Duluth Trading Co. Gift Card Winners - Father's Day Giveaway

Hey all!  I've been busy working on some crafty projects lately - decorations for my friend's daughter's upcoming birthday party.   I'll share those in some upcoming posts.  I also finally got the remaining supplies to finish the headboard I was working on, so I can finally finish that up after I'm done with these party decorations.

So, are you ready for the 2 winners of the $50 Duluth Trading Company gift cards?  This was my very first giveaway, so I was really excited to have this opportunity to do this for you guys!

And the winners are........

Father's Day: Duluth Trading Co Gift Card Giveway

Can you believe it's already June?  Father's Day is coming up pretty quickly here and I have a great giveaway for you guys!

Duluth Trading Company has very kindly given me 2 $50 gift cards to giveaway to my readers in honor of Father's Day!  Check out Duluth's website to see what kind of awesome goodies they have.

Via Duluth Trading Co

Feel free to enter the giveaway below (make sure your email address is included so I can get in touch with you in case you win) and leave a comment letting me know what you buy with your gift card (if you can't leave a comment due to technical difficulties, no worries - you're still eligible).  And remember - I have TWO gift cards to give away, so there will be 2 lucky winners.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

Duluth Wants To Give You A Kick In The Pants!

Have you heard of Duluth Trading Co?  They're a company that is known for their Longtail T Shirts, which in their words "...solved the age old, notorious and much feared problem known as Plumber's Butt".  They also have a lot of other workwear, footwear, accessories  - they're pretty awesome and have a great sense of humor.  I love that in a brand!

I'm going to be working with them (more on that later), but right now they are having a great contest on their Facebook page:  they want to give you a good Kick In The Pants to get your project done by having you share your projects on their Facebook page.  They may just award your project with $200 in cash and $200 in Duluth Trading Co. gear!  Pretty sweet, right?  If you're like me, I'm sure you have some that are needing to be finished (or started).  So, head on over there and submit your project.  Let me know in the comments if you do, so I can make sure to check them out!

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

This post is sponsored by Duluth Trading Co.  All opinions are my own.

Single DIYers

Hi all!  Just wanted to share that Sarah at The Ugly Duckling House is having a link party on her blog for single DIYers..  If you're interested stop on by her link party to check it out or to join in.

I know I'm looking forward to some new blogs to read that I can relate to!

P.S.  If you are stopping by my blog from her link party - WELCOME!  So glad to have you here!

Bye Bye, Google Reader: Part 2

As most of you may already know, Google Reader will be gone as of July 1st, which is fast-approaching!  It was previously my main source for following all of my favorite blogs, so when I first heard about it, I slightly panicked.  I posted about that here.   I made the switch to Bloglovin' at the end of March and am loving it.  The only thing I don't like is that I can't Pin directly from it (at least, I haven't figured out if I can - if you know how, please let me know).  I did try some other readers and so far I have found that Bloglovin' is the best.

I would love for you to continue following my blog - it truly does mean a lot to me.  I've provided several different ways to make it easy for you.  You can follow me via Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', Google+, Linky Followers, or you can subscribe via your choice of reader or via email - all of these have a button on the right-hand side of my blog page.  Honestly, I haven't quite figured out Linky Followers, but I'm regularly on the others.

Thanks again for stopping by and hope you continue to do so!
--Chrissy

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

Sunshine Award

My BBF (best bloggy friend), Brenda at Chatting Over Chocolate nominated me for a Sunshine Award!  She's such a sweetie!

Google+

I've heard about Google+ for awhile now.  I even tried using it before, but didn't quite "get it".  I think part of that reason is because not many people were using it at the time, so I wasn't quite sure what the point was.

A couple of weeks ago, Kelly at Smart School House wrote this post about how to use Google+ as a blogger, so I decided to give it another shot.  And boy, is it a lot different than what I remember when I first checked it out.  It's sort of like a Facebook mixed with a blog reader.  At least, that's what I've gathered from it so far.

