Inspire Me! Thursdays ~ Week #6

Welcome to Inspire Me! Thursdays

Each week I dedicate a day of blogging to showcase some of the best bloggers around and their crafty ideas! This is really a great way to network with others and see what is "hot" in the world of blogging! I hope you will stop in and check out their terrific blogs! You may even feel froggy enough to subscribe to their blogs and follow them to learn more tips and tricks from these great bloggers!

And now for this week's awesome blogs ... 

If you are looking for some super-duper organization tips, Kathy at Sparkles and a Stove  has compiled a great list to help get you started in the right direction. I love this post so much! Click Here to swing on over to her blog and check it out!  

 
Mmmm! Mmmm! Don't these look yummy? I'm sure they do if you love mashed potatoes! I can't wait to try these out! Kim over at Sunflower Supper Club has shared a killer recipe for Loaded Mashed Potatoes! If you have a big family, I think this will be a hit! Click Here to cruise on over to her blog and get the scoop on this dish! 

Oh yes, you read the picture correctly, Birthday Cake Fudge! Tash over at The Velvet Moon Baker got my attention right from the start! This fudge looks so good. I just want to devour it right now! I can't wait at all!!! Ok, calm down my friends and breathe, hehe. Click Here to jump on over to her blog and get the deets on the fudge!  
 
Check out {My} Kinda Party to learn more about my blog hops and link parties and to see where I'm doing a little front porch sitting at these days!

Be sure to Grab A Button and link up with my blogs and parties!

Let's link up! Show me your creative side!
{Feel free to share this blog hop on your page! Just grab the code at the bottom!}


From my front porch to yours,

Inspire Me! Thursdays ~ Week #5

Welcome to Inspire Me! Thursdays

Each week I dedicate a day of blogging to showcase some of the best bloggers around and their crafty ideas! This is really a great way to network with others and see what is "hot" in the world of blogging! I hope you will stop in and check out their terrific blogs! You may even feel froggy enough to subscribe to their blogs and follow them to learn more tips and tricks from these great bloggers!

Before I dive into this week's inspirations, I'd like to share a sale that's going on over at my friend Lori's Etsy shop for Windsor Hills Wicks & Lather. Lori runs a kick-butt business and has some of the best smelling products ever! You can find out what products she has in her End of Season Sale by Clicking Here! Be sure to place your orders soon, at the prices she has listed, she won't have this inventory very long!! 

You can also link up here to Windsor Hills Wicks & Lather's Facebook page! Lori updates it regularly and you never know, she may have some more items on sale soon! Be on the lookout for a giveaway from Windsor Hills on my blog in the near future!!   

And now for this week's awesome blogs ... 

If you are looking for the perfect Valentine decor for your home, Kathy over at Sparkles and a Stove can show you how to get a great look for your craft letters using your favorite patterns! I'm thinking about making more than one set for my house. The possibilities are endless! You can change the paper and make them fit any theme in your home! How perfect is this? Click Here to swing on over to her blog and check out her tutorial for these letters! 

This week I have two great craft projects from Sparkles and a Stove! Kathy really does have some great ideas, and this is another one that is simple and totally adorable! These Valentine blocks speak for themselves! I really love the colors and the use of pretty elements. Kudos to you Kathy! Click Here to learn how to make these crafty blocks for your home.

How cute is this? Wouldn't you love to display it in your home? Diana over at Project Inspire makes some pretty awesome Subway Art! The best part about this awesome Subway Art is that it is printable! Yes, you heard me correctly! Printable!! I don't think I need to say much more. Click Here to navigate on over to Diana's blog and print it out to display in your home! This would also make a great gift idea ... as would all the Valentine projects featured this week!!! 

I love to make meatloaf. My family loves to come home and smell meatloaf cooking in the oven! Tasha over at Living a Saucey Life has taken my knowledge of meatloaf making to a whole new level! I can't wait to try out her recipe. It looks so delicious! Click Here to hop on over to her blog and learn her secrets to the perfect meatloaf! You will not be disappointed!
 

