Dare to Be Thankful Features + Sneak Peek

Did you all survive Thanksgiving?  Are you braving the Black Friday madness?  I go with the lady in-laws out of tradition.  I shop in the morning.  Drink a Peppermint Chocolate Chip milk shake from Chick-fil-A and then I call it a day.  I usually have approximately 3 panic attacks in that 3 hour period.  Aw, tradition.

Today I'd like to share with you three of my favorite projects from Monday's Dare to DIY link party.  Be sure to check out all of the projects here!

In no particular order.  

This chalkboard from Interiors by Kenz is just the right amount thankful and cute.  Check out the whole project for a cute little heart detail.

This "Give Thanks" sign from At Least I Will is super fancy. I love the use of cork letters!

Isn't this pilgrim wine bottle from Corner of Main the most darling you've seen?  I bet it makes the wine taste even better than usual.

Thanks to everyone who participated!  (Again, check out all of the projects over at Primitive and Proper!)

Are you ready for next week's challenge, Dare to Entertain?  If not, there's still time.  Get to crafting!

Here's a sneak peek of my project.

Here's all of the party details!

Party Date: Monday, Dec. 2

(Link goes live Monday morning at Maybe Matilda)

Dare to… entertain!

DIY something for your table. This could be something from last week's Thanksgiving table or a new Christmas look. Get creative and use things in new ways. Or go true DIY and make something totally new. Ideas include place mats, table runners, place cards or centerpieces.

Giveaway: One of you will win 50 free Christmas cards from Tiny Prints.

Will you dare to entertain?

Steel Meister Stainless Steel Cleaner

This post brought to you by Steel Meister. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know about you all but we are in full on holiday mode in our house.

The trees are up.  The decorations are out.  The lights are hung.  Now all that is left is to enjoy Thanksgiving and then start holiday baking and enjoying time with family and friends.

My kitchen is pretty much a constant disaster in the month of December.  I love to bake and my kitchen shows it!  

I don't want to spend my entire month cleaning but I do freak out if I don't have a tidy house.  One area of our kitchen that I struggle cleaning is our stainless steel.  We've been in our house for 5 years now and I have continued to struggle with finding a good stainless steel cleaner.  I feel like I tried them all (natural routes included) and I just decided to settle with the last one I tested.  But a refrigerator that looks like this drives me batty!

Look at those fingerprints.  I constantly give Nate a lecture that I have now titled "Grimy Hands 101."  He has yet to pass.  And I don't think it's because I am a poor instructor.  I will never complain about my husband cooking but is that mess on the fridge really necessary?  USE A HAND TOWEL.

Even Ike understands keeping the fridge clean.  Look at that face!

I figured I'd give Steel Meister a shot.  I'd just bow out of the campaign if it wasn't a good fit.  

I was honestly surprised at how well this cleaner works.  It was easy to use.  You spray the cleaner onto the cloth and then you apply by wiping as you would to polish a car. 

I have two favorite things about this product:

1. It doesn't streak.  Every other cleaner I've tried I have had to scrub and buff to be streak free.  Point for Steel Meister.  

2. It keeps our stainless steel cleaner longer.  I was pretty skeptical when the product review said that it not only cleaned but also protects from future build up.  Our fridge door last about 2-3 days before I start to wig out compared to the previous 10-15 minutes.  I noticed after the initial application that I hardly had to scrub to get any gunk off the fridge door handles!

So shiny and finger print free!  I have definitely found my new stainless steel cleaner!  

Want to try Steel Meister yourself?  Read the Steel Meister reviews and pick up yours at the Home Depot (in the appliance section).  You can also follow Steel Meister through various social media: facebook, twitter and Pinterest.

Speaking of Pinterest, be sure to check out my "Cleaning- Before and After" board!

Do you have any stainless steel surfaces that drive you batty?  Are you a big holiday baker?  Anyone else need a lesson in Grimy Hands 101?

DIY Thankful Banner {Dare to DIY}

Today's the day! The very first day of the Dare to DIY for 2013.  

Cassie {Primitive and Proper} is today's host.  Check out my project and head on over for a ton of Thanksgiving inspired DIY projects.  I can't wait to read through them all!  (Darn work cramping my blog time.)

I decided to update my Instagram display with a "Thankful" word banner.

It's no secret that I'm an Instagram addict.  (My username is decorandthedog.  Weird, right?)  I use Instagram to capture those little life moments that I don't want to forget. I have the worst memory.  Except for pharmacy information.  I remember all of that.  I just can't tell you what I had for supper last night.  Wait, I can.  My Instagram feed tells me it was ham and bean soup.  Thanks, Instagram!

I made the "Thankful" word banner using felt and Heat n' Bond Iron-On adhesive.  I traced my letters on the felt backing.  (Be sure to keep in mind that you are tracing mirror images).  I applied the Heat n' Bond according to the directions. I then applied the front layer of felt and cut out my letters.

I then top stitched around each letter.  I think these letters would be cute for any holiday or birthday!

To dare myself to be even more thankful, I decided to print out some new Instagram photos using Snapstagram.  (They gave me a code for some free prints.  I wasn't required to post about them but I was super happy with their products.)  The DIY prints work great on my Instagram display because they are sturdier than other prints and seem to hang on the clothes pins better.

 My Instagram feed is full of so many things that I am thankful for.  Some of which include my darling friends.

And of course, these two.  How could I not be thankful for these two?  

One final thankful shot.

Another great "thanful" project would be this photo book (also from Snapstagram).  It's just too cute not to share.  The cover is plain Kraft paper.  I made a book of Ike (totally thankful for Ike) and stamped the front accordingly.  These would make awesome gifts for family, especially if you have non-furry children.

Now it's time to check out my co-hosts amazing thankful projects. Rachel {Maybe Matilda} made a tutu for her darling baby girl.  Cassie {Primitive and Proper} created a thankful tree with feathers and arrows.  Kim {NewlyWoodwards} whipped up a thankful chalkboard crossword.

Be sure to link up your own DIY thankful project at Primitive and Proper!  We can't wait to see what you came up with!

(Baby tutu via Maybe Matilda, Thankful tree with feathers and arrows via Primitive and Proper, Thankful banner and Instagram display via Decor and the Dog, Thankful chalkboard crossword via NewlyWoodwards)

Did you Dare to Be Thankful?  Tell me you did! Are you an Instagram fan?  Anyone want an Ike book? ;)