"A Touch of Farmhouse Charm," by Liz Fourez, should live on the shelf of anyone looking to create a beautiful farmhouse-style home on a budget. This is not a paid post, but I was provided an advance copy of the book for review. This post does contain affiliate links that will help the reader easily locate products mentioned. There are few things I love more than a good book. I am an equal opportunity book devotee - from hardback coffee table books to political biographies, I love them all. Having said that, I may be a bit biased when it comes to books written by my friends. They tend ... read more
Search Results for: book review
Book Review: Decorating for Real Life + Giveaway
If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen a couple of images from Wendy's book release party for Decorating for Real Life. I am thrilled to show you a few peeks at the party, the book and to share an Amazon affiliate link to where you can purchase the book. In addition to being a good friend and fabulous blogger, Wendy works as an interior designer and the party was held in one of her company's model homes... I hope you will excuse my terrible cell phone photos, but I couldn't help sneaking in a few photos of the home. It was a gorgeous mix of raspberry and navy blue ... read more
Book Review: Washi Tape Christmas + Giveaway
You guys, I was so excited to hop out to my mailbox the other day and find a sweet gift from my friend Kami. There's nothing like a little happy mail to brighten your day, right?! Normally I wouldn't write up a whole post on fun mail from a friend, but Kami's package gave me the perfect incentive to gush over her new book Washi Tape Christmas, share an Amazon affiliate link so that you can purchase if you like and hold a washi-fabulous giveaway! Washi Tape Christmas One of the things I really love about Kami, is that she always creates clever projects (both on her blog and in this book) ... read more
Book Review: Craft Fail by Heather Mann
The other day my friend Heather, sent me a copy of her new book, CraftFail: When Homemade Goes Terribly Wrong. I am so excited to share a quick peek inside and an affiliate link to Amazon, where the book can be purchased. Before I read it and collapsed in a fit of giggles, I couldn't help but think how very lucky I am to have such incredibly talented friends in my life. I first met Heather five years ago. It didn't take me long to realize this was a girl with an eye for inexpensive, indie-style craft projects like those featured on her popular blog, Dollar Store Crafts, and a flair for ... read more
So Pretty! Felt {book review}
I have a love affair with felt you guys. It is so outrageously soft, and easy to craft with and oh so pretty. So a month or so when I was contacted by Chronicle Books about reviewing the newest book from Amy Palanjian I jumped at it. The book is called So Pretty! Felt and I'm in love. It's full of 24 "simple, yet elegant" projects - which is one reason I love it. I'm a sucker for simple and elegant. I seriously loved every project in the book and couldn't wait to start on one. So I didn't. I had been meaning to make my daughter a bow to match her favorite Sunday dress and ... read more
Cricut EasyPress Review
Looking for a lightweight, easy-to-use press for all of your heat transfer vinyl projects? Don't miss my Cricut EasyPress Review. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine. My friends, I never met a plain t-shirt I didn't want to embellish or a blank piece of wood that wouldn't prefer to be a sign. Making custom t-shirts and handmade signs has been one of my favorite activities for years. While it's possible to make a custom design and apply it using an iron, I've never had great luck with it. It was rare that I got ... read more
12 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read
Whether you're just starting out, or your a seasoned business owner you don't want to miss out on this list of 12 business books for entrepreneurs. They're bound to make a difference in your day-to-day operations. It's secret that I am a bit of a book nerd. I regularly share my latest reads on Instagram Stories, post the occasional book review here on the blog and once I even documented how to make a fun pouch for your iPad/Kindle (a project that's been pinned a ton!). There's no better way to spend a weekend than curled up with a good book. While I am a fan of fiction, you can ... read more
Grace Adele Handbag Review
I am Mary Poppins Okay, let’s start off with a dose of honesty here. I am clearly not Mary Poppins – I am NOT perfect in ANY way – but, based on what I carry around with me every day you might think my ability to stuff my bag to overflowing is pretty darn amazing. Let me show you what I mean… This is a sample of what I quickly pulled out of my handbag today. I say sample, because this is probably about 1/3 of what was actually inside. You can’t see the band-aids, the mini sewing kit, three kiddy squirt guns, coupons, sunglasses and the jumbled up jewelry… Good heaven, it’s a ... read more
How to Save Posts on Facebook for Later
Typically when I hop onto Facebook, I am actually after something specific for work. I don't often have time to leisurely scroll through my newsfeed...If something interesting catches my eye, I've found it's far more effective to "save for later," than stop to read the entire piece. Today I am going to show you how simple it is to save Facebook posts for later! Scrolling through your newsfeed, you come across something interesting. It might be a link, a place, a movie, music, etc. You can save those items on Facebook to check out later when you've got more time. You know, something ... read more
How to Schedule Facebook Posts
