con-tain-it

Typical Tuesday: Triple Coupons

Well today was the last day for the Triple Coupons (Up to $.99/limit of 20 per visit) sale at our local Harris Teeter grocery stores and I just love to get a bargain :D

First up...is a photo of all the great dairy and refrigerated foods that I saved on...sorry if this is a little blurry but I was in a hurry to take the photo so that I could put this cold stuff away!  There was such a great deal on the boneless chicken breasts this week, buy one package and get two free...so there are six packages here and they each weigh an average of two pounds or more...

...so I got creative with my purchases and bought some Shake N'Bake and House of Autry seasoned bread crumbs to coat all that chicken:D  They both have a spicy blend that I thought I'd try...cause we like it hot in this house...see the Frank's Red Hot sauces.   Normally, I don't buy these types of bread crumbs...usually make my own coatings for chicken, but these are to be baked in the oven, with no added oil, AND I had great coupons ($.75 off/each) so I thought I'd give them a try.

NOW for the grand finale on the savings....here's the SKINNY...

Regular Prices for ALL Dairy/Groceries in Photos: $ 233.56

LESS Harris Teeter VIC Savings ( 67.45)

LESS Regular Coupons Not Eligible for Tripling    ( 16.20)

LESS TRIPLE COUPONS ( 23.40)

TOTAL Out-of-Pocket   $ 126.51 (plus tax)   

That just made my day...that is over $107.05 in savings (plus the savings on the sales tax on the coupon...but I didn't include the actual tax paid out-of-pocket in the above totals either...so it all evened out).  It really pays to watch the sales...for instance...the Hellman's Mayo was, buy-one-get-one-free, when using your Harris Teeter VIC card.  Then I had a coupon for $.60 off Hellman's Mayo, which they tripled, so for two jars of Mayo that would normally go for $9.90...I paid $3.15 after my VIC savings and my coupons, for a brand that we really like!

Here's another tip for those of you who might not be aware...when HT offers triple coupons on the first 20 coupons...make sure that you pull out the ones that you want tripled and hand them to the cashier first...then hand her the rest of your coupons.  The cash register counts the first 20 coupons regardless of their "double/triple" status so be sure that you hand the ones that are under $1.00 to them first to make sure that you get all your eligible coupons tripled.  Today the store was very busy and I had a manager ringing me up and when I handed her my coupons this way, she laughed and said to me "So, I can see that you know how to make the most of your coupons.  Most people are not aware of how the system counts the coupons and our cashiers do not have the time to pull out all the qualifying coupons for the customers.  So they ring them up as they are handed to them."  Darn...wish my DH could have been with me to see what a smary pants I am...lol

The best part for me is that these are all quality food items and not just JUNK food...which is what a lot of people say when they don't want to take the time to "cut out coupons".  SO...here is proof that they are also offered on great food for you and your family. AND...now you can make some great, tasty meals and show them how much you care about what they are eating.

 AND FINALLY...for those of you who are still not convinced that you have time for coupons...remember to try using Harris Teeters great on-line shopping list (or your favorite store's web-site) like I showed you last week, to make using your coupons even easier!  Hope this inspires you all to try this! 

Wednesday's Workshop: Book Review Journal...The Courtesan

Had a very busy weekend out of town, but I brought along the current book that I'm reading for The French Historical Reading Challenge, The Courtesan and my Book Review Journal to keep me occupied while riding in the car.  This book is a very easy read, even with all the names that I cannot pronounce, which translates for me as CRS (can't remember $#!*).  But what really makes it fun to read is that it is about REAL people and events in history.  So this just makes me even more curious about the characters and I end up goggling them so that I can read a quick biography about these real "characters". 

...Wasn't I surprised to find that the cover of this book was taken from an actual painting... 

oh...la...la...

Indeed...this is the original portrait of the main character in this book, Diane de Poitiers, The Courtesan. 

It is just so ironic because the reason I choose this book was because of the cover!  I even noted that in my journaling notes...ha!

