Lord Have Mercy!

…i {heart} reading, too!

2012-02-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

I’ve been spending quite a bit of my spare time reading since this past summer, and I’ve encountered more than one fabulous author! Here are some of my favorites in the written word:

The Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick {Hush, Hush; Crescendo; Silence; #4 coming out in the fall}:

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson {The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; The Girl Who Played With Fire; The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest}:

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins {The Hunger Games; Catching Fire; Mocking Jay}:

The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan {The Lightening Thief; The Sea of Monsters; The Titan’s Curse; The Battle of the Labyrinth; The Last Olympian}:

The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan {The Lost Hero; The Son of Neptune; The Mark of Athena (coming out in the fall)}:

These are just a few of the fabulous books that I recommend as must-reads! The Rick Riordan books should be read in the above order as well. The Percy Jackson series continues into the Heroes of Olympus series, and are all simply phenomenal. But I must warn you…don’t judge a book by it’s movie! LOL! These books far surpass the movie on every level. Well written and so vivid that you really feel like part of the story.

That’s it for me today! I have some baking and cleaning to get started on, but I will also be finding some time to curl up in my reading nook with a warm blanket and begin a new series of novels. I will let you know how it goes, but until later…go read something!

…I {Heart} Kitchen Aid & Cookies

2012-02-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

Guess what…I’m back! It’s been several months since I’ve left the stamping world, and I have to say that it has been such a relief. I’ve been spending quite a bit of my time in the kitchen testing and writing recipes for my very own cookbook (thanks for the idea, Jessica Diedrich). I have been dreaming of getting a stand mixer for several months, and I finally took the plunge and purchased a black Kitchen Aid Artisan mixer yesterday! WOOHOO!!!

My youngest son and I were dying to break that puppy in, so we decided to make some homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies…and it worked FABULOUSLY! I’m totally in love. No more mixing by hand or using my small mixer that wanted to burn up every time I made a thick batter! It’s all an effortless process now. Check out the completed cookie dough that’s ready to go into the oven:

I always use my medium scoop from Pampered Chef (it measures about 2 Tbsp.) to achieve perfectly sized and uniform cookies. I also bake my cookies on a parchment paper-lined metal baking sheet. It’s so much easier to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack by simply pulling the entire piece of parchment paper off of the baking sheet straight onto the cooling rack (plus it makes for easy cleanup). I also try to space out my cookie dough scoops about 2 inches away from each other…nothing’s worse than having your 12 cookies spread out during the baking process to create one large one! And it’s SO hard, but I never open the oven door to check the cookies as they melt into their gooey goodness either…that just lets all of the heat out, and that effects your cooking time and cooking consistency. Here’s what they looked like when we pulled them out of the oven:

I like for my cookies to have a lightly crisp edge and a soft and chewy center…and these definitely delivered! What on Earth is better than having your home smell like fresh baked cookies? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! Interested in sharing some of this yummy goodness with your family? Try them out!

Mercy’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups semi-sweet (or milk chocolate) chips

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

2. Sift together flour, soda and salt into medium mixing bowl.

3. In large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and white sugar. Beat again until light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat well until just blended.

5. Add dry ingredients in 3 stages while beating until well blended.

6. Stir in chips until evenly distributed throughout dough.

7. Drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet in 2 Tbsp. scoops, spacing each 2 inches apart.

8. Bake for 12-15 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool. Makes approx. 6 dozen.

That’s it for me today! After 6 dozen cookies, a homemade chili dinner, and a long day or running around with my hubby it’s finally time to grab my book and head to bed! It feels so wonderful to be back in blog land sharing my love for new things with you all. Let me know what you think of the recipe and I’ll see you back here later! ENJOY!

…Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~ JFK

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

…Did You Think I Was Gone For Good?

2011-09-07T21:00:00.000-04:00

I’m still here! I’ve been enjoying a long and wonderful summer with my hubby and boys, but they had to go back to school today. After spending the summer vacation free of deadlines, stress, and drama I’ve decided that I will no longer be stamping. It was a fabulous hobby that was fun and very fulfilling while it lasted, but the time has come to let it go and start another adventure. I will always be thankful and appreciative to all of my faithful and precious followers, and I will miss you more than the stamping and creating! You all made every moment worthwhile.

With that being said, I am here to let you all know that I will be having a HUGE everything-must-go stamp sale starting tomorrow. After I have sold all of the stamp sets I will begin selling off all of my cardmaking accessories: cardstock, patterned papers, ribbons, etc. As soon as the sales page is ready to view, I will add another post above this one announcing the official sale and the link to the page with all of the information you’ll need to get started shopping.

