Countdown to Retirement

After 38 years of teaching (most recently junior high), my Mom is FINALLY retiring and I couldn't be happier for her.  She has taught school since 1975 and at the end of this month, she is putting up her eraser and closing the books.  I am so glad that my parents are both retired and can do so many things without having a schedule.  I hope they enjoy traveling anywhere they want and I hope they spend alot of time up here in Canada with me...hehe..

I wanted to give her a little something fun to countdown her days until retirement to put in her classroom but I couldn't find one.....so I did the next best thing...I made a couple of cute chalkboard signs.  I've given her a couple of options (one for her desk and one for the door) and all she needs to do now is use dry erase markers to write the number and start counting down.  Pretty simple and FUN...

Here are the prints that I'm making available for you to download and print.  When you download them and then get the option to print, check the box next to Choose Paper Source by PDF page size.  This way, they will print out an 8" x 10" size and all you will need to do is trim all of the white margins off and place in an 8" x 10" frame.

Download Here

If you are a Duck Dynasty fan...you know that one of their favorite sayings is..."She's outta here or I'm Outta Here" and I thought that would be so cute on a sign...

Download Here

Hope you have as much fun with these as my Mom did....

Have a great day!!

Linking to:

http://lilluna.com/lil-luna-link-party-125/
http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2013/04/wow-me-wednesday-101.html
http://www.cleanandscentsible.com
http://www.southernlovely.com
http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.ca
http://www.52mantels.com
http://www.cheeriosandlattes.com/

My First Craft Room - Circa 2007

Since I'm confined to the house for being sick, I started looking through old pictures on my computer and came across my very first craft room that I then called my "Scrapbooking Room" from 2007.  Hard to believe that it has been 6 years since these pictures were taken.  I thought it would be fun to share with you these "NOT SO GREAT QUALITY PICTURES".....Enjoy..

Let me take you back in time to 2007!  We had recently relocated from Baton Rouge, LA back to Houston, TX when the idea hit me to turn one of our spare bedrooms into a "scrapbooking room".  Our son was young and I was really getting into paper crafting and documenting our lives as a family. 

PLEASE FORGIVE THE QUALITY OF PICTURES....NOT SO GREAT

I chose a yellow, black and white theme....

 I saw a craft table in an edition of Creating Keepsakes and immediately called my Dad to see if he could recreate it. (Stupid Question)  When he arrived in Houston, he and Chance (our son) constructed it.  hehe

I LOVED this desk because it had so much storage available because of the upper shelf unit.  Dad installed a light under the shelf that came in so handy.

Dad then constructed the craft island that I still use to this day.  I couldn't craft without it because it is what I use as my work surface.  We got the idea from Pottery Barn and tweaked the plans a little.  We installed 20 shelves that fit 12" x 12" paper.

Dad then built this....a huge bookcase....

The room had a tiny walk-in closet that I made into "Chance's Office".  I'm still trying to find pictures of it because I painted it with chalk board paint and it was so cute.  

We moved from Houston to Dallas in 2010 and the buyers of this house requested that the built in table stay in the room for their two daughters to have a place to craft and do homework.  I was so glad that it was going to remain in the house and be used for it's purpose.

To View my pictures of my craft room in Dallas, click HERE and HERE

My Dallas Craft Room

2010-2012

Now that we are in Calgary, I am currently working on my craft room here (last priority).  I hope to have something to show in a month or so.  

Thanks for stopping by and taking a trip down memory lane.....

Linking to:

http://www.somewhatsimple.com

http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com

http://www.aglimpseinsideblog.com

http://www.livelaughrowe.com/spring-crafts-live-laugh-linky-5/

http://www.craftyscrappyhappy.net

Personalized Kleenex Box.......

I've been a little MIA lately due to all kinds of sickness in our little family and not to mention my latest and current episode of SHINGLES.  If you have never had it, count yourself lucky because IT IS NOT FUN.  This is actually the second time I've had it.  I had it as a young child and who would have thought you could get it again...not me.  

With that said, I thought it was a good time to go into the most used bathroom in our home and remove this.....

With all of us being sick we were just washing our hands so much and probably just spreading our germs back and forth to each other.

I decided to replace it with this....

