Winner Winner!

The winner of the My Memories Suite Giveaway is Donna from Cottage Days!
Woo hoo,  Congrats Ms. Donna!

Donna said:
"I would love to win and use their papers for my blog backgrounds. That would be so cool! I could spend hours on their web site, but the Aquarella Dream Set papers and the Vintage Harmony packs would be terrific to use on my blog.

Thank you so much for this great giveaway!"

I'm liking both the paper packs you chose - I can't wait to see how you transform your blog Ms Donna! Please email me and I will get the instructions to you for downloading the My Memories Suite.



{The Discount code and coupon DO NOT EXPIRE, so be sure to use the code on my sidebar if you are interested  in the $10.00 off scrapbooking software and $10.00 coupon for the  My Memories Store.}

Last Chance

Once I figured out how to download scrapbook kits to my computer from My Memories, I created this page in just a few minutes. This was a free layout called Love of a Lifetime, available  in the store, and is composed of the background page and the circle embellishment. All I had to do was find a picture to insert and add my text. Easy Peasy and Fast. I like this picture that we took while we toured the Bluebonnet Trails last spring. This was a very quite nature area along the lake. I set up my tripod and we took a "family" picture! Trixie, after all is our 4-legged little girl ♥

The My Memories Suite Giveaway ends tomorrow (Wednesday). Entries are very low for the Free Software Giveaway. Your chances to win are great. So don't think you are a scrapper? You can create new headers or icons for your blog with all the options available. Its great for making easy collages - there's even an option to select the pics you want to include for the collage and it automatically places all the pictures on the page. Or Christmas time is coming - this software would make a great gift for a creative person on your list! The software has a $40.00 value!

My Memories provided this video for you to explore.

Here’s what’s on the video –

·         Software Screen Tour – finding your papers and embellishments.

·         MyMemories.com website tour (and description of different types of products on the site)

·         Beginning information on album creation

·         Introduction to SOME of the tools (and references to the other video tutorials that are available)

Hurry up and go enter for the free My Memories Suite Giveaway! Contest ends Wednesday at 8:00 central time, but the coupon code: STMMMS41634 for $10.00 off software and $10.00 off merchandise DOES NOT EXPIRE!

Click here to put your name in the hat!

The Gazebo Reveal!

We finally finished our gazebo this weekend and I love how it all came together!

 The gazebo was literally pulled out of a trash ditch a few years ago. A friend of ours had eyeballed 2 gazebos that had been pushed over and rolled into a ditch. He ask the owner if he could have them and they said yes. They only had a few minor blemishes and the lattice on the lower section was gone. For helping haul the gazebos, we got to have one of them and our friends kept the other one. Other than some brackets for hanging baskets, I had yet to make any changes to the gazebo until last week.

I had been wanting to paint the gazebo for a long time, but just hadn't got a round to it. My brother recently became unemployed and he came over to help us out! Now we have never had any help on our yard or house. We have always been DIY people, but since Waldo (my brother's nickname)  is not a trained painter, I think we can still classify this as DIY! Jeff even got in on the painting project while I was at work! Of course they talked and text a lot of smack to me!

We bought one gallon of white paint and three gallons of barn red paint last week. (We are also painting a building sometime soon.) I had visions of the gazebo white - they had visions of a red gazebo!

I got text like:

 when we opened the white paint bucket, it was miss labeled, its red paint.

Is red spelled - w-h-i-t-e?

They debated on whether to wrap red paper around one of the post and send me a pic.

While out delivering flowers, I did run by the house to check on the progress!

They finally got it all painted, but sure were not looking forward to putting a second coat on it. I saved the day, when I relieved them of that duty! I decided to do a little sanding, to give the gazebo a distressed look.

They sent me a picture Thursday of recycled tin on the roof! I love, love, love how it looked on the roof! This was totally Jeff's idea and he did good! They even used salvaged nails!

So then I finally got to do my thing! Remember that $2.00 piece of burlap that I found at Canton? The one that was hanging on the line, hoping to pass the smell test. I cut it into three strips and draped it from the center point and tucked in the lattice. I made the insulator chandelier several years back and hung it in the center  as well. All the insulators were found at a yard sale nine years ago, for ten cents each!

 

 One of my favorite parts was carving our initials on one of the post! I also personalized the floor with paint. I cut out stencils with my Silhouette machine and painted with the red paint J and J Farm, est 2002. The guys got their red paint some where on the gazebo and I'm happy with how it turned out.

I've had the lanterns for a long time. I found them four or five years ago at Garden Ridge for $1.00 each!