Thanks again for a wonderful ride, and for your sweet and loyal friendships. I will miss you all!

…”Priority Determines Capacity”

2011-04-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

With that being said, I have decided that I am going to be giving the Lord more priority in my daily life. After our study last night at church with Andy Stanley called Time of Your Life: Part Two ”At Capacity”, I am changing my life’s priorities around. First of all, I will not be wasting my time on FB statuses or checking the statuses of others when my time can be better spent chasing after God and what He wants to show me as I spend more time with Him and in His Word. I will still have a FB account, but I will not be spending (or wasting) so much time on it. Yep…I’m was one of those FB junkies!

There are so many other things that eat up my time during the day that keep me from being more productive in the things that REALLY matter...God, family, faith, and others. I will not be posting to my blog as much either (even though I've already taken great strides to minimize my time on that already). I am deciding that it is more important for me to spend time seeking the things of God than the things of the world. When I look at the timeline of my life I realize just how short it is...how every day brings me closer to the end...and how each day passes more quickly than the last. And quite frankly, I think I've wasted enough of it.

So TODAY I choose to reprioritize the rest of my life, my time, my talents, and my everything. I want to bring glory to God. I pray He uses me in a GREAT and MIGHTY way. I pray His holiness and guidance drenches everything that He puts ahead of me. I pray He forgives my doubt and laziness. And I pray He helps me to keep His Word and to follow HIS instructions. Time is too short to live for anything else. Once God is THE BIGGEST priority in my life I know that everything else will line up as it should.

"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men (and women) of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat or what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; BUT YOUR FATHER KNOWS THAT YOU HAVE NEED OF THESE THINGS. But SEEK YE FIRST HIS KINGDOM, and these things will be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, and unfailing treasure in heaven, which no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:27-34 (NASB)

…BLD April Blog Hop

2011-04-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

As you already know, today we’re having a new release blog hop using the new images from By LORi Designs! If you’ve come from LINDA’S BLOG then you’re in the right place; if not, then you’ll need to start over at ANGELA’S BLOG to catch up and follow along. Here’s my card for today’s hop…introducing:

“Puddle Jumpers Quinn”

I started my card as I would any other…with a sketch. This time I chose to use April’s SFYTT by Jen del Muro, but I turned it into a standard-sized card instead of a square one. I printed the Quinn in Black and colored her with Copic Sketch Markers, then paired the completed image with some patterned papers from the Blossom Soup paper pack from Jillibean Soup along with some Riding Hood Red, Kraft, and White Cardstock. I distressed the edges of the Kraft cardstock panel with the Distrezz-It-All from Zutter…I just LOVE the way the edges fray when distressed with this machine! I stitched the red dotted panels directly to the large Kraft cardstock panel, then also added some stitching around the edges of the pink text panel. After adding some Crinkle Ribbon, a handwritten sentiment, Button/Twine accent, and tons of Dimensionals the card was complete!

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by to see me, and hop on over to SHERI’S BLOG to see what she has for you…I’m sure you’ll LOVE it! Until then…

..An Update and Sincere Thanks

2011-04-07T19:40:00.001-04:00

It’s Thursday and Day 9 of “Brooke Watch” as we are so lovingly calling it here at the Kerin house. Brooke will finish up the last of her chemotherapy some time tonight, and she’s received a few transfusions and platelets along the way. The hubby and I went up to see her last night and to take her some strawberries and snacks, and she looked pretty wonderful! She had color to her face and she was in good spirits even though she was exhausted. She’s been running a fever for several days and it has spiked between 103-104 today, so the infectious disease doctor was called in to make sure that it’s only the affects from the chemo and not a major infection. The results from the cultures should be back in 4 days. Some good news: Her white blood cells are free of any cancer, and she will be going back in Wednesday for another bone marrow biopsy in order to check her red blood cells! Her blood counts are looking good, but she may need another infusion of platelets tomorrow. She’s had a cough since this past weekend, but her chest x-ray was clear of pneumonia…so we are praising God for keeping His hand on her!

I’m so overwhelmed and sincerely thankful for all of the beautiful and thoughtful cards that continue to fill my mailbox for Brooke. I took the first batch with me yesterday, and she was so tickled to get them. I’ll have even more to take to her tomorrow or Saturday since my mailbox was full again today! If you’d like to send her a card please do so…she’ll be in the hospital for quite a while, so there is no rush or deadline for sending them. I’m so honored that some of the ladies in the crafting and cardmaking world think of and pray for others in their times of need…I can’t thank you all enough! Please continue to pray for her, her physicians, and her family…we know that The Great Physician is in control, and we are “Believing With Brooke” for her complete healing.

