Showing posts with label April. Show all posts
Showing posts with label April. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

April Mid-Month Sponsor Love

I'm celebrating the middle of the month with a shout out to all of my lovely blog sponsors!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/183152410/wooden-bicycle-buttons-engraved-laser
 Edi's wooden bicycle buttons are perfect for spring and summer DIY projects.

Angela of angleah
https://www.etsy.com/listing/185391268/anchor-pin-anchor-tie-tack-made-with-a
 Angela used such a neat button to make this anchor pin / tie tack.

Valerie of additionsstyle
https://www.etsy.com/listing/183937652/statement-necklace-chain-mixed-metal
 I love the mix of metals in Valerie's statement necklace. It's such a versatile piece.

Deb of storybeader
http://www.storybeader.us/2014/04/alphabethursday-u-is-for-umbrella.html
 Deb put together a fun umbrella post with a great mix of Etsy umbrella finds for a recent round of Alphabe Thursday.

 I know that I've featured some of Tiffany's chevron ribbons before, but with summer on the way, how can this bright rainbow set not tempt you? How are you supposed to pick just one color?

http://littlenostalgia.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-all-etsy-mothers-day-gift-guide.html
 Are you thinking about Mother's Day yet? It will be here before we know it. Stay ahead of the game yet and get a gift now. Paige has a fabulous round up of Etsy Mother's Day gift ideas.

I hope that you found some useful resources today!
Are you interested in becoming a sponsor? Click here for more information!

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

What's Up for April

There is proof that someday there will be green outside again.

Following up on my bullet points from last month: I did put in a last minute crunch for my first 2014 craft fair and worked on a lot of projects that I will benefit from all year, like reorganizing my entire inventory. You can read more about that over here if you didn't already. I've done all of the initial research that I need to for writing an ebook. Now I need to make some progress past my outline. I didn't make ANY progress on catching up with photo printing and frame hanging. Fail. Maybe I'll get somewhere with that this month. I have been reading. I'm pretty excited about that. And I had a good birthday. Thanks to all of you who left me kind birthday messages here and/or elsewhere last week.

  • Easter. I'm playing in church the next three weeks and then for four masses the week of Easter (and then at least one mass the week after Easter). I don't think of Sunday morning church commitments as major time commitments because it's something that I've had almost my entire life, but they really are sometimes. They can also be really stressful sometimes. It will be something of a relief to finish up with the bulk of that commitment for the 13-14 school year after this month.
  • Social plans. The good news is that I already have a lot of social plans on the calendar including a couple very brief (i.e. day or half day trips) opportunities to get out of Milwaukee. It's also a little scary because I know that there are going to be days that are really crunched for work, but that's a good problem. It's still really nice to have things to look forward to in the next few weeks.
  • Not losing sight on my passive income goal. Remember how my biggest goal for 2014 is to build my passive income? It's amazing how quickly I lose sight of that on a day to day basis. I get caught up on meeting certain word counts and income goals, and I forget about the bigger picture. It's really bad. If I'm going to make any progress on the goal this year, let alone significant progress, I have to maintain focus.
  • Making the best of the weather. In January and February and even March, it's easier to get excited about the occasional 50 degree day. As we get into April, it's harder. I'm not as motivated to get out and take pictures when the weather is halfway decent because everything is still pretty brown and gray and because I'm ready for really nice weather. But sitting instead all of the time isn't healthy for a lot of reasons. I still need to make the best of the nice days that we do have this month.
What are you up to this month?

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Saturday Link List: the May recipe edition

Welcome to my Saturday Link List! There is no theme here, but as always, I tried to mix it up and include some great seasonal recipes. Enjoy!

 
Mel's Kitchen Cafe is one of the newest additions to my blog rolls. One of the girls in my book club tipped me off to this food blog after she made this recipe for one of our meetings. If you enjoy food blogs, check it out.



  

 



 I have to share this one more time because it is just that good. I made two batches this past month. If you missed my pictures, check them out over here.
  
Many of you know that I love to bake more than I love to cook and seem to change up my regular baking routine more frequently than my cooking routine. The pan variation of this recipe has been one of my staples for over a year. Kristy's recipe inspired me to make it with peanut butter, a mix of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips, and Oreo cookies. The Oreo add in is so inspired.

 
What recipes/foods have you been enjoying lately?

