Thursday, October 29, 2009

Another Christmas Star to make


Here's a how-to for making plaster of paris stars that can easily be used to decorate with in your home, use as tree decorations or gift decorations, whatever you can imagine. I used the star, but you can use any form you have or want to do this. What you will need is plaster of paris, a cookie cutter, aluminum foil, cooking spray, ribbon and craft paint and glitter. To begin, mix the plaster of paris; enough to half fill your cookie cutter. Spray the cookie cutter with cooking spray so when it dries, it'll be easier to remove the plaster from the cutter without too much effort which could break it. After spraying the cutter, take a piece of aluminum foil to wrap around the cutter. Wrap the foil up around the bottom edge of the cutter to help minimize the plaster leaking through. There very well may be plaster that leaks through, so try not to mix the plaster to be to runny like pancake batter, but have enough water in the plaster so you can mix it smoothly yet with some thickness to it. After pouring plaster, cut enough ribbon to make a hanger and insert the ends of the ribbon into the top of the plaster and let dry.

Once it has dried and you have safely removed the plaster from the cutter, paint with your choice of craft paint. I choose the neutral color of cream so it will fit into any decor at anytime. After the paint has dried, smoother the star with glitter paint and a light coating of glitter. Again, I choose a cream glitter. If you feel really creative, you could glue a Christmas message or scene to the center of the star and then cover with a light glitter dusting. I did not take the time to do it here, but it is another idea for more interest to your stars should you have the creative time to do so.  The pictures do not do it justice, but it is a simple chic star statement when done. What do you think?


Monday, October 26, 2009

Listening


             Sometimes God is best heard in the still, quiet of the early morning.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Christmas Star Gift Tags


Here's a simple how to for you to use to make your own raised star Christmas gift tags. You'll need poster board, or medium to heavy weight card stock; ribbon, pipe cleaner, small glass beads, glue, pencil, sheet music, a star to trace and glitter glue.

Glue the poster board and lay the sheet music to the top and smooth out air and glue bubbles.


Once dried, trace your star with a pencil onto the sheet music. You'll need a back to the front of the star so for a better alignment to the front and back, I cut out enough of the poster board to fold it under the glued sheet music so I cut both (front and back) at the same time.  Then, I cut along the pencil traced line with one cut to equal the front and back pieces.

Using the blade of your scissors, fold each of the star arms around the blade to make it raised. After raising the star, glue the raised front to the back piece. Once the glue is applied and you have lined the front to the back piece, press gently all around the edges, working your way around the star several times to close the two pieces together.


Once the front is dried to the back, slather on glitter glue or apply a light aging paint or stain, it's your star so whatever you like to have the finished look to be is completely up to you. Once that is dried and done, snip a small piece of silver Christmas tree garland and lay on the top of your star. Go to your computer and with small font, type out your Christmas greeting (I used "Merry Christmas"). After that has printed, use your decorative cut scissors and cut the message out. Apply a very light coat of the same stain you used on the star or the glitter glue to the message and glue it onto the star over the snippet of tree garland.

Then snip a tiny bit of the pipe cleaner (for holly leaves) and glue it and two red glass beads (for holly berries) to the corner of your Christmas message.

After all of that is dried, turn your star over and glue to the back of your star a short piece of fabric ribbon to make a hanger.

Your finished gift tag should look something like this:


Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Wow, Wednesday Already!?!



Can you believe the calendar is reading October already?? Not me. It seems that I just finished packing away the Christmas decorations from last year and am already having to think about them again... I... am...not ....ready...for ....this ....holiday...season.

BUT!! I have been shopping some in spite of my disbelief of the calendar. As in previous post, I have let out a few Christmas secrets, well kind of. However, I will let you in on a few more details. I have found this site that has something called deal of the day. From what I understand, every 24 hours, the site keepers (is there such a name?) post a new deal of the day. When it is over, it's over. I ordered a Discovery Channel photo slide show keychain for my son in law the other night for a steal at $4.99 (regular price $25.99), uh, yeah. He doesn't have a way to flash updated pictures of my precious Prince Charming, soooo, being the thoughtful MIL that I am (and oh so young too!), I snagged this for him.  The site is at    www.1saleaday.com    head over there and check out  what you might find for little of nothing for your special people for Christmas.

