Paint The Ugly Threshold

Here is my Lowe's Sponsored Challenge: Mum's The Word! Decorate any part of your home or garden with chrysanthemum's. Get as creative as you like.
As soon as I opened this one, I knew what I wanted to do...
My front door

But wait....I can't just decorate this place without fixing that thing that has been bothering me for years! 
See it? 
It is screaming at me..."I'm so ugly!"

No, not the dead Lamb's Ear.

This

I have hated this aluminum threshold from day one. 
I even tried to make it black with Rub N Buff.
Big fail

Since I wasn't sure how to fix it after my Rub N Buff disaster, I asked the guy's in the Lowe's paint department.
First, you need to remove as much of the metal wax as possible 

  Next

I used this tape

To protect the door and bluestone

Prime

2 coats of paint

And you have this

But I'm STILL not done. As long as we have gone through all of this trouble, let's seal the door properly.....Winter is coming!
Look at where the door meets the bluestone

I like this one

While you are at it...check all around the door for additional air leaks.
Apply the caulk and wipe off excess

Now, I'm ready to decorate the front area. Come back tomorrow to see how I finished this area. That is when you can enter the giveaway. In the mean time, click on over to the Lowe's Creative Ideas site for more inspirational projects.
****Go here for part two and the giveaway!**** 

Lowe's Gift Card Giveaway....my challenge!

Update - Gift Card Winner

Congratulations Michelle!! 

Hello Friends! It is time for another Lowe's Garden Challenge! Yes, I am taking a quick break from the One Room Challenge to venture outside in this oppressive, humid, yucky weather....AND I am going to motivate you into tackling a project of your own...but for now, just watch me do it. As promised, at the end of my song and dance, there will be a chance for you to win this 

First, my Lowe's sponsored challenge: To tackle a tough spot in my yard, and solve a problem. So many to choose from, but this one has been bothering me for quite some time

My sweet little garden shed has lost its curb appeal. Since this is the view from my kitchen window it's time to improve my view or invest in blinds.
Here is the plan

First up, the window boxes. Now, if by some unexplained chance this is your first time visiting my blog, I will let you in on a small fact about me....I am obsessed with window boxes!! Here are my Spring window boxes.
I don't know about you, but I need my window boxes to last a long time. That is why I like to use this stuff.

PVC boards. They are rot free, and will stand up to all weather conditions. Further more...no painting! I used the 7 1/2" widths for the front and back. I used the 5 1/2" for the bottom and sides. 
Simple box construction (don't forget to drill drainage holes in the bottom) and now I have this I like how the faux woodgrain matches the grain of my shed. However, you can get this product in a smooth finish, too.
For the stepping stones, I like these

It looks like thisBy adding mulch in-between the joints it gives the look of individual stones.
A few new plants, two bags of mulch and a whole lot of water breaks...and I went from this 

to this

Now, the moment you have all been waiting for....how you can enter the Lowe's $50 Gift Card Giveaway!
There are four, count them...ways to enter;
1. You must be a GFC Follower of this blog (up on the right). Yes, Mom & Dad, this includes you, too. Get one of your tech savvy Bunko friends to help you do this. Old or new....leave one comment!
2. Tell me what outdoor project or problem you are willing to tackle in this crazy heat, or when it gets cooler...leave one comment!
3. Pin the First image on this post (yes, the giveaway)....leave one comment!
4. Follow me on Pinterest...leave one comment!
Good Luck!
This contest will end on Wednesday, July 25th at Midnight. The gift card will be mailed to the winner directly from a Lowe's representative.

It Was My Lucky Day

I love giveaway's! If you are having one, come by and let me know....I will probably enter. Although I enter quite a few, I have only won two of them. The first one was this print. That was over a year ago. The second one was just a few weeks ago when I won this

Isn't it beautiful....it is the perfect shade of lavender. I won it from the design duo Powell Brower when they had this giveaway. Do you know those ladies? They are the Mother/Daughter team Nancy & Bethany. I love their blog.... Nancy and I have become blogging buddies. 

Here is what I did with this lovely piece of porcelain

I brought it to my local nursery and had THEM make a lovely arrangement. I am great with the outdoor plants, but the indoor ones don't like me very much. Currently, this arrangement was stolen borrowed by my daughter. Apparently, she wants her room done over in purple's. It has only been one year from the last time we changed her room colors.......I am hoping her purple haze will pass.

How often do you change the room colors of tweens & teens?

Update - Everything LEB is having a pillow giveaway

Go over, and enter!

Fabric Giveaway!

Hi Everyone, I was so excited to finally organize all of my fabric last week. I have told you about my fabric hoarding addiction and have decided that it is time to let some of it go to a new home...maybe yours! This is the first piece I would like to give away. 

It is a crisp blue and white 100% cotton fabric from Laura Ashley. It is 48" wide and 5 yards long. The stripes are railroaded (run the length of the fabric).

It could be used for so many lovely things.....

PB Kids

Victoria Hagan

Source

PB

Since color on a monitor can be deceiving, the main blue is in the color range of BM Aqua Marina

The stripes can easily be matched up to form a miter

Here are the 4 (per person) easy ways to enter this giveaway:

1. Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect (leave a comment)
2. Follow My Crafty Home Life on Pinterest (leave another comment)
3. Pin the "Fabric Giveaway" image from above (leave another comment)
4. Become a follower on Bloglovin (leave another comment)

The winner will be announced next Monday....Good Luck!