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow for a By LORi Designs’ April Release Blog Hop! Until then…

…Without A Little Rain

2011-04-04T23:30:00.000-04:00

It’s the start of a new week, and I wanted to make sure that Brooke was able to start hers with a little smile on her face…so this is what I took with me when we went to see her yesterday afternoon (along with several puzzle books to help occupy her time while she’s in bed):

I printed some of the newer images from the By LORi Designs’ March release: Puddle Jumpers Ella’s Umbrella and the sentiment from Umbrella Sentiments. I colored Ella with Copic Sketch Markers then cut her out leaving a bit of a white border around the entire image. I paired the completed image with some patterned papers from the Stella Rose-Mabel paper pack from My Mind’s Eye along with some Summer Sunrise, Taken With Teal, and White Cardstock. I stitched the small striped panel, punched a border along the bottom of two of the panels, then pierced the upper edge of the entire floral panel with a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer. I added some Turquoise Rhinestones to the sentiment panel as well as the lower portion of the card base. After adding some Dimensionals and a couple of stripes with my White Signo Gel Pen the card was complete!

That’s it for me! Thanks so much for stopping by, and I will see you all back here on Friday with a card for the By Lori Designs’ April Release! My boys are on Spring Break, so I’m going to be a very busy momma until this next weekend. If I get a chance to sit down to play one day I will be sure to post my creation for you guys…but I’m not making any promises! LOL! Until later…

…Fluttering By

2011-04-03T23:20:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday, peeps! I’ve had a whirlwind weekend, but I finally got a chance to run up to the hospital and see Brooke this afternoon. My guys and I have been having horrid sinus problems, so we didn’t want to go up there until we were feeling better…heaven knows we don’t need her getting sick right now. Her white cell count and platelets are extremely low and she has a head cold, but she was in good spirits and cutting-up with us yet we could tell that she wasn’t feeling 100%. Please continue your prayers for her, and I will keep you updated on her condition as the days go on.

Now let’s turn to some fun and cuteness! I haven’t really been in the mood to do a lot of stamping lately, but when I do feel the “need” kicking in I almost always reach for my images from My Favorite Things. As soon as I saw the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #13 from last week I KNEW what I was going to do, and here it is:

I decided to use the “Fred Bear & Butterfly” set, stamped the images in Black Ink, and colored them with Copic Sketch Markers. I paired the focal panel with patterned papers from the Stella Rose- Hattie paper pad from My Mind’s Eye along with some Enchanted Evening, Harvest Gold, and White Cardstock. I stitched the edges of the horizontal panel, distressed the large floral panel, then pierced that edges of the focal panel. I used the Die-namics Rolled Rose Die as the accent to the sentiment panel and added a Gold Rhinestone to the center. After adding some Stickles, more Rhinestones, and several more Dimensionals the card was complete. I’m so pleased with the way it turned out! :)

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow night with the card that I took to Brooke today using an image from By LORi Designs! Until then…

…True Bravery and a Request

2011-04-01T01:00:00.000-04:00

I have learned that bravery is shown in many ways. One can show his or her bravery by daily giving his/her life and time in the service of protecting our country at home or on some distant shore. Another may show it by publicly voicing his/her opinion on the inequalities this generation has to tolerate in order to merely survive. There are others who suffer daily the pain and agony of a disease that has taken hold of their bodies and lives forever changing their dreams and future. One such individual is my precious niece, Brooke. In the midst of starting a bright and promising future and family, the first devastating blow hit. After giving birth to a beautiful baby boy in March of 2007, we were faced with that one word that every family fears most...cancer! Just a few weeks after celebrating new life, we were praying for God to restore a healthy one that had been diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma.

Brooke showed such courage and bravery in her every day fight to get better. Despite the loss of her hair, the weekly chemo treatments, and radiation (and the pain associated with all of that), she kept a bright outlook and a chipper attitude. We watched as her enormous tumor shrank week by week, and finally rejoiced as the tumor was removed and we saw her begin her road to remission. Unfortunately, this week she (and the family) was dealt another blow. After rounds of blood work and a bone marrow biopsy, yesterday Brooke was diagnosed with AML (acute myelogenous leukemia). She began the first of her chemotherapy treatments late yesterday, and will continue another six consecutive days. After this round the doctors will perform another bone marrow biopsy to check the chemo’s effectiveness and to see if she is in remission. We are praying and trusting God for a complete healing.