I had visions of wrapping grapevine garland around  and through the lattice, but I didn't want to drive for two hours to get the garland or pay an outrageous price for it. When my red bud tree died from the drought, I saved the branches. The branches were just too pretty and I knew they would make good fall decor. So I took the branches and tucked them in the lattice for added depth. 

  

 I'm thrilled with how it all came out! Other than a gallon of paint  and the burlap, we reused and recycled everything for this project. We have about $17.00 in our gazebo and still have paint leftover!

I think we just might spend more time in the gazebo this fall! I am so ready for cooler temperatures and evenings spent outdoors by the chiminea.

Want to see more of our gazebo and how it's changed over the years? Go here for a recap!

I Was Featured!

Remember my Burlap and Belt Buckle Post from last week? It was featured on the Tip Junkie website as one of the TopTen Crafts to Make this Week!!!!! {Squeal}

I got up this morning, was eating breakfast while checking on Twitter. I saw the link to the Top Ten and clicked over to be insprired. As I scrolled through the list on my phone, I saw MY picture! My husband didn't know what all the excitement was about!

There were 711 projects linked up last week and I made the Top Ten. Eek!

Ok, I'm just a little bit excited today!

Sneak Peak!

We are in the middle of making over our gazebo, so I thought I would share a sneak peak! The gazebo has got new paint, been sanded on, carved on, and getting a "new" old tin roof today! I'll reveal all the pics from the makeover soon!

My Memories Suite - Giveaway!

Several of you noticed I used a scrapbook type format for some of  my recent blog post. Last week My Memories contacted me about hosting a giveaway right here on GypsyFarmGirl for FREE digital scrapbooking software. They allowed me to download the software and try it out and then give away to one LUCKY reader their very own scrapbooking software! They are also offering a discount code and coupon for ALL my readers as well!

I had a few questions at first and after reading on the My Memories website and checking out all there awesome stuff, I felt more confident about sharing this with you, my friends. One of my biggest questions was "How can this benefit my readers?" I love to scrapbook, but was unsure if any of You do, but then again, we are bloggers and we are really just scrapbooking what goes on in our lives on our blogs. I ask if the scrapbook pages could be saved as jpeg files and uploaded like pictures to our blogs and the answer was YES! That made everything better!

I get frustrated at times with my current photo editing on my computer - I use one program to edit a picture, then have to use another program to compress my photos in order to get them to load on my blog. (We all deal with blogger and photo uploading issues - don't we?) With this software, I am able to work in one program, save the layout with pictures and text and load on my blog with NO trouble. Hallelujah!

I downloaded the digital scrapbooking software and found it very easy to create fun pages. I've yet to hit the help button! You can share your pages by printing, exporting to a picture file, creating DVDs, albums, and there is even an iPod ready button.

I have scrapbooked the traditional way for several years and honestly had never thought about digital scrapbooking. While I love the textures and creative techniques in scrapbooking, I will admit I am behind with my scrapping. This week I have enjoyed being able to create a page while sitting on the couch, while watching tv or at the kitchen table while I am working on supper. I can work on a page for a few minutes, walk away and its still there, without dragging out all the mess on my scrapbooking table. I can scrapbook on my laptop whenever and where ever I get a chance. I have made far more pages this weekend on my computer than I have have added with traditional methods!

While I will not neglect my traditional scrapbooks all together, my memories suite has definitely sparked  an enthusiasm in me to tell the story behind some of the many pictures I have on my computer, in a creative way. I can even print the pages out on my home printer and add them to my big, fat scrapbooks!

 I love all the layouts, background options, ribbons, brads, and flourishes that are available. Better yet, I don't have to run off to the store (my nearest scrapbooking store is over 30 minutes away) to get a special paper or embellishment when I am home scraping. All the options are on my computer and with the My Memories store, so much is available at my finger tips. There are lots of options that come with the software, many free downloads available on the website, and numerous scrapbooking options available to purchase.

The only negatives I have run into have more to deal with my internet connection. We have a download allowance per day and the My Memories Suite was definitely larger than our allotment. I was able to take my computer to work and download the software from there, so all worked out fine. Our internet service does allow us to complete large downloads during the night, but I didn't want to get up at 1:00 am to complete the task at home.

Here comes the FUN part! I get to give away FREE software to one lucky person and give a COUPON CODE to EVERYONE!

