Christmas Pinterest Party 2.0



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This was the last Pinterest party for 2019. Oh my. It was fairly well attended. One person had to cancel due to an emergency and another friend canceled due to being sick. So..that was a bummer, especially last minute but we made the best of it. 1 person came who has come before and 3 new people showed up which was cool! Keep reading to see what we made and what we ate.

Thanksgiving Craft - Gallery Glass!

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I needed to test out this craft before the next Pinterest party so no better time to do it than on Thanksgiving, crafts with my mom, sister and sister in laws. This was such a fun project to do! Big thanks to Plaid Crafts for fulfilling my product request so quickly.

Craft Storage Review - Homest vs. Cricut



Homest Cricut Bag vs. Cricut Brand Bag

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I got a bag from Homest to review and I was given a Cricut bag from a friend in Utah which is what I've been using the past year or so to travel with my Cricut Explore.  Let's do some comparing between the two bags!

November California Christmas Pinterest Party


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I have been really excited about this Pinterest party theme for some reason. Christmas. I usually do nothing Christmas until after Thanksgiving but for some reason this year I feel like if I wait, I get to enjoy all my decorations less. That's one part. I mean, I store them in the she shed in tubs for 11 months out of the year - that's quite awhile!  Maybe I just want to soak in the holiday spirit a little longer this year. It's hard to ignore when every single store I walk in to has holiday items on shelves and they are playing holiday music. What's a girl to do?! So, I present to you the Christmas Pinterest party that I hosted last night here in Ridgecrest, CA.

October California Pinterest Party



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So this month's theme for California was Halloween and Fall. Keep reading to see what we ate and what we made!

Sculpey Clay Party with Tryazon!


I was super stoked to get an email from Tryazon that I had been selected to host one of their parties. I've tried for a few years, gave up for a bit, then tried again. I am a huge fan of Sculpey clay - I used to use it a ton when I was a teenager so I was so excited to try these products out with some friends!

California Cactus & Succulents Pinterest Party!




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Ahh this party turned out so stinkin cute! The food! The crafts! It's always fun to sit back and relax when it's over but when I am caught up in the moment, I have a blast. Keep reading to see what we ate and what we made craft-wise.

Pork & Cactus Crockpot Stew



Pork & Cactus Crockpot Stew

Recipe by Joanna C.


Joanna brought this to the cactus and succulents Pinterest party here in Ridgecrest, CA this month and it is not on Pinterest and so darn good that I got the recipe from her and am putting this post up and then pinning in to Pinterest. Great flavor and everything tastes super good together.


Ingredients needed:

Corn
Black Beans
Pork
Pepper
Crisco
Cactus
Chilis

Directions:

I used 4 thick cut pork chops, cut into bite-sized chunks.

Cut pork chops and cook in skillet. Drain liquid, add about a tbs of Crisco to brown the meat a bit.

Pepper the meat while cooking. While meat is cooking, drain and rinse the cactus, the corn, and the beans. Add to meat and mix well.

I used roasted Anaheim chilies, de-veined and cut into small bits.

I typically add the cactus first, chili second, beans, then corn last. But really, it would probably turn out well if all was mixed at once. 

I've also used fresh ingredients, but the canned stuff works well and is quick and easy.

Oh, and don't add anything other than pepper to the meat until the meat is cooked through.


Cricut Deals and Promos!



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You probably know how much I love my Cricut machines. I have the Explore, Air 2 and the Maker. When I travel, I often take my Explore with me as well as my heat press and removable and iron on vinyl and cardstock. I love making things for my nieces, nephews and friends.

Here are the current deals, good until October 1st.

Utah Halloween Pinterest Party




Ahh, thank you Utah for showing up for a Halloween themed Pinterest party! It was a lot of work but super fun to see it all come together and be able to see old friends and make new ones. Keep reading to see what we ate and made!

I complied ideas and inspiration on this Pinterest board.

Disney Themed Pinterest Party!


I really need to get a photographer for these events...so for now, you get what you get.
I was so stoked and kind of nervous too, to figure out a new theme that has never been done before for a Pinterest party. The theme was DISNEY! Keep reading to see what we made and ate.

Crafty Updates


It's been a little quiet here lately but that doesn't mean that I haven't been crafting. Although, the big earthquakes that shook Ridgecrest fairly hard, did mess up things in the she-shed for me for a while. Mostly everything is cleaned up now and bookcases are now attached to the walls. If anyone has any other earthquake-proofing methods for a craft room, leave me a comment. Here's some crafty goodness that has happened since June...

Summer-Patriotic Themed Pinterest Party


This month's Pinterest party was in California and the theme was summer + patriotic. Keep reading to see what we ate and made!

Pinterest Party Chili Recipe







My neighbor brought this yummy chili recipe for the May Pinterest Party. It looks pretty easy, here is how she made it:


Ingredients: 
1 lb ground beef, 
1 can low sodium kidney beans, 
1 can chopped tomatoes, 
1 McCormick Mild Chili seasoning packet (the 30% less sodium option)
Water
A few extra dashes of garlic powder. 

