UPrinting.com Giveaway!!!!!!!

Congratulations, Brianna D., you’re the winner of the die-dut printing services provided by UPrinting.com. Please check your email ASAP!

Thanks to everyone that entered, more giveaways are being organized so please stay tuned.

 

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You know the saying, we’ve all heard it:

Ask and you shall receive.

Since 2007, I’ve had professional business cards or personal contact cards. I especially love them for substitute teaching because they are easily accessible for teachers and school administrators. You’d be surprised at the number of substitute assignments I’ve gotten while shopping at the grocery store or getting stamps at the local post office! Unfortunately, the cards I currently have do not contain the most up-to-date information regarding my teaching certificate endorsements from the State of Texas.

In my quest for an online printing company, I was introduced to UPrinting.com from other blogs offering giveaways. I’m a pretty straightforward person so I thought I’d give the ol’ ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE technique a try ….. they said yes.

Goodbye boring business cards!!!!!

UPrinting.com is partnering with 27 & Counting to offer ONE lucky winner a set of die-cut business cards – a $40 value! 

The winner will receive business card printing with the following options:

• choose from 2 x 3.5″ rounded corners; 2×2″ rounded corners; 1.75×3.5″ rounded corners; 2×3.5″ leaf; 2×3.5″ rounded one corner; 2×3.5″ half circle side; 2×3.5″ oval, or 2.5″ circle
• 14-point cardstock in gloss, matte, high gloss (UV) or 13-point cardstock un-coated
• 6 Business Days Turnaround with FREE SHIPPING
• see ideas for your custom business cards
  

To enter, follow these simple steps:

Required Entry #1: Leave a comment on this blog post explaining how you plan to use these awesome cards

Optional Entry #2: “Like” Uprinting.com on Facebook

Optional Entry #3: “Follow” @Uprinting on Twitter

Optional Entry #4: “Like” 27 & Counting on Facebook

Optional Entry #5: “Follow” @nmhutch on Twitter

Optional Entry #6: Post this giveaway on your Facebook wall

Optional Entry #7: Re-tweet this giveaway on Twitter

Optional Entry #8: Blog about this giveaway

*****You must leave a comment for EACH entry.*****

This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, September 23, 2011. Participants are allowed a maximum of eight (8) entries. The winner will be chosen by Random. org and notified Saturday.

RESTRICTIONS ……. this giveaway is open to U.S. residents 18 years old and above only. The winner of this giveaway cannot have won the same business card giveaway within six months, if this occurs a new winner will be selected.

UPrinting.com offers a variety of online printing services, including business cards and custom die-cut cards!

Disclaimer: Required as per FTC Ruling, this giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given for hosting. For more information about online printing please visit UPrinting.com.

Peace, love, and business cards,

Tuesday Truths

Happy Tuesday, Y’all!!!

 

Before I share my Tuesday Truths, I want to remind/invite/encourage everyone to enter my current giveaway – which is also a tribute to the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001 and supports the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.

One winner will receive a copy of National Geographic’s “A Place of Remembrance”.

To enter the contest, simply click HERE. Thanks!

 

OK, here are my Tuesday Truths:

 

Number One

I had lunch yesterday with a friend at a wonderful sushi restaurant in the Cultural District of Fort Worth and, like always, I requested a set of “cheater” chopsticks from our waiter. He looked at me like I was crazy! Me, in my usual Polly Anna-ness way, batted my eyelashes and asked again. He said no …. again!

What the heck? Does this nice young gentleman not understand the risk he’s taking by coming between a hungry girl and her lunch?!

He insisted that no customer of his was going to use an embarassing set of “cheater” sticks and proceeded to teach me how to use REAL chopsticks. And, much to the delight of my growling stomach, I ate my lunch! I won’t go into the grueling details of how I hold my sticks, but I ate my lunch and for that I’m grateful.

Thank you, JB, for helping me accomplish a Bucket Listitem!!!!!

 

Number Two

I would really like to attend culinary school. I’m looking into options available locally, but I’m hesitant about the uber-formal training and milk-laden ingredients. While I enjoy fine dining and delicacies from around the world, I’m not exactly serving Husband brown butter fingerling potato and gruyere gratin drizzled in truffle oil on a regular basis.

I don’t know where that particular dish came from in my imagination, but it sounds really good!!!!!!!

 

Number Three

I love watching college and professional football. There’s hardly anything better than a Saturday afternoon tail-gating with friends and family getting ready for a rivalry game. If the weather is chilly enough for a hooded sweatshirt, I’m pretty much happy as a pig in mud. However, the Raiders’ fans from Oakland, CA scare me. They wear freakishly demonic costumes, war paint, and skulls. I admire their team spirit, but they scare the beejesus out of me.

