Most Recent Goodwill Finds

Here are a couple of the bargains I've swiped at Goodwill in the past month.

A NEW Vera Bradley hanging bag.  And yes, you're seeing that right, it was $1.99!

Then, there was this cute curtain panel, or was it a shower curtain?  I was in a rush and didn't have time to find out for sure but what the tag said sold me Ballard Designs - oh, and it was $3.99.  *smiles*  (It's a shower curtain, btw.  Supposed to be at least, we'll see what I do with it!)

THEN, there was this super bright, super cute Queen sized duvet cover.  Priced at $3.99 I couldn't pass it up once I saw the Pottery Barn Teen label. 

Goodwill is an amazing place to shop - if you have the time, and go can often!  While browsing through the purses a couple of visits ago, and lady stopped me, "I just have to tell you this!  I bought 2 purses at the other Goodwill in town last week.  When I got home, there were 2 rings inside a pocket.  I took them to a jeweler and they are real diamond rings!  I just LOOoooVE Goodwill now."

Have YOU ever found something valuable at Goodwill or some other thrift shop?

Birthday Party - Revisited

Here are pics from my daughter's birthday party last year.  We went all out.  Worked too hard.  Made lots of memories.  Celebrated LIFE with friends.

I was a bit overwhelmed, and asked a couple people to bring some food - cookies, chips and homemade salsa.  We also borrowed a friend's snow cone machine!  That was a great hit and helped cool things down in the summer heat!  On the grill my husband cooked up sausage, chicken kabobs and corn on the cob!  Some boys we know made balloon animals for anybody who would ask.

*Not pictured are the ribbon wands I made for the kiddos as well as the tent and photo op station in the yard.  Lots more decor too!*

My cousin and a young friend spent the night with us to help decorate and prep food.  SO glad they came.

Our invitations were designed by GoodFrau.  She was great to work with!

Most of the paper decor was designed and made by JoosyCardCo.

Entry welcome.




Party favors for the kids - an apple, honey stick, pin wheel and bubbles.

 

Party favors for the adults - cake pops!  Made by my cousin.

  

Party hats - I made most of them, but my cousin helped as well!  Thanks to the idea from Martha Stewart.



We tried for some healthy options. 
(Butterfly picks were nabbed on clearance from Pier 1!)



Cupcakes from a local bakery.

Drink display.

Flower pots were scrubbed clean, and turned into a nifty straw holder!

I tore apart some greenery, and added these colorful balls to the flower centerpieces.  A fun, unexpected "pop" of color!

It was a "Onederful" party indeed!

This year, I promised myself (AND my husband) that we wouldn't get quite as creative.  We'll have to see.  *BIG grin*

Snack Time - Products we use and love!

It was a lovely, scorching hot afternoon and my daughter and I were outside.  Snack time and water hose time came at the same time, and this is what she ate...

Bolthouse Farms Organic Carrot Juice
Watered down, mostly water.  Available at Costco, but not online.

Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread
While not gluten free, this is the only bread OR gluten our daughter gets!  All organic and sprouted, thus it makes me happy.  *smiles*

Lundberg Organic Brown Rice Cake

Hard Boiled Organic Brown Egg

Organic Apple

And don't forget the Desert Essence sunscreen!

For those out there who are saying, "Great food choices, but go all out and don't use plastic use glass or stainless steel!"  While I agree, prefer, and often chose those options, just how many spendy stainless steel sippies are we supposed to dent and bottles/plates are we to break?  Anyway, the practical, thrifty side of me always shines through, and I just can't risk destroying things on the concrete, therefore wasting more precious pennies!

AND THEN...there are those of you saying, "Those aren't kid snacks!  Where's the Fruit Loops, gummy worms, cookies and Yoplait?"  Well, ain't ya glad I'm not YOUR mom?  *BIG grin*

We TRY to be healthy around here.  It's a process, we are gradually changing.  If you want Oreos or ice cream, talk to her daddy.  *winks*

What kind of snacks do your kids eat on hot summer days?

ECCO Flip Flop Review

**All opinions are 100% mine.  I was not compensated in any way.**

Ok, the ECCO brand is new to me.  I'd heard of them before, but never tried 'em.  These flip flops are the most amazing shoe I've ever worn. 

On my feet all day, and I don't feel the need to kick off my shoes.  Soft and comfortable for hours at a time.  The adjustable buckle comes in handy to find the perfect fit.  The leather between your toes is hardly noticeable.  If you have a problem with flip flops normally, these might surprise you.  The straps go far enough up your foot that you don't have to "drag" your shoe along.

One thing to note is that for those who need a wide width, this shoe may not be for you.  You might find your foot hanging over the edge a bit.  It's worth a try though.  Just make sure you walk around the store long enough to get a good "feel."  (Wide width not available.)

