Saturday, April 30, 2011

PAR-TAY'S OVER!!! DID YOU WIN...???

What a fabulous party!!!!! Thank you Rocking Fans!

I hope you enjoyed participating in the giveaway and stick around for more fun to come!


AND thanks again to ALL the wonderful sponsors! I truly appreciate your generosity!



Drum Roll Puh-lease..........................................................

Without further ado, the winners are.................................

(To contact the sponsor please click their name and it will take you to their page or email address)

41 West Designs

Keep Calm & Carry On Sign - Brittany Bectel
Spoon, Fork, & Knife Canvas Paintings - Debbie Moon

Barn Owl Primitives

Keep Calm & Carry On Sign - Elise Georgoussis Morris

ChrisAnn Simek, Scentsy Independent Consultant & Lead Consultant

One Scentsy Bar (Sponsor's Choice) - Michael N Heather Runyan

Discover Fabulous (aka Burlap & Biscuits)

Adorable Rustic Wood & Wire Picture Holder - Erin Smith
Eli's Treasure

$5 Gift Certificate - Amanda 'Flatley' Perryman

 Forty Toes Photography

Custom Tank - Nicole Reding Pruetz
Flutterby Kisses

Pretty Flower Necklace - Jamie Zagarich Mahlum


Haddad Brands

Levi's Brand Outfit - Pamela Schmidt Baldo

Handbags & Etc

Yellow Keychain - Suzie Losey
Green Keychain - Darlene Angle Bond
Purple Keychain - Debbie Moon

I Heart Rock n Roll

Rose Necklace - Suzie Losey
Cream of the Crop Set - Lani Gillett Derrick


Jennifer's Handmade Soap

Bar of Honeysuckle Shea Butter Soap - Kelli Wilson
Bar of Juniper Breeze - Amanda 'Flatley' Perryman

 Just For Me Baby

Gerbera Daisy (Sponsor's Choice) - Monica N James Johnson
Know Just Bows

Pink w/ White Dots Flower - Megan Wallace Rogers

 Kyleigh's Closet

Gift Certificate - Kimmy Kat

 Lucky 7 Design (aka MamaJJewels)

Petite Scroll Ring & Earrings Set - Megan Wynn Volnoff

 LylaBug Creations

Coupon - Kristi Krug Quill

Moda Munchkin: Boutique Modeling for Children

One Year Free Listing - Michael N Heather Runyan

Red Umbrella Shop

Pudi Pie Tulle Overlay Skirt w/ Matching Headband - Kimberley Racine Hart


Ruby Loop

Surprise Hair Accessory - Marivel Fernandez-Ceja

 Sealed With A Kiss Jewelry

Little Coral Earrings - Maegan Bull

Small Town Stitcher

Custome Outfit (Choice of 3) - Carri Kimball Calderwood
SmittenByAPromise

Rosette Ring - Nichelle Lora Allen
Single Rosette Cuff Bracelet - Erin Standage


Sweet Sassy GirlZ Shoppe

3 Piece Classic Bow Set - Nicole Parkinson


Tanyas Tangles

Cute Crochet Baby Hat - Zoe Procknow

The Wag Shack Boutique & Barkery

Custom Collar - Nicole Reding Pruetz


Thirty One Gifts ~ Kerry Ann Clark

All-In-One Organizer - Laureen Anderson



Uniquee Boutiquee

Rainbow  Korkie - Teresa Wyatt

 Vintage Wanna Bee

$10 Gift Certificate - Kerri Fletcher

World Shaking Designs

$10 Gift Certificate - Amy Schmitz Weems

Remember, it is YOUR responsibility to contact the sponsors within 48 Hrs to claim your prizes!!!
If you have any questions please contact me directly.

Thanks for partying with me!

Peace & Love,
Tricia

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Basic Earring Tutorial

Hi Fabulous Fans!

Welcome to ALL my newcomers too! So glad to have you and I hope you stick around! :) For those of you that are new I just want to say I'm still a newbie at this so feel free to comment, suggest, constructively criticize, and so on! I want this blog to be about US - not me and 1001 ways to take pictures of me. If you have a small business please feel free to contact me about blog swaps, product reviews, etc! I'd love to help you grow your business! :)

This is my first EVER tutorial! I did it for my friend Kelli over at Small Town Stitcher but since I have so many new followers I thought I would share with you too! Hope you enjoy!

