Favorite Card

This first one is my favorite card so far. I snatched the idea from another blog and used my own colors, but I still love it and will try to make a few more to have in my stock. I could use it for Thank You's, Anniversary's and Birthday's. Pretty much any occasion with the right sentiment.

The next card is my attempt at a simple flower card, but it is too simple and I need to add embellishments or just start over.

Thank You Card

I made this Thank You card to submit to the challenge at Peachy Keen. I did not use a Peachy Keen stamp but I followed the color scheme. I used the Florals Embellished cartridge.

Wahoo! So excited I made top 3 in the challenge with this card!

Layout

Created my first layout today using Create a Critter again. I use that cartridge a lot! I got Art Philosophy in the mail yesterday and yet I still played with Critter today. I need to order the last 6 months of pictures so that I can create new layouts with them.

Sleeping Bear Dunes

While I was away and missing my crafts I got to enjoy some beautiful sites in Leelanau County, Michigan. This area was recently voted the most beautiful place in America on Good Morning America. I feel really lucky to have grown up there and be able to visit every year. I recommend visiting for two weeks if you can because there is so much to see and do.

Pierce Stocking Drive View of Glen Lake

Can you see all the crazy people climbing the bluff? It is quite a feat to make it all the way down and back. I have only done it once when I was much younger! This is a view of Lake Michigan.

My son playing on the top of Pyramid Point, Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore.

My daughter playing in the ice cold water of Lake Michigan while we watch the sunset.

Have a Great Memorial Weekend!

I don't have a craft to display today but I am proud to say that I finished the 2nd coat of paint in the kitchen and tonight I will be finishing the vinyl water bottles I started earlier. I am leaving for the weekend to visit with family, so will not be posting again until Tuesday, when I plan to really put a hurting to my crafting goals and the kitchen cupboards :) I'm tempted to stay home and work on projects but the kids want to see Grandma and Grandpa and all their cousins.

Hubby is fishing in Canada until Monday so just the kids and I are headed to the beautiful area of Traverse City. Hopefully I can get some great pictures while I'm there but my camera is on the fritz :(

Birthday Card

I have been slowly trying to redo my kitchen by painting the cupboards white and removing the wallpaper and painting the walls. This is a very slooooow process. I have to sand each door, prime them three times, add bead board then paint them white. Today I put the first coat of paint on the walls which only took 1-1/2 hours. It is already looking brighter! I love it and can't wait to be finished. When it is all done I will have many pictures, it will be a total transformation!

Today I created a birthday card based on a card by www.smallbitsofpaper.blogspot.com. I absolutely loved their colors and happened to just have bought a packet of similar colors, plus I finally got to try out my new Cuttlebug! I am waiting on my stamps so that I can stamp Happy Birthday on the bottom and add a bow. I don't think the colors come out as nicely in picture as they are on paper :(

Menu Planner

This year we are determined to put an addition on our home. Our house has been for sale for 3 years and we've only had 3 showings even dropping the price considerably. In order to make room for our 4th child and to be happier in our house we are adding a new living room, bathroom, bedroom and closets. This means Penny Pinching.

Today was the start of our frugal living. I hung all the clothes out on the line to dry, I didn't drive anywhere and I taped a bunch of shows so that I could suspend our TV for the summer and save $50 a month.

I also decided to be more efficient at planning meals. Here is a Menu Planner I made today based on the design at Clairs Fairy Tale.

Of course I had to use my Cricut, for the lettering (Plantin Schoolbook), the boxes (Once Upon a Princess) and it helped me make perfect squares for the recipe cards. I wish I had done them smaller but I had to fit the ingredients on the back of each card. 

Here is the original I found on Pinterest:

I love being able to use all my little tools. I even got out the Laminator for the cards to make them more durable. I figured I can grab them and take them grocery shopping with me and they will still hold up. I purchased the Laminator off Amazon back in December for $16.99, I never realized how much I would use it. Here is the link, maybe it will go on sale again: Laminator and you can get one too!

I haven't hung the Menu Planner up in my kitchen yet because I am really short on wall space, but I will find a spot because I think it is really cute and should make meals more convenient.

I went through my cookbook and found 32 recipes that are tried and true. No new ones were included. So I have a months rotation before we have to start over again. I think this will help me incorporate more fruits and vegetables into our menu.

I entered this into the Copy Cat Challenge at http://www.kraftygirls.com/ I could enter so many projects into this challenge because I love so many things that people do but this is my favorite right now.