Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

Meowy Christmas!

Traditional Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I am celebrating this harvest holiday at Plymouth Rock where our ancestors commemorated their first feast. Even though historical details are inconsistent, Plymouth, Mass has been the traditional site of the first Thanksgiving. Blessing to you all.

Participated in the pilgrim march.  

 This wonderful park was walking distance from my Air B&B

 I found this cute coffee house just around the corner. I spent a few hours here.

They made me a wonderful dry cappuccino

Fall is in the Air

Ahhh, my favorite time of year.  And who doesn't love everything thing about autumn? Things slow down...as we all should every now and then.   For me it's a time of reflection.  I think about the wonderful memories from past chapters in my life.  Great food, fun, and fellowship. Cooler temperatures, fall festivals, and decorations. I consider fall decorating as the "staging area" for Christmas.  Although, I actually keep a few fall {and Christmas} decorations up during the entire year.  What is your favorite fall decoration?

First fall fire of the season

I found this doll and pumpkin in the 50 percent off shelves at Hobby Lobby...just FYI

Annabel seems to be excited about the new decor and changing weather

Also in the 50 off racks, this cup is a precursor to Christmastide

And as always, don't forget to write in your journal 

Nice is nice

The French Riviera, or Cote d'Azur, is known for its captivating scenery, Provencal culture and cuisine, charming villages and overall joie de vivre (joy of life). As one of the most alluring regions in France, it's the perfect destination for travelers in search of extraordinary food and wine.

Stunning water of the Mediterranean

The French Riviera has year round temps in the 70s!

I stayed in the medieval village of St. Paul de Vince 15km north of Nice.

And a room with a view

On my way to Monte Carlo

No one comes close to European architecture

And no one makes coffee like the Europeans!

I definitely fit right in

Au Revior, France. I will see you again soon!

Distressed "Home made" Journals

Hand-written journals have always played a major part of my life since I was a boy.  I'v used everything from a composition book for fifty cents to some of the most expensive leather journals on the market.  Finding the perfect journal for yourself or a gift for someone else can be a challenge.  Most products are only basic black leather {which I have many}, and after a while, everybody ends up having the same thing.

Here is a neat way to personalize even the dullest store-bought journal on the market and to tailor it to your liking by adding your own personal touch.  These journals also make great gifts and encourages and actively promotes the lost art of journal writing.

These store-bought journals are made with a hard-cover cardboard and are perfect for tailoring.  Cardboard or chipboard lends itself well to glue, stamps, and tape

-Add washi tape to create a faux spine for both the the inside and outside of the book.

-I glued a glassine bag to store keep sakes

-Customize by printing your own text from the computer, stamping or adding lace.

-Glue a mini envelope onto one of the pages for small items. I use mine for business cards and scrap paper.

-Distress the edges with stamp ink and a paper towel for a vintage look

I'm big on keeping receipts.  They commemorate that special place or meal you shared with a loved one.

-Glue a library card pocket or create your own pockets on the computer and print with your favorite font. {This way you are not bound by commercial rubber stamp fonts}.

-Use a mini food paper sack and glue a printed sheet on top.

-Also, you can use specialty scissors to create a custom fun look.

-Washi tape for faux spine

And finally, use distress ink and a paper towel to give your pages that vintage look.  You will always have a commemorative treasure that no one else has and something to remind you of the wonderful events and memories in your life.  

-Customize for a particular travel destination

-Customize for a particular season or event

-Leave pages blank for adding pictures or autographs

Try it!  Enjoy.

Vintage-Inspired Frames

Who doesn't look forward to the fall season?  The temperature in Dallas is 101 degrees today but that didn't stop my creativity.   These vintage-inspired frames are simple to create and add a bit of nostalgia to any room in the house.  Enjoy!

I found these store-bought frames for cheap and took the backing and the glass out.

Then tie jute string creating your clothes line for art that you plan on displaying.

Be sure to pull and tie your knot to where you can pluck the string like a guitar.

I added some old stamps and inspiration stickers using a glue stick {left over from my teacher days}

Add your favorite photos and/or creations. Hang anywhere.  

Mason Jars

I came up with this cute idea just this week.  Even though I am no longer teaching, I still enjoy being crafty and giving others free gifts.  A friend of mine is moving to a new office so I decided to make a unique gift for her and two others in my office.  It's filled with fun office supplies, which you can never go wrong.   The great thing about these is you can personalize it to that specific friend or loved one.  In this case,  they like to travel, so I took some decorative paper and cut it to size... then just curled it inside the jar.  And the best part is that it is unique to them.  The items inside may be store-bought, but the time you put into it is what counts.

Here's what's inside.  Most everything was found in the dollar shelves.

Use washi tape for everything!  

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The jars also make a decorative piece in the house as well

And always hand-make your tags or card.  Stamp it with their initials and/or something they love