Saturday, June 4, 2011

Wahoo! Another Feature!

Thank you to Sarah at DIY or Don't for featuring my Chalkboard Terracotta Pots.  I absolutely love when I find a comment where someone either loved my idea or found my tutorial helpful.

You can check out her post about chalkboard paint HERE!
While you're there take a peak at some of my favorites on her site listed below...
OMG! I am so in love with #2 and the ruffles!
So check her blog out HERE!
You'll be pleasantly surprised by how many tutorials she has!!!

Thanks again Sarah!
~Katania

Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day and a Free Printable!

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope your long weekend was spent enjoying the beautiful weather with friends and family.  Hopefully you took some time to thank a soldier or Marine or thought of those who are at war right now.  I wish I could personally thank each and every soldier and Marine for his/her service and I wish I could send out as many prayers and condolences that are needed each day.  Our military truly embodies what it means to be BRAVE, STRONG, PROUD, COMMITTED, SELFLESS, and AMERICAN.  There are many other adjectives I could use but we would be here all day.  So in honor of this special day, I saw this quote and thought I had to create another printable with it because it is so TRUE!

If you are interested in this printable, please click HERE to download and make sure you thank a soldier or Marine today!!!

~Katania

Friday, May 27, 2011

{Friday Favorites} Memorial Day Decorations

With Memorial Day right around the corner and the summer fast approaching I though it would be great to get in a {Friday Favorites} edition devoted to Memorial Day Decorations.


 Source: KT Designs
Of course this day is very near and dear to my heart mainly in part because of my husband but as well as all the other soldiers and Marines who have fought or who are currently fighting for our freedom.  My heart goes out to those families who are waiting patiently for their loved ones to come home safely and especially to those families who have lost their loved one.  It takes a very special person to sign up and fulfill the requirements of all the military branches.  Of course, it also takes a very strong family to hope and pray each day as they wait for any news from overseas.


I am extremely proud of my husband and his devotion to his country. 

Sadly, I can't seem to find any other pictures of my husband in his dress blues.  Yes... I am a sucker for a man in uniform.  This picture was taken right after his graduation from bootcamp.  He looks so young :)

If you have been following my blog from the very beginning you know my story or you can click HERE to read it.  My husband signed up for the Marines after we were together for a bit and we dealt with 3 months of not seeing each other or talking on the phone while he attended Marine Corps bootcamp.  Then he went through 3 more months of SOI training.  Then in 2005-2006, he made it through his almost year long deployment to Fallujah.  Though the day before they were scheduled to leave Iraq, one of his best friends in the Marine Corps was killed by a car bomb.  

Lance Cpl. Christopher Cosgrove

You can read about him on the Marine Corps News HERE. Thankfully my husband was never redeployed and he is currently out of the Marines.  However, I still cry whenever a fallen soldier or Marine is honored on the news, even if I don't know who they are.  It was also very emotional and moving for me when I visited Arlington Cemetary a couple of years ago. 

So I say thank you... to the soldiers and Marines who have fought, are fighting, or who have lost their lives because of war.  I extend my most sincere and deepest sympathy to the families who have lost their loved ones. 

With that said...
Welcome to {Friday Favorites}
Memorial Day Decorations

You've gotta check out these blogs and their absolutely awesome ideas for Memorial Day.

The next three photos are from this blog and she has many more fantastic ideas for decorating your home for the holiday.





Check out the adorable FREE Memorial Day Bash Invites. 
Too cute!


Usually, I am not drawn towards vintage charm but I actually love these cupcake toppers for Memorial Day with vintage posters.  These would also make a great addition to any centerpiece.

Tip Junkie has 31 activites, crafts, and decorations all in a neat little post for Memorial Day.  I am absolutely in love with the flag shirt and just wished I had a little girl to make one for.  Ruffles and my little man do not really go together.

Download a free printable template for these adorable pinwheels.  I am definitely making these for my home.

Merriment Designs
I love the idea of sparkless sparklers especially with a two year old.  It could definitely be adapted to fit any theme as well.

Check out the Holiday Snob for some free printables and fun ideas for a Memorial Day BBQ!

Now don't we all want to be just like Martha.  I absolutely love her style and creativity.  She has 38 fantastic ideas to decorate for Memorial Day which could always be reused again for Fourth of July!

 I absolutely love this beach themed Memorial Day table decorations.  They are right up my alley!  Plus I probably have all the supplies in my house (or in my son's sandbox)!
 These are made of cloth!
 LOVE, LOVE, LOVE pinwheels!
Okay, I totally love white picket fences too!  I keep telling my husband we need to get a white picket fence and he just doesn't understand the appeal or the beauty of it.  Seriously, how can you not see that!

