I know it has been quite a while since my last post. I have been so busy with the house we bought (2 years ago now) and making it livable. On the bright side we are almost there, Yay. Anyway today's post is about back to school & essential oils. I haven't been active in using my oils like I used to either since we haven't had our own living space for quite a while but I have decided to get back into it this fall. I use them for a lot of things and have found them to work pretty well. Don't get me wrong I'm all about modern medicine and wouldn't replace that with oils but they do great to help when modern medicine falls short. You probably use them in a number of products already like Eucalyptus in your Vapo rub for colds or Eucalyptus and citronella for bug repellents of all kinds. I have a little pdf file of slides that I posted before on facebook but have since discontinued my EO facebook page because I wasn't keeping up with posting. I will attach that below and you can read through all the things that essential oils can help with in regards to kids and school. I know the anxiety fixes really help because they helped my daughter when she was having trouble adjusting to a new school last year. I myself have been having some medical problems that my doctors can't seem to figure out so I'll be looking for more EO options to help with those. I'll keep you posted on those when I have tried them myself.
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Do you like to journal or randomly write down thoughts and ideas in a little book? I do and I discovered Bullet Journals recently and decided to try that type of a journal. It gives me a way to include some artistic creative ideas as well as just writing what I'm thinking as well. I didn't use a "Bullet Journal" to start with because I already had a book with lined pages that I had on hand and wanted to use that before buying something else. Here is a picture of the cover of my journal. I decided to do an anime character because I have been reading webtoons on my phone lately. I like a lot of the artwork. This journal is only about 5" wide x 8.5" tall so it fits in my purse and I keep felt tipped pens in my desk at work, and I also have a bunch of different types of pens and makers at home that I also use with my adult coloring books. There are all types of templates and ideas to use in your journal if you check Pinterest or google Bullet Journal Ideas. Here is a link to my board that has bullet journal ideas as well as bible study ideas: pin.it/6MKqCsj I like the quotes and verses done in fancy styled lettering. There are also so many calendar ideas, trackers, goal pages to find on Pinterest too. I don't do well with the mood trackers and such because I don't have a lot of time every day to do my journal. I think that would be a good thing to commit to though. Here are some more examples of pages I have done in my journal. I also do the traditional journal writing in there too with some accents on the edges of the pages. A journal isn't a journal without some personal reflections too. I also like to track books/stories I have read, movies I've watched and those I want to read or watch. Just for fun to reflect back on later. It's a little more fun to re visit this type of journal I think.
Please comment with pictures of some of your own journal ideas or if you have any links with ideas that would be great, I would love to hear from you!! I have been so busy lately with everyday stuff that I haven’t been able to make any posts. I hope I haven’t lost any of you. We are working on clearing out things we don’t need or use and hoping to find a larger home this coming year. I’ve realized just how small our space is over the past year of being home a lot due to the pandemic and have found that I need more space to create. While going through all the things I had stashed in various areas of our little house I have been looking at a bunch of old art that I did while in high school or shortly after that. I wanted to share some of those with you all just for fun. Let me know what you think. Some are acrylic paintings, some pencils or colored pencil drawings and some are pastels. Some have a little glare from the glass in the frames, sorry about that. It’s cool to se how my work has changed and somewhat als has stayed the same.
I have started an account on ko-fi that I will eventually make into a supporter account once I can get deeper into creating new work. Drop by to take a look. https://ko-fi.com/michellesanford0027 I hope you enjoy the adventure back in time as much as I have. I hope you all engage in your creativity and share your work. The cold weather is upon us. Brisk breezes and falling leaves; I love fall!! The arrival of fall always puts me into craft mode. I get itching to make homemade gifts for the upcoming holiday season. I realize how little time there is to prepare once football season starts so I get crackin' as they say. I decided to hand make as many gifts as possible this year. Things you just can't buy at a big store, and something that I put a little of myself into as well. There are so many different ideas to make on Pinterest I decided to put some scrap wood I had in my garage to good use. I found ideas but ended up changing them a little bit. I have leftover 4x4 scraps from putting up a fence this summer and some 2x4's and a 1x4 just laying around so that's what I used. The 4x4s aren't true to size so I cut them at 3.5" because that's how wide they actually are. The 2x4 I cut to 7.25 " to make sure the blocks would slide in easily and the 1x4 I cut 2 @ 5" long because the 2x4 is actually 1.5" x 3.5". I sanded all the pieces as smooth as I could with an electric hand sander and then using wood glue and some finishing nails I attached the sides to the 2x4 piece to make the base. Then I stained everything with an all in one Stain & Polyurethane stain and let it dry. Once everything was dry I applied some vinyl lettering that I made to the front of the base and the blocks. Then I masked off a section to paint with chalkboard paint so that it can be used for multiple holidays. It can be made just for Christmas if you like just by using vinyl lettering instead of the chalkboard paint. I ended up making 6 calendars, 5 for gifts and one for myself. I actually enjoyed this project. I don't often work with wood but it was quite satisfying seeing these come together! I also included a picture below with how the numbers go on the blocks. I found the image on CraftsUnleashed.