I was also able to snag some really great magazine deals for a number of people on my list. Of which I was really glad because magazines was just what I had wanted to get for these special someones. In the words of Cousin Eddie (from Lampoons Christmas Vacation), it's the gift that keeps on giving all year long. The down side of this gift though, is that it will show up before Christmas, as in several weeks before. Oh well, I'm just glad that it worked out that I could get a magazine for everyone I had wanted to without having to take out a loan.

So, have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Friday, October 2, 2009

Happy Friday!!


Well, we made it to another Friday - WooHoo! This has been a busy week with lot's of coupon shopping. I have discovered a whole new web world of sites that will take you by the hand and show you exactly how to shop weekly sales at local drugstores, discount stores and grocery stores and they even match the coupons to the sale items. I have been searching for sites that are very informative to this nature and I found them! Lots of them! This is probably old news to those who have been making use of these sites for some time, but for me, it's new and very timely. We live off of one income and sadly we have debt that trails behind us which is old - from back in the not so long ago days of when we both worked. However, I have been putting my new found coupon knowledge to work and have already saved enough to make some of those nasty monthly payments! Thank You Lord!! It is time consuming, I will not kid you. In fact, it is like a part time job, but the way I see it, it is my job to save money. I am working toward saving enough in the area of groceries and household items every month that the savings will pay for a hunk of my personal monthly debt. That's the goal at least. I'm on track and am most grateful to be. I've already bought Christmas presents for several family members and have only spent a very small amount thanks to the timing of placing my orders for the very things I was thinking of getting them anyway. I have been so consumed with this coupon game that I have not had time to visit any of the local yard sales which are few and far between now that we are in October and rainy. So I don't think I'm really missing out in that area. I did make it to Old Navy earlier this week. It was a very good trip. I was able to snag a pair of yoga pants for $2.50, regular price was $19.50 (which I can wear as casual wear) and a fleece zipper front jacket for $5.00, both items were in the clearance rack and exactly what I had been looking for! Tonight, hubs and I went out to eat, with two coupons of course. Then a stop at Starbucks for the taste challenge -free and each of us received as a thank you for taking the challenge, a coupon for a free coffee. Then home to watch our Redbox rentals. Cheap night out for pennies on the dollar and we actually had a good time. If you are interested in the coupon game or want to learn how to really make those coupons you've been clipping work better for you, start at southern savers ( www.southernsavers.com ) and also check out retailmenot.com. Also click on the other sites listed all through out these two sites. You'll learn a lot about how to get the most out of your coupons and really save money. You just have to readjust your menu planning kind of thinking. I used to shop with menus planned and it cost me a fortune. Now I shop according to sales with coupons so I have no idea from night to night what's for dinner, but it's all good! Have a awesome weekend!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Just a quick hello


I know I've been absent for a while, but I have a really good reason. My sweet daughter called me one night last week and said that she was on her way to see me for a few days. I was elated, let me tell you! Her timing was absolutely perfect as I had been having withdrawals from her and her little family. Prince Charming, better known as Jackson, my four month old grandson is growing to fast and we live to far apart for me to see them as often as I would love to. It has been a couple of months since I last saw them, so I was really missing them when she called. Pure Heaven. His babble is adorable. His smiles are heart melting. His every move is well, heaven. I enjoyed every minute of their short visit. Now I am counting the days until Christmas when they will return....

Monday, September 21, 2009

It's raining coupons and sales!


