Are You Stress-Free?

I know that the Holidays are not quite over, but most of us have our gifts purchased and mostly wrapped by now and are working on baking and planning the meals.  My question to you is, "Have you had a stress-free holiday season?"

I wanted my friend Peggy to have just that, so I made her the best countdown to Christmas ever.  She is a wine lover and I thought this would be the perfect gift for her.  She started on December 13 and gets to have a glass/bottle of wine each evening through Christmas Eve!  Nice, right?  It would be fun with beer for a guy or with wine coolers or Mike's Hard Lemonade...anything would work.

I purchased three of the single serving four-packs of wine and covered them with labels I made from the "I Believe" digital kit from Mindy Terasawa shown below .  I love this kit and have used it a lot.  I think I purchased it from designerdigitals.com 

It was a lot of fun to make and I think she really liked it.  I suggest this next year for any of your friends who love wine or beer and may have a little, or a lot of stress!

Until next time,
Michelle

Moxxie Winterland Blog Hop

Welcome to our December hop! This month, you could WIN the gorgeous Winterland collection, composed of frosty shades of blues and purples:

To have a chance at winning, you need to follow the hop through all eleven participating blogs, check out the beautiful work of the Moxxie Muses, and leave a comment for each of them. Comments will close at midnight CST on Tuesday, December 11. Winner will be announced the next day on the Moxxie blog. International fans are welcomed to play along if they agree to pay shipping in the event of their win. Ready to hop and be inspired?


       Got Moxxie
       Susie Bentz
       Patti Hamil
       Cathy Harper
       Michelle James - You are here
Rebecca Price
       Misty Rushlow
       Mary Pat Siehl
       Dana Tatar
       Rhonda Van Ginkel
       Ange Weisback

I love this time of year and I always, always make my Christmas cards.  The last couple of years I have made digital cards with Photoshop Elements and some holiday kits.  When I had my store I always made them traditionally with stamps and everything.  LOL!  I love to put my kids pictures on the front so my relative and friends from California can see how they grow each year.  As the years pass, they are not as cooperative (well, one of them isn't).    Anyway, I may have to forget the pictures if he doesn't smile or something.  Or, I guess I could just use the grumpy picture that I do get.

The point to this story is that I love making the cards to send.  And I love to come up with fun ways to give gift cards.  So, I made one of each to show you today and hopefully inspire you to create your own cards and gift card holders.  I hope you enjoy them!

Gift Card Holder - Front

Back

Inside

Keep hopping.  You will go to Rebecca's blog next.

Until next time,
Michelle

A Heck-of-a-Deal!

For all of you Moxxie fans out there (and how could you not be) or any of you who would like to try some Moxxie products here is a wonderful cyber deal they have going on through December 11th or while supplies last.  Click on the pictures to take you to their site.

There is a Holidays and Seasons Assortment

A Boy Assortment

and a Girl Assortment

Look at the value of these...$175.00 all for $30 and a flat rate shipping of $5.  WOW!  You could give a lot of gifts with these or use it for yourself.  (no one will know)  LOL!  Head on over the the Moxxie Blog to get the full scoop!

They usually don't sell to the public (only to wholesale stores) so this is an awesome opportunity.  I hope you will check it out and share with your friends too!

Happy shopping!

Until next time,
Michelle

Holiday Planning and Organizing - Tis the Season

I love a Holiday Planner.  I need lists in my life and this really helps me. Especially when I am shopping.  I started making a planner for myself in 2006 I believe.  The first one I made is still my favorite and although I have not kept the calendar up to date, I still like to use it because it fits in my purse and it is pretty durable.

It is made from a small book of index cards that I purchased at an office supply store in our town.  I used My Minds Eye papers and embellishments and a Hero Arts Chipboard letter.  I made the tabs with a sharpie marker and some clear contact paper before adding them to the pages.

I made pockets for coupons, receipts and a special section for gift lists.  I love, love, love it!

Two years ago, I really wanted a planner to house all of the addresses I use for sending cards.  This was a digital download from jessicasprauge.com.  It is adorable and works really well for my address list.  I have not used the other pages but they are nice.  I printed the pages and used some chipboard for the front and back covers.  All I had to do was punch holes and put it altogether.  Easy Peasy!

