Frugal Friday Link Up 7/29/11

I decided to change the title...maybe more will realize this is a linky post each week and come and share with us?

I told last week about my wedding, so this week I will add more on that. There have been some developments....mostly my oldest daughter bought me a beautiful wedding gown at a yard sale for just $30. It's a dream dress so the wedding got stepped up a bit.

We are now going to be using the candleabras at church as well as buying 2 dozen roses for the altar. The roses are on sale for $10 for 2 dozen so you sure can't beat that!

I also went and bought myself just a basic veil for $6. We still have to buy Steve's wedding band good batteries for my camera, and hopefully a guestbook.

We fancied up the reception area a bit more too. That didn't cost anymore money, but may cost if I have to have the tableclothes we are borrowing from church pressed.

I am planning on doing a whole Wedding on the Cheap post at some point. However, no matter how you stack it, a wedding is not cheap. At least not if you are struggling to even buy groceries like we are.


Moving on, here are a few more items from the 99 Cent Solutions book. I'm still sharing about baking soda.
1. Make a stovetop sparkle. Cooked on food stains are hard to remove. Dampen the stains and then sprinkle on some baking soda. Scrub with a sponge and the stains will lift right off. Far faster, more effective and more environmentally friendly. This also works well on the greasy dirty black build up on the edges of other kitchen appliances.

2. Salvage a burned pot. Scrape out as much food as you can and then fill the pan a quarter full with water. Pour in 1/2 cup of baking soda and bring the pot to a boil. Turn it off and let it sit overnight. In the morning you can clean off the black stuff with ease.

3. Keep garbage cans fresh. Sprinkle a dollop of baking soda in the can before putting in the new liner. When you take the trash out, dump any dry soda still left in there and add more before the new bag. You've got a natural deodorizer right where you need it most.

Fotolia.com--Info, Review, and Giveaway!

I've been given the opportunity to have a 30 day membership to fotolia.com.   I am having so much fun with it.  I've been searching for photos to use here on my blog, in my squidoo lenses, and in my gather posts.  I'm searching for words such as sewing, quilting, crocheting, and different colors.
Here are just a few of the great photos I've gotten for future use:

Here is the news about fotolia:

• Fotolia offers the largest image bank of free and most affordable royalty free photos and illustrations perfect for any medium, web or print.
• So far, there are 13,716,167 images, vectors and HD videos available at Fotolia.
• There are over 2,631,260 Fotolia members around the world.
• It was started by Oleg Tscheltzoff, Patrick Chassany and Thibaud Elziere in November 2005.
• 135,718 video clips in .mov, .avi, .wmv and flv formats.
• Fotolia also displays images from the most well known agencies in the world. Those exceptional images are available in the Infinite Collection.
• With the introduction of the Infinite Collection, Fotolia became the first worldwide microstock organization to offer both crowd-sourced and professional images on one site.
• Fotolia spans the globe with websites in 12 languages and offices in 14 countries.
• Free photos and vectors are offered daily to Facebook fans.
• Fotolia's headquarters are in New York city and offices in Seattle, Washington and Paris, France.
• Fotolia Plug-In instantly adds high-resolution photos, videos and illustrations to your Microsoft Office PowerPoint or Word documents.
• Fotolia Desktop Widget is the new way to search for stock images, vector and videos on your desktop with slick and intuitive drag and drop interface.
• More information can be found at www.fotolia.com or Wikipedia
• All images offered on Fotolia are Royalty free, they can be used for all kinds of professional documents with no limit on time or copies:

• Creation of advertising media
• Creation of professional documents
• Illustration of press articles
• Illustration of websites, blogs, newsletters, web banners...
• Illustration multimedia documents
• Illustration / Decorations on TV shows or movies
• Creation of derivative products (Extended license)

  

8 reasons for fotolia microstock:

