Copy Cat Challenge Tote

It's that time of the month.  No, not that time.  You know, Debbie Doos Copy Cat party.  This month she gave us a twist.... we could either copy something out of a magazine OR copy another blogger.   My intention was to copy a blogger.  Lord knows I have Pinterest boards full of inspiration.  But one item to complete my blogger copy is elusive so I went to plan B and plan B had to be quick because the challenge date is here, as in today.

How could I not copy this for a link party, it says Party Time!

Now don't everyone get all excited about my creation.  I didn't even want to copy it exact because I didn't think it was all that cute.  What a vote of confidence huh?  My spirits are dampened, I have a summer cold.  You know when you feel run down and the only thing you want to copy is a sleeping baby?  I'm there.  And I have a sore toe. Partially smashed actually.  Brawn and #1 son accidentally dropped the base of this antique barber chair on my big toe.  I wish I could breath and walk.  (Dii if you are reading this neither will stop me from sales this week).

500 Pounds of Hell

My magazine copy cat came out of a Food Network magazine, June issue of last year.  I saved these three beverage carriers from stocking my Libation Station.  I don't know why I saved them, but I'm glad I did or I would of needed a plan C.  I chose the box with 6 slots, the Corona one, since that's what the magazine one had.  Corona beer smells like a skunk.  I don't want to be reminded of it.

I wasn't sure at first if I was going to use paper or fabric.  As I sneezed my way through the decision I took two of the fabric pieces and steamed the folds out of them, my bed was within view of the steamer, so I decided paper would be faster.  I was all about fast since I was running low on Kleenex.  Basically I cut and glued, if you need a tutorial for that drop me a note.  I used "The Podge" because I wanted it to hold.  I also went for a two tone look - stripes and dots.  I'm guessing there are plenty of these tote things floating around on the internet, I didn't look, I was focused on breathing and not banging my toe on the table.

I liked the look of the white mayo container better than the mustard in the magazine photo, but I took a picture of it the other way too.

And speaking of copy cats.  I've been copied!  Me!!!  My Kodak dresser has a knock off!

Here is mine.....

 

And here is it's copy from StarviewSonnet

Wonder if she knows about Debbie Doo's magazine challenge?  

Should I drop her a note or soak my toe and lay my snot filled head on my pillow?

Linking up to the one, the only, the famous DebbieDoos Copy Cat Challenge
Also linking at some of my other fav par-tays:
All Star Block Party
Made you look @ MadeInADay

Kids Art at the Ranch

Stop over at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia where I have a guest post today and find out what I had to do quick and cheap to get some art on my walls before company arrived, or just to find out why there is a sheet hanging on the wall in the background of this picture (no the sheet does not have to do with being quick and cheap!).

Then when you are done at Kristins blog, check out the new blog from FunkyJunkInteriors called I Love That Junk where Donna showcases projects from her weekly link parties.  It just so happens she likes a certain dresser of mine, but you have to head over to see which one!

And if you haven't done so there is one more day to link up with the last  

Hot Fun in the Summertime party.   

This week Lorraine from MissFlibbertigibbet has the honor of picking the features, so lets try to push the links over 100 so she can feel the sun burn when it was my week to pick.

Non Edible Spam & What's cooking for Dinner

I'm sitting here as my daughter is in the kitchen making Martha Stewarts mac n cheese recipe that I snagged from the SmittenKitchen.  She is making that and broccoli to go along with the Parmesan Chicken Bake I have in the oven because she said she always gets mac n cheese/broccoli with her parmesan chicken at Noodles & Co. restaurant.  When that meal is over I will frost the Key Lime cake recipe I made from SomewhatQuirky.  We are having a blog land meal.  I've been in a cooking rut and tonight we are breaking out.

 So while I'm waiting for all the tastiness to cook I decided to clean out my email.  I get plenty of spam in my other email accounts, but very little spam at the Bliss Ranch account (that is not an invitation for more thank you very much!) but I noticed one lone junk email from Mr. Salami.

One ridiculous email.  You hear that Mr. Salami, RIDICULOUS!  Do you read my blog and that is how you got my email address?  I think not or you would not have referred to me as 'My Dear'.  I'm not really all that dear.  Oh I see I'm mistaken his name is Samani not Salami.  Whatever, I'm picturing a man that looks like a salami.

