Craft Room Cleanout

I'm in the midst of getting my room all cleaned out and ready for paint.  I am giving away a lot of supplies...ribbon, chipboard, stickers, eyelets, brads, etc.  I will post a picture when I get it all together.  If you are interested in taking it off my hands, please leave a comment.  Can't wait til its all done :)

Craft Room Pinspiration

I've decided to redo my craft room.  So, here are some things I've been pinning up to my Pinterest page for a while now.

My Color Inspiration:
It boils down to gray, turquoise, white, and black.

Yes, it's a bedroom but I love the blues and grays.

I haven't decided if I 'm going to treat my wood cabinets or not.

Oh yes, I'm putting in a photo wall.  I have so many photos of the boys and or our life together that need to be put up.

Photo Wall Ideas:

I basically have 4 feet to work with on each side of the window.  So here are some ideas that I'm going to modify.  Also, take into account the last photo wall from above.

I also love this idea for layouts.  I have them strung up on my wall right now with wire and clothes pins.

You can find me on Pinterest, here. Incase, you are interested.

To Purge or Not to Purge...Organizing My Space

I'm cleaning out my craft room/office.  I really want it to be place I want to make things.  It hasn't been that way for a while.  It's more like a dumping ground for random things in the house.  I know that I have to really stay on top of it, and be really strict with the kids.  I've been going through my things, and I have a lot of stuff.  As I do that, I am thinking about what is important to me in my space.  So here is my advice when it comes to your craft space...whether it's a small space or an entire room.

• Organization Style:  What is your style?  I am a piler.  I make piles of papers, things, etc.  It is easier for me to pile like things together and sort through it when I need to.  So how does this apply to my craft room?  Well, I bought tons of glass jars a few years ago.  I put buttons in them sorted by color.  I put ribbon or chipboard embellishments in them.  That has worked really well for me.  Papers...I "pile" it together by color in Cropper Hopper Paper Holders.  I also keep my scrapbooking kits in them as well.  I use drawers.  I have a drawer for stamps, they are thrown in there, but I know where they are.  I have all my inks thrown in a drawer.  Again, this system has worked well for me.  It looks neat and tidy on the outside, while sort of a messy pile on the inside   It doesn't bother me in the least.  As long as I know where my things are and it looks neat to the outsider.
• Counter Space:  I am a space hog.  I always have been.  I am a tiny little person, but I take up so much space.  So, as I'm cleaning out my craft room right now, I had to think about this.  I have a craft table I bought years ago, that I love.  I use it for most of my crafting.  I also sold my Cricut Machine.  I loved it, but it took up a lot of space in my small area of counter space.  I am getting my Silhouette, which will go near my computer and free up space that I need for crafting.
• Purging Supplies:  I am getting rid of tons of stuff.  If I haven't used it in a few years, it's gone.  That means stickers, ribbons, eyelets, albums, etc.  It's gone.  It has to be.  That includes scrapbooking kits or remnants of them.  I also have a corner of my office where I have random stuff...such as baking pans I was going to use for a project.  It's obviously not going to happen after the three years I've had them, so bon voyage.
• Kid's Stuff:  On this issue I go back and forth all the time.  At this time, I've flat out made the decision that this space is mine.  Kids crafts are out.  I have a space in the kitchen near the table I can use for their supplies.  Right now, this space will be mine.  That may seem selfish, but that's just too bad.  My craft room is my space and my office.  I have things in here that I use for my business.  It is not a pleasure to come in and find toys, Cheez-its,  other food items, crayons and markers, and other kid junk, or my stamps ruined.  Sorry kids, you're out.
• Art:  I want to have a beautiful space where I feel inspired.  As much as I love Lance Armstrong and Dale Earnhardt Sr. I'm going to take their pictures out of my office and come up with something new.  
• Functionality:  My space consists of a craft room, office, and photography storage area.  That's a lot of purposes for a small room.  So I need to come up with a way to make all of this work for me.  Large plastic tubs are going to store my photography supplies in the garage.  I think that will free up a lot of space for my craft items.

Those are just a few things to think of.  As I go along, I will share my progress.  As I purge, I will also be boxing up items and maybe giving them away to a lucky blog reader.  There will be a lot of nice stuff, so lets see.

