#7 Mockingbird Lane

I don't...

2012-01-27T22:32:00.005-06:00

I was inspired to write this list by another blogger's post quite awhile back. I'd bet that most don't know every one of the things on this list.

Ten Things I Don’t Do

I don’t drink coffee (and rarely tea).
I don’t wear high heels (I can’t walk in them!).
I don’t sleep through the night.
I don’t like the cold.
I don’t eat very healthy. (Any tips for getting over my junk food addiction?)
I don’t own a car (yet).
I don’t like spicy food.
I don’t ride a bicycle.
I don’t wrap gifts very well.
I don’t like being sticky (which is why I don’t eat much fruit!).

My 2012 Home Goals

2012-01-08T14:18:00.000-06:00

I have seen numerous posts listing bloggers’ home goals. I thought that was a great idea, so I decided to create my own list of home goals too.

The following are my home goals:

Purchase starfish for the bathroom wall.
Develop organization plan for under bathroom sink.
Create photo wall above sofa.
Paint my own canvas piece for dining area.
Find something to hang on wall above television.
Purchase floor pillows for living room.
Figure out what to do about gaps in wood flooring.

My first overall goal for 2012, though, is to purchase a car. After this, I will dedicate funds to my home goals.

And just two more days to go!

2011-12-23T19:43:00.001-06:00

Can you believe that Christmas is just two more days to go? Craziness! I was not happy with my holiday setup this year, so today I re-did the mantle and figured out a new way to display my holiday cards. I added touches here and there besides. What do you think?

Pinterest Inspiration - Holiday Decor

2011-12-10T21:12:00.001-06:00

Pinterest constantly inspires me. Here is some of the holiday inspiration I've found:

Source: marthastewart.com via Regina on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Regina on Pinterest

Source: freshpoppydesign.blogspot.com via Regina on Pinterest

Source: pennyannpoundwise.xanga.com via Regina on Pinterest

The big score!

2011-11-15T20:23:00.001-06:00

I walked down to a nearby Family Dollar this past weekend, impressed by the great buys I had seen other bloggers show off on their blogs. Well, I scored big time.

I found: A three-pack of narrow bins (along these lines) to use for drawer organizers at just $1.75; metal lanterns for just $3.60 each (not bad at all when you think about the price of similar metal lanterns the same size from Pottery Barn at $29); and a large air-tight mason style jar too, for just $5.00 (like this one but larger). For $13.95 I got what would cost at least $55 elsewhere. I'd call that scoring big time!

The lantern:

The Pink Chair

2011-11-10T19:23:00.000-06:00

A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless.

- May Sarton

I have this big pink chair. A faded fuschia chair. I have had it since my junior year of high school. I have brought it everywhere post-college I have moved. I keep it because it is comfortable and because if I am blessed with a child one day I would like to rock my child(ren) in it. It matches nothing, but I can't imagine it anything other than faded fuschia, so it remains. I bought a throw to cover it, said to be red, but it looks no more red to me than the chair.

A new home.

2011-11-05T18:12:00.005-05:00

One of the big changes during my blog sabbatical was an unfortunately necessary move back to St. Louis. My unemployment situation had gone on too long, so I returned to search for work here. I found a job quickly and found a new space to live.

Here are some photos of my new home:

As more is done with my home and a few projects are completed more photos will be shared. The crafting is put on hold until I find a storage solution that makes supplies accessible.

Hello, hello.

2011-10-31T19:22:00.000-05:00

I did not expect to be away this long, but life takes us in unexpected places and so it did with me. I would like to get back to regular posts soon. For now, though, I would like to share a couple of pictures of my Halloween decor.

For now.

2011-04-01T12:11:00.000-05:00

Life is pretty difficult for me right now. Instead of taking forever to post to my blog, I am going to take a break from blogging. I will return to blogging when my life calms down some.

I may pause with reading blogs as well, but please know I will return to reading those too when life calms down some.

I will continue to sell on Etsy, so feel free to check out my Etsy shop in the meantime.

Finally. Friday Favorites.

2011-03-25T17:26:00.000-05:00

I have been experiencing some challenges here, so I have been slower in posting. I have come up with a Friday Favorites post this week, though.

Book covers for matchbooks. So cute!
Very old pet photographs. Fantastic photos!
Moss graffiti. A great landscaping idea for any homeowner.
A fun Mod Podge project. I failed at this project, but maybe you'll do better.
Before I die: A New Orleans public project with great meaning.

Check out the links and let me know what you think. Any links you think I should check out?

Also: If anyone would like to guest post for Friday Favorites, please let me know.

I post!

2011-03-24T02:24:00.000-05:00

I spent much too much of this evening catching up on others’ blogs. I realized a couple of things by the time I had waved the white flag, giving up on trying to win the battle against the backlog.

First, I realized that I am having a blogger dry spell of sorts. Life has been pretty challenging since my guy & I moved to Austin, TX, and because of that my blog is not as wonderful and energetic as I know it can be when I am at my best. I do continue to try to post and hope that readers will be patient and hang on for those here and there posts I share. Be patient and as life’s challenges come to pass I assure you the blog will be better and better all the time. *smile*

Second, I realized that I have shared so little about my life and myself. Along with that, I have shared few photos, aside from those of cards and layouts. I realized this evening when I was perusing everyone’s posts that many, many bloggers include posts that are short descriptions of their days or their weeks and/or photos of their families and their lives. Since I began a pretty theme-centric blog I had pigeonholed my posts. I am going to try to round out my blog more as time goes on.

So there's this thing called life...

2011-03-16T00:05:00.000-05:00

Life seems to be getting in the way of consistent posts as of late. A lot is going on and it takes much of my focus. I do hope that readers will stick around, though. As time and energy allows I will post. :)

I have added a bunch of new card sets to my Etsy shop recently, so do take a look there for some of what I have been working on. You are always welcome to buy one of the sets too, of course!

