Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! I sure did! We ate a ton and played Wii as a family and drank wine. I know, I know. Wii? I guess this is what our advanced technology world has come to. Wii at Thanksgiving. Seriously, Super Mario is addictive! The next day I went shopping for the first time ever. Got up at 3am. Expected big lines, lots of people running everywhere, and what actually did I witness first hand? Not really any lines, very few good deals, and not too many people. It was odd. I have worked the last 5 years at a retail store, and every year on that day we would have lines down the street and our whole store would be on sale. I didn't have a ton of money to spend, thank you very tiny unemployment paychecks, but I got a few things. The Children's Place and Gymboree had excellent deals and I was very excited about that. I even stopped at Joann's to pick up a few items to send my swap friend, and the Simplicity patterns were all only 99 cents. I had to get a few of those too. I still have two people I need to get items for. I need to slow down on my swapping and save some dough so I can get them gifts sometime the next few weeks. Anyone have any exciting shopping stories from Friday? I didn't think it was that bad at all like most people think. So many people hate shopping that day. Why???

Martha Stewart and Christmas Ornaments

Ornaments. I have to hand-make ten of them for a swap on swap-bot. I am so thankful that a whole month was given because my idea had changed already three or four times. I originally wanted to use burlap, but was afraid of customs issues with a few of my partners in other countries. I really liked this idea using a foam ball and fabric, but then shipping costs would be outrageous due to the box I would have to use to house those safely to their destinations. So just watching Martha Stewart this morning I am feeling inspired. I have a brilliant idea in my head, and I didn't even see it on her show. She did however inspire me to do a few things on Thanksgiving. Those place cards.... adorable. And free templates too. I will be getting those ornaments done today and will post pictures later this evening. Anyone notice the button-fairy that I posted a few days ago? Is this something you would like to receive? For my first one, I am a little worried. I am sending it to someone who I am pretty sure knows her stuff when it comes to button fairies. I also saw a few pictures on Flikr of people's fairies that they made for this swap. They are really really good. Please, if you have any criticism, please let me know.

Pictures of my life the last two weeks!

I decorated my table for Christmas with a few items until I pull out all of the good Christmas stuff! The "T" next to the lamp is from Ikea. Only $5. It is perfect since you can hang anything from it all year round. They had it set up with ornaments. To the left is a glass vase with wine corks on the bottom. On top of the corks I placed a candle. I got the idea from an Anthropologie store. They have such great ideas. I just love that store.

I LOVE scrabble pieces. I have about four games worth. I have found the games at Goodwill for $3 each. That beats the regular $15 pirce tag brand new. I have Isabella's name spelled out in her room.

The wooden beaded necklace I made! I got the idea from Martha Stewart. It was super easy, I could probably do a tutorial for it. They also have directions on the Martha Stewart website. I bought the beads on Ebay, a bag for 200 (which you really need all of them) for $5 and free shipping. I couldn't find a single craft store that had just the one size I needed in a package. I would have ended up spending $100 just buying the multi-size packs of wood beads.

I absolutely love this necklace from Anthropologie. I bought it, on clearance, which made it still $20, but that is great for Anthropologie. I want to figure out a way to make this myself. The fabric circles would be simple, it is the hardware pieces that would be difficult. Any ideas from anyone on easy ways to do this type of necklace????

I have been collecting up scarves left and right. There is a blog, Tiny Happy, that I love. She is so crafty and everything she does seems so simple yet amazing. She likes to work with scarves and make little coin purses or what not out of them. I have been inspired by her to try it out. I have found most of them at estate sales, and for super cheap. The most I have spent on one was probably $1.

I picked up this sheet of scrapbook paper that is made for you to color which ever way you please. I used oil pastels. I think it turned out beautifully. I am not sure what I will do with it, but I think it is pretty.

I saw this idea in a magazine to hang an empty frame and then a wreath inside of it. I just hung it up quick, not sure if I like the wire showing, but I think it has potential. I believe it was Country Living. Speaking of... has anyone received or seen the December issue yet? I subscribe, but I still haven't gotten it and I can't find it in the store. You would think I would have gotten it a few weeks ago. I am a little concerned. The frame is vintage and I picked it up for $5 and the wreath at an estate sale for $5.

There is a little Christmas bazaar in my area that occurs only twice before Christmas. I always find the cutest vintage Christmas items. This sign is very old, has a few tears on the outside but I had to have it. I think I paid only $3 last year for it. The other plastic sign I bought this year at a Catholic church bazaar for 25 cents. Can't beat that!!!

I just realized this pic was sideways. I do apologize about that. This was a ornament/sign that my Mom picked up for a couple dollars. I thought that it was so cute and would be super easy to make for cheaper than buying it. All you would need is a piece of cardstock, some glitter, and your own handwriting, if it is great unlike mine, or some rub-ons. Tie a ribbon on top to complete the look!

