SHOPPIN....SHOPPIN....SHOPPIN.....

= DREAMIN!!!!!

That's what I've been doing for the past week.... okay... more....
I've been "SURFIN" around... making my lists.... gathering ideas.... yes DREAMIN!

AND........ getting VERY DEPRESSED! ... because, there are SO MANY TALENTED, CREATIVE, AMAZING, THOUGHTFUL, WONDERFUL, INSPIRING people out there.... EVERYWHERE!!!! I have found myself being VERY envious of them... and WISHING that I had just a LITTLE of the CREATIVITY....just a little.... OKAY! maybe more than a litt.e... It's been a rough few weeks... I HATE feeling like I'm stealing, (is that what it is.... STEALING?.... agh... ) others ideas... (can we call it "copying?"... that's just about as bad... dang!) I just WISH that a LIGHT BULB would CLICK on and I would have just a SMIDGE of creativity.... I hate that the darn little red-horned person sits on my shoulder sometimes... making me question "WHO I AM"... and "REALLY, what do I have to offer anyone"... if I'm "stealing or copying" from some one..... it's been a very frustrating couple of weeks... I've got to get focused.... again.....

BUT.... as I try to shew those whisperings away... and TRY really hard to stay focused.... I started evaluating... reviewing... regrouping... okay! GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER! There! I said it.... I need to GET IT TOGETHER! .... SO.... I hit the HEART of my Christmas planning... that dang "B" word always gets in the way.... B U D G E T!!!!

Part o planning the budget for Christmas is KEEPING to the budget ~ and sometimes that is VERY hard to do when your DREAMS our price the budget... SO, with that in mind, I decided I needed to "SHOP" around a little, gather some ideas, then decide just what "I" could make and do... what needed to be "PURCHASED" so I could make sure that I stay within my "budget" .... and really SEE if it is BUDGET friendly.... I've learned over the past few... okay... many years that when my WILD HAIR IDEAS come to surface, I've usually spent more MONEY MAKING my gifts then I would have if I just "purchased" them from all the TALENTED and CREATIVE people out there! (mostly, because I end up with a bazillion "TRIED" projects before I get to the "FINAL" product... if I even do!) BUT I LOVE trying to make them myself.... FrRrRrRrRustrating......

I have determined somethings will be better "purchased"... then my attempts to make them... Like THESE.... OH MY GOSH!!! I fell in LOVE with them! And I found that there were SO MANY on my list that would LOVE them too! It is still HOMEMADE... (just not by me)... AND they hold "heart value"... I totally fell in love with one particular.... this one.... (for myself... :)) THIS is the song I would sing to my baby girl... (yes, she is 8 - but still my baby :)) SHE was and IS my SUNSHINE! She brought SUNSHINE back into our lives... MY LIFE... after loosing several babies in a row.... yes she was a SURPRISE BONUS baby... (we were done... oh, we are done now!) and I didn't even realize that the sunshine was missing from my life until she joined us! OH! It just tugs at my heart.... and then there is this one... oh I have a friend that would LOVE it! And THIS one... a certain someone that I KNOW would LOVE it! I just KNOW who this belongs too! And this one .... this one.... this one.... this one.... this one.... OH my! and THIS ONE! I could SO almost be done with my shopping.... BUT the "B" word comes in...so, this is what I've been doing... decinding...thinking... pondering... and in some cases.... even praying.... is it wrong to "pray" about gifts?.... I surely hope not, because I've been praying for quidance... I need to know just WHAT will touch the heart of my receiveres.... that is what CHRISTMAS is all about to me... TOUCHING the heart... WARMING the heart... CREATING a memory.... GIVING with thought, as the Savior did for us.... making CHRISTMAS count... That's what it is about to me.

I have some "metal stamping kits" (alpha ones).... but I just can't seem to "PERECT" them... I waste SOOOOO much... Guess I need some lessongs... that is the other thing I pray for... TALENTED people who are willing to share their talents and teach a hard learner (in the sense of "I'm not very "QUICK" at catching on"... obviously)... maybe I should pray for "talented and patient" people to come my way.... :) .... but ... pay a visit to this talented lady! I'm sold! I love her talent!

And then... in my surfing... I found THIS creative lady.... this CRAFTY lady.... this THOUGHTFUL lady.... this INSPIRING lady.... this TALENTED lady.... this AMAZING lady.... and I JUST LOVE this idea..... and ........oh I better stop.... This post would NEVER EVER END..... there is just sooooo much out there..... my mind is SWIMMING!!!!! I've got to get forused... back on track....

Well, I better go... I'm feeling exhausted about now... this shoppin' is just exhaustin!
And ... I haven't even left my seat...

Anyone have any other "shops" I need to visit?
PLEASE... It's not a problem is it?

