Dermagist Skin Care Products and a Giveaway

Are you like me?  Do you have wrinkles or crows feet?  Yeah, I thought so.  I don't know very many women my age that aren't concerned with wrinkles. 

I'm always looking for the next best lotion and potion to make me look the way I used to.  So when I was approached by Dermagist to try out one of there products it was pretty easy for me to say yes.  I chose to review the Eye Precession System.

It's pretty awesome stuff.  I like the Instant Effect Serum {this goes over the entire face} because it does instantly lift and make my wrinkles less noticeable.  I also like, that because it builds collegian, it has long lasting effects. The Eye Gel is fantastic!  It smoothed out my crows feet and helped with the bags under my eyes. The only problem I had was that it made the effects of my hay fever worse.  So, I did have to stop using the eye gel on my right eye.  But when my allergies weren't acting up it worked great! 

So what do you think?  Do you want to try it out?  I hope so because Dermagist has offered one of my readers the chance to win the same system!

You will receive two full sized bottles one) Eye Revolution Gel and one) Instant Effect Lifting Serum.  None of this trial size stuff, it's valued at $178! 


Giveaway is only open to the U. S. and will be open until Sept. 5th Good Luck!

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LINK IT UP THURSDAY #35

I hope you are all having a lovely week so far!  Things here have been kind of mellow this week.  

On Monday we had a great guest post by Boocoos Blogthingy. 

Tuesday I showed you the new cowl I crocheted.

And Wednesday I did a guest post over at Petals to Picots.  So much fun!!  

Not only do we get to party today but I get to announce the winner of the AWESOME felt quiet book giveaway!  YAY!  

The winner is #874

Lori L.

Thanks so much to all of you who entered.  Really, it means so much to me that so many of you took the time to enter the giveaway.

Last week y'all amazed me with the food you linked up this week it's all about the DIY, must be some kind of cosmic event that has everyone on the same page or something.  Any hoo lets take a look at the BELLES of the ball from last week's party.

Petals to Picots made this super cute granny square purse.  I know my daughter would LOVE one!  She has a free pattern so we can all make one too.

Life Designed made over an old deck bench into an awesome inside bench.

Peaches and Bees made an awesome sling bookcase.  I need a 10 of these around my house.

The 5th Brick House on the Right made showed us how to hang our plates for super cheap.

Rindy Mae made over her computer nook for... wait for it..... FREE!.  You gotta check out the post.  I would happily sit in that nook all day blogging!

Domestic Deficit Disorder has a great tutorial for making this Manila Rope Bowl, isn't it cute!

The link with the most views was:

2 Little Superheroes showed us how to use coupons.  There were some really great tips I can't wait for then next installment.

Y'all are AMAZING  go ahead and grab yourself a Featured Button!  Face Book Features, make sure you get a button too. 

<center> <a href="http://www.seven-alive.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Seven Alive" src=<a href="http://s1117.photobucket.com/albums/k591/loulou711/?action=view¤t=NewFeaturedButton.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k591/loulou711/NewFeaturedButton.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />

I want to see everything you have to link up! Old projects, new posts, giveaways, Etsy shops, recipes, crocheting, any and everything.  If you have more than one thing to link up, even better.  Here are the very simple rules.

1.  Please keep it family friendly.

2. Please link back or grab a button so others can share in the fun.

3.  Following would be nice. (but don't feel you have to)

4. Have fun, be inspired.

If you would like an e-mail reminder about the party let me know in the comments. Make sure you leave your e-mail address with your comment. I will happily add you to the list.  

Grab a new button if you need one.

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My First Granny Squares

I'm so excited to be over at Petals and Picots today sharing my experience with making granny squares.  I hope you'll come by and say hi.

Thanks for stoppin' by and hangin' out.

Crocheted Infinity Cowl

Yesterday was the first day of school!  I am more happy than I can say, to report that all went very well!  No tears from anyone.  Not even me, I held them in.  {I could have cried, but I was strong}

The kids were all totally excited to head out the door.  {ok maybe not the 7th grader}

Aren't they a funny bunch!  I didn't even ask them to pose for me.  {the chalk board picks are from Pick Your Plum}

Anyway what does this have to do with my crochet cowl?  Nothing.  I just wanted to share, this also now means that things will start to calm down around here and get back to our normal schedule. 

This weekend the weather cooled off a little.  It was a regular cold front.  I think think it got all the way down to 89.  After the last couple of months that is cool.  It always puts me in the mood for fall and winter.  Which means {for me}  it's time to start crocheting more. YAY!

So, when my friend Kara at Petals to Picots came out with her new pattern for an infinity cowl, I got my hook out and got hookin'.

I LOVED making this cowl!  What a great pattern so simple and quick, perfect for a weekend project.

