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Showing posts from November, 2011

Just Like That, I am Back

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 If I said I was back, would you believe me? Blogging is complicated, and there are so many "get rich quick" blogging schemes that make it look like you are a lost cause if you are not currently earning money blogging. And why are you even blogging if you don't have multiple streams of income and entertainment. If you don't have a brand? I do have this website, but I do not have Instagram, Twitter, TikTok (you don't want to see me dance), or whatever is next.  Heck, I haven't even updated this since before the pandemic. So why am I here, writing about being back and then, probably ghosting for another two years? Life has been rough. It's been painful and overwhelming. I am so thankful for you my readers, or what is left of you. I am so thankful you are reading this post. I am so thankful that you are still committed to making the world a more exciting and more sustainable place.  Keep up-cycling my friends, and you never know, I might be back again with an

Upcycled Awesome and Everything Else #2

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Upcycled Awesome has officially evolved! It is still a weekly link up party of upcycled crafts and creations (furniture, toys, art, etc.) but.... I am adding another link for everything else. So if you have a link to an upcycled project post it below the Upcycled Awesome list, if you have anything else please share it under the Everything Else list.  When putting up a project make sure that: You made it. If it is upcycled link under Upcycled Awesome, if not please link under Everything Else. You link to the project you want to share with us. No linking to ETSY sites. (although if you sell things on your site through ETSY, etc. that is okay just don't link to your ETSY site.) Put my button somewhere on your site or on the post you are linking. <center><a href="http://www.thetshirtdiaries.com/"><img src="http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy231/rneorr/UpcycledAwesome-2.jpg "/></a></center> That's it! T

Easy DIY Eco-Friendly Christmas Gifts

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What is better then a Black Friday or Cyber Monday Deal for a Christmas present? Something that remade, upcycled, repurposed, reused, etc. Take something old and make it new again. Be Eco-Friendly this holiday season. So I present to you some Eco-Friendly tutorials for your Holiday Crafting and creating pleasure: 1. Upcycled Crayons . Good for all the kids on your list. Grab a cool mold, make a crayon car or crayon Lego, and watch your little friends smile.   Upcycled Crayon Tutorial 2. The T-Shirt Scarf. Good for Teachers (grab a bunch of their schools T-shirts from the thrift store), grandparents (their grandchildrens clothes can be incorporated), or kids (use a bunch of their favorite characters). The T-Shirt Scarf 3. The T-Shirt Bag (three versions!): Good as a way to wrap other presents, for friends, for everyone. The T-Shirt Bag (three options) 4. Upcycled Play Kitchen : Good for kids! Upcycled Play Kitchen 5. Upcycled Vintage

Guest Posting at Me Making Do

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Are you wondering where I am today? I am honored to be posting at Me Making Do Where I get to share with you how to make this fabulous Upcycled Earwarmer/Headband hybrid. See you soon!

Upcycling Old and Odd Tableware

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It is Guest Post Time again. Thank you Jakob Barry for your contribution to The T-Shirt Diaries. It often happens that over the course of time dishes and glasses break leaving what used to be complete sets with a few odds pieces. When this occurs the leftovers frequently get stashed in a cupboard behind other stuff, put in a box and stored away in the attic, or simply tossed in the trash. It’s a totally normal process and we’ve all been there before. However, just because something appears out of place doesn’t mean it no longer belongs. The truth is if we took a closer look at some of these specimens we’d realize many have great potential back on the table as vessels for serving. After all, as long as they remain in good condition their status as reliable plates, bowls, glasses, tea cups, and saucers technically still stand. In fact, we could even go as far as saying reusing and upcycling random ceramics, china, and other types of tableware could take the experience o

