Simply Wonderful

I read blogs for many different reasons. Sometimes its to inspire my crafty side. Sometimes it's to catch up with my friends and family. And sometimes its because the writing is wonderful, and I simply cannot get enough.

This blog falls into that last category. Sunny Side Up is dedicated to the adventures of Alibrough, and her dog-child Penelope Jane.



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The Amy Clip

Oh hey Gretchen, guess what?

You won!

I will be contacting you soon to get your mailing address.

And for the rest of you, thank you for participating. I love Giveaways. In fact, I think I love giving stuff even more than getting stuff (which is good news for you guys). That's probably why I love Christmas so much.

Speaking of, I need to go finish some more presents. Happy Holidays Everybody!



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Over Ambitious

I think I got a little over ambitious with my Christmas gifts this year. I just need my days to be about 6 hours longer. If that's not possible, then I could definitely use some energy drinks.

Luckily we are leaving tonight for Kurt's parents house in Michigan, and I should have plenty of down time once we are there to get serious with my craft supplies. That's right- I'm bringing it all with me. Everything. A giant suitcase worth of stuff.

The projects I have managed to finish turned out really good, even though I was so tired I couldn't even see straight half the time. I am really proud of them. But I'm just being a tease, because I can't post pictures. My sisters check my blog regularly, and since the gifts are for them...

But I'll post pictures of them as soon as I can.

Are any of you making gifts? And are you going to be done on time? If you end up pulling some all nighters, know you aren't alone- I will be doing the same thing.



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I'm really excited

Look what I just got:


And now look at how much it cost me:


Free! Yup, that's right. I used a handy manufacturers coupon for $1 off, and Target ever so nicely stuck these batteries in their $1 section. Perfect. And since my camera eats AA batteries, this is especially exciting for me. I've gone back 4 times. So far.

The first three times I used this coupon, the cashiers didn't even blink. But the fourth time, the lady did a total double take. She looked at me like wow and I looked all I Know. And then we both stood there, contemplating this awesome coupon. I love free things.

I found out about this from a blog called Life with the Grovers. Click here to get the coupon for yourself. I know I mentioned this a few days ago, but I thought I'd bring it up again because, well, it's Christmastime. And sometimes batteries just aren't included. And running to the store on Christmas Day does not sound all that exciting.

So I was thinking. Everybody needs batteries, right? Maybe I should just give these as Christmas presents...



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Mod Podge Project

Today I showered before taking Kurt to school. I usually don't. Our mornings go like this: Kurt drags me out of bed, I sleepwalk to the kitchen, and wake up when I start eating breakfast. Then I put on a sweater and take him to school. No makeup. Hair all matted. I don't even brush my teeth. If the health department found out, they'd probably quarantine me as a Bio Hazard. So if you ever see me dropping him off, you can wave hi- just do it from a distance.

This morning was different. I wanted to look good, because I was going straight from the Dental School to the Jewelers, to get my ring inspected (And you know those employees are gonna judge you). So not only did I shower and floss and wear deodorant; I also straightened my hair, put on perfume, and wore nice shoes. Go me.

A few hours and 12 stores later, I ended up at Burlington Coat Factory. Where I found this mirror. It has a 10" crack in it, and so it was clearanced down from $60 to $8. Um, awesome. I've been looking for a good Mod Podge project.

See? Big crack.

I used this paper (which I also used in my First Crafty Project), and free handed it. Except the swirly parts at the bottom of the mirror. I just cut those out. If you are craving those swirls, they are from the bottom left paper here (right under the familiar striped one), and you can find both of those papers at Michaels.

I used the glossy kind of Mod Podge, since I was working with glass.

I placed the giant mirror flat on the floor (sorry, no pics of these steps). Then I laid out the pieces how I wanted them. Next, I picked one piece up, put a thin layer of Mod Podge on the back of it, and replaced it on the mirror. Finally, I coated the front of the piece as well. It took about an hour to do the whole thing (because I was really nervous).

At first I was using Windex and Q-tips to clean up any of the Mod Podge that leaked out from underneath the pieces. Once I realized how futile that was, I gave each piece an outline in the glue.

I think it turned out great. Now only if we could agree on where to put it.

.