If you'd like to check out my Google+ profile, you can click here.  I've also included a button on the right-hand side of my blog so you can add me to your Google+ circle if you would like to.  ;)

And don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', Linky Followers, or you can subscribe via your choice of reader or via email - all of these have a button on the right-hand side of my blog also.  I don't say it enough, but thank you for taking the time to read Adventures in DIY - I truly, truly appreciate it!

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

I've Been Featured! Again!

I just happened to find both features this week as I was checking out some blogs - awesome!  This feature is from February 2013, but feel free to check it out at The Adventures of Courty Pants.  It's a great round-up of DIY Valentine gift ideas and my Love *Heart* Map Frame was featured.

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

I've Been Featured!

The NY Melrose Family featured my hashbrown potato casserole recipe on her 20 Brunch Ideas post.  Click on the link to check it out.  And don't forget to check out the other yummy-looking recipes she featured also!  Thanks Jenny!

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

I've Been Featured!

Buzzfeed has featured my Pet Paw Stocking on their website.  Check it out by clicking here.

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

Bye Bye, Google Reader! (And Spam Comments)

Did anyone else have a slight panic attack when you found out that Google Reader is going to the kick the bucket on July 1st?    

I have certain blogs I read regularly and Google Reader was a convenient way for me to follow along.  I like how it recognizes posts that I haven't read and also puts them in chronological order - it's hard to miss a post this way.

Since it will soon be a goner, I had to figure out what other "reader" would be good for me.  After reading some other blogs, I've learned that these were some good options:

1)  Bloglovin:   It was easy to transfer the blogs I follow.  I also like the format and how everything is listed by most recent.  The only thing I don't like is when I want to Pin something from the blog I'm on, it won't allow me to and it won't allow me to click on the post's title (which normally would take you directly to the blog's specific post).  I have to go back to the main Bloglovin page (where it shows the list of all the unread posts) and click on the blogs's name, then find the specific post on their blog.  If anyone knows of an easier way, please let me know.  I'm still learning the ins & outs of Bloglovin.  Other than that, I'm liking Bloglovin so far and it's my main reader now.

2)  Feedly:   I've heard it's easy to transfer the blogs, but it wanted me to install a Safari and/or Firefox extender.  Right now, I don't have any room on my ol' Macbook - it's lasted me about 7 years, but I already decided that this year is the year I get a new one.  So, until then, I don't want to put any excess files on it.  From what I can tell on their home page, it looks like a nice format, but since I didn't sign up, I couldn't play around with it.  Maybe once I get my new Macbook this year, I'll sign up and take a looksey.

3)  Linky Followers:  So, far I'm finding that it's not user friendly at all.  It looks like the site was created 10 years ago and never changed.  I was not even able to figure out how to view blogs on there.  Am I just not figuring it out correctly?  Was I just too tired of checking out the different readers that my brain was all fuzzy?  I still set up an account so that I could add a button to my blog page - I thought that might be easier for any regular Linky users to follow my blog.  One of these days, I'll poke around on the site more to see if I was just missing something.

4)  My Yahoo:  Since I have an old Yahoo account, I decided to try this.  I had to manually input the blogs I follow - I stopped at 5 or 6 since I got tired of it.  There was no way I was going to manually transfer all those blogs I follow.  Also, I noticed that it wasn't listing the posts in order of when they were posted (most recent) - it was listing alphabetically, which made it hard for me to determine which posts I hadn't read yet (it also doesn't indicate "unread" posts.  

Also, I have seen some bloggers concerns over spam comments.  I used to get them occasionally, but in the last couple of weeks, I've noticed that I have been getting a TON of them and it's really annoying.  So, I may be turning on the word verification soon to see if that will help stop them.  I know it's an inconvenience, but I think it will help - hopefully it will be just temporary. 

I hope that you all continue to follow along in your reader of choice.  There are several options on the right-hand side bar of my blog page so you can follow along - whether it's via a reader, via email subscription, or Twitter.  

Have a nice weekend!

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

Liebster Awards!