The following code is good for a $10.00 discount for My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software  and a $10.00 coupon  to the MyMemories.com store! Please copy and paste the following code when shopping with My Memories  to receive your discount : STMMMS41634

Several options are available to enter to win your very own copy of the software. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Mandatory to enter:

1. Visit MyMemories.com and let me know what your favorite layout or paper pack is. Comment on this post and let me know what you like 

AND

 Be a GypsyFarmGirl Blog or Twitter follower.

To obtain up to 6 ADDITIONAL chances to win you can:

2. Follow My Memories on their Blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

3. Blog, Tweet, and Facebook about this Giveaway and Coupon Code to all your friends.

Let me know what you did by leaving a separate comment for each and a link to your post.

You can copy and paste the following tweet: I just entered to WIN free Digital Scrapbooking Software @gypsyfarmgirl from @mymemoriessuite. Coupon Code STMMMS41634 Available! #Giveaway

That is up to 7 lucky ways to enter this contest!

I will choose one random winner of the My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software Version 2 on Wednesday, August 31, 2011. Entries close at 8:00 AM and winner will be notified by email and provided a code to download your very own software. If you do not have an email address linked to your profile, please include it so that I can contact you when you WIN!

The coupon code does not expire!

GOOD LUCK!

Flip-Flop FarmGirl Photo Challenge

Kelsey at the Flip-Flop Farmgirl is hosting a photo contest and giveaway with the theme of Flowers. I took this picture of Texas Bluebonnets on our travels during the spring. The bluebonnets were over looking a valley on the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails. It was a breath taking sight that I hope we get to revisit in the spring. My husband said the valley reminded him of a scene out of the Bible.

Click on the link below to go check out the other participants in the photo challenge. There are some great camera related prizes involved!

Burlap and Beltbuckle Chair Covers

 While reading the JunkGypsy Blog, I was inspired by all the beautiful things they did for Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton's wedding in May. I loved it ALL! One thing that stuck out in my mind was all the chair covers they fashioned with material and belt buckles.

With no events to host or decorate for, I didn't know when I would ever be able to incorporate any of their ideas from the wedding. That's when it hit me last week at the Tractor Supply! I found a shelf of burlap sacks for a $1.00 each. They were the perfect width for my 2 chairs in our kitchen. Better yet, no sewing required! I came home and slipped them over the chairs immediately.

I rummaged through my material and found some cream colored burlap and cut 2  - 7 inch wide strips. The burlap was just long enough to wrap around the chairs, so I took a narrow strip of burlap and tied around the wide band of burlap.

While I had been looking through my material and ribbons, I came across an old belt with a buckle. I cut the buckle off the belt, added a few rhinestone stickers for some extra bling,  and tied it with the narrow strip of burlap. I went to the bedroom and found one of Farmall Man's old belt buckles with an initial E on it. I tied it on the back of his chair and Wah Lah, we had two chair covers inspired by the Junk Gypsies for $2.00 and  10 minutes time!

I'm linking my Burlap and Belt buckle Chair  Slip Covers to the following Parties:

A Makeover

 I recently completed a Bathroom Makeover project. I wish I would have taken before pictures {shame on me}. Lets just say that the bathroom was mint green, pink, lavender, pale yellow, floral-ee. It was good for a while, but it was T-I-M-E for a change.

My inspiration came from the double-tree that is holding the curtain. I had recently purchased the antique piece from my Great-Uncles Estate Sale for a mere $10.00. I realized it would fit above the window and the wheels in my head started turning! I had also recently purchased this new Winchester shower curtain, complete with hooks, from a garage sale for $4.00. This was a design-on-a-dime project coming together! The shower curtain was hanging in the "other" bathroom - the one nobody uses or ever sees. So I shopped around the house and 'the building' and found some material that was purchased from the scrap basket at the local discount store - a perfect size for a curtain! Out came my Grandmama's antique Sew Gem sewing machine. I always have raffia on hand and it made perfect tie backs for the curtain.  

 

The grapevine had been around the mirror from the time the bathroom had a  pastel floral theme - (think wisteria frame for the mirror.)Now time for some reclaimed eucalyptus out of an arrangement at work, some pheasant feathers, and a few leftovers from the Christmas tree decorations (think country Christmas!)All these items were in the building.The same day my makeover began, someone was giving advise on the TV to shop around your home and move items from room to room - duh - I do it all the time:)!The brown shelf was another garage sale find that was green. A little spray paint and sand paper and it looked much better on that wall! The boot was an antique that a friend had give me and the red twigs were on my Christmas tree - re purposed. I found the Prairie Man lunch kit on a huge clearance sale for less than $5.00; its perfect for "hiding" seldom used items in a bathroom short on a storage.

