More Highlighted Links--Share Your Best Post!

If you're here to link up to Weekend Bloggy Reading, it's open for new links until 10 pm (ET) tonight. Please share your best post of the week with us...crafts, recipes, home decor, book reviews--all kinds of posts are welcome.

I like to Feature bloggers who not only have great projects, but who also take the time to  link back to me within their post(s). I add many of these Features to my Pinterest page as well as Facebook!

Here are a few links from Weekend Bloggy Reading that caught my eye.

~Pallet Coat Hanger Storage Piece via Pieces to Treasure

~Burlap Fall Mantel via Chic on a Shoestring

~Raspberry Shortcake via Cookie Crumbs and Sadust

Highlighted Weekend Links--Share Your Best Post!

Happy Saturday! Please pop in to link up YOUR best post of the week at my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. More Features on the way tomorrow!

All kinds of posts are welcome here: We have recipes, party ideas, room makeovers, crafts, tips and tricks, home decor, fashion advice, and more! The code for the button is near the end of this post, or you can add a text link back to me within your post.

Keep reading to see just a few of the posts that caught my eye so far.

~Painted Plank Walls via Domestic Imperfection

~Black Plum Homestyle Jam via Pressing On

~White Pumpkins and Pinecones via Elegant Nest

::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link Up!

Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. I hope you'll link up your best post of the week today. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects! Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link.

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, etc.) but please do not link to Etsy shops, businesses, items for sale, etc. (I have a Sponsors section, if you'd like to Advertise with me.)

Here are a few of my faves from this week:

sources listed below

~Repurposed Giant Frame via Capturing Joy

~DIY Ticket Sign (Lighted!) via Top This Top That

~Customizing Cabinets via The Yellow Cape Cod

~Chevron Sketched Pillow via Flamingo Toes

~And Me? This week featured:

• IKEA Shopping Inspiration
• Fall 2012 Reading List
• Halloween Project Sneak Peek
• Holiday Home Grand Plan  (Clean and Organize Now!)

Time to link up your best post of the week!

Holiday Grand Plan (Clean and Organize Now)

I should begin today with a disclaimer that this post is not a sponsored post in any way. When I find something completely awesome, I like to share it with you guys. Today is all about organizing, planning, and getting your house clean and decluttered before the holidays arrive. A Holiday Home Plan --and I found a free one! I've been so busy with a 1st grader, preschooler, homework, dance lessons, church stuff, volunteer stuff, housework, working behind the scenes, and my own personal schedule that the house is currently in major disarray. And that's where today's post comes in!

Planning ahead this year can mean a major pay-off for my home come Christmastime! 

Organized Christmas was recommended to me years ago, when T and I were first married. To quote the site, it's a "road map to Christmas in a clean and organized home." They have different plans to help you prepare for the holidays:

1. Christmas Countdown- a six week plan that helps you get ready for the holidays without a ton of extra deep cleaning and reorganizing. They break down seasonal chores into weekly assignments.

2. The HGP (Holiday Grand Plan)- the mother of all organizing and cleaning routines! An awesome series of lists and calendar printables with weekly tasks printed out for you. You print them out, follow the plan room by room...and before you know it, your home should be ready for the holidays! It even forges into planning for gifts, meal preparation, visits to make, and parties!

3. Houseworks Holiday Plan- this one is a whole house cleaning plan for the Fall season, but it focuses on areas of your home instead of individual rooms. 

4. Rudolph Club- spread the work out over the whole year!

And it's all FREE! Wahoo! I know there are tons of organizing printable sites out there, but I love that this one is free. 

The year that I tried it was hard for me to keep up with because I worked and coached a cheerleading squad, but the plan still looks easy to customize if you're willing to tweak it a bit. I don't have a garage or foyer, so I could skip those weeks and focus on other rooms instead. 

So, that's today's PSA. If you're like me and still having trouble fitting it all in, I hope you'll check out the site and let me know what you think!

*Get your party hats on! My Weekend Bloggy Reading link party is scheduled as usual for tomorrow morning (8 am ET), so be sure to swing by with your best post of the week.

Here's the button code for the party if you want to get a head start, but a text link is even better! Recipes, crafts, home decor, party ideas, tips and tricks, you name it. Come prepared to showcase your blog and find some great weekend reads.

<a href=" http://www.serenitynowblog.com/ " target="_blank"><img src="http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae332/Amanda_SerenityNow/Blog%20Party%20Buttons/WeekendBloggyReading.png" border="0" alt="Weekend Bloggy Reading"></a>

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. 

Halloween Project Sneak Peek (and Mod Podge Haul Video)

Project Sneak Peek Day! I'm gearing up to work on a fun Halloween Craft Project for Mod Podge, and I wanted to show you a teeny corner of it...wonder if you can guess what it is. {wink} Whenever a box of crafty stuff arrives on my doorstep, it's a little bit like Christmas...in September. I hope I'm not the only person who gets excited over shiny stuff and glitter!

