Gift Exchange!

This is the second year in a row that I have been able to participate in the CAST Team Secret Santa gift exchange.  I always have a lot of fun with it even though it's challenging to find just the right gift for someone I've never actually met. This year, my Secret Santa was Jane from Love a Little .  She sent me the cutest fabric covered bulletin board that matches perfectly with my new craft room.  It has adorable push pins and a mini "God is Good" banner.  I absolutely love it!  And it came all the way from England  - a country I would love to visit someday.

 The bunting is removable and I probably will put it somewhere else eventually as the board gets filled up.

 Fabric flower and button push pin

More button push pins

Craft Room Reveal

Two years ago today, I opened my Etsy shop at Ellie Marie Designs.  I had about four or five items on there.  It took less than three weeks for me to get my first sale.  The little online shop soon grew to 20, 50, 100 items.  Now, 2 years and 540 sales later, I have 175 items in my shop.  

When we moved into our new home, we decided to use part of our living room as my craft room.  It's right by the dining room and kitchen making it convenient for working with Holly on homeschool and keeping an eye on dinner. 

I originally wanted the trendy white that everyone on Pinterest seems to have.  But we decided that since my desk is oak and my dining room is oak that we would make it match.  John did all the work - measuring, buying, building. (Thanks Sweetheart!  I love it!!)

I don't have any before pictures to show.  Before, everything was....everywhere.  Now I have plenty of counter space to work on and plenty of storage for all my supplies.  (We're not quite done yet.  There's a few finishing touches.  John is going to hang up a bulletin board for me and I want to add some pictures on the wall.)

I love my shelves. The cute bottles and storage boxes are easy to reach and just look pretty.

 
The teapot was a wedding gift some 26 years ago.  I can't decide if I want to sell it in my vintage shop, Ellie Marie Vintage or just keep it for decoration.  

I didn't have a color theme in mind - other than blue of course!  But I found these peacock boxes on sale at Michael's and a theme was born.

And here is my desk.  I spend a lot of time here working on photos and writing up item descriptions.  Sometimes that takes as long as creating the item itself!
 

I've enjoyed making things for Ellie Marie Designs.  All my profits have gone towards my children's education.  This week, in honor of my two year anniversary, I'm offering 20% off everything in my shop.  All you have to do is use this coupon code when checking out - 2YEARS

Personalized Wedding Favor Tags

Here are personalized wedding favor tags I've been working on for a friend's wedding.  Trying to decide if I want to list them in my shop Ellie Marie Designs

Wedding Table Numbers

A few months ago, I added wedding table numbers to my Etsy shop.  They have been fun to make and a pretty big hit actually. So far I've sold 10 sets with the dictionary pages.  One of those was for 40 table numbers! 

 I use "random" vintage dictionary pages on the background.  It's proving to be a bit more difficult than I first thought.  I choose a page by random but then I scan the words to make sure they are "wedding appropriate".  I figured that words like "affair", "divorce" and "argument" should probably be avoided.

 Other sad words like "barren", "morbid" or "tragedy" probably wouldn't be so nice.  And then there are things that I personally wouldn't want to see as I sit down at a wedding reception such as "earthworm" "diseased" or "fungus".

Other than avoiding certain words - which usually come in the middle of some beautiful words - I've had fun making these table number tags.  I'm planning on expanding the dictionary tags to other types of books as well.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

 Strawberry Pretzel Salad

• 2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
•  1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored Jell-O®
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350degrees F.
2. Stir together crushed pretzels, melted butter and 3 tablespoons sugar; mix well and press mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minute. Set aside to cool.
4. In a large mixing bowl cream together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Spread mixture onto cooled crust.
5. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in still frozen strawberries and break up with a fork as you stir. Chill until slightly thickened. Poor over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until set.

Moving Again?

Like I said the other day, there's not much time after homeschooling and working on my etsy shop. But I promised to return so here I am.  Our next project is..... we're moving!  Yes, once again it's time to pack up the house and move somewhere else.  I think the count will be 13 moves in 26 years.  Hopefully we'll stay at the next place for a while because we're not just moving but we are BUYING a house.  For the first time in 16 years, John and I will be home owners.  I'm getting pretty excited about being in our own home.  We've talked about getting some chickens perhaps.  What I'm not excited about is the packing. Sigh.

Today is Gabriel's birthday!  He turned 22. He called this afternoon and was very excited about his day. They announced his birthday in chapel and sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" for him. (Hannah was the instigator.) It made his day!

Hannah, Gabriel and Sarah (Gabriel's girlfriend)

Can I Blog Again?

Someone posted something on facebook and it reminded me of something I wrote a very long time ago.  So I started looking for it on my computer and found some old blog entries.  I really made me miss blogging.  Is blogging something you can start back up again when it's been neglected for so long?  My life is busy - even though I'm only homeschooling one now.  I thought it would slow down but it hasn't. So what have I been doing?  Most of my "free time" is spent here making  

  Gift Tags

 

  Greeting Cards

 Journals

 and

a few other things

And there's not much time left after that.  And now we have a new project.  I'll tell you about it tomorrow.  Not to keep you in suspense but hopefully to lure me back to write again.

It's a Girl Banner

Spent most of the day working on a custom order for Ellie Marie Designs.  Love the finished product.  Wish I had better lighting for the picture.

 

Need a custom banner?  Stop by my shop and I'll make one for you!

Etsy Custom Order - Baseball Wedding!