the little things

Just Some Things

I have been so, so tired lately. That no-energy kind of feeling, you know? I wanted to nap today, but brain has other plans.  So, I decided to blog instead! :)

Our sale yesterday was pretty slow.  But, we did get rid of lots of things & made a little money that will be making its way into our savings account tomorrow, for that we are grateful.  We did have a theft tho, which breaks my heart.  The fact that we didn't make money off it doesn't even bother me in the slightest. It's the fact that someone felt the need to stoop so low to steal from a garage sale of all things.  I would have just given them the item if they had just asked.  This world is crazy!

Friday night I was picking up a few old things from my mom & Phil's house & came across some plastic drawers Megan once had when she used to scrapbook. Inside I found my own treasures!  

Like these:

Cutie buttons! :) Eeeep!

& these:

ok. I guess that doesn't help much ;)  see the second jar from the left (happily rinsed & reused after the yummy-smelling candle that once was inside was all finished up!)--inside would be 13 Cats Eye inks, 5 of which haven't even been opened! (all the other jars are some of favorites filled with scrap goodness!  I told you I have a jar obsession! ;))

I was thrilled when she told me I could have them!  I even found a one dollar bill in those bins, but gave it to her, she was excited! haha.

It has taken me allll day to put my office area back together (I had to use my scrap tables for the sale yesterday) & everything was a mess.  I am anxious to craft, but am just not sure I have the energy to do anything tonight.  Such a bummer of a feeling.

Lately, I am loving all things handmade, especially the quilted look.  I can barely sew on a button, but my heart desires to learn how to make a quilt!  Someday I will! But, for now, I will stick with "quilting" on paper! ;)  

Ok. I know it doesn't really look too much like a quilt, but hopefully, maybe a little?  I am all about comfy stuff lately. In my home. In my scrapbooking. I am loving it.  Maybe it's the new season fast approaching?! Could be!

I made stuffed shells for lunch today & oatmeal chocolate chip walnut cookies last night. Even through my exhaustion. I have realized I love cooking & baking even more than I thought!  I just wish I had a bigger kitchen!  One day I will & one day I will bake & cook until I can bake & cook no more!  I have been blessed with a very cooking/baking-talented family with lots of yummy family recipes.  I can't wait to make them all for my kiddos one day! 

I'm rambling.--blame the tiredness! ;) ha.

Hope you have a good, good week!  yey for almost Fall time! Who's ready for the apple cider, pumpkin patches & crisp air?! I know I am!

Some Crafting

Two days in a row I crafted.

& it felt good!

I love mixing alphas for a title!  And have been enjoying adding bits & pieces here & there on each page. 

Used some goodies from GiGi Kennedy on this one!

Be sure to stop on over to the American Crafts blog if you haven't yet!  They have been doing awesome giveaways all week right along with QuicKutz! 

Ready for tomorrow to be over so I can enjoy the weekend! Who's with me?!

Meet Hootie!

Isn't he just the cutest little guy?! I heart him. BIG time!

He even likes Country Living magazine! ;) BONUS!

I've already enjoyed sweet tea & hot apple cinnamon tea in him today. YUM!

Although, hot tea is something new, so I'm still working on acquiring a taste for it, but it was fun sipping on it tonight, while browsing the web!

It's been a wonderful, wonderful four day weekend & I am so sad to have to go back to work tomorrow.  Praying for strength to get through the rest of the week. I was so spoiled staying at home doing whatever I wanted. I wish I had more days like that!

Today was grand.  I had a follow up doctor's appointment (starting new meds the first week of September & then Clomid in December! Eeeep!), then Nate & I had a good lunch at Panera & got to see our sweet friend Mindy. We stopped at Goodwill, but came out empty handed, then stopped by the bulk food store where I picked up Hootie! :)

In all the excitement I forgot to pick up the one thing I've been wanting for weeks-

But, thanks to the reminder of iTunes from the sweet April M. I purchased it off iTunes tonight!  It's just as good as I knew it would be! :)

So happy this will only be a 3 day work week...then it's the chaos of the yard sale. Oh boy! 