Over the last few months, I was nominated for 3 Liebster awards!  Thank you to Brenda at Chatting Over Chocolate, Abby at Just A Girl And Her Blog, and Kae at Englishrose2 for the honor!  What is a Liebster Award?  It's given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.  In German, Liebster means:  sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome - or at least, that's what I've been told.  ;)  

The rules:  
1)  Tell 11 random facts about yourself
2)  Answer the 11 questions the nominator has asked you
3)  Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to & link them in your post
4)  Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to
5)  Go back to their page & tell them about the award
6)  No tag backs

Now, I'm going to be a very bad blogger and not do #3-5.  It's not that I don't appreciate the award, but most of the blogs I read/follow have more than 200 followers and the ones I thought about giving the award to, have already received the Liebster and more than once!  Because I don't have a ton of time right now to search for 11 nominees and already too much time has passed since receiving these awards, I'm going to cheat.  I will say that anyone who takes the time to blog and share part of their lives and talent with us are wonderful!  Is that overly cheesy?  ;)  Yes, but it's true, though!

11 Random Facts About Me:
1)  I'm 1/2 Thai, 1/4 Italian, and who knows what else (I've heard I'm also part Cherokee).
2)  I have lots of siblings, but I'm technically the only child of my mom & dad.  All my siblings are technically half-siblings or step-siblings, but I love them all just the same.
3)  I love to travel!  I've been all over the US and various places in Canada, Mexico, Thailand, and Italy. 
4)  I have A LOT of family in Thailand (aunts, uncles, cousins), including my grandmother.  I met her for the first time when I was 25, but not able to have a conversation with her since I don't speak Thai.  It was very emotional meeting her though.  I also have family in Italy, although they are more distant relatives (my dad's cousins, etc) who I've never met and they probably don't even know I exist.
5)  I love Disneyland and would love to visit all the Disney parks all over the world one day.  So far, I've made it to Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  I almost made it to the Hong Kong park, but it didn't quite happen.
6)  I hate coffee & don't like tea.  I wish I liked tea though.
7)  My "coffee" is Coke.  It's very bad, I know, but it keeps me going.  If I really need a pick-me-up, Mt. Dew it is.
8)  I was in both NYC and Washington DC about a week before Sept. 11th.  It was a total shock when I woke up that morning to the news that both the World Trade Center & Pentagon had been crashed into by terrorists knowing that I had been inside both buildings the week before.
9)  I'm a picky eater.  I absolutely hate it, but can't help it.
10)  I'm a true California girl - born and raised.
11)  Supposedly, I'm related to the infamous gangster Pretty Boy Floyd and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, William Floyd. 

11 Questions from Brenda at Chatting Over Chocolate:
1)  What has surprised you most about your blogging journey?
That I've actually stuck with it for so long!

2)  If your life had a theme song, what would it be? 
I think this was the hardest question of the bunch since there's no song out there that completely is "me".  But, for the sake of answering this, I would have to pick "Under Construction" by No Doubt.  There's actually lots of No Doubt songs that I can relate to - Gwen Stefani truly writes from the heart.  When I'm in a truly happy place, I think "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley sums it up.

3)  If you were given free airfare, where would you travel?
I've actually won airfare from work before!  Since I was limited on where I could go and when, I chose Florida - the Keys & Miami.  I always wanted to go to the Keys (I'm a Jimmy Buffett fan), so I was able to check that off my list.  But, if I was given free airfare with no restrictions?   I would choose England & France.  Or maybe Australia.  :) 

4)  What is your biggest fear?
I have a lot of nightmares about my teeth falling out, so I'm guessing it's that. lol

5)  Where would you be most excited to receive a $100 gift card from?
Home Depot, Target, Amazon, Lowe's - any of these 4 places!

6)  What hobbies do you enjoy?
DIY, crafts, crocheting, scrapbooking (I have way less time for this now, though), traveling - pretty much all the stuff you see on my blog.  :)

7)  Which movie could you quote nearly every line from?
"The Nightmare Before Christmas"

8)  What does your ideal Friday night consist of?
Depends on what's going on.

