I hope your Christmas was lovely and that this holiday season has been everything you'd hoped it would be.
I love how quiet this week is, after the fervor of my (always!) last-minute preparations. I still have cards to send out (despite my well-intentioned Mise en Place posts)! I read somewhere that in the throes of a busy season of preparing for the holidays, to only hold on to what {really} matters to your enjoyment of the holidays. Caught in a time crunch this year (it's not like Easter and the date moves around), I had to let some things slide until after Christmas.
One of those things was posting. I'm not too worried about it, though, as I've got lots of lovely things to share and you can pin them for next year or better, spend some quiet time making and tucking away things to be ahead of the game in '15!
Here's how it looks around here on this gorgeous, quiet morning:
The rain has abated a bit and the birds are chirping. An Anna's Hummingbird just came to the feeder (I love living in the PNW)!
Our mantle:
Our tree, in a rare moment when the cats aren't in it (!)...
A mix of greens (blown down in a recent windstorm and rescued from the backyard), Christmasy potpourri and some glass balls (since nothing went in the tree this year, thanks to the cats):
Thanks for your patronage this year, Studio Visitors! I'll be starting 2015 with a major purge and re-working of my Studio, so stay tuned for lots of Mise en Place posts!
Happy 2014! I've spent the last two weeks putting into motion some of the organizing madness I've been fantasizing about lately. Before I get into that, however, I'd like to wrap up a few things from 2013.
First, thanks for another year of support. I love stamping and I can't believe that I'm making money doing it and getting to feed another love (writing) with this hobby. What a blessing to have this opportunity cross my path 12 (!) years ago.
Second, I was a victim of the missing week between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so certain things on my list never happened (read: a few 12 Weeks of Christmas posts). It's not like Easter, when the date shifts around, so I'm not sure why Christmas snuck up on me.
When I was teaching fifth grade full-time, one of the things I made a practice of doing was reflecting on a unit of study when it was concluded and make notes/preparations for next time. I've carried that practice into my home life and it's been very helpful. I am a list-maker, so I always go back to my packing list for camping, vacations or planning list for parties or big holidays to see what was forgotten, unnecessary, brilliant, etc.
One such reflection was that I can't wait until "the Christmas Spirit" strikes to start my Christmas cards. I have about 150 to make and send and I was woefully late this year (at least they were received before 2014). I need to start planning and working on them sooner. {Another reflection is to have "cream cheese" tattooed to my forehead, as I keep forgetting it for the frosting for our Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls. Ugh. I forgot it on Thanksgiving, too.}
S peaking of Christmas cards, I don't address my envies by hand; I print up labels. To make my Christmas card list, I simply run this label document on regular paper. I attach a Zip-Loc baggie to the back and keep it handy throughout the season to toss in any new addresses that come my way on cards sent to us (I rip off the sender's return address label, which is faster for me than writing it down). At the end of the season, I go back to my computer and make necessary changes. If I'm feeing jiggy, I might even go ahead and print up a new set of labels in January and stow them in my Christmas Planning Journal for next year.
If you're a list-maker like me and/or if you have a binder or journal for Christmas planning, I invite you to spend a minute thinking about what worked well for your preparations, traditions, budget, etc. Also, think about what you'd leave out next year or do differently. This doesn't have to be fancy; you can fold a piece of paper in half lengthwise and write in two columns. Tuck this list in your planner and you've got a leg up on next year!
Stay tuned for some organizational posts/projects (it is January, after all!). I'm gearing up for a busy Sale-a-Bration season, so be watching for information about that, too!
Hello, patient visitors! I've finished the video and it's ready to view! I continue to battle through iMovie, but I'm getting better with every effort... Enjoy!
Click {HERE} and {HERE} for the previous posts in this year's {12 Weeks of Christmas} series.
Hello and welcome to Week One of my {12 Weeks of Christmas}, 2013 Edition!
I've done this series in years past (I'll include links below) and my goal with these posts is not to drive you nuts, introducing Christmas before October has gotten its footing, but to give you means and ideas to plan and make your Christmas and holiday season as joyful and stress-free as possible.
