Super Bowl Sunday is a big day for football fans, food lovers, and viewing super expensive TV commercials. I'm good for a little football as long as the game is exciting. Of course I like to nosh with the best of them and enjoy catching a few commercials. But, I have a hunch that it will be hard to top this commercial. What are you looking forward to doing? If you're hosting or attending a party, you'll want to check out the ideas curated by me and my Project Inspire{d} co-hostesses.... Follow Diane :: An Extraordinary Day!'s board Super Bowl :: Game Day Food & Favors on Pinterest. One of the pins … [Read more...]
Valentine's Day is just around the corner! The tree's been down and the house devoid of anything Christmas for about a month. Though lovely with a bit of simple winter decor, with all the white and gray and brown outside, I'm hungry for color. And since red is one of my favorite colors (I can't pick just one!!), and since I'm a wee bit of a romantic, I do have fun throwing some red around the house, with a few hearts, too. If you're feeling a little bit like me, you are ready for some no cost or low cost DIY Valentine's Day decorating ideas. To make it easier for you, I've gone into the archives and … [Read more...]
The clocking is ticking down! If you've been thinking about purchasing the fabulous Ultimate DIY Bundle for the crazy low price of $34.95 for 76 different eBook and eCourses... don't wait any longer!! The Ultimate DIY Bundle will only be on sale until 11.59pm EST on Monday, January 26. Pick up your copy right now, before it’s too late. Or, learn more here. I really believe this is an extraordinary opportunity for everyone with a creative bent. Whether you're a dabbler or are serious about DIYing, there's nothing like having this incredible library at your fingertips. Plus the FREE bonuses are the icing … [Read more...]
Happy Monday! Remember the Ultimate DIY Bundle I've been talking about for the last several days? Today is the last day to get it. I know how it is. If you're like me you're constantly buzzing and zooming around and you tell yourself... tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow is here!! If you've been debating about whether you should order the Ultimate DIY Bundle, wondering if it really is worth the money. It is!!! Seriously it's an amazing bargain. I talked about how just one eCourse makes the whole bundle a deal here. I often hear readers and other bloggers talk … [Read more...]
Here we are three quarters of the way through the first month in the New Year. Can you feel it? The pause and quiet that we felt the first few days of the New Year are gone. You know that sensation you have as the airplane lumbers down the runway, picking up speed, bump by bump, and all of a sudden you're thrust firmly into your seat as the rumbling ceases and the plane lifts off the ground? I feel we're in that part of the year where we feel the speed and that pressure of take-off. Before the year runs away with us on our individual jet planes... and it will... let's pause for a moment. … [Read more...]
I'm super excited about this week's features! But, before we check them out, I want to remind you to check out the fabulous.... As a gal who loves to create, I think The Ultimate DIY Bundle is a truly fabulous library of eBooks & eCourses for anyone who wants to dabble or get serious with sewing, photography, baking, painting, doodling, home decor, writing, and more. Plus... you must check out all the FREE bonuses. This amazing deal ends in just… Pick up your copy right now, before it’s too late. Or, learn more here. Now on to our features! This week there were lots of … [Read more...]
Download your Free 8x10 Creativity Quote HERE. You can't use up creativity. The more you use the more you have. Maya Angelou It's really true, too! When I get on a creative flow, the ideas come more quickly, and I seem to improve my craft with everything I attempt. It also inspires me to want to try new things and express myself in new ways.... like creating more printables such as the creativity quote I made for you. Would you like to be a better photographer... or maybe get ideas to jump start your art? Would you like to create some beauty for your home, but aren't quite sure how to … [Read more...]
Did you know that I'm a DIY blogger? Well, for some reason I didn't. I've been sharing stuff I made and even tutorials, but never thought to categorize myself that way. Today I decided to see which posts have been the most read over the two and a half years I've been blogging. Thanks to you... reading, pinning, and sharing my posts (You do, do that don't you? Because that is one of the nicest things you can do. It's like giving me a box of chocolates... only I won't gain a pound from a lovely share.), and lots of people searching the internet and Pinterest, some posts have been seen, a lot! Out of … [Read more...]