My reading was cut short though because I had an allergic reaction to something on Saturday and my entire head and face swelled like a mellon...not very pretty :}  The hardest part is that I have been itching like crazy and so I've had to take a constant barrage of antihistamines.  They stop the itch all right...they stop everything because they knock me right out!  So...I've been trying to read and write in my journal but haven't gotten as much done as I'd like.  My eyes are swollen so much that when I try to read, they weep and then I rub them and then they get be sore and on and on...so I gave up and put a cold cloth on my eyes.   Which lent itself to my taking a lot of naps and watching "LAME" TV as my sister calls Lifetime for Women...lol

So far I've taken some journaling notes and painted a few pages with backgrounds and mounted a few photos on the pages where I want to add more notes.  Here's a few pictures of those pages...

First I coated these two pages in a thick layer of white gesso so that I could scribe some marks into the wet gesso...hence the date 1533 when this story begins. 

Once the gesso was dry, I painted on a wash of my base color, yellow oxide.  Then when that was dry I added two more washes of different paint colors (red oxide and turquoise) and blended them with a baby wipe.  This is a very easy and fast application and...more importantly...it gives the appearance of a fresco or of worn patina...love that especially for the time period of this book. 

Then on this page, I added a photo of an original portraitof King Francis I...just love to goggle!

Once I can see better, I will add some personal notes from the book as I read along.  I like the way the notebook paper still peaks through the color-wash so that I can write my journal notes...as always it's the little details that make me happy :}

Then on the next page I've added a photo of another main character in this book, Anne d'Heilly...and I scribed her name in the gesso at the bottom of the page.

At the time this story begins, she is the main mistress of King Francois I, although he had many lovers and conquests. 

So when the King summons Diane de Poitiers, to return to the French court after the death of her husband, Anne fears that Diane is her replacement. Anne is young, hence her insecurities and paranoia, but she is ambitious and she will stop at nothing to remain the King's favorite.

Anne has nothing to fear really, because Diane is not interested in being the King's mistress, this time she wants to find true love.

History tells us that she does, in the arms of the Prince Henry.  Talk about robbing the cradle...Diane is 35 and Henry is barely 15 when she returns to court...hmm...do not know if I would have picked this book up had I know those details...hmmm

I'll keep you posted :D

Right now I'd like you all to hop on over to Trisha Tack's blog, BOOK GROUPand check out her current book review of, Twylight Tower by Karen Harper.  Trisha writes a great book review and, she has joined those of us who are participating in compiling Book Review Journals and, so she shares her journal pages with us...very inspiring!

Wednesday's Workbook: WFMW's Curtains n'Bookshelves

WFMW:We Are THAT Family

This week I am incorporating my Wednesday's Workbook post into Kristen's WFMW because I really like what Kristen has to say about writing letters to the chldren that you sponsor through Compassion International.  It has inspired me so much knowing that I can send little things, like stickers (wish I could send my whole darn Creative Memories binder...lol :D ...AND pages to color, even band-aides!  Next week I hope to have a big surprise regarding BAND-AIDES...be sure to check my B.O.B.I.'s BLOG to find out about these:

Boo Boo Jars...

OKAY...back to my POST...this week I have been very busy doing alot of different sewing projects and working on curtains for the Love Shack.

Still trying to squeeze in my Embroidery Sampler e-zine that I'm taking on-line with the wonderful Teresa McFadden...it's just so hard with so many things going on at once!  My sampler sits in a basket with all my ephemera right by my chair and I want to work on it more...for now though it pleases me to just look at it and know that I've got a lovely, relaxing project waiting for me :D  This week I've been working on a monogram and I really like it so far:

The main concern we have had here at the Love Shack is getting the windows covered with curtains that are both functional...unlike the louvers that came with the house on this darn sliding glass door to our patio...