Flower Birthday Card Set

2011-03-12T06:42:00.000-06:00

I made this cute birthday card set recently. I will add the set to my Etsy page, of course.

I do intend to get back to scrapbooking, but for some reason I am on a card kick. Also, I find that cards are quicker to make.

A new card set

2011-03-10T18:39:00.000-06:00

I made this cheery, fun card set yesterday. The set is now listed on Etsy.

New cards!

2011-03-07T21:00:00.000-06:00

I have been added new card sets to my Etsy shop and have been making cards like mad.

Here is one card set I made recently. I will post it to Etsy soon.

63 years old.

2011-03-05T00:37:00.000-06:00

My dad would have been 63 years old today. He died, though, at 48 years old.

Happy birthday, Dad.
(I miss you).

Another set of layouts for you

2011-03-03T14:58:00.001-06:00

Here are another couple more layouts I did the week prior to my travels. I am all done with 2010 layouts now and just one layout from up to date on 2011 layouts. I am waiting to do that layout until I have another to do, so that cardstock colors coordinate.

Back to posting!

2011-03-01T14:58:00.000-06:00

My trip to and from Iowa to see my family was exhausting! I had more delays and more layovers than I have ever had. I spent yesterday recovering from the travels back from the visit. Not that the exhaustion stopped me from being productive, mind you. Heh.

Here are a couple layouts I did the week prior to visiting my family. I will share a couple more layouts in another post.

Away

2011-02-21T22:24:00.000-06:00

Due to a serious family situation I will be out of state through Sunday. I will return to posting sometime at the beginning of next week.

Friday Favorites

2011-02-18T21:47:00.001-06:00

This has been a busy week for me. I did make time for scrapbooking, though, and will hopefully get some layouts posted this weekend. Before I get to Friday Favorites, I want to encourage you to read this post: Thoughts on comments. I absolutely agree with her. Read it and feel free to comment to this post with a link to any comments you submit for the post.

Now onto the Friday Favorites!

An easy and inexpensive decor project for anyone crafty.
A free printable to keep track of health expenses.
A day-by-day two-page travel layout. A great idea!
"Ten Things I Love About You" printable.

Friday Favorites

2011-02-11T17:29:00.000-06:00

Without further adieu, I give you this week's Friday Favorites:

Gorgeous French-inspired bottles you too can make.
A lovely photo.
An easy wall decor project. I plan to do this project this weekend!
A city-themed postcard. She does ship to the US, btw.
Cutest robot cards ever. So cute.

Check the links out and if you have any links I should check out, add them to comments. No spam links, of course. *smile*

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-02-08T09:40:00.000-06:00

My Top Ten Date Ideas

Go out for gelato (and not at Whole Foods).
Take her to a cupcake bakery for something yummy.
A romantic picnic at sunset.
A hike in a state park.
Dinner at a favorite restaurant.
Make your honey dinner and follow it with massages.
Take him or her to see a favorite author for a reading or signing.
A game day in. Scrabble or Monopoly or Quiddler or Uno or…
Volunteer together.
Spend the night or weekend at a bed and breakfast.

Linking to:

A fun get well card

2011-02-06T10:27:00.000-06:00

I have the worst trouble coming up with get well cards, but this image was too perfect for a get well card not to use it. Isn't it fun?!

NYE 2010

2011-02-05T17:42:00.009-06:00

I did these layouts of our New Year's Eve date and the NYE party that followed our date. I am not fond of the letters I used on the party layout, so I may eventually figure out a color of stickers that would work on the blue cardstock background and use the stickers instead.

Friday Favorites

2011-02-04T21:31:00.001-06:00

Without further adieu, I give you my fab Friday favorites!

The cutest lil' thing I may have ever seen:

Robot Love, a valentine card I found on Etsy. Super cute!
A cute idea for a DIY crafty calendar.
A FREE robot valentine card printable.

Kid cards

2011-02-04T18:23:00.004-06:00

I made these cards as congrats cards of a sort for kids, though I would love to get a robot card for any occasion and I am an adult, so maybe the robot card is a card for all ages. *smile*

Chinatown

2011-02-03T17:39:00.008-06:00

This is a layout I did for my visit to Chinatown. I loved these photos the best of my Chinatown shots.

I would like to get some sort of China-related dimensional or chipboard sticker to add on the right of the title. Eventually I will find a set of China-related stickers I like to add one onto this layout.

Housewarming cards

2011-02-02T18:15:00.001-06:00

These are some housewarming cards I made recently. The only differences between them, aside from subtle size differences, are the color choices.

I hope in time to learn more about proper blending with markers and I could use any tips on how to get every card the same size (when using 8 1/2 x 11 paper in the printer) as well as the exact placement of font/words for cards in MS Word docs. I am rather challenged with these things. Please post a comment or send me an e-mail with any tips! Check out my profile for my e-mail address.

Golden Gate Bridge

2011-02-01T13:33:00.000-06:00

This is a layout I did for our trip to the Golden Gate Bridge. I insisted that we go there so I could get some good shots of it. I hope to go back there the next time I get to San Francisco and get other shots with different perspectives. I can't wait to visit San Francisco again! It is an amazing city.

I was out of black stickers for the vowels and various other commonly used letters, so I used a font I found on Dafont that I thought would work for the title. I guess it is time to find some funds for more fun black letter stickers!

Simple cards and an exciting announcement

2011-01-31T18:13:00.001-06:00

I made these very simple cards, with quotes and blank insides to leave room for a note from the sender to the recipient. Since my more recent posts have been all layouts from our trip to Cali, I thought I would break up the layout posts and have every other post be cards and the others featuring layouts. I hope my lovely readers aren't getting too bored!

