Custom Christmas Ornament

I decided to start a new tradition, partly inspired by my parents still having my "baby's first christmas 1988" ornament. This ornament tradition will be a custom ornament filled with little trinkets and a wish.

So here's how to make yours!
You will need:
1- Clear Plastic or Glass Ornament - I purchased mine at Michaels for .56 Cents
2. Sequins, jingle bells, and little trinkets to put inside the ornament
3. Glitter
4. Wood Piece, Stickers, or Die Cut piece for the year
5. Small piece of paper for your wish

I first put in a few mini jingle bells (these were purchased from Stampin' Up! years ago).

I then added snowflake sequins from Studio Calico, Gold Flat sequins from Stampin' Up! and these wooden starts which I coloured green to resemble the decorations I chose for this years tree. 

I then took a wooden piece from my card kit from Studio Calico and wrote Christmas 2014 on both sides. 

Other variations could include:
The year painted on the outside or with stickers
A die cut of your family name on the inside
Each family member adds a wish
Put the family initial on the outside in rhinestones.. there are so many ideas!

I then dumped about 2-3 tsp's of glitter. I ended up choosing a light green glitter to match my ornaments. This way if I change the accent colour of my tree yearly and remember in 2014 I chose green. Then all the years of custom ornaments on the tree after a few years would tell a story in itself!

I then wrote a "family wish". This was a goal/hope/dream we are hoping will come true before Christmas 2015. We each have personal goals, but this one was something we both wish for.

And Voila! A custom ornament, no one else in the world has!
I hope this will become a treasured memory and diary of sorts for years to come.


Hope you enjoyed, 

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The Ugly Christmas Sweater

I AM BACK!
I go through these spurts, posts and then no posts, ugh!
So I am starting to post again, today I am posting two cards I made out of some new Simon Says Stamp supplies I just received today. Below are the links to what I used. Want one? $5!

Stamp Set Used:
Simon Says Stamp - Christmas Sweater Bundle

Other Simon Products I purchased in this Haul:
Simon Says Stamp - Cold Hands Warm Heart
 Papers Used: Simon Says Stamp Card Kit of the Month NOVEMBER 2014 WINTER JUBILEE


I am accepting orders for holiday cards. $5 Each.
If you buy 10 - $40.


Hope you enjoyed, 

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iPhone 6 or 6 plus?

So pre-orders started for the new iPhone 6's yesterday.
I haven't pre-ordered anything yet and I don't think I will. I'm not sure.
I currently have an iPhone 5S and I really love it. The size is perfect which is why Apple decided to keep the iPhone 5S around.
So how big is the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus?

They are pretty big!

In the photo (left to right):
 We have an iPhone 4, 5S template, iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 template and an iPhone 6 Plus template.

You really can't compare unless you print it, cut them out and hold it. They are huge! The iPhone 6 is border line too big for me, but the upgrades in hardware intrigue me- so I may just end up loving it.
If you want to compare hardware between the models Apple has a great comparison tool on their website. 

Want to print it out yourself?
The amazing bloggers at AppleInsider have created this awesome PDF Thanks AppleInsider!

Which iPhone will you get next?

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1 Hour Summer Closet Challenge!

A few months back I challenged you all to a 5 minute organization challenge where you picked a "stubborn" spot (that seems to always get cluttered) and tackle it! To see what I organized click here.

Today I am challenging you all to tackle a little bigger of a project. A Closet. Any closet. Hallway Closet, Linen Closet, Kid's Closet, Your Closet, Sports or Craft Closet, any closet you have that needs some TLC. This is how I prepared for my 1 hour summer closet challenge.

Step 1:

Open your closet and stare at it. What do you not like about it?

What challenges for storage do you have?

What do you envision the closet looking like?

Get your mind going with ideas and maybe take notes while you look at it.

For me, the biggest challenge was that the closet had 3 boxes and in one of those boxes were 19 pairs of shoes just sitting at the bottom. (Side note: In the hallway there were 4 more pairs).

The other challenge or goal I should say that I wanted to accomplish was to find a home for my Crafting cart. 