Here is Mr. Salami's email, typo's and all, and he has a very serious matter to discuss with dear me.  Hold yourself back because I know all of you are sooooo gonna fall for this and want part of my windfall.....

Hello My Dear, 

 This is very serious, My Name is Mr Hamad Samani, the bill and
exchange manager in the bank of Africa Ouagadougou Burkina Faso, I
will like to ask for your assistance to resolve and transfer into your
account the total sum $10.5 Million Dollars.
 
Now my questions are:-
 
1. Can you handle this project?................
2. Can I give you this trust?.....................
3. What will be your commission?.............
Your full names..........................................
Your phone/fax number.............................
Private email address................................
 
If you can sponsor and handle this project consider it and get back to
me as soon as possible.But if you are not interested do not bother to
respond.
 
Regards.
Mr Hamad Samani

Is it any wonder I am not going to bother to respond to Mr. Samani?  I only accept millions of dollars from phoney banks in towns with names I can pronounce.  I'm pretty sure he also could not trust me with his 10.5 mil, even though he doesn't know my name and wants to send it to me anyway, because once it's in my account it's mine.

I used my 45 minutes of dinner baking time to delete one email.  Now you understand why I didn't get a project done this week.  But I intend on getting some eat'n done right about now.  Later you can check my Pinterest board where I collect recipes I want to try, and I will leave a comment on the recipes about to pass from fork to lip at our table.

  

Hot Fun Link Party

 Attention!  Attention!  99% of the following post is not mine.  It's sort of like having a guest poster.  Not only did I not get any project completed this week in time for our party, I also didn't get a post written.  So being the totally awesome and quirky gal that she is, Karen, one of the partners in crime for the Hot Fun in the Summertime Link Party let me hijack her post.  She only asked that I not say anything within the walls of her post to get her kicked out of blogland.  So with that I will clarify what are Karens words and what is my two cents worth.....

Bliss says:  It was Somewhat Quirky's week for features and here they are!  Then it's time for the last Hot Fun in the Summertime party, so link up your goods, show us what 'ya got.  Five blogs, four Fridays.  

Karen says:  Well week 3 of Hot Fun In the Summertime! is over and I must say that this whole party thing has been pretty fun.  I've met LOTS of new bloggers and after all isn't that what parties are all about?  This week the onus is on me to pick the party features.  Here are some of my favs.
Bliss says:  yeah what Karen says, except what's an onus?

Karen says: I'm booking my reservations for a mud treatment at Levi's Mud Spa.  Levi is a guest blogger over at Hating Martha.  Be sure to watch the video - there's some serious engineering going on at the spa!
Bliss says:  Hey'd 'ya hear the one about the mud bath and the... opps wait that might get Karen kicked out of blogland. 

Karen says:  The winner for "the link I am most likely to copy immediately" goes to Heather @ Our Life In A Click.  I'm not one for chocolate covered fruit, but soak that said fruit in some chocolate vodka first... that makes me go ''hmmmmmm"..... and "yummmmm"  I'll be making some dipped chocolate vodka soaked strawberries before summer's end.
Bliss says:  Soooo the way to Karens heart is through alcohol infused fruit.  You hear that Mr. Quirky?

Karen says:  For best use of an old drawer I pick the bathroom reveal by Katie @ Creatively Living.  I love this drawer so much, the rest of the bathroom could look horrible and I wouldn't even notice - but that is not the case.  I could decorate my whole house around the colors in this drawer!
Bliss says:   Yeah what Karen said because she has onus on her.

Karen says:  Deb over at Lake Girl Paints wins the "man this project was way harder than I thought it would be!" award.  As an active participant in the complicated projects club, I can appreciate all the work that went into this Nautical Dresser.
Bliss says:  Karen's doing a good job picking features don't 'ya think?

Karen says:  And last but not least - Maureen over at It's All Connected must be rewarded - because if you decoupage furniture and I'm the feature picker - you get featured.  I'm a fan of decoupaged furniture and I love this print and that it was used for the table on her deck.
Bliss says:   Congratulations to the features this week, and thanks Karen for sending me code so I'd have a post today.

Karen says:  Thanks guys for making this such a fun party!  Be sure to grab a featured button and show off a little!

