It's finally here - the BIG 6-0

Well, this is it. Today is the BIG 6-0!! After the late hours I kept this weekend, I should definately be feeling it! But, so far, I feel the same. I got to sleep in a little bit this a.m. and while I was catching up on e-mail, etc. hubby came down with ..... a big bag of dirty laundry & said "Happy Birthday"!! No, that didn't mean he was going to DO the laundry, but that he was bringing it down for me to tackle!! He did laugh when he said it, so he realized the irony. I guess I should be thankful that I am still able to do the laundry (yeah - keep telling myself that one!) Sometimes it's hard to find that silver lining! Nothing special planned for today. I treated myself to breakfast yesterday after my yearly physical & flu shot - eggs, grits, biscuit & country ham. I saved a biscuit & country ham for today so I could feel like I was celebrating!! Now .... to see who will "nuke" it for me. (that'll be moi I'm sure!) Oh - I hear something .... Sonny is emptying the dishwasher for me and making his own oatmeal for breakfast.... another treat for my birthday!! Of course, he usually does those chores anyway!

Seriously, he is a great husband and partner. We've been married for 35 years so guess birthdays are old hat for us. He did a great job last weekend with my party (thanks to Ashley reminding him of his "to do" lists periodically). It's ok - his birthday is next week & I'll be ready!

So, I'm off to enjoy my day and the next time I post to this blog, I'll be ...... gasp, older than 60 and starting on the road to 61!!!

The Old Tire Swing

Just wanted to share my Monday Mailer with you. I mailed this one to Nikki today so it may be a sneak preview for her!

I used the Season of Friendship stamp from the current mini catalog and stamped the leaves in various colors - orange; green; rust; mustard. Then I added a "tire swing" using the large SU brad. Brings back childhood memories, don't you think?

Turning 60's not so bad if you can party all weekend!

Wowzers! What a weekend! I had the most wonderful time this weekend with all my friends and family. We started out on Thursday night when we picked Don & Sharon up at the airport (flying in from Texas). They didn't arrive until about 10:00 so we stopped off on the way home at The Brickyard in Davidson. We were so busy catching up with each other that we lost track of time and ended up at home and in bed about 2 a.m.!!

Friday, Sharon, my mom, and I went to the Tea House in Cornelius for a birthday lunch and did a little shopping and got a manicure and pedicure after that. When we arrived home around 6:00 pm, Sonny had picked up Margaret and Graham (from Texas) at the airport and had a big surprise waiting for me. My nephew, Jack (Frost - if you can believe that!!) had flown here from Texas with his girlfriend to surprise me for my birthday. I was really surprised (well, mostly - someone slipped up the night before and let the "cat out of the bag" but I wasn't 100% sure of what they had said.) Jack is the same age as my son and just a great kid. We've always been close and our families always took vacations together when the kids were younger. Since my son wasn't here for my birthday (that's another story!!), having Jack was the next best thing. I haven't seen him since his mother (my half-sister) died last Thanksgiving so it was very emotional for both of us. I had never met his girlfriend, Katrina, (easy to remember that name!) and she was very sweet and fit right in with everyone else.

My daughter, Ashley, had gotten stuck in Friday night traffic driving in from DC so we ended up meeting her in Mooresville and all 9 of us piled in our Durango (that was an interesting fit!!) and went to the Galway Hooker for dinner. Since we didn't have reservations, we had about an hour's wait, but it gave us all time to visit and catch up with each other. After a great meal - fish and chips - yum, we headed home where some of us tried to get to bed before midnight!!

Saturday, we had an early start with an 8:30 card class at Stamper's Alley. I kept telling my visitors that we would stop at a bagel shop to pick up breakfast on the way. But, no one wanted to stop - saying they weren't hungry. When we arrived at Stamper's Alley, I found out why!! Robin had prepared breakfast casserole and banana bread for me for my birthday and the best part .... Bellinis!! What a way to start the day!! So we really enjoyed our card making session although everyone didn't get all 6 of the cards done (we finished them on Sunday). After all of that, our next stop was Pomodoro's Italian Restaurant (sounds like all we did was eat and drink, doesn't it????) where the guys met us for lunch. As usual, our portions were way too much and I still have a lot of the leftovers in my fridge!!

