Elevate Blog Conference Recap

photo by Lora Knight Photography

I can't believe Elevate is already over!  It seems like just yesterday I was redecorating my house with swag, staying up way, way, way past my bedtime, and drinking way too much coffee.

The remnants of Elevate are still all over my house, but let me tell you... the messy house... the late nights... the burnt fingertips... everything is totally worth it because of the friendships it creates.  

photo by Lora Knight Photography  

Elevate is different than other blog conferences... it focuses on friendship first and foremost.  Let me tell you, these friendships are amazing.  Other bloggers just get you, they don't laugh when you are taking pictures of everything, they aren't offended when you are on Instagram while they are talking to you, and they don't even question you when you say hashtag ________. 

photo by Lora Knight Photography

The friendships that I have made with this little blog have been life changing.  I love getting invitations in the mail to your baby showers, birthday parties, and even weddings!  It's hard to find friends after high school / college and being a part of Elevate has reopened that door for me.  

photo by Lora Knight Photography

Here is to the friendships we made and will continue to make in the future!

Thanks to Lora we can keep reliving the day with her awesome video!

 

A HUGE thank you to all of our sponsors!  

Make sure you go show them some love, we couldn't have done it without them! 

Royal Design Studio - The Twinery  - DK DeleKtables - Coldstone Chocolate - Edeenut - Cut It Out - Kustom Kissers - DecoArt - Scentsy - Mary Kay - The Pink Elephant Bowtique - Sassy Lemonade - Bubba's Basics - Elise's Pieces - Julep - Life with Lovebugs - Charmed By Wine - Expressions Vinyl - Little Penelope Lane - Cloud Nine Designz - Stuck in the Coop - Little Mrs. Crafty - Laura Hernandez Photography - Red Heart - Lisa Leonard Designs - Evie Ivy - Salty Bison - Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke - Take the Cannoli - Barn Owl Primitives - Kara's Party Ideas - The Glitter Revival - Austenland Accessories - Sew What by Saira - Jo Totes - Love Sparkle Pretty - Fairly Fabulous - jessica N designs - Spoonful of Imagination - Love Stitched - Dogeared - Beach Blues - The Gingerbread Blog - David Vevia Photography - Shaun Andrews Photography - Poppy Seed Projects - Madison Design Studio - Lora Knight Photography - Silhouette - Newport Dunes - Once Upon a Cupcake - Take Two, Etc. - Meringue Bake Shop - Sensitive Sweets - Velata - Nothing Bundt Cakes Huntington Beach 

 

Silhouette Portrait {Giveaway}

This last weekend Silhouette so generously gave away a Silhouette Portrait at Elevate Blog Conference to one of our attendees and to sweeten the deal they are giving one more away on Instagram!

If you don't have a Silhouette, you are missing out!  It does just about everything except cook me dinner... ok lies... but really, I promise that the possibilities are endless when creating with the Silhouette!

To enter all you have to do is:

1. Follow Silhouette, Delightful Deets, Munchies_Mama, Mother Hubbard
2. Repost the picture
3. Use the hashtag #silhouetteelevate

Hurry! You only have until tonight to get your entries in!

If that wasn't awesome enough, Silhouette is having a great deal through this Wednesday, the 15th for the Silhouette Cameo and chipboard, Silhouette Portrait and chipboard, and the chipboard if you already have either machine. 

Go here to read the details and use the code ELEVATE to take advantage of this offer!

Happy Mother's Day

It's not my day... but I acted like it anyway.  Coffee, Red Velvet Nothing Bundt Cake and ice cream for lunch... yep, I am spoiled.  

All you moms out there rock my world.  I don't know how you all do it everyday! 

Happy Mother's Day to the best Mother and Mother in Law that I could ask for... I love you both very much!

SNAP! 2013

If you follow me on Instagram you'd know that last week I headed to Utah to attend the SNAP! Conference.  I had full intentions of posting my absence here... but life got in the way and I never got around to it.  opps.  I guess that I was too busy shopping for new outfits, trying to pack all those outfits into one carry on, and tying up loose ends at work.

These ladies did an awesome job organizing the event.  There was never a dull moment... literally never.  I even forgot to eat lunch on Thursday and stayed up way past my 10 PM bedtime every.single.night.

My favorite part of blogging is the friendships I have made through it.  I met Angela and Lauren at Elevate and loved getting to hang out with them for 3 days straight.  If I could I would attend every blog conference just to get to hang out with other bloggers.  They understand why you are instagraming pictures of your food and taking random pictures of everything and anything. right?!

I am a little in love with Summer's photo bomb of Lauren freezing her butt off while carrying Summers raffle prize!  It was pretty hilarious.

These two are like family to me... I could go on and on about them... but I am sure that I have in lots of other posts.  Best roomies ever... even baby Bailey!  Bailey barely cried all weekend, ummm  can we say... best baby ever?!?!

Jen, Summer, Me
Thanks for letting me borrow your picture Summer!

