Pinned It, Tried It: A Couple of Cards

I have found so much card inspiration on Pinterest lately!  I have so many cute cards on my Pinterest card board and since my stash is running low I figured now would be a good time to make some.

The pink and grey combo is what really caught my eye on this card.  I didn't have those colors but used the layout to create my own.  One of these days I'll have to make a pink/grey version for sure!






Here's my version:
 

I love the look of this card and it was a super quick and easy card to make.  I'll even give you the measurements so you can make one, too.  :)

Here's my version: 

Measurements:
card: 4.25"x5.5"
orange: 4"x5.25"
chevron: 3.5"x3"
turquoise: 3.25"x2"

-marie

Things We Love Thursdays: Laughing Cow Cheese

I absolutely LOVE Laughing Cow Cheese.  It is so yummy and is low in calories.  I love to eat it spread on crackers, in place of mayo on sandwiches, or mixed in with tuna.  I've tried almost every flavor and I haven't found one I didn't like.  

I recently came across a recipe blog called Green Lite Bites.  She works with Laughing Cow and comes up with all kinds of recipes to use it in.  My favorites are the tuna melts and nacho cheese dip.  Mmmm!

How do you eat Laughing Cow Cheese?

-marie

WIWW: Pencil Skirt & Stripes

 

I've always liked pencil skirts with a shirt tucked in, but have always thought they would look terrible on me because I have such a short torso.  But I finally decided to give it a try and I love the way it looks!  

shirt: Target

skirt: Papaya

shoes: Discount Shoe Factory

belt: thrifted

-marie

 

Linked to: Rae Gun Ramblings, The Pleated Poppy, Two Thirty-Five Designs, Rolled Up Pretty & Transatlantic Blonde

Pinned It, Tried It, Liked It: Lemon Zucchini Bread

Anyone else spend way too much time pinning cute ideas on Pinterest and not enough time actually doing those pins? Yep, that's me!  So I thought I'd start a new feature here called "Pinned It, Tried It" where I'll actually get around to making recipes and crafts and whatnot from Pinterest and report back what pins worked (and some that didn't!).

I've had lots of zucchini from my garden this year and this Lemon-Zucchini Loaf from Nancy Creative looked so beautiful.  I followed the recipe exactly and it was DELICIOUS! Very different from traditional zucchini loaves I've made -- it was light and refreshing.  My two-year-old twins devoured it!  If you've got some zucchini that needs to be used up, give this one a try! 

-marie

What I Read: August

Here's what I've been reading ....


The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Unfortunately this book never took off for me. I wasn't invested in the characters and found the dialog to be a bit lacking. I think it had good potential, but I just wasn't willing to wade through it for now. Maybe at some point I might come back to it.




Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2) by Ally Carter
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adore this series! It is just so fun and fresh and the characters are so endearing. I love everyone in Kat's crew -- they all have their unique talents and funny little quirks. I also love that the books could be stand alone books. There are no major cliffhangers, just different heists. Can't wait to read the last in this series. February is too long to wait!  4.5 stars




Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This book took a loooong time for me to get through. I started on audio and although the narrator was good, I had such a hard time following what was happening that I finally switched to print so that I could re-read parts where I got lost. I liked the general concept and story line, but this world the author created was just so different and new and I had a hard time keeping names straight and understanding the technology and things that were going on. So for the first 3/4 of the book I had a hard time getting into it and wanting to pick it up to read. But the last 1/4 was great and I couldn't put it down. A very interesting book and I *hope* the next one will be easier to get through now that I have a better grasp on the "world". I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!




Bitterblue (Graceling #3) by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I do think it was a bit drawn out, but I still found that I couldn't put the book down and wanted to find out how it would turn out. I thought Bitterblue was a great character and I loved her determination and raw emotions. I loved how this brought the series full circle. As much as I enjoyed Fire, it seemed sort of random to throw it into the middle of a series. But now I see that it was necessary to understand all that went on in Leck's reign and now Bitterblue's. I just love Kristen Cashore's writing and can't wait to read what she comes up with next!

Oh, and I found the epilogue by Death quite amusing. Don't skip reading it!!!




Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven #2) by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This one was a little slower in the beginning, though that may just be because I was reading it with my daughter and there was a lot that seemed to go over her head. But it picked up and of course, was a fabulous read!





My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was expecting this book to be amazing but instead it was just good. I liked the soul screamer lore -- it was very unique and I can see how this series could have potential. But I have to say I never really fell in love with Kaylee or Nash, and when I don't love the main characters, I have a harder time getting into the book. I actually loved Tod and would love to hear more of his story! It was a bit predictable, but all in all an entertaining read and I look forward to the rest of the series.

-marie

Things We Love Thursdays: Suave Dry Shampoo

I've always been envious of people who don't have to wash their hair every day.  Mine just gets so oily and greasy if I don't wash it every morning.  My mom told me to try this Suave Dry Shampoo and since it was only a couple dollars I decided to give it a try.  I was really surprised at how well it worked in my hair.  I spray it on my roots and bangs and it makes it feel like it was freshly washed.  I love that I don't have to wash my hair every day if I don't want to.

-marie

WIWW- Old with the New

Green Top- Areopastale (old)

White Tank- Downeast

Jeans- Nordstrom Rack

Toms- Nordstrom

Grey Bag- Target (new)

I used to throw away a lot of my clothes if I didnt like them any more or wear them much. I have since learned not to do that because a year or so down the road they would come back in fashion and then I would just have to go buy more. My green top I bought many years ago and still feel comfortable wearing it. Another example, I bought a jean jacket when I was in college and now they are back in this fall and I cant wait to wear it! So, dont be too quick to throw away clothes! 

What have you thrown away and wish you hadn't?


-chelz

Linked to: Rae Gun Ramblings, The Pleated Poppy, Two Thirty-Five Designs, Rolled Up Pretty PS Bananas & Transatlantic Blonde