Getting Organized

I ran across Bullet Journals on Pinterest this week.  I have to say, I'm attracted to the thought of it! 

Of course, organizing on paper is not a new idea.  I actually joined the “Flylady” movement in 2007.  She is super effective at getting people to establish habits and routines.  Her program comes with code words, acronyms, clever quotes, songs and a Control Center, to name a few!  You should look her up at flylady.com.   I created the Control Center book for my own and referred to it regularly...until life got going too fast again! I simply ran out of time once I went to work and it fizzled out around 2012. 

So, fast forward to 2018 and here we go again! I've decided to keep my old binder and cleaned the outside cover last night. I noticed the new Bullet Journals are done in journaling books, but I love having the ability to move my pages. 

Here are a few pages I made today--kind of crude, I know, but I hope the new pages help me to develop the structure I need here at home!

Quick Five! Sewing

Saweet! Love a great sewing project!  During the winter months, there's nothing better than putting a pot of soup on and start some super cute projects! 

1.  Find the PeacockEmporiumLady on Etsy To find some adorable makeup bags or large purses with option to personalise.  You can choose the of appliqué and color! 

2. Check out thestitchingscientist.com and see Remona's goodies!  Here's a little sample of her beautiful sewing skill!


3. Now this is a great gift idea! Who couldn't use a cute iPad stand! Robyn from dognamedbanjo on Etsy makes them. 

4. Oh, I have a new obsession! These needle books are so cute and a great purse item for emergencies. Designsbyterrigordon.blogspot.com has a tutorial.

5. Jessica Bark posted this one on Pinterest and it's a perfect accessory for all your cords! 

We'll, that's it for today. So glad to be back!

New Day

Here we go again! New year, new ideas! Well, not really any new ideas...so far. 

In 2014, I was struggling with the idea that I really wanted to do something to satisfy my creativity.  I reduced my hours for '16 and '17 for personal reasons (my Mom) and to try to open the door for something to happen to pursue my dreams. By September, the hubby and I went into negotiations for a house out on the Blue River.  It's a beautiful home with an open concept, lovely swimming pool and direct access to the river.  It wasn't in my "Dream Plan" (if there is such a thing), but it looked like a great idea.

We weighed it all out and went for it! The owner reduced the price by $100,000, so it must have been what God was leading us toward. We rushed and worked (hard) to sell our home and all our unnecessary junk. 

~It's all gone~

Then, after piles of paperwork, we were down to the last week...the week the appraisal came through...and it was $70,000 below the asking price. Wha wha....how could we live with ourselves knowing we paid that much over market price. The last nail in the coffin was the bank saying they couldn't loan us the money unless we sold a few body parts (not really),  but it was the equivalent!!!

We are now living in one of our rent houses. It was Jims house before we got married and is very nice. And without the "junk" cluttering it up, it's very comfortable. 

So what did God want? Hmmm, now we have the money to pay off all our debts. Freedom! It's a glorious gift from above.  He actually gave us the choice to break our necks for an expensive place that wasn't worth the money OR pay our debts giving us both immense relief from the stress!   Jim's Father has 40 acres in this county that has never had a house on it. We asked his Dad about it and he's ready to sign it over to us. 83 year young Dad, by the way, is relieved we will be near by. 

Oh....and I quit my job. I'm free to take care of my Mother with no worries and now I can go for the goals I laid out last year!!!

Here they are....again.

• Post 30 items to the local online auction each week.  My husband and I have created a little income this year from this little auction and it's easy peasy and it will provide an extra income to be applied in different areas - hopefully my business!
• Refurbish and post one piece of furniture each month. I am way new to this, but I think I can do it.  I want to start small and then challenge myself with bigger or better things each month.  Maybe I'll eventually post them to Craigslist or an online site in the city.
• Post 7 items per week to the Etsy store.  I just think it would be nice to have an item to represent each day of the year.  I probably won't work on it every day though.  Maybe on one day, and then post on another day.
• Post 10 items per week to bigger online sites.  If I can group those posts to a particular time and place, I can make one trip out to meet my customers and possibly , because it will be larger communities, get a better price for them.
• Repair the building we own in town.  My husband and I have a building in town that we used for a pawn shop before I started working.  We hope to repair it enough to store all our items.  It has a bad roof leak and old items from the pawn shop.  No plans on opening the doors, just want to use for a warehouse of sorts.
• Quit my part-time job.  Scary, right?  Yeah.  I've been thinking about it for at least two years!  I think this is the year though.  I make good money, but went from full-time to part-time to take care of my mother.  Well, it's really hard to leave town now to go to work, so I need to do things so I can stay close to her.  So this should explain the the other goals above.  I hope I make enough to be able to quit my job... 

Cancer Sucks

 

My friend is having a double mastectomy tomorrow morning. I'm so saddened.

I went through it in 2004 and it was not fun. It was scary. So much runs through your mind and there is absolutely no control over your own life. 

