Does Anyone Know.....

In the purge progress I have come upon an old cell phone box.
The phone is somewhere yet to be discovered.
The box and all paper was recycled.
The plastic insert was recycled.

But what do I do with the old charger cord?

Does anyone know where I can recycle this?

If you do please leave a comment.

THANKS!!!!

Don't forget the freebie from the previous post. Leave a comment by Monday or it along with a new freebie will be offered up next Tuesday.

My Trash / Your Treasure

In my never ending purge I have begun to delve into the crafting supplies.
Since I don't want to list them on e-bay or esty I am going to begin to offer what I no longer wish to keep (my trash) and hopefully it will become your treasure. I hope to do this every Tuesday, so let's call it Trashy Tuesday. If you want the trash leave a comment and I will pick a name and the winner will get my trash for their treasure. So without further ado, here is the trash/treasure.



A Birthday Clear Stamp Set

One of Those Days

I know that I have had one of these days and I really never felt the impact until today.

Did you ever experience the following:
You have been asked (or you asked) to have something explained that truly frustrated you ( or the person you asked) because the question was so clear in the data that there shouldn't have been a question or a reason to involve that person?

Case in point, on two separate occasions today, two different co-workers came and asked me a question that I had no answer for and it was plain (at least to me) that I shouldn't even have been involved.

One was a piece of mail that was sent out (not by me)that was returned by the post office for an incomplete address. I was asked why it was returned and where should it have been sent. I replied by saying that I didn't send the letter and did not know why it was returned and that I had no more information than the person who asked the question. It turned out that the contents of the letter had been handled by me yesterday because the intended recipient did not receive our letter. Everything was handled via e-mail and fax and in this case the returned letter was a mute point.

The second event was that I was forwarded an e-mail from a co-worker whom had received the original. The e-mail writer was a customer asking about a contract and including specs for an insurance certificate. My co-worker asked if I knew what the writer wanted. After reading the e-mail it wasn't quite clear and more clarification was needed from the original sender. I became frustrated that I was brought into this issue. A simple response to the writer of whether she needed a certificate of insurance to match her outlined specifics and more clarification on the contract part of the e-mail was what was needed. Why I had to be involved, almost like the co-worker wanted me to do the work is what made me frustrated.

I am very stressed right now because my plate is heaping and there doesn't seem to be any hope of getting any help with the current state of the economy and everyone laying people off left and right. So I decided to vent via this medium instead of going "postal" on my co-workers.

Thanks for listening!!!!

I Finished Something

I actually finished a card and remembered to take a picture before sending it on it's way. The stamp is from the $1.00 bin at Michael's and the flowers are discounted Martha Stewart with Doodle Bug sugar coated brads. Patterned paper from SU along with the cardstock and ink.

If you are fortunate enough to have Martin Luther King Jr. day off then enjoy yourself. I am at work and enjoying the no mail today so I can devote that time to catching up on other items.

Frigid Winter Wonderland

Rick took this picture of the backyard yesterday. It was 12 degrees below zero but the sun was shing bright. These type of pics are always good to look at when in August I'm complaining because it's TOO HOT!!!

Have a good weekend and stay warm. For everyone in the cold climate the weather is a good excuse to stay inside and craft or read or watch football. (All of which I intend to do this weekend)

Random Stuff

Okay, so I made an engagement card for my niece and sealed the envelope with sealing wax without taking a picture. Go ahead say it, DORK!

I am working on a couple of cards but none are finished yet.

This weekend was very super nice. My family through a surprise graduation party for me. Tons of good family and friend love and delish food. Very special and generous gifts. My sister from California surprised me with a visit and if I didn't come down with a cold it would have been the PERFECT weekend.

Once I knock this cold out of my system I'll have crafty pics.

I Love Flowers

I got an unexpected surprise late yesterday afternoon at work. There was a delivery package for me which contained these beautiful birthday flowers from my sister Cindy in California. What a welcome breath of fun on a snowy cold January day in Chicagoland. My birthday is actually Friday, but the early arrival of the flowers means that we get to enjoy the fantastic fresh flower smell here in the office for a few days. (I will be taking them home with me on Friday).

