Busy, Busy, Busy...

Whew! I have been busy stitching and crafting for all of the various Craftster swaps I am participating in. I am having just too much fun! Also...my new obsession, Washi Tape. I cannot get enough of it. Seriously.

I stitched this up and I think I might make one for myself.

This is why I'm obsessed with washi tape right now.

And this...

These washi tape journals are so simple to make and look so cute!

One last piece of stitchy goodness!

Off to get more of my craftin' on! I might come up for air in a couple of months.

Motivational Monday

I suck at letting go. I will let it fester inside of me...thinking of every word someone said or every action someone did. I think about it over and over again until finally I have made myself sick thinking about crap. That's just what it is, crap.

I'm slowly learning to let go of bad days and bad people. Let me tell you, it is HARD WORK! Sometimes thinking about bad stuff is so much easier than good. I wonder why that is?

How do you let go of a bad day? What do you do to take care of yourself?

Tie One On Tuesday

First off...it has been WAY too long since I've posted a Tie One On Tuesday. WAY TOO LONG! Let's remedy that, shall we?

Did you know that today is National Squirrel Appreciation Day? Neither did I. Let's raise a glass to our nut loving, fuzz butt shaking, bird seed stealing friend.

I love Pink Squirrels, both the drink and the idea of a bright pink squirrel.

Pink Squirrel
3/4 oz creme de noyeaux
3/4 oz light creme de Cacao
1 oz cream
Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, strain and serve in a martini glass. If you want something a bit more frosty, combine in a blender and set to whip.


Maybe pink isn't your color? How about a Chocolate Squirrel?

Chocolate Squirrel (via drinksmixer.com)

3/4 oz amaretto almond liqueur3/4 oz  hazelnut liqueur3/4 oz brown creme de cacao3/4 oz cream
Blend in a shaker with ice, strain over a chilled martini glass. 

Oh my goodness! I really think this next cocktail will have you flying!

Flying Squirrel Cocktail (via1001cocktails.com)

 1 1/2 oz tequila 1 oz orange liqueur  1 splash sweet and sour mix 1 dash sweetened lime juice 1 dash sweetened orange juice
Pour tequila and triple sec into a highball glass one-third filled with crushed ice. Add sour mix and lime juice. Fill with orange juice, and serve

Did you also know today was national Hugging Day? Grab a few cocktails and hug your favorite fuzz butt! Just make sure you have all your shots. 

Motivational Monday

I have been reading a lot lately about online envy. You know, "the grass is greener on the other side" syndrome. People getting mad because all bloggers and pinners do is talk about how great their lives are. I've even been accused of being too perky and too happy. Listen up people, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret here. 

1. My blog is not my diary. It is a way to spread a little joy and sunshine. I do share a lot of private sad info, but for the most part, you just won't see a ton into my private life and I believe that is absolutely okay. This is my blog. 

2. My pins are there to make me happy and to inspire me to create. If they make you smile too, than super. 

Now, you may ask, where is the motivation? Well, here it is and this isn't a secret, you can actually tell everyone this...Quit comparing yourself to everyone else. Quit thinking someone has it better than you. You are pretty damn awesome just on your own. 

Everyone will have problems, everyone will have ups and downs. Don't ridicule the person for not wanting to share. Allow them to focus on the positive in their life. You should be doing that too! We will all have major disappoints in our lives. We all we have craptastic days. It's called life and it can be a bitch sometimes, but if we focus on what is good in our lives, we won't have to look over the fence and compare. 

Be happy with you! 

Don't Be a Wiener....

Unless you are a cute patchwork cross stitched wiener!



I have been busy stitching up these cute little guys for a swap I am in on Craftster.org.



I can't help making all kinds of wiener jokes....these wieners are bigger than expected, they are about 6 inches a piece (SEE! I can't help it!) Everyone just loves a colorful wiener (Please! make the jokes stop!)

I hope my partner likes her wieners!


Okay, okay...back to some respectful stitching. This little girl was way cute and very easy to stitch up. She now lives with a grumpy cloud and a quilted embroidery piece.






Whew! Busy! Busy! Busy! I love swapping! It keeps me creative.

