Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party - Featured Favorties!

Good morning bloggers! I am sorry to say that I don't have a tutorial ready to post this week. Things have just been too, too crazy for me trying to wrap up this zulily order. No worries though! I've decided to showcase last week's link favorites instead, and still post the linky party anyway!!

The #1 most viewed link last week was:



The #2 most viewed link of the week was:



And the #3 most viewed link of the week was:



Thanks to everyone who linked up last week! There were so many great projects and recipes. I just keep bookmarking them in hopes that I won't be insanely busy at some time in my future, haha!

Now, it's that time again for this week's linky party!

Linky Guidelines:
  1. Please feel free to link up as many projects as you would like!
  2. Please link directly to your project post, it makes them much easier for everyone to find.
  3. Please no etsy shops, or generic blog links. Specific posts links only.
  4. Visit someone else's link and share the bloggy love!
  5. Grab yourself a button and post it in your project post or on your blog. Optional of course, but the more we share the party, the more people see your posts! :)
  6. Have fun!!
Have a great week!!

XOXO





Monday, October 24, 2011

***GIVEAWAY Winner!!*** Merchandise Monday 10/24/11

Good morning lovely bloggers! 
As you know, our Organo Gold coffee giveaway ended last night, so we have a winner!!

Using random.org, the comment number selected was:


#8 Nikki, who said "I'm a follower!"

Congrats Nikki!! shoot me an email at:

littlebirdiebaby {at} gmail {dot} com 

I will get you in touch with Mary to order your choice of 
black, latte, mocha, or a special variety box of all-natural, gourmet Organo Gold coffee!

Thanks to Mary and Organo Gold for a great giveaway, and you can find her button in my sidebar under "sponsors" if you would like to check out her website and order a box for yourself! :)

More giveaways coming soon!! Tune in next Monday!!

Have a great week!!

XOXO

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Little Birdie on Zulily!!! SALE!!

Good morning everyone!! My sale with Zulily went LIVE this morning, and I just wanted to share the link with you all in hopes that you might go check it out and give me some feedback. :)


If you haven't signed up for Zulily yet, click here to do so! (It's FREE!)

Here's a little peek at the sale page...


And here's the link:


There are 10 designs to choose from in various sizes, though I will say that even though it's not even 10am yet, some sizes are already SOLD OUT! So, if you're looking to score some super-sale priced items, get in there quick because I'm getting the feeling they won't last long!!

Thanks to all of you for your ongoing love and support, it means the world to me!!


XOXO


P.S. You still have time to enter our awesome all-natural gourmet coffee giveaway HERE

P.P.S. There's also still a linky party going on this week with a pretty new tutorial for Fall! CLICK HERE to link up your projects, crafts, and recipes.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party - Ruffled Fall Hand Towels for Under $2

Hello there lovely bloggers! 

So, you guys know I have been like crazy busy lately, working on my big order. Since I'm still trying to squeeze in projects where I can (if only to keep my sanity!!), I thought I would resurrect a tutorial from the past. Of course, I re-made the project to be a little more "Fall-ish" and to show you that I'm not cheating over here, haha!

My all-time most viewed tutorial is...



What do you think? Pretty cute huh? Not your "traditional" fall decor, but somehow it just feels right. 
I don't know what it is about these towels, but people love them. They're inexpensive to make, super duper easy, and totally customizable depending on what you have laying around in your scrap pile.
 Okay... so I see why it's #1. ;)


Ready for the tutorial??

~ Dressed Up Hand Towels ~

Wal*Mart, 2 pack, $1.68. 
SCORE!

My fabric was a little scrap left over from a jelly roll, ribbon was a scrap from my white felt wreath, and the lace stuff a scrap from a ribbon scrap pack I bought at Hobby Lobby ages ago. You don't need much of anything to do this project, these particular towels are only 15" wide to give you an idea.

First, lay your pieces out across the short side of your towel to make sure they are long enough with a bit leftover at each end to fold under and hem. I left about an inch on each end.

{UPDATE: If you're doing the ruffled version like my new set, use about twice the length of fabric as I mentioned above, so that you have plenty of ruffle room. Just run the top edge of the strip through your sewing machine on the longest stitch length, and it will ruffle right up before your eyes.}


I started with my fabric since I knew I wanted it on the bottom. I planned to sew the ribbon and the lace over the top of the raw edges of the fabric so I wouldn't have to do any more hemming than necessary.

I folded under and pinned the edges down first, then used the wonky little zig-zag stitch 
to attach it to the towel. Clean edges, pretty little ziggy zaggy.

{UPDATE: no need to baste down the sides of the fabric if you're using a ruffle... 
just tack it down along the top edge of the ruffle and let it ruffle away at the edges.}

Next, I pinned and basted down the long edges. I know I'm going to be attaching the ribbon and lace 
over the fabric, so I mostly just need it to stay down and in place. The real reinforcing will come later.


Now more pinning for the lace...
{Seriously, what is that stuff? I have no idea what to call it, so I'm just going with lace for now.}
And again with the wonky zig zag stitch to make sure this stays in place and can be machine washed.