9)  What was your favorite Halloween costume growing up?
I would say it was my Ewok costume in elementary school.  Do you remember those cheap plastic costumes - the masks were just the face with the elastic around the back to hold it onto your head and the actual costume was plasticy too?  Ahhh, memories!  It's too bad I don't have a picture!

10)  What's one of your most cherished memories?
Going to Disneyland for my 6th birthday.  I still have vivid memories of it.  My mom & dad were still together and we all went with a family that we were close to.  I rode with them in their car on the way there and they gave me my present - a Mickey Mouse Colorforms set.  Do you remember those?  I loved that set and it got a lot of use!

11)  What have you always wanted to learn how to do?
Carpentry!  And I plan on learning this year.

11 Questions from Abby at Just A Girl And Her Blog
1)  Why do you blog?
The reason I started blogging was as incentive for me to get projects done around the house.  So far, it's worked very well for me - I've gotten a ton of things done around here and love to share it on the blog.  

2)  What is your color crush right now?
Aqua/Teal/Turquoise - I've been loving these colors for the last few years.  When I first started incorporating it in my decor, it wasn't as popular and harder to find things in these colors, but they're everywhere now and I'm loving it! 
I also like Coral and it goes well with the aqua/teal/turquoise.  So far, I haven't had too much of this color incorporated into my decor, but I plan to do more with it.

3)  Who do you look up to most in your life?
My mom.

4)  What is your favorite childhood memory?
Trips to Disneyland.

5)  What were you like in high school?
I was shy & an introvert.  I'm very different now - if I had my personality now while I was in high school, I would have probably had a whole different high school experience.

6)  Describe yourself in 3 words:
Funny, easygoing, organized

7)  Who is your celebrity crush?
Easy!  Johnny Depp - 29 years and counting! (Holy moly!)  I was 9 when "Nightmare on Elm Street" first came out and saw him in it (seriously, why was I allowed to watch that at that age?).  All I could think was "why does the cute boy have to get killed?!?!".  And watching him in "21 Jumpstreet" when I was a teenager sealed the deal.  :)

8)  If money were not an object, describe your dream home.
A rustic, beach cottage.

9)  When I'm not blogging, you can find me DIY'ing or crafting while watching Netflix.

10)  I cannot live without my ??.  I really couldn't answer this!  I have no idea!

11)  What has been your proudest moment in your life so far?
Being able to buy my own home.

11 Questions from Kae at Englishrose2
1)  What's your favourite season & why?
Fall - hands down.  I like it because the summer heat is just starting to die down and it means the start of winter is soon to come.  The leaves turn pretty colors.  And most of all, my favorite holiday, Halloween, is in the fall!  

2)  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish I was taller.  :)

3)  Who inspires you?
Lots of people and all for various reasons. 

4)  If you could go back in time and spend 24 hours with one person, who would it be?  Why?  And what would be the first question to them?
My mom - she's no longer with us and it would be nice to spend another day with her.

5)  What did you want to be when you was a child?
I wanted to be an archaeologist.  I'm still very interested in it and history and some of my favorite vacation outings are going to ancient ruins (I got to do this in Thailand and in Italy when I went to Pompeii).  I also made sure to visit the King Tutankhamen exhibit when it was out here in L.A. years ago. 

6)  As I like to blog about anything and everything, whose blog would you recommend I follow?
There's lots of great blogs out there, but here's a handful of my favorites:  Thrifty Decor Chick, I Heart Organizing, The Lettered Cottage, House of Smith's, The Ugly Duckling House, Thrifty & Chic

7)  What do you dislike the most?
Hmmm, I don't really have an answer to this.

8)  If money was no object, what is the one thing you'd buy that you've always wanted?
I would probably buy a bigger house with more property and for sure with an in-ground pool.  I would also buy a truck so I wouldn't have to bug other people to help with large purchases.  :)  But, mostly, I would help out family and friends.

9)  Did you have a nickname at school?  What was it and why?
My nickname is Chrissy - my real name being Christine.  Most of my family call me "C" or "CC" and a lot of friends call me Chris.   I have various other nicknames that usually start for random reasons.

