End of the School Year

The end of my daughters school year is quickly screaming to an end. I don't believe that she could be old enough to be finishing up her sophomore year.

I think back to when she started school, even when she started her High School years. I guess I'm like the rest of the parents that say I can't believe how fast it goes by. They are so right!

I just sat here and figured out how many days are left so I could add that amount of money to her meal account. I only needed to put in about $30 to get her through the end of the year. This kid lived on bread sticks and a bottle of water pretty much all year long. Bread & Water - isn't that what they used to feed people in prison?

New Old Dresser

Last year, my daughter decided the dresser I had, would look better in her room. It was an old dresser, the kind that has the large mirror attached to the back. I found it at a Salvation Army store about 10 years ago. I liked it, but it wasn't what I completely wanted. So when she took it for her room I was without a dresser. I tried to use her old dresser but it was too small for me and I was bad about just piling the clothes on top of it instead of trying to cram clothes in the drawers.

So now, LOOK at my new dresser! This past Saturday I made a trip over to my local Volunteers Of America Thrift Store. It was such the bargain also. I only paid $60.60 for it. I wanted to wait until it was on half price day, but I didn't think that it would wait that long. Besides, It is a bargain and the proceeds do go to a good cause.

I'm sure that this dresser should have actually been sent to a consignment store or someplace similar. I'm sorry, but a lot of the furniture that is donated to thrift stores is beyond "well loved" and actually should have been tossed in to the trash. This dresser however, is totally the opposite. It was in Great condition. Only a few minor dings and scrapes. It had all of the original handles and is solid. Look at the detail work on the front of the bottom two drawers. I looked the company name up on line and this dresser was made sometime in the 1920's.

I know that most donations like this are because someone has passed away and then a family member is dealt the task of cleaning out "grandma's house" and it is easier to donate the entire lot. I wonder sometimes if the items that are donated have a spirit/soul and are now wondering where they are and what happened to their happy well loved home. Kind of like the puppy that is dropped off at the humane society. It feels lost and is hoping for a good home. Well, this one will have a happy home.

Cricut Valentine Card

This is the valentine that I made this year. I used my Cricut Expressions machine. I love this machine! The cartridge was Jasmine. It is hard to really tell, but the heart is cut from gold glitter sticker paper. The photo corners really set off the whole layout I think.

giraffe notebook

Ok, I don't know how to rotate this picture but it is a new little notebook I made. I used some old chipboard pieces I was saving from the backs of the "stack packs" of scrapbook paper.

I cut 2 rectangles slightly larger than 3x5. I used my Cricut to cut the oval out of chipboard. That was my first time to cut something that heavy with the cricut. It was so easy.

I used the George and basic shapes cartridge for the oval.

For the giraffe I used Zooballoo.

I attached the oval to the rectangle with my Crop-A-dile and used star shaped eyelets. For the pages inside of the notebook I used just basic lined 3x5 index cards.

It made a nice sturdy notebook for me to toss in my bag.

Spring Break Bind It All Journal

My daughter is going on Spring Break to Clearwater Beach Florida with her dad this year. It is time to visit family living down there. I wanted to make her a little book so she can keep pictures and memories from the trip. I found the paper stack at Michael's and it was called appropriately "Spring Break". It has all of the colors that she loves. One of the sheets said Road Trip at the bottom and I thought that it would make the perfect cover. I used my Cricut to cut out the letters for her name. I used the cartridge that has the collection of Calligraphy letters. The pages are cut large enough for her to put a 4x6 size picture and the back side of the page is a solid color that will be great for her to journal.

Christmas Bind It All Book

I had received a gift card for a local Archiver's Scrapbook store for Christmas. I had my eye on the Zutter Bind-It-All. That price of $75 was a bit steep. Luckily right before I went to the store to get my binder Archiver's sent me a 30% off coupon in my email. With the coupon, it brought the price down to $52 and then with my $25 gift certificate, that brought it down to a resonable $27. So It was my next purchase. I got the pink one! I'm not much into pink, but it is the improved version of the blue one.

I have been so addicted to finding things to make with it. I have been spending so much time searching for pictures and ideas. The pictures above is a Christmas Gift List book. If I can find where I got the idea, I'll post it.

I used drink coasters from a local restautant for the front and back. I covered them with christmas paper. For the inside I printed off the pages from my computer. The first picture isn't very bright but there is glitter to make the book festive looking.