Steps are basic: 
1. Grill meat and drain and rinse canned items (helps to reduce sodium content). 
2. Once the meat is cooked, mix all ingredients in pan. (I use a lower-fat content beef, but if there is a lot of grease, it should be drained before adding the other ingredients.) 
3. Add a bit of water, enough to have some "juice." I don't recall how much water I added, maybe a cup. 

That is it!

California Self-Care Pinterest Party

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May Pinterest Party!
Theme ~ Self Care

This is a brand new theme and I was really excited about it because I found lots of good crafts to make. So many actually, that I couldn't narrow it down and we did 5 crafts. 2 were fairly simple and the rest took slightly longer. 

Keep reading to see what we made and ate!

Easy String Art

   

 Melissa brought this craft - string art! to the April Pinterest party.

Here is the step by steps on what we did. ((This post contains affiliate links))

Pinterest Party Updates **Important**



I'm going to get straight to the point here, after a little back information. Some months with Pinterest parties are great (attendance wise) and others, not so much. The months that have a poor turnout, really affect things. My time and money (and sanity) are all on the line. The goal of making the Pinterest parties work was to partner with brands and sponsors so that my out of pocket cost wasn't much but that has been tricky because I usually end up picking crafts not too far in advance and companies aren't able to work with my timeline.  Ever since starting Pinterest parties in 2013, it has been a struggle to get people to commit to come and not cancel last minute. I know stuff happens and sometimes that stuff makes people change their plans at the last moment. 

SO.

With all that being said, I've finally decided I need to start charging for the Pinterest parties (after encouragement from quite a few people). A small fee to hold your spot and help people commit to come. Most people don't have a problem sticking with their commitment but there's been enough of an issue to cause me to not know what else to do to solve this problem except by doing this. I've been told by various people for a long time now I need to do this but have not wanted to because it's something I truly enjoy doing and just want people to come have fun for free. 

BUT.

It's time for a change and I hope it goes over well. So far the feedback by my post on Facebook has been positive. Fingers crossed it doesn't deter people from coming!

April Pinterest Party ~ Utah

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Welcome to the March Pinterest party! It took place in West Jordan, Utah this time around since that is where it worked out best. Keep reading to see what we made and what we ate!

Snap Blog Conference - Day 1



This is my 3rd? or 4th time attending Snap Conference in Utah which is a conference for bloggers and creative people. It's full of business classes, some crafty classes, keynote speakers, parties and lots of networking. I have a pretty fun time and am so glad I got to attend again.

March Pinterest Party ~ California


Smaller Pinterest party means not as much food but we still had a few things to choose from and made some really cute crafts. Keep reading to check out what we made and ate!

Disneyland Deal 2019




Planning a trip to Disneyland at all?

Here's the latest deal from Get Away Today!


Did you know that you can get up to $111 off per ticket if you're traveling to Disneyland between now and May 23, 2019 (excluding 4/14/19-4/22/19)?? Get Away Today is offering this amazing deal to those who book with them. Plus, you can take advantage of their layaway program which allows you to lock in your prices and make payments on your trip--interest free!
Book your vacation ---> HERE (affiliate link)



California Pinners Conference


I miss going to Pinners so much! 
It really is a fun conference full of crafty goodness.

California Valentine Themed Pinterest Party!


Valentine's food and crafts are so fun to eat and make. I'm glad I got to do this party twice - once in Utah and again in California last night! Keep reading to see what we ate and made...

Utah Valentine Themed Pinterest Party!


I've been really excited about hosting a Pinterest party in Utah - the first of the year! and even more exciting? My sister said yes to hosting it at her new place. Woot!

Creativation - Day 3!



Last day of Creativation and it was time to get the pics I hadn't taken yet, do the make and takes I hadn't gotten to yet and visit the booths I hadn't gotten to spend any time at yet.

Creativation - Day 2!


Sunday - day 2 of this craft trade show and there was more fun to be had. So much more we had not even seen yet. Time to get rolling (after that great Plaid Breakfast VIP experience of course).

Creativation - Plaid Crafts Breakfast & Booth Tour





I was invited to the Plaid Breakfast on Sunday morning which I excitedly attended. Thanks to my friend Marie who dropped me off so I could make it by 8am. This breakfast was to introduce us to the new products coming out this year and learn about them. I'm always so excited about new craft supplies - esp from Plaid!

Creativation - Day 1!


Walking through the buildings to get into the show floor and saw this huge mirror - pretty cool. It says "Art is a guarantee of sanity." I guess I'm pretty sane then since I do a lot of artsy stuff? Perhaps?

Expo Trim Booth Setup for Creativation


My friend Christie posted on Facebook asking for anyone who would be able to help set up the Expo Trims booth she'd be working at for Creativation. A way to earn a few dollars and work with one of the coolest people I know? Sign me up!

Arizona Blogger Meetup

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On my way in to Phoenix for a meetup at the Arizona Center. This is my 3rd year attending and its always so fun!

Newest Slate - Coming in the Fall!


Have you heard of or do you use a Slate drawing tablet? It's pretty cool actually! Keep reading to find out more and details on their new tablet coming out in September!

Blogging Organization Board



This project has been a lonng time coming! Basically all of last year. Continue reading to find out the idea behind it all and how it will help me (fingers crossed) stay organized in 2019 and beyond with my blogging goals.