or Jennifer Love Hewitt-they both rely heavily on this style).  The border print cotton fabric gives it a very folksy feel.  Hopefully, I don't like like I'm about to go to a hoe down.

This is the first time you're seeing my new bangs too!  I asked for your opinion on my new haircut here, and as soon as I read the comment from the lovely Ana from Portugal you couldn't hold me back..." I think with bangs you look like younger :)! ".  Yup, she said the magic word~

Bye Bye Golden Girls~

Well, it's with a heavy heart that I bid adieu to my lovely Golden Girls~

I finally finished watching all 7 seasons on DVD!

And what perfect timing.  These wonderful ladies managed to get me through one of the most stressful things I've had to endure...job loss.

I started watching when I was first notified that my job was being cut (back in May).  It was the only thing that could take my mind off of my worries.  For 22 minutes straight I was able to laugh, cry, and roll my eyes at someone else's problems...and it helped.

It seems so silly.  It's just an old sit-com from the 90's but I really became attached to the characters.

I actually had to take a break from watching after the first 5 or 6 dvd's because I was dreaming about them too!

I'm not as old as the Golden Girls were (yet) but they dealt with  the same issues and problems that I think affect most women at some point in their life.  Everything from health scares, to job loss, to home invasion, sexuality, family, marriage, divorce, jealousy, money problems, aging, etc.  You name it, they dealt with it.

And guess what, I just now finished all 21 discs (!) and it just so happens that I coincidentally have found some closure in my work situation and have been offered a new job.  Talk about perfect timing!

Now, what did I learn from the Golden Girls???

-None of us is getting any younger, live the life you want to live now.

-Real friends are like family, they're always there for you, no matter what.

-A little sarcasm never hurts to get you through an awkward situation.

-If you think you’re beautiful then you are!  And everyone else will see you that way too~

-You’re never too old to find Mr. Right. (which is good because not only am I getting older but I haven't dated anyone in years!)

                             

Do you have an oldie but goodie that gets you through the tough times?  Makes you laugh even when there's nothing to laugh about?  If not, go to your local library (or YouTube) and start watching the Golden Girls right from Season 1.  I guarentee it'll put a smile on your face~

~Thank you for being a friend~

Make it Great Monday

So many great projects last week!  Like these:

1. Maya from Little Treasures made this beautiful bib necklace, so cute and stylish.
2. Shabby Gals came up with a new use for Scrabble tiles!
3.  Lindsay from Tales from a Cottage showed you how to make this pretty doily bowl.
4. and Prairie Scraps shared some lovely table runners she  made from some pretty sweet deals~

Thank you to everyone for linking up!

I love having sooooo many creative ideas all in one place.

If you were featured, please feel free

 to grab a featured button from the sidebar.

Now, onto this week's Make it Great party!

Please only link:

1) To your Family Friendly Project Post that you've made yourself, not your main blog page
2) Maximum of 3 projects/party that you haven't link up before
3) Please, no shops, giveaways, round ups, or commercial sites
4) Feel free to hit one of those Follow buttons on the sidebar ;)

And, not really a rule, but something you won't regret if you do....go visit some of the other links and leave a comment, we all love comments right? And you never know what kind of goodies you'll find!

If you link up, please post my button somewhere on your blog so more people can come join the fun.

<center> <a href="http://www.etcetorize.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k554/Etcetorize/2012PartyButton150.jpg"/></a></center>

 

Let's see what you've been working on! (If you link up you are giving me permission to tell the world how great you are and possibly post a picture or a link to your awesome project either here, on Facebook, or on Pinterest. Make sure you're OK with this before you link up.)

Make it Great Monday:

(All of your creative projects)

<center> <a href="http://www.etcetorize.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src=" http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k554/Etcetorize/MotivatedMonthlyetc150.jpg "/></a></center>

Motivated Monthly:

Oh Baby!

(Baby projects only please)

Make sure you link to the right party before you hit the button please~