A New Year

Well I have neglected the blog for quite awhile and I am going to do my best to update more regularly.

My Christmas and New Year were very nice and very uneventful so that is a good thing.

It is a new year and what would it be without some resolutions or goals or things to do lists....

I am going to call my "changes" new habits

So far I have done pretty well with my new habits

1. Drink only ONE Diet Coke per day. (Day 5, so far so good).
2. Begin purging again (2 garbage bags filled for the Salvation Army from my closet)
3. Save $1.00 per day ($5.00 has been "saved", if by putting it into an envelope in my underwear drawer is saving)
4. Craft something each and every day. (Pretty easy right now since I have a large afghan and a baby afghan in the works right now)
5. Read at least one book per month. Not sure if this one really counts as a NEW habit as it was something I vowed to do after I graduated.
6. Eat more healthful foods and remove some of the unhealthy foods. (Not a diet but I hope the changes will create a diet-like result).

There are a few more new habits that I would like to add (like flossing my teeth every night before bed) but I need to get these 5 down pat and begin to introduce new ones.

So, if you have made resolutions, goals, new ideas, new habits or whatever you wish to call them, take one day at a time and if you mess up one day, well just wake up the next day and start over. Each day that you achieve some success will propel you to keep it up.

The best of the new year to you all!

A White Christmas

I took these photos less than a 1/2 hour ago. This is what is looks like outside right now. These were taken from the front door of where I work. The forecast has it snowing and possibly sleeting for the rest of the day and night. There is a possibility that we will be working from home tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed. We will definitely have a white Christmas.







This year with the organization taking place in the craft cellar and many crafty items stacked on top of my large tree, I decided to put up a small tree. I wasn't into the moving of furniture and all that so I picked up what I thought was a red tree (pickings were slim just a week before X-mas at the craft store). This one came pre-lit and all I had to do was pick up some ornaments.




Last Thursday I took a vacation day and Rick and I went down to the Museum of Science and Industry to walk around. I wanted to see the Christmas trees from around the world. Here are two pictures of the main tree in the center of the rotunda.







My paternal side is German so here is the tree for Germany and some of the ornaments.

A Bit of Catch Up

Well all of the pomp is over. I ended my current academic pursuit with an A in my final class and walked with my fellow graduates to receive our diplomas in front of family and friends. Of course our diplomas really weren't inside the leather diploma sleeves, but it looked good. I am proud to say that I did not trip or fall and that although at times I got teary eyed I did not cry. I was surprised with the gorgeous flowers from my family. The scent of fresh flowers is wonderful. I will have new cards very soon. Got to get to work.


The two beautiful bouquets.

A Vent & Frosty

ARGH!!!!

That is not a cute take on a pirate but an exasperated vocal display of disgust!

Our term paper was due last night but we didn't hand it in.
Two reasons:
1. The syllabus stated that the paper was due on 12/3 but the data on Blackboard (the student online course forum) stated that it was due on 12/8.
2. 10 minutes before class, I left the room to go to the ladies room and I ran into Tom (one of my goup-mates) whom has not done ANYTHING for the paper. I did the paper on Sunday and had everyone's data EXCEPT Tom's. On Monday, late afternoon I get an e-mail from Tom sent from his iPhone that he would have his data to me the next day (Tuesday). Nothing arrived on Tuesday, nothing yesterday and finally at 3pm I spiral bound the paper and left for class at 4pm. So back to the hallway, as I am walking one way Tom is walking towards me. He stops me, hands me a jump drive and says that his part of the paper is on it and I just have to print it out. He says that he is not coming to class and starts to walk away. I catch up to him and ask how am I supposed to return the jump drive. He says that maybe he'll be in class on Monday. I just stood there dumbfounded. How completely selfish. No nasty phrase can sum up his actions better than SELFISH!

So, today during work I have to find Tom's data on the jump drive. Fit it into our paper. Unbind the paper I did yesterday add his data and rebind.

Okay, enough of the vent!



Just something that I threw together this morning.


The snowman is raised with pop dots.

Enjoy your Thursday

P.S. I MUST put a disclaimer on the card. I did NOT color him. It was a pre-colored image that I cut out and I do not want to take credit for coloring him (thanks Joanne for thinking that I have that much talent).

