Simple Holiday Notebook

There's almost nothing more fun than making something cute and useful out of what you have on hand. I like to keep notes of my holiday menus, gift ideas, etc. each year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But my previous notebook was about 15 years old, and I'd run out of paper. So I took a composition notebook that I had picked up on clearance for .38 at Target, and got busy making myself a new one.


I went through my scrapbook paper, and found this cute page which I'd purchased long ago at the Dollar Tree. Adorable and perfect. I traced around the composition notebook cover and cute out the part of the page that I wanted to be the new cover.


Putting my new cover upside down on newspaper, I sprayed it lightly with photo mount spray (spray adhesive.) When it had dried for 1 one minute, I attached it to the front of the composition notebook.

Finding some cute red and white polka dot paper, I printed a title for the notebook, matted it, and used spray adhesive to attach it, as well as a few little white paper snowflakes that I punched at Archivers one time.

A 'found' red ribbon in my sewing box was perfect for a bookmark. It is glued in the center of the book, and a little snowflake punch on each side of the bottom of the ribbon gives it alittle weight and decor. Here is the planning page for my Thanksgiving Dinner this year, as well as recycling a used orange envelope as a pocket to hold the recipes I am thinking of trying.

Here's a space and recipe pocket for my Christmas 2009 recipes and menu...yet to be determined!

I also have pages of gift ideas for all of the people we buy for. As I purchase one of these items, I will write the price above it and circle the little bullet point beside it. This will keep me organized and on budget...ps...this is MY gift wish list! :)

You can recover a composition note with any kind of cute paper for any purpose. Last year I made monogrammed covers for my 2 teenaged nieces. So cute!

Give it a try...super cute, useful, inexpensive gift don't you think?

Blessings!

Donna

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Polka Dots and Flower Pots

A week ago our neighborhood had about 25 garage sales going on. With glee, I headed out with a zippered pouch of change and high hopes. I found this darling, oversized polka dot mug for just .25. I have a thing for polka dots, especially brown, and pink. Plus I'd decided I wanted to try, once more, to have a little house plant. I do well with outdoor plants, but I'm not as successful with indoor plants.

After looking at Walmart for a cute little indoor plant and finding none, I decided I'd really rather not spend any money on one...so I remembered that Geraniums can be started by cuttings. Google helped refresh the how-to's on that, then I filled up the mug with some leftover potting soil, and cut a nice healthy stalk off of one of my outdoor Gernaniums. You pull off the lower leaves, and tuck the little cutting about 2 inches into the soil. Water, and watch! It should root itself in the dirt, and begin a new plant. I'll know it is thriving when new leaves begin to grow. For just .25 and alittle ingenuity, my kitchen has a fresh bit of life and green in it...I like polka dots and plants.

Garage Sale Finds!

This morning felt like a garage sale day to me. And since we've only been to a few this year, I felt it was worth the late start to school. Craig's List gave me 3-4 to pursue, with hopeful words of 'most things $1!' It was a heady high that I experienced as many things, truly for $1 or less, were just the very things I had on my 'used goods' mental list of things to buy. First up...the lamp above. A lamp in the kitchen adds a warmth and coziness that I was itching for...and this little sweet lamp was just the ticket...for...$1. The brand new fabric napkin, in one of my kitchen colors, came home with me for .10, too. Oh yea.

Also on my mental list of 'things to buy' were toys for my Sunday School class of K-1st graders. Can you believe that this Build A Bear monkey and many outfits/hats/shoes all became mine for just...yep, $1! I will wash and sterilize them, and the kids will have a great time.

I've been wishing to purchase some pieces of fabric for random, spur of the moment craft projects. Pretty green toille, for free. :) A nearly new C'mas towel-.50, a miniature loaves pan-.50, and a glass jar just begging to become something clever-.50. Mmhmm!

Of course I always look for things my newlywed daughter might need. Linds, Tupperware containers for your pantry items...50 cents each. And that thing in the middle? A new Christmas Card holder for your wall. Compact and extra cute...for .50.

Oh boy, did I have fun!! For about $10 total, I got all of the above, plus a nice lamp shade to replace the ancient shade on our bedroom lamp, 2 more sets of toys for my SS class, and a set of very nice mixing bowls from IKEA. Thank you Lord for blessing my frugal soul today!