<a border="0" href="http://www.somewhatquirkydesign.com" target="_blank"><img src=http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc10/Lollymmm/FEATUREDBUTTON.jpg></a>

The Dog Days of Summer

The dog days of summer are here at the ranch and so is party time with week #3 of Hot Fun in the Summertime.
  Miss Flibbertigibbet, Somewhat Quirky, Little Miss Maggie,  Bella Nest and myself have been having a blast seeing all the projects and ideas linked up every week.  Cruise on over to Bella Nest to see the features from last week.

My project for the week was a dresser drink station  and it's kept me hopping in blogland, so nothing crafty this week.  But I did take my camera around our yard to have a look at what's hot fun, and what's not fun in my corner of the world.  (By the way Mo the dog isn't dead he is taking a sun tan and drying off from the forced swim we gave him).

Here at the ranch the temperatures have been hovering in the 90's.  That makes for hot fun for sure and also qualifies for not fun.  We have had a few 100's and a few 80- somethings tossed in between the nine-oh's.  Keeping cool is a priority.

 Over winter we thought this thermometer was broke.  Now I'm not so sure.  

The numbers are all faded which works good to pretend it doesn't actually have a negative 60 mark on it.  60 below zero, and sadly with a windchill it has happened a time or two.  

I'll take the heat thank you very much.

As I was wandering around the yard I had one of those what the heck? moments when I realized I have quite a few thermometers.  I have two other ones in addition to these three.  I didn't know I had a mini collection, but I did notice almost all of them are within sight of another one. 

This thermometer is a Pottery Barn thermometer grouted in with some smashed china for sort of a Victorian mosaic.  It's big too, about 3 1/2 feet tall and standing about 5 feet from the Pepsi one hanging on the stucco.  Apparently I don't like to travel too far without knowing the temp.  Speaking of the temp, that was in the cool of the evening.   And while many of you might regularly hit that, if you live in a nice dry heat state the added humidity doesn't leave you wet and sticky.  We get humidity.  Wet & sticky = not fun.

 Something that is definitely not fun in 100 degrees, is climbing on the playground or digging in the hot sand.  I have to pull grass out of them both from lack of use.  

Someone must of been practicing how to be a sommelier.  

Can anyone tell me why there is a set of glass grapes in my sandbox?

 An empty rope swing qualifies as not fun in the summertime.

Soaking in a cool body of water on a starry night is big time hot fun in the summertime.  

Lake Minnetonka is a popular lake here.  

I picked up the sign at a garage sale and plunked it on the side of the spa as a joke.  

Grilling all summer lonnngggg is hot fun at it's tastiest.  

Tomorrow I am making manacotti on the grill.

Unused torches are not fun in the summertime, 

but this fall when it gets dark earlier we will light those puppies up.

Every spring we say "gotta knock down that old tree fort before it falls on 

someones head".  It's not fun anymore and dangerous.

As I walked around I counted 6 bird houses/feeders in close proximity to the house.
And I wonder why there is bird doo on the patio furniture????  Bird doo = not fun.

This squirrel feeder was hung at Christmas.  Brawn made it for the caboose, child #6.
I announced at dinner one night that it must even be too hot for the squirrels, I hadn't seen any at the feeder in a month.  No wonder - there is no food in it.  Not fun, for the squirrels anyhow.

The pressure washer was used on the deck in May.  People it's the middle of July.  Why isn't this put away?  We just keep walking around it like it's one of our summer accessories now.  Should I put a plant on it?  Seriously lazy, not fun.

I don't like starting out with good intentions in Spring only to have July already here and stuff on my list to tackle didn't get tackled.  Like painting these two milk jugs.  

I've had them for 30 years and they have never looked good.  

What would you like to see me do to these?  

Give me some good ideas and I will make these my next post.  Ugly milk cans = not fun.

These tomatoes getting ripe right outside my window are definitely  

hot tasty fun.

My window boxes are at least alive, if not huge and lush.
I have tried to keep them wet, and they like the humid air,
so hot fun is good for the plants if they are watered.

And what do you do when life hands you lemons?  Well 'ya make lemonade of course!

And we've had plenty of lemonade which is hot fun.

Staying by the water is the ultimate hot fun in the summertime 

and there has been plenty of this...........

Along with lots of that............

Why does everyone run away when they see the camera?

This is Clyde.  It's so hot he wants to come in where it's cool.

Get off my porch you pooping fowl.

Old Dresser Turned Portable Bar

Time for Part Dos of the dresser redo.  Also known as the project that almost drove Bliss over the edge.  (See the whole sordid affair of the dresser's before in Part Uno).