I did the same thing for the ribbon on top that I did for the fabric: 
Pinned and basted on both the top and bottom long edge. 
Somehow I managed to miss taking the pic on this one so you'll just have to use your imagination, haha!

Iron out any wrinkles, and ta-da! Pretty little dish towel!


They're SO easy, and you already have an extra towel, so why not make it a pair?


 Two is better than one anyway, I think. :)


Since I made these two, I've been digging around in my scrap box for other coordinating colors to make more. I could seriously solve my entire house-wide towel problem with what I find in my scrap box. :) 
But wouldn't they make great gifts? Housewarming parties, hostess gifts, wedding shower, holidays... 

I'm so excited that our little linky party is growing so large. Thanks to you all for participating and spreading the word!! Grab yourself a button if you're linking up this week, and you can find all the parties I'll be linking up to this week up top under the "linky parties!" tab. There's lots of great spots on that list so definitely go check them out, and let me know if you have a party that I can add to my list!

Now it's your turn! 
Link up your projects below, and grab a button for your project post. 
Be sure to visit other links on the list and share the love! :)
Today's Creative Blog

Have a great week!!

XOXO





***GIVEAWAY Winner!!*** Merchandise Monday 10/17/11

Good morning bloggers! 
Last night marked the end of the 10/3 giveaway from Bows & Caps by princESS, so that means...

 WE HAVE A WINNER!! :)


Using www.random.org, our random comment number selected was:


#2 - Chrissy Barile

who said, 

"I'm your newest follower! Chrissy @ ForMamas"

Ok Chrissy, shoot me an email and I'll get you all hooked up with Erica for your prize!

littlebirdiebaby {at} gmail {dot} com


. . . . . . .


We still have open giveaways!!

{Organo Gold all-natural, premium, gourmet coffees}

If you haven't entered to win the giveaway from Organo Gold Coffee, you still have time to get your entries in there. The Organo Gold Giveaway will be open until this Sunday, October 23rd at 8pm. Click HERE to go straight to the entry page!

Stay tuned for Tutorial Tuesday & Linky Party tomorrow morning!!

Have a great week!

XOXO


Friday, October 14, 2011

Feature Friday!! {linky party favorites}

Hey there bloggers! I know I've been a bit behind on this, but my recent schedule has kept me insanely busy. I hope you can forgive me, and I'll be catching up and sharing your links to make it up to you. :)

Last week's linky party was a HUGE success!! There were 78 link ups, which is more than we've ever had on one day. Yay!! I think everyone must have food on the brain because most of the links were recipes. Not that I'm complaining... I've actually been to the grocery store 3 times in the last week for ingredients to try out some of your awesome links!

As for the numbers, this was our Top View last week:


And we had a 3 way TIE for the 2nd most viewed links:



{Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Biscuits with Gravy @ Tim 2 Eat Yall!}


{Enchilada Casserole from Laura @ Laugh, Love, & Craft}

Sinfully delicious, no? There were SO many great links last week, and so many new recipes that I'm filling my recipe book with. You guys are some incredible chefs, there must be some seriously happy people in your houses! haha! :)

If you were featured, feel free to grab a button saying so to display on your blog or website! 






ALSO! Don't forget to enter this month's giveaways if you haven't already!

We've got Erica from Bows & Caps by princESS on Etsy giving away 
a custom pack of bottle cap magnets, clips, or push pins. 
Giveaway ends Sunday, so get your entries in soon!


We've also got Mary from Organo Gold coffee giving away an ENTIRE box 
of gourmet, all-natural coffee in your choice of flavor! 
This giveaway ends Sunday 10/23, so spread the word and don't forget to get your entries in, too!



Thanks for such an amazing turnout at the linky party last week! 
Have a great weekend!!


XOXO

Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Little Birdie on Zulily!!!


Good morning, bloggers!! I have some really BIG news to share with you today but first, 
I have a question for you... have you ever heard of Zulily?


What is Zulily? Well... 

"It's an online store offering daily sales events on top-quality apparel, gear and other goodies for moms, babies and kids. We carry the best brands at the lowest prices.  Members enjoy savings of up to 90% off retail prices. zulily loves to find deals on favorite styles, and we love introducing our members to exciting new brands, too." -zulily website

Well, a couple of months ago, I was contacted by one of their buyers for a partnership!! 
Needless to say, I said "YES!"... Very, very exciting for The Little Birdie!! 

Anyway, I've been working my little tushie off trying to fill this HUGE order from them, in preparation for our upcoming sale date, which I am excited to announce will be running:

Thursday, October 20th - Saturday, October 22nd, 2011
as in, NEXT WEEK!!

So far, it's been a huge whirlwind and the busiest I have been since starting my little business here. Zulily has selected 10 of my designs to showcase during this special 3-day sale. It won't be my whole shop up for grabs, but never fear - there will be more sales coming in the future!

As a preview, I thought I would give you guys a little hint as to what you'll be able to find on the zulily site next weekend at seriously discounted prices...


