It's a Goodwill Miracle!

I started writing this LAST Monday, but then I got distracted and, um... well, I kind of forgot about it.  Whoops.

You all know how much I love me some Goodwill shopping.  I find cool stuff, I'm participating in a form of reusing/recycling, and I save money.  It's like a treasure hunt.  I never know what I'm going to find!

Well, last Saturday I came across an Emile Henry Butter Pot.  Initially I picked it up because it was a beautiful shade of green.  I thought it was just a lidded ceramic bowl.  Closer inspection yielded the brand stamp on the bottom, the butter "bell" inside, and a finish free from chips and cracks.  

Also, it was marked $2.99 AND it was 50% off Saturday.

Should have been a no-brainer, right?  

WRONG.  I.  Put.  It.  Back.

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb!

I know it was a mere $1.50.  I know it was Emile Henry, which if you know, tends to be pretty pricey. I know it was one of my absolute favorite colors, a bright apple green. But, here's what I was thinking:  

"Do I really want to leave a dairy product out on the counter?"

I know it's perfectly safe.  I know this is what people used to do in the olden days. I know that the butter bell/pot type holder works even better than just keeping it in a plain butter dish.  However, believe it or not, I'm VERY picky about what I buy at the Goodwill.  I won't buy something just because it's cool, or cheap, or a name brand.  I put a lot of thought into most things.  I want to be sure it's something I am going to use and love.  I don't like a lot of random clutter and I don't like to waste money.  Sure, it's just a few dollars here and there, but it adds up over time.

So I left it.

Well, of course I thought about that stupid thing ALL DAY on Sunday.  Finally that night I decided I'd go back the next day and see if it was still there.  I mean, I know the Rule of Goodwill - If you want it, BUY IT, because odds are it will be gone tomorrow!

So I went back.  I crossed my fingers and prayed it would still be on that shelf.  I walked in, went straight to where I had seen it before, and -

NOTHING.  IT WAS NOT THERE.

I was so disappointed!  I told myself I knew the odds were that it would be gone, but still, it was a bummer.  I figured that while I was there I may as well see if there was anything else I wanted, so I turned to the other shelf behind me and - 

  

THE GOODWILL MIRACLE!!!

Someone had moved it to a different shelf!  I was so excited, I grabbed that thing, hugged it to my chest, and made a beeline for the registers (after making sure there was no Pyrex on the shelves.  I'm not crazy!).  I got home and triumphantly showed it to my husband, holding it up like a trophy.  Do you know what he said?

"Oh, I was wondering why you didn't just get that in the first place.  I like soft butter on my bread."

SMH.  He could have spoken up!

And yes, I realize I am super excited about a butter dish.  I am officially old.

Project Life 2013 - Week 30

More pages done!  While I really do love working with all the pretty pages and embellishments in my arsenal, I have to say that when I get behind, I like to digitally create my cards.  This way, I just send them off to be printed and when they are done all I have to do is trim them and stick them to the page.  Easy peasy and my pages still look great!

Week 30 left side:

For the title card I did a Google search for blank calendars.  As soon as I found this colorful one, I knew what direction I wanted to take with it!  Inspired by the lovely, bright colors on the Sn@p! by Simple Stories products, which I LOVE, I added a striped border and a colorful title.

I'm still loving my Daily Weather app for making quick cards.

Haircut image was created using the BubbleFrame app and then Instagrammed.

I added a label to this Instagram photo in Photoshop.  It's from a Sugarplum Paperie freebie that is sadly no longer available.

I created this collage in Photoshop. How awesome is that gumball dispenser?  I filled it with my old Paper Shapers that I never use anymore but am not quite ready to retire.

I found this quote on Pinterest and it's PERFECT.  I couldn't find any printables that I liked containing it however, so I found a freebie that I did like and edited it.  Ta da!

First day of school!  AHH!  More digi flair.

And here is the journaling to go with:

The label is also from the same Sugarplum Paperie kit.

Here is week 30, right side:

I found this free printable on I Heart Naptime and just resized it. She has one for each grade and they're all super cute!

We took Bubba on his first trip to Baskin Robbins to celebrate the first day of school. The cute ice cream cone doodles are actually dingbats from a font called MTF Sweet Dings.

Simple card.

Some more home-made flair.  Isn't that little cat so cute?

This was another one done in the BubbleFrame app and Instagrammed.  The font is Henny Penny.

One of the easiest ways to make a card (for me at least) is to simply resize a photo, add a label and some text, and there you go! Done!

Pink bordered label was from the same Sugarplum Paperie kit. The airplane background was found using a Google image search.

