Features – A Diamond in the Stuff

Five Friday Faves

Courtney Carmean — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 13:59:16 +0000

Alright it’s FRIDAY!!! And it’s time for my Five Friday Faves. It’s that time of the week where I share what I’m currently loving right now. I’d love to hear what you think about the items on my list and maybe some of what you’re loving right now!

First up is the super delicious looking 3 Ingredient Nutella Croissants! I have been in a nutella mood lately and when I ran across these my mouth watered. Must. Try. These. 3 Ingredients? I can handle that.

Summer is quickly approaching and so is our backyard makeover. These DIY Garden Stones may be the perfect activity to do with the kids this summer and make some beautiful things for the backyard in the process. I think I’ll pick up some cheap pan from the dollar store to use. Can’t wait!

One great thing about being a part of the military community is the support you receive during the different ups and downs of life. I have brought and received many meals to celebrate babies being born and to help during rough times. I absolutely love this post from Peanut Blossom about 30 Days of Mommy Meals. It has great ideas for meals (recipes included) and great tips to make sure that meal delivery goes smoothly! I know I will be referring to it in the future when the time comes to bring a family meals.

Ok so I’m going to do a little confessing here. During both my pregnancies I developed some pretty bad stretch marks. I have accepted them as badges of honor….but to be honest there are times when I hate them, especially those easier to see ones during the hot summer months. So I went on a hunt for something I could use to cover them up when I needed to. I found Dermablend recently and I think this is the answer I was looking for. It covers really well and it’s made specially for using it on your body. I’m excited to have an option this summer so I can feel more confident in my summer clothes!

Lastly, I am sure that I am probably the last person out there to give Jamberry a try. I finally tried them this week and I love them! I will need to perfect the process and I learned a lot during my first go at it. Although I have to say….they are pretty easy to put on. I am the worst at having my nails painted, but the end of the day they are already chipped. So I’m hoping this will be the way I can actually have cute nails! They have so many cute designs and endless combinations!

Alright that’s it this week! I hope you’ve enjoyed my Five Friday Faves this week! Are you going to give any of these a try?

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

Five Friday Faves

Courtney Carmean — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 10:00:13 +0000

Ready for another edition of Five Friday Faves? I love being able to share what I’m loving at the moment with y’all! This round I’m sharing some current faves and a couple confessions!!!

My hubby and I are getting ready to tackle our boring backyard this Spring. We’ve already planned everything out and now all that’s left is the actual doing. I stumbled across this tip for an “easy way to edge a lawn”. This looks like a much easier way then the “traditional” way. I figured that this time of year there are probably tons of you why will be doing some yard work yourself….and who would mind something that makes life easier???

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This week I spotted this Vintage Window Galvanized Memo Board found at Infarrantly Creative. Not only do I love the project but she also shared how she aged her galvanized metal to make it look old. An awesome project and an awesome tip in one!

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Don’t you just love when you’re watching what you’re eating and then you stumble across something like this Funfetti Milkshake? I mean. Really? How can I resist that? I think I may have to eat veggies all day long but I will be making this delicious looking treat! I have a feeling it will be worth it!

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Ok confession time. I know I JUST said I’ve been watching what I’m eating. But these things only come around ONCE a year. So I had to indulge and pick up a pack of Reese’s Eggs. I mean…..as long as I exercise some self control and don’t consume the whole pack in one day then it’s ok right? Right? Oh they are SO good!

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Next confession. I love The Real Housewives. Honestly it can be the real housewives of (fill in the blank) and I probably love it. There’s been a few not-so-great moments (D.C. ahem). But I seriously love them all. I know it’s just a bunch of crazy rich people drama….but I love it. Like watch it every week plus Watch What Happens Live, love it! I’ve been watching since day one of Orange County (probably because that’s where I’m from so I had to watch it) and now I’m hooked. I’m really hoping I’m not alone on this one.

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Alright! That’s it for the week! Some tips, some projects, some tasty goodness, and some guilty pleasures! That about wraps things up! Let me know what you think about this week’s Five Friday Faves and tell what you’re loving right now!

Have a great weekend y’all!!!

Linking up to these great parties!!!

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Earlier this week I posted my front door makeover. I used vinyl to create my Faux Etched Glass Front Door.

Five Friday Faves

Courtney Carmean — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 05:00:46 +0000

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Why is it that every. single. Friday. I feel like I just ran a week long marathon. It could be motherhood. That’s what I’m putting my money on. That crazy little mini army that I created. But HEY it’s Friday and I get to share some of my favorite things right now! I’d love to hear if you love any of these items TOO!

First up is this super yummy Frosted Pistachio Bread from Lil Luna. Immediately when I saw this bread on Kristyn’s blog I knew I had to make it for my hubby. He LOVES pistachio….well everything! So I whipped up a batch when he returned from a work trip. To say he liked it would be an understatement. At one point he told me to hide it from him so he would stop eating it. So I’ll be making this again. Soon.

Next up is one of the best crafting buddies. If you haven’t met them, let me introduce you to the Hot Glue Gun Helpers! There is almost nothing worse than a hot glue gun burn while crafting. Trust me, I’ve had a few. These helpers have saved me in MANY ways! Not just my fingers either! The handy dandy mat has protected many of my crafting surfaces! Honestly, if you’re going to use a glue gun you have to own one of these!

When it comes to my home I can get quite….particular. Just ask my hubby. He will tell you that I obsess over organization and order. Little things bug me, like nicks in my wood furniture. That’s why I LOVE these wood repair markers. As I notice little nicks in my furniture, I pick out the matching marker, color in the nick, and that’s it!