She’s only 25 years old, and she’s the mother of a young child…but she is also still my little niece. The same little girl that would beg for me to jump on the trampoline with her; the same little girl that would fall asleep in my bed while watching movies with me; the same little girl that taught me how easy it was to love someone else. For that, I will be eternally grateful to her and for her. Even though I feel helpless, I’m going to do the only thing I know to do right now. I’m asking that all of my cardmaking friends not only send up a prayer for her, but also send her a card. I would love to show up at the hospital with a HUGE box of cards just for her to lift her spirits and brighten her day! I’m asking that the cards be sent to me, then I will personally deliver them to her. Here’s the information you’ll need:

Brooke Johnson

c/o Mercy Kerin

726 Colony Circle

Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742

USA

Thank you so much for your willingness to share your time and talent to bring happiness to my niece. ***Edited to Add: Since she’s going to be on continuous chemo for the next 6 days, please try to have your cards to me by next Friday*** I can’t tell you how much it means to me!

…Playing Catch-Up

2011-03-29T13:30:00.000-04:00

I had promised to have some MFT cards for you yesterday, but I had only colored the images…no cards were made until this morning! I have always LOVED the Wednesday Sketches from MFT, and I was so saddened when they stopped doing them. Luckily, they began reissuing the sketches a few weeks ago so I was one happy girl! Let’s play some catch-up on the last two challenge:

“Pure Innocence-Ladybug” for MFTWSC11

Supplies: Stamps: Pure Innocence-Ladybug (MFT), Papers: Riding Hood Red, Dark Brown, Vintage Cream, Simply Chartreuse, Stella Rose-Gertie DP(My Mind’s Eye), Inks: Memento Black, Accessories: dimensionals, sewing machine, rhinestones, nesties, big shot, mat pack, paper piercer, copics, scissors, fresh cut grass die-namics

…and “Pure Innocence-Being Cute Is What I Do” for MFTWSC12

Supplies: Stamps: Pure Innocence-Being Cute Is What I Do (MFT), Papers: Hawaiian Shores, Ripe Avocado, Raspberry Fizz, White, Stella Rose-Hazel DP (My Mind’s Eye), Inks: Memento Black, Accessories: dimensionals, sewing machine, ribbon, rhinestones, heart punch, flower punch, silver brad, copics

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you all back here in the next day or two with another card…and maybe a VIDEO!!! Until then…

…Hello My Sweets!

2011-03-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

It’s Sunday and I’m looking forward to a calm and relaxing day with my family. In between spring cleaning, coupon shopping, and being a domestic diva (teeheehee) I found some time to make a card…aren’t you proud? LOL!

I got this newer “Cheeky Chat” from The Greeting Farm, and I couldn’t wait to get her inked up! I stamped her in Black Ink and colored her with Copic Markers before cutting her out with scissors, then added her to the focal panel that was paper pierced around the edges. I used Kraft Cardstock as a card base {shocking…once again}, then used some patterned papers from the Latte Matstack paper pad from DCWV. I stitched around the edges of the large purple background panel, then cut the polka-dotted panel in a large circle before adding it to the base. I trimmed the sides that overlapped the card base edges, then added one of the sentiments from the “Daily Grind” set from There She Goes. After adding some Ribbon, Silver Brads, and TONS of Dimensionals the card was complete.

That’s it for me! Thanks for stopping by today, and I’ll see you all back here tomorrow with a couple of cards using some MFT stamps and sketches! Until then…

…Shopping Day Game Plan

2011-03-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday! Even though the spring cleaning continues I wanted to give you all an idea of what I do when the time comes to go shopping. I’m TOTALLY obsessive-compulsive when it comes to organization and preparedness, so your methods may not be the same as mine…you’ll figure out what works best for you as you go along.

Before I head out I always make sure that I have my binder, and that I have copied the stores’ COUPON AGREEMENTS just in case I run into a problem with a cashier who is unfamiliar with their store’s policy. I check my fave couponing websites for deals (as well as the store’s weekly ad), and I make a list of what I want to buy that day at that particular store. As I’m making my list I pull the coupons from my binder and set them aside.

I also check behind my “store coupons” divider (in the back of my binder) to make sure that I have all of the coupons cut that I need for a particular trip. I print them off from the store’s website, punch holes in them with a three-hole punch, and add them to the section without clipping them…I can always clip what I need later and it saves space. IMPORTANT TIP OF THE DAY: Remember that you can use a manufacturer’s coupon AND a store coupon on the same item…BIG savings! You can use these on as many items as you’d like…for example: if you purchase 3 boxes of Kleenex tissues, you can use three manufacturer’s coupons AND three store coupons. Get it?

When the list is complete, I stick it and the coupons that I’ll be using into a legal-sized envelope labeled with the store name (as shown below). I usually always have my binder in my bag for quick referencing in case I find a deal that wasn’t advertised, but sometimes I just take the envelope instead if I’m making a quick trip out. Either way all of the coupons I’m going to be using are in one place, and if I need to add more I can.