If you stop by often you probably know that in addition to blogging and running SNAP! Conference, I work full-time in public relations and social media. As a result, I have to be extra efficient in terms of how I spend my time online. I rely heavily on applications that help me to schedule posts on various social networks. I used to schedule everything via Hootsuite until I found out that Facebook dings posts uploaded by a third party application. I was super excited this last year when Facebook launched their scheduling feature. It works great! How to Schedule Facebook Posts 1. ... read more
Make More Money With Amazon’s Affiliate Program
This post contains affiliate links. The Amazon Associate Program was the very first tool I used to monetize my blog. I am glad I started early. I've had years to populate my site with affiliate links. Some of those links didn't necessarily convert well early on, but as my blog has grown and as older posts have gone viral those older links have really started to pay off. Today I make more money with Amazon's affiliate program than I ever thought I would. It more than supports my insane book buying habit. Amazon's Associate Program was a natural fit for me. I love Amazon and shop ... read more
New Cricut Maker Tools: Perforating Blade, Wavy Blade, Debossing Tip and Engraving Tip
Looking for an overview of the four new Cricut Maker tools? Don't miss this overview of the perforating blade, wavy blade, debossing tip and engraving tip. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine. Earlier this month I shared a sneak peek of the four new Cricut tools available on my Instagram Stories. I've had a few weeks to play around with the tools and I'm excited to share a few first impressions with you. New Cricut Maker Tools A few months ago when I upgraded to the Cricut Maker, I shared a post detailing ... read more
DIY Washi Tape Valentine’s Day Decor
Looking for an inexpensive way to decorate your home this February? Celebrate with this easy DIY washi tape Valentine's Day decor. I've been a bit quiet on social media the last few weeks. No. Nothing is wrong (thanks to those of you who've checked in though!). I am simply purging and organizing like a mad woman and I've got no time to chit chat. Ha! This week I've been working on my craft room and home office. As I go through each item, I've been asking myself if it brings me joy (thanks, Marie Kondo). It's a tactic that's worked in the kitchen, laundry room and even my bedroom, ... read more
Craft and Hobby Association Show 2016 Top 10 + Giveaway
Each January the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) hosts a tradeshow for industry buyers. The show features the latest and greatest in craft products, typically before they show up in stores. If you're following me on Facebook or Instagram, you might have seen a preview of some of the fun items I came across last week at the 2016 show. Today I am sharing the 10 best NEW items I came across at the show this year and hosting a fun giveaway with my friend Jen, from Tatertots and Jello. Craft and Hobby Association Show Top 10 1. We R Memory Keepers Alphabet Punch Board We R Memory ... read more
Can You Still Make a Living Blogging?
A new blog is created every second of every day. Now I am no mathematician, but even with my rudimentary skills I can tell you that's a heck of a lot of sites. At the same time, prominent bloggers like Young House Love and mom blog royalty, Dooce, are are leaving the industry. It's no surprise one of the most common questions I am asked is, can you still make a living blogging?Yes. The short answer is yes. The longer answer resides within the development of three specific areas: branding, work ethic and a diversified income stream. Unique Voice and Strong Personal Brand There will always be ... read more
Don’t Lose Income: Properly Install Amazon’s Affiliate Disclosure Policy
Every once in a while an account shutdown occurs that sends ripples throughout the online community. You've probably heard horror stories - a Blogger site is deleted, a Facebook Page disappears, an AdSense account is closed with no warning. The truly scary thing is, these corporations are so large there is often a "zero tolerance" policy in place and gleaning more information about what went wrong can be rough. Recently I've heard several cases where Amazon has revoked access to a blogger's affiliate account, due to a failure to follow Amazon's affiliate disclosure policy. The email ... read more
Show + Tell: Holiday Share
One of my favorite days of the week is Wednesday (though Friday always comes in at a close second). Each Wednesday I get to review all of the fun links you've shared during Show + Tell. So much good stuff. Today, I am sharing a Show + Tell special edition... I've teamed up with 25+ awesome blogs to host a special linky FOR CHRISTMAS PROJECTS that will be open through December 7. You can link up at any of the participating blogs + your post will show up on all of them! Design Dazzle | Simply Designing | Made From Pinterest | Mommy Crusader | kiki comin Frog Prince Paperie | Clean and ... read more
5 Steps to Improving Blog Traffic in 30-Days
Before SNAP!... Before I started blogging... Before I met Derek an the boys... I was a career girl. I didn't just work any old job though, I worked in the ultimate pencil skirt and high heel wearing field - public relations. More specifically, I spent my years as a public relations executive working with politicians and sports super stars. At first glance it may seem that the two are completely different. However, politicians and athletes have AT LEAST two things in common - GIANT EGOS and an incredible WORK ETHIC. Though I think we can skip over any discussion of the giant ... read more