Motivational Monday

via Visit bitsotruth.blogspot.ca

How many of you journal or have a diary that you write in. I have this wonderful leather journal that my husband bought me. It is green with leaves on it. I carry it with me everywhere. I have noticed though, that it started turning into a negativity trap. Every time I was having a bad day, I wrote in it, but I never wrote the good news. I started thinking that I was carrying negativity around with me in the form of the this book. Every where I went, this negative writing was with me. All of my bad days, all of my anger was constantly with me. 

So, I decided that the journal was way to pretty to carry all that negative crap around and started a new journal this year. It is my Happiness and Thankful journal. It is filled with pictures, inspirations and things that make me happy. It also keeps me organized. I write down things I want to do, stuff I want to find and pieces I want to create. Now, instead of carrying around extra negative vibes, always bringing me down, I have this wonderful happy journal that lifts my spirits. 

I actually found that it was kind of hard to write about positive things in my life. So, I made up some questions to help me get started. Maybe if you want to start a Happiness journal, these questions will help you too. 

What makes me happy? (This one is a given but actually can take a lot of thought)

What makes me feel bad and how can I change these things?

What do I want to learn?

What am I thankful for?

What am I passionate about?

I also cut out pictures of places I want to go, draw little pictures and write myself little pick me up notes. 

As for my negative thoughts. I just threw the negative journal into the fire and let the badness burn. When I want to write negative things down, I still do, and then I toss them. I let them go. 

It is a lot of work to be happy, but I think journaling is one step to keep me focused and remind me that life isn't that bad. What do you do to remind yourself of happiness? 

Pinning and Winning

Craftster is having an AWESOME contest right now, Pinning and Winning with Craftster. Check out the details below and enter to win over at Craftster.org. 

1)  Visit each of the small business sponsor Facebook pages listed below.  Show them some love!   Like their page and/or comment on their wall.  If a small business sponsor does not have a Facebook page listed, just visit their site and have a look around at all they have to offer.
2)  Follow us at http://www.pinterest.com/craftsterorg/
3)  Create a Pinterest board on your Pinterest account called "My Craftster Favorites"
4)  Pin projects from Craftster that inspire you!
5)  Head over to Craftster.org and reply  with a link to your fabulous new Pinterest board full of crafty ideas.

Link for replies

Contest ends January 22, 2014, 11:59:59 PM PDT.  One entry/reply per person.
One winner will be randomly selected on or about January 23, 2014.

the itty bitty print:
Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.  Winner will be notified by private message on Craftster.
Eligible to US and non-US.  No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited by law.

Small Business Sponsors
Acts of Craftiness
Alpha Stamps on Facebook
Crochet 'N Things on Facebook
CUTEure Creations on Facebook
Faster Kittykill
HRSG Mosaics
Lily Loves Bernie
Missing Willow Farm
Mountain Mommy's Crochet on Facebook
Sew Lovely Embroidery on Facebook
Spin Heart Spin on Facebook
The Décor Photo Store on Facebook
Vine & Ever on Facebook

One winner will be awarded a spectacular grand prize package valued at over $600 USD.  The prize package includes:

• Six colorful circus-themed collage sheets to help bust you out of any Wintery, post-holiday blues from Alpha Stamps

• One embroidery kit of silk embroidery thread and towel from Faster Kittykill

• One purple framed glass necklace from Lily Loves Bernie

• Two pairs of beaded earrings from Missing Willow Farm

• One "Fire" 100% wool newborn bonnet and one "Ice" mohair newborn bonnet from Mountain Mommy's Crochet

• Four 18"x24" Delightfully Different iron-on embroidery patterns from Sew Lovely Embroidery

• One lace and beaded camera custom strap from The Decor Photo Store

• One children's "Hi" hoodie, one children's head cozy and two mounted linen 5x7 art prints from Vine & Ever

• $20 gift card to Acts of Craftiness

• $20 gift card to Crochet 'N Things

• $26 gift card to CUTEure Creations

• $25 gift card to HRSG Mosaics

• $25 gift card to Spin Heart Spin

• One handmade altered Altoids tin filled to the brim with ephemera donated by rackycoo

• One handmade journal and jelly roll donated by LimeRiot

• Two handmade crochet hats, one copy of "Make Me I'm Yours... Sewing" and one copy of "Make Me I'm