Last post of 2010

  and I'm making it a crafty one!!

Here are some of my favorite layouts of this past year....

 I think this Crate Paper one is my MOST favorite!!

Thanks so much for following me this year through my creative endeavors.  It has been a year of crafty change, but one I like!  Here's to more crafting this coming year, and a little more!  I will be back tomorrow with my word of the year and some changes that hopefully be happening!  Hugs!!

Have a wonderful and safe New Year!

Michelle

Ornament Storage Tip

Happy Wednesday! I am just popping to share a little storage tip. I LOVE when people share how they store things, so I am now going to try to do so every once in a while.  So here it goes...

  As a teacher I always get a tub of popcorn for Christmas.  You know the kind?  It has 3 different types of popcorn?

Since I normally don't care for the popcorn that is in the bin I throw it out.  I know - terrible - but I don't want it - but Alyson loves the cheese flavored kind, so I saved it for her.  And on a side note - I find it ironic that she loves this flavor popcorn but will not eat cheese at all??

  After I scooped the popcorn away and tossed out the rest, I rinsed it out with Shaklee Dish wash concentrate.  Cleaned it right up.

And then I added ornaments as I was taking down the tree.  I place the ones that are not fragile together and don't worry about them breaking.  The ones that are more fragile I put in a separate container.  So easy and they are already decorated with a holiday design so I know what is in them:)

I only use about 4 of these large tubs and have a small one for the teeny ornaments that we put on our other trees around the house.

Hope that was helpful!!  Have a wonderful evening!

Michelle

Just wanted to add that I got the santa photo here.  Get it every year and love how easy it is:)

Hello!  I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!  I know we did!  I am currently in the process of disassembling all that is Christmas around here so everything is a mess!  Ha!  I have some photos to share of Christmas - although I am always taking lots of photos - the holidays are not always the times I do so.  I know.  Weird.  I tend to enjoy the moment more than worry about getting a great shot.  Really, I don't need 50 photos of unwrapping gifts - that's just not my thing.  I enjoyed watching and looking at Alyson's face in person rather than looking at it through the lens.  Just my thing.  And here are some that I took.

This one was taken Christmas day.  I had Alyson pose with something she has asked for, for a long time.    Ha!  A snow globe!  She loved it!  I just hope that it ends here and we don't have 5,000 of them in the future! :)

  Christmas Eve Alyson is with her dad but I still set up cookies, milk, and carrots for Santa and the reindeer.  She likes me to take a photo so that she can see:)  I admit, it is hard not having her home for Christmas Eve, but it is what it is and as long as she is ok, then that is all that matters.:)

Here are the cookies.  We usually make cookies, but she wasn't in the cookie making mood before she left for her dads, so I put some cookies that I had out.  I made the plate with my Cricut machine.  Love the way it came out!

Of course we "caught" Santa once again!!  So fun!

Christmas day Alyson and I spent the day with my mom at our place.  Usually my sister and my brother in law are here as well, but they went up North, so it was just the three of us.  It was SO nice not to have to travel (drive) on Christmas, and just be comfy all day enjoying goodies.

Alyson and I planned the breakfast menu for Christmas morning.  She wanted pancakes, bacon, apple juice, blueberries, and maraschino cherries.  So that is what we had.  Here is putting blueberries on grandmas plate.

  After we ate, we decided to walk downtown and get some Starbucks---mmmmmm.  Here is Alyson by one of the Nutcrackers.

And with one of the many reindeer.  I got more photos while we were out, but haven't had a chance to edit those yet.

When we got back we played Headbandz - it is a new game out.  Love it and it was extremely fun!  As long as Alyson and my mom aren't cheating!

And I will leave you with some photos of our jammies this year.  We got matching ones!  I made sure that my mom took a photo of us before the tree got taken down.  Don't mind the no make-up - just look at the cute girl:)

That's all I have today:)  I redid my blog last night - do you like?

Michelle

A Merry Christmas to You!

Hello there - very quick post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas:)

(this is Alyson's most favorite decoration this year:))

Michelle

Merry Christmas Eve-Eve!

5 more Days!

Can you believe it?  Miss Alyson is so excited!  She made me a Christmas breakfast of Eggos and Orange juice this morning - aww!  She is so sweet!  We are starting our Christmas activities today and I can't wait!  I am also addressing my Christmas cards today - ha!  Better late than never! 

Today I have crafty tree to share with you.

