Day 143 - December 26th - What to Buy, What to Buy

Oh, what to buy?!  I've got gift cards for Christmas and that means it's a "green light" to go shopping! 

Oh, what to buy?   I have to careful. I have to be cautious.  These cards have got to last me until August!  (OMG! August!)  So I need to be particular, and careful in selection.  I want things that will last. Like the "tiny attacher". (No, not a stapler, a tiny attacher.) And then I've been eyeing the Tim Holtz distressing inks. Joann's has them for 40% off.

I cleaned my scrap closet out on the 24th.  I had all day and I really wanted it done.  So at 11am I started and kept at it until 7pm.  I now know what is in there, and things are no longer cascading on my head when I open the door, and I'm no longer pushing things back with my feet when closing the door.  It's much better now.  And although the before and after pictures don't look like a lot of progress. It is.
Boxes were cleared out.  Items donated.  And old magazines being readied to be taken to the re-sale shop. (Even if they only pay 25cents per magazine... that's 25 I didn't have.) 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The best part is just knowing what I have and where it's at. Then, when an idea strikes! I'm ready! Everything is labeled and I can find it.  I love that.  I don't have a lot of room to be unorganized; our house isn't that big. And what happens when I am unorganized, the scrap stuff walks into other rooms.  Into the living room, the dining room. Sometimes I wish it would walk into the kitchen and make breakfast.  

But, back to what to buy.  Hmmmm I'm going to have to really think about it and really love it.  And shouldn't that be the way with all purchases, instead of just buying it. 

Day 137 - I Just Realized What Happened

Yesterday I went looking for a Christmas tree.  You may ask yourself, "you don't have a tree?" Yes. We have a tree. In fact two of them. But they are burried in the garage and that would be a whole different blog - about the "Adventure Into the Unknown". For now... it's just easier to buy a tree.

After church I decided to go looking. The Sunday paper showed that Michael's was already having their 70% Christmas blow out sale. So I went to Michaels and I looked at the trees. The only one that had left as a white one looking like it was made of 10 year old pipe cleaners and a second one made of feathers. Yeah. Feathers. White feathers.  So I passed. I turned around and walked out of the store with nothing.

But don't you see - NOTHING.  I looked for a tree. Didn't see any. And left. I didn't go the scrapbook aisle. (Although I must confess, I glanced briefly at the Christmas ribbon but didn't even touch it. It was one aisle over from the tree. And I went down that aisle to look for more trees.) I didn't oogle over anything. Didn't carress and pads of glitter paper.  Didn't even look at any scrapbook clearance or sale items.  What's wrong with me?!!!! OMG - is it really happening that I'm realizing that I don't need to collect supplies, but rather use them? 

And I have been using them. I used stuff out of my Christmas stash lately.  Stuff that I thought was SO cute I just couldn't use it. (Oh, but keeping it stored in a box instead of using it is MUCH better?!!)

It's kind of freeing. It's certainly fun. And I'm making some fantastic stuff.

Day 134 - Shopping with Gift Funds

Things change. They say, "the only thing constant is change". I guess THEY are right.  And although this "no shopping" attitude has been a change for me, when I do go shopping, that has changed too.

It was my birthday. The big one. No, THE BIG ONE - 50! 50 - how did 50 come so fast? But it did, and I'm here, and in looking at my scrapbooks, it have been a most phenomenal journey! So my parents gave me $50.  (And how many people can say they still have both parents to deliver birthday wishes to them. - I'm so blessed.)
Since gift cards, and gift funds are gifts, purchases made with these items don't count. :)  (I love my own rules.)

On a Tuesday night in December, my friend Connie and I went shopping at the Scrapbook store in Milwaukee, WI. Armed with $50 I made my perfect selections. And now I know what a child feels like when you take them to Toys R Us and tell them they have $10 to spend. What! Are you kidding me?!!!! $10! In a store full of the most delectable delights, and you only expect me to spend a certain amount!!! When I want it all! That's crazy talk!

