Top Ten Tuesday

My Top Ten Favorite Comfort Foods*

(In no particular order)

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

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

Christmas decor is up!

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

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

Update!

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

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!)

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

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

Some new robot cards!

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

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

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)

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

I can't believe December's almost here!

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!

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.

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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.

1. 34 Random {ish} Acts of Kindness Birthday - Absolutely inspiring.
   
2. The Wish Tree - Two friends got together and put tags on a tree in the park.
   
3. Magnetic boards - These look like they'd be fun and easy to make at home.
4. A dream craft studio! - It's so organized! Exactly how I want my own one day.
5. Vacation keepsakes in jars - I love jars, so am a big fan of this jar project.

Master Bathroom: Organized.

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.