10)  Why did you start to blog?
The reason I started blogging was as incentive for me to get projects done around the house.  So far, it's worked very well for me - I've gotten a ton of things done around here and love to share it on the blog.

11)  What's the most significant change you've made to your blog?
Not too long ago,  I started allowing ads to appear on my blog.  I've also started to include more recipes.

Wow - some of those were really hard questions!  Thanks again to Brenda, Abby, and Kae for the nomination - it's truly appreciated!

Originally posted by Adventures in DIY

Blog Hop

Hey all!  A quick post here to let you know that Blue Skies Ahead,  Happy Go Lucky, I Heart Crafty Things, and Keeping Up With Kristi  are hosting a Blog Hop this week.  I've linked up!  Stop on over and check it out.  I'll be poking around the linked-up blogs weekend.  :)

I've Been Featured!

My Love *Heart* Map Frame has been featured today over at Smart School {House}!   Go check it out!

originally posted by: Adventures in DIY

2012 Project List - A Review

Since we're coming up to the end of the year, I decided to reflect on my past projects that I have completed or started for this year.  It's good to take a look back and see what I have accomplished and learned.  I think after completing my 2011 project list (it was fairly short) - about 15 things), I got a little overly ambitious for 2012.  Technically, a couple of 2011 projects didn't get completed until this year, but they got done.

First, before I get started on the list, I want to share my favorite project of the year:

Painting my brick fireplace made a HUUUUUUUGE difference!  I still love it!

My 2012 list?  I'm warning you right now.  It's long.  I kept adding onto the list every time I thought of something.  Sigh.  So, I maybe got about half of it done, which is still good considering how long it is.  Here it is (along with my commentary and links to the original posts):

Doors

1. Remove paint from interior doors hinges & spray paint them Satin Nickel
   Interior Doors: Part 2
   Interior Doors: Part 3
2. Add door stoppers to hinges on all doors
3. Paint interior doors & trim (both bathroom doors, craft room doors, guest bedroom, master bedroom, hall closet)
   Interior Doors: Part 4

Living Room

1. Paint fireplace white
   Fireplace Revamp: Phase 2
2. Make mantel for fireplace - the fireplace looked so good once painted, that I decided to leave it as-is.  I'm still debating if I want to make the mantel that I had in mind for this.
3. Move stereo to Billy bookcase - this wasn't as easy as it sounds.  The backing of the Billy bookcase wasn't flimsy and I couldn't just slip the cord behind it.  I had to actually remove everything from the bookcase, then remove the bookcase from the wall and drill a hole in the back of the bookcase so I could feed the cord to the outlet behind the bookcase.  It worked out so much better to have the stereo on the bookcase - it's a lot easier to access now.

Craft Room

1. Reorganize file cabinet 
   File Cabinet (Re)Organization
2. Reorganize mini-office in closet
3. Organize instruction manuals 
   How To Organize Instruction Manuals

Kitchen

Cabinets:  not much progress made in here.  The kitchen got lots of attention previously, so I decided to focus on other things.

1. Put new wheels on kitchen drawers that need it
2. Reorganize cooking utensil drawer
3. See if I can utilize the cabinet space above fridge – take off doors and put cookbooks?
4. Clean really well & then paint on top of cabinets so there is smooth finish (will make it easier to dust and can decorate on top of cabinets)
5. Put trim back on

Pantry:  although I completed these, I decided that I still need to completely reorganize the pantry. 

1. Label containers
2. Reorgnize other items using baskets

Guest Room

1. Reorganize closet - this is going to be a BIG job, so I have avoided it.  
2. Repaint over red accent wall 
   Guest Room Accent Wall

Garage/Laundry

Big Garage Door:

1. Put fresh batteries & program the keypad outside so I can actually use it
2. Fix weatherseal on bottom (missing piece where critters can get in) 
   Fixing the Garage Door Weatherseal

Organize Paint:

1. Check to see if the paint in each can is still good
2. Transfer paint to new containers if needed 
3. Label each container (brand, color, room used in, date bought)
   Paint Can Organization
4. Reorganize other paint supplies
5. Find disposal center - I'm still looking for one in my area.