Here we are... just a month away from Valentine's Day! If you're like me, you don't go crazy over Valentine's Day, but you do enjoy creating a Valentine vignette, or a wreath, or something for that someone special. One of my all-time favorite creations was this box disguised as as stack of letters filled with words of affirmation. I shared the sentiment in this post and in a much later post I created a detailed tutorial so that you can make your own Valentine love letters box. On Valentine's Day there are many marriage proposals being made. I think this would be an amazing box to hold an engagement … [Read more...]
Last week I was doing a fair amount of contemplation regarding this space and decided to share a few of my thoughts with you. It was one of those "streams of consciousness" kinds of posts. Sometimes it's helpful to process our thoughts with others. Sometimes it's helpful to simply write those thoughts down. As I wrote, I surprised myself by writing this... But even more… I want to thrive. I want YOU to thrive. I also created a printable with a thoughtful quote I found. The post went live, and I shared it on Facebook. End of story. Not really. Shelly, a faithful member of our An Extraordinary Day … [Read more...]
Brrrr! It's been incredibly cold this week. Fortunately, the snow tapered off and now we're in for some above freezing temps (by a few degrees) for a day or so. I'll take it!! Some of you have been BUSY DIYing up a storm. I'm often amazed at how one small DIY project can transform a room in beauty and or utility. Here are just a few of your Great Ideas from this week's party. Be inspired! 9 Small DIY Projects Become BIG Makeovers Bandana Pillows :: Heathered Nest Farmhouse Style Ceiling Fan :: One More Time Events Can Lights to Pendant Lights :: Kleinworth & Co. Kitchen Table … [Read more...]
Do you decorate for Valentine's Day? Every year I look forward to adding an unexpected bit of whimsy to my decor in red and white for Valentine's Day. After the Christmas decor is stashed away for the season, our homes are usually re-organized and pared back a bit. I think that's why I love to bring out some red for February. I'm ready for a pop of color and the extra bit of life it gives my home decor in the midst of the loooong winter. Today I'm sharing an easy craft that will make your heart sing.... Beaded 3-D Hanging Paper Hearts Tutorial This fun project requires just a few … [Read more...]
The year is still brand new, and in this season my mind hums with thoughts. Always, I want to be better at whatever I do. It's in my DNA. I'm wired to strive towards excellence. These days I'm reading more, spending time fine tuning the behind-the-scenes parts of the blog, learning, and dreaming. I've also taken a back seat to my online social activities, which I sort of miss. It's all part of this internal drum in my heart and head to thrive. I know all that sounds like I've got a map and charted my next steps, knowing where I want to go. I wish. Lately I've been chewing on the idea of … [Read more...]
This past week, I've been in the midst of some major organizing. Raise your hand if that's you, too. My organizing isn't exactly what you'd expect. I've been spending my time organizing the blog to hopefully make your experience here even better. Most of things I'm attempting to do require me to do some research to figure out how to do it... before I can even start. If you're a blogger that tries not to rely on an expert/designer, etc., you know how much time this takes. I must say there's a lot of satisfaction from the accomplishment. However, because I don't have many posts completed in advance, I … [Read more...]
Imagine yourself standing in a large atrium in which there are many doors spaced along its walls and no other hallways in which to exit. In my mind, my life is like that atrium. It's filled with beautiful plants, some flowers, and beautiful daylight streaming down from the upper story windows. For too long, invitations to exit into a new world have appeared on countless doors in the atrium. However, the doors are locked and access to the new world is prohibited through those doors. Remember when you were in high school, standing in the hallway at your locker on the first day of … [Read more...]
This has been a week of COLD temperatures. Brrrrrrrrrr..... Many of you are experiencing super cold weather and snow. Here in Michigan we've had both and the forecasters are saying we can look forward to the temps dropping well below zero for a few nights. I get the chills just typing that out. ;) Yesterday I took one of my cameras outdoors to snap a few photos in the cold and snow, only to have the battery immediately fail because it was so cold. I went back in for my telephoto camera and snapped this. When I was growing up, Michigan's slogan was "Water, Winter, Wonderland." That slogan has since … [Read more...]
I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid Crafts, Michaels and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own. DIY Decorative Wood Tray :: Wall Art for Spring with Hope Quote I love birds! This time of year, backyard feeders are busy with countless songbirds feasting. Just like me... I'm sure our feathered friends cannot wait for spring! But, until spring comes, we can have fun creating beauty for our living spaces with from Michaels. Recently I was blessed to be selected to participate in the Plaid: Michaels Spring Wood Run Challenge. Imagine my thrill … [Read more...]