 I love the stitch, lacy without being to girlie. 

Every time I post a photo with my head cropped off I catch flack for it.  However I have a better excuse {this time} than I didn't do my hair or makeup.  I have crazy bad allergies that turn into hay fever and cause my right eye to swell almost shut.  Trust me it isn't pretty, you don't want to see it.

So today you get a cropped off head. I know this is a quick post, I just wanted to let you know what we have been up to.  I hope you are all having a wonderful week.

Thanks for stoppin' by and hangin' out.

I will be linking up to these fantastic parties.

Cell Phone Cozy With Boocoos Blogthingy

I really pleased to be able to introduce you to another blogging buddy of mine.  Gale is a sweet fellow Texan that has an awesome crocheting blog Boocoos Blogthingy.  She has great free patterns like this one for her crocheted body bag.  She is sharing a great tutorial with you today.


Thank you Kadie for allowing me to share a small project with your viewers.

Usually I blog about crochet. Lately I've been trying to work with audio cassette and VHS tapes and have a couple of projects I've finished on my blog I hope you will come see. The project I'm sharing here is not crochet and is intended to spark your imagination for other uses of the tapes.

This is the cell phone cozy I made from felt laced with audio tape. I could have used a different closure technique, done some embroidery, added beads...that gives me an idea. The tape material could easily be used in beading, because when stretched it is like a thread. Let me show you now.

Back to our project. Cut a piece of felt by eyeballing the width and making it about 2 1/2 times the height.

At one of the short ends turn back a tiny hem and stitch across. This step is completely optional because felt needs no hemming. It will not fray.

Fold the hemmed edge to cover about 3/4 of the phone and begin stitching the sides.

Now consider your closing and adjust the size and shape of the flap. I used a bone ring covered by crocheted tape. You could use a buttonhole here, or clasp or whatever. Then stitch down the other side of flap and you are done!

In person this looks like something an American native might have made stitched with sinew.

Now you could use a lanyard, a sports clip....let your creativity run away with you. And remember, since felt does not fray, you might cut a pair of slits on the back for a belt to go through. It could be made more feminine or masculine. I'd love to see anything you make from this idea and certainly anything you make using cassette or VHS tape. If you allow me, I'll post your creation on my blog.

Thank you again Kadie for all your help. I count you among my close friends and, of course, a fellow Texan.

LINK IT UP THURSDAY #34

Things are starting to calm down a little bit more.  School starts on Monday for the THREE oldest {I still can't believe that!}  I hope we will get into a scheduled quickly.

I had a really great guest post on Monday by Katie of Brighton Park.   It's such a great read and all though is written with Stay At Home Mothers in mind is a great read for all women.  Lets start living our lives with more Moxy!

Tuesday I showed you how we make our favorite popcorn on the stove top, YUMMY.

Wednesday a really great giveaway went live. The giveaway is for an 8 page felt Quiet Book.  It's so cute and fun!  Your going to want to enter that if you haven't already.

I am also giving away a cabochon jewelry set over at Wait Till Your Father Gets Home.  She has a HUGE giveaway package going to one very luck winner.

I'm very excited to show you my very first reader feature!  Teresa (sister of Creative Carmella) doesn't have a blog but sent me a photo of her Bloom Where You Are Art.  She is the first person to send me a photo of something made using one of my tutorials.  It's beautiful, didn't she do a great job! Thank you Teresa, you made my entire month!:)

And now lets take a look at the Belles of the ball from last week!

Blue Star Antiques made over this desk.  I am so in love with it I would happily move it into my house in a heart beat!

Cox's Corner made some really cute frames using washi tape.  Y'all know how much I LOVE washi tape!:)

 One Creative Momma has a great projects for the little girls!  I think my girls would love to make them.

I was SO hungry writing up this post and y'all linked up soooo many fantastic looking dishes!  I had to feature a few.

 Bird on a Cake has a great tutorial and recipe for this lovely Hummingbird Cake.  I think I could even make this one!

Have I ever told y'all how much I love jam?!  This Peach Lavender jam from Prudent Living looks great!  

Love Bakes Good Cakes made such a YUMMY looking Summer Breeze Pizza.  Yeah, I'm drooling over here.

Y'all must have been hungry too last week, because the most viewed link was these super Cute Mermaid Cookies from Lets Pour Tea.

I was so impressed with this weeks link ups!!  I know that was a lot of features but honestly I could keep going, and going. 

Y'all are AMAZING  go ahead and grab yourself a Featured Button!  Face Book Features, make sure you get a button too. 