The exciting announcement? I opened an Etsy shop! Click here to check it out. I hope to add more cards and some craft items to the store in time. Hopefully, crossing my fingers, I start selling soon. :)

Holler if you have suggestions on how to improve my blog or the posts themselves. Constructive feedback is always accepted and appreciated.

Elephant Seals!

2011-01-28T13:28:00.001-06:00

I did this as the corresponding layout to the Morro Bay layout. We stopped to see the elephant seals on the way to the Bay Area. My guy was intent on finding the vista point and I am so glad we did! The elephant seals sure are cute! And there were babies!

I would like to find dimensional or chipboard stickers of seashells to include on this layout, or something other than seashells if they work with the theme of the layout. I have looked for the right stickers at Michaels and online some, but again I have not found any I particularly like. I will keep looking, though!

Friday Favorites

2011-01-28T12:54:00.000-06:00

And here, my dears, is this week's Friday Favorites.

Do you have stories of kindness and inspiration? Share here.
If you've read my About Me then you know how much I love these.
Robots! This woman makes awesome robot art.
Yearly time capsule jars to keep souvenirs of the year's memories.
This is my new favorite blog. I just found her blog and love it!
A lovely love note for your special someone on Etsy.

Comments

2011-01-27T00:00:00.001-06:00

Evidently you, my fine readers, are still having trouble commenting on my blog. I have posted on a Blogger forum to seek out guidance on this. I would appreciate if anyone that has had problems commenting could e-mail me and tell me specifically what happens and what browser you are using when you try to comment.

You can e-mail me at: gina.banina (at) gmail dot com. Obviously don't spell it as such, just preventing spam bots from getting ahold of my e-mail address. :)

Update: If you are having problems, make sure you have permitted third-party cookies.

2011-01-26T13:23:00.000-06:00

This layout is of our stop at Morro Bay on the way to the Bay Area. I bought paper with a sandy image for it and the corresponding layout. I normally do not like to buy individual papers because of the costs adding up as they do, but sometimes that is all that makes a layout work (and some of my favorite papers are not in the various brands' paper packs (boo!).

Any layouts with my guy in them will have a smiley face over his own face per his request and private nature. That's why his face is covered up. Otherwise why would I cover it? *smile*

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-01-25T00:45:00.000-06:00

I moved from St. Louis, MO, to Austin, TX, in March 2010. I miss St. Louis immensely. With that in mind, I came up with the following Top Ten Tuesday list.

Top ten things I miss about St. Louis:

Amazing and wonderful friends.
A pretty decent public transportation system.
Beautiful parks.
Cherokee Street.
Local art scene.
Lots to do and lots free to do in the city.
Numerous of ethnic restaurants.
South Grand.
The beautiful, historic brick homes and storefronts.
The sense of community.

Linking to:

What a view!

2011-01-24T13:20:00.000-06:00

I used this layout to focus on the great view during our travels to and from the Bay Area. This is the corresponding layout to the roadtrip layout, so I tried to use corresponding colors.

Roadtrip!

2011-01-22T17:17:00.001-06:00

I have finally begun to print out photos and create layouts of our trip to the Bay Area. I will post the layouts in the coming days. Some I am happier with than others. Feedback is always appreciated!

I would like to add dimensional or chipboard stickers of yellow cars to the top of this layout. I have looked at Michaels and online some, but have not yet found any I like terribly.

A fun card

2011-01-19T17:39:00.000-06:00

The inside reads "Hey, Sweet Thing". Fun, yes? It will be fun to give to someone! :)

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-01-18T01:46:00.002-06:00

Top Ten Crafty Items on My Wish List

Adhesive gemstones in various colors and sizes.
Brads of various colors and styles.
Heat gun and embossing powders/ink pads for embossing.
Markers that can be used directly on the stamps safely.
More clear and rubber stamps.
More solid colored cardstock in black and all the usual colors, bestselling brands.
Paper puncher in a very small hole size for brads.
Paper with fine striped patterns (again, even better: coordinating solid cardstock)
Paper with small dot patterns (even better: coordinating solid cardstock)
Thickers – All colors and styles

Linking to:

A Valentine's Day Card

2011-01-17T17:37:00.000-06:00

I rarely use yellow in any craft. I simply do not know how to make it work with layouts or cards. This time yellow was the only color that does work.

A winter-themed thank you card.

2011-01-15T17:36:00.000-06:00

I thought this might be a nice thank you note for the winter months. I did this card in a few different colors. I am not sure if I like it or not. What do you think? Too simple?

My craft room/office

2011-01-13T10:49:00.054-06:00

I have owed pictures of my craft room/office for a few months now. It has taken some time to get it organized and de-cluttered. I got creative with storage and made labels using cardstock and tape, what with me still unemployed (sigh) we have to watch our costs pretty closely.

My craft room/office really came together when my guy took me to IKEA and bought me exactly what I wanted for Christmas (and then put it together for me) this weekend. What did I want? The bookcase you see in one of the pictures.

Here are pics of the craft room/office for your viewing pleasure:

The middle two cubes of the bookcase, in the picture below, on the top level have bins with my postcard collection. I have collected postcards since I was a kid and have some postcards older than me in my collection.

I have some things I still need to find a place or container for, as you can see below:

Below you will see a collection of containers I cannot yet find things that will work well with them. I obviously need to find a place for them. With limited closet space it may be a challenge. I seem to be up for the challenge when it comes to creative storage solutions, though!

Another thank you card to share

2011-01-12T22:49:00.000-06:00

Here is another thank you card I made recently. I am rather proud of it. I came up with the idea all by myself and it was not like the cards I usually make.

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-01-11T14:18:00.000-06:00

My Top Ten Dream Craft Room Checklist

A big room with a huge empty space in the middle. Empty.
A large rectangular folding table (like churches use) along a wall.
Several of these drawer units against a wall.
My awesome oak desk/table against another wall.
A big window, with a gorgeous view and lots of sun shining in through it.
Lots of red cube bins, to fit into…
One large IKEA Expedit bookcase and my new smaller Expedit bookcase.
Red gingham accents and accessories and such.
A large closet. I’m talking LARGE, with shelves on every wall.
No clutter between creative sessions. None!

