A Marvelous Mess and Big Puppy

Hey, Welcome to my Marvelous Mess Party!!!

Check out what I made for Chloe this past week:

She's my little Red Sox doggy. It fits because, ya know, she's a Boston Terrier. 

And, I thought of just which player she could be and came up with the idea (then found out that I wasn't the first with this idea, but what they hey?):

Not "Big Papi" but "Big Puppy"!! Get it, get it? Huh? 

I know, kinda corn ball. 

But, I'm banking on the Red Sox to help me win this Pet costume contest  and I need your *votes*  to do it. Of course, the party isn't open until another couple of days......so, I promise, I'll definitely give the link to it you can go to vote!!!

*update* Chloe lost. 

:-( 

To a lizard dressed as King Arthur. Seriously.

Wanna see some more of Chloe?

Now, here is my fave from last weeks party:

Faux Ribboned Pumpkins from Gluten Free From A-Z

Now on to the party!

I shared this post at the following link parties:
Between Naps on the Porch
Inspiration Exchange

 

Steampunk Dog Costume and Pumpkin

I tried out a little Dog Steampunk costume I had made for Chloe. As you can see she 

looooooooooooooooooovvvvves it. She's got puffed sleeves, a little mini victorian hat, and a wide skirt with lots of underskirts. The hat has the more steampunkiness:

Ya know, odd metal bits that appear to have purpose beyond style. 

Speaking of odd metal bits. Take a look at this pumpkin I saw recently! 

Steam Pumpkin:

All credits for this go to

I shared this post at the following link parties:

Inspiration Exchange

Halloween Dog Costumes

Okay, as promised, here is the link to my Boston Terrier Chloe Red Sox Costume:

Click HERE to vote for Chloe!!! All you need to do is type the word CHLOE into the box above the pictures and click submit!!!

She's my little Red Sox doggy. It fits because, ya know, she's a Boston Terrier. 

And, I thought of just which player she could be and came up with the idea (then found out that I wasn't the first with this idea, but what they hey?):

Not "Big Papi" but "Big Puppy"!! Get it, get it? Huh? 

I know, kinda corn ball. 

But, I'm banking on the Red Sox to help me win this Pet costume contest  and I need your *votes*  to do it. Of course, the party isn't open until another couple of days......so, I promise, I'll definitely give the link to it you can go to vote!!!

 Here's a collection of some of my favorite dog costumes:

A Marvelous Mess!!

Hi! 

It's beens a busy week for me, how about you?

This week I got my Halloween on and made some potion jars:

and some plastic spoon flowers:

Click on the pictures to see how I did it!!

My fave from last weeks party is...

Spider Web Sign from Burton Avenue

Now, on to the party:

Halloween Potion Jars Free Printable

Before we get to the potion jars..... can I ask you to go vote for my Boston Terrier, Chloe? She's is a costume contest this week and needs votes to win:

She's a Boston Red Sox doggy. Her shirt says, "Big Puppy 34"..... you know, Big Papi? Get it? 

Anyway, click here to go to the site, type the name Chloe into the box above the pictures, and then submit!

Well, I showed you how to make the flowers yesterday.... seems only fair I show you how I made the jars!! Honestly I never could have made the jars without the incredible help of that awesome blog The Graphics Fairy.

First, I found some cool jars with enough space to put a label on them. One was from a local store, the other was from me having a couple glasses of wine. To get the old labels off the wine bottle I did a little trick:

~I filled up the bottle with the hottest water I could get (not boiling, of course) and then I put it in a tub of water that was the same temperature. Then, I added baking soda to the water. I waited 60 minutes and by that time the labels were much easier to come off. Just a little tiny elbow grease and voila!

I found an image of a Bat on the Graphics Fairy and I took it and edited it to make it look older and more Halloweeny. Click on the picture and feel free to save and print (just don't forget to credit me and the Graphics Fairy if you use either photo):

Then, I found an image of an Iguana at the Graphics Fairy and Halloweened it again:

Not bad! 

I printed out the photos on some cardstock and then mod podged them onto the bottles. I only used the glue where the pictures went.....wherever extra was showing I just scraped it off with my fingernail, once it was dry. 

