Organization Bust

       Ok, now into day 4 of my organization challenge for myself......hmm. Have I stuck to the plan I originally set for myself....not so much. Have I cleaned the rooms on the days I originally planned to clean them....mmmm, not so much. Why? Well for starters, I've been cleaning what needs to be cleaned as it needs to be cleaned. Mostly my kitchen and the bathroom. In the mornings on school days, with four children, those two rooms are a wreck. TGIF! So with it being Friday, the kids can come home and clean up their own messes, lol. If I can stand it, I will leave everything right where they left it. 
       I will say, in the past two days I have gotten some crafting done. Have I cleaned up my crafting area......not so much, lol. I am pleased though that I got some type of mojo back. I even missed the season premiere of SCANDAL to craft. Yes! I did!  A little disappointed, but so proud of myself that I showed some restraint and finished some projects.
      A new week is around the corner, will I adhere to the goals I set for myself? I don't know. It seems that everything changes when I make plans. With the kids having all kinds of extracurricular activities, I can never plan out my time the way I would like. It's not as cut and dry as I would prefer it to be. Being a single parent doesn't help either. I have no one else to depend on. So one of them may need to be picked up at 5:30, another one will call and say "Hey ma! Practice is over at 5:45. Can you pick me up?" Well my 2 youngest are usually all ready at home, so do I pick one up and then go and sit and wait for 15 minutes for the other one, leaving my 10 year old and my 13 year old to their own devices? Usually what happens is (because it's happened before) If I'm not there to tell them that dinner is done or that dinner will be late, they come in and start fixing something else, so when it's time for dinner, they don't want to eat. Then! If I fall asleep early (because I don't have a set bed time, I usually just fall asleep on them) they are fixing something else to eat a few hours later and still haven't touched dinner. Very frustrating! Then I wake up to a kitchen that is in complete shambles and everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else as to who made the mess.
     So, my prayer is that we can get on some type of schedule or some people are going to start walking home, lol. Otherwise, my HOME MANAGEMENT BINDER was made for naught! I don't even know what works and what doesn't work in it because I can't stick to it. Lord help me, lol. 
     Well, a new week, another attempt...we'll see how it goes.

Organizing my distractions

Ok, so I realized that making time for blogging was at the bottom of my list of things to do. In my attempt to organize my life, it dawns on me that I actually have to make time to blog. If I really want to become an effective blogger that people read and take seriously, I actually have to plan and make time to do so. So I am currently attempting to organizing my life by making a home management binder. Man! That is an undertaking. Realizing all that really needs to be done that I hadn't been doing. It's a wonder my family got anything done. It just goes to show you that the Lord will work with you where you are. So, I don't know when I'll blog again as I undergo this organization transformation, but for anyone who reads this, just pray for me and my family.

Still here, distracted and blessed

Took a while to get back in the swing of things after moving and leaving my job. My mom had surgery in May and she is still recovering, so while she's hospitalized I'm taking time to regain inner peace. So here's a picture frame I've done.

I also did this door hanger, that was fun. Especially when I get the nod of approval from my kids.

I'm gonna try to do better about posting and even do some more YouTube videos. So stay tuned....God bless.

Ok, back in the saddle for a minute. The Lord blessed me with a few orders for mother's day, so I was crazy busy. On top of work and the kids...but the Lord blessed and it all got done. Now on to father's day. But here are some pics from my mother's day projects.

                                                   Easel card: PP - My Mind's Eye

                                                         Easel card: PP - K&Co

                                                           Easel card: PP K&Co

                                                           Easel Card: PP - K&Co

                                                  Easel Card: PP - My Mind's Eye

                                                       Easel Card: PP - K&CO

                                                       Easel card: PP K&Co

                           Altered wood plaque with wood letter and a wooden cross, lace from etsy

                                                              Double Slider Card

                                                                    Swing card

                                                             Easel card: PP - K&Co
All of the flowers are from I Am Roses. The die cuts are either Tim Holtz or Nestablilties.

Ok so on to the crafty stuff!

 

 Ok so this the altered box I did for the baby shower. I used preppy princess from DCWV, I Am Roses flowers, prima's say it in crystals, wooden letters from Michael's painted with baby pink acrylic paint spell out the babies name, and just some white seam binding for the bow.

 A lock can be used to keep secrets or special memorabilia in. Not sure what she's gonna use it for, so I just use a regular necklace clasp and added a bauble from Karlas001 etsy, added it to some chain then added a butterfly dangle and you can't see it but there is a baby bottle charm hanging there too to keep the box closed.

 The inside is fairly simple. The same papers made into a pocket. Some I Am Roses crocheted flowers with some flatback pearls in the center. I used a Martha Stewart punch to give the pocket a decorative edge.

The bottom, I just used some rossette trim I got from hobby lobby and the same DCWV paper.





     Next is the card I made for the shower using pinkpaisley's butterfly garden. It's a book card, love the way it turned out. Hope she likes it. I had fun making it.

 I used I Am Roses flowers on the cover and cut the phrase out using a spellbinders die. I closed it with some white organza ribbon. (The front reads, Baby's almost here! What could be more wonderful!)

On the inside as you can see, the sentiment is recessed like a shadow box. So I stuck the sentiment down on the bottom layer. I fussy cut the flower from the colection and glued it into one of the top layers. I fussy cut the butterfly out that is right up under the sentiment and added some small I Am Roses flowers to the top of the sentiment. Looks like I've done this card before, but it was actually my first time and I love it! (The inside reads, Nothing makes life as sweet as liitle children round your feet. What a compliment of love, to seal your joy from God above.)


     Lastly is the journal I made for my BFF's god-daughter who turned 14 on thursday.

 
Pretty basic journal. Used Girl Power paper stack from DCWV. Turned out pretty cool. Crinkled some pages, sprayed some pages with Lindy's Stamp Gang, stamped some pages with cute stamps. I hope she likes it.


     Well that is all for my recent crafty projects. I am currently working on altering a wall clock. Kinda interesting. So look out for that. Until next time, be blessed and distracted.

Distracted

     First let me say hey! Thanks for stopping by. I feel I must introduce myself a little better, that will give you the option of whether to visit more or not. Distractions as blessings is the title of this blog because crafting to me is a distraction. Let me explain...as of a year ago, maybe even 2; I decided enough was enough. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired and I figured there has to be a better way to "survive". Being raised in the church, there was only one option: turn to Jesus. My journey has not been an easy one, dying to self and the pleasures that self so frequently indulged in was difficult to let go of, to say the least. So I needed a distraction. My god-sister suggested that I try scrapbooking. Needless to say, a year later I love it and have developed a very expensive hobby. It keeps me at peace and out of trouble. Crafting distracts me from the temptations outside and keeps me humble. Distractions as blessings because I don't know anyone who alters things, makes mini albums or journals, anything of that sort. So when people began to see what I do, they began to ask for things. It started with me just making mini albums for new babies or weddings as gifts. People around here hadn't seen anything like it and was telling me how beautiful the projects were. My best friend always asks me to make things for church/family members. It keeps me busy. People always ask when I'm going to do it full time, but I don't think that's for me, it would take the joy out of it. Me and deadlines don't get along. Anyway, I said all of that to say, my distraction (crafting) turned into a blessing for myself and other people. My crafting is simple. The only thing is, I craft slow, lol. It takes me time to pick out papers and embellishments. That is why me and deadlines don't get along. 
    Well I guess for my first entry I've bored you enough. This blog will be crafty and spiritually uplifting. If that's what you need, I invite you to come back and visit often.