*~Crafty~!~Fun with the Kids~*

Well summer is here, and the kiddos are home all day:) What to do?? Craft of coarse!

Here is something  you can craft up with your kids any day.
Go to your local craft supply and pick up a few pieces of ceramic, they are usually between $1 and $4...I opt for the cheapest ones I can find:)
I will pick up a dozen or so at a time...(note:sometimes you can find really cheap wooden objects to, birdhouses, small boxes etc...these also work great!)...and just keep the extra for an impromptu craft or gift:)
I also have tons of acrylic paint, and brushes on hand, very cheap...

Cover your work area with news paper, or go outside and have the kiddos paint away~!

Tell them to add as much detail as they can, Like toenail polish on a turtle, or a bow on the owls head:)...set out a couple examples, and have them use as many colors as they want:)

When the paint is dry spray on a couple coats of glossy or matte acrylic sealer,
and you have a finished masterpiece~!!

They also make really great gifts for Grandparents, Mothers, or
Fathers Day, etc...

 How cute are these guys!!

Tips~*
Acrylic Paint can and will stain your clothes, so be sure they wear something out of the rag bag, or you can get washable tempera paint instead..its just not as permanent. Also the spray sealer, has to be done outside, the fumes are very strong, but it does seal the project really well:)
Be sure to have your kids sign there names and date the bottom for a keepsake or a gift, I love looking back at old projects my kids have done:)
This craft can and will get messy...don't fuss over it!!...let them create~!!....Its easy to spray your kids down with  a hose when you are finished:)
Happy Crafting~*

~Lamp Light, and a Rocking Chair..old??? I think.... NOT~*

I have been called an "Old Soul" more times than I care to admit.
 I love Classic(sometimes older)  type things...like sewing, crafting, baking,  afghans, throw blankets,  fake flowers, potpourri, cardigans, perms,   and making things myself instead of buying at the store. Most all of my favorite movies, were not even made in my lifetime...and same goes for music....
Because of this I have been called grandma, old fashioned, old soul.. etc....
and I just cant help it,
I love lamp light~ coffee a good book and some Sinatra: 

Well recently I went Garage sale-ing here in town and found a super classy wooden rocking chair...now I know this is not improving on my Grandma image but I couldn't care less...look how pretty~!
Just a little polish, and it was gleaming~* Love it*

So I am thinking we should embrace this "old soul style"
 Get out that potpourri, and yarn, Granny never looked so good~!

Feel free to share some of your Favorite "older" things, cant wait to hear from you~!

~*~Where all the Magic Happens~!*

I have not had a minute to blog Lately,
but I thought I would share with you a rare Picture:
This is my Crafting area, where all the "magic" happens~
Scraping, Painting, Sewing, Drawing, bow Making, Beading, refinishing, refurbishing, hot gluing, cricut-ing, etc...
I have made journals, scrapbooks, frames, hairpieces, Photo Albums, t-shirts, baskets, jewelry, painted and drawn pictures of all kinds....yup here it is

Why is this picture Rare???..
...First of all, everything is put away.
rare*
everything has a place...
surprising!*
and I usually don't show off this area of my house,
 because it is always in disarray, so for the fun of it I decided to
clean it up, just to see if it could be done...and guess what..?...It can~!
Hooray~!
This is my creative space, where I can make a mess, get away for some peace, and make something out of....nothing really...

So here is what I want to know...
Where is your "space"...what does it look like??
where do you go to get away,
take a break, or UN-wind??
Id love to hear about it~!
Have an amazing Night~ and soon I will blog about how I transferred this painting onto an 8ftX10ft Wall~

Love you all~Artsie*

~I have a BIG Personality~*~I need BIG Hair...~*!

WOW, long time no Blog~!

I have been running crazy lately, but I thought I would stop in and share a little nugget~!

Here is something you should know about me~
I LOVE BIG HAIR~!

No Joke...LOVE IT! I have Big Hair envy...I see it in the stores,in the schools,
Driving down the road, and I just cant look away...its becoming quite a problem...

Now I missed all the big hair of the 80s ...I was born in the early 80s, so by the time I was in High School, this is what every girls hair looked like....................>

That's right...long, straight, and parted
down the middle...yuck! and no thank you.....
Its such a shame because I just know I can ROCK big hair!!

I do have a slight problem..my hair is straight, there is not one kink, curl, colic, body, or wave to my natural hair...not one....