Saturday night was my party. What fun we all had. I had college friends there, old friends, new friends, family ..... and we all had such a great time telling our stories and remembering other times we had been together. It had turned pretty cold and our plans were to have the party outside, so my sister brought her firepit and we all huddled around the fire to stay warm in our sweatshirts and jackets. Unfortunately, all the pictures I took did not turn out because it was so dark and the flames from the fire got in the way. Hopefully, someone else's pictures will be better than mine! That night, it was after 3:00 a.m. before I was in bed. (I'm really too old to keep these hours and it showed Sunday & Monday).

Sunday, Katrina got up and fixed sausage gravy and biscuits for all of us - except the ones who weren't feeling up to par enough to eat (actually, only my hubbie!) Yummmm!! It was just so nice to sit back all weekend and let others do the work. Anyone who knows me, knows that's just not my way!! In the afternoon, we drove back into Mooresville to Big Al's - our local STEELERS bar to watch the game. We had a mix of fans - Sonny, Ashley & I pulling for the Steelers and of course, all the Texans pulling for the Cowboys. (How about those losing Cowboys????) Jack was not a happy camper as you can see by this picture.

Sunday night found most of us lounging around the house and napping. We did end up getting out our slide projector and looked at some old slides of some of our vacations with Jack and my sister from back in the 80's!! And we played a trivia game that was a lot of fun (even if my team didn't win!!).

Monday, it was time for everyone to pack up and get to the airport - after Katrina fixed us another great breakfast!!. This time, we had to drive 2 cars so we could get everyone and their luggage to the airport. A great time was had by all and it is a weekend I will never forget. I was so honored to know that I have friends who think enough of me to come this far just to celebrate my milestone. It makes turning 60 not so bad!! The only thing that would have made it any better is if I could have had my son and his family here with me. Perhaps in another lifetime.

What a difference 60 years makes

This was sent to me and I think it is too good not to share.

This article came from a gentleman in his 80s (and a DEMOCRAT!) who actually lived thru those (and these) times. Whether you agree or disagree, this is a powerful statement!!!
Everyone has a different opinion on the war, and our current President. But this article probably makes sense to those who remember. Read it and give it some thought. What a difference 60 years makes!!!

'You Ain't Gonna Like Losing' Author unknown

President Bush did make a bad mistake in the war on terrorism. But the mistake was not his decision to go to war in Iraq . Bush's mistake came in his belief that this country is the same one his father fought for in WWII. It is not!!! Back then they had just come out of a vicious depression. The country was steeled by the hardship of that depression, but they still believed fervently in this country. They knew that the people had elected th eir leaders, so it was the people's duty to back those leaders. Therefore, when the war broke out the people came together, rallied behind, and stuck with their leaders, whether they had voted for them or not, or whether the war was going badly or not. And war was just as distasteful..... and the anguish just as great then as it is today. Often there were more casualties in one day in WWII than we have had in the entire Iraq war. But that did not matter. The people stuck with the President because it was their patriotic duty. Americans put aside their differences in WWII and worked together to win that war.

Everyone from every strata of society, from young to old pitched in. Small children pulled little wagons around to gather scrap metal for the war effort. Grade school students saved their pennies to buy stamps for war bonds to help the effort. Men who were too old or medically 4F lied about their age or condition trying their best to join the military. Women doubled their work to keep things going at home. Harsh rationing of everything from gasoline, to soap, to butter, was imposed, yet there was very little complaining.
You never heard prominent people on the radio belittling the President. Interestingly enough, in those days there were no fat cat actors and entertainers who ran off to visit and fawn over dictators of hostile countries and complain to them about our President. Instead, they made upbeat films and entertained our troops to help the troops' morale. And a bunch even enlisted. And imagine this: Teachers in schools actually started the day off with a Pledge of Allegiance, and with prayers for our country and our troops!!!

Back then, no newspaper would have dared to point out certain weak spots in our cities where bombs could be set off to cause the maximum damage. No newspaper would have dared complain about what we were doing to catch spies. A newspaper would have been laughed out of existence if it had complained that German or Japanese soldiers were being 'tortured' by being forced to wear women's underwear, or subjected to interrogation by a woman, or being scared by a dog.

