My Junk Drawer

Why I Have Been MIA...

2012-01-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posting these last few weeks. I have been dealing with some personal issues. Long story short, I went to my doctor with a problem and they gave me a medicine to "help" that problem and that "help" created many other problems. I have been on an emotional roller coaster.

It has not been fun. And has resulted in me not wanting to do anything. But I have stopped that medicine and feel myself getting better.

I promise I'm not gone. :)

But for now, you can go check out my photography blog, and follow it too (the follow button is on the bottom, I am still figuring out how to get it to the top). It's my place to share my photos without blowing up this craft blog. There only a few posts, I am working on getting more up. But you know this whole not wanting to do anything is really getting in the way. **wink**

I have some crafts to share with you too, I just gotta get the photos uploaded and ready.

Why Do I Love Photography?

2011-12-30T21:05:00.000-08:00

Because I get to capture moments like these...

More Family Photography

2011-12-30T21:03:00.000-08:00

This shoot was a tough one, the kids didn't really want their photos taken, but we got some good shots. :)

Family Photography

2011-12-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

I love the way this shoot turned out. SO many of them turned out so cute. But I only picked a few so I wouldn't go crazy. These boys some of my favorite! And she is one of my closest friends. :)

Time Off...

2011-12-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

As of December 16, 2011 I have my Associates Degree in Social & Behavioral Sciences. As of that same date I am out of school for 9 whole months!! I can't switch to a University til the Fall,so I am now going to have a LOT of time on my hands.

To be honest, I am already bored.

My boredom is turning into laziness.

That laziness is resulting in me doing nothing crafty.

I think if maybe I can somehow organize all of my stuff I might be able to get back into a crafty mood. Right now, my craft supplies are in my bedroom closet and my sewing machine and some fabric is in my living room.

I don't have a craft room. My house is too small for me to even have a craft corner-which is why all my stuff is strewn about.

My goal during my time off of school is to correct that.

My son recently dumped all that fabric out and I have been too lazy to fix it) :)

This is what is first on my list. I figure that if I have something that looks cute i might make everything around it look cute too.

We recently got rid of our cable. Sniff sniff! Which means that I can take the tv out of our bedroom (we liked watching the news while we got ready in the mornings). When the tv goes out, I will have a nice corner to turn into my own!

Now I just need to get my hands on a table or a desk. Anyone know where to get a cheap one?

I have big plans for that small corner!! If I can pull it off it's gonna be great!

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-24T11:40:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Alicia Marie Photography

No Link Party Today But Some Random Things Instead!

2011-12-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys! I can't seem to get the link party to work this week. Sad face over here!

Since we can't have our link party today I thought it might be fun to give you some more random facts about me!

10 more things you most likely don't know about me...

1. I suck at science

2. I raised my little brother

3. I used to want a tattoo (I am sure glad I never got it- can you imagine an LDS girl teaching primary with a giant tattoo on her leg? haha!)

4. I have been in 3 car accidents

5. I didn't sing out loud in front of my musical husband for 8 years! The first time was just 2 weeks ago-he's making me go caroling with just our family. {scared!}

6. We got married when my son was 7 months

7. I am not as well kept together as everyone thinks I am- I fall apart a lot. A LOT.

8. I keep up an emotional wall between me and the world, only a few people have made it past that wall

9. My friends are my sisters- so are my SILs but I think that should go without saying

10. I love the color green

Nativity Ornament Tutorial

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

This year my friend Tasha (from Creation Corner) and I made nativity ornaments for our Church's Christmas Relief Society Program. Our theme was centered around the nativity, so we made one of these ornaments for each sister in our ward. They really are so pretty but so simple. I hope you all decide to make one for your tree.

These would make awesome gifts for neighbors or for loved ones! I am also panning on making a bigger version to put on my shelf.

Supplies Needed:

Wooden People:

For Joseph: a 2 3/8" man
For Mary: a 2" girl
For baby Jesus we used a 1 1/2" square with a 3/8" round ball (you can buy these at Micheals (or any craft store) or if you'd like to buy in bulk for cheaper you buy them here like we did)

Paint

Wood Glue

Jewt

Raffia

Step One: Paint your people. We used a cream for the heads, brown for Joseph's body and red for Mary's body.

