InstaFriday

here is my week through instagram
{follow me at lollipopscards}

making a banner for a custom order :)

making my own mockingjay hunger games tee shirt you 

might have seen on my hunger games party on a shoestring here

yes.

took five girls and my friend with me

SO FUN!

i was rockin the mockingjay

sunset overlooking the ocean.

that white dot is the cheshire cat smile moon

library story time. Mr. Boy is on the far right with those gorgeous curls ;)

working away with passion pit <3

lunchtime: heirloom tomatoes with basil and goat cheese on naan. yum!

yep. sorry, i couldn't resist.

this was quite nice, thanks to the surfer guy ;)

how was your week?

xoxo,

krystina

Sponsor Love {Rags to Stitches} + Giveaway!

I am:
a wife
a mom

a Cozy shop owner.

a lover of milk
a snacker, it’s a bad habit I’m trying to fix
someone who can’t start my day without coffee and make it through the day without chocolate
growing my hair. it’s the longest it’s ever been
a Mom who loves to snuggle and kiss my children
A mom who realizes that I need a break from being a mommy sometimes to reconnect with myself and my hubby
ADD and sometimes reluctant to change
someone who gets excited about making a decision, but they has a hard time pulling the trigger.
needs to talk to my friends on the phone often.
needs alone time with my husband
craves quality time
loyal, trustworthy and a good friend
a person who will do anything I can to help a friend in need
bad at writing thank you cards, but I’ll pick up the phone and thank you instead
loves Christmas time.
a woman who wishes I could be more, do more, and touch more lives

But most importantly I am ME

The way God created me to be
Perfect despite my imperfections,
my quirks,
my fears,
and my strengths.

And so I blog.
My story
Because God has given each of us a story and it’s our job to share it.
Where’s your story? Because I’d love to read it.
I’d love to connect with you.

xoxo,
Alissa Circle
Rags to Stitches

.........................................................................................................................................

Alissa is treating lollipops' readers to a special giveaway!

enter to win one month Large Ad Space on her blog!

to enter this giveaway leave a comment telling us your favorite iCozy in her shop

for added entries:

1. follow lollipops' blog and rags to stitches blog via google friend connect

2. follow @lollipopscards and @RagstoStitches on twitter

3. follow lollipops and rags to stitches on facebook

4. tweet this giveaway. feel free to use this tweet:

enter the @RagstoStitches #giveaway on @lollipopscards today! http://ow.ly/9XnnG 

the giveaway ends at midnight Sunday April 1st 

and the winner will be announced Monday morning!

xoxo,

krystina

What I Love Wednesday {No. 61}

ok, now it's time for a change of pace :)

spring is here and Easter is on it's way.
so, i am loving Easter Egg ideas.
there are so many clever ones out there,
so here are just a few that look fun!

naturally dyed eggs, fun designs, and chalkboard paint eggs!

i am so excited to start getting ready for Easter.

i can't wait to see what you're loving.

xoxo,

krystina

<a href="http://www.lollipopscards.com/search/label/what%20i%20love%20wednesdays" target="_blank"><img alt="lollipops" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTG_XTPXLbYqpB_0UNLEN75kyCTV-JgVvf3b2hWVbpHKnEus6_-ABVAsC6FAlz7AyZTAk3L8COF-5oOtGtz2w8G0xyERyJWFUelM-mhRN8_Diqz9LIc4vydvy4rQIPKpGFrhB7emq-_J95/s200/wilovew%252520button%252520.jpg" /> </a>

Pretty Clever {No. 21} The Hunger Games

a party on a shoestring

invitation:
attendance is mandatory!
made in district 7 (trees, lumber = paper)
use the font from the movie; bank gothic. it was already on my Mac.
you can also purchase it.
click here for this free printable invitation i made for you :)

the actual printable is a bit larger and clearer

print onto colored paper :)

print out or purchase movie/book posters to hang
copy the mockingjay from the cover and cut it out and
hang up mockingjays around the party
have toy parachutes attached to your party favors

from Rae Gun Ramblings

have everyone dress up:

• like tributes
• like the oddly bright citizens from the capitol
• like Effie! haha
• like Katniss, Peeta, Gale...

crafts & games:

• make iron-on tee shirts with the mockingjay or the words: "may the odds be ever in your favor"
• bookmarks from cut pages

from sotheysay on etsy. use this stamp to make your own.

• to really save money you can print out the mockingjay and trace it onto a white tee shirt (or other things) with a sharpie. 

• for my daughter's thick shirt i had to hang it on a window for light to see what i was tracing since i don't have a light box :)
• pin a target on a wall or better yet, have a stuffed animal set up to shoot toy arrows at
• play manhunt

music from district 12 for the party

eat:
make cookies

more great dishes from fictional food

• lamb stew 
• chicken with orange sauce 
• bread from district 11 
• Mallark's bakery goat cheese and apple tarts

take turns reading your favorite section from the book aloud.
and be sure to serve hot chocolate!

i can't wait to see what fun DIYs you link up today!

xoxo,

krystina

<a href="http://www.lollipopscards.com/search/label/pretty%20clever" target="_blank"><img alt="lollipops" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwHac_Cc42NxGo0GRwmSx10S4fNVW2-bKzaRw-1vb7QWU56Ns8p2KcQQSpFg8NqB-CNIkm4RW12to2KwW1aeNlgLBzQclbue4p-fWOIYVYOUSt-kV48qHJaRnGzKimZwxzkZwCtFHHYvI/s150/IMG_0239.JPG" /> </a>

Join Me

via

i have a few sponsorship openings for April.

i would love for you to join our amazing growing group of lovely sponsors.

take a moment to consider; see my stats and rates here.

xoxo,

krystina

This Week's Dinner Menu {week 8}

hello friends! 

welcome to the weekly dinner planner.

i hope you and your family enjoy this week's tasty meals!

print recipes

print shopping list

Grilled Chicken Sausage with Pears

Sliced pears become exceptionally sweet when given a quick turn on the grill (or the stove top). This recipe can be made on a grill pan, although you may need to increase the cooking times by one minute per side.

