mommy friendly kids music...and your iPod

i love to dance and sing with my kids, but i can hardly stand some of the tv show character

 songs out there.  i want real music...fun music...the kind i don't get headaches listening to and singing along with.

{see the blurry jumping up and down...isn't that how you dance?}

a fam fav around HERE, is the laurie berkner band...she is upbeat and a little folksie with a big splash of fun.  and look at her, she's cute and fun too!!!  no weird costume either!

the best thing...i get to drop her tunes right into my ipod and hook up my FM trasmitter, and viola....

laurie berkner's voice is just a singing away in the preschool drop off and pick up line...and we are dancing and singing right along.

{sure people look, but who cares, really}

so here's my total old school ipod and wireless transmitter.

{i know, get off my back. hubs has 3 and my kid has the iPod touch...i need nothing more than this.}

i invested $15 at tj maxx for  the transmitter {retail you are looking at about $30-$90}...you set the radio to an FM station that is not broadcasting and set the transmitter to the same channel...and there you have it...iPod music in your car stereo for everyone to enjoy...and no cd's dancing all over the floor or back seat.

go on now...dump some tunes onto your iPod and start dancing!!!

danyele @ a thorn among roses

{One For One}

Wouldn't it be great if every time you bought something you were giving to someone in need in some way? Or supporting a cause you believe in? Or both? I think so. As a consumer I try to be responsible and shop wisely and with companies who support causes I am fond of.

TOMS really is the epitome of what giving is all about. They offer simple, classic, canvas/vegan shoes for wee little ones all the way to adults. For EVERY pair of shoes SOLD, a pair of shoes are GIVEN to a child in need. ONE FOR ONE.

It all started with Blake Mycoskie. He travelled to Argentina and befriended the children there. During his stay he realized they did not have any shoes to protect their feet. Blake wanted to help and that was the start of TOMS. Later that year, Blake, with friends, family & staff returned with 10,000 shoes to give. To date, TOMS has given 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in need.

While we think of shoes as a necessity, for most of the world they are actually a luxury. Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. During all daily activities they are at risk because they are barefoot. They risk cutting and injuring their feet which can lead to disease and even amputation. "The leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted parasites which penetrate the skin through open sores." Did you know that many children cannot even attend school without shoes? Denied education because of the lack of shoes. What a difference a pair of shoes could make.

Not only could you make a difference, but boy would you have cute feet in the process...

Check out these Tiny Toms for the little ones in your life....

Precious! And for $34 affordable too. Wouldn't they make a great & thoughtful gift? Buying shoes for one child gives a pair of shoes to another in need.

I have my eye on these...

Oh how my feet would be happy in these. Don't they just look so cozy? $44 is the cost to make my feet happy...not too shabby.

So go ahead, don't be shy. Head on over to TOMS and make your feet and a child's feet happy! 

Kacey R. 

quick fix fun

none of us have tons of extra time, so when it comes ot home decor, it has to be quick, and i love it even more when it's easy!

i repainted my toy room from a latte color to this uber fab tiffany-esque blue, but then my chair pad didn't match.

{by request...the paint color is sherwin williams cashmere interior latex flat, blue sky 0063}

enter 1/2 yard of toile fabric from wal-mart {yes, that's what i said}, and a staple gun!

in about 5 minutes i transformed my desk chair into a cutesie little accessory again.  here's how i did it:

remove the 4 screws from under the cushion and remove the seat pad from the chair frame. {listen, this is a simple screwdriver feat...you can do this}

place your fabric face down on the floor and place the seat cushion down on top of it.

start in the middle of one side, pull the edge and staple.  then repeat that on the remaining 3 sides.  from there, just start stapling...and remember to not cover up the screw holes to mount the seat base.

when you are done, trim up the fabric and remount the 4 screws and you have a brand new look...and all for less than about $5.  i did my seat for $1.50.

danyele @ a thorn among roses

{Mother's Day Treats Under $100}

Mother's day is approaching and I thought I would give you a few gift ideas for the big day that are all under $100.00. Whether these would be treats for you, for your Mom, or for another special Mom in your life, these pieces are all easy on the eyes. I hope you enjoy!

{Cherished Mother Stacking Rings $39.95}

Doesn't this quote by Abraham Lincoln just melt your heart? I love stacking rings...I love stacking and layering just about anything. What a beautiful way to display such a heart felt sentiment. You can find these rings here at Red Envelope.

{Pea In A Pod $69.95 & Up}

This piece from Red Envelope is a long time favorite of mine. My BFF bought it for me when I was pregnant with my Twinkies. I get compliments EVERY time I wear it. Love it! You can find it here.

{Full Circle Band $48.00}

I love that this is a little unexpected with the circles & squares. Simple & classic. You can find this beauty here at Sundance.

I hope this gives you a few ideas! Afterall, when can you ever go wrong with jewelry? Make it a great day!

Kacey R.

Pretty Necessities

Using pretty containers is one way of bringing some beauty to the ho-hum of everyday.

See how much better this dish makes my pot scrubbers look?

I use retro-y glass shakers for my baking soda/salt cleaning scrub – doesn’t hurt that they come from the dollar store.

See these adorable candle holders that Melody gave me in our first swap together?

They hold my bobby pins and other small hair do-dads.

Here’s my little bucket of handkerchiefs.

An ice cream sundae dish makes a perfect soap dish.

Something you may not know – a stationary bike makes an excellent clothes rack.

Yup. Just keepin’ it real.

Stop by the BlueCastle for more fun ideas!

Simple Sugar Syrup

Making sweet tea has never been this easy with this simple recipe! Try it and you'll never go back to the old way of sweetening your southern tea again!

Sugar Syrup Recipe



2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Heat sugar and water together in a saucepan, until sugar dissolves. Stirring, bring to a boil and let boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Store syrup in a covered container in the refrigerator. Great for sweetening all kinds of coffee or tea drinks.

Punch of color

I wish I were brave enough to throw punch of bold color somewhere in my house. These colors are not for the faint of heart.

(photo from ABS Beautiful Things)

I think this green works because the rest of the palette is so neutral...

(photo from Paint Til You Faint)

I know the decor is for Halloween... but I would love an orange door year 'round!


Ahhh.... pink plus a fauxed frame. I'm in love....


I DO apologize for my absence lately! This is my busy time of year as we scramble to get houses faux finished for the Parade of Homes. If you want to see where I've been spending all my time and what our current projects look like... head on over to my Magic Brush blog.

Many blessings,

Jennifer