My Own Creations

In case you haven't been following, I've recently been entertained with a company named Stampin' Up. It's a scrapbooking/rubber stamp company that sells all sorts of nifty things like inks, ribbons, paper, sticky things, punches, and crazy looking tools.

I've joined a little group of women affectionately called The Pampered Stampers. We get together once a month, eat junk and create until our hearts are content. Our Creative Coach, Tina, also hosts other small gatherings where you can learn different techniques or how to use a product, and you go home with some beautiful cards and other cute creations.

For years I have tried to follow in my mother's footsteps. She is so crafty and nifty...and, despite the similar the relation, it seemed like I was a lost cause. I have so many craft tools and papers and other things...nothing created...nothing finished.

Well, I have pulled out my craft tools, my paper, my sticky things, my embellishments, and I have started creating things on my own. I have been "blog stalking" and trying to re-create. I've had to readjust my budget and allow for creative purchases. The hardest part? Making my thoughts work. And making sure to find projects that I am able to create with the kids climbing all over me.

So, here are my latest: Thanksgiving cards to the family and a Going Away card for a girlfriend at work.





The Thanksgiving cards I used mostly products from Stampin' Up: the Earth Element colors, Happy Blessings (holiday mini), the scallop circle punch, and the 1 3/8 circle punch. Of course, as you can see, none of the cards are the same. Maybe this is my fault, but I'm still learning. I had fun doing these, and it took me probably all of two hours to complete them. Mind you, I also completed two loads of laundry, made cupcakes for DS' Fourth Birthday, cooked dinner, and did the dishes. Not bad.

This last card I made for my girlfriend at work using a technique DD and I thought was amazing and had to create TONIGHT (we did, it took some time to create, only because we don't have the right adhesives, yet). My friend is a hard-working, beautiful inside and out, under-appreciated woman. She's been at the office for quite awhile and is, in every way, under-appreciated. She finally got a job at another location, and a considerable pay raise. While in reality this means that my days will be a little rougher and I will miss her terribly, both professionally and personally, I am extremely happy for her. No one else deserves a change for the better more than she does. I hope that the grass truly is greener on the other side for her.

I know that these look a little rough, but I am still learning and practicing. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did creating them.

Mail Call!

So, it's just a few days before the holidays. I'm slightly depressed because I haven't received anything great in the mail for quite awhile. I feel like ordering something just to get excited about putting the key in the mail box. But...I need to keep working on my debt snowball.

Today, however, is different. I opened my mail box and inside was a KEY! A key to the bigger mail box down below...which indicates PACKAGE.

To my surprise, I found three small packages. I rushed to the house...ripped open the tape and found, to my delight: One Secret Clinical Strength Sport full-sized deoderant; a sample size of Cheerios; and last but of course not least: a Tide To-Go mini stick and a sample size of Tide detergent.

How exciting! Specifically the deoderant. Come on, you know how much this stuff is! I'm happy. Lately none of my freebies seem to work. I've been dissapointed, no coupons, no free stuff. Nothing. Only bills.

Ahhh...finally. I'm comfortable with leaving my mail box.

Happy Birthday Marines!

Semper Fi and Happy Birthday!!

For those of you who don't know...today is the Marine Corps' Birthday. 233 years...starting off in a run down, low key place: Tun Tavern.

I called some of the people I served with, I said a prayer for those still serving, and for those up above still standing watch.

I know, I've been out for a little while. But there are some things that you never forget, some parts of your life that you can never put away.

My military experience was good and bad. I would hesitate to recommend it to just anyone...you have to have something about you, something that not many others have. And being a Marine, well, it's different. There is a pride, an attitude, and a bond that is, dare I say it? Thicker than water.

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. If you have the day off go to the parade and support your troops. Stop off at the VA and say Thank You. Hold the door open for the one in the wheel chair to stubborn to ask for help. They deserve it. And each one of us on this piece of soil owes it to them. They may not have agreed with what their commanding officer told them to do, but they did it, they are doing it. And it's because of them, I get to do what I do.

So Happy Birthday Marines! And thank you, thank you for the most unselfish act, regardless of when or where you served.

The Today Show - This Morning

Good morning. For some reason I had to get up and turn the t.v. on this morning. The Today show was on with a title of "Frugal Fun". I try to pay attention to certain things television shows talk about, to see if there are any new ideas out there that I might follow. But most of the time, I am very disappointed. This morning was no different.

Three women (two guests and the co-host) were discussing how to be "frugal". They chatted up the idea that if you buy regular Starbucks every morning, you could save more money if you bought Dunkin' Donuts. THAT'S YOUR ADVICE?? Or this one: Buy Generic - Not Name Brand. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!

Here are my ideas: Make Your Own Coffee!! A large container of ground coffee can be bought for about $9.00 - and you can find coupons for $0.55 off certain brands of coffee. Then, buy a pound of sugar...right now there are tons of coupons for sugar due to the holidays. Or better yet, buy it in bulk and pour it in gallon zipper bags. Buy creamer on sale. Sunday papers almost always have coupons for it - usually $1.00 off. So there...that's more than a month's worth of coffee for less than $20!!

And obviously I believe in coupons. Almost every time I go shopping, I save at least $20.00 in coupons alone - this does not count my store discount cards and the sales that they offer.

I don't live frugally. I'm trying to spend my money smarter. I try to get things while they are on sale. I'm not using my credit cards and am still active in my debt snowball. I scour the internet for rebates. I do put away the money that I would have normally used elsewhere...and I watch it grow. I save my pocket change and use that to buy something "unnecessary" - a new lipstick or lunch out with the girls. Right now with the holidays coming, I'm trying to stick with my "cash is king" beliefs and buy only what I can actually afford. It's going to be a different Christmas for the family this year, but it will be less stressful, less damaging.

My biggest goal with my new (can I say that? It's been more than 8 months...) lifestyle is that my children will learn the importance of spending money wisely, of living debt-free. They have had to give up a lot of things, and I'm pretty sure they hate "the budget". But, I have tried to bring them into my activities...somebody holds the coupons...somebody helps write the grocery list...somebody keeps track of the spending and the saving. We cook together, we plan how long it will take to save to get that one thing somebody just has to have. We play games together, we play with the toys that we already have...we do things together.

If they get nothing else out of Mama's struggle to bring the family to debt freedom, I hope they remember all of the times we spent together as a family...and carry that with them to whatever families they go off to create.