Fridays Unfolded #59

welcome m'dears
to the 59th edition of


as you can probably tell
i've been tinkering a bit
with my blog design


you see
i am something of a commitment-phobe
when it comes to online style


i tend to stick with neutrals
(boring, i know)


but last week
when i was trawling online
for free images


i came across my header pattern
and fell in love


now
i am certainly not
the most gifted of blog designers
(don't you adore my gift for the understatement?)


and who knew it could be so hard
to choose fonts?


but after some trials and errors
and with more than a little help from this site






i managed to come up with something
pleasing to my eyes


and hope you'll like it too


so if you'd like to grab a new button
you'll find them on my Buttons Page


as part of my redesign
i also decided to remove my followers boxes


i've thought about doing that for awhile now
but was skeered i would lose followers if i did


but finally decided that
my mood was too easily altered
by noticing one more
or one fewer followers


faint not nor fear


if you use blogger
you can still click 'follow'
on the navigation bar at the top of my blog


or


you can sign up by email
to have new posts sent directly to your mailbox


go ahead


you can tell me if you think i'm crazy or not!


now
onto the real reason
you are here today


last week
here at Fridays Unfolded
you all shared some killer posts
and here are just a few
of my favorites


nikki from Thrifty Decorating
used some GW finds
a can of spray paint
and some grass seed
to craft this adorable Easter display


and Linda from lindapendante dreams
sewed up a  pin tucked duvet cover
to pretty up her bedroom


you all know
how much i like writing on stuff


so when i saw
this creative idea for gussying up
a boring white plate from Kelly at Eclectically Vintage
i knew it would be a feature this week


for the past two and a half weeks
i've been dieting (-9lbs!)


but if i weren't
you can bet your sweet bippy
i'd be wrapping myself around a few of these
Cinnamon Roll Bar Cookies from Blissful Whimsy


this sweet little this 'polky-nots' dress
made by sew easy being green
makes me wish my Fiona was small again
(and that i could sew)


and there's no way
i could fail to mention
this awesome achievement by Rachel from Quiver Full of Blessings


who was so inspired by Beth Moore's bible study


that she set out to memorize
the entire gospel of James


for tips on how she did it
please click through to her post


well done Rachel!

there are always many more links
than i can feature here
butdid you know
that i like to highlight many of your posts
on the Stuff and Nonsense Facebook Page
and Twitter Page?
i sure do!
so if you're not yet a fan
click here and here to become one

if your post was featured today
be sure to grab a button

and now it's your turn
to show us what unfolded for you
this week
or last week
or
well
you get the idea

the rules are simple:

follow Stuff and Nonsense

via GFC and Linky Followers(and leave a comment so i can follow you back)

link up your recipe, sewing project, decor, craft, poem, essay, tutorial, etc.
whatever 'unfolded' for you this week

be sure to link back to your post and not just your url 
(by joining Fridays Unfolded you are giving me permission
to use your photos for features on Stuff and Nonsense, Facebook and Twitter)

visit a few of the other links and leave a comment
(it's just polite)

post my button on your blog
so others can join the fun

after you link up here
i would love for you to
visit my friday friends
and join their linky parties as well

     

this week's fiesta

is brought to you by

where you can find unique

and customizable gifts like these

for all the kids in your life

happy linking!

My Clear Skin Secret

let me begin by saying
that this entry is not
a paid review
or sponsored post

i simply want to let you in
on a great little product
that is wonderful (really really wonderful)
for clearing up acne

but first
a little background is necessary

growing up
i had great skin
(not the beginning you were expecting, eh?)

rarely a break-out
except the occasional monthly spot
on the tip of my nose

but when i hit the ripe old age of 22
my skin turned on me

i began noticing pimples
(don't you loathe that word?)
mostly appearing on my chin
in all their gruesome glory

so
like any normal person
i headed to the nearest pharmacy
to pluck the typical Oxy-titled tubes and pots
from the plethora of product available

but here's the problem

i have dry skin
and every one of the acne jams and jellies i tried
just made my skin more dry and irritated
without fixing the pimple problem

so i got really good
at using those concealer sticks

years passed
and as i blossomed in and out of
four pregnancies

my acne would clear for months at a time
only to return with a vengeance

all of which
made me realize
that my break-outs were hormonally triggered

i also read
that if pimples occur on the lower half of a woman's face
they are nearly always caused by hormone fluctuations

and my acne was also very painful
with the actual red bumps
sticking around for a couple weeks

and new pimples erupting (another awesomely icky word)
every few days

plus red marks lasting for about two months

all of which meant
that my skin always looked
red
bumpy
inflamed

awful

finally in tears one evening

i plopped down in front of my computer
and typed in 'cystic acne'

the very first article that came up
was titled
The Top 10 Acne Products You've Never Heard Of

which sounded promising
so i clicked

and product numero uno
was this


the article stated
that Dermamed's acne gel
was all natural
organic

and best of all
perfectly suited to those of us with dry skin

here's the product blurb:

