I’ll just get this out of the way right now: My name is Jenna and I’m a pillow addict. I know, I know. Go ahead and make your tsking noises while I hang my head in shame. I can’t help it. Nothing brightens up a room or brings together a decorating scheme like a well-placed throw pillow. Plus they’re an affordable luxury. While you may not be able to afford a plush velvet couch, a few beautiful ultra-soft chenille or hand-embroidered silk pillows may be well within your reach. Also, with the house full of the girls and their friends, there’s always an impromptu board game being played on the floor- and everyone wants their own cushion to grab and snuggle (or whappp each other with, when things get silly).

As you can imagine, I was so pleased  to be able to review these Indian Sari Cushion Covers. They were pretty on the website, but in person they are absolutely gorgeous!

These poly-silk cushion covers are made from Indian Saris in Rajasthan, India. They have a slit opening in the back and slipped easily onto my pillow forms. The fabric feels substantial and silky to the touch and is edged with gold embroidery. The colors are rich and vibrant. I feel that with proper care, these well-made covers bring you years of use.

I opted for the Kela red 24 x 24″ and Jazz blue 20 x 20″ to compliment my decor, but they’re also quite lovely out on the porch against the stark, bare wood. (These are indoor cushion covers, though, so if you use them outside make sure to bring them in with you!).

The metallic threads in the pillow shimmer and glow like liquid gold in the sunlight.

These cushion covers are very nicely priced, starting at only $15! The sponsor had generously offered my readers an additional 15% discount. Just use the coupon code INDIA15 at checkout.

They carry an array of sizes, designs and colors to suit your needs.

I have nothing negative to report, they’re just an absolutely beautiful addition to my home.

I know you’ll be excited to hear that the sponsor has also offered to give away two Indian Sari cushion covers to one of my readers! Yay! I wish I could give all of you fancy-schmancy pillows. And sconces! But this is a wonderful place to begin.

To enter the giveaway, simply follow the instruction sin the Rafflecopter form below. I will email the winner when the giveaway closes and you will have 48 hours to respond before I will have to draw a new winner. This giveaway is open to the US only. The sponsor is solely responsible for the delivery of your prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links

Prepare to party in style with Mustache Man party supplies from Birthday Express. The Mustache Man party theme is probably one of the most versatile themes available. It can work perfectly for dress-up parties, kids parties, baby showers and first birthdays.

Throwing the perfect mustache bash can be easy because there are so many ways to mix and match products, along with fun games and decorating ideas that coordinate with the theme.

Food & Drink Ideas – Find some old soda bottles or mason jar mugs and fill them up with blue Gatorade. The light bluish color will match perfectly with the Mustache Man theme and you can serve them with the Mustache Party Straws. For a sweet treat, serve your guests cupcakes with a Mustache Man Ring, featured below, as a cake topper.

Party Activities – Get creative with your game play and create your own “Pin the Mustache” game, a spin-off of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Or, go the classic route with a Mustache Pull-String Pinata that’s full of fun little party favors and candy.

Party Decor – To add some pop to your Mustache Man party theme, add in some solid color decor for accents. Lime green balloons will coordinate great with the theme, along with a Mustache Foil Shaped Balloon.

1. Mustache Man Centerpiece
2. Black Mustache Ring
3. Green Apple Rock Candy Stick
4. Hanging Mustache Decor
5. Mustache Man Dinner Plates (8)
6. Mustache Man Dessert Plates (8)
7. Mustache Man Lunch Napkins (20)

For a full selection of Mustache Man party supplies, visit Birthday Express – you won’t find this theme anywhere else!

Some of you are aware of one of the great loves of my life: bubble baths! However, with a house full of girls and a busy schedule, I don’t always have time to indulge in the full bubbly bath ritual. Especially dashing in after working out, or getting grimy in the garden, sometimes a quick shower is exactly what I need. That’s why I thought it would be fun to review the Aquagenix® Fusion 7-setting 2 in 1 Moisturizing, Water-Conditioning Hand Shower with Reservoir Handle & Refillable Cartridges.

It turned out to be such a luxurious experience, I may have a problem now choosing between the shower and the bath. Actually with the 5′ long hose that converts the shower head to a hand shower, I could do both at once! I know this particular feature will be handy for washing my hair even during baths.

The pretty chrome shower head includes a 7-setting dial to give you exactly the water pressure and intensity that you desire. Settings include: Rain, Pulsating Massage, Hydro-Mist, Rain/Massage, Rain/Mist, Economy Rain, and Pause. My favorite setting is the Rain/Massage which combines a perfect gentle downpour with relaxing massage pulses! Heavenly.

