I am going to start making a change to my blog. This is something that I have been thinking about for awhile now. I am doing this because I want place to put down words and my thoughts about things that are going on in the world. I realize that most of my comments are going to be towards a religion viewpoint. But right now there is so many things that are concerning me and will affect my children that are going to be leaving the house in the next few years. It is hard to think of all the things that happen during the next few years that will affect them greatly.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Time to prepare for the Holidays
As the holidays are upon I thought that I would chat about a few good ways that I have found to shop for those wonderful gifts. I have always told my children it is not the amount of stuff that you get but the thought that went into the gifts that given.
It is a good idea to listen to the ques that your children give you long before the season of shopping starts. I have found from the past that if I start really early (right around the time school starts) that I am able to give my children things that they would really like. Not only will they really like the gift, they will enjoy it longer then a week or so. If you know that they really would like to have something that is expensive, look for bargins.
There are all kinds of places to find a good bargin these days. One place that I have found is eBay, but there are many sites that have sales throughout the year. So don't limit yourself to just one place for your shopping needs. If your children are old enough to surf the net you can have them surf around and see what they can find. I have hinted at my oldest son to find a couple of items that he would like and to save the website. This way I can go back when he is not around and see if I can find that item at a better price. If you find something that you want to order early a great way to insure that it won't be seen have it shipped to a friends house.
Another great way to save the money on gifts is by shopping the local stores early. If something is on sale that has been marked down to a great price then get it. I have found that there are discount stores that sell great items and a discounted price. If you shop early you can find some great items at a fraction of the price that you would pay in the top name stores. But don't discount the top name stores, look on their sales racks and you can at times find a treasure worthy of giving as a gift.
Have a box that is set up just for Christmas gifts. If you shop throughout the year then when the Christmas season is upon us, you won't be pressed for time or money to get everything that is needed. Keep a list of who you are buying for and what you have purchased. This way throughout the year you won't over do your gift giving or your budget. By planning ahead you are going to be able to give those meaningful gifts and not break the bank.
For as long at I can remember I have always set a dollar amount that we can spend on each of our children, extended family members, bosses, and so on. By taking the time to set a limit it helps to keep one with in a budget and makes the Christmas shopping experience less stressful. If your budget is really tight, then you might want to consider drawing names. When you do this start early, set a decent dollar amount, and follow through.
Name drawing is something that my family has done for a long time. It first started out as a way to keep my parents from spending so much money on everyone. Both sides of their family was willing to try it and I have to say that it was a relief for them. When me and my sister were old enough we were added to the family drawing. The dollar amount has not changed, it still remains the same as it did well over 18 years ago. By doing the drawing early you are giving the person enough time to make something special.
This brings me to the next way to save money on your shopping for the Christmas season. Making a gift can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ways of giving a gift. I can remember making potholders for my grandma when I was younger, then when I was older I took the time to gather pictures and put together a scrapbook of her family. These happen to be something that she still has to date and is proud to show them off. If the gift is from a young child, the person recieving the gift will more likely be thrilled at what was given. This is one reason that if you start early, you will ensure that your gift will be finished and off into the mail or down the road in time.
The biggest thing that I can say again is plan ahead, budget and listen to the cues that are given throughout the year, and start early. I hope that your gift giving for this Christmas is a good one and you put a lot of thought into it, save money and not get stressed out. Merry Christmas and have a blessed day.
It is a good idea to listen to the ques that your children give you long before the season of shopping starts. I have found from the past that if I start really early (right around the time school starts) that I am able to give my children things that they would really like. Not only will they really like the gift, they will enjoy it longer then a week or so. If you know that they really would like to have something that is expensive, look for bargins.
There are all kinds of places to find a good bargin these days. One place that I have found is eBay, but there are many sites that have sales throughout the year. So don't limit yourself to just one place for your shopping needs. If your children are old enough to surf the net you can have them surf around and see what they can find. I have hinted at my oldest son to find a couple of items that he would like and to save the website. This way I can go back when he is not around and see if I can find that item at a better price. If you find something that you want to order early a great way to insure that it won't be seen have it shipped to a friends house.