The next one I made for a class that I taught last year with the Moxxie Party at the Pole line.  I used lunch bags for pockets and it was super cute.  I also made sections.  What is nice about making your own is you can customize each section of your planner to fit your needs.  I love that.

So, these are the planners I have made and used over the years.  I am thinking about making another one this year just because it is so fun!  There are tons of ideas out there and if you are on Pinterest you can search for  "holiday planner" and you will get a ton.  These are just a few links I found that caught my eye.


http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/2011/10/my-2011-holiday-planner.html


http://christmas.yourway.net/christmas-planning-ebook-printables/


http://mymindseye.typepad.com/blog/2010/12/1st_designer_of_christmas_tamara_jensen.html


http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/10/18/10-in-10-guest-bloggers-the-sisters-behind-eighteen25/

So, there you have it...tons of ideas for being totally organized this holiday season.  Now, take me advice and have some fun too.  An organized season is a more stress-free season!

Until next time,
Michelle

My New Adventure

I am excited to announce my newest adventure.  I was chosen as one of the new Design Team members at Practical Scrappers.  I will be designing on the Specialty Team.  That means I get to use Frugal Finds, design mini albums, altered art and the like!  My term starts in January and goes through June 2013.

If you get a minute, check out the website and some of the other designers blogs.  I am amazed at the talent and am honored to be listed among them.



Have a great weekend!  Until next time,
Michelle

Back Porch Update

My back porch was in dire need of an update.  When we moved in our house over 16 years ago we made a box for snow boots, etc.  The only thing is...we never got it finished.  We were going to put a "lid" on the box so there would be a place to sit while putting on and taking off shoes.  This is how it remained from that point on.

 

Okay, pretty bad, huh?  In my defense it did not always have this much stuff in it but I am going to admit this was there for a lot longer than it should have been.  Anyway, it was a catch-all for junk that I didn't know where to put.  But, you can see a small portion of the box and you can see there is no top to make a seat.  

 Well, look at it a little later.  My husband finally got the top done.  I am so excited.  So, I gave it a nice coat of paint.  Then, I decided I needed a place for guests to hang their coats.  There are coat racks on one wall but ours take up all the spaces and that leaves nothing for guests.  I found a shelf, well actually it was made to be a wooden window valance, in our garage.  These were in the house when we purchased it.  I asked my husband to add a piece of wood to it so we could put hooks on it.  He added that and a piece of decorative trim and I painted it white. 

 

 Then I added some scrapbook paper and some vinyl lettering and the hooks.  I purchased some small containers from Target and made tags using Photoshop Elements to label them for mittens and scarves.  This was a really fun project. 

 

And here is the room so far!  What do you think? 

It is getting better, right?  Then next think I plan to do is a cushion on the wood box.  I have already purchased the fabric but I am having trouble getting the foam.  Did you know that it is really expensive?  I had no idea.  Anyway, I am working on it and hopefully will get it done within the next few weeks.  I am also going to decorate some canvases to hang by the glass door leading into the kitchen.  Just some decor!  I will give you updates as I go!  I am loving it so far.  It has really added to this room and it makes me feel so much more organized which is my ultimate goal. 

If you want to see my Thanksgiving centerpiece and place cards for our table check out the Moxxie Blog for my latest post.  It is up today at 8:00 am I believe.  Have a great holiday everyone!

Until next time,
Michelle

Jars?...Who Knew?

This was a super fun project!  I was inspired by this blog  I thought this was such a great recycling or up-cycling idea. 

I have been working, albeit very slowly on re-doing my upstairs bathroom.  We have lived in our house for over 16 years and this is the only room I have not done a thing to.  So, it is time.  And it is a slow process due to money and time.  You know...the two things that always get in the way.    But I finally finished this little project and I love it. 

I used a garlic jar, a pickle jar, a salsa jar and a fake cheese jar.  Yes, we do eat the fake cheese when we have nachos night.  Please don't judge me.  The tray is a metal snowman tray I think from the dollar store or something.  I had that in my pantry. 

I got the knobs at Hobby Lobby.  They always have them at 50% off and there are some really fun colors and designs.   Then I asked my hubby to drill holes in the center of the lids.  You can see that in the above picture. 

