To Blog on Blogger or not is the Question....

I started blogging here on Blogger in 2009 with my first blog "Carrie's Craftroom".  It all started by me wanting a place to share my crafting, however it turned into so much more.   Not only did I enjoyed sharing my crafts with everyone - I have learned so much too.  Also I have met so many sweet people here.

I'm not saying good-bye here, it's just that I have made a decision to move my blog to Wordpress.   The last couple months I have been researching Wordpress and blog designs,  blog themes,domain names and hosting companies.   I have to say that the pro's of having your own website far out weights the cons.   So I bit the bullet and made the move.

If you have enjoyed my blog in the past I am sure that you will love the new and improved blog on Wordpress.   My new blog's name is "My Housewife Advice".  I am still ironing out the kinks but feel free to stop by there and check it out.

So my friends here at Blogger it's been a great journey we had together and the fun doesn't have to stop here.  I still have so many ideas and projects that I would like to pass on so this is not the end of our journey.  I thought it would be fun to see where this blog has come from to where it is today, so I made this little video - I hope you enjoy it.

Simplifying and Letting Go - What I learned so far....

We must be willing to let go of the life we planned

so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

~ Joseph Campbell

I found this quote today and it gave me a lot to think about.   Sometimes we are so focus on the every day sequences of our life that we let life past us by.    I catch myself often saying - "Some day I will ________", I'll be happy if I _______ (fill in the blanks).   Have you ever said these phrases?  

This one quote has resonated with me.  It got me thinking boy if I keep waiting for all these "What Ifs" I'll never get any where.   We are a society that is so focus on the future that we waste our lives saying those catch phrases (Some day, I'll be happy when).

Picture source

In the beginning of the year I promised myself that I was going to make a change things were going to be different.  We are already in the third month of this year and I can see so much potential by just following what the above quote says.  If I keep holding my breath for more money, a better job, a better relationship with family and friends I am going to be left standing in the same place.

So I've been working hard trying to better myself this year.  Trying to be more focus on what I have now and not so much on what I don't have.  I have to say that I've seen some changes in my life.   I am more present in my life and more grateful the things and people in my life.  When I first starting out on my journey of a better year I was a little afraid of what might pop up along the way, but I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised on all the gems I have found along my path.

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The path is a long one but I'm not worried at all because if I keep focusing on the important things like bringing order to my life, living in harmony with the people and things that are already in my life, by simplifying my life - only good things can come from that.  

Picture source

Instead of looking at what I don't have and feeling down about not having the most expensive car, not having all the money I want and not having the kind of relationships I want.  I am making a conscious effort to really enjoy what I have in my life now and it's working out great.  

I am declutter the house to bring order to it.   I am setting a side time to find out what makes me and family/friends happier.   I am living with what I have and those things mean more to me then the next shinny new thing I can get my hands on.

So I hope when you read this quote I brought you today,  my hope for all of you is that you start taking the time to stop and smell the roses, be focus on what is - not what could be. Because that my friends will come if you keep yourself focus on the present.

 

How to make your own craft table

Hi everyone - I am back with another video.  This one is regarding my craft table.   I received a request to show how my desk was made.

What can I say -  I am one lucky girl because my husband made this table for me about 5 years ago.   He basically made it from; 2x4s, stock molding, and eight organizational cubes(that I got from Michaels).  Since this was made over 5 years ago I wasn't able to film him putting it together, however,  I did manage to find a few pictures of him putting it together.  So I thought I would try to make a video to try to at least explain(to the best of my abilities - I am not handy with power tools or building things) how he actually put it all together.  So if you are interested in seeing this type of video please press play.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time - Bye

Craft/office updated tour

Craft room Tour

Well I finally finished updating my craft room.   Mainly things stayed the same, however, I added a office to my room.  A lot of hours of purging and sorting and this is the results that I came up with. I am truly excited to show you my updates and would love to hear your responses.

Most of my furniture in my room is from Ikea and my craft desk my sweet husband built for me a while back.  If you would like I could post how he made it.  I hope you enjoyed the tour and I will see you really soon.

Coming Soon

Just putting the finishing touches on my new office/craft room.   So watch out for my video of my newly rearranged office/craft room coming soon.   I added a few things but the most important thing is I took a lot away. (Umm I don't think my garbage man is going to like stopping by our house this week) -  I have to admit I lost my creative motivation there for a while and I needed a change.

I decided to add an office to my craft room.  Prior to moving my office to my craft room I shared an office with my husband in our loft upstairs it worked well  for us for a while.  Now that my husband is working more from home it works better to have separate office.   I added a lot of color in my room this time and I don't know if it because we are in the middle of winter and I live in the Midwest but all this color has got me thinking again.  


I'm in the process of making a video showing the before and after pictures so as soon as it is ready I will post it here.

Carrie

A New year - A New me

I am so excited about this New Year.   Every year I set out and make my New Year Resolutions only to have them fizzle out before January ends.   This year I feel it's going to be different.  I am looking at this in a whole different light and approaching it differently this year.   I have so many plans for myself, my family, my house and my blog this year.   I am inviting you to come on my journey of change with me.

So there is no time like the present Right?  So let's get started.

Some of you might remember a post I did last year on the Happiness Project (click on the link for my post).   That book was so great and I highly recommend you read it if you haven't already done so. It is definitely worth the time and effort.