This is for CRICKET.....

These are the little KNOBS I purchased from ROD WORKS.... I LOVE them! I've used them for hanging pictures and now... curtain rods.... so much to choose from!
GOOD LUCK!

This is the FLOWER knob... Don't know if you can see it really well ....

Then my family room, this is where I began the "BRANCH hunting"....
And I have "LEAF" knobs for holding the branch.
These are larger than the ones in my front room... LOTS to choose from!
Have fun!

If you are interested....

There is a great giveaway going on.... over here.

Plus... there are a few things I can check off my Christmas list as well.... They make GREAT gifts...

I just ENVY talented people!

IF YOU ever see anyone giving away CREATIVITY - will you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know! I must get in line! I always seem to miss the good stuff... DANG!  But until then... I'll just have to FOLLOW those creative people around... HEY! Maybe - just MAYBE they will get tired of me following and decide to GIVE some to me... what do you think!?!?!?

lists.... Lists.... LISTS!

Yes I LOVE lists.... that is NO surprise to most... there are LISTS everywhere! :) But I only LOVE them, when I get to actually "CHECK" something off! It is a visual thing for me... gotta know I'm makin' progress... :)

Today, as I was reviewing my "lists" for the month of February, I remembered something that my 8 year old said to me this year... and of course I just HAD to do it, but it was a "last" minute thing, and when the "remembering" came back to me today, I decided I better ACT on it! (It's gettin kinda scary that if I don't WRITE things down, when the "THOUGHT" hits, sometimes it is gone forever...never to be "THOUGHT" of again....) So, (because I was driving) I pulled over into a parking lot, opened my 2010 calendar (good thing I had it! :) ) and starting "JOTTING" my "LISTS".....
(don't worry, I just transferred it over to my 2011 planner :))

When my oldest daughter got married, for their first Christmas, I wasn't really sure what to do for them.... A few weeks before Christmas an idea came to me to do a "BOX" filled with her FAVORITE things. Being that this was her first year not only away from home, but she was preparing to move "far" from home. They were going to be moving out of state and she was really having a hard time. So, I thought that "maybe" it would help her to feel a little bit of "HOME" on Christmas morning and to take with her. I decided to do the "BEST" I could for her husband as well.

So I found a good sturdy "box"... (I used boxes from the reams of paper from my work... they are VERY useful boxes!) The next year... I decided to do it again... and now~ A traditions has been born... I have done it every year since. I tried to make "note" of things that she and he would mention through the year that they liked.... like, "hot chocolate mixes", "OREO cookies", "SALSA" (homemade of course), and "CHIPS" (he has a favorite brand), etc... she loves "JELLY-BELLY Jelly Beans", NEW socks, Homemade Strawberry jam, Anita Stansfield & Nicholas Sparks books, they both LOVE Disney Movies, word search books... etc... So, I would just keep the list from the previous year and add to it... sometimes they would mention things that they were in need of like "flashlights", dish rags, q-tips.... sometimes silly things, sometimes their favorite "junk foods", even things that they could do together.... or even things you just don't think about until you "need" it... so I would add them to my list. I think that they have enjoyed it. One year, they both love "lap blankets" so I made them each a "lap blanket" out of fabric that was completely their personalities. It has always been something that I look forward to doing for them. I wondered if my son-in-law thought we were "CRaZy" for the "WEIRD" gift... a box of "stuff"... but, I think overall he either "tolerates" us or he really likes it. I'm going with he "LIKES" it... :)

Well, this past Christmas I had to add 2 more "My Favorite Things" boxes for my son and his wife... as I was making my list and reviewing it, asking my other children to help me because I started too late and needed them to help by listening when either of them would mention something that they liked or needed and my 8 year old said, "Mom, why don't I get a box of my favorite things?".... I didn't have a answer other than... "well, because you still live at home" and she said "Well, I still have favorite things.".... She was right. So, I immediately started to prep "My Favorite Things" boxes for ALL of the kids...

This year, I had them all save their "favorite things" gift for the last - and they opened them together. I think that this is now becoming a family tradition. I LOVE doing "My Favorite Things"... I think it is going to be MY new favorite part of Christmas... (or at least running a close race with the stocking... Not everything "fits" into the stocking...) I found it interesting that this year they were "asking" for things in their "favorite things box"... like the homemade salsa, jam and even bottled peaches! (I just gave them a case of bottled peaches and told them they have to return the jars if they want them refilled the next year. :)) OH and HOME-GROWN and MADE pickles! Trevor LOVED my pickles this year! FUNNY BOY!!! This works really well with my "homemade" Christmas!