Linking to:

Thank you's

2011-01-10T22:56:00.000-06:00

Evidently, January is National Thank You Month. How fitting that it is set in January, with it following the holidays. I made thank you cards this weekend for everyone we received gifts from this holiday season.

Here is one of the thank you cards I made:

The Haight Ashbury District

2011-01-08T11:47:00.000-06:00

Of everything I experienced in San Francisco, the Haight-Ashbury district was my favorite place to be. In this neighborhood in particular, along HaightStreet I saw the most beautiful, diverse, and interesting people. I was too nervous to ask the San Francisco natives if they would allow me to photograph them, but I may very well do just that one day.

I was so excited when my guy drove to the Haight-Ashbury district and dropped me off to shoot (no parking spots were in sight). I was in the Haight-Ashbury district and stood at the infamous corner of Haight & Ashbury! I hope to explore the Haight-Ashbury district much more on the next trip I make to San Francisco for sure.

Here are some photos from my visit down Haight Street:

Friday Favorites

2011-01-07T18:06:00.001-06:00

The week certainly did not work out as I had planned it. On Tuesday evening I became ill and I continue to feel rather awful. I feel better, comparatively; however, I am still very wiped out. On Wednesday evening I had a fever of 102 and since then I have been maintaining a fever of 99.6 to 99.9 (Fahrenheit). It is my hope that next week I will be back to myself and have the energy (and brain power) for the job hunt and accomplishing things I have had to put off this week.

I do owe a Friday Favorites in the very least. It has been, what, two weeks? More? Here are a few of my favorite things found on the web in recent weeks:

Beautifully designed 2011 calendar (monthly) that is free to download!
Ouch! Little Monkeys Bandages. If you know me, you know I love monkeys.
A printable to remind us we cannot do it all.
The 5th National Soup Swap Day. What a fantastic idea!
An easy Valentine's Day gift for a loved one. I hope to do this when I feel better.

Chinatown

2011-01-06T11:00:00.001-06:00

I had always wanted to visit Chinatown. I had a very different idea of Chinatown prior to visiting it, imagining more of an open-air market. Chinatown is actually a tremendous amount of shops selling Asian-style wares and numerous Asian restaurants. Most of the shops are very affordable, even for us in our current economic slump. Chinatown does offer visitors streets decorated in a traditional Chinese manner, with an Asian dragon on either side of the ornamental gate leading into Chinatown.

I enjoyed photographing Chinatown. Though not all of my photos turned out, here are a few that I think turned out well:

Pictures as promised.

2011-01-04T18:29:00.001-06:00

We returned from our drive to and from the Bay Area late last night. The drive was a long one, taking three days each way and only three full days to enjoy in the Bay Area. I took a ridiculous amount of photos on the roadtrip and in the Bay Area.

I hope to have more time to explore San Francisco the next time we visit. We intend to stay in a hotel in the city on our next visit. Hopefully we will have a chance in a year or so. We will see. We have many trips in the upcoming year and another roadtrip/camping trip planned for the week prior to and including Labor Day 2012 (another first-time travel experience for me!).

I learned a few things about the Bay Area and about San Francisco on our trip:

The drive to anywhere in the Bay Area takes at least 40 minutes to an hour.
More time is often spent driving than at the planned destination.
Parking is impossible in the city. Next time: Walking and cabs! Or the BART.
San Francisco is amazing and I would move to the city in a heartbeat.
It gets dark much, much sooner in California than in Texas.
The weather is five to ten degrees cooler in the Bay Area than in Austin.
People in San Francisco are beautiful and diverse and interesting.

Here are a few photos from our trip. I will share a few more throughout the week. Crafty posts to come next week. I have a lot of catch up to do around the house this week.

New Year's Survey

2011-01-02T03:03:00.000-06:00

My friend Adam posted a new year's survey on his blog. I am going to post and answer (below) some of the questions from the survey. Ready?

What did you do for the first time in 2010?
I lived outside of the Midwest for the first time.

What would you like to do differently in 2011 than you did in 2010?
Many things.

What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

February 26: My last day on a job I held for 7 years.
February 27: Our final day in MO and the day our drive to TX began.
March 1: Our first day living in TX.
June 21: Our first anniversary of dating.
November 20: My 35th birthday.
December 30: My first time ever in San Francisco!

Where did most of your money go?
With being unemployed, I have had very little money to use. So... Food, soda, cellphone bill, and credit card bill. My guy has been a total sweetheart about paying the rent and all other things right now.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our trip to San Francisco at the end of 2010.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish we'd had more "adventures" together in 2010. Hopeful for this in 2011.
I also wish I had stayed in better touch with friends in MO, in spite of my reasons for why I did not.

What do you wish you’d done less of?Being alone.

What was (were) your favorite TV program(s)?

Bones
NCIS
Numb3rs

What did you want and get?
I wanted my grandma to recover from the cancer she was diagnosed with in 2010 and she did. *smile*

What did you want and not get?
I wanted to get a good job. I wanted us to enjoy our new city. I wanted us to make friends in our new city together.

What was your favorite film of this year?
I will have to think on this. I have seen some decent films this year, but I'm not sure if I have a favorite.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I went for a lovely walk with my guy and our pup in a local park. Then I went to a movie (Four Lions) with my guy. Then our first fire in our fireplace and watching Numb3rs on television while cuddling. It was a perfect birthday. I turned 35.

Who did you miss?
My friends in MO. A lot.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
"You don't know what you got til it's gone." (Joni Mitchell) Definitely a line that went through my mind many times in 2010.