It was a most excellent weekend for grocery shopping with the coupons as our local Harris Tetter had triple coupon days happening. See all that stuff to the left? After my coupons were applied, I was only out of pocket $17.20! It would have been better if I had some of the higher priced coupons, but considering that the coupons totaled $48.20 and the sale prices saved was $18.34 for a total of $66.54 saved, it's not a bad day. But it didn't stop there. I spent less than $30.00 of my total weekly grocery budget, mostly perishable items. All thanks to coupons matched to sales.  I have used coupons for years and seem to have trouble doing as well as the coupon mom who buys hundreds of dollars of stuff for pennies on the dollar. I could not figure out what was her real secret to this. Then I recently discovered a gem of a site called southern savers. Taa dah! She holds your hand in throughly explaining store coupon policies and does all the matching of coupons to sales for you. I've been using her site for three weeks now and now have an awesome surplus of stock piles unlike I've ever had. From her site I have discovered many other similar sites. It is wonderful to whack down the high cost of groceries and truly help our budget by not spending so much on the necessities of life. I wish I had pictures of all the awesome buys I've had, but forgot to take pictures until after I put everything away. Nonetheless, trust me, the bounty of such insight is a delight to behold! Now if this stuff would just make dinner by itself....

Friday, September 18, 2009

Hallelujah!! The sun is FINALLY out! WooHoo!! We have had nothing but dreary rain for days upon days. Not just the little sprinkling, noooo, but hard, cold and steady rains for days..... Welcome back Sun!

Well I did not let the yucky rain keep me from being productive, oh no! I dug around in my lumber pictured above and uncovered the window here:

 Now, perhaps you would be wondering what in the world is that mess and what about it? I'm so glad you asked! Because I made a window cabinet. Yep. I did. I told you I have the power tools and I have a table saw - and I'm not afraid to use 'em either! Check it out, not bad huh?

The cabinet is actually primer white, not sure what is reflecting to cause the top of it to appear pink because it is all white. I already have another one that I made a couple of years ago, so this one is probably going to go on craigslist to be sold. So if you live in the Nashville area, let me know if you are interested in this one of a kind work of art because it won't last long.
Now please excuse me as me and the Poocharella must go outside and play in the sun while it is here!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

All Done, now breathe

Whew! It's been a whirlwind around here in the last several days. So much cleaning, organizing (at least the most visible and probable areas until I can get to it later), and shopping. All in the name of being a hospitable hostess to our out of town in-law guest due to arrive any moment actually.

Lot's of food has been bought, house is clean and the roast is coming along nicely in the crock pot, maybe now I can just focus on....well, ok, I'm not sure how to finish that sentence because I always have something going on. In fact, as I was running full steam while cleaning yesterday, amongst the several hundred other little errands I performed, I was also making yet another "to do" list for after our guest leaves.

Is there no end to these lists? I have said for years that work was an interruption to my real life as I had enough to do all on my own to keep several people busy all the time. I was not kidding then and am even more serious when I say that now. Where does the time go so quickly?! It seems that no matter how early I get up, load up on the coffee and energy food, I seem to be getting less and less accomplished these days as the time slips away faster and faster. No, it's not an age thing. It is without a doubt, a time thing. I think quiet a bit of it is when I leave the house I am slowed down tremendously by traffic, traffic, everywhere traffic. On the roads, in the parking lots and in the stores. Being able to make a very quick and simple trip within a couple of miles from home has now become the subject of debate as to whether it is really needed at that moment or can it wait.

Anyway,  one of my other on going list has been Christmas Gifts. Yeah, I know, I'm behind. However, we are planning on keeping it really simple this year. For me that means that I have to really think through the gift idea for each person and make the most of it. Something they will actually like and perhaps use and appreciate. For some people on my list it is an easy task, for others, notsomuch. Well as I always say, it always works out in the end so why worry.

The alarm is sounding family pooch is barking terribly. Our guest must be here! Take care and have a awesome day!!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Instant Gratification, why did I wait so long?