I hope you will try this fun craft yourself. Feel free to post your pictures in the comments below. I love to see your creations! Happy Fall! It seems that the world is a whole new place these days of social distancing. I have a difficult time finding ideas of things to do that aren't just sitting on my couch. So many places closed to keep us safe from COVID-19 that recreational activities have become limited. Spending time at parks and trails is a good way to pass some free time. You can stay a safe distance away from others most of the time and enjoy nature. The weather in Northern New York has been super hot lately and no sign of changing soon so it's tough to spend the day outdoors when its almost 100 degrees and also super humid. Although I am not a fan of the heat I do love to be outside and close to nature so hiking is a nice break from indoor life. The fresh air helps and being under the canopy of trees also helps with the heat. My husband just discovered an app on his phone called AllTrails and it gave us a listing of some trails close to home for us to try. The first trail we visited was the Deferiet Riverfront Trail in Deferiet, NY. It follows the black river and there are many openings for you to climb down to the river edge as well. The trail is a natural trail with lots of roots and rocks so you need to be vigilant when walking and remember to pick up your feet while walking. The trail is fairly clear of undergrowth so it's pretty easy to see it and you can miss walking through any weeds. This would be a good trail for dogs and kids too. There is spots to fish off shore as well. We walked down on the trail and most of the way back on the shoreline. Saw a bunch of little tadpoles and small fish in the water. There were a few trees with letters carved in them as well. The dam is at one end with some water falling over making a nice view. Some fishermen and kids in the water in the safe areas. The water level was safe on the day we went, some current in the center of the river but there were some teens walking through it without any issue. Overall we really enjoyed this trail. It was a short 1.2 mile out and back trail that was easy to follow and fun to walk. I like trails that aren't perfectly flat so that I feel more engaged while walking. There were very few if any bugs that day even with the heat and humidity. Not a large amount of people, passed only a couple and we were able to stay a safe distance away. I'll definitely do this trail again.
Post photos and comments if you decide to walk it and let me know what you think. Anytime I can enjoy the outdoors I feel like I'm rewarded. Australia Wall map (without flames) by: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/607960013/australia-map-printable-wall-art-digital I'm sure by now most people have heard about the wild fires in Australia. Seems like lots of bad stuff has been happening lately and I feel absolutely helpless to know how to make a difference. I was saddened by the Rain Forest fires as well and felt the same way. Being a world away without any means to help on the spot I sent up prayers but didn't know how to help in any other way.
