Artsy Chaos

Did you know that birthdays are good for you?  Indeed, statistics show that people who have the most, live the longest! We celebrated a birthday in our family today and every birthday, in my opinion, screams for cake.  So here we are, Red Velvet Cupcakes frosted with the most amazing cream cheese frosting I have made yet and topped with adorable cupcake toppers from Expressions by Devin . <---so cute, check them out!! You may have noticed that I said the most amazing frosting I have made yet .  That's because it's a quest.  This latest concoction of incredibly smooth, perfectly sweet goodness is the result of trial and error, internet research and luck.  It's not too heavy, not too thick and holds its fluffy shape perfectly.  Want the recipe?  Sure you do! Fluffy and Smooth Decadent Cream Cheese Frosting 1 8oz. package Cream Cheese at room temperature 1 8oz. container of Mascarpone Cheese at room temperature 1 cup powdered sugar 1 1/2 cups he...

Today marks the first of September and the launch of Endless Summer Month   here at Artsy Chaos! " Singing oh oh, won't you help me sing this song........Singing hey mama, don't want no drama, just a kiss before I leave ".... come on everyone, sing with me!  What better way to continue the summer than with the bright and sunny music of Mat Kearney. Mat Kearney is just relaxed.  When you listen to his music, you can't help but be relaxed too.  His album, Young Love, is the kind of thing you'd find yourself listening to while slowing browsing a cute vintage antique shop early on a Saturday morning.  Or maybe biking over to the local juice bar wearing your newest pair of high top Converse sneakers.  Mat is also hitting the road in September playing nearly 40 shows in US & Canada.  Sadly, he is not coming to Salt Lake or the West but those of you in the Midwest and East should have a show close to you. Young Love Tracklisting   1 He...

  Welcome to our new feature, the Mid-Week Peek!  We thought it would be fun to ask a different simple question each week of you.... allowing us a slight peek into each others' lives.  If you're like us, sometimes we think we're way out in left field and odd with how we feel, what we like and don't like, etc. and it's nice to learn that we really aren't that different after all.  Questions will range from the very simple like your favorite color to fun life questions, crafting, art, cooking, family, home, etc., but all light and fun.  So let's get to know YOU through a "peek"! This week's question: Are you a first child, middle child, or the baby of the family? My answer: I'm an oldest.  I kind of felt like an only child growing up because my only sister is nearly 8 years younger! Now it's YOUR turn to answer the question.  Leave a comment on this post all about YOU .

Ahhhhhhhhhh yessssssss!!  I finally did it.  I finally made the kitchen curtains I have had the want and fabric to make for over a year now. Before, the bare windows and curtain rods: Last summer, I had found the fabric at Joann's for under $2 a yard.  The plan was to make some cute scalloped/pointed valances and add tassels to the points.  But you know how life steps in and makes you rethink sometimes?  That's what happened and I settled on making a much simpler valance.  And that's ok too, I love how they turned out!  Nothing makes a home more cozy than window coverings. Since the pattern on this fabric did not run with the selvage I had to piece several panels together.  Then, just finish the edges, hem and create the top rod pocket.  That's it.  Easy, easy.  Except, I got a little hungry while sewing.  And then I remembered... Sunbelt Granola Bars!! Sunbelt had sent us some granola bars for review and they were just ...

The DIY crafty bug has hit hard.  Maybe because of the promise of autumn right ahead of us.  I'm not sure.  I've made a list of ideas that I probably won't ever create, but there is always the hope!  Plus, I can share my creations with you! There are so many fun ideas out in the blogosphere too.  You should check them out with me and these crafty linky parties are a G.R.E.A.T place to start.  Maybe you'll catch the bug too!

We would love to have your blog join us for a fun filled Home for the Holidays Giveaway Blog Hop! This giveaway hop will cover holiday decor, holiday crafts, supplies to make holiday gifts and crafts and anything related to home decor.  Click the graphic to sign up today!! Sponsors:  We'd love to have you join us as a sponsor as well!  Please inquire to artsychaos (@) yahoo.com!

It seems like it has been a very long time since I posted about scrapbooking, crafting or anything handmade by me.  So with that in mind, check out the wreath I made the other day! This is such an easy craft that turns out beautifully!  Pretty much all that is involved is cutting out circles of fabric to make flowers.  I used three different lids to trace the circles and then cut them out.  I chose to use four different coordinating fabrics and various brads to assemble my "flowers".  Stack up the three different sizes of fabric circles, stab a brad through the center and voila! you're ready to get the hot glue gun going. By the way, I like to do crafts while sitting on my bed watching tv... that part of the house is air-conditioned and I can watch what I want on tv. :) Once you have assembled your flowers (I'm not sure how many I made but I did use almost all of 1/4 yard each of the 4 fabrics) hot glue them onto a grapevine wreath.  I pushed the brads ...

