August 27, 2012

How do I organize my blog?

I like to pretend that I am very organized. I love making lists and crossing things off of lists. I use post it notes for everything that I can. And somehow when it comes to the blog, I've gotten a little disorganized. Well, a lot disorganized. I've been working on a way to keep me organized and making sure that I'm consistently posting quality diy's, recipes, or something else. It has taken a lot of planning but I finally have figured out a system that works, for now at least. I'm sure in the future I will fugure something out that will work better, but for now this is it and it is working.


I make a huge list of all upcoming posts to the blog and then organize them on this list of different subjects. As I think of more ideas it is very easy to just add additional post it notes.

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August 13, 2012

What have I been doing?

Ok, I'll be honest. I've been slacking a little when it comes to my blog the last week or so. I've really just been trying to have some fun for the last few days that are left of summer break before Logan goes off to kindergarten. I also haven't been at work too much either so I haven't had much time to get things posted. Plus, the husband has been home most nights so I have not had too much time to myself to get on the computer and edit some photos and post them. Even though I haven't been posting that much, I have still been crafting and creating different things that will be posted in the next couple of weeks. I also have a giveaway coming soon too. Everything so far just seems like an excuse not to be blogging, but I was very sick this weekend. It felt like food poisoning that I had back in June but I'm not sure. I barely made it through this past weekend but this morning I feel much better.

Here is what we have been up to lately.


We had a fun night out for Logan and his friend at a baseball game. That night we got ice cream, they played in a bouncy house, and ate some ballpark food.



We went to Ikea and bought nothing but a storage bin for my crafting supplies and some meatballs and mashed potatoes to make at home. Oh. So. Good.


I spent a night with some mod podge and had a few drinks while working on a present for a friends birthday (oh, I'll be sharing soon).

My husband thought it would be a good idea to try these peanut butter cups. It was not.

Oh. I had a McDonald's chocolate dipped cone. Now that was a good idea.

And Logan and I went and saw a puppet show on Friday night. No matter how old I get, I will love puppet shows, especially good puppet shows.

But now I will be planning ahead for the blog and there will be the regular posts as before. Thanks for sticking with me when I kind of got off track.
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August 9, 2012

Milk jug turned vase.





























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August 8, 2012

I never thought I would own stamps.

Now this isn't the kind of stamps you are thinking. I did not start collecting stamps. I use to collect coins but never stamps.

I needed to get a card for the besties birthday and I was already at the store so I just picked up a couple of supplies that I needed: cards, a stamp, and a stamp pad.


Then I used supplies I already had at home: craft glue, paint chips, yarn and scissors. And yes, I usually do use my 4 year olds scissors.



Using the stamp and the stamp pad, make the stamp. Easy enough.


Glue the yarn to the inside.


And then just cut the paint chips into triangles to make an adorable bunting banner for the inside.


Just don't write inside of it with permanent markers because it will bleed through and you have to blur it out so the world doesn't read the card you made. Yeah, because the world is following my blog.Pin It Now!

August 7, 2012

Oh spray paint. How I love thee.

I am not the type to decorate and accessorize our house. Growing up, my parents had so much clutter and junk around that I just couldn't stand it. If I had photos of it, I would show you just so you know how cluttered it was. I can't even describe how much stuff there was. Photos on the wall, knickknacks, decorative plates, porcelain dolls, and everything else that they could fit in our home. I vowed that I would never ever, I mean never in a million years, decorate like them. So far I have stuck to my word. Thankfully, the husband is the same.

That was until recently. Now I'm not putting decorative plates up along the walls but I am putting a few things out here and there. And when I say a few, I really do mean a few. Three to be exact. I've been picking up some items as I go to Goodwill and then spray painting them. It's addictive. I'm addicted to spray paint. Not like the huffing of spray paint, but watch out, I have a can of spray paint and I'm painting something kind of addicted. It's awful. Really. But I have been practicing. See.



I have plans for these three, big plans. I am just not ready to put them in their permeant home but soon. I love them. They aren't too much clutter and their colors look so nice in our living room.

I wonder what I will paint next?Pin It Now!

August 6, 2012

Thank you Pinterest.

I feel so lucky to have Pinterest around to help with new recipe and craft ideas but there is so much more than that out on Pinterest. I have used it for some cleaning suggestions, educational games for Logan, and even more. Here are two simple and very useful ideas I found from Pinterest. I never pinned the ideas though, I just saw them and figured I could throw them together. Simple enough.

I bake a lot. I mean, I probably make cupcakes three times a month at least. So I really have more than what is needed when it comes to cupcake liners. Usually they are just thrown in a drawer and get crumbled up so I can not use them and just toss them out. We have a set of these glass containers that we got from our wedding shower. This large one has been empty because I don't have that much flour or sugar. Instead of being empty, it is now filled with cupcake liners. It is so much easier when needing to pick some up to just glance over instead of dig through a drawer. Plus, it's stinking cute.


And how I didn't think to do this earlier is beyond me. Really, a mason jar and ticket stubs. I put all ticket stubs that we had lying around in yet another junk drawer inside the mason jar. Cute. Functional. I love it. I lost the lid though but I'm looking for it. I'm sure it's hidden in some junk drawer too. Ha. But I have it now sitting on our dresser along with a mason jar full of seashells from our trip to Cocoa Beach. 