In the above photo you can see where we temporarily put up my silk drapes with a shower curtain rod over the louvers because they did not keep the heat/sun out of the kitchen...and the darn lourvers didn't close half the time :{

So last week in a fit of frustration when the lourvers would not close...I yanked them right out of their tracks...oh year!  Then on Sunday, DH and I pulled a Lucy & Ricky job of hanging a new double curtain rod...I say this because anyone watching us would have been rolling on the floor laughing and crying at our antics.  Let's just say this...it took me three trips to the store to get the right rod...first one was a single rod, but after removing the louvers, I realized that I needed some sheers for privacy during the day when the silk drapes were open.  Back to the store to return the single rod and buy some sheers.  Back up on the stool to hang the rod...IT WAS THE WRONG SIZE....AND IT COULD NOT HAVE ANY FINIALS..... waaahhhhaaaaaa   

Finally...after trip number three the double rod is hung!  DH and I had a GREAT time trying to figure out how to get the silk drapes on the rod and then shorten it so that it would go between the end brackets and then out to attach the small end cap...it is so close to the one side of the wall that you can't have finials...DONE!

 

Boy...you really have to think about EVERYTHING when it comes to window treatments...CAUSE that's what this was...not just simply CURTAINS...to freakin' complicated for that...lol  The silk drapes are handing by the larger top rod by curtain rings...because I want to be able to open and close them EASILY (especially if I expect DH to EVER touch them :D   Then I needed sheers that would also open and close easily because folks...we have a sliding glass door behind this TREATMENT...remember!  ALSO the sheers when hung also needed to match the length of the silk drapes when all was said and done...AS I SAID...COMPLICATED...

 

SOMEONE had to be looking out for me because...I found sheers that had large grommets, for easy of opening and closing.  I found sheers that had the exact same thread color as my silk drapes.  AND I found sheers that when hung on the second drapery rod...were the perfect length for my WINDOW TREATMENT...yes!!!  btw...the Lucy & Ricky  moment occured when DH decided to ask me this question, "Are you sorry that you took the louvers down now?"...you can just imagine the rest....

Now, for the actual "workshop" part of this post...for years I have used fabric curtains to "hide" things in my bookcases.  That is because I don't like doors on bookcases...they tend to get in the way and do not necesarrily keep the dust out like you would think.  First up is a photo of my TV cabinet that was originally a Pottery Barn console that I purchased over 10 years ago to hold my scrapbooking supplies.  Back then I made two mini-curtains...you could call them valances...from a one-yard scrap of  toille fabric.

 

Orignally, I made two curtains because there are two shelves...but when we re-purposed this console table into a TV stand...we didn't want to cover the stereo/surround sound, DVD player and the cable box as you can see in the above photo.  When you take the curtain down you can see my art and journaling supplies...

 

Not very pretty...right...but I like that I can take the curtain down when I am working and see all my supplies.  So, "what did I do with the second curtain", you ask?

 

Well, I re-purposed it of course :D  This bookcase serves as an end table for DH on his end of our reclining loveseat...and inside I store boxes of acrylic paints on the bottom.  These are photo boxes...which I love because the always look neat and have LABELS...enough said!

 

While "behind the curtain" we store instruction VHS tapes and DVD's that we don't get into everyday...cool huh!

SO what does this have to do with anything...well since moving here to the Love Shack, every single square inch is used for storage and I held onto every piece of furniture that I could because I needed the storage space...including this antique red cupboard.

This is a solid piece...the top does not come off the bottom and it is solid pine and very heavy and study.  I have had this cabiniet for over 20 years and DH says that he goes before this cupboard  does...and  he's close to right :D  Someone made this cabinet by hand...the insides of the drawers are not painted...ha! ha!  I bought it at a yard sale for $60.00 and there were do doors on it...and someone painted it red at some point in time and painted right over where the door hinges were originally.   I love all my pretty green and red Amy Butler fabric totes...but in this house it's just too much to look at and this cabinet sits across from my small dining room table which doubles as my craft desk now.