25 Things To Be Thankful For

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I know you have seen it all over Facebook, the daily posts of the 25 things people are grateful for. It is Thanksgiving and I am giving thanks for a lot, but in my own way. This is me doing things my own way (actually it's just a cupcake and cookie) Yes, I am truly thankful for my family, friends, having a roof over my head, and food to eat. I am not just a sarcastic little cookie trying to make you laugh (that is a bonus - hopefully). I just feel like a lot of these lists are missing some truly important items. I just wanted to share my top 25 things I am thankful for that everyones Facebook posts seem to have missed.  So here we go, I am thankful for: Cheese Jay Mohr Chocolate (although I think some people have Facebook posted their love of chocolate). Freedom of Speech (okay minorly sappy, sorry). Blogger Black Friday My kidlets cheerios addiction Digital cameras Photoshop (but I don't quite know how to use it yet) Sergers Sewing machines Fabric

Upcycled Awesome and Everything Else #1

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I wanted to try something different. Upcycled Awesome is still on and.... I am adding another link for everything else. So if you have a link to an upcycled project post it below the Upcycled Awesome list, if you have anything else please share it under the Everything Else list.  When putting up a project make sure that: You made it. If it is upcycled link under Upcycled Awesome, if not please link under Everything Else. You link to the project you want to share with us. No linking to ETSY sites. (although if you sell things on your site through ETSY, etc. that is okay just don't link to your ETSY site.) Put my button somewhere on your site or on the post you are linking. <center><a href="http://www.thetshirtdiaries.com/"><img src="http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy231/rneorr/T-shirt%20Diaries/2010March1159138-5.jpg "/></a></center> That's it! Thanks you. Upcycled Awesome Everything Else

Give a Kid an iPhone

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No, I am not recommending a worldwide campaign to get every child an iPhone. I mean that would be ridiculous. However, when your 5 year old takes your iPhone crazy things can happen. Self Portrait     They think that it is a fun idea to take 100 pictures. Yep 100. Another Self Portrait She went wild. Kiss Me So if your give a kid an iPhone you will end up with 100 pictures of your silly little butter bean. Hilarious isn't she So give a kid an iPhone and see what she comes up with!

Is Santa Real?

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It is the moment every mom dreads, no mom is truly prepared for, and most moms would have an easier time explaining sex. Is Santa Real? Your child asks you if Santa is real. On Thursday afternoon my daughter was quite despondent. She seemed not herself when I picked her up from school and the teacher mentioned she thought she might be sick. The real reason for her pouty face and not so cheery mood, a child in her class told her Santa is not real. She is only in preschool, I naively thought I had a little more time here. The conversation went like this: “Mom, is Santa real?” Shocked mommy because her child JUST turned five. “Of course he is why would you ask?” “Because some kids say that he isn’t.” Angry mommy (trying to keep it together) at this point, “Who told you that honey?” The 5 year old is silent. “Well, honey if Santa isn’t real who brings you all of your presents?” Like it’s no big deal, “The parents.” At this point my jaw has firmly planted it

Pick Your Plum Winner Announced!

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WOw! Thank you everyone who entered. I am not a big giveaway blog, but I LOVE PICK YOUR PLUM (and just got my order for 80 Yards of Fold Over Elastic) so I had to say yes, right. Congratulations and I can not wait to here what was in the prize package! &lt;a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&gt;You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway&lt;/a&gt;.

Upcycled Awesome #71 (and a Question)

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It is time to post your best upcycled project in my weekly list of all of the Upcycled Awesomeness on the web. I am really excited that you have stopped by. I want to thank everyone for linking their upcycled projects up. That being said I am afraid that the link up party is too limiting, and that not enough people are linking up because of it. So do I do a name change? Open up to pretty much everything goes? Or do I stick to the whole upcycled/repurposed linky party? Please let me know in the comments what you think. That being said here are the top three projects from last week: OrloSubito      OrloSubito A to Being: Goodwill Lamp Makeover Sugar and Spice: Mullet Chair Makeover When putting up a project make sure that: You made it. You link to the project you want to share with us. No linking to ETSY sites. (although if you sell things on your site through ETSY, etc. that is okay just don't link to your ETSY site.) Put my button somewhere on your