As a mother, when we're strapped for time in the morning, what do we do?  We usually skimp on ourselves.  We'll make sure that the kids are dressed properly and those ponytails are just right, which may mean no time to put into our own appearances.  This is why I was so excited to try Mistura's 6-in-1 Beauty Soulution . Unfortunately, when I first opened the package from Mistura, the illuminating moisturizer had leaked all over the cute little plastic pouch and its contents.  I was afraid that the included baby Kabuki brush would never be the same but I managed to get the moisturizer out from it very carefully.  It was probably the incredible heat that this poor make-up suffered during shipping that caused the moisturizer to explode. The second thing that I was worried about was the shade of the 6-in-1 Beauty Solution.  Since I have very pale skin, the dark powder was a little intimidating.  I need not have worried!  The powder blends in very n...

I have just had what I would call.... a horrifying experience at my local grocery store.  Standing in an aisle, looking for a coupon in my organizer, a little girl comes skipping down the aisle about 20 feet away from her mother.  I glance over and notice that she's trying to skip the "cracks" in the flooring so I say "you do that very well!" and go back to my coupons.  This child got halfway back to where her mother was, and the mother says "Maribell (or whatever the child's name was, I couldn't understand because I wasn't really paying attention) you know you don't ever talk to strangers".  Seriously!?  As I walked by this paranoid mother, I politely told her that her daughter didn't speak to me, that I spoke to her.  The mother said "she knows she isn't allowed to talk to strangers" and laughed uncomfortably.  Again, seriously!?  Perhaps a 40+ woman at the store with no make-up, a large coupon organizer and a froo-...

Having a whole family that needs prescription eyeglasses can get expensive, really expensive.  You could pay upwards of $500 for a single pair of frames and lenses at your local eye wear store.  Holy yikes!  But what can you do, force your style conscious kids to wear the cheap frames?  I think not. Luckily, today we have many different options when selecting and purchasing prescription eye wear.  We are not forced to only buy in a brick and mortar store but we can purchase eye wear online with great savings. We can shop at EyeBuyDirect for cheap eyeglasses !  Honestly, we were a bit scared of the whole idea of buying eyeglasses online .  Having been first introduced to the idea by my daughter-in-law who works for a very large call-to-order contact lenses company (think special eyes ), we were nervous about ordering something so "personal" as glasses because they really are an accessory in every sense of the word.  How can you decide what frames...

I was invited. Yay!      Every year, Erin, part of the dynamic duo which is Todd and Erin in the Morning on B98.7, holds a spectacular party... or "Slumber Party" as it were.  This party is for girls only and you must win tickets from the radio station in order to participate in the night's festivities.  I have never been before and was able to bring 3 people with me to event yesterday!  It was certainly easy to pick my party partners: My pretty sister! (As she got sparkles tied into her hair.) My beautiful daughter-in-law and daughter! Me with the lovely Erin!  (My hair was melting from the heat of the conference room.) Attendees to the Slumber Party wear pajamas, lounge pants, sweats, yoga pants; whatever, anything goes.  There is free food to try, lots of booths for shopping and spa treatments starting at $5.  We wanted to get my daughter's eyebrows waxed but that didn't work out, sadly.  My sister and daughter got sparkles in th...

My tootsies get real sore anymore if I wear high heels of any sort.  Unfortunately, some of my favorite shoes have heels.  And while I am going to guess that almost everyone reading this post has heard of Dr. Scholl's inserts, you may not have heard of Dr. Scholl's® For Her High Heel Insoles.     My favorite pair of dress boots are burgundy and I think they're sassy and they kill the balls of my feet if I wear them for any more than two hours at a time.  Although I had heard about the For Her insoles, I had never tried them so when given the opportunity to try them out I was excited.  The inserts are gel and slightly sticky so they stay where you put them and give an extra cushion under your feet.  Although I can't say I could walk all day in heels with the Dr. Scholl's insoles, it certainly makes wearing heels a little more comfy on my feet. We have some $4.00 off coupons that we'd love to share with you .  The Dr. Scholl's For Her High H...

I seem to have read a lot lately about how to be a good blog.  Most of the tips involve things like how to arrange your layout, what colors to use and where to focus.  And honestly, in my opinion, I disagree. Sure, if you want your blog to be like every other one out there go ahead and take the tips verbatim.  Much like a thought out neighborhood  in the suburbs, the cookie cutter starter homes line the streets looking exactly alike.  They're all the same color, the same building materials and the same 3 or 4 floor plans. And, yes, this is successful for the home builders; and a little boring.  Who says that every successful blog must be written and arranged the same way in the same colors just because it's the normal way things "work". What bothers me is that just like those cookie cutter homes, everything the same - lacks personality.  I don't think that Kat Von D (love her or hate her) would be where she was if she looked like every other bleache...