I put together a quick little "haul" video to show you guys all the cool stuff Mod Podge sent my way. I had to shoot in one take while the kids were finishing a cartoon, so please don't expect an Oscar-worthy film here. Just me and my trusty (camera hog) Pomeranian, Emma. If you're reading this in an email or a reader, you'll need to click over to the blog to view the video:


I mean, really, how could you not be giddy when you open a box and see a bunch of craft goodies inside? Half the fun is going through the box and thinking about all the possibilities!

Want a little peek at what I'm working on for next week? Here's a hint...the base for my project was a thrifty find from my local ReStore! I just hope it turns out the way I have it pictured in my head.

What are your favorite projects to make with Mod Podge? 

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. 

More Fall IKEA Shopping (Home Decor Ideas)

Ready for some more IKEA inspiration? Our favorite Swedish superstore is less than 45 minutes from my house (on a good traffic day), so I'd be crazy not to swing by regularly, right? Right? It's way more fun to browse the showroom with a friend, so I convinced my sister-in-law (SuSu) to load my nephew into our swagger wagon with the girls for a Saturday morning of IKEA Shopping Inspiration. Neither of us came home with much, but I always manage to find something new to snap a pic of!

This wasn't my favorite living space, but I did love the fun industrial style coffee table on casters:

This small family room/den has a completely different feel with a feminine, floral look.

Not as colorful, but I like the couch in this sleek room:

Cool chair (wonder how comfy it is) and the open shelves above the cabinet caught my eye:

Here's a cute little reading nook I spotted in one of the living rooms. We have a super cute PB Kids Chair (hand-me-down!) that would be perfect in an area like that. The magazine rack could hold some children's books:

Love the gray. Love!

I always like this "room," but that couple was intent on hanging out! Hard to snap a good pic.

Mixed seating, fun bench:

More gray and white:

I like the details on the drawer fronts and the pulls. They looked solid too:

Oh, to have a spacious, walk-in pantry!

Not really my style, but this is a fun room. I do like the bench:

Check out all this storage space!

Entryway/Mudroom Storage and Display:

Accessories and Gallery Wall Love:

The toddler was happy because he had two big kids to chase after, and the bog kids were happy because they had a toddler to chase after. And maybe also because we took them to Panera for lunch.

I came home with more bins for my $50 Thrift Store Expedit and an inexpensive rug for the back door. I didn't spend much, but half the fun of IKEA is the inspiration!

Do you have a favorite IKEA piece?

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. 

Fall 2012 Reading List

So, I'll be honest. I don't do as much reading in the Fall and Winter because good TV comes back on and it's very important that I learn the fate of those fancy Brits on Downton Abbey and what's going on with the docs of Grey's Anatomy. But I do make time for reading in between dance classes, school pick ups, homework, housework, and crafty stuff because I enjoy it so much. Here's what's on my list to read so far:

1. Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible - Tim Gunn

This looks like a fascinating read to me! I looked it up on Amazon, and the description notes that Gunn reveals the history of fashion, from the ancient togas to corsets to power suits. Fashion often reflects the  economic and political undercurrents of the times...I'm anxious to see how Gunn ties everything together.

2. Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn

My sis mentioned this one on Facebook, and it sparked my interest. Looks like a chiller!

3. Fearless Fourteen- Janet Evanovich

These are complete fluffy fun, but I enjoy the hi-jinks that Stephanie Plum gets herself into. And the Morelli. Yes, I enjoy the Morelli. This series is taking awhile because I tend to read one, read some other books, and then come back again.

4. Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay- Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

I'm currently reading this one for book club, and it is pretty hilarious. More applicable for moms-to-be or new moms, but a very funny read so far.

5. Choose Joy- Kay Warren

We're doing this one for the Fall Bible study starting next month. It's only 4 weeks long, but should be great. I'm hoping to be encouraged!

For the girls

1. Finish the Junie B. Jones series

We're getting ready to start Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So does May.) and there are only a couple of books left after that. I usually read a chapter or two before bed, and the girls love Junie B.

2. The Long Winter- Laura Ingalls Wilder

Technically, we're listening to this series because I borrow all the CDs from the library. We listen in the car on the way to dance or to run errands. The girls adore these books as much as I did growing up. I have the series on our bookshelf, but will read them when they're a little older.

3. Story books!

Michaela Byrd is only 4, so we go to the library and I let her pick story books that she thinks look good. We also pick through our own shelves for Fancy Nancy, Berenstain Bears, Little Golden Books, etc. 

Do you have any good books on your to-read list?

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. 

More Highlighted Links--Share Your Best Post!

If you're here to link up to Weekend Bloggy Reading, it's open for new links until 10 pm (ET) tonight. Please share your best post of the week with us...crafts, recipes, home decor, book reviews--all kinds of posts are welcome.

I like to Feature bloggers who not only have great projects, but who also take the time to  link back to me within their post(s). I add many of these Features to my Pinterest page as well as Facebook!

Here are a few links from Weekend Bloggy Reading that caught my eye.

~DIY Crib Bench via Shabby Love

~Under the Cabinet Hidden Outlets (Tip) via At Home in the Northwest

~Candy Corn Oreo Truffles via two twenty one