 

SO...I made some curtains to cover the shelves in my red cupboard...only these curtains I made with "double rod-pockets" so that they would stay tight when closed.  Here is a "long shot" of the red cupboard as it sits next to the ladder shelves in the living room.  I especially wanted the shelves covered in the red cupboard because the open-shelves of the ladder-shelves cannot be covered.

 

Here you can see my black baskets set up on top with all my projects ready to go.  Another reason I choose to make these curtains with double rod-pockets is because the width of these panels are not that wide, yet the are very long so as loose curtains that would have been "flappin' in the wind" every time someone walked by here. 

 

 I chose to make a decorative header at the top of the panels/cupboard because the bottom always tends to gather things on the bottom here and I pull the bottom rod up when I want to get something out of the shelves.  Most of the time I am reaching for my "tool kit" here on the bottom shelf.

 

Here is a close up of how I simply place the tension rod up underneath the panel when I need to get into my "tool kit".  If I'm working on a big project and need a lot of various supplies, then I simply take the entire panels down and place them on a chair out of the way while I'm working.

Here in this final photo, you can see how things tend to get "placed" on the bottom shelf...but that's okay, because it is usually new supplies that I need to put away and this coordinating red, wooden bin is the perfect catch-all.

I have been making these types of  "double rod-pocket" panels since I lived in Italy and rented my first sewing machine. 

1.  You do not need a pattern...simply measure the length and width of your space that you want to cover and add seven inches to the finished length.

2.  The width deepends on the width of your space and the width of your fabric...and how "full" you want your panels to be.  Here, I simply cut a piece of 54-inch wide upholstery/drapery fabric in half.  I hemmed the sides by turning them under an half-inch and then again by a half-inch because I like a neat, finished side hem.

3.  Once you've hemmed your sides then you can hem your top/bottom.  Again, turn your seams in by a half-inch...I always pin and iron my seams as I go because I like really straight hems :D

4.  This is where it's a little differen from the sides...I usually have a 1-inch "header" on my rod pockets...the header is the part that sits on-top of the rod.  So at this point I turn my edges in at 2 1/2-inches and pin the ends and iron, once more.

5.  Then at the sewing machine you are going to sew TWO seams...one for the hem and one for the header.  I sew the hem first by placing the pressure foot as near the edge of the turned-up hem as possible. 

6.  Then I remove the pins, and sew the second "header" edge.  This I do simply by placing my fabric edge at the 1-inch "guide" mark to the right of the needle.  If your machine does not have one or you need more of a guide...take a sharpie, permanent marker and mark the front of you machine with this 1-inch guide.

7.  Iron your finished panels and hang them...easy...really!

Next time, I'll try to demo the pinning and sewing for you because I have more panels to sew for my bedroom vanity. 

WELL THIS WORKS FOR ME...I just hope that you can make it work for you as well...and that you find some inspiration for re-purposing your fabircs and book shelves :D

Sorry for this LONG POST...so long in fact that spell-check was timing out in Typepad...lol   So just get over it...all you Spelling Police...

Typical Tuesday: Green Grocery Shopping LISTS

Okay...I'm such a GEEK...I know but when I find a really handy "tool" I just have to share it with you all.  There is an added BONUS because this tool helps you to be GREEN in that you don't have to go out and buy a paper just to get the weekly Grocery Store Sales Flyers...which is the case for my favorite local store here in North Carolina, Harris Teeter.  Maybe, because they are a small, southern grocery chain...I don't know...but Harris Teeter only places their weekly flyers in the local newspapers and, you have to actually buy the newspaper on Wednesdays to get the new weekly flyer.  This is very green of the store because, in lieu of flooding everyone's mailboxes with their weekly flyers, only those shoppers who really want the flyer will buy the paper.  When I get the bunch of weekly sales flyers in my mailbox on Tuesday, I don't even look at them...in my recycle bin they go...SUCH A WASTE :{    Wish more store would adopt this policy...and save some more trees! 