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Ho Ho Ho

I finished a project! I'm so happy about it. And I think it turned out pretty cute.

My father in law gave me these white circles. I'm not sure what they were for originally, but I quickly decided they would be perfect little frames.

So I picked out some fun Christmas-y paper, and traced the circles.

And I cut them out

Then I spray painted the frames black (and later Mod Podged them, to seal the paint)

While that was drying, I printed off some cute fonts.

I really need a Cricut.

Then I hot glued the paper in place on the back of the frames.

Finally, I Mod Podged the letters into place.

The End. It took a few hours, mostly because of the dry times for the spray paint and the Mod Podge. But I love the finished project!

This one is my favorite:



Merry Christmas!



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Holy Exciting!

Remember that broken mirror I fixed up a while ago? Well, Amy from Mod Podge Rocks is featuring it tomorrow!

I KNOW!!

So make sure you stop on by and see for yourself! And then Add her or something, because she features awesome ideas EVERY DAY. And its all stuff you could do yourself to decorate, or fix stuff up, or just make your life a little better.

And you are going to want to check back here tomorrow, because in honor of being featured, I will be hosting my most awesome Giveaway yet!



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busy busy busy

I've been working on some great (i think) crafts lately. But with my new full time job, I haven't been able to finish any of them! Hopefully I'll have a few hours tonight to get those done, and take some pictures to post on here.

In other news, I am writing this from work. The new job is going pretty well. It's busy, but being an Office Manager is not as scary as I thought. well, so far at least. I feel like I'm drastically under qualified for this position, but since they need someone so badly, they are willing to overlook that and pay me anyway. I guess I'll just pick it up as I go...

BE SURE to check back tomorrow. And the next day. I've got some exciting stuff planned. You know you're curious!



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Our compromise

"Kurt, you're a good dresser. It's one thing I really liked about you when we were dating- I knew I wouldn't have to throw out half your clothes if we got married."

"Really? I thought you were a good dresser too. But I still want to throw out half of your clothes."

I have a lot of clothes.

Kurt is the most organized, tidy person there is. And I've always had a pile of clothes a foot deep living on my bedroom floor.

Here is our compromise:

(These are not as big as the picture makes them look)

I still get a satisfying (if contained) pile of clothes. And Kurt gets to not strangle me in my sleep.

Ah, marriage.



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Candy Ornaments

Since making ornaments has become a passion of mine, I decided to include Kurt in the fun. So we made these ornaments last week for Family Home Evening. We just took some cheap holiday mints, and melted them. Instructions on how to do this are here.

We didn't have a ton of sprinkles to decorate with, so I just busted out the black paint and some dollar store pipe cleaners for the snowmen.

These trees are my favorites.

Kurt thought the wreaths were boring, so we only made a couple of those

He made me this heart. Because he is romantic like that.

The only thing I would add is the green mints took longer to melt than the red ones. We ended up with green ones that weren't melted enough (and needed hot glue), and red ones that were puddly. So I recommend doing all your green ornaments on one cookie sheet, and then your red ones later.

If you want these to last more than one year, you might want to spray your ornaments with a clear coat of paint, or some kind of varnish. I tried Mod Podging one- that did not go well. Or just leave them as they are, and make new ones next year- which is our plan. I think this will be a fun family tradition :)



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My busy day

Guess who had a job interview today!

Oh, me!

The National flag Foundation needs an Office Manager. Fast. So they are letting me work every day until we leave for Christmas. They started me today. And they may or may not hire me on after I get back. I'm hoping they will, of course- we could definitely use an income. But even if they don't, I will get paid for this next week! How exciting.

BUT. I didn't post at all yesterday. I can't even remember the last time that happened. So I'll try and do better, but I can't make any promises since this week was supposed to be my Christmas Craft/ Gift Crunch Time. And instead I will be working full time.

HOWEVER. I have some really big/awesome stuff planned for this weekend. Stuff you aren't going to want to miss. So check back Friday to see what I am planning for Life in the Pitts.



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What heaven tastes like

This is the best ice cream I have ever eaten.

It's practically a religious experience.



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Deck the Halls

I just thought I'd post some pictures of our place, all decked out for the Holidays. I have been working so hard on it, and no one is even going to see it! Except you guys.

