Getting Organized the $ Tree Way

My daughter shared a link with me on Friday. It was about organizing your whole house using items you could find at the Dollar Tree. I sat down and visited the site and clicked on every link to all the satellite sites. I was armed with pencil and paper to make a list for a trip to the Dollar Tree.

I didn't get everything in one trip because I had to decide what area I was going to focus on first. But I did pick up a few things for my office. I had several other things I thought about getting but wasn't sure if I would use them. But when I was getting organized this weekend, I actually found two or three areas that I wish I had bought the other items for. But here were the few things I picked up to try.

This little basket is going to hold the yarn for whatever my current plastic canvas projects are. This way, I have all the yarn in one place and work on any of the various projects just by grabbing the basket. As I finish one project, that yarn can go back in my stash and be replaced with the yarn for the next project. 

This is going to hold material that I buy to make runners with. Then when I am ready to work on them, I can just grab the basket. I'm going to put a pair of scissors and my hem tape in there as well. That way, I will have everything for the projects in one place. 

I sat them in the floor under the craft table for easy access and because the colors go good with the theme in my craft/office room. 

I bought three of these little baskets that are the perfect file for sorting and holding paperwork that I am working on until it is completed and ready to file. I had some Martha Stewart tags and a marker in a matching color so I made a label for each basket. 

I stacked them on the spare table so they are readily accessible.

I picked up the two blue metal buckets and put notepads in one and pencils in the other one. I didn't realize it till I got home, but they match my stapler perfectly. 

I already had this tray for folders for important things that I need to keep at my fingertips so I put it on my desk. 

This little blue box was perfect for my dry erase markers for the board on the left. Plus I am using the sorter tray to hold my notebooks I use for my Thirty-One business.

One of the ideas for organizing was using shoe holders for doors. My daughter had two she was not using so she gave them to me. I used one in my craft room. I put it inside the closet door. It holds the craft items for children's church. Now, when I get ready for a craft project for the class, I can go to my holder and pull out what I need. 

I used to keep my cleaning supplies in a couple of containers under the sink and was always fussing about how much room it took up. Some were under one sink in this yellow container and some are under another sink. 

The other shoe organizer became my cleaning supply area. I love it. Everything fits perfectly in the little slots and I can see what I have at a glance and not have to dig through the dark sink. 

And it has two big pockets on the bottom that I can keep my cleaning rags in. 

While we were out Saturday, my daughter picked up some material for some no-sew runners. 

I got the Easter one done this weekend. 

 All that cleaning, organizing and crafting has made me ready for a relaxing evening this evening.

A day with a plan

Two of my favorite stores are Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby. I am heading off to both of them today. I am armed with a wish list a mile long and my 40% off Hobby Lobby coupon. 

(Visit Hobby Lobby to get your coupon every week)

I normally take a little tiny notebook with me with notes and ideas for what I need to pick up when I'm shopping. But today, I have the BIG BOOK of notes, lists, ideas and STUFF. 

As many of you know, my daughter and I shop together almost every weekend. I tag along for the fun of getting out of the house for the day. I patiently wait while she looks for the perfect outfit. I give my opinions when she shops for shoes. She is a girly-girl so we look at a lot of neat things. But yesterday, she made me so proud. She tells me she wants to go to Hobby Lobby, which is not unusual because she make jewelry. But then she added...I want to look at fabric and yarn. Be still my heart!

I immediately got to work on my "list". One thing I'm going to look for is some yarn in coral peach and turqoise. I want to make a plastic canvas basket for my desk to hold post it notes. I just realized yesterday that I made a little box several years back that has a somewhat Chevron pattern to it. I want to make my basket with a similar pattern, but with more colors.

I also want to look for a chain for a necklace. I saw this great idea on a blog or Facebook or somewhere. Anyway, you take a flat washer (usually can be found in your hubby's tool box). Clean it up real good and polish it with your favorite nail polish. Put a sealer on it and loop a chain through it and you have a necklace. Before I bought anything to do it, I took it for a test spin yesterday. I did it in a hurry. I also discovered I needed a fine thin paint brush to get any missed spot. The nail polish brush was too wide to use for touch up spots. I also don't like this chain. I want some more like the chains on military dog tags. I need to buy some sealant to spray on to protect it. But at least you get the idea even if I did do this one in a hurry.

After I finished the necklace. I went to the mailbox and there was a package from Mommy. She had made me a new runner for my coffee table. I love it. I don't know any other woman in her 80's that can craft like she can. She always has several projects going. I want to be just like her when I get that age. 

In the package was also a DVD that two of my cousins put together of old family pictures and set it to nostalgic music. I knew it was going to have a lot of pictures of my Mamaw and Papaw Eden so I grabbed a box of tissues and settled down to watch. It was so awesome and I cried even more than I thought I would. Pictures of our past, memories oh sweet memories, of all the loved ones who have passed on. Pictures of cousins I don't get to see much any more, but still mean the world to me. But as it neared the end and I thought there was no way I could cry any more, this picture popped up. This is my dear, sweet, beloved Daddy who has been gone for 14 years. I had never seen this picture before. This had to have been in the late 50's early 60's I would say. I just can't quit looking at it. I'm going to ask my cousin to send me a copy of it. It just made my day getting to see it.