Congratulations card - Baby girl

2010-12-27T14:58:00.002-06:00

I made this congratulations card for my step-sister who is expecting her first child, a baby girl. I used a dingbat font for the image on this card and made it pink in MS Word.

A dream comes true.

2010-12-26T00:44:00.000-06:00

This coming week we will be visiting California, specifically to the Bay Area. We are driving there, which is a 30 hour drive each way for us, but it is going to be so worth it! I have wanted to visit San Francisco since I was a junior or senior in high school (so for 14 or 15 years now!), so this is a dream come true. I could not be more excited.

Since we will be on a roadtrip to and from California, blog posts may be to a minimum. I do plan to do my best to post pictures this week; however, it will depend upon internet connection availability. Regardless, I will make sure at some point, to post pictures from our roadtrip.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T05:00:00.002-06:00

Comments

2010-12-24T23:04:00.002-06:00

Commenting has been fixed. Comment away! *smile*

Reindeer!

2010-12-23T08:47:00.000-06:00

This too is a card using a tag. I love this card.

Warm winter wishes

2010-12-22T08:40:00.000-06:00

I used Christmas dingbat fonts I found online to make this and other cards. A nice, free alternative to stamps and no chance of smeared ink! I hope to start using digital stamps in the future, again to avoid smeared ink (drives me crazy!), but until we are a consistently two-income household I will use as many neat dingbat fonts as I can find.

Top Ten Tuesday

2010-12-21T22:11:00.001-06:00

Top ten favorite holiday activities and such:

Baking!
Christmas music.
Christmas shopping.
Driving around and looking at Christmas lights (though not this year so far).
Hot apple cider, warmed on the stove.
Making Christmas cards.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Roaring fires in our fireplace (now that we have a fireplace!).
Wrapping gifts.
Yummy smelling candles lit.

(As usual: In no specific order).

Liinking to the Oh Amanda Top Ten Tuesday link party.

Santa!

2010-12-21T14:35:00.000-06:00

A lovely Santa Claus card. Also made with a tag.

Stocking card

2010-12-20T08:30:00.000-06:00

I made this card with a tag too and then hand-dotted (not a real word, I know!) the white of the card.

Another lovely card sent out.

2010-12-19T08:27:00.001-06:00

Here is another card I made & sent out this year:

I used a tag for this card too. What a great idea, huh?

Fonts!

2010-12-18T15:12:00.004-06:00

I am a font geek. I am very picky about fonts and often change from one font favorite to another. I add and delete fonts often. I have decided to share some of my current dingbat fonts. The secret when using dingbat fonts in place of stamps? Make the point size HUGE, like 150 point).

Dingbat fonts:

Pea Jillybean's Doodles - Some cute seasonal images and other images too.
Pea Deva McQueen - Absolutely adorable images.
Pea Stacy's NEW Doodles - This set has one that I used for the congrats card.
Pea Stacy's Doodles - Some birthday and flower images and other cute ones.
WM Christmas - I really love some of the images but some not so much.
Tombots - Robot-type images. Yay for robots!
Eller - Cute pet images amongst others.

Christmas cards sent!

2010-12-18T14:13:00.005-06:00

I have been working lately and trying to get Christmas cards made & sent and gifts ordered online. Christmas cards have been sent for those I have addresses for. Unfortunately I have spent three or four fruitless evenings with no luck finding gifts for my guy's family, so we will be trying some local shops tomorrow and hope for the best.

In the coming days before Christmas I will post some photos of the cards I have made for family & friends. I hope to embellish next year's holiday cards more.

Here is one card I made for this year's holiday card collection. I used tags sold in variety packs at Sam's Club (?) on the front. Thus, the embellishments are already included for the card fronts! Nice, right? I got the idea (and the tags) from my guy's mom.

As a side note: Any others out there use Blogger? Have you figured out how to stop pictures you upload for posts from showing up at the top instead of where you want them to appear in the posts? I have to cut and paste the photos every time in the posts after uploading them and never had to do that with the former versions.

Top Ten Tuesday

2010-12-14T11:45:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Thrifty Resources I’ve Found Online:

Shanty2Chic
The Thrifty Home
Thrifty Decor Chick
Centsational Girl
Get Rich Slowly
Brilliant Trips - Travel Deals
Money Ning - Personal Finance Blog
Mint.com
Wise Bread
Retail Me Not (coupon codes and discounts)

Friday Favorites (Late again!)

2010-12-10T19:45:00.003-06:00

Top Ten Tuesday fell to the wayside this week, alas. I did not want to let that happen with Friday Favorites too, so I give you belated Friday Favorites (again).

My favorite font site at present. I love fonts. I love these fonts.
A great, retro style holiday card I found on Etsy.
Love the green and teal layout in this post!
Best kept secret to a clean home. I try my best to follow this "secret."
47 skills you need to survive homeownership.

I hope to be more on top of Top Ten Tuesdays and these fab Friday Favorites posts in coming weeks. *smile*

Friday Favorites

2010-12-03T19:24:00.007-06:00

Some favorite Flickr photos I found recently.

An absolutely touching photo of a (homeless?) man and his dogs.
One of the most beautiful animal shots I have ever seen.
This pup is all ready for the cold weather!
Santa Paws?
A fantastic Christmas shot, a lucky and perfect capture.
I would love to get a creative shot like this for our Christmas card someday.

If you still have not explored Flickr (and checked out others' work on the site), you really need to do that. Many, many incredible photographers' work is on Flickr.

Top Ten Tuesday

2010-11-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

My Top Ten Favorite Comfort Foods*

(In no particular order)

Baked goods.
Chocolate chips (straight from the bag).
Grilled cheese (with ketchup).
Ice cream (especially Ben & Jerry’s).
Kraft Macaroni n Cheese.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Pizza Hut pizza.
Ramen.
Tater tot casserole.
Tuna casserole.

*Comfort foods = Foods I enjoy on cold or sad or sick days.