It is a Christmas Countdown.  I had this wooden piece for a while now and I finally put it to use!  I used Graphic 45's Christmas Collection and of course some Glue Arts!  Alyson loves it!  Now I will have one that I finally like!  I don't know about you - but I favor homemade over store bought anyday!

Click here to see more over at the GA blog!

And I just want to show you a bit of what I have been up to here at home.  I have been reorganizing like CRAZY!  I have so many things going on between work, home, Alyson, etc that things tend to get misplaced, etc.  And having an upstairs loft as an office is not easy.  You see everything seems to "land" downstairs, but when it needs attention it needs to be upstairs.  It is a tedious cycle that needed fixing fast - so I found a couple online sources that have helped TREMENDOUSLY!!  I will show the details as I am going through them - but for now here is my file cabinet mess!

The Only thing I purchased was file folders.

Looking at it it may not look that much more organized - but it is, trust me!!  Evey file has a category and the file folders are subcategories.  So easy and I love it!  I shredded SOOO much this weekend!  I have a place for everything and a whole lot more room.

I also have been organizing Alyson's school things.  I will eventually scrap these things, but for now this box will do.  I ave made it a point that EVERYTHING will fit in here - which will lead me to keep less and toss more.  I have a big box in the garage of all the things Alyson made in Kinder and Preschool.  My goal is to go through that and take photos of the projects I want to remember and to keep only those I think need to be kept.  So for now I am already keeping up with first grade.  Yay me!  I also added a sub-folder things she does at daycare.  In the way back are extra curricular activities that she may get awards for, etc.  They all have a home - Love It!

It is all house in this file bin I purchased at Walmart!

Just thought I would share some of my "housekeeping" since I so enjoy looking at the way others store things as well.  Hope you enjoyed it!

Michelle

Christmas Activities Part 1

  Hey there!  I have planned out our week and I am hoping to get through all of these this week.  I will be taking photos as we go.

Monday - December 20


*Write Letter to Santa (better late than never)
*I am going to write my response with this free downloadable letterhead.
*Snowman Ornament

Tuesday - December 21


*Gingerbread House
    -This year I bought a prebuilt house - all we have to do is decorate - Yipee!!
*3-D Snowflake - the Kindergarten classes at my school make these ever year - I love them!

Get the directions here!

*Magazine Christmas Tree

Wednesday - December 22
  *Salt Dough Ornaments

Directions here
*Paper Plate Trees - taught by Alyson

Thursday - December 23


BAKING ***BAKING *** BAKING!!


I will be back with photos!!


ENJOY!


Michelle

Sharing some Cricut Projects!

Hi there and happy Thursday!  I got the go ahead to post some projects that I recently created for the Cricut Circle Blog.  I am lucky enough to get the new cartridges before they are released.  One of the cartridges I recently received is the Disney Classics Cartridge.  It has some wonderful cuts that are sure to go with a any Disney Page.

I fell in love with the Alice in Wonderland cuts and decided to make a minibook for Alyson from when she was 3.  Here it is.

I am not going to lie, they are a lot of work but Oh so worth it.  Having these at your disposal is awesome!

While I was putting this together I realized that I didn't take to many photos of Alyson in her costume that year.  Not quite sure why?

I loved the rabbit and Alyson loved how I put "I'm Late" for the title - she thought that it was clever :)

And one last thing.  A frame that I made.  A photo from when Alyson had a Tinkerbell party.  Never got around to scrapping this, so this photo frame is a perfect memory keeper.

I am glad I got to share this, since I do quite a bit of cutting and I have been having a blast putting these together.

Have a wonderful Thursday!  It is almost vacation!

Michelle

Guest Post to Share today

  Hi there!  Thanks for the love on the wreath.  Seriously, it was so easy to make.  Just might have to make one for February.  We will see, I always have big ideas, and they don't always come to fruition.

  So a while ago I designed for the fun embellishments company Creative Charms, and I am lucky enough to have been asked to be their guest this month.  I got a whole lotta goodness in the mail and here is a layout I put together with some of the Vintage flowers and brads that are included in the December Kit of the Month.

This is a photo that I took last year around this time.  I changed the coloring to vintage because the original had bad lighting and this helped.  I really like the way it came out.  I added the cluster of flowers along with some made from paper.

Really it's a sappy little layout.  I love my girl so much and I can't help it, and I know she will appreciate it (the layout)when she is older.  :)  Thanks for stopping in!  Only 3 more days..........:)