Snail Mail

Snail mail - I know that's supposed to be a criticism about how long regular mail moves compared to all of our electronic and online versions of sending information to one another but, I think it's an endearing term.  Snails are slow.  Slow is good though.  It forces us to stop and smell the roses.  It helps us to be more present. Slow cooking often brings more flavor out of the food and slow eating helps you to refrain from overeating and enjoy the company around you.  Slow mail is not such a bad thing.

Most days my mailbox contains bills, junk mail, or an occasional magazine.  There are those days though -- those wonderful days when it contains a little piece of joy.  Birthday and holiday cards are always fun to receive, however, my favorite is, "Just Because" mail.  It doesn't happen often but, when it does, it brightens up the rest of my day.  My Buddy, Gina, surprises me sometimes with a funny card or note.  My mom has done the same.  I like receiving emails, texts, and online messages but they don't have the same uplifting quality that a letter or card in the mailbox has.  Is it the 46-cent stamp that gives a letter the edge?  Or maybe it is the thought and care it takes to send a letter?  Rather than firing off an email and hitting send in under a minute, it might be the process involved in sending a letter.

When I was a kid, I had intermittent pen pals.  I always secretly wished to have one of those pen pals who last a lifetime.  Any time I've participated in a pen pal group though, I usually get the dud who stops writing after one or two letters.  Then I have to stop writing so I don't become that weird, stalker girl who keeps sending mail to a stranger. 

I have definitely slacked off over the years with sending letters through the mail.  I miss receiving regular letters too.  I have a box of old letters I received from friends and family over the years.  I went to France for three weeks as a teenager and stayed with a family there.  I have saved letters from my family and friends during that time because they helped me with my homesickness. 

When I was 19 years old, I moved from Ohio to South Carolina with my family.  I had lived in Ohio my entire life and it was a difficult transition.  Even though email was gaining popularity at that time, I much preferred letters and cards at that point.  Seeing my friend's handwriting and smudging the ink made me feel connected - it was my life line to the home I used to know.





I currently have some stamps, some new pens, some new cards, and a long weekend.  I also have some ideas for handmade postcards.  I hope that snail rests up - he has some work ahead of him.

Enjoy your Friday, your weekend, and a slower pace!

Craft Show Progress and Procrastination

A little bit of panic set in this week when it dawned on me that I have a little over four weeks left until my craft show and one week of that (the week of the show, to be exact) I will be out of town for work for four days.  When I signed up for this show in August, I did not have any inventory.  I had a few things I worked on here and there but nothing substantial.  I have been creating every chance I get since then and piling things up in various stages of completion. 

Today, I decided to get a table (slightly smaller than the table I'll have at the show) and just move everything I've made (100% completed or not) over to that table and see where I stand.  I needed to create a schedule today of what I need to finish, start thinking about table displays I need to make, etc.  I procrastinated for quite a while this morning -- I even found myself googling quotes about procrastination while I was procrastinating.  Finally, I got it together.  I laid all of my items out (not neatly), took some photos to document my progress, and started penciling lists on a big desk calendar to get myself in order.

Once it was all in my face, I realized that I have quite a bit completed (or almost completed).  That was comforting.  However, I quickly realized how much MORE I have to do before the show.  Panic ensued a bit.

Jack was helping me get organized.  I told him that he needs to be at the show to sell my wares because he is much cuter than I am.

What did I do with that panic?  I started to get organized, which always makes me feel more in control.  Then I procrastinated a little --

"I absolutely need to research craft show displays - ooh, another blog to read!" 

"Today I should probably start setting up my photography Etsy store that I've been wanting to redo." 

"Mmm...a beer.." 

After that, I started typing up this blog post.  I don't feel like this is total procrastination though because it is focused on the craft show, right?

I am very excited about the bright colors and fun geometric shapes I have been using in multiple pieces.  I still have a lot of button flowers to make.  It will all be completed though, right? 

All in all, I'm in better shape than I thought.  I still have a lot of work to do but I know I'll get to it.  It helps that I enjoy what I'm doing.  I just need a game plan for these remaining weeks.  I'm also trying to be creative (and thrifty) with how I set up my table display.  As I figure it out, I'll share more.  I've gained a lot from other blogs with booth and table display ideas so want to share my ideas too.

Some close ups of my items.  I made some geometric table runners that I'm loving.  I'm working on some fun garland.  I also have some bags I've been making - the photos didn't come out great but I promise a blog post just for the bags.  I have some other fun things planned too.  My plan is to share a lot of these things on my blog individually so stay tuned!

I suppose I should stop blogging and get back to it.  I do have a plan, some lists, some calendar planning, and I connected a few granny squares for a scarf today.  Not too bad for a day of procrastination!

"Procrastinators are also great at beginnings and not as skilled at completions." - SARK

We'll see about that, SARK!  Happy Sunday!