Christmas decor is up!

2010-11-28T22:39:00.006-06:00

Our home does not have much in the way of Christmas decor at present, since we had to leave so much behind when we moved to Texas this spring. Tonight, I decorated with what Christmas items that we do have in our possession. I really, really love the ornaments you see on the mantle.

I bought the beautiful ornaments on the mantle a couple of weeks ago at Marshalls. That store has some great deals! Their Christmas items are hit or miss in terms of prettiness and elegance, but it is well worth the time to browse the Marshalls selection.

Here are photos of our Christmas decor set up:

A monster card to share

2010-11-28T18:18:00.001-06:00

Another monster card that can be used next year for Halloween:

Update!

2010-11-27T12:00:00.002-06:00

I have completed an updated "More About Me" page. Even if we've known each other for awhile, I doubt you know everything on my list. *smile*

Christmas Card Organizer

2010-11-27T07:45:00.000-06:00

I saw this post on making a project holder that Marisa of Make Happy made for her son and I got an idea of my own! I created a Christmas card organizer using a Ritz cardboard box, scrapbook paper, and tape.

Marisa said to wrap it as you would a gift, but it was more difficult than giftwrapping for me. The strange shape and weird angles to wrap made it quite challenging. It was also challenging for me to cut it in such a shape as she did and as I did here. I do not have a craft knife, so maybe that would make it easier and more precise? Marisa didn't mention what she used to cut the box into the correct shape, so I don't know how she got her box cut so nicely. If anyone has tips, I would love to hear them.

Here is the Christmas card organizer I made:

(Apologies for the poor lighting!)

Friday Favorites (Late!)

2010-11-26T23:47:00.000-06:00

A long weekend, even while unemployed, tends to be distracting. As such, I am just getting to my Friday Favorites post for the week!

Cord storage that reuses CD/DVD spindles!
Pretty and quick holiday candles. I can't wait to get some pillar candles!
Cutest kid backpacks ever. I love the robot backpack!
Pretty homemade Christmas cards to send family and friends. Lovely idea.
Know any nerds? Your guy a geek? This is the card for him.

Some new robot cards!

2010-11-26T09:30:00.001-06:00

Here are four robot-theme cards I made recently:

I think I may start to sell cards on Etsy soon. What do you think? Should I?

A relaxing Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T20:46:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that your Thanksgiving was a good one.

Our Thanksgiving was spent without family. With no family in town and no funds to travel, we spent the holiday instead relaxing. I enjoyed television and organized computer files to save to the new external hard drive my guy gave me for my birthday. My guy spent the day on his computer, his favorite way to relax. Jasper napped, per usual. Scout spent much of the day battling for attention.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things On My Xmas Wish List

2010-11-23T08:00:00.006-06:00

I have decided to join in the Top Ten Tuesday fun. Why not join another link party involving lists? I am a list fiend after all!

(In no specific order of want)

18-pixel or more Canon SLR camera.
A red Kitchen-Aid mixer. (I have wanted one for 10 years now).
Laptop with all the best bells and whistles.
Pretty bedding, including this, this, and these.
Seasons 12 and higher of the Simpsons on DVD.
The four Absolute Sandman volumes (a graphic novel series).
The fine-tip washable chalk marker I just found out about.
The newest version of Adobe Photoshop Elements (PC).
The Verbatim Acclaim 1 TB USB 2.0 portable external hard drive (black).
Well-rated laptop speakers, ideally wireless (black).

I can't believe December's almost here!

2010-11-21T16:07:00.009-06:00

I am not a fan of doing anything Christmas-oriented until after Thanksgiving. I am one of those people who complains when I see Christmas things in stores and Christmas decor around the city just after Halloween or anytime before Thanksgiving. With that said, I am feeling the pressure to get holiday cards started and to have enough holiday cards for all of my friends and family.

Shutterfly may be the saving grace for me and for many of you, though! Shutterfly is giving 50 free cards to bloggers who share info on this fab holiday promotion. Fill out a form and you too can receive 50 free cards and save some time with holiday cards this year!

Shutterfly doesn't just have holiday cards, though! Shutterly has invitations, thank you cards, and much more!

Here are some of my favorite holiday products and other products too that they offer:

Elegant Black Damask

Hanukkah Dreidel Fun

Design Ornaments Invitation

Movie Night!

Little Birthday Girl Invitation

Which Shutterfly products do you like best?

Joining in the party!

2010-11-21T15:45:00.001-06:00

320 Sycamore is hosting a lovely blog party, "My Favorite Things", and I have decided to join in the fun. Without further adieu, I give you a few of my favorite things:

1. Pretty gift wrapping:

via Meadow Girl (Flickr)

2.Squirrels. I smile every time I see one. They're so cute to watch!

via Pyttroll (Flickr)

3. Fires in a fireplace. One of the best things in the fall and winter.

via Stephdanie2 (Flickr)

4.Organization and labels. I especially love what this blogger did:

Write Click Scrapbook

35 today. Huh.

2010-11-20T03:35:00.004-06:00

I turn 35 today (officially at 7:30 p.m., the actual time of my birth). While I am not thrilled at the prospect of being either at or very nearby middle age now I have decided to at least try to put a positive spin on the whole birthday thing. I got this post's specific idea from this Might & Main blog post. Here it is (drum roll, please)...