Now, for the tutorial I chose the basic earring. Once you master the wire-wrapping technique you can make all sorts of other jewelry so this is the best thing to learn right away! This is my first tutorial so I tried to take tons of pictures!!! Please feel free to contact me, tricia.iheartrocknroll@gmail.com, with any questions, comments, and/or suggestions you may have! I would love to hear from you!

STEP 1
  • Gather your tools - you will need round-nose pliers, flat-nose pliers, and cutters (these tools are easily found at all craft stores and even Walmart).
  • Gather your headpins, desired earwires, and beads - I used 1-1/2 inch headpins, leverbacks with open loop, and beads (make sure the beads you choose do not exceed half the length of the headpin). 

STEP 2
  • Slide your beads on the headpin in the order desired.


STEP 3
  • Using the round-nose pliers grab the headpin right above the top bead.


STEP 4
  • Push the headpin away from you to a 90 degree angle.


Side view of the 90 degree angle.
STEP 5
  • Keeping hold of the headpin slide the round-nose pliers to face  up (see picture) so the nose is stacked vertically. Take the headpin and pull it up, over (in one motion), and down.



Side view of this step - should look like a ?

STEP 6
  • Keeping hold of the headpin slide the round-nose pliers to face back in the original position and push the headpin underneath and away from you creating a loop! :)


STEP 7
  • Using the flat-nose pliers grab the loop (keeping it flat between the nose), take your other hand grabbing the tail of the headpin and wrap it around the headpin above the beads keeping it close to each revolution until you are flush with the top bead.



STEP 8
  • Cut the excess tail as close to the top bead as you can. You will see a little bit of the tail left which is okay! Take the flat-nose pliers and smoosh the tail to lay flush with the wrapping.








STEP 9
  • Using the flat-nose pliers open the loop on the earwire, slide your earring on and close! You are done!!!!!! :)







STEP 10
  • REPEAT!


My goal is to post more! What would you like to see?

Thanks for your support!

Peace & Love,

Tricia L.


Friday, April 22, 2011

Truly Blessed!

Last night I hit 1000 Fans on FB!

A feat I did not believe would happnen this fast! I feel so blessed at this moment and honored to give back to all my 1000+ fans who took a chance to party with me :)

You are all honorary Rock Stars!!!!

Now make sure you head on over and celebrate with me! I have over 30 fabulous prizes {and counting - yes more are wanting to be added} that my sponsors have so generously donated!!!!!!


Mucho love goes out to my family, friends, fans & sponsors!

Make sure you let the sponsors know how wonderful they are!


A BIG IHRnR THANKS TO:


















The celebration will run from Friday, April 22, 2011, through Friday, April 29, 2011!

Winners will be verifed and announced on FB and here Saturday, April 30, 2011!!!

Have fun and GOOD LUCK!

Peace & Love,
Tricia L.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

I la-la-la-loooovvveeeeee Levi's!

CONGRATS TO COMMENT #11 - MELANIE OF LUCKY 7 DESIGN!!!!!!!!
Thanks to all who participated and don't be sad if you didn't win! There is a cute outfit from Haddad Brands up for grabs in my 1,000 Fan Celebration!!!

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of jeans? Well, for me it is Levi's! I love them and guess what?!?! Haddad Brands has graciously provided me with several items for my daughter to try on and review! But wait, there's more! Make sure you read allll the way to the bottom! Why? Well, you'll just have to wait and see!

First outfit -
Levi's: Girls Flowered Skinny TShirt (sz S) & Girls Essential Knit Capri - Indigo Blue (sz 7)


This is my favorite outfit! I love the way it fits her just right! She is tall and lean so the skinny tshirt doesn't weigh her down or swallow her up. The capri pants are pull-on with an elastic wasteband. I appreciate this style because, even at her age, some buttons can be cumbersome. They wash nicely, keeping their shape, and dry great, keeping true to size! LOVE!

