Missing in Action!

Sorry that I've been M.I.A.  This is the first chance I've had to even open my blog (or anyone else's) in days!  I've been missing everyone.  For a retired person I sure do seem to stay busy!  With work, grandchildren duties, and the approaching holidays there just seems to be so much to do.

Thanks to everyone for their nice comments on my SANTA CANS .  I sent one off recently to my Christmas Box Swap partner, along with other goodies...sure hope she likes it. 

The next project I hope to get to soon also involves cans...paint cans.  You can purchase them at your local paint store or some place like LOWES' or HOME DEPOT. 

I made these last year for my grandson's teacher and parapro.  The teacher's can was filled with various school supplies and treats,  and the para's can held hand cream, notes, candy, etc.  I think they make really cute gifts and can easily be covered and decorated with scrapbooking and craft supplies.  There are several tutorials on the web.

Can you believe it's only 39 days till the BIG DAY?  I've been doing quite a bit of online shopping this past week.  I can't enjoy the season until all shopping is done and presents wrapped under the tree.  I really do lots of research before I order and definitely look for either great deals or free shipping.  I've been pleased so far.  AMAZON.com is one of my favorite sites.  I not only can get free shipping on many items but can also check out the reviews.  I've decided against ordering several things after reading what customers have to say.

Hopefully my next post will be to show you some of my Christmas decorating.  Until then, hope all of you have a wonderful and blessed THANKSGIVING. 

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Well, it's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS...and we haven't even had THANKSGIVING yet!  I'm getting in the mood (sort of) and so thought I would begin making my SANTA CANS.  I will share how I do them with you, but only if you promise to understand that I am definitely not an artist.  I saw one of these and then just made up my own way of doing it since I didn't have any directions. 

The first thing you do is wash, dry, and spray paint (red) any size can you want.  Other materials you will need are:

• acrylic paints (flesh, black, white, pink)
• small paint brushes
• white cotton fabric
• artificial holly leaves & berries (cheap ones will do)
• small red pompom
• small gauge wire (I used stem wire from the floral dept. at Wal-Mart)

After the cans are dry I begin painting the face (remember:  I'm no artist!)  After the flesh color is dry, I actually use a pencil eraser dipped in paint for eyes and nose.

After the paint is dry, it's time to begin the "fur" for his "hat" and his beard.  I cut the cotton fabric in strips of various sizes, depending on size of the can.  Here I am beginning on the fabric that will go above the face.   I folded and glued a strip and then used hot glue to attach it to the can.

Next I begin the beard.  Strips of various sizes are cut, then folded over.  I don't worry about the strips being cut straight.  I fold the top of each folded strip into a point...don't know why, just the way I started and it's worked! 

I begin on the right side (I'm right-handed) and hot glue the strips all around the face, making it as full as I like.

Next comes the moustache.  A longer strip is folded in half, then tied to make a knot in the middle.  I snip the folded end and hot glue it under the nose.  He's beginning to look right cute, I think!

I finish him up by gluing three holly leaves and berries to one side and a red pompom to the other.

The final step is to make and attach the handle.  The floral wire is very easy to work with. 

I use an ice pick to make a hole on each side.  (My husband just watched me do this and told me what I was doing was very dangerous!  He's probably right.  He suggested I use my drill to make the holes....but I'm too lazy to get it out...maybe next time.)   

As you can see I then push the wire from the inside to the outside.  I use a pencil and wrap the wire around it and this keeps the wire from slipping back out.  

They are a little time consuming to make but not difficult at all.  I usually spray paint several cans at once and then after drying complete two at a time in about an hour.

Filled with candy, cookies, or small treats, I think this little guy can make some cute Christmas gifts. If you try one, be sure to send me pictures! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN...and...Giveaway Winner Revealed!

H A P P Y

H A L L O W E E N !!!

Hope your day is Spook-tacular!

And now what we've all been waiting for!  First, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who entered my very first (but hopefully not last) giveaway...and thank you to those of you who are my new followers.   Also, thank you to the wonderful folks at CSN for being my sponsor.  (Christmas is coming so please check out their many stores for your gift-giving.)  OK....enough suspense!  Here are all the names....