So here’s your simplified shopping day strategy:

Know when the sales start and end for each store;
Have your coupons and shopping lists ready to go;
Take your store cards with you (most sales only apply if you have a store card. You can also upload store coupons onto your store cards using Cellfire.com)
SHOP EARLY;
If the sale products you want are sold out, ask the cashier for a RAIN CHECK. These last up to 30 days, and you can still get the sale price and store rewards for those items as well.

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope this helps you as you get ready to head out and save some money! :) I’ll see you back here in the next day or two with another card. Until then…

…What’s Next?

2011-03-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

For me? Glad you asked! :) I’ve been so busy spring cleaning around the house that I nearly forgot to show off some of the new “special additions” that will be coming soon to By LORi Designs!

Introducing: “Happy Easter Baskets”

…and “Skyla & Rover”

Aren’t they adorable (if I do say so myself)? Each image comes with a coordinating sentiment that can be used, or you can create your own personalized greeting. Head on over to the BLD Store and add these images to your digital collection!

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I will see you back here tomorrow with another Couponing post! Until then…

…Sale Is Over

2011-03-16T22:43:00.001-04:00

Everything has been purchased! Thanks so much to Rachel and Carol! Have a wonderful night, everyone!

…For Sale

2011-03-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

I’ve been Spring cleaning and reorganizing my stamping space, so I thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and sell off some stuff that I no longer use. I have some SU! punches and a few accessories as well, and you can check them out ~~HERE~~!

~~Happy Shopping! :)~~

EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SOLD…THANKS!

…Little Angel Creeper

2011-03-15T03:00:00.000-04:00

It’s Tuesday, and I’m elbow-deep into spring cleaning! Why in the world did I even start when I KNEW that I wasn’t going to be able to stop until EVERYTHING was done? Because I’m a ding-dong…that’s why! LOL! Since I’m so busy (and crazy) cleaning my little heart out I thought I’d share the last of the cards that I made on our last Girls’ Weekend…ENJOY!

I don’t know about you, but I have been in love with these Creeper images since DAY ONE…and Sasha from the new “Creeper Crew Collection” from The Greeting Farm is no exception! I think she’s a combination of Taylor Swift and America’s next American Idol…Lauren Alaina {Yes, I’m obsessed…and it doesn’t help that she goes to high school with my sons either}! I stamped her in Black Ink and colored her with Copic Markers before cutting her out with a Nesties Die.I added a little shimmer to her eye shadow with my Gold Glaze Pen…ain’t she purty? I used Kraft Cardstock as a card base {shocking, I know!}, then used Melon Berry as the larger background panel. I paper pierced the edges and decided to sponge and distress it as well. I paired the image with some patterned papers from the Be Loved paper pack by My Mind’s Eye, and used the MFT Die-namics Dainty Dots Border die as one of the vertical strips behind the focal panel. The sentiment from MFT’s “Pure Innocence- Little Angel” set was stamped in Black Ink, and several Silver Nail Heads were added underneath. After adding some Stitching, Ribbon, Buttons with Twine and Rhinestones, and TONS of Dimensionals the card was complete.

That’s it for me! My muscles are aching, my back is killing me, and I’m tuckered out; but I WILL get this house clean if it kills me…and it just might! Thanks for stopping by today, and I’ll see you all back here tomorrow with some more info on couponing…and I might even have a recipe for you this week as well! Until then…

…Getting Started With Coupons

2011-03-14T03:00:00.000-04:00

Let me start by saying that I am in NO WAY a professional at this whole couponing thing, but I do have some tips and tricks to share with you. I started couponing just last month when my husband and I decided to get a handle on our finances and look into buying/building a new home. We decided to pay off our debts and lower our household expenses, and one of the most expensive (after our house payment) was our grocery bill. Now, thanks to couponing, we’re on the road to cutting that by 60-80%!

I started by purchasing one newspaper and scouring the weekly ads and coupon inserts. Now I purchase four newspapers a week unless there are going to be more than two coupon inserts that week…then I buy six! I suggest buying newspapers based on the amount of people in your family. There are four of us, so I buy at least four. Now let me breakdown the types of newspaper inserts you’ll find.

