Happy Weekend 10.31.2014

Happy Weekend! Here is what I am reading, listening to, and working on this weekend:

1. Reading: The Money Class by Suze Orman

2. Listening to: Bonito y Sabroso by Benny More

3. Working on: My 101 in 1001 Days List 

What are you working on this weekend? 

Are you trudging or skipping?

 Why trudge when you can skip?

It is nearing the end of October and we have less than a quarter of a year left. (Dang, Judith why are you bumming me out?) At this point many of you have resigned yourself that the year is over and are merely hoping to get through this one and into the next. Many of you have even started planning your 2015 resolutions because you have resigned yourself to the notion that you won't be able to get anything accomplished this year. You are trudging through these last few months with sighs of resignation.

I encourage you to unstuck yourself from the muddy build up this year has mired you in. THIS YEAR IS NOT OVER! I REPEAT THIS YEAR IS NOT OVER! If you finish this year trudging along, no matter how awesome your 2015 list is... you'll likely carry that trudging attitude into 2015 with you. 

So maybe this year wasn't perfect. So maybe you aren't where you thought you'd be with regard to your weight, career, money, relationships, etc! So maybe you are tired and beat up. The end of October isn't reason enough to stay in that condition.

Think of the last two days of October as a pause in the program. Take time to Regroup, Refresh, and Re-frame your thinking. Allow God to show himself strong in your weakness. (II Corinthians 12:9-10) Allow Him to be your strength every morning. (Isaiah 33:2) Yup, every morning He showers you in new strength. You cannot undo this year or buy yourself extra time, but you can make the most of what's left of this year.

Start skipping now. Even if you only manage to get up to a jaunty trot, it is better than trudging. End this year skipping!

What are you working to shake off? How do you plan on ending this year skipping?

No Spend Decorating: Painted Tin Cans

In this last week of my No Spend Decor miniseries, I will post five minute DIY/Copycat projects found on Pinterest. Today's painted tin can project is brought to you buy a can of green beens, diced tomatoes, and mandarin oranges. Tee-Hee!

My husband is a big believer in having tinned canned fruit and veggies stored for an emergency, but occasionally money is tight and we dip into our stash of canned foods. This past month I was recovering from a surgery so we have more tin cans lying around than usual.  

I didn't have to buy any paint because we have sample paint leftover from prior home projects. Yay! Use what you have at home! SHOP YOUR HOUSE PEOPLE! 

Items Used:
1. Tin Cans
2. Blue Painter's Tape
3. Blue sample paint

Steps:
1. Tape the Can
2. Paint the Can

Yeah, it's that easy.

In the picture, I put some random stuff from my sewing room. They'll likely be used as herb planters for my handmade Christmas presents. (Handmade series starting November!!)

Happy Weekend!

Jesus Loves You! Bam! I said it. I'll say it again. Jesus Loves You!

It doesn't get any better or simpler than that! He loves you! Marvel in it! Revel in it! Rejoice in it! And... Go have an awesome weekend!

No Spend Decorating: Home Decor Remix 7

I have a friend at church who is a "waste removal engineer" or a trash man. He is a blessing to so many people at church. He loves to save books that are headed to the landfill. We share a love of old movies and he brings me cinema history and Old Hollywood photography books. His lovely wife gave me the vintage makeup box on the left.  So today's vignette was brought to you by Mr. And Mrs. G!

Items Used:
1. Mr. G's rescued books
2. Mrs. G's makeup box
3. A mini telescope that was sitting there all by its lonesome before the vignette.

A five minute vignette and this corner of my house now makes me smile. It's not only about making the "stuff" look pretty. (Well, maybe just a little...) But of more import, each of these items has sweet memories associated with it. As I've gone through my house, I've realized how many of the items in my house have been gifted to my husband and I. Whether the items were rescued from the trash or purchased from people's travels, I am reminded that someone thought of me. 

As you clear out your own clutter and rearrange the little treasures scattered around your house, take a moment and appreciate the gifted items. (Yeah, even the ugly stuff gifted to you from your tacky Aunt Mildred. I have some of those items lurking around my house too!)

No Spend Decorating: Home Decor Remix 6

 

Yay for the sixth installment of no spend decorating. My husband and I decided that one of our family goals was to start saving for a second honeymoon/vacation and for my fashion business. I searched around for some saving funds crafts. I saw some really cute ideas on Pinterest for a honeymoon fund, but that would require me to buy a shadowbox frame and metallic sharpie.

Instead of spending money to create cute jars to save money, my husband and I searched around the house. This craft took less than five minutes and helped me maintain my pact with myself to not spend any money on home decor this month. 

 Items Used:

1. Scrapbook paper

2. Spaghetti Sauce Jars (Hint: Let the spaghetti sauce jar air out for a few days before you use it.)

3. $4 Dollars

The star jar is the honeymoon fund and the polka dot jar is for my fashion business fund. We didn't have much cash on hand. If the money is left in our savings account, I can access it online. If I can access it online, I can transfer it. If I can transfer it, I can spend it. Thus, I will lose the tiny amounts of interest I can gain in a traditional savings account and actually save the money in these cute jars.

What are you saving for?

No Spend Decorating: Home Decor Remix 5

Happy Monday! I am choosing to be joyful that it is Monday because I get to start another week. 

For today's remix, I added a little vignette to my master bathroom tub. The ledge looked empty and sad so off I went around my house gathering items from various rooms.

Items Used: 
1. Decorative boxes from a friend;
2. Two candles from Ikea;
3. A canvas of the Eiffel Tower that was sitting on my sewing room floor;
4. A book that was hidden on my bookshelf; and
5. Lotion and a bath sponge stuffed in my bathroom drawer.