There were a lot of things different back then. We were not subjected to a constant bombardment of pornography, perversion and promiscuity in movies or on radio. We did not have legions of crack heads, dope pushers and arm ed gangs roaming our streets.No, President Bush did not make a mistake in his handling of terrorism. He made the mistake of believing that we still had the courage and fortitude of our fathers. He believed that this was still the country that our fathers fought so dearly to preserve!!It is not the same country. It is now a cross between Sodom and Gomorrah and the land of Oz. We did unite for a short while after 9/11, but our attitude changed when we found out that defending our country would require some sacrifices. We are in great danger!! The terrorists are fanatic Muslims. They believe that it is okay, even their duty, to kill anyone who will not convert to Islam. It has been estimated that about one third, or over three hundred million Muslims, are sympathetic to the terrorists cause ... Hitler and Tojo combined did not have nearly that many potential recruits. So...we either win it - or lose it - and you ain't gonna like losing!!!

Today, for many folks, America is not at war...the military is at war...................... America is at the mall!!!!!!!!!

Cool Cat

I received this great birthday card from my friend, Wanda. Isn't it cute??? This is a retired set - Cool Cat - but I've always loved it. This is a tag card & I just may use it for a bookmark.

Thanks, Wanda! You're a great friend!

Scandinavian Season

Just wanted to share this card with you that I received from my Monday Mailer partner this week. I have seen some wonderful card with this set from the Mini catty - Scandinavian Season. When I first saw it in the catalog, it didn't really do much for me, but wow, have I seen some great cards using it! Like this one -

My Lifetime Goal

For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I have been doing Weight Watchers for a while now. My goal was to reach Lifetime status (again) by my birthday next Wednesday. Well, as of last week, I DID IT!! I now only have to go once a month to weigh in. If I stay within 2 pounds of my goal weight, I don't have to pay. I weighed in last week for October because I knew with my party coming up and other things I have planned in the month, my best time to weigh less would be early in the month. Now, I just have to go weigh in BEFORE Thanksgiving!! And then again, BEFORE, Christmas - parties, goodies, baking, etc!! This is the hardest time of the year to be doing this, but if I can do it now, I should be "good to go"!!

Apple Pickin' Time

Just want to share the Monday Mailer card I mailed to Nikki this week. Our theme this month is Fall, Halloween or Birthday (guess whose!!) So I did apples because it is apple pickin' time!! I found a template with these 4 rectangles so I sponged green chalk in the openings and stamped and embossed the apples. It's pretty simple, but sometimes, simple is good!!

Full House

Another quick post! Today was my Mahjong day. Why is it everything happens at once? Last week, I didn't have one thing scheduled to do and this week, every day is full! I have a meeting in the morning and then a little free time until we go to the airport to pick up our first wave of friends that are coming for my party. Don and Sharon are really good friends of ours from our Texas days. It is so special that they are flying here for my party since they were just here in July for my Mom's birthday party!! How great is that??!! I just found out tonight that some of our good Texas pals are coming on Friday. Margaret and Graham actually get to visit us on a pretty regular basis since he is a retired American Airlines pilot and they have a daughter that lives near Concord. We will have a full house when Ashley arrives on Friday night! But that will be so much fun! I can't wait! We will all be going to Stamper's Alley bright and early (too early, really!) Saturday morning for the Great Impressions Stamp of the Month class. My new NC good friend, Robin, teaches the class every month and it is so much fun! Robin just makes it so enjoyable. I probably go as much for the fellowship as for the card making!! My sister, Marianne, also takes the class with me each month. This time, she also will have company - her girlfriend, Sharon, is coming up from Florida (for my party!) and will take the class with us. I hope Robin is prepared for the 6 of us!!

The Big Winner!!

Ok - I have been super busy this week!! I have been working on making Halloween treat bags for my daughter to take back to DC with her. She's coming down for the weekend and throwing a birthday (#60!!) party for me!! So I've been getting ready for that - more details later! Yesterday was my bridge day. Today, I was up bright & early to work in the Mooresville Soup Kitchen. Then I had a little shopping to do. And tonight, I played bunco in my neighborhood. We get together once a month for Bunco & I have only gone once since last winter! I used to go every month, but it seems like lately, there's always a conflict or I forget!! So tonight, I made an effort to go & am I ever glad I did - it made me $83 richer!!! I won Most Games (8 out of 12). Plus, we pass a hat around whenever you roll a Bunco. Whoever has the hat on at the end of the night, gets a prize. So, I only had 1 Bunco but, you guessed it, it was the one that counted!! My family knows how much I love hats, so it was appropriate I should have won. Plus, the Halloween hat matched my orange Halloween shirt!! Then after we played Bunco, we played a Left-Right-Center game that was a lot of fun. If you've never played it, it's really simple. There are 3 dice with "L"; "R"; "C"; and a dot on them. Each person starts out with $3. You roll the dice and if you get the "L" you pass $1 to the Left; "R", $1 to the Right; and "C" $1 goes in the Center (the pot). If you roll a Dot, you get a free pass. Whoever is left at the end with her dollar, gets the pot!! That was ME!!!! What a great game!! I should have won anyway since it is almost my birthday!!!