Create your own link list and grab a button for your post or simply spread the word on your blog.
Saturday Link List

Did I feature your work here?  Grab a button for your blog or web site!
Saturday Link List


 
Did you use one of the resources, tutorials, or recipes from my link list?  Leave me a link in the comments or send me an e-mail (randomcreative28@gmail.com) with your photos and stories.  I would love to post them here.

Stay tuned next week for the May resources edition! 

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

April Top Commenters and May News

Happy May!
I am so excited for a new month with more free time and hopefully some continuing warm weather (finally!).

Top Commenters
As always, I really appreciate all of the feedback that I get on this blog. It means a lot that so many people take time to share their insights with me.  Thanks to Grace of Dragon's Alley for stopping by and commenting regularly! Check out goodies from some of my other top commenters who are selling their handmade items online.







 


Blog Sponsors and May Advertising
I have an awesome round up of blog sponsors!  These lovely ladies all have Etsy shops and/or blogs.  Check them out on the left hand side of my blog under "Private Sponsors." Would you like to join the them?  It's only $3 per month or $10 for 4 months to advertise with me.  Check out all of the details about it right here.
 
Out With the Old Sale
 I cannot even tell you how happy it would make me to see even one or two of these older pieces go to new homes in the near future. I'll keep my Out With the Old Sale going through Christmas in July. Take advantage of these great deals on handmade beaded pieces while you can.

Bring It On May!
  • I am wrapping up with choir, handbells, and Bible study (until the fall) in the next couple weeks. I'm looking forward to purchasing a new camera lens (still looking at this one) and getting out with my camera a lot more often. I made a list of a couple dozen places that I'd like to photograph in the greater Milwaukee area between May and October and hope to hit one or two every week.
  • Significantly building my SLR portfolio is part of my plan to launch serious photography selling. I'll be sharing more on that during the next few months, but one of the first steps is that I'm planning to open a paid SmugMug account this month and get it ready to open to the public by early June. That may be too ambitious, but I'm pretty confident that I can get it open and running with a respectable amount of inventory this summer.
  • All of my hard work to keep both seasonal and non-seasonal traffic going on HubPages during a slower time of year is paying off. My traffic numbers have remained more than double what they were this time last year. I'm hoping that I can keep these numbers going through the summer.
What is going on with your blog and/or business for May?

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

April Mid-Month Sponsor Love

Before I get to the sponsors, I have to mention that I'm guest blogging with Cyndi at Pictimilitude today. It's the first time that I've guest blogged. Ridiculous, right? It's about how to better your photography skills. Go check it out if you get a chance.

I'm celebrating the middle of the month with a shout out to all of my wonderful blog sponsors!

Edi has so many fun new accessories in her shop these days like this anchor wooden tie tack lapel pin.

Get some of the details from Jamie about bloglovin'. As Google reader is on the way out, many bloggers are adapting it (including yours truly, check it out on my right sidebar).


Linda of PruittCreations
Do you need a gift for a child in the near future? Pick up this adorable fish apron from Linda.

Angela of AngleAh
A wall clock with buttons! My world is now complete. Finding this item in Angela's shop definitely made my day.

Valerie of additionsstyle

Valerie's geometric circle necklace is so simple and versatile.

Deb of storybeader
Deb does a great job breaking down her short term goals every month. If you're looking for some inspiration for this area of her life, check out her April goals.

Anyone who has quit a day job and ventured into the world of self-employment will appreciate this post from Paige.

Kristen of Milo and Molly
Kristen wrote a great post recently about the importance of using grammar skills.

I hope that you found some useful resources today!
Are you interested in advertising with me? Click here!

New Article:
DIY Dorm Room Decor Ideas: Decorations to Make

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Saturday Link List: the April recipe edition

Welcome to my Saturday Link List! There is no theme here, but as always, I tried to mix it up and include some great seasonal recipes. Is anyone else excited to start grilling again? Enjoy!

  







 
  


I did make this recipe this past month, and it was pretty epic. My Bible study group and my husband ate most of the pan in a couple days' time. If you bake regularly, you most likely have all the ingredients for the recipe already so go make it this weekend.


   
What recipes/foods have you been enjoying lately?

Create your own link list and grab a button for your post or simply spread the word on your blog.
Saturday Link List

Did I feature your work here?  Grab a button for your blog or web site!
Saturday Link List


 
Did you use one of the resources, tutorials, or recipes from my link list?  Leave me a link in the comments or send me an e-mail (randomcreative28@gmail.com) with your photos and stories.  I would love to post them here.

Stay tuned next week for the April resources edition!