I have tried in the past to pump up my locks.. I have used root lifter, volumizer, curling iron, etc...
and that works for a while, but so much maintenance....
so in just 2 short months, to reward myself for reaching my diet goal this spring, I will be going into the salon and getting the highly coveted perm!!
YAY~!....Now lets hope it turns out the right way....

When I say I want big hair...I do not mean this:

Limp curls that just lay around your face all lazy like...gross*

I mean this! Big Fat, Fun curls, that look like they are dancing around your face!!...the bigger the better~!

I want to be a little closer to heaven after my perm if you know what I mean~:)

I hope you are all having a fabulous Spring~until next time, Good Night , and Big Hair....**
~Artsie

~*Easy Reading*~ aka* "I did it all for the nookie"

This may come as a shock to some, but I love to read! After all,  you are what you read....So for my birthday coming up, Clayton is buying me an e-reader:)
YAY!!
So I did some research, I played with a few different ones , and this is what I chose~!

The Nook Color~!...I Know, small wonder....

Here is why~

I had to look at what kind of things I actually read a lot of...Self help books, Inspirational, Crafting books, Instructional books of all kinds ....

 Art, Decorating, Painting, Fashion,Leadership also I read a ton of Magazines, Cook books,Bible studys, Novels, and Children's books(to my kids).

So for me the Nook Color is ideal.

First of all it is in color!..."Hello" As I have said before..I live in color!

So if I am reading about a painting tecnique or a recipe, I can actually see what they are supossed to look like and some of them even have a short video on "how to" right after the chapter..."awesome~!"

The childrens books on here are really neat, they have a "read to me" option for the kids to use if they want to read along:)

I can transfer all my magazine subscripions to the nook, and read them in full color, zooming in and out of pictures and articles~

The nook is through Barnes and Nobel, which I LOVE!....I need that in store experiance, I need to be walked through everything when it comes to new gadgets, so the personal touch was a HUGE plus for be.

You can check out e books from the library for free anytime if you have a nook, the kindle..(which is the other one I considered) does not have that option.

Do you need another Plus??

OK...

The Nook has full interenet, and built in Wifi~!...This is good for me because I do not have an internet phone or a laptop...its sort of a mix between an E reader and an I pad...

Barnes and Nobel, gives you a free book to download every friday.

You can download over 1 million books for free, including a bunch of classics...( Pride and Predudice, Sherlock Holmes...etc..)

You can also share books with your friends who also have a nook:)
If you happen to be in the store with it, B&N will let you read any book they have in the store for free on the Nook, and you get coupons for the coffee shop sent streight to to~!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There are about 5000 other things I love about this machine, but unfortunatly I do not have the time to divuldge....
I need to get back to my reading:)

In short...I love this little guy, and I will not have to have a pile of books on my bed side table falling all over the place...just one little one...My Nook~!


**Reading is Knowledge, and Knowledge is Power~!
Happy Reading Everyone~

~How do you eat an Elephant?~*One Bite at a Time~!* Spring Cleaning List 2011~!

OK..I have been asked to share this, so I hope it helps someone. Every year I make an extensive list of everything I need to have done before the end of spring.
I have recently switched to all natural cleaners, and I love them! No more fumes! So this year is going to be even better!
I know it may look  intimidating to some, but have no fear. I only do 1 or 2 points on this list everyday, and will have the whole thing completed in less than 2, maybe 3 months. Just take your time, go slow, and enjoy the ride~!

Spring Cleaning 2011

Wash all windows
wipe down all window sills
wash the front and back doors

~Bathrooms
Mop floors
Clean out medicine cabinet and throw away expired
Clean out and organize closets and throw away old items and non useful towels
Scour tubs and showers
Soak the shower heads
Mirrors should shine
Toilets, inside and out
Wash rugs and curtains
sinks and faucets should shine!

~Master Bedroom
Closet~Take out off season clothes and store them
           ~Get rid of any clothes that do not flatter, no not fit right, or that you do not love.
          ~Clean out and organize all Jewelry
           ~Clean out Make up drawers, discard any old or expired items
Wash all bedding
Vacuum mattress
Clean out and wipe down all furniture and mirrors
Rearrange art work (to make it more eye catching and fresh)

~Foyer
Clean tile
Sort closet, and store all winter items elsewhere
Wash front door
Wipe down walls
Change out the pictures
Sort the shoes

~Dinning Room
Clean the window treatments
Clean the carpet
Wash down the table and chairs
Dust
Wipe down walls
Clean the chandelier until it shines