So I'm browsing around the internet and reading some of my favorite blogs when I came across {what I like to call} lemon heaven! Dorothy over at Crazy for Crust has lemon fever! She has featured so many lemon desserts that my mouth is watering like crazy! Click Here to go check out all her yummy treats! Your taste buds will thank you later!

Check out {My} Kinda Party to learn more about my blog hops and link parties and to see where I'm doing a little front porch sitting at these days!

Be sure to Grab A Button and link up with my blogs and parties!

Let's link up! Show me your creative side!
{Feel free to share this blog hop on your page! Just grab the code at the bottom!}


From my front porch to yours,

Southern Sundays Link Party #2

Hello to all my Front Porch Bloggers!

I'd like to welcome you to Southern Sundays Link Party!


What are Southern Sundays?

Southern Sundays are open to all things southern! You are more that welcome to come and link up {your} southern recipes, creations, photos, etc. It doesn't matter what you link up as long as it is southern or happens in the country! This is a fun way to meet new friends and show {your} southern side!

What are the Rules / Requirements?

Ok, so here's the skinny on my blog hops and link parties. I don't have many rules or special requirements in order for you to link up with me. All I ask is that you show some southern hospitality and follow my blog {as well as my other social outlets} and do the same for any guest co-hosts I may have! I also encourage you to look at other blogs that are linked up and see if any of them strike an interest to ya! If so, follow along and be sure to shoot the blog owner a comment so they know you are there! This will help our blogs grow and get your blog some new traffic as well :)

Check out {My} Kinda Party to learn more about my blog hops and link parties and to see where I'm doing a little front porch sitting at these days!

Be sure to Grab A Button and link up with my blogs and parties!

From my front porch to yours,

Inspire Me! Thursdays ~ Week #4

Welcome to Inspire Me! Thursdays

Each week I dedicate a day of blogging to showcase some of the best bloggers around and their crafty ideas! This is really a great way to network with others and see what is "hot" in the world of blogging! I hope you will stop in and check out their terrific blogs! You may even feel froggy enough to subscribe to their blogs and follow them to learn more tips and tricks from these great bloggers!

And now for this week's awesome blogs ...

This week has been a real creative one! Many bloggers are in high gear getting their homes all gussied up for Valentine's Day! I can't believe February is almost here! February is not only a big month in our house because of V-Day, but it also is our Anniversary month! This has been the first year I have really gotten on the whole "decorate your house for every holiday" bandwagon. I must admit, I love it!!! It's fun crafting and finding things to do during the day while everyone else is at school and working! 

I have become a HUGE fan of wreaths! I freakin' love them!! My only issue now is convincing myself that I can make one! Does anyone have any simple and easy wreath tutorials you can share with me? If so, leave them in the comments below. Pretty, pretty please  =)

Kathy over at Life on Lakeshore Drive sure does have a pretty wreath on her page! I love the colors she uses and how simple and elegant this wreath looks! Kudos to you Kathy! Click Here to find out all about her wreath!  

Another great wreath comes to us from T'onna over at Navy Wifey Peters. I really love how cute and creative her wreath is! I love the owl element as well! My husband found a mug for Christmas with owls on it and ever since, they have made a statement in our house! Funny how that works, isn't it? Girl, you really know how to rock a wreath! Click Here to swing on over and get the skinny on her awesome creation! 

Cindy over at Skip To My Lou really nailed it when she shared this creation originally done by one of her friends! It's a "Heart" Attack for your child's door on Valentine's Day! Isn't this the cutest thing you ever seen? I cannot wait to attack Logan's door with a gazillion hearts!! This is so simple and so positive!! I really can't get over how much I love this idea!!! Click Here to visit with Cindy and get the scoop on this totally creative Valentine! 