SO, WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BUY THE NEWSPAPER EITHER, YOU ASK?  Well for those of you who are like me, I don't read the paper...UNLESS I HAVE TO...too darn depressing.  SO YOU SHOP ON-LINE...I'm sure most of your local stores have this option as well...so go check it out!   For those of you who are "scared" of the internet or who are easily FRUSTRATED...this post is for you :D  I'm using screen prints from Harris Teeter to walk you all through the process...so here goes...(please note that I'm using screen prints so these photos are a little blurry):

1.  First up, you need to type the link for the stores homepage in your browser:  http://www.harristeeter.com/ and hit the "Enter" or "Return" key and up pops this main page window. 

From this screen, you need to "click" your mouse on either the green "SHOPPING" tab (found on the top left) or; the "ONLINE SHOPPING" link (found on the top right side of the screen).

 
2.  The next screen that pops up then will ask you for your store location (state/town/store) and then you will have the main page for your local store and it looks like this screen.  This is the link that I save to my desktop so that I can just click on it and have it every week when I go shoppping.

So when this screen pops up, I click on the "All Specials" green tab and the next screen brings up my local store:

3.  So the next window shows the "last" store location that you shopped at on-line...that is :D  So if you are returning to this store then click on the "Use This Store" button.  If  for some reason your want to  "Select Another Store" then a menu will drop down with other area locations for you to select from.

4.  And we are off...the weekly specials for your store will come up immediately on the next screen...with great visuals...I just love pictures...makes things so much easier for me...

5.  So you simply scroll down and view the photos on the left side of the screen, and when there is an item that you want to buy, simply "click" on the picture and the item will automatically be added to your "Current Shopping List" on the right side of the screen: 

6.  AND like magic...all the items that you have selected show up in your "Current Shopping List".   You can continue to shop the sales by department by clicking on the underscored items in the "Current VIC Specials - Browse by Department".

 7.  So what happens if you need something and it's NOT ON SALE this week?  Well then you select the second green tab that says "QUICKLIST" and it brings up another window with all your grocery items sorted by product type:

8.  Okay...here's a really GEEKY, COOL TOOL...for these "QuickList" items...you can add "NOTES"to your shopping list.  "SO WHAT"...you ask?   Well this is when you write things that are personal to your needs, for instance, under beans I've added the notes "Bush's Vegetarian Baked Beans" because that's what we needed...you could need black beans or pinto beans.  ALSO you could put in any coupons notes that you have here, espcially handy when the store is running "triple coupons"...cool beans :D

 

9.  So, once you are done compliling your  Shopping List  you can now print it or email it to yourself...for those of you with Blackberry phones I guess...lol  ANYHOW...this is the cool part to me...when you go to PRINT your list...it automatically CATEGORIZES everything for you so that when you go to shop...you can go row by row...how cool is that...IT's THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY...what can I say...especially the ones that keep us all organized :D

 

Another great service that some of the Harris Teeter stores offer is "CURBSIDE PICK-UP" where you do your shopping on-line, which means that you compile your shopping list and actually "check out" and pay for your entire grocery order while on-line.  Then the staff shops for your groceries and bags them up and places them in their "lockers" at the store entrance until you come to pick them up "curbside".  If you have coupons, then you turn them into the staff and they verify them and put them onto your VIC account and the next time you shop, they are automatically taken off your next bill.  Really great service for mothers or working families :D

Hope this all helped those of you who are a little "shy" when it comes to getting around on some internet sites...once you start this, you will wonder "WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG".  This may look like a lot of steps, but that is because it is so difficult to show it "step by step" with the screen prints...but literally it is simply a few "clicks" of the mouse! 

It's an EPIPHANIE...

Oh my...hop on over to epiphany and check out this fantastic GIVEAWAY!  I don't know about you...but I truly believe that if I have one of their camera bags...and you'll find me having this much fun on that cool sofa...oh yeah! 

No Whining Allowed: Compassion

 No Whining Allowed...

"Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner"

No...I'm not in Las Vegas...but this lovely couple just got back and I nabbed this photo...