1. Time Savings
Fotolia services will save you time, as you are much more likely to find what you need quickly. A savings in time translates into saving money.
2. Clear Licensing Agreement
One hazard of being a designer is learning about copyright laws, restrictions and licenses. On the free photo sites, you have to read the fine print for each and every photo you use. Some photographs come with no restrictions, some are only for non-commercial use and some require the name of the photographer. You don’t have to deal with this headache on Fotolia. The licensing agreement will be the same for all photos in the license category you select, which is typically a standard royalty-free license.
3. Availability of Vector Art and Illustrations
Fotolia offers a wide variety of vector art and illustrations. Illustrated graphics can give a course a completely unique look and feel. Vector art refers to graphics that are hand drawn in a tool like Adobe Illustrator. Because they exist as mathematical renderings, they can be expanded to any size and manipulated in a vector graphics program.
4. Compelling Images
You can find photos based on a concept, emotion or theme. You can find people doing interesting things and simple single objects that are ready to use.
5. Guaranteed Model Releases
You need the signed release of a model to use his or her photo. Model releases are guaranteed with a paid service. This is not true on a free site. That’s why I never use photographs of a person from a free service.
6. More Efficient Search
There’s nothing like typing in the search term ‘money’ and getting back photos of the Eiffel tower. This kind of poor search functionality is common on some free photo sites. On the other hand, efficient search functionality is one of the foundations of Fotolia. Fotolia has staff to tag their photos with keywords, so the results are usually more accurate. The keywords are also translated in many languages.
7. Supports The Arts
The world would only be shades of gray without the Arts. By paying for images, you’re helping photographers and illustrators earn a living. We need them.
8. Reduces Stress
When you can quickly find the graphics you like and need, it reduces your level of stress. And we all need that.

About Fotolia:
Similar to the music or film industry, we believe that every artist's (photographers and designers) image is a work of the soul and protected by intellectual property rights.
Fotolia is convinced that the principle reason for illegal pirated use of protected images is mainly due to the high price barrier created by other agencies.
Fotolia provides a compromise between photographers and buyers, by protecting a photographer's intellectual property rights and offering high commissions, while legally lowering the price barrier so that everyone may enjoy/afford these beautiful images.
In addition, Fotolia challenges the traditional closed agency model by offering the opportunity to monetize their talents to everyone, hobbyist or professional, whatever their fame, status, or size of portfolio may be.
Thanks to a collaborative online model, Fotolia is able to offer individuals and professionals (advertising agencies, press, small business, graphic artists, designers) the greatest image collection in the world for free or as little as $0.75.

How it works:
Fotolia is the first worldwide social marketplace for royalty free stock images, allowing individuals and professionals to legally buy and share stock images and illustrations.
Fotolia offers the largest image bank of free and affordable royalty free photos and illustrations perfect for any medium, web or print.
Photographers and designers constantly update Fotolia with thousands of new photos and illustrations each day, while photographers and designers receive commission from each photo sold and revenue from advertising on the free section.

CREDIT SYSTEM
Credits are Fotolia's form of currency. Credits are used to buy images on the website. (Credit from $0.75)
Image prices are given in credits; the price depends on the size and use of the purchased image. Image prices are from:


SUBSCRIPTION SYSTEM
Fotolia subscriptions allow you to download between 25 and 250 images a day during the period of your subscription.
Images downloaded using the subscription system are equal to the L size (4MP). The subscriptions are offered from:

 
 

 

Are you interested in giving Fotolia.com a try free??  If so, just leave a comment below (just one comment please) and make sure I have a way to get ahold of you if you are chosen.
I will take comments until August 10, 2011 at 9 pm CST.
Three (3) lucky readers will get codes for a trial subscription!!

 

Squidoo Hopping 7/28/11

Good Thursday to all! I hope you've had a good squidoo week. I've been in and out as usual.
I only got one lens updated this week. My daughter sent me a youtube video of her boyfriends son giving instructions on making some Lego Linkies. So, I added it to my Legos lens. I know at least Ruthi has already seen it.

Have you all joined the Spotted Squids group on facebook? I'm glad that Ruthi invited me in to the group and let me know about it. It's a great place to post links to your lenses and get more exposure, get help you need, and make new friends.

I'm going to call this good for this week's post. Never know, one of these weeks I might surprise you and just get loads done in squidoo!

WIP Wednesday 7/27/11

Alrighty...my major work in progress is my wedding, of course.  Three more days!   

I did finish my fabric bag order and the order for the washcloths and got both out in the mail.