The lamp was made from one of my daddy's boots. When he died, my mom give me two pair of his boots because she knew I would "do something with 'em." I did. I made her a lamp and an flower arrangement, a lamp for my brother, and one for me. I covered the lampshade with scraps of the same material that was used to in the curtain. Some scrap trim from another project give the shade a finished look.

My bathroom is short on storage - no drawers in a bathroom is difficult. A man certainly designed this house and didn't think about the needs of a woman needing to store makeup, etc. I was using one of the white plastic drawers for this purpose and it looked cheap and out of place...I LOVE burlap...I love to spray paint...White plastic drawers got a makeover too. I cut burlap to cover the frame of the drawer and painted the drawers to match the shelf on the wall. A little bling trim covered the rough edges...thank goodness for trim (and hot glue)!

 The candle was a dollar store clearance item. A strip of tooled felt and a metal running horse made it fit right in. The Stetson tin was a gift from a co-worker that is perfect for holding cotton balls and the plant is a Mother-In-Laws Tongue given to me by my ever-so-sweet and kind Mother-in-Law.

I love how it all came together and I think I spent around $30.00 to $40.00 on it all. It suites our style much better and it combines items from my family and history.

Brenda's Photo Challenge - Portraits

The theme of this week's Brenda Photo Challenge is Portraits.

Farmall Man with our Nephew, playing Cars in the floor and clinging to that sippy cup!

Click here to go check out all the other participants in Brenda's Photo Challenge. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Flea Market Finds



A few of our weekend finds!

A couple a weeks ago, I had the ramblin fever...the need to hit the road for some kind of adventure...the need to kick the everyday mundane and explore some junk. Saturday we explored the Goodwill on our usual grocery/feed store shopping trip and then Canton First Monday Trades Days was that weekend, so we headed out on a Hot Sunday morning to do some exploring.



The road - she was a callin' my name...



Trade Days...How I've missed you.
The parking was remarkably easy. Usually traffic is extremely chaotic in Canton, but I guess the hot weather kept a lot of people at home. There didn't seem to be many shoppers this month.

My Good Will Find from Saturday Shopping.

Just the week before, I decided I needed an old suitcase. We were browsing the Goodwill when I looked around and saw this orange suitcase. I had already passed it once and paid it no attention. The inside was clean and only had one issue were the seem had come unraveled. I fixed it with some Alene's Tacky glue and now all my material is stored  in this super cool storage container! Way cuter than one of those plastic storage tubs from Wal Mart don't ya think and it only cost $7.00!

I found a few baseballs, doileys, and containers on my weekend shopping trip. Look at those buttons! They are vintage for sure - the Wal Mart price tag is printed on the package and they've never been used!

I took the seem out of the baseballs and am going to make a flower accent with the leather shell.

See the flower? I've gotta find a cool button to attach to the center of the flower.

Some of Farmall Man's picks! He always tells a story  about when his Granddad and his friends got a telephone. They would call down to the community store and ask  "Do you have Prince Albert in a Can?" "Why Yes we do", the clerk would reply. "Well you better let 'im out!" and they would bust into hysterical laughter and hang up.

Punky looks like she is ready to hit the road were her over night case!

I must have had a fascination with old suitcases last week, because I bought this old Samsonite case as well. It's not doing too well on the smell test. I cleaned it up and it is getting to spend some time with baking soda and sunshine! I have in mind a cool decoupage project with this case - when it passes the smell test that is. It only cost $3.00.

For $2.00 I found over three yards of burlap. Its had some smell issues as well and is getting the sunshine treatment! I've washed it down with the water hose and am letting it air out for a while. Not sure what I'm gonna do with this just yet, but I couldn't pass up all this fabric!

We had a great time even though it was sooo hot. We walked through some of the pavilions and arbors at Canton, but there just didn't seem to be much exciting in them. When we got "out back" we found all the good stuff! If you've never been to Canton, it is quite the experience. There are thousands of vendors on the weekend before the first Monday of the month. There are lots of covered shopping pavilions, arbors, etc and then there are the outdoor vendors. The outdoor spaces usually have more "junk" and random stuff set up under tents and among the trees. Its were the unique stuff is at and the deals can be found. It was actually much cooler outside than it was under the buildings because there was a breeze blowing . Click here to see one of the maps or here to read more about Canton trade days. There's really no way to see everything in Canton in one weekend, so I hope we can get back on the road again next month! I'll have the rambling fever again by then I'm sure! I think I here the road calling my name.....