Bazaar Boxes

Just wanted to share a couple more card boxes I made for my Mom's Christian Women's Group Fall Bazaar.

This one is my favorite card box. I have made so many of these over the years because they are so easy and there is so much you can do with them. I usually try to personalize them for the recipient by putting an initial on them. They make great gifts with a few cards and envie's inside. If you want to make them, here are the basic directions and then you can play around and "make it your own".

Take a 8 1/2" x 11 cardstock and score it.
1) Score along the 11” side at 3 ¼”, 3 ¾”, 8 ¼” and 8 ¾”
2) Score along the 8 ½” side at ¾”, 1 ¼”, 7 ¼” and 7 ¾”
3) Cut out flaps.
4) (optional) Use small corner rounder on outer flaps
5) Fold along all score lines.
6) The 3 ¼” flap is the lower flap. Use sticky strip to adhere this to both ¾” side flaps.
7) The 2 ¼” flap is the top flap of this box. Use half of Velcro dot as closure – or wrap ribbon around.


This card box is an acetate box that my a friend gave me. I just made a "belly band" around the box in red and decorated a panel for the front. I used Eastern Blooms stamp set in Elegant Eggplant and Real Red (SU). On the back of the box, I stamped letters using my Just Rite Monogram stamp set and my 1" circle punch. Easy, peasy!!

Season of Friendship Box & Cards

I've been busy this week making card boxes for my Mom. Her Christian Women's Group is having a little bazaar next week at their monthly meeting. She told me she had a bunch of cards I'd given her over the years to use and she thought she'd just take some of them. I said "Whoa .... let me look at them first!" A lot of them were from my early card making days and they looked it too!! Way back then, I didn't do much stamping. I started out taking a card class at our local Senior Center where we did a lot of dry embossing and punches .... you know, punch a few flowers and glue them on a card!! (attaching a few of them!) So, needless to say, those cards are going in the trash!! I made a box using a pattern from Scor Pal. I just did something wrong and my top became my bottom and my bottom became my top. My plan was to use patterned paper for the top and solid for the bottom, but .... things don't always work out the way you plan it! Anyway, I ended up putting the tree from Season of Friendship (Holiday mini catalog) on the top of the box and coordinated it with the patterned bottom. I then made 4 cards using the same stamp set for the box.

This fall card I embossed the tree with Copper Embossing Powder and the background (retired background stamp - Stripes). The leaves are stamped in Tangerine Tango and Kiwi Kiss. I used my Nestabilities to cut the ovals.

This winter card I stamped the tree twice and used Crystal Effects on the darker tree. I stamped snowflakes all over. I used Stickles on the tree branches. The patterned paper at the bottom is from Hostess Patterns Pack with a strip of Kiwi and strip of Baja Breeze. The three dots at the bottom are covered with Crystal Effects.

The spring card uses Green Galore cardstock and Riding Hood Red. The tree is stamped in Basic Gray ink with Green Galore leaves and Pink Pirouette flowers. The saying "friend to friend" is from Pocket Silouettes.

This winter card base is Night of Navy wheeled with a retired Snowflake wheel in Whisper White. I used the Top Note Die (in my Cuttlebug) to cut a white and a Pacific Point die. I stamped snowflakes all around the tree and stickled the bottom of the card and put Star Dust stickles on the tree.

Jelly Bean Jar

Supplies:
Happy Birthday jelly bean jar
Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set*
Paper Confetti White; Rose Red card stock; and Kiwi Kiss textured card stock
Ink: Chocolate Chip; Close to Cocoa; Kiwi Kiss; Pacific Point; Pumpkin Pie; Rose Red;Jet Black StazOn pad
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss; 5/8" striped grosgrain ribbon; Chit Chat Rub-Ons; Stampin' Dimensionals; Aqua Painter; Coluzzle Cutting System; 1/8" Circle punch


*Want to make a Halloween treat instead? Substitute one of Stampin' Up's brand-new Halloween stamp sets from the 2008 Holiday Mini Catalog (pages 4-5) for the cupcake on the tag!