I filled up the bottles with brown and bright green liquid; brown paint with water for the bat, green with water for the iguana and added my plastic spoon flowers with some raffia as some decor for the bottles. I had one bottle that couldn't fit a label but looked like it had Halloween flair, so I put some black paint with water in that one:

I love them!!

I shared this post at the following sites, as well as those listed under my parties tab:

Inspiration Exchange

Between Naps on the Porch

Tatertots and Jello

Halloween Plastic Spoon Flowers Tutorial

Wanna try something really cool? 

How about some flowers made out plastic silverware??

These look beautiful intertwined in your Halloween decorations.....

These guys are easy to make but not very good for the environment (though, it is recycling) so try not to make them too much..... and make sure you do it outside. This is definitely a craft for adults only!

Also, if you're wondering about the witches brew bottles in the background, I'm going to posting about them this weekend!!

Here is what you need:

Plastic silverware

Lighter

Pretty simple, right?

~Take all your tools OUTSIDE and get started!!

~Take your silverware and starting with the forks or spoons, break off the bowl area where the natural bend in the stem is. Do this to as many pieces as you plan to have in one flower. 

~Heat up a stem with a lighter until the plastic begins to melt, then push it up against another stem:

~The two should melt together. Do this for as many as you would like to make the flower. I added a fork to the middle of my flower to give it a spookier appearance. After you melt the plastic, it retains heat for a bit, but it cools enough to be unable to melt pretty quickly, so move fast to bring pieces together. 

~You could make a whole flower out of forks, out of spoon, out of forks and spoons..... it is up to you. The trick is, once all the piece have been connected, take the lighter and move it slower around each piece of the flower, making the edges curl and look more like a real flower. The tines will curl in different directions! It's a lot of fun. 

Just remember, the fumes are terrible for you..... do it OUTSIDE and don't do it too often for the sake of our atmosphere. :-) 

I shared this post at the following linky parties (and all the ones in my parties tab above):

Between Naps on the Porch

Tatertots and Jello

Do You Have A Slab Leak

Do you think you might have a slab leak?

If you are one of the many people in the world whose house is constructed on a slab you may have heard of a slab leak, or you may have even had to handle one yourself. Responding quickly to the possibility of a leak can save you a lot of money! '

Why does it leak?

-The pipes might have been damaged during construction

-Hot water expands and contracts making the pipes change size

-The level of water hardness could cause problems with the water pipes

-Recently moved? You should check for leaks after moving because the foundation may have shifted

Symptoms of a Possible Leak 

-Water bill higher than usual. Also, possibly electric bill

-Unexplained water or mold on the floor

-Less water pressure

-Sound of running water but no faucets are on

-If the foundation has moved. Always check for a leak after moving

-Part of your floor is warm. Hot water leaks are discovered this way because you feel it!

-Cracks in tile or bubbles in linoleum

-

What you Can do to Confirm

Check your water meter. Turn off all faucets, washing machine, toliet, dishwasher and then look to see if the dial is moving. If it is, you may have a leak.

If you think you may have a slab leak the best thing to do is to call a professional like Ben Franklin Plumbing in Plano, Texas for slab leak detection. They offer a camera inspection to stop leaks from becoming a problem in the future! Another incredibly important service that Ben Franklin Plumbing offers is gas leak detection. It is so important to immediately respond to a possible gas leak (by GETTING YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY OUTSIDE).

You might have a gas leak if:

Smell of Rotten eggs

Hissing sounds

Dirt blowing up from the ground (on a day with no wind)

Plants that are dead for no reason

What to DO if you have a Gas leak:

- Leave your home IMMEDIATELY and take everyone in the house with you

- Quickly, open windows before you leave your house if the odor is faint

- Call your gas company right away to report a suspected leak once you have evacuated the building 

NEVER do this if you have a Gas Leak:

- light a match or use lighters 

- activate light switches, electrical appliances, flashlights, doorbells, garage door openers, telephones, cellphones, laptops, as they could create a spark.

- start a car

- re-enter your building until gas company inspectors have declared it safe 

If you are planning on any deep digging around your house, call 811 for the national Underground Service Alert network a few business days before your project is to begin. The free service will map out any utilities, including gas pipelines, buried beneath your land. Striking a pipeline can endanger your life since the gas is highly explosive and could disrupt natural gas service to surrounding homes.