I was excited to find a way I can assist in helping the wildlife who have been injured and displaced due to the fires in Australia. There is a group of crafters in Australia who are helping local wildlife experts with things they need to rescue the animals in need. I wanted to share their links and a couple files to make things they could use if you are so inclined to make something and ship it to them. They include mailing addresses and lists of items that can be purchased and sent as well as a go fund me page for the wildlife groups. The Group ARFSNCrafts on Facebook offer some pdf files with instructions and patterns for various pouches and wraps for the animals as many are baby marsupials and are used to living in pouches. Here is a link to their file page. You can also join the group as well to see what other crafters are donating. https://www.facebook.com/groups/arfsncrafts/files/ You can also find a crochet hanging nest pattern for smaller animals at this link: https://lulostitchco.com/cocoon-hanging-basket-free-pattern/ If you want info on how to help the people of Australia here is a link with an article with info on the fires as well as a bottom section with a list of ways you can help. https://www.cnet.com/how-to/australian-fires-everything-we-know-and-how-you-can-help/ Hello again to all my friends out there in cyberspace. I am a little lax in my posting due to my responsibilities and my inability to get motivated as of late. My family and I had a great time over the holidays (Halloween thru New Years). I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday season. Unfortunately I was super busy and didn't get a lot of creativity time as I wished. I did however get to do one painting that I enjoyed creating for a friend of mine. I did a lot of handmade gifts for my friends and family, mostly crochet or sewn items. I always feel like a handmade gift has more love in it so I decided to go that route this year. My daughter wanted reborn dolls this year so I made some accessories for her, I'll show those in a later post. The painting I did was of a peacock with extreme colors, so it isn't exactly realistic but I love how it turned out. I think she liked it too. Below I have a photo I found on google images that I used for reference but I didn't copy it entirely because I wanted the painting to be more free spirited and not so detailed. And I have the photo of the painting itself as well. Tell me what do you think. I know the lighting isn't the best but I love it. I'm glad I took the time to do this as a gift and I think I'll do more in the future. I enjoyed painting it and my daughter did a smaller painting at the same time that she gave as a gift as well. I would encourage any of my creative friends to make gifts as I believe they have much more value. Time is a precious thing and spending it to create a gift is a great gesture. I hope everyone has a blessed new year and I hope to post more in the new year. Thank you :)
Does anyone else like to write things down besides me?? With the digital way of doing things these days I feel like I'm behind the times because I like to write down my to do list. I like to write out my notes from my bible study, and keep track of everything using the good ole' pen and paper. I have tried using the apps that help you keep lists and all that fancy stuff. I do use my calendar on my cell phone, mainly because it makes a little noise to remind me I need to move my butt. Other than that I have to make lists. A while back I was in a bible study group and the leader gave each of us a cute little binder too track everything we were doing in the study. I think it was a Proverbs 31 Woman study of some sort and I loved the binder although it was kinda hanging out on my shelf for the last 5+ years. Unfortunately the group dwindled when families moved away due to the requirements of the military. I live in an area that is close to a military base so some friendships are short lived. Anyway... I digress, I pulled that little binder out the other day when I decided to start getting my finances in order. You know what I mean, get some of this debt paid off and get back on track with life in general. It is perfect for keeping in my purse because it is half the size of the normal binder and I love it. Only downfall is any printable pages I have found are full size so I set up some of my own for my mini binder. I wanted to share them with you as a printable file so that if anyone else has a mini binder they can print some pages too. I'll be working on more soon just wanted to share what I have created so far. I know most people don't have a mini binder on hand so below are a few options to choose from if you want to order one for yourself. The first is a basic mini binder with a see thru window cover to put your own little page in like I did on mine. The second is a little fancier with a pretty design and a pen holder too. Now if you like to go completely custom, the last on is on zazzle and you can upload your own artwork for the covers and spine! I may need to upgrade in the future myself. I like to be artistic. Just to let you know, I am not affiliated with any of these vendors and they aren't paying me to be on my page, I just wanted to offer you some quick options for mini binders if you wanted one. Now below I'm going to include pdf files for you to print some pages for them. Each file has two pages (a front and a back) so that you can print multiples of the front and then reload your pages so that the other side can have the correct layout when you punch holes for the binder. I hate it when I punch holes and I loose letters in my information. One of the pages I made up is a fancy meal planner, set up for a week per page. I try to grocery shop once a week so I figured it would be easier that way. I live fairly close to the store and also work near stores so if I forget anything I can stop and get it but not everyone has that luxury, hence the shopping list and meals on the same page. Like I said I carry my binder in my purse so I always have my list on hand. The second page is a simple "Debt Account" page that is set up for a single bill. I did this for myself so that I can track my progress in paying off my debts. I also used the notes lines to keep track of what part of my payment goes to interest so that I know actually how much is really coming off the bill. Don't forget that because it won't calculate correctly if you do. You should be able to just click on the files below and download them. They print with two pages per regular sheet of letter sized paper. I also included image files for you to see what they look like.
I think that about covers everything on this project this far. I'll add more files/updates when I come up with them. Comment or message me your thoughts and suggestions. I would love to design something useful for you!