Come on down .... join SU!!

This is a great time to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. There are some great specials being offered right now by Stampin' Up! and there's no better time to sign up! Click Here for more information. For a limited time only, you can sign on as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator for as little as $99. At that level, there are three Starter Kit options to choose from. Or, for an even better deal with more stamp sets and products, you can sign on for just $199. With this option, you receive an additional FREE stamp set of your choice, bringing the value of the Starter Kit to more than $400. Both these offers are only available until October 11th. Whichever way you choose to join, you become a member of my team and will receive regular inspiration, advise and encouragement from me and have the benefit of Stampin' Up! publications and web resources that are available only to active Demonstrators. It is possible to be part of my team, even if you don't live locally. We will communicate via e-mail and phone and you will have the same access to inspiration, support and encouragement. Have you decided that you want to be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator? E-mail me to get started! I would love to welcome YOU to the my Stampin' Up team.

Here are a few great reasons to be a SU demonstrator:

• Never pay full price again. You'll get a 20% discount on everything you purchase.
• Your favorite hobby becomes your business and then it becomes a GREAT tax deduction!
• Earn extra money for your family or just enough to support your stamping. You can earn 20-32% commission.
• You will make lots of great stamping buddies. You'll become friends with your hostesses, customers, and lot of other demonstrators.
• Stampin' Up! demonstrators receive monthly and quarterly magazines with tons of samples and great business ideas.
• Demonstrators have access to the Stampin' Up! web site which is filled with samples, ideas, and business tips. You can even have your own personal web site!

The Garage / or Basement

Where do you start? With the bad, scary corner. First, get rid of unsalvageables. If the basement flooded and a whole bunch of stuff got waterlogged, these are no longer your possessions; they're a mildew fest. Just say goodbye.

Once you've gotten rid of the garbage, start grouping similar items, which makes it easy to see what there's too much of and what's broken. Tackle one category at a time—the holiday decorations, the seasonal clothing, the journals you've been keeping for years. If you have enough room, spread everything out to take stock of it all.

When everything has been sorted, prune: Is this important enough to save? Is it useful? Discard what isn't.

Next, containerize what's left, but don't buy storage bins until you have an understanding of what you're putting into them. It doesn't serve you to come home with two 40-gallon tubs if what you need is 19 shoe boxes. Sure, you can label boxes, but why not be able to see the contents immediately? And if you also use your basement as a play space for your kids or to entertain, get rolling shelves that can be moved to one side of the room and perhaps even covered with drapes.

At the end of this project, you'll have accomplished three goals: There will be less stuff, what's left will be in order, and everything will be in containers that work with your space. Being organized isn't about getting rid of everything you own or trying to become a different person; it's about living the way you want to live, but better. There are enough things in the world that you can't control—but you can bring some order into your home and your life.


This is an excerpt from Oprah Magazine by Andrew Mellow, a professional organizer. To learn more about Mr. Mellow visit VirgoMan.com

Monday Mailer

We started a new round of Monday Mailers this week with my NC SU group.  I made my card using the new SU Sizzix Top Note die.  It is really cool and I can see a lot of uses for it.  I have used it to make bag toppers for Halloween and this card.

I used Mr. Sock Monkey and the pumpkin from the Sock Monkey Accessory set (thanks, Ashley!!) and the Sanded Background stamp.  The ribbon is Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon.  I paper pieced the monkey with paper from the Winter Mini Catalog (Autumn Vine) and used my white gel pen for his mouth.  Isn't he cute?

I received my Monday Mailer today from Becky Campbell, who is very talented!!  She used designer paper and her square scallop punch to create a very unique card.  Thanks Becky!

The Computer!

You don't want to spend an hour looking for a scone recipe—or your résumé—because you're searching through all the stuff on your desktop.

If you can't see the pretty picture on your computer screen because it's full of icons for documents, downloads, and photos, start making folders. Color-code them: The folder for your financial documents can be green, the one for your job search can be blue. Like goes with like—all your résumés in one folder, all photos in another. Label each one clearly. Then put all your folders in "My Documents," a master folder that you have whether you're on a Mac or a PC.

