Two very good combinations and a little secret

I know it is spring and everyone is starting to bring out the flip flops, but if your feet are like mine they have suffered this past winter. I am horrible of taking care of my feet. However, I have stumbled across a very good combination and a little secret. After I take a bath or shower at night, I lather my feet with peppermint foot balm/lotion and put on a pair of wool socks. Okay, here is the kicker. . . if you want to get your feet extra smooth and soft put on a bread bag after applying the lotion and then put on your socks. I like to wear them all long as I can, sometimes all night long! Yes, you can thank me later. :D Just Kidding!

naturesedgefarm

homesteadherbal

KniTistanbul

TheCrocodileRock

byhandbyjean

Do you have any beauty tricks?

Treasury East

Etsy has came out with a test treasury, it is on a trail bases. To find out more click here. I had this treasury organized for a while in my Etsy sketch, but always missed the time slot. So, I figured I would try this new treasury that Etsy is featuring. Plus, I have another treasury idea that I am really excited about.

To view my treasury click here.

The theme of this treasury is. . . You are my [insert word here]

Words are an important part of everyday life. . . one simple word can speak thousands of words.

TAZO - Passion Tea

Since we are on the subject of tea, I want to share with you my favorite store bought tea. You can get it at Walmart, Starbucks, and almost any local supermarket. I am so addicted to this flavor that I haven't tried any other flavors made my Tazo. Once I get into a rut it is hard for me to get out. I love the sweet berry flavor it creates and it gets even more stronger the longer you let it steep. YUMMY!

source

So please tell me if you have tried any other flavor by Tazo and/or what is your favorite tea.

Russian Tea

Do you have something that you eat or drink that reminds you of "home?" Russian tea is that thing for me. I forgot how much I loved it until Art bought me a homemade jar of it as a gift while he was out of state a couple months ago. One afternoon, I needed something hot besides coffee and regular tea so I cracked open the Russian tea jar that he gave me. Once I tasted that hot sweetness, I knew I had tasted it before, and then it came to me: home. All my childhood memories came rushing back to me. My mom always had a jar in cupboard. It was always a treat for me when I made myself a cup because I knew that my mom had put all the ingredients together with love so she too could taste the sweetness in her mouth. It was something we could share together. Now, 15 years later and I am enjoying my childhood and a connection with my mom again. I am so happy that I was able to remember this memory all thanks to a jar that Art gave me as a "I am thinking of you" gift.

isobelblake

Shedraws

simplyprettyprints

thimblythings

Here is the recipe that my mom uses it is by Kathy Hunter:

Russian Tea

2 c. Tang
1 c. Instant tea
1 c. White sugar
1 pkg. Wyler's lemonade mix
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Cloves

Mix together. Put 1 teaspoon in a cup of hot water or to taste.
Enjoy!

Do you ever have. . .

Do you ever have one of those moments when you say to yourself, "You are so smart!"? That is what I did yesterday. I was so proud of myself for thinking of this idea. However, I am going to only give you a little preview. :D But, I promise once I get them all done (I am going into mass production), I will share.

Happy Monday and Happy Creating!

Photo Organization and mini DIY

Today I wanted to share with you how I organize my photos that I need to scrapbook.

I found an ugly recipe box for a couple of dollars (it had chickens on it). I wasn't too worried about what the box looked like because I wanted to add my own spin on it. Once I got home, I selected two different scrapbooking papers and picked one for the box and one for the lid. The papers I used are from the brand Kaleidoscope. Then, I used mod podge to glue and seal the papers to the box. Once it was dry, I selected a chipboard frame from SEI and just glued the very outside edges to the top of the lid while leaving one edge unglued so I could slip a photo inside of it.

Now, I have a few different steps for my organizational madness. First, I organize my pictures from an event like Salt Lake City or Snowman. After those pictures are scrapbooked and if I have extra pictures of people then those pictures get put into another category like aunts, me, Laura (my sister), etc. Once my pictures are sorted. I added a little tab to the top of a recipe card. For my tab, I just wrote my title on sturdy white paper, cut it out making sure I left the bottom a little longer so that I could tape it to the recipe card.

Done! How do you organize your photos? I have been wanting to put all the extras into a photo album and add quotes to each page or picture but that will be 'someday.'

New Apron in Shop

Lately, I have been telling myself that I need to use my time more wisely and that I need to start putting all my creations that I have made into my store. They are worthless just sitting in boxes and bags. I know if I am going to be successful I have to start investing my time better. I can't just wait for someone to come to me, I have to come to them. I have grown to love this blog, I love reaching out to you all. It is fun and it makes me push myself. It makes me be more active and more involved with the world. Thank YOU!

Here is part of my productive today:

Find this apron here

Are you using your time wisely? What could you change to make better use of your time?

New Items in the Shop!

Yesterday was a tough day because I had extra time on my hands but I really didn't do anything productive. I walked around and looked at all the things I could be doing but didn't really accomplish anything. I felt liked making some jewelry but it was hard to talk myself into it because I have too many things laying around in boxes ready to be put into my Etsy shop. So, today I did it. I started working on crossing off all the items that need to be placed in my store. I also need to take and retake pictures of old and new items but thankfully it has been raining here so I can't go outside. Otherwise, it would have been too overwhelming of a day.

I still have nine bracelets to go and lets not talk about the earrings. YIKES! I also have a few necklaces too. Holy Cows, what did I get myself into. Anyone in the same boat? Keep creating but have no motivation to place items in your shop?

Here we go. . .

My friend, Melissa, and I decided to take the plunge together. We are going to sign up for Elsie and Rachel's new art journaling class: Tell Your Story. We were going back and forth but decided it would be good for us. . . her to use it to express her feelings and for me to get outside of my box. We promised each one that we could at least do one page per week even though there is one prompt per day for six weeks giving a total of 42 prompts. We both self-diagnosed ourselves with ADHD so hopefully we'll actually finish this class (eventually).

Have you joined yet?

Collage Inspired

Today I have been thinking about collages and the inspiration they bring. I have been wanting to start an art journal for a while. I bought the perfect journal this past winter. It is 8.5 x 11 bound journal made out of recycled paper. Polka dot robot has sparked the fire in me and I think it is time to bust it out and start creating. Take a look at a couple of her creations. . .

polka dot robot

Also lately I have been wanting to find an old book and alter it to make it into a book collage. Now, I just have to go out and find one that will work. I love little shopping adventures!

maejane

kipi

Now that I know how to draw using charcoal, I thought it would be fun to mix and match it with different mediums such as paint and scrapbooking paper.

aliette

Finally, I love the look of mixing and matching where anything goes. Fun. Super fun.

ebethfuller

Have I sparked your creativity? Tell me what you would like to make.

A few old scrapbook layouts

Here are a few scrapbook layouts that I did a while back. I still haven't created anymore since my previous scrapbooking post which was in February. I also got an email from York Photo last week saying that my account was going to be deleted if I don't order any pictures soon since my account has been inactive for 365 days. YIKES. I have been sloughing. I really do miss scrapbooking but something else always seems to take priority.

One day after a baseball game two years ago.

Us one night after playing tennis. . .

Us in MN two winters ago. . .