Thankfully, I caught a marvelous Holiday sale and picked these up for $40.00.  While still a splurge for me (I'm used to garage sale bargains of $5 or less, or maaaaaybe $10 at Goodwill) it was worth every single dime!  These shoes are going to cushion my tootsies as often as possible this summer.  Forget those flat, uncomfortable, funny foam, cheapo looking "thongs" (as my Mother calls them.)  THIS year, I get a REAL shoe.

YOU can find these shoes named "Passion" on the ECCO website.  From their site you can find a store near you!  (Don't forget to look for an outlet store - maybe you'll be lucky enough to have one close by.)

Amazon also carries them.  And don't forget Ebay!

Gift Wrapping

I know that some folks just grab a gift bag and tissue when it come time for wrapping presents, that's their style.  Really, I don't like to do that.  Granted, with my busy life I do typically resort to the oh so common gifty bag, but deep in my heart I want to go all out with wrapping paper and all those grand extras! 

Such as these weddings gifts I wrapped.  They were taken to an indoor/outdoor chapel wedding this past May.


Pic snapped with my Mom's I-Phone!

 Sometimes the wrapping costs as much as the gift!  *sigh*  Even if you do go with the gift bag, they can run you $4 or $5, plus tissue paper, plus a card!  (Heeeello dollar store!) 

If you want to give wrapping your gifts a try, here are some nice ideas I found...

http://www.realsimple.com/



www.adelle.com/au



http://www.cathiefilian.blogspot.com/



http://www.marthastewart.com/

Get creative...send me pics of what you wrap.  And think outside the box - comics from the newspaper, craft paper, a cloth napkin or scarf, maps from that last vacation, etc.  Have fun!!!

Favorite Blogs

Here are a few of my favorite blogs, enjoy browsing!!!

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

http://www.soyouthinkyourecrafty.com/

http://www.homemade.tipjunkie.com/

There are MORE...just look on the left side of my page to see the links!

What are YOUR favorite blogs to follow?  Tell me...

When It's Sunset in Hawaii



Snapped out the car window off the coast of Molokai.



Small island is Niihau, I loved the swirling clouds!

Thanks for Hawaiian memories, Honey!

Knee Time

On My Knees
Words and music by Rory Noland
Willow Creek Music (Album: "A Place To Call Home")

When so many voice surround me
Screaming for attention all at once
Makes me long for some time with my Lord
And that old chair by the window where I go
To be with Him alone

On my knees is where I wanna be
When this life overwhelms me
I can pour my heart out, and bare my soul
To the one who loves me
On my knees

Just me and the Lord in a quiet place
That's the best way I could ever start my day
But when life moves so fast I can't catch my breath
That appointment seems to be the first to go
And it's what I need the most

Oh, I can pour my heart out
And bare my soul
To the One who loves me
On my knees
On my knees
On my knees
On my knees

This is a song that comes to mind so often.  Sometimes I catch it on the radio.  It isn't very popular, but then again, most of the songs I like don't make it to the "Top 10 Charts!"

Last night my husband and I had a discussion.  We talked about knees.  He was kneeling down on the floor by the bed trying to plug in his phone charger.  And "it" dawned on him, here I am on my knees for a phone, but I can't get on my knees to pray to my Lord.

We then began talking about other reasons we get on our knees - to bathe our baby girl, to scrub the floor, to use our lap top (out of the way of little hands,)  to repair the car and to reach behind the couch to get that lost object.  Then it's that silly printer again, or maybe "busted" plumbing under the bathroom sink.  What about our crying child who needs a hug or puppy who needs a good scratch behind the ears?  When my husband proposed, he was on his knees before me.  During the day, we find ourselves on our knees, somehow.

It just struck us how often knees play into the equation, and yet how little of that "knee time" is spent humbly before God.

Our world is so stuck on "me."  The customer is always right, food the way YOU want it, what ever feeeeels right to you muuuust be right for you, follow your heart, you deserve it, and on and on.  We should quit with the "me time" and get on to some "knee time!?  (Preachin' to myself here.)

Baby Shower - Revisited

Originally posted on my previous blog, I wanted to bring these pics over here too!

Last year I co-hosted this baby shower in my home.  All decorating ideas and crafty things were me.  (With help from various online sources, naturally!)  A mutual friend of our mom-to-be shared the load by being in charge of the invites, cake and cupcakes!  They both helped with set-up, food prep and clean up. 

Tip: If you want to throw a good shower, have plenty of good help from planning through bye-bye!  *smiles*

Red and teal were chosen as the primary colors - two of my all-time favs!  "Oh Joy, It's a Boy!"  was our slogan.  A touch here and there of birds and eggs were thrown in too!




