Craft Projects for October

I've been busy this month preparing for a Women's Ministry event at my church called Crafts and Conversations. Women are able to sign-up and pick what they want to make and pay for the supplies. They show up and I provide all their supplies as well as a teacher to show them how to make the item.

Even with all that preparation and logistics, I've still be able to make a few things this month. First, I made a baby present for a childhood friend. Her baby came a month early and she kept the name a secret, so I did pretty good to work within those guidelines. I'd seen these all over craft blogs, so I tried my hand at it. As with most projects, I would do a ton of things different, but not bad for the first time making a new item.

Please excuse the poor photography, I was all set to mail it and then remembered I had forgotten to take a picture of it, so I snapped one right before I ran out the door. It's a growth chart that is hung on a wall (or in my case, hung on the corner of my bookcase for display purposes). I love it because it can go wherever you go, no matter how many times you move, or how many times you want to pain your house. You track the child's growth by adding safety pins and tags to the height when they've reached certain milestones, yearly doctors check-ups, etc.Here's a close-up look of the name:

I also managed to make a fall wreath for my boss's birthday and wound up making three more for others that liked them and were willing to pay me to make them.

It was also a dear friend's birthday, so I dabbled a little more in the sewing department and created a set of four of these for her breakfast table.

This is actually the same placemat, I just made two different sides so she can pick which one she wants to use. What made this special is that the birthday girl's friend passed away several months ago and I was blessed to receive all of her unused fabric. The placemats and cloth napkins are made from that fabric, so it's extra special. And to make it even extra, extra special is that at the birthday dinner, the friend's husband was present, so he was able to see the fabric put to good use as well as see who was receiving such a special gift. It definitely took a lot more time than I thought it would, but it was well worth it. I even went to the birthday girl's house last night and saw them displayed on the breakfast table.

I saw this fun idea on a blog also and kept it filed away in my brain. After the school year started and crayons were dirt cheap, I bought a few packs. Then, this week, I went and bought the loops needed to help shape it. I'm not finished with it yet, but this is probably as complete as it will be for awhile. I think I might have spent $3 to make this.

More than likely, I wont post my craft projects for the rest of the year, as Christmas is approaching and most of them will be gifts.

A Steal of a Deal #4

I love to get a deal, but trying to get a steal of a deal today in the pouring down rain was a bit of a challenge. Not to mention, I got a late start because I was in line for most of the morning at the County Commissioner's Office renewing my car tags. Yes, I waited until the last minute and I also misplaced the renewal form, but they were more than willing to take my money.

My best deals today came from Publix, as they do most of the time. I paid $19.93 for all of this!

Here's the breakdown:

• Toaster Strudels, BOGO this week with $0.50/2 coupon that doubled - $1.39 for both
• Nestle Toll House Cookies, were on sale last week but they were out, so I got a rain check  for this week and had a $0.75 coupon for each package - $1.30 for both
• Hefty One Zip bags, BOGO this week with 2 $0.50/2 coupons that doubled - $2.78 for all 4
• Ajax dish soap, on sale 2/$3 this week and had a $0.50 coupon that doubled - paid $0.50
• Cheez Its, BOGO this week and there were no coupons to be found, but since they're my husband's favorite, I let him buy them.
• Tropicana Lemonade, BOGO this week but no coupons, paid $1, but again since it's my husband's favorite, I let him buy them.
• Caribou Coffee, BOGO this week with $1 coupon, and I'm my father-in-law's favorite because it's for him!
• Pillsbury Egg Scrambles, BOGO this week with 4 $1 coupons, paid $0.20 for each bag, so $0.80 for all 4. 
• Pillsbury Biscuit Sandwiches, BOGO this week with 4 $1 coupons, paid $0.20 for each box, so $0.80 for all 4 (and each box has 2 sandwiches, so I paid $0.10 for each one - take that McDonalds!)
• EatSmart veggies, can be eaten as is or steamed in the microwave - $1 each, bought 2.

 $19.93 for 23 items, isn't that bad in my opinion.
I saved $43.21 in coupons and sales, which is a total savings of 68%!

A Steal of a Deal #3

Today's success came at Target when Target paid me to take 8 items out of the store.

Here's the breakdown:

• Mentos gum $1.29 - 2 $1 off coupons, bought 2, paid $0.48 for both.
• Minute Maid juice boxes for mornings when I'm on the run $2.99 - $2 off coupon, paid $0.98.
• Planters Peanut Butter $1.99 - $0.75 off Target coupon, paid $1.24.
• Cover Girl blush $3.74 - 4 $8/2 coupons, earned $0.52 for each 2 I bought for $2.08 credit.

Subtotal: $0.68
Tax: $2.93
Total Out Of Pocket: $3.61
Total Savings this trip: $36.80 or 91%

Now I know your next question is what are you going to do with all that blush...I will probably keep 2 of them and give the rest away in goody bags or to a local shelter.

Two Years

"Have you ever played the game “Never Have I Ever”? I think I first played it a youth camp and I’ve played it countless times since then. It’s played in a circle with a chair for each person. There’s a person standing in the middle of the circle. The person in the middle says “Never have I ever (fill in the blank)”. An example would be, “never have I ever been to Disney World”. Then everyone in the circle that has been to Disney World must hop up and find another seat, including the person in the middle. Hopefully, the person in the middle finds a seat and a new person gets stuck in the middle.

Two years ago, I would have played the game like this – never have I ever received a phone call on an early Saturday morning with such devastating news, never have I ever watched my brother struggle to breathe, never have I ever learned how to move a person in a wheelchair up and down stairs, never have I ever celebrated Thanksgiving in one of the top rehabilitation hospitals in the country, and never have I ever signed papers making me Power of Attorney over my brother while my dad made a trip back home from Atlanta because he could make decisions for himself.

Two years later my responses are very different. I have received a phone call on an early Saturday morning with devastating news, I have watched my brother struggle to breathe, I have learned how to move a person in a wheelchair up and down stairs, I have celebrated Thanksgiving in one of the top rehabilitation hospitals in the country, and I have been given temporary Power of Attorney over my brother because he was unable to make decisions for himself at that time.

In some regards, two years has seemed like a really long time. There have been countless decisions made, countless changes have occurred, and countless phone calls made with family members, friends, insurance companies, and the like. Our lives have been changed and regardless of whether our Heavenly Father sees fit to heal Ryan’s body on this side of heaven or not, the last two years of our lives have been drastically different than we could have ever imagined.

Never have I ever thought any of these events would occur in my life, but they have. At times, we wished we could have reversed time and changed everything. Other times, we have dwelled in the moment and soaked up every minute of it. And still other moments have found us wallowing in circumstances, feeling like we were drowning at times with no way out.

Regardless of all the details, life is different for all of us. Just the other day I noticed a woman park in a handicapped spot and step out of her car in her stilettos and walk into a building. I felt my blood boil but two years ago, I probably wouldn’t have given it second thought. We live differently, we think differently, and we act differently, all because of an event that happened two years ago. 

So many things have changed, yet there is one thing that hasn’t changed at all. We still find our hope in a Creator that despite our overwhelming circumstances is still with us every step of the way. He has extended grace to each of us with each new obstacle that has occurred. He has loved us despite our questions of why, when, and how. People have been placed in our path to help us along the way, not because of coincidence, but because the Lord sent them our way. We press on because we know that Ryan will be healed one day, perhaps this side of heaven and perhaps not. Regardless, we know that God works all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). So despite all the differences and changes that we never could have imagined taking place in our lives over the past two years, we will seek to love Him and follow Him and allow Him to carry us through."