I worked just a bit more on the jelly roll that I am doing.  I don't know what the size will end up being...I'm sure just a lap quilt, or toddler bed size maybe.  I wanted to sew more on it, but knew it had to be put away.  
In the photo it's folded over and laying over the top of my sewing machine.

I am also still working on taking out the binding on this patchwork quilt to re do it.  It wouldn't be so hard if #1 I hadn't used the smallest stitch on my machine to put it on, and #2 there weren't so many places where I missed catching the front or the back of the binding so sewed again, and sometimes again.

 I'm very doubtful that I will have anything to report next week at all, except maybe working on that binding.  The wedding is Saturday.  Today we are setting up a bunch of things at the church.  Tomorrow I have to go out of town.  After the wedding we are going on a trip for a few days.  I"m debating on whether any crafts are going with me or not.  I'm rather thinking we should just relax, hike the nature trail, swim etc....not bring too much from home with us (other than our laptops  LOL)
I am linking up with these three blogs:

 

Mailbox Monday 7/25/11

Rec'd a few pretty cool freebies this last week.
Magazines:  Ok!, 2 issues of Time, Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, and People.
A few pieces of hausernet mail
Can of Alpo and $1 coupon
Office Max coupons
Bambi collectible lunchbox from Disney Rewards
Free coupon for Ritz, Wheat Thins or Triscuit from mycokerewards
Ipad looking clock/calendar/alarm also from mycokerewards
(our cat Molly in the photo is just a bonus  LOL)


Email was pretty good this week too with a $10 paypal payout from Superpoints and $25 paypal from sidetick.

Shop Hop Saturday 7/23/11

Good Saturday morning to all!
It's that time of week to share our online work along with Ruthi and abitosunshine.

This past week I didn't get anything new created on Zazzle. I didn't get anything made to list in my etsy store. I did start a jelly roll lap quilt.
I'm still working at completing the washcloth order as well as the fabric bag order.

I'm still pondering about etsy. An online friend told me about a webstie this week called Zibbet. She says it's free for basic membership and with that membership you can list up to 50 items. Worth checking out.

Today I would like to remind you about my blujay store. I have a lot of books in my blujay store along with other misc. items.
Visit my store

http://marsha32.blujay.com

That's my report for this week. Inspire me all to get to work this next week!

Frugal Friday's With Marsha 7/22/11

Welcome to Friday!

Let me talk about my frugal wedding this week. July 30 will be here before I know it.
We do not have money for anything really.

Clothing--A lady that lives across the street from our church comes to our Bible study on Tuesday morning. She is graciously letting me borrow one of her daughter's formals. My friend that is helping with the reception has a bouquet for me to carry. I found a pair of white dress shoes on clearance at Wal Mart for $3. Steve will just be wearing his suit and a pair of black shoes that we found in one of his totes that will work. I already have a wedding set of rings that he bought me a few years back. We will be buying one of the $28 bands from Wal Mart for him.

Photos--I'm not sure. I'm going to ask the photographer that attends our church how much he will charge us to come take photos and put them on disc for us. If not, someone will use my camera and my daughters will probably take photos with theirs as well.

Decorations---we have none.

Music--My oldest daughter is making us a CD of love songs that will play before the wedding and then during the reception.

Reception--My friend who lives in a near by town is taking care of most of the reception for me. She has baked the cakes and is making the punch. She is providing some of the table coverings. Other table coverings and the punch bowl and such are at my church. My oldest daughter has bought the mixed nuts to serve. She has also bought the ingredients to make the wedding mints. We will all sit down together a couple of day before the wedding and make those. I went to my mom's and found my rose mold that I've had for years.

The license at $85.50 is the most costly item for us. However, he's had this motorcycle sitting here that he bought a few years back to use for parts. We sold it last night for $100 so that covers the license.

Honeymoon??-- well, Steve's vacation is the week following the wedding. He won a $100 American Express gift card in a drawing at a meeting at work. That is paying for 2 nights at an RV resort to rent a cabin. We will just need to buy food for the days. It's been years since we've been able to go out there and we rented a camper in the past. The cabins are 2 bedrooms, and yes, we are taking my 14 yr old with us. Everyone tells us to make her stay home since we need a homeymoon, but neither of us can do that. It would be easy if we took other trips over the course of a year but we don't. Besides, it's not like we haven't already been living together for years.