Another great way to save the money on gifts is by shopping the local stores early. If something is on sale that has been marked down to a great price then get it. I have found that there are discount stores that sell great items and a discounted price. If you shop early you can find some great items at a fraction of the price that you would pay in the top name stores. But don't discount the top name stores, look on their sales racks and you can at times find a treasure worthy of giving as a gift.
Have a box that is set up just for Christmas gifts. If you shop throughout the year then when the Christmas season is upon us, you won't be pressed for time or money to get everything that is needed. Keep a list of who you are buying for and what you have purchased. This way throughout the year you won't over do your gift giving or your budget. By planning ahead you are going to be able to give those meaningful gifts and not break the bank.
For as long at I can remember I have always set a dollar amount that we can spend on each of our children, extended family members, bosses, and so on. By taking the time to set a limit it helps to keep one with in a budget and makes the Christmas shopping experience less stressful. If your budget is really tight, then you might want to consider drawing names. When you do this start early, set a decent dollar amount, and follow through.
Name drawing is something that my family has done for a long time. It first started out as a way to keep my parents from spending so much money on everyone. Both sides of their family was willing to try it and I have to say that it was a relief for them. When me and my sister were old enough we were added to the family drawing. The dollar amount has not changed, it still remains the same as it did well over 18 years ago. By doing the drawing early you are giving the person enough time to make something special.
This brings me to the next way to save money on your shopping for the Christmas season. Making a gift can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ways of giving a gift. I can remember making potholders for my grandma when I was younger, then when I was older I took the time to gather pictures and put together a scrapbook of her family. These happen to be something that she still has to date and is proud to show them off. If the gift is from a young child, the person recieving the gift will more likely be thrilled at what was given. This is one reason that if you start early, you will ensure that your gift will be finished and off into the mail or down the road in time.
The biggest thing that I can say again is plan ahead, budget and listen to the cues that are given throughout the year, and start early. I hope that your gift giving for this Christmas is a good one and you put a lot of thought into it, save money and not get stressed out. Merry Christmas and have a blessed day.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
My Newest Mini Scrapbooks
I just thought that I would share a couple of my newest mini accordian scrapbooks. These books are very fun to make and they come together fast. I am thinking of adding a slightly larger version of these books. I offer these mini scrapbooks along with other pre-made scrapbooks in my store. Thanks for taking a look and check back for previews of what I have created.
Click on the link for the slide show Mini Accordian Scrapbooks
Here is a look at a new card that I have made too. I like to make all kinds of paper crafts.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Favorite Scrapbooking Products
Here are a few of my favorite products that I use in my scrapbooking:
Xyron adhesive.... I can't get enough of it. It works great and I don't have a messy little tabs to pick up. The sticker maker 'ROCKS'. I love it for my Quickutz die cuts. I have been known to buy lots of it when I go into Savannah... as I run out often.
Making Memories: Anything and everything about these products makes me want to buy more. They are of great quality and they look awesome on a page.
Quickutz: Okay here is something that I would stand on the top of my roof and shout about them. I started to use their die cuts because they are great for 8 1/2 X 11 pages. Now that I do the 12X12 pages... I love them even more. They are compact, small and oh yes.... easy to transport to a crop. I can easily say that I am VERY addicted to them.
Doodlebug: I like the bright cheery products that they have. Great for any kids page that I create.
Bazzill: Oooh... this is the best cardstock that I have come across. There are so many great colors to choose from. I have lots of this paper and I am always buying more of it. Anything that is military: There are so many different products and brands that care some form of a military product. So I love those too. Hmmm... I guess that happens when you are an Army wife.
Creating Keepsakes: I may not be any where near their level... but I love this magazine, it is packed full of awesome ideas that you can learn from.
So that is the short and tall of my favorite list. Michelle
Xyron adhesive.... I can't get enough of it. It works great and I don't have a messy little tabs to pick up. The sticker maker 'ROCKS'. I love it for my Quickutz die cuts. I have been known to buy lots of it when I go into Savannah... as I run out often.
Making Memories: Anything and everything about these products makes me want to buy more. They are of great quality and they look awesome on a page.
