Free Dress Apron Giveaway- Ended!

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Congratulations to # 13- Ashley!

Ashley S said...

13

I Liked you on FB and commented: https://www.facebook.com/InspirationsbyD/posts/153989924702064

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Hello, and Happy Cyber Monday everyone!

I hope that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Day and Weekend.

I am starting off the week with a GIVEAWAY!

Inspirations by D is giving away this beautiful Holiday Inspired Apron.

It is a strong and durable fabric by Simply/EnVogue.

It is in the same category as the aprons at Anthropologie.

You will not find it anywhere. If you do, let me know! 

I have one and I love it!

So here is your chance to love it too!

Win it for yourself and entertain in style

 or give it to someone for the Holidays.

Giveaway Ended!

Comments closed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Warmest wishes to you and yours on this Thanksgiving Day!

Love
D

I'm Different, I'm Thankful, I'm Happy, I'm Loving...

Inspired from Little Miss Momma, but this is my own version.

I'm different because...

I never ask for help even when I need it.

I can't sleep with my hair down.

I can eat tortillas smothered in melted cheese and salsa as a meal.

I don't like warm pillows, so I turn my pillow over several times during the night.

I carry a small air freshener in my purse.

I want to learn how to make latte art.

I have never left my son with a teenage babysitter.

I do a happy dance when I get a package in the mail.

I have a home decor addiction.

I rather do the dishes than clean the bathroom.

I rather do the laundry than iron clothes.

I'm obsessed with organization.

I don't like gossip.

I don't watch TV.

I don't like bugs, but I tolerate them for the sake of my son.

I get excited about comments.

I know how to make homemade butter from fresh cow milk, 

too bad that I don't have a cow.

I'm Thankful...

That I'm with my little family.

That I have my parents and siblings.

For our health, even though I and my son have asthma.

For our home.

Our vehicle, to get us where we need to go.

For everyday necessities water, air, food.

For work.

For my senses.

God's Mercy.

God's Love.

Graces

Blessings

You

I'm happy because...

We're alive!

I'm with my husband and son!

I'm going to see mom, dad and my siblings for Christmas.

Mr. M loves me.

I'm loving...

Jesus of course.

My precious dog.

The support I'm getting from Mr. M to blog:-)

The hugs and "I love you" from my son everyday.

The ideas coming to mind for crafts.

Warm and cozy with hubbie.

Warm drinks during this time of year.

Christmas decoration.

Thanksgiving!

I would love to have you join me for your own version of this post. Fill in the prompts as they fit you.

Then leave a comment with them or on your own blog and then link your post in the comment section of this post so others can visit.

Movember: Support the Fight Against Cancer

Hello, hello, and Happy Tuesday!
 I hope that you are enjoying the start of the Thanksgiving week.

As for me and my little family,
the good news is that my son is starting to feel a little better, at least for now.

As for my husband and I, we're still a bit under the weather,
but I'll tell you what, I'd rather be ill anytime than see my little boy sick,
it breaks my heart when he is ill. So I am thankful that he's getting better.

On today's post, I want to remind you to please support the fight against
Prostate Cancer and other Male Cancer Initiatives.
The month is coming to an end and what better way to end it than supporting a cause.
 
There are so many campaigns out there for Breast Cancer and other Female Cancer Initiatives,
so I believe that men deserve the same support.
My dad is a Prostate Cancer Survivor and I pray everyday for his health and well being.

-The average life expectancy for men is five years less than women (presently 77 years old compared to 82).


-1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 3 women will be.


-Evidence suggests that about a third of the 571,950 cancer deaths expected to occur will be related to obesity, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and thus could be prevented.


-1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.


Let’s face it, men are known to be more indifferent towards their health, especially when compared to the efforts of women, who proactively and publicly address their health issues in a way not traditionally seen with men. As a result, today the levels of awareness, understanding and funding for support of male health issues, like prostate cancer, lag significantly behind causes such as breast cancer.