   Better Homes and Gardens
You can find 29 amazing ideas at this great site.  My goal is to have my photos look like the photos below.  Absolute picture envy!
 More pinwheels!
 Even more... told you I love them!
 Totally simple but absolutely perfect!
I LOVE this picture and want the blue vases and the peeling paint window so I can take some pictures myself.  LOVE IT!
I think I might just have to get some more pots and paint them red, white, and blue and add the geraniums, forget-me-nots and whatever the white flower is to them for this festive look!

Copy Cat Crafter
Here's a fun free printable for you!


Super cute tutorial on how to make Mini Firework Cupcakes



YUM!

Here's a Free Flag Printable for you





I hope you have a fantastic Memorial Day with your friends and family.  Please take some time to remember all the soldiers and Marines who have fought for our freedom and who have died fighting and pray for the safe return of those who are currently fighting overseas.

Source: Daily Kos
Semper Fi
~Katania

I am linking up HERE

Memorial Day Free Bonus Printable


Here's another free printable for Memorial Day.  I used a picture I had of the American Flag and just added Freedom Isn't Free to the bottom.  You definitely want to print this out using a photo printer and some glossy paper or use any photo printing service.

For the free photo download, please click HERE!

Note: This photo is from my own private collection and is property of KT Designs.  The download is for personal use only and I would appreciate it if you directed interested parties to my site directly for all downloads.  Thank you!

~Katania

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Memorial Day Free Printable

Happy Memorial Day!
(just a little bit early)


After looking for a while online, and coming up empty I decided to create a Memorial Day printable for my home and of course, for all of you!  I wanted the saying to show my pride of being an American but also touch upon the fact that freedom has a price and that price is many, many soldier's lives.  Though my son cannot read yet, I didn't want to use a quote that seemed morbid though I understand how it relates to Memorial Day.  So in the end I used the song lyrics from Lee Greenwood's song Proud to be American.  Perfect!

To download the printable you see above, click HERE!
 I would love it if you become a follower or leave me a message. 
I love reading all of your comments!

Also come back this Friday for my
{Friday Favorites} Memorial Day Decorations

~Katania

Note: This printable was created by KT Designs and is for personal use only. Please direct interested parties directly to my blog for any downloads.  Thank you!


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Walk-It Challenge: COMPLETED

Well I did it! 
I completed the Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge on Sunday May, 22nd!  I walked a totally of 3.1 miles or the equivalent 5K!
All I can say is that it felt great to get out there and start walking.  It was also very motivating to walk with many people who are in the same boat as I am.  We are all trying to lose weight!
Until Fleet Feet sports posts some pictures from the event I will share with you some of the pictures I took on my phone.

Here I am with my mom. 


We are in this journey together and she definitely keeps me motivated to keep going.  I am so blessed to have her as my mom because she is one the most sincere and caring people I know.  She is always helping me out in one way or another and my son absolutely adores her.  He calls her "Mimi" and asks for her constantly.  I am not sure how I could pull everything off without her help or make it through the day without someone to vent to.


Thank you for everything mom, you are the best!

Here's another photo of my mom with her best friend. 
She joined us on our walk and was a total trooper to deal with my slightly hysterical rantings about getting lost in Hartford because of my Garmin.  Does anyone else have a Garmin that tells you to turn onto a one way street going the wrong way?  Seriously, it's supposed to have the right directions!!! ARG!

How adorable are these ladies!!! 
We even received medals as we crossed the finish line. 
How cute is that?

Well after reaching yet another of my goals, I had to make a new one to achieve.  I plan to train and then run, yes RUN, a 5k in the beginning of July.  I will be looking for a training schedule and will definitely post it if I find a good one. 
Until then... watch me run!

~Katania

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Check it out!

Wahoo... I am so excited!
Amy over at The Mombot has featured my chalkboard pots on her Friday Link Love post along with some other fantastic ideas. 

Yes, I know this really isn't a huge deal but it's my first time being featured on
another blog so I pretty happy about it! 

Check out her Friday Link Love by clicking HERE.
While you are there, check out all the fantastic ideas she has. 
I definitely have to make the Take Out Menu Binder she made.  There's also a free printable too!  Love her blog!

If you missed my tutorial post you can check out my Chalkboard Tutorial by clicking HERE.

 Ahhhhh... Gorgeous!

~Katania