My daughter often asks me what my favorite color is. I find myself at a loss usually. Overall I just love color! But I guess if I HAD to pick ONE color it would be Blue Ocean Breeze by Krylon! I really really love this color. If you’ve been to my living room you already know this! It is a bright happy color without being too abrasive. Plus this spray paint is just awesome in general. If you haven’t tired Blue Ocean Breeze yet, go grab a can now! It’s the perfect color for Spring!

Lastly, I am loving this tutorial to make your own Mason Jar Foaming Soap Dispenser from Pretty Handy Girl. I have been wanting to make my own mason jar soap dispenser for quite some time. I’ve even had the pretty blue mason jars sitting around forever. So this week my hubby and I finally made a couple of them! They turned out wonderfully and I’m so glad to finally have some made!

Well that is it for the week! I hope you enjoyed my Five Friday Faves round up! Let me know what you think about my picks this week……

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Earlier this week I shared my DIY Natural Wood Stain. It also ranks up there with some of my fave DIY products and I make it all myself! It’s a MUST for any DIYer to have around!

Five Friday Faves

Courtney Carmean — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 11:00:15 +0000

I have been blogging here at ADitS for a few years now and I realize that there is a lot of “me” that is lacking from my blog. I have obviously given lots of glimpses into who I am and what my life is. But really on a day to day basis do you know the woman behind the blog? So I’ve decided to open up a bit more and start sharing some of my favorite things, things I’m loving at the moment. My plan is to share my Five Friday Faves at the end of every week with you all. While I understand that I may or may not be introducing you to anything new, sometimes it’s nice to hear other’s experiences and reviews. Ya never know….you may find your new “fave” here!

First, I will share my favorite new toy! The hubby and I bought a DeWALT Wood Planer. I am a mix of two thoughts…..This things is freakin awesome and why did we wait so long to get it? Well I know the answer to the second part….it’s not the cheapest garage toy out there. But it has been oh so worth it. I have already been able to plane down some ragged old wood and make it shine! Check out what I used my new toy to make HERE.

My hubby and I are attempting to eat better. Attempting. I found this new recipe for Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa and we gave it a try. It was a hit with both of us and gave us a great side dish replacement for things like rice, potatoes, etc. I am learning about all the benefits of quinoa and I’m trying to find new ways to incorporate it into our meals (and find things to replace with it). What is your fave quinoa recipe?

Well next up is a beauty fave. I mean, who doesn’t love finding the latest and greatest beauty product? For Christmas I received the “They’re Real” Mascara from Benefit. I absolutely love this stuff. Not only does it really lengthen my eyelashes but it all goes on so smoothly without gunks. I hate the mascara gunks. I am in the process of updating my beauty routine and this was the perfect way to kick start the change.

I am a pretty big fan of chicken wire. I feel like it so easily adds a rustic farm feel in fun and classy ways. Alecia over at Chicken Scratch NY did an awesome Chicken Wire Round Up and she so wonderfully included a couple of my chicken wire projects. There are lots of great inspiration!!!

In addition to eating better I have also been working out with a trainer . Trying to loose some lbs and get healthy! A lovely side effect of all this working out is supper sore muscles!!! If you follow me on Instagram you have seen the photo above. Since then I have taken a couple more sore muscle soaks in the tub. Here’s my sore muscle tub soak recipe:

1 cup epson salt

1 cup sea salt

1 cup baking soda

Essential Oil (optional)

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Well that wraps up my first Five Friday Faves!!! I hope that you have enjoyed them, maybe even learned something new. Either about a product or blog OR maybe a little about me. Hopefully you’ll join me for future Five Friday Faves posts and maybe share some of your current faves too!!!

Time to Shine {Party} No 127

Courtney Carmean — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 07:00:30 +0000

I am in such a crafting slump!

We are now in the beginning of the big move to Louisiana so there is no crafting going on for me. Therefore I am so excited to have everyone link up to the Time to Shine party so I can live vicariously through you! So bring on all the awesome projects!!!

Here’s the Do’s and Dont’s for the party:

DO grab my button so we can spread the word, you must link to participate!

DO NOT link to your blog, link only the specific post permalink!

DO share the comment love!

DO NOT link to your Etsy shop or online store!

DO follow along if you like!

If your link gets deleted, make sure you followed all the DO’s and DONT’s! If all else fails, contact me and please have fun!

Time to Shine {Features} No 126

Courtney Carmean — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 07:00:12 +0000

A lot of you know my husband deployed a little over 6 months ago and I am happy to say that he is finally home!!!

Friday was the big day and I am so happy to finally have him home! It’s still pretty surreal really! I want to send a HUGE thank you to all my readers who sent the NICEST and most supportive messages and emails along the way!

Now it’s time to get our MOVE on!!! In a few weeks we will be headed to Louisiana!!!

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Alright now it’s time to check out my features from last week’s Time to Shine party……

Subway Art Coffee Tables by Fay Grayson Home

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Wood Shim Shoe Cabinet by Because I like to Decorate

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Gift Wrapping Station by Neat Little Nest

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White Wine Sangria by The Pin Junkie

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and the most viewed link was….

Not Your Typical Teen Girl Bedroom by Home Happy Home

Thank you all for your great link ups!!! If you’ve been featured please feel free to grab a button from my sidebar…..

Join me again tomorrow for another party!!!