 To help the man in your life, whether spouse, brother, son, or friend
please visit Movember.com to learn more and
Donate to Support the Prostate Cancer Foundation, LIVESTRONG, and the Movember Foundation.

ApronsandSmocks.com - Cobbler Apron Review

This week is over and I can't believe that

Thanksgiving is only a few days away, where did the time go?  

Are you ready for the Thanksgiving festivities? 

I'm not, I'm still sick.  I hope that I'm well enough to get cooking.

Speaking of cooking, do you see that lovely Cobbler Apron up there?  

I was given the opportunity to write a review for Aprons&Smocks.com 

If you are not familiar with Aprons&Smocks.com,

it is an online company that provides quality restaurant uniforms

 manufactured by Fame Fabrics®, Jerzees®, Gildan®, and other quality uniform apparel manufacturers.

Aprons&Smocks.com strives to provide quality products at affordable prices.

They offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Aprons&Smocks.com can fill your uniform apparel needs. From single quantities to 1,000's, they can offer top quality uniform apparel for the front of the house to the back of the house, shipped fast, at incredibly low prices. Quantity discounts are available. They also offer screen printing, embroidery, and other customization services.  What's not to like about that!

When I received my package and opened it, 

I was very impressed.  My husband  was even more impressed!  

The quality of this apron is phenomenal and the embroidery outstanding.  

I am not getting paid to write this, but I have not seen 

an apron so well made and with such great quality as this.

The fabric is thick and a strong twill, protected by ProDura soil release finish.  

I love that the pockets are the perfect size compared to an old apron I have whose pockets are endless.

I chose the burgundy color for the fabric and the "Script Font White Eembroidery" and it looks perfect.

The embroidery is tightly sewn and this apron will last many for years.  My Mother in Law will love it!

What I love about Aprons&Smocks.com is that you may customize your item to meet your needs, 

whether its by color, style, embroidery or screen print, fonts, size...the list goes on.

There is nothing that they cannot customize for you, they've got it all.  

I strongly recommend this company for anyone looking to purchase smocks, aprons or any kind of uniform apparel.

(Disclaimer: I received the above for a product review,

 all views expressed are my honest opinion, I did not receive monetary compensation)

DIY: Felt Flowers (Part 2)

Hello there and Welcome to Part 2 of "How to Make Felt Flowers"

The first thing to note is that there is no sewing involved!

All you need is fabric glue and a glue gun.

On our first tutorial I showed you how to make a "Felt Rose"; 

The great thing about that tutorial is that I used two shades of red to give the rose dimension.

Today I will show you how to make what I call a "scrunch flower" out of felt.

1- Here is what you need:

2- Using your chalk, trace around your cup/can to form a circle, like so. 

Draw 4 to 5 circles depending on how big your flower will be, 

the larger your flower, the more circles you'll need.  

  

Mine is about 2 inches in diameter, so I made 5 circles (one is hiding under the other) 

and one small circle to use as my base.

3- Then cut them out.

Step(4)

5- Add another drop of glue to the center of the folded felt and fold again, as seen below.

At this point you have folded your circle in four.

6- Add a drop of glue to the pointy end of your folded felt 

and glue it to the center of the small felt circle (this is your base) You will be going around the circle.

7- Repeat steps 4-6 with the other circles until it  is fully covered including the center.

**NOTE: You will notice that on mine I should have added more folded pieces to make it look fuller, sorry about that.

8- To add leaves, follow the steps on Part One of Felt Flowers.

And here you have it.

You can do many things with this craft, hair clips, hair band, wreaths and other cute items.

I used it for decorating gifts.

Will you use it to decorate your gifts?  

Pin It

Facebook Fan Page Launch!

{via}

Happy Monday! I hope that you have had a great weekend!

We spent our weekend with sniffles, coughing and just feeling icky. 

It started with my little one who passed it on to

Mr. M and now I'm sick as well, so the whole family is sick.

While we were feeling icky,  we kept ourselves busy at home.