Maybe my next organizing post will show you my junk drawer. Don't laugh, I have two. That's not terrible though because apparently some people have more than that. So I guess that's my goal. One day this week I'll tackle the junk drawer. I first have to figure out how to organize all of the junk. Eek.
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August 2, 2012

Oh! Chocolate chip, oreos, and brownies.


I've seen this delicious mixture on so many different sites since I've been on Pinterest that I couldn't even begin to remember which one I found it on first. Let's just say that I'm so happy that I found it. And so were so many other people! My bestie and I snacked on these during our craft night a week ago and my husband ate plenty and his mom and uncle had their fair share too. I wish I would have made double but I know better for next time (and there will be a next time)!


I used all prepackaged items for these. It made it so much easier on me and they were still delicious. I used packaged cookie dough, boxed brownies and of course store bought oreoes. And to make them were so easy that it should even be considered a recipe.




And do you see the plate it was on? It was made during craft night when we ate the brownies but it did not turn out quite like the tutorial that we followed said. I will be redoing this craft and will post (hopefully better) results soon!




Logan called these Cookie Sandwiches for some reason, so that is what they are called around our house now. And here's this "recipe".



Cookie Sandwiches:

Ingredients:
Oreos
Roll of cookie dough
Box of brownies (and ingredients called for on the box to make fudge brownies, not cake like brownies)

Directions
Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.
Spread cookie dough on the bottom of the pan.
Make 1 layer of oreos.
Make brownies according to directions on the box and then pour over the oreo layer.
Bake for 45-55 minutes.

You can enjoy these warm and fresh from the oven or even cover with a lid and enjoy for a few days. I'm not kidding, these are one of my favorites right now. I just wish I had more valid reasons for making them more often!

Enjoy!Pin It Now!

August 1, 2012

Button Swap. Are you interested?

So I've seen a lot of blogs in the past that had swapped buttons with different blogs and since I'm just starting to really blog again I thought doing a button swap would be a great idea. I know I already have several readers who are regulars at this point, but I would love to promote you blog and vice versa. If you are interested, please email me from the Contact page and I would be more than happy to post you button. Feel free to grab my button at the top of the page! I can't wait to link up with everyone else!Pin It Now!

July 31, 2012

And this is where I do my blogging.

I have so many ideas going around on what I should post next and I seriously have numerous drafts of different projects and recipes that are saved and waiting on me to finish them. For now, I've decided to show you a glimpse into my Monday-Friday life. I work at a large financial institution dealing with customers from 830-5 daily. It gets stressful, it's hardly rewarding, and I always find myself wishing that I had a different job. I shouldn't complain because it's a job and a darn good job but I will always want something different. At first I thought how crazy I must be about sharing this part of my life with you but this is where I blog the majority of the time. Sure, at home I edit some photos and work on different projects, but for the most part it is all done here at work. I edit my blog layout, reply to comments, and so on all while at work. Since this is a huge part of my day, I figured it would be fun to share. Plus, I got some of the strangest looks while taking photos of my desk and I always appreciate strange looks from those that I work with. Please forgive the mess and clutter though. It is a desk after all.



I told you to not mind the mess. At least at work I have a large monitor to work on. It's not quite as big as at home and it's not a Mac, but I make do with it.


And here are my drinks. I always write on the free styrofoam cups that we are given at work. I doodle on everything and my cups are no different.



I keep a small collection of things pinned on my wall as well. Here you will find the save the date from our wedding last year, two crafts that Logan made at the library this summer, my team bride button from the rehearsal dinner and a pipe cleaner shooting star I made for work (I have no idea why now).



I love this little sticker. We got in when we spent a weekend in Cleveland for the filming of The Avengers. I have kept it at work ever since. Plus, there's Thor. I love Thor.



I always have a large stack of assorted post-it notes as well. I use them all of the time. You can see from the first picture that I stick them all over my desk. On any and everything. Plus, who doesn't love that Paper Tweet paper my husband got me at the bookstore. I love it.



Next you'll see my Disney Vinylmations collection. I started collecting them this year after deciding to visit Disney World. I had no other logical place to put them than here at work.



I already said that I loved Thor, right. Yes, I did.


I keep this photo of Logan at my desk. I've had it in a frame since this picture was taken. He was so little here, only six months old. Oh how I miss him being a baby.



Here's a close up of this snail. I don't know if it's a snail or not. I thought he was a turtle when I bought him and he's not a turtle. I got him in Mexico this year. He keeps me company during the day.


And there is my computer screen. I love my background of wedding photos. I hardly see it though because I usually have a million windows opened for work things. And yes, I was working on this post as I took a photo of it.



I love ink pens almost as much as I love Thor. I keep a huge collection at my desk.


I have a fancy phone that I don't use. Well, I'm lying. I used it once to call my doctors. That's it. I need it to be removed. And I keep a notebook of notes everywhere I go. And do you see that on the calendar? I have a photoshop class tonight at the library.



And this is a huge mess of photos that I keep up all of the time. Some are pretty old dating back to Logan's second birthday. Almost three years ago now. Oh wow. I also have another calendar there of personal/family things going on. July was a busy month.



And my favorite thing on that little wall is this note from the husband. He was so formal and signed his name. It was in my purse a few years ago and I found it when I got to work. I've kept it clipped up here ever since. He can be pretty sweet.


And there it is, my desk at work. I have 3 calendars and 3 things of Thor. It's a little crazy and cluttered but I need these things to get through the day. Ha.
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