I found it here

 Well because I had such a great time with that book I was on a hunt this year to find a similar book.   One that will help me with one of my New Year Resolution (being more present in my life), well I am happy to say I found one and I want to share it with all of you

You can find this book here

I am having such a great time reading this book by Sarah Ban Breanatch.   The author of this book believes in six principles which are

GRATITUDE

SIMPLICITY

ORDER

HARMONY

BEAUTY

JOY

The book has 366 short essays which help you guide you on a journey to find your authentic self.  I have been reading this book since January 1st and I can honestly say that each day I can't wait to crave out five or ten minutes to read this book.  Each day you read an essay and it helps you get your day started  and makes you focus on what message Sarah is trying to convey on that given day.  I like reading this book in the morning.  I always get up before anyone in my house so I can have some ME time.   I usually grab a cup of coffee and this book and find a nice cozy place to enjoy both.

The author also has another book that I'm enjoying at the same time and it is called, The  Simple Abundance a Journal of Gratitude.  

I love the concept of this book.  It is a book that is simple set up on a daily basis and it gives you several blank lines where you are to put at least five things that you are grateful for in any given day.  I noticed that by focusing on things that I am thankful for in my life it keeps me focus and present in my life.  I take this book to bed with me and the last thing I do before falling a sleep is write down my five things that I am thankful for that day.   How great is that!  Ending your day in such a positive way I can't begin to tell you how this has started to change my outlook on my life.

So if one of your New Resolutions was to be more present in your life, making your life more simple or concentrating on the good in your life these books will definitely help you with that goal. 

Christmas Decorating on a budget (how I do this)

I just love this time of year.  My most favorite thing is decorating  for Christmas.  That is what we celebrate in my little creative home.  I love to looking through Magazines for decorating ideas.  I'm always a sucker for Pottery Barns website during this time of year, however,  unfortunately I don't have quite the budget that some of those magazines do.  One of my most favorite magazines to pull ideas out of is call

What I do each year is find pictures of Christmas decorations and I go out to find reasonable duplicates for my favorite layouts that I pulled from website, magazine and sometimes even my own little noggin.   Now this doesn't have to break the piggy bank girls.  A lot of my decorations come from Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, T J Max and I know it's hard to believe but the Dollar Store.


Home Goods and Hobby Lobby always have really great sales prior and after the holidays.  For instance all of my decorations that I picked up there this year where when they were running their 50% off sale.   I even was able to score some really nice quality items at the end of the holiday sales and if I can remember correctly two of the items I got for 75% off.   That's my trick I try not to buy anything full price unless I absolutely love it.  Also this year I found a new source to pick up things it's call Lakeside.com they have really adorable Christmas and other holiday items for a great price and if you are lucky you can even find that they run 50% sales too.

So with out any more delays let's take a tour of my house for this years decorations shall we....


Let's start in the living room.  I decide to keep the decoration simple this year.  I choice to mix my Christmas decoration within my every day decoration.   I love this idea because I don't have to worry about packing away my every day decoration (and worrying they get broke).

I bought a couple of new items for this room this year.  The pillows you see on the couch I got at Hobby Lobby at there 50% sale I think I snagged them for $10 for each of them.  I just love that store for buying Christmas decorations.   They have a great selection no matter what type of style you are looking for.

Next on our tour is my formal dinning room.   The theme again this year SIMPLE.   I bought a new table cloth at Home Goods (another favorite store to shop for home decor.).   I also picked up the Christmas tree candles they were in the clearance isle.   The hurricane glass candle jar I picked up last year at Kohls it was a great find it was a $80 mark down to $25 it also was in there clearance bin.  My center piece was last year wreath that hung on my Kitchen light.  The poinsettias I had for a long time I picked them up at Michael's a few years back.

Moving onto the Kitchen.   I really didn't decorate too much in here.  I just put a couple items out this year.  I threw a couple ornaments and some picks in my fruit tower to give it a little bit of a festive look.  On my top shelf next to the cabinets I put my favorite Santa that my mother made for me.  She is so talented.   Believe it or not that bottom shelf is a dollar store container for cookies.  I just filled it up with old glass ornaments and then added some holiday picks that I picked up last year from Michaels and Hobby Lobby after Christmas sale.

Now I think that the Family room decoration is where the magic begins.  I decided to redo my shelves and mantel this year.  I just love how they came out.

New items this year the little pipe cleaner trees (from Home Goods), Santa Claus portrait (from Hobby Lobby 50% off),  candle sticks along with Wooden Angel were (Home Goods),  and new stockings this year (from Target)

On the right side of my fireplace this is how I decorated this year.  I purchase a couple new items for the shelves this year.   Those houses you see on the third shelf  I got them at the dollar store.

On the left on my fireplace is another built in shelf the only thing that is new here from last year is the on the second to the top shelf the Santa I picked up from Hobby Lobby when they were running there 50% sale.

This year I had a little helper decorating with me (or should I say for me).  It turned out that when I wanted to get the decorations up this year I caught the flu and it knocked me out for three whole days.   While I was down and out in my little flu induce coma my mother came over and decorated my house for me.   I don't know what I would do with out her.   I love how it all came together this year.

I hope you had fun with your decorating your house this year and that you see that decorating  doesn't have to be expensive.  If you pick up items that you love and you watch for sales and you slowly accumulate these items you will find that this really can be inexpensive.   A few of my decoration came from the dollar store and would you believe those are the decorations that everyone seems to go wild over.