Be Creative

Hi there

Just wanted to stop in and say Hi... I've been busy making a list of things we want to do this holiday season so we can get it all in. The plan for this Christmas is SIMPLE... and that will be my whole focus for 2008 Simple, simplify, simplistic. More on that later. Hope your holiday season is warming up to be a blessed one. Just ran across this picture, makes me laugh. I love that we live where we can do this in November. Be back soon with creative stuff. I have tons of pictures, but I can't remember to download before I start a post .

November is movin' right along

Keeping up with all that needs to be done around here is always challenging and then add to it the holidays and shipping out stuff for the Jinglebell boutique and its a pretty manic pace. I knew it would be overwhelming to do all the decorating in one day so I started early so far I have this.

I thought I had pictures of the banister but I guess not, i'll post those tomorrow.

In the meantime check out the Jinglebell Boutique its been refreshed and we are even having a sale this Thanksgiving weekend! You can buy cute gifts like this for teachers, co-workers or friends

And if you haven't tasted Steph's Chocolate Chip cookies before then you better get yourself over to the Jingle Bell shop and order yourself a bucket of goodness! Yummy!

Have a great Holiday! Gobble Gobble Gobble!

Domestic Problems

So glad it is FRIDAY!!! We’ve had minimum days this week and next week before Thanksgiving. It’s been great to get the kids home early and have a longer afternoon.

We splurge on lunch out on short days sometimes.

I have a couple of household issues that I was wondering if any domestic goddess out there could help me with.

#1 We love ice tea and we drink it by the gallons. I used to just run super hot tap water and brew the bags in the hot water. We do have really hot water. But then I heard that it really should be brewed with boiling water to avoid bacteria. So we got an ice tea maker. Now we get tea leaves in our brewed tea. So then I changed to boiling water in my teapot and then steeping the tea bags in the tea kettle and then pouring it over ice. Alas still tea leaves in the water! It’s gross! We feel lost without our tea. I wondered if Lipton has changed the makeup of their tea bags. I tried the cold brew bags and nobody here liked them. Hmmmm, we will be experimenting more this weekend. Anybody have any ideas???

#2 I bought a couple of new wash rags. They are a celery green. When I pulled them out of the dryer they had big yellow stains on them. Looks like the color was removed. Then it happened to my sheets same color… I noticed this before on my old towels that were plum colored. Never on any clothes. Thinking it may be something we are using on our bodies???? Any ideas???

Also please say a prayer for my water heater who wants to stop being a water heater. Hubby has plans to get a tankless system if it goes out…. $$$$$ Yikes. Also my car tires want to be retired after only a year and a half and 17,000 miles. Also while you’re at it can you pray for my washer and dryer who are 19 beautiful years old! I love them and want to keep them with my water heater. Honestly that was just a joke I know there are so many better important things to pray for, but maybe if we could just get thru the holidays before we have to fork over the dough!

Here is a card I made this week for my 20 year dating anniversary with my hubby. Love that line of Creative Imaginations paper.   

This weekend I’ll be adding some new things to the Jinglebell Boutique, Steph added some before she left for the Polar Express today.

Have a great weekend!

Promise to myself

I promised myself that I would start doing some scrapbooking for my very own self... A few weeks ago I went to a crop and started this page to go in my New York Album. I'm almost ashamed to say that was in 2004. But I have told many customers that the sooner they accept that they will never be "caught up" they will enjoy scrapbooking alot more. Here is where I pratice what I preach! Without further ado...

And this is what I am so happy to NOT be doing for 4 whole days! HOMEWORK!!!! Kylah has been doing homework for almost two hours every night for the past two weeks! Its killing me, becuase she has to be watchdogged every second to make sure she is still at the table and not starring at the ceiling or eating a pencil or in the bathroom for the 40th time, you get the picture!

Ho Ho Ho

I know all of you that read this are not crafters but I do know that you all have to do some holiday shopping. Last year Steph and I had the first annual "Jingle Bell Home Boutique" at her house.  A one day open house boutique of things we made & sold.  This year, with our crazy schedules, we have decided to do it on line...so....

I would like to Introduce to you the Jingle Bell Boutique 

We are going to be adding things a few times a week, maybe once a week, maybe everyday...you just really never know....so I suggest you visit us daily....we hope you stop by!