DermaMed Acne Gel contains pure extracts of naturally astringent and cooling herbs that soothe the skin surface and penetrate it with healing nutrients. Provides anti-bacterial activity against Propioni-Bacterium acnes and other causative organisms of acne, and helps normalize sebum secretion to avoid follicular plugging, an aggravating factor of acne. Modulates the inflammatory response to reduce redness, swelling and scarring. Formulated in a unique, transdermal delivery system that provides optimal absorption of nutrients, DermaMed Acne Gel quickly penetrates into the deeper layers of the dermis where its healing and regenerative action takes place.


dijya get all that?


and now the ingredients:
Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Viola Tricolour Extract, Tea Tree Essential Oil, Rose Hip Oil, Vitamins A and E, Grapefruit Seed Extract  

finding that i could buy a small tube

for under $15
i clicked and paid lickety split

one week later
on a sunny afternoon
a little brown package 'o magic
dropped into my mailbox

i tore into it
ripped off all the safety seals
and angels started singing

okay okay

i ripped off all the safety seals
squeezed out a dab
and smeared it on my face
right over all the makeup and concealer

and then
for good measure
smeared on a bit more

and repeated the above
about 5 more times that first day
and every day

during that first week
i got no new pimples
(a small miracle)

and had no drying or other side effects

two weeks later
my skin was starting to look a little better

one month later
i actually looked into the mirror and saw

clear skin

now you can cue those angels

and i'm not exaggerating even a little bit here
because this stuff is that good

7 years have passed
since that precious little package
arrived in the post

and i still use the gel
every day
morning and night
after using this gentle exfoliating cleanser


and just before i slather on this moisturizer


and i still have clear skin

each tube of Dermamed gel
lasts me about 3 or 4 months

so really
my whole skin care regime
is quite affordable

my 13 year old son
now uses the gel as well
and it cleared up his mild adolescent acne
in just a couple of weeks

so that's my story
and i'm sticking to it

if you want to try some Dermamed yourself
you can click here

and once again
all of this
is merely my own humble opinion
and not related to
or paid for by Dermamed

who
i'm pretty certain
doesn't even know i exist

the end.

The One Where My Daughter Took The Pictures

 

so i decided
that it's time for a new profile photo

and since
i don't have a tripod
and haven't practiced
using the timer on my camera

i figured
that Little Miss
could have a go
at taking some photos of me

to which she happily agreed

okay mum!

not gonna lie

it took some practicing
with the settings and light and stuff

plus
it's not so easy
posing and grinning
and trying not to feel
ridiculously self-conscious

the whole time

i kept thinking random things like

are my wrinkles to wrinkly?

i think my front teeth are off-center

chin up?

chin down?

just how grey does my hair look in these?

however

Little Miss had no such worries

indeed

she worked like a pro

mum

look at me

now look away

now look at me again

smile

don't smile

fluff out your hair

click

click

click

she's kinda bossy sometimes

we picked out a few

that we liked

and now

you get to throw your two cents into the mix

ready?

this one's my favorite

except

isn't like

a rule or something

that you have to be facing toward the camera?

here's another of the finalists

slightly out of focus though

this is me looking demure

which

in real life

i ain't

call me crazy but

i adore my hair in this one

however

my shoulders are too scrunched up

or something

this one

i fondly refer to as

la airhead

now here's one i kinda like

i don't know

but this one's where i'm 

clutching onto the pillow for dear life

thinking oh my lands are we done yet?

is still my favorite

are you tired of looking at me by now?

well then

hurry up and pick one already

(and mom

if you're reading this

don't even think about

leaving a comment like

they're all lovely!)