CK giveaway winner!

the lucky winner of the new issue is...

comment number 10 - the crafter's reference!!!

she's trying to decide what to scrapbook this year and enjoys making cards.

congratulations!!!

InstaFriday

here is my week through instagram...

working to "West Coast" by Coconut records, i love this song!

cutting playdate cards :)

yay, i got a new pair of scissors. boo, i need scissors to open the packaging :(

that little button or snap is useless; just for looks i guess.

matzo cracker. one big one ;)

corned beef brisket for st. pattty's day dinner.

i used this recipe. how was your st. patty's day?

a playdate in the park... tunnel tag :)

teeny tiny little trees...

see? ok, just kidding, they're just weeds, but i love their tops :)

fruit smoothie time

i wanted pizza for lunch, so i used rosemary crusty bread added veggies and 

provolone and popped it in the toaster oven for about 5 minutes. 

delicious.

mockingjay! i'm on the third book of the hunger games.

looking forward to the movie tomorrow!!!!!!!

he's just too cute. i had to take a pic of his undies peeking out :)

how was your week?

xoxo,

krystina

ps. this giveaway ends today.

What I Love Wednesday {No. 60} The Hunger Games

the hunger games!
yes, i am obsessed with the books.
i love the concept so much i want to go out to the woods to play hunger games, but not really.
and truly it is sad, i am thankful we do not have this way of life. but what suzanne collins does is pull you in; into another world apart from our own that ignites curiosity, passion, sadness, love, courage...  i want to be a part of the the hunger games, i want to be there, well, without anyone dying or getting hurt of course so it is not possible.

the next best thing?

going to the movie :)
thank you hollywood for immersing us in this story with music, film, and characters as best you can. i am so excited i can barely contain myself and i am embarrassing my tween and teenager. don't worry kids, i'll play it cool, real cool, with a purse full of kleenex and someone's hand to hold...

here's the trailer. it looks good to me...

are you excited?!!!

i can't wait to see what you're loving today!

xoxo,

krystina

ps. don't forget about the giveaway!

<a href="http://www.lollipopscards.com/search/label/what%20i%20love%20wednesdays" target="_blank"><img alt="lollipops" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTG_XTPXLbYqpB_0UNLEN75kyCTV-JgVvf3b2hWVbpHKnEus6_-ABVAsC6FAlz7AyZTAk3L8COF-5oOtGtz2w8G0xyERyJWFUelM-mhRN8_Diqz9LIc4vydvy4rQIPKpGFrhB7emq-_J95/s200/wilovew%252520button%252520.jpg" /> </a>

Pretty Clever {No. 20}

it's my new shipping nook!

recently shipping had become my least favorite step in the handmade shop process.

i love design, printing, cutting, and packaging, however, when it came to shipping
i found myself either procrastinating it or hating it.
i decided to analyze what the problem was.
i noticed it was taking a hour to ship a few items... an HOUR!

why?
because scissors are at my desk, packaging tape 20 feet away in the laundry room cabinet,
labels are at my desk, boxes are in the laundry room, packaging pretties in the laundry room,
markers at my desk, business cards in the laundry room...

can you see what was happening? why it was taking an hour?
i was going all over the house to put an order together!

now it's all nice and neat stored in one convenient place...
my shipping nook!

i love it!

you don't have to spend tons of money to create your shipping space.
it doesn't need to take an entire weekend, or take up a whole room in your house.
just gather your supplies into a cabinet or closet and add pretty decor.

how to:
with 3M command strips i added:
a mini heart clothes pin to the inside of a cabinet door...

to hold the packing slips while i put together each order, then it gets dated and filed.

a mini clipboard with a calendar to the inside of the other door so i can mark the packing slips as: shipped on "date" and besides, i love calendars!

i added my first Queen Bee Market wooden badge "when life gives you hands, you make handmade".

i hung my mini banner from my booth at the fall Queen Bee Market with hooks to the inside of the top shelf so it doesn't get in the way of opening or closing the cabinet doors.

i added pens, markers, packaging pretties, boxes, envelopes, packaging tape, scissors, mailers, biz cards, and biz labels in the cabinet.

+ flattened boxes and wrapping paper between my washer and dryer held in a large gift bag.




and a pretty little framed print on the dryer for the final touch :)

now i just print shipping labels, packing slips, and thank you cards at my desk
and take it all over to the top of my dryer...

to "the shipping nook" for pretties and packaging!
now i love shipping just as much as my other shop duties.
pssst, it also doubles as a gift wrapping nook ;)

do you have a little shipping "department"?

xoxo,

krystina

<a href="http://www.lollipopscards.com/search/label/pretty%20clever" target="_blank"><img alt="lollipops" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwHac_Cc42NxGo0GRwmSx10S4fNVW2-bKzaRw-1vb7QWU56Ns8p2KcQQSpFg8NqB-CNIkm4RW12to2KwW1aeNlgLBzQclbue4p-fWOIYVYOUSt-kV48qHJaRnGzKimZwxzkZwCtFHHYvI/s150/IMG_0239.JPG" /> </a>

linking up with:

30 handmade days pity party

tatertots and jello

sew chatty: made with love
today's creative blog