Spring Break Goals

I wish to have a productive Spring Break, so I have set the following goals for myself:

• Catch up on laundry
• Get garden planted and going.
• Clean my office...It went from this:

To This:

But now it's on its way back to this:

If I don't get on top of it...It's not this bad yet.  I just don't have the ability to take a picture now and upload it, yadda yadda with my phone somewhat on the fritz.

• Figure out how to use my new Silhouette.  It's coming on Monday!!!  
• Plan layouts for my Scrapbooking Retreat.
• Catch up with family
• Finish up this wedding

• Have fun and relax
• Read some unwholesome literature...aka...Romance Novels.

So that sums it up.   Have a great weekend!

How About Some Book Recommendations?

Let me start by saying, I have a few book recommendations for you.  I am going to share my favorite so far since my last post (about books anyways) , that I think you need to read.  Also, I'm not sure what happened to Maryse's Freebie Friday.  It has not been around for the last two weeks, only bargain priced.  People have asked and so far there is no explanation.

First up is Sins and Needles...I waited for this to be bargain priced...I got it for 99 cents.  I would have gladly paid full price for this book.

I loved this book.  So full of angst.  I was always telling the main character to stop asking why are you doing this?  I loved this book.  It is a cliffhanger ending, but I loved it.  Here is the synopsis from Amazon.  

Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents' latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen. Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time. When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.

And next was the prequel Novella that came out...On Every Street.  I'm not a novella reader. I hate short little stories.  Give me a good, long book any day.  I just had to read it, though, after reading Sins and Needles.  It is the story of Ellie and Javier....before Ellie and Camden.  I actually, thought the length of this book was just right!

When young con artist Ellie Watt decides to call herself Eden White and go after the drug lord who ruined her as a child, she never expects to fall for one of his henchmen. But Javier Bernal is no ordinary man. Subtly dangerous and overwhelmingly seductive, Eden finds herself passionately in love with Javier, the very person she's set-up to betray. With her body and heart in a heated battle against her deep need for revenge, no one will walk away from this con a winner.

This 50K word (100+ pages) novella takes place six years before Sins & Needles (book #1 of The Artists Trilogy) and tells the story of Ellie and Javier’s passionate yet torrid affair. It can be read before or after Sins & Needles.
You do not need to have read Sins & Needles to enjoy this book and can be read as a standalone.

The third book in the Thoughtless Series.  You have got to read these books.  They are so GOOD!  I'm sure I've mentioned Thoughtless and Effortless before.  A nice ending to a good love story.

This is the first book in the Elemental Series.  There are four.  Oh, did I mention the Kindle Edition was free at this time?  The entire series is out now so you don't have to worry about cliffhanger endings.  I loved these books.  Romance, Vampires, and Mystery.  These books had a very Divinci Code to them.  I loved them.  Here is the synopsis for the first book from Amazon. 

No secret stays hidden forever.

   A phone call from an old friend sets mysterious book researcher Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery that has eluded him for centuries.  Little does he suspect a young librarian holds the key to an ancient secret, nor could he expect the danger Beatrice De Novo would attract.  

   Now both will follow a twisted maze leading from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a passion that could destroy them both.

So, there you go.  Hope you enjoy!

I'm a Dirty Girl!

Before the Race

 After the race!  

Celebratory free beer after the race...I didn't actually drink mine because I shook my arms off and a huge mud clod dropped into it.

What a truly fun weekend we had.  Erik and I had the weekend to ourselves...a much needed break for us.  It's been three months since we even went out on a date.  Saturday, my friends and I did the Dirty Girl Mud Run.  I encourage everyone to do it.  It is a ton of fun!  Then we went out with our friends..from out of town, and one who just returned home from Afghanistan.  

That's all for now.  I am trying to figure out the backup issues with my computer so I can post some pics of the March Daily photos.  Have a good evening!

Still Alive

My lake...not too full, but I still love it.  It's my favorite place on Earth, I think anyways.

I am still alive people...I have just been so busy around here.  I barely have time to post this.  I promise as soon as things slow down, I will post a nice long post, filled with randomness.  I have some VERY exciting news that I can't wait to announce.  Also, I have been somewhat keeping up with the photo a day for March so I will put those up.  I am going to print out photos and get some layouts done soon.  I will also be planning for a Scrapbook Retreat in April...I will share that info as well.   I believe my Cricut Machine is sold!  So I will be getting a Silhouette!!!  Can't wait to share that.  But I am off...to another birthday party today.  And don't forget, I have the Mudrun this weekend.  EEKS! (Plus, I know I started the last two sentences with conjunctions.)