So I made my selections ever so carefully and selected things that I knew that I would use, and not just to have them. I got some DoodleBug solid colored sheets of cardstock - only in the colors I love! Some card making items that I thought were cute, including a 3-d version of cards to make. I got some sectioned page protects to help to finish my Italy album. A sheet of adorable snowman paper. (Notice I said "a" sheet - and not the entire line of paper.) Some very different and cool type of netting material to use on cards to make them different. And some film strip embellishment. (It's teeny tiny film strip. To be used when I finally make my "photo girl" book. - Yes a book of nothing but me with camera in hand - since this is how my friends see me so often.)
And at $54 I was done.

Not easy. You have to be selective. You can't just blow it on something because the bling catches your eye. (Oh - I bought some bling too - never enough bling!) But there has been, just an ever so slight, change.

Did I pass up some things. Yes. The Bobunny ribbon wraps - the packaging was so stinkin' cute I just wanted to buy them to hang them on my wall - not to use the ribbon!!! And at $5.49 each, I wasn't going there.  Some day - but not today. :)

Day 130 - December 13th - Shopping during the Season

I'm not a big Christmas fan. I admit it. I might sound like a scrooge, but the scheduling is unbelievable. With parties, get togethers, shopping, wrapping.  It's not as if I had a lot of time left in my days to begin with. With volunteering, scrapping, cardmaking, running, beautification (nails, hair - I know, hard to believe it's not "natural") groceries, and blogging and a  the gazillion other things that are "normal routine things", Christmas makes for much longer days.

As far as shopping goes, I really have minimum to do. I just try to hard to get "the perfect gift", and in so, just kind of make myself crazy.

And if I go and shop for my scrapbook friends... how can I NOT find something for myself? 

Yesterday I stopped at Michaels, and again, that darn door display that literally jumps at you before you even enter the store greeted me.
Did you know.. they make 12 x 12 decorated storage boxes like they do photos boxes. Oh, I so wanted one!!! I'd never seen the 12 x 12 before. I picked it up, out of the cold winds and fridge temperature. Turned it over. Admiring it through the snow swirling around my head. I knew it could use a new home and no longer be homeless.  But then I put it back!
I wasn't sure where I would put it and what I would put in it - so I didn't get it.

I want to re-do my closet in January, and until I know exactly what I need to organize it a little better I'm not buying anything.
Because I probably already have an organizer I could use, OR I need to wait to see what it is I REALLY need.

Now, I do have a Michaels gift card, received on my birthday. And I got some beautiful bling on my birthday, AND I have an Archivers gift card - all wonderful things to have received - the best!
But I have learned in these 130 to be much more SELECTIVE. That if I am going to buy anything, it has to be really good. Useful. Not just to add to a collection, or get it because it's cute. (Which aren't bad ways to shop for scrapping items - but it fills the room really fast!)

So I will cherish my gift cards, and select accordingly.
Because we all know, gift cards DO NOT count as buying! :)

Day 121 - December 4th - Christmas is in Full Swing

Yep. Christmas is in full swing.... I got a to-do list that is running a page and a half, I got photos I want to take, only the Christmas decorations that were left behind from last year are up. (You know - you never seem to get them all... there is always one ornament, or a left over decoration that was hiding in the corner, or something new someone gave you as a gift. These didn't get stored in the "normal" boxes, they just go in a closet shelf.) We got snow this morning - first fall of the season. And my dining room table is littered with gifts that I've purchased this week.

Got to get to the wrapping, prepare for the department luncheon (complete with stamped Italian tiles as their take home gift - it's a coaster.) and figure out if we will be putting up our gi-normous tree. 

So what this all means is that I haven't had time to scrapbook. I haven't had time to think about what it is I'm missing and don't have.
I thought that I'd have to go out and buy some Christmas stamps to make the luncheon decorations, but I ended up using what I had and they turned out beautiful.

Then I thought, I'd have to go out and by some Staz-on ink in blue, because I only had red, black and brown.  Blue may have been "perfect" but the red and brown turned out great too... and I got to use what I have. 

Same with the Christmas gift boxes... no sense in buying more, I still have some left over from last year. I think I'll use what I have.

So what I'm trying to say here, "I think I'll use what I have."

My Italian tiles that I stamped:

(Now if I could only get my printer to work... I'm totally frustrated with it. The darn thing has a mind of it's own and seems to drink up ink by the gallon! And no, I haven't been printed a ton of picture or anything. When it works I love it. When it doesn't I want to throw it out my second story window. Good thing I can't get the screen off - it would be gone!)