Today, I picked up these boxes at IKEA for next year... ($7.99 for 2 - DEAL!) I'm so EXCITED! Blue for the boys... Red for the girls... I think I'm going to "collect" the boxes back every year so I can just break them down and re-use them.... good idea don't you think? :)

I think I'm going to make a large ribbon for each that has their name on it and another one that says "MY FAVORITE THINGS".

EWE!!!! I'm so excited! If I keep my LIST handy... I'll be able to easily CHECK things off it this month! YEAH!!!

I'm so GLAD that this THOUGHT hit me today! It's going to be a great "MY FAVORITE THINGS" year!

What would your "favorite things" box contain... if you had a "favorite things" box... ???

OH... I think I'll have to "hint" for a FAVORITE THINGS BOX!
:)

Oh! Don't forget to read the next post... there is a SNOWBALL fight going on! and I KNOW you want to be part of it... HURRY!!!! The fight is about to start!

AND.... the fight is on!!

It's a SNOWBALL fight!

I love this idea! I got it from CREATIVE HOME EXPRESSIONS but....I'm afraid that I'm going to have to change her game up just a tad....

The SNOWBALL fight that she is starting is to pick 5 of your blogging buddies and MAIL to them a SNOWBALL! and... THE FIGHT IS ON! The "SNOWBALL" is to be made of anything you want.... (Can I just say my mind is going 90 miles a minute!)... I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight! OR any night until I MAKE them! BUT because I don't know 5 blogging buddies MAILING addresses - I can't just SURPRISE you with a SNOWBALL fight in your mail box...

So... here is how I'm going to CHANGE the game a little.... (and I hope I'm not disappointed... I hope I have at least 5!) The first 5 to leave a message under this posting, (be sure to include your email address) I'll be oh so happy to THROW a snowball at you! :) (Then I'll remove your email address from the comments)... THEN... get ready... don't turn your back on me.... :) This is going to be FUN!!!!
Once you accept the SNOWBALL fight, just post a SNOWBALL fight on your blog or just send out 5 snowballs to your blogging buddies with the following information:


Once you receive your SNOWBALL you will need to write a POST about it and set up a link back to me on your blog. THEN keep your eye on CREATIVE HOME EXPRESSIONS site and she will be hosting a LINKY (in the next couple weeks) where you can post your SNOWBALL for everyone to see!
Be sure to take a picture of your SNOWBALL before mailing it! 
(She probably explains the SNOWBALL fight much better than I...you may want to read her post for more information)

I can't WAIT to see what kind of snowballs everyone comes up with!

Who wants to FIGHT???? :)

TEN MONTHS......

and 3 days!!! 
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?! 

Ok - have you noticed that little guy over on the right??

The jolly little fella that is "waving" ever so kindly and looking so eager to cheer you up?

Have ya noticed him? 

I decided I better take inventory and check my lists... see what I SHOULD have accomplished this month, what I HAVE accomplished this month and where I need to direct attention for the next month. 

I will say, this month has been a bit HECTIC - and if it is any indication of what the year is going to be like... I'd better get on a schedule and stick as close to it as I possibly can....

 so.... REVIEW....

Purchase NOTEBOOK - CHECK
Purchase CALENDAR/Day planner - CHECK
Activities - THAT WORKED - Evaluated
Gifts - THAT WORKED - Evaluated
Activities - THAT DID NOT WORK - dropped!
Gifts - THAT WERE NOT A HIT - dropped!
New "THINGS" to add to 2011 Christmas
Activities - Listed
Gifts - Listed
Decorations - Listed / Some purchased
Themes for trees - listed / some purchased
House Decorations - inside - listed
House decorations - outside - listed
Draw Names for 2011 - CHECK
Start gift list - CHECK :) (so excited!)
Set budget for 2011 - CHECK
Set monthly goals - CHECK
Review Monthly Goals - checking!
Review Progress for the month - CHECK!

NOW! It is time to put those LISTS into ACTION!!!!
OH SO EXCITED!!!!
I just want to take the month off and get it all done!
Is that possible?
It would be so nice!

How are your goals coming along?
Have you made your lists and are you checking them twice?
I lists!

An AMAZING lady!

You just need to click on over and see what and amazing friend I have :)

I just LOVE her! She is so talented! SOOOO creative!!! So thoughtful!!!

She is ONE amazing lady! And I adore her!  She is a wonderful mom, wife, friend, sister, daughter and CRAFTY woman! If you find yourself running out of time... and you need something that is just "THOUGHTFUL" for that hard to get for person.... this is where you wanna run to! If you don't see exactly WHAT you are looking for.... just drop her a line... guaranteed! She'll be able to "pull it out of her magic hat" and save the day for you!  Did I mention that
she is just AMAZING!?!?! 

What are you waiting for? CLICK already!!!  You're gonna love her!