You can save e-mail correspondence, but discard the one that says, "Great, see you at 12 on Thursday!" and save the one with information about what you discussed. By the way, if you're constantly responding to e-mail, you're being pulled away from the things that you need or want to do. Try checking it hourly.


This is an excerpt from Oprah Magazine by Andrew Mellow, a professional organizer. To learn more about Mr. Mellow visit VirgoMan.com

The Car!

I'm afraid I'm pretty guilty of this one!! If you have to clear off the backseat for company, there's a problem.

What shouldn't be in the car: old food wrappers, toys, the dry cleaning or recycling you've been meaning to drop off for a week (just take it out of the car until you're ready to make the trip), out-of-season tools (if it's June, you can remove the ice scraper from the trunk).

What should be in the car: registration, insurance certificate, owner's manual, maps and/or GPS, extra pair of sunglasses in case of glare, small folding umbrella, headset for your cell phone (preferably you're not talking while driving, but if you are, please be hands-free), envelope with supermarket and drive-through restaurant coupons and any gift certificates you've received (it's pointless for them to be in the drawer at home).

What should be in the trunk: tool kit, flashlight, working spare tire. In winter, add ice scraper, bag of kitty litter (for traction in snow), a small blanket.


This is an excerpt from Oprah Magazine by Andrew Mellow, a professional organizer. To learn more about Mr. Mellow visit VirgoMan.com

The New Things That Haven't Been Used

Do you buy things because they're on sale? If you didn't need them, they weren't a bargain. Here are the three questions to ask before you buy anything:

1. Where would this live? A very practical consideration, especially if you're trying to declutter.

2. What am I going to do with it? If it has a purpose or fills a need, fine. If you already have four of them, not fine.

3. What is it replacing? When something is broken or you don't like the old version as much as the new one, then by all means, charge away. But be prepared to get rid of the old item when you get home.


This is an excerpt from Oprah Magazine by Andrew Mellow, a professional organizer. To learn more about Mr. Mellow visit VirgoMan.com

The Drawer Full of Photos

When we moved to Washington back in 2003, I took all my photos I had collected for years in boxes and started sorting. My plan was to start scrapbooking them. Well, I had photos back to the '70's! My daughter told me I was being awfully ambitious. Well, she was right. I did scrapbook quite a few - starting at the most recent. But, you know that "recent" group kept growing and getting more recent as I continued to take pictures. It gets so overwhelming!! I don't know what the answer is - I still have 4 boxes of pictures (and they are continuting to grow - only digitally now) and I haven't scrapbooked in a long time!! But here is the expert's (professional organizer, Andrew Mellon) advice:


If you don't have time to put your photos in an album or scrapbook, it's okay to stop pretending you're going to do it. Get clear shoe boxes to store them in instead.

Then get a kitchen timer. Why? Because sorting through photos leads to reminiscing, and suddenly it's three hours later. But you're not looking at photos now—you're organizing them so that looking at them later will be more fun. Decide how long you have and set the timer.

Group the photos by subject—the family reunion, your trip to Florida ... While you're grouping, you're also sorting: Is it a clear picture? Do you even know who those people are? Throw away any that don't measure up, and any in which you can't stand the sight of yourself. When you're done, label the boxes accordingly: "Family Reunion, February 2008."



This is an excerpt from Oprah Magazine by Andrew Mellow, a professional organizer. To learn more about Mr. Mellow visit VirgoMan.com

Inherited Items & Momentos

Your home is not a museum. Many people subscribe to the unwritten rule that you're obligated to keep your great-aunt's dishes, even if you don't like them, just because she used them. But maybe your great-aunt never liked them either and also felt too guilty to let them go. Things don't have to become yours simply because they belonged to a relative. You're not living her life, and you're not a bad person for giving inherited items away.

If the acquired stuff is worth money, you may feel bound to it financially: "It's real silver—I can't give it away." Yes, you can. Donate it, document what it's worth, and take it off your taxes. Or give it to another family member who would really like it. Or sell it on eBay. And if you like something enough to keep it, consider it a replacement, not an addition—keep Grandma's reading lamp, but donate the one you already have.