Also pictured -
I Heart Rock n Roll Royal Blue Mini Rose Earrings
Love Stitched Mini Lou Rosette Hair Pin


Second outfit -
Levi's: Girls Regular Skinny Flare (sz 7)


Since Haddad Brands only sent two shirts we had to mix and match with Emma's wardrobe which was fun! :) These jeans are really cute and made really well! I like them a lot. I really like that they fit her 'skinny' legs and flare at the bottom! A couple things to look out for is they are big for a size 7 so I am thankful they have those little elastic straps inside to pull in the waist. This worked out great and gives her some room to grow! Also, they are really loonnnggg so be sure you try them on your child first. Emma is tall for her age and she had to wear her tallest shoes so they wouldn't drag on the ground :) But don't think of this as a bad thing becuase she can grow into the waist and the legs!

Also pictured -
Faded Glory Shirt

Third Outfit -
Levi's: Denim Trucker Jacket (sz S) & Regular Slim Straight Jeans (sz 8)


This outfit was super fun! Emma decided she wanted to rock the shades! I love that girl! I really am a big fan of the Levi's Denim Jacket! I always have been! I don't think it ever goes out of style and this faded, washed grey look is so pretty and feminine. It is so nicely made too. I can tell it is going to last for awhile and that is what I look for in clothes for my kids.  The jeans came in a size 8 and were WAY too big but as I have said I am thankful to that person who invented the elastic waistand band thingy inside kids' clothes!  So, we pulled them in tight and cuffed her pants at the bottom (I'm seeing a trend that the jeans are made longer but this is a good thing!) and voila! She has an ultra cute pair of boyfriend fitting jeans! She is more fashionable than me! lol

Also pictured -
Target Brand Cami Tank
Love Stitched Headband

MISC Pieces -
Levi's: Tapered TShirt (sz S), Super Skinny Crop  Pants & Soft & Stretchy Leggings (sz 7)


These were just separate pieces included in the box - still great and I love them but decided to consolidate :)  The TShirt tapers out at the bottom to add some flare! Fun, flirty, and looks great with leggings!

The Super Skinny Crop Pants are so cute! Olive green and accented with copper buttons to add some flare! They come right to the ankle making them great for sandals or flip flops! They are made so nicely! High quality! As with all the other jeans the waist was slightly bigger than size 7's we are used to but not to worry with the built-in elastic waistband :) Emma did need help getting them off her feet because they fit snugly at the ankle but what are moms for? :)

The Soft & Stretchy Leggings look like jeans but are (as it says) leggings! I thought this was so cool! Even has faux pockets - CUTE! These were NOT too big anywhere and fit great! Emma did need help pulling them off her feet but she still loves them though!!!

Also pictured -
Exhiliration Brand Black Leggings, Peasant Top, & Brand TShirt

Love what you see? Haddad Brands is giving my readers a chance to win 2 Pairs of Super Skinny Crop Pants - Olive Green & Khaki (sz 10)! Retail Value: $38 each!!!!! 


THANK HADDAD BRANDS!

Here's what you have to do to enter!
Mandatory Entries:
Like Haddad Brands on Facebook {1 entry}
Follow Haddad Brands on Twitter {1 entry}
Visit Haddad Brands' website and comment here telling me what other brands they have to offer besides Levi's! {1 entry}
Blog, tweet, share about this giveaway! {up to 3 entries}

Bonus Entries:
Publicly Follow I Heart Rock n Roll's Blog {1 entry}

Contest will end Wednesday, April 20th! Good luck!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I Heart Thirty One Gifts!

I just love Facebook!

Anyone that doesn't must not see the potential it has! My business fan page is over 700 (squeal) and with that I have met some incredible people who are now friends with me personally :) Sure we are spread out across the country but that is what is so cool about it! I have even met some fellow FL Gator Fans (Go Gators!!!) which brings me to this rockin' chick and her awesome products -

Kerry Ann Clark & Thirty One Gifts! 


Today I am going to be reviewing one of her products (My first product review!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!)!


The Thermal Tote!



