Printable To-Do List Roundup

Printing a to-do list is on my list of things to do! Except we are out of ink...but I found some great designs to choose from once we get more. It would be neat to design one myself one day if I figure out how. I would add a due date column, because there are items in my lists that seem to get ignored after a while, like renewing my driver's license...eeek! Two weeks left before expiration!

(Little Jellyfish List Pad by Parasol)

(by Bricks and Clicks)

(by Kodak)

(I don't think the Freakin Neverending To Do List is still available for free. You have to purchase it now, but the The Blog Topics List still is, and it is by Vale Design.)

(by Emila Yusof)

New Year's CRAFTolutions

It is a New Year! New, new, new, everything new. Person, perspective, life. In the dead of winter, there is rebirth. I don't know what makes New Year's day special, but for some reason in the next few months hundreds of people are shedding off pounds, keeping their homes clean, and chewing nicotine gum.

And I, for the first time, am jumping onto this bandwagon. So scooch over! No, I'm not coming along for the ride because I'm unhealthy or I need to quit binge drinking. My resolutions are crafty ones (obviously).

My 2011 New Year's CRAFTolutions

1. Create an article of clothing every month (I'm getting tired of shopping for clothes in populated places. It is becoming a brainless activity for me, not to mention, how old malls make me feel. The mall has become a teenager world and it is weird to be running around in it. But now I'm experimenting on making my own clothes. At least, if I want a new dress, I have to work hard for it and gain precious skills in the process.)
2. Blog 52 times this year (The ugly side of blogging is showing off yourself, and I hate that, which is why I stopped blogging. But maybe there is an art of shameless self-promotion. And maybe it starts with sharing ideas that I think will help people.)

Ira Glass really encouraged me to set goals this year. Here is a word from him that my husband found via GreyScaleGorilla. Although he's talking about television and radio, it can be applied to any form of creativity.

Thanks, Ira.

Happy Little Wreaths

Etsy surfing always gets my craft juices flowing. I found these adorable wreaths that look like they've come out of grandma's closet. They're adorned with colorful yarn, gaudy foliage, and little woodland creatures. Totally kitschy but oh so cute! Here are some of my favorites...

by Katie Runnels (The Constant Gatherer: Art and Found)

by KnockKnocking (Etsy shop)

via Stylhive

So, I was stuck at home and wanted to make my own one day. Unfortunately, I didn't have a foam circle. boooo...So I had to make one out of found objects, and instead made teeny weeny ones! Awwww....



I will try to sell them on Etsy, which is uber exciting since it will be my first items I've ever posted on there. Wish me luck!

Oh, and if you would like to make your own regular size yarn wreat, I just found some foam circles at Dollar Tree for a dollar!!!!!! So don't get ripped off anywhere else.

What's In Our Belly

Mmmm...yuuummm...

Aldi is fuuuull of surprises. Yesterday I found they have acorn squash for a dollar something each! Yessss! (They also have big pumpkins for $1.99. Seriously.) So in preparation for dinner tonight I scanned foodgawker and found this recipe: Acorn Squash (from Sweets by Sarah). Easy Schmeesy! Just five ingredients: acorn squash, kosher salt, butter, brown sugar, and pecans. I didn't quite follow the measurement of the ingredients; I eyed it. I skipped the kosher salt (for no reason. I just forgot...oops) But it still turned out spectacularly delicious. Daniel particularly enjoyed it because he has a stuffy nose from allergies, and the warm, soft, sweet acorn squash soothed him.

Out of laziness, I thought it too much to take pictures of the whole process of following the recipe, like what some bloggers do. So I just snapped a shot of the end result: clean spoons and clean-scraped squashes. Mmmm...it's in our belly.

Treasure Hunting

Every Saturday, Daniel and I scour all of Pittsburgh in search of treasure! We find the most goods in Mount Lebanon for some odd reason. Daniel's explanation is, "It is where Pittsburgh's old people have come to die." According to the map on the Pittsburgh Estate Sales website, most sales are located south or southwest of Pittsburgh. So our theory is that at some point in the 50's/60's a lot of new couples moved to these areas where they developed new and affordable housing. They made babies and raised families and settled, while amassing furniture, glassware, jewelry, tools, clothing, and a lot of other junk. Now, after retirement or sadly, death...they have left these houses stockpiled with things. Their grown children, overwhelmed with the situation and with the stockpiles, hire outsiders to take care of the job for them. This is where Daniel and I come in, because when we get there the junk becomes treasure, the outsiders make a buck, and the grown children have less to worry about. Everyone wins! Well, except for the person who used to own all these things...but anyways...Look what we found this weekend!!!!!!

From Top Left: 2 paint brushes (50 cents ea.), wire basket ($1), 2 collar necklaces($1 ea.), vintage liquor box ($1), produce market basket ($1)
From Bottom Left: cloth tracing paper (50 cents), 3 vintage dress patterns (50 cents each), ornate upholstery nails (50 cents), Rembrandt pastels ($1, made in Holland)

Handmade Prairie Dress (50 cents). I bought this dress in the last house we went to, which is where I got the other clothes below. The previous owner had such GOOD taste in clothes. There were beautiful vintage dresses, shoes, belts, and coats. But unfortunately, she was slightly bigger than I, size 10 and size 8 in shoes. Everything was 50 cents. These were the only things that fit.

Vintage dress (50 cents)

Vintage Strawberry Sweater (50 cents)

And the best finds of the day were this white leather chair (slightly dirty, minor rips, but can be cleaned and repaired) for $5 and this mid-century modern wooden lamp for $15. These pieces are going to be in my husband's man pad. He is happy.

Hmmm...wonder what we will find next time!!

Manly But Stylish

As my very manly husband is downstairs yelling at the television (the Philadelphia Eagles are losing...), I am wrapping this very manly but stylish present for his birthday coming up. Notice the paper of choice. Very manly. The ram, a male animal, represents strength and dominance. Blue, the color parents choose for baby boys and is therefore a more masculine color than red or pink (which is very random to think about, because it is strange our culture gives colors gender connotations). The button, not manly but has a nice touch. Twine, rough texture and with knots. Yes, I think this manly wrapping will tickle his whimsy of manly things. Now that this is finished, I will go downstairs. The game is done. The Eagles have lost. And, my hubby will want me to hold him.

Vintage Matchbook Wall Art

I once saw this great idea for wall art on the internet once but cannot find it again. Some person had arranged vintage matchbooks in rows and simply framed it. But it turned out uber awesome! My husband and I found a huge jar of old matchbooks at an antique store several weeks ago, and we bought three frames. We decided to arrange the matches in rows of color for the biggest frame and just used double stick tape to set them in place. However, one matchbook has come undone now, so we might have to go back and use a dab of glue.

"Think small." Our absolutely favorite matchbook because of it's shape, simple design, and mostly because the ad was reference in Mad Men. :)


The finished product! It was actually very easy to make. The fun part was digging through the matches and picking our favorites to be put on display.

We also made two more wall hangings, so the pictures could be displayed altogether as a set. Some of the matchbooks had such interesting colored matches like the ones above. I opened them to expose the colors and funny messages inside when they were framed.

Daniel really liked the idea of grouping the beach scene matchbooks together. A pretty cool theme.