It Was Too Cute to Pass Up!

This sweet little glass jar with red, metal lid that is!

I was browsing our local bulk food store yesterday evening when I found this cute little gem & quickly snatched it up for 5 bucks!  I admit, I even thought of picking up the other 2 left on the shelf, but refrained! ;)

You see, I have many weaknesses & one just happens to be for jars.

Oy. Jars. All kinds. Big, little, short, tall. Fat. Clear. Blue. With a top or without. It just doesn't matter.

I think my house will one day just be one big jar! ha.

When I bought this one yesterday, I honestly had no clue what I would use it for. Maybe around the house? Maybe in my scrap space? Who knew.

But, as it sat just as you see it up there today...I realized it was right where it belonged. In the kitchen. 

Holding our tea bags. & I decided to replace that little vase that was originally behind it with another (real) vintage jar. I love clusters!

I also love a good find! I really need to stop with the buying of the jars. Maybe there's a 3 step program for that? ;)

 

This Weekend

The hubby & I...

Started out shopping early yesterday on the hunt for him a new shirt.  But, that darn Sears was having a pretty good sale, so I snagged some things for me too! Oops! 

I love when Nate wears American Eagle. It's my favorite. :)

Old Navy also managed to take some money from us. Darn back to school stuff!

We had lunch at Chik-fil-a, got my rings cleaned, & made it out of Target with only one bag!

The hubs & I also...

attended the wedding of these two sweet people

Had a blast with family...

This weekend we also...

had an awesome birthday dinner at mom & Phil's where mom made our requested ribs & red skinned mashed potatoes. It was delicious!

And then...we had the best cake in the world.

Mom's Red Velvet Cake. Oh. My. It's so worth the one year wait!

And it's still not over!  I have tomorrow & Monday off work & even tho Nate doesn't (thank you, overtime. House fund!!), we still plan on being productive: prepping for the garage sale coming up next Saturday, hooking up our new tv & cleaning. Fun!

I'm also looking forward to getting some sleep.  The past few days I have been so exhausted. Blah.

Here's to a GREAT week! :)

Cards for Kate

I stopped over to Kristina's blog tonight & saw she had a wonderful post about a new card drive for a precious little 5 year old girl battling brain cancer, Kate McRae.

With the help of Jennifer McGuire & Jana Millen, they put together a wonderful card drive for Kate.

If you would like to participate, the info is below.  I know I am really loving making cards lately & can't wait to create one or two for the McRae family!  While I don't personally know this family, I am 100% positive any amount of positive words & prayers that can be sent their way will not go unappreciated.

The details:

• Cards can be for any member of Kate's family:

     -  Kate (age 5) - The sweet girl who is battling cancer.
     -  Little brother Will.
     -  Bigger sister Olivia.
     -  Mom and Dad, Aaron and Holly.

• Cards can be anything cheery, encouraging, supportive, etc.  (This family is a family of God, so for all you Christians out there, feel free to share messages of Faith.)  Anyone can send a card - even your children!

• Please write a message in the card and sign your name and where you are from.  On the card envelope, please write the name of who the card is for (Kate, Will, Olivia, Aaron and/or Kate).  Also, please don't seal the envelope, as Kate's parents might want to preview cards before the kids see them.

• With your cards, please include a piece of paper with your name, address, email address and number of cards.  We will keep these for picking out prizes.  (See below.)

• The cards should be sent to:

                        Jennifer McGuire 
                        Card Drive for Kate
                        PO Box 428612 
                        Cincinnati, Ohio 45242

• Please send the cards to arrive by October 1. This should give enough time for those overseas to play along. As we get enough to fill a box to send to Kate's family, we will send them.  This way they don't get them all at once.  And since they are having some struggles lately, the sooner we get some cards, the better.
• • If you want to send more than just a card (such as a gift), please just send directly to the address given HERE.
  • If you want to donate money to Kate's family, please click HERE.  If you want to help cover the costs of shipping, feel free to include some money in with your cards.  Any money leftover will be donated to the family.  (But there is NO need to include money.)
  And... how about some prizes as a thank you for participating?  For all the cards we get, we will pick random winners of some great prizes.  Click HERE for up-to-date prize info.  Stuff will be added soon and often.  Please keep in mind that winners will be pick based on piece of paper you include with your cards with your name and info. So, be sure to include it!