Fridays Unfolded #58

welcome to another week of


the sun has been shining
all week long here in my neck of the woods

and i'm starting to realize
just how much
my mood and outlook
are affected by blue skies
and warm breezes

are you like that too?

all my chores seem
a little easier
and even

funner

when the weather's happy

although
to be perfectly honest

these balmy days
make doing schoolwork inside
a little challenging

but we're getting in
lots of PE class outside

and i can tell
by the many Spring-themed post
linked up last week

that you all
are welcoming this change in the air too

but before we get into our
feature-fest

i want to just say a word about Pinterest

are you all reading about the controversy
over copyrights and things?

i have decided to delete a few pinboards
and delete all pins that could be infringement

though it's hard to tell sometimes

and i want to say
that you are welcome to pin
anything of mine you'd like
as long as you link properly

and if you see a feature here
that you're dying to pin

please click through to the actual post
so that the photo's owner can get
proper credit

k?

now

last week on


i was enthralled by
this $10 metal orb fixture
inspired by Ballard Designs
made by My Covered Bridge


Betsy Speert showed off
her lovely kitchen renovation


i am
a little in awe of Small Home Love
who made her very own Sunburst mirror
using math and stuff


how sweet and flirty
is this ruffled sink skirt
crafted by Harrison Home?


if you are a Girl Scout cookie fan
you'll want to check out these
samoa stuffed brownies made by Shaken Together


yowsa

there are always many more links
than i can feature here
but

did you know
that i like to highlight many of your posts
on the Stuff and Nonsense Facebook Page
and Twitter Page?

i sure do!
so if you're not yet a fan
click here and here to become one

if your post was featured today
be sure to grab a button
 

and now it's your turn
to show us what unfolded for you
this week
or last week
or
well
you get the idea

the rules are simple:

follow Stuff and Nonsense

via GFC and Linky Followers(and leave a comment so i can follow you back)

link up your recipe, sewing project, decor, craft, poem, essay, tutorial, etc.
whatever 'unfolded' for you this week

be sure to link back to your post and not just your url 
(by joining Fridays Unfolded you are giving me permission
to use your photos for features on Stuff and Nonsense, Facebook and Twitter)

visit a few of the other links and leave a comment
(it's just polite)

post my button on your blog
so others can join the fun

after you link up here
i would love for you to
visit my friday friends
and join their linky parties as well

     

happy linking!

Bloom

happy
just doesn't cut it

for describing
the joy that's pulsing through
my very veins

for the weather here

in southwester pa

is as unlike March

as it could possibly be

80 degree days

open-window sleeping

delicious breezes

ruffling white curtains

and the blooms

oh the blooms

golden forsythia and daffodil

the colors of the sun

sweet lilac

purply hyacinths

whose scent washes over me

each time the screen door opens

and the promise

of so many more to come

welcome Spring!

now

off to unearth the sprinkler

for my bathing suit-clad children

oh happy day.

Birthdays, Babies, Books and Skinny Jeans

on Sunday
my eldest child
turned 13

13

i am now the parent
of a teenager

ready or not

can you guess 

what particular item

was on his wish list?

skinny jeans

my un-fashionista boy

has gone trendy

he got 'em

and they make him look

exactly like a teenager should

i 'spose

2 cool 

2 be 

4 gotten

we celebrated with a small family gathering 

on his actual birthday

and this friday

he will have some chums over to 'hang out'

which interpreted means

eat junk food

and play video games

and stay up all night

this momentous occasion

leaves me:

1) looking for some small sign

of my formerly chubby baby

hidden beneath the skin

of this suddenly tall, gangly almost-man

2) trying not to eat

the remaining Black Magic Cake 

that beckons so seductively

3) wondering why he lost his baby fat years ago

but i still have mine

4) questioning where the necessary wisdom and patience

is going to come from 

for us to safely navigate this beautiful boy

through the unpredictable waters of adolescence

5) praying

a lot

6) anticipating the incredible ways

he will grow and change and develop

into a man after God's own heart

how does it all happen so fast?

and speaking of babies

(we were

weren't we?)

Chad and i got to visit some friends

who recently birthed their first

a precious baby girl

they kindly let me 

snap as many photos as i wanted

to practice my fierce (ha) skilz

i could just gobble her up

and speaking of gobbling

i've been devouring the following books lately

(and consequently

ignoring household tasks a little bit)

3.5

3.5

4

 and since reading this trilogy

5

cannot wait

for the film to open

in fact

a friend and i

are dragging our non-reading husbands

on a double date next week

to see it

eek

i hope it lives up

to my unrealistic expectations

next on my reading list are

*

and

*

i think

that should just about

catch us up

but tell me do

what books have you been eating up lately?