Soiree Day-Little Man Baby Shower

I can not wait for you to see today's party!!  It's so stinkin' adorable!  When Emily of ReMarkable Home was showing her progress on the planning I first of all fell in love with the theme and secondly knew I wanted to feature it!  And when I saw the final party...oh my goodness! She did an awesome job!!

Here's some highlights:

These last two photos are my favorite things she did!!

Photos courtesy of ReMarkable Home

See? Adorable!! AND she has links on how to make the printable (in first photo) and the cupcake toppers!!

I have just shown you the tip of the iceberg! You must go and checkout the whole thing!!

ReMarkable Home Little Man Baby Shower

(Thanks Emily for letting my share your awesomeness!!)

Happy Soiree Day!!

Cheesy Chicken Rotel Rice

I wanted to share a recipe that I threw together!  And some of you may make this already but I was proud of myself for thinking this up!  I didn't take photos of the process....while I was eating it I thought "this is pretty yummy and so easy I might need to share it!" So I snapped a quick photo with my phone before I ate my second helping. ☺

1/2 block of Velveeta (left over from making cheese dip)

1 can of Rotel

Rice

2-3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and cut up (cooked mine in the microwave!)

I measured out my rice for 4 servings, added the can of rotel plus 1/2 the water required for making the rice in the microwave.  Cubed the Velveeta and nestled it in the center of the rice.  Cooked according to microwave time.  Once done added cooked chicken.

Wallah! Easy Yumminess!!

See my Link Party Page for where I'm linking to!

We have a Winner!!

Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend!!

Thank you to everyone who entered the 50 Fabulous Follower Giveaway!  Without further ado the winner is.......Marie!!!

I'll be emailing you shortly girl!



Graphic courtesy of Free Pretty Things for You



Again, thank you each and every one for following me.  I'm enjoying the blogging community and I wouldn't enjoy it like I do without you!

You truly are Fabulous!

Vintage Gwen Chapel-Words of Encouragement

With this past week's weather, I was reminded of something.  We are truly in the last days.  The year isn't even half over and look how much natural disaster there has been.  Perhaps it's God's first creation crying out to be rescued? It makes you think for sure.

So now, more than anything, it is so imperative to encourage one another, to love another.  Here's some words I'm thankful to have read this week:

"Every loss is temporary.  Every victory is eternal." -Bill Johnson, Pastor of Bethel Church

♥

"When I walk into the thick of trouble,
      keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
   With one hand
      strike my foes,
   With your other hand
      save me.
   Finish what you started in me, God.
      Your love is eternal—don't quit on me now. " Psalm 138:7-8

Posted on Facebook by my friend, Jessica. 

♥

via

And here are some scriptures from my Bible Promise Book for Women.:

"My body and my  heart may grow weak, but God is the strength of my heart and all I need forever."

Psalm 73:26

"Our hope comes from God.  May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him.  May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13

Praying for encouragement, strength, joy and peace for you today.

Have a great weekend!

Darling Day!-Beauty Edition

A recent blog I found through a link party has inspired some beauty Darlings today!
B. jane brewing has been doing some Hot Mama Makeovers that have been gorgeous!! 



This one is my fav!!

Photo courtesy of B.jane brewing

♥

This is a page out of May's Allure magazine.  I ripped it out because 1. I think it's a beautiful look and 2. I really, really want that lipstick!  I wear purples a lot....probably why I ♥ it!

Photo courtesy of my May issue!

Here is what is used for this look:  HIP Bright Shadow Duo in Reckless, True Match Super-Blendable Blush in Spiced Plum, and Infallible Le Rouge in Perennial Pink by L'Oreal Paris.  I might have to have it all! ☺

 ♥

I'm hearing more and more not to spend $$$ on mascara, that basically it's all the same.  I love to treat myself to Lancome mascara but haven't in a while so I usually buy L'Oreal.  Well just out of the blue I decided to try this......

.....and I really like it!  And am saving a few $$!

(Fyi..this won Allure's Reader's Choice Awards Best Drugstore, Discount Mascara!)

 

♥

 

And finally...I'm hoping to beautify my feet with these in the near future......

 

Photo courtesy of TOMS

......aren't they so cute?!  There's blue too!

♥

Happy Darling Day!!

My 'Command' Center

Well it's been a crazy week!  We can get some wicked weather in Oklahoma and actually our surrounding states! I'm sure all of you  are thinking and praying for those states affected by weather this past week. (I am too.) Thank you.  