Are you working on any home decor projects? Post a link; I would love to see what you are working on!

No Spend Decorating: Home Decor Remix 4

Here is the fourth installment of the No Spend Decorating Remix. 

I am slowly making my way through the house de-cluttering. I went through all of my cookbooks, but I had a hard time getting rid of any of them. There are some I have never made a recipe from, but I love the photographs of beautiful food. There was only one that made it to the donation bag. Because of my hard time parting with my cookbooks, I decided to rearrange them.

Items Used:

1. Cookbooks
2. Picture Frames from the floor of my sewing room.
3. Scrapbook Paper with sweet quotes about smiles.

What de-cluttering projects are you working on?

No Spend Decorating: Home Decor Remix 3

For my third remix, I added a vignette of bath items collected from different rooms in the house.

 Items Used:
1. Votive candles from a wedding we went to earlier this year.
2. Bath salts received from a friend last Christmas.
3. Lotion from stash of beauty products.
4. Hand towels from the cupboard.
5. A vintage tooth powder case I bought on Portobello Road a few years ago. This piece was sitting all alone on the guest bathroom counter. It is my favorite piece.
6. An old picture frame with a printable from Craft-O-Maniac. 

Would love to see your remixes! Send me links!

For prior No Spend Decorating Remixes:
1. Remix 1
2. Remix 2 

October 2014 Goals

This is one of the idea boards from my sewing room. I love pinterest, but there is something about being able to touch paper that makes me feel happy and inspired!

I am off work on medical leave until October 24th so most of my plans must be achievable from my favorite living room chair. My goals for this month are:

1. Pray everyday.
2. Purposefully encourage 5 people daily.
3.  Finish this Skillshare class: Beyond the Logo
4. Make a plan for starting my fashion line
5. Get closer to my goal weight.

For each goal, I like to write baby steps to getting the bigger tasked accomplished. I also think it is wise to set what the ideal for getting my goal accomplished looks like, as well as setting up a backup plan in case the ideal doesn't work out. (And it usually doesn't!)

Baby steps to getting each of these accomplished:
1. Pray Everyday
Ideal: Pray immediately after I have my morning potty break. I like to get this in early to ensure that it gets done.
Backup Plan: Pray before I fall asleep

2. Purposefully Encourage 5 People Daily
Ideal: Text and/or call friends and family after my morning prayer
Backup Plan: Spread out the texts/calls throughout the day as people pop into my mind.

3. Finish the Skillshare Class
Ideal: Watch the videos after lunch and spend nad hour a day on the projects for the course
Backup Plan: Watch the videos all at once on a Saturday afternoon

4. Fashion Line Plan
Ideal: 1 hour day. Preferably an hour before my husband gets home so I can talk about it with him. I like the way his brain works and like to have his input on things.
Backup Plan: I can dedicate a Saturday afternoon to getting a rough draft down.

5.Get Closer to My Goal Weight
Ideal: I would like to lose at least 10 pounds this month. I am not allowed to exercise so this will be a matter of 95% of the weight loss work in the kitchen and 5% of mini walks.
Backup Plan: Progress makes progress. Even if I cannot lose 10 pounds, even a few ounces closer to my goal weight is progress!

What are you working on this month?

No Spend Decorating: Home Decor Remix 2

For my second vignette, I cleared off my dresser top and took items that were sitting on the floor of my sewing room. 

We moved into our new house last year. I haven’t decided on paint colors so we have yet to hang anything on the walls. All of our wall art, picture frames, etc… are sitting on the floor. I decided I might as well use all of the decor sitting on the floor while I take my time to decide on paint colors.

Items Used:
 1. Two Picture Frames  
2. Perfume Bottles 
3. Small Rug Coaster given to me by my friend from Abu Dhabi 
4. Live, Laugh, Love Sign 
5. Lamp
6."Life” Quote Wall Art

Would love to see your remixes! Send me a link!!

No Spend Decorating: Home Decor Remix 1

Gather up décor items from all over your house. Gather up picture frames, art work, vases, knick knacks, books, etc. Have fun and gather up all the items you can! We are going to remix items you already own in new rooms and placed in new ways. Shop your house! Save the money! Shop your house! 

I love to decorate, but am committed to sticking to my monthly budget. So I am keeping myself entertained at home by following along with several 31 Day Series and have been clutter clearing and “No Spend Decorating.” The Nester is doing a 31 Day Vignette Series and A Bowl Full of Lemons 31 Day Purge. 

For my first Remix, I cleared off a giant leaning pile of magazines and a catch-all tote that was full of dead batteries and bits of Wii controllers. The magazines were recycled or donated. The tote has been cleaned out and will be re-purposed later. The Wii controller bits and game console was finally properly put away.

Items Used:

1.Metal Ornament: The small metal fleur de lis was given to me by a friend. It was hidden on my bookcase where nobody could see it.  

2.Picture Frame: I took the empty picture frame that was sitting empty on a shelf. I filled it with some scrapbook paper I had on hand. I saw this idea in an old Martha Stewart magazine. The magazine sort proved useful!

3.Orchids: The orchid was given to me as a get well present. 

4. Vintage Books: The books are vintage and were gems hidden on the shelves. I plan on using more of my vintage books throughout the house. 

These pieces were previously under-appreciated décor that I already own. The remix took less than five minutes.

Would love to see your remixes! Send me a link!!

To view other remixes in the series follow the links below:
1. Remix 2
2. Remix 3
3. Remix 4
4. Remix 5 
5. Remix 6 
6. Remix 7  

Partying at the Blissful Bee