Mr. M worked on the car for a bit,
little man got creative drawing pictures,

and I worked on the new Facebook Fan page.

It is now live and I will be adding more to it as we go along.

Please join Inspirations by D on Facebook by clicking on the following image
or on the Facebook link on the sidebar of this blog.-->

Thank you and hope to see you there!

New: Serenity Prayer Necklace

Greetings all!  As you are well aware, I had posted my Serenity Prayer collection in my shop, but they are gone,  yes that fast!  So I have another one for you.

Today I have posted this lovely and simple necklace at the Inspirations by D shop.

I have really enjoyed making these.  

This lovely pendant is unique only because the bail is on it's opposite side to show the peace sign.

The oval pendant measures 1" x 1.5" with a clear and smooth surface.

It is sealed with a glass like sealant in the back and is held by a gold plated ball chain of 18 inches.

Go check it out in the shop now!

Happy Weekend!

Pin It

How to Make Felt Flowers (Part 1 Felt Rose)

I was brainstorming recently on how to make small gifts look fun and appealing
and I came across Little Things Bring Smiles and Design Dump's felt flowers.
I was inspired to use these on gifts.
Doesn't it look adorable?
The felt flowers serve as a great way to decorate gifts for any occasion
and they weren't hard to make.
My favorite part is "no sewing involved".

1- If you want to give it a try all you will need are the following:

• Felt (your color preference)--Here I used two colors and green for the leaf.
• Scissors
• A piece of chalk
• Something to draw a circle, like a cup
• Adhesive (I used a hot glue gun)
• Glue sticks for glue gun

2-  Stack your two felts and trace a circle on the felt using your cup and chalk.

*(Note) I used chalk because it cleans off easily.

3- Cut the circles on the felt

4-  Layer your circles and starting at the edge, cut a spiral.

5- This will cut both circles at once.

6- Using your adhesive , secure the center of the rose which is the outside end of the spiral

and start wrapping around,

secure it with the adhesive each time you wrap both felts.

7- You will end up with a rose, glue the rounded end to the back of

the rose to keep it in place.

8- Draw a leaf by connecting two curved lines together as seen above, then cut it.

9- Glue your leaf to the rose, now you have a beautiful felt rose.

To make it look prettier
make more roses and glue them together to a larger piece of felt to form a group of two or three
as you see below.

Check out Part 2 on Felt Flowers !
Happy Crafting!

Serenity Prayer Pendant

I have pulled out all of my remaining supplies from my craft closet
and I have been working on a few items for the Inspirations by D shop.
Here is just one sample of what's coming next week.

I will have more pendants with the same Serenity Prayer,
 but in other sizes, shapes and chains.
This is an elegant reminder of our daily struggle 
to remain in the Grace of the Lord. 

Subscribe to this blog and find out 
when they are posted in the shop.


Have a Happy Weekend!

Small Pleasures

Today I spent some time working in the garden,

 weeding, removing dead flowers and prepping the ground for winter.  

We still have some flowers 

and believe it or not 

a couple of butterflies still lingering around.

I stopped what I was doing and sat down for a minute,

to take it all in

the fresh crisp air

the clear blue sky

the rich colors of the remaining flowers

and behold, 

a Black Swallowtail Butterfly.

I can tell that perhaps this was the last time 

I was going to see it before the temperature cools.

I ran inside to get my camera

and

while I was photographing the Swallowtail

it remained gentle and calm as she gathered her nectar.

I noticed the details on her beautiful dark wings

and it made me think

that God is in the details,

and daily life is made up of the details.

Small pleasures are gifts of God that grease the wheels of life

refreshing us and reminding us of life's abundance.

Small pleasures say

"Pay Attention"

Life is a sacrament and everything is a gift from God.

My cup of coffee,

my flowers,

time with my family,

and that butterfly--

are all reminders of the wonders of creation.

It came to me that the miraculous often hides in the commonplace.

