2011 Reflections

Hello Crafters!  I am very sorry that it has been so long, I am currently taking care of my grandfather in rural and Montana and I have no internet access there!  You heard me NO INTERNET ACCESS haha!  But, I wanted to leave you with one last post before the new year.  I know I said I would put up pictures from my best friends wedding, but that will have to wait.  This post is a little unlike my other post, but I hope you enjoy it...

Reflection…It’s nearing the end of 2011 and something I find very important at the end of each year is to reflect on the year past. As a lady who loves to scrap and craft I found that scrapooking especially gives me the opportunity to reflect and be thankful for the memories and moments I have been able to share with family and friends.  After I finish a scrapbook and months go by and then I open up that book again, I am blessed over and over again and I thank God for the wonderful memories He has provided.

This post is unlike my traditional crafty segments, but it is one that I find very important, especially in the fast past, go-go-go society we live in.  Take the time to reflect on your life, the good and bad and find ways to be thankful.  I promise you that your spirits will be lifted after you take the time to reflect and be thankful.

Here are my top four fun, crafty and creative ways to be reflective…

1.  SCRAPBOOK

            *Of course this is my number one creative outlet!  Don’t feel like it has to be perfect, I have been scrapbooking since 7^th grade and let me tell you they are not perfect.  If you’ve never made a scrapbook before, take your time and keep it simple.  In this case it is all about you, your memories, your reflection and how you would like to display them.  If you really don’t think that you can hack the homemade scrapbooking, don’t beat yourself up!  Thanks to technology there are 101 ways to scrapbook digitally.  My two favorite user friendly sites are walgreens.com and mixbook.com, even a homemade scrapper like me uploads online when there’s a time crunch. But most of all, have fun!

2.  JOURNAL

            *Now, I already know what some of you are going to say I don’t have time to write down my thoughts and feelings each day!  In my case there is too little time and too many thoughts, but there IS a solution.  This solution came from one of my best friends, Cari, I love her and her crafty styling (scrapbooks, video montages, creative gift wrapping and amazing cupcakes)!  When we attended Bible School together I noticed she didn’t have the typical journal like everyone else, but she kept her journal in a daily planner.  I loved this idea, just grab a calendar, write out what happens each day or every few days or when you just need to get your thoughts down, but most importantly don’t over think it (as I do with everything).  This was my perfect solution, I don’t know why, but I’m a girl who needs structure and I loved the idea that I had this certain space for each day.  I write down either an event that happened that day, whatever I’m struggling with that day, what I’m thankful for or a simple prayer.  It’s as easy as that!  Every year I buy a new calendar and now 3 years later I have 3 journals I can look back at and reflect and be thankful.

3.  VIDEOS

            *Now trust me, I am no pro, but I love this!  As my friends know I am not camera shy and I love a good video with friends or videoing a special event.  When I bought my new computer I discovered I had a wonderful video program that made it simple for technology illiterate people like me to make short fun films.  You can get as creative as you would like with this area of reflection, streaming together videos from the year to create one masterpiece or just taking individual videos, giving them a title and some credits and then sitting back on a Sunday afternoon and reminiscing of memories past.

4.  MAKE A LIST

            *This is the easiest pick me up, you’re sitting at home on the couch and you just feel down…what to do? Pull out a pen and paper and start listing what you are thankful for…

My current top 3…

*Good health

*A loving and supportive family

*An unconditional loving Savior, Jesus Christ

How do you reflect on your year past?  Any special traditions?

I hope you like!  Have a super crafty day!

Boo

P.S.  Sorry that I have no pictures for this post, bad internet connection, but I will get it sorted out later :)

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  Blessing to you and your families!

I hope you like! Have a super crafty day!

Boo

Coming Soon

Hello Crafters!  I have been busy crafting away for my best friend's wedding!  I can't give it all away now becuase it is a surprise for the bride, but I wanted to give you crafters a sneak peek at the party decor I am creating for a ladies night the night before the big day!  Next week I will give you the whole look and all the details!  Take a look...

"Make Your Own Table Cloth"

"Candy Jars Made to Fit Your Theme"

I hope you like!  Have a super crafty day!

Boo

Bridal Party Hankies

I don't know about you, but I'm a HUGE crier at weddings, but what are you to do if you're standing up in the bridal party with no place to hide the kleenex?!?!  Here comes the craft...I love hankies and a couple of years ago when I stood up in my first friends wedding I came up with a little idea for a hanky I could hide behind my bouquet.  I love hankies and I truly believe they will never go out of style (at least for me), but a stark white hanky just won't do. With each wedding I'm in I add a little something extra to the hankies to make them specialized to the bride and the style of the wedding.  For my wonderful friend Katelyn I decided to go for a vintage feel by tea bag dying the hankies and then stitching each the inital of each bridesmaid into the hanky.  Take a look...

The Supplies You Need (hankies, tea bags, tea kettle) 

I put 10 tea bags in a baking dish with boiling water and let them steep for 20 minutes.

After removing the tea bags, I then placed the hankies in the tea and let them sit for 30 minutes (you can leave them longer depending on how dark would like the hankies to be dyed).

Remove the hankies from the tea, rinse them and let them dry over night.

In the photos below I have step by step instructions on how to fold them so they fit perfectly behind the bouquet (you may experiment with the fold, I just found this to work the best).

Let the stitching begin! I am NO expert at stitching, but I love to try.  

I hope you like! Have a super crafty day!

Boo

Wedding Day Survival Kit

Here's something simple, but very important to have on the day of your wedding.  For every wedding I have been in I create an emergency kit for the bride and bridesmaids.  It is very simple to make and you can be creative in how you present it, but basically anything and everything you might need should be in the kit (safety pins, shout wipes,  floss, hairspray, eye drops, snacks, water, etc.)  Take a look...

Hope you like! Have a super crafty day!

Boo

Pine Cone Bouquets

Where to start?!?!  I'd like to share with you a few crafts that I have created for my best friends wedding coming up in December!  With a wonderful winter wedding underway, why use flowers when pine cones are FREE!  Here's a look...

Preparations (pine cones, berries, floral wire, floral tape and ribbon)

Here's the result...

 

Who knew that bouquets could be so simple!  This is a great way to save money at your wedding, whether it be pine cones, fake flowers or real flowers.  Have your bridesmaids get together and create there own!

I can't wait to share with you some more of Boo's Crafts!

I hope you like!  Have a super crafty day!

Boo