Well, time to get a move on if I'm going to head out to Hobby Lobby this morning. Have a great Saturday.

Friday's Finds

I love searching Craigs List (in case you haven't heard me say it a hundred times before). Today, I was visiting Kansas City in the Kansas and Missouri area. Let me just say I wish I could plan a road trip to that area. There is a lady selling all this beautiful Pyrex for $5 - $10 per piece. Buy 4 and get the 5th of equal value for free! She has several pieces that catch my fancy.

I jumped around so much on Craig's List, Pinterest, Ebay and Etsy that I don't remember what I found where. But I do know I would love to find this coffee cup. I was a Bazooka Joe fan from way back when. Still my favorite gum to chew. 

Goodwill had this entire set of Melmac dishes on their website, but once you added shipping the price was way out of my comfort zone. 

So, I'm 56 years old and had glasses since I was in the 4th grade. Do you think it is too late to go for contacts? I would love to own some fun sunglasses this year.

  I'm a huge fan of Snoopy so this coffee cup would be perfect for my collection. 

 For somebody who doesn't drink coffee, I'm awfully obsessed with mugs. I like this one as well. 

Again, loving me some Snoopy.

Another set of Melmac at an Estate sale. Maybe this summer I will find me a set.

Vintage Sunoco mug.

Couple of Jadeite mugs. I really like these.

These are very vintage, but I remember them very well. Wouldn't mind to find some like this. 

In keeping with my latest tulip obsession. I am definitely keeping my eyes open at yard sales for anything with tulips on it. 

Aren't these adorable? They are Glasbake and listed for sale on-line for $75 for the set. Not only NO, but NO WAY! For coffee cups? That I will never use. I think not. But they are so pretty. Image an nice spring table set for breakfast with these cups.

I am absolutely falling in love with anything pink this year. I am thinking that pink will be my signature color for 2013. 

Well, what have you found interesting in your world this week?

A good question....

I saw a question on Hobby Lobby's Facebook page the other day. It was a great question and I thought of all my blogging buddies who craft and just knew you would love this question. So I thought I would ask it on my blog today and have you leave me a comment with your answer. The question is:

If you were locked inside Hobby Lobby for the night, in which department would you spend the night?

My answer was:

I would spend the night flitting back and forth between Fabric and Yarn. Luckily for me they are just a few aisles apart. 

So, where would you spend the night in Hobby Lobby?

Wish List Wednesday

Here is what I woke up to today.

It's days like this I am so glad I work from my home. 

I will have to run out later today though because I have a lot of Thirty-One to get delivered. 

Our WMU is doing a presentation for church service tonight. Easter is the month for our Annie Armstrong Easter Offering which goes to help missions in North America. I get to talk about Colorado missions. I've got to go over my notes and rehearse today.  

I need to walk out to the mailbox to send out the rest of my Pampered Chef invitations for my party next week. 

I know many of my readers are going gluten free or have family that has to eat gluten free. You might want to know about a new cookbook Pampered Chef has out. If you want to order one, just let me know and I can add it to my party order and it will ship directly to you. Leave a comment if you want the link to order it. 

I want this pitcher from Pampered Chef. Here lately I have been craving grape Kool-Aid with lemons in it. But over the years, I have lost or broken all my pitchers. I love this one because it is the perfect size to go in my refrigerator and I love the built-in stirrer. 

And if I'm going to always keep a pitcher of Kool-Aid made, I will be wanting a tumbler that can go with me in the car. So I'm adding their double wall tumbler to my wish list as well.

I make a lot of potato-bacon-cheese casseroles, but I need a small dish to make them in. I don't have any good small dishes for baking. So the mini-baker at just 8" round that makes 4 cups is the perfect size for me. 

I am thinking about getting me another Cindy Tote while they are on sale this month. I love the one I have but it is a couple of years old and is in an older pattern. I'd love to have one of the new ones in Railroad Denim. I had a customer order one a few weeks ago and I just fell in love with it. I would like to have one with my initials on it in red.

I also want to get the new Coupon Clutch. I might actually remember to take my coupons and use them if I had something to keep them in. 

I got an order yesterday for a customer who had ordered some of the Little Carry All Caddies. I fell in love with them. I am going to have to get the one with the circles. 

I have a friend who sells Scentsy. I love their burners. I need one for my home office. I am thinking about getting this one. It goes so well with my decor in the office.

And this one is perfect for my kitchen since it I have it decorated vintage farmhouse. This looks like old enamel. 

I am also adding another piece of Pyrex to my wish list. I would love to find something in this pattern. It's called Garden Medley. In all my yard sale, antique store and thrift shopping I have never seen it anywhere. Didn't even know it existed until today. But I love it.

I am also in search of something in the Pink Daisy pattern.

Or the turquoise fridgies.

Hopefully yard sales and the outside flea market will pick up soon. Well, I guess I should do some work today. I have a list a mile long and need to get started. What is on your wish list for this spring?