But what really sets this shower head apart from all others are the refillable cartridges- one has Active Carbon which purifies your water, the other is for aromatherapy bath salts (you can refill the cartridge with any of your own favorite bath salts or beads). You can also leave the cartridge empty for a plain shower. How nice to be able to create a steamy, fragrantly moisturizing, spa-like experience right in your own bathroom.

It is super easy to install, without a lot of complicated parts- and you actually don’t need any tools to complete the installation. Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Aquagenix Fusion!

Now for the part I know will excite all of you: the company has generously offered to give one of these awesome hand showers to a reader of The Outspoken Yam! Just yay! When you’re sighing in aromatheraputic bliss, I expect you to think of me.

To enter, just use the easy Rafflecopter form below. Delivery of this prize is the sole responsibility of the sponsor. This giveaway is open to the US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I’ve been taking an interest in photography and trying to improve my own with my admittedly ancient (in technological years!) and not top-of-the-line camera. So I was extremely happy to have the opportunity to review these custom canvas prints from Canvas HQ.

They sent me a coupon code to order an 11″x 14″ canvas print. The process on their website could not have been easier. You can choose a photo you have saved on Facebook or upload a new one. They have  a large number of size and framing options available. The site allows you to crop your photo to fit your chosen canvas and allows you to enhance or change your picture. I think the selected color feature, which pulls one brightly colored aspect of the image and turns the rest black and white (such as a child’s bright red dress), would be fun to try another time. They will also email a proof to you, so you can see and approve exactly what you’re getting before they send it.

I decided to go with one of my cardinal photographs. That way the girls wouldn’t get jealous if I chose a picture of just one of them. Plus I need more artwork in my bedroom, which happens to be decorated in red and black- perfect for his showy red plumage.

I was very pleased with the results! You can see here the canvas texture, which added depth to the photo without losing any of the sharpness or detail.

I chose the wraparound canvas, which uses part of your photo to self-frame. I always think this adds a cool dimensional feel to artwork.

I did feel the top of the photo was cropped a little too closely. I probably should have gone with a complimenting color wrap on the sides of the canvas in this instance, which would have left the bird fully centered.

These canvases also come with a handy self-hanging wire,  no tools needed!

I truly couldn’t be happier with the quality of my print. I already have plans to turn some of my favorite photos of the girls into lasting works of art!

Canvas HQ has generously offered to give one of my readers the same opportunity to try their service for free! How cool is that? If you win, I hope you’ll come back and show me the canvas you create!

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. At the end of the giveaway, I will announce a winner and contact that person for their information. The Outspoken Yam is not responsible for the delivery of your prize, that is solely the responsibility of the sponsor. This giveaway is open to the USA only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I’ve been wanting a pretty wreath for my front door, but the prices are often dauntingly high. There’s also the problem that I’m not a huge fan of fake flowers. They so often scream tacky/funeral arrangement/old lady with plastic furniture covers, at least to me. I have flashbacks to a house I used to pass on my way to school. It was two doors down from a graveyard…and every inch of available space was “planted” with fake plastic flowers still clinging to the grave dirt they’d very obviously been plucked from. So maybe I just have stolen zombie grave flower PTSD.

Anyway! The best remedy, as always, seems to be making my own. I decided my first wreath should be based on one of my favorite flowers- the ranunculus. Perhaps a strangely named, old-fashioned choice but they are quite beautiful.

Materials needed:

• 18″ wire wreath form
• Glue gun and sticks
• Small bird nest
• Paper mache egg
• Acrylic paints: Dark pink, light pink, golden yellow
• Paintbrushes
• Green floral tape
• Light pink tulle
• An assortment of large silk ranunculus blooms, smaller blooms and accent flowers
• Scissors

The supplies you find will likely not be exactly the same. I’m all about using or reusing what you have on hand so feel free to improvise. The main thing is to make something you find appealing and to have fun doing so! First I took three of the ranunculus blooms with stems still attached and wove them through the wire wreath form at about even intervals. These will be your anchor flowers. I left the wider space open on one side because I knew my bow would go there.

Next I removed the rest of my blooms and leaves from their stems. I laid my wreath form flat and began placing leaves and blooms around the form, playing with placement until everything looked balanced. In the picture below, nothing is attached. At this stage you are merely deciding where everything will go.

Now you can begin attaching items. Use the green floral tape and wrap securely. Start with background items like leaves, then move on to your smaller filler flowers. Your large blooms should be attached last. Carefully use your glue gun to adhere the blooms, nestling them in securely among the leaves. Remove any strings of glue. Give the wreath a few gentle shakes to make sure nothing needs extra securing.