Quickutz: Okay here is something that I would stand on the top of my roof and shout about them. I started to use their die cuts because they are great for 8 1/2 X 11 pages. Now that I do the 12X12 pages... I love them even more. They are compact, small and oh yes.... easy to transport to a crop. I can easily say that I am VERY addicted to them.
Doodlebug: I like the bright cheery products that they have. Great for any kids page that I create.
Bazzill: Oooh... this is the best cardstock that I have come across. There are so many great colors to choose from. I have lots of this paper and I am always buying more of it. Anything that is military: There are so many different products and brands that care some form of a military product. So I love those too. Hmmm... I guess that happens when you are an Army wife.
Creating Keepsakes: I may not be any where near their level... but I love this magazine, it is packed full of awesome ideas that you can learn from.
So that is the short and tall of my favorite list. Michelle
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Just a little journaling
24 Jan 2007
Well today has been a good day so far. I am proud to say that I have had my first sale on my main website. I was so excited that I was jumping up and down. I tried to call and tell my hubby the great news and of course he didn't answer. I guess was busy. So I then had to go onto the forums and shout out that I had my first sale. Man on man was I thrilled to tell someone. Now that I have had my first sale (mind you it was a graphic), I am ready to go and play with my graphic pen and tablet. I know that I should be doing something else... maybe a custom order that needs to be finished up.
Other then that my day has been an uneventful day. I am trying to get some grubby tags finished and made up too. I was lucky to have someone nice enough to send me direction on how to make them. So I figured that I try it out. So far I am liking the results of the tags and hope to have them listed in my stores soone.
While laying in bed last night I had so many things running through my brain that I have come up with an idea for a new posting that will be in the very near future. I am going to "blog" about my favorite products that I use in my scrapbooking. I have just a few of them so it will be very imformative to say the least. If you ever have a product that you would like to have me talk about I am sure that I "blog" about that too, just let me know.
Okay well now that I have done some "journaling" I am going to get to work and finish up a couple projects that I have been working on. Have a great one, Michelle
Well today has been a good day so far. I am proud to say that I have had my first sale on my main website. I was so excited that I was jumping up and down. I tried to call and tell my hubby the great news and of course he didn't answer. I guess was busy. So I then had to go onto the forums and shout out that I had my first sale. Man on man was I thrilled to tell someone. Now that I have had my first sale (mind you it was a graphic), I am ready to go and play with my graphic pen and tablet. I know that I should be doing something else... maybe a custom order that needs to be finished up.
Other then that my day has been an uneventful day. I am trying to get some grubby tags finished and made up too. I was lucky to have someone nice enough to send me direction on how to make them. So I figured that I try it out. So far I am liking the results of the tags and hope to have them listed in my stores soone.
While laying in bed last night I had so many things running through my brain that I have come up with an idea for a new posting that will be in the very near future. I am going to "blog" about my favorite products that I use in my scrapbooking. I have just a few of them so it will be very imformative to say the least. If you ever have a product that you would like to have me talk about I am sure that I "blog" about that too, just let me know.
Okay well now that I have done some "journaling" I am going to get to work and finish up a couple projects that I have been working on. Have a great one, Michelle
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Possible ideas for some new pages
The New Year is coming up sooner then we all thought. So here are some great ideas of what new pages that can be made and added to your book. This can touch a little on the journaling part of scrapbooking too.
1. What are your New Year resolutions? Why not put them down in your scrapbook and see if you are able to keep them. It might even help you keep them a lot better if they are written down and you can come back to them throughout the year. You can even do this for the children that are old enough too.
2. A Reflection of the past year. You can make a page that is a look back at some of your favorite things you did. Either as a family or as an individual. If you have children then ask them what they liked the best about the last year too. You would be amazed at what they can remember too. *** a good example here could be something very special too... We as a family bought our very FIRST home, so I could reflect on the fact of how we decided to do it, what happened during the process and much more.***
3. Reflect on what might happen in the year to come. What do you want to do in the next year that you didn't do in the past year. Are you moving, where do you want to go, a child going to be going to school for the first time? These are just a few things to think about here.
