little green bow

hello & goodbye – diy entryway signs

By deanna On May 20, 2012 · 849Leave a Commenthello+%26+goodbye+-+diy+entryway+signs2012-05-20+16%3A00%3A00deanna

Today’s DIY creative idea will show you an easy way to make word art with any words you like using a simple online tool. This would be a fun way to create and display your wedding vows or a favorite song lyrics like these:

Source: etsy.com via Jaime on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Emma on Pinterest

It’s really simple to do using a website called Wordle.net. All you need to do is enter in the words you want to display. The more times a word is included, the larger it shows up in the finished word collage.

I decided to create signs for our front entry that welcomed our guests with a hello sign and bade them farewell with a goodbye sign. I thought it would be a fun way to dress up a wall that doesn’t serve much purpose.

Using Google Translate, I searched for “hello” and “goodbye” in different languages. The more times I added them to my Wordle collage, the larger they showed up in my finished piece.

Now that these signs are up, I hope to add a shelf with hooks to make it more of an entry and place to put our keys, bags, umbrellas, etc.

Check back later this week for a detailed tutorial on using Wordle.

What do you think? Do you like the international spin I put on it? Would you use Wordle and if so, what would you like to create?

I’m linking here:

Pin It

want to improve your blog? find a community

By deanna On May 19, 2012 · 36441 Comment2012-05-19+16%3A00%3A00deanna

It’s been a fun, crazy, great year of blogging so far. I started this blog back in the summer of 2010 as a way to create a presence online. I really did not know what I would talk about or where I wanted it to go. Back then, my blog was called Secret Life of D and it really had no direction.

Then, I found websites like the BlogFrog and the SITS girls community. It was an eye-opener to say the least. All of these smart, friendly, helpful women coming together to improve our blogs and connect online. That’s when I really started forming a direction for my blog, set up an editorial calendar, reached out to other bloggers by commenting on their blogs and started forming friendships. It has been a very rewarding experience so far and I am excited to see where the next year takes Little Green Bow.

I wanted to write this post to encourage you to start connecting with other bloggers that are similar to you through blog communities and forums. You can join challenges like the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog one that I’ve done with the SITS Girls twice. You can start commenting on other blogs and offer value. You can join forums to find advice and offer some of your own. Kludgy Mom even has some great advice for creating your community with some off-line activities.

The choice is yours, but I can tell you that you won’t regret it. I am still amazed that I have been able to form friendships online with some amazing bloggers. Now, I can’t wait until I can go to a blog conference and meet some of my new blog friends in real life.

In the next few weeks I plan to start a link party where you can showcase the awesome things you have been working on. I cannot wait to help promote all of you wonderful women and I hope you will join me by linking up. It’s my next activity toward more connection.

What’s your plan for reaching out to other bloggers? I’d love to hear your suggestions or success stories in the comments!

Photo Credits: Pink Sherbet Photography, Pink Sherbet Photography

Pin It

etsy treasures: teal & pink

By deanna On May 16, 2012 · 53464 Commentsetsy+treasures%3A+teal+%26+pink2012-05-16+16%3A00%3A00deanna

While trying to come up with an idea for an Etsy treasury this week. I was drawing a blank. I mean, I totally missed it with Mother’s Day…oops. I didn’t miss sending cards or talking to our moms, but I didn’t post anything on here about it. Even with my editorial calendar I still blow it sometimes. Ah well. I have Father’s Day plugged in so hopefully I will not miss that one too.

Then, while browsing the site I came across a beautiful color combination and knew that I had found the inspiration for this week’s treasury. Here’s the piece that inspired me:

So without further ado, I give you my Teal & Pink Esty Treasury. I hope you like the color combo as much as I do. I think it’s the perfect reminder of spring!

‘teal & pink inspired’ by deannabe

This is a new found favorite color combination for me.

Key Fob Wristlet Key Chain -… MarciAnnDesign… $8.00	I Love Your Smile Poster Pri… helenrobin $20.00	Hello Dear Conversational Ca… feb10design $4.00	Teal and Pink Necklace – Mot… andyshouse $44.00
A Sock Monkey for Babies in … warmpersonalit… $20.00	Washi Yuzen Japanese Floral … ThePendantGall… $8.95	4-Strand Necklace – Teal / W… FingersAndYarn $15.00	24×30 Canvas Gallery Wrap, &… CarolynCochran… $375.00
Retro Sign,Desert Vintage Vi… RikkiVanCamp $18.00	Dangle Earrings, Teal, Pink … calliadesign $12.00	Retro Inspirational Quote Gi… RockTheCustard… $20.00	Teal and pink birdhouse deco… artangel $3.50
Bunch Bag // Black and White… RACHELelise $48.00	Mini Origami Dress Birthday … KittyKatKards $4.25	The Giving Tree — fine art … MoreLensFlare $20.00	CLEARANCE: peacock in pink &… twodotdesigns $20.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio

Pin It

easy shredded chicken

By deanna On May 14, 2012 · 530314 Commentseasy+shredded+chicken2012-05-14+16%3A00%3A00deanna

I have been so bad about taking photos while cooking lately. I’ve made lots of yummy things too, but for some reason photographing them has not been on the top of my mind.

So instead of sharing a full recipe today, I am going to share a tip. It’s so simple that it will change your life (okay, maybe a bit dramatic, but I think it’s awesome)! I’m going to show you how to cook and shred a frozen chicken breast in 25 minutes. Yep, now you can get home from work and get a meal on the table without having to preplan and fuss too much.

First, I do a little prep work when I purchase my chicken. I buy fresh chicken breasts and spend 20 minutes cutting the fat off of all of them at once. When that’s done, I put each breast in a separate plastic baggie and then load them all into one big gallon size bag before freezing them. This saves you from having to thaw the breast to cut off the fat or picking the fat off after cooking. And since I do them all at once, there is only one messy clean up job.

Now that we’re ready to cook, let’s move on…

Second, place one frozen chicken breast into a sauce pan and fill it with water. Boil the frozen chicken breast for 20 minutes on medium heat – more than a simmer, but not enough to splash water all over your stove.

Third, when the chicken is cooked through, pour some of the hot water into your stand mixer bowl to heat it up. (You can skip this step if you are planning to heat up your chicken again).

Fourth, empty the bowl and place the warm chicken at the bottom. Using the paddle attachment, turn on the mixer to 1 or 2. After 30 seconds you will have perfectly shredded chicken!

I have also found that using this method of shredding chicken produces a finer “strings” and feels like more meat than when I used to shred chicken with two forks or my fingers. This means that I can get away with fixing one chicken breast for my husband and I instead of two. So not only is it super simple, but it’s cost effective. Score!

I’m linking here:

Pin It

Happy Mother’s Day

By deanna On May 13, 2012 · 5304Leave a CommentHappy+Mother%27s+Day2012-05-13+16%3A00%3A00deanna

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful Moms out there. You do so much for us and we often do not tell you enough how thankful we are or what you mean to us.