Step Two: Paint the squares white and the balls cream, these make baby Jesus in this bed. (sorry I don't have a picture of the balls, but you see will them next)

Step Three: Using wood glue, glue the 2 bodies together, then Jesus on the front of them (see picture below).

Step Four: Tie a strand of raffia around the middle.

Step Five: Glue a strand of jewt (or ribbon) in a loop to the back.

And VOILA! Your very own nativity ornament.

I hope you enjoy making one or two or even 50 like we did! :)

Monday Link Party!

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope your week is getting off to a good start.
Christmas is in 2 weeks!
Can you believe it?

Now on to the link party.

It can be a craft, a sewing project, a recipe, home decor, anything really!

If you created it, link it.

Here are the rules:

Link to your specific post, not just to your blog.
Grab a button and post it somewhere on your blog. (this is not mandatory, but it would be nice)
Please remember to keep things appropriate, anything offensive or vulgar will be deleted!
Please do not link up your own giveaways.

**By linking up to this party, you are giving me full permission to use any part of your post as I will be featuring items every week.**

Thanks everyone! Make sure you pass the word around so we can more and more link ups every week.

{Season of Service} Recap

2011-12-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Wow! Did you keep up with all of the amazing ideas this week? These ladies sure did have some awesome ideas for service projects!!

Here is a recap in case you missed something...

Service Advent from Polkadots On Parade

Random Act of Kindness from Blue Cricket Design

Thank You Gift with Crafting & Creativity

Secret Santa from Lolly Jane

Afton Jean Charity from Love Stitched

Getting Kids Involved with Cait + Create

{Season of Service} Getting Kids Involved!

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today's guest is Caitlin from Cait + Create! Her blog has become one of my favorite' to read. She is so fun. I LOVE her idea for a service project, I hope you all do too.

Hello Everyone! I’m so excited to be a part of Kristen’s “Season of Service!”

I love this time of year! I love all of it…the shopping, the lights, the Christmas cards, how everywhere even smells like Christmas. But amidst all of the chaos, I want to teach my kids to enjoy the season and still remember what it is really all about. I want them to learn about service and love. This is the perfect time of year to start a tradition of service because the opportunities are endless.

It turns out, however, that not all of the service opportunities welcome children. In fact, many service opportunities request that you not bring children so that they don’t get in the way. So, we’ve had to be a little creative, but we’ve come up with some fun ideas to help our kids learn how to serve, and I’d love to share them with you.

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.  ~Mother Teresa

We started by letting our kids tell us ways that they are interested in helping. Saxon wants to help animals. The local animal shelter does not accept volunteer and the Humane Society does not accept children as volunteers. But we found a local pet shop that will let Saxon come and help feed the animals and clean out the cages.

Bridger wants to help out in a nursing home. A friend of ours is a nurse at the nearest hospital, and she invited a group of kids in our neighborhood to go Christmas caroling at the hospital.

Saxon helped rake some leaves in our neighborhood, Bridger made cookies for a friend, and later this week the boys are going to choose a name from the Angel Tree at the bank. Then they are going to shop for that child for Christmas. We also let the kids help make some crafts to donate to the Festival of Trees. Each time we go to the grocery store, I let each of my kids pick out one of their favorite foods to donate to the food drive.

I expect to pass through life but once.  If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.  ~William Penn

My kids have had so much fun trying to find ways to help others. They feel so good about themselves for being able to help, and they are learning something important as well…they are learning about the true meaning of Christmas. I hope that even if we have to be a little creative, we can all find ways to serve others :)

{Season of Service} Afton Jean Charity

2011-12-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today's service post is a bit different. Instead of someone giving you another crafty idea for a service project, I want to share with you a great service project that a great blogger has put together. Brittany from Love Stitched was originally going to put together a great post for us, then something happened. Brittany's friend, who also happens to be a great blogger, went through something terrible.

Kami from No Biggie had to say goodbye to a sweet little baby girl, Afton Jean. She was born 3.5 months early and fought very hard for 7 days. After those 7 days, she returned to her Heavenly Father.

To read Afton's story in her mom's words, click here and here.

Sweet Brittany from Love Stitched has put together a charity for Afton's family. On top of going through this tragedy, they have incurred many hospital bills. Brittany started this charity to hopefully lessen their burden.