My always-helpful hubby is going to draw now...here goes!

And the winner is....(drumroll, please).....

Congrats, CAROLSUE!  Hope you enjoy your shopping spree!  I'll send your email address to CSN and I'm sure they will get in touch with you soon.  I wish ALL of you could have won!  And again...thanks so much for dropping by and entering!

Psst:  If you want another chance to win a CSN giveaway visit Cortney at her blog LIVING AND LOVING IN CALIFORNIA!

Cigar Box Swap

I'm linking up with Karen @ Some Days are Diamonds for her Cigar Box Swap reveal.  This was my first swap of this kind and I was very nervous because I'm not nearly so creative as many bloggers out there.  But I had fun and met a great new blogger friend:  Cindy @ Applestone Cottage.
Karen's directions were to:
     *decorate the box and fill it with fall items
     *keep it a secret until the big reveal (which is today)

Well.....I didn't exactly follow directions:(  Sorry, Karen!
First of all, I was having difficulty finding any fall things that really "spoke" to me....and the fact that Cindy had mentioned she liked cottage-y things did speak to me!  So instead of doing as I was told to do, I did this....click here.

Secondly, I got sort of mixed up and had my own reveal awhile back!  (as you saw above if you clicked on my link).
Karen, I am sooooo sorry!  I tend to read directions too quickly and carelessly sometimes.  Anyway...everything is just fine and my partner and I made our swap and sweet Cindy sent me this....

I love all things cherry so Cindy covered my box with cherry fabric and topped it off with a cute button that says TEACHERS HAVE CLASS...(yes, we do!)  Then she filled it with some really cute things including scrapbook supplies, a cute kitchen towel, some old postcards, and a pin cushion made from a cute white pitcher, all of which I know I will enjoy.
Next time, I promise to read directions carefully...and follow them.  Thanks, Karen & Cindy, for all the fun!

OCD or Just Well Organized?

*Go here to enter my first giveaway.
  

I admit it...I love organization!  What's more I love to do the organizing myself. I've sorted and categorized things since I was a little girl...it was just plain fun for me, and still is. If it were possible, I would begin a late-in-life career as a professional organizer but in a small town like ours not many folks would be willing to pay someone to organize their underwear drawer.

Recently I had a bridal shower in my home and friends and  guests were teasing me about this....

That's my laundry + storage room and this is my "stuff"...the stuff everyone needs has but don't always know where it is.  I know where mine is...labels, labels, labels...I love labels!

These notebooks contain paper work for my mentoring and supervising jobs as well as holiday ideas, genealogy research, gardening and decorating ideas,and anything else I find on the internet or in magazines that I want to keep for future projects. Each notebook contains tabbed sections to identify the contents.  My own reference library!  Definitely better than sticking everything in an old shoebox.

As you look around you may also notice this...

hangers grouped by color.  I can't stand for them to be all mixed up...does that mean I'm OCD???

In my closet I put different types of clothes on different colored hangers...

yellow for jackets, turquoise for tops and pants, another for jeans, another for outfits.  Clothes are also separated by color.  Don't ask me why...it's just ME!

Shoes are in labeled boxes and stored by color. 

Wish all the boxes were just alike but couldn't find enough of the same kind to do that.  It bothers me but I can live with it! 

Jewelry is also sorted by color and/or style.

  

Something I've recently discovered is that the older I get the less clutter I am comfortable with.  So I've gotten rid of a lot of things that no longer serve a purpose.  I recently read that 80% of what we keep we don't use.  (Surely I use more of my "stuff" than that!)  I've also heard that if you don't wear an article of clothing for a year you need to get rid of it.  Hmmm...I disagree.  I've brought out things that went out of style and then came back again!  Of course, I could probably get rid of those saddle oxfords (we called them BeBops) that I wore in high school!

Whether OCD or just a love of organization, I like my labels and I like knowing where my things are.  And when I'm dead and gone my son and his wife will have a lot less trouble getting rid of all my "stuff"!