I had a craft planned for today but it just wasn't in the cards this week.  I do however want to share my 'command' center real quick.  I've seen other bloggers do it and honestly I'm jealous of every one I've seen! See I don't have a very big kitchen....actually I don't have a very big house! So you gotta make do with what ya got sometimes!   

This is the side of my refrigerator.  Surprisingly I got my chalkboard sticker at a local grocery store! It was under $3 too! I ♥ it!  My husband has a horrible weird schedule and it helps me to write it out weekly.  Now yes there is a regular calendar but again my husband doesn't even go by that! (That's the calendar his mom got him for Christmas....he loves big trucks!!)  I was taping the calendar to the frig but I found a magnetic calendar holder at Current for around $13 that looks so much nicer!  It's just a basket with a hook to hang the calendar.  Current also has holders that hang on the wall that are a frame with the hook and a basket at the bottom, that's the kind my sister has. Of course, a notepad is essential!  I try and write down the grocery list as items come to my mind.  The clip holds my husband's schedule, we look at it often, I even carry one in my purse for scheduling purposes, yes it's crazy! (He works 4 days, then has 4 days off; 12 hour shifts and it keeps rotating so he never has the same day off! See? Yuck! But praise Jesus he has a job!) And lastly, cute hanger for our extra keys courtesy of my momma when we got married!

As you can see....my week isn't over! Got a party to plan!!

Happy Thursday!!

Have you entered the 50 Fabulous Follower Giveaway yet?

What?!

Bust a move then!!

See my Link Party Page to see where I'm linking to!

I ♥ Etsy- All So Cute

Welcome to I ♥ Etsy day!  Today I wanted to feature a shop that I just discovered through the owner's blog, All So Cute.  Seren is in Istanbul, Turkey!!  She is a crochet whiz!  When I saw her product I thought it all to be perfect....they all look so perfectly crocheted!  I can barely crochet a straight line!

And it's all so cute! ☺

Here are some of my favs:

Blue Crochet Amigurumi Owl $20

Cute Crochet Amigurumi Girl Doll $30

Crochet Amigurumi Mom and 2 Baby Chicks (Set of 3) $18

She ships to the US and takes custom orders!

Make sure and check out her Etsy shop for all her cuteness!

All So Cute Etsy Shop

Photos courtesy of All So Cute

Happy I ♥ Etsy Day!

Soiree Day-Jungle Baby Shower

Today's Soiree is a cute baby shower hosted by the wonderful Kindra of At Home With K.  Her and her SIL planned a budget friendly shower for Kindra's cousin and I loved all the simple details Kindra did to achieve such cuteness!!

Kindra used her son's blocks  as decoration through out the party location, which was her aunt's house.  Along with some extremely affordable wooden animals, paper flowers she made and her aunt's plants, which I think is genius!  Those cost her $0!!

See?! Perfect for a jungle theme!!

A special book was used for guests to sign and then given to the new momma to later read to her child.  This is a fabulous way to add a special touch to such a special occasion!

Cute food table.  The tablecloth is fabric from Hobby Lobby! And Kindra also made the pom poms which of course are budget friendly!  I haven't made any yet but thinkin' the time has come!

I love all the bright colors!!

Go check out the party for all the details!!

Jungle Baby Shower

Thanks Kindra for letting me share and for such a great Soiree!

Photos courtesy of At Home With K

Happy Soiree Day!!

Let's Have A Party!!! {Giveaway Announcement!}

Ok maybe not a party but how about a GIVEAWAY!!

If you could see me right now, you'd see the smile on my face and the twinkle in my eye!

I have recently met 2 of the goals I had in mind for Vintage Gwen.  Actually, you, my fabulous follower, helped me achieve the first one!! I have reached 50 followers!!! Yippee!! Actually as of writing this post 62! I'm amazed! And so, so grateful!  I know 50 is a small number but not to me.  Every one of you matter, regardless the number!
 The second goal, which was really just a whim, if you will, was to be featured on a much, much bigger blog like Tatertots and Jello! I was reading through her Great Ideas-Spring{3} last night and there it was.....my burlap garden flag!! *Gasp!*  You see it's my opinion that every single thing I see a blogger do is so creative! I'm truly amazed that everyone is so talented.  Yes there's trends, but everyone has their own flair.  And to be featured among all that talent is a true honor! And encouraging! It's validating. Yep, you know it!

So, I had told myself that when I reached 50 followers I'd have a giveaway!!!

In appreciate of you, Fabulous Follower here are the prizes!

#1 A tote from:

#2 An item from:

Both of these are Etsy shops.  I'll have photos of the actual items a little later in the week. (Sorry I couldn't contain my excitement and wanted to announce the giveaway a day early!!)