Invitations--none of those either, just word of mouth in person and phone calls. We did put a blanket invitation for church members in the newsletter and in the bulletin.

Any other fine suggestions would be great for the wedding.


On to other things. Here are the items for the week from the 99 Cent Solutions book. We are still on the many uses of baking soda:

Deep clean a diswasher--Sort out that faintly funky odor in your dishwasher by putting 1 cup of baking soda in the bottom of the dishwasher and run it on the rinse cycle. If the smell still persists, sprinkle a few tablespoons on the bottom and let it sit in between loads. No need to rinse it out before running the next load.

Repel rain from a windshield--You haven't replaced your wiper blades and there is rain in the forecast. Dissolve a couple tablespoons of baking soda in 2 cups of water, dip in a clean cloth, and rub it over the windshield. Rain will slip off more easily until you buy those new blades.

De-skunk a bottle or thermos--Can't get that smell out of a bottle or flask that has been stored with the lid on. Fill it with warm water and a few teaspoons of baking soda. Soak it overnight. Rinse well and the smell will have evaporated.

That's all for me this week. I hope to really start seeing more hop along with us each week. I need the inspiration, and I know others do too. I love reading way that others are living a frugal life, saving money, etc.

Squidoo Hopping 7/21/11

Thursday snuck right up on me this week.

I've been in and out of squidoo this week a lot, but sure didn't get anything built or updated. Well, I did update one lens.

I'm still checking out Fotolia, which I am having lots of fun. With the free 30 day membership they gave me I can download up to 5 photos per day. I'm having fun looking up words of interest like coupons, crafts, crochet, etc. I am getting photos saved that I will use in my lenses and in my blog. Be on the look out for my review because 3 of my lucky readers who comment will also win a 30 day membership!

Ok, I played around a little in my Pop Tarts Vs. Toaster Strudel lens. This was a Rocketmoms challenge once to make a comparison lens. I didn't do well with it, but sure couldn't think of anything else to compare. I doubt I do another comparison lens.

Here are a couple of lenses that are in the pink that can use views to move up.
This Day in History February 1 and
Crash! by Mayra Calvani

Alrighty....I hope to see lots hook up this week. I really appreciate those of you that are working to help me get the word out about the hop. Thanks!

WIP Wednesday 7/20/11

Good Wednesday to all.  I've tried to keep with my promise to myself and work on crafts each day.  So much I want to do, but so little time around housekeeping, church activities, company in town, getting ready for our wedding, my other earning online...and the other usual things that take me away from home.

I've been working on an order for 12 washcloths, that is moving right along.

I was looking at this quilt that I have already listed in my etsy store.  OMG!  The binding on it looks like you know what.  So, new project....ripping the binding off and hopefully getting it right this time.  I've seen some tutorials on blogs going through these hops, so I think I understand now the real way to put the binding on!

 Lastly this week, I started a jelly roll quilt of my own.  First of all, my strips were already cut to 2 inches instead of 2 1/2 inches.  Secondly, I didn't have near as many strips as I thought I had.  I ended up with about 1450 inches.  Looks like it's going to end up being a lap quilt, but I'm ok with that as I don't have any of these in my etsy shop yet.   I am rounding up what material I can to get another started.....and I have gingham prints from church to start another for church as well.

 I am hooking up with the following 3 blog hops.  Click each button to hop along and/or see what others are up to!

Mailbox Monday 7/18/11

Another pretty slow week, but something in the mail each day I suppose it always good...well, it's fun anyway.
Magazines: Forbes, Ok, Bloomsberg Businessweek, Sports Illustrated and People.
My Jerky Direct autoship (paid for + by my downline)
Envie of coupons won by Pamela but she asked it be sent to me--Thanks to both Pamela for thinking of me and Cathie for holding the giveaway.
Several pieces of hausernet mail
Free coupon for Jif To Go 8 pack
Seeds inside a garden club offer
Time of Grace magazine

My email was great this past week:
.19 paypal from youdata
$9.41 paypal from article writing services (after paypal fees)
craft order to paypal
$9.39 paypal from squidoo