Reflecting on my experience with it, I wanted to do something meaningful for her and I remembered a little lady visiting me in my hospital room. It was her ministry to visit and deliver tiny pillows to anyone who might like one. I took two! They were perfect under my arms to relieve the pressure from the arms on the sides of my chest - especially where they took out the lymph nodes.

More importantly, the pillows gave me comfort to know there are thoughtful and caring people in the world. So....as a way of paying it forward, here's my version of the tiny pillows given to my friend today. I added the little book full of prayers and scripture on healing. I hope they comfort this beautiful child of God. And, maybe it will be a good idea for someone else that doesn't know what to do for their friend.

Happy New Year!

Heller!

It's a new day and a new year!!!

It's been eight months since my last post and a lot has happened really really fast. I didn't accomplish my last year's goals, but, with God's help, my husband and I completed so much more! The work has placed us both in such a better position to serve Him and to pursue our dreams! We've been patiently waiting for God's lead and he has blessed us so much! We have one more week for us to know the direction we will be going! So excited! Can't wait to share!

INDEPENDENCE DAY 2017 - COMING UP!

It's almost time for hotdogs, homemade ice cream and fireworks!   What are you making for your 4th of July celebration?

 

I think I'm going to try some American-made flags with some old fabric.  

Feel free to share your ideas!  Send them to mos274@yahoo.com and I'll post them for you! 

How's Your Year Going?

Did I follow through with any "goals?" 

Well....some, but now I've come to a stand-still.  It's just so hard!!!  I'm working part-time and I actually put my resignation in.  But then, my employers told me how much they needed me and how good I was and would I please stay!

The sad thing is it made sense.  I mean after all, I still have to pay into SSI so I can have something later on, you know, when I can't walk. 

So....I'm still working on Valera Grace at a snails pace.  But faster than I was in 2014!  Haha!

Good Daughter

My daughter has scheduled me for a massage and facial for tomorrow!  Maybe this will help me with my rut!

Creativity is Tough

Creativity is tough when you are busy with every day activities!  I think for me, I have to be in the "mood" to create!  And even then, I can be motionless...kinda like a writer's block!  ...but maybe this is something more.  I have the items I want to complete and actually, I'm about half way finished.  What is stopping me?  

My goals are not being met!  They are still goals, though, and I will strive to reach them...once I overcome this stagnant phase I'm in!  The good thing about goals for the year, is that they'll always be there and I can reach for them any time throughout the year.  Perhaps I need accountability...

I'll be looking for ideas for keeping the focus and staying on track!  If you have some good ideas to defeat this issue, let me know!     

Quick Five! Spring

The days are slowly getting longer and springtime is right around the corner.  It's the best time of the year!  The animals will be having their babies and everything will be blooming and new again soon.  Everything looks dead during the Winter, and Spring proves over and over that plant and animal life are alive and well!

 

On the home front, Spring is a great time to clean and decorate for the new season, so I picked a few of my favorites from "you know where!"  Pinterest IS the place to go for inspiration on just about anything.  Looking over the new ideas makes me yearn for my home in the country.  I love this little Easter vignette which contains a rabbit, cotton stems  in a white pitcher and a featured set of dishes. Christy, at Our Southern Home, dressed the grouping with pastel eggs for that Easter look. 

 

My friends and I have recently been talking about how we don't dress our dining room tables any more with our prettiest dishes.  Our lives are so busy and styles have changed.  Instead tables are empty, plastic is used and those pretty sets of china are purchased as singles for vignettes such as the one above.  However, photographer Alexandra Rowley from Women's Day magazine captured this beautiful Spring "tablescape" so we won't forget how to do it!  Perhaps some people still do it...

 

Brian Woodcock captured the beauty of this dessert in his photo featured in Country Living magazine.  It's Speckled Malted Coconut Cake and you can click here to find the recipe!  Easter is a perfect time for a Sunday celebration with wonderful desserts like this. The name of the cake sounds scrumptious!  I haven't eaten any yet, but I think I've gained five pounds already!

 

Speaking of Easter parties, we must not forget the Easter Egg Hunt!  When the kids were young, I always searched for new ways to decorate the eggs.  The Enchanted Cove page was found on Pinterest with a ton of ideas.  In one pin, the host featured these decoupage and printed eggs.  I couldn't find the original creator of these beautiful works of art, but chose them anyway.  If you know who did them, I'll be happy to add their name to this post.

 

Finally, at French Country Cottage, Courtney believes a room isn't finished until it has fresh flowers!  And boy does she know how to style her flowers!  Take a look at her site here and get some fresh ideas for a French country cottage look for your nest.  The pink and white is enchanting when paired with this chair and background wall.  The container, as well, adds yet another layer of interest.  I'll have to read more of her blog to see if she grows her flowers or purchases them.  I would love to grow my own!