Rainbow Cake Tutorial

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I did it! The illusive rainbow cake was made, pictures were taken and edited, and the tutorial is here. So first here is the birthday girl Phoebe in all her birthday girl glory. and here is the birthday girl's special cake. Right after mamma finished frosting You might think that it looks like any other tall, yummy, five-year old birthday cake, but there is one HUGE suprise inside. Oh yeah that is a rainbow in there. My apologies to indigo, who as Phoebe reminded me, is missing. I just was not up for the seven layer cake. So do you want to make one (or at least know how I did it?). Click on the link after the jump for directions.

Harajuku Mini at Target does the T-Shirt Dress

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I wouldn't have believed it if your told me, but the T-shirt dress is hot. I just went crazy for the Missoni collection at Target and although I wasn't as on top of this collection I am still mad for all of the punk and plaid elements. I was in shock to see a lovely little T-shirt dress in the collection online. Harajuku Mini from Target I mean how completely cute is the shirt dress? It's not upcycled awesome, but now when my daughter runs to school in one of her lovely custom dresses I won't be in fear that I am dressing her in something only I find trendy. Yep mamma is finally on trend. So I put together a collection of dresses I made for friends and family from mamma and thrift store tee shirts. Robin

Coming Soon...Rainbow Cake Tutorial.

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I can not wait to get this tutorial done. Warning it is going to be very picture heavy, but believe me it is a fun project that has a HUGE wow factor!

Upcycled Awesome #70

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Wednesday Upcycled Awesome is back!  Before I forget Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a $50 gift basket from PICK YOUR PLUM: HERE It is time to post your best upcycled project in my weekly list of all of the Upcycled Awesomeness on the web. When putting up a project make sure that: You made it. You link to the project you want to share with us. No linking to ETSY sites. (although if you sell things on your site through ETSY, etc. that is okay just don't link to your ETSY site.) Put my button somewhere on your site or on the post you are linking. <center><a href="http://www.thetshirtdiaries.com/"><img src="http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy231/rneorr/T-shirt%20Diaries/2010March1159138-5.jpg "/></a></center> That's it! Thanks you.

Pick Your Plum Giveaway!

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I am so excited to be able to host a giveaway for " Pick Your Plum ." If you have never heard of them you absolutely have to go to their website now: I am a not so secret crafting supply hoarder (ever wonder why I host a bi-annual stashbusting party?). Pick Your Plum offers a daily special of a yummy crafting product for a very limited time. You never know what you might find? I missed these bad boys this week for $3.95 for 12 So I was honored when Pick Your Plum asked me if I wanted to do a giveaway. My first thought was, heck yeah! Then I realized I couldn't enter, but still some lucky reader will get a chance to win a grab bag of their fabulous products valued at $50. So what will you get? It's a grab bag so I have no idea but check out some of the fabulous finds they have had in the past few weeks: Sweet Necklace blanks I would put vintage pictures and some diamond glaze on these guys. Sheets of Stick-On-Chalk (I am sure their is a dif

Lego Kidsfest Comes To Cleveland

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As my son stated on the way there..."It's a building full of Lego's" That pretty much sums up the awesomeness of Lego Kidsfest in Cleveland this weekend. Holden is Two...the hubster is 39 and I am really not sure which one of them had more fun. I mean Holden and the hubsters went from :30 - 1pm and they continued to break out some 30 year old Lego's from the hubsters secret stash and play until seven o'clock at night (we will just ignore Phoebe's 5th birthday party was the next day and all sorts of massive prep needed to be done.).   The coolest part had to be the HUGE Lego dinosaurs. Holden is a huge dinosaur guy so the fact that he was able to stand near a dinosaur and touch it, awesome.   The Star Wars characters were also a hit. Sadly we didn't get any pictures with Lightening McQueen, but rumoredly they didn't see him. I guess when you have an entire building full of Legos you can't get to anything. Oh and did I mention Lego