36 things to do before I am 36

Accomplish some of the craft & decor projects in my store-up of ideas.
Attend Burning Man 2011 with my guy.
Be more girly (pamper myself more, dress more feminine, etc).
Be more present in my brother’s life.
Become a more positive person.
Continue on with writing gratitude lists regularly.
Buy a pair of cute cowgirl boots and wear them!
Call Grandma weekly.
Continue cooking and meal planning regularly.
Create a beautiful and lasting landscape in our front & back yards.
Develop more by-choice structure & routine in my life.
Find a way to earn an income that is satisfying and pays the bills effortlessly.
Find healthy outlets and utilize them regularly.
Find the -right- ADHD med for me.
Read regularly, once the right ADHD med is found.
Finish my childhood scrapbook finally!
Finish my dad’s memorial scrapbook finally!
Get my driver’s license AND become a much more confident driver!
Go horseback riding. More than once!
Go to my friends Jim & Mattie’s wedding in May.
Join and participate in a photo meetup group.
Journal consistently.
Lose ten pounds and keep it off.
Make more effort, less excuses, to connect with family & friends.
Make time & effort to learn about something new regularly.
Properly, successfully train Scout.
Respond to e-mail more quickly, within a week at latest.
Sell my work on Etsy.
Send birthday cards consistently and regularly.
Set up a photo blog (by the day of my 36th birthday).
Shoot pics daily, without it feeling like a chore because it -is- a daily thing.
Spend time outdoors, including with this Scout’s daily walks & fetch time.
Take a photography course.
Take cardmaking and scrapbooking classes (again, once I have my license).
Visit my grandma in Iowa.
Volunteer with an animal organization regularly, once I get my license.

(And 1 bonus accomplishment “to do”: Join and participate in a book club).

(Not in order of importance or otherwise).

Friday Favorites

2010-11-19T11:56:00.003-06:00

Here are some of my favorite finds this week:

Free postcard blanks to download! - All you do is download, print on cardstock, and adhere to your favorite photos. Then you have quick and personal postcards to send out, or even better: you have quick Christmas cards to mail out and for less postage! Sweet!
Love Your Neighbor - This blogger has decided to do one act of kindness every day for a year. She posts about these kindness experiences. Imagine if we all did the same thing. Imagine what a world that would be!
Lace Tape - This blogger shares a great tip on turning lace into pretty tape.
Tips for a Tidy Home - I try to live by the same "rules." Now to get the entire family involved - a challenge for many, I have noticed on many blogs.
An autumn decorating project - Utilizing Mod Podge, this blogger decorated a jar with leaves and made it into a cute candle holder.

Look for more fun favorites next week!

A belated Halloween card

2010-11-17T18:07:00.000-06:00

Since I was preoccupied around Halloween I created this post-Halloween. It will be of fine use next year.

Stamps: Recollections

A new member of our family!

2010-11-15T06:13:00.001-06:00

Meet Miss Scout! She is named after a character in my favorite book. She is the second dog I have named after a character in the book. Perhaps a theme has begun?

Autumn Decor - Check!

2010-11-12T17:42:00.002-06:00

Thanks to a blog post I came across and a nice little printable the mantle is completed. What do you think of my autumn themed mantle? What do you think?

A close-up of the pumpkin's decor:

Friday Favorites

2010-11-12T07:00:00.005-06:00

I keep noticing favorite blogs listing links as a weekly “favorites” feature. I am joining on the band wagon. It’s hard not to do it, with so much great inspiration out there.

34 Random {ish} Acts of Kindness Birthday - Absolutely inspiring.
The Wish Tree - Two friends got together and put tags on a tree in the park.
Magnetic boards - These look like they'd be fun and easy to make at home.
A dream craft studio! - It's so organized! Exactly how I want my own one day.
Vacation keepsakes in jars - I love jars, so am a big fan of this jar project.

Master Bathroom: Organized.

2010-11-03T15:49:00.006-05:00

I have always claimed to be an organized person. I never took the time to seek out ideas and inspiration on the web, though, until now. Since moving to our new home this September I have searched through the many blogs I read and sought out ideas and inspiration for organizing our home. I found so many great ideas. I have bookmarked and saved images of my favorite ideas out there and in time intend to put much more of the inspiration into action at home.

Here are some pics of the organization systems I have put in place since we moved in this September:

Bathroom vanity cupboard #1

Bathroom vanity cupboard #2

Towel cupboard (above toilet)

The vanity has baskets of the same style on my guy's and my sides for our daily items.

I will share in coming posts more pics of other organized spaces in our home.

Halloween is almost here.

2010-10-29T21:35:00.003-05:00

This year I have decorated for Halloween very little. With me unemployed, we have no money for any extra decor-related items. Next year I will hopefully be able to purchase cute baskets, lots of pumpkins, and various other things at thrift stores and sales and such. This year I used two skulls and some creepy candlesticks my guy had in his collection and then two orange candles I had on hand.

Ta da!

Another peek inside.

2010-10-19T20:45:00.005-05:00

Eventually I will return to posting on a regular basis. For now I will give you another peek into our new home!

One corner of our living room:

A photo of our dining room in the evening and now featuring our lucky bamboo plant. It has grown quite a lot, thanks to my constant care of it.

I need to take photos of the somewhat organized/cleaned up craft space and of the attempt at a Halloween mantle I created recently. Then I will post pics of these as well.

All domestic and stuff!

2010-10-13T22:33:00.005-05:00

I have been finding great recipes online for ages, but I never took the time or made the effort to cook them. I bookmarked them, pasted them into word docs, and sometimes printed them, but that's it. I decided to change this after I recently came to a few blog posts people had written about weekly menu planning.

I found and printed recipes that were easy and that we had most ingredients for and then shaped our weekly grocery list around the remainder of the ingredients. I intend to continue to create weekly meal plans and grocery lists. Of course, I may not plan five meals/recipes for the week. Cooking every meal is not our usual way here and I can use his contribution. He doesn't mind our sharing the cooking duties and I don't mind letting him. *smile*

I have so far made the fab taco salad below, a mac and cheese recipe, and garlic chicken with sauteed mushrooms and a side of parmesan asparagus. I give a thumbs up to two out of three of the new recipes I tried. My guy? He gives a thumbs up to all three of the new recipes, he says.

A new phase.