It's amazing all the things I think about when company's a'coming! For a very, very long time I have drooled over all things monogrammed. I just love that look on things such as pillows, bags, notepaper, yada, yada. Anywhoo, I was in Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago just wandering aimlessly to see what was new there and I came across the iron on stuff. Not that I was unaware of such a great new avenue, I just had not really thought about how to put this to use for my love of monogrammed stuff. I know, duhhh.  So, check out what I've done: See the "blank" hand towel over there?  Yeah, real yawnsville, right? But wait and check out what I did with that little bitty iron on initial!! I ironed it onto the "blank" hand towel. It took me all of less than a minute and viola!! Monogrammed towel!!
Wanna see it hanging in the bathroom, just waiting for our guest to arrive in a few days?  Okay, here you go! Nice, huh?! 
Now I am off to see what else I can iron for monogramming purposes. Wonder if Hubs would notice if I monogrammed this computer mouse, or maybe his tv remote, the toilet seat.....

Friday, September 11, 2009

Remembering 9-11

For so many of us who ignore the calendar for the most part during the week, this particular day, Friday is the day that wakes us up out of our routines. I did make it out today and found a couple of decent yard sale buys, but nothing really to write about at this time. Some things are just more important, such as today.
Today, more than being yard sale Friday, is a special Friday. The anniversary of 9-11. For me, it's a day to stop and just breath as I remember that day as vividly as if it was happening right now. I believe the images of watching the towers live that morning, will never leave my memory. Frankly, I hope it does not because I never want to forget the honorable lost ones, our many unsung heros who were there at Ground Zero and the many who rose from the ashes since that day. I don't want to ever forget who I am as a American and never want to lose that sense of gratitude because I am American. Our amazing country was founded for the literal call to Freedom and on that particular September 11th, we were all reminded of just that. Let Freedom Ring as we Stand United one Republic Under God.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

It's a New day!

Well, Hello You Awesome You! Welcome to my blog world! I hope that you are having a great day filled with peace and joy. I'm so glad that you stopped in for a visit with me. Allow me a moment to introduce myself to you. I am a creative soul who is constantly creating in some way everyday. I love to organize and clean. Yes, you read that right - clean. There is just something about cleaning that opens the windows for my creative thoughts to flow. Go figure. I have been blessed with a home of which I am able to hone my decorating and creative skills that have been in development for many, many years. Ok, I'm not that old, however, my house is a reflection of what has been in the works for a number of years. The funny thing is, that when I was in my twenties, I spent way too much money on retail stuff that just never actually worked in my home. Over the years, I unloaded this good merchandise and defined my interest as eclectic shabby repurposed comfort. Oh yeah, I furnished this look from other peoples stuff found in yard sales, flea markets and Goodwill. I just love a great find with an even better price, don't you?! I believe that my love of 1930's - 40's black and white movies (TCM) is the backdrop to my overall vision for our home. So when I find pieces that fill the bill from that era, I get really, really excited!
Most of our furniture is something that I made. Uh hum, yep, I made it - power tools and all. That's a joke between hubs and I. He knows the grocery store aisle by aisle as I know Lowes, aisle by aisle. What "biscuit" is to him (bread on which to slather butter), "biscuit" to me is a a joiner for making furniture. I'm not a prodigy of Norm Abram by any means, but I'm not to shabby either.
Recently, I have discovered the joy of making candles and soap. This is a great new hobby for me as I need a more, uh, quiet hobby, shall we say. There is nothing like making a candle and having it fill the whole house with such a great fragrance - AND - having soap that is in the same or complimentary scent. Pure heaven. As soon as I fine tune these new hobbies, I hope to be branching out to more scents-ible products so that my home smells yummy all the time in all the rooms, minus the overpowering effect.
I love to entertain and have guests into my home. Soon, I'll have the privilege of doing just that as an in-law is due to spend a few days here with us in Nashville. I just finished sprucing up the guest room to ready for his arrival and am currently pondering the menus. I also made a few quick changes around the house to quietly bid summer "see you later" and "hello" to fall.
I have been busy with many projects lately and am about to finish some of them - woo hoo! Don't you just love when you have successfully completed a project? I sure do. Maybe that is why I keep so many of them going.
Well, I will leave you with this thought from Epictetus: "First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do."
Have a wonderful day!