There are two that appear almost every week (usually one, but sometimes both at the same time)…Smart Source (SS) and Red Plum (RP). These are jam-packed with savings! Once a month there will be one or two others that appear along with the SS and RP…Proctor & Gamble, and General Mills. Want to know when each of the inserts will be included in the paper? Check out this complete list of coupon inserts for the year (This applies to the newspapers in the South for sure, but I’m not sure about other regions. The coupons included each week also vary by region.):

SOUTHERN SAVERS’ COUPON INSERT SCHEDULE FOR 2011

Some people clip ALL of the coupons to add to their coupon binder (I’ll be discussing that in a second) while others only cut what they’ll use for that week. I like to go ahead and cut everything out and get it organized so I’ll know which coupons I’ve got at a glance. Here’s how I organize all of my coupons:

This is my “Coupon Binder”…a 3” three-ring zippered notebook! I found this Five Star zippered notebook on sale at Office Depot for $9 (you can use whatever you’d like, but why spend a bunch of money when you don’t have to, right?), and I chose a zippered one so that my coupons wouldn’t fly out when I throw my binder into the backseat of my truck! LOL! And believe me…I take it EVERYWHERE with me! Here’s a peek at how I organize it:

I purchased an alphabetical set of dividers that included an index and plastic dividers. You can use the paper ones, but I’ve found that they tend to tear when you’re flipping back and forth in your binder. Each letter represents a certain category. For example, “D” represents “Breakfast” (I have my categories listed in alphabetical order as well because I’m a bit OCD…you do NOT have to do your this way). Let’s see what’s behind the “D” divider:

It’s all of my coupons that have to do with “Breakfast”…cereals, oatmeal, grits, pancake mix, syrup, etc. I organize all of the manufacturer’s coupons using baseball card protectors that can be purchased at any office supply store. I recommend starting with at least 60 of these baseball sleeves…you can always buy more when you need them. If I have multiple copies of a coupon I’ll include them ALL in one pocket whether they’re from the paper or from the internet. Here are some of my favorite online printable coupon places (You can usually only print out 2 coupons from your computer per site. If someone else has a computer in your house you can use theirs to print out a total of 4):

Coupons
Smart Source
Red Plum
Cellfire (coupons saved to your store card)
Cool Savings
We Use Coupons (also a great community and resource)

Now that you have the newspaper weekly ads and coupons it’s time to look for the best sales! The best way to get more bang for your buck is to utilize both sales AND coupons to get the lowest price you can. Check out your weekly ads from the newspaper to see what kind of deals you can find, then match them up with your coupons. ALWAYS LOOK AT THE SALES PRICES PER UNIT…just because it says “value pack” doesn’t always mean that it’s a better value! Need help knowing what deals are out there? Check out these websites that not only show you the deals, but they also tell you which coupons you can use to save the most (These are my favorites. There are literally thousands of blogs and coupon sites online, so get out there and find which ones will help you the most):

The Krazy Coupon Lady (my most favorite!!!)
Time 2 Save
Hip 2 Save
We Use Coupons
Southern Savers (this is for the southern United States)
Coupon Shopping With Treasure

That’s it for today’s “lesson”! I’ll be back in a couple of days to cover couponing lingo, doubling & stacking coupons, other tips & tricks, and even more about my coupon binder! THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP FOR TODAY: Start out small. Don’t get frustrated if you’re not saving 75-90% the first time you try couponing. There is a method to it, and you’ll pick up on it the more you do it. You won’t be a professional overnight! Like everything else…it takes practice. Keep your heads up and a smile on your face! Until later…

…Oh Baby!

2011-03-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday, everyone! I had every intention to post a mini couponing how-to today, but my inbox and comments were filled with so many questions that I need more time to get everything typed out. So I will be back here tomorrow with the first part, but today I wanted to share another card that I made at our last Girls’ Weekend.

TAH-DAH! Whatcha think? I decided to use the “a la modes-Oh Baby!” set from My Favorite Things, stamped them in Black Ink, and colored them with Copic Sketch Markers. I paired the focal panel with patterned papers from October Afternoon’s Modern Homemaker paper pad along with some New Leaf, Red, and White Cardstock. I pierced the edges of the large striped panel, then stitched the punched panel and red cardstock strip down the right-hand side. The background on the focal panel was sponged using a Sponge Dauber and a Distress Ink Pad while the sentiment from the same set was stamped in Black Ink and cut out using the Word Window Punch. I added a heart and flower by punching cardstock and patterned paper with the Heart Punch and Trio Flower Punch, then added a Silver Brad to the center of the flower. I also added some Crystal Stickles to the bow on the giant teddy bear, and added three more Silver Brads down the upper right side of the card base. After adding some Saddle-Stitched Ribbon and tons of Dimensionals the card was complete. I’m so pleased with the way it turned out!