To paint the egg, I first gave it an over-all coat with the light pink. After drying I decided to do a textured look to make it more interesting. Pour small amounts of all three of your paint colors onto a palette or small dish. Using a swirling, stabbing motion and a medium sized brush, alternately apply each of the colors.

Let the egg dry. Glue it securely into the nest. Cut a few yards of your pink tulle and form it into a bow. Glue the bow onto your wreath. Glue the nest directly on top of the bow.

As promised, today I’m bringing you instructions for how to make your own patriotic USA pillow as featured in my Fabulous Fourth Table Setting. This is a quick and simple project, you could easily make several to toss around as accents at your 4th of July festivities.

I used a plain denim tote bag as my inspiration for this project. Between contests and shopping, I seem to have about a million tote bags lying around- far more than I could ever use. I thought “Ah-ha!” What an easy way to save sewing time and use up a plentiful resource by turning something I don’t really need into something useful and pretty!

Supplies:

One lightweight denim 13″x 13″ tote bag
Lightweight red canvas fabric
About 2 ft of 1-1/2″ wide dark blue satin ribbon
Sheet of flocked white 1-1/2″ high iron-on block letters
One 1-1/2 inch dark blue iron-on star and two 1-inch dark blue iron-on stars
Two 1-inch red buttons
Fiberfill stuffing
Dark blue and red thread
Sewing machine (optional)
Hand sewing needle
Scissors
Iron
Straight pins
Tape measure

Instructions:

1. Begin by carefully cutting the handles off of your tote bag. Discard them or save them for another project.  Measure and cut a 12″ x 12″ square of red canvas fabric. Choose a side of the tote bag to be the front of your pillow. On this side, center the red canvas square on top of your denim tote bag. Temporarily pin in the center to hold it in place as you work. Carefully fold each  raw edge of the red canvas under 1/2″, pinning as you go. Make sure the pins are only going through the canvas and the top layer of your tote bag. You will need to open the bag later to sew.

2. Cut two 12″ lengths  of blue satin ribbon.  Lay one length of ribbon horizontally  across red canvas square, 1-1/4″ up from the bottom of the canvas.  Carefully pin the ribbon in place, once again making sure the pins only go through the top layer of denim tote. Fold 1/2″ of ribbon under the canvas on each side and pin. Repeat this process with your second length of ribbon, measuring 1-14″ up from the top of the first ribbon. laying the second ribbon horizontally and pinning in place to form your stripes.

3. Using a straight stitch, 1/8″ from outer edge, topstitch with red thread all around the canvas square, removing pins as you go. I chose to use red thread for the ribbons too, because I liked the contrast, but you can switch to blue if you prefer. Stitch the ribbons into place, removing pins as you sew.

4. Press entire front of tote with warm iron. Cut excess backing paper away from your letters and position them on the top left side of your red canvas square. Follow package instructions to heat transfer your letters onto the fabric, making sure to let paper cool completely before removing.

5. Repeat process with the stars, positioning them to the top right of your canvas square and following package instructions to attach them to your pillow.

6. Stuff the tote firmly- but not until it’s overstuffed -with fiberfill. Now use a whipstich or invisible stitch to close the top of your pillow. Sew one red button at each top corner.

Options: For a no-sew pillow, you could use fusible webbing and an iron to secure your fabric layers.

I decided to do a test run of my table setting for Independence Day. I thought I’d challenge myself by just gathering things from around the house to fit the theme instead of rushing out to buy more stuff. Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in belongings, even while being grateful for the excess. It seems like one good way to celebrate my gratitude would be to actually dust some of it off and USE it instead of letting it hide in the corners prettily accumulating cobwebs.

Part of my inspiration was this sweet package I received from Aaryne at the Make it or Buy it blog. She went out of her way to wrap everything so carefully and sweetly- in seasonally appropriate colors, even! She sent a box of the beautiful blue Heritage Ball canning jars, which I have been coveting for quite some time. She also sent a bag full of red and white party supplies- cute old fashioned straws, plastic cutlery, napkins and paper plates. I used most of this in my tablescape, and I loved her idea of  making place settings with the cutlery tucked inside the jars.

Instead of struggling to fit one tablecloth around the center pole of my umbrella table, I decided to use two different scarves, one on each side. That’s right, I mixed stripes and plaid and I’m not ashamed. The large red metal stars were hanging in my bedroom. The black lantern, lighthouse oil lamp and blue star candle tin were found in various places around my deck.

The blue and white pillow was nabbed from my kitchen. I made the USA pillow and will be posting the instructions  for you tomorrow, in case you want to make your own! I promise it is super simple, and I will even give you a no-sew option.