October Wishes

It's Friday - a day I've spent this particular week wishing for so much.  I try not to wish my days away but some weeks...well, you know.  Now I'm happy that it's Friday but I am still in a wishing mood.  Below are some things I've found myself admiring or wishing for recently.  Autumn gives me the wishies!

Any autumn wishes and inspirations you are having these days?

1 - Link to webpage

2 - Link to webpage

3 - Link to webpage

4 - Link to webpage

5 - Link to webpage

Easy Art - 2 Simple Projects

I want colorful art hanging around our house.  Unfortunately, our budget does not allow me to buy much art so we make do with what we do have -- our own hands and some ideas.  I thought I'd share a couple of ideas here.  Two Easy Art ideas that don't require a lot of time, skill, or money!

Doodle Book Pages:
I decided it might be fun to add some colorful doodles to someone else's art work.  I found an old book from the 1970s that was all about Canaries and taking care of them as pets.  There were multiple pages of colorless canary drawings throughout the book. 

What you need:  A book you don't mind cutting out pages to use, Sharpies (or other markers but seriously - who doesn't love a Sharpie?), and something to mat and frame the finished product (or just a frame).

Cut out the pages you want to use, sit down with a marker, and....DOODLE!

I chose 3 canary pages to doodle because I had an inexpensive frame that was matted for 3 5x7 sized spaces.  My pages were just about 5x7" so fit perfectly.

I didn't take a great photo of the actual framed piece because it's currently off the wall while I decide where to put it next.  You get the gist though -- 3 pictures, some extra color, easy art.  Not fine art, mind you, but colorful and fun to hang on the wall.

Photography for Child's Room:
This next little project was something I did for my youngest son's bedroom.  He has always loved cars - the movie, the matchbox variety; you name it, he loved it.  Once he outgrew his nursery and wanted a "big boy room", I wanted to find some art to hang that he would enjoy.

What you need:  a camera, some favorite toys, good lighting, and I used a white sheet for the background.  I also used an editing software to add some texture but that's really optional.

I went outside with a bucket of his favorite cars and took some close up photos.  I used a white crib sheet to for the background and some good outdoor lighting (Thanks, Sun!)



I had these printed locally as 8x10 photographs and it cost me less than $20 to have them printed (I think I printed 7-8 photos total).  I hung them in inexpensive frames around his room.  He loved them!  That was when he was 4 years old, he's now 6 and still loves them. 



There you go -- 2 Easy Art DIY ideas.  You don't have to spend a lot of money or only hang fine art in your house to add some color and interest.  

(Not) My Great Idea

So often I stumble across an idea and wish so badly that I had a time machine and could go back in time to be the ONE who thought up this great idea.  The idea behind these animal magnets is one such idea.  I've seen this idea on several blogs and on Pinterest - my favorite blog explanation is this one

I've accepted the fact that I wasn't the genius to think up this idea but I still wanted to try it out.  They are really fun.  I started out by buying these at Michael's craft store.  I had a 50% off coupon that I used.  I think to make more, I'm going to seek them out at the Dollar Store.  One note I will make though is to make sure you buy the solid figures and not hollow figures because those wouldn't work with this idea.

Jay helped out with this craft - partly because his hands work better at this kind of thing and this way I could take photos.  We started out using an Xacto knife but the blade broke so we switched to a kitchen knife and it worked great.

Cut all of the animal toys in half -- it feels kind of sick doing it but, it's ok, they aren't real.

This image is kind of disturbing...they aren't real, they aren't real, they aren't real...

After they are all cut in half, use a hot glue gun and glue a magnet to each one.  Voila!  Animal magnets!  I prefer the rear end magnets.  They make me giggle.



You wish you had thought of this idea too, huh?  Well you didn't - and neither did I.  We can still make them though. 

Button Flowers

I'm not very good with real flowers.  They are so pretty and brighten up a room but I'm terrible with keeping them alive for more than a couple of days.  I'm that way with any plant really.  Exhibit A -- a Mother's Day gift that didn't even make it until the end of May...

I don't know how my kids and pets survive but somehow I can keep them plugging along.  Summer started with 3 healthy kids and school recently started with 3 healthy kids - SCORE!

To brighten up the house (and also for my upcoming craft show), I decided to start making these colorful button flowers.  My plan is to make a boat load of these because they are so cute in vases, Mason jars, tied with ribbon, etc.  I've been making multi-colored flowers but will be making monochromatic flowers and I have some other ideas for non-button flowers.  I'm just hoping I can part with them when the time comes because I find them to be so cheery and adorable.

I will be posting some instructions in a later post on how to make some of these for your own house.  They are pretty easy to make and can be really fun too.

So far all of my button flowers are still alive and no wilting has occurred!  I'm hoping to buy some buttons in bulk online -- any supplier suggestions???