Got Envelopes?

Pretty, colored envelopes are so cheery. But after they've been written on, is there a way to repurpose them for another use? Yes!

Cut the corners off of the envelope.

Now you've made a cheery, easy-to-spot page marker for any book. I received this fun cookbook from a dear friend in the mail this week. The fuschia colored envelope contained her note. Now I'm using the corners from the envelope to mark recipes in the cookbook that I want to try. :) Sandy, I'll be thinking of you everytime I do one of the 101 Things with zucchini!

Favorite Morning Things

Having time alone with God each morning has always been my daily goal. But at this stage in my life, I am enjoying it in a new way...because it is truly 'quiet' and 'alone.' Gone are the days of busy toddlers and preschoolers. Here is the time of homeschooling only an 11 year old son...so mornings are easier. Now I especially enjoy my time with God...coffee...candle...my Ireland journal in which I record one paragraph about the day before, my Bible, and devotional books. Today there fell a gentle rain, so the morning was extra peaceful and cozy. Sigh. A favorite thing. :)

Another favorite morning thing, is a GOOD breakfast that tastes good and keeps me full most of the morning. Oh, and it must be quick...I don't like to slow down my day by cooking in the morning.

Recently I concocted what might be the perfect breakfast for me! It starts with a newly discovered cereal...Aldi's Natural Granola. At just about $1.59 a box, this cereal is just right--not too sweet--and only has NINE ingredients...all natural and recognizable. Next I toss on a handful of the blueberries I froze this summer. Cold and crisp, just what I like! The finishing touch is a handful of pecan halves (or the nut of your choice). I love the crunch, the taste, and the nutrients/protein they add.

Topped with ice cold milk, this bowl of cereal is a party for my mouth. Yum! And it keeps me full. Important too!

So, what are some of your favorite morning things?

Enjoy this simple, sweet day!

Simple and Thrifty

Decorating my home brings me alot of joy and gives me an outlet for my creative energies. Doing so in a thrifty way, also makes it fun and challenging! Antique stores and Goodwill are two of my favorite ways to accomplish that.

Several recent trips to Goodwill and antique stores helped to create this tablescape that has graced and dressed up my dining room table this summer. The fabric cost .99 at Goodwill...a brand new curtain panel in fun colors/plaids. I washed and pressed it, folded it in half, and loved the effect against the oak table.

Next I found a Liberty Blue saucer for 2.00 and a Currier and Ives dish for 2.00 in Ks. City while visiting family. Dishes are my absolute weakness! The silver forks and spoon also came from those antique shops, and the easy detarnishing method of an aluminum pan, baking soda, and water brought them to life.

Another fun and creative idea was to create a gift for my girlfriend from one of her favorite photos of her recent trip to Italy. I printed a 5x7 of the picture, used a front loading frame and scrapbooking techniques, to create this pretty reminder of her wonderful time away. I don't know who had more fun...me creating it or her receiving it!

Being creative can be simple and thrifty. I think a trip to Goodwill is in my plans for today...how about you?!

Simple Table Treasure

A recent treasure hunting trip to our local Goodwill Thrift Store, produced an exciting find. This little pedestaled, wooden table had so much potential. And right in my price range. Home with me, it came!

The glass top was easily removed to reveal the wood. I sanded the whole table with fine sandpaper, to prepare it for painting. A coat of spray primer paint in black, followed. Then several thin coats of spray paint in black eggshell finish completed the job.

Once dry, I brought the table in, cleaned the glass top, and
made a display on the table top. I had purchased a 12x12 scrapbook paper of a vintage map to use as the mat. Then layered on vintage looking travel mementoes including a ticket stub, train schedule, trunk card, postcard, and even a pressed flower from our recent trip to California. Carefully settling the glass top back in place, I stepped back to view my project vision come true! This nice conversation piece table now resides in our family room, and makes me smile everytime I see it. I will be able to easily remove the glass and change out the display at any time, too.











Goodwill is a great place to find 'junk' that is just waiting to be made over into a Simple Treasure. Enjoy hunting and creating!