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow with the beginning of my “How To Get Started With Coupons” class! Until then…

…All About the “Cattitude”

2011-03-11T03:00:00.001-05:00

…and you have happen to be the owner of a fluffy feline, you KNOW that’s the truth! It’s ALL about the attitude with those finicky little fellas! Here’s another card that I made at our latest Girls’ Weekend. I sure do miss those girlies…sniff sniff! :(

I stamped two of the kitty images from the “Cattitude” stamp set from There She Goes in Black Ink, and colored them with Copic Markers. The focal panel was cut out with one of the Classic Circle Nesties Dies, and I added some Orange Rhinestones to the right-hand side of the panel. I paired the completed images with some patterned papers from the Fine & Dandy True Blue paper pad from My Mind’s Eye along with some Orange Zest, Aqua Mist, Dark Brown, and White Cardstock. I distressed the edges of the large background panel using the Zutter Distrezz-It-All, and pierced the edges of the orange patterned paper panel. I added some Chocolate Ribbon around the center of the large panel, and added a bow at the top. After adding a Sentiment Flag, Corduroy Button/Twine combo, and several Dimensionals the card was complete…what do you think?

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you all back here in a day or two to answer some questions regarding couponing. Until then…

…Sharing A Little Savings

2011-03-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

As many of you read the other day, I have started couponing recently…and I LOVE it! I wanted to share some of the savings that I’ve gotten from some of my outings!

This first picture was my very first time shopping at Publix back in the middle of last month, and here’s what I came home with:

20 Progresso Soups
4 packs Mama Mary's Pizza Crusts
4 DiGiorno's Shaved Parmesan Cheese
2 Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oils
4 Eckrich Farm Sausages (2 smoked, 2 kielbasa)
2 Ziploc Sandwich Bags
2 Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Crackers
Betty Crocker Deluxe Brownie Mix
3 lbs. Onions

Spent $80 for $180 worth of groceries…56% SAVINGS

This second picture was from a combined trip to Bi-Lo, Target, and Walgreens. What all did I bring home?

4 boxes Cheerios Cereal
2 boxes Trix Cereal
2 boxes Cocoa Puffs Cereal
2 boxes Crunchy Nut Cereal
3 Pillsbury Toaster Strudels
4 Febreze Air Effects
1 Aquaphor Lip Repair
1 (20 ct) Excedrin Tablets
1 Gillette ProGlide Power Razor
1 Baby Magic Hair and Body Wash
2 packs Orbit Gum

Spent $26.63 for $60.55 worth of groceries…SAVINGS OF 56%

This was the haul from my trips to CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, and an impromptu visit to Wal-Mart on Tuesday. What all did I come home with?

2 packs (40 ct each) Pampers Diapers Size 1
3 boxes Kellogg's Raisin Bran Cereal
1 Single-serve Kellogg's Apple Jacks Cereal
6 boxes Tampax Pearl Tampons
3 packs Orbit Gum
8 Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs
2 packs Nestle Crunch Eggs
2 packs Wonka Spree Jelly Beans
2 packs Dove Peanut Butter Eggs
2 packs Ghirardelli Chocolate and Caramel Squares
3 Colgate Maxfresh Toothbrushes
3 Colgate Maxwhite Toothbrushes
2 Lysol Disinfectant Wipes
2 Febreze Air Effects
6 Dawn Dishwashing Liquids
2 Mr. Clean Magic Eraser 2 packs
4 boxes Pediacare Infant Drops
1 Garnier Moisture Rescue
1 Garnier Skin Renew
1 bag of lemons (not on my original list, but I needed them for dinner yesterday)
2 packs Starkist Tuna Pouches
8 can Bumblebee Tuna

Spent just over $80 for $232.61 worth of groceries…SAVINGS OF 65%

I think I’m getting the hang of combining sales prices with a number of coupons to rack up some pretty serious savings overall! I’ve even been able to start a small stockpile! Thanks to a wonderful couponing class at my mom’s church (given by Lori Hyde…thanks, lady!) and several online couponing blogs, I’m learning to become a better steward with our household money and I’m also filling my home with food and products that my family needs on a daily basis. Gotta LOVE those coupons! If you have any questions about couponing just leave me a comment, and I’ll post my answers for you one day this weekend.

That’s it for today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow with another card. Until later…

…Hi Little Lady

2011-03-09T03:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Hump Day! I was up late last night perusing through the endless posts in my Google Reader when today’s MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #10 caught my attention. I had stamped off some of Jessie’s images this past weekend while we were together to use in the future, so I figured today would be as good a time as any! So I sat down and came up with this…whatcha think?