Julie over at Restyle Relove turned this awesome door into a sign that would be perfect in my house no matter what decor look I had going on! Nathan {my dear hubby} has always called me his sunshine! I have various things throughout our home that bare these words! I particularly love this sign for a few reasons:  1) It's pretty;  2) It's functional;  3) The font rocks;  4) It's totally simple to make! Julie has a great tutorial on how to make a sign like this for your very own! You won't never believe how much she paid for the wood door either!!! I'm not going to give it away!!! Click Here to hop on and be amazed!! 

 
My last inspiration for this week comes to us from Debbie from over at Confessions of a Plate Addict. I not only love her Valentine's pillow but I'm also in love with her darlin' staff! Be sure to go view her page and check out her adorable cats! Hrmm... I mean "staff" members!! I cannot tell you how much I laughed and said "Awwww" when I first saw their pictures! They are so cute!!! And so is this pillow! It's just too neat. Can you believe she simply designs tons of pillow covers and uses the same pillow for every holiday/occasion? What a great idea! I would have never thought of doing it that way! Kudos to you Debbie! You definitely know how to save money and make killer decorations! Click Here to learn how to make this pillow cover for yourself and be sure to say hello the all the lovely babies on her page  =)


Check out {My} Kinda Party to learn more about my blog hops and link parties and to see where I'm doing a little front porch sitting at these days!

Be sure to Grab A Button and link up with my blogs and parties!

Let's link up! Show me your creative side!
{Feel free to share this blog hop on your page! Just grab the code at the bottom!}


From my front porch to yours,

Southern Sundays Link Party #1

Hello to all my Front Porch Bloggers!

I'd like to welcome you to the first ever Southern Sundays Link Party!


What are Southern Sundays?

Southern Sundays are open to all things southern! You are more that welcome to come and link up {your} southern recipes, creations, photos, etc. It doesn't matter what you link up as long as it is southern or happens in the country! This is a fun way to meet new friends and show {your} southern side!

What are the Rules / Requirements?

Ok, so here's the skinny on my blog hops and link parties. I don't have many rules or special requirements in order for you to link up with me. All I ask is that you show some southern hospitality and follow my blog {as well as my other social outlets} and do the same for any guest co-hosts I may have! I also encourage you to look at other blogs that are linked up and see if any of them strike an interest to ya! If so, follow along and be sure to shoot the blog owner a comment so they know you are there! This will help our blogs grow and get your blog some new traffic as well :)

Check out {My} Hangouts to learn more about my blog hops and link parties and to see where I'm doing a little front porch sitting at these days!

Be sure to Grab A Button and link up with my blogs and parties!


From my front porch to yours,

Inspire Me! Thursdays ~ Week #3

Hello everyone! Happy Thursday! I hope everyone has been having a wonderful week. I don't know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but it sure is beginning to feel like winter time here in Tennessee! Maybe I should say wet winter time! Boo for rain in the winter!! It just makes it that much colder! Burrrrr!!!! 

If you haven't noticed, my blog has been undergoing a few changes. I still don't have things completely finished, but I am working on them as much as I can. I am learning a lot about coding and html as I go as well so that's a plus! So far, I have changed our name from Country Mom Creations to {Country} Life with a Front Porch View. I have had such a positive response from the name change as well! I'm happy everyone likes the new name! I have also changed the page theme a few times ... I do believe I am quite pleased with this one. I think it really "fits" my image. I also took a big step yesterday and purchased a domain for my blog! I decided when I first started that I wouldn't do this until I felt like I could seriously keep my blog up-to-date and not get bored with blogging so much. I have made so many friends since I started this journey ... I don't want to stop now. This was the change my life needed! I'm very satisfied!!!

I'm still working on making buttons and finishing up my custom pages. I hope to be done with these tasks within another week. I'll just have to see how crazy my home schedule is! With that being said, if you'd like me to host a give-a-way for you or if you'd like to be a sponsor for my page, please let me know! I will be more than happy to work something out with you until I get my pages up and a schedule fixed. You can email me directly at daspencer06 {at} gmail {dot} com.