I am SUPER excited, and working hard to tie up all of my loose ends and finalize the project. This is by far the largest order I've ever had, and it has been quite an experience working with such a large quantity. I'm hoping to put together a post on wholesaling later on for all of you Etsy folks out there. :)

Mark your calendars and tell your friends... The Little Birdie is on Zulily.com next week!!

XOXO





ALSO! Don't forget to enter this month's giveaways!

We've got Erica from Bows & Caps by princESS on Etsy giving away 
a custom pack of bottle cap magnets, clips, or push pins. 
Giveaway ends Sunday, so get your entries in soon!


We've also got Mary from Organo Gold coffee giving away an ENTIRE box 
of gourmet, all-natural coffee in your choice of flavor! 
This giveaway ends Sunday 10/23, so spread the word and don't forget to get your entries in, too!


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Homeschooling? Class Dismissed.

Good morning all!! I just wanted to pop in and share this video with you all. I know so many of you are homeschooling your kids, and many more plan to (as do I). So naturally, when I heard about this documentary being made all about the benefits of homeschooling I had to share!

Class Dismissed
a documentary about homeschooling




It's so wonderful to see such an honest, practical take on homeschooling with real interviews with actual homeschooling families. I'm sure (as most documentaries do) they will be examining both sides, but I've never seen something with such positive energy representing this lifestyle.

Right now it's still in the development stages and they still need some funding. If you're so inclined, you can visit the 3 Story Films site and leave them a donation. www.3storyfilms.com I'm sure they would appreciate it!

I know everyone has a different take on this subject, especially in the mainstream, but I think it's a wonderful opportunity to provide my children with a diverse and well-rounded education based on truth, creativity, life experiences, and discovery rather than the pre-packaged "one-size-fits-all" method the public school system seems to be pushing these days.

How does your family approach schooling? What brought you to those decisions?


XOXO




P.S. Don't forget to enter our current giveaways before time runs out!! Click the photos to go straight to the entry pages!!

We've got Erica from Bows & Caps by princESS on Etsy giving away 
a custom pack of bottle cap magnets, clips, or push pins. 
Giveaway ends Sunday, so get your entries in soon!



We've also got Mary from Organo Gold coffee giving away an ENTIRE box 
of gourmet, all-natural coffee in your choice of flavor! 
This giveaway ends Sunday 10/23, so spread the word and don't forget to get your entries in, too!


Monday, October 10, 2011

Giveaway Monday!! Who needs a whole box of perk??

Hello friends!! My apologies for the delayed post today, I have been experiencing some serious technical difficulties with my blog today. But no worries, everything seems to finally be working, so we can get down to business!

It's Monday, so you know what that means, right? This week we've got a product I KNOW you're all going to love. I mean, it's the only way to start the day, right?
{brought to you by...}

. . . . . . .


Did you know that coffee is the second most consumed beverage on the planet after water? Wow, right? Maybe not news for those of you who have 6 cups before noon, but still! It's the second most traded commodity after oil. People drink coffee all day every day, in almost every country around the world.


Organo Gold Coffee company is brewing up some of the best coffee out there right now. It's rich, flavorful, and smooth. And, the kicker is... it's healthy! Soak that up for a minute. Organo Gold searches the globe far and wide to procure the best ingredients out there and couples them with Japanese herb Ganoderma to produce some of the most amazingly delicious, healthy coffee you can get. The Gandoderma herb has been used in the Japanese culture for centuries to promote good health, and well-being. Some of it's benefits include:


  • Supports and builds the Immune System.
  • Oxygenates the Body
  • Boosts stamina
  • Packed with over 150 all-natural antioxidants that fight free radicals
  • Improves blood circulation
  • Promotes younger skin
  • Promotes cell rejuvenation
  • More energy
  • A powerful detoxifyer for the body
  • Promotes deeper and more enjoyable sleep

But, the benefits aren't just for coffee drinkers. Looking to curl up by the fire this fall with a cozy cup of hot chocolate or tea? No problem! Organo Gold has hot chocolate, tea, herbal supplements and lots of other incredible products as well. Check out the website for for information and other products!!

Now, for the fun part...

{WIN IT!!}

Our lovely Organo Gold Coffee rep, Mary, is generously offering one lucky Little Birdie reader a whole box of your choice of their most popular coffees: Black, Mocha, or Latte, shipping included!! Mary was nice enough to send me one of each, and I'll tell you: you can't go wrong with any of the three!!


Enter to WIN:
  • Leave a separate comment for each entry, so they all get counted!
  • The giveaway will be open from now until Sunday, October 23rd!
  • Winner will be chosen via random.org and posted here Monday, October 24th!!
Mandatory Entry:
  • Be or become a follower of The Little Birdie. (Easy, right? I know you already are anyway... wink, wink.)
Extra Entries:
Be sure to leave each entry in a separate comment below, 
and good luck to you all!!

XOXO




P.S. If you haven't entered to WIN the custom bottle cap set from Bows & Caps by princESS on Etsy, click HERE and get your entries in before the end of the week!!

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