~Hallway
Clean carpet
Wash bar stools
Wipe down walls
Dust

~Living and Family Room
Vacuum all furniture
Clean carpet
Clean out and wipe down desk and all baskets
Clean out, wipe down, and organize entertainment center
Wash all throw blankets and pillows
Wipe down all coffee tables
Dust...don't forget the ceiling fan!
Vacuum under all furniture

~Kitchen
Mop
Clean out cupboards, throw or give away items that you don't use, dishes, pans, cooking utensil's etc.. get it out of there!
Wipe down cupboards, inside and out, top and bottom.
Clean and redecorate tops of cupboards
Clean out the Fridge, wipe down the front and vacuum the vent underneath.
Clean the stove and all small appliances thoroughly.
Counters and all tile
The sink should shine!

~Kids rooms
Clean all bedding
Vacuum mattresses
Sort through, and purge, Clothes, toys, and books
Wipe down furniture

~Pantry
Organize food by expiration date
Give away a bunch of it
Wipe down the shelves
 

~Basement, Playroom, Workout room, Craft, and Art area, Storage area
De-clutter, organize, and sell a bunch of stuff:)


Tips:
~do your windows with a natural cleaner, or maybe just vinegar, and lemons. wipe them down with old newspaper for streak free shine!
~Put a bowl of lemon juice or some vinegar in the microwave for 5 min, to loosen the grime, them just wipe it out~!
~run a half box of baking soda through your dishwasher to freshen it, stick a few lemons cut in half in there too, for a great fresh smell:)
~run vinegar through the coffee pot to remove stains.
~don't do to many projects at once, finish one before you start a new one, or you will get overwhelmed and quit.

ahhh...I feel better just talking about it!...now back to work:)
Happy Cleaning
Love,
Artsie*

PS I would love to hear from you! Any tips tricks or money saving ways to make your house clean and shiny? Please share!




            

~Well Here is a Thought~!*

Not very often is there a time when someone says something so contrary, so thought provoking, so crazy that I just have to stand and ponder....
This is what happened to me just the other day.

First of all, as I have stated before, I am a frugal, coupon clipper, deal getter, never pay retail, Dave Ramsey FPU graduate, especially when it comes to the grocery store.
I like to combine coupons and deals, price match, and find the best of the best price, I have NEVER, paid full price for a box of cereal.( that is just a sin....)
This way of life is not my fault, I was raised this way, my Mother was the coupon queen! I used to help her clip, and shop on double coupon day...(ahhhh...thoes were the days....). Its just our way of life.
OK, so fastworward.........
what has all this coupon clipping gotten me???
here is a visual...

Thats right, a huge lot of food, houshold items, paper products, etc... Today I still duplicate what I was tought, knowing full well that this is the best way to life and save money, or is it?
~That is the Question on the table~
Just the other day, I was listening to a motovational speaker, as I often do, and this particular woman was talking about how to budget, save money, get out of debt, so I perked right up and listened intently, knowing that she was going to validate, my way of life, and say how great I was at saving and buying in bulk..."I know..I know.."
Well that is NOT what happened.
Instead she threw out a consept so absurd I just stood there speechless.

She said, ""If you are the type of person who is buying on bulk, clipping coupons, and have a room in your house dedicated to housing all of you groceries, stop it! Do not buy another thing! Eat everything you have, all of it. Empty out that pantry. When you have no food left in the house, go to the grocery store, and buy just enough food and supplies to last you one week only. Then eat all of that, every bit of it, then you can shop again for the next week. This will save you much more money than buying in bulk, or clipping coupons, because you are only buying what you need." 
WHAT!?

*My head is spinning*
I have never heard of such a thing!
 I suppose if I think about it, I have no idea why I need 24 boxes of crackers, 54 cans of soup, 12 different pastas, 13 cakemixes, and 26 cans of veggies in my basement...what am I saving all this food for anyway??
She goes on to say, how much of this food eventually expires, and buying food and eating all of it weekly, leaves no waste, and you tend to buy more fresh fruit and veggies, instead of the boxed stuff...well ok...I guess that makes sense....
So this is what I want. All of you who read this can you please weigh in on this issue for me...leave a comment here or on my facebook. How do you grocery shop? do you stock up like its Armegeddon like I do? Do you just buy the minimum??? Does it save you money?
I really want to know, before I do anything this drastic...
I cant imagine what Id tell my kids.."sorry honey, you have to eat this for dinner because there is literally no other food in this house"....hmmm.....maybe not a bad idea after all...:)
I look forward to hearing your thoughts, until then, I will be sitting here still just baffled.