4. Don't forget to scrapbook they big event of New Year's Eve.... there are so many wonderful moments in the count down to the New Year.... did you go somewhere, did you light off fireworks (can be still done in some places), did you throw a great party with your friends and family? These are just a couple things that can be scrapbooked about too.
These are just a few ideas of what you could scrapbook around this time of the year. We all have such high hopes for the future and we can look back at what happened in the past too. You never know where this might take you.
1. What are your New Year resolutions? Why not put them down in your scrapbook and see if you are able to keep them. It might even help you keep them a lot better if they are written down and you can come back to them throughout the year. You can even do this for the children that are old enough too.
2. A Reflection of the past year. You can make a page that is a look back at some of your favorite things you did. Either as a family or as an individual. If you have children then ask them what they liked the best about the last year too. You would be amazed at what they can remember too. *** a good example here could be something very special too... We as a family bought our very FIRST home, so I could reflect on the fact of how we decided to do it, what happened during the process and much more.***
3. Reflect on what might happen in the year to come. What do you want to do in the next year that you didn't do in the past year. Are you moving, where do you want to go, a child going to be going to school for the first time? These are just a few things to think about here.
4. Don't forget to scrapbook they big event of New Year's Eve.... there are so many wonderful moments in the count down to the New Year.... did you go somewhere, did you light off fireworks (can be still done in some places), did you throw a great party with your friends and family? These are just a couple things that can be scrapbooked about too.
These are just a few ideas of what you could scrapbook around this time of the year. We all have such high hopes for the future and we can look back at what happened in the past too. You never know where this might take you.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Why Journal... and what is it?
Journaling is a very important part of scrapbooking. It tells the person looking at your pages why the photos are important. It may sound hard to do and consists of lots of writing. I am here to reassure you that it can be very simple to do. Here are some ideas of what kinds of journaling you can do.
1. Storytelling: This sounds just like it is. To tell a story about what took place in the photos on the page. Usually this is more then a few words and sentences. I find that I do this when something really funny, special or significant happened. A good example of this is something very funny happened. "My husband came home from Iraq and I wrote about what it was like and my feelings of having him come home after 15 months." This was a very long journaling and was like telling a story. I wanted to make sure that I had my feelings about this down for my kids and family to know what it was like.
2. Short: This is just as is sounds too. I generally say that you cover the 4 W's. This is also known as the Who, What, When, Where. You can add the why if you want but the point is to keep it simple. So you cut to the chase and say who is in the photo, Ex: My daughter and her friends names. The what took place. Ex: They were playing in the pool ( can be considered the title too if you want). When and Where did it take place, Ex: In the backyard in the summer of 2006. So you can put this in a journaling blocks or you can add them as little lines under the photos, in tags and so much more. I always remember to put somewhere on a few of my pages the state that we were in. For those of us that move around this is a great way to remember where we were.
Okay so now you have a couple different ways to journal on your scrapbook pages or books. Feel free to check back to see more examples of how to journal and what you can do when you journal. There is so much more that you can learn to enhance your journaling capabilities and more.
1. Storytelling: This sounds just like it is. To tell a story about what took place in the photos on the page. Usually this is more then a few words and sentences. I find that I do this when something really funny, special or significant happened. A good example of this is something very funny happened. "My husband came home from Iraq and I wrote about what it was like and my feelings of having him come home after 15 months." This was a very long journaling and was like telling a story. I wanted to make sure that I had my feelings about this down for my kids and family to know what it was like.
2. Short: This is just as is sounds too. I generally say that you cover the 4 W's. This is also known as the Who, What, When, Where. You can add the why if you want but the point is to keep it simple. So you cut to the chase and say who is in the photo, Ex: My daughter and her friends names. The what took place. Ex: They were playing in the pool ( can be considered the title too if you want). When and Where did it take place, Ex: In the backyard in the summer of 2006. So you can put this in a journaling blocks or you can add them as little lines under the photos, in tags and so much more. I always remember to put somewhere on a few of my pages the state that we were in. For those of us that move around this is a great way to remember where we were.
Okay so now you have a couple different ways to journal on your scrapbook pages or books. Feel free to check back to see more examples of how to journal and what you can do when you journal. There is so much more that you can learn to enhance your journaling capabilities and more.
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