Wonder if they had any luck at the Casinos...call me Beth...can't wait to hear how much fun you and James had in Vegas :D 

No...I'm not in Las Vegas...but I'm a Winner just the same!

Last week I commented on the lovely Stef's, Craftside blog about "peaking" inside one a craft book Stef features on her blog and that I'd love to read.  Then she obliged me by posting my request for: Page 131 of 1000 Artist Journal Pages...cool beans :D  So...anyone who knows me...knows that the number 13 is my favorite so I just had to pick a page with the number 13 in it...and the pages were fantastic!

So then my request went into a weekly drawing that Stef has to win a new craft book of your choice...and I won last week!  Stef contacted me and asked what kind of art/craft I preferred and I told her that, I love art journaling and collage/mix-media art the most.  So Stef choose this lovely new book for me...woo hoo! 

Vintage Collage Journals

Can't wait to get this in the mail...I'll be listening for the mailman everyday for this delivery.  Thanks so much Stef, you made my day!  You all need to hop on over to Craftside and get in on all the fun...and let Stef know that I sent ya ;}

Typical Tuesday: Everyday Tasks Made Enjoyable

This past Sunday, The Bright Side Project featured the vendor, City Chic Country Mouse, To participate in their giveaway, The Bright Side Project asks you to answer this question when you leave a comment:

What is your secret to making household chores more enjoyable?

Man I really like this question because I think that it is so important to "make the everyday tasks in our life more enjoyable".  I also think that the way to do this is to make those items that we use to perform those tasks beautiful to look at and/or use and then perhaps, we will then enjoy them more.  Let me show you an example of what I'm trying to say here :D

For instance, the kitchen sink is used countless number of times a day for washing our hands, cleaning dishes and scrubbing so many things.  So I have collected decorative glass bottles to hold my "everyday cleaning supplies" at the kitchen sink.

So, oOn the right side of my sink I've placed liquid hand soap in a glass bottle that has been painted with white daises, purple pansies and pink buds of some sort.  Next to this, I've re-purposed a "cheese shaker" with "powdered cleanser".  I found this shaker at a shop in Charleston while DH and I went away for a weekend get-away and every time I scour a pot ,or the sink, it brings a smile to my face because I remember finding this shaker in Charleston and the great time we had.

Next...let's talk about bright, decorative sponges...I just love them!  I'll spend a little bit more to find a colorful sponge...no icky green scratchy pads or rusty brillo pads for me ;}

Then, I simply make them last longer by cutting them in half and also so that they fit perfectly in my clear glass, soap dish that I bought specifically to hold my sponges.  This dish stays clean because it is clear and you can see when the soap scum builds up...yuck!  So I keep it clean and clear by placing it in the dishwasher every time I run it...which is almost daily around here the way I cook, (I tend to use every dish in the house as DH tells it).

Another great tip for keeping your sponges clean, is to place them in the microwave, daily and run it on high, for one minute, and the microwaves kill any bacteria that collect in your sponges.  This soap dish sits right next to my glass "dish-washing  liquid dispenser"  that has blue hydrangeas painted on it...so pretty.  It sits on the left side of the sink because we don't hand-wash as many dishes in a day as we wash our hands.

Now, another daily task that we perform is "brewing tea"...yes I use my "Mr. Coffee Pot" to brew tea in every morning.  I also use it to brew an occasional cup of coffee in the afternoon...but we replaced our morning coffee almost two years ago and don't miss it one bit.  ANYHOW...I brew a mixture of  Blueberry Breeze and Red Rose tea every morning.

Then when the pot is done brewing, I use my handy, dandy Tupperware "Tea Bag Squisher"...don't know the technical term...lol  AND I squeeze every last drop out of those tea bags...I just love a full bodied brew.  Then I place the bags in this little green, pedestal dish on my counter.  WHY???  You are all probably asking...and thinking...SHE'S NUTS!  BUT, I have a perfectly great explanation for my OCD tendency here...ready?  I do not like the bags to drip all over the place...like what happens when people try to make it to the trash can...you know who I'm talking about :D 

BUT most importantly, I do this because I recycle my tea grounds...yep...I read a while ago that the tea leaves/grounds can be used for your plants...especially green tea with the antioxidants...are great for your house plants!  AND don't you think my plants are well fed...