Online Fruit Baskets

There are moments when people celebrate the arrival of a new member into a family, and at times loss. If you are visiting such a person then have a look at the sympathy fruit baskets, which will be perfect for this occasion. Of course giving them flowers is one of the best options, but fresh fruits are also a good idea.

Fresh fruits and flowers will show you care. It is a gesture that will comfort him. These days, many stores sell simple and sensible fruit baskets that are meant for this moment. Flowers and fruits are no way going to reduce the pain involved in it.

However it is best and effective ways to express feelings. There are many stores that specialize in selling such fruit baskets. It is believed that gifts like flowers and fruits will spread positive thinking. This is indeed one of the best ways to express your support.

Why you should send sympathy fruit baskets?

As mentioned above, it is a way to show that you are thinking of them:

• It expresses your sympathy towards that person.
• You let them know that you are there.
• The beautifully decorated, yet simple fruit basket will lighten his spirit and spread positive energy.
• It tells them how supportive you are.

Why Online?

There are many gift shops that can help you in getting the best product that can be sent for this purpose. If you are placing an order for the fruits from an online dealer then there is nothing to worry much about the same. Sympathy fruit baskets are available in different sizes, shapes and budget comprising of assorted fresh fruits, dry fruits, cookies, juices etc. All the details of the components of the gift baskets such as number, weight, price etc are mentioned in the product description. You should check all the details thoroughly and then buy that will be perfect for this occasion. With online facility, you can send your gift worldwide in timely manner.  

A Marvelous Mess!!

We've got full Autumn color here is Maine now!!!
There is nothing quite like it!

Here was my latest craft this week: 

The Moss Monster

And my fave from last weeks party is.....

Some Easy Homemade Caramel from Back For Seconds Blog. Such a handy recipe for this time of year!!!!!

If you were featured, don't forget to get a "featured button" from my sidebar!

Now, to the party!

BISSELL Vaccume: Light and Easy

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of BISSELL Homecare, Inc. for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

If you haven't already guessed from the name of my blog, I'm a messy kind of gal.

Amazingly enough, I spent a couple yars as a cleaning lady. I actually ran my own business! Now, I can't guarantee that I ran it right.....creative minds don't tend to be the most organized..... but I can tell you that I, at the very least, made some money. 

The real trick to house cleaning as a business is to have the right supplies. If you've got a vacuum that weighs a ton, you're going to hurt your back. For a time I had one that had great suction, but it was so heavy..... I could only clean for a couple of years before my back became really sore and I couldn't do it anymore. To truly be successful, and not hurt yourself cleaning houses, you need to have a light weight machine with a long reach so that you aren't twisting your back.

The BISSELL vacuum is touted to be very light weight, yet have a ton of suction. Those two qualities *have* to go hand in hand  for a good vacuum. Here are some of it's other characteristics:

~Swivel stearing

~No loss of suction and sealed system

~12 " foot for stability

~27' cord

~Large capacity dirt cup

~Long stretch nose

~One step removable pod for easy cleaning

 When I was cleaning a house and I knew that the owners were planning on having a party, there were extra steps that could be taken to give the house a little extra sparkle of clean. Here is what I reccomend:

~Clean lampshades and curtains, it brightens the room and makes such a difference in the way a room *feels*. This is a great step to take if you don't have time to thoroughly clean a room, but you want it to look wonderful.

~Take extra care to clean the pet hair off the furniture. You don't want the guests to be wiping themselves off when the stand up. 

~Vacuum the dust around stiar railings, window sills, and baseboards. It makes a big difference!!

Here are some other cleaning tips!!

BISSELL is currently holding a contest to win a new POWERGLIDE vacuum with lift off technology or a $50 gift certificate to be used at BISSELL:

enter to win

Also, if you use the promor code: POWERGLIDE 

you can get $20 off plus free shipping for the following products (valid 9-12-2013 to 11-30-2013):

-PowerGlide Pet Vacuum with Lift-Off Technology 2763

-PowerGlide Pet Bagged Rewind Vacuum 38631

-PowerGlide Pet Vacuu

So, go ahead!! Check out that BISSELL. If it's as lightweight and full of suction at they say, it's bound to help you keep your body in shape while you clean!