First, let me say a big thanks to everyone for stopping by and entering!  It has been a blast!  Thank you to our wonderful sponsors as well! Your entry comments were great to read.  Here are a few highlights: Kristi B said... I'd love to win this because my sons share a bedroom and my oldest could realllyyy use this trunk so his little brother couldn't get into some of his stuff. missysweepsalot said... I would love to win this a high school teacher. I see a lot so students whose parents don't support them going to college and I could gift it to my grads who are making it on their own. Tamara B. said... I would love to win for my children to help make the going back to school more exciting. Amanda Welling said... I would love to win because I am a mom and a student and things get hectic this time of year. It would be nice to treat myself! And without further adieu..... Winner of Prize Pack #1 (Teens - Off to College!) is Dina Kocsa!!! Winner of Prize ...

Yes, you read correctly.  Win yourself some calm!   Perfect Calm , that is. We have tried it and love it! Check out the YouTube video review, read our review and then enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below. &amp;amp;lt;a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&amp;amp;gt;You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;. I have a material connection because I received a gift or sample of a product for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was/am not expected to return this item or gift after my review period.

Are you a blog owner that would like to introduce your blog to new readers and gain more followers?  Do you love the holidays?   We'd love to have you join us for the Home for the Holidays Giveaway Blog Hop November 14-20, 2011 Hosted by Artsy Chaos Co-Hosted by Kelly's Lucky You ,   My Chaotic Ramblings and    Shopping For Savings How to Join: Sign-up HERE using the form .  Please also join the Facebook group HERE . UPDATE!  We have our co-hosts - thanks to everyone for the willingness to help out!! Companies (Etsy shops welcome!) may join as well if they would like to host a giveaway themselves. Feel free to invite others to join! Sign-ups will end October 31st.  SPONSORS:  If you are interested in sponsoring here at Artsy Chaos for this event, please email artsychaos (@) yahoo.com. Rules: You will be arranging for your own giveaway and hosting it on your blog.  You can sponsor the giveaway yourself or get a s...

If I could put my finger on the two things I hear most often from people in my personal life, it's almost always 1) Sure could use some more energy! and 2) A little less stress would be nice!  Sound familiar?  The problem is, short of pulling all your hair out and running away, there really ain't a heck of a lot you can do.  Or is there? Since my diagnosis of Pernicious Anemia , I'm pretty hip into the whole vitamin thing.  Who knew that one little missing vitamin could cause such damage to one's body.  Best Price Nutrition approached us again about doing some more reviews and I didn't even hesitate.  This time we were able to try out Perfect Calm and Perfect Energy supplements.  The names sound sorta heavenly; like take me away to the land of Perfect Calm and Perfect Energy .... nice cool breeze.... cold drinks.... maybe some sand and dancing to steel drums in the background... ok, ok but it does sound lovely. Perfect Calm is "A complete multi [...

  The time is almost here!  Can you believe it?  It's back to school time already.  For some, the summer whirls by and they want to hold onto every last minute.  For others, they can't wait for that first day of school.  Whichever you are,  we hope you are here to participate in the Back To School Giveaway Hop.  Nearly 100 blogs are participating, each with a prize value of at least $50!   Click on the graphics below to enter for that particular prize pack.   Each of the three prize packs has its own form to fill out for entries.  Our sponsors rock so be sure to connect with them, visit their sites, send them good vibes, etc. etc.!! Prize #1 Open to US Entries Only Prize #2 Open to US Entries Only Prize #3 Open to US and Canada Entries After checking out the giveaways here, please be sure to hop to another blog in the linky at the bottom of this post.  Good luck to everyone!! Please note that the o...

This giveaway is part of the Back to School Giveaway Hop.  If you want to see all the prize packs, please read the main post HERE .   Prize #1 - For Teens - Off to College! Heading off to college is such an exciting time in a kid's life.  The promise of the future and the excitement of choosing a career path.  Start off on the right foot with items to set up the dorm room!

This giveaway is part of the Back to School Giveaway Hop.  If you want to see all the prize packs, please read the main post HERE .   Prize #2 - For Kids - First Day Jitters! That first day, butterflies running around in your tummy, excited to meet some new classmates and wondering who you will be sitting by;  it's the back to school jitters!  Help them ramp up for a new school year with some fun prizes.