How stinking adorable is this map?  It's a free printable from the Crafting Chicks that I found on Pinterest, resized, and added a few things in Photoshop.  I fell in love with the bright colors and cute patterns as soon as I saw it. It was a timely discovery because guess what?

That's right - Miss M went to the Windy City!

Rather than try to edit those photos down to get them on their prospective weeks (since the trip was over a weekend) I decided to give them their own pages.  I ended up with four total.  I'll be posting those pages over the next week or so.

Ten Things I'm Loving Right Now

Not having documented much here in the past year or so, I thought I'd do a quick post of things that I am loving right now.  It's completely random and in no particular order.

1.  Letter stickers

Particularly American Crafts Thickers.  I pretty much only buy them on discount because I feel that it is ridiculous to spend five bucks on a package of stickers.  It's absurd!  I have had great luck finding them at TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and Big Lots for about $1.50 a package.  I also love the teeny Recollections glitter alphabet stickers that they sell at Michael's for about two bucks.

2.  Filofax

Have you seen what people are doing with these things?  I'm obsessed!  I totally stalk the #filofax hashtag on Instagram when I have a minute or two to kill here and there.  I don't even go anywhere or do anything really that would even require me to have a planner, and yet I find myself wanting one really badly.  Luckily these suckers are expensive and Target only has thin black ones that are not cute, so I'm safe for now.

3.  Faux calligraphy

I saw this online and I thought it was a fun way to try hand lettering without having to invest in special pens, nibs, and ink.  You just draw your letters then go back to thicken up certain parts so it has that calligraphy feel.  I found an old composition book and I've been randomly doodling in it for practice.

Just so you know - that is NOT my handwriting.  Those are letters that I drew, and there is a huge difference.  My actual handwriting is big and kinda loopy and not at all cute.

4.  Anything "kawaii"

Come on - it's CUTE!  I can't get enough of these anthropomorphised foods and objects.  If you look at some of my Project Life stuff, especially the stuff I've done digitally, you'll see things in this style pop up quite often.

5.  Copic markers

I resisted these for a LONG time.  Then along came YouTube and totally convinced me that I needed these markers.  I watched so many videos on Copic coloring techniques before I even owned one.  I told myself there was no way I was buying markers that cost eight bucks EACH.

Well, then I found a huge bin of them at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, and felt it was a sign that the universe wanted me to have them, so I bought some.  Then, two weeks later I went back and bought the colors that were left that I didn't get the first time.  Then I bought a set using a 40% off coupon.  Then my husband bought me some for my birthday.  Next thing you know - I've got a decent little collection of these going on here and we paid WAY less than retail for them!

I practiced blending techniques on a worksheet I found online before I was brave enough to actually try coloring in an image.  Those two are my first few tries.

6. Washi tape

It's just so PRETTY!  And it comes in soooooo many patterns!  You can use it on everything but because it's repositionable it doesn't ruin anything.  I bought a package of tags at Walmart for a couple of bucks and put a swatch of each of my tapes on it.  Then I slid them on a ring and now I have a handy reference!

7.  Pocket Tupac

You've heard at least ONE person say something like this before:  "It's TRUE!  He's not dead!  He's ALIVE!  My auntie's brother-in-law's cousin's co-worker saw him at the DMV last year!"  They're either talking about Elvis or Tupac Shakur.  We discovered these Funko Pop vinyl figurines that come in all sorts of cute characters, and my husband commented it would be funny if they had Tupac or Elvis to take photos of them different places as a joke in reference to neither actually having passed.  

Well, lo and behold, Funko actually makes BOTH!  I decided to go with Tupac as I thought he was funnier and ordered him online.  He lives in my diaper bag so that I can take photos of him in different spots.  He's been spotted at the MAC store, Benihana, in the bushes outside my house, and, as seen above, in the produce section of Walmart.

He gets around.

8.  Salted Caramel Mocha Frappucino

People like to go on about the Pumpkin Spice Lattes this time of year, but for me, the fall drink of choice at Starbucks is the SCM Frappucino.  I had one last night for dinner.  Don't judge.

9.  Angie's Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn

Have you had this stuff yet?  Oh my word!  I never really liked bagged grocery store popcorn like this.  It always seemed to lack the crispness and flavor of fresh popcorn.  It's usually kinda chewy.

I don't know what possessed me to pick up a bag of this one day at Target but I am sure glad I did.  It' is flipping DELICIOUS.  Not chewy at all and the balance of sweet and salt is perfection.  Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so because my Target is almost always out of it. When I do see it on the shelf, I'll grab three bags without hesitation.  It's that good.