As Jean Webster puts it:

It isn't the big pleasures that count the most;

it's making a great deal out of the little ones.

Learning to be Unselfish

source:google

It's healthy for a married man or woman to pursue personal interests 

and engage in individual activities,

 hence me with my crafts/ blog/ shop; he with his mustache journey and other lively pursuits.

This provides an outlet, a sense of freedom and perhaps some exercise

--plus, it makes for a more interesting, well rounded spouse, 

which keeps the conversation at home lively!  

However, the level of your involvement in these pursuits

 must be weighed carefully against the effect it will have on ones marriage.

I must consider my partner's needs as well as my own. 

Time is a precious and limited resource that God has given to us as a couple.  

My husband has a large stake in any decision we make

 concerning how we will spend our hours, 

because every choice has important ramifications for us both.  

Not only can too much time apart erode the unity of a marriage,

it can deprive a spouse of legitimate needs such as time together, 

help around the house, or break from the kids.

I have been thinking about my spouse's interests before chasing mine, 

after all I was neglecting our time together.  

Now we sit down with each other and analyze the pros and cons 

of our commitments to any activity.  

Sure, a relationship may benefit if one regularly enjoys some time to oneself; 

we just have to remember to count the costs. 

And make sure our mate gets equal personal time!

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4

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My Stache and MOVEMBER (guest post)

Happy November everyone.  Today we have a special guest post by my husband Mr. M.

Please make him feel at home and enjoy!

My wife has been asking me for some time now to write about my moustache growing, in what she calls, a "phase".  Little does she know, well she'll know now, is that I have grown very fond of the growth under my nose.  The caterpillar that once was is now, and still becoming, a thing of beauty.  All the men at work, and even a few ladies, who make fun of it and/or me for having grown it, have secretly told me they love it and only wish they could grow one as grand as I have, and yes, that includes the ladies.

I started growing "The Stache" after seeing a Heineken Light commercial (great commercial by the way), whereby the guy is out of place in the "normal" world because of his moustache, but is at home when it came to the ol' bare knuckle fight scene of yore.

I immediately shaved the beard I was sprouting and left behind its counterpart. 

 The Wife asked: "What are you doing?"

Me:  "I'm gonna grow THAT!" (pointing to the guy in the commercial) 

source: YouTube

The Wife:  "No you're not!"

Me:  "Ooooh yes I AM!"

Two months later "The Stache" lives and she loves it.  She might not admit it, but I see the way she looks at it...and me. ;)

I visited YouTube and several other sites with regards on caring and grooming for "The Stache" and then by accident or fate, I stumbled on this site called Movember.com.  Movember is the month formerly known as November, and is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men's health especially prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.

  I immediately became a member, made a donation, having nothing to do about the moustache thing...ok, ok, a  little to do with the moustache thing, but also because as men, we have to pay more attention to our health and well-being; not let our pride and machismo get in the way of living longer, healthier lives.  Plus the bonus of growing a moustache.

My plan though is to continue growing it until it has fully blossomed to what?, I have no idea.  But when it does blossom, as it has done in my mind a thousand times, I will know.

All joking aside, please go to www.movember.com, see what it has done in the years past.  Let your love ones be aware that there is something out there for us, to not only be a part of as guys (which is waaaay fun and creates a stir, in a good way) but participate in something that can make a difference in everyone's lives.

So, to those whose want to and will, can't but tries, bad or good, make it happen.  Grow that THING, donate and become a Mo' Bro and ladies, you can partake as well.  Become a Mo' Sista!  Support your man, brother, father, uncle and/or friend.  My 'sweets' has and will continue to.  She has supported me in everything that I have done and has enjoyed this ride as well.  No pun intended. :)  Seriously, it just came out that way.  :)

I love her to death and I always will.

My father-in-law was diagnosed with prostate cancer but has been cleared for the time being.  Let's hope and pray it stays that way.

Let "The Stache" grow and flow.  Never look back.

God Bless and be safe!  

Mr. M

Fun Mustache Products