 

What are your Tuesday Truths?  

Share your truths in a comment below. Don’t worry, all of your deepest, darkest secrets are safe with me!!!!!!!!

eezy-peezy DIY project

If you prefer expensive kitchen textiles and decorative items, you’re obviously in the wrong place. I don’t want to be rude, but seriously, expensive is so not cool.

Enter my eezy-peezy DIY project:

DISPLAY STANDS

I “borrowed” this extremely adorable and creative idea from Kate,  The Centsational Girl. Her blog is all about life’s fabulous-ness and home decorating……..for less. I totally dig that about her ~ I wish she’d come and rescue my drab house!

Anyway, thanks to Kate and this post, I was inspired to create my own display/dessert stands.

First, you need to visit your local thrift store. There is a Goodwill exactly 3.8 miles from my house. I’ve been to this establishment many times. I have a frequent customer card. Unfortunately, I never remember to take it with me. Fortunately, I shop on Wednesdays and get everything half-off. Saaah-weeet!

This particular Goodwill store has a very large home goods sections. In fact, there are two aisles of mixed glassware, plates, saucers, and other miscellaneous items. I picked up several different sizes of plates, as well as stem-ware and candlesticks for added height and stability. During my recent GA (Goodwill Adventure), I found a ceramic pillar holder about four-inches in diameter and four-inches-tall that I put under an over-sized round platter. The platter was really large, so it was important the base was extra sturdy.

Once you have a variety of thrifted items, you will need three more “ingredients” to complete your DIY creation: primer, paint, and silicone. I found all three at the Home Depot, pronounce Dee-Pot, cuz I’m cool like that.

I describe this DIY project as fun, cute, creative, and cheap. Including the GA items and paint supplies, I spent less than $35.00. I splurged a bit by purchasing multiple colors of paint because I plan to use different colors with tablescapes at future get-togethers. Besides, plain and boring monotone colors don’t cut the mustard.

aqua, red, white, purple, pink, orange, and black

Once you’ve got your collection of materials, the rest is eeezy-peezy.

Remove any price tags and hand-wash each item with soap and water. Rinse and dry completely.

I found a package of large writing boards in the garage. I placed one of the boards on the bed of Husband’s gooseneck trailer and that provided a clean work surface to paint these display stands. I promised Husband I would keep his beloved (and rusted) trailer clean with this paper. It makes for easy clean-up too.

Who needs a Craft Room when you have paper boards, wood scraps, and a gooseneck trailer?!

Who needs props or a fancy studio when you have half-ton hay bales and a step stool?!

Prep the surface by spraying an even coat of primer on all exposed areas.

Wait at least 30 minutes.

Then, apply a second coat.

When the primer is dry, arrange items on a hay bale then stand on a step stool to snap a cool shot with a horse trailor in the background.

Consider yourself uber-cool.

Once the primer is dry, liberally apply your selected paint color.

Hold the can of spray paint a few inches from the surface and use long, even strokes. I paint the surface from left-to-right, then up-and-down. If you like geography, pretend you’re painting the four compass points: from North to South, then East to West. 

That’s your social studies lesson for the day.

Wait an hour and apply a second coat. Let dry for several hours, preferably overnight.

Unless you live in Texas where it’s 3,409 degrees with a breeze ~ I call it Living In A Hairdryer ~ and your items will dry in less than an hour.

When the pieces are dry, you’re ready to assemble into display stands.

Apply a liberal amount of silicone sealant to the edge of the glassware or flat edge of a candlestick.

Carefully arrange in the center of the plate.

Wait at least 30 minutes to one hour before testing the silicone seal. When it’s completely dry, you can do the Lift Test.

 

VIOLA!

 

Congratulations, you can now make your own creative, cute, and oh-so-cheap display stands for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, dips, whatever you want!

I call this the Halloween Collection.

Make your own set and send me photos at nicole.m.hutchison (at) gmail.com. I can’t wait to see your creations!

Happy Thrift Hunting and Spray Painting!

When you are ready to use these display stands, be sure to use a sheet of wax or parchment paper, or one of those lacey-fancy paper sheets under any food items. It is NOT a smart idea to have food come into direct contact with paint. Just sayin’.

Toodles, Y’all!!!!!

 

P.S. Have you entered my Celebration Giveaway? If not, you’re totally missing out on a set of wonderful gifts. Click HERE to enter the contest; simply post a comment with your name and email address. One random winner will be chosen and announced next Monday. This contest ends Sunday, August 21 at midnight. Good luck!