I’ve had the cute little Winnie the Pooh Uncle Sam figurine for years. He was proud to be drafted into service once again! A few little extras like the Darice rusted star and handfuls of star confetti were nabbed from the craft room. All of the dishes and glassware were super cheap at Target.

I may tweak a few things for the actual holiday, and of course we’ll need more tables than this. However, I ‘m pretty pleased with the result.

This is a companion craft that can be made along with my Carrot Candy Cone & Easter Puppets. You’re really just making an enlarged version of the bunny head puppet. This is a quick and easy project for kids of all ages, and the place holders make a cute addition to any Easter table! If you need any help or clarification, please feel free to ask.

Skill level: Easy/Beginner

Supplies:

White light-weight cardstock
Pencil
Scissors
Fine-point black Sharpie pen
Acrylic paint: I used DecoArt Americana in Electric Pink and Avocado
Pink micro-glitter
Pink ribbon
Paintbrush
Popsicle sticks or small twigs
Tape

Instructions:

1.Print out the bunny head template below. You can either print as many as you’ll need directly onto the cardstock or you can print one sample bunny and trace it onto cardstock with your pencil. You can adjust the print-out to any size you’d like.

2. Cut out each bunny head. I chose to cut slightly outside of the outlines for a more defined look. Trace over the printed or pencil-traced features of the bunny with your Sharpie to give them a crisp, clean look. Along the outer curve of each ear, write the name of one of your guests.

3. Paint the inner ears, nose, mouth and eyelids pink. I also made a heart by each guest name and painted them pink. Apply glitter while paint is still wet, tapping excess off onto a piece of scrap paper. Let dry.

4. Paint the sticks green and let dry.

5. Tape sticks securely on backs of bunny heads, about two inches from one end of each stick. Cut lengths of ribbon and tie onto sticks directly below bunny heads, making each one into a bow.

Variations: You could also enlarge the chicks template from the puppet project to make chick place holders. You could use the same pattern to make a paper garland of bunnies or chicks!

All instructions, patterns and photos © Jenna Osborne. You have permission to print this project for personal or classroom use only. I would love to see your completed projects!

This fun and easy painting craft for Easter has many possibilities! Even preschoolers should be able to help with the painting, while older kids can accomplish this project on their own. The puppets can be used just for decoration, or to tell a cute Easter story. You can use Popsicle sticks or small twigs for the puppet sticks. I recycled those reed diffuser sticks that come with bottles of air freshener oil! You could also just make the carrot cones by themselves to hold sweet treats. If you have any questions or need clarification, don’t be shy- just ask!

Skill level: Easy/beginner

Supplies:

White lightweight cardstock
Scissors
Pencil
Black fine-point Sharpie pen
Sticks or twigs
Acrylic paint- I used DecoArt Americana Electric Pink, Avocado, Bright Orange, Bright Yellow, and Royal Fuchsia
Paintbrushes
Orange microglitter
Green ribbon
Tape
Glue
Hole punch
Tissue paper and candy (optional)

Instructions:

1. Take an 8×11 piece of cardstock and roll it into a cone. Glue or tape the exposed edge into place. Trim off the excess paper so the top is rounded.

2. Paint entire outside and a few inches from the top of the inside of the cone orange. While still wet, sprinkle all over with orange glitter, tapping off excess onto a piece of scrap paper. Let dry.

3. Print out the bunny and chick templates below. You can either print them directly onto cardstock or print one example on regular paper and then trace them onto cardstock. Print or trace as many of each as you’d like to make.  You can adjust the size of the printout to suit you. You can also cut out oval shapes for eggs.

4. Cut out each character. I chose to cut slightly outside of the outlines for a more defined look. Trace over the printed or pencil-traced features of the bunny with your Sharpie to give them a crisp, clean look.

5. Paint the inner ears, nose, eyelids and mouth of the bunny pink. Paint the chick yellow and the feet and beak orange. Paint the eggs any way you’d like. I used fuchsia, pink and yellow. Let dry.

6. Paint sticks green and let dry.

7. Tape sticks securely on backs of each character, about two inches from one end of each stick.

8. Use holepunch to put a hole in each side of the carrot cone, about two inches down from the top. Thread one end of ribbon through each hole, leaving plenty of ribbon in the center for a carrying strap. Knot the ribbon on both sides, leaving short tails and trim off any excess.

9. Stuff the carrots with tissue paper and candy, then arrange the puppets so they fan out from the top and the green sticks resemble the top of a carrot.

All instructions, patterns and photos © Jenna Osborne. You have permission to print this project for personal or classroom use only. I would love to see your completed projects!