Off to create!! :)

Winna!

Winner of some Evalicious goodies is....

Jill!!  Wooot!  Happy living back in Kentucky, girl & congrats!  I need your new address! Please email me & I'll send your goods out to ya! :)

In other news...Tricia & I are having a garage sale next Saturday, the 29th & I have never had a sale of my own before, so if you have, I'd love some pointers!  I am really excited & ready to get rid of lots of stuff Nate & I just don't use! And also happy to add any extra moolah to the house fund!

This week has been so tiring. I am ready for my 4 day weekend!  Lots of garage sale pricing, another wedding, birthday dinner at mom & phil's red velvet cake...I can't wait!! Hurry weekend! 

Paper & Guh.lue. + a giveaway!

I've been busy with the paper & glue the past week, so I thought I'd share!

Lots of great photos from the awesome weekend last week! :)

& I think I'm obsessed with that swiss dot cardstock! Who's with me?

(used some goodies from the sweet Gigi Kennedy on this one! & i LOVE the Hannah & Henry letter stickers from AC!)

(this one looks sooo funky-not sure why!  i promise it doesn't have that blue tint all over it IRL! picked up that cute birdie/cloud paper when i was at Archiver's with this sweet girl last weekend!)

(lots of photo issues lately! sweet Caylin adores Nate! it melts my heart!)

The flowers on this layout are some of favorite embellishments right now. They're from Evalicious' etsy shop & I can't quit ordering them!  BUT, I have more than I need, so I'd like to give a row of 3 of each of the styles in the photo below to one commenter!  (aren't the apples cute?!)

So, if you'd like to be entered, leave a message here with what you're most looking forward to about Fall & I will draw a name this Wednesday!

Here's to a good week! :)

Change is Good!

& in some cases REALLY good!

Thanks to my awesome, fabulous, wonderful, sweet friend, Kristina, I have some change on the ol' blog & I am so excited to finally have some cuteness goin' on around here! :)

She was so kind to make me the banner & add some pretty blue (because I am lame & have no clue with this kind of stuff!). She is awesome. & I owe her. BIG time!  Thank you so much again, K! I love it!

Today has been a super busy day. We're puppy sitting my step sister & brother in law's puppy, Olive. & boy is she cute!

Here, let me show you... :)

And she loves her "Uncle Nate!" ;)

She is such a good puppy, too!  Potty trained & so calm.  & lots & lots of FUN!  

She does lots of silly things, like this:

It makes me giggle! I also love that she looks so much like Craemer did when he was little. Even tho they are totally different breeds!

Other exciting weekend news?

We bought a new TV! Ours has been dying a slow death, sound wise...& Nate has been itching to get one of the fancy flat screens (I know nothing about this stuff either!), so when we saw a good deal, we couldn't pass it up.  It should be here within the next week. I know the hubs is about to pee his pants with excitement! lol! & it feels so good to be able to have the savings to pay for it IN CASH!!! God is so good!

& I am stoked to announce I have been asked to join the very sweet & uber talented Lesley Grainger design team!  This will be my very first hybrid design work & I am so excited!  Lesley's designs are so much fun, so whimsical & lovely!  So grateful to get to try my hand with her products!

Thought I'd show some cards I put together earlier this week for friends & family using the fun AC "thank you" stamps & ribbon, along with my Martha Stewart butterfly punch & Evalicious flower embellishment! (see sidebar for link)

Never thought I'd see the day where making cards got me excited! haha.

Hope your weekend is going swell!

Ummm...

I need that paint color & those cross stitch/embroidery hoops.

& that expedit bookshelf.

oh, & the cuuute yellow chair sure would be cute too!

adding to my "duenke house idea book!" :)

what's inspiring you these days?