And, finally, last but definitely not least:

10.  Hello Kitty

This is a corner of my scrapbook room.  It is just a small sampling of the Hello Kitty stuff I have around my house.  I can't help it - she's CUTE!  You should see the awesome iPhone cover my husband got me for my birthday.  Ooh, or the headphone jack charm.  I'm really loving the Japanimation stuff they came out with this year.  And the Hello Kitty Uglydolls?  They're killing me!  How about the cute Hello Kitty Kiss vinyl figures that my husband found for Mother's Day?  I still need one more to finish that set.  And then there's the Happy Meal toys... the pens... the stationery... the pajamas...the mug...

It's a sickness, but I love it.

And there you go.  Ten things I'm totally loving right now.  :)

Birthday Cards for Days!

I've always wanted to be one of those people who sends all their friends cards on their birthdays.  I know how much I love to get mail - especially fun stuff like cards!  However, I am sort of unorganized for that sort of thing.  Also, I am too cheap to buy cards.  With the amount of paper and paper crafting stuff in my house, it would just be wrong!  

However, after this weekend, I am all stocked up on cards!  Once again I hit up my Pinterest inspiration boards and got to work today.  Now all I have to do is remember to actually mail these.  :)

I bought this stamp today at Hobby Lobby.  They had a bunch of them for 50% off today!  I got her and a large chevron background stamp.  The Paper Studio embossing folders were 50% off too so I grabbed four.  The design for this card was inspired by this one.  I watched a video on Kristina Werner's blog and came to the realization that I had been using my watercolor pencils all wrong.  I colored this image using my new-found knowledge and I just love it!

I picked up a few more rolls of washi tape this weekend, including two rolls of the CUTEST Hello Kitty washi!  I made this card inspired by one of these.  Very quick and simple.  The sentiment is one of those dollar stamps from Michael's.

Gotta have some gender-neutral ones in the stash, right?  The inspiration for this card can be found here.

I think this card is so pretty.  It has a soft sort of vintage feel to it.  I used a few different colors of Distress Ink and a stippling brush to age the edges of the paper.  The heart was cut freehand from a Starbucks cup sleeve!  The insides are the perfect corrugated texture.  I'd never use it in a scrapbook because it's not acid free, but with cards I feel like anything goes.  The card I used as the jumping point for this one is here.

Here is the same image from the first card, only colored in slightly differently.  I loved all the colors in this card so much that I actually didn't put it in my stash, but rather hung it up in my craft room.  The flags are washi on white cardstock that I cut a border around.  I got the idea for this one from here.  This is the only one that I didn't make doubles of, which is too bad because it's my favorite.

Another gender-neutral card!  I love the simplicity of this, but I think I need a bigger star punch.  The original can be seen here.

This was the last one I made.  I was going to go to bed, but then I saw this and next thing I knew I had busted out the sticker tweezers for those little letters.This is another fairly simple card, but I think it's cute.  My inspiration card can be seen here.

And that's it!  My three day weekend is over and I have to go back to work tomorrow (HAHAHA) because my husband won't be here to distract little people.  This has been the best weekend I've had in ages.  I got to go shopping for some fun new supplies, got in a little one on one time with each of my kids, got to play with paper and ink, visited Starbucks TWICE, got plenty of rest and just was pretty happy in general.  My husband is so awesome for letting me take this time.  I'm a lucky girl.  :)

December 2012 in Photos

Not a whole lot of blogging happening here in December.  I think this may be one of my worst blogging months on record!  Here's most of December documented in photos:

We saw Santa and kept our No Crying Children streak alive.

We sent out Christmas cards.

We got ready for the Mayan Apocalypse.

We painted a keepsake plate at one of those pottery painting places.

I scored some sweet Pyrex.

We read Christmas and Hanukkah books by the light of the Christmas tree.

I finally got cold and busted out a hoodie from college.  That thing had not seen the light of day for probably eight years or so!

I started physical therapy and seeing a nutritionist.  One week into the new diet and I'm not only down 5 1/2 pounds, but my wedding ring (that hasn't fit in almost two years) fits again.

New pjs were procured.

Santa came!

We attended Mass for the first time since the baby was born and she slept through most of it.

I made Christmas dinner and served it all in vintage Pyrex.  Realized I needed a Butterfly Gold 043.

I baked a birthday cake for Jesus and Bubba decorated it.  Kelly was into it... literally.

And finally -

Little Miss turned six months old today!

Hopefully you all had a great December!  I hope to get back to regular posting in the New Year.