So with this in mind I knew the 3 boxes had to go. One was hosting the shoes- I then had to find shoe storage. One box was empty! ugh! and the other was for a printer that we are using. With such a small condo- that box was going too.

Step 2:

Do some online shopping and research for suitable storage solutions in your budget. 

Ikea is a good place :)

I went to the IKEA closest to home and looked at shoe storage. I could have used a rack at the bottom but that would of taken up all of the floor space in my tiny hallway closet. Instead I knew I wanted something off the door or hanging on the rod. The two IKEA products I used are at this link. 

For $11 +tax, I found shoe storage! Yay!

Step 3:

Execution. The first thing I did was pulled all of the biggest items out first. All the boxes, and big items such as the steamer, back backs, etc. 

I then organized all the coats so that the hangers go all the same way to save space. Next, I hung my dogs hygiene/bath caddy-bag on two hangers because it is kind of heavy. I also put all the empty hangers there as well. I then opened and placed the IKEA storage solutions. I played around with the pocket system to be hanging beside the coats but it took too much space. 

Now that the floor was all cleared out, my crafting cart rolled right into the closet. I placed the clothing steamer beside it and on the other side of the cart I have a can of paint, and winter boots. My flip flops fit right under the cart :)

On the top shelf I removed the printer box and added a clear bin I already had which hosted some ink and punches. I also put on top my project life supplies and calligraphy supplies. To the left of that I stored my big shot and two backpacks. On the right is a basket that came with the home and stores condo important items and maintenance stuff. On top in the green bag is Soccer shoes and equipment.

THE RESULT

Hope you enjoyed, 

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Carry On Packing for 10 Days! What Worked? What Didn't?

Hey Everyone, 

Brazil was amazing! 

but how did the packing go?

Packing for 10 days on a carry on for Brazil was the first time I travelled with solely a carry on. I didn't know if it would work out, but I had my fingers crossed and really hoped it would- and it did!

If you missed my video on how I packed see it here! My Packing Video 8 Days before leaving

What Worked:

- Pack It Cubes (Eagle Creek) these were a life saver!

If it wasn't for these cubes my stuff would 1) not fit and 2) would be all over the place and be a complete disaster. 

These cubes kept categories of items like dirty clothes, under clothes/bathing suits, shirts/pjs, bathroom accessories, travel accessories like money and my Filofax, etc.

- Clothing Folder kept all my clothes from getting wrinkled and taking up too much space, the items I chose to put in there were maxi dresses, long jeans, shorts, and light sweaters (though it did fit my bulky Lululemon sweater at one point)

- The refillable Perfume bottle was an amazing purchase I thought the $14 price tag was pricy but it still has perfume in it! I used it for like a month now. Awesome!

- Backpack, so I used a backpack for my iPad, electronics, things I needed easy access to during the flight, and my dads essentials as he didn't pack a carryon (just incase his bag was lost). 

What Didn't Work:

- My liquid limit. So I split all my liquids into two of the litre baggies they provide at the airport. I gave one to my dad in the backpack and one was with me in my carryon. I will have to slim down my liquids next time.

- Bra Holder. So this item was used once or twice, but I was never in situations where I needed it. Will I pack it next time? yes, but is it a must purchase? no. 

- Not planning for gifts or souvenirs- Visiting family who wants to send you off with gifts kinda put my in an awkward position, if it wasn't for my dad, i'd have to leave them behind.

My top 3 Tips for packing a Carry-On:

1) Wear the bulkiest items your taking to and from the airport and on the plane. I wore my sweat pants, a light sweater with a bulkier sweater on top and a rain jacket along with my running shoes. It was cold on the airplane too so that was nice to have layers.

2) Make sure your liquids all fit in the bag the airline recommends, for american airlines they limited to 1 quart size clear plastic bag. Or else you'll have to trash them (or give them to a family member)

3) Leave some space for souvenirs! you think this is a no brainer but when packing a carry on its hard to find space, so either in your handbag or in your carry on find some space for a few souvenirs BEFORE you go.

What are your tips for packing on carry on? I'd love to hear them as I probably will be going back to Brazil soon and will do it again!

FYI: Items used are on this blog post: Crafty Tuesdays = Packing Tuesdays!



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