Think I'll nickname this one "Seymour"...remember Little Shop of Horrors that great movie from the 80's with Rick Moranis and Steve Martin...now I'm going to be thinking every time I walk into the kitchen..."FEED ME SEYMOUR"...

Hope you all have a great week and that this post inspires you to think about how you can make those chores/tasks in your everyday life...more enjoyable!

New Blog Announcement: B.O.B.I.'s, Business of Bliss & Inspiration

B.O.B.I.'s is my brand new BLOG that I actually wanted to create almost two years ago when I started my original blog here, con-tain-it.  Please hop on over and check it out and find your Compassion for Blogging and be sure to leave your thoughts and comments.  As always, thank you for your support :D

Sponsor a Child

Typical Tuesday: More on "Re-purposing Furniture"

Photos are better than looking in the mirror...you see things as they really are because the camera lens doesn't overlook (or avoid) things like we tend to do with the naked eye.  Last week after posting about re-purposing furniture, I looked at the pictures I posted and really didn't like my room the way it was set up.  Mainly, the "big empty wall" and, the way my furniture looked like it was "stepping down" from the corner as it went from tall dresser, to next tallest, to smallest, etc.

See what I'm talking about...of course DH didn't like me looking at these photos at all...because he knew what was coming...moving the furniture...again...lol

But a girl has the right to change her mind...right?  So I moved the tall dresser out of that corner and moved it into the opposite corner where this vanity was squished in beside my bed...see I have the photo evidence to prove my point :D

So now you can see how much better the tall dresser looks in this corner because it balances the tall headboard and artwork above the bed...

Much better...now I can sleep again!  Up next was the window, and in my previous post I talked about how I had removed the mirror from my triple dresser because it opened up the room.  Also, how I wanted to soften the wall with some sheer curtains that I had...

...well those sheers were up as soon as I stopped blogging about them...and I also removed the button, tiebacks because they were too formal and not soft and I wanted the linen drapes to flow softly with the sheers...it's the little things that can make the biggest difference!

Sorry about the pool lighting...but it's very sunny here :D

This view is a little better...so did you all notice what else I changed about this room?

I REMOVED all the tall lamps...threeof them...see if you can find them in the before photos.  Again, I had to get my head around it...but when I looked at the before photo of my dresser with those big, honkin' lamps in front of the window...I realized...that's all you see...they totally blocked your view of anything else, and all I was seeing were the "dark silhouettes" of the big lamp shades!  These small lamps with their beaded shades were on my vanity before and when I had a huge bedroom, I needed all the lighting that I could find.  But not now, time to let go and free myself of all the preconceived, design notions that a bedroom has to have a matching furniture suite with two nightstands and two lamps on your triple dresser...blah...blah...blah!  Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this way, who knows?  But for anyone else who is going through a downsize and feeling "overwhelmed" by your furniture and your emotions...these posts are for you and I hope you can see that simple can be the best!

Next I'm on a mission to finish the BIG UGLY WALL...lol  Right now I'm in the "gathering stage" of ideas that is...I already have gathered enough "stuff" to fill many walls.  Here is a peek into how I get some of my inspiration, enjoy...

Wall Groupings

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"Book Reviews" Reading Journals

Combine your love of books and participating in Reading Challenges, by making a journal of your own personal "book reviews" for all the books you read.  Your "Book Reviews" can be a visual art or written journal.  Or perhaps you would prefer to use index cards, alphabetized by author, in a recipe box.  Or you could collage images that you find inspiring, or that reflect the story, onto shipping tags that you group together from a reading challenge that you are participating in.  Either way, you complete your cards, tags or journal pages by writing your own personal "book review" on the back of your images or pages.  Years ago, I read about this process in a Cloth-Paper-Scissors magazine where a reader wrote into the editors and told them about how she did this so that she could remember which books she had already read.  After completing her "Card Catalog," as she called it, she collaged a box to hold with her cards with coordinating images of women reading and writing.  Ever since I read that article, I have wanted to do some version of this...not only to "jog" my memory on the books that I've read, but also because I have been know to buy a book that I've already got at home...yikes!  This journal will also be portable and I can take it to the bookstore with me.  I could even make a list in the back of future books that I'd like to read, etc.