In this series, I'll be presenting some organization ideas ("Mise en Place") as well as ideas for making cards, gifts and décor.
Our first post is a {Mise en Place} post, dedicated to Stampin' Up!'s fabulous product, the Season of Style This and That journal (132277), found on pages 6-7 and 25 of the 2013 Holiday Catalog. This journal can be purchased and prepared now as a means to organize your holiday season, or it can be used as a retrospective keepsake journal. I do a hybrid of the two; I plan my Thanksgiving and Christmas and then refer back to those plans year to year (Christmas card addresses, menus, recipes, etc).
More about the Season of Style This and That Journal... It comes with four sections. There are four month-at-a-view calendar pages, a place to keep inspiration and plans for cards, pages to plan and record your décor, lists for gift giving and receiving (for Thank You note purposes) and a spot to plan your entertaining (parties, dinner menus, etc).
The journal alone is darling and very useful. To step it up a notch, Stampin' Up! is offering a few additional products to use with it. First, the Season of Style This and That Designer Stickers (132276) can be used to label your calendar, make tabs for each section, and decorate the cover and pages.
There is also Season of Style Designer Washi Tape (132155) and DSP (132340) to use. I know I'll have extra pieces from all of these, so I'll get to make some fun cards with them, too!
The final item that will round out my journal is the Naughty and Nice This and That Rotary Stamp (132278), with fun Christmassy sayings as well as designs for gift tags and your journal, of course!
Wanna see the Season of Style This and That Journal in action? Check out this {video} from Stampin' Up!
Stampin' Up! Supplies: Stamps: Naughty and Nice This and That Rotary Stamp (132278) *2013 Holiday Catalog
Papers: Season of Style DSP (132340)
Inks: Use the following colors (in Stampin' Write Markers or Classic Ink Pads) to coordinate with the Season of Style Suite: Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, and Old Olive
Tools and Accessories: Season of Style This and That Journal (132277), Season of Style This and That Designer Stickers (132276), Season of Style Designer Washi Tape (132155)
Interested in previous {12 Weeks of Christmas} posts? You'll find each one here:
Hello, there! Today's much-needed blog facelift comes courtesy of My Digital Studio from Stampin' Up! I used the Legit Kit download for the fun washi tape and stamped images. I love the fresh, fun colors for summer!
School's out and summer is here. The Studio is undergoing a healthy dose of spring cleaning and I've got my list of Top Things to Order from the New Catty. I'll be posting that soon and showing you some of my Studio renovations and reorganization.
Give me a shout if you still need the new catalog. Operators are standing by (wink, wink)!
Hello and welcome to a (LATE) first installment of my {12 Weeks of Christmas} series! I'm switching from PC to Mac and I'm on a steep and troublesome learning curve lately.
As the busy holiday season approaches, I like to see what the dates look like. For example, I like to check my kids' school schedule to see when their last day is. I need to know for travel arrangements, if we're going to visit my mom in Colorado for Christmas and I also like to know so that anything Super Secret is taken care of before they're home during the day. Finally, I like to give the kids' teachers their gifts before the last day of school (speaking from personal experience, they can have a lot to haul out to the car!).
I also look over the calendar to figure out when the last day is to send cards to Canada (I have family there and I hope my greetings arrive on-time) as well as when the deadlines are for mailing to military, out-of-state addresses, etc.
I order calendars for family gifts, so I need to see when the deadline for Christmas delivery is (I *refuse* to pay expedited shipping).
Got any parties on the books yet? Will you need hostess gifts?
I know it might seem over-the-top when we're not even sure what Halloween costumes are going to be this year, but a little planning can go a super-long way. Especially on the years when I'm travelling (or having guests come to me), I like to have things mapped out way in advance and tackle them early.
Bottom line: I *LOVE* Christmas and I want to enjoy the season instead of wandering through it sleep-deprived, stressed out and cranky.
In the interest of honesty, this wisdom is not my own. I was inspired by Marla Cilley, aka "The Flylady" (she fishes). I discovered her right after my eldest was born and she's a marvel. Here's a link to her Flylady Fabulousness. Specifically, her Holiday Control Journal contains a page that inspired my list of dates.