Obviously I had to get the labels off the jars, and surprisingly enough it was really easy.  Then, I soaked them in a little bleach water to get the food smells out.  I really did not want my cotton balls smelling like pickles when I used one.  It worked pretty good, but I would suggest soaking the lids as well.  I thought the paint would do the trick but I wasn't quite enough. 

I am using what my husband calls "70's colors" in this bathroom.  Just in the accents.  But I love it.  Here is a picture of the window curtain (which is actually a shower curtain).

I know it is a terrible picture, the light is awful in there and taking a picture toward a window doesn't work very well.  But I think you can see the colors. 

So, I used Rustoleum brand spray paint in blue, yellow, orange, brown and green and sprayed the outside of the lids and the top and bottom of the snowman tray.  It took several coats. 

After the paint was completely dry I added the knobs and placed them on the jars.  You don't even have to screw the lids onto the jars.  They just sit there nicely so they are easily removed. 

I think they turned out really fun!  What do you think?  What projects have you done with recycled jars?

 

Until next time,
Michelle

It's That Time of Year

Hello everyone!  I am sure that I am behind the times and you have already been working on your Christmas cards.  Well, that is wonderful...but you know me...I tend to procrastinate every once in a while.  So, I was playing around this weekend with Moxxie's Musically Inclined line and thought it would make some pretty cards for the holiday.  Here is what I came up with..

This first card is a digital hybrid.  I love digital scrapbooking so this was super fun.  The papers are from Musically Inclined but I used a digital photo frame from Katie Pertiet.  It is called Worth Repeating Photo Frames No. 1 Joy and Laughter.  Then I just used Text for the Merry Christmas.  I thought it was a lot of fun and looks like an old photo.

For this cute card I used my Cricut machine and the Winder Woodland and Doodlecharms cartridges.  It went together really fast! 

Then I moved onto Moxxie's Party at the Pole line. 

The stamp is from Savvy Stamps. 

I loved this diagonal design.  I saw a similar card on Pinterest so I thought I would give it a try.  This stamp "Sweet Holiday Wishes"  is also from Savvy Stamps. 

I hope you enjoyed the cards and If you have not started your holiday cards yet, then I hope I inspired you to get going.  LOL! 

Until next time,
Michelle

November Muse-A-Pal-Oosa!

Are you ready for another fun Moxxie blog hop?  For November we are focusing on the Forever Family line.

This amazing color palette is perfect for family portraits, heritage photos, and even a pretty fall-themed layout! The front sides of the paper are title papers for each member of the family, and the back sides have a variety of both masculine and feminine patterns for you to use to accent your photos. Card makers and papercrafters the designs are small, so even on a cut down piece of paper, you are still going to get the colors and textures of the large design.

In addition to these great papers, the embellishments will help give your creations a family-type flair. Use them as titles, journaling spaces, accent pieces, and embellishment clusters to finish off your pages.

The Moxxie Muses have put together some awesome ideas for this line and you could win the collection.  All you have to do is hop through the blogs and comment on each one.  For an extra entry, comment on the Facebook page and "like" us if you have not already.  How simple is that?   Comments need to be made by Midnight Tuesday Nov. 6 and the winner will be announced on Wednesday th 7th on the Moxxie Blog.  Our international customers and fans are free to play along if you are willing to pay the shipping if you are the winner of the prize.

Here are the blog links for hopping.  Just start at the top (Moxxie blog) and work your way down the list until you have visited all eleven blogs.  We are so happy to have you joining us and hope you enjoy the projects we have made.

Happy hopping!

 Got Moxxie

Susie Bentz

 Patti Hamil  

Cathy Harper 

Michelle James 

Rebecca Price 

Misty Rushlow 

Mary Pat Siehl 

Dana Tatar 

Rhonda Van Ginkel 

Ange Weisbeck

 

Now that Halloween is over my decor is looking a little sparse.  So, I wanted to make something I could leave out but still change the pictures if I so choose.  I wanted it to feature our boys so the Brother paper from this line was a perfect jumping off point.  I was so happy to use this paper.  The colors are perfect for my home and the brown is my "go to" brown for tons of projects.  To me it is the perfect brown.  LOL!