I had an amazing time at SNAP, but I so glad to be home!  It was a jamb packed weekend and I am really had to be in my own bed at a decent hour again!  The hubs even brought me goodies for the ride home... what a guy.  I think that I will keep him.

My only regret... not taking more pictures!  But I guess that I always say that... someday I might learn, but probably not soon.

What is your favorite thing about going to blog conferences?

Spring into CASH {Giveaway}

Who doesn't like to win some money?  I know I could use it!  I have been on a shopping kick lately because SNAP is a few days away and who doesn't need a whole new wardrobe to go to a conference?!  Seriously, I need to start these things way earlier than 2 days before!  I guess that I will never learn.  Anyway, while I am out spending all of my money... you can win some by entering this giveaway!

Hosted by Giveaway Promote.

We've teamed up with a great group of bloggers to bring you this fabulous giveaway. One lucky person will win $500 cash.

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Enter to win $500 cash via PayPal.

Complete the tasks below to earn entries into this giveaway.

Refer your friends using your unique link to earn even more chances to win.

Open Worldwide.

Ends at 11:59pm EST on April 28th, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bloggers, we'd love for you to join an awesome group giveaway event like this one! Sign up to be emailed about future events hosted by Giveaway Promote.

Getting to Know Me

I love getting to know other bloggers... it's one of the main reasons that I blog.  I am blessed to be part of an amazing blog community, I can't remember what life was like without you all!  Today I am linking up today with 5 Minutes for Mom to find new friends!

So if you are new here.... here is the skinny.  My name is Nichole and I am Yeung Mother Hubbard, literally.  My blog name is just maiden name and married name, which just happened to work out really well.

I started to blog as a way for me to showcase my quilts, but has evolved into a bundle of, well, everything.  I used to post only when I finished a quilt, but thankfully that has changed... one post a month just wasn't doing anything for me.  And... I haven't quilted for months so yea, it would be a ghost town.   Now you will find posts about my life, my addiction to nail polish, menu ideas, crafts and everything else!

I am an auto damage appraiser, book keeper, office manager, customer service rep, and everything else at "the family business" by day.  I work with my Dad, Sister, and Hubby every. single. weekday. for the last too many years.  I am a female estimator and I would be the one to give you the bad news repair costs and negotiate with insurance companies.   I know way more about cars then I want to.  I guess that is what happens when you work with cars all day and are married to a mechanic... my bad.  I wouldn't change a thing... except if I got to be a stay at home mom... that would win, hands down.

We were featured in Parts and People Magazine

I am a wife to the hubs and doggie mama by night.  I work pretty much all the freaking time, so my life it pretty boring.  (at least it feels that way)  I love my sleep... so you won't find me up past 10 so that doesn't help me get anything done... like sewing or crafting!  I do most of my crafts during the weekend but then my chore list, well it never gets done.  Who needs clean clothes, groceries, or a clean house anyway?!

My hubs will sometimes help me craft... he will cut, nail, glue and "whatever else I need" my project for me.  (I think it is because he doesn't want me to touch his tools, but that is ok with me!)  Crafting with the hubs is the best!  Don't tell him that sometimes I ask for his advice when I don't need it so that he will come craft with me.  I love that I married a DIYer!  OK, I love it most of the time... not when he decided to replace our windows with double paned or paint our house or repair the patio or build new gates for the backyard... by ourselves.  I could do without the maintenance DIYer and keep the crafty one.  I guess it's better than having to pay someone to do it though!

Now that I have told you a little bit about me... I'd love to get to know you!  Leave your link in the comments so that I can come find you!

There is a Scary Monster {Tutorial}

Recently my 3 year old "friend" informed me that there is a scary monster... the kind that all kids are afraid of I'm sure.  Her mom informed me that she doesn't want to sleep in her own bed because the monsters might get her.  

So I was thinking... what kills monsters better than anything?!  A light!  Scary monsters don't get you in during the day so it must be the light that kills them.   Do you know what else kills monsters?  Batman. 

Light + Batman = Batman Monster Killing Flashlight

1. In Silhouette Studio download a Batman logo. 
2. Ungroup the image and drag the Batman silhouette out of the oval.
3. Delete the unwanted oval and make a 2" circle.  (you can hold shift while making the circle to make it even)
4. Resize the Batman silhouette to fit inside the 2" circle.  Cut and weed out the Batman silhouette. 

Then all you have to do it take apart the flashlight and put the decal on the lens.  {I used transfer tape, but I am sure you could just peel the vinyl up and stick it on the lens.}  

There you have it, a Batman Monster Killing Flashlight!

I got my flashlight at the Dollar Tree and used a piece of left over vinyl from another craft... the batteries were the most expensive part but for about $5 and 15 minutes, I might have saved my neighbors sanity. 

Ohhh, wouldn't these be perfect in an Easter basket?  The possibilities are endless!

I am linking up here: Artsy-Fartsy Mama, All Things with Purpose