I wish I could capture stuff better on film.

Our TV area. It's much cuter in person.

Here is our Secret Food Storage, all festive and exciting. I'll show you some close-ups.


I got these candles on sale forever ago at Bath and Body Works.


This is my favorite Nativity


Pretty much because of these guys. They just look so excited!


This is the first Nativity I ever bought for myself.


This sign is pointing to my messy craft area. I got it at the dollar Store.


Annie (my sister in law) likes to decorate with Christmas Books. And I just love that idea.


(Please ignore the messy boxes)

My Mom collected Nativity's. She had over 130 when she died. ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY. It wasn't her fault though! Once people found out she liked them, it's all she got for Christmas and Birthdays. I probably bought her 20 over the years. She couldn't put them all out at home- there wasn't enough room. but whenever there was a Creche Exhibit, she was willing to provide them. "Come see 150 Nativity's" (And 130 were ours).

The year before she died, my Mom told us that we could each choose our favorite Nativity to take with us when we got married. None of us were even engaged back then. I chose this jewel tone one she got at Frankenmuth a few years before she passed away.

There's more, but the internet is being dumb, and I can't upload any more pictures until it starts working better. I hope you liked this mini-tour! And if you have any pictures of YOUR Christmas decorations, I'd love to see them. Just write your own blog post, include lots of pictures, and post the link here :)



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Check this out

Do you guys like free stuff? I know, dumb question. But if you like finding awesome coupons and deals, then you should check out Life with the Grover's. Thanks to her, I will be picking up some free batteries at Target later today. I know, I know. You can thank me later.



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Sleepy Sunday

The first two hours of church were canceled today, because of icy roads. It was sooo nice to sleep in. One cool thing about the Branch is that when church is canceled, you will hear about it. We got 8 calls and 2 texts from our friends and fellow Branch members. The Bishop (it's just easier to write than Branch President) told everyone to spread the word, and everyone did. At one point Kurt rolled over and said, "Hmm, it's been a while since anyone's called. I'm starting to think church might be at 10." But don't worry- he got the eighth call just minutes later, and we went back to sleep.

When we got to church, a High Councilman pulled us both aside. He asked Kurt to serve as the Bishop's Executive Secretary. I guess he wasn't busy enough before. Poor guy. I feel like it's my fault. The other week the Bishop had asked me how Kurt was holding up. I told him he was doing good. He asked about his grades, and his study habits, and whether I was feeling neglected. I said Kurt works really hard at everything he does, and even though I don't see him all the time, I don't feel forgotten at all. He's really good at managing his time.

See? that was my mistake. If I'd said "It's awful, he's failing, and we're thinking about a divorce" I bet this never would have happened.

One of our friends came up to us after the meeting, with some great advice. "Just keep a 6-pack in your fridge. Then whenever anyone from the Branch comes over, pull it out and offer them a drink. You'll never have to worry about callings again."

Such a good idea :) Honestly, I am really proud of my husband. I figure God wouldn't ask him to do more than he could handle, and so this means He has a lot of faith in Kurt. I know that he will need to get the time for this calling somewhere, and he can't take it from his school work- which means it'll come out of our time together.

But on the bright side, I'll have so much more time for crafts and blogging. YES!



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And the winner is...

Svedi Pie! I will need you to email me and tell me which frame you want.

Thanks guys for all your comments! They really make my day. And if you really like my frames, I will be selling them on Etsy :) But more on that later.



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Shhhh!

I'm going to show you what I'm making for Kurt's Christmas Present. But don't tell him! I'm not worried that he will see on here- he has been much too busy lately to read my blog. Right now he's about 30 posts behind. Which is perfect because I am really excited, and I just have to show somebody!

So Kurt is super patriotic. He studied Economics for his undergrad, and is now in the Navy. That's how we are paying for Dental School. And I get to be a Navy Wife for at least 4 years once this is done (Yes! Another group of Wives to write about!).

Anyway, I decided to Crochet him a Patriotic Blanket!

I know, ambitious much? But I have a whole line up of Christmas Movies from Netflix, and I can work on the squares while I'm watching those. And I need to take a break from my paper crafts- I just need a little more variety in my crafting diet. And since my sewing machine is broken (again), I came up with this. Knitting would probably be a lot faster, but I don't know how to do that.