Kerry says, "These can be used for any age....great for baby bottles, school lunches, take your lunch & snacks to work, daycares (great with name on them - my kids have lost so much in daycare), traveling, go to park or gym, etc. Makes a great Gift Bag or Easter Basket then can be used all year long! Comes in multiple colors and embroidery ($6 fee)".

I totally agree with Kerry and what I really LOVE about Thirty One Gifts is
1) Affordability - you won't believe the quality product you get for the price and
2) Mix and Match - for those that know me you know I love, love, love to have matching everything!


I got two Thermal Totes - one in Paparazzi Dots and one in St. Andrews Garden - as gifts for Mother's Day! When they arrived I was shocked at how big they were and only cost $14 - they measure 9.5" H x 14" W x 4.5" D (pictured above)! These are perfect for lunch during the week and to hold drinks during weekend trips! It even has a nice pocket that is the entire size of one side of the bag! My mom and the hubs' mom are going to love them!




I mean, look how much room is left in each picture! That is amazing!

They have an apple pattern I am seriously considering for the kids' teachers end of year present!





How cute is that?

Trust me when I say it is so worth the investment! You won't be disappointed and for one week Kerry is offering 10% off to IHRnR fans!!

We are already scheduling for a future guest appearance (cough, cough and giveaway) so go ahead and show Kerry some love on Facebook and get it out of the way!


While you're visiting please be sure to check out her 1,000 Fan Giveaway & Auction going on until this Friday! All proceeds go to Relay for Life and The American Cancer Society! PLUS, if she hits 1500 Fans before Friday she will add a bonus and believe me she knows how to rock the bonuses!

***********************************************************************************************************
Please let me know what you think about my review - I would love to hear from you! For all that comment I will draw one winner Saturday for a 50% Off (1 item) coupon!
Just use Coupon Code: iheart10! Thanks Kerry! 

Bonus entry: Like Thirty One Gifts ~ Kerry Ann Clark on Facebook!

Monday, April 4, 2011

This is Sew Cool!!!!

Happy Monday! Say hello to my friend Kelli! We go waaayyy back and today she has been generous enough to provide us with a sewing tutorial! I have been wanting to learn to sew for so long! I am really excited to try this out! Let us know what you think! Thanks Kelli!

Hi y'all!!  I'm so glad to be here today visiting my friend, Tricia's blog.  We were friends in high school and then lost touch for a few years only to find out through facebook that we lived about 30 minutes away from each other and have daughters that are the same age with the same name!  Then she had to go and move to the beach without me, but I am so glad we found each other again and have a shared love for crafty adventures.

  I'm Kelli and you can find me at Small Town Stitcher.  I'm a kindergarten teacher turned SAHM and I love to create and make beautiful things for those I love.  That might mean a quilt, new clothing, something crafty or something tasty.  It just depends on my mood which often changes as the wind blows!

  As Tricia's more into the accessory side of fashion and I'm more into the sewing side of it, we thought it would be fun to swap blogs for a day and teach each other's readers something different.  I thought I'd bring y'all a quick and easy tutorial for a simple skirt that won't take long to whip up, but will get lots of compliments.  So let's take a look at our inspiration piece...


   Like many others in blogland, I LOVE how Anthropologie makes life look so sweet and simple and fashionable.  But my wallet DOES NOT.  So, like many others I often bookmark my favorite looks to see if I can recreate them at home for much, much less.  I saw this skirt and liked the look but not the $68 price tag.  $68 for some material sewn together with elastic and some ribbon???  C'mon people!  If you're with me, let's get started.

   I gathered up some supplies: fabric of my choice, 1-inch elastic, ribbon and my usual sewing supplies of machine, matching thread and some pins.  Oh, and you'll need an iron.


    Since this is a tutorial for beginning sewers, I'm changing a few things about the skirt.  We won't be adding the horizontal pintucks (so I used a fabric that had enough visual interest not to miss them.) and I'm leaving out the pockets.  While it looks like the dress has a drawstring waist and the name implies that, it's actually an elastic waist with a decorative ribbon tie.  We'll be doing the same.  Drawstrings aren't hard to do, but elastic is that much easier....

Here we go:
WARNING...BORING MATH COMES FIRST.  Stay with me, I promise it's not as bad as it looks!