Finally, after I check my dates, I make a list (on the computer so that I can use it year-to-year and just change the dates) in chronological order of when stuff needs to happen. Phew!
Sale-A-Bration has begun and for me, it means a calendar brimming with workshops for hostesses who earn "many bennies," getting inspired for the coming of spring and clearing out my studio and taking inventory.
As I prep for my workshops, I'll share some of our projects. I offer a variety of workshops, geared for the beginner and/or geared for the experienced stamper. I have hostesses who prefer I demonstrate and her guests make one thing to take home and brag about. I have other hostesses who prefer to host Mini Stamp Camps, where her guests pay a minimal fee to cover the cost of the materials, but whom walk away with six finished projects. The choice is up to the hostess...
My studio silence on the blog lately has meant that I've been busy clearing out and purging. We started in the bedrooms and have been working our way downward. My time in the studio has been exhausting, but exhilarating. I love the affirmation and accomplishment I feel when a space is cleaned out and ready to enjoy. I'm always embarrassed that it had reached the sad state from which I brought it, though!
I leave you with a picture of my latest project: inventory. I wait until Sale-A-Bration to fill up my paper, ink, refill and embellishment supplies. I save my pennies every year to take advantage of the benefits that come with placing a Sale-A-Bration (SAB) order. Any $50 merchandise order qualifies -- no workshop required!
This year, there are four stamp sets, a Designer Series Paper and Quick Accents Pack, a Ribbon & Button Pack, a disc of digital media for My Digital Studio, a Decor Element, plus a slew (sp?) of stamps from the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog (listed on the inside back cover of the SAB Mini). You can choose one for FREE with each $50 merchandise purchase. Do you see now why I wait to restock until Sale-A-Bration?!
Contact me if you'd like a copy of this fabulous tool for tracking your supplies. Great for restocking purposes as well as planning for big projects...
While I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions (mine this year was to not have any), I do enjoy clearing out closets, toy bins, craft supplies (!), etc, to make room for the new treasures we received for Christmas. Around here, 'tis the time to purge!
The Studio looks like a winter wind whipped through it (all night long, I might add). I've been busy clearing out, making an inventory (Sale-A-Bration starts on the 25th and I want my freebies!), and reorganizing. I made a ton of Christmas cards and quite a few gifts for friends and my kids' teachers, so the Studio needs some TLC.
As such, not a lot of creating is happening in there right now. The blog-worthy news is that I've got some good organizational info to share (I *LOVE* to read organizing blogs, books and magazines). For the rest of the month, as I clear up in there, I'll be sharing some of my favorite organizational gems in here.
With about two weeks left in Sale-A-Bration this year, I am beginning to organize my final inventory order. I "stock" up on card stock, ribbon, ink refills, etc, at this time of year because of the Sale-A-Bration freebies. I'm really loving the new bennie of having freebies available from "The Big Catalog." Need to know what I'm talking about? Click on the "It's Sale-A-Bration Time!" link on the right of this page for a PDF of the Sale-A-Bration Mini Catalog.
One item that I've found to be particularly helpful is an inventory sheet. It helps me know what I have on-hand of each item in Stampin' Up!'s 48-color inventory (this sheet doesn't include the In Color items, but can easily be modified to do so).
This inventory chart shows card stock, ribbons, pads, cartridges, refills, markers, etc in each color (which is then organized by color family). I can either use this sheet as a way to track what I've already got (mark items I own) or use it as a shopping list (mark items I need to purchase)...
There are plenty of other things to inventory in the Studio. For example, whenever I purchase a new punch or Big Shot die, I make a cut-out to keep at my stamping desk so that I can hold the negative image over a stamped image (to know if it would fit). There are templates for punches that one can purchase, or you can just punch around the edges of a piece of card stock and keep it handy. I also keep a jar of one piece each of every punch I own so that I can fiddle around with layering them. **It's the perfect use for the piece of card stock with goofs on both sides.**
I'll work on finding you the link to the punch template that I use (it was someone else's genius effort).
In the meantime, take a look at what you have and/or need. Sell-A-Bration ends on March 31!
Thanks for your visit! I'll be posting a new video tomorrow (all about distressing!)!!
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