Project Life

Just dropping in with a Project Life update.  So far so good - I have managed to keep up with it so far.   I can't wait for the products to come in so that I can get my hands on the page protector set "A".  I'm not to happy with my album so far, but I didn't want to just sit back and wait for the page protectors to come back in stock so I went head and used some of the new page protectors that were available at the time I ordered my Project Life kit.   Here is a peak of my progress so far:

                                                            My Title Page

                                                           Week One

                                                        I used C-Line flap protector

Week Two and Three - (not a lot of pictures for week three)

Week Four

I used 8 x11 page protector to include the letter my daughter wrote to the President. On the other side I put my son's Honor certificate from the Dean of his university.

Week Five

Week Six

I took a cue from Ali Edwards and did a Day in Life of my daughter.

Carrie

Goodbye Cricut

Hello Cameo Silhouette!

Well Happy Birthday to myself people!   Goodbye Cricut - Hello Cameo Silhouette !  Yes that's right I am joining in on the band wagon.  Happily hopping on it I guess you can say.   My Cameo should be arriving here sometime next week and I'm so excited.   Prior to me buying my Cricut I owned the original Silhouette, however, I hated the fact that it couldn't cut anything bigger than a 6 x 12 image.  So I ditch my beloved Silhouette and hopped on the Cricut band wagon.  I thought I would be satisfied with the Cricut but to tell you the truth I was always looking back at my Silhouette wishing it would grow.  I wasn't really thrilled with how Cricut cuts small images and I always loved the idea of buying individual images rather than a cartridge which I almost always only liked a few images that were on the cartridge any ways.   I miss checking out what Kerry Bradford was up to on her blog and store too.   Well I don't have to worry about that any more thank haven for that.   Let the count down begin!!!!!  

Owl Pillow

Hi everyone;

I'm just popping in with a little Valentine gift I made for my daughter today.  I would love to share with you how I made it,

Materials Needed

Fabric (Pink from JoAnn Fabrics)
Accent fabric (Had laying around the house from another project)
White felt
Black felt
Coordinating Thread


First of all I was inspired to do this project by watching a Youtube video made by diydish.com you can get the pattern here., however, as usually I have modified it. If you go to their blog you can down load the pin cushion pattern (I blew it up on my copier a little).

First I pinned the pattern to the fabric, then I cut it out the owl's body.  

Once that was done I continued by cutting out both of the owl's wings from the pattern.

I pinned it onto one of the accent fabric and cut it out.

I did the same with the beak and the eyes,

After sewing on the wings, beak, and eyes I pinned right sides together and sewed
the body of the owl together leaving bottom opened to turn right side out and to stuff

It's a simple and fun project to do

Happy Crafting

Carrie

PS:  This was posted to Today's Creative Blog and Not Just a Housewife, Tatertots and Jello

Simply Home Decorations

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Supplies:
Frame with glass (from Target)
Armour Etch (Hobby Lobby)
Stencils (Hobby Lobby)


First I took the glass panels out of the frame and cleaned it with glass cleaner.  Once it was clean I placed my stencils where I wanted them.

Then I put the Armour Etch cream over the stencils. (tip - I found the best way to put the cream on was by putting on a vinyl glove and using my fingers).

After you put the cream on it is best that you turn your work to the opposite side and hold it up into the light to make sure that you covered the whole stencil.   Once you are sure it is totally covered wait five minutes and then rinse off the cream with water.  Pull up your stencil and place glass back into the frame.

I think it turned out pretty good.  I can't wait to go back to Target and get more frames.  The possibilities of what you can etch are endless.


Carrie


PS this was also posted on  Today's Creative Blog, Not Just a Housewife

I've decided to do something drastic!

This is my story of the nightmare I walked into yesterday,  The last few years I've prided myself on how well I've been keeping to my cleaning schedule  but I have something to confess to you.   While on the surface my house may seem clean it's only been an illusion.  That's right an illusion.  

Yesterday - I had errands to do and while I was at my last errand I locked my keys in my car.   Thank goodness it wasn't that far from the house just about a 2 mile walk.  Well I decided instead of calling for road side assistance I would walk home to get the spare keys.  After walking home in the wet, cold weather I proceeded to look for my spare keys.  I kept looking, and looking and  I came up empty handed. I couldn't find my keys to save my life. 

I stood there for a few minutes looking around my house and my house seemed to be in order - sinks where shinning,  dishes where in the dishwasher, a load of laundry was ready to be switched, floors were swept.  How could it be that the more I dug around for my keys I felt like my house was in disorder and why wasn't I able to find my keys. After all I have done everything the Fly Lady said to do.

Then I realized my house was only cleaned on the surface.  All those closets and drawers and fancy boxes where filled to the brim with clutter.  Uggh what can I say people I felt left down.  