Wish me luck you guys, and I'll keep you posted on how this goes.



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Paper Flower Tutorial

These are the flowers I used in the corner of this frame:



And this one:

They are really easy to make, and I'll walk you through it.



After you've picked out your paper, draw 3 circles in the back; A small one, a medium one, and a large one. My large one is about 2" wide. Don't worry about drawing them perfectly- you won't be able to tell once we are done.



I edge the circles pretty darkly in ink, so when we put it together the layers stand out from each other.



Now crumple them up. Get lots of nice creases in there.



Then highlight each of those creases with ink.




Stack the layers and secure with a brad in the center. Sorry this is so over exposed- I got frustrated with my camera, and gave up after a few shots.



There's your flower! I think it really finishes off a picture frame. But you can use it on cards, scrapbook pages, and a million other places. Just use some hot glue, and stick it where you want it.



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New Friends

Dinner at the Clubhouse was delicious. I know we probably pay for it in our rent, but I feel like I'm getting the best free meal of my life every time they do one of these.

We ate pasta and chicken and ham and grilled veggies, and while we were enjoying jumbo pieces of restaurant-quality chocolate cake, Mary and Tough showed up again. I am glad they came when they did, because I wasn't as focused on the food this time. They are a really nice couple who just moved here from Tampa. And Tough is a back up player for the Steelers. Basically, he is one specific player's understudy. So he practices with them, and is part of the team, and gets a salary- but he only plays if the guy is out for a long time. So its nice for his wife because he isn't traveling all the time. And its fun for him because he gets to train with the team and work out every day.

And get this- they are BOTH crafty. She will find cool projects for home decor, and he will get excited and make some himself. But as you can tell from his name, he isn't femme at all. Just a normal guy who likes crafts.

I think we are gonna be friends.



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Big Announcement!!

I am not pregnant.

In case you were curious.



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I am craving

Ginger ale. I can't stop thinking about it. Every time I look in the fridge, I hope that there will be some lurking in a dark corner- but nope. There's only water. And milk. Not that there's anything wrong with either of these things; I just need a change. There is some vinegar in the cupboard... but I'm not that desperate.

Yet.

I think I need to go shopping.



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I made this

I was up until... well, let's just say it was late. But here is what I was doing. It was so fun, I couldn't stop! (Or, I was afraid if I did I'd never start again)

(It doesn't have to say "Holidays" It could say "Believe" or "Noel" or whatever you want)

These frames are really easy to make. Michaels has them for $1. I just cut out some Christmas paper, and mod podged it on the frame. shading the edged with ink finishes it really nice. A top coat of Mod Podge, and you are set. So easy and cheap, and it looks great!

For a Tutorial on the flowers, click here.

I also made this. I think it's adorable. I used a plain wood frame and spiced it up with paper. And the tree is all ribbon.



Now go make some yourself!









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Guess what?

I get to procrastinate again tomorrow!



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Front Door

I decorated this wreath today for the front door. I was running out of pinecones, and so I sort of improvised with the decorations. Mini-bows and peppermint hard candies. It looks cuter in person, I promise!



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Happy Monthiversary!

We have been married 5 months TODAY. And we are celebrating by.... drum roll.... well, actually we aren't really celebrating. Kurt is studying his butt off for his finals (you know, that whole 26-credits-thing). And I guess I'll just be doing crafts. Or maybe Christmas Shopping. Or just vegging out online in my PJ's. So if you plan on stopping by, Call First to make sure I've showered.



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Christmas Cards

I was in charge of the card making activity tonight at my Church. It was nice, just the grown up women getting together, being crafty and eating candy. I would have enjoyed it a lot, if I wasn't stressed out.

There are two main reasons that I was anxious tonight. 1) I was in charge and 2) I was too busy this week working on my procrastination skills to actually make the example cards. So I made them as fast as I could, while the ladies all sat there and watched me. I felt like standing up and saying YES, I AM REALLY THIS IRRESPONSIBLE. BECAUSE I HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR 3 WEEKS. AND I AM JUST MAKING THESE NOW.