<center> <a href="http://www.seven-alive.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Seven Alive" src=<a href="http://s1117.photobucket.com/albums/k591/loulou711/?action=view¤t=NewFeaturedButton.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k591/loulou711/NewFeaturedButton.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />

I want to see everything you have to link up! Old projects, new posts, giveaways, Etsy shops, recipes, crocheting, any and everything.  If you have more than one thing to link up, even better.  Here are the very simple rules.

1.  Please keep it family friendly.

2. Please link back or grab a button so others can share in the fun.

3.  Following would be nice. (but don't feel you have to)

4. Have fun, be inspired.

If you would like an e-mail reminder about the party let me know in the comments. Make sure you leave your e-mail address with your comment. I will happily add you to the list.  

Grab a new button if you need one.

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Felt Quiet Book Giveaway

I'm so excited about the giveaway we have today!  If you have a child or are around children much, I'm sure you know how restless they can get.  Weather it's during church, a long car ride, or any other time they need to sit still for a length of time, it's nice to have something to keep them busy.

I have the perfect thing to keep them busy.  A felt quiet book! I love, love the super creative and fun quiet books created by Jules and Jems Creations.

Hi, I'm Julia of Jules and Jems Creations. I make handmade quiet books for your little ones. I try to make each page as entertaining as possible but I also try to throw in skills that each child needs to learn at some point: tying, lacing, buttoning, snapping... along with numbers and letters. My books are 9"x12" size. They have a strap closure and handles (can be removed if you prefer it to be just as a book).

Ya wantta see one of her books?  I thought so!

 Guess what, you can win this 8 page quiet book.{ A $35 value}   Isn't it cute?!

Rafflecopter will walk you though the entries.  It might take a minute to load up.  This giveaway is only open to the U.S.   Giveaway will be open for one week. {8/22-8/29}.  Good luck!


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Stove Top Popcorn

If you've been hangin' out with me for a while here at the Double Wide you will know that we LOVE movies!  Once a week {usually Friday} we have  Family Movie Night.  We usually get take out and have a carpet picnic while we watch the movie.
You HAVE to have popcorn with your movie!

I used to make microwave popcorn, until I talked to my brother. {Who is a total foodie}  He told me all about the terrible things that are in microwave popcorn and how easy it is to make it on the stove top.  I have to admit I was skeptical.  I mean we have come a long way since stove top popcorn.  However he convinced me to give it a try because as he said "It tastes so much better".
I have made our popcorn this way for over a year now.  It's fantastic!!  Everyone in the family LOVES it .  It cheaper, just as easy, better for you, and tastes better, what's not to love?

The funny thing is the kiddos were given a bag of microwave popcorn a little while ago.  They were so excited to pop it and eat it.  Until they tasted it.  My 7 year old ate about 2 bites and said  "I don't like this it doesn't taste like popcorn!"  They are so spoiled.
Want to know how to make your own stove top popcorn?  It easy, peasy!

First you need a large metal bowl.  Use one you don't care about it will get ruined!  Like this one, it's been banged up and used for all sorts of things.

You will also need popcorn kernels.  A tip about the kernels ~  I am as cheap as the next person.  However don't buy the super cheap store brand kernels.  They don't pop well and the popcorn doesn't taste as good.  Go ahead and spend the extra 2-3 dollars and get the good ones.  It's worth it.

Before you get started it's easiest if you gather all of your supplies.
Vegetable oil
popcorn kernels  {1 cup}
large metal bowl
salt {to taste}
butter {melted, I use one stick or 1/2 cup, you can use more or less to taste}
a second large bowl
tin foil
hot pads
If you have one on hand you might want a little person to help stir the popcorn after it comes off the stove.

{Isn't he cute!}

Put your bowl right on the stove.  Put tin foil over most of the bowl.  Turn your burner on high.  You want to get your metal bowl screaming hot.  After your bowl is very hot and you have everything together, pour in your oil.  You want just enough to cover the bottom of the bowl.

After your oil gets hot {this only takes a couple of seconds}  you want to pour in your popcorn kernels.  I use one cup and it makes A LOT.
Cover the rest of the bowl with tin foil.  poke one small vent hole in the tin foil.  Using your hot pads hold the sides of the bowl and shake the bowl over burner.  Make sure you keep moving the bowl or you will burn the popcorn.

The popcorn will pop pretty quickly.  They really shoot all over the place, just look at the tin foil from the top of the bowl.

Immediately dump the popcorn into another bowl.  In the time it took me to snap one photo some of the popcorn on the bottom of the bowl burned. {sad and stinky}  However almost all the kernels popped that's pretty good!

Top however you like.  We love just butter and salt.  For the large bowlful I use about 1/2 cup of butter and salt to taste.  However I have used this carmel corn recipe and it is fantastic!

Yummy!    Go old school with your popcorn!

Thanks for stoppin' by and hangin' out.

I will be linking up to these fantastic parties.