These are a few earrings I have made (before gluing the posts to them). I thought I would try out the MAC eyeshawdow pots to see how they would turn out, and I thought they were pretty cute. I also am a fan of Jem, the 80s/90s cartoon sensation. Had to make a pair of her name and star and also a Christmas tree pair. Thought they all turned out adorbale.

These I painted up awhile ago. It is funny because I have been very interested in learning how to make ATCs. These really are just like ATCs but larger. I have an ATC swap coming up and I am doing it on Las Vegas. I have some ideas, but I really like how this turned out.

I bought three serving spoons at Goodwill for 50 cents each. I bent them, and after seeing it in Country Living, will hang them on the wall as wall hooks. How cute!!! And cheap!!!

I bought this basket I suppose you would call it for all of my yarn. I got it at Goodwill for $8. I thought it was too cute to pass up, and it is fairly large enough to hold all of my yarn. I am slowly getting all of my craft stuff organized.

Just a quick shot of some books on my craft dresser area. I just bought a really old music book, I believe from the 30s. I feel bad about this, but I got it to tear out the pages. I think that they would look lovely on cards, ATCs, anything. I got it for only $2 at an estate sale too. SCORE!

Just another quick shot of my craft area. Getting it cleaned up! I have added a lot more knitting needles to that area. I have quite a collection now. I LOVE glitter too. I got a lot more where that came from!

A little holder for my random items. ATCs, rainbow bookmark, Hello Kitty tape, bottle caps for my altered bottle caps crafts....

Hi! It's me!!!

All of my lace and ribbon. I have so much, I don't know what to do with it all. I picked up the vintage spools at Goodwill for a couple dollars. I thought I would just wrap some ribbon around them to get some use out of them.

I bought these glass containers to put my glitter in. I picked them up at Goodwill for a dollar each. I love the top, easy pour.

I saw this idea too in Country Living. They showed one for sale and I thought that would be so easy to make. I picked up the clipboard at Goodwill for a dollar, bought some cute scrapbook paper at the craft store for 89 cents, traced it and glue it on, and then added a super cute glittery flower sticker that I have had for awhile. I just bought another clipboard so I can make another one with some other paper I have.

Up close picture of the flower sticker. Amy Butler for KC Company I believe? Did I get that right??

My first Button Fairy ever. I think it turned out great for my first one. It is for a holiday button fairy swap. I hope I did it okay for a newbie to the craft. Any thoughts or suggestions???

This is a huge basket full of FREE thread. I picked up on Craigslist. FREE. Again, score!!!

I picked up this original vintage Iron-on Tranfers at an antique store. I can't wait to use them. I picked them up for only $2 each. I just recently have been getting into embroidery, because of Tiny Happy. She just inspires me in so many ways!!!

I collect vintage aprons, and I bought this one today for only $5. I love it. It is my first Christmas apron. I couldn't pass it up.

Also picked up this vintage apron at the same store. $5 again. I have too many now. I just need to find a better way to store them, as you will see in the next photo. It just isn't working out too well.

Got these few adorable items at the same place. A very cute Christmas-y bazaar at a ladies home. Such a nice lady. She had a lot of really cute items. I need to find her on Etsy. I love the vintage pipe cleaners. They are smaller than the pipe cleaners made today and in cute colors.

I bought this basket today for only $8 to put all my fabric in. Of course it only held half that amount I actually own. I bought it at the same place that I got the Christmas signs in my Living Room.

Cute vintage ribbon picked up today at an estate sale. There is something like 30 yards on each roll. All for a couple dollars.

These might be a bit dirty, but after some clean up I can't wait to use them to store photos around the house. These are so hard to find and my Mom and I found four at an estate sale, all 50 cents each. Later I went to the place where I bought the basket above, and they had some there for $5 each. No thanks, I like 50 cents a lot better!

Anyone know anything about Vera scarves? I keep finding them at Estate Sales and they have such great designs on them. I quickly did an ebay search and I found a few going for $20. To cut up or not to cut up....

I found this pretty item in the free bin at an estate sale and I had no idea what it was. To my suprise it held thread, maybe possibly made to hold crochet hooks perhaps? I had to take it.

Hmmmm, not sure why this photo is also sideways. I bought these awhile ago but just came across them and thought I would take a second to mention them. These three patterns are all Cynthia Rowley, who I love, an I got them all for only $1 at Joann's. I generally don't like that store, they rarely have what I need, but that is the only craft store in my town. They were having a sale on patterns and each regulary $17, I got them for $3 together. I can't wait to make them.