2010-10-04T19:40:00.026-05:00

I had little to write about in terms of décor or gardening since I created this blog some time ago. I focused instead on cards, layouts, and my photography (on rare occasions). We are renting a house now, though. You can anticipate a number of posts throughout this lovely blog on our new home, our big yard, and, in time, décor and gardening.

In the coming posts you will see pictures and thoughts on our new home and a couple of our big backyard as well. Here are just a few pictures of our new home.

Kitchen

Dining Room

Living Room Bookcase

The kitchen has only one wall to hang a picture. I hung up an 8x10 frame of a photo print done by a local St. Louis photographer. We had one additional framed piece I wanted to hang above the stove, but the space above the stove is covered in some sort of splatter-proof material. I would imagine it would be a bad idea to put a nail through it. I hope to bring some color and personality, but am mulling on what I could do to make that happen.

The dining room is rather minimalist and modern: an IKEA dining room table & chairs and two bar chairs we bought off of Craigslist (purchased for the previous space).

Once I get a job I intend to invest in frames & mats and make some prints of my work. I would like to put two to three framed prints across the larger wall in the dining room. I am not sure what photographs I want to put in the frames, yet. I wish I had made the effort to shoot more of the beautiful brick buildings and houses in St. Louis when I lived there. I would love to frame some photographs of them. When I have the time I will be sure to make the time to do it.

We have more books than what you see on the bookcase in the above picture. I wanted to leave some shelf spaces free for art and framed photographs. I had several framed photographs on our fireplace mantle, but it was too cluttered for me. So I took the framed photographs off of the mantle, but one on an empty shelf and four on top of stacks of books. The rest are put away until I find a better place for them.

More pictures to come soon!

It's been awhile!

2010-09-27T09:52:00.000-05:00

My life has been crazy! The past month and a half has included losing my job, finding us a new and better place to rent, packing and unpacking, cleaning and basic landscaping, and finding a new job. Crafting has taken a backseat for the time being, needless to say.

I need to focus my energy on finding a new job and then I can organize my craft supplies. I will now have a place to stash my supplies, which is nice. We made sure to rent a three-bedroom home, so we would also have a space to hold/hide my crafting supplies. Previously, my craft supplies were in piles against our bedroom wall and often strewn across the living room floor or dining room table.

Back to the job hunt!

Thanks!

2010-09-14T18:34:00.000-05:00

A thank you card made with the Sending Wishes stamp set from Inkadinkado also.

A detailed photo from the side:

Wedding wishes

2010-09-12T18:30:00.000-05:00

Slightly bent up card I made using the Sending Wishes stamps from Inkadinkado.

Happy thoughts.

2010-09-10T18:27:00.000-05:00

A card I made to use as a get well card. I love how the purple of the flowers looks.

Every moment in time...

2010-09-08T18:25:00.000-05:00

A lovely cheerful card with a quote:

A world without flowers?

2010-09-06T06:21:00.000-05:00

My favorite of the cards I have made recently, because of the color combo and my love of teal.

The quote on the card is this:

"Can we conceive what humanity would be
if it did not know the flowers?"

~Maurice Maeterlinck

Be silly. Be honest. Be kind.

2010-09-04T18:14:00.000-05:00

Another happy little card using the new Penny Black stamps. Cute isn't it?

Share your love today.

2010-09-02T06:09:00.000-05:00

Got love? Got shelter? Got time and attention to dedicate? Adopt today!

Adopt don't buy.

2010-08-31T06:04:00.000-05:00

Going along with the previous card's focus:

Don't buy or breed while shelter animals die.

2010-08-27T07:29:00.000-05:00

25 percent of shelter animals are purebreds. Rescues exist dedicated to every breed out there. Consider adopting a homeless animal of a breed you prefer instead of using a breeder or buying from a pet store.

Licensed and backyard breeders add to the mass overpopulation of cats and dogs in this country. Backyard breeders are people who breed dogs in their backyard, without knowledge of or appreciation of animals and simply to make a buck.

Pet stores purchase their animals from puppy mills where the animals are treated poorly; abandoned, killed, or sold cheaply once fertility wanes; and resulting in behavioral and/or health problems often times. Much more information can be found online if you are interested.

A card with those interested only in purebreds:

The best things in life are adopted.

2010-08-25T07:27:00.001-05:00

In honor of the millions of animals entering shelters and homeless each year in this country alone.

Adopt an animal. Save a life.

2010-08-23T07:21:00.002-05:00

A clean and simple card in honor of the 6-8 million animals a year entering shelters and the many other animals homeless on the street.

International Homeless Animals Day

2010-08-21T07:00:00.005-05:00

In honor of International Homeless Animals Day, celebrated today, I will be posting today and in the coming days some cards regarding animal adoption. Animal adoption is a cause I greatly believe in.

The Humane Society of the United States estimates 6 - 8 million cats and dogs enter shelters every year. 3 - 4 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters every year. Surprisingly, 25% of dogs in shelters are pure-bred.

Only 3,500 shelters exist in the U.S., leaving many homeless animals on the streets. Looking at the big picture, the size of the U.S. and the many homeless animals out there, 3,500 shelters are not enough.

I adopted my cat, Jasper, eight years ago at just ten weeks old, and I have never looked back. Jasper is the best cat I have ever known and is the best thing that's ever happened to me.

With my ex, I adopted two dogs, the best dogs you could ask for. Atticus was adopted from a no-kill shelter who had been born there and was eight months when we adopted him. You see, black dogs (and black cats) are not often adopted. Gilbert was rescued during Hurricane Katrina, found along with other animals, in a trailer and locked in a cage, left to die. (Picture to come!)

Animals from shelters are some of the best animals you will ever know. They are desperate for love and a home and deserve all the love in the world. Consider adopting one of the many, many animals who need love and shelter. Save a life and make a friend for life.

A card I made in honor of International Homeless Animals Day and for the sake of all of the animals who need a home desperately.