Alright! Enough with me! Let's see what everyone else has been up too! Thursdays here at {Country} Life are devoted to posts that I love and just gotta try! There's some very crafty ladies out there as well as some fabulous cooks! We all deserve some lovin'! Inspire Me! Thursdays is my way of giving back to the blogging community by featuring their work and passing it on to all my readers! I hope you enjoy!
 

Photo curtsey of Creatively Living Blog

Katie @ Creatively Living has this amazing blog post! I am so in love with these Angel Wings! I cannot tell you how much I wish it was Spring time already so I could make these for our house! Her blog is definitely worth a look! Click Here to learn how to make these awesome angel wings!

Photo curtsey of Wifessionals Blog

Kaitlyn @ Wifessionals has really stirred up a fuss in my house with these cookies! I couldn't wait to try these bad boys out! The best part about it was, I only had to run to the Dollar Store and pick up some baking soda! I had everything else I needed in my house! I love it when I can find a good recipe and not have to go out and buy an ungodly amount of things I might not ever use again before they expire! I must say, this is a must recipe! These cookies are very yummy and taste so good fresh out of the oven with a big ole glass of milk! Click Here for the recipe and get to baking! 

Kaitlyn has a wonderful blog as well full of great information! I found myself reading her blog and really taking it all in! One thing that I found that I really, really love is how she uses Blog Lovin'! If any of you other bloggers have it but don't really utilize it, I encourage you to change that! Now!!!

I had no idea that you could put your favorite blogs into categories so you can always find the ones you want to read first! I am slowly adding all my Google Feed Favorites over to Blog Lovin' as well. I'm not going to discontinue using Google Reader, but I do like how I can keep track this way as well! Thank you for the insight Kaitlyn!!

Photo curtsey of Nickels & Dimes Blog

Brooke @ Nickels & Dimes has got my attention {and my heart} with this recipe! I love Chicken and Dumplings! I also love my crockpot! Bam! Now I can have it all!!! This is going to be my supper for tonight. I will be sure to let you know how it turns out! It is so incredibly simple to make and only requires ingredients I already have at home. Yup, check please! This one is going all the way to the bank! Click Here to view this amazing recipe! You are going to love how simple it is!

Photo curtsey of Take A Deep Breath And Count To A Million Blog

Amber @ Take A Deep Breath And Count To A Million is another amazing bloggers! I actually found Brooke's blog from hers! She has a really neat and easy way to save money for traveling this summer or maybe saving up for Christmas next year! Yikes, yes, we just finished but it's time to start saving again!! Click Here to check out her savings plan and adapt it to your budget if you are like me and always need some extra money for the family! I'm going to do my best to start this and stay with it! Who's with me??

And now ... 

Check out {My} Hangouts to learn more about my blog hops and link parties and to see where I'm doing a little front porch sitting at these days!

Be sure to Grab A Button and link up with my blogs and parties!


Let's link up! Show me your creative side! 



From my front porch to yours,

Inspire Me! Thursdays ~ Week #2

Welcome to Inspirational Thursdays here at Country Mom Creations! I have found many great blogs for the over the last 2 weeks, and I can't wait to share some of the neat ideas I have found to try out myself! If you are new to my blog, welcome! Let me give you a little insight on how Inspirational Thursdays work. Each Thursday, I will showcase some marvelous ideas or things I'd like to try from other bloggers. This is a win-win situation for us all! It allows me to share things I like, it gives my readers new blogs to read and find their own inspirations from, and it allows bloggers to connect and get maximum exposure all around the board!

I just started this weekly post last Thursday so I hope to be able to grow it and my blog as we go along week by week. If I use your project and/or ideas in my posts on Thursdays, I will be sure to let you know and provide a link to your blog. I'm working on designing a button you can grab and display on your page to let everyone know you were featured on Inspirational Thursdays! Please bare with me as I get all these things done!