1.  To make this skirt fit you, measure your waist.  Mine was 18 inches, so... haha, just kidding.  Mine was about 35 but we're going to go with 36 for ease in math.  We want to multiply this number by 1.5 so our skirt will have some poof to it.  We'll be drawing the waist back in with elastic before we finish.  Since our skirt will have 2 pieces (a front and back) we take our multiplied waist measurement and divide it in two.  But we also have to add an inch to each piece for our seam allowance (or what we'll use when we sew it together.)  So, my width measurement is 28 inches.  If you'd like your skirt to have more "poof" then double the original waist measurement...the poof factor is up to you!

     (36 x 1.5) / 2 + 1 = 28 inches.

2.  Next, you need to measure for length.  I'm making my skirt 19 inches finished length.  This will hit right around the knee.  So, measure from your waist to your desired length.  But, like before, we need to add to that measurement a little.  We'll be folding up the bottom of the skirt to hem it and folding down the top of the skirt for the waistband.  We'll make a 1 inch hem at the bottom, so we'll add 2 inches there and we'll be making a 1 1/2 inch waistband so we'll add 2 inches there.  Stick with me, I promise this is the toughest part!   ;)  My length measurement was 23 inches.
     19 + 2 (for hem) + 2 (for waistband) = 23 inches

3.  Whew, let's all take a break from that awful math and get started on the creating.  On an important sidenote here, you should ALWAYS wash and dry your fabric before making any kind of clothing.  Fabrics shrink at different rates and it would stink if your cute skirt shrunk in the wash to become doll clothes!

      Now, lay out your fabric and measure out your rectangles.  I have my fabric folded in half so I only have to cut once.  I'm using a large ruler and cutting mat with a rotary cutter, but plain old (sharp) scissors work too.  I'm spoiled by my quilting supplies and would never go back to scissors if I didn't have to!  I cut out the two rectangles with our measurements above and I'm ready to start sewing.


4.  Finally, we get to sit down at the sewing machine!  You're going to thread your machine with a matching thread and bobbin and then line up your skirt pieces with the right sides facing each other.  That means, basically your skirt is inside out.  If you are a new sewer, you should pin your edges here together just to be sure.  I never pin, but just for you, I did today.  Well, one side.  I didn't pin the side I didn't take a picture of.  That's how I roll!  Oh, and NEVER sew over pins.  Always stop and pull them out when you get close.  You could sew onto one and break your needle, the machine or yourself if a piece were to fly off.  I'm not a nervous nelly, but this is one safety rule I always follow!

My fabric didn't have a right and wrong side, so it looks like the outside is showing, but really, it's not.  If your fabric has a definite right and wrong side, the wrong side should be up!

   We're going to line up the edge of the fabric on the 5/8 inch line (your machine should have a little line out to the side of the presser foot that says 5/8.  Mine is in cm so it says 15.)  Keep the edge of the fabric aligned with this line and sew a straight seam right down from the top of the fabric to the bottom.  That means, you'll be sewing a straight line along the 23 inch lengths.  It's always a good idea to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam.  Sew a few stitches, make your machine backstitch a few stitches and then go forward again.  It just locks the seams so you don't come undone!  Once your side seams are sewn, you need to finish the edges.  There are a number of ways to do this, serge, zig zag seams, or the easiest...pinked edges.  Get some pinking shears (those zig zag scissors) and cut along the edges about 1/4 inch from your stitched line.  Pinking the edges will keep them from unraveling!


 5.  Now to the iron...You'll want to iron open your seams so they lay flat when you're wearing them.  Use the heat best suited to your fabric and iron those seam allowances open like the picture.


Then you'll need to work on your hem.  Ironing your hem in place is the best way to ensure an even hem.  Ask me how I know... So, you're going to iron the bottom of your tube of fabric up 1 inch.  I have a metal measuring tool that you can easily pick up anywhere (like Walmart) but I couldn't find it, so I just used my thick plastic ruler.  Measure up 1 inch all the way around to the wrong side or inside and iron that in place.  Now you'll take that 1 inch and fold it up again.  Iron this in place.  This puts your hem on the inside of your skirt and encloses your raw edges so nothing will ravel.  It also looks nice and professional.