Guest's view as they came through the door.



Vintage suitcase - the mother now uses it to hold those special momentos from her son's baby years.

  

This was my first diaper cake! 




Name tags.





 

Cupcakes and cake were professionally made by a local bakery.  Cupcake toppers were from Etsy.





Beverages at the kitchen bar.





Food table.



Wood Block Photo Frame and Canvas Art (Copy cat!)

Admittedly, I'm a copy cat.  Yup.  Here and there you can find my inspiration. 



Now atop my refrigerator!

The canvas art was fun and simple to make.  I didn't invest in expensive foam stamps, just bought the cheap-o's from Hobby Lobby.  Since I'd never tried this line of craft before I didn't want to spend a lot just in case this wasn't going to be up my alley.  I had fun and it stretched me a bit.  I've seem to have lost some of my crafty-creativity and enjoyed gettin' back into the swing of things.

Actually, this was simple!  Sanding on the canvas was trickier than expected as the canvas would stretch and it wore around the wooden frame underneath.  Stamping was easy.  Practice beforehand was the key for me!  Because of the cheap stamps, my method was odd, but it worked in the end.

Obviously, I didn't take any "step-by-step" photos.  Forgot to!  *smiles*  But, it spurred on the following project!



Already given as gifts and one is on my mantle.





My husband went about and beyond helping me with these.  Pulling out the router was his idea.  He even picked the style!  (The router usage was not in the original idea from ByStephanieLynn.)   I opted for a thicker rougher twine, as that's what we had on hand.



Waiting for the paint to dry was the hardest part for me.  Of course, I didn't use the saw or the router, my sweet man did.  *winks*  In the end I was proud of the project we did together!

Kipper the Dog

http://compare.ebay.com/like/290519006912?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y

Has anyone else gotten attached to this little guy? 

Kipper the Dog is a favorite around here.  This British cartoon is marvelous.  The animals all speak with their British accents making it just that much more endearing!  The animation is so simple - leaves your imagination wide open!  Kipper is kind, thoughtful, generous and creative.  Most stories could happen in real life, with an occasional silly story thrown in - like the Bleeper People on the Moon, a magic carpet or clouds made of ice cream, whipped cream and cherries! 

Here and there you'll hear a character say, "that's stupid" or some such remark and a little attitude surfaces from Pig or Tiger, but as far as kids' movies go these days, this is a 9.5 outta 10 from MommieJoys!

Kipper DVDs, toys and books are hard to find.  If you stumble across a Kipper "something" at a garage sale or somewhere cheap, buy it!  (If we don't have it, maybe we'll buy it from you!  *smiles*)  Amazon is our best bet.  The 4-in-1 DVD set is a great deal at $8.99! 

My mom just picked up Where, oh where, is Kipper's Bear? At a garage sale last weekend.  My daughter hasn't been able to put it down!  The light at the end doesn't work anymore because the book was printed in the 90's!  But everything else looks great.  Thanks, Grandma!

Who are your kids "into" these days?

Cherries and Pooh

While watching Winnie the Pooh with my little one today (after we had vacuumed the whole house, yes we,) I had a sudden urge to grab the bag of cherries from our fridge.  I followed that urge. 

Next, I found myself back on the couch with my nearly two year old baby girl cuddled next to me.  I would take a bite from a cherry, toss the seed into a bowl and give her the other half.  Quickly, she'd chew it up then sign and say, "more."  We were eating cherries together, watching Pooh together and completely enjoying each other's company.  A sense came over me - completeness, peace.

In that moment I realize just how special our bond was.  Up 'til now, she'd been my baby.  But from here on out, she was a girl.  (Ok, Sweetie, remember that big girls don't drink from a bottle!)  Every time I look at her face I will always see a beautiful tiny baby.  But today, she became my daughter.

Growing up, wearing pink and red together was totally a fashion "no-no."  Now, any color combo seems to go.  So you never know when two unlikely things will go together and bring about a special moment for you and your child.

Today, it was cherries and Pooh.

Bridal Shower - Revisited

On my previous blog I had posted these pictures.  Xanga and Blogger obviously aren't connected so I can't transfer old posts over here.  Sorry if you've seen these before - if not - enjoy!

These are pics from a bridal shower I co-hosted last fall for a friend.  While I had great help with the decorating, the ideas were mine (or copied from various sources!) and most of the creating/crafting was mine too!  Such fun.

*One great tip was having the ladies self-address an envelope for the Bride to send out a thank you!

Food service area.  Food made by another friend!

Signs with different words added to flower arrangements.

Front and center.

Cake made by a friend with decor by me!

Table centerpieces.

Game prizes.

Made by http://www.etsy.com/shop/Joosycardco?ref=pr_shop .

Name tags and guest book table.