I got all my fabric organized. I don't have much, but what I did have was just in a few cardboard boxes on my floor. They are still on the floor, because we have a small house and a lot of stuff, but at least it is organized.

Some cute vintage wrapping paper for $1. I thought it would be cute to use the images of the whole paper to make cards of decorate match boxes. What do you think?

Ugh, again, I saved this photo as upside but it is sideways... I bought this book for 50 cents at our brand new, opened two days ago, St. Vinnies store. It has the cutest images in it. I told my boyfriend I was using it to get ideas for crafts and to cut out of it. He didn't think that was a good idea because it was a neat book. Oh well. I have already been inspired from it. And for only 50 cents, I can find another one somewhere for him to read.

So, this is what my craft area looks like exactly at this moment. Basically it is a dresser that I have put all of my craft stuff in and on top of, and it is in our bedroom right next to my side of the bed. That is the best it is going to get until we move. I think it looks pretty cute though.

This image of my fabric baskets and yarn basket is across from the dresser and on the floor in front of our mirror. I will see how long this will last in this area from my daughter who likes to get into everything. But, until then, it looks nice and organized.

This last image is what is going on, on top of our TV in the living room. I finally found one of those vintage rulers that can fold, and bent it to look like a crown. I made the blocks, what you can see of them, out of wooden blocks and craft paper. They spell out fall. I also made the mini pumpkins (a closer picture is down in my blog a few weeks back) and the tealight holder I bought on clearance at a craft store for $1. It is very Anthropologie.

My Oh My, How long it has been....

I must say that it feels like an eternity since I last posted on here. I have been consumed with finals and then the start of a very difficult online course. I generally get to do some real-time internet use after Isabella goes to sleep, so that is usually spent doing my homework which is due at 2am. I have otherwise done a few crafts and quite a bit of cheap shopping to organize all my craft stuff I keep bringing home. I need another hobby, or we need to move. I just love to craft, but have little space. I have a lot of photos I will be uploading about what I have been up to this past couple weeks. Speaking of shopping, is everyone getting up bring and early to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving? I have never done that. Can you believe that? Well, for good reason. I have always worked that day. But now that I don't have a job, which is very sad for me not to work that day, I am able to. Where I worked we would have hundreds and hundreds of people lined up outside to get in. It was a sports and outdoor retail store. Like Dicks, if you have them in your area. The company closed in June after filling for chapter 11 and then being bought out by a liquidation company. Dicks actually is slowly coming over to the Northwest using all of the old vacant Joes stores. Anywho, I am excited to get some shopping done that day. I have my boyfriend and step-dad to buy for. But, if the price is good, I might buy myself something special. Nordstrom, here we come :)

Finals!!!

I am sorry I have been absent from my blog. I have been working on my final project for my class that ended today. Goodbye ENG1020, Hello History of Pop Culture 2010. I have worked on a few projects as well as purchased some new craft and vintage goodies between my studies. I will post tomorrow for all to see what has been going on with me the past few days. Goodnight till then!

Happy Flame Shrink Dink Earrings Picture

Here are the earrings I made that I spoke about in an earlier post. They are for a swap partner of mine. I sent them in a lot of bubble wrap but am worried that the posts will get snapped off if something heavy got put onto of them. We will have to wait and see. I think they turned out great! More earrings to come....

Estate Sale Items

Today was a great day for estate sale shopping in my town. Generally I go every weekend to at least three. I live in a small city which occasionally has at least one estate sale a weekend. There are also two other small cities about 25 minutes away from mine that I will travel too to go to estate sales. I am lucky if one out of the three I go to have good items. Today was a great day despite my normal luck estate sale shopping. My city had three and all three had great stuff. I ended up spending $30 and got a TON of great deals. I bought a $5 box of fabric, a $5 box full of knitting needles, crochet needles, yarn, patterns, a calender craft of some sort with the year of 1967 on it, an embroidered pillow front and the rest of the kit to make it into a pillow, a bag full of ribbon and another full of vintage buttons, three knitted or crocheted toddler sweaters and a matching bonnet, a bag full of lace, and a bag full of random extras. Yes $10 for all of that. Then at another house I bought a vintage plaid lunch pail, so cute, for $3, a purple box filled with adorable stationary for $5, a very very antique book filled with old written and printed recipes, some from 1950 for $5 (cause I love to cook with old recipes), a really cute top for $2 (not pictured), three vintage fold up christmas decorations for $2, and an adorable embroidered pillowcase with a women and an umbrella on it for $3. I can put all of that for good use. There is another one tomorrow I was going to go to, but I don't know if I want to push my luck. That one is 25 minutes away and with how good today went, I have a feeling I will drive over there and it will be terrible. I have done that quite a few times, oh it is not fun. Should I take the chance?!?

Estate Sale Friday: I scored today!!!!