#3 A $20 gift card to either Hobby Lobby or Michael's or craft store in your area!

So! This will last  till next Sunday 10pm.  I will announce the winner on Monday the 30th.  Yes that's a holiday for us Americans so if you'll leave your email in at least one of your entries then I can contact you!

How to enter:
Please make a comment for each thing you do.
*Tell me what is your favorite thing to craft with...examples, burlap, mod podge, paper,etc = 1 entry
*Follow me on Facebook = 1 entry 
*Follow me on Twitter @vintagegwen = 1 entry
*Tweet that you entered = 1 entry
*Obviously be a follower here! = 1 entry 
If you are a new follower, #63 going forward, please leave a comment so it will count as an entry.  For those of you who already follow when you tell me your favorite thing to craft with, I'll count that as 2 entries. 

Again, Thank You, you are truly fabulous!!

Happy Entering!!!  ☺

Vintage Gwen Chapel-Hen and Chicks Revelation

My Hen and Chicks to date.

It's been a year since my mom gave me this pot of hen and chicks.  She has a bucket full and thought she'd share them with us girls.  She doesn't do anything to them, they thrive basically on their own. So this pot has sat on my porch for the last year, every now and then I'd put some water on it.  Well, it can get very hot in Oklahoma as well as snow a lot!  So it's no wonder that they dried up! I mean they were brittle, dry, nothing but dust if you were to crumble one up!  The neighbor's little boy even yanked some out a couple months ago and I thought, 'oh well, they are dead anyway.'

But wait...

There is some green!!  How excited am I that there's life in that pot!

And even a revelation!!

Is it better to be brand new or be brand new from dust, from death basically?

It's just like God to make life out of death.

Genesis 2:7 "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of Life and the man became a living being."

Why did God form Adam from dust? You know He had the power to say "Adam. Be." just like He spoke everything else into existance.  

I think it's so that we can be reminded that even when our life, our situation looks like dust, death, that there's no hope, God will take our dust and breathe Life into it making us new! Making us whole and alive!

I'm so thankful I found that revelation amongst my hen and chicks!  God's good to me!

Have a blessed weekend!

Darling Day!

 

I've found some lovely Darlings to share today!

First up is this cute ruffle wreath from Catherina of Catherina's Creative Corner. She's a great crafter so check her out!

Photo courtesy of Catherina's Creative Corner

Next are these fabulous, and I do mean fabulous planters.  They are made from SPAM cans!  Susan of Second Chances by Susan  is the genius creator! I'm amazed at the transformation!

Photo courtesy of Second Chances by Susan

And lastly, this lovely DIY camera bag from House of Chic and Penoche. Stacey and Lauren craft unique creations that I admire!

Photo courtesy of House of Chic and Penoche

All of these ladies are inspiring and worth checking out!

Happy Darling Day!



Burlap Garden Flag

I'm so excited about my burlap garden flag!!  It turned out so much better than what I had in my head!!  Probably because I'm more of a visual learner!!

I bought burlap for this purpose.  I wanted to replace the flag I had out for Easter.  I did look up a tutorial and found this awesome one. I was going to bust out the sewing machine but after looking through the tutorial decided to go with the hot glue gun! Here we go!
Supplies:

Burlap

Hot glue gun

Freezer paper
Exacto knife

Paint and brush

Decoration of your choice
Iron

Started by using my Easter flag to measure adding oh about an inch on the sides for a hem.  Then per the tutorial I measured about 4 inches extra on the top.  The burlap is doubled  so the extra 4 inches is only one the top layer. Hope that makes sense!

Using the iron, I ironed the hem so it would be as straight as possible.

Then hot glued the hem down. This is the bottom of the flag, since the burlap is doubled there's no need for a hem. I folded in the corner then glued.

This is the bottom of the flag, one side glued.

This is the top of the flag, one side glued.

Then I took a piece of freezer paper and typed out "Welcome" and traced it onto the paper directly from my computer screen.  Then with an exacto knife cut out the letters.

All done.  *Tip* make sure and keep the insides of the 'e' and 'o'!

Or else it might look funny!!!

Then iron the stencil onto the burlap with a dry hot iron. 

Paint away!  Are you surprised I used pink?  Let dry and then add any decoration you want or make another stencil!  The possiblites are endless!  I had leftover bunting from making my arrangement for my front door so that's what I used!

I glued it on at the edge, making a loop so it would kinda look like it was tied on with a bow.

Tadah!!!  We'll see how long it lasts in the Oklahoma wind!!

Oh and I'll be spraying it with a sealer!

See my link party page to see where I'm linking to!

Have a Happy Day!