BEST.GIFT.EVER.

So, it appears I shouldn't have made fun of Mike for going shopping on Black Friday. Luckily, his friend wanted to go, so I did not have to brave the crowds. My sweet hubby was running around town all night and came home at 7am with 2 things. One: a pair of wireless headphones for him and... Two:


I couldn't believe it when I saw him walk through the door with this baby! I've been wanting a die cutting machine for the longest time, but never looked into it because they are kind of expensive. He even got a green one to match my craft room. He said it was for my birthday, but I could have it early so I could use it to make Christmas cards. A+++++, Hubby :)

When I told my mom about my new toy, she told me to pick out some cartridges as a birthday present from my parents. So, of course I went out to Michael's (they were having a great sale) and grabbed some Christmas themed cartridges.

I've been playing with it all evening and am figuring it out pretty well. I still have a long way to go, but I am off to a great start. I may want to make 100 Christmas cards now that I have a Cricut!!! Thank you Mike & Mom... you guys are the best :)

Christmas-y Things

The Grinch (aka: my husband) says there will be no Christmas decorating before Thanksgiving. While I am a bit disappointed, I suppose he has to draw the line somewhere. If he doesn't set boundaries, I am likely to set up my Christmas decor in the middle of June. While I wait (not so) patiently for Thanksgiving to come and go, here are a few things that are holding me over...

*Finding, buying, and wearing my Christmas pj's for this year. Super warm slippers and a cute kitty to cuddle are an added bonus:


*A new festive mug from which I can enjoy many servings of hot cocoa.


*Starting the process of making my Christmas cards. I could not decide on one design, so the plan is to make 5 different types & making 10 of each type. 50 cards is my limit... I'll have no mercy if there is a 51st person I remember last minute ;p

*Making Christmas surprises for my family since I cannot be with them during the actual holiday

Less than a week before my house becomes a Winter Wonderland!!!

46 Days 'til Christmas!

I feel a bit like an elf at the North Pole lately. I’ve been in my little shop o’ crafts working away. I’ve been putting together some surprise gifts for my family and I just finished the cards my dear friend, Susan, ordered from me (yay for Etsy love)! The cards were technically finished over the weekend, but I kept going over them to scan for imperfections and to trim ribbon for the third time. I don’t know what it is about making something for someone close to me. I get a little stressed out and want it to be perfect.

The cards were really fun to make, though. All I had to do was follow the idea that Susan got here. It was a large order, so I set up an assembly line when I put the cards together. It makes everything go so much faster and I felt more efficient. I love picking up new ideas or tricks while completing new projects (ie: when trimming paper, you get a cleaner line if you turn the paper as you cut. Maybe that’s something that’s already well known, but I never gave it much thought until I was cutting out numerous ornament shapes). I’m off to the post office to send Susan her cards today. I hope she likes them :)

Happy Halloween!

I've got a basket overflowing with candy just waiting for all the little ghouls and goblins! Side note: I did not want to get a Halloween specific basket that I would use once a year for the candy, so I just pinned some festive Halloween ribbon around the edge of a regular ol' basket that I can use everyday once it's served its Halloween duties. Apparently in Illinois, the Trick or Treating starts in the early afternoon.. as in 1pm. That will take a little getting used to. In California, kids Trick or Treat starting at dusk. I think that adds to the magic of it all, but I'm sure it will still be fun.

I can appreciate all of the spooky & gory Halloween decor, but I prefer the more subdued, natural version. I like the pumpkins, leaves, & hints of a softer orange and green (versus the obnoxious neon colors). It's much more convenient since I can leave most of my decor up through Thanksgiving and it's still relevant.

Last week I thought I should have something a little more Halloween specific up to get in the spirit. I went to Hobby Lobby (aka: Heaven on Earth) and got my materials for under $3. I took my plain Halloween banner and perked it up with some pretty orange and green scrapbook paper. All I needed to complete it was my handy Elmer's Spray Adhesive and my craft knife. I sprayed the front of my letters and set them face down on the back of the scrapbook paper. I let the letters dry for at least 30 minutes before trimming around them with my craft knife. I was pretty pleased with my results! Not too shabby for $3 and roughly 45 minutes of my time (technically only 15 minutes since 30 minutes were for drying).

Before

After

With less than 2 hours before the Trick or Treaters arrive, I should go get ready. I have no costume planned, but am considering going as a Mid-Westerner. All I need is my plaid shirt, jeans, boots, and maybe pig tails for good measure. I know, I am completely stereotyping! I would be interested to see what a Mid-Westerner would look like dressed up as a Californian ;D

Pick Me Up

I haven't been myself for the past week. I've felt unusually down and was experiencing a huge lack of motivation. I blame it on a heavy dose of homesickness and hormones. It's so strange what happens when I see vibrant beach pictures of my hometown that people post on facebook. Half of me gets lost in sweet memories of home and my spirits are lifted, then I realize how far away I am and immediately I feel like someone is squeezing my heart with a death grip. Am I being a bit dramatic? Well... yeah, but again I blame it on the hormones. Today I decided it was time to pick myself up and dust myself off. Homesickness and hormones be damned, I need to get out of this funk!

My cure for the blues = organizing! I can't explain exactly what happens to me when I start cleaning and sorting through piles of junk. It's like a breath of fresh air. I start sifting through that stack of clothes that's been sitting in the corner of my bedroom or the junk mail that's overflowing on the entry table and it just makes me feel good. I get lost in it and it takes my mind away from negative thoughts.

As I organize, I daydream of creating magazine-worthy rooms in my house. You know the closets lined with neatly spaced bins and baskets or the walls covered in a collage of frames that are placed just so? Yeah, that's what I aim for. My biggest problem is my urge to do everything at once. I get ridiculously gung ho and start working on five projects. One minute I am re-spooling my massive ribbon collection, the next I find myself measuring out paper to line my bathroom shelves! I don't know if I can ever get myself to focus on one project at a time, but I'm working on it.

Before picture... Eek!

Not all of my ribbon, but there are 39 re-spooled vs. 16 original (to give you an idea of how much space it saves)!

Now imagine a candy jar full of pink ribbon... swoon!

The ribbon project is my number one priority at the moment (okay, along with organizing my entire craft room). I found a system that is absolutely GENIUS at Capture the Moment and am in loooooooooooove! It's practical AND pretty. I'm envious of her ribbon collection. My supply is meager compared to hers. Psh, the fact that I thought mine was "massive" is laughable! Don't even get me started on her craft room! That would be one of the magazine-worthy rooms dancing around in my head when I organize my craft room. A girl can dream, right?!