Time, something I seem to never have enough of. I don't know how your life is set up but my time seems to not belong to myself but more to those who fill my life. Between my job, my family and my home I have little time for extras it seems. I have been working to make time for little things that make my day a little less monotonous though. I haven't had the opportunity to read as much as I like but lately I have been able to squeeze in a few books. I'm not sure why but Ghost stories are what I have been enjoying of late. My children bring home book orders for Scholastic and my son is now in Junior High so I have been picking books from his forms and they are pretty good for young adult. Here are a few titles I have been reading: The Girl in the Locked Room by Mary Downing Hawn The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hawn Haunted Schools by Allan Zullo Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell Charlotte Says by Alex Bell The Haunting by Alex Bell In this blog post I am going to review the Charlotte books by Alex Bell. I'm not an amazing writer but I really liked these books and wanted to share them with you. You can get them in the RED EYE set with other similarly scary books or on their own on most book websites. I do like to buy books from Thrift Books because you can get used books at more reasonable prices. I purchased these new and they were around $12 each plus shipping. Thrift Books have them for around $4 each. These books are suspenseful and hard to put down. The second book Charlotte Says actually takes place before Frozen Charlotte but it is the second book you should read. Although it is a prequel to Frozen Charlotte it was definitely written to be read second. Both books take place at a large mansion/school located on the isle of Skye in Scotland. I don't want to give too much of the stories away so I'll just tell you that the first book is about a young lady named Sophie who suffers the loss of her best friend and visits extended family that lives in the large haunted mansion. She finds herself unsure who to trust while she delves into the mystery of her cousins death that happened years before at the mansion. Sophie struggles with visions and voices and doesn't know if what she hears & sees is real or if she's imagining it all. The second book Charlotte Says is the backstory of the mansion, once boarding school. In Charlotte Says we learn how the school became haunted, what plagues the students and those who suffered there before it was vacated and later purchased by Sophie's aunt and uncle in the future. In this book we meet a not so friendly schoolmistress and her young teaching helper, who comes to the school at the beginning of the story, and whom the story revolves around. Both books have the underlying story/poem about Frozen Charlotte called A CORPSE GOING TO A BALL by Mrs. Seba Smith. The poem debut in the newspaper in 1843 and has a history all it's own. If you would like to read up on the Frozen Charlotte poem and dolls here is a link to the Hushed up History website. https://husheduphistory.com/post/139217480858/frozen-charlotte-the-tragic-toy-for-girls-and Above is a copy of the original printing of the poem although it is tough to read. You can read the poem at the Hushed up History link above if you cannot make out all the words in this copy. I enjoyed both of these stories as well as The Haunting by Alex Bell as well. All of these books can be purchased in the box set RED EYE series. There are other horror books by other authors included in the set that I have not had the chance to read yet but I plan to do so. I hope you get a chance to enjoy them as well. https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/frozen-charlotte_alex-bell/10881883/#isbn=1847154530&idiq=28828223
https://www.amazon.com/Charlotte-Says-Red-Eye/dp/1847158404/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22FR4Y0EFP8CT&keywords=charlotte+says+alex+bell&qid=1557861339&s=gateway&sprefix=Charlotte+Says%2Caps%2C319&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.com/Collection-Sleepless-Frozen-Charlotte-Hunting/dp/9526510127/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=red+eye+books&qid=1557861444&s=books&sr=1-4 I know it is now February 2019 but I wanted to share some super cute projects I had been doing for gifts last Christmas. I decided to start with a unicorn plush and it kind of exploded from there. The unicorn plush was a hit when I made it for a craft fair and put it on Facebook and Etsy. Unicorn Pattern After that I tried a number of different amigurumi characters and two of my favorites are the bunny and kitty I did for gifts. The bunny is super cute with a little hoodie that I decided to do out of variegated yarn for fun. Bunny Pattern
Then my sister in law requested a kitty toy as a prize for hosting an Usborne Books & More party with me. Kitty Pattern Soon after posting that I had a number of other requests. I also made a lot of fun toys for my nieces and nephews for Christmas to go with the books I gift every year. Finally just before Christmas I made a super cute crown ear warmer for a friend. I had so much fun creating cute little characters and gifts for everyone this past holiday I hope its a new tradition I can continue. My daughter is just showing interest in learning as well and I hope she finds as much joy in it as I do. Crown Pattern Let me know what you think of these fun projects. Comment below. Also if you try any of these patterns be sure to post pictures I would love to see your creations!! |
Hello!I'm Michelle, a wife, mom and full time graphic designer. I have been working in graphic design for over 20 years. I like to share things about my everyday life and projects I'm working on. Hopefully some of what I share can be valuable to you as well. You can learn more about me here. Archives
January 2022
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