Martha Stewart Jewelry Sneak Peek (Haul Video)

It's been awhile since I've had a chance to do anything crafty, so I was beyond excited to be accepted for a fun campaign with Plaid Crafts and Martha Stewart Crafts for a brand new Jewelry Crafting line! I thought it would be fun to share some of the new products out there in a quick video.

If you're reading this in an email or reader, you'll have to click over to the blog to see the video:

What do you think? Like I said in the video, I'm new to jewelry crafting, but so excited to get started. You can never have enough jewelry! Hopefully this gave you a nice sneak peek at the line. It's easy to forget to head over to the craft store to check out new stuff, so maybe now you have an excuse. 

Do you have any jewelry crafting tips for me? What looks like the most fun item to you?

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+. And I always appreciate kind comments!

*I received crafting items as part of a paid campaign for Plaid Crafts and Martha Stewart Crafts. All photos and opinions are, as always, my own!

Featured Project Ideas

Happy Monday! I spent yesterday enjoying the Mother's Day holiday, and I promised to share some features from the link party today. We've got recipes, party ideas, DIY, Home Decor, Crafts, and more. I like to share my finds on my Pinterest page as well as Facebook, so be sure to join the fun when the party goes live again on Friday morning.

Here are a few things that caught my eye over the weekend:

~Chalk Paint Buffet Makeover via Made it on Monday

~Chocolate Chip Oreo Cheesecake Bars via Cozy Country Living

~Hanging Mason Flower Jar via a lo and behold life

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! I hope you have a day full of love and blessings.

source

"Woman, how divine your mission, 

Here upon our natal sod; 

 Keep—oh, keep the young heart open 

 Always to the breath of God! 

 All true trophies of the ages 

 Are from mother-love impearled, 

 For the hand that rocks the cradle 

 Is the hand that rules the world."

-William Ross Wallace

*In honor of the holiday, I'm giving myself today off. I'll be back tomorrow with Features from the link party, so be sure to link up today if you haven't already!

Link Up Your Best Post of the Week!

Happy Saturday! What are you up to today? I just wanted to offer you guys a quick "weekend update." Please pop in to link up YOUR best post of the week at my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. With Mother's Day tomorrow, I'm planning on running Features on Monday. I'd love to know which ones caught your eye.

All kinds of posts are welcome here: We have recipes, party ideas, room makeovers, crafts, printables, tips and tricks, home decor, DIY, 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.

This is just a quick "sneak peek" snapshot of all the awesome projects that have been shared at the party this week. You can click the party link above to check them out and share your own project! I'd love to Feature you in Monday's post!

If you haven't linked up yet, hop on over! Be sure to browse some of the amazing projects that have been shared.

If you missed this week's posts at Serenity Now, here are some links for you:

•  Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
• Easy Way to Cook Fried Eggs
• The Great Gatsby
• Featured Project Ideas

So, what did you have up your sleeve this week? Come by and share it with us here! Be sure to check out some of the other bloggers' work too. Here's the button in case you'd rather use that than a text link back.

<a target="_blank" href="http://library.vu.edu.pk/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Weekend Bloggy Reading" src="http://library.vu.edu.pk/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae332/Amanda_SerenityNow/Blog=2520Party=2520Buttons/WeekendBloggyReading.png" border="0"></a>

More Features coming Monday!

::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link Up!

Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. This is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. 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. I had to bypass dozens of links last week for Features because the posts didn't have a link back to me!!

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Here are a few of my faves I spotted around the web this week:

sources listed below

~Rustic Style Craft Containers via Marisa Howard Design

~DIY Agate Artwork via Dans le Townhouse

~Gustavian Gray Armoire via Divine Theatre

~20 Springtime Uses for Vinegar via Denise in Bloom

~And Me? I'd love it if you have a moment to click over. This week featured:

•  Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
• Easy Way to Cook Fried Eggs
• The Great Gatsby
• Featured Project Ideas

Time to link up your best post of the week!

The Great Gatsby

Still feeling like I just want to lay on the couch and watch movies all day. Ugh. With two girls, that's not exactly possible, so I thought I could at least talk about movies today on the blog. Or one movie. A movie starring the incredibly debonair Leonardo DiCaprio. Anyone else super-excited about seeing The Great Gatsby? It comes out tomorrow!

Gatsby ended up as the pick for this month's book club, and I hadn't read it since high school. How I managed to earn a degree in English, Speech, and Linguistics without rereading F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece in college, I'll never know. But reading it again last week swept me back into that glittery, pulsing Jazz Age. 

I remember seeing the Robert Redford film version of the novel in high school, and being utterly bored with it. Although I'm not sure I agree with the new director's (Baz Luhrman) choice to use contemporary music, and the trailer has a bit of a manic look to it, it does seem to capture the frenzy and excess that the Jazz Age embodied. I remember loving his take on Romeo and Juliet (also starring Leo!), so maybe I'll love this one too. 

There are so many things Fitzgerald had to say about the American dream and materialism...I guess we'll have to wait and see how it translates on screen. My book club is heading out to see it next Friday night, and I can't wait!

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, I'll embed it below (you'll have to click over to the blog if you're viewing this from a reader or email):

Who else is excited for this one?

*Come by tomorrow, ready to share your best post of the week at the link party!

Easy Way to Cook Fried Eggs

Hello, hello! I'm still just not at 100%, so my sweet friend Richella from Imparting Grace agreed to swing by and share a guest post with us today. She has one of those "light-bulb moment" recipes for us...the easiest way to fry an egg I've ever seen!

Please welcome Richella!

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Mother's Day is this weekend--a time for thanksgiving and reflection on all the wonderful things about being a mother.

My boys have taught me many things over the years.  In 22 years of being a mom, I've learned to expect to learn things from them. One thing I never expected to learn from them, though? How to fry an egg.

I mean, seriously. I've been frying eggs for more than 40 years. What else could there be to learn?

Once more, I stand humbled. My son just taught me a bit of cooking magic that I'll share with you: the world's easiest, fastest way to fry an egg. No kidding.

Use a small, microwave-safe bowl. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Break an egg into the bowl.

Pierce the yolk and mix it into the white just a little.

Microwave for 30 seconds. The egg will make popping sounds in the microwave, but if you've pierced the yolk it shouldn't explode. If you like, you can stick a toothpick into the yolk and leave it in while microwaving; this should prevent too much popping.

Remove bowl from microwave (Careful! It'll be hot!) and flip egg over with a fork or small spatula.
Microwave for another 15-30 seconds. Season as desired.

This makes a fried egg that's the perfect size and shape for a breakfast sandwich. My oldest son likes a sandwich made with an English muffin, a piece of cheese, and a couple of strips of bacon on his fried egg. My youngest son likes the same thing, but prefers to use two frozen waffles instead of an English muffin.

Of course, my metabolism is not quite the same as my boys', so I don't get to indulge in quite the same breakfast sandwiches as theirs. Still, one of these eggs on a light multi-grain English muffin makes a tasty and nutritious breakfast. For 170 calories and 5 grams of fat I get 11 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber.  Not bad.

My hat is off to the chef! I'm grateful to still be learning from these fellows!
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I am so going to try this! Thank you so much for sharing with us, Richella!

If you haven't visited Imparting Grace before, you simply must. Richella's blog is full of inspiring words to warm your heart and soul. She also has a beautiful home and shares home decor posts with her readers. Please stop by today!