I used Mod Podge to adhere the paper to a painted block of wood.  Then used some of the other beautiful papers for the three other blocks.  I used the twine to hold the pictures in place and they just slide out if I want to change them later. 

I thought it turned out really cute and is a fun addition to my decor. 

Have fun hopping!  Hop over to Rebecca's Blog next. 

Until next time,
Michelle

Halloween! Gotta Love it!

I have a friend who is a complete Halloween freak and I think some of it has rubbed off on me.  I am loving this time of year and all of the fun decorating and projects that go along with it.

This friend I speak of is also a pharmacist.  I saw the new Halloween line of  paper from Theresa Collins and could not resist getting it either to give to her or to make her something fun. I decided to make something fun.

I used a canvas a friend had given me.  It is 12x12 and she had started a project with it already.  I decided to just cover what was on it with my paper.  It worked fine and turned out so cute.  I cut out different Halloween poison and serum graphics from the Theresa Collins paper and positioned them along with a couple of bottles cut from the Midnight Dreary line by Moxxie.  Together they are so cute and perfect for my pharmacist friend who happens to work in a lab.  Then I added a couple of plastic spiders.  It couldn't have been more perfect. 

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Until next time,
Michelle

All Hallow's Eve

Hi Everyone,

Are you ready for the October Moxxie Blog Hop?  Join us the first Friday of every month where we will feature a new collection.  This month is just way too much fun with the all new All Hallow's Eve collection.   I think you are going to fall in love with this collection. The collection is just perfect for all your Halloween projects!  The Moxxie Muses have some wonderful inspiration for you today! 

Do you want to win this entire collection? 

Here is what you need to do!  It is very simple and very easy!
Leave a comment on each and every blog in the hop- Be sure to leave a comment on the Moxxie Blog as well.  That is it! If you would like an extra chance "LIKE" the Moxxie Facebook Page.  That is it!  Good Luck!!  You have until Tuesday to make your comments and the winner will be announced on the Moxxie Blog Wednesday morning.

So Let's Get Ready and Start Hopping

 Got Moxxie 

Susie Bentz

 Patti Hamil  

Cathy Harper 

Michelle James  - you are here

Rebecca Price 

Misty Rushlow 

Mary Pat Siehl 

Dana Tatar 

Rhonda Van Ginkel 

Ange Weisbeck

I had tons of fun with this line.  If you have been following the Moxxie Blog then you may have see my Haunted House!  I am in love with it and now it is proudly displayed in my home as part of my Halloween Decor.  

Here it is all lit up!

 For this blog hop I was so excited to add to my decor with yet another fun project.  I made a really fun candy buffet.

 I saw this idea on Pinterest and could not wait to make my own version.  Here is the link to the original blog post. Bargainbound.blogspot.com  You should check out her blog for other fun things to do. 

I started checking out garage sales and flea markets for candlesticks and glass pieces.  It took me a while to gather all that I wanted but I finally got it done.  I still find myself looking for more.  They were a mish mash of wood, glass, ceramic and some weird gold stuff.  I set them out in the garage and spray painted them with this yummy brown Textured Metallic paint from Rust-Oleum.  I love it.  It is brown but it has some orange glitter in it.  Not only is it perfect for Halloween but it works in just about every room of my house for any occasion.  So, I will probably offer a candy buffet a lot!  

With help from my husband, we used E6000 adhesive to glue the glass to the candlestick.

Then I made a series of tags using the All Hallows Eve line to attach to the different buffet pieces.  I used the paper, the die cuts and the stickers and I really like the way they turned out.  One of the tags incluedes a printed saying I made with the computer.  I was originally going to make all of my own candy or food related sayings but then just loved the stickers and die cuts by themselves.  I may take the tags off the buffet early and attach the tags to candy gifts for friends.  They really did turn out nice.  

 This one (above) is the one I printed.

I added them to the display.  Some are tied to the candlesticks or glass jar and a couple are just propped up into the display.  Then I added the candy.  It is so fun and I am so happy that I made it.  I can't wait for people to come over and have a bit of candy.   Here are some more photos

Rebbeca's Blog is next.   Thanks for hopping!  I hope you are enjoying the projects and I hope you have a lot of  fun along the way! 

Until next time,
Michelle