Mementos from your own life are harder to part with because when you see them, you relive the story: To you, it's the cashmere V-neck you wore on your first date with the man who would become your husband; to anyone else, it's just an old sweater full of holes. The key to parting with items suspended in time is not to replay that story. Leave the room, come back in, and see what you're really holding on to—a sweater that's seen better days.

Rule of thumb: If it serves no purpose, let it go.

This is an excerpt from Oprah Magazine by Andrew Mellow, a professional organizer. To learn more about Mr. Mellow visit VirgoMan.com

Friday - Calendar & Popcorn Holder

I've been working all day on items for my Secret Sister Reveal Box. I should already have mailed it, but I keep thinking "I'll add just one more thing!" I'm done now & ready to seal it up and get it on it's way! Today, I made a 2009 calendar using the downloadable calendar from Amuse Stamps. I just printed the months out onto white cardstock and decorated them. The cover and back are coasters. The Designer Paper is from Western Sky, which was in last year's SU catalog.



AND, I made this cute mini popcorn holder! The pop corn holder is really easy and would be great for Trick or Treaters!! It fits the mini microwave popcorn bags. I used some darling paper that my good friend, Judy, brought me last month!! And the little ghost is also from the designer paper - I just cut him out.

Here are the directions:

• Cut a sheet of cardstock (or Designer Paper like I did) 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"


• Decorate cardstock - stamping, etc. as desired.


• Wrap around the popcorn bag. Apply adhesive. The fit should be loose enough to get the popcorn out but snug enough that the popcorn does not fall out.


• Remove popcorn from sleeve. Using 1/4" punch (square or round), punch a hole through one layer in the center of the front top edge of the sleeve about 1/2" down from the edge. Punch another hole in the back of the sleeve also.


• Cut ribbon about 15" long. Fold ribbon in half. Put one short side of the popcorn bag in the fold of the ribbon & then slide the ribbon & the bag into the sleeve. The ribbon should be extending from the top edge by the holes. Thread the ribbon from the inside of the sleeve to the outside of the sleeve on both front & back. Tie ends in a knot.

Have a great weekend!!

SHARON

The Overstuffed Closet

Do you have a lot of "someday" best. Someday I'm going to fit into these again. Someday this trend might return. Someday I'm going to wear this. The problem is, "someday" doesn't exist; there's only today. Here's what to do with what's being worn only by your hangers.

Clothes that don't fit: If you've gained weight, keep the smaller-sized clothes that you'll get the most use from and work on fitting into them again. If you've already lost weight, don't keep a whole closetful of big clothes as though one day you're going to suddenly be struck fat; donate them.

Trend items: If you're waiting for something to come back in style, don't. Even if it does return, it will look dated—and so will you.

Special occasion outfits: The rule that says "If you haven't worn it in a year, donate it" is a fine guide for when to say goodbye.

Sentimental pieces: You say, "I really loved this jacket." I know you did. But if you haven't worn it in ages and it doesn't work with your other clothes, it's time for it to go away. If you're saving your wedding dress, be honest—do you have the space to store it? Do you have a daughter you're saving it for, and is it a timeless classic she won't roll her eyes at? If the answers are yes, keep it. If you're short on storage space, you have only sons, or your dress has puffy sleeves, lace, and buttons up the arms because you did a kind of Linda Ronstadt circa 1974 thing, give it to a thrift store or DonateMyDress.org, which provides formal wear to girls who can't afford prom or special occasion dresses.

Now that you have a closetful of clothes that you actually wear, organize them—all the short-sleeved shirts together, all the jeans together, etc. Do the same with your shoes. If you have the space, they can be kept on shelves so you can see them immediately. If not, try stacking shelves or hanging shoe racks.


This is an excerpt from Oprah Magazine by Andrew Mellow, a professional organizer. To learn more about Mr. Mellow visit VirgoMan.com

Folder and Cards

It's time to reveal our Secret Sisters with my NC SU group. So, I have been working on putting together some things for my SS. I recently got Holiday Lineup and I just love this holiday stamp set. I have done a swap with it already. Here is a Christmas folder and cards I made today - most of them, using Holiday Lineup. I think they turned out pretty good.

Folder closed:

Folder Open:Card using Top Note and my Cuttlebug:

Card using Spiral Punch:

Card using retired Poinsetta Wheel and Retired corner punch:

Card using retired Designer Paper and Square Punches: