Move Over Furniture....

Here comes the tree!

Putting a tree up in our tiny living room is always a major project. Depending on the size of the tree, it can be a little major...or major major.

This year was somewhere in between because we have a new furniture arrangement.

That meant having to map out our living room in order to figure out where everything will go so that 1) People can still see each other and talk to each other when sitting on the couch or in the chairs, 2) People can still see the TV from all seating positions, 3) People's arms and legs are not being stabbed by a long branch of an evergreen while they are sitting on the couch or in a chair, and 4) We don't have to remove much loved pieces of furniture or decor to make room for the tree.

See the challenge?

Well, we had our plan in our head ever since we redid the living room, and guess what? When we put the tree in the stand on Saturday and rearranged things the way we "thought" it would work, it looked like crap! We both looked at each other and went, "Uh oh....now what?"

So, we tried to visualize some different arrangements and then we were "on the move". Put the couch here, the tree here, the chairs here, the little fake fireplace here and the record player here. Hmmmmmm. Nope, let's try the tree here and the chairs here. Nope, how about the couch here, the little fake fireplace here and the tree here. Nope......tension building.....blood pressures rising. Okay, let's put the couch here and the chairs there.....tape measure out....nope, that won't work.

"I'm going out to have a cigarette," said Irv. "I'll go in my workshop for a while," said Kathy.

About 10 minutes later, we came back and I said....how about the record player here and the tree here, the couch there, and the TV there and the chairs here?" "What about the little fireplace?" asked Irv. "How about we just squeeze it in right there." answered Kathy.

Hmmmmmmmm.....not bad. It definitely isn't something out of House Beautiful.....but it will work!

Irv put one string of lights on the tree and quit. He was whining and crying the whole time because he just didn't feel like doing it. I also realized that I never bought the ribbon I wanted to hang the ornaments with this year. "But you have a huge box of ribbon," Irv said oh so sweetly. "I know, but it isn't the right size or color," was my oh so sweet reply.

On Sunday we went grocery shopping, stopped for the ribbon, came home and worked on the tree. Irv didn't whine at all while putting on the lights....well maybe a little...but he did it. Then I tied all of the ornaments on with ribbon. I really needed a tiny little ribbon so when I tied it I could leave long ends hanging down. They didn't have enough, so I bought this kind instead. It isn't the look I was going for, and what a big pain in the butt that was! I've never been stabbed so many times in my life. It looks cute, but UGH!!! I will rethink that one next year.

Here is the finished project! Need to find a new tree skirt, but otherwise we are ready for Santa!

Have an awesome day everyone!

The Power of Gratitude

I was going to write about us putting up our Christmas tree on Saturday, but since Irv started whining after putting up one string of lights and I didn't buy the ribbon to hang the ornaments....we will have to save that post for tomorrow.

Instead, we will do this....


I love this! It's by Melody Beattie....

The Power of Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

Isn't that awesome?

When we stop wishing we had more and we stop thinking that things would be better if they were different....when we stop thinking that all will be happy when we get this or do that.....when we stop wanting different than we have....that is when life becomes the best....so perfect...so beautiful.

That's not to say that we can't want things or that we can't have goals...but we can't make the focus of our life to be wanting things we may never get. We can work for them....but we have to enjoy what we have. When we do that, it puts our minds at ease and we realize how very fortunate we are.

We need to learn to accept the fact that today, this moment is all we really have. We must learn to cherish it for exactly what it is and realize that things we want may not really make our lives better. If we are always waiting for better....what if it never comes....where does that leave us...was our life a waste of time?

What if today is really the best that our life will ever, ever be? Can we not then love it for what it is and not for what we wish it would be?

We must be grateful, wrap our arms around ourselves and our lives and love it just as it is...today...this very moment.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

The Gift of Giving.....

Every year I ask my family for a little list of things they would like for Christmas. This year we even set a spending limit, so you would think it would be simple. Not so.

Out of 7 potential lists, I have received one! In fact, two people said they have no clue what they want.

Light bulb goes on over blogger's head....

Maybe the reason I am not getting any lists is because no one really "needs" anything....

If that is the case....how blessed and fortunate can one family be?

I will continue to drop e-mails and texts over the course of the next few days, and if I don't get any lists, then I will just "wing it". My family is always very grateful for what they receive so I'm sure it will be fine.

I have already made a note on my calendar on 9/1/2010 that says, "Check into the Adopt a Family for Christmas Program." Someone was telling me about a program where you adopt a military family or a family in need and shop from their wish list. Then the organization delivers the gifts to them for Christmas.

Here is what I envision for next year....

Our family picks a date and we meet at a restaurant for a bite to eat. We go over the wish list of the family we adopted. We decide who is going to shop for what items and then we set a time that we will meet back at one of our houses. When we get back to the house with all of the gifts, we'll sit and talk about our shopping experiences and who got the best deals. We will be laughing while we wrap up all of the treasures we found. When we're done, we will pack up all of the gifts in big shopping bags and include a card that just says....from our family to yours...and we'll take them to the drop off place for the organization.

How awesome would that be?

There is someone at work that does this every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. His comment today was, "Isn't that what this season is all about....giving?"

Yes, it is and I will share my vision for next year with my family when we get together Christmas Day this year.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Pondering and Planning

I sat in bed last night, clipboard in hand pondering and planning my business strategy for 2010. I am so excited right now. My sales have increased this holiday season, and after 18 months in business....I think I am finally starting to understand what I need to do and NOT do to make my business the success I want it to be. Okay....so I'm a little slow...what can I say?

I have some things I am going to do immediately...like opening a separate checking account with a debit card and a savings account for the business. It's so awful at the end of the year trying to separate personal and business expenses. I also think I spend money for the business when I shouldn't be, because there is money in our checking, and I also leave money I make in our personal account where it quickly gets spent.

Besides the fact that I love creating things, and FourDogDay has filled a tremendous creative void for me...there was another reason I started my business. Irv and I don't have a nice pension sitting there waiting for us when we retire...in fact, at times we wonder if we will ever be able to retire.

My thought was that if between now and retirement, I could build a successful craft business that would eventually bring in a nice little profit....that we could one day use that profit to supplement our social security. I now see that as a very real possibility.

In order to do that though, we need to know where our money is coming from and where it is going. We need to know what works and what doesn't work when creating and marketing my products. So, like I said....I sat with the clipboard in hand and started to map out my strategy...and let me tell you...I am excited!

We will start at the bank this weekend by opening those accounts. I will close up MyOtherShop as soon as I can, so that all of my attention and energy can be devoted to FourDogDay. I will clear out things I don't plan to make anymore to make room for the new things that I can't wait to start on....and we will carefully select some craft shows for spring and fall.

We are taking control of our business rather than allowing our business to take control of us!

How about you? Do you have business or personal plan in place for 2010? Have you ever done a personal or business financial makeover? If you own your own business, did it take you a while to really figure things out? Please share.....

Surprise Unveiled

The wait is over....I am about to show you what I made for my living room!!!! First though, here is the cute little table I bought to put my record player on. I found it at that same little shop where I got the other table and lamp. We still need to move furniture around, so I'm not sure where it is going to go, but I think it will work.

Remember when Irv took our big TV cabinet and cut it apart with a saw to make a smaller TV stand......click here to see the "before" picture. Well, here it is cut down and painted with new handles. Irv had to put a little mat under the TV for now so it doesn't stick to the new paint, but isn't it awesome?

Okay....I've made you wait long enough. Here is the surprise project.....

Tick! Tock! I made a clock!! (Hope you weren't expecting something really exciting)

I saw these clocks in a magazine and I couldn't wait to try making one. I bought the awesome fabric at IKEA and Irv made the frame. In the magazine they used a framed art canvas....but I will only do that if I can get them on sale. Irv can make them cheaper. I ordered the clock parts online and we just finished putting it together last night! I just love it!


Unfortunately, it was already dark when I took the pictures, so I had to use a flash, but you get the idea.

I looked on etsy and there are some similar clocks, but not too many. That either means that they aren't big sellers, or no one wants to make them. HAHA!

What do you think? Should I make some for FourDogDay? If so, what colors, sizes and shapes do you think might be good? Any suggestions?

It's Pouring!

You know how they say, "When it rains, it pours?" Well, it is pouring at our house right now. Over the weekend my dryer decided that 20 years of drying our clothes was enough and it went kapooey on us. Irv has it wired up so we can dry a load here and there, but we decided that for safety reasons....we better get a new one. So we searched all over on line and at the outlets and ended up with a bare bones model at Home Depot for $319 with free delivery and haul away of the relic in our basement.

Okay, not the greatest timing right before Christmas, and in the middle of all of our redecorating, but what are you going to do?

Well, yesterday morning Irv's truck went kapooey too. NOT a good thing. He was using it at work and all of a sudden it just wouldn't start. It wanted to, but no go. Irv drives an older model GMC with 115,000 miles on it. We are very cautious about where we take our vehicles when they need work, so he had it towed to our guy's shop. Our guy called and said that the computerized fuel pump went out and it would be $750 to fix it. OUCH!! Now that hurts.

We really had no choice but to fix it. The truck is still worth a bit and we certainly can't afford another payment right now.....so, it got fixed yesterday and we have to pick it up today.

I'm doing my best to smile and say, "Oh, it's okay. It could be so much worse. It's just a truck and it's only money".....but dog gone it...I was having so much fun fixing up the house, and since part of this truck repair will have to go on plastic....I will have to get that paid off before I can have any more fun on my house!

.....but like I said. It could be so much worse.

Back to Work

Wow....Sunday when I was nursing my two day headache, I decided I had to DO something. I am not the kind of person that can go lay down, or sit and watch T.V. I have to be doing something all the time.

I had fabric for two tote bags that I was going to make for FourDogDay about a month ago, along with three Christmas aprons...and none of it ever got done. So I pulled out the fabric for the totes and went through all of the new patterns I have bought and found a GREAT tote bag pattern...the kind that ties at the shoulder...and started cutting them out. I think they are going to be really cute, and I might actually allow myself to keep one of them!! I would love to take a picture and show you, but I left my bag with my camera in it at work!

Irv and I also worked on my secret project too. (It really isn't very secret....I got it from a magazine!) I am waiting for some parts that should arrive this week and then I will finish it and show it to you. It is so darn cool! This one is for my living room....if it looks good....I'll make some for FourDogDay.

Well, that is it for today. Short and sweet. Gotta get ready for work. Make it an awesome day!