Organize entire garage:  this is a BIG project too, so will be done in phases and will probably take me awhile.

1. Move big shelves & reorganize
   Garage Organization: Part 1
2. Clean doors & insides of cabinets
3. Reorganize inside cabinets by category? Use bins/tupperware/ziplock baggies
4. Install hooks on walls to hang up bigger tools
   Garage Organization: Part 2
5. Use white plastic drawers from guest room closet under workbench?
6. Paint garage walls?
7. Paint nicer flooring?

Laundry Area:  my laundry is in the garage.  I've been trying to rack my brain to "pretty it up" in there, so it hasn't been completed yet.

1. Reorganize laundry area
2. See if I can utilize the Tagi shelf for extra storage
3. Make laundry sign

Storage:

1. Organize Christmas lights
   How to Organize Christmas String Lights

Linen Closet - nope, this didn't get done.  It's already somewhat organized, so it's not that bad.

1. Clean out and reorganize

Outside

1. Reset sprinkler timer - this had been set incorrectly so lots of water & money were being wasted.
2. Fix latch on side gate 
3. Fix other side gate so it will close
   Fixing A Gate
4. Fix the fence on the side to neighbor's yard

Told you it was long!  I'm sure this is boring for you to read about, but it's a good way for me to see that I got lots of stuff done this year (including things that weren't on the list at all), but obviously I have leftovers for 2013.  And that's fine - because I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon.  I'll be making a new list for 2013 - I need to tweak the leftovers from 2012 and I've also added a few more things (yikes).  Some of them are big projects, so I need to evaluate and see which ones will be a priority for me.  I work full time, so sometimes it takes me longer to get things done than it may others, but they get done.  Eventually.  :)

Adventures in DIY is Now on Twitter!

I've been in a wrapping fury over the last couple of nights, so just a quick mention that Adventures in DIY is now on Twitter!   Ok, ok - it was my personal account that I use to stalk follow celebrities and comedians (seriously, you should check out Steve Martin on there - he's hilarious!), but I occasionally would tweet my own blog posts - just not consistently.  So, I have re-named my Twitter account to match the blog and will be making more of an effort to tweet more often.

At this time, I don't have a Facebook page for the blog.  Facebook is a timesucker and I just don't have a lot of time right now, but maybe one day...

If you would like to follow along, I added a button on the right-hand side.  And feel free to follow me on Pinterest as well.  :)

By the way, I'm loving my current selection of wrapping paper that I have.  Lots of kraft, aquas, reds, and greens.  I don't ever want to run out of it!

Ok, back to being a wrapping fool!

Blog Hiatus

Hello there - just wanted to post that I'm having an issue with Blogger and photo storage space.  I will be on bloggy hiatus until I can figure out what to do about it. 

Anyone else run out of Picasa storage space?  What did you do about it?

Introducing...Neutral Territory!

One of my best friends has finally joined the blog world.  I have referred to her in previous posts as Cheesebox - weird nickname, I know - don't ask.  :)   Please pop on over and take a look at her blog, Neutral Territory.  It's pretty fresh - only one post, but she is very talented and will have lots to write about.  She and her hubby bought their house only a month or so after I bought mine and we've had lots of fun talking "house" stuff over the last couple of years.  They did a major transformation on their house and it's awesome with gorgeous lake views.  So, stop on over and say hi and keep on the lookout for some great posts from her.

I've Been Featured!

In the last 2 weeks, my blog has been featured twice!  Awesome!  Pop on over to both blogs to see my features and check out their wonderful blogs...

Homework's Inspiration Board link party spotlight  featured my Coral Pillows.

Happy Go Lucky's Thursdays Top Ten featured my Cork Monogram.

I've Been Featured!

Hello all!

Just wanted to let you know I was featured on Hating Martha's Facebook page today for my most recent post:  Starfish & Driftwood Hanging..  Exciting stuff!  Here's the link if you want to check it out (while you're there, "like" her page.  She's awesome!).

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=312262185495944&id=233664670029623

Have a great weekend!