 Once this is ironed in place, you may want to pin...I live dangerously and went without it.  Line up the top fold along the inside of your presser foot.  I moved my needle close to the left edge and sewed a straight line all the way around.  This takes practice to stay straight and not sew off the edge.  Go slow if you're unsure and you'll be fine.  (Another sidenote...hems are a great place to use all those decorative stitches on your sewing machine if you're using a plain fabric.)



6.  Now, onto the grommets for the waistband.  If you look at the inspiration photo, the decorative ribbon tie is threaded through grommets.  So, I drove up to Walmart, picked out a set and the hardware needed to install them and went to work.  You could also just put in 2 buttonholes, but the buttonholer is often intimidating to new sewers (who am I kidding, me too sometimes!) so I thought I'd learn something new with you.

     I started by getting the waistband ready.  I did it just like the hem, but first I measured and ironed down a half inch and then measured and ironed down an inch and a half.

Again, this is the inside of the skirt...sorry for the double sided fabric!

Once I got that all ready to sew, I unfolded it all and figured out where to put my grommets.  I measured my skirt.  Right now, it's 27 inches across.  So I marked a spot at 13 1/2 inches as my midpoint right below my waistband fold.  Then I laid down the grommets about an inch away from that and followed the directions on the grommet package including adding a little thick interfacing.  If you don't have interfacing/even know what that is, you could use a scrap of fabric here that you've also cut holes in!

This is the outside of the skirt!


    Once those were hammered in, I folded the waistband back down and got ready to sew it up.  We're almost done now!


  7.  Now that your grommets are attached and your waistband is folded back down to sew, go back to your machine and sew the waistband along the folded edge just like you did the hem, being careful near the grommets not to sew over them.  EXCEPT, you're going to leave a gap of 2-3 inches unsewn.  I usually make this gap near one of the side seams.  Once you've got the waistband sewn, you're ready to add the elastic.


Take your waist measurement from the beginning and cut a piece of 1-inch elastic slightly smaller than that.  You want it to stay put!  Attach safety pins to both ends of your elastic.  Pin one end to the waistband opening and begin to thread the other pin through the channel created by sewing your waistband shut.  You can use the pin in the channel to guide your elastic through and the other pin will keep your loose end from getting lost inside the channel.  When that happens, you have to pull it all out and start over...you don't want to know how many times I've done that.  ;)


   When you get your elastic threaded back to the opening, you'll want to sew it together.  Remove the safety pins, line up your elastic edges and zigzag stitch back and forth over the edges to keep them together.  Once done, slip the elastic into the channel, get it all straightened out and sew up the opening left in your waistband.



8.  Now all we have left to do is thread our ribbon through and try it on!  Use that safety pin again to put your ribbon through one grommet and out the other.  Get it evenly in both holes, trim up the ends (you may want to heat set the ends by holding them near a candle flame.  Get them close enough you can see the ends seal without getting so close you set them on fire.  But, believe me, you can quickly blow the fire out...I have!)  I chose to just cut the ends in a V-shape and call it a day!  And you are ready to show off your new creation!

I know this seems like a lot of steps, but it honestly took me twice as long to write out the directions and take the pictures as it did to make the skirt and I NEVER make up my own patterns.  That's how easy this actually is.  And the best part about this skirt is, once you've mastered it, the doors of garment making are flung open to you.  This is a basic elastic skirt pattern...adapt it with different fabrics, leave out the grommets, make it for any size, lengthen it and run the ribbon through the grommets and make it a halter top.  For that matter, you could lengthen it and add elastic at the bottom too to make a really cute tube top.  Or add elastic to the bottom to make a bubble skirt.  Add side pockets (which I usually do...who doesn't love pockets?) See what I mean?  Once you've got the basics down, you can adapt them in so many ways!




  Thanks to Tricia for letting me come by today and guest blog over here.  I got a new skirt out of the deal, and hopefully I've inspired someone to make themselves some new spring/summer clothing.  I'd love for you to come by and check out my other projects at my bloggy home.  And I might just have a giveaway coming up soon over there if you need a little incentive!

Thanks again, Tricia!  This was fun!