You can read about the charity here and you can visit the shop here.

The shop is full of wonderful items from great crafty ladies. Each item is being offered at a discounted price. All of the proceeds will be sent directly to a PayPal account that has been opened for Afton Jean's family. So you are getting a GREAT deal while also helping out this sweet family. With Christmas right around the corner, why not get some shopping done while helping a family in need.

This story is especially close to my heart since I also lost a sweet little baby girl around the same time in my pregnancy. It is such a hard thing to hold your little one knowing that you won't be able to see them grow up, or hear them laugh, or kiss their booboos. I hope that you will all take the time to read Afton's story and if you are able to help donate to this family in need.

Come back tomorrow for another service project idea!

{Season of Service} Secret Santa

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another day of service! Are you all getting inspired like I am? I LOVE it!!

I am excited for today's guest, I love the girls from Lolly Jane. They are amazing. Here they are...

Hey there My Junk Drawer readers!

We are loving this time of year for all the beautiful decor and tasty treats but mostly for the reason of the season, to serve others. We're excited to show our yearly tradition we've done since we were tots and have carried out within our little families, neighbor secret santas:

We are twin sisters Kelli & Kristi from Lolly Jane, an electic blog of crafts, tutorials, home improvement tips, DIY's and even a recipe or two!

To be a secret Santa, you'll need to find a family to love on this season. We chose a young married couple with 2 small children who are struggling due to lack of employment. We know they would appreciate some extra TLC this season and are grateful that we are able to provide that and show our children compassion as well. After choosing age-appropriate gifts, we wrapped them up and tied a cherry bow around them. We topped the childrens toys in our Christmas bakers boxes (link) containing a VISA gift card and little love note for the parents to enjoy shopping on us.

The best part is letting the children sneak up to the door and play Santa, leaving gifts at the doorstep... then ringing and running for dear life! ;) We each have fond memories of jumping in the car parked a few houses down, cold & out of breath but warm & fuzzy inside, laughing with our siblings how we got away.

We love Kristen's theme for this year that motivated us to get our neighbor secret Santa project completed early. We would love for you to pop by our blog, FB, Twitter or Pinterest and say hey!

Hope you all enjoy your Christmas season and spread the cheer :)

XOXO,

Thanks Lolly Jane twins for sharing your love of service with us!!

{Season of Service} Thank You Gift

2011-12-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Are you enjoying this series so far? I am!! These ladies are amazing. And here's another...

Hi, I'm Sarah & I blog over at Crafting and Creativity.

I'm excited to be here at My Junk Drawer for Kristen's 'Season of Service' series!

A huge part of service is recognizing and thanking those who give service to us.

My son, who is almost 4, has been in the Sunbeams class this year at church. (the 3 year-old class)

I know that we are so grateful for the teachers he has had this year & the current couple that teaches him now is just amazing. They are so patient & kind, and happy to be there. You can tell that they truly enjoy teaching these sweet little kids every week.

But that age group also can also be tough. Especially when the class is pretty big!

I wanted to make up a little something to thank them for being so awesome. I know my son loves being in their class & it means so much to me as a mom to see others really caring about my child.

While I was ~~wasting time~~ checking out some pins on Pinterest, I came across a teacher gift idea of giving something filled with M&M's, along with a little note saying what each color represents. I thought it would be a cute & colorful little gift for my son to give his teachers!

My little jar came from Ikea & the bag of M&M's that I bought filled it up perfectly!

I tied a cute polka dot Christmas ribbon to the top...

After thinking of a few different ways that I could include the little poem, I just made a little card to go along with the jar...

Here's the inside...

The text inside reads.......

Green is for the inspiration you give me each Sunday.

Blue is for your patience in showing me the way.

Orange is for your warmth and caring style.

Yellow is for the way you always make me smile.

Red is for my life that you have touched this year.

You're a "Magnificent"

& "Marvelous" Teacher!

Thank you for being my M&M!

I could have added some sort of vinyl or rub-on to the jar, but I wanted to keep it simple & allow them to re-use the jar if they want to.

I'll have my son make a picture for them to tuck inside the card.

He is totally excited to give it to them later this month!!

Thanks Kristen for having me!