One Version

Here is one version of the Christmas cards that I made to send out. I thought that the "vanilla" ribbon would show up better but it was a disappointment. I have done the card with a cranberry ribbon too and like that one much better. Of course I ran out of ribbon and can't remember where I bought it so the card took another transformation. The latest version has the words stamped in SU Bravo Burgundy ink and I used a burgundy sheer ribbon. That one is my favorite so far.

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was relaxing and I thought that the term paper was done but my colleagues have a few suggestions to tweak it and make it better. The paper is due tomorrow so whatever happens between today and early morning tomorrow will be the last chances to fix what needs to be fixed.

Happy Birthday

I started this card when I had jury duty a couple of weeks ago. This is from a SU birthday kit. I finished it this morning before going to work. The birthday cake is raised by one layer of pop dots. The words Happy Birthday have two layers of pop dots. Not much but trying to get the crafty gene going.

Forward Progress

Okay, so I know that I have alot of stamp sets. What I didn't realize is that I would be scrambling to find good places to store them. So I was working away on Saturday afternoon and ran out of the small dot stickers so I had to stop. While grocery shopping yesterday I picked up another package. I thought about getting two but read that there were 306 dots in a package and thought that I would NEVER run out of dots. Yikers, I did and had to stop yesterday when I was very close to finishing this phase of the organization. Once completed this will document the Stampin' Up sets, I still have the loose stamps and stamps sets that I have purchased at stores and online to deal with. I also want to get myself set up to do multiple crafts. Believe me, behind all of those stamps that were stacked on the table is my sewing machine and serger just calling out to be used.


Not much but it is a card. I think with all of this organizing that I have lost my creative side. I hope that it is just clogged with too many ideas and that once the stamps are done that I can get down to creating with all of these stamps.


I filled the large pantry size cabinet.


On the first shelf I put sets two deep, not super practical but necessary.





Believe it or not, the cabinet does close.














I put the stamp sets that are being stored in this cabinet into containers first so that I can just pull out the container, grab the set and go. This cabinet is much deeper than the pantry cabinet and the best use of the space was containers so that I wouldn't constantly be moving sets around to get at the ones in the back.





I originally bought this four drawer plastic storage bin with wheels to store all of my punches. It was working very well until the weight of all of the punches broke two of the wheels. I will have to find an alternate punch storage place and with the wheels off and this up on top of a sturdy piece will work great for the remainder (I hope) of the SU stamp sets (just need more dots and I can finish).

Believe it or not, I actually found some sets yesterday that I hadn't stamped for the binder. I think that they are multiplying while I'm upstairs sleeping.

Getting Closer to Organized

The project that I started a little while ago is getting closer to being finished. I have FINALLY mounted all but a handful of SU stamp sets. I have stamped them on white paper and have put them into two three ring binders. Yesterday I began the task of getting like sized boxes together and numbering the set and then the page in the binder. My hope is that I can quickly flip through the binder, find the stamps I want to use and then go to the storage cabinet and pull the set, use it, clean it and put it away. I hope to eliminate stamp sets laying around all over my house. I still have all of my loose non SU stamps to "catalog" but I have made some good progress.


The main stack of SU stamp sets, some are two deep.


A pile here.


Another pile here.


A pile over here.


A pile there.


Piles everywhere!


One binder for all non-Christmas sets.


The sets were stamped and put in plastic sleeves inside the binder.


The cabinet before. The colored "pencil" boxes in the bottom will be removed and relocated to another area of the craft cellar. Yes, they contain loose non SU stamps.


The first two shelves are filling up fast.


The tall stack of stamps sets begins to dwindle as they are numbered and put away.


The numbered sets are being added to the cabinet as I cross reference them in the binder.

Same Old Image

Here's another card, same ol' image, different colors.

Autumn Colors

I have been trying to make some cards whenever I run across a "colored image" as was the case for this card. I am in a craft fair this Saturday and I have been trying to complete a crochet baby afghan by tonight so that I can wash it and have it ready for Saturday.

The stamp is a SU stamp, stamped a few times, colored with pencils and the patterned paper is also SU.