Now, let's get on with the sharing!

Snow & Trees Ornament photo curtsey of Alderbery Hill

I just love this snow ornament! It is super cute and very easy to make! It always amazes me how something so simple and elegant can really pack a punch when it comes to decorating! Not to mention, these would make perfect gifts that you can personalize in many ways! Swing on over to Alderberry Hill to get the full scoop on how to make these and be sure to check out all the other fun ideas featured on the blog! 

Christmas Card Garland photo curtsey of Happy Kids, Inc.

 If you are like me, you get a ton of cute Christmas cards every year that you just can't bare to throw away once the New Year has rolled around. I have been known to save a few of my favorite cards every year; but to no surprise, they just get shoved in a drawer and lost until it's time to do spring cleaning! I love the idea of making the cards into garland! This idea rocks in so many ways, and it can be used for more than just Christmas cards! Just think of how many ways you could use this? You can display small drawing from school, use photos, and the list goes on! I'm sure you can think of many ways to use this other than at Christmas time! Be sure to hop on over to Happy Kids, Inc. to learn how to assemble the garland. Take a look around at the other crafty projects listed on the blog while you are there! 

I hope everyone has enjoyed my inspirations for this Thursday! Be sure to stop by next week to see what other "finds" I have ran across while blog hopping! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend and  Merry Christmas!

Take time with the ones you love, pray for the ones you've lost and give to those that need it! 

Inspire Me! Thursdays ~ Week #1

Good morning to all! I hope the weather is nice where you are at. It's cold and frosty here in TN. I guess winter is officially here!

I have been reading several craft/homemaking blogs lately and decided that I would devote one day a week of my blogging to inspirations I want to try for myself. Now, you'll be able to check in with me every Thursday to see what inspirations I have found for the week!

Before I get to my inspirations for this week, look who finally arrived from the North Pole to the Spencer residence.

Logan's newest addition to our family! 

Introducing Toby!

Toby flew to the North Pole and got his adoption papers! Yay! 

We are looking forward to a great Christmas with Toby this year and many, many years to follow. I was so excited to see Logan's face when he found out Toby had arrived. Of course, at that moment, he was just an elf... but I think Logan did a great job in picking him a name. Toby's arrival could not have been more perfect! Tomorrow is Logan's 10th Birthday! I'm sure Toby will have a ton of exciting things to tell Santa about over this weekend. Maybe he'll put in a good word for me too! *Fingers Crossed*

Alrighty! Inspiration time! 

I found this neat post on Facebook. I thought it was a great idea and definitely worth sharing. 

A jar full of memories! 

Pretty cool, huh? I thought so too! This is such a clever way to not only be thankful and count your blessings but to also share as a family things that are important to you. Encourage your children to write down things that matter to them as well. By the end of 2013, you should have plenty of things to look back and reflect on!

I have one more inspiration for you today, and it comes from a blog post I have been eyeing all week! I love snow globes! You have no idea! We just bought two new ones this year actually for our Christmas collection! I found this great post on Mom It Forward and fell in love! 

Photo courtesy of Mom It Forward.com

Click Here to go check out the post on Mom It Forward.com and view all the steps to assemble your very on snow globes!

This project is so great because you can adapt it to any season on holiday. You don't have to strictly make these just for Christmas! I love multi-purpose crafts :)

Before I wrap up my blog for the day, I'd like to share with you my dining room table scheme; all decked out in holiday decor! I was so thrilled to actually be able to clean off my table last night and get it all put together. It seems like here lately my table is more of a catch-all than anything! Never fear, it is now and tidy and ready to entertain Logan's friends on Saturday when we have his party! 

My Santa Suit tablecloth, Mr. & Mrs. Claus salt/pepper shakers and dish,
and my little festive wire tree from the Dollar Store! 

I hope you all have enjoyed my inspirations for this Thursday! Can't wait to share more with you next week!

Happy Holiday from my home to yours!