{Season of Service} Random Act Of Kindness

2011-12-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

Yay! Another day means another great idea for service!!

Today's guest is Becca from Blue Cricket Design. I just love Becca! She is amazingly talented and is so inspiring. I was so excited when she said she could be my guest! Here she is...

I love this time of year because I think it has the potential to bring out the best in us! It's become a family tradition in our home to pick up the bill at a restaurant when we see a police officer, firefighter or serviceman or woman in uniform. This was a great tradition we learned from my husbands grandfather! Unfortunately it's not often that we find ourselves dining with these deserving men and woman so around the holidays I try to find other ways to extend this random act of kindness in an attempt to surprise a stranger and put a smile on their face!

Last year I started doing "Drive Thru" service acts! One day when I was in the drive thru line at Taco Bell I noticed the lady behind me ordering looked sad. I couldn't help but notice her in my rear view mirror. When I got to the window to pay for my order and pick up my food I asked to pay for the car behind me as well and simply asked them to tell her " Happy Holidays and I hope she had a nice day!" I have no idea what she thought of this random act but I sure know how it made me feel!

All of us need that extra dose of feel good once in a while! I can guess that she felt blessed by that tiny act of kindness showed to her but I think I benefited from it most. I had my three smalls girls in the car with me and I told them how good it felt to do kind things for others!

I think service is almost more important to the one offering it then to those who receive it! It's a wonderful reminder that we need each other and that we have the power to lift others, lighten each others burdens and be blessed in return!

I hope we can find opportunities to serve others this time of year... even if it's in a Drive Thru!

{Season of Service} Service Advent

2011-12-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to begin this Season Of Service series! I love this time of year and I love to perform random acts of service too, I am starting this series to combine both of those things. I hope this inspires you all to show someone love and generosity this Christmas season. There are some wonderful guest posters lined up. I hope you follow along for the next week. There are lots of wonderful service ideas.

Hello friends!!
I am Jaime from Polkadots on Parade!

I am excited to be a part of this wonderful holiday service series with the talented Kristen,
and to increase our family's giving spirit this season!

These little cuties are so excited for Christmas!

But I want them to feel all of Christmas, the gifts and the joy of service.

I also wanted an advent calendar, so I got an idea!

I cut 3 ornament shapes out of paper.

Then used those as patterns to cut out 24 sets of fabric ornaments and 24 matching felt backs.

I cut out 24 squares of felt with my favorite pinking shears.

I sewed the felt squares to the felt backs.

Then I sewed the 2 layers of fabric ornaments to the felt back.

I hand-stitched each ornament to my favorite red and white polkadotted ribbon!

I typed up these 24 ideas for small acts of service my 3-year-old and 8-year-old could both do.

I printed the page at the Costco photo center and cut it into strips.

I placed one act of service and 2 pieces of candy in the felt pocket in the back of each ornament.

And our garland of giving is complete!

I can't wait to do these with my kids all month leading up to Christmas!

Merry month of service and joy!!

Thanks Jamie!!

Pictures, Pictures and More Pictures!

2011-11-29T13:33:00.000-08:00

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that I tend to not stick any one medium for too long. I go back and forth between all sorts of crafty and creative things. I go from sewing to scrapbooking to wood work, to sewing and so on.

Lately, I have been taking pictures. I have had several families ask me to take their pictures. I am having so much fun with it. I have been so involved in learning all that I can and practicing all the time that I haven't really been doing anything crafty. I LOVE taking pictures. I love that I am getting better at it.

Here are some of the photos I have taken recently...

Monday Link Party!

2011-11-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope your week is getting off to a good start.

Now on to the link party.

It can be a craft, a sewing project, a recipe, home decor, anything really!

If you created it, link it.

Here are the rules:

Link to your specific post, not just to your blog.
Grab a button and post it somewhere on your blog. (this is not mandatory, but it would be nice)
Please remember to keep things appropriate, anything offensive or vulgar will be deleted!
Please do not link up your own giveaways.

**By linking up to this party, you are giving me full permission to use any part of your post as I will be featuring items every week.**

Thanks everyone! Make sure you pass the word around so we can more and more link ups every week.