I thought it would be a smart idea to use the disposable Kleenex Hand Towels..... 

but I didn't like the way the plain box looked in my bathroom.....

so I decided to add a small touch of decor to the box.  Let me show you how I did it.....

I started by measuring the width of the box with my handy measuring tape on my table (no searching for a ruler) to know exactly how big to cut my vinyl design.....

After I knew how big to cut my vinyl, I was able to find a scrap piece and cut it out on my Silhouette Cameo.....

I then added my monogram "A" in a pretty sky blue color.....

I like it so much better than the boring white box.  Don't You????

The cost for this project was $2.50...and that was for the Kleenex Towels because I was able to use my scrap vinyl.  I know you are probably thinking I'm crazy, but if you felt the way I did it's the little things that make you feel better.

Since I bought several boxes, I was thinking (while lying on the couch) of what else I could do with it and thought I'd share my ideas.....

Place these boxes in the bathroom area or kitchen area where guests will be washing their hands (instead of everyone using a community towel)...

Birthday Party - Personalize with the name of the birthday boy or girl and place in the bathroom or kitchen area or simply just add the age of the person.

Graduation Party - If you have a special someone that will be celebrating graduation in a couple of months, why not add a cap/gown/diploma with their name.

Easter - A bunny rabbit or carrots cut out of vinyl would be adorable.

Get Well Soon - If you have a friend or loved one, decorate it and give it in a gift basket along with other goodies for a get well soon surprise.

Teacher Gift - Wouldn't the teachers love these in their classroom with their names or classroom name on them.

Washi Tape the box with some cool designs

Let your kids decorate one with scrapbook stickers

The possibilities are endless, just use your imagination and stay well.

Linking To:

http://www.notjustahousewife.net

http://www.uncommondesignsonline.com/diy-ideas-monday-funday-link-party-9/

http://www.reasonstoskipthehousework.com

http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net

http://www.southernlovely.com

http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.ca

http://www.somewhatsimple.com

http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com

http://www.aglimpseinsideblog.com

http://www.livelaughrowe.com/spring-crafts-live-laugh-linky-5/

http://www.craftyscrappyhappy.net

A Great Day at Pottery Barn........

A long time ago Pottery Barn came out with a 3 tiered wire basket that I saw in their catalog and I remember totally falling in love with it because they featured it in their craft room area.  I never looked into buying it but I remember how much I really really liked it.

Source:  Pottery Barn Catalog

A couple of weeks ago I was in my local Pottery Barn and I came across this in the clearance section (see picture below).  I instantly thought to myself, "No way that could be those baskets".....I asked the sales lady if this price was correct and she said "Yes".."It is supposed to be a 3 tiered basket, but we have no idea how it came apart and we can't find the rod that went with it."  In my head the whole time she was talking was SOLD, SOLD, SOLD.....

I came home and knew exactly what I was going to do with these adorable little baskets.  I was going to make it into a 3 tiered basket with a wooden dowel...

I went to the hardware store and bought a wooden dowel for $3.00.  I measured the height I wanted and cut it with a saw.

I then painted each stick with some grey paint I had left over from my front door remodel and it matched perfectly.  The bottom basket was attached to the bottom of the longest wooden dowel by simply using a screw.  The second basket was attached by using a double ended screw because the second dowel was also going to have to be attached to it.

I then placed the smaller basket on top and used a screw to hold it into place....

I was done...easy fix and I only invested $5.00...wooden dowel and screws.

It is now resting comfortably in my craft room.  Let me show you what I'm using it for....

I attached a cute metal flower that has a magnet on it to bring some color into it....

The top basket is great for all of the washi tape I have accumulated.....

The middle basket holds alot of decorative accessories I have......

The bottom basket is being used for alot of mini scrapbook albums I have made.....

I am so happy with the way it turned out and it is a great addition to my craft room....

So next time you are in a store, always check out the clearance section....you never know what you might find.....

Have a great day!!!

Linking to:

http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.ca

http://www.cleanandscentsible.com

http://www.craftyscrappyhappy.net

http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2013/02/27/hookin-up-with-hoh-137/

http://tidymom.net/2013/healthy-hair-with-volume/

http://shabbynest.blogspot.ca/2013/02/frugal-friday_28.html

http://whipperberry.com