A Clean Slate

What is it about the New Year approaching that makes me want to clean and organize??  Is it because it's a clean slate and a fresh start??  I know I am not the only one as I see all the bins, totes and organizing supplies being displayed prominently in the stores right now.

Actually, the cleaning and organizing bug start as soon as Christmas is over and I put away the decorations.  This week's project will be my bedroom/craft closet.  I had a garage sale last summer and had fabric up for sale.  What didn't sell went back in the closet but it's still in the boxes.  Things have been piled on top of the boxes until you can't even see the closet floor.  It is really ugly in there - I will not be sharing pictures.

Do you get the same bug this time of year?  What will you be cleaning and organizing?  Do you have any tips to share?

Hugs,
Kay

Blessed Christmas

I hope that you enjoyed a blessed Christmas.  We sure did! Christmas Eve was busy with last minute baking, delivering goodies to friends, church, dinner and a quiet evening at home.

I got help with gift wrapping (which I hate to do) from Elf Stephany.  By the time she got done her Christmas cheer had diminished a bit.

Christmas morning we opened gifts at home and then went to Missy's for brunch and more gifts.  Christien, Stephany and Emma had a great time.  This was Emma's first Christmas and she was so cute with lots of smiles to share.

Santa brought Emma a new dolly - her first. It is a sweet Precious Moments dolly that says "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep."

Daddy and Emma shared a special Christmas moment.  He loves her so much and is such a good dad!

Nana and Grandson #1 being silly with my new camera.

Now it's time to take down the Christmas decorations and prepare for the new year.  Wishing you a Happy New Year and may it be filled with God's richest blessings!

Hugs,
Kay

Cupcake Gift Tags and Ornaments

How cute are these cupcake gift tags??  You can download them free at Bake It Pretty.  I am printing them out and will add glitter - you can never have too much glitter.

You will definitely need some cupcake ornaments to go with the tags.  Find the tutorial at Bake It Pretty.

These are another quick version from Goldiloks - too cute!!

Christmas Cards

 

I miss getting Christmas cards. I know that it's expensive and it is so much easier to send an electronic card.  But there is something so personal about receiving a card in the mail.  You know that the person that sent it took time to fill out the cards, buy the stamps and go to the post office to mail them.  I will admit that I don't send cards anymore either. 

Not so very long ago, and especially when I was growing up, it was exciting to go to the mailbox in December.  I'd see all these brightly colored envelopes and could hardly wait to open them to see who they were from.  Sometimes there would be a letter inside telling all about that has happened in the sender's life in the last year.  We would take the cards and tape them around the dining room door frame.  It would be fun to see if we could get enough cards to go around the whole frame by the time Christmas came.

A few years ago I started putting the cards that I received in a basket on the coffee table.  Then, when Christmas was over, we'd take one card each day and pray for the person and/or family that sent it.  I miss doing that.

I am going to send cards next year.  Today I thought that if I set aside a little money each month then the expense of sending cards wouldn't be so bad when next Christmas rolls around.  I want to personalize Christmas again, even if it's just from my little corner of the world.

Hugs,

Kay

PS  I just checked the mail that came today and I got 2 cards.  One from my sister and one from my dear friend Elodie.  It made my day!!!

ArtFire Artisans

My ArtFire studio was featured on the ArtFire Artisans blog today!  What an honor!  My friend Marilyn from Casual Cottage curates the blog and looks every day for unique artists to feature.   If you haven't visited ArtFire before take a moment to check it out.  While it's not as large as Etsy, there is the same level of talent, you don't have to sign up to shop and I find the whole shopping experience a bit easier.  If you're a seller it is only $9.95 a month to sell no matter how many items you list or sell.

The Organized Shelf

Finally!

Shelf Pictures - Not!

I promised a picture of the organized shelf but haven't gotten it taken yet.  But it is all organized and looks os nice.  I've been busy with this -

and this -

Promise the shelf picture tomorrow!!

Hugs,
Kay

Organizing

My dining room is a mess!!  All of my supply orders came in last week plus I've been working on product.  Because I don't have a separate work or storage area, it is all done in my kitchen and dining room.  I have supplies in the front closet and under the sink in the guest bathroom.  Every time I want to work I have to drag things out from all over the downstairs.  I finally got a shelf put in the dining room and am now organizing so things can be more efficient.  Here's what my dining room looked like until about 10 pm tonight.

And it's all going here.

I will show you the new and improved dining room tomorrow!

Hugs,
Kay

Santa Came Early

Santa brought me an early Christmas gift - a new camera!  I have never had a brand new camera and this one is fantastic.  It is a Canon PowerShot SX120 IS - whatever that means.  All I know is it takes awesome pictures and my blog will be more colorful.

If you have read my blog for a while you will remember Sophie, our cottage kitty (she is in the photo at the right with Stephany).  She was only 4 weeks old when we brought her home and we didn't think she'd make it for a while.  I had to hand feed her formula, she had an eye infection, and numerous other things.  Sophie has grown into a lovely young lady and now has a friend named Jude.  We got Jude when he was 8 weeks old and he is now 7 months old.  I wasn't sure how Sophie would react but they have been like two peas in a pod from the very first minute.  They are always together and when we had to take Jude to the vet overnight to be neutered, Sophie cried and cried.  There was no consoling her until he got back home.

Here's the first picture from my new camera showing both of the babies laying behind the couch watching squirrels out the sliding glass doors - one of their favorite things to do together.

Tomorrow's picture will be of the explosion of soap supplies in my dining room!  I am going to bear it all and show everyone how messy it has been for the last week.  But I am organizing and will show the after pictures too.

Hugs,
Kay