Family Cookbook Project

2011-11-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

With the holidays coming up I have been getting out all of my recipes. My family recipes are all over my kitchen. Seriously, there are some in a falling apart cookbook from the 70s, then there are some on index cards in a box, and then there are some stuffed in a drawer. I seriously need to get it all organized and put nicely into one book.

I am glad I came upon this idea! I am going to get started on mine ASAP because who doens't want an organized cookbook full of their own personal recipes. :) You can too for a great discounted price of $39 that is a bargain if you ask me. :)

**this post is brought to you by Family CookBook Project. All opinions are 100% mine**

I'm Thankful

2011-11-24T08:50:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like to share with you what I am thankful for.

In no particular order too...

I am thankful for:

my kids
my hubs
Diet Dr Pepper
great friends
photography- I love being able to capture memories of my kids!
the internet- I get to keep in touch with wonderful people
my car- she's an oldie but a goodie
makeup- makes me feel pretty :)
Christmas music-it always puts me in a good mood
running water- I would hate not being able to take a hot shower every morning!
my iPhone
texting- sometimes its impossible to talk on the phone
my church
pain killers
my house- it might be a craphole but at least I have a roof over my head
my inlaw family- they are amazing! They are my family.
banana cream pie!!
my adopted sister- she's not really adopted, she's great though!
Baker's restaurant yummo!
my mistakes and trials-without them I wouldn't be the strong person i've become today!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for my little family. They are my world.

My Shot At Wedding Photos

2011-11-23T07:24:00.000-08:00

I am really enjoying taking pictures. I have been taking a lot lately and am learning so much. I have even been having people ask me to take their pictures. That's pretty cool. Of course I warn them that I am not a pro, but they don't seem to care-especially since I'm free. :)

Remember how my cousin-in-law asked me to take their wedding pictures? She did. I almost said no. But then she told me how they couldn't afford a professional photographer, so I said yes.

I was REALLY nervous. I had never taken anyone's pictures but my kids'. I am not a pro, what if I screwed it up? You only get one shot at wedding pictures. I hid it well, but I was flipping out that day! The time of day was terrible. Pictures were at 1pm! Direct, harsh, ugly lighting.

The couple said they that didn't want any silly or funny pictures. Nothing cheesy at all. This was hard for me since I am used to silly. They are very traditional and simple. They got married in an LDS temple so there wasn't any ceremony pictures and the reception was pretty much a sit down dinner so there isn't any of your traditional reception pictures. I know a pro would have done better, but I think I did okay considering they wanted shots like these.

Here are some pictures of their wedding day...

Christmas {Printables}

2011-11-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! I am so ready for Thanksgiving. Or as I like to call it: guilt free day, because I can eat all I want without feeling guilty. :)

Have you decorated for Christmas yet? I haven't. I have been trying to convince my hubs to take down my stuff from the rafters (I can't reach them, even on a step stool), but he's resisting. He would be perfectly content if I didn't decorate for Christmas. He's my grinch, in a good way. He keeps me grounded. :)

In honor of my favorite season-Christmastime (yes it's a season, please don't argue with me), I have made a couple of printables. I don't know how to make them into a PDF file for you yet, but for now you can right click and save. There are both made 8"X10", anything that size and smaller should look fine.

Monday Link Party!

2011-11-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope your week is getting off to a good start.

I also hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Now on to the link party.

It can be a craft, a sewing project, a recipe, home decor, anything really!

If you created it, link it.

Here are the rules:

Link to your specific post, not just to your blog.
Grab a button and post it somewhere on your blog. (this is not mandatory, but it would be nice)
Please remember to keep things appropriate, anything offensive or vulgar will be deleted!
Please do not link up your own giveaways.

**By linking up to this party, you are giving me full permission to use any part of your post as I will be featuring items every week.**

Thanks everyone! Make sure you pass the word around so we can more and more link ups every week.

Favorite Friday!

2011-11-18T11:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for linking up this week! Here are some of my favorites...

i love this tote bag over at Finding My Way In Texas. It is so cute, the other side has a cute bird on it you, should go check it out.

I LOVE this fabric and this envelope wallet system from n' stitches designs. I want one for myself! It's such a clever idea for mommas on a budget!

These season blocks were the first to catch my eye, I love them. They are from Made By Meech.

I hope you are all having a great week! If I featured you, feel free to grab a button!