If you look too closely you will see the uneven circles and splotchy shading around the edges. But I think they look damn good since I made them in 5 minutes.

I know, I said damn. My sisters are going to kill me.

But 'darn good' just didn't cut it. Usually dang works alright, but tonight only the real thing really expressed my feelings about these cards, the stress, and the fact that they look so good.



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Brrrr

It snowed all day Saturday! I love the first snow of the season. I really enjoy Christmas shopping on days like that- listening to Christmas music in the car, feeling the soft snow in my face, and then coming back to a cozy home and drinking some hot chocolate.

Too bad our heater was broken. And it was only 52 degrees inside.

The maintenance man came that night, and I cannot tell you how much I am appreciating the warmth in here right now. Not that it isn't fun pretending to be a smoke-breathing dragon when you are standing inside your living room. It's just easier to type when you aren't wearing mittens. Plus I like wearing slippers because I want to, not because I'm afraid of frostbite. Yup, I am grateful for a working heater.



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Sorry guys

It's been a little crazy here the past few days. But I finally did the drawing, and the winner of the homemade ornament set is: DANIELLE!!!

I hope you give my little guys a good home. And let me visit them from time to time.

Thank you all for participating!



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Ooh!

I just discovered the Cricut!! Some of you are probably scratching your heads, wondering what the heck I am talking about. Here is the Cricut website.

Others of you are probably shaking their heads, wondering how the heck I haven't heard of this before. Remember how I'm completely new to this whole crafty thing?

Anyway, I want one. Badly. So if any of you have an extra couple hundred bucks, and want to buy me something really nice...



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Goodbye Kurt

Today is my husband's first day of Finals. But it's not like it was for BYU- where you get the whole week off, and you can take the tests whenever you want in the Testing Center. He still has class all week. And every day he has a different Final on top of his normal schedule.

Well, it was nice knowing him...



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Manwich

Guess who just made Sloppy Joe's FOR THE FIRST TIME?

If you guessed Me, you are so right. If you guessed Kurt, you are also right- he helped. But if you guessed Larry you are wrong. Because he's a plant.



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Holiday cleaning tip

Remember how messy my house was last week? How full of clutter, and not Kurt-friendly? I didn't clean it. It just got messier and messier until it started driving me crazy. But every time I thought about cleaning it up I'd get overwhelmed, and go take a nap to recover.

Then yesterday I read this post, from a blog I follow called Not So Idle Hands. In it, she unlocked the secret to getting started. Go read her post. I'll just wait right here.

Ok, see? So very do able. And it worked! 5 times yesterday I put her method to good use. And I got the whole place clean! Well, except my craft area. But the living spaces are picked up, organized, and even vaccuumed. Kurt was so surprised! When he got home he just walked in circles, with his eyes open really big. And for the first time in over a week he spent more than 5 minutes in the front room- and it didn't stress him out. I am such a good wife.



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Decorate for less

I needed something Christmas-y for the wall above my Kitchenaid. But everything I liked in the store cost at least $10- which I just couldn't justify. I'm telling you, the after Christmas sales are going to be awesome, and next year my house will be DECKED OUT. But this year I needed to find some cheaper alternatives.

BUT THEN. I was walking in Target yesterday, and I saw this gift bag. It was cute and 3D and I immediately knew what I would do with it. And the price: $1.99. Expensive for a gift bag? Probably. But not for a piece of wall art.

I grabbed a crappy white frame that I had laying around (when you have white walls, a white frame is never a good idea), and I sponged it black. Then I added a coat of Mod Podge, to seal it. Sorry, no pics of this part.

Next I cut the front part of the bag off, and removed the handle strings.

Then I framed it, with the glass behind the picture. I wanted the 3D part to stick out. And I didn't want to lose the glass.

Ta Daaa!! It looks much better in person. I'm gonna hit up the dollar store tomorrow, because I think they have some nice bags for really cheap.

ADDED LATER: Ok guys. Here is a picture of my newest gift bag, framed and sitting on my Ikea bookshelf. I'm really digging this sparkly snowman. I just bought it today at Target for $1.49.

So tell me what you think. And if you guys have any creative/cheap decoration ideas, please share them!





I linked this craft to:




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