So I've decided to do something really drastic I heard of  a challenge last year called the 48 bags in 48 days.  It's where you take one bag a day and get rid of all the clutter, all the things that you are holding onto but don't need to be holding on to.    I am in the process of going through all those nasty hiding grounds that clutter seems to be lurking and taking a big green bag with me to get rid of it all. 

 

Carrie 

Happy New Years

Here is wishing you all a Happy New Year may it bring whatever you are seeking for yourself and your families.   

My intentions for the New Year is to bring calmness, a renewal of health and learning to myself and my family.   I have a plan and this year I will try my hardest to stick with it.

I'm so looking forward to the New Year this year. I have signed myself up for some classes that I can't wait to start.   First off I have joined Cathy Zielske's Big Picture class Move More, Eat Well.   

   

I just love Cathy's sense of humor and the way she just tells it like it is.     I am looking to change a few things in my life and this will help with a couple of them.  Also I have lined up a seat in  Ali Edwards Big Picture class One Little Word.   

                                              

I am so looking forward to this class.  I've wanted to join it last year but had to much on my plate to commit to it, but I am making time for it this year.

I can't wait to see what the New Year will bring and feel so blessed that I have  the life I do. Here's hoping your New Year is a Happy ONE!

Carrie      

Preparing for the New Year

Christmas has come to the end and now all you have left are piles every where.  Piles of empty boxes, piles of Christmas cards (hopefully you saved those envelopes that they came in).  Well you get the idea right?  It's time to get ready for a New Year.  I'm going to share with you some of my organizing tips to get me ready for the New Year.

Update Address Book

I always start right after Christmas getting ready for my New Year.  The first thing I do is take that pile of Christmas cards sort them.  So that I can update my address book.

This is what I look for:

• I look for any cards that were returned to me
• I look for cards from family and friends that have bought new homes 
• I look for information like newly weds (usually they have new addresses), new babies names etc.

While updating my address book I always try to remember did anyone get a new cell phone this Christmas and I make a note of that.  (My nieces and nephews always seem to get new phones around this time and it never fails that someone has a new phone #). 

Remember - at this time of year you are supplied with so much great information (look at those friends and families newsletters and cards and look for that special information) don't waste time and think that you will remember to do it later, do it now.

Clean Desk off


Next on my list of things to organize is my desk.  I don't know if you are like me but at this time of year my desk seems like a great big pile of papers.   Here are some of the things I do..

• I sort through my check statements and look for any medical bills that were paid during the year and put them into a tax file for this year.
• I gather up mortgage statements, house tax paper work, interest statements and 1099 I will be receiving and place them in one file marked Taxes.
• I file away this year credit card statements, bank statements, and make new files for the coming year. (I try to keep only one year of statement in my desk then I move them to the file cabinet)
• I take the time to make a list of office supplies I need. Also I take a note of what school supplies the kids might be missing and buy them too.
• I have a bill binder that I keep track of my bills with an excel sheet so I update that.
• I also have a home binder book and as much as I try during the year to keep that tidy it never fails that I always have a pile of things that I have to update or file away in there too.
• I get out the new calendar and look up kids school information for the coming new year and put special dates on the new calendar. I mark down important dates like birthdays, anniversaries and upcoming events too.
• In my desk I always seem to have one draw that gets full of junk, where miscellaneous things seem to pile up - so I take the time to sort through those things and get rid of any thing I don't need.
• During the year if I have purchased any major appliance for the home I keep warranty information and manuals in my home binder.  Usually at this time of year it never fails that I forgot to file some of those away so I do that at this time too.
• Usually when I get done cleaning my desk out I always have a pile of papers that have private information that I don't want seen so I schedule a couple of days to shred those types of papers.

There is nothing like a clean desk to get the New Year off to a great start.

Getting the house organized

There are so many great sites out there with organization tips so I won't bore you with a whole list of my preparation.   I will share with you a few of those sites that I found this year.  What I wanted to say here is a year ago I was reading one of my favorite blogs called Clover Lane and she gives out organizational tips too.  The one thing that stuck out to me is the way she approaches organizing her house.

She said, that she looks at her house as if she was going to put it up on the market to sell.  She pretends that she is about to have an open house.  She goes through each room and makes a list of things that need to be organized, de-cluttered, and fixed.  Then she breaks down each of those thing down and assigns a time or  a month when she knows that she can tackle those problems.  Isn't that brilliant!


Here are a few of the websites that I found had great organization tips.

http://www.mysimplerlife.com/2012.htm

http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/p/iheart-project-gallery.html

Hope everyone has a wonderful, prosperous and healthy New Year!

Carrie