I decided to use the “Pure Innocence-Emma Playing Mommy ” set, stamped the stroller image in Black Ink, and colored it with Copic Sketch Markers. I paired the focal panel with patterned papers from October Afternoon’s Thrift Shoppe paper pad along with some Black, Red, and Vanilla Cardstock. I pierced the edges of the large floral panel, then stitched the vertical dotted panel to the that after adding a Red Cardstock strip down the center. The edges of the focal panel were also pierced, then I used the Die-namics Dainty Lace Border Die to go across the lower part of the panel. The stroller was cut out and added to the same panel using Dimensionals. The sentiment from the same set was cut out using a Classic Circle Nesties Die, then popped off of the card front with Dimensionals again. After adding some Ribbon, Rhinestones, and several more Dimensionals the card was complete. I’m so pleased with the way it turned out, but now I have to get some sleep! :)

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you back here in the next day or two! Until then…

…Sweet Dreams

2011-03-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

I finished up clipping all of my coupons last night, so I was able to get some card pictures taken and edited to share with you all this week. Today I’m showcasing another image from By LORi Designs called “Lollipop Presley”:

I printed the image out and colored it all with Copic Sketch Markers adding the ground in the process with a Copic Multi-Liner. I paired the completed image with some patterned papers from the Ooh La La For Him paper pack by My Mind’s Eye along with some Orange Zest, Artichoke, and White Cardstock. I Distressed and Paper Pierced the edges of the large white cardstock panel, then punched a scrap piece of artichoke cardstock with the Apron Lace Border Punch. The sentiment was from the My Favorite Things’ set “Pure Innocence-Bedtime Story” was stamped in White Ink onto more artichoke scrap paper, and then punched out with the Word Window Punch. I also added some Orange Zest Saddle-Stitched Ribbon and finished the bow with a Mint Green Button and Thread. After adding some Mint Green Rhinestones and several Dimensionals the card was complete!

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by to see me, and I’ll see you back here in the next day or two with some more new stuff! Until then…

…You Bring Me Happiness

2011-03-06T01:30:00.000-05:00

Good Sunday to all of my loyal readers! As you all know, I’ve been in the mountains of Georgia enjoying the company of some of my dearest friends over the weekend. I wanted to take time out to prove to everyone that I was actually up here getting some stamping done…it’s shocking…I know! LOL! But here’s the first card I'll be sharing from this fun-filled weekend (yes…I made more than one):

I borrowed these Stamping Bella images, called “Arthur and Annie”, from my bestie Jessica Diedrich…aren’t they AMAZING?!? She was fortunate enough to meet the fabulous Emily Block on her trip to Winter CHA just a few weeks ago, and came home with these yummy goodies to play with! I stamped the images in Black Ink and created a sidewalk for them to stand on using one of my Copic Multi-Liners. The entire panel was colored with Copic Sketch Markers and I pierced the edges of the upper section using a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer. I used a sentiment from There She Goes’ set called “Spring Fever”, and added three Red Rhinestones underneath it for some *sparkle*. I paired the completed panel with a piece of patterned paper from my “i-have-no-idea-whose-paper-this-is” file. :) After adding some Red Ribbon, a Kiwi Button with Twine, and several Dimensionals to the card was complete.

That’s it for today! See…I promised that I would have something to share from my girls’ retreat…you’re surprised, aren’t you? LOL! Thanks for stopping by to see me, and I’ll see you all back here Wednesday with an MFT creation using their new sketch…I can’t wait to see it! Until then…

…BLD Blog Hop

2011-03-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Howdy, peeps! I guess you’re probably wondering where in the world I’ve been, huh? Honestly, I’ve been taking a little break since my desire to create and/or color went on hiatus a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been cleaning house and discovered a new love…COUPONING! So I’ve been running around town finding sales and saving buckets of money! :)

As you already know, today we’re having a new release blog hop using the new images from By LORi Designs! If you’ve come from KADIE’S BLOG then you’re in the right place; if not, then you’ll need to start over at the By Lori Designs’ Blog to catch up and follow along. Here’s my card for today’s hop…introducing:

“Puddle Jumpers’ Easter Lyla”

I printed the image out and colored it all with Copic Sketch Markers adding the ground in the process. I paired the completed image with some patterned papers from SU’s retired Tea Party Designer Series Paper pack along with some Lemon Tart and White Cardstock. I stitched the purple dotted panel to the larger floral background, then added some piercing around the floral panel edges with a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer. The sentiment panel was punched out using Classic Circle Nesties then colored with a Copic Marker. After adding some Ribbon, Rhinestones, and tons of Dimensionals the card was complete!

That’s it for me today! Thanks for stopping by to see me, and hop on over to HANNAH’S BLOG to see what she has for you…I’m sure you’ll LOVE it! I’ll see you all back here either Sunday or Monday with another creation. I’m spending the weekend up in the mountains with my besties Pam, Jessica, and Jessie…so I’m hoping to get a lot of stamping done while I’m there. Until then…