This year I am participating in a few reading challenges and I didn't want to wait any longer for the "perfect" application of a "card catalog" to get started!   So, I discussed the idea with my friend, Lucy from Enchanted by Josephine, because I am participating in her French Historical Reading Challenge, and she encouraged me to post about my idea to create a "Book Review Journal".  Lucy has an interest in illustrating her favorite heroines and the idea of creating her own journal for her favorite books and challenges was exciting to her as well.  We also thought it would appeal to other readers participating in challenges if they could share in this process on-line with us. 

So to get started, for my journal, I simply printed out Lucy's lovely blog button for her Oh La La! reading  contest and adhered it to this black and white striped, "composition book"...it's just so very "french"... I like this type/size of journal also because it is portable and fits in my tote bag so I can take it everywhere with me.  Even to the bookstore so I can keep a list, in the back, of future books that I'd like to read.

Another tool that I've put together are what I call "Book Review Journal Prompts" and it is simply a list of 13 (my lucky number) questions that I put together to help describe the book.  You can answer these questions in any order that you like and you do not even have to answer all of them if you don't feel the need.  Again, these are simply "prompts" to jog your journaling and you do not have to actually "write out the questions" when you are making your notes...just use the corresponding number if you need it as a reference...keep it simple sweetie!  I have printed out these "prompts" and adhered them to the inside cover of my journal so that I have them handy.

You can also see in the above photo of my journal that I've printed and adhered a copy of the book cover of the current book that I'm reading...I love "visual aides".  For those of you who would like to participate in completing a "Book Review Journal", then please leave me a comment with your blog post links.  Please be sure that your posts have the following "Art Journal Collage" button and I'll post a link to your blog on my sidebar:

 

Please be sure to link any of your participating blog posts back to this main "Book Review Journal"  post and not to my main page...thank you...we do not want to frustrate any of our blog followers :}

For those of you who are interested in using my journal prompts, please feel free to copy and paste the following into your own word document. 

“Book Review” Journal Prompts:

Use these “prompts” as a resource for you to write a review about the books that you are reading.  Keep in mind that this is to help you remember the details,

 so make notes that are important to you!

Just print and place this card in the front of your journal, or use it as a bookmark,

where it will be handy as a quick reference guide.

Keep it simple by using the “number” for each prompt as you write down your reading notes, instead of actually writing out the questions/prompts.

 This also means that you don’t have to go in any certain “order” or, that you have to answer every single prompt…just write down your notes in the order you feel inspired to as you read along.  This way you will enjoy the process and not interrupt your flow of reading.

  

 1.  What made you pick up this particular book and start reading it?  The picture on the cover...oh la la!   The back cover summary?

 

 2.  Set the scene:  describe where it takes place, when it occurs, etc.

 

 3.  Briefly, describe the main characters.

 

 4.  What historical "era" does this story portray?

 

 5.  Did the author write about a real historical figure(s) or embellish, invent the character(s)?

 

 6.  Did you learn anything new about the historical period from this story?

 

 7.  What's the general plot of the book?

 8.  Are there any surprises or twists in the story?

 9.  What is your favorite part of the entire story?

10.  Were you sad that the story ended?  Did you want it to keep going on because you loved the characters, the storyline, etc.?

11.  Did this book "flow" easily for you?  Or were there too many characters to remember or whose names you couldn't pronounce